We had a much lower key week this past week, for which I am extremely grateful. Mariam is healing up well, most of us are over our colds, or mostly anyway, and nobody else had any more accidents or illnesses. Winter has come upon us. This is probably the longest, mildest fall we've had since moving here. They usually last around two weeks, and this one went from the week after fair through this last week. But now winter is here. And you all probably know how I feel about winter.

I have to share my grocery haul with you, though. This is why I shop Grocery Outlet first. I've heard that HEB and Aldi's offer similar deals, but we don't have those in our area. I bought all of this at the Grocery Outlet this weekend using their 20% off bag (fill a paper bag without ripping it and everything in it is an extra 20% off) and a small, separate, order of what didn't fit, using a $3.00 off coupon (the seasoned fish fillets, the pickles, the cat food, and the tissues):


For $94, I bought 3 pounds of frozen, wild caught, salmon fillets, 2 pounds of organic chicken drumsticks, 1 pound of pepperoni, 2 1/2 pounds of bacon, 2 1/2 pounds of frozen, Southwest seasoned, tortilla crusted, wild caught fish fillets, 4 pounds of co-jack cheese, 1 pound of Italian shredded cheeses, 2 pounds of ricotta, 8 ounces of boursin, 2 pints of sour cream, 2 liters of extra virgin, Turkish olive oil, 2 pounds of frozen, organic, California blend vegetables, 2 pounds of frozen, sliced onions and peppers, 1 1/2 pounds frozen peas, 24 ounces of tortilla chips, 3 quart jars of Claussen pickles, 2 tubes of toothpaste, 2 bottles of dish soap, 1 box of tissues, 16 pounds of cat food.

There was a time when all of this could have been gotten for between $50 and $60 at the Grocery Outlet, but these prices are still amazing, especially for the cost of groceries right now, so I am grateful to be able to provide good things for our family at a much lower cost. Our menu has a couple repeats this week because we had to shift some things around because of schedules or not feeling up to cooking something.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken Fried Steak, Biscuits, Cream Gravy, Roasted Sweet Dumpling Squash, Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins*
• Monday
  Breakfast: Toast and Gravy, Leftover Muffins, Sliced Pears, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Lamb and Tomatoes, Brown Rice
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Bolognese Sauce and Linguine, Buttered Peas
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Ful, Diced Tomatoes, Serranos and Onions, Toast, Sliced Pears, Mint Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Jalapeño Macaroni and Cheese (with fresh jalapeños), Roasted Sweet Dumpling Squash, Sliced Pears
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Baked French Toast, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala, White Rice
• Friday
  Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Baked Potatoes with Vegetable Cheese Sauce, Coleslaw
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Berry Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Sliced Pears, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Lentil Chorizo Soup, Kamut Rolls

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

Labels: Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen