Monday, February 8, 2010

on deadline and still have to cook


I am on deadline on a revision of a fiction novel I wrote back in Nov. Now deadline is April 1st but I know me.Worse I know revision is 10 times harder than the first draft.
I am also over due on finishing the afghans I made for Christmas last yr.The grandkids got theirs but I am still working on the adults. SO I am hauling butt trying to do that while working in GA.
My group here in GA have gotten together to work out a program to help people adjust to having less money for groceries than they normally have.
I went to Krogers and Walmart( as when you are broke you have to pretty much do one stop shopping) and priced out a weeks worth ( 7 bfast, 7 lunches and 7 dinners) for one person with only $20 for groceries for that week( paper goods and cleaning products not included).
Krogers had better sales ( reality is you have to use the sales to do this) than Walmart and they also had a better choice of smaller items.( something I noticed between here and Sidney/Urbana OH area ).I came in at $19.58.
Yes you have to cook and you have to plan ahead. You have to not waste, those veggies need washed before you peel them because you are going to make veggie broth with those peelings for a meal on down the line and that chicken carcuss( or just bones) are going to make broth also. That pinto bean soup is 3 meals so you have to portion it out so you don't eat 2 meals in one.
I did compromise and buy Bisquick. You can make pancakes, biscuits , dumplings and pie crust .
I would have bought flour, yeast,baking powder, baking soda, corn starch and cream of tartar instead to make bread and noodles etc but it wouldnt' fit in the $20.
Still with everything I have going on, even though I am giving a "food" allowence while here in Ga. I cook in my motel room. Electric skillet and crock pot does just fine. I use my steel bowl for washing dishes etc. As I sit here I know that I have a pot of soup (canned broth from home, chicken from leftover rotissere chicken, diced carrot and celery , sliced mushrooms, a can of Italian flavored diced tomatoes and a can of black beans in the crock pot. A "sandwich" of Italian slipper bread( also made at home and brought) spread with pesto, sliced left over chicken, roasted red bellpeppers, provolone cheese and lettuce is waiting to be cut and ate.I also know the leftover soup will have rice added to half of it for the next round of soup. the other half will get ramen noodles broke up in it.
so until the next time

have a great day,
blessed be