After the Challenge

As I figured, #1 and #2 were eager to eat with the family again after the challenge.  #3 thought he would get to exchange his dinner for oatmeal, but he was expected to eat this baked ravioli, broccoli, and garlic herb bread (not from one of those foil sacks).  He said, "I don't really like lasagna anymore."  No!  He has such a short list of stuff he eats with us without complaining, how dare he unlike anything! 

We went shopping earlier that day and he got to spend his $12.11.  He wanted to buy a movie, but quickly figured out he didn't have enough.  Turns out he had some movies on hold at the library.  He wanted to have a family movie night and share his candy.  Isn't that sweet?  He bought a tub of redvines, rolos, some suckers, and saved the rest.  Sadly, our movie night didn't happen yet because I was playing for a voice recital. 

Our daughter had $2 from Grandma, so it was a good time to teach her what money can buy.  That huge package of Twizzlers didn't stop her from asking for more candy, but it was $1.99.

We also found some pretty nice deals.  Fred Meyer had a coupon for ground turkey for $2.99.  It was cheaper than ground beef, so I used it in my meat sauce instead.  Milk was 10 for $10 for a half gallon.  Usually the cheapest gallon is $2.49, so that was only $2 a gallon.  I think the eggs were also 99 cents.  I would need those later to make something delicious for a family gathering.  Post coming soon.

We had to get gas.  #2 observed, "That's like two weeks worth of food for one person!" 

I love their growing awareness of how much things cost!  We have many budgeting challenges ahead.  #2 will need a full size violin next year and we're talking about how to accomplish that.  He wants to have one to play over the summer because he has to return the one he's using.

Day 7: All Done!

#3 did it!  Tomorrow he gets to buy candy and whatever else he has money for.  He had a pizza party at school today and ended up sharing some of his Spaghettios because he was still kind of full.  He wants to have a movie night tomorrow with the whole family. 

Today our family also reached a financial goal.  We wanted to be debt free and have a certain amount in savings by May.  Today was payday and we were able to do it.  It really seemed quite impossible, but we managed to do it with a combination of hard work, self-denial, and also with some help from a wonderful, generous relative or friend who anonymously sent us some money as a congratulations on becoming debt free.  What a huge blessing that was!  I opened the card that I thought was maybe a wedding announcement and I started crying.

Now to work up the courage to apply for a home loan.  We're not sure how much the bank will want us to have in our savings to get a VA Loan, but we hope it's enough. 

Day 6: He Can Practically Taste the Candy Already

#3 is very excited that tomorrow is his last day of the challenge.  His bananas aren't in the greatest shape anymore (I might let him have one of our newer ones) and he wants to have a movie night with popcorn and candy.  He also wants to buy a movie, but he'll figure out how much $12 is going to buy him on Saturday.  He has also been more careful with his milk than he needs to.  He still has half a gallon left and not surprisingly, I haven't seen him waste any of it.

Tonight he ate more macaroni and tomato juice while the rest of us had leftover Chinese food.  I went to a women's activity and ate some delicious appetizers.  Oh yes, and my husband is experimenting with juicing and just learned why there are no recipes with brussel sprouts.  Because it's disgusting.  I tasted a few of his juice recipes and I think the juice diet works because it induces nausea.

I'm suddenly hungry for ice cream!  If I put it through the juicer, will it make it good for me?

Day 5: Still Doing Well

#3 still didn't have any food complaints today and a dear friend brought over Chinese food for the rest of us.  If you're guessing #3 doesn't like Chinese food, you would be correct!  I feel like maybe we should eat something he likes in front of him, but I don't know if I want to do that to myself.  Oh, but dessert would work. 

Does Chef Boyardee make desserts?  Man I hope not.

Day Four: Never Underestimate How Much #3 Loves Kraft Mac & Cheese

Today was an unusual day.  Our school had Family Fun Night where a local church provides a dinner.  #3 still opted to eat his leftover macaroni and tomato juice with his celery and peanut butter.  We usually aren't able to attend because we have Cub Scouts and then #1 has Boy Scouts later.  It's just too hectic to go, but the Cub Scouts were cleaning up the school grounds for a service project, so it worked out perfect. 

#3 asked me if he has to make his dinner on Friday.  When I told him yes, he said, "Awwwww!"

I asked hopefully, "Are you starting to miss my cooking?"  "Yes."  A miracle!  "Which foods are you missing?"  "I'm missing your Kraft Mac and Cheese."

If I cook it, it's on a rare occasion, but I usually have the kids do it and I eat something else.  After he received two Costco cases of Kraft Mac and Cheese on his birthday last year, he went to bed and ended up puking all over his room.  The next day, he asked, "When can we have some more mac and cheese?"

I guess he wasn't kidding when he said, "Mac and cheese is my life!" 

Day Three: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tonight was our Family Home Evening and we decided that #3 could have a treat with us.  His brothers got to join us for potlucks and a birthday dinner with dessert, so this might be the happiest he looks the rest of the week.  We also played a blind version of Apples to Apples.  We weren't allowed to look at our cards before we put them down.  That way our 3-year-old could play and we would all have the same disadvantage.  Speaking of, she keeps asking when she gets to buy her groceries and even resorted to taking a handful of her brother's "delicious" mac and cheese and ate all of #2's gum. 

Yes, I said "ate".  Not chewed.  We have had to tell the boys repeatedly that anything within her reach is not a good hiding place and I even organized some high shelves for them with their own containers for keeping stuff away from her.  We might have a pretend challenge for her or a modified version.

And this is the "disgusting" thing we had for dinner that #3 didn't have to eat.  Breakfast Casserole.  This time I used bacon.  Just as I was about to fry the potatoes and onion in butter, I realized I had bacon grease. 

Breakfast Casserole

5 red largish potatoes (poke holes in them and microwave for 12 minutes if you're lazy and do this first because they need to cool off before you cut them)
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 pound of either cooked sausage, bacon, or ham
1/4 cup butter (half a stick) or super unhealthy but delicious, reserved bacon grease
1 to 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
12 eggs, beaten
Freshly ground pepper to taste

While your potatoes are cooking, fry up your bacon or sausage (or cut up some fully cooked ham).  Place on a paper towel on a plate to drain the grease so you can make yourself believe everything bad for you has been magically removed. 

Dice the potatoes.  You don't even have to peel them.  Heat your butter or evil bacon grease on medium in a pan, sautee the onions for a couple minutes or so, add the potatoes for another couple minutes, and spread it on the bottom of a 9x13 pan like this. 

Add the meat.  Or make your toddler add the meat.

Add the cheese

Then the eggs and pepper.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 

Did I mention this is also a gluten free meal?  I have some gluten free friends, so I like to watch for meals that might counteract any feelings of deprivation.  You could also garnish this with some green onion and serve it with a side of fruit, top it with salsa, etc. 

Or you could yell, "BLECH!" and eat a nasty can of Chef Boyardee Mac & Cheese. 

P.S. You can also put this in the fridge the night before and pop it in the oven for breakfast.

Day Two: #3's Future Plans

#3 is still in canned food Heaven and making plans for his future.

#3:  When I'm a grown up, I'm going to stay up late.  I'm going to stay up all night because that's what grown-ups do!

Me:  We stay up late because it's quiet after you guys go to sleep.

#3:  Hey!  You're mean!

Me:  When you're an adult, you'll miss the quiet too.

#3:  When I grow up, I'm not going to have a job!  I'm just going to sit around all day.

Me:  Where are you going to sit around?

#3:  On the couch.

Me:  How are you going to buy a couch if you don't have a job?

#3:  I'll get a job, I'll buy a couch, and then I'll quit!  I'm just going to play video games all day!

Me: Where are you going to live?

#3:  In a house.

Me:  How are you going to buy a house with no job?

#3:  *grins* I'll get a job, buy the house, and then I'll quit!

Me:  How long will it take you to pay for the house?

#3:  I'll get a job that pays a billion kagillion dollars per hour and then I'll quit!

Why didn't I think of that?  That's a pretty awesome plan.

Day One: #3 Must Be a Member of the Finer Things Club

"Mom, this is so good!  Can I have it for my birthday?" 

#3's birthday is in about 10 months and he's already looking forward to eating Chef Boyardee Mac & Cheese.

And in case you were wondering, this is how we're keeping the non-refrigerated food separate.  #3's box is the heaviest because of all of the canned goods.

#3 Goes Shopping



He knew the drill.  "Over there by the flowers!"

 #3 is feeling so much better and so we went shopping tonight!  Tomorrow his challenge will start at breakfast, so he gets to enjoy one last dessert with us. 

His meal plan was interesting.  #3 is my pickiest eater, but also likes a few things no one else in our house likes.  He likes plain foods and he will eat some foods every day if you let him.  Every day at school, he has a plain cheeseburger.  I was pretty sure he would have the most money left because he wouldn't want condiments and other extras.  One interesting thing he wants with his dinner is celery dipped in peanut butter.  I was shocked one Thanksgiving to discover he likes celery.  Another day he saw a grapefruit a neighbor had dropped outside and he asked, "Is that grapefruit?  I love grapefruit!  I tried it at school."  I had no idea.  This is my kid who exclaimed, "I told you I hate juicy meat!"  I made the most delicious rosemary garlic pork roast.  It was so moist, but he was repulsed by it. 

We were in luck!  A peanut butter sale.

#3 wanted Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, but the Fred Meyer brand was 50 cents a box.  Then he saw some canned macaroni and cheese, which was $1.50 each, but he didn't have to buy butter with that.  The butter was $2.99.  He kept his eye on the prize, wanting lots of money to spend on treats next week. 

I stepped on this calculator today because it was in the middle of my kids' bedroom floor, but amazingly it still worked.

My husband grew up on "macaroni and tomato juice".  I can't bring myself to eat it, but all of my kids like it.  He adds cheese too, but #3 said he could go without it for the sake of saving money.  This will feed him for at least four days.  The other few days he will be eating 89 cent "spaghetti rings" with his celery and peanut butter.  He bought a box of brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal for $2.59.  It has 10 pouches, so he can eat that all week for breakfast.  That was his most expensive purchase.

He really wanted to have oranges with his lunches and last night I saw them at QFC for 88 cents a pound.  I thought it would be worth it to buy them there.  #2 spent half of his leftover money on a pack of gum to chew during the MSP next week (state testing) because they say it helps you concentrate better.  He cracks me up.  At QFC, he found Toblerone bars for a dollar each.  That was $1.99 off the regular price.  He also pointed out some Fuji apples for 78 cents a pound.  "That's a good deal!" 

See how happy he looks?  Wait until you hear the grand total. 

#3 spent $20.89!  He has $12.11 to spend on whatever he wants.  He's hoping he can find a cheap movie and buy candy.  He has some birthday money to add to it. 

Now comes the hard part.  #3 asks me on a regular basis, "What's for dessert?"  "Since when is dessert a regular meal?" I ask.  He has a major sweet tooth.  He had one last bowl of ice cream and asked if he could have two scoops instead of one.  "No!" I laughed. 

Milk, celery, peanut butter, bananas, canned mac and cheese, spaghetti rings, oatmeal, oranges, and macaroni and tomato juice.  He'll be in Heaven not having to eat any of my "disgusting" food.  I'll be in Heaven not hearing him complain about what's for dinner.  But the thought of eating what he's eating makes me want to hurl.