This Week in Mac Sports: 9/15
Nine (mostly Red) Wines To Enjoy This Month
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Spring is here but there's still time to enjoy heartier wines.Liudmila Chernetska/iStockPhoto / Getty Images
April showers bring May flowers is what we say to brighten our spirits on soggy spring days. It's a hopeful cliché while we wait for temperatures to climb and flowers and plants to start blooming (in most parts of the country). In any case, it's a win when precipitation falls as rain instead of snow or ice.
My mood for eating and drinking is stuck between stations. There's an abundance of newly released whites and rosés from Canadian wineries coming in for review, but the wines I find myself bringing to the dinner table are heartier sorts. That robust and peppery small-batch syrah from Quails' Gate in Kelowna, B.C., a full-bodied and flavourful ripasso from Tedeschi in Veneto, Italy, or the exciting and expressive cabernet-malbec from Australia's Clare Valley. Each is compelling, with freshness and inviting characters to savour.
There are also some more fruity, medium-bodied red wines that make sense at this moment. Some popular malbecs from Argentina have rolled into a new vintage and two crowd-pleasing reds from Portugal and Italy, notably the Periquita Reserva and Terra d'Aligi Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, that are ideal pizza, pasta or burger wines.
Meanwhile, the beautifully balanced and harmonious El Coto de Imaz Gran Reserva would be a delight at the dinner table pretty much any time, not just on chilly evenings in April.
El Coto de Imaz Gran Reserva 2015 (Spain), $34.95This is the top wine produced by El Coto, which was founded in 1970 in the Rioja. Nicely developing character, with good freshness and balance. The core of berry and coconut flavours gains interest from gamey and spicy accents, but the real attraction is the texture and harmony from start to finish. Drink now to 2030. Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in Alberta, $34 in Quebec, $43 in Nova Scotia (2016 vintage, Bishop's Cellar).
El Esteco Don David Reserve Malbec 2021 (Argentina), $19.95Located in northern Argentina, El Esteco farms grapes in the Calchaqui Valley to produce this rich and flavourful style of malbec. This is a serious red wine with a complex fragrance and focused dark fruit flavours rounded out by spicy and earthy notes. Drink now to 2027. Available at the above price in Ontario, $18.99 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta, $16.99 in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, $17.99 in New Brunswick, $19.99 in Nova Scotia, $19.39 in Newfoundland
Finca Las Moras Malbec 2022 (Argentina), $11.95Based in San Juan, Las Moras produces a range of wines including this pleasurable and affordable malbec. It a dry and crowd-pleasing red wine, with a soft and round character that's marked by sweet berry and smoky flavours. Drink now. Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in British Columbia and Alberta, $11.49 in Saskatchewan, $14.89 in Nova Scotia (harvestwines.Ca), $14.22 in Newfoundland,
Graffigna Pinot Grigio 2021 (Argentina), $14.95Produced from pinot grigio grapes grown in San Juan, this simple and fruity white wine features refreshing citrus and ripe peach and melon flavours. It's a dry and easygoing expression that's nicely balanced. Drink now. Available at the above price in Ontario, $16.49 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta, $16.99 in Saskatchewan, $11.49 in Manitoba, $24.99/1.5 litre in New Brunswick, $16.29 in Nova Scotia, $16.50 in Prince Edward Island.
Knappstein Cabernet Malbec 2020 (Australia), $22.95This Australian red wine is an atypical blend of cabernet sauvignon and malbec, which represents less than 600 hectares of that country's vineyard space compared with more than 20,000 of cabernet sauvignon or 40,000 shiraz vines. The wineries that embrace malbec, however, use it for some of their top blends, such as Vasse Felix Tom Cullity or Wolf Blass Black Label. This flavourful and well-integrated expression from Knappstein features pleasurably rich fruit flavours with some firm and peppery character. It's a wine for the cellar or suitable for decanting prior to enjoying now. Drink now to 2030. Available in Ontario.
Tedeschi Capitel San Rocco Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore 2019 (Italy), $26.95The Tedeschi family traces its roots in Valpolicella back to 1630 and produces a consistently enjoyable line-up of wines with corvina, rondinella and other regional grape varieties. The Capitel San Rocco Ripasso offers rich and complex flavours suggesting dark fruit such as cherry and plum mixed with tobacco, spice and licorice notes. This is a full-bodied wine with mouth-watering acidity and polished tannins to provide balance and structure. Vegan-friendly. Drink now to 2026. Available at the above price in Ontario, $22.45 in Quebec.
Terra d'Aligi Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2018 (Italy), $16.95Not to be confused with the bold brunellos made with the sangiovese grape in the Tuscan village of Montepulciano, this juicy and vibrant medium-bodied red wine is made from montepulciano grapes grown in Abruzzo. It offers appealing red fruit flavours with a hint of bitterness on the finish that makes this an enjoyable bistro wine. Drink now to 2025. Available in Ontario.
Periquita Reserva 2020 (Portugal), $18.95A blend of native grapes, castelao, touriga nacional and touriga francesa from the Setubal Peninsula, Periquita's reserve red wine offers more concentration and character than the popular red with the white label. Aging in French and American oak barrels and some apparent sweetness (10 g/L residual sugar) adds to the crowd-pleasing appeal. Drink now to 2026. Available at the above price in Ontario, $36.97/3L in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta, $17.99 in Manitoba, $19.99 in New Brunswick, $20.99 in Nova Scotia.
Quails' Gate Boswell Syrah 2020 (Canada), $80Syrah has proven itself as one of the Okanagan's best grapes, especially coming from warmer vineyard sites in the southern part of the valley between Oliver and Osoyoos. This silky and appetizing red wine comes from grapes grown at Quails' Gate's cooler estate vineyard in West Kelowna. It offers a more peppery and polished style as a result, with richly concentrated flavours and an attractive floral and peppercorn mixed with blueberry aroma. Drink now to 2030. Available at the above price direct, quailsgate.Com.
GRAINS-Soybeans Ease From One-week High, Argentine Supply Woes Support
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Soybean futures down after three sessions of strong gains
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Chicago wheat dips, corn firm ahead of U.S. Planting report
(Adds quote in paragraphs 3-4, updates prices)
By Naveen Thukral
SINGAPORE, March 29 (Reuters) - Chicago soybean futures slid on Wednesday as prices eased from last session's one-week high, although concerns over lower production in drought-hit Argentina provided a floor under the market.
Wheat fell and corn edged higher in positioning ahead of Friday's annual U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) planting intentions report.
"Argentina is the world's largest meal exporter and crushing facilities are having difficult time in buying soybeans from producers," commodities research firm Hightower said in a report.
"The early stages of U.S. Planting across the Midwest are running into wet fields and cold temperatures."
The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) fell 0.2% to $14.65-1/2 a bushel, as of 0256 GMT. Wheat lost quarter of a cent to $6.99-1/2 a bushel and corn added 0.1% to $6.47-3/4 a bushel.
Argentina's Buenos Aires grains exchange maintained its 2022/2023 production forecasts for both soybean and corn on last week, but cautioned further cuts were possible with yields on the first batches of soy coming in below expectations.
The exchange, which has been forced by a historic drought hitting the country to repeatedly sharply cut soybean and corn harvest forecasts, held its soybean estimate at 25 million tonnes and its corn outlook at 36 million tonnes.
Agricultural markets are likely to seek direction from U.S. Planting report due on Friday.
Analysts polled by Reuters ahead of the report on average expect 2023 corn plantings at 90.880 million acres, wheat at 48.852 million acres and soybeans at 88.242 million acres.
Ukraine's grain exports for the 2022/23 season were down 17.7% to 36.9 million tonnes as of March 27 reflecting a smaller harvest and logistical difficulties caused by Russia's invasion, agriculture ministry data showed.
Russia has no plans to halt wheat exports but wants exporters to ensure high prices for farmers, sources told Reuters.
The USDA reported another flash sale to China of 136,000 tonnes of U.S. Corn.
Commodity funds were net buyers of CBOT corn, soybean, wheat, soymeal and soyoil futures contracts on Tuesday, traders said. (Reporting by Naveen Thukral; editing by Uttaresh Venkateshwaran)
How A 46-Year-Old Lunch Lady Eats On $317K/Year In Big Sky, Montana
Welcome to The Receipt, a series documenting how Bon Appétit readers eat and what they spend doing it. Each food diary follows one anonymous reader's week of expenses related to groceries, restaurant meals, coffee runs, and every bite in between. In this time of rising food costs, The Receipt reveals how folks—from different cities, with different incomes, on different schedules—are figuring out their food budgets.
In today's Receipt, a 46-year-old kitchen assistant and lunch lady makes king cake and ravioli for elementary school students in Big Sky, Montana. She also drives an hour to get groceries in Bozeman. Keep reading for her receipts.
Jump ahead:The finances
What are your pronouns? She/her
What is your occupation? I am a kitchen assistant in an elementary school. Technically, I am a lunch lady. I work for the one and only school district in town, where we prepare food daily for around 350 students. All of the food gets prepared in one building where it stays put to feed the middle and high school students, and then half of it gets shuttled to the elementary school.
I'm writing this diary at a timely moment: The federal program offering free lunches ended last year, and many schools including ours now have no free lunch for the first time since prior to the pandemic. Our school is unique in that we are a public school in a small but largely affluent area, so few students at our school qualified for free/reduced lunch in the first place. Personally, my bigger issue with school lunches concerns the outdated USDA guidelines as to what is needed to qualify as a healthy lunch. I think reevaluating the regulations and big farm lobbying is even more important than continuing free lunch for all—especially when in so many schools, that free lunch is not fresh, local, or even very nutritious.
How old are you? 46
What city and state do you live in? Big Sky, Montana
What is your annual salary, if you have one? I live in a dual-income household: My salary is $17,000 and my husband's salary is $300,000. As many people know, working for a public school pays very little. Fortunately, my husband, an attorney, is able to pay many of the bills, allowing me the flexibility to work in the school (four to five days a week from 8 a.M. To 3 p.M.) and be available for our two kids (ages 12 and 10).
How much is one paycheck, after taxes? $100 per month. Most of my paycheck goes towards our health insurance and Health Savings Account (HSA), available through the school district plan.
How often are you paid? (e.G. Weekly) Monthly
How much money do you have in savings? $10,000
What are your approximate fixed monthly expenses beyond food? (i.E. Rent, subscriptions, bills)
The diet
Do you follow a certain diet or have dietary restrictions? I eat everything and so does my husband. The kids are a bit pickier, and we are somewhat constrained with options where we live, but I do try to buy organic.
What are the grocery staples you always buy, if any? Milk, bread, bagels and cream cheese, fresh and frozen berries, lots of butter (I bake a lot), eggs, Greek yogurt, carrots, apples, bananas, spinach, potatoes, string cheese, onions, tortillas, macaroni and cheese, and ramen for the kids. I buy many things in bulk from Costco and WinCo down in Bozeman, an hour's drive. There are small grocery stores in Big Sky, but they have fewer options and higher prices so I shop in Bozeman when I can. I usually do a Costco run about once every two weeks, and the weeks I really need to restock can run us $300 to $400 at Costco. We subscribe to a fish CSA and get great fresh fish and shellfish from them. We also know a lot of hunters, so we occasionally have game meat in the freezer as well.
How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home? Usually once a week. We don't dine out often because there aren't a lot of choices where we live, a small town of around 3,000 year-round residents.
How often in a week did you dine out while growing up? Rarely. My mom is a great cook and we ate out probably fewer than two to three times a month.
How often in a week did your parents or guardians cook at home? Every day. Once my twin sister and I were old enough, we would help out with dinner prep in the afternoons when we got home from school.
The expenses
The diary
MondayWe collaborate on the menu and I am able to bake a lot for our kids in addition to working on the main entrees. Today I am making a (healthyish) version of king cake to celebrate Mardi Gras.
7:00 a.M. I help my kids, who catch the bus at 7:55 a.M., make their breakfasts: yogurt with homemade granola from last week and a fried egg for one, and a bagel with cream cheese for the other. But I am not much of a breakfast eater, and I have never been a coffee drinker, so I have a glass of water. Then I head to the school to start lunch prep for the day.
9:15 a.M. While prepping lunch for the school, I often snack on whatever fruits or vegetables we are chopping up. The food service director has written several grants to get local food into our lunches and we make the vast majority from scratch. She is my friend and an amazing lady—not to mention one incredible cook. We collaborate on the menu and I am able to bake a lot for our kids in addition to working on the main entrees. Today I am making a (healthyish) version of king cake to celebrate Mardi Gras. I snack a bit on the cinnamon crumble, but mostly I am eating segments of cold, fresh, cut-up oranges that we are prepping for the day's lunch. They taste like winter sunshine.
11:35 a.M. We've just finished our first round of lunch service—we serve kindergarten through 2nd grade first, take a short break to clean and reset, and then serve the 3rd through 5th graders. During my break I eat what we are serving for lunch today: chicken chow mein with veggies, roasted broccoli, and more orange slices. I skip the cardboard milk today and have a coconut sparkling water that one of my coworkers brought for me. Had I paid for this lunch—and parents are allowed to come into the school for lunch on occasion!—my price would have been $4.50. Kids pay less, depending on grade. But because I am working, I enjoy my lunch for free. The chow mein is fantastic—full of fresh vegetables and deliciously cooked chicken. Even the kids who were dubious have come back for seconds. Broccoli is always a hit with the kids here. We roast it with a little salt and olive oil so it's never overcooked or bland.
1:30 p.M. I snack on yet a few more orange slices (they are so sweet!) on my way out the door to collect my older child for an appointment in Bozeman—about an hour's drive north. Another reason I love working at the school is the flexible hours.
4:00 p.M. I just finished up with my 12 year old at the orthodontist; braces have been put on. To celebrate/commiserate, I take her to Wendy's for a Frosty to lessen the pain. I get one too, and because I am feeling snackish (and french fries are my biggest weakness) we get a medium order of fries to share as well ($6.07 total).
We then take advantage of being in "town" to do a quick grocery shop at Safeway as well. The house is pretty well stocked right now, with plenty in the freezer and pantry, so I just get some essentials. Milk, bread, fruits and veggies, sparkling water, and a few things for dinner tonight. Total cost is $151.96. We throw the refrigerated items in a cooler and start the hour-long drive home.
6:45 p.M. My husband and 10-year-old are at hockey practice, so I work on dinner to have it ready when they get home. I do almost all of the cooking at our house—I like it and I am better at it than my husband, though he's a pretty good breakfast cook. Tacos tonight, because everyone will eat them. My son prefers regular ground beef tacos, but tonight I am making a recipe reminiscent of tacos we used to have at the state fair when I was a kid in California—a mix of ground beef, potato, lettuce, and chiles. It takes me about 30 minutes to prep the filling, and then I warm up the tortillas and chop up the avocado when they get home.
The tacos are salty and nostalgic with a cool and creamy hit from the avocado. Most of the dinner ingredients were bought today at the store: grass-fed ground beef ($8.99), green onions ($1.69), diced green chiles ($2.49), potato ($1.49), organic lettuce ($2.49), avocado ($1.99), corn tortillas ($2.99), plus previously purchased salt and pepper, garlic, and hot sauce.
Monday total: $158.03 TuesdayToday, we're celebrating Mardi Gras with scratch-made jambalaya (rice, sausage, chicken, bell peppers, okra, tomatoes), fresh pineapple, cheesy roasted cauliflower, and the king cake that I made yesterday.
5:30 a.M. My alarm goes off and I roll out of bed for a 6 a.M. Workout class. I love the class, but hate mornings. I have a few sips of water and take my water bottle along with me.
7:30 a.M. After a shower, I am helping my kids with breakfast again, and since I had a workout I am a little hungry for breakfast. I help myself to a little of what they are having that day: one fried egg (previously bought at $4.49 a dozen, GOOD GRIEF!), some hash browns ($3.49 for a bag of fresh shredded; we cooked about half), and the last of the orange juice I bought last week ($4.79).
11:30 a.M. Not much to snack on as we're prepping lunch today, so I wait until we finish the first round of service and eat the lunch we prepared. Today, we're celebrating Mardi Gras with scratch-made jambalaya (rice, sausage, chicken, bell peppers, okra, tomatoes), fresh pineapple, cheesy roasted cauliflower, and the king cake that I made yesterday. It's free again, and I wash it all down with a LaCroix that I brought along ($3.33 for an eight-pack). The jambalaya isn't too spicy (we don't want to scare the kids off!), but it's full of flavor and the king cake is enjoyed by all. The pineapple is refreshing and sweet, and the cauliflower is easier to sell with its crispy, gooey cheese topping.
© Courtesy of BA Contributor 5:45 p.M. Normally I wouldn't eat dinner this early, but I am running a community theater workshop that starts at 6:30 p.M. And my husband is coaching the high school's mock trial competition tonight. So I work up a non-recipe recipe with what looks good in the fridge. I sauté two onions ($1.49 each) and a green apple ($0.50) in a tablespoon of olive oil and butter. I add a package of sliced Aidells chicken apple sausages ($5.99, bought previously on sale) and half a bag of spinach that looks like it's not long for this world ($3.49). I add a cup of homemade chicken stock (pulled from the freezer, made previously with chicken and veggie scraps) along with a splash of apple cider vinegar, a teaspoon of dijon mustard, and a splash of cream. I cook this together until it's well-melded and serve it over mashed potatoes ($8.94 for the potatoes). The meal is ready in about 45 minutes and I enjoy puttering around the kitchen while I talk to my dad on the phone. He has recently gotten into cooking and calls me often with questions. He thinks he is bothering me but I love it! Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite comfort foods, and the sausage/apple/onion mixture is a nice combination of sweet and savory, with a bit of acid from the vinegar for balance. The kids don't love it, but my husband and I enjoy it and there are leftovers for tomorrow.
8:45 p.M. Home from community theater and feeling a bit hungry still, I eat a few more bites from dinner, plus a chocolate truffle that my husband gave me for Valentine's Day (I am trying to ration them out!). I usually have a pretty good resistance to sweets since I am baking so often, but the truffles are from La Châtelaine, a chocolatier in Bozeman, and they are incredible.
I also make more homemade granola using leftover oats from a cooking class that I taught, plus maple syrup, canola oil, honey, some spices and vanilla.
Tuesday total: $0 WednesdayHome from work and errands, and it is -8 degrees outside so I am cold and hungry.
7:15 a.M. I get the kids out of bed and get them started on their breakfasts. To last night's granola, I add some leftover toasted pecans from a salad last week as well as about an ounce of dehydrated apple chips that I got on a trip to Trader Joe's last time I was in Salt Lake City ($4.98/oz). This granola will last us about two weeks of semi-regular breakfast eating. I eat some of the granola along with some Greek yogurt ($6.49 for 32 oz) and raspberries ($5.99/pint). I love this mix of granola. The warm baking spices and maple syrup feel perfect for a winter morning, and the raspberries make it feel bright and fresh.
12:35 p.M. Didn't have time to eat between lunch service today, so I eat after the second round. Today we are serving spinach salad with tomatoes and cucumbers and a homemade balsamic dressing, toasted garlic bread, scratch-made marinara sauce, and toasted cheese ravioli. I eat a portion along with another sparkling water I brought. The toasted ravioli that we are serving was purchased frozen and it's just okay on its own, but delicious with the marinara sauce. And I'll eat any veggie with that balsamic dressing. The kids love it because they feel like they are eating mozzarella sticks for lunch, but they also eat a healthy amount of salad and blaze through the fresh local apples we are serving as today's fruit option.
After work, I pick up a few things for dinner, plus some staples (mushrooms, pepperoni, celery, bread, wine, yogurt, and a Caesar salad kit) for $44.69 total.
4:45 p.M. Home from work and errands, and it is -8 degrees outside so I am cold and hungry. I was supposed to drive to Bozeman for roller derby practice (in which case I usually snack heavily before practice and forage for leftovers when I return home), but roads are really icy so practice gets called off tonight.
Since I will be home, my husband has requested deep dish pizza for dinner, but I haven't started the dough until just now, so I know dinner will be on the late side. I eat a small portion of last night's leftovers and make myself some hot chocolate—the good kind with real chocolate. I heat up half a cup of whole milk with a splash of cream, a spoonful of powdered sugar, a pinch of espresso powder, vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder. Then I add two ounces of chopped chocolate and stir until melted. It is so much better than cocoa from a mix and it's easy, warming, and costs about $3.00 worth of ingredients that I already have on hand. It's so delicious that I sit down for a few minutes just to enjoy it before I put away the groceries.
I've started the pizza dough (flour, salt, water, yeast and olive oil, all previously purchased). While it rises, I grate the mozzarella ($6.89 for 16 oz), slice the shiitake mushrooms, ($5.88 for ¼ lb) and get out the pepperoni ($4.99). I top half of one pie with some fresh pesto that a friend just made for me and mix the bagged salad ($8.99). I made a quick tomato sauce with some garlic, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper added to a can of crushed tomatoes ($1.25, previously bought). The dough has to rise about 1.5 hours, so by the time I have baked the pizzas it is close to 8 p.M. Luckily, my family is used to later dinners, and the pizza is warm and filling and extra cheesy.
7:55 p.M. Sitting down to dinner, I have another sparkling water and a plate with two slices of pizza (I made two 9x13 deep dish grandma-style pies) and a large helping of salad. The pizza is satisfyingly chewy, with crispy edges from the olive oil-coated pans and crunchy frico-like cheese lacings on each slice. I get all of the slices with mushrooms since my family doesn't love them, so I don't even have to worry about staking a claim on the leftovers. We will have plenty of pizza remaining for tomorrow night, when I plan on being out with some girlfriends and my family can fend for themselves.
Wednesday total: $44.69 ThursdayWe don't have much variety of food up in my small town, but Bozeman is a thriving college area with a bit more in the way of choices and it's great to have options.
5:30 a.M. My alarm goes off for the 6 a.M. Workout class again. I have some water and head out the door. After class, I head home for a shower and get the kids up and ready and out the door.
9:45 a.M. I am off today and planning on spending a large part of it cooking and reorganizing my pantry. It's -10 degrees outside, so it seems like the perfect day to make a long-simmered bolognese to use for some lasagnas I plan to make and freeze for company coming later this month. Before I start, I have a few pieces of the pizza leftover from last night's dinner—one of my favorite breakfasts. Then I get to work on my cooking projects.
I'm also making two cakes for friends this week, and I start on those. Luckily, both of them want chocolate cakes (one large and one small) so I make the whole batch of batter (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, eggs, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and instant coffee) and get the pans in the oven. All of the ingredients are things I generally have stocked (I bake a LOT and buy many of my standard ingredients in bulk at Costco or WinCo). One will be frosted with a chocolate frosting I have leftover from my son's birthday a week ago, and the other will receive a cream cheese frosting (butter, cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar). Ironically, I am not a huge cake fan, but I do love the trimmings—or "cake tacos," as I like to call them. When I slice the tops of the cakes to level them off, I will often sneak a smear of frosting on top and fold it in half like a taco. The sugar in the cakes helps to form a semi-crispy top that is less desirable in a finished layer cake, but perfect for a snack and the only part of a cake I will fight for. Besides, you have to test for quality control, right?
© Courtesy of BA Contributor 10:30 a.M. I start on the bolognese, a mashup of a few different recipes. The prep takes about 30 minutes and then it will be mostly hands-off for the next four to five hours. I start with olive oil and butter in a large pot, then add one diced onion ($1.49), three diced carrots ($2.69) and a bunch of celery ($4.49). I sauté for a few minutes, then add in a pound each of veal, pork and ground beef, all previously purchased at this fantastic butcher down in Bozeman (veal for $13.18, pork for $5.77, ground beef for $10.98). Then I add lots of salt and pepper and then whole milk to cook down for about an hour ($4.29 for the gallon I bought on Monday). After that, I add some nutmeg and white wine ($6.99 for the can of Pinot Gris I picked up yesterday—perfect for cooking) and simmer for another hour. Finally, I add a can of whole tomatoes that I have crushed before throwing into the pot ($5.99). More salt and pepper. A few bay leaves ($5.99/oz). The sauce simmers and the house smells fantastic.
12:30 p.M. My husband surprises me and offers to take me out to lunch, since he is working close by and I am at home. There are very few places open for lunch in our small town, but our favorite spot, By Word of Mouth, is nearby.
We head there to find it packed with tourists. But we squeeze in and order a burger and a seared tuna salad to share, along with drinks ($55.50 total including tip, paid by him). I'm a sucker for a cheeseburger, and theirs is voted best in town! The tuna salad has big chunks of beautifully seared tuna along with greens and mandarin orange slices in a toasted sesame dressing. I eat a few of the vegetables, but then go back to my share of the burger and leave feeling extremely content.
6:15 p.M. A banner day for me today since I am eating out twice! A friend's birthday is today, so a few of us are taking her out in Bozeman for dinner and a community theater show. We try a relatively new spot in the Bozeman dining scene—an Indian place called Pakeezah that turns out to be pretty great. We start with flaky, savory samosas and crispy papadums and a bottle of sparkling wine, then split three dishes along with rice, naan, and a few sauces. We've chosen a palak paneer that's a beautiful emerald green, an aloo gobhi, and a malabaar chicken that is complex and warming. We don't have much variety of food up in my small town, but Bozeman is a thriving college area with a bit more in the way of choices and it's great to have options. The food is delicious and there is plenty leftover for all four of us to take some home for lunch the next day. We split the bill for four between three of us (we won't let the birthday gal pay, of course!), and the total for my share comes to $56.34, including tip.
Thursday total: $56.34, excluding lunch paid by my husband FridayI can't resist so I make a small bowl of salted honey butter that I leave on the back counter for staff or students that are savvy enough to ask for it, and then I load up a plate with salad.
7:30 a.M. I have the kids almost out the door and still am not hungry for breakfast, so I grab some water and head to the school to start the day.
9:30 a.M. I am just a little hungry heading into prep for today's lunch, so I grab one of the small chocolate chip cookies I'm making for the students that day and nibble on it as I get things ready (350 homemade cookies ready to go).
11:30 a.M. Fridays are soup and salad bar days at the school, so I have a lot of options when I pause for lunch. The soup today is minestrone, filled with vegetables and pasta and perfect in our continuing cold weather. The kids also get pear slices and pieces of cornbread that I made from scratch (no box mixes here!) this morning. I can't resist so I make a small bowl of salted honey butter that I leave on the back counter for staff or students that are savvy enough to ask for it, and then I load up a plate with salad. There are about 12 options for the kids to add onto their greens, and four different salad dressings to choose from. I add roasted beets, hard-boiled eggs, carrots, sliced bell peppers, and tomatoes to my salad, and top it with freshly made balsamic dressing. Then I inhale it before we start the second round of lunch service.
4:00 p.M. After I get home from the school, I finish up my lasagna project. The bolognese has cooled off in the fridge overnight, so I skim the hardened fat off the top and gently rewarm. I mix a few cups of flour with some salt, olive oil, and four eggs for fresh pasta and let it sit for an hour to relax before rolling out. While it rests, I grate a block of parmesan ($10.07, previously purchased) and prepare the bechamel. I melt ½ cup of butter (about $1.00 from Costco) and add ½ cup of flour to make a roux. I let this cook for a bit, then add four cups of milk, some grated nutmeg, a few cloves of garlic, and salt and pepper, and cook for about ten minutes to thicken up. Then I roll out the fresh pasta sheets and cook them for two minutes each before plunging in cold water. I layer the lasagnas with the noodles, bolognese, bechamel, and parmesan and get two large pans. I wrap the pans in foil and place in the freezer to thaw and bake later on.
It's definitely a labor of love but it will be so nice to just pop in the oven when I have lots of people at the house.
6:30 p.M. I have a curling match tonight (I play on an all-ladies team in our local rec league), and we have a game at 7:30 p.M. The kids are at friends' houses so I eat the last few slices of leftover pizza along with some salad greens still hanging out in the fridge.
9:30 p.M. We won our match and have another birthday to celebrate, so we walk to one of the local bars, The Drunken Monk, and I have two of the best gimlets ($12 each) in town to celebrate the birthday girl. The gimlet is everything I want it to be—super refreshing with the lime and not too sweet. Drinks aren't cheap in this tourist town, and I split the cost of the birthday gal's libations with one other friend, bringing my share to $50.00.
Friday total: $50.00 SaturdayWe are on the back side of the mountain and the only option for food is a stop at a slopeside yurt that serves beer and burgers.
8:45 a.M. We are out the door to head up to the mountain for some skiing today. We live 15 minutes down the hill from some truly epic skiing and we all have season passes. The kids have ski lessons today so they load up on eggs and sausage, but I am not hungry yet so I throw a string cheese in my pocket ($5.99 for 12, bought at Safeway on Monday).
10:30 a.M. I made a few laps and am getting a little hungry, so I eat the string cheese from my pocket when I stop for a water break. I try not to buy snacks when I am up on the mountain, but I met up with some girlfriends and we are enjoying the sunshine and planning on a late lunch mountainside.
2:00 p.M. We are on the back side of the mountain and the only option for food is a stop at a slopeside yurt that serves beer and burgers, a great choice in the sunshine on this 25 degree day. We stand in a line that seems to last forever and finally get our food. A huge cheeseburger with a small bag of chips costs me $17.00, but it tastes fantastic after snowboarding most of the day and smelling the grill as we waited in line. If there is anything that tastes better than a freshly grilled burger eaten in the sun after being outside all day, I don't know what it is.
6:30 p.M. Home from the mountain and getting ready to see a show at our local theater/high school auditorium. Our theater program gets some really fantastic shows to come to our small town, and tonight we are seeing a dance show at 7:30 p.M. We're all tired and in a bit of a hurry, so we turn to one of our stock freezer meals. I put a pot of rice on the stove ($21.99/25 pounds, previously purchased from Costco) and heat up some orange chicken ($13.69 for two family sized portions, previously purchased at Costco) and chop up some broccoli to roast ($3.79). It isn't anything groundbreaking, but the rice is comforting and the broccoli tastes fresh, and the chicken really isn't too bad at all. Dinner is ready in 20 minutes and we are fed and out the door.
Saturday total: $17.00 SundayI am all for the caramelized onions and the sourdough bread, so I decide to make patty melts instead.
9:15 a.M. Everyone slept in a little bit and now the littles are asking for pancakes. Although I prefer homemade pancakes with some flavor (like gingerbread pancakes!), my husband and kids prefer the trusty bag of Krusteaz pancake mix ($7.49 for a 5-lb bag, previously purchased). I eat mine with a few of the raspberries still lingering in the fridge, and the kids enjoy theirs with maple syrup ($14.99 for 33.8 oz, previously purchased at Costco).
1:30 p.M. My mother-in-law has recently had minor surgery and isn't feeling all that well, so the kids and I drive the hour up to Bozeman to visit her. To sweeten the deal, I have promised them lunch from their favorite ramen spot in town, Bozeman Hokkaido Ramen House. They share a Chicken Rich Ramen ($13.95) and I have the Tonkatsu Shoyu Ramen ($14.95), along with some edamame and gyoza ($12.90) for all of us ($48.07 total, including tip).
7:15 p.M. I'm not a huge fan of meal kits because I don't love the options they present. But I have also asked my husband to step it up and do a little more of the cooking around the house and this is an easy way for him to do a bit of the work. I forgot that we had an order of HelloFresh coming this week, so it's pre-picked for us. Unfortunately for me, this means that one of the meals is "Caramelized Onion Meatloaf Sandwiches with Roasted Potato Wedges"—and meatloaf is about my least favorite food. My husband is working tonight, so I dive in on the ingredients and make them my own.
I am all for the caramelized onions and the sourdough bread, so I decide to make patty melts instead. I use the beef they have provided to make thin burger patties and season them with salt, pepper, and a little worcestershire. I cook them "smashburger" style on my cast iron pan (it's too snowy to grill outside anyway!) and top them with some Swiss cheese and the onions I've caramelized in some butter and olive oil. My kids don't love the roast potatoes, but what they do love is french fries, so we decide to use the provided potatoes for cold-oil french fries—slicing the potatoes into thin strips and covering with cold vegetable or peanut oil, then bringing to a boil and cooking until potatoes are golden brown and crispy, then topping with truffle salt ($9.99/1 oz, previously purchased at The Spice & Tea Exchange). Not my favorite meal of the week, but everyone eats it ($42.95 total for the HelloFresh meal kit, including delivery).
Sunday total: $91.02
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