The Produce Box

So, we are trying a new thing this year!  Our CSA has been suffering because of the drought. They ended early last year, and haven't started up yet this year.  Our neighbors have been getting a local produce delivery for awhile now.  When they are out of town, they have us go over and put it in their fridge.  Bonus: it's still local (farmer's market, including our CSA farm), AND they deliver it.

The only downside is that it's more expensive.  Oh, and I have to prep and figure out what to do with it.  Our grocery budget is about $100 a week, give or take, and this is $40.

Well, we got our first box yesterday, and here's the haul.
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch celery
3 lbs oranges
1.5 lbs apples
1 head red cabbage (it's huge)
1.5 lbs spinach
1 head lettuce
1 bunch cilantro
2 lemons
1 pound broccoli
1 head garlic

So, what to do, what to do?  I have to tell you, I am NOT feeling the food prep today.  I know it's how we survive the week. But I am super duper tired from lack of sleep.  I've had a chest cold/ bronchitis.  And this week was the school move-a-thon, which I was in charge of running.

And other stresses are that I was at our potluck today, half way through eating, when one of the guys talked about how sick he was with food poisoning 2 days ago.  Ugh, it better be food poisoning.  We've had the stomach flu 3 times this winter already.  I've had contact with too many people with stomach flu!  It's been a gnarly season.

So here's the plan:
Red cabbage slaw with carrots and apples and blue cheese and walnuts (need to buy blue cheese)
Celery and carrots raw with PB or hummus
Lots of salad with lettuce and spinach and diced oranges
Steamed broccoli
Lemon herb salad dressing
Raisin bread

I've already made some fried rice and put it in the freezer.  I will toss the cilantro in there later. I don't have much meat right now - or what I do have is frozen solid.  I really need to plan better, and take stuff out of the freezer on Thursday night.  I have to go get the blue cheese, so I think I'll get some frozen chicken tenders and some sort of sauce from Trader Joe's.  Maybe chicken curry, or BBQ chicken, or something like that.  Tonight might be a good night for salad and nachos.

This week's menu

No pictures, I know - boring -

Friday: Shithi's curried chickpeas, over brown rice/ quinoa, with Indian roasted cauliflower
Saturday: see Friday
Sunday brunch: Roasted pepper, broccoli, and shallot frittata (with cheddar and mozzarella). Note to self: MUST buy goat cheese
Sunday dinner: Spaghetti squash gratin, Pizza (Costco frozen)
Monday: leftover pizza and frittata, Roasted red pepper and sweet potato soup
Tuesday: chicken fingers and veggies and hummus
Wednesday: Fish (Costco salmon portions, and Trader Joe's fish sticks) and broccoflower
Thursday: Tacos & salad

(whenever the mood strikes us)

Rosemary olive-oil bread 

Roasted pepper hummus
Garlic and herb salad dressing (uh, yeah, it's super garlicky, no vampires here!)

January Budget Results - $429.42

Well folks, I've been slacking on the listing of exactly what I'm buying, but that's okay, right?

Here's a summary of our grocery totals for January.  Pretty good and frugal (for us), but you'll note that I shop at many different stores to get these deals.

And wow, look at those Costco trips!  $51.83 and $51.93??  How did I do that?