1:30 p.m. I snack on yet a few more orange slices (they are so sweet!) on my way out the door to collect my older child for an appointment in Bozeman—about an hour’s drive north. Another reason I love working at the school is the flexible hours.
4:00 p.m. I just finished up with my 12 year old at the orthodontist; braces have been put on. To celebrate/commiserate, I take her to Wendy’s for a Frosty to lessen the pain. I get one too, and because I am feeling snackish (and french fries are my biggest weakness) we get a medium order of fries to share as well ($6.07 total).
We then take advantage of being in “town” to do a quick grocery shop at Safeway as well. The house is pretty well stocked right now, with plenty in the freezer and pantry, so I just get some essentials. Milk, bread, fruits and veggies, sparkling water, and a few things for dinner tonight. Total cost is $151.96. We throw the refrigerated items in a cooler and start the hour-long drive home.
6:45 p.m. My husband and 10-year-old are at hockey practice, so I work on dinner to have it ready when they get home. I do almost all of the cooking at our house—I like it and I am better at it than my husband, though he’s a pretty good breakfast cook. Tacos tonight, because everyone will eat them. My son prefers regular ground beef tacos, but tonight I am making a recipe reminiscent of tacos we used to have at the state fair when I was a kid in California—a mix of ground beef, potato, lettuce, and chiles. It takes me about 30 minutes to prep the filling, and then I warm up the tortillas and chop up the avocado when they get home.
The tacos are salty and nostalgic with a cool and creamy hit from the avocado. Most of the dinner ingredients were bought today at the store: grass-fed ground beef ($8.99), green onions ($1.69), diced green chiles ($2.49), potato ($1.49), organic lettuce ($2.49), avocado ($1.99), corn tortillas ($2.99), plus previously purchased salt and pepper, garlic, and hot sauce.
Monday total: $158.03
Tuesday
5:30 a.m. My alarm goes off and I roll out of bed for a 6 a.m. workout class. I love the class, but hate mornings. I have a few sips of water and take my water bottle along with me.
7:30 a.m. After a shower, I am helping my kids with breakfast again, and since I had a workout I am a little hungry for breakfast. I help myself to a little of what they are having that day: one fried egg (previously bought at $4.49 a dozen, GOOD GRIEF!), some hash browns ($3.49 for a bag of fresh shredded; we cooked about half), and the last of the orange juice I bought last week ($4.79).
11:30 a.m. Not much to snack on as we’re prepping lunch today, so I wait until we finish the first round of service and eat the lunch we prepared. Today, we’re celebrating Mardi Gras with scratch-made jambalaya (rice, sausage, chicken, bell peppers, okra, tomatoes), fresh pineapple, cheesy roasted cauliflower, and the king cake that I made yesterday. It’s free again, and I wash it all down with a LaCroix that I brought along ($3.33 for an eight-pack). The jambalaya isn’t too spicy (we don’t want to scare the kids off!), but it’s full of flavor and the king cake is enjoyed by all. The pineapple is refreshing and sweet, and the cauliflower is easier to sell with its crispy, gooey cheese topping.
