Day 10 - $2 A Day - Last Meal - LASAGNA!

                       

 Hannah's first from-scratch, all-on-her-own lasagna. So much for just throwing a bunch of stuff in a pan and heating it up (what she said about every sauce, salsa, and side she's made this experiment, even homemade bread!). I think I was 17 when I made my first lasagna. Can't wait for dinner with the Grandmas tonight!

Brunch

Omelets 

Eggs - free 

Leftover Cornbread - already counted - free

1/4 cup cheddar cheese - $0.33

2 cups milk - $0.30

1 cup juice - $0.20

2.5 tbsp butter - $0.15

Brunch total - $0.98

Dinner

Lasagna

Homemade Marinara - $1.5

Ricotta - $4

Mozzarella - $2.65

Parmesan - $0.50

Noodles - $.75

Salad - free from Gordon's work

Bread - 

Homemade bread 

    3 cups flour - $0.30

    1 tbsp yeast $0.05

    Salt and water - free

    Butter $0.25

Dinner total $10

Dessert 

7 scoops Ice cream - $1.40

Leftover Cake - free already counted

Daily total - $12.38

Day 9 - $2 A Day - Celebrate Good Times

                     

        

Today was a big day.  We sold the house we spent 8 years raising our kids in. It was hard and good and bittersweet.  The evening's meal was an observance and celebration. Hannah did it all herself because we were at the closing until 6:30. It turned out beautifully. 

                          

Brunch

6 Servings Cereal - $1.80

Leftover Cornbread - free all counted 

Leftover beans and rice - free

Milk - $0.15

Chocolate milk - $0.25

Brunch total - $2.20

Dinner

Green salad

1 head leafy green lettuce - $1

1 cup shredded carrots - $0.40

1 cup croutons - $0.30

1/2 cup feta cheese - $1.50

1 cup homemade ranch - $0.50

Bruschetta 

1 lb Roma tomatoes - $1

2 tbsp olive oil - $0.30

Fresh basil - free

1 lb cauliflower - $0.75

3 tbsp olive oil - $0.45

Seasoned salt & pepper - free

Add-Ons

1 serving frosted flakes and milk - $0.30

1 cup chocolate milk - $0.20

1 cup white milk - $0.15

1 focha mocha - $0.30

Cake - free counted last night

5 servings Ice cream - $2

Evening Total - $9.15

Daily Total - $11.35

PhotoCreds: Zucca Restaurant, Cafe elite catering, and DishMaps.com

Day 8 - $2 A Day - Southern Comfort

We were planning on feeding my mom and grandma for dinner tonight, so I planned food from my grandmas childhood. Barbecued pork with a savory sauce, rice, greens, black eyed peas, and sweet corn bread. If I don't make pasta, then I have to make meat when Grandma comes, otherwise she worries we are poor and struggling. Hannah made chocolate cake for dessert 'cause that is Grandma's favorite. The grandmas ended up postponing dinner a couple of days, so it was just the five of us tonight. The meal was an experiment within an experiment. We had mixed results: 

"What smells like bologna?" Caleb asks. 

"It black eyed peas cooking." I say. 

"Smells like bologna, and I don't even know when we ever had bologna in the house," he says.

"Sorry," I tell him.  "Cooking beans is stinky business."

"What is that smell," kc asks?

"Just the beans cooking," I repeat. 

"It smells horrible."

"I know." 

It went like that all day with most of the family. In the end, Caleb, Don and I were the only ones to really eat the beans and rice.  KC and Hannah made a good effort at trying it.  Mostly, they ate corn bread. 

Today was our cheapest day on record. 

Brunch - bread we took to a big farewell party 

Homemade whole wheat bread 

    6 cups flour - $0.60

    1 tbsp yeast $0.10

    Salt and water - free

    Butter $0.50

All the other food by many other hands - free, we ate our fill

Brunch total - $1.20

Dinner 

Southern rice and beans - 

Black eyed peas - $1.80

Olive oil - $0.30

Spices,herbs and garden greens - free

1 lbs Rice - $0.25

1 cup BBQ sauce - $0.75

Corn bread - 

Mix - $0.75

Oil - $0.40

Milk - $0.15

Cake - 

Mix - $1

Oil - $0.25

Eggs - free 

Dinner total - $5.65

Daily Total - $6.85

Day 7 - $2 A Day

No acts of bravery here, just pushing creativity to the limits. This evenings entertainment is brought to you by stifled cravings. Fighting the temptation to break the budget for cookies. Only $0.65 left for the day. So, store bought or homemade, it doesn't matter. A stick of butter alone is $0.50, never mind the four and sugar plus all the other needed ingredients.. I may have to content myself with a bowl of generic frosted flakes, $0.30 including the cup of milk. Or, an iced focha mocha (made with roasted chicory rather than coffee) also 30 cents. The "what treat can I eat and not bust the budget" dilemma at the end of most days is why this is the only experiment I have actually lost a coupla pounds on.

Brunch

Eggs - free

1/2 c bottled salsa - $0.50

4 bagels ($2/12) -$0.67

Butter - $0.25

Cream Cheese -$0.25

3 servings cereal/milk - $0.90

Brunch Total - $2.57

Dinner

2 Tenny's Pizzas 

Dinner Total - $10.78

End of Evening Add-Ons

1 serving cereal/milk - $0.30

2 tbsp Nutella - $0.14

Daily Total - $13.69

Day 6 - $2 A Day

Today was a state holiday. Usually attended by BBQs and special food. But, Gordon had his annual summer gig, which is accompanied by a huge party with lots of food and fun to go with the music, and KC had to go to work, so the BBQ was delayed. Instead, I came up with this.

Day 6

Kid 1: "What is that?"

Kid 2: "It's some sort of casserole with whole wheat waffle batter poured on top."

Me: "I know it looks bad, but it's surprisingly decent for a thrown together meal"

Kid 3: "Seriously. What is it?

Me: "Enchilada casserole."

And, the nearly free meal made from beans, rice and other ingredients counted in previous meals was a great success. After breakfast, beverages and our thrown together meal we we left us with $5 for the evening. Ice cream cones anyone? I won't sick you out with a pic. Just trust, it looked disgusting and tasted spicy, savory, and was so great, everyone had seconds.

Day 5 - $2 A Day - Budget Blown

We blew our budget today with an emergency stop for Jimmie John's sandwiches. $15.35 for three subs we shared. Tomorrow is another day.

Breakfast

None! Gordon ran out the door when his ride showed up just a bit early.  Kids slept late.  I went to the doc and then to a friend's.  she fed me lovely blueberry pancakes with coconut syrup.  BACON on the side. It was awesome. Kids slept way past breakfast which is fine by me. My kids run so hard during the school year, summer is about catching upon personal persists, family time and SLEEP.

Lunch

Gordon was working a half day, but missed his train home and ended up walking a couple of miles to meet us at a Barnes and noble by his work. Kids were just getting up, and I was on my way home from my friends when I realized we needed to take a little ride to go get him. I'd promised Barnes and noble today for book browsing and we just had to leave. I made an executive decision that given the time crunch and the fact that no one had eaten we should pick up sandwiches and share them. Kids were so overjoyed they hurried and got their chores done and we were out the door in plenty of time to meet him. 

3 sandwiches - $15.95

Dinner

Although we had already blown the budget for the day, we resisted the urge to ignore the budget entirely . I was sorely tempted by National Hotdog Day deals promising fully loaded $1 hotdogs and free fountain drinks. We didn't do it. We wanted chocolate milk and mozzarella sticks. It is easy to tell yourself, "since we already blew it, might as well go big."  We resisted that very powerful temptation. The road to hell may be paved with bargain items we really don't need. Instead, we had cold cereal. 

Day 4 - $2 A Day

      

      

Today, everyone got up late, so we really only had 2 meals. I felt myself getting edgy and anxious before dinner.  I'm due for my quarterly migraine/hormone shot. It could have been that. Or, I was just hungry.   Either way, I probably should have had a snack. All the kids seemed fine today.  The waffles for brunch were served pretty close to noon, were made of whole wheat, and seemed to carry everybody (except me) just fine until dinner. No real contention or longing not to be on experiment.  Although, there were a few mozzarella references, everyone was really happy we had cheese and sour cream with our dinnerl.  

Of note:  Hannah made most of the evening meal herself.  I chopped onions, peppers, and cilantro. She made Spanish rice, seasoned black beans, and semi-fresh salsa (canned tomatoes, everything else from the garden or the fridge). Quote of the day - "You know, cooking is just adding a bunch of stuff together in a container or a pan, mixing and stirring, adding here and there, and maybe heating it up until it tastes right."  Yep! So, take credit for your mixing, stirring, spicing-it-up contribution, girl!

Brunch - 

Whole wheat Waffle mix - $0.85

Syrup - $0.50

Strawberries - $1.25

Brunch total - $2.60

Dinner -

Chips - $2.30

10 corn tortilla - $1

Sour cream - $1

3 cans blacks beans - $1.95

Cheese ($2.60x.5)- $1.30

1/2 onion - $0.25

1 bunch cilantro - $0.70

1 can rotel - $1

1 can diced tomatoes - $0.65

1/2 lb cabbage - $0.17

Leftover rice - free

Spices and Peppers - free

Dinner total - $10.32

Daily total - $12.92