Our friends came in the afternoon for a classic toddler playdate, which involved moving from the padding pool to the house to the paddling pool too many times. The kids put on a show where they forgot all the words, and then everyone went home before dinner.
Dinner was ham sandwiches and scrambled eggs and fruit, because I guess that is a balanced meal?
Today we are going to a friend's house for a play date and hopefully Andy will be back soon after that. I honestly do not know how single parents with young kids, or parents with partners who work abroad or travel lots do it. (Elisabeth!!)
This morning we are getting a grocery delivery, which I haven't done for months. It turns out, I like choosing my own fruit and veg. I also spend £80 whether delivery or online, but the delivery prices seemed to go up faster than the in store prices (at the cheaper store by our house) so we shifted back to shopping in store.
Also, one of our logistical issues is that our FLOM is on Friday and we generally need food on the Saturday so one of us goes to the shop on a Saturday since next day delivery wasn't a thing last time I checked.
Side note - one of the signs the pandemic must be over - full availability of grocery delivery slots:
On another side note, we since the recent fridge/freezer reshuffle (photos to follow!) I decided we need to eat more of our freezer food and we need to finish up more of our grains we don't often eat. Yesterday I made hummus with the remainder of the fava beans. I still need to use the buckwheat and the giant cous cous.
We also need to eat some of the leftovers in the freezer, which I have recently started dating better (after I pulled out a bag of frozen Thanksgiving Turkey in June).
- Sunday: Chicken sliders and Fries (with chicken from the freezer)
- Monday: Fish Curry (with freezer fish)
- Tuesday: Tacos (with leftover freezer meat)
- Wednesday: Jacket potato & Beans
- Thursday: Pasta Bake (with Frozen meat of some sort)
- Friday: Noodles and Tofu (must find recipe!)
- Saturday: Pizza
Do you get groceries delivered or do you go to the store? What's your favourite Buckwheat or Giant Cous Cous recipe?
A ham sandwich dinner sounds epic - I do believe I'll steal that idea. The closest that I've ever come to a grocery delivery is when my husband does the grocery shopping;-) Every time that I've considered setting up delivery it's just seemed simpler to go to the store. With that said, if I was flying solo with young kids, I think I'd go the delivery route in a heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteHang in there for the rest of your solo time! And then take a spa day!
Oh I could so use a spa day! Great idea :-)
DeleteI did already have a camping weekend (48 hours) and a friend weekend (72 hours) so I think it's pretty fair the husband takes 36 hours for a bike ride, but I am definitely still tired haha.
We have never done grocery delivery. I don't even know if that's an option around here. We/I am picky about our food and I don't want anyone picking out our produce or making brand substitutions. But I think if I had small children or was caring for an elder, I would make use of that service as much as I could!
ReplyDeleteI had never done it until the pandemic. Then it wasn't so much the actual being in the shops that bothered me, but I hated the queuing outside for ages and just how unpleasant shopping was. When I realized I could pay someone £3 to deliver I was all-in, except I generally don't order loose produce and I feel like delivery way increases the amount of packing they use.
DeleteIn the summer I want to chose all my own fruit and I want to look at all the fruit so it's way less appealing.
I really don't enjoy grocery delivery, but I did it last week for the first time in a while. I have a 1.5 and 3 year old and we couldn't get through the store without some type of meltdown. I love shopping at ALDI, but their produce is hit and miss and so I *really* prefer to be able to look at it!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could get an ALDI delivery of just nappies and mixed nuts and cereals and other shelf staples because it really is the cheapest and I hate going there with kids. I also find their produce 80% miss... but sometimes it's a super hit and really good price. It's definitely the cheapest by far.
DeleteI tried grocery delivery during the pandemic, but ultimately decided that the premium they put on it was not worth it to me. I also do like looking at my own produce, so I have never ordered fresh items online. My grandma was ahead of her time and when she was in her 80s (before the pandemic!) she would get groceries delivered and she loved not having to leave the house and drive and stand up for long periods while shopping! It really is a game changer.
ReplyDeleteI like buckwheat pancakes and have had a really good buckwheat waffle, BUT I have never made either of them myself, so I don't have a recipe.
I love buckwheat pancakes too! I used all our buckwheat flour though. We have a waffle iron so maybe when I finish these buckwheat groats I'll get buckwheat flour again and make some waffles.
DeleteThe grocery prices are the same here but it's £3 delivery which seems OK to me. I probably wouldn't do delivery groceries if it cost more than that, or if the actual items were more expensive. I do love picking out produce and I like buying things that take my interest at the store rather than guessing what I want with the online search feature.
Interesting; I have only ever ordered from Costco, and it is Instacart, and they definitely add like a 3% premium to each item. So the delivery is "free" but you pay more for the products. Actually I have also had Walmart delivery, but only for non-perishables, and there is no markup for those.
DeleteOh the joys of solo parenting! Been there and still there :) I have stopped overthinking food. If it's made at home, sandwich or not, they are happy. I am happy. One night I made a sort of a "charcuterie" board of cheeses and other random things and the three of us sat down. The kids told me that was their favorite memory lol
ReplyDeleteWe love kid charcuterie board! I think my kids favourite meal ever was when I was very tired and we had cheese sandwiches for dinner. They asked for cheese sandwiches for weeks after that.
DeleteWe've only done grocery delivery exactly once (when both Jon and I had Covid), otherwise I prefer to go to the store. I actually like grocery shopping and much rather pick out produce myself. I am also not really willing to pay for the "convenience"... although I am thankful that the service exists.
ReplyDeleteI did grocery pickup a few times during the pandemic, but I feel like things often weren't available, or the produce wasn't what I would have picked etc, so I quickly went back to shopping in-store. That said, if I still had a toddler, I think I'd use this a lot more? My best friend has a 2.5-year-old and LOVES ordering her groceries online so she doesn't have to wrestle a wriggly child at the store!
ReplyDeleteOof. Solo parenting is...a lot!
Going to the store is great if the kid(s) are in a great mood and well behaved. It's a nightmare if they're tired or grumpy! I definitely appreciate the option of paying £3 to have someone bring me my list sometimes :-)
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