I’ve kind of fallen away from my routine lately. I set aside my Facebook page and, for a time,
luxuriated in doing very little writing at all.
It was refreshing to take enough time away from writing to actually do some of the projects I’ve been
planning but it’s time now to get back into the swing of things. I figured this post was a good place to
start.
October’s a transitional month at our house. In the kitchen, it’s a season of warming
foods: lots of soups, and stews, and
casseroles on the dinner table. I finish
putting by the last of the harvest and retire the canner to the top of the
cupboard. (It’ll still find its way to
my stove from time to time; just not as often as it does during late summer and
early fall.) I start thinking about food
for the holiday season. I start wanting
to sew and to make craft projects. I
plan my Christmas cards.
Our cupboards and deep freeze are full to bursting with
food I’ve put by the past few months so, in the face of some unexpected
upcoming expenses, we’ve designated the rest of October and all of November “no
spend” time. It’s a good exercise for us. With my return to work we’ve both become a
little lax in our approach to managing the household expenses. The “no spend” exercise will allow us to
reset our expectations and encourage us to return to more frugal habits.
Just to be clear: “No
spend time” does not mean we spend nothing at all. We’ll still be shopping for household
essentials when we need them, and for fresh produce, dairy products, and
eggs. We’ll still be paying for gas for
my commute to and from work. We’ll still
be buying prescriptions. What we won’t be doing is buying clothing,
gifts, craft and hobby supplies, or gas for extra trips away from home.
Want to play along?
I’ll be posting a review of each week’s menus on “What We Ate” and I’ll
be posting “What We Spent” too. I’d love
to hear what you’ve been doing too.
Here’s what we ate last week:
Monday, October 15:
- Breakfast – Peanut butter and raisin sandwiches on wholewheat toast
- Supper – Pantry shelf tomato soup, brie and apple grilled cheese sandwiches, canned pears
Tuesday, October 16:
- Breakfast – Homemade yogurt and pear sauce
- Supper – Steak, steamed potatoes, carrots, and rutabagas, baked apples with a maple and oatmeal cookie crust
Wednesday, October 17:
- Breakfast – Poached eggs and whole wheat toast
- Supper – Bangers (English style pork sausages), roasted potatoes, carrots, and rutabagas (leftovers from Tuesday), pear and blackberry crisp
Thursday, October 18:
- Breakfast – Apple slices and cheddar
- Supper – Our once-a-month dinner out
Friday, October 19 :
- Breakfast – Boiled eggs, oranges
- Supper – Leftovers from Thursday’s restaurant dinner, apple slices and caramel dip
Saturday, October 20:
- Breakfast – Oatmeal and applesauce
- Supper – Savoury bread pudding made with onions, home canned tomatoes, broccoli, cheddar, and whole wheat bread. Cookie sandwiches for dessert, made with coffee cookies filled with cocoa buttercream.
Sunday, October 21:
- Breakfast – Applesauce bran muffins, sliced cheddar
- Supper – Home canned pork ribs with chili apricot glaze, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli, canned peaches
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