Letter writing, grocery shopping and a recipe.

First let me thank dd for re-designing my blog.  After telling me my blog was ugly and pointing out other problems with it, I gave dd the passwords and told her to get on with it.  Any issues please complain to her!!!  I am actually very pleased with how it looks now.  She does this type of thing for her job, so it's easy peasy for her.  So thank you dd, I owe you one, or do I?

This week's mini challenge over at Carla's was to write a letter to someone.  I have to say this was a simple challenge for me, as I had to send a birthday card to a friend in England and was going to enclose a letter, so I have managed to complete another challenge.  I do type my letters on the computer, but always sign them in pen.

On Friday I went grocery shopping at No Frills, as I had errands to run in "S" town.  So armed with a list and flyers to price match with I got what is below.  If you remember I mentioned last week I went over my $75 weekly budget, so wanted to only spend $65 this week.  Below is what I got and I paid..........

$55.90 or 35 pounds and 49p or $56.17 USD  I used $9.79 in coupons and I think my best deal was the 8 packs of Activia yogurt.  They were on for $3.99 and I had $2 off coupons, so only paid $1.99 each.  Also the milk (4 litres or 1 gallon) was only $3.99 as I price matched with Zehrs.

As always it's not a nutritionally balanced shop as I have things in the house from prior weeks shopping that I will use to make meals.

Dh was told by the doctor to have more fibre in his diet along with vegetables, so that's my goal this week.  Also I am lacking in iron so I made a new to me recipe on Friday night that covers both these issues.

Mixed Bean Stew with Cottage Dumplings.

Cottage Dumplings:

1 cup shredded, reduced fat cheese (4 ounces)

2/3 cup cooked, fresh, frozen (thawed) or canned (drained) corn

1/2 cup all-purpose/plain flour

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

1/3 cup bread crumbs, either white or whole grain

1/3 cup cornmeal

2 egg white.

Mix all the ingredients together.

Mixed Bean Stew:

2 cups cooked great northern beans or 1 can (around 15 ounces) great northern, cannellini or navy beans, rinsed and drained.

2 cups or 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained.

1 cup chopped red bell pepper, around 1 medium

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 can (around 15 ounces) tomato sauce

Heat the above ingredients to boiling in a saucepan; reduce heat.  Shape dumpling mixture into 12 balls and carefully slide balls onto beans in simmering stew (do not drop directly into liquid.)

Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.  Cover and cook for a further 10 minutes longer or until dumplings are firm.

Serves 6

Sorry about the photo, it's not the best.  I will say however this recipe is a keeper.  I don't think it will feed 6, 4 is more realistic.  Even dh enjoyed it, although I cooked a couple of sausages with his.  I also didn't have cornmeal so I used couscous instead and that seemed to work.