For only $115 -- April's Menu

I've decided to take care of food monthly: one shopping trip a month and one (CHEAP!) monthly menu: meat once a week REALLy helps w/ this. This month's menu includes higher-protein weekday Breakfasts and Dinners to help Michael's daily 12-mile bike ride to the Admin offices (one-way) and costs a total of $115. Lunch is usually leftovers from dinner. Michael's in charge of the weekend meals, which is why the menu is only Monday through Friday.

For a few meals I've begun to calculate cost totals based on prices at SW Washington grocery stores. For example, the Egg Salad Sandwich (including homemade bread) costs $1.45 per serving. I was suprised to learn that my Italian Bread w/ roughly 20 servings costs a total, TOTAL, of 89 cents! This is an artisan-style bread that, at a good bakery, would cost at least $5.

Just about everything is made from scratch, including the tortillas, english muffins, and ginger beer. This helps cut down on costs A LOT. For example, homemade tortillas cost 20 cents for 8 servings while a package of 12 processed tortillas coast $1.99... That's $1.50 of savings and 15 miles in gas, half of beer, a quarter of a movie ticket at the second-run theather in Vancouver.


Week of April 4th
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Granola and yogurt(all week)
M - Crispy Chicken and Potatoes
T - Black Bean Soup and Cornbread
W - Chicken Tacos (using leftover chicken from Monday)
T - Chili and Rice (double batch & freeze)
F - Egg Salad Sandwich on Italian Bread with Lentil Salad


Week of April 11th
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Bran Muffins (all week)
M - Brats w/ Spaetzle and Red Cabbage (if I can find any at the market)
T - Nachos
W - Lentil Soup
T - Hummus, Falafel, and Salad
F - Bean Burrito


Week of April 18th
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Egg Sandwiches on English Muffins (all week)
M - Roast Beef with Mashed Potatoes
T - Curry and Rice (double batch & freeze)
W - Beef Tacos (using leftover beef from Monday)
T - Tuna Salad on Italian Bread w/ Curried Carrot Soup
F - Chili and Rice (leftovers from 4/7)


Week of April 25th
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Oatmeal w/ Honey-Vanilla Fig Topping (all week)
M - Roast Pork w/ Stuffing
T - Frittata
W - Pork BBQ (using leftover pork from Monday)
T - Black Bean Stirfry
F - Curry and Rice (leftovers from 4/21)


Snacks
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Spiced Nuts
Hard & Soft Pretzels
Dried Fruit
Hot Chocolate
Biscotti
Peanut Butter Crackers
Ginger Beer
Popcorn
Tea

A Pugly Beauty Routine

1) (Attempt to) scrub the teeth
2) FURminate the hair (while licking up the floating fibers)
3) Apply zit cream to the little pink bubbles around the mouth
4) Run a rubbing alcohol-coated swab through the wrinkles
5) Dust anti-bacterial foot powder on the limb pits to prevent rashes
6) Wipe away any dripping eye juice
7) Acknowledge that, as a pug, one will always be at least slightly pathetic