Being sick threw things off again, so I didn't go shopping on Monday, my usual day. I went on Tuesday.
First order of business was to make the list(and drink coffee). Sometimes the list is easy to make because I keep a whiteboard on the fridge to write down things we need as they come up. Then I just rewrite my list so it makes sense for going through the store.
Ansel was.... excited? About.... shopping? I'm not sure. But I do know he has egg on his face.
In a perfect situation, I would go shopping first thing in the morning and be back for lunch. But this week I didn't leave until the afternoon, so I wanted to put dinner in the slow cooker. Chili won, because it was a lousy rainy, cold day.
This does use a lot of canned items, but eh. Someday I'll get past that, but for now, I'm ok with it. 
Nicole's Chili Recipe:
1lb ground beef
2 15oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 15oz. cans tomato sauce
15oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
15oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 large chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper(I use more, but we like things spicy)
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 chili powder(I make my own)
Brown the ground beef. Combine everything else in slow cooker. Cook on low 8 hours.
Everything in. This smells soooo good as it's cooking.
And.... then we went to the store. On a nicer day, when I get started sooner, I'll take some pictures of the shopping excursion, too. But for now, pictures of the haul will have to do.
This is a pretty normal shopping trip for us. I didn't buy any meat because we had a lot in the freezer already. I didn't do as much cooking when I was sick as I normally would have, so there was enough that I skipped it for this week.
This cost $99. Everything is organic or at least pesticide/hormone/HFCS free. 
The dairy. Two gallons of local, non-homogenized milk. It comes from here. I got to meet the man who owns the farm once at our local store. He had just started selling his products there and he was very nice and let Ansel have a LOT of samples. That won me over. The price for organic, non-local milk is the same as this milk. It's not the "organic" status that pulls me in so much as the idea of a more conscious product, so knowing the background of this product and the way it's produced is plenty for me.
The produce. Pretty normal for a week. We'll eat all of this, except maybe a couple of potatoes, by the time I go to the store again next week. We'll also use more apples, but we still had a bag and a half. Everything is either organic or local/pesticide free.
The other grocery items. I think everything is organic except the mayonnaise and the curry sauce. I replaced all the canned items I had used to make the chili earlier. I like to keep things like that stocked so I can use them as needed. The boys also begged for this cereal, and there was a coupon and a sale, so... I said ok.
The laundry stuff. I just started using this detergent, and will post about that soon in more depth. I also use Bac-Out for washing diapers, and will post about that at some point I am sure. Both of these items had coupons, so I wanted to take advantage of that even though I didn't need more right now.
When we got home, dinner was done! My husband was already eating as he had to get off to work. The boys ate as soon as it had cooled down enough. It was really good(always is). I think I might start aiming to have a slow cooker meal on all my shopping days just to make life easier.
Now it's really late, but I wanted to get this up tonight before it goes too many days in blog silence.
I actually dreamed about you tonight! I was asking you (okay, bugging you) when your next blog would be posted! Coincidence?...
ReplyDeleteYou're such a good shopper, & where did you find coupons for the Charlie's? And the bac-out, for that matter (still haven't tried it, but keep meaning to.)
And start canning!!! It's pretty darn easy, and you can make your own things (like super yummy chili) and can it for later so you it's ready in a jiff! We're currently doing jellies and preserves, chili, chutneys, soups, and tomato sauce.
We actually get organic raw milk from a local dairy for about $7/gallon. I love that ya'll have found non-hom milk locally, how much is it? It is great stuff!
ReplyDeleteThe coupons are actually in a book our store gives out. They have TONS of them, too, and then pull pads of coupons throughout the store on certain items. Because most of what we buy is produce and the like, there's not a lot I can use. So when there is something, I try and take advantage(like the curry sauce had a coupon, and the bagged salad).
ReplyDeleteAnd eventually I'll get into canning and everything. But it's a process, and I'm trying to get good at this other stuff first and make it routine before I take on more.
And Angela, the milk is about $5 a gallon. The organic, non-local is within a few cents of the one I buy. Reading all the info on the farm where the local milk comes from, I feel like it's almost as good as organic anyway, plus the benefit of being non-homogenized. The hard part to swallow is that it's about double the cost of conventional milk in the regular grocery store here.
Oh, I should also add that I'm trying to resolve the price disparity between the conventional and this local milk by decreasing our weekly usage from 3 gallons to 2. I'm making a point to pour smaller servings for the boys so they don't waste, and putting any leftover into the fridge for them for the next time they drink some. I also don't let Ansel drink milk throughout the day. Just a cup in the morning and a cup with dinner.
ReplyDeletewe've been getting organic valley milk, which although is not homogenized (does not say it anyway) it IS ultra pasteurized, for a lengthy shelf life. I am trying to somehow financially work up to non homogenized and non pasteurized since the OV milk costs us exactly the SAME as regular milk after using coupons during super doubles at Harris Teeter.
ReplyDeleteAlso I cannot believe it cost almost a $100 for that small pile. GAH! you went from paying pennies to hundreds... craziness, but worth it.
cant wait for the laundry post!
thanks for the chilli recipe, looked awesome, trying it next
Yea, organic would be my preference over regular, but given that I have this other option for the same price as organic.... why not? I think it's better to have local than not, and it may not be "organic," but it IS hormone free and non-homogenized. So...
ReplyDeleteAnd yea. We always spent money on produce. This produce is somewhat more expensive, varies product to product, but there was always that expense. But now it's needing to have more of everything because nothing is coming out of packages. That's what hurts the pocketbook.