Getting better at this "no-spend" stuff

Today I needed to get to my bank to get some papers notarized (the winner's affidavit for my trip to Texas in a few weeks), so as long as I was out and about, I ran in to the store to get milk. That was the only thing that I knew we needed. As I was driving to the store, I remembered something: Fresh Express salad was on sale this week, Buy One, Get One Free, and I had a free coupon. Hmmm... maybe we needed some free lettuce, too. When I got to the store, I pulled out the coupon and gathered up the empty pop bottles in my trunk to return them for the deposit. I also had to return a bottle of juice that somebody had opened, took a good swig from, and put back on the shelf... gross. When all was said and done, I ended up getting $5.24 back in change from buying a gallon of milk and two bags of salad. So, now I'm at $6.26 spent on groceries so far this month.

I tried a new recipe tonight. When I was looking around the Sabra website, I saw a recipe for a salad dressing made from hummus. That really took me back... about 25 years. When I worked out by Eastern Hills Mall, there was a restaurant in the mall (I think it was inside AM&A's) called "The Juicery." I know they made a salad or sandwich that I loved with lots of veggies and a hummus-based dressing. This recipe sounded like it might be a match, and, believe it or not, I had almost all the ingredients on hand... even toasted sesame oil! Well, I didn't have the rice vinegar, so I substituted red wine vinegar. It was a little too thick to pour, so I added a tablespoon or two of water. It was absolutely delicious... I gave Bethany a slice of cucumber with the dressing on, so she could try it. She isn't a big fan of hummus, but she liked it. Ron decided that it tasted great on crackers... so Candy and Bethany tried that, too, and agreed. I love it when a recipe's a hit!