As a rule I’m not a breakfast person. A glass of tea and a berry banana protein smoothie works for me most days. But after an early morning appointment the other day my othet half was craving eggs Benedict so we searched for a restaurant.
When a little family run place in the middle of nowhere called the Countryside Diner presents itself, you can’t say no.
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I have to say I was surprised at the burgundy and gold whore house color scheme. It totally clashed with their logo.
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But I’d read good reviews so we plunged into the breakfast menu – where all the combos came with beans. You know you’re in Maine when.
Not being a baked bean lover, especially at 9:00 am I chose two small sides… biscuit and sausage gravy with home fries.
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The husband’s Benny was rich and tasty but correct me if I’m wrong, breakfast shouldn’t be grey… right? My meal tasted as good as it looked, which is to say horrible.
When we lived down south I acquired a mild biscuits and gravy addiction. When made properly? It’s the nectar of the gods. Sadly up here in bean country they can’t make it to save their lives… but hope springs eternal and I order it when I see it, usually to my disappointment.
And before you say why don’t you make your own at home… the husband hates it. Ever tried to make biscuits and gravy for one? Not possible.
Personally, I do not pea… but the husband is a huge fan so when hams are on sale for Christmas and I’m left with a bone, there’s only one thing he wants.
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Split pea soup. Which happens to be the easiest soup to make… so it’s hard to refuse even though I can’t stand the smell or taste.
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5 hours later ? A pot full of slop with the consistency of sludge as far as I’m concerned.
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But the husband is in leftover pea heaven, and hey… I have to throw him a bone now and then.
For the first time in two years we’re venturing out of our Thanksgiving Covid bubble and spending the holiday with friends as was our tradition. It will be a small gathering with a large amount of love.
And food. As well as drink.
In that spirit… I went shopping yesterday for the ingredients to whip up my contributions to the feast. To say I had sticker shock is a gross understatement, and while I’ve been cringing at the checkout counter for a while now, this trip was solely to make three things which made the cost positively ridiculous.
Harvest sangria –
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And mind you, I already had the vodka.
Crabmeat toasties –
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Already had the mayo.
And a cappuccino mousse trifle.
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Already had the milk.
To assemble a drink, an appetizer and a dessert in 2022 without the items I already had at home?
$211.76.
Granted the fresh crabmeat is an indulgence at … are you ready? … $40 a pound. In Maine! Two pounds are pictured, which a few years ago cost me roughly half that. And sure, I could have brought cheese and crackers but everyone loves these and looks forward to them. Probably because they’re too cheap to ever make it themselves, but still.
On the flip side of my extravagance, I have a frugal girlfriend. Every year she challenges herself to make an entire Thanksgiving dinner for six people for under $30. She’s so proud of her ability to do this she lists her purchases on her Facebook page if anyone wants to follow her lead.
I thought this year, with its astronomically high food prices, she wouldn’t be able to do it.
I was wrong. And I’m including her post because she just impresses the Hell out of me.
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I’ve been asked by so many people if I was going to do a Thanksgiving on a shoestring post this year. Well, I did it. I’ll give a shopping list with prices, menu, and break down how I did it. Turkey $6.14 (.47 #) 13# bird 1 1/2 # sweet potato .56 2# sweet onions .87 Celery $1.50 1# carrots .50 2.5# potatoes $1.00 Squash $1.00 Turnip $1.00 Fresh herbs $1.99 Graham crackers $1.25 1 large banana .40 1# flour .75 2 cups sugar $1.00 Canned whipped cream $2.50 1qt. milk $2.19 Butter $3.99 Vanilla pudding $1.49 Cranberries $1.00 Stuffing $2.49 Grand total $31.62
Thanksgiving menu Roast turkey with stuffing Mashed potatoes Squash Roasted Root Vegetables Homemade cranberry sauce Homemade gravy Chai pie Banana cream pie Biscuits
This was probably the most challenging budget Thanksgiving Dinner. My goal was to keep it at or below $30.00. I could have done it if I went with with cheaper options, like margarine, instead of butter, but I refuse to skimp on quality. Another option was to get a loaf of bread for 1.29, at the off price bread store for stuffing, but $1.00 savings in the meal didn’t make sense when it cost more in gas to go get it. A lot of things, like potatoes, flour, and sugar I buy in bulk, but I used store prices for those items. By making things from scratch, like pie crust, biscuits, and cranberry sauce, you can save a lot of money. I got canned whipped cream, because whipping cream was sold out. The price is about the same. My menu is looking a little different this year as well. I talked to those who were coming for dinner, and we decided on two pies that we all liked. There’s no sense in baking a bunch of pies that aren’t going to be eaten. Six different side dishes aren’t necessary, so we decided what our favorites were. We grew our own Squash, turnip, and herbs, but I priced them for the dinner cost. This list can be tweaked to your personal liking. I didn’t include beverages, because we already have that stuff on hand. In the end, Thanksgiving dinner for 6 breaks down to $5.27 per person. That is, until I turn leftovers into more meals 😉………Happy Thanksgiving all! I hope this had helped 🙂
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Proof positive it is possible.
That’s also proof I’ll never do it myself, but hey… to each their own.
So however you celebrate Thanksgiving , or even if you don’t… I hope your day is filled with food, friends, family and fun.
The husband’s weekly Sunday pool game is still in full swing and I fear I’ve doomed myself to a full day of cooking, serving and cleaning from here on out.
I’m hard wired to feed people when they visit, and though technically no one is visiting me… the men come over to play at 9:00am and don’t leave until 3:30 – 4:00pm which means lunch. Whipping up something in the crock pot works well because it meant less trips back and forth, and with no kitchen or running water in the man cave I’m not serving 3 course meals. But it also means I’m up and cooking at 5:00am every Sunday so it’s ready at noon. Back and forth to the barn with cutlery, plates, serving utensils etc. … setting it all up, feeding them, clearing up, running it all back to house to wash. This is not my idea of a relaxing weekend.
But the sweet little (competitive as hell) old man is a widower so now as well as feeding him lunch… I’m boxing up leftovers for him to take home.
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Creamy ham and noodle casserole was a hit last week. As was my plate of strawberry crinkle cookies I made the night before and had to post off limits before the husband ate them all.
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I keep telling the guys once summer heat is in full swing the meal train is apt to stop, although the widower’s disappointment is almost palpable. No one wants chicken and dumplings in July… and besides, I’m rapidly running out of crock pot recipes.
River's world..... 