Where I Shop-Part 3

 

If you are just jumping in here today this is the third in the serious of three answering “Where Do I Shop?”  Today I share my lists from bulk shopping stores.  Bulk shopping is a learned art!  My shopping list never includes all of these items at one time.  That would be a super expensive trip.   The great thing about purchasing in large quantities is that time and money can be saved by purchasing enough for several weeks or months!  I love saving time and money!

 

 

Costco

I was recently asked if I actually saved money with my Costco membership.  I save enough in almond milk and rice milk to break even on the cost of the membership.  The membership gives me access to foods that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to get in bulk, and I like that.

·         Almond Milk

·         Rice Milk

·         Uncooked tortillas (Yes, they are white four, but we do not normally eat white flour so this is an area where I give.  These are a great price-about $7 for 44 tortillas, and have a very short ingredient list.)

·         Nuts

·         Canned salmon

·         Organic tortilla chips

·         Organic salsa

·         Organic lettuce

·         Fruit leather

·         Toilet paper

·         Paper towels

·         Olive oil

·         Grape seed oil

·         Honey

·         Maple syrup

·         Fish sticks (Yep, one more convenience food, but they are made with 50% less breading and wheat flour so I justify!)

·         Frozen tilapia

·         Natural peanut butter

·         Organic eggs

·         Dairy-free chocolate chips

·         Oranges

·         White vinegar

·         Baking soda

·         Contact solution

·         Organic frozen green beans

·         Organic frozen broccoli

·         Coffee

 

Azure Standard

At first I was skeptical about ordering from Azure.  It seemed a little complicated to me.  I order online and pick the order up off the back of some semi?   It has never been difficult.  First, I signed up to join the online co-op which was painless.  You cannot see prices unless you sign up to join the co-op.  I don’t like to sign up for things that I am unsure of, but they do not inundate my inbox with sales and specials as do most online stores.  I appreciate that.  Once a member a phone call can get you the contact information for you area’s co-op organizer if you have specific questions about your drop.  (ie. Where is the specific location of the drop?) There is a minimum order of $50.  The part that made me the most nervous was that I cannot find out about the exact time of our drop until the DAY BEFORE THE DROP!  That made me nervous.  I signed up with a friend so that if one of us was unable to go the other could pick up the order.  The pleasant surprise has been that in the 8 months that I have been ordering from Azure my drop has always come on the Wednesday after the order cut off between 5-6 p.m.  It isn’t as vague of a drop off as I feared.  The prices from Azure are worth any inconvenience.  Organic whole wheat pastry flour is $0.50/ pound.   (Last month we went through around 19lbs of flour!) Organic apples this month were $0.98 per pound.  I love stocking up on a great deal!

·         Organic whole wheat white pastry flour

·         Sucanat

·         Rolled oats

·         Seasonal organic produce (Apples, carrots, peaches, potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, etc.)

·         Coconut yogurt

·         Fish oils

·         Coconut ice cream

·         Coconut oil

·         Frozen organic berries

·         Palm shortening

·         Organic raw cheddar cheese

·         Organic crushed tomatoes-canned

 

Another great online resource worth mentioning is Vitacost.  They do not have the produce deals that I am always looking for, but they do have some really great deals on fats like coconut oil, palm shortening and ghee.  They also carry vitamins and fish oils.  They will often run shipping specials or buy one get one 50% off, but they send me many emails.  I think that is annoying.  They will ship directly to your door which for many is worth something too!  Vitacost is worth checking out.  Email me if you would like a $10 discount code! (simplymadehome@gmail.com)

 

I think that should wrap up my shopping lists.  Did I forget anything?  Were these lists helpful?   Where do you find the best deals?  I would love to know!

 

 

If you missed Part 1 or Part 2 you can read them at these links!

 

This post is linked up at http://www.spain-in-iowa.com/ http://frugallysustainable.com/ http://authenticsimplicity.net/ http://wearethatfamily.com/

Where I Shop-Part 2

Where do I shop?  I live in a really great spot for purchasing real food for a great price.  In the Des Moines area we have Whole Foods, Hy-Vee, Dahl’s, Fareway, Campbell’s Nutrition, Aldi, Trader Joes, Target, Wal-Mart, Costco and Sam’s Club.  (Did I forget any?) We are also just a hop, skip and a jump away from great local farms. 

I am a very busy home school mom with four children 7 and under.  I do not have time to go get three things at each store chasing each deal and sale.  Instead I choose one store each week (two if it makes sense) and get everything that I need from there for the month.  In order to do this I plan our menu for a month at a time and bulk shop.  I have chosen to shop at Costco, Fareway, and Trader Joe’s.  I am part of a co-op that purchases directly from Picket Fence Creamery, and I order online from Azure Standard. 

Do you want to peak at my shopping list? Today we will look at my lists for Trader Joe’s, Fareway and Picket Fence.

Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s is still relatively new to our area.  I like the food selection and the price.  I like the atmosphere.  (The kids try to find “Bacon” the pig hidden on the shelves.  When they find him they get a sucker; it keeps them entertained!) I have a couple of problems at TJs.  A lot of the produce is imported.  I don’t buy grapes there because I am too cheap to buy organic, and the conventionally grown grapes are from Chili.  It is easy to justify some of TJ’s packaged food because they usually claim it is healthy.  It is still more expensive than making it from scratch and often times is still just processed food.

·         Organic applesauce

·         Taco shells

·         Frozen mini tacos (A processed food we indulge in for convenience!)

·         Organic yogurt

·         Lunchmeat

·         Shredded cheese

·         Beef hot dogs

·         Bananas

·         Ice cream

·         Sprouted bread

·         Butter

·         Dishwasher detergent

·         Dish soap

·         Organic carrots

·         Organic lettuce

·         Dark chocolate (My weakness)

 

Fareway

I grew up shopping at Fareway.  It is significantly cheaper than Hy-Vee or Dahl’s and will honor competitor prices.  Each Tuesday I check the Aldi ad to see what is on sale and then bring the flier with me when I shop on Thursday.  Fareway does not have a lot of organic foods, but they are trying.  I vote with my dollars and try to support their efforts.  I will buy boneless skinless chicken breast there as well as roasts.  It is not organic, but it is also not gassed or injected with water solutions, and they do not use iodine or finely textured beef.  I try to buy fruits and veggies that are not on the Dirty Dozen from Fareway and any extra baking supplies I need.

·         Thick skinned fruits (bananas, pineapples, oranges and melons in season)

·         Domestic Grapes

·         Raisins (California)

·         Noodles and Pasta

·         Tomato sauce

·         Low sugar jelly

·         Frozen veggies

·         White, brown and powdered sugar (we don’t go through a lot of these so I do not purchase in bulk)

·         Al Fresco chicken sausage

·         Fresh chicken breasts and roasts (when on sale)

·         Triscuits

·         Ketchup

·         Mustard

·         Organic apple cider vinegar

·         Dry Beans

·         Sour cream

·         Sheeder milk

·         Sweet potatoes

 

Picket Fence

I am part of a co-op that takes turns making once a month trips out to Picket Fence Creamery.  I am currently out of ground beef (I order ground beef and whole chickens from Tom’s Ranch when they are taking orders), so I am purchasing it from Picket Fence.  They had eggs on sale this month so I stocked my fridge with 8 dozen!  That will last 2-3 weeks for us depending on the amount of baking that I do.

·         Milk

·         Eggs

·         Ground Beef

·         Bacon

·         Raw Honey

·         Sausage

(If you missed Part 1 yesterday you can find it here!)

 

This post is linked up at http://mamaldiane.com/ and http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/

Where I Shop-Part 1

If you have not noticed the rise in the cost of food in the last few years you are probably not the one doing the grocery shopping for your household!  I have been asked a few times where I shop for real food at the best price.  (And if you ask I will try to post a reply because I think it is much more fun to have a “conversation.”)

Before I get into the specifics of what I buy where I thought that I should first explain how I decide what to buy where.  There are usually four factors that I think about when buying food: Budget, Diet, Geography and Methods of Farming.  The weight of importance that I put on these four categories may be completely different than that of my neighbors.  I am sharing my thought process not to convince anyone to think this way, but because I think that it is important to know why I shop the way that I do before I share how I shop for our family.

Diet: We eat a Real Food diet which means that we try to consume foods that have been minimally processed.  Many times the food that we eat is dairy-free because 50% of our children have a dairy intolerance.  I went back and forth several times trying to decide if this was the first criteria that I use or the second.  By putting it first I didn’t want to imply that there is never processed food in our cart.  We follow the 80-20 rule and 80% we eat really well, but there is the 20%.  I ended up putting it first for two reasons.  1) If we cannot eat it I don’t buy it even if it is on sale or organic. 2) I think that many times people think that real food cannot be eaten on a budget, and that simply isn’t true. 

Budget:  The first time I wrote this post I put budget first.  Then I changed my mind and I put it second because I don’t always buy the cheapest apple per pound or spend hours cutting coupons.  However, I have to stay within my family’s budget or I am not being a good manager of my home or steward of our money.  I watch for sales, buy in bulk and make from scratch when I can.

Local: I support local businesses and farmers whenever I can.  There is greater accountability when the consumer is looking in the farmer’s eyes asking about methods.  The consumer can influence how and what is available.  Many farmers are responsible but are not certified organic.  They may be even healthier than the organic foods in the supermarket.  I prefer to buy eggs from the farm than even the organic eggs at Costco, and I love contributing directly to the economy of local families!

Organic: How food is grown or raised is important.  This post would get incredibly long if I went into great detail, but I will say that pesticide and insecticide residue remains on fruits and vegetables, and hormones and antibiotics in animals are passed along to those who consume them.

Grocery stores, membership stores, online shopping and local producers; I shop from each one of them every month using many bulk shopping principles to best serve my family.   I can’t wait to continue this discussion on where to buy quality food at great price! 

This post is linked up at Raising Arrows, Homestead Revival and Penniless Parenting

Laundry Links You Need!

This year I started making my own laundry soap.  It is super easy, effective, and cheap, Cheap, CHEAP!  I have expanded my laundry adventures to stain removers.  Today I am passing along my favorite laundry links!


Liquid Laundry Detergent-I use liquid because this is what was recommended by the manufacturer.  This recipe makes a lot so if your have a small family and little storage find a friend or neighbor and split the batch.  I used this soap to pre-treat a shirt after popsicle fiasco the other night.  I put the soap on the shirt after bedtime baths but waited to wash it with the regular laundry the next morning.  Not a bit of color on it!  Hooray!

Powder Laundry Detergent-While I don't personally have experience with this recipe I have a couple of friends who love taking the powder short cut!

Homemade Oxiclean-I don't normally buy white T-shirts for my 7 year old son, but I found a pile of new Nike T-shirts for $0.50 each at a garage sale.  White or not they were a bargain!  I have been using oxiclean this summer to try to keep them white!

Everything Cleanser-I still love this stuff.  I use it on my stainless steal pains, our tubs and toilets and yes, on our clothes.  I love solid shirts, but in my chosen profession is kind of messy.  I end up with a lot of those annoying oil spots that look wet after they are dry!  This stuff does the trick!

Fabric Softener/Color Catcher-White vinegar works wonders in the laundry room and it is oh so cheap too! 

 

May your laundry be clean and may the little laundry elves fold the clothes while you sleep! :)

 

Spicing Things Up

I think that there is much wisdom in the way that household chores were divided by the pioneer women long ago. 

Wash on Monday,

Iron on Tuesday,

Mend on Wednesday,

Churn on Thursday,

Clean on Friday,

Bake on Saturday,

Rest on Sunday."

While my weekly chores look nothing like the chores of those amazing women I can apply this principle of efficiency.  I have been attempting to have a day that is set aside for cooking and kitchen prep.  Cooking/Kitchen day is after grocery/errand day so I can chop fruits and veggies and theoretically have all the ingredients for snacks or freezer meals. 

This week I was restocking my pantry with a few of the seasonings that I mix up myself. The benefits to making them myself are…

1.      Cost-I don’t need to pay someone with a hairnet down at Tone’s to mix up my Italian Seasoning.  I can do that myself.

2.      Personal Taste-I can adjust recipes to our family’s taste. 

3.    Health-My ranch mix does not contain maltodextrin, moosodium glutamate, lactic acid, citric acid, or artificial flavors.

 

Last Thursday I mixed up a few great ones and put them into recycled jars to keep handy in the cupboard.

Italian Seasoning I didn’t have the celery leaf, but it still tastes great!

Ranch Dressing Mix- We go through a lot of this when you consider that only 50% of the people in my house eat it.  Those of us who do get to dip our veggies love it.  I use about 1 tablespoon to 1 cup of sour cream and it is great for carrots, broccoli cucumbers and baked potatoes!

5 teaspoons onion powder

7 teaspoons parsley flakes

4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Taco Seasoning (Cumin is the key to taco seasoning.  I used to think that as long as I put something spicy with garlic and onion I would be okay.  Other spices can be altered (we omit the cayenne and red pepper) but don’t skip the cumin!)

Baking Powder-It is really simple to make aluminum free baking powder.  (I just keep it in an old baking powder container!)  Use 2 parts cream of tartar, 1 part baking soda and 1 part corn starch.  Easy Peasy!

This post is linked up at Tammy's Recipes, Food Renegade, The Nourishing Gourmet, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Quick Easy Cheap Healthy, Frugally Sustainable and Elsa Cooks

A Simple way to Grind

Sometimes I like to get a little creative in the kitchen.  One thing I like to do is use different kinds of flours for different nutritional benefits.  I have used almond flour to pack in a little more protein or coconut flour to add tons of fiber.  I have made food from these flours that we enjoy as a family, but they can be a little pricey.  There are two that I grind myself that are not expensive at all.  I don't have fancy equipment; I just use our little coffee grinder!

• Oatmeal -Grind regular rolled oats into flour for baking.  Oatmeal will absorb a lot of moisture, but it is a great flour to play with!  Try substituting oat flour for the oatmeal in Breakfast Cookies for a different texture.  I am hoping to try this chocolate muffin recipe soon! 
• Flax-Flaxseed contains a little fiber, but it is most beneficial when it is freshly ground.  The little seeds need to be opened to release the oils; the oils contain both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.  The oils from the seeds may have dried up if flax is purchased already ground and would not contain the same health benefits so I grind it myself.  A few tablespoons of ground flaxseed can be added to baked goods or casseroles.

This post is linked up at http://wearethatfamily.com/, http://frugallysustainable.com/, http://quickeasycheaphealthy.com/, http://www.tammysrecipes.com/node

Beans!

Ever know that something should be really simple, but you still can’t figure it out?  That is my story with dried beans.  Beans are healthy, full of protein and fiber.  They are a great addition to a meal without adding a lot of costs.  I knew that dried beans were healthier and cheaper than canned, but I tried boiling them a couple of times, and I didn’t like the texture.  They were still kind of hard, and as the inside of the bean cooked it kind of popped out of the shell.  (Is the outside called a shell…skin?)  I was frustrated.  How difficult can it be to cook a bean?  I have made much more difficult things than a bean.  Sigh…

I borrowed the book Large Family Logistics from a friend, and the author casually explained how she made beans.BLOG-POST SUBJECT HIATUS: I picked up the book because I read that smaller families can learn a few things from the organization and plans of larger families.  We are a family of 4 which by “definition” is a large-small family.  5 kids tips a family over into the small-large family category.  And now you know…back to beans.  I should not have been that excited about the author’s bean making process, but I will shamelessly admit that I was.  I tried black beans last week, and they were perfect!  Hooray!

1.       Soak the beans in water over night.  I used a whole bag of beans and added enough water to cover the beans plus a little extra.  Tip: Add a couple of teaspoons of acid (apple cider vinegar or lemon juice) and your beans should cause less flatulence.  J

2.       The next morning strain the beans and rinse.  Wipe out the crock pot and spay lightly with cooking spray. Return the beans to the pot.

3.       Cover with water and cook on low for 5-7 hours. 

4.       After the beans have reached the desired texture, rinse and use or store.  Tip: Season beans with salt after they have cooked or they will not get soft enough!

If you are not going to use your beans right away they can be frozen for future meals.  I froze some and made protein bars out some.  (See recipe below)  The crock pot was stained from the black beans but scrubbing cleanser easily took care of that!  Happy bean making! 

Protein Bars

*Some call these “Black Bean Brownies”.  I was raised that my great-Aunt Verda’s buttermilk brownies were the definition of the ultimate brownie.  These are very tasty protein bars!

·         1 ¾ cups black beans

·         3 eggs

·         ¼ cocoa

·         1 tsp vanilla

·         3 Tsp oil

·         ¼ tsp salt

·         1/3 honey

·         ¼ sugar or sucanat

·         ½ tsp baking powder

Mix together all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour into greased pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the top just starts to crack.

This post is linked up at Tammy's Recipes, Quick Easy Cheap Healthy, Food Renegade, Nourishing Gourmet, Frugally Sustainable