Apologies for my lack of blogging for the past few months. I had pretty much zero motivation to write anything, including a very failed attempt at Nanowrimo. But I'm back!
Grocery shopping today was awesome. I had a moment in the supermarket where I realised I had to buy food- REAL food- so I wouldn't be tempted to pop down to the store for an ice cream every time I was hungry. Which I admit had been happening sometimes, shame on me. Bad for my waistline and for my wallet.
I hadn't been very well prepared lately- I hadn't been making shopping lists or checking what I already had, so I would often get bored, or not have anything in the fridge I could eat. The last 3 days I had been eating whatever was keto that I could find in the fridge- a lot of snacks of celery and dip, ground beef made into patties, and macadamias I'd found stockpiled in the cupboard.
Today's list:
1 lettuce $1.99
Sour cream $1.19
Bunch of spring onions $1.79
Bunch of celery $1.99
500g mushrooms $3.49
Bag of baby spinach - $1.99
Pork leg roast - $14.27 - $4.99/kg
Thickened cream - $2.19
Lamb rump steak - $8.94
Scotch fillet steak - $14.91 (for 4 steaks!)
Rump steak - $6.09
Kransky sausages (3 pack) - $2.99
Turkey mince (500grams) - $3.99
Halloumi (250grams)- $4.99
Spinach dip - $2.49
Canned tomatoes x2 - $1.18
Greek Yogurt - $2.99
Sugar free energy drink x2 - $1.98
Tomato paste - $1.29
Broccolini x2 bunches - $3.98
Total - $87.00
And for him:
Pack of 6 hot dog buns: $1.89
1kg of peaches: $1.99
1.8kg of sausages (that I refuse to cook or even look at because they are so gross!):$6.89
Total = $10.77
Grand total - $97.77 - $22.23 under budget :)
Not bad considering how much meat I bought!
I have enough at least for 5 dinners- plus leftovers of the pork roast and kransky sausages for lunches and dinners. I also have plenty of ground beef and a whole chicken in the freezer to use up.
I might go to Coles during the week and get some different cheese with my last $22. All I have is a little smoked gouda and some regular cheddar, and Aldi doesn't have a great range of snacking cheese for me.
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
6.10.14
What I Bought: 4-5 October
My poor blog has been sadly neglected- the weather has been pretty good here, so I've been out! Outside enjoying the sun, seeing friends, you know, having fun! That means my blog has been on the back burner. But I'm back!
On Saturday, we went to Aldi. We tend to shop there more than the other supermarket, as they have less junk food, and more real food- and for better prices too.
We got:
- bag of baby spinach
- about 2kg of beef mince
- dozen free range eggs
- cream
- sour cream
- haloumi
- 4 sugar free energy drinks (Aldi's brand is identical to Red Bull!)
- diet ginger beer
- salami
- asparagus
- canned tomatoes
- broccolini
- red pesto
And for my husband:
- 2kg apples
- 3kg oranges
- 1kg pears
- 1kg of pasta (spaghetti)
- muesli
- swiss chocolate
Total spent: $66.23
Sunday, we decided to take a walk to the markets close to my house. Unfortunately, we missed them due to daylight savings change, but we went to the fruit and vege store that is near there instead. This week, I will definitely be trying to eat more vegetables! The variety that vegetables add to my diet really improve things, and my husband loves them too.
We got:
- a GIANT cabbage (it weighs around 4.8kg!)
- bunch of celery
- handful of snowpeas
- cauliflower
- zucchini
- giant head of fennel
- choy sum (an asian green)
- 3 bunches of bok choy (possibly my favourite vegetable!)
- spring onions
Total spent: $15.40
Then I went on a search for some Botanical Cuisine products I'd heard about on Facebook. I found some at Prahran Convenience, which is an awesome cross between a health food store and American imports!
I got some Cashew Mayonniase to try, because I'm out of mayo, and I'm super curious to try it. I also got some Mint Slice Pudding, and split it with my husband. So delicious! Very much a sometimes treat though.
I spent $18 for both of them, which is a little pricy, but if they are delicious, it's definitely worth it!
On Saturday, we went to Aldi. We tend to shop there more than the other supermarket, as they have less junk food, and more real food- and for better prices too.
We got:
- bag of baby spinach
- about 2kg of beef mince
- dozen free range eggs
- cream
- sour cream
- haloumi
- 4 sugar free energy drinks (Aldi's brand is identical to Red Bull!)
- diet ginger beer
- salami
- asparagus
- canned tomatoes
- broccolini
- red pesto
And for my husband:
- 2kg apples
- 3kg oranges
- 1kg pears
- 1kg of pasta (spaghetti)
- muesli
- swiss chocolate
Total spent: $66.23
Sunday, we decided to take a walk to the markets close to my house. Unfortunately, we missed them due to daylight savings change, but we went to the fruit and vege store that is near there instead. This week, I will definitely be trying to eat more vegetables! The variety that vegetables add to my diet really improve things, and my husband loves them too.
We got:
- a GIANT cabbage (it weighs around 4.8kg!)
- bunch of celery
- handful of snowpeas
- cauliflower
- zucchini
- giant head of fennel
- choy sum (an asian green)
- 3 bunches of bok choy (possibly my favourite vegetable!)
- spring onions
Total spent: $15.40
Then I went on a search for some Botanical Cuisine products I'd heard about on Facebook. I found some at Prahran Convenience, which is an awesome cross between a health food store and American imports!
I got some Cashew Mayonniase to try, because I'm out of mayo, and I'm super curious to try it. I also got some Mint Slice Pudding, and split it with my husband. So delicious! Very much a sometimes treat though.
I spent $18 for both of them, which is a little pricy, but if they are delicious, it's definitely worth it!
8.8.14
My haul from Grocery Run
I am a sucker for a bargain, and I love online shopping, so I often find myself browsing GroceryRun looking for something to buy.
They have a lot of processed stuff- candy, cereal and snack foods. But I often find excellent deals on low carb products.
In my last order, I got:
2 boxes of 9 Aussie Bodies Lo Carb Protein Cookie Bites Apple & Raisin 50g for$4.79 each =$9.58
2 boxes of 6 Atkins Advantage Shakes Vanilla 325mL for $7.44 each = $14.88
I had seen the LC cookies for sale in stores for around $3 each, and the shakes are $3.86 each at my local supermarket, so I was excited to be able to buy them for such a good price.
They have a shipping cap of $9.99, so you can buy as much as you want and not pay more in shipping, so I added a few more things that I knew I'd use in the kitchen
2x Medallion Instant Mashed Potatoes 235g $3.98
(Great for thickening sauces if you're gluten free, I admit I have also used it to whip up a quick side dish for my husband)
2x Nando's Perinaise Peri-Peri Mayonnaise 265g $5.48
(So delicious! Has definitely spiced up my salmon burgers this week!)
Bic Razors Sensitive 15pk $3.99
(Cheaper than the supermarket!)
2x Patak's Rogan Josh Simmer Sauce Medium Spice 350g $4.98
(Useful for when I want to whip up a quick curry for dinner)
Total = $52.88
They also have great deals on vitamins, and household items such as paper towels.
They often have $1 days- where some items are $1. Last time they ran this, I got 4 packs of Laksa instant noodles (I usually ditch the seasoning, and give the noodles to my husband as a side dish for stirfry), udon noodles, wraps, dental floss, a nail art pen and rolled oats- all very useful additions to my pantry as food for my husband. Apart from the nail art pen, which I've been using, and floss, which we use a lot of.
They have a lot of processed stuff- candy, cereal and snack foods. But I often find excellent deals on low carb products.
In my last order, I got:
2 boxes of 9 Aussie Bodies Lo Carb Protein Cookie Bites Apple & Raisin 50g for$4.79 each =$9.58
2 boxes of 6 Atkins Advantage Shakes Vanilla 325mL for $7.44 each = $14.88
I had seen the LC cookies for sale in stores for around $3 each, and the shakes are $3.86 each at my local supermarket, so I was excited to be able to buy them for such a good price.
They have a shipping cap of $9.99, so you can buy as much as you want and not pay more in shipping, so I added a few more things that I knew I'd use in the kitchen
2x Medallion Instant Mashed Potatoes 235g $3.98
(Great for thickening sauces if you're gluten free, I admit I have also used it to whip up a quick side dish for my husband)
2x Nando's Perinaise Peri-Peri Mayonnaise 265g $5.48
(So delicious! Has definitely spiced up my salmon burgers this week!)
Bic Razors Sensitive 15pk $3.99
(Cheaper than the supermarket!)
2x Patak's Rogan Josh Simmer Sauce Medium Spice 350g $4.98
(Useful for when I want to whip up a quick curry for dinner)
Total = $52.88
They also have great deals on vitamins, and household items such as paper towels.
They often have $1 days- where some items are $1. Last time they ran this, I got 4 packs of Laksa instant noodles (I usually ditch the seasoning, and give the noodles to my husband as a side dish for stirfry), udon noodles, wraps, dental floss, a nail art pen and rolled oats- all very useful additions to my pantry as food for my husband. Apart from the nail art pen, which I've been using, and floss, which we use a lot of.
4.8.14
What I Ate - 28 July - 3rd August
Monday:
Breakfast: Leftover pork sausage and coffee with cream
Lunch: 2 hot dogs with mustard, glass of diet cola
Dinner: Bolognaise (made with ground beef, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, garlic, oregano) on zoodles, with fresh mozzarella. Dessert was a Chocolate Cream Pot (dark chocolate and cream melted together, then set in the fridge to make a very rich ganache). After dinner snack: handful of smokehouse almonds, cup of tea with cream, and a can of ham in mayo
Tuesday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Half a jar of sauerkraut, 2 kassler steaks (German smoked pork, kind of like very thick cut bacon!)
Dinner: Chicken breast strips with Nando's hot sauce and bok choy. Some dark chocolate and a handful of macadamias for dessert.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, leftover spaghetti squash from Monday's dinner.
Lunch: 2 hot dogs with mustard (last hot dogs for the week!)
Dinner: Roast beef, roasted brussels sprouts, and a couple of roasted yams (NOT SWEET POTATO!). Dessert was whipped cream, half a dozen frozen raspberries and some macadamias smushed together.
Thursday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Leftover roast beef with mustard
Dinner: More leftover roast beef, this time thinly sliced and served with roasted cauliflower.
Friday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Leftover roast cauliflower, sauerkraut, and 2 kassler steaks.
Dinner: Chicken breast with taco seasoning, cubed zucchini and lots of cheese. No sour cream, since my husband forgot to pick any up after work.
I forgot what I ate in the weekend, but I know it involved pork belly and broccoli for lunch on Saturday, along with a large helping of capsicum from my husbands plate- he hates them and his beef with black bean sauce was full of them! We ordered pizza on Saturday night for dinner, so I ate a LOT of pizza toppings for dinner and lunch on Sunday. We shared a fresh coconut at the Queen Victoria Markets when we picked up some vegetables for the week, and then shared a sugar free Slurpee on the way home, since I had a sore throat and felt like something cooling.
Breakfast: Leftover pork sausage and coffee with cream
Lunch: 2 hot dogs with mustard, glass of diet cola
Dinner: Bolognaise (made with ground beef, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, garlic, oregano) on zoodles, with fresh mozzarella. Dessert was a Chocolate Cream Pot (dark chocolate and cream melted together, then set in the fridge to make a very rich ganache). After dinner snack: handful of smokehouse almonds, cup of tea with cream, and a can of ham in mayo
Tuesday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Half a jar of sauerkraut, 2 kassler steaks (German smoked pork, kind of like very thick cut bacon!)
Dinner: Chicken breast strips with Nando's hot sauce and bok choy. Some dark chocolate and a handful of macadamias for dessert.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, leftover spaghetti squash from Monday's dinner.
Lunch: 2 hot dogs with mustard (last hot dogs for the week!)
Dinner: Roast beef, roasted brussels sprouts, and a couple of roasted yams (NOT SWEET POTATO!). Dessert was whipped cream, half a dozen frozen raspberries and some macadamias smushed together.
Thursday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Leftover roast beef with mustard
Dinner: More leftover roast beef, this time thinly sliced and served with roasted cauliflower.
Friday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Leftover roast cauliflower, sauerkraut, and 2 kassler steaks.
Dinner: Chicken breast with taco seasoning, cubed zucchini and lots of cheese. No sour cream, since my husband forgot to pick any up after work.
I forgot what I ate in the weekend, but I know it involved pork belly and broccoli for lunch on Saturday, along with a large helping of capsicum from my husbands plate- he hates them and his beef with black bean sauce was full of them! We ordered pizza on Saturday night for dinner, so I ate a LOT of pizza toppings for dinner and lunch on Sunday. We shared a fresh coconut at the Queen Victoria Markets when we picked up some vegetables for the week, and then shared a sugar free Slurpee on the way home, since I had a sore throat and felt like something cooling.
21.7.14
What I Ate - 14 - 20th July
Monday:
Breakfast: 3 hot dogs with mustard, and 2 coffees with cream
Lunch: 2 fried eggs, 2 slices of cheese and a serving of Blue Diamond smokehouse almonds
Dinner: Beef ragu with zoodles, fresh mozzarella torn over the top.
Tuesday: I was soooo hungry today! felt like I had the munchies!
Breakfast: Burger patty with a slice of cheese and a fried egg, coffee with cream
Lunch: 3 devilled eggs, 2 string cheese, coffee with cream, salami, slice of coconut flour brownie.
Dinner: Salmon with mixed herbs, roasted cauliflower, chai tea with cream. 2 Atkins peanut butter cups, strawberry cream cheese with ground almond.
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Small can of salmon, mixed with dijon and mayo.
Lunch: Tea with cream, salami and fresh mozzarella sprinkled with oregano and basil, baked in the oven to make a kind of pizza!
Dinner: Baked chicken wings with sesame sriracha and ginger marinade, lots of stirfried bok choy. For dessert, a Quest bar, a handful of peanuts and a sugar free lollipop.
Thursday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 2 leftover chicken wings
Lunch: Coffee with cream, 2 burger patties with cheese.
Dinner: Massaman beef curry and green beans. Chocolate chia pudding and some peanuts
Friday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 2 burgers patties with mustard
Lunch: Chocolate chia pudding, 2 teas with cream, a handful of peanuts.
Dinner: Braised speck with cabbage and butter. Chai tea with cream, some peanuts, hot chia pudding, 2 string cheese and a handful of peanuts.
Saturday
Breakfast: Coffee with almond milk and cream (i only had a drizzle of cream left!), and a handful of macadamias
Lunch: Chinese style chargrilled chicken wings, pork belly and lamb, and a can of diet coke
Dinner: Rotisserie chicken with some mayo, hot chocolate chia pudding for dessert.
Sunday:
Breakfast: A handful of jerky
Lunch: About 1/3 of a Nando's chicken with mild sauce, and a side salad.
Dinner: Leftover rotisserie chicken, and coconut chia pudding for dessert.
Breakfast: 3 hot dogs with mustard, and 2 coffees with cream
Lunch: 2 fried eggs, 2 slices of cheese and a serving of Blue Diamond smokehouse almonds
Dinner: Beef ragu with zoodles, fresh mozzarella torn over the top.
Tuesday: I was soooo hungry today! felt like I had the munchies!
Breakfast: Burger patty with a slice of cheese and a fried egg, coffee with cream
Lunch: 3 devilled eggs, 2 string cheese, coffee with cream, salami, slice of coconut flour brownie.
Dinner: Salmon with mixed herbs, roasted cauliflower, chai tea with cream. 2 Atkins peanut butter cups, strawberry cream cheese with ground almond.
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Small can of salmon, mixed with dijon and mayo.
Lunch: Tea with cream, salami and fresh mozzarella sprinkled with oregano and basil, baked in the oven to make a kind of pizza!
Dinner: Baked chicken wings with sesame sriracha and ginger marinade, lots of stirfried bok choy. For dessert, a Quest bar, a handful of peanuts and a sugar free lollipop.
Thursday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 2 leftover chicken wings
Lunch: Coffee with cream, 2 burger patties with cheese.
Dinner: Massaman beef curry and green beans. Chocolate chia pudding and some peanuts
Friday
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 2 burgers patties with mustard
Lunch: Chocolate chia pudding, 2 teas with cream, a handful of peanuts.
Dinner: Braised speck with cabbage and butter. Chai tea with cream, some peanuts, hot chia pudding, 2 string cheese and a handful of peanuts.
Saturday
Breakfast: Coffee with almond milk and cream (i only had a drizzle of cream left!), and a handful of macadamias
Lunch: Chinese style chargrilled chicken wings, pork belly and lamb, and a can of diet coke
Dinner: Rotisserie chicken with some mayo, hot chocolate chia pudding for dessert.
Sunday:
Breakfast: A handful of jerky
Lunch: About 1/3 of a Nando's chicken with mild sauce, and a side salad.
Dinner: Leftover rotisserie chicken, and coconut chia pudding for dessert.
17.7.14
Grocery Shopping - 12/13 July
I learnt a pretty big lesson this week- BE PREPARED! I completely forgot to buy more hot dogs, which you can probably see, is my staple lunch food. I ate the last couple on Monday, and on Tuesday there was sort of a panic. It's Thursday now, and I'm sort of enjoying the variety and the challenge of having to come up with something edible for lunch. Yay me!
This week, we didn't go to Costco. It felt weird breaking our routine, but I wasn't tempted to eat any of their hot dogs or pizza, which was a nice change.
We went to Aldi. We got:
Pack of gravy beef (around 600 grams) - $4.81
Beef mince (just over 2kgs) - $10.40
Piece of speck - $3.21
Tub of bocconcini (fresh mozzarella) - $3.69
Sugar free energy drink - $0.99
1kg cheddar cheese - $6
Flaked almonds - $3.29
Jar of Massaman curry paste - $2.49
Plus for my husband:
Vanilla cheesecake: $2.99
Hot dog rolls - $1.49
1kg basmati rice - $2.99
Can of apricots - $2.49
Udon noodles - $1.79
Loaf of bread - $0.99
For a total of $47.60
We then went to the South Melbourne Market. We mostly went for a walk, not to buy anything in particular, and there we got:
Bag of turmips and parsnips - $0.50
Coriander micro greens in a pot - $0.50
Bag of nectarines (around 1.5kg) - $1
Bag of muffins - $1.50
Bag of hamburger buns - $1.50
2 butternut halves - $2
Total spent: $7
So we were WAY under budget, which is nice sometimes, because yay, money saving. But I did struggle a little this week to make tasty keto food, and I can't wait to buy some more hot dogs! It's nice to empty out the freezer a bit, and make our way through the chicken I appear to have been stockpiling. We also had plenty of vegetables, so I guess i didn't do too badly.
This week, we didn't go to Costco. It felt weird breaking our routine, but I wasn't tempted to eat any of their hot dogs or pizza, which was a nice change.
We went to Aldi. We got:
Pack of gravy beef (around 600 grams) - $4.81
Beef mince (just over 2kgs) - $10.40
Piece of speck - $3.21
Tub of bocconcini (fresh mozzarella) - $3.69
Sugar free energy drink - $0.99
1kg cheddar cheese - $6
Flaked almonds - $3.29
Jar of Massaman curry paste - $2.49
Plus for my husband:
Vanilla cheesecake: $2.99
Hot dog rolls - $1.49
1kg basmati rice - $2.99
Can of apricots - $2.49
Udon noodles - $1.79
Loaf of bread - $0.99
For a total of $47.60
We then went to the South Melbourne Market. We mostly went for a walk, not to buy anything in particular, and there we got:
Bag of turmips and parsnips - $0.50
Coriander micro greens in a pot - $0.50
Bag of nectarines (around 1.5kg) - $1
Bag of muffins - $1.50
Bag of hamburger buns - $1.50
2 butternut halves - $2
Total spent: $7
So we were WAY under budget, which is nice sometimes, because yay, money saving. But I did struggle a little this week to make tasty keto food, and I can't wait to buy some more hot dogs! It's nice to empty out the freezer a bit, and make our way through the chicken I appear to have been stockpiling. We also had plenty of vegetables, so I guess i didn't do too badly.
6.7.14
What I Ate - 30 June - 6 July
Monday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 50g mild hungarian salami
Lunch: Beef burger patty with 2 slices of bacon and a fried egg (complete with runny yolk!)
Dinner: Salmon fillet with parmesan and black pepper, dessert was strawberry cream cheese mixed with whipped cream and macadamias.
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 2 cups of tea. (it's COLD, I love my hot drinks when it's cold!), roasted salted macadamias.
Lunch: Cold corned beef (cooked yesterday for my husband's lunches though we've eaten half of it already!)
Dinner: Bolognaise with shirataki noodles and zucchini noodles, topped with lots of parmesan and a drizzle of garlic infused olive oil. Dessert was lemon flavoured cream cheese, mixed with whipped cream, and sprinkled with roasted almond meal.
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, leftover bolgonaise and noodles
Lunch: 2 beef burger patties with mustard and cheese slices. Cup of tea with cream.
Dinner: Creamy coconut chicken curry with broccoli
Thursday
Breakfast: 3 hot dogs with sugar free ketchup and mustard
Lunch: 2 beef patties with cheese and mustard, and a chai tea with cream
Dinner: Meatloaf muffins and broccoli
Friday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 2 leftover meatloaf muffins
Lunch: Chicken Caesar salad- a pan fried chicken thigh, lettuce, Caesar dressing and parmesan, chai tea with cream.
Dinner: Chicken wings from a local pizza place
Saturday:
Breakfast: Leftover chicken wings, a chocolate protein shake.
Lunch: Pizza toppings and a hotdog (no bun) from Costco
Dinner: Wasn't hungry, so I had two cups of tea while watching a movie :)
Sunday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Chicken satay from a Chinese place, sparkling iced tea.
Dinner: Pizza on a low carb tortilla (salami, a smear of tomato, mozzarella, oregano, onion, bocconcini and fresh basil), and a glass of almond milk (though I'd really really love some soda!)
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 50g mild hungarian salami
Lunch: Beef burger patty with 2 slices of bacon and a fried egg (complete with runny yolk!)
Dinner: Salmon fillet with parmesan and black pepper, dessert was strawberry cream cheese mixed with whipped cream and macadamias.
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 2 cups of tea. (it's COLD, I love my hot drinks when it's cold!), roasted salted macadamias.
Lunch: Cold corned beef (cooked yesterday for my husband's lunches though we've eaten half of it already!)
Dinner: Bolognaise with shirataki noodles and zucchini noodles, topped with lots of parmesan and a drizzle of garlic infused olive oil. Dessert was lemon flavoured cream cheese, mixed with whipped cream, and sprinkled with roasted almond meal.
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, leftover bolgonaise and noodles
Lunch: 2 beef burger patties with mustard and cheese slices. Cup of tea with cream.
Dinner: Creamy coconut chicken curry with broccoli
Thursday
Breakfast: 3 hot dogs with sugar free ketchup and mustard
Lunch: 2 beef patties with cheese and mustard, and a chai tea with cream
Dinner: Meatloaf muffins and broccoli
Friday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, 2 leftover meatloaf muffins
Lunch: Chicken Caesar salad- a pan fried chicken thigh, lettuce, Caesar dressing and parmesan, chai tea with cream.
Dinner: Chicken wings from a local pizza place
Saturday:
Breakfast: Leftover chicken wings, a chocolate protein shake.
Lunch: Pizza toppings and a hotdog (no bun) from Costco
Dinner: Wasn't hungry, so I had two cups of tea while watching a movie :)
Sunday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream
Lunch: Chicken satay from a Chinese place, sparkling iced tea.
Dinner: Pizza on a low carb tortilla (salami, a smear of tomato, mozzarella, oregano, onion, bocconcini and fresh basil), and a glass of almond milk (though I'd really really love some soda!)
Grocery Shopping - 5/6 July
This probably isn't the most exciting blog post I've ever written, but I like keep records of this kinda stuff so other people who are on or considering keto can get some data on food costs and the like. Starred items are not keto items, and my husband will eat them!
Saturday we went to Costco! Yay! I love Costco!
We spent $51.10, and I lost my receipt, but I know the price details of a few items.
Chicken wings - $3.99/kg
Chicken drums - $3.99/kg
Chicken thighs $9.99/kg
Bok choy (6 'heads') - $3.49
Stir fry mix (cabbage, carrot, onions, baby broccoli) 1kg bag - $3.99
Cream (1 Litre) - $3.49
Frankfurters (15 pack) - $4.99
Sweet potatoes (3kg) $7.49*
The chicken thighs are cheaper elsewhere, but I like the convenience of the packs the chicken comes in- the chicken is divided into 3 sections, which can tear off, and freeze really well. The wings and drums are an excellent price though.
Saturday night we went to Aldi. Riveting, I know ;) I really wanted salmon for dinner, and I wanted to grab some canned tomatoes while I had my packhorse (I mean, husband) to lug them around for me.
Frozen spinach - 99c
Tomatoes (well, one tomato) - 65c
Bocconcini 250g - $3.69
Coconut cream 89c x2 = $1.78
Cream cheese dip (250g) - $1.99
Frozen salmon (2 portions, mixed herb flavour) - $6.79
Sauerkraut - $2.29
Dried basil - $1.99
Sardines in spring water - $0.65
Diced tomatoes - $0.59 x 4 = $2.36
Whole cauliflower - $1.99
Wok-ready udon noodles - $1.99*
I also bought a bunch of cookies and chocolate to send to my sister for her birthday! I won't detail them here, but it was $13.46!
Total spent: $40.46
This afternoon, we went for a walk to the South Melbourne Market. It's roughly 2.5kms each way, but it wasn't raining (rare for Melbourne in winter!), so I was happy for a little excursion.
We bought:
Bunch of basil (still with roots attached, so I'll try to regrow it!) - $1
Apples (roughly 1kg, 7 apples) - $1*
Jalapenos (4 giant red ones!)
2 bunches of asparagus
Mandarins (10, about 1.5kgs)* - all 3 for $2
Bag of 4 zucchini - $1
Giant cauliflower - $1
Giant cabbage - $2
5kgs of potatoes - $2*
Bag of 5 flatbreads - $1*
Bag of 4 danishes - $1*
Total spent - $12!
So, grand total spent was: $103.56
$16.44 under budget! I would have spent that on garlic, coriander and some diet soda ideally! :P
My meal plan for this week looks like:
Monday: Ragu with stewing beef from the freezer, bocconcini, zoodles, torn basil leaves
Tuesday: Creamy mustard chicken thighs with roast cauliflower
Wednesday: Frozen salmon, roast potatoes for my husband, green beans.
Thursday: not sure what I'll have, but baked sweet potatoes with refried beans, sour cream, cheese for my husband.
Friday: Takeout! Woohoo!
Breakfast is muesli or porridge for my husband, it's always coffee with cream, sometimes with a protein shake or a Quest bar.
Lunches are always leftovers for my husband! For me, I'll have salad, hot dogs with mustard, something with sardines, fried eggs, or canned ham with mayo.
At the time of writing this, the danishes have been eaten, the flatbreads are lined up for pizzas and some for the freezer. Apples and mandarins for his snacks, along with oranges and bananas I bought last week (might have to make banana muffins or something with the bananas!)
Saturday we went to Costco! Yay! I love Costco!
We spent $51.10, and I lost my receipt, but I know the price details of a few items.
Chicken wings - $3.99/kg
Chicken drums - $3.99/kg
Chicken thighs $9.99/kg
Bok choy (6 'heads') - $3.49
Stir fry mix (cabbage, carrot, onions, baby broccoli) 1kg bag - $3.99
Cream (1 Litre) - $3.49
Frankfurters (15 pack) - $4.99
Sweet potatoes (3kg) $7.49*
The chicken thighs are cheaper elsewhere, but I like the convenience of the packs the chicken comes in- the chicken is divided into 3 sections, which can tear off, and freeze really well. The wings and drums are an excellent price though.
Saturday night we went to Aldi. Riveting, I know ;) I really wanted salmon for dinner, and I wanted to grab some canned tomatoes while I had my packhorse (I mean, husband) to lug them around for me.
Frozen spinach - 99c
Tomatoes (well, one tomato) - 65c
Bocconcini 250g - $3.69
Coconut cream 89c x2 = $1.78
Cream cheese dip (250g) - $1.99
Frozen salmon (2 portions, mixed herb flavour) - $6.79
Sauerkraut - $2.29
Dried basil - $1.99
Sardines in spring water - $0.65
Diced tomatoes - $0.59 x 4 = $2.36
Whole cauliflower - $1.99
Wok-ready udon noodles - $1.99*
I also bought a bunch of cookies and chocolate to send to my sister for her birthday! I won't detail them here, but it was $13.46!
Total spent: $40.46
This afternoon, we went for a walk to the South Melbourne Market. It's roughly 2.5kms each way, but it wasn't raining (rare for Melbourne in winter!), so I was happy for a little excursion.
We bought:
Bunch of basil (still with roots attached, so I'll try to regrow it!) - $1
Apples (roughly 1kg, 7 apples) - $1*
Jalapenos (4 giant red ones!)
2 bunches of asparagus
Mandarins (10, about 1.5kgs)* - all 3 for $2
Bag of 4 zucchini - $1
Giant cauliflower - $1
Giant cabbage - $2
5kgs of potatoes - $2*
Bag of 5 flatbreads - $1*
Bag of 4 danishes - $1*
Total spent - $12!
So, grand total spent was: $103.56
$16.44 under budget! I would have spent that on garlic, coriander and some diet soda ideally! :P
My meal plan for this week looks like:
Monday: Ragu with stewing beef from the freezer, bocconcini, zoodles, torn basil leaves
Tuesday: Creamy mustard chicken thighs with roast cauliflower
Wednesday: Frozen salmon, roast potatoes for my husband, green beans.
Thursday: not sure what I'll have, but baked sweet potatoes with refried beans, sour cream, cheese for my husband.
Friday: Takeout! Woohoo!
Breakfast is muesli or porridge for my husband, it's always coffee with cream, sometimes with a protein shake or a Quest bar.
Lunches are always leftovers for my husband! For me, I'll have salad, hot dogs with mustard, something with sardines, fried eggs, or canned ham with mayo.
At the time of writing this, the danishes have been eaten, the flatbreads are lined up for pizzas and some for the freezer. Apples and mandarins for his snacks, along with oranges and bananas I bought last week (might have to make banana muffins or something with the bananas!)
9.6.14
What I Ate: 2-8 June
Keto food can sometimes sound scary to an outsider. Lots of fat can definitely be off-putting. This week, I kept track of what I've eaten, to give anyone interested in keto an idea of what a week of keto food can look like. Please note not every meal has bacon ;)
Monday:
Breakfast: Bacon, and a coffee with cream.
Lunch: Shredded beef on baby spinach salad from Thr1ve, with an Island Coffee
Dinner: Beef sausages, celeriac mash, and cabbage fried in bacon grease.
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Island Coffee and Protein toast with pate from Thr1ve.
Lunch: Lamb meatballs, yellow pepper strips, baby spinach, tomato, feta, olives- and dijon apple cider vinaigrette
Dinner: Jamie Oliver's Moroccan spiced chicken breast steaks, baby spinach, feta, olives.
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, chocolate protein shake
Lunch: Salmon with teriyaki on baby spinach salad from thr1ve, with an Iceman coffee.
Dinner: Lamb steaks with oregano and rosemary, baby spinach, feta, olives. A little whipped cream with cocoa for dessert.
Thursday:
Breakfast/lunch: Bag of kale chips, 200g of wild game pate, Fine Fettle Flats Zucchini and Almond crackers.
Dinner: Roast beef, mustard cream, roasted brussels sprouts, asparagus.
Friday:
Breakfast: 100g of duck and orange pate, a serving of Fine Fettle Flats Zucchini and Almond crackers, 2 coffees with almond milk
Lunch: Leftover chicken from Wednesday, cold roast brussels sprouts.
Dinner: 3 lamb koftas, baby spinach salad, feta, olives.
Saturday:
Breakfast: Leftover lamb koftas from dinner the night before
Lunch: Smoked chicken salad from Third Wave Cafe in Prahran
Dinner: Thighs from a Costco rotisserie chicken. Handful of smoked Blue Diamond almonds while watching a movie.
Sunday:
Breakfast: Chocolate protein shake
Lunch: Sausages and bacon, grilled in the local park near us on their free barbecues!
Dinner: Coconut chicken satay curry, and stirfried bok choy. A chocolate cupcake for dessert
Monday:
Breakfast: Bacon, and a coffee with cream.
Lunch: Shredded beef on baby spinach salad from Thr1ve, with an Island Coffee
Dinner: Beef sausages, celeriac mash, and cabbage fried in bacon grease.
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Island Coffee and Protein toast with pate from Thr1ve.
Lunch: Lamb meatballs, yellow pepper strips, baby spinach, tomato, feta, olives- and dijon apple cider vinaigrette
Dinner: Jamie Oliver's Moroccan spiced chicken breast steaks, baby spinach, feta, olives.
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Coffee with cream, chocolate protein shake
Lunch: Salmon with teriyaki on baby spinach salad from thr1ve, with an Iceman coffee.
Dinner: Lamb steaks with oregano and rosemary, baby spinach, feta, olives. A little whipped cream with cocoa for dessert.
Thursday:
Breakfast/lunch: Bag of kale chips, 200g of wild game pate, Fine Fettle Flats Zucchini and Almond crackers.
Dinner: Roast beef, mustard cream, roasted brussels sprouts, asparagus.
Friday:
Breakfast: 100g of duck and orange pate, a serving of Fine Fettle Flats Zucchini and Almond crackers, 2 coffees with almond milk
Lunch: Leftover chicken from Wednesday, cold roast brussels sprouts.
Dinner: 3 lamb koftas, baby spinach salad, feta, olives.
Saturday:
Breakfast: Leftover lamb koftas from dinner the night before
Lunch: Smoked chicken salad from Third Wave Cafe in Prahran
Dinner: Thighs from a Costco rotisserie chicken. Handful of smoked Blue Diamond almonds while watching a movie.
Sunday:
Breakfast: Chocolate protein shake
Lunch: Sausages and bacon, grilled in the local park near us on their free barbecues!
Dinner: Coconut chicken satay curry, and stirfried bok choy. A chocolate cupcake for dessert
13.5.14
My first Harvest Box!
Last week, I signed up for Harvest Box, lured by the 50% discount they offered me!
I decided to give it a shot- I'm a big fan of snacking, and after browsing their site, I was tempted by some of the tasty nut mixes, since dried fruit isn't my thing.
I got my first box in the mail today, as promised!
You can select which mixes you'd like- you can pick not to receive any with dried fruit in, ketoers. I picked some with dried fruit, so I could give them to my husband. I was happy that half of them were suitable for me!
I was also surprised at the portion size- they were bigger than I thought they'd be.
The Med is pretty tasty- nice and spicy, the hazelnuts aren't too bad in the mix, surprisingly.
The K2 isn't mostly banana chips, which as the cheapest dried fruit, could have been possible.
Wimbledon is very sweet, so if you've got a sweet tooth, it's good for you.
Thai Chili and Lime Cashews were good, not too spicy, but lots of nice Thai flavours going on.
I can totally recommend their service. Plus I know of two people who have signed up to the service since I have- one of them was a Mother's Day gift!
I decided to give it a shot- I'm a big fan of snacking, and after browsing their site, I was tempted by some of the tasty nut mixes, since dried fruit isn't my thing.
I got my first box in the mail today, as promised!
The mixes they had picked for me were:
Thai Chili and Lime Cashews
The Med - spicy hazelnuts/peanuts/broad beans/pepitas
Wimbledon - dried strawberries/white chocolate/sultanas
The K2 - banana chips/goji berries/pepitas/dark chocolate
You can select which mixes you'd like- you can pick not to receive any with dried fruit in, ketoers. I picked some with dried fruit, so I could give them to my husband. I was happy that half of them were suitable for me!
I was also surprised at the portion size- they were bigger than I thought they'd be.
The Med is pretty tasty- nice and spicy, the hazelnuts aren't too bad in the mix, surprisingly.
The K2 isn't mostly banana chips, which as the cheapest dried fruit, could have been possible.
Wimbledon is very sweet, so if you've got a sweet tooth, it's good for you.
Thai Chili and Lime Cashews were good, not too spicy, but lots of nice Thai flavours going on.
I can totally recommend their service. Plus I know of two people who have signed up to the service since I have- one of them was a Mother's Day gift!
5.5.14
My first trip to Costco!
(affectionately sub-titled: The Day I Woke Up And Decided to Join Costco).
I don't know exactly why, but on Saturday morning, the first thing I said to my husband was: "Let's join Costco today!"
I think he was stunned for a minute, before agreeing with me.
See, when we first moved to Melbourne, he had been really keen on the idea. I'd done some research and found that not everything was cheaper, as he had imagined it would be. I didn't think it was worth the joining fee ($60), and we'd be pretty much throwing that money away. I didn't know of any Ketoers in Melbourne who were Costco members, so I wasn't sure if they'd have Keto friendly stuff at decent prices.
But I decided to get it a chance. We had nothing planned for that Saturday, so we decided we'd head over to their warehouse in Docklands, which I had seen hundreds of times before.
And, wow, it seemed like half of Melbourne was there. It was raining, so that probably made everyone want to go shop there! So many trolleys, unruly children and well, SO MANY GIANT TROLLEYS!
I have to say I was pretty impressed by what they sold. I did think their produce prices would be a bit lower, but their meat is what really sold it to me.
So many giant packs of meat, at some pretty good prices. I wish I'd had more freezer space, I would have bought more!
They also had giant packs of literally everything you could think of- cereal, nuts, chips. Giant bottles of sauces, mayonnaise, vinegar, hot sauce. Huge tubs of ice cream, sour cream, yogurt. The freezer section contained pretty much every frozen food you could ever need! The bakery section had giant trays of muffins, huge cfheesecakes, and giant bags of bread rolls.
I think we purchased the least out of everyone in the whole store- their trolleys were overflowing!
Here's what we got:
I don't know exactly why, but on Saturday morning, the first thing I said to my husband was: "Let's join Costco today!"
I think he was stunned for a minute, before agreeing with me.
See, when we first moved to Melbourne, he had been really keen on the idea. I'd done some research and found that not everything was cheaper, as he had imagined it would be. I didn't think it was worth the joining fee ($60), and we'd be pretty much throwing that money away. I didn't know of any Ketoers in Melbourne who were Costco members, so I wasn't sure if they'd have Keto friendly stuff at decent prices.
But I decided to get it a chance. We had nothing planned for that Saturday, so we decided we'd head over to their warehouse in Docklands, which I had seen hundreds of times before.
And, wow, it seemed like half of Melbourne was there. It was raining, so that probably made everyone want to go shop there! So many trolleys, unruly children and well, SO MANY GIANT TROLLEYS!
I have to say I was pretty impressed by what they sold. I did think their produce prices would be a bit lower, but their meat is what really sold it to me.
So many giant packs of meat, at some pretty good prices. I wish I'd had more freezer space, I would have bought more!
They also had giant packs of literally everything you could think of- cereal, nuts, chips. Giant bottles of sauces, mayonnaise, vinegar, hot sauce. Huge tubs of ice cream, sour cream, yogurt. The freezer section contained pretty much every frozen food you could ever need! The bakery section had giant trays of muffins, huge cfheesecakes, and giant bags of bread rolls.
I think we purchased the least out of everyone in the whole store- their trolleys were overflowing!
Here's what we got:
250g bag of jerky - $8.99
Corned beef (just under 2kgs) - $11.87
Beef bolar roast (just under 3kgs) - $23.04
Tofu (900g) - $2.99
Japanese BBQ marinated chicken thighs (just under 3kg) - $11.34
Bag of 48 string cheese - $11.99
Blue Diamond Smokehouse almonds (1.08kg) - $19.79
Organic coconut flour 1kg - $6.29
Cream 1 litre - $3.29
Pack of 4 BBQ lighters - $4.89 (not pictured)
Total: $104.48
We cooked roughly a third of the roast beef for dinner on Saturday night. It was amazingly flavourful, juicy and tender- just rubbed with salt and cracked pepper. Possibly the best roast beef I'd ever had! I had leftover this morning for breakfast.
The beef jerky is great, too. I am eating some as I type. It's an unbelievable price, considering I usually pay $6 for 100 grams when it's on special.
I am so in love with the string cheese. It is different the usual Australian string cheese- which is normally yellow and tastes like a cheddar blend. These seem to be pure mozzarella and are white. They are a super amazing deal, with 48 for $12 working out to be 25c each, compared to 8 for $5 (when on special), which is 62c each.
One of the reason I finally caved and joined Costco was to get Blue Diamond almonds. They used to be hard to get here, but Woolworths has started stocking a few flavours- for $3.99/150 grams- $26.60/kg. I really like the smokedhouse ones, they are salty and smoky and delicious, and a bargain for $19.79!
The coconut flour was roughly half price I was going to pay, and I would have had shipping costs on top. The cream was 1 litre for the same price as I paid for 500mls. We have a gas stove and oven, so we use our BBQ lighters constantly, I'd paid $6 for one from Coles, so 4 for less than that was a great price!
Costco also has a food hall. You can buy hot dogs, giant slices of pizza, sodas, churros, ice cream, and some other snacks. The slices of pizza are HUGE american style ones, for $2.99. The hot dogs are great (yes, I ate the sausage only), and comes with a bottomless soda for $1.99. Pretty cheap lunch, if that;s your thing!
I'm really looking forward to going again in a few weeks. Hopefully my freezer will be emptier!
17.3.14
Day 14 - Week 2 in Review
Hurrah! Week Two is over! Only two more weeks to go until I can return my lavish shopping days.
Ha, not likely. I'm saving to get myself this DSLR camera for my birthday in mid-May. Maybe I should start up a KickStarter to fund it myself! Hopefully my husband will come through ;)
Can of coconut cream - $0.89
Diet Sunkist - $1.99
Rotisserie chicken - $10.00
and a loaf of bread for my husband - $1.00
Total: $13.88
My husband and I went out for lunch on Sunday (he had sushi, I had a naked burrito!), and decided to spend the last of the grocery budget reserves- I guess I am always worried that I won't have enough keto food left by the end of the week. I remembered that today is St Patrick's Day, so I wanted to grab a corned beef to cook for dinner. I didn't get a cabbage though, as they were $4 for a tiny one! I had about 2 cups of cabbage left from dinner on Sunday, so I'll use that to make butter fried cabbage.
We bought:
Corned beef (~1.7kgs) - $11.80
Chicken thigh cutlets (~600grams) - $4.59
Hungarian salami (100grams) - $2.79
Diet Sunkist (2x1.25L) - $1.98
Sugar Free Mother energy drink - $2.50
Bag of sugar free gummy bears - $2.45
and a pack of pizza bases for my husband - $1.60
Total $27.71
Previous total: $78.07
Plus extra spending of $41.59
Grand total: $119.66
Budget left: $0.33 (damn, that was close!)
What I ate last week:
Monday: Coffee with cream, 2 kangaroo burgers with cheese. Glass of almond milk, string cheese. Morroccan spiced oven baked salmon and green beans with butter.
Tuesday: Coffee with cream, leftover Morrocan salmon. Celery with onion dip, almond milk, ham and string cheese. Cookie dough Quest bar. Medium-rare rump steak with salsa and sour cream, sugar free jelly and cream for dessert.
Wednesday: Ham, almond milk, coffee with cream. Sugar free V, low carb bites, string cheese. Baked Korma chicken thighs, mashed cauliflower and green beans. Jelly and cream for dessert.
Thursday: Ham and coffee with cream. Leftover chicken korma, and haloumi with green beans. Crackslaw. Glass of almond milk for dessert.
Friday: Leftover crackslaw, coffee with cream. Ham, another coffee with cream. Keto quattro formaggi pizza.
Saturday: Plate of lamb souvlaki meat with yogurt feta sauce. 2 chicken thighs and drums from a rotisserie chicken, and 2 mini keto cheesecakes
Sunday: 2 mini cheesecakes, a Naked Carnitas Burrito from MadMex, 2 kangaroo patties with homemade slaw, some fried onions and whole egg mayo. Another cheesecake for dessert!
Day 13- A Whole New (Keto) World
Today's challenge is a pretty short one.
Think of your favourite food. It could be anything- pizza, ice cream, cookies! Something you've been craving for a while.
Now, either Google, or go to KetoRecipes and type in the name of that thing. (If you're using Google, add keto to the description, or you'll just get high carb versions).
I would highly recommend you add the ingredients for that to your shopping list next week!
Leave a comment telling me what it is!
Think of your favourite food. It could be anything- pizza, ice cream, cookies! Something you've been craving for a while.
Now, either Google, or go to KetoRecipes and type in the name of that thing. (If you're using Google, add keto to the description, or you'll just get high carb versions).
I would highly recommend you add the ingredients for that to your shopping list next week!
Leave a comment telling me what it is!
15.3.14
Week 2- Grocery Shopping!
The worst possible thing a Ketoer can find when they walk into the supermarket is... an empty meat section.
I'm not sure if the entire suburb I live in has gone keto or something, but there was VERY slim pickings at the supermarket. I managed to grab the last 1kg pack of ground beef, there were no chicken thighs, and the steak section was not very inspirational. Good thing I like chicken wings! The other supermarket wasn't much better- they were out of the pork roasts that were on special, nothing else screamed 'Take me home! Eat me!'.
So this is what I ended up with:
First shop:
Sliced ham (2x250gram packs) - $8.00
Kangaroo burgers (2x440gram packs) - $9.00
1 large zucchini (292grams) - $1.45
Bunch of coloured radishes - $3.00
Frozen cauliflower (500grams) $2.00
Danish salami (100grams) $3.00
Cream cheese (250grams) $2.90
Chicken wings (2 packs) - marked down to $1.83 and $2.24
Beef mince (1kg) - $5.00
Sour cream (500grams) - $2.20
Cream (600ml) - $2.25
Feta (200grams) $3.79
Canned salmon (415grams) - $2.59
Sugar free jelly, Cherry flavour - $1.45
Garlic Powder (25grams) $1.20
Shirataki noodles - $2.40
Plus some non-keto things for my husband
Giant sweet potato (662grams) - $1.32
Piece of watermelon (1.47kg) - $0.74
Make your own yogurt powder (x2) $5.68
Couscous (500gram box) - $1.75
Muesli (900gram bag) - $2.60
Green Thai Curry sauce - $0.90
Total $67.29
Second shop:
String cheese (pack of 8) - $5.00
Hungarian salami (100grams) - $3.00
Frozen beans (1kg) - $1.79
Bottle of sugar free Sunkist - $0.99
Total: $10.78
Final total: $78.07
Remainder: $41.93
Note: I just realised that it looks like we weren't charged for the celery! I was at the second store while my husband was at the first, paying for it, so maybe he flirted with the checkout girl? Thanks! Saving of $2.98!
I'm not sure if the entire suburb I live in has gone keto or something, but there was VERY slim pickings at the supermarket. I managed to grab the last 1kg pack of ground beef, there were no chicken thighs, and the steak section was not very inspirational. Good thing I like chicken wings! The other supermarket wasn't much better- they were out of the pork roasts that were on special, nothing else screamed 'Take me home! Eat me!'.
 |
| My haul from the grocery stores! |
So this is what I ended up with:
First shop:
Sliced ham (2x250gram packs) - $8.00
Kangaroo burgers (2x440gram packs) - $9.00
1 large zucchini (292grams) - $1.45
Bunch of coloured radishes - $3.00
Frozen cauliflower (500grams) $2.00
Danish salami (100grams) $3.00
Cream cheese (250grams) $2.90
Chicken wings (2 packs) - marked down to $1.83 and $2.24
Beef mince (1kg) - $5.00
Sour cream (500grams) - $2.20
Cream (600ml) - $2.25
Feta (200grams) $3.79
Canned salmon (415grams) - $2.59
Sugar free jelly, Cherry flavour - $1.45
Garlic Powder (25grams) $1.20
Shirataki noodles - $2.40
Plus some non-keto things for my husband
Giant sweet potato (662grams) - $1.32
Piece of watermelon (1.47kg) - $0.74
Make your own yogurt powder (x2) $5.68
Couscous (500gram box) - $1.75
Muesli (900gram bag) - $2.60
Green Thai Curry sauce - $0.90
Total $67.29
Second shop:
String cheese (pack of 8) - $5.00
Hungarian salami (100grams) - $3.00
Frozen beans (1kg) - $1.79
Bottle of sugar free Sunkist - $0.99
Total: $10.78
Final total: $78.07
Remainder: $41.93
Note: I just realised that it looks like we weren't charged for the celery! I was at the second store while my husband was at the first, paying for it, so maybe he flirted with the checkout girl? Thanks! Saving of $2.98!
14.3.14
Day 10 - Clean Your Wardrobe!
As time goes by - our style changes, things don't fit any more (too big or too small), things get old, maybe we bought some things on sale, but never wore them, and they're still sitting in the wardrobe with tags on.
It's time to clean out your wardrobe! If you haven't worn it in six months (excluding seasonal items), you should really consider getting rid of it.
Needs to be thrown out? Make a pile, throw it in the bin.
If it needs mending, put it somewhere you will get to it.
If it doesn't fit, make a pile.
From that pile, redistribute it.
Give to friends or family. Donate to charity shops or clothing bins.
Sell on eBay, or TradeMe, or even your local Buy and Sell groups on facebook. Take good pictures, and list the item details accurately. Use the money to buy yourself something you love!
Looking good means feeling good. If your clothes are too big, you're making yourself look bigger than you are! If everything your wardrobe is too small, you probably feel awful every time you look for something to wear. Put any proceeds towards getting new awesome clothes that make you look and feel great.
If you own a lot of clothes that fit but you never wear, why not challenge yourself to wear ONE new piece this weekend? When I did this, I had lots of compliments! And I rediscovered some awesome clothes that I can't believe I never thought to wear. Take some selfies, show your rediscovered style off to the world!
I found this awesome info-graphic for ladies, which shows you what necklaces to wear with different styles, I thought it was very helpful, and can help you mix up the jewellery that you wear.
Also check out these awesome examples showing how celebs do it, for inspiration.
12.3.14
Day 7 - A Look Back
Blogging is much harder than I thought it would be! I thought it would be easy to pump out a couple of hundred words on whatever it is that the challenge for the day is, but I find life has other plans.
I am also kinda surprised I made it through the week without shopping! I definitely browsed, (ASOS, you are evil and tempting me), but I did not buy! Round of applause for me, please.
I started tracking everything on MyFitnessPal from Tuesday, a habit I got out of after a few months on Keto. I wish I'd started on Monday! My week looked like this:
Monday: Coffee, leftover meat, string cheese. Crackslaw for dinner with kelp noodles.
Tuesday: Coffee, burger patty with cheese and a fried egg, celery and french onion dip, salami sticks, cookie dough Quest bar, coconut chicken curry with broccoli and green beans.
Wednesday: Coffee, 2 burger patties with cheese, cookie dough Quest bar, toasted seaweed, and taco salad with shirataki 'rice', lots of salsa and sour cream.
Thursday: Coffee, 2 burger patties with salsa, string cheese, celery with dip, chicken breast 'steaks' with kelp noodles in a creamy cheese sauce, and a cookie dough Quest bar.
Friday: Coffee, salami sticks, celery + dip, string cheese, ham, greek yogurt with heavy cream and macadamias, chicken breast steaks and mozzarella.
Saturday: A jerky bar, roast duck and pork belly, shared a 1% sugar Slurpee, string cheese and taco salad with salsa, sour cream and LOTS of cheese.
Sunday: 1/4 rotisserie chicken, ham, string cheese, mini protein bar, 2 kangaroo burgers with cheese and low sugar ketchup, then greek yogurt and heavy cream.
From this menu, you would be able to tell that I only eat one big meal, and that's usually dinner.
I ate out of the house twice- once was on Saturday for lunch (roast duck and pork belly), and on Sunday for lunch (1/4 rotisserie chicken).
You can also tell I tend to have a lot of food I can grab and eat quickly- things like ham, string cheese, celery and dip, Quest bars and leftover burger patties. And coffee, of course! This is definitely a recipe for success, so it means I am less tempted to eat something not so good for me (or my wallet).
I went grocery shopping twice- once on Saturday, and I grabbed a few more things on Sunday while we were out (I had plenty of grocery budget to spare, and I still have some left!)
This is what I bought:
Cream cheese (250g) - $2.75
Shredded mozzarella (600g) - $5.65
Salami (100g) - $3.00
Chicken thigh cutlets (~756g) - $5.66
Beef rump steak (~850g) - $8.18
Beef mince (~1.7kg) - $7.93
Cabbage - $1.25
Frozen green beans (1kg) - $1.79
String cheese (12 pack) - $6.49
Ham (250g) - $5.00
Onion dip (125g) - $1.62
3 litres of almond milk - $2.66*
Also bought:
Carrots (1kg) - $1.88
Scissors - $3.29
(I hate carrots. I never ever have liked them, and they are a bit high in carbs for me. So I feed them to my husband. The same husband who swore black and blue the scissors were lost and couldn't be found anywhere. So I bought a new pair, and 5 mins after we get home, he found the original pair. Sigh.)
*Almond milk was on special, 3 for $3.99 which is a VERY good price. It's normally around $3.65 a litre. We scanned them at the checkout, and they came out as full price. The store checked, and it should have come up at the special price, so we got one of them for FREE, so it only cost us $1.33 each for the other 2 litres of almond milk. I was pretty happy with that saving, since it was only about a minute of waiting.
Total: $57.15
Also bought:
Kangaroo burgers (2 packs of 400g each) - $9.00
Salmon pate (200gm) - $4.80
Celery - $2.98
Asparagus - $1.98
Shirataki noodles - $3.69
Bay leaves - $1.24
Tuna with lemon pepper (1 can) - $0.90
Rotisserie chicken (1/4) - $3.25
Total $27.84
Grand Total: $84.99
Remaining: $35.01
All prices in AUD (Australian Dollars)
I am pretty happy with how my week went. I lost a reasonable amount of weight, stuck to my budget, and was reasonably productive! All three of those things don't usually happen together.
Product review - Body Low Carb Lite Bites
So, I slipped up.
I made a pretty delicious dinner last night- Beef Massaman Curry for my husband, and a nice medium rare steak, topped with salsa and sour cream for myself. I forgot to get something out of the freezer for me to eat today. I had some ham and coffee for breakfast, but by 3pm I was starving! I had to run out to the post office to send something I'd sold to someone online, and the way home I started to feel a bit weird.
I popped into my local corner store, it's a tiny independent one, run by a Korean family, and grabbed a Blood Orange V drink and had a quick look around at their snack options. There was a LOT of chips and chocolate, and then I saw these bites. I decided to buy them and taste test them for you.
I bit into one. It's light brown inside, with a chocolatey coating. First taste is not bad, a little chemical and soy tasting though, but that taste soon goes away. I was surprised, they were't as dry as I had expected (other LC cookie products are like a desert in your mouth) and I had no problems finishing the pack of 6 or 7. yes, I was too busy eating them to count them!
The pink and white packaging is CLEARLY aimed at women, but don't let that put you off, guys. They also come in Strawberry and Cream flavour.
These are pretty good for a snack, providing 231 calories, 20.4g protein, 7.2g fat, 7.8g of fibre, and 3 net carbs.
Price: around $4, from most supermarkets. I've seen them in chemists, supplement stores and some convenience stores.
8.3.14
Day 4 - Keeping Things Fresh With Your Freezer!
The ground rules of the challenge dictate today is about planning a meal swap. Which you can totally do if you have friends or family who would be interested in keto food! Since that's unlikely, you can do a food swap with YOURSELF- as long as you have a freezer.
Crazy, right?!
But your freezer can be an awesome way to keep some tasty keto stuff on hand for nights when you're busy, late home from work and just want something easy for dinner. You could also use it to keep *gasp* non-keto food on hand, if you live with someone who isn't interested in ketoing. My personal recommendation is to make something you DON'T like and won't be tempted to eat but they will like- I make vegetarian pasta dishes to keep in my freezer, since I absolutely detest legumes, they are safe from me!
There's a variety of keto meals you can make yourself and freeze. Some of my suggestions are:
Soups:
Main dishes:
You can freeze pretty much anything! Those are a few I've had luck with freezing.
Desserts:
Popsicles/Icy Poles (use diet soda in ice block makers! Simple!)
I also like to shape minced beef into patties or meatballs, cook them to rare and then freeze in ziplock bags. Grab out of the freezer to defrost and cook at the same time. Add meatballs to sauce, or fry up the patties and add your favourite toppings.
Some of the frozen products I like to keep on hand are:
Frozen Cauliflower - great for Cauli Mash
Frozen beans - awesome as Green Beans and Bacon!
Frozen Spinach - add in anywhere! I love Creamed Spinach
Skinny Cow Ice Creams - low carb ice creams <3
Fish - like white fish fillets (hoki, in this case), or salmon (which you can get plain or in various sauces)
Squid/calamari and other seafood - I toss mine in a little butter in a hot pan with garlic and chili
And remember, you can freeze meat in smaller portions in zip lock bags! Buying in bulk is usually cheaper!
I use bags and containers like these to store things (but the brand doesn't matter, they're all mostly identical!)
Don't forget to label things and add the date you put them in the freezer, otherwise you'll end up with a bunch of Unidentifiable Frozen Objects!
3.3.14
28 Days of Spending Less and Living Well Challenge!
Sounds easy enough, right?
As a housewife, shopping is very enticing to me- I get to leave the house and spend time with other adults! And acquire pretty clothes! I love pretty clothes. Almost as much as my husband loves saving money. Seriously, I am married to one of those crazy people who ENJOYS spending less. He'll find this month a piece of cake!
I know it's supposed to be 31 days, but it's already the 3rd of March- I should have started on the first!
I know it's supposed to be 31 days, but it's already the 3rd of March- I should have started on the first!
I couldn't go cold turkey and spend NO money, because that would be crazy. And we'd starve after the first week. So I'm proposing we stick to the budget we agreed on when we first moved here, six crazy months ago.
The Budget:
$120 a week on groceries
I know I can do this! I'm keto (low carb, high fat) which means most of my meals revolve around meat. My husband will eat almost anything. Seriously. I once caught him eating a tortilla with gummy bears in it. I've been pretty bad at sticking to my budget- I have a lust for lamb, which means I've been heading back to the supermarket every couple of days to buy more. My pantry is pretty full (and a mess, which I will get around the fixing later in the week), so WE CAN DO THIS.
$100 a week for entertainment
I don't think I've been able to stick to this since we moved to Melbourne. I don't consider shopping entertainment, but my husband DEFINITELY does. Not that shopping is entertaining to him- it's a form of torture. So, no shopping this month! It'll be a fun challenge to wear things I already own- not really even a challenge, since I own more than enough clothes. And shoes. And accessories.
I do plan to go see a movie at the French Film Festival, depending how much tickets are.
Doesn't this movie look sweet?
There are a few other things I need to spend money on this month:
-Skirt hangers
I desperately need some of these, to hang up my skirts and rockabilly petticoat, there is no way that's fitting in the drawer!
- Quality time with the husband
Normally, this is lunch and an activity on a Saturday. My favourite place to eat Keto in Melbourne is Crazy Wings- tasty chargrilled Chinese-style chicken wings. Check out the 2 for 1 deals! Activities are usually something you could vaguely call exercise - cycling, bowling, mini golf.
A big shout out to Little Runner Girl, whose blog about a minimal spend challenge inspired me to make this post, and she in turn was inspired by Living Well, Spending Less- check both of these ladies out for some sweet money saving ideas!
Wish me luck!
Wish me luck!
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