[hikr00]

For supper tonight Dh will be finishing up the orange chicken and rice. I’m going to cook up a few frozen chicken cordon bleu. I’ll have one for my dinner tonight and I’ll reheat the leftover ones tomorrow for supper for dh and I. I’ll make some Stove Top to have with it both nights. We both love Stove Top stuffing. Slowly working through the pantry and freezer.

 

[RedSpruce]

Supper was Breaded scallops, sweet potato fries and a modified Ceasar salad with hm French dressing.

 

[Contrary Housewife]

Cooked a frozen pot pie for lunch and took a container of frozen cupcakes (thawed out) over to a friend's house. More space in the freezer, yay!

 

[Zhoen]

Hikr, love is a beautiful thing But just to play devil's advocate, have you tried the Aldi brand stuffing? We like it just as much as Stove top, and around here it is less than half the price. (That said, sometimes you just like a certain brand and nothing else will do, and that is understandable.)

I have run taste-tests here and in blind testing, the fam preferred the Aldi's stuffing and mac-n-cheese... but even after the reveal, they still ONLY want the blue box... whatever ;D

 

[hikr00]

Zhoen I’d be open to trying Aldi’s stuffing but we don’t have an Aldi’s in Maine. There’s a couple in New Hampshire but both are between a 2-3 hour drive so we’ve never been. I’m hoping we get one in Maine before too much longer as I’ve heard good things about their products and their prices.

That’s too funny about the blue box! DD and DH never had a preference about their Mac and cheese so I could serve any brand. After I’d made it so many times I didn’t bother to measure the milk and butter and I just “eyeballed” the correct amount. Dh noticed once time that I didn’t use measuring cups and he said how knew there was something wrong with the Mac and cheese I made because it just never tasted right and it’s because I didn’t measure. He carried on about that whenever I made it so I started taking out the measuring cups and leave them on the counter when I’d made it. I NEVER used them but dh said every time how he was so glad I measured it all because it made such a huge difference in the finished product. He still hasn’t realized that I still don’t measure and the cups go right back in the cupboard without me washing them.

As you said, love is a beautiful thing. Lolol

 

[Contrary Housewife]

Hikr, mine gets that way about dill dip. It HAS to be made exactly according to a certain recipe, with mayo and sour cream. He even buys the small jar of mayo at a higher price. When I make it I use anything we have, yogurt, cream cheese, milk, less mayo, etc and he always loves it. But he freaks out if he sees me make it "wrong".

Zhoen, I didn't care for the Aldi brand stuffing, it didn't seem to have as much flavor. I bought Stovetop last year marked down to 25 or 35 cents a box and stocked up. Aldi does have a lot of products we like. DH likes their yogurt. In general I think their baked goods, dairy and fresh meats are very good.

 

[dlrcpa]

Got corned beef $1.99/lb at Safeway (limit 1). The other stores have not advertised their prices yet but I would like another one for the freezer. Got potatoes and carrots. Also bought the "Great Value" biscuit can (very small) for $1.19 to try out. Maybe half a chicken pot pie recipe there......
Trying a meatloaf that uses stuffing to see how that works out.

 

[Contrary Housewife]

Good deal Dlr! Ours are all still pretty expensive. Even Aldi has them at 3.99 and 4.99. I'll get a frozen one out of the freezer next week, and hope there is a better sale. Stuffing works very well in meatloaf. Sometimes I have to crush the bigger bread cubes. If you moisten with a little water or milk it mixes into the meat easier.

 

[hikr00]

@Contrary Housewife too funny about the dill dip. They are so funny, aren’t they? My Mom did the same thing with coffee. Dad only liked a certain brand so she’d buy the off brand and dump it in the Folger’s jar. Now and then she’d have to buy a new jar because it would start looking worn but Dad never caught on. I guess it’s a “man thing”

@dlrcpa stuffing Is good in meatloaf. I’ve also used croutons with success although I do crush them with the rolling pin. That reminds me I need to see if dh wants corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day. Some years he does and some years he doesn’t. It’s too salty for me but I’ll make it for him.

I bought a rotisserie chicken at Sam’s the other day and I picked that clean this morning. I put the bones and skin in the Instant Pot with a couple tsp of Better than Bouillion and added some seasoning and four cups of water. I let it cook for 35 minutes and then strained out the bones and skin and saved the broth. It smells fabulous. I’ve never made broth before, it just never occurred to me I guess. I’ll let it sit in the fridge overnight so I can skim the fat off the top and will use some in tomorrows supper and freeze the rest.

 

[marthamfi]

lol Hikr and CH men and kids! I used to make the joke that dh cooks so little he had to measure for KD cus who does. I remember when it got big here in the 70s..my sister would get my other sister to make it cus mom couldn't do it well. I think she didn't care enough lol cus she is a great cook. but they changed the recipe and bleah. a local chain brand is nice. Remember when kraft had the recipe magazines and the promotion of adding stuff to it like ham and peas etc. but nope can't wreck it lol for dd. I get the kd cups for her.

There is a blended carrot soup I make she loves that is basically lots of carrots, onions and garlic..she was going to decide not to like it anymore but changed her mind lol I read it to dh and he is well I am not that bad am I and then well you wouldn't tell me either haha. you know like turkey sausage instead of reg. he has come a long way.

Stovetop gets really cheap here 99 or 75 cents during holidays. love it but have to get the ones dh can eat. I bought corndogs friday and made them for dinner for the boys so they ate them last 2 days. haven't gotten them for years so they were happy.

will make the tortenilli w sauce, frozen meatballs and garlic bread plus salad for dinner. so hits all areas of pantry. may make the pea soup too from the regency workbook. defrosting chicken for the white soup.

 

[MaggieTru]

SD: yes it does!



i found another jar of duck meat and 3 of 6 hens are starting to lay again as spring comes on. that increased the protein supply

made beans and hominy from the pantry using up a jar of home canned chicken stock.
and i am on the last pound if coffee beans.

 

[RedSpruce]

Gave two jars of canning away. Finished most of the food DSis left. We still have some fruit and spinach. I’m probably going to make a spinach quiche for supper tomorrow.

 

[marthamfi]

more 1.49 sales sour cream, canned tuna, brown sugar, garlic bread,cukes plus bogos so got more hotdogs for freezer, sausage ring. plus all the reg stuff like bread milk lunchmeat etc.

 

[Spirit Deer]

Used up the last of the blue potato harvest from last fall. Also not buying the expensive blue seed potatoes from Menards again this yr. I'll wait to see if I can buy by the pound locally, and if not, just buy whatever they have. Much cheaper either way.

I cooked a pork loin roast and a ringof potato sausage last night. That's the protein for suppers the next few nights. We can nuke some potatoes to go with that, and I'll make a batch of brown rice, too. Frozen Brussels sprouts or some Aldi salad kits will round out the meals. We have a grueliing out of town shopping trip today which will be exhausting, and the next week will be busy with building a ½ wall and doing other prep work for carpenters and electricians when they come back next week. Nobody is going to want to cook.

 

[dlrcpa]

Grocery store #2 has corned beef on sale for $1.49/lb and $2.49/lb depending on cut. So I'll be getting another one for the freezer. Store #3 does not seem to be having a sale but they run on a different schedule so next week may be different.

 

[Contrary Housewife]

Aldi's advertising corned beef at 3.99, and the grocery has them for 3.99 or 5.99 depending on cut. So I don't think I'll be rushing out to get one right now. Potatoes could be cheaper, too. Aldi has carrots @ 1.49/2lbs so I'll get those. They last a long time.

 

[Spirit Deer]

I was proud of us today at Aldi. We stopped there at the end of an exhausting day when we were hungry, and stuck to our list. The only junk food we bought was 2 bags of tortilla chips. The rest was mostly fresh produce, and 24 ground turkey chubs for dog food.

Husby did have to go to another store to satisfy his French fry craving since Aldi was sold out, but that's on him. 🤣🤣

 

[RedSpruce]

I did make spinach quiche and we had garlic butter on ww baguette and cheese and onion ciabatta. Not bad!

 

[MaggieTru]

working through the lentils and some other things! Made "lentil chili" (but it's a bit thick so...lentilchilihummus??) last night while talking to my mom. Used the last (I think) aging can of tomato paste and used up a couple of aging spice-dregs so I can get fresh next time I'm in town. More of my dried jalapenos, and quite a bit of onion powder. Also a head of garlic. It's not bad! I have some of that super heavy swedish rye "health bread" to spread it on if it keeps getting thicker.

Just one banana left in the work freezer and I'm getting enough eggs now I don't have to stretch them into "banana pancakes" for a while so not restocking.
Using up my blueberries on salads along with chia seeds every lunch this week. Boring, but delicious.

RS: that dinner sounds really good!

 

[RedSpruce]

@MaggieTru , how many dried jalapeños did you use for how much lentil chili? I dried jalapeños last summer and have no idea what to do with them!

Tonight will be leftover spinach quiche, the rest of the ciabatta bread with some garlic butter, and fresh strawberries with something for dessert. Possibly tapioca pudding or custard.