A Fool’s Dream

Breakfast: Skipped $0

Lunch: Stir-fried tofu and beans, given to me by my boyfriend (thanks!) $0

Dinner:  Rotisserie Chicken sandwich, chicken leftover given to me by my boyfriend (thanks again!)  $0

Rotisserie Chicken is perhaps a good dollar a day meal even if I have to buy one myself.  I usually can get 3 meals out of it: I like the dark meat, so I’ll eat the legs and wings first.  Then I will tear the rest of the meat out, make a sandwich or two out of it (with Japanese Mayo, shown above), or stir fry with it.  The bones and meat that didn’t quite come out can be boiled in water, making a broth base for creative soups.

Breakfast: Skipped $0

Lunch: Macaroni and cheese made the night before $0

Dinner: Blue Horizon Organic Parmesan sauce Shrimp Penne Pasta $0

I bought this frozen Penne pasta a while back when it was on sale in Whole Foods maybe for $5.  It is pretty easy, open the bag and heat it on the stove for 10 minutes or so.  I think there is a bit too much oil in the sauce, but I think it’s always hard to get the creamy sauce right when re-heating or in this case, from frozen.  The taste was pretty good, not big enough to fill two people, but for the price I think it is reasonable to save the hassle of making the same dish from scratch.

Breakfast: Skipped $0

Lunch: more Murshroom Risotto! $0

Dinner: Stir-fried veggies, 2 sunny side up eggs and brown rice $0.30

It was a beautiful display with all different kinds of colors, but I could not find where my camera is so I have to just post without the picture.  Veggies were given to me by my boyfriend’s grandma, perfectly for someone like me as I don’t get enough veggies.  I also made some Annie’s Homegrown Organic Peace Pasta with Parmesan out of a box for tomorrow’s lunch that I bought a while back when it was on sale.

Breakfast: Skipped $0

Lunch: Mushroom Risotto from 2 nights ago $0

Dinner: Fishfry leftover from 3 nights ago $0

My boyfriend brought me some vegetables from his grandma’s to help me sustain my Dollar plan, so maybe tomorrow I can do a stir fry on them.  On Saturday, we went to Trader Joe’s and I bought a loaf of bread for me, and I think I will be making some sandwiches for lunch this week.  I am hoping that I can actually avoid the grocery store completely until I finish my plan, which will be great to clear out the fridge/shelves as I am leaving for Japan the next day.

Brunch: 2 waffles with homemade maple syrup $0

Dinner: Ghanian hot “Shito” sauce with rice $0

My old roommate from college is from Ghana, and I have tried a few Ghanian dishes and they all taste so delicious!  They make a special sauce out of smoked shrimp, hot peppers, onions etc, and it is used as common as a spread to go with rice etc.  I remember years ago when she gave me a little ziploc bag with maybe an oz or two of this sauce, and when I went home (we lived separately later) I simply licked the sauce out of the bag and finished it in a short amount of time.  It was not until I visited her in 2006 that I got to taste this sauce again, and knew its name.  This time I actually got a glass jar of it to take home with me!   She moved further away now and gets busier with a new baby, but every now and then when I think of her, I would scoop a spoonful of the Shito sauce to go with my rice and remembering those college days.

Breakfast/Lunch: Udon shared and provided by my boyfriend $0

Dinner: Mushroom Risotto made by my boyfriend $0

Snack: Kid’s size Hot Chocolate from local coffee store $1.85

I have to say it is a lot easier to control the dollar plan when I am home by myself.  Going out usually draw a lot of temptations, such as the hot chocolate that I wanted.  It was pretty cold when we went out, and it made me feel so much better instantly…just not the price for a small 8oz beverage!  My boyfriend ended up buying the mushrooms, onions etc to make the risotto for dinner, as I was not sure how I will be able to have dinner with $1 when I am away from my kitchen.

Breakfast: A cup of tea and a slice of chocolate cake provided by co-workers $0

Lunch: The rest of the stir-fried cabbage $0

Dinner:  Fishfry!  $5

This is the dinner that I promised myself if I was able to keep up my first 2 weeks of a dollar a day plan.  We went with a few friends, and ordered fish frys and a spicy scallop roll.  Minus the $25 coupon we ended up paying $10.  I even have leftover for tomorrow!

Breakfast: A cup of tea  $0

Lunch: A bowl of oatmeal $0

Dinner: A hamburger from Burger King $1.05, and leftover pasta from last night $0

Parking: About $0.65

I had to give a lecture today and it was raining/snowing, so I decided to pay parking so I can park close to the building entrance.  I did not have enough change to feed the meter, so I went to the student union and got cash.  I was a little hungry so I decided to find the cheapest food to eat.  Burger King’s $0.99 hamburger was plain but it took care of my hunger, then I came home and ate the rest of the pasta.  Short of time and hunger really aren’t dollar plan’s friends!

Breakfast:  None  $0

Lunch: Half of a stir-fried cabbage $0.5

Dinner: Spinach Pasta with Black Squid Sauce $0

I was going to post the picture, but the squid ink sauce was too black to show in a black bowl.  I think I got this from Mitsuwa, a Japanese store in Arlington Heights, IL.  It is very simple and easy, just cook the pasta to al dente, then throw the sauce packets into the hot water for 4 minutes then pour it over the pasta.

Breakfast: Skipped $0

Lunch: Brown Rice with minced beef that made a few days ago $0.5

Dinner: The other half of the roasted potatoes $0.5