100 DOLLARS A WEEK PT.2 - Day 15 (Friday) & Something About Talent Shows & Rude People...

Friday was Mads' talent show.

For all the snarking I do on Stepford, I have to say that the particular area of Stepford in which I raised my kids for the first majority of their lives and in which they live during the week is a pretty chill corner of masterplanned purgatory. And the talent show, which was earnest, adorable, and entirely unprofessional, really reflected that chillness.

No stage moms, no child prodigies, no big production. Just mildly rehearsed and unprecocious kids doing what they love to do with a few technical difficulties in between. When Mads' turn was up, the emcees forgot to announce her, and the sound person missed her music cue, but she took it all in stride. And then I think the cutest thing ever was the way her face lit up when we all started clapping with the music. It is one of the lovelier feelings of performing, that the audience is on your side, and doubtless Mads felt it because she was already making plans for next year's performance in the car on the way home.

Do not, however, get me started on the grown people who could not seem to keep their yaps shut while other peoples' children were performing. Of course that they invariably become indignant when someone shushes them or gives them the look is all the more bitchslapworthy. I sure hope they're raising their kids better than their mamas raised them...

BREAKFAST

was an egg and sausage burrito.

Though I love flour tortillas, they sit in my belly like bricks, so I divvied up the burrito 60/40 for the Man and me.

   3 eggs $0.50
+ 2 breakfast sausage patties $0.70
+ 1 large flour tortilla $0.45
+ 2 cups of coffee $0.40

= $2.05 FOR BREAKFAST

LUNCH

was an Asian-esque chicken salad made with green cabbage, celery, red bell pepper, pineapple, cilantro and green onion, roasted chicken breast, and some leftover soy chili sesame dressing left over from another menu on another day.

It was a perfect light lunch to counter the heaviness of breakfast.

   a third of a head of green cabbage, 2 stalks of celery, a third of a bell pepper, a fifth of a pineapple, and some cilantro and green onion $1.10
+ a chicken breast $3.00

= $4.10 FOR LUNCH ($2.05/serving)

SNACK


PB graham crackers. As the crackers were already accounted for on Thanksgiving, I figure a few schmears of peanut butter...

= $0.20 FOR SNACK


DINNER

UGH. It makes me sick to think what we paid for really crappy burgers on Friday. Between a local drive thru called Angelo's, which I've determined never to eat at again, and a Carl's Jr. run after Mads' talent show, we spent $30 on some really, REALLY, crappyass food.

But that comes from the Entertainment budget, and it's $30 less that we get to spend on sushi this month. POO.


3AM SNACK

Here we go with the preggo eating... I took the rest of the chicken breast from lunch and made chicken salad with a little celery, onion, mayo, and dill pickle to eat with celery sticks.

But not even I am taking pics of my food at frickin 3 in the morning.

Since the chicken was already accounted for at lunch, I figure the seasonings and celery sticks were...

= $0.40 FOR SNACK


$6.75 spent on the first day of the third week. I won't even kid myself that I have an even remote chance of getting caught up today.

shinae

100 DOLLARS A WEEK PT.2 - Day 14 (Thursday) & Something About Buns & Ovens...

You might have been with me a few days ago when I conjectured that I might be going through...

THE CHANGE.

Well, lemme just tell you that I'm going through a change, alright. But not that one. In that one, gods willing, you suffer years of hormonal dysfunction and hot flashes and hopefully you emerge happy and period free, no casualties in your wake.

In this one, gods willing, you're period free for a few months, pack on a few pounds, experience a few weeks or months of hopefully not too severe pukeyness and fatigue, and emerge with a perfectly baked bun from the oven that is your womb.

Am I excited and happy? Yes.

Am I possibly a little scared that I'm too old for this nonsense? Yes.

Isn't it a little too early to be sharing the news with everyone? I guess if you're superstitious about that sort of thing.

But I look at it this way: Life happens, pregnancy happens, miscarriages happen, and if you're to be so blessed, a perfectly healthy child with 10 fingers and 10 toes can also happen.

Admittedly, it's entirely selfish why I'm sharing the news here as early as I am. Between the physical, emotional, and logistical changes, this kind of thing tends to take over your life in big and little ways. And it's more than challenging to write about the minutiae of your life while trying to overlook the baby elephant in the room. Not to mention how to explain why you're probably going to go over your food budget now that you want to eat a fucking house half the time...

Wanna know what's funny? My prophetic little Asian parents knew I was preggo before I did. Well, sort of. My mom's been dreaming about babies for weeks, and my dad's been dreaming about catching really big fish, both of them wondering out loud to one another if they're going to be grandparents again...

Gods and ancestors willing, YES.

I guess this means no more beer for a while.

Send good juju, please. :)

And on last Thursday before I was so rudely interrupted by lingering all day pukeyness...

BREAKFAST

was the last of the cheese croquettes (already accounted for) and 3 fried eggs. And coffee.

   3 eggs $0.50
+ 2 cups of coffee $0.40

= $0.90 FOR BREAKFAST

LUNCH

was a Hoisin Blackened Salmon with an improvised soy and pickled ginger green cabbage slaw that was super tasty, and a perfect foil for the fattiness of the salmon.

   1/2 the salmon fillet I bought (which was on clearance, hence the super low price) plus some Hoisin $2.50
+ a third of a head of green cabbage, the last of the old container of gari (pickled sushi ginger), the last of the pickled onions from Thanksgiving, some green onion, soy sauce, and a splash of oil $1.00
+ 2 cups of jasmine rice $1.00

= $4.50 FOR LUNCH ($2.25/serving)

SNACK

was a couple of sheets of gihm (Korean style toasted nori) with maybe 3 Tablespoons of rice.

= $0.10 FOR SNACK

DINNER

Because I loved it so much, and because I wanted to use up the clearance salmon quickly, we ate more of the same stuff from lunch, plus some deviled eggs.

Someone took a look at this pic and told me
I should look into the white balance feature
on my camera, and to that, I say
BALANCE SCHMALANCE.

   the rest of the salmon fillet and some Hoisin $2.50 (there was still slaw and rice left over)
+ 5 eggs, some celery, a little onion, 1 sweet pickle, a little mayo, and some sriracha for the deviled eggs $1.25

= $3.75 FOR DINNER (about $1.90/serving)

$9.25 spent on Thursday, and $72.55 spent for the week.

$130.35 for Week 1 + $72.55 for Week 2 = $202.90 spent with 2 weeks left to go.

And on to Friday, gods willing. 8|

shinae

100 DOLLARS A WEEK PT.2 - Day 13 (Wednesday) & Something About Kiddie Salons...

So earlier today on my facebook and G+ pages, I linked to this article in Huffington Post about beauty salons catering to the 'tween set, and I was unequivocal in my disapproval of them. As expected, there was overwhelming agreement, but there were also a couple reasonable voices of dissent from parents who enjoy treating their 'tween daughters to salon-type treatments.

To be clear, it's not necessarily that I disapprove of girls under the age of thirteen styling their hair or painting their nails from time to time - I paint Mads' toenails for her once in a while as a fun bonding activity, and I sometimes do her hair on special occasions. But my objections to beauty salons for young girls is mainly twofold:

- I want my daughter and all young girls to enjoy their childhood without being hindered by that level of self consciousness over their appearance, and

- I want my daughter to grow up with respect - for money, for privilege, and for her elders.

As a woman of almost 40, I know my daughter has a lifetime ahead of her of being concerned with her appearance, and sometimes with good reason. But at 10 or 11 years of age, I can think of so many other fun things little girls can do together that aren't concerned with appearance or consumerism.

And as a first generation Asian American woman who was raised to have what might seem to others a somewhat quaint sense of general respect for elders, I think there should be something inherently uncomfortable to a child about having such indulgent or frivolous needs attended to by their elders, especially in a consumer capacity.

I realize that, particularly in this currently failing economy in which we participate, it is an inevitability that my children and I will often find ourselves in the position to be served in some capacity by our elders. But painting her nails, blow drying her hair, and shaving her legs, essentially taking care of her own appearance and hygiene, are things I think my daughter should first learn to take responsibility for, for herself. And I think in due time, she should learn that it is an adult privilege and indulgence to occasionally be able to pay to have these matters attended to for us because we earned them with hard work and reasonable forbearance.

So while I can understand and respect that there are good, decent and reasonable parents out there with a different perspective on this issue, and while I won't make a stink if Mads gets invited to a party at one of these salons, I just won't be one of those moms footing the bill.

And the meals on Wednesday...

BREAKFAST

was a couple of sausage patties, one for each of us, and three sunny side up eggs, two for the Man, one for me. And coffee.

   2 sausage patties $0.70
+ 3 eggs $0.50
+ 2 cups coffee $0.40

= $1.60 FOR BREAKFAST ($0.80/serving)

LUNCH

was a rice, bean, cheese, and chorizo burrito using up the very last of the rice and beans from Sunday. We also ate the leftover red cabbage salad from Sunday night, which was really more like a curtido by Wednesday.

With a little red cabbage curtido for zip and crunch...

   2 tomatoes, 1/2 an onion, 2 jalapenos, 1 lime, and some cilantro for pico de gallo $0.80
+ 2 burrito sized tortillas $0.90
+ lots of grated Monterey Jack cheese $1.00

= $2.70 FOR LUNCH ($1.35/serving)

DINNER

was going to be salmon, but I forgot to defrost it on time, and besides I really wanted more melted cheese, so it was quesadillas with the leftover pico de gallo from lunch.

   3 tortillas $1.35
+ the rest of the Monterey Jack cheese $2.00

= $3.35 FOR DINNER

DESSERT

was Sour Ribbons (gawd I love those things right now) and a Whatchamacallit. :P

= $3.60 FOR DESSERT


$11.25 spent on Wednesday.

Friday 11/25 - $5.15
Saturday 11/26 - $23.95
Sunday 11/27 - $8.30
Monday 11/28 - $4.80
Tuesday 11/29 - $9.85
Wednesday 11/30 - $11.25

$63.30 spent this week with one more day to account for, which, gods willing, will happen tonight, and then I'm be momentarily up to speed again. :)

shinae

100 DOLLARS A WEEK PT.2 - Day 12 (Tuesday) & Something About Groupies...

I was THISCLOSE to being caught up, and then my self-indulgence got the better of me. :)

After a few days of riding out exhaustion between the couch and dining table, I have decided to return to my desk, and I already feel ten times more productive.

So last night, I did some post-granny nap channel surfing and I came across a VH-1 special on groupies featuring Pamela Des Barres, one of the most famous groupies of all time. I watched about 20 minutes of her and other former groupies romanticizing a past in which they followed rock stars around, serviced them at their whim, got tossed aside at their whim, and still somehow managed to delude themselves that they were muses to these guys, unique and integral to their process of creation.

Harsh judgment to be throwing around so early in the morning, I know, but it's what's on my mind.

I think it's one thing to reminisce on the folly of youth, appreciate it for what it is, and perhaps even look back at that time in your life through a fond and forgiving lens. But I got the distinct impression that Des Barres would do it all over again if she could, and more importantly, if they would. But they wouldn't, would they?

Because let's not kid ourselves. Rock stars and groupies is the ultimate Revenge Of The Nerds fantasy, isn't it? It's a guy who's still pimple-faced, spindly legged or painfully chubby, generally unattractive and socially awkward in his mind despite his current rockstar, sex symbol status spreading his seed with as many archetypal hot young chicks who denied him in his youth as he can. That you would be willing to give up your life, your identity, your self worth, and your self respect for him is all the hotter. And that there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, more, lined up to take your place when he tires of you is that extra oomph he needs to get it up, 10, 20 times a night, according to your groupie diary, even though he's coked, stoned, and or Jim Beam'd out of his gourd.

I don't know whether to be sad or happy for what I think is Pamela's delusion. And I'm sure she doesn't give a fuck what I think, but what the hell. With all the talk of not judging people, and how it's only God's job to judge and whateverthefuck, truth is sometimes we (or at least I) judge the thoughts, actions, and perceptions of others, if only to keep our (my) own in check.

And what does this have to do with what I ate on Tuesday?

Absofuckinglutely nothing.

BREAKFAST

In one of the happier accidents in recent memory, I decided to make some VERY simple cheese croquettes with the leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving, some flour, and some shredded Monterey Jack.

Dusted with a little powdered sugar, and served with a baby dollop of strawberry jam, they were simple, delicious, and simply delicious.

I made two for each of us, the bigger two for the Man, and I still had a little batter left for another day.

   3/4 cup grated cheese and some flour $0.75
+ 2 cups coffee $0.40

= $1.15 FOR BREAKFAST

LUNCH

was yet another fridge cleanout meal using some veg scraps, some of the shrimp we bought this week, and the last egg to make one of my favorite meals from childhood: omerice (aka omuraisu) (OHmeuhRYseuh).

With kimchi, of course... ^^

   1/2 an onion, 1/2 a carrot, 1/2 a zucchini, 2 cloves of garlic $0.60
+ 8 shrimp $2.00 (rice was leftover from another meal)
+ 1 egg and some milk $0.20

= $2.80 FOR LUNCH ($1.40/serving)


SNACK

Feeling a little snack-ish before dinner, I used the rest of the pumpkin from the large can I bought for the Thanksgiving cupcakes, the last of the chicken stock, a little brown sugar (because Libby's canned pumpkin needs it), and some milk to make myself some pumpkin soup.

   1/2 a can of Libby's pumpkin $1.25
+ some brown sugar and milk $0.25 (chicken stock is always free in my house)

= $1.50 FOR SNACK (with a few servings left over)

DINNER

was a Vietnamese noodle salad (a lot like bun) using the last of the shrimp, some more veg scraps, and some nuoc cham I'd made a couple of weeks ago as a dipping sauce for Vietnamese steamed chicken.

With sriracha...

Given my generally sweet, sour, salty, spicy cravings of late, dinner totally hit the spot.

All mixed up!

 1/2 an onion, a wilted end of cucumber, 1/2 a carrot, the last of last week's cilantro, and 1/3 head of cabbage $0.90
+ 12 shrimp $3.00
+ 2 servings of angel hair pasta $0.30

= $4.20 FOR DINNER ($2.10/serving)

DESSERT

Having recently and accidentally discovered the wonder that is Nutella S'Mores, we wanted some.

S'Mores ingredients already accounted for on Thanksgiving...

= $0.20 (if that) FOR DESSERT FOR 2 SCHMEARS OF NUTELLA


$9.85 spent on Tuesday.

Friday 11/25 - $5.15
Saturday 11/26 - $23.95
Sunday 11/27 - $8.30
Monday 11/28 - $4.80
Tuesday 11/29 - $9.85

$52.05 spent with two days left to go in the week.

I'm already hungry again, and it's only 9:45. :/

Wednesday's meals on the way...

shinae

100 DOLLARS A WEEK PT.2 - Day 12 (Tuesday) Shopping Day...

So I think I told y'all that I caved last night and went shopping. After dinner, I would have had half a zucchini, one yellow onion, a few stray cloves of garlic, some ginger, and a few leftovers in the fridge along with just a little bacon and one chicken breast in the freezer, and I wasn't feeling like getting starving student-type creative this week.

$41.86 spent in 2 trips to Fresh & Easy this week
+ $3.53 spent at 7-11 for soda :(
- $6.00 Fresh & Easy coupon
= $39.39

That said, I do like getting down to somewhat bare bones before I replenish. It's just a lot easier for me to make sure I use what's on hand before it goes bad.

PRODUCE: For cilantro, onions, pineapple, green cabbage, green onions and garlic to tie me over until Friday, I spent $7 or 15% of total.

MEAT: For some shrimp, salmon, flap steak, (the salmon and flap steak were on clearance but looking quite healthy) and breakfast sausage, I spent $19 or 42% of total.

DAIRY: For 36 eggs, I spent $5 or 11% of total.

PANTRY: For a bottle of strawberry jam also on clearance, I spent $1 or 2% of total.

GRAINS: For 8 burrito sized flour tortillas and an unbaked whole wheat pizza dough, I paid $4 or 9% of total.

INDULGENCES: Unusual for us, but we're both feeling like soda this week, so for some &7Up, Mountain Dew, and 2 bottles of mineral water I paid $8 or 18% of total.

MISC: For a bag of ice (because we don't have an ice maker in our fridge, and I'm just really fucking tired of refilling ice trays), I paid $1.50 or 3% of total.

I originally planned just to get the green cabbage as roughage for our noodle salad dinner, but then I had a coupon for $6 off a $30 purchase at Fresh & Easy, so I figured I'd just buy some other stuff I'd be able to use into next week. Because Fresh & Easy is so close by and I can go any time with minimal inconvenience I'll sometimes shave down my purchase to as close to the minimum coupon purchase requirement as possible so I can maximize my savings until the next coupon comes in the mail or by email. That's about as extreme couponing as it gets for me these days.

So roughly $182 spent last week + $39 spent this week = $221 spent so far. Two shopping trips left to go in this month with $179 left to spend. I'm pretty sure I'll still come in right around target.

Back in a bit with Tuesday's meals.

shinae

100 DOLLARS A WEEK PT.2 - Day 11 (Monday)...

The longer I do this foodblogging thing, the greater respect and admiration I have for those who have been doing it for years. To say the least, it is challenging to come up with content every day. And were it not for the numbers attached to this daily diary of comestibles, I don't think I could exactly consider my recent output content.

Being the sponge that I am, I find the more I blog, the less I am inclined to read other blogs because it's far too easy to be swayed, sidetracked, or even discouraged at times, by the amazing food content and images there are to be found all over the web. And while I'm sure this self-imposed lack of exposure has cheated me of some incredible images, recipes, and ideas, I'm also confident that it has helped me to further define my point of view, which I'd like to think is becoming clearly focused on the most delicious, diverse, healthy, resourceful, and reasonably practical use of food possible.

I think that

- eating leftover pumpkin cupcakes for breakfast three times in one week, or
- the fact that it pains me to throw away $1.40 in corn tortillas, or
- that both of the meals eaten at home on Monday were leftovers

says just as much about my food philosophy as the fact that

- I might make up to 20 different dishes, inspired by a number of different cuisines, in one week (on a really good week, that is), or
- that we indulge from time to time in a bucketload of live uni, or
- that I still long for a slab of foie gras from time to time.

For all the good influence and information there is to be had out there, sometimes it's good to just put your head down, focus, and, as they say, do YOU.

BREAKFAST

was, you guessed it - THE LAST OF THE PUMPKIN CUPCAKES HALLELUJAH.

And coffee.

= $0.40 FOR BREAKFAST (for 2 cups of coffee)

LUNCH

for the Man was a repurpose of the rice and beans of the night before, with some melted Jack cheese on top.

For me, it was the last of the leftover yoohkgaejahng from last week with a little bit of rice.

   some grated Jack cheese $0.25
+ 1 cup of jasmine rice for my yookgaejahng $0.50
+ some Mountain Dew and 7-Up we bought because I wanted bubbly drinks $3.53 (for two schtinkin 20 oz. drinks, of which I still have some left - you can see why soda is considered an indulgence in our house. Jeebuss. $1.75 a bottle, and it doesn't even get you buzzed...)

= $4.30 FOR LUNCH

DINNER

was SUSHI. Out, of course. And it was lovely. But that comes out of the Entertainment budget, so it doesn't get counted here.

SNACK

And because dinner was really early, I got a little schnacky at night while we were watching TV, so I finished off the rest of the sweet potatoes from Thanksgiving, but not before I bruleed some marshmallows on top. :)

= maybe $0.10 for a handful of marshmallows FOR SNACK


$4.80 spent yesterday.

Friday 11/25 - $5.15
Saturday 11/26 - $23.95
Sunday 11/27 - $8.30
Monday 11/28 - $4.80

$42.20 spent so far with three days left to go in the week. I'm running low on produce, so we'll need to shop for a few fruit and veg items today.

Off to select more recipes for the cookbook, which really is the hardest part, I think.

shinae

100 DOLLARS A WEEK PT.2 - Day 10 (Sunday) & Something About Starving Children Elsewhere...

I'm sitting here watching Bourdain in Nicaragua as I write this post. While I've done some traveling in my life, I haven't yet gotten to the point where I'm compelled to travel to more, shall we say, challenging destinations. And by challenging destinations, I mean those places that I only visit through the magic of television because they make me uncomfortable in the realization of the harshness of life in some places other than where I've been.

In this particular episode, Bourdain visits the largest landfill in Central America (La Chureca), which is also inhabited by over 300 families, including the smallest of children, who dig through and eat straight from the daily garbage dumps just to be able to survive.

And if I felt a little quaint and silly yesterday and this morning for making myself and the Man eat every last leftover pumpkin cupcake from Thanksgiving for breakfast, I don't anymore.

BREAKFAST

for the kids was Nutella graham crackers and milk.

For the grownups, yet more pumpkin cupcakes and coffee.

And then for this general un-ease I've been feeling, I made myself some cinnamon ginger tea to sip throughout the day.

Graham crackers and cupcakes already accounted for,

   2 small glasses of milk $0.20
+ 2 cups of coffee $0.40
+ a stick of cinnamon and 7 slices of ginger $0.20

= $0.80 FOR BREAKFAST

LUNCH

And because this generally uneasy feeling made me feel not so much like cooking, we all ate ramen with some onions, cilantro, lime, and sriracha.

Poached eggs for the adults, but not for the kids, who haven't yet learned to appreciate a runny yolk.

   4 packets of Sapporo Ichiban ramen and some kimchi $2.00
+ 2 eggs $0.35

= $2.35 FOR LUNCH

DINNER

was arroz con pollo with black beans and a salad of red cabbage, tomato, onion and cilantro dressed with some lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper, oil, and a pinch of sugar to round out the lime juice.

It was a really lucky thing that the package o' chicken I defrosted yesterday had exactly four pieces o' chicken in it. :)

Spanish rice is one of Mads' favorite rice preparations, so she took a lot of the leftovers back to her other house.

   4 pieces of dark meat chicken about $1.00
+ 1 onion, 1/2 red bell, 1/2 green bell, 1 head of garlic $1.00
+ 1.5 cups black beans $0.35
+ 6 canned tomatoes $0.60
+ 1/2 head of cabbage, 1 tomato, a little bit of onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 lime, some cilantro $1.20
+ 2 cups of jasmine rice $1.00

= $5.15 FOR DINNER ($1.30/serving)


$8.30 spent yesterday.


Friday 11/25 - $5.15
Saturday 11/26 - $23.95
Sunday 11/27 - $8.30


$37.40 spent for this week with four days left to go.

Time to clean up this house a bit. Bed's not been made, dishes haven't been washed. We are a disaster.
BUT, I'm caught up. :)

shinae