I've been in a pretty dark headspace the past few days. I think 2020 is doing that to most of us. One day you're dealing with everything, and the next day you feel like the weight of it all is holding you down.
As a way to unwind and try to turn it all off, I got sucked into watching a bunch of super budget, extreme budget, cooking out of my pantry type budgeting videos on YouTube. I don't know why, but they soothed me and allowed me to forget about reality for awhile, and just spend some time learning from the masters.
The videos inspired me to do more of an experiment than a challenge. I decided to see what forty dollars will buy at a few different stores. I chose Whole Foods first, because I figured that would be the most challenging. I didn't search sales or deals, I just bought what I normally buy.
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| Carrots, popsicles, cilantro, coconut milk, watermelon wedge, Oatly, romaine, oranges, celery, onion, almond flour crackers, tofu, eggplant, apples, nectarines, tomato, potatoes, kombucha |
I love when I stumble across free peaches! This tree is in an alley, and all these peaches were just sitting on the ground! I'll be going back for more tomorrow!
The haul that I showed was bought last week, Thursday to be exact, and along with some rice and noodles I have in my pantry I've eaten well all week. This Thursday I'll go to either Trader Joe's or Sprouts, and the runner up will be for the third week.
The eggplant from my haul was turned into this delicious dish! It's spicy braised eggplant, another delicious Wil Yeung recipe! I really can't recommend his beautiful channel enough!
Oh, I definitely would ask for that challenge if I thought of it! I, too, have lost hours watching people go to the store with ten dollars and come back to make a week's worth of food. It's too monotonous to do all the time but sometimes I've considered trying it myself. Usually I end up doing a pantry-clear-out thing and just not buying anything instead.
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting isn't it? I agree, especially right now I can't handle being too bored with food. I've been thinking about going to the dollar store and seeing if I can find random stuff to make a meal. Those are fun to watch too.
DeleteI love this challenge! I look forward to seeing what $40 gets in different shops.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'm so glad! Me too, it's fun to compare!
DeleteThat's a pretty respectable haul for Whole Foods. I wouldn't think you could get that much. Definitely grab some more of those peaches! If you get tired of eating them raw you can make a a great healthy dessert similar to baked apples. Just split one in half, drizzle with coconut oil (or vegan butter), sprinkle on a dash of cinnamon and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Delish!!
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that since Amazon bought Whole Foods, they have lowered a lot of their prices. As long as you stay away from all the specialty, fun stuff you can find some deals.
DeleteOOH, baked peaches I've never thought of that! I'll definitely try that if I don't eat them all raw!
Yay for free peaches, and your eggplant dish looks delicious! Looking forward to seeing the rest of your $40 hauls!
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