Potato - Potahto

54 sack lunches, 12 planned dinners for 5-7 people,  a bunch of breakfasts and snacks that count as half a meal each, 2 Weeks, 1 teenage girl, $150  - she keeps what she doesn't spend

"I just don't think extra potatoes should come out of my budget," KC says thoughtfully.  "I mean, I already planned for and bought potatoes.  We used them last week, and tonight, and I have one more meal for them to go in and we will still have leftover potatoes.  So, I just because you found a really good sale on them, shouldn't mean they have to come out of my budget."  

"Well, if I were to have that money, if I were planning and budgeting, I would just use what I had in the budget and buy the extra potatoes.  They are $0.20/lb.  how can we pass that up?" I ask.  I don't mention the fact that one of the reasons for this experiment is that I have been overspending the grocery budget consistently since March.

She's sixteen and wields her words in such a way as to get to the greatest outcome for her interests: keeping as much of the food budget money at the end of her two weeks as she can.

"I'm not saying you should pass it up.  I just don't think it should come from my budget.  I think there should be a special, 'deals we can't pass up' budget that you can use whenever you see a sale like that."

"Hmm." I say, considering her words.  I do see how my request looks a lot like changing the rules in the middle of the game.  So, my only recourse is this,"Okay, but you have to know that will probably just diminish the budget I set for these kinds of experiments."

She is quick with and answer, "That's fine.  I knew this was an experiment.  I figured we could do it on less.  I didn't assume I would get the same amount next time.  But, I have $75 of my $150 left for this two weeks.  Maybe we need a gallon of milk or two.  But, I have done well and I'm counting on the money I get to keep."

And, that was the end of it.  Stick to the rules.  Make adjustments for next time.  She has done remarkably well, and I have pretty much stayed out of the store, except for my little trip to get kitty food (not on the grocery budget) when I saw the potatoes and was tempted to work outside of the plan.  But, i didn't buy them.  I think being accountable to a sixteen-year-old keeps you very honest.  And, maybe she's right that there should be some funds in a month for not-to-be-missed sales.  Or, maybe we should just strictly stick to the plan.  I have to let that one percolate a bit.

Here is what KC's two weeks look like:

And, here is a recipe for a family heritage favorite, Welsh Pasty.  Note the use of potatoes.  Pasty (with a short 'a' sound as in 'hat') are little pastries covering carrots, potatoes, onions, and, if you are an omnivore, some sort of meat.  All of my kids are vegetarian, so they just have the veggies.  Gordon and I eat meat occasionally, so we mixed our cultures a little bit with this dish and added Italian sausage.  The results were amazing.  Here is the recipe with instructions.

   

INGREDIENTS

Pastry

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough

1 cup cold butter, diced

1 tsp Kosher salt

3/4 cup ice cold water

Filling

1/2 lb carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

5 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

1/2 lb ground meat or sausage, optional

Preheat oven to 350*

Add flour, butter and salt to mixer.  Mix until crumbles appear.  Add water and mix on high until a dough forms.  If dough is too wet, add more flour, if too dry, add water.  The dough should be moist, but not sticky.  Let rest for 10 minutes while you prep veggies.

Chop veggies and mix with oil, salt and pepper in medium sized bowl.  Set aside while you roll the dough.

Pull off a piece of dough just larger than a golf ball.  On a floured surface roll out a circle about 6-8 inches in diameter.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place the pastry on the pan.  Fill one half of the circle with the vegetable mixture, fold the other half over (now it is half-moon shaped), and crimp the edges by hand or with a fork.  Cut three small slits in the top of each pasty.  Continue this process until all the dough and filling are used. Bake at 350*  until the crust is golden and the potatoes are cooked, about one hour.