The Professional Domestic

Week 24 – What We Ate and How Much We Spent on Groceries

I am a little late in getting this post out but last week I spent $67.16 for groceries because I had so much left over in the freezer from the week before. We did go out for dinner once and lunch after the Farmers market because we were exhausted from opening day.

Sunday dinner was sausage with peppers and onions
Monday was BLT sandwiches
Tuesday was crockpot pork steaks with chili sauce
Wednesday was flatbread pizzas
Thursday was easy goulash
Friday we ate out for dinner
and Saturday we ate lunch and dinner at 4:00 out and just picked the rest of the night

For the goulash I made last week: I call this easy goulash because I just used what I had on hand to make it. I didn’t have macaroni so I used rigatoni, I didn’t have an onion so I dug up a sprouting green onion from the garden that was coming up from last year and I only had a yellow bell pepper so I used that.

I browned one pound of ground beef with the onions and the pepper

I added a tablespoon of paprika and chili powder and salt and pepper

In went a quart and a half of my home canned crushed tomatoes

I simmered all of this for a while. Maybe 1/2 an hour

Then I cooked the pasta and added it to the pan

After all of those flavors had time to meld I served, topped with parmesan cheese. Yum!

Total spent for groceries so far in June $215.16 out of $500

What did you all eat this week? – MM

Herb Bouquets

I love making herb bouquets for people. In fact, when I offered home delivery, herb bouquets were a pretty popular item on the list!

When we are invited for a night of cards or socializing at a friend’s home, instead of bringing a bottle of wine for a hostess gift, I like to bring a pretty herb bouquet or a jar of homemade jam or even a dozen fresh eggs.

This bouquet consists of sage, rose, peppermint, basil, and lavender, all completely edible.

Herb bouquets are a wonderful gift because they are completely edible! Teas, savory meals and even homemade skin care can be made with them.

If you grow your own herbs or have access to them consider making an herb bouquet and giving it as a gift. I guarantee it will be very well received 😊 -MM

Getting Rid of our Junk Week 9 and 10 of 54

For week 9 I pulled a 7 and for week 10 I pulled a 5. I swear it is harder to work with the smaller cards than it is the larger cards lol.

I combined weeks 9 and 10 to get rid of 12 items. My basement needed it the most. I sell vintage and antique dishes on Etsy and my basement is perpetually a mess with boxes and bins and wrapping papers and packing bubbles. It was due for a much needed clean out.

Let’s just say I counted really slowly and recyled 12 cardboard boxes. Here’s the proof

I am still working on week 8’s King which is 75. Remember the sneak peak I gave you last update with the pallets? Here’s more of the project which is still not complete but about halfway there.

The pallets I previously installed need a paint refresh.

I have been working on this project for a couple of years and this card challenge is motivating me to finish it. Previously we installed 5 pallets up front and 4 pallets in the back. We installed another 9 pallets last week. Half way there! I’ll keep updating on week 8’s progress.

Now for week 11’s card draw…

A six! Piece of cake. How are you doing on your clean out? See you next week -MM

Week 23 – What We Ate and How Much We Spent on Groceries

I have given us $500 as a grocery budget for the month of June because for us there are 5 paychecks. Last week I spent $148 on groceries because I had a mishap with Misfits and they sent me a load that I didn’t want (I should have read the fine print).

Last week we celebrated our 12th anniversary of wedded bliss so on Sunday we ate dinner out. Monday we went to a baseball game so hot dogs, cotton candy, peanuts, the whole sha-bang. Tuesday was taco Tuesday, Wednesday was another lazy night with frozen fish sticks, rice and glazed carrots, Thursday I made a veggie and chicken stir-fry, Friday I enjoyed a little league game with the hubs up in the booth so dinner was a soft pretzel with cheese, Saturday was a quick chicken and veggie alfredo over fettuccine.

I did make a quiche, red pepper potato salad and a pineapple cream pie which made me look like I at least attempted to think outside the box this week when it came to food.

The potato salad I make started with a recipe I talk about in this post https://marymargaretripley.com/2017/01/31/jalapeno-popper-potato-salad/ It is fantastic and the boys love it. I didn’t have the fresh jalapenos this time so I just used fresh red sweet peppers. Potatoes, bacon, cheddar cheese, peppers, cream cheese and mayo. What could be better?

The pineapple cream pie is a favorite for us on a hot summer day when I don’t want to turn the oven on. It’s only 5 ingredients if you buy the pie shell ready-made. https://marymargaretripley.com/2015/09/06/week-2-of-operation-pie-pineapple-cream/

Looking back on our week of food last week I guess I didn’t do that bad! We ate out a couple of time but those were special occasions for us.

Total spent for groceries so far in June $148

How are you all doing with the rising price of food? – MM

Ripley Victory Garden 2022

I posted a month or so ago My Garden and Preserving Goals for 2022 and have been working towards those goals since then.

So far this year I have planted:

Garlic
Sweet peppers
Lunchbox peppers
Eggplant
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Peas
Tomatoes
Rhubarb
Basil
Onions
Potatoes

I purchased 2 blueberry, 12 asparagus, and a new cherry tree

I still have a lot to get planted but everything is doing well and weeding has been kept up.

I’ll keep you updated on things as I add them! -MM

Week 22 – What We are Eating and How Much We Spent on Groceries

It’s been a few weeks since I posted what we are eating and grocery costs. My goal was to keep costs under $100 per week but I just haven’t gotten there yet and this week is no exception. I spent $110.00 at the Marketplace and even though I canceled my subscription to Misfit Market they still sent me a box of produce for $38 grrr…. I will be watching to make sure that doesn’t happen again with them. So all totaled we spent $148 on groceries.

There is another blog I read where her goal is only spending $100 a month! Some months she is successful and some months not so much. I think how she shops is impractical for 95% of the population because a.) it’s just her and her hubby, her children are all grown and b.) she gets a lot of care packages from her mom and his mom and c.) they eat a lot of beans and rice, again just not practical for my family. If I was just feeding me and the boy I could probably get away with it but not with the hubby. I still love reading what she eats every week though so there’s that lol.

The only meat I bought this week was a pack of ground beef which I will make into tacos tonight for Taco Tuesday. I still have chicken which will be made into stir-fry and sausage for the grill in the freezer from last week so those will be dinner too and I want to do a pasta dish with the fresh veggies I am getting from Misfits.

I find that because of working full time and doing all we do in the community… and the garden… and the housework, the control I am seeking when it comes to our meals is not there yet. I am looking forward to taking a break from some of my community responsibilities this year and concentrating on our home and well being.

I am also going to flip these “What we are Eating” posts to “What we Ate” posts then I can post recipes I used and accurate photos. So I will post Sundays what we had the previous week and how much I spent and you will also see when we eat out too this will make me more accountable.

Have a great week! – MM

Getting Rid of our Junk Week 8 of 54

For week 8, I pulled a King which means 75 items to purge or a large project.

There has been a very large project that I have been putting off since last year so I kicked myself in the behind this week and started working on it. I went to the hardware store and purchase another gallon of white fence paint and a long skinny roller. I don’t want to reveal exactly what I am working on yet but over this long weekend and with hubby and I both home my goal is to get all of it done. Cross your fingers. Here is a sneak peek.

I don’t know why I have put this project off so long. My guess is that I overwhelmed myself and overthought the complexity of it. Once I got the right tool, seriously just a small long paint roller, I have been on a mission.

This project is running over into 2 weeks so I am drawing another card for week 9. The card is a 7! Whew I was getting worried with all of these large face cards.

Already two months down! See you next week -MM

Getting Rid of our Junk Week 7 of 54

For week 7, I pulled a Jack which meant 25 items to purge.

This week I decided to use the Jack for a project instead of just getting rid of 25 items. I have been procrastinating on cleaning my kitchen desk. It is a dumping ground for junk and mail and books and papers.

Here is my starting point:

In 16 minutes I had most of my desk cleaned off and the garbage taken out of the house.

I undoubtedly threw out more than 25 items on that desk but it was more important to clean it off and help eliminate the unsightly pile from the kitchen.

Now, with that task done I pulled a card for week 8. It’s a King 🤦‍♀️. Ouch that’s a 75. Maybe the Hubs should get rid of 75 of his neckties lol!

Already two months down! See you next week -MM

Getting Rid of our Junk Week 5 and 6 of 54

For week 5, I pulled a Queen which means 50 items and because I was so late with week 5 I pulled week 6 along with it and got a 2.

Each week I try to pick an area to declutter and my husband and son brought up this week’s area. My son was commenting that he couldn’t sit on one side of the couch because it was filled with blankets and pillows that we use to snuggle up with on cold days. My husband brought up that we have a blanket chest right in the living room we could store the blankets and pillows in but it’s full of puzzles, CD’s, VHS tapes, DVDs, magazines and fabric. I had to laugh because he said maybe I should use the blanket and pillow predicament as this week’s decluttering project.

It took me a few days to have some time to get to it but I did just that this morning. I hauled everything out of the chest and cleaned and organized what I put back in. I bagged up all the puzzles but two, the magazines, most of the CD’s and threw out some of the VHS and a few odds and ends.

After folding the blankets on the couch and putting them and the pillows away…look! We can sit on the couch now!

I love this game. I have been wanting to clean out that chest for years!

For the 2 card I pulled this week I am getting rid of these two bottles. A few years ago I was obsessed with making fruit cordials and picked these two up at a flea market. I made a lot of cordial but never liked these two bottles so in the rummage sale they go!

For week 7 I pulled a Jack. So 25 more items will be going out the door this next week. I’ll report back after I figure out what area I want to attack next.

How are you doing with your decluttering? Addictive isn’t it? -MM

White Bread Recipe Step By Step

This recipe is for a basic white bread. This dough can be used as a base for just about anything. Add raisins and you have raisin bread, add blueberries and cinnamon brown sugar and roll it and you have a wonderful breakfast bread or braid it and top it with pepperoni and cheese and you have pizza bread. Or bake it just as it is and have an amazing turkey sandwich for lunch.

This recipe makes 2 large loaves and 1 smaller loaf. Start off with 4 cups of warm water then add 2 tablespoons of yeast, 2 tablespoon of salt, 1/4 cup of sugar and a 1/4 cup of shortening.

Either by hand or with a mixer with dough attachment, mix the ingredients together for about a minute to activate the yeast.

Next add in about 4 cups of all purpose flour or bread flour. Mix to incorporate. Keep adding more flour a cup at a time (you’ll need 9 to 11 cups) until a soft ball forms in the center of the bowl or the dough is no longer sticky. If mixing by hand, knead the dough for about 5 minutes adding flour when needed to keep it from sticking. If mixing with a dough hook and mixer let the mixer do it’s job and knead for 5 minutes.

Loaf fully risen and ready to go into the oven

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. You can pop the bread out of the pan to check the bottom and then slide it back in the pan if it needs more time.

Hope you enjoyed this bread making tutorial. I’ll be adding the recipe to my new recipes page soon. Have a great week! -MM

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