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| One beautiful cookbook, with recipes for everything from broiled grapefruit halves to lemon panna cotta. |
My eating has gotten out of control in this coronavirus pandemic, with the stress of a changed schedule and location for Punch's schooling [now in our home] and for my work--or my efforts to send out pitches, apply for jobs, get work. I'm like a scattered hunter and gatherer at mealtimes and in between.
Tracking my spending since January 2019 has made me more watchful, so I think this will help, too--though it's a lot of data to expect myself to record--and you to read--every night. And unlike money, which I can go back and doublecheck figures on, thanks to receipts and online banking, I can't do that with food.
So now, in addition to daily reports of TCOY [Take Care of Yourself] and $ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET, I will be writing what I ate.
I hope it will help. Something's got to give. Last night, Dan came back from his shopping run with a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream and we poured it over ice. He also bought one pint of ice cream, which I try to avoid, but it was perfectly softened and melty, the way it gets when it's been in the grocery cart and the car for a while. Before I knew it, I had a silver teaspoon in hand and half the pint was gone.
FOOD [Be afraid. Be very afraid. This is not all healthy, home-cooked food like our friend Kim lists.]
Tracking my spending since January 2019 has made me more watchful, so I think this will help, too--though it's a lot of data to expect myself to record--and you to read--every night. And unlike money, which I can go back and doublecheck figures on, thanks to receipts and online banking, I can't do that with food.
So now, in addition to daily reports of TCOY [Take Care of Yourself] and $ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET, I will be writing what I ate.
I hope it will help. Something's got to give. Last night, Dan came back from his shopping run with a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream and we poured it over ice. He also bought one pint of ice cream, which I try to avoid, but it was perfectly softened and melty, the way it gets when it's been in the grocery cart and the car for a while. Before I knew it, I had a silver teaspoon in hand and half the pint was gone.
FOOD [Be afraid. Be very afraid. This is not all healthy, home-cooked food like our friend Kim lists.]
- Coffee, ratio 1/3 whole milk to 2/3 java.
- Lunch, 2 pm, 3 slices Provolone, 20 whole-grain saltines, 6 paper-thin slices prosciutto, 1 oz.? fresh mozzarella, 1/2 cup deli potato salad, salted cashews.
- Second coffee, same way.
- Large ice waters.
- Dinner, 7 pm, not too much of a frozen pizza, green salad with a little blue cheese dressing.
- Bedtime, 9 pm, 1 nice cold clementine.
- 10 pm, felt a little hungry, went downstairs and had small bowl of Grape-nuts with whole milk and a splash of cream. Then for good measure, a glass of whole milk.
- 11 pm Punch wild and not going to sleep. I was drifting off. I can't stand this. I need rest. But is food armor? Went downstairs. 6 whole-grain saltines, 4 slices Alpine Lace reduced-fat Swiss, last 2 paper-thin slices prosciutto.
TCOY
- Called a number to explore more help for Punch.
- Called her friend's mom to talk and share my upset.
- Salad, clementine.
- Talked to Sis.
- I took great pleasure in making Lemon Panna Cotta with All the Summer Berries from the Prune cookbook--well, the berry part comes tomorrow. Earlier this week, Kim and another friend shared the link to the NY Times piece about Prune restaurant facing closure after 20 years. I had never been there, but googled the cookbook. Then, on my neighborhood Facebook group, Lotta said she was putting 5 books out on her steps yesterday for giveaway. She posted a photo. I didn't see the post til almost 8:30 pm, but the big pink Prune book was still there when I ran down to Lotta's steps! It has a $45 cover price, and I love it. Such wit, the way it is written, and such fresh and wonderful recipes. L.O.V.E. I cut back the sugar, used the advised zest of 2 lemons and hope it thickens as it chills tonight. Not sure I did it right. Plan to serve tomorrow after dinner with All the Summer Berries.
$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET
- ZERO.
- Total monthly spend as of April 30: $2,143.19.
- Avg daily spend: $71.44.
Compare to previous months:
March--the effect of coronavirus quarantine and not working in NYC for now
Total monthly spend as of March 31: $1,916.15.
Avg daily spend: $61.81.
February
Total monthly spend as of Feb. 29: $2,480.34.
Avg daily spend: $85.53.
Avg daily spend: $85.53.
January
Total monthly spend as of Jan 31: $3,063.60.
Avg daily spend: $98.83.
September
August
December 2019 [Christmas and all that entails]
Total monthly spend as of Dec. 31: $3,998.16.
Avg daily spend: $128.97.
November
Total spend for November (30 days): $2,979.03.
Average daily spend: $99.30.
October
Total spend for OCTOBER 31 days: $2,495.36.
AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $80.49.
TOTAL SPEND FOR SEPTEMBER (30 DAYS): $2,214.43.
AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $73.81.
TOTAL SPEND FOR AUGUST (31 DAYS/PLUS VACAY IN HERE): $2,895.06. ⬆️
AUGUST AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $93.39. ⬆️
Posts
I LOVE that you got the Prune cookbook at just the right moment!
ReplyDeleteMy food also out of control. Sadly, the laws of nature not suspended when everything else is.
Nan
Hi Nan. I know, I feel so lucky re. the Prune cookbook. The stars were aligned....I know, food out of control is pretty typical, I think. People saying they haven't worn a bra for 2 months--or any waistbands that are not stretchy. I'm about to check the panna cotta but I have a sinking feeling that I didn't stir the gelatin into a hot enuf mixture...and so maybe will try to salvage one china cupful to pour over All the Summer Berries. I can transfer it to a glass pitcher. It's so disappointing when you put money (ingreds) and hope into a pretty dessert, esp when not eating desserts often, and it flops....more to come. #staysafe Love Alice
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