#save me costco rotisserie chicken

[rogueaces]

thinking about costco rotisserie chicken again

[heydrangeas]

hey. hey. did you know if you buy a rotisserie chicken ($5-10 depending on where you get it) you can dig into it like a rat, then strip and save the rest of the meat, then make as much stock as you can fit in your largest pot by simply simmering the bones with herbs and veggies or veggie scraps for 6-8 hours, thereby easily doubling the value of your purchase and making the best soup base ever?

[f14fun]

pixelated love (!simmer x mv1) - chapter 3

synopsis: in which the famous three time world champion max verstappen wants to learn how to play the sims 4. except, he doesn't really know how to. so what does he do, search up a youtube tutorial. low-and-behold, y/n's video is the first he watches.

smau ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ profile | masterlist ⋆.˚✮🎧✮˚.⋆ prev | next | series index ˚୨୧⋆｡

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yourusername

liked by maxverstappen1, landonorris and 127,821 others

yourusername: incase you haven't heard, max and i are getting married! planning my pinterest board wedding with @/maxverstappen1 as we speak!

view comments:

user1: what.

user1: mother you are getting married to that PASTY AND GNARLY EUROPEAN WHITE MAN??? 😡😡😡

user1: is this a joke

user1: this MUST be an insane practical joke that she pulled off

user1: think of your CHILDREN (me) as you make this decision

user1: until then, i uninvite myself from the wedding ❌👰🏻‍♀️👰🏻‍♂️

user1: sincerely, your favorite child

user1: (for all of you overtly sensitive fat fucks that was entirely satire 🤡🤡🤡)

user2: everyone who doesn't have twitter right now must be hella confused 🤣🤣

redbullracing: ???

yourusername: please avert your gaze to this message and the entirety of my account as a whole, deepest apologies for any confusion or misunderstandings 🤡

yourusername: @/maxverstappen1 fifth slide. my head between those juicy thighs. five o'clock tonight.

yourusername: need my head in between that meat like a stick on costco rotisserie chicken 🐔🍗😋🤤💦🫠

maxverstappen1: I am in shock.

maxverstappen1: I do not even know how to respond to this comment

maxverstappen1: Also what is a "costco"

yourusername: oh shit, i forget that you're not an american LMAO 🍟🍔🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🤠🤠🤠🏈🗽

yourusername: it's just a huge wholesale groccery store

maxverstappen1: Oh okay, I see

yourusername: was that a redeemable statement!!!

maxverstappen1: Not one bit. ❌

maxverstappen1: Also it is spelled as *grocery instead of whatever mess you spelled

yourusername: i hate you

maxverstappen1: You cannot hate your husband, I am very likeable

yourusername: AHA YOU JUST ADMITTED IT

yourusername: I GOTCHA NOW BUDDY

user3: top ten wedding (???) announcements ever made, ladies and gentlemen

user4: Y/N I APPLAUD YOU, YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS ON HOW WILD YOU CAN GET. GO AMERICA RAHHH 🦅🦅🦅

yourusername: proud to do our country a cuntry 💅🏻🦅🏈

maxverstappen1: Wait if I marry you does that mean I also have American citizenship?

user5: MAX WHATTTTTT LMAOOO???

user6: did NOT expect max to type that lmao, free him y/n 🤠

user7: the #maxisaynhostage agenda never ends 🤣🤣

yourusername: what-

landonorris: Mate, what are you on about...

landonorris: Also congratulations to the happy couple! @/yourusername @/maxverstappen1

yourusername: awww, thank you so much lando!! max, you better make him the best groomsman or ELSE

maxverstappen: @/yourusername @/landonorris 😐😐😐

charles_leclerc: Congrats you two! 🍾🥂 Alex and I would love to be invited to your wedding!

yourusername: Saving a seat for you two (plus leo!)

maxverstappen1: There is no wedding. ❌👰🏻‍♀️👰🏻‍♂️

oliverbearman: the oli bearman erasure from the leclerc family is unforunately so real 😞

yourusername: OLI I WOULD NEVERRRR FORGET YOUU

oliverbearman: please adopt me 🥹🥹🥹

yourusername: of course 🥹🥹🥹

charles_leclerc: ???? @/maxverstappen1 .... Do you approve of this mate?? Your first child is my child?...

maxverstappen1: OF COURSE NOT PLEASE UNADOPT HIM @/yourusername

yourusername: this is your first born. no. ❌

oliverbearman: ❌❌❌

user8: the way she makes max more unhinged LMAO u can see it in his typing

oscarpiastri: Okay. The Oscar Piastri-Leclerc erasure saga never ends.

oscarpiastri: Hello??

oscarpiastri: Hello guys?

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taglist: @hiireadstuff @sinofwriting @mehrmonga @the-untamed-soul @glai1023-blog @loloekie @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @sheastri @llando4norris @gwginnyweasley @carmenita122 @ririyulife @pausmoon @ur-fave-ave @eveninggstar @maddie-naps @erin-odonnell04 @rexit-mo @ems-alexandra @si1ver06 @iamred-iamyellow @bibissparkles

some of these didn't get tagged, and i'm having trouble (?) it's being very weird, idk, so please let me know if your name is here and it didn't tag you ❣️

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author's note: ty guys for reading this fic! 😍🫶🏾 LMAO I LIED part three came out faster than expected. but part four may take a while as i'm a tad busy these next four weeks 🫠

comment if you want to be added to the taglist! ⋆.˚✮🎧✮˚.⋆

[n04s]

SAVE ME COSTCO ROTISSERIE CHICKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[weaseltotheface]

Save me costco rotisserie chicken

[arcplaysgames]

kanji. is. fucking. adorable. like, there is genuinely not a bad VA performance in this game but kanji is just giving me everything. he's bashful and cute and swings into being a punk who wants to fight then right back on a dime, his big intro scene with the investigation team (not as catchy as SEES, that one) is like the game showing off his character like "LOOK! SEE?"

Yeah Chie, to a guy, you are picking up what we're talking about, right? oh shit i forgot that chie only learned gayness existed in the first month of the game, she's probably still percolating. she'll get there. i look forward to Chie chasing Yukiko to the train station when Yukiko finally flees town and professes her love as the music swells.

squints at yosuke

I've only had Kanji in my party for ten minutes but if anything happened to him, I'd kill everyone in this room and then myself, etc etc, he even stops to go "MAN what is with me, i never talk this much" its so patently obviously he's a passionate but lonely guy and I'm going to take him under my wing. i though Yosuke was going to be my new Junpei but it's Kanji. I will guide and protect him. He is dear to me.

and not JUST because he's troy baker okay, he's also just really great. finally we have a party member i would put toe-to-toe with a member of SEES in the battle for my heart.

yukiko it's the food court yukiko. Costco cannot be a secret headquarters. i don't care how cheap the rotisserie chickens are.

(I like yukiko a lot actually, she's in the top of the leaderboard)

he fucking chases them off just like that

you ever just grin so hard your face kinda hurts? yep

WOW LIKE

AS SOON AS THEY SAID IT IT SUDDENLY MADE SO MUCH SENSE

like obviously the characters who show up on the news before the next Midnight Channel show are the ones who get taken, but my brain was stuck in "out of universe story structure" mode, in which the game just wants to MAKE SURE i know the character before they're taken

but IN UNIVERSE it also makes sense

however: it still doesn't explain why they show up on the Midnight Channel and then get taken. at the moment, I am... not suspicious of Teddie, but of other entities similar to Teddie. someone created in the TV World who is tied to it who somehow got into the real world and is throwing people back into it for Reasons, perhaps to build the shadow population.

basically: i really need an explanation of the what/why of that initial Channel showing that predicates the person being thrown into the TV.

beloved!!!!!! also i love and appreciate people who ask. excellent.

THEY JUST

COME OUT AND SAY IT

Sorry I didn't screencap the first bit, but Kanji is like "Oh, Yukiko-senpai, you were saved from the TV too?" AND THEN THIS

HE'S.... JUST QUEER. HE'S A QUEER KID. HE'S USING THE LANGUAGE AND IS P OPEN ABOUT IT.

.... i just felt a tingle of Fear in my spine. /squints at Atlus this time

anyway his TV glasses are shades and i love him more than everyone, good night

[feralwifey]

We’ve been doing big Costco orders instead of regular grocery shopping to save money. This is the second time we’ve done it and it saves around $100-$150 a month I would say. (We do one order every two weeks). But we’re still trying to figure out how many snacks and how much water we really need so we do have to do a little shopping in between our next order.

Today I wanted to have a quick dinner and we could use a few more things, I wanted to get two rotisserie chickens, a gallon of milk (not even organic just whole), a pound of sliced cheese, three little drinks (poppis and kombucha), chicken necks for the cat, flour and water. It would’ve come to $100. That is so ridiculous that I ended up saying I’d rather go without all that than to spend $100 on one dinner, drinks and cheese and flour. I think it’s so messed up that they pretend that that’s worth that money.

We’re still good for another 5 days, and after that I’m probably going to go to a butcher and ask about prices for bulk orders. I hate that we’ve come to a point where one bag of basic food items would cost that much, that’s why the only way it’s barely reasonable is to shop in bulk instead of having more variety and make do with less.

I mean if the politicians are forcing me to spend less and I know there are many families like mine that are doing something similar all they’re really doing is getting less money from me and bringing me closer to God and nature by living and frugal as possible and making everything myself.

I can’t wait until we actually leave the city and then the system will get even less of our money once we have our vegetables and animals.

[vab9919]

It breaks my heart to know that one of the most beautiful houses near me was a getting town down to put in a Costco. Like not only is it a historical mansion but so many of us adore it, we’d rather have it than some big box store of nightmares. Don’t get me wrong, I know people like cheap bull toilet paper and rotisserie chicken but that house is worth far more than that to so many of us. The gold swan fixtures on pink marble could’ve been a bed and breakfast bathroom. The stair case in the entry could’ve been the place of wedding and prom photos. They could’ve hosted so many events and mad so many memories for people but some monster let it rot. It makes me physically ill. That was once someone’s lively hood and you let it sit and waste away when it had potential. But now it can’t be saved and the land it’s on is destroyed. I hope the people who did this can’t sleep at night for a long time. They took away a source of beauty and joy in an area that’s nothing but highways, interstates, mediocre hotels, subpar tattoo shops, storage units and a fucking McDonald’s gas station combo. There’s no beauty there anymore. Hell, even the farm people can visit is next to a car dealership and a place that sells storage buildings. No amount of bushes you plant in the median can cover up the sins you’ve committed.

[just-another-obsessed-fangirl]

was saving a table at the costco food court as my friend was in line to order but like half the tables there are empty anyway. this random woman just rolls up to the table where im sitting, looks around at all the available tables, including the one that was right behind her, which was - you guessed it - also completely empty, and i saw her make the decision in her mind to then sit down at my table right across from me and whip off a leg of her rotisserie chicken and start eating

[y00gz]

instant rice and costco rotisserie chicken has saved me

[angrybell]

We not had him for two and a half years.

He wasn’t a Covid dog. He arrived about two weeks before everything went to hell.

I didn’t want him at first. I fought against getting a dog for at least six years. Then, one Sunday, my wife left me working on a project she wanted done to the house and took the kids out. Shopping she said. They returned with him a few hours later. The trip had been to the animal shelter. He ended up with us because he walked up to my eldest and sat in her lap and fell asleep.

When he was a pup and was driving my wife nuts, to the point she thought we should find him a new home, I was the one who ended up deciding there was no way he would be re-homed.

He was a diva. He would not eat almost anything that was not made by my wife or myself. And it had to be hot.

The only exceptions were rotisserie chicken from Costco or puppy patties from In N Out.

He rejected the original bed we got for him, preferring my wife’s pottery barn blanket. At least until it was time for me to crawl into bed. He would then get up and get into bed with my wife and I.

He was forever trying to catch the invaders of our yard. This included the time he almost got ambushed by two raccoons and we had to save him.

He came everywhere we were allowed to bring him. That included the time we ran out of gas in Nevada. He got to chase tumbleweeds for a while.

He had a group of dogs that he was walked with. He was the smallest of the group but loved to play with the big dogs. His best friend in the group was Zoe. The only time he ever ate when we had to leave him with the dog walker, because we were going somewhere we couldn’t take him, was the time Zoe was also being cared for by the walker while her family was away.

On Labor Day, he had the best day at the beach. He was chasing balls and playing with the other dogs.

A few hours later, after we’d gotten home. His hind legs were mostly paralyzed. I can’t remember what the condition is called but basically he got the severe version. The vet told us it might get better after the initial visit.

It didn’t. It got worse. And he was in so much pain and we couldn’t do anything to make it less or go away.

So today I had to dig his grave and bury him n his favorite blanket.

I didn’t want a dog in the first place. And now I’m sobbing when the kids aren’t around because he’s gone.

I miss him.

[donaldflower00-blog]

10 Smart Costco Products This Busy Mom Always Buys in Bulk

As a food writer and recipe developer, I’m also by default a professional food shopper. I have all kinds of user-generated algorithms in my mind about where I like to buy certain things, how much I want to spend on them, how much of them I want to keep on hand, and so on. Even though I need to shop continuously for my job, and, like many people, I have a family who needs to be fed, I still get a little adrenaline rush when I food-shop. And thank goodness, because it’s a pretty big part of my life.

More from Food52

I’m also a little bit of a hoarder. When I see only four rolls of paper towels in the closet, I start to feel a little frisson of panic. But buying things in bulk has its pros and its cons. The pros include being stocked up for a long time, and usually saving some cash when you compare prices by weight, volume, or unit against smaller packages. The cons are buying too much of something, which can be problematic in terms of storage space (especially for those of us city-dwellers), and also spoilage (it feels so wasteful to throw away half of a 64-ounce container of sour cream just because it was a little cheaper per ounce than the smaller tub).

Few places challenge our abilities to bulk-shop smartly like Costco. The choices range from necessary to enticingly impulse-purchase-y, and the size of the packages is usually large to ginormous. But there are some items I have no qualms about piling high in my cart on repeat. Your list of Costco stocker-uppers will surely vary from mine, but these are the items that I most often load up on.

1. Broth

There are a variety of brands sold at Costco, and a variety of sizes, from big 50-ounce cans to packs of smaller 32-ounce cartons or multipacks of 14.5-ounce cans. The options often include chicken, beef, vegetable, organic, and less-sodium. I use gallons of broth every week—in soups, stews, sauces, and casseroles. You name it. If it’s savory and hot, there might well be broth in it. I like to keep an assortment of sizes of cartons and cans on hand for various recipe needs.

Want to make a rich, semi-homemade chicken stock? While you're there, buy a rotisserie chicken (one of Costco’s most famous products for quality and price—$4.99!), have it for dinner and use the carcass and some of that store-bought broth to make delicious, mahogany-colored stock. Add ramen (without the seasoning packet) and any leftover shredded meat from the rotisserie chicken to make the world’s easiest chicken noodle soup.

2. Canned Tomatoes

There are often several versions available—whole, crushed, diced, paste, and sauce. I buy these in two sizes: the mega cans (6.6 pounds) and the eight-packs of everyday 28-ounce cans. The big cans are for huge batches of pasta sauces, like bolognese or marinara (which I love to freeze), and for when I’m throwing the occasional lasagna party. The smaller sizes are for day-to-day cooking, for recipes like my One-Skillet Cheesy Beef and Macaroni or Fragrant Chicken Tomato Soup. Costco can carry a variety of brands. Last time I got eight 28-ounce cans of Tuttorosso crushed tomatoes for $6.39 (about 80 cents each). Or if you want to splurge on the San Marzano tomatoes, those can be bought for $8.99 for a three pack of 28-ounce cans.

3. Parmesan

If you cook with real Parmesan regularly, then you know that this cheese is a) expensive and b) worth it. But the wedge Parmesan carried by Costco is a mere $10.59 per pound (some versions even less). Plus, it lasts for months when properly stored, and you can grate it freshly as needed. Perfect over salads, pastas, or this simple, four-ingredient creamed kale .

4. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Costco makes it easy to buy their chicken breasts in bulk because they come in connected, perforated six-packs, each containing about 1.5 pounds of chicken breasts (9 or so pounds total). This allows you to open and use as many sections as you want and leave the rest perfectly sealed. These sealed packages can also go right into the freezer, and are easy to pull out and defrost in the fridge as you need them. They're $2.79 per pound, and also available in organic form for $4.99 per pound. Organic boneless, skinless thighs are $3.99 per pound, packaged in the same way (for some reason the boneless thighs are only available in an organic version).

Whatever the recipe—whether it's grilled chicken breasts, marinated kebabs, or rolled cutlets, you'll know that you're set because you've got some bulk chicken hanging out in the freezer.

5. Hearts of Palm

This is a weird one, I know, but I love hearts of palm dearly—and they can be very pricey! Since they come canned or jarred, they last for years. But because I add them to as many salads as I can and eat them by the handful as a snack, I can never have too many jars in stock. (Hearts of palm were also my pregnancy craving—I ate them every day while I was gestating Charlie.)

6. Peanuts

Okay, well, for those of you without allergies to tree nuts, I guess this would translate to ALL nuts. I'm only able to eat peanuts, though, and my family eats a lot of them. Luckily Costco has quite a number of ways for us to sate my peanut fix in a more economical way: The most important buy is the 48-pack of 1-ounce Planters salted peanut packs. I know you can do even better price-wise when you buy larger containers, but I appreciate the individual packages because they help me keep track of how many peanuts I'm inhaling. They're also terrific protein-filled snacks to keep in my bag when I'm on the go.

I also love the 2 1/2–pound canister of Kirkland Super Extra Large Peanuts, which are impossible to resist at just $6.69—but you need some serious self-discipline with these in the house, or a lot of peanut loving friends. Or just whip up a batch of cookies.

7. Cooking Spray

Sometimes you can find their house brand of cooking spray, Kirkland, which is very well priced. But even if they're only carrying classic Pam, you're going to save some real cash. Two 12-ounce cans are $6.99 at Costco, compared to about $4 to $5 for a single 8-ounce can at a standard national supermarket. And cooking sprays last forever, both in terms of spoilage and in terms of use. A critical staple to keep on hand for all manner of baking projects.

8. Pure Vanilla Extract

If you're a baker (or you're a reluctant one because your kids go to a bake-sale heavy school), then you'll immediately realize what a great price you’re getting for their big 16-ounce bottle of vanilla extract. $34.99 is a total steal, it lasts for years, and the quality is great—pure vanilla, not artificially flavored (which is not worth using even if it’s free, by the way). Elsewhere, a 1-ounce bottle of a leading national vanilla brand might be closer to $6 or $7, which would translate to almost over $100 if you were to buy the same amount of vanilla, or 16 of those little bottles. Startling, huh? Now you won’t need to hesitate before baking up a batch of oatmeal or chocolate chunk cookies.

9. Aluminum Foil

I have what can only be termed a deep, meaningful relationship with my oversized role of Kirkland Signature Reynolds Foodservice Foil. 12x1000 feet of aluminum foil may not be what everyone needs in their house, but if you regularly line baking sheets and wrap brownies for freezing (before sliding them into zipper-sealed bags of course), then you can seriously save a large amount of money by purchasing this mega-roll. I buy about one of these a year for $27.99, and that carries me right on through.

10. Prosciutto

While I know that you can’t stock up on prosciutto the way you can on paper towels or aluminum foil, a sealed package will last for four whole months, so you can certainly buy for the future. And it just so happens that my kids' favorite sandwich is prosciutto and mozzarella on a baguette. On my last visit to Costco, a 1-pound sleeve of Citterio prosciutto was priced at $9.99. Suddenly indulgences like prosciutto-wrapped shrimp and this easy party appetizer seem much more accessible.

What do YOU like to buy in bulk at Costco? Let us know in the comments below.

This post is an unsponsored grocery-store love letter.

Source: https://food52.com/blog/23614-best-costco-products-to-buy-in-bulk

[healthytwentytwo]

Alright this is just a budget post to keep myself accountable. I fixed my budget on Mint so that I'll be budgeting to spend less than I make. I didn't really understand how the budget total worked at the top of the app. I thought it was my entire amount of money that I had and how much I had left lol. I get a guaranteed 40 hours at my job and make $1988 on that. This isn't counting the regular overtime that I do so I always make more than that but, just in case, I'm making my budget so that it's less than I spend. Around $1800 and it'll change every month. My half of rent is $1178. Sucks but nothing I can do about that. Yay California. My biggest spending category is definitely makeup. I'm finally getting the makeup products I've always wanted bc I can afford it. I spent a lot over the past few months finding the right products for me. I can finally say that I'm happy with my daily routine so I'm expecting that monthly cost to go down every month. The next things I will purchase will be whenever a product of mine runs out. Ulta also has awesome sales so I'll be shopping there as usual. There's a few KVD lip sticks I wanna try but I'm going to limit myself to one per month. Groceries are another big budget of mine. I'm going to try and keep myself at $100 or at least lower than $120. I'm going to do the majority of my shopping at Costco now since it's bulk stuff. Their rotisserie chickens are fucking awesome and only like $4.99 and last me for a week's worth of lunches. Love them. Phone bill is going up a bit from $69 to $75. On a family plan with my parents and my dad wanted to upgrade from 2gb and no carryover data to 4gb and carryover data. Totally fine by me. We were always going over and it was $15 extra each month. Gas is $80. No problems there. Need to get an oil change too for around $35. So glad I set up a savings account. It's forcing me to save more money and I haven't withdrawn from it once yet. I'm dreading when I have to buy a plane ticket to my best friend's wedding. It's going to be around 500-600 fucking bucks. My parents said I can use their southwest miles so hopefully I'll get a good deal.

[jeinous]

”Now Here’s a Little Story I’ve Got To Tell”📱🙉🙈🙊🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🙋🏻🥑🎄🙂

Yes, I just posted three photos of an avocado...with a smiley face.

This is a very un-Christmas-y story, and I don’t usually like to speak/write/think about/or listen to negative things. But I need to post these photos of an avocado with a smiley face(!), and also need to share the story that goes along with it. Or at least some it it, because it is so ridiculous that it’s not really worth a rant.

So, last week a man told me to “Shut Up” (among other things) in front of a store full of people. An absolute stranger, who looked like he could be my long lost uncle. Let me explain, I had a phone emergency...and by ‘phone emergency’ I mean, I had to help someone find their phone that they had left on the hood of their car after pumping gas (and driving off). So, first we went roaming the streets; and by streets I mean Ventura Blvd., on a Thursday afternoon, right before rush hour traffic. No luck. Then I started fidgeting on my phone with the, “find my phone app”, and I find it(!)...with the little location ping thingy moving around in the area. *Side-note, I don’t even know how I did that, lol. Also, I don’t know what to do next, so I go to the phone store to ask what I should do/can do/Icloud this/backed up that, and all the while that “find my phone” ping thingy is floating around nearby.

As I’m about to open the door to walk in, another girl insists on going in first/not holding the door for me (because apparently, you win an imaginary contest if you walk in first). Fine, whatever, I just need to ask a question and go look for the phone pronto(!). Obviously, we all know there is a sign-in sheet; which the girl is hogging, so one of the workers looks at me and says something about said sheet and I reply, “I just have a quick question”, to which he says something along the lines of alright if it’s quick, so I walk over to ask what I can/should do/is this app accurate, and the man he’s helping becomes very aggressive and starts getting loud about how he’s late to the airport, and to wait my turn. Then he starts using his “outside” voice, at which point I try to speak over him and say simmer down, I have an emergency, sir. And side-note, if he had stopped yelling at me, I would have been able to hear the worker’s response, and left, and also if you really are late to the airport, you are wasting more time by yelling in the middle of a store, and telling a woman to shut-up (among other things).

Anyhoo, I don’t really care that I got yelled at, but the worst/most disturbing part of all of this is...that girl who insisted on walking in the store first, now walks by us and gets involved, defending the man who just told me to shut up. And when I ask her how she can defend a grown man yelling obscenities at a fellow woman, her reasoning is so mortifying, backwards, and disturbing, I will save her the embarrassment of writing it here. Shame on you, lady.

Long story short ( not really, lol), a manager came to help me; and again this girl comes over to threaten the manager that she better not be helping me before her (wow). I finally leave, finally find the phone (which for the record, is not backed up, because it is too full, and there are pictures that are irreplaceable on there).

So much for people being polite during the holidays, and I understand we all have to wait our turn, but it’s not like I was trying to cut the line at Costco to buy the last rotisserie chicken. There’s no “winner” here, I’ve personally witnessed people do such horrible things just to pay for their items first, etc., and the whole thing was so unnecessary (not to mention mortifying to be a part of).

Now to my very important avocado photos. I came home that night to heat my can of Trader Joe’s vegetarian chili, cut an avocado, and there was a smiley face!!!! Look!!! Two of ‘em!!:)

Happy Wednesday,

Fashion Brownie:)

p.s. I just googled how to spell the word, “chili”, and I’m still not sure.

[actfact2-blog]

What I spent on groceries in July (A Grocery Geek report)

Want a peek into our grocery cart? Here’s how I’m buying groceries and feeding eight people on the cheap.

Hey there! Hi there! Can you believe how quickly the summer has flown by? We are inching up on back to school, so I’m battening down the hatches!

July was a pretty relaxing month with beach days and trips to the movies and a weeklong visit from friends-closer-than-family, but at the same time, I tried to keep my eye open for things that will make my life easier once school starts.

If you’re new here, you might not know that I teach my kids at home. The two eldest are in college, but I’ve got four students on my watch. Trust me when I say, “The days are just packed!”

That means I need to be on my game. This month I spent a fair amount of time prepping fruit for the freezer. Or rather, my daughters did. They were my chief cherry pitters as I stocked up on cherries that were on sale. All my kids love to make smoothies, so if I can fill our freezer with bargain frozen fruit, we’re in business.

I also found a few other items on clearance, like a variety of jams with at least a year before their best-by dates. That’s the only good thing about your Walmart remodeling. They unload some good stuff for cheap. The rest of the time, you’re cursing them for moving EVERYTHING to a new location.

But, I digress.

You’ll notice that our overall bill this month is a little higher than normal. I attribute that to a few splurges at ALDI as well as the stocking up for later thing. Since our average was already under budget, I had plenty of cushion to go over. In fact, our year-to-date average is still under budget! Yay!

And we’ve got surplus in the freezer and cupboards for future months. With six kids it’s pretty hard to get ahead in a truly substantial way — they are perpetually hungry! — but I’m trying. In doing so, particularly when I find screaming deals, we save a lot of money.

Per the most recent USDA food cost reports (link below), we’re more than $300 UNDER a food stamp budget for a family of our make-up. Yay for good cheap eats!

The Grocery Geek report

For those of you new here, Grocery Geek is my regular report of how I shopped for groceries, what deals I found, and my running total of how we’re sticking to a budget for groceries.

Here’s the rundown on my shopping this week. As you read, keep in mind who and how I’m shopping:

My grocery shopping profile

To update you on my grocery geekiness:

I’m feeding eight people, ages 55, 46, 21, 17, 16, 14, 11, and 9. Five of those people are males. They eat A LOT!

I’m shooting for a budget of $1100 this year, trying to beat what the feds think it will cost. Per the most recent USDA food cost reports it should cost our family $1346.60 to eat all meals at home under the “thrifty plan” for people of our demographics.

We live in Southern California where produce is cheap, but meat and dairy are not.

I’m trying to feed us mostly unprocessed foods, with a few “healthier” convenience items thrown in and a junk food splurge* here and there.

I work at home and teach five of our kids, so I don’t have as much time for fiddling in the kitchen as I would like.

I no longer use coupons on a regular basis, though I do love the coupons that Ralphs offers.

I have at least ten grocery stores within 5.5 miles of my house. It is easy (for better or for worse) to stop at several stores to get the best deals.

We mostly eat at home. My husband and college age son often pack lunch and breakfast to work, but sometime have lunch out. My husband and I enjoy a date once a week. FishPapa takes one child out to “dinner with dad” once a week. We eat out as a family on average once a week.

BEFORE YOU JUDGE ME FOR EXTRAVAGANCE, please read this post.

What we spent on groceries in July:

Sprouts

strawberries $0.97/lb (stockpiling in freezer)

5# bag potatoes $1.99

cilantro $0.50/bundle

granny smith apples $0.99/lb

green bell peppers $0.77 each

green onions $0.50

lettuce $0.99/head

zucchini $1.49/lb

jalapeños 8/$1.00

nectarines $0.98/lb

organic gala apples $0.99/lb

organic celery $1.99

red bell peppers $1.25 each

cherries $0.97/lb (stockpiling in freezer)

red onions $0.99/lb

watermelon $2.99

bag shishito peppers $2.99

baking powder $1.99

lemon ginger tea $3.49

carne asada $3.99/lb

fresh sausage $2.99/lb

xtra lean ground beef $2.99/lb

French bread $1.89/loaf

Total spent $87

Vitacost

Occasionally I order flour from Vitacost as a way to find better quality at a reasonable price.

bread flour $4.69/5# bag (stockpiling in freezer)

whole wheat flour $3.19/3# bag (stockpiling in freezer)

Total spent $43

Ralphs

whipping cream $5.49

eggs $3.99

Total spent $10

Sprouts

strawberries $0.97 (stockpiling in freezer)

cilantro $0.50

hot house cucumber $1.50

organic baby spinach $4.99

red bell peppers $1.25

cherries $0.95/lb (stockpiling in freezer)

tea $3.49

greek yogurt $2.99

Total spent $19

Trader Joe’s

maple syrup $15.99

cereal $1.99

frozen chicken tenderloins $7.49 (stockpiling in freezer)

milk $2.69

frozen green beans $1.99 (stockpiling in freezer)

almond butter $5.99

juice $2.99

cheddar $2.47

hummus $4.99

3-pack peppers $3.29

Total spent $61

Sprouts

mini watermelon $0.95 each

raspberries $1.50

cherries $0.95/lb (stockpiling in freezer)

bananas $0.59/lb (stockpiling in freezer)

mozzarella $6.99/2#

greek yogurt $2.99

Total spent $38

Ralphs

grape tomatoes $2.99

deli salami $5.50

sushi $8.99 each

deli turkey $10.39

Boursin cheese $3.99

Brie $6.30

Total spent $53

Walmart

milk $2.39

powdered sugar $1.98

sugar $1.98

turbinado $3.98

unbleached flour $5.98

brown sugar $1.98

Total spent $25

Costco

olive oil $14.69-$14.99

dry pinto beans $5.69

organic brown rice $11.99

frozen yakisoba $11.49

hummus singles $6.49

chicken bake $10.99

rotisserie chickens $4.99 each

craisins $4.89

organic spaghetti $8.89

kirkland tuna $12.99

cheddar jack shreds $12.59

organic quinoa $9.49

pesto $4.89

organic honey $13.49

avocado oil $9.69

shredded mozzarella $11.99

pita $3.39

frozen tilapia $16.49 (stockpiling in freezer)

Tillamook cheddar $8.99

frozen french fries $6.59

romaine 6-pack $3.99

frozen Hawaiian chicken $11.49

roast whole turkey breast $3.99/lb

tortillas $3.69

mixed bell peppers 6-pack $6.99

frozen ono $19.89 (stockpiling in freezer)

greek yogurt $5.59

butter $11.19

Total spent $365

Sprouts

blueberries 18 oz. $1.97 (stockpiling in freezer)

pineapple $1.98

apples $0.50/lb

plums $0.98/lb

nectarines $0.98/lb

organic baby carrots $0.98/lb

red cherries $0.95/lb (stockpiling in freezer)

apple cider vinegar $4.99

Total spent $33

Ralphs

green salsa $0.79

cilantro $0.69

jalapeños $0.99/lb

canned tomatoes $1.69

Total spent $5

Ralphs

cereal $0.99 to 1.69

ice cream and popsicles $4.49 to 4.99

chocolate chips $3.49

grapes $2.99/lb

bananas $0.59/lb

grapefruit $1.29

melon $0.77

mushrooms $2.29

broccoli $1.99/lb

Total spent $38

Sprouts

baby carrots $1.29

melon $0.98

grape tomatoes $1.50

XL avocados $1.66

organic bananas $0.69/lb

mango 2/$1

sweet onions $0.68/lb

organic coconut milk $1.99

greek yogurt $2.99

frozen strawberries $2.99

Total spent $33

ALDI

eggs $0.94

bottled sparkling water $0.69 each after CRV

frozen tamales $5.49

milk $2.10

whipping cream $1.99

tomato paste $0.39

flour tortillas $1.59

fruit $2.19

pepperoni $2.19

salami $3.49

olives $2.99

seedless cucumber $0.95

organic baby spinach $2.49

yellow onions $1.35

diced green chiles $0.59

superfruit spread $2.89

deli sliced cheese $1.99

deli ham and turkey $2.99

red potatoes $2.25

baby carrots $0.89

red onions $0.59/lb

whole carrots $0.95

coleslaw $1.49

red peppers $0.65 each

b/s chicken breast $1.29/lb

Total spent $100

Ralphs

macaroni and shells $0.89

milk $2.49

canned pintos $1.69

large mayonnaise $6.29

shredded lettuce $1.79

mushrooms $2.29

yogurt $5.99

ground pork $2.99 on clearance (stockpiling in freezer)

chuck roast $3.99/lb

clearance bread $0.99

Total spent $60

Sprouts

strawberries $0.97

mushrooms $3.49

melons $0.67

cilantro $0.50

tomatoes $0.98/lb

eggplant $1.25

XL avocados $1.66

nectarines $0.98/lb

organic bananas $0.59/lb

organic celery stalk $1.99

mangoes 2/$1

soba noodles $1.69

tahini $5.99

rice vinegar $2.29

bottled water $3.70 after crv

sliced bacon $2.27

wild sockeye salmon $9.99

Total spent $75

Walmart

juice $3.28

jams on clearance $1-$2 (stockpiling in pantry)

nutella packs on clearance $1.50 (stockpiling in pantry)

greek yogurt $5.38

broccoli $1.68/lb

flour $5.98/10#

limes $0.25

shrimp $5.86

water chestnuts $0.72

shredded carrots $1.67

Total spent $50

ALDI

eggs $0.92

frozen green beans $1.39 (stockpiling in freezer)

frozen bell peppers $1.79 (stockpiling in freezer)

organic whole wheat spaghetti $1.09

organic black beans $0.89

crushed tomatoes $0.99

garbanzo beans $0.69

organic diced tomatoes $1.65

ground black pepper $2.69

salami $3.49

onion flakes $0.99

sparkling water $0.69 after CRV

deli ham and turkey $2.99

olives $2.99

milk $1.38

sour cream $1.29

pickles $3.79

flour tortillas $1.59

black beans $2.49

corn tortillas $2.28

tostada shells $1.85

pepperoni $2.19

cheddar $2.99

hummus $2.29

chips $1.99

cottage cheese $1.29

brie $2.99

chocolate $1.49

whipping cream $1.99

mini bagels $1.99

spinach $1.19

bell peppers $0.75 each

broccoli crowns $0.99

deli sliced cheese $1.99

Italian bread $3.99

coleslaw $1.49

limes $0.15

romas $0.45/lb

graham crackers $1.25

woven wheat crackers $1.75

green tea $0.99

green onions $0.99

flatbread $2.89

cilantro $0.33

jalapeños $0.49 (stockpiling in freezer)

red onions $0.59/lb

milk $2.10

b/s chicken breast $1.89/lb

Total spent $159

ALDI

sparkling water $0.69 after CRV

pepperoni $2.19

jalapeños $0.49

tomato sauce $0.29

tomato paste $0.39

Total spent $27

Trader Joe’s

frozen chicken tenders $7.49 (stockpiling in freezer)

tofu $1.69 to $2.49

Total spent $41

ALDI

sparkling water $0.69 after CRV

eggs $0.91

pepperoni $2.19

cottage cheese $1.29

garbanzo beans $0.69

tomato paste $0.39

Total spent $32

Spent in July: $1354

Spent in 2018:

January: $490

February: $1084

March: $1224

April: $1009

May: $994

June: $1095

July: $1354

Total spent YTD: $7250

That’s an average of $1036/month

Source: https://goodcheapeats.com/2018/08/what-i-spent-on-groceries-in-july-a-grocery-geek-report/

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How to Make Harissa From Dried or Fresh Chilies

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How to Make Harissa From Dried or Fresh Chilies

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[Photographs: Vicky Wasik]

Keeping the fridge stocked with condiments is my hack to life. It’s easy to jazz up any simple weeknight meal with an arsenal of flavor bombs at my disposal. Who wants boring sweet potatoes when you can smother them with miso butter? Even Costco rotisserie chicken can impress if you douse it with enough garlic-y toum. But there’s a special place in my heart for my array of chili-spiked condiments, with harissa right at the top next to Laoganma’s Chili Crisp and Valentina’s hot sauce.

Harissa is a North African chili paste with as many variations as there are ways to use it. At its more basic, harissa is a blend of chilies seasoned with a touch of citrusy coriander and musky caraway, but that’s where any similarities between any two harissas end. The fiery pastes can be made from fresh charred peppers for a one-two punch of smoke and spice, rehydrated dried chilies with notes of raisin and plum, or a combination of the two. The assertive chili paste is a great place for additions like pungent garlic, earthy cumin, and rowdy mint.

Here’s how to make a couple entry-level harissas. Although they’re perfect just the way they are, they can also be the start of your homemade harissa adventure. The pastes can be thick or thin, spicy or mild, studded with mix-ins or heady with spices. Now go grab a pair of gloves and let’s get elbows deep in capsaicin.

Making Harissa From Dried Chilies

For my dried chili harissa, I depend on mild guajillo chilies as the backbone. These level-headed chilies offer a gentle heat along with a slight bitterness and astringency on par with black tea. I also throw in an ancho chili, which is the dried form of a ripe poblano, for its sweet raisin and date flavors. The two players responsible for bringing the heat to the harissa are sprightly arbols and bright Kashmiri red chilies. I don’t want a harissa that completely blows my lid, so a mix of smoky, fruity, and hot peppers gets me the balance I’m looking for.

To prep the dried chilies, I need to remove the stems and seeds. The seeds of dried chilies can be leathery and tough, and if they aren’t removed, they’ll leave the harissa with a clunky texture. When working with smaller quantities, kitchen shears are all you need to snip off the stem and shake the seeds out of each pepper. For a larger amount of chilies, I’ve found that it saves time to clip the chilies into strips over a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack. I then shake the sheet, allowing the seeds to sift through the gaps in the rack, leaving seed-free chili pieces behind.

I next grind the dried chilies to a fine powder in batches in a spice grinder. You can also blitz the chilies all at once in a high-speed blender. I then combined the chili powder with freshly ground coriander and cumin in a dry pan for a toast. Toasting the spices releases their essential oils, making them more aromatic and flavorful. You could stop right here and be left with a dry harissa, perfect for sprinkling on popcorn, using as a blackening spice, or even as a perky barbecue rub.

To transform this harissa powder to a paste, I add a splash of water and bring the mixture to a simmer, which hydrates the chilies and transforms their flavor. I continue to cook the mixture down until it’s thick enough to hold a channel when I run my rubber spatula across the skillet. From there, a final seasoning with salt, vinegar, and olive oil is all it needs and it’s ready for a place in my refrigerator door.

Making Harissa From Fresh Chilies

Harissa made from fresh chilies has a looser texture and lighter flavor than one made with dried chilies alone. Similar to the dried chili harissa, I use mild red bell peppers for the body and bulk of the sauce. I also include a grassy poblano pepper to balance the sweetness of the red bell pepper. Finally, I add Fresno and serrano peppers to light it up with fruit, heat, and acid.

I lightly oil the peppers and throw them under a broiler on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet to blacken and blister. The coat of oil helps the peppers char evenly. You could also char the peppers over the direct flame of a gas burner, but I prefer doing it under a broiler, where the indirect heat allows the peppers more time to cook, so the flesh fully softens before their skins burn. In the oven the peppers are also heated from all sides, allowing their natural juices to evaporate, which concentrates their flavor.

Once the skins on the peppers are evenly singed all around, I transfer them to a bowl and tightly cover it with plastic wrap, allowing them to steam. While the peppers steam and become cool enough to handle, I toast ground coriander and caraway in a dry pan. I next remove the skin, seeds, and stems from the peppers and blend them until smooth in a food processor. The resulting pepper paste is seasoned with the toasted spices, fresh lemon juice, salt, and olive oil.

Customize Your Harissa

So now you have homemade harissa, but the fun doesn’t have to stop yet. There are many ways to customize harissa, so it can become as unique and special as you. Chopped briny olives or capers take harissa to the Mediterranean, ready to swirl into pasta or risotto. For a burst of brightness, speckle the paste with chopped preserved lemon or citrus zest and pair it up with grilled seafood. You can even get extra fancy with saffron or dried rose petals.

And if you’re a real champ, make both harissas and mix them together for all the glory of fresh and dried chilies combined.

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