Eating my Words

Saturday my cupboards were bare. I hadn't set foot in a grocery store in two weeks and my supplies were less than minimal. No boxed chicken broth, no chick peas or other canned beans, no diced tomatoes, none of the so-called pantry essentials that allow me to whip up something out of nothing. Then B had to go and ask me what was for lunch. I had exactly four frozen, nitrate free chicken hot dogs left and four, bordering on stale, slices of bread. I also still had ketcup and mustard. And given that I like to take things a little further than most people, I also had a few jars of pickled cabbage and raddishes. So, lo, we had vegetables too! I'll get into pickled veggies in another post and try to pump your enthusiasm into making a few jars. I also hope you realize it's still perfectly okay to eat a hot dog even if you're not kids and aren't feeding any either.

I hit up the grocery store later that day knowing it was going to be a huge haul. I needed to replenish pretty much the whole kitchen. This happens about once a month, maybe less. It costs about $300. I'm at the store again 2-3 more times during the month, just getting the basics, veggies, milk, meat, eggs, stuff that spoils. I try to keep those trips around $150. So all in all our grocery bill hovers around $600 a month. This also includes beer, wine, toilet paper, toiletries and cleaning supplies, the other life essentials. I should also note: We drink cheaply. Sorry Oregon wine makers, I know your product is fabulous, but $25-and-up a bottle is a luxury for people fancier than me.

So, now that my pantry is all filled up again, I plan to follow my own advice here and make sure to make stuff that is a part of my regular pantry line-up. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, with nary a pizza delivery in between (that at least is the easy part, the delivery in my neighborhood blows). From main dish to leftovers, I'll walk you through my weekly kitchen. If it works for you, then maybe I'm onto something for you non-cooks out there. If it doesn't, well, I'll still blog my recipes. They work for all the people I feed at least!