Since we have to eat: Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for the Week

A little over a week ago I wrote about my meal plan for that week. I had a beef roast and a whole chicken to use for meat for the week. By Friday I had roasted the chicken and used it in 2 meals. Friday is our pizza night, so we set the chicken aside for a day, then used the last of it Saturday and Sunday. Here are the meals we made this week.

Friday

scratch pepperoni pizza

steamed spinach

tangerines

applesauce snack cake

Saturday

chicken, vegetables, and dumplings

applesauce snack cake

Sunday

chicken and vegetable tortilla soup

dried prunes

applesauce snack cake

Monday

tuna-macaroni salad

avocado slices

gingered pears

pecan pie (My daughters baked us a pecan pie over the weekend. Wasn't that sweet of them?)

Tuesday

ground beef stroganoff

brown rice

steamed broccoli

tomato slices

pecan pie

Wednesday

spinach frittata

turkey bacon (I said yesterday that I didn't buy any treats when grocery shopping last. I forgot about 3 packs of turkey bacon -- on sale -- and 1 pack of pork bacon for Valentine's Day.)

oven fries roasted in beef fat

avocado, celery, cabbage salad in homemade apple cider vinaigrette (This is the apple cider vinegar that I made in the fall.)

tangerines

Thursday

beef fajita enchilada casserole (slow-cooked beef, peppers, onions, canned tomatoes, seasonings layered with corn tortillas and topped with cheese, then baked)

canned green beans

sautéed cinnamon apples

By Friday I just wanted to bake something sweet, but I wanted it to be easy. So I went with an applesauce snack cake. I've posted this recipe before, but I'll add it here again. It's a winner and so easy to make. It freezes well, so you could cut the cake into squares or in half, wrap and freeze some for another day. No eggs, no milk. And you can mix the batter right in the (ungreased) pan.

Applesauce Snack Cake

1  2/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup brown sugar (or white sugar with a spoonful of molasses added to the liquids)

1  1/2 teaspoons ground allspice (or cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg or any combination)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

Mix flour, sugar, spices, baking soda, salt with a fork in an ungreased 8 X 8 X 2-inch baking pan. Stir together the liquid ingredients and incorporate with the dry in the pan.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the top springs back when pressed lightly.

This Saturday we're planning a Valentine's brunch for the four of us. It'll be low-key, but I hope tasty. I'm planning on waffles, preserves and homemade fruity syrup, bacon, sausage, and a fruit salad using fresh pear, apple, banana, and tangerine. I'm not sure what I'll make for dinner, but I am planning a cherry pie for dessert. 

What was on your menu this past week? Have you planned anything for Valentine's Day? Have a lovely weekend!

Stress Shopping vs. Mindful Shopping

I recently heard someone say that a blog is simply a person working out their issues in a public way. So, here I am today sharing a current issue of mine and how I'm working it out.

This is the cart after leaving the produce department, before adding anything else.
I filled the seat and the full bottom of the cart with fresh produce.

Grief shopping

I went grocery shopping over the weekend and spent almost $200 for a cart full of groceries. That's a high for our household. I was grief shopping. It wasn't that I was filling our cart with expensive processed or treat foods. I was buying the usual foods, just in excessive amounts. I really didn't want us to run out of any of our "regular" foods. We count on having these foods to maintain consistency in our days. And especially right now, that consistency is especially important to us.

A story from my younger years

I was 24 and my sister was 26 when our mother was dying. One day when we were talking, I confessed to my sister that I'd been spending more money than usual. She revealed that she had been doing the same. 

We were living through a terribly stressful situation -- losing our mother bit by bit each day. Much of what I purchased were actually useful and would help me set up a home a couple of years later. I worked in a department store. I did buy some nice clothes, but I mostly bought household items, like small appliances, silverware and dishes, and linens. We use almost all of these items today (a mixer quit on me years ago). However, I can see in hindsight that my shopping patterns then were unhealthy. Fortunately, I didn't incur any negative consequences as a result. But this was my first experience of large-scale stress shopping.

What drives stress shopping?

Stress shopping, grief shopping, retail therapy -- these are all names for a disordered type of shopping experience that attempts to relieve negative emotions. It's a bandaid on a problem that wasn't properly dealt with. 

As far as I can see, there are three primary features of stress shopping, an attempt to impose some control, an attempt to reestablish safety and comfort, and the activation of the pleasure center of the brain with a dopamine hit.

Control -- grief is a period that lacks a sense of control. It feels like a free fall with no visible safety net at the bottom. Stocking up is a way that I ensure we won't run out anytime soon, my method to impose control over our situation.

Comfort and safety. Food is comfort for many of us. We stock up on foods that we enjoy. Having the same basic foods that we've always enjoyed boosts a sense of emotional safety. Keeping regular routines and meals provides a place of refuge in a difficult period.

The dopamine hit counters these feelings of stress, albeit temporarily. Shopping addictions are a real thing for a reason. For some people, making a purchase provides an instant "high". 

What's the answer to stress shopping? 

Mindful shopping. Mindful shopping involves thoughtful planning to meet one's needs. Ironically, mindfulness is also a way to regain control in one's life through reflecting on needs, creating a plan for their fulfillment, and making that happen with purpose. I can still purchase comfort foods while being mindful, just perhaps not in excessive quantity. 

How can I implement some mindfulness in my shopping going forward this month? 

Well, it's not like I can return some of the food that I purchased after having it in my kitchen several days. Unlike returning the purchase of new shoes or gadgets, I can't recoup what I spent on those foods. But, I can ensure we use what I bought, through thoughtful use of the most perishable foods first, And, for my second (and final) shopping of this month, I can use what we have in abundance instead of buying new foods. I may need to buy milk, cheese, and one or two other necessary foods. But I believe that we can refrain from buying much more. I expect in another couple of weeks (when I shop again) that our family will be in a better place emotionally, and my shopping will be under better control. In the meantime, there is zero reason for us to get takeout or dine in a restaurant while our fridge, freezer and pantry are so full.

How about you? Have you ever found yourself stress shopping or buying items that you wouldn't normally due to the stress or grief in your life? How did you handle it?