So for some reason, I can't stop eating this week. You name it, it has probably been in my mouth. Although I have to stop myself shopping when I'm hungry, so thank goodness there is no crap in the house. I had thought it was pre-menstrual, but looking at the calendar, I think I have at least a week or two before P-day. Who knows WHAT it is, but I hope it stops soon. I did well by planning my meals for the week. I ended up spending about 5,000 this week on the shopping, which is a few thousand less than usual and I'm pretty sure that's down to the planning. It also meant that I cooked a few more interesting things this week, because I had to sit down and think about it in advance. This week saw chicken stewed with winter veg., cottage pie, marinaded pork chops with vegetable croquettes, veg. and meat lasagne, chicken kiev, and salmon and broccoli tagliatelle. Comfort food was the main theme, but I am amazed at how the kiev turned out. I thought it would be a big mess, but apart from being a bit fiddly, it's sooooo easy, and wasn't at all dry.
This Thursday, Y had to work overtime until 10p.m. on the 24 hour hotline shift, so the gym was out, then Friday is their closing day, and then today? Well, we ventured to Costco in Iruma. My first plan was to take the train to Omiya (love LOFT), but Y pointed out that maybe over an hour on the train would see the children getting restless and turn out to be super stressful. So not wanting to disappoint H on my suggestion of taking the train, we drove to Takasaki station, parked the car and rode the train four stations, then came back on another one. She was so excited bless her. And L spent the whole journey saying, "choo choo". Then we got back in the car and drove to Costco (Y's idea), which was a close to 2 hour drive. I drove while the children slept. Partly because I can't sleep/rest/stop my fingers from turning bright white while Y is driving, and partly because being a passenger bores me.
L continued to sleep in the pushchair for about an hour after we ventured inside the warehouse that seems to get bigger the longer you are in it. H, however, was a big big grizzly pain. I want to pick up, race around, and get out as soon as possible! But hubby, nope, he likes to browssssssse... So crowded, there I am having huge trolley battles with middle aged women who pretend not to see me, while trying to placate my 3 year old who thinks Costco is suddenly the most boring place on earth.
Phew, three hours later, we emerge 30,000 yen less wealthy (how did THAT happen?!?!?!) and more than ready to go home. Again, out of fear for our lives, I drive home, let Y bath the children, fawn at them in their cute oversized p.j.s, wish I'd read the label on the cute p.j.s I bought for me, which although an L, are definitely a Japanese L as opposed to a western L...so glad I didn't plump for the M.
So for tonight, I will give the gym a miss, and am about to turn in for the night too. A long day, rounded up with two glasses of Chianti. I will sleep very very well :)
Only 5000yen a week on groceries and you fed 4 people? WOW! Even though I plan all our meals I am still lucky if I can get by on spending 8000yen a week (8000yen would be a GOOD week)- do you think it also has something to do with where we live?
ReplyDeleteThat said, I do buy extra meat/vegies for the meals since Shun takes a bento almost every day.
Wish we could do it on 5000yen though!
Would love to hear how you did Chicken kiev! I love Chicken Kiev! You sound like me though and a lot of your meals are more on the "Western" side! I only cook Japanese style once or twice a week, and Chinese at least once a week too.
I guess I didn`t realize that you guys wouldn`t catch the train much...it must be exciting for the kids when you do! So far Noah seems to like the train though- but he was the same way when I was pregnant always kicking when we were on the train!
Loved the photos of the kids, as always :-)
Thanks Lulu! About the food, I would say it probably has a lot to do with area. Our local supermarket has lots of veggies from different farmers (the farmers' names are on the shelf under their produce), so the prices are pretty competitive. I would say most of the houses in my town belong to farmers too. It's not dirt cheap by any means, but I would say much cheaper than Tokyo, for example.
ReplyDeletePlus, I buy rice by 30 kilo bags from a local farmer, so I'm not including that in the budget either! I think that week just turned out to be a lucky one, because I have spent 8000 this week, but for us that's also a good week! Kindie serves lunch four days a week, so at lunch time, it's just the two of us. I make bento for hubby too, but usually end up buying microwaveable stuff to save time.
Yeah, I suppose most of the meals I make are "western" I'm not really a big fan of Japanese food in general. The more "eastern" foods I make are more a bit of a fusion. I think it comes from not really knowing how to cook healthy but tasty Japanese food that's low in salt and sugar for the children. I am a big believer in children developing tastes at an early age and I have exposed the children to lots of different foods, including colourful fruit and veggies, and was a bit annoyed at L's 18 month check up when the woman asked me if he ate Japanese food...as if anything else was inferior...gah! She never asked if he ate sugar-laden crap that most other children his age do! Different priorities I guess. Ha ha, anyway not to get carried away..yum, I love chinese food too!
I used to take the train and bus a lot more before I could drive, but I don't think H remembers much of that! They really loved it anyhow. Noah just seems like such a happy little fella, I can't imagine him disliking anything :)