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To the next Nestie that complains about the grocery bill....
I will send you two college aged, hardworking, constantly starving Kranikans.
Then we'll talk. 
We have two exchange students for the next two weeks. My cupboards will be bare and I will be broke before Kranikan I leaves.
I made spaghetti the other night. 3 boxes of noodles, 2 pounds of hamburger. 2 jars of sauce. All gone.
We had hamburgers on the grill for lunch with oven fries. 3 pounds of hamburgers, 12 buns and 3 pounds of potatoes. Gone.
I'm on my sixth box of cereal and 3rd carton of juice since last Wednesday!
I can't keep enough milk in the house...don't get me started. Thank God I know where to find a cow. 
Kranikan II is doing very well. He's shy and has a bit of an attitude like Kranikan I, but he's more chatty. H and I also just decided it's cultural so we're not letting it get to us as much this time around. Super smart kid and wants to learn a lot. Needs some help with the work ethic, but it'll come (He has old, old Russian money backing him and he's never worked a day in his life....well because he's never had to. He's here to dairy farm because his parents have tons of money invested in one back home and they want him to manage it when he returns).
I'm really proud of Kranikan I. He's teaching Kranikan II a ton and has been nothing but helpful. He's also all of a sudden out of his shelf, grown up and actually funny. If he'd had been this much fun 9 months ago, we wouldn't have had a problem...lol. Oh well. I think he's proud of all he learned and can now teach someone else. As much as I whined about him on here somedays, at the end of the day he is a good kid, come a long ways and I'm proud of him.
My basement on the other hand with 2 boys in it...smells like a college dorm...blech!
ETA: We call new e. student Kranikan II, because he sounds like, walks like, talks like, looks like Kranikan I. Like they were long lost brothers. It's ironic and creepy all the same.
Re: To the next Nestie that complains about the grocery bill....
You win, hands down! I could never survive having to cook like that.
Wives Unscripted
DS ate 5 pancakes yesterday and then wanted more. I'll sell one kid if the next is a boy too. I'm not sure I'll be able to afford 2 boys lol.
Glad the Kranikan I vs. Kranikan II is working out!
TTC Baby #2 - BFP on 12/14/11 @ 10DPO - CP confirmed 12/18/11
BFP #2 on 1/13/12
It's not that bad. The problem is thinking of stuff. If I have to cook for 2, I can do it for four no problem.
The Kranikans like unhealthy food...lol or hotdish which gets a bit hard. H and I aren't the health police but we're also okay with salad for dinner sometimes.
We're also working on the independence, find your own snack thing which helps.
What types of things do you make? Do you need meal suggestions?
Oh my goodness that sounds like so much food! Haha!
So glad K2 is working out well and learning from K1! Hopefully it will be good all around!
Yes! Suggestions welcome.
Grill food soup and noodle dishes are big hits but I'm open to tons. Kranikans could eat the same thing for a week..H and I not so much..lol.
It is! They're both 21. It's amazing how much your metabolism slows down. My H who is 31 and does a ton of physical labor is at a point where he could a yogurt and a hamwich for lunch and call it good...but these kids are intense! H has never really been a big eater and usually prefers lighter stuff anyways..so I'm not used to this potatoes, gravy, roast 3xs a day bit.
That's what they're used to though back home!
Lasagna and stuffed shells could be good. Also would let you sneak in some veggies like spinach if they're picky (at least, this is what I do to DH).
Would they be up for a taco/nacho bar type of setup?
Wives Unscripted
Thanks! They're both on my list. Kranikan's fave is lasagna and he tells me they don't have the ingredients for it in the Ukraine...so I promised him I'd make one before he left.
Taco bar would be good!
We're having a farm lunch meeting on Thursday and I'm doing a pizza/salad bar type set up...I'm hoping that goes over well.
Yeah, they'll eat veggies. If I throw them on their plates...they just don't willing choose those...but the rule is I cook, you eat!
What about:
Fajitas with spanish rice
Sloppy Joes with salad, and roasted potatoes
I recently made these spinach calzone things, and they were the shiz. Super easy to whip up. I got the recipe from one of my Parenting mags.
Chicken caesar wraps
Chicken pot pies
Stuffed green peppers
I was going to suggest sloppy joes. We make it with tomato soup instead of the Manwich. And H always puts in garlic pepper seasoning too lol. I bet a family sized can and ... 2 pounds of hamburger might be enough lol.
A pan of enchiladas might work too.
TTC Baby #2 - BFP on 12/14/11 @ 10DPO - CP confirmed 12/18/11
BFP #2 on 1/13/12
Girl , make the easiest salad ever- trust me- they'll eat this one!
cut up tomatoes chunks and cucumbers in slices in a 1:1 ratio and then add either a half of an onion or scallions, drizzle some oil, salt and mix. VIOLA. Trust me- it's like the go-to Russian salad served in every Russian and Ukranian home.
Soups are huge in the Slavic countries, especially the split pea and the vegetable ones. Chicken noodle soup is also good. Russians tend to eat a lot of bread too- the hardy kind. Pizzas would be good- or maybe they can make their own!? just get some pizza dough and let them go at it.
Good luck- glad to hear that they are working out.
LOL. Thanks! Kranikan eats that first salad everytime I'm not home to make something.
And we do have a ton of soup..it's just getting so nice, I'm sick of making it. I want salad and grill food! They don't seem to understand that though....they must eat soup whether it's 110 or 30.
I'm fine with it, but they literally would it eat every day!
Let's not talk about how many loaves of bread are currently stashed in my fridge!
They love it..esp. the crappy American white bread kind. I've finally at least started buying wheat again...they can deal.
Wow! In case you're interested, here are the meals I make for DH when he's working 12 hour days for a month. (I put them in the freezer in individual containers, though they'd never last long enough in your house to make it to the freezer lol.)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/delicious-ham-and-potato-soup/detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/awesome-slow-cooker-pot-roast/
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/southwestern-bean-casserole-10000000520037/
http://celebrationsathomeblog.com/2011/10/slow-cooker-vegetable-beef-soup-recipe.html
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/leslies-favorite-chicken-and-wild-rice-casserole-10000001923740/
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/02/spinach-lasagna-rolls.html (Note that you should use jarred spaghetti sauce NOT 32 oz of tomato sauce. She actually makes her own "tomato sauce," so for the rest of us not interested in stewing tomatoes, substitute jarred spaghetti sauce.)
And this chicken tetrazzini from a church cookbook:
Btw, what did you ever end up doing about their bedrooms?
My Pinterest
The Googlesites Paint Bio
Thinking of doing cosmetic updates to a dated home? These were our costs.
Thanks! Looks good. I'll try some of those.
As for the bedrooms, I decided the Nest was right and didn't even worry about. I just put Kranikan II in the not so great guest room and let Kranikan I stay where he is. They can switch when Kranikan I leaves. I got too busy to worry about it, he arrived and just decided they're college aged guys as long as I didn't shove them in a coat closet they won't care if the sheets match or the bedside tables have current reading material..lol.
We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
LOL. I like making stews for a large crowd. I do like soups too (anytime of year as well) but I can understand you getting sick of them.
HOLY CRAP.
I will never ever complain again about my grocery bill
:(