Grocery Issues

One of the major “adult” things I struggle with is grocery shopping.  Here are the top three things I struggle with:

1.  I don’t plan out meals in advance:  I’ll just grab a ton of things at the store & hope for the best.  I’m so messed up that I don’t even really have staples that I buy.  I have a love/hate relationship with milk and eggs.  I buy them, but then I’m dumping the milk down the drain and throwing the eggs away, so then I don’t buy them and really need them for something!

2.  I don’t have all of the ingredients for anything:  The problem with grabbing a ton of random things at the store is that I don’t have every single ingredient for anything.  Like I’ll have everything for tacos except the meat!  Or I’ll have pasta and no sauce or something.

3.  I’m a fruit & veggies person…except I’m not:  I’m all up in the produce section, picking up fruits and veggies that I’m totally going to eat…except I don’t.  By the time I’m ready to eat them, they’ve turned to mush in the fridge.  I’ve gotten way better at this because I just stopped buying fresh produce altogether, but some times I’ll slip up and end up with a fridge full of rotten produce.  I looked at some cut fruit I picked up and was surprised to find it wasn’t out of date!  I was so proud!

I totally wish I could be like Danielle from Blissful and Domestic.  She’s the best at everything frugal.  I found her blog a few years ago  through an AOL story and got super inspired.  Her family lived off $14,000 a year.  I really like some of her grocery tips, like shopping once a month & freezing  whatever you can to make it last.  If only I can muster the willpower to get this done!

Christmas Cookies

 

My mom makes the best Christmas cookies.  Last week, the baking was in full swing at her house so I snapped a few pictures.  I can’t wait to eat these on Christmas day!

Chili

If only my picture taking could be as good as this chili!

As you know by my incredibly easy recipes, I’m not a chef.  Not even close. 

Yesterday, I wanted to make chili.  But how?  How do you do it?  I think chili is one of those recipes that everyone does differently.  It’s also one of those things that my mom cleverly sticks venison in.  Fun fact:  mom took a slow cooker Sloppy Joe to a family party once and excitedly tried to get everyone to try it and guess the secret ingredient.  I jokingly said “Is it deer meat?!”.  Aaand it was.  My family gets as weird as I do about venison.

So, back to the chili.  I cooked some hamburger meat (beef) and then put it into a pot with beans, diced tomatoes and corn.  Then I added about a million secret ingredients and called it a day.

It was the best chili I’ve ever had in my life.

I told my husband about it and he was all “You only think that it’s the best because you made it.”.  Then he had some of it and commented that it was the best chili that he’s ever had in his life.

Sometimes I get it right.

Easy 3 Ingredient Macaroni and Cheese

Floating fork pictures are all the rage!  I read that setting up a tripod makes these kind of photos a lot easier.  Of course, I was trying to octopus it up by holding the camera in one hand, the fork in the other and trying to put the flashlight on the bowl.  Yeah, a tripod would make things easier!



Anyway, this macaroni and cheese is yummy and, with only 3 ingredients, it’s super easy too.  You totally could just use a box macaroni and cheese, but I didn’t have any [gasp!] and I wanted something quick and easy for dinner.

   
3 Ingredient Mac and Cheese
- Macaroni Noodles
- Velveeta Cheese block (I used about a quarter of a block for 1 box of Macaroni)
- Milk

Cook macaroni noodles per instructions on the box & drain.  Put back into the pot and add cheese and milk until melted.  Add as much milk and cheese as you want, depending on the consistency you’re trying to go for.  I know some people like their mac super cheesy and creamy and some people like it a little drier.  It’s totally up to you.

Can I take this opportunity to say that I will never be a chef?  With instructions like that, how am I ever supposed to make it big in the cooking blog world?!  Spoiler:  I’m not! ;)