Mini Haul and Pizza

Jasmine rice, onion, lemon,spinach,bananas,potatoes,frozen strawberries, gluten free spirals,tofu and coconut creamer

I'm starting the New Year off on a shoestring budget. It's going to be a lean two weeks. I wish we had a grocery outlet or an Aldi here. I think this might be the first city I've lived in without some kind of deep discount grocery store. Now that I think about it I also don't see a lot of dollar stores. A Winco recently opened up, but to get there I have to take my least favorite bus and I just don't know if Winco can compare to Trader Joe's. Has anyone been to a Winco? Is it worth a miserable commute?
When I have a little bit bigger budget I plan on going to Sprouts an stocking up on dried beans and flours and grains. That way I can make big batches of dried beans and freeze them in one can sized portions. As I've mentioned in the past I am not a meal planner and meal planning actually causes me anxiety so I'm trying to find ways to cut down on waste while also allowing myself to be my messy eat what I want in the moment self. But I feel like I made a good start here.

I still have some of the gluten free flour mix that was given to me so last night I made lentil pizza. I mixed my cooked lentils with some fennel seed and crushed red pepper to give it a sausage-y flavor. That's one of my budget tips actually. Lentils are much cheaper than plant meats and are easy to season up. I had a little so delicious vegan shreds leftover in the freezer so I topped the pizza with those. I have to say I probably wouldn't buy them again. They melt if used in a sauce, but on top of a pizza not so much. Trader Joe's vegan shreds are cheaper and melt. Kind of disappointing since I love most of their vegan products.

This week has been really mild for winter. Like in the forties during the day, some days near fifty and the thirties or twenties at night. So I've been letting the girls have a few hours of open windows during the day. They love the fresh air and so do I actually. This is a rare moment where Joan has the whole living room window to herself.
Happy Caturday!