100 DOLLARS A WEEK PT.2 - Day 16 (Saturday) & Something About Evolution & Pregnancy...

So I have this theory that once upon a time when we were cavepeople and had to weather much harsher conditions, the ravenous appetite of early pregnancy served the evolutionary purpose of fattening up the mother for periods of scarcity while growing the baby.

I also have this theory that nothing good can come of me eating everything I want to eat when I want to eat it - unless obesity and gestational diabetes are good things.

Today, I would give someone else's left nut for a 2 pound bag of extra spicy Cajun style crawfish from The Boiling Crab. Too bad that place is, like, 80 miles away. Or maybe that's a good thing.

And on Saturday...

BREAKFAST

for Mads was a bowl of ramen and some kimchi. That child and her ramen...

For Joe, it was a Nutella croissant and milk. His idea. He did, however, determine that the hazelnut flavor of Nutella made a croissant a little too hazelnut-y and not quite chocolate-y enough, so I don't think we'll be repeating that experiment.

For the grown peeps, surprisingly good bargain bin apple turnovers and coffee.

And a small basket of blueberries for all.

A packet of ramen and some kimchi $0.50
+ Nutella croissant $0.50
+ glass of milk $0.10
+ 2 apple turnovers $0.25
+ 2 cups of coffee $0.40
+ basket of blueberries $1.50

= $3.25 FOR BREAKFAST FOR 4

LUNCH

I had planned for days to make fresh pappardella pasta to finish up the rest of the oxtail stew I got from my mom on Thanksgiving, but fatigue won out, and I used spaghetti instead. For the kids, just the pasta and oxtail, but for the adults, I topped it with an olive, a couple of pinches of crushed red chili flakes, and a few grates of lemon zest to give it that osso buco gremolata feel.

We also had about a third of the watermelon we bought that morning (shopping post to follow).

A third of a packet of spaghetti $0.35
+ 2 olives, some pepperoncino, and lemon zest $0.15
+ a third of the watermelon $1.50

= $2.00 FOR LUNCH FOR 4

SNACKS

I'd been craving pickled Thai style mangoes for weeks, so I was pretty jazzed when I walked into the MexiMart on Saturday morning to find green mangoes to pickle. Having also recently learned from my mom that chayotes (chahYOHteh) make good pickles, I added one of those, too.

And the kids asked for carrot coins and Ranch dressing.

2 green mangoes $1.50
+ 1 chayote $0.35
+ 1 jalapeño and 2 chiles de arbol (CHEEleh deh AHRbohl) $0.05
+ some salt, sugar, vinegar, garlic $0.10
+ 1.5 monster carrots and Ranch $0.20

= $2.20 FOR SNACK

DINNER

was goi cuon (Vietnamese summer rolls) again. Between me, Joey, and Mads, seems there's at least one request a week for these.

1.5 pounds of pork shoulder $2.00
+ 1 head of red lettuce $1.30
+ 1 bunch of mint and 1 bunch of cilantro $1.00
+ 1 jalapeno and 1 cucumber $0.30
+ 16 sheets of rice paper $1.25

= $5.85 FOR DINNER FOR 4

DESSERT

was ice cream sandwiches made with storebought cookies.

8 chocolate chip cookies $1.30
+ 4 scoops of ice cream $1.20

= $2.50 FOR DESSERT FOR 4

$15.80 spent on Saturday.

Friday 12/02 - $6.75
Saturday 12/03 - $15.80

$22.55 spent so far with 5 days left to go in the week.

I can't believe it's time to make lunch already.

Off too cook!

shinae