I had decided I would try to stick to a 300 dollar budget for the month, with the exception of a preplanned event that had its own budget. Things were rocking along pretty well until I decided to do Whole 30 instead of just paleo. I am just not terribly organized in the kitchen right now and started the plan with zero prep. Zero prep plus shopping while hungry (zero prep rears its' ugly head) equals a lot of things I probably would never have bought. Did I mention I shopped while I was really hungry? You know how full the cashiers at Trader Joe's stuff those brown paper bags? I had 3 of those double bagged and spilling over the top. (Who can resist frozen artichoke hearts, and bags of super greens, not to mention salsa verde and chili lime chicken burgers?)
What can I say except super fail. Well, I guess I can say I am well stocked for the next 25 days. Now I have to do some serious meal planning/cooking. So I am off to make paleo ketchup, date paste, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, and barbecue sauce, and then I get to begin on the real food. I think I will start with egg muffins, then turkey blueberry sausage, and chorizo. I should never have started this without a little prior planning, and I am definitely old enough to know better. Bad Anne!
My Nemesis !
What can I say except super fail. Well, I guess I can say I am well stocked for the next 25 days. Now I have to do some serious meal planning/cooking. So I am off to make paleo ketchup, date paste, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, and barbecue sauce, and then I get to begin on the real food. I think I will start with egg muffins, then turkey blueberry sausage, and chorizo. I should never have started this without a little prior planning, and I am definitely old enough to know better. Bad Anne!
My Nemesis !
Shopping while hungry is always dangerous. Very, very dangerous.
ReplyDeleteChalk it up to experience and move on. Happy cooking - and planning.
I am not sure about happy cooking, but cooking nonetheless. Happy cauliflower "rice" and egg "tortilla" and chocolate avocado smoothie?
DeleteYou didn't do so badly. When I'm shopping while hungry, I usually come home with some kind of cookies instead of super greens.
ReplyDeleteIf not for the whole 30 thing I would have come home with cookies, candy, cookie butter and greek twists. Knowing I couldn't have anything good kept me in check there.
DeleteI want to hear more of your TJ favorites! Definitely going to have to try the salsa verde and chili lime chicken burgers. Have you had their Unexpected Cheddar?
ReplyDeleteI haven't had the Unexpected Cheddar, what exactly is it? I love the ghost pepper chips, Greek spirals, dumplings and that fantastic dipping sauce. I know you are not a sweets fan but their peppermint chocolate chip cookies are to die for. Have you tried the chicken siracha sausages? They are the best!!
DeleteI've just made a list for the weekend! The Unexpected Cheddar looks and tastes like a white Cheddar...but once you start chewing it, it breaks down to more like a Parmesan. It's decadent!
DeleteI will have to wait until Whole 30 is over, but I will try it!
DeleteTrader Joe's is like the mother ship calling me home (chai tea latte, olive tapenade, and dark chocolate bars...). Fortunately none are that accessible to me, and require either a special out of the way trip, or a significant detour. I do love the range they have for very flavorful, but low sodium options, and when my vegetarian daughter was at home, a God send for some meatless standbys to supplement the rest of her dinners. Now Aldi's has a much better range of veggie friendly foods. Good luck with your meal planning.
ReplyDeleteI do shop at Aldi some for fresh veggies, but I have been less than pleased with their choices lately. I guess it is the "in between" seasons right now that we are in, so I am using more frozen vegetables than normal.
DeleteThe meal planning started this morning and it was really nice to wake and have the egg muffins ready to nuke and eat, plus I had a side salad of cukes and avocado ready. I am pretty sure I am one of those people who need some sort of tenuous plan that leaves me some wiggle room for last minute changes
Fortunately we don't have Trader Joe's to take me off course :) I have thought about the whole 30 and paleo, don't think I could keep it up. Have to eat down my current stash of food before I can consider it, so am trying to eat more greens/veggies/fruits in the mean time
ReplyDeleteTJ's is deadly! The first 3 days (and especially day 3) of whole 30 is difficult. After that it becomes fairly routine and TheHub is fine with the food I make. (As long as he has ice cream or something equally good afterward)
DeleteDieting is awful, I think I have been dieting my whole life. We don't have a trader Jos here. I have seen them, but my sister and daughter say they are very expensive. When you need certain ingredients you have no choice.
ReplyDeleteI went there to get a couple of things and came out with an insane amount, but it will all be eaten
DeleteOh but the meals you will eat!!! Always a trade-off. I shop at a store called No Frills and can keep to my budget easily. But the moment I step into Farm Boy with all of their ready made salads and soups and bread and pies and entrees and high priced cheeses and I go a little crazy! Haven't gone in a couple of months just to keep my grocery costs down. (But I miss it!)
ReplyDeleteI do understand about missing it. Even though I bought a ton of food I wanted all their little speciality items, especially the cookies!. The meals will be good and I really will make this go far, still___!
DeleteI'm that way in Whole Foods. I feel your pain.
ReplyDeleteWe call Whole Foods the whole paycheck store.
DeleteIf it costs more than lettuce, I probably won't do that diet... ;) Trying to stay ahead of just normal finicky diets in my house and throwing in a salad for a meal when I can.
ReplyDeleteGood on you!!! Let us know how it goes! I'm interested in the paleo ketchup.. We're big ketchup people around here.
To be honest the paleo ketchup is NOT a dead ringer for any ketchup you have ever bought, but in place of nothing it works just fine. It is made of granny smith apples, tomato paste, water, a.c. vinegar and spices.
DeleteI did whole 30 a couple of years back. I gave up at day 17 because I didn't have my food prepared and couldnt get home to get something. I hope you do better than I did.
ReplyDeleteShopping while hungry is asking for a budget disaster but then, if I shop when I'm not hungry we never have a treat in the house and thats no way to live!
The fear of being caught without acceptable food is the reason I hit TJ's with a vengeance. Now I have a lot of things I can pull out of the freezer and broil or nuke quickly. I did get all the necessary condiments made and things are looking up I guess.
DeleteNow you've completely lost me - I have no idea what the whole 30 is. Sounds intriguing. Anna
ReplyDeleteWhole 30 is a limited paleo plan you do for 30 days.
DeleteI had to look up what Whole 30 was! My daughter likes Trader Joe's; I'm not such a fan. But I'm glad you have an abundance of items for your meal prep. :)
ReplyDeleteI have a love hate relationship with TJ's. I can find very intriguing food items there, and when I am doing this strict paleo plan I find all kinds of little goodies that I really want but can't have. Bummer!
DeleteYour little prep list at the end of the post sounds EXHAUSTING!!! I'm tired just reading it and you only listed condiments... whew
ReplyDeleteBeing perfectly honest, after I got the condiment list ready it made throwing things together at the last minute much easier!
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