Food Plan and Grocery List, 021410

When I pestered Rodney about what he wanted to eat this week, he suggested [wiping tear from eye], he suggested [sniffle], he suggested we go meatless. Apparently, the salads of late have done worlds of good for him. After nearly hyperventilating, I realized this could be a good thing for both of us. Could, being the operative word here.

As a result, in an attempt to go meatless, here's the plan for the week, in no particular order:

• Pasta Shells with Cauliflower, Canadian Bacon and Spinach
• Winter Fruit Salad with Parmesan-Puff Pastry Croutons
• Sausage-Apple Sweet Potato Topper
• Roasted Beet Salad with Spiced Pecans and Champagne Vinaigrette
• Linguine with Artichoke Hearts and Prosciutto
• Spinach Salad with Warm Maple-Mustard Dressing
• Quick Minestrone
• Wilted Spinach Salad and some crusty bread
• Warm Tuscan White Beans with Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage
• Italian Basil, Tomato and Pasta Salad
• Shrimp Creole Couscous

Not exactly meatless, but note that there is no slab of meat listed anywhere. Whatever meat is of small quantity and used essentially as a flavoring than a primary component. I'm not confident this meatless-ish stuff will fill us, so I've made it a point to have salad regularly too. I wonder how my body is going to accept this. The cat may begin to look mighty tasty midweek. To ease the blow, I'm going to make some Outrageous Carrot Cake. Carrot cake always makes things better.

I'm off to do my shopping... ...................................................................................

Costco:

• tortilla chips: $3.09
• TOTAL: $3.09

Grower's Direct:

• grape tomatoes: 1.49/pint
• zucchini: $0.65/0.68 lb
• red bell pepper: $0.68/0.4 lb
• green beans: $1.29/0.72 lb
• beets: $1.89/bunch
• red cabbage: $0.91/1.55 lb
• carrots: $0.46/1.19 lb
• celery: $0.79/bunch
• watercress: $1.49/bunch
• yams: $1.98/2.51 lb
• baby greens: $1.99/6.4 oz
• baby spinach: $3.18/20 oz
• chives: $1.29
• sage: $1.29
• TOTAL: $19.27

Ralph's:

• small shells: $1/lb
• large shells: $1/lb
• wheat flour: $3.99/5 lb
• white flour: $3.29/5 lb
• milk: $1.50/half-gallon
• apple cider vinegar: $1.29
• artichoke hearts in water: $6/28 oz
• great northern beans: $2.67/45 oz
• diced tomatoes with garlic, oregano: $2.4
• cream cheese: $1.50/8 oz
• Gruyere cheese: $9.69/8 oz
• cauliflower: $1.93/1.95 lb
• mushrooms: $2.49/8 oz
• bananas: $1.31/.052 lb
• Bartlett pear: $1.03/0.52 lb
• Braeburn apples: $1.53/0.77 lb
• fresh thyme: $1.99
• plain yogurt: $1.50
• Canadian bacon: $7.39/8 oz
• sausage: $4.99/12 oz
• prosciutto: $3.50/3 oz
• french bread: $2.49
• TOTAL: $64.98

Grand Total: $87.34.

Isn't going meatless supposed to be less expensive? Ok, ok, so I did buy meat, less than 1.5 pounds of meat, I might add, at a cost of $15.88. For 23 ounces of meat. That is completely messed up. Sixteen dollars would buy a whole lot of chicken, or a few slabs of ribs or a couple of really nicely marbled steaks. Really nice steaks we never have because I don't typically buy meat at $14.78 a pound like I did Canadian bacon today. These 23 ounces better be the tastiest I've ever had.

Looking at it, I realized half of the meat is pork. I'm a die-hard pork lover. It took a lot of doing to buy the chicken sausage. Have no fear, I bought the stuff that didn't include "mechanically separated chicken". There is some hope that the chicken in the sausage is chicken meat, not chicken marrow. Some things from my meat-packing plant days are helpful.

Note that I bought Gruyere cheese. We haven't had any of that delicious yumminess in quite some time. I hid it in the fridge. Don't tell Rodney that only half is for a recipe. The other half is all mine as well as that extra 4 ounces of canook bacon.

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021510 Rodney went to the store for a couple things:

• powdered sugar: $1.79/2 lbs
• unseasoned dry bread crumbs: $4/30 oz
• TOTAL: $5.79

Grand Total: $93.13.