Food & Other Things

I'm still trying to shop frugally and buy healthy things but I do still eat snacks that aren't quite good for me.  I don't usually do my main grocery shopping on Saturdays but didn't feel like going out earlier this week so today it was. It was time because I'm out of bananas and berries and most vegetables.

I bought most of the fruits, vegetables, milk and bread at a local grocery store call Nester's Market. The price was just over $40. Canadian dollars. I forgot to purchase the milk I originally went there to buy.

 

So I stopped at the pharmacy on my way home and bought berries, frozen dinners, milk, fabric sheets, snacks and a health supplement.  The cost was about $88. with the supplement taking up almost a third of the cost.

I didn't have my receipts handy when posting these photos but I will post them soon.

I was craving something for dessert the other night so I made this blueberry loaf. It's actually a muffin recipe to which I added a fraction of the sugar in the recipe.  I baked it in a  silicone loaf pan. I don't know why I did that. I really don't like the texture of muffins or sweet breads that are baked in a silicone pan. I find the silicone is good for bread baking though. I'm not sure why that is. This loaf was made with a mixture of spelt and white flour. I am not so good at figuring out the healthiest flours to use and I restrain myself from buying alternative flours until I figure out what works best and what I can bake. Do any of you have a healthier flour to recommend where one can bake and use the flour in the same quantities as if you are using white or whole wheat?

Blueberry loaf baked in silicone loaf pan.

I didn't eat today so by the time I went out to do the grocery shopping I ate at McDonald's. I didn't eat most of the fries and today the bun was super sloppy. They were having a deal on Big Macs. Long ago when McDonald's first opened in my town in the north, the Big Macs were the thing to get. Personally I found them sloppily made from the beginning so never ate them until recently. This one was not good at all though the ones I've had in the last year have all been quite fine. The drink was good. Some kind of mango - pineapple smoothie. 

Knitting is one way I try and relax while also doing something constructive. I enjoy knitting but haven't branched out too much. I have made slippers in the past but I think they are too slippery to wear, pardon the pun.  So I stick to dishcloths.

This is one of the newer books I picked up at the library. It's very interesting and well written. I'm reading it very slowly.

I'm still working on the Fly Lady system. I never did get into the zone cleaning but I do the other routines quick regularly. I've started the kitchen clear out on Wednesday's to try and help me keep the refrigerator cleaner than it usually is. I tend to buy too much and have to cram everything inside. Then food goes to waste. These days I'm shopping less frequently, buying less and trying to meal plan so I can reduce what I need to buy. I'm in early days with this. Gosh, in the old days I sure didn't need to keep on such a schedule and everything was cleaner and tidier than I'm able to keep things nowadays. I think it's a combination of getting older and not caring quite as much.  But now I want to get everything in order for a multiple of reasons.

 

 

In addition to Wednesday's refrigerator clean out, I usually wash and change bedding on the weekend.

It's nearing the end of February and it's still chilly outside at night. The mink sheets are getting good use and are nice and cosy against the skin.  It's supposed to be sunny later this week. I'm certainly hoping so because I've been trying to get to the beach for photos. It will make a change from indoor activities no matter the weather but I would rather go on a warmer, sunny day.

I'm making changes to the blog and haven't hit on an agreeable combination of fonts and colours. Please bear with me as I try to figure it all out.

I'll be very busy this coming week with a few appointments so it may take awhile. How are you keeping yourself busy during these pandemic times? Where I live people many conditions have now been lifted as we try to navigate through a different way of living with the threat of world wide diseases.  Earlier this week the majority of pandemic restrictions were lifted. People are getting ready to return to their work places if they haven't already.  People are still pretty disciplined about not getting together socially, especially with those that have underlying health conditions,  Public activities like sporting events, concerts, weddings and funerals are now open. Masks and vaccine passports are still required in my province though not in every Canadian province.