Frugal Decadence (sort of)

Earlier this week, I was eating crow over my month of utter lack of awareness about my grocery spending. Got back on track, and am doing it just by planning out my meals and shopping a few days in advance. (Crow is not on menu, by the way.)

• Meatloaf, baked ziti and salad
• Roasted chicken breast with aromatic vegetables & cream sauce, mushroom risotto, and spinach, sauteed in butter
• Coconut-lemongrass noodle soup with chicken (thin sliced leftover breast meat from yesterday) and veggies.

I'm half way through the week, and on target for being well under $150 for the week. It's not necessary to cut back on fresh foods to get there. I'll be making macaroni & cheese tomorrow, but it will be a creamy homemade cheese sauce, not orange chemical powder & milk.

Didn't even have to try very hard to find a little space for indulgences. Baked oatmeal & chocolate chip muffins. Have a bag of everyone's peanut butter filled pretzels to go along with apples for kid snacking. As long as the portions aren't huge, there's no pinch. (I'm nowhere near a frugal black belt, but could get there, if it became necessary.)

As for that frugal decadence, mentioned earlier? Well, here it is:

1 Bosc Pear, 94¢1/2 lemon, 12.5¢
1 Tbs dark brown sugar, 2.2¢
Grated fresh ginger, 4.9¢
2 Tbs butter, 18¢
2 scoops ice cream (store brand, of course), 42.8¢
4 ginger thins, 5.3¢
1 pot of super dark roast coffee, 65¢

Take $2.45 worth of ingredients, 10 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of roasting pears (while I was in the kitchen anyway), and add one hour of Pushing Daisies on primetime television. Almost a date, and only $1.23 per person.