I'm out of money and I'm going on vacation!

The two are not mutually exclusive, but both are happening this week!

Because of some overzealous spending earlier this month I've spent only $45 on groceries these past three weeks including the amazing 10 whole dollars I had left this week. After pouting internally for a little while, I settled on a few things to get me to Thursday night.

4 bananas
4 apples
2 carrots
1 small plain yogurt
1 bunch of celery
---
$9.53!

There's nothing humbling like telling the cashier you may have to pass on the celery if it takes you over $10. Lucky for me, I'm chocked full of celery now with two whole quarters rubbing together in my wallet. Good thing! Just in case I go through a worm-hole back 15 years and I need to make a call.

I have a stash of leftover food in the freezer, a fairly stocked pantry, a head of cabbage and a baking potato in the fridge, so I know I can make it until Thursday when I'm heading to Edmonton for some Mother/Daughter bonding time.

My Plan for the week:

Sunday night & Monday lunch - coleslaw + 1/2 of a baked potato
Monday night & Tuesday lunch - lentil soup w/ carrots, frozen peas and celery
Tuesday night & Wednesday lunch - Freezer chili/soup/curry
Wednesday night & Thursday lunch - anything that's left over.. from the leftovers..
Thursday night - a delicious airport meal!?

I always bring a yogurt, apple, banana and my snack pack (almonds, raisins, rice crackers) for lunch with whatever salad or leftovers I have. This makes making packing lunch super easy since it's the same everyday, but I don't get sick of it because the main event changes. It's nice to have small components so I can snack through the day if needed. An awesome additive to my snack stash this week (and the cheapest bang for my buck I could think of) was the celery I can team with peanut butter and raisins to make some killer ants on a log to enjoy.

This coleslaw pretty much ended up just like the Waldorf salad without the apple, but I did it from memory, so maybe I invented it all over again! It's pretty much a kitchen sink salad using up the leftover cabbage from the minestrone from last week.

In my effort to be pretty much awesome in everything, especially money and food, I'm trying to eat really balanced diets, so clearly tonight's meal is a testament to that. I have all three food groups: dairy, vegetables, potatoes... riiight, a little short of protein am I? I have some eggs kicking around in the fridge, but I know I'm not in the mood for scrambled eggs this evening and it's too hot in here to cook anything else. Let's say the yogurt and walnuts are protein enough and call it a day.
Kitchen Sink Coleslaw

1/2 small head of green cabbage, chopped coleslaw style (about 2 cups)
1 carrot, grated
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1T fresh coriander
1t fresh parsley (or whatever herbs you have)

Dressing
1 small cup of plain yogurt
1 tbsp honey or maple or agave syrup
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
Salt + Pepper

Mix salad ingredients together until well combined

Stir up dressing ingredients together and tweak as needed.

----- This tastes fine, fine. You could use some onions, and lemon or lime juice and I might suggest leaving out the cinnamon, it's a bit grainy in the dressing.

I just baked a potato in the oven for about an hour at 400 degrees and doused it with some of the Naam's miso gravy. Eating baked potatoes is the only time I wish I had some Cheez Whiz and I like to avoid that craving ( I mean, what's in that anyway?) so the miso gravy is a delicious alternative.

Final Thought - Am I the only one with a lunch routine? Eat at the same spot each Friday, bring the same PB&J your mom made you all though middle school?