A little over 2 weeks ago I bought a nice kombucha, brewed some tea, poured it all into a big jar with some sugar, wrapped it all in a towel and stuck it in the cabinet above my fridge, hoping for the best. Well, it worked! I know have a thin, lovely scoby of my very own, even though my house is cold cold cold. Yay! Now I'm going to start brewing some more :)
happily,
-nava
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
WIC
We applied for WIC today, and got vouchers for the boys. For information's sake, let's break this down!
Voucher #1&2: $6 worth of produce. ($12 total)
Yes: whole, pre-cut, shredded, packaged; yams and sweet potatoes; bagged greens; organics ok
No: salad bar, deli or party trays; dressing or dip; nuts, dried fruit, croutons; canned or jarred; herbs or spices; other potatoes (white, red, gold, russet).
So far so good. These vouchers basically cover the banana habit in this house.
Voucher #3: 1 lb. cheese. 2 gallons whole milk. (Adin)
Voucher #4: 1 lb. cheese. 2 gallons low-fat milk. (Asher)
Voucher #5: 1 gallon whole milk. 1 quart whole milk. (Adin)
Voucher #6: 1 gallon low-fat milk. 1 quart low-fat milk. (Asher)
Yes: cheese: any brand mild/medium cheddar, colby, colby-jack, cheddar-jack, monterey jack, mozzarella. Milk: any brand, pasteurized, vitamins added; fat-free, low-fat, reduced fat; skim deluxe, ultra, supreme; *whole; *acidophilus milk; *lactose-free; *Meyenberg goat milk (evaporated, fresh, powdered); *soy (8th continent plain or Pacific Ultra plain/vanilla)
No: cheese: sharp, extra sharp or white cheddar; sliced, deli, string or shredded; organic, soy, goat or raw; cheese foods or spreads; smoked or flavored; fresh mozzarella. Milk: rice milk, buttermilk, flavored or raw; organic; added Omega-3 or Vitamin E
Here's where my brain went: What?! No organic? Excuse me? Ok, it's pricier. Um, and? I don't know about you, but that is a lot of milk to drink. Couldn't you offer a lower volume of good milk, instead of a higher volume of bleached pus and vitamin-deficient gluk? Just a thought. No added Omega 3 or vitamin E? Which the majority of these kids are deficient in? No raw? The best possible choice for milk drinkers? Whaaaaa? Now, the starred milks are available, but only if they are specifically listed in the voucher. Also, they have to be in that size. The store only sells quart sizes? Well, too bad. You have to buy it in gallon sizes or no voucher! (This was fun. Yeah.)
As far as the cheese, come on, no organic, no goat, no raw? I get that those are pricier, but they are also the best way to get nutrition from these products. How does filling kids with nutrient-deficient foods save money, even in the short run?
Also, why is Asher in low-fat milk? He's 3! He's little! He does not need low-fat anything. Weird. Ok, moving on.
Vouchers #7& 8: 1 dozen eggs, 36 oz. cereal(12oz. or larger sizes); 2 juices (64 oz. plastic bottle or 11.5-12oz. frozen); 32 oz. 100% whole wheat bread, corn tortillas or brown rice; 18 oz peanut butter (16-18 oz size) or 16 oz dried beans/peas. Ok these will be fun.
Eggs: yes: white, large, chicken eggs. No: brown; specialty (naturally nested, eggland's best, cage free, higher Omega-3/Vitamin E); organic. Again, no organic? What's wrong with brown? And what's with the war on vitamins?
Juice: This time we got pictures of the allowed juices. Let's just say, no organics were involved in the creation of these choices. Again. At least they are all 100% juice! Nice job!
Carbs: Bread: Yes: 100% whole wheat. No: light; organic. I'm sensing a theme.
Tortillas: yes: soft only; yellow or white corn; bulk is ok. No: fried or chips; flour; organic.
Brown rice: yes: jasmine/basmati ok; any brand; bulk ok. No: white, wild, instant; added seasonings: sugar, fat or oil; organic. Except for the organic part, I'd say this one is spot-on.
Cereal: Yes: General Mills cheerios, chex, kix; crispy rice (malt-o-meal/store brand); Post banana nut crunch, honey bunches of oats, grape nuts; Kellogg's corn flakes, frosted mini wheats, rice krispies, all-bran complete; Quaker oatmeal squares, life, instant grits; cream of wheat; store brand oatmeal. No: Anything else. (The store brand was too big, so we tried to get Quaker oats. Nope.)
Peanut butter: Yes: any brand, any style; bulk/grind your own ok. No: low-fat/reduced-fat; jelly/honey/Omega-3 added; honey roasted; spread; organic.
peas/beans/lentils: Yes: any brand/type, dry; bulk ok. No: added seasonings; organic. My voucher did not say lentils, so I bet it would have caused issues at the register had I tried.
We did not get the following, but hnere are the guidelines:
Infant foods: fruits and veggies:
Yes: mixed fruits & veggies ok; 4 oz. jars. No: 'dinners' or desserts; toddler food; added cereal or yogurt; meat or noodles; sugars or starches; added DHA; organic.
Meat: Yes: meat may contain broth or gravy. 2.5 oz. No: 'dinners' or 'casseroles'; fruit, vegetables or noodles; toddler food; added DHA; organic.
Cereal: Yes: 8 oz. or larger. No: added formula, milk, yogurt or fruit; added DHA; jars, cans, single serving packets; organic.
So, these vouchers give a really good array of foods, my only issue, really, is the anti-organics and anti-vitamins stipulations. Which are nuts. Also the sheer volume of milk they expect my kids to consume. Do people really drink that much milk? When I was little I drank milk, but I would be given a glass or so a day, so I guess I can see it. I just haven't had milk in so long that I can't even picture drinking that much myself. Anyhow, it's an interesting system, and it does a lot of good to a lot of people, so we are very thankful for it. :)
* I took my vouchers back to get them changed to goat's milk. They are now:
Voucher #3: 1 lb. cheese. 7 quarts whole goat milk. (Adin)
Voucher #4: 1 lb. cheese. 7 quarts low-fat milk. (Asher)
Voucher #5: 6 quarts whole goat milk. (Adin)
Voucher #6: 6 quarts low-fat goat milk. (Asher)
That is a lot of cheese and yogurt! Maybe even some butter! I think I'll ask in June if I can switch Asher's to whole as well, we'll see!
happily,
-nava
Voucher #1&2: $6 worth of produce. ($12 total)
Yes: whole, pre-cut, shredded, packaged; yams and sweet potatoes; bagged greens; organics ok
No: salad bar, deli or party trays; dressing or dip; nuts, dried fruit, croutons; canned or jarred; herbs or spices; other potatoes (white, red, gold, russet).
So far so good. These vouchers basically cover the banana habit in this house.
Voucher #3: 1 lb. cheese. 2 gallons whole milk. (Adin)
Voucher #4: 1 lb. cheese. 2 gallons low-fat milk. (Asher)
Voucher #5: 1 gallon whole milk. 1 quart whole milk. (Adin)
Voucher #6: 1 gallon low-fat milk. 1 quart low-fat milk. (Asher)
Yes: cheese: any brand mild/medium cheddar, colby, colby-jack, cheddar-jack, monterey jack, mozzarella. Milk: any brand, pasteurized, vitamins added; fat-free, low-fat, reduced fat; skim deluxe, ultra, supreme; *whole; *acidophilus milk; *lactose-free; *Meyenberg goat milk (evaporated, fresh, powdered); *soy (8th continent plain or Pacific Ultra plain/vanilla)
No: cheese: sharp, extra sharp or white cheddar; sliced, deli, string or shredded; organic, soy, goat or raw; cheese foods or spreads; smoked or flavored; fresh mozzarella. Milk: rice milk, buttermilk, flavored or raw; organic; added Omega-3 or Vitamin E
Here's where my brain went: What?! No organic? Excuse me? Ok, it's pricier. Um, and? I don't know about you, but that is a lot of milk to drink. Couldn't you offer a lower volume of good milk, instead of a higher volume of bleached pus and vitamin-deficient gluk? Just a thought. No added Omega 3 or vitamin E? Which the majority of these kids are deficient in? No raw? The best possible choice for milk drinkers? Whaaaaa? Now, the starred milks are available, but only if they are specifically listed in the voucher. Also, they have to be in that size. The store only sells quart sizes? Well, too bad. You have to buy it in gallon sizes or no voucher! (This was fun. Yeah.)
As far as the cheese, come on, no organic, no goat, no raw? I get that those are pricier, but they are also the best way to get nutrition from these products. How does filling kids with nutrient-deficient foods save money, even in the short run?
Also, why is Asher in low-fat milk? He's 3! He's little! He does not need low-fat anything. Weird. Ok, moving on.
Vouchers #7& 8: 1 dozen eggs, 36 oz. cereal(12oz. or larger sizes); 2 juices (64 oz. plastic bottle or 11.5-12oz. frozen); 32 oz. 100% whole wheat bread, corn tortillas or brown rice; 18 oz peanut butter (16-18 oz size) or 16 oz dried beans/peas. Ok these will be fun.
Eggs: yes: white, large, chicken eggs. No: brown; specialty (naturally nested, eggland's best, cage free, higher Omega-3/Vitamin E); organic. Again, no organic? What's wrong with brown? And what's with the war on vitamins?
Juice: This time we got pictures of the allowed juices. Let's just say, no organics were involved in the creation of these choices. Again. At least they are all 100% juice! Nice job!
Carbs: Bread: Yes: 100% whole wheat. No: light; organic. I'm sensing a theme.
Tortillas: yes: soft only; yellow or white corn; bulk is ok. No: fried or chips; flour; organic.
Brown rice: yes: jasmine/basmati ok; any brand; bulk ok. No: white, wild, instant; added seasonings: sugar, fat or oil; organic. Except for the organic part, I'd say this one is spot-on.
Cereal: Yes: General Mills cheerios, chex, kix; crispy rice (malt-o-meal/store brand); Post banana nut crunch, honey bunches of oats, grape nuts; Kellogg's corn flakes, frosted mini wheats, rice krispies, all-bran complete; Quaker oatmeal squares, life, instant grits; cream of wheat; store brand oatmeal. No: Anything else. (The store brand was too big, so we tried to get Quaker oats. Nope.)
Peanut butter: Yes: any brand, any style; bulk/grind your own ok. No: low-fat/reduced-fat; jelly/honey/Omega-3 added; honey roasted; spread; organic.
peas/beans/lentils: Yes: any brand/type, dry; bulk ok. No: added seasonings; organic. My voucher did not say lentils, so I bet it would have caused issues at the register had I tried.
We did not get the following, but hnere are the guidelines:
Infant foods: fruits and veggies:
Yes: mixed fruits & veggies ok; 4 oz. jars. No: 'dinners' or desserts; toddler food; added cereal or yogurt; meat or noodles; sugars or starches; added DHA; organic.
Meat: Yes: meat may contain broth or gravy. 2.5 oz. No: 'dinners' or 'casseroles'; fruit, vegetables or noodles; toddler food; added DHA; organic.
Cereal: Yes: 8 oz. or larger. No: added formula, milk, yogurt or fruit; added DHA; jars, cans, single serving packets; organic.
So, these vouchers give a really good array of foods, my only issue, really, is the anti-organics and anti-vitamins stipulations. Which are nuts. Also the sheer volume of milk they expect my kids to consume. Do people really drink that much milk? When I was little I drank milk, but I would be given a glass or so a day, so I guess I can see it. I just haven't had milk in so long that I can't even picture drinking that much myself. Anyhow, it's an interesting system, and it does a lot of good to a lot of people, so we are very thankful for it. :)
* I took my vouchers back to get them changed to goat's milk. They are now:
Voucher #3: 1 lb. cheese. 7 quarts whole goat milk. (Adin)
Voucher #4: 1 lb. cheese. 7 quarts low-fat milk. (Asher)
Voucher #5: 6 quarts whole goat milk. (Adin)
Voucher #6: 6 quarts low-fat goat milk. (Asher)
That is a lot of cheese and yogurt! Maybe even some butter! I think I'll ask in June if I can switch Asher's to whole as well, we'll see!
happily,
-nava
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
what we ate today: Purim!
Breakfast: waffles! Asher requested eggs, which are a no-go for him, so we managed to distract him with really tasty waffles, topped with peanut butter. Yum.
Total: $2.35 (Waffles: $1.85, peanut butter: $.50)
=$.59 per person. Win!
Lunch: Went to the Purim carnival, had a delicious snacky lunch of falafel, olives, 2 varieties of hummus, pickle spears, and lots of french fries. The boys did not eat the falafel, since we couldn't be sure of its GF status. Altogether a very tasty lunch, which Milt rounded out with a pita and some hamantaschen.
Total: $16 out of pocket
Other: Made some morrocan fish patties, sort of a new version of gefilte fish. We'll see how they taste, since all I did was make and bake them for later consumption. I was thoroughly squicked out though; fish mush is thoroughly unappealing. Uh-oh, veganic leanings surfacing! ;)
I don't think my coconut milk yogurt came out, so now I am in the market for a yogurt maker, as I am determined to get this! In the meantime I have a large jar of separated, grainy-looking milky liquid in my fridge. Oh well.
Total: $2.50 loss (coconut; I am not counting the spoonful of yogurt I used as a starter since I already included the cost of the whole container in the snacks eaten on that day.)
Dinner: 'Fried rice'; Milt made some of his white rice, added in frozen peas and corn and some homemade peanut sauce. Tasty, although the rice was too sticky for Milt's taste. We only ate half, so lunch for Monday is all set!
Total $2.10 (rice: $2, peas: $.50, corn: $.50, peanut butter: $1, tamari: $.10, oil: $.10)
=$.53 per person
Snacks: I received a beautiful mishloach manot, so Milt and I each had a chocolate-covered pretzel, 3 chocolates, some blueberry jelly-bellys, and the entire bag of Terra Blue Potato Jalapeno chips, which we finished off with some cream cheese very very late at night. I'm going to say we ate about $.50 worth of cream cheese.
All in all, a very tasty day.
happily,
-nava
Total: $2.35 (Waffles: $1.85, peanut butter: $.50)
=$.59 per person. Win!
Lunch: Went to the Purim carnival, had a delicious snacky lunch of falafel, olives, 2 varieties of hummus, pickle spears, and lots of french fries. The boys did not eat the falafel, since we couldn't be sure of its GF status. Altogether a very tasty lunch, which Milt rounded out with a pita and some hamantaschen.
Total: $16 out of pocket
Other: Made some morrocan fish patties, sort of a new version of gefilte fish. We'll see how they taste, since all I did was make and bake them for later consumption. I was thoroughly squicked out though; fish mush is thoroughly unappealing. Uh-oh, veganic leanings surfacing! ;)
I don't think my coconut milk yogurt came out, so now I am in the market for a yogurt maker, as I am determined to get this! In the meantime I have a large jar of separated, grainy-looking milky liquid in my fridge. Oh well.
Total: $2.50 loss (coconut; I am not counting the spoonful of yogurt I used as a starter since I already included the cost of the whole container in the snacks eaten on that day.)
Dinner: 'Fried rice'; Milt made some of his white rice, added in frozen peas and corn and some homemade peanut sauce. Tasty, although the rice was too sticky for Milt's taste. We only ate half, so lunch for Monday is all set!
Total $2.10 (rice: $2, peas: $.50, corn: $.50, peanut butter: $1, tamari: $.10, oil: $.10)
=$.53 per person
Snacks: I received a beautiful mishloach manot, so Milt and I each had a chocolate-covered pretzel, 3 chocolates, some blueberry jelly-bellys, and the entire bag of Terra Blue Potato Jalapeno chips, which we finished off with some cream cheese very very late at night. I'm going to say we ate about $.50 worth of cream cheese.
All in all, a very tasty day.
happily,
-nava
what we ate today: 12 Adar II
Wow I lost a week in there. We got the creeping crud, and meals have been...well, good, I think. I don't really recall. We have been running out of food though, so I know they were somewhat inventive. :) Thanks to our refund and paycheck my regularly scheduled grocery day was extra special.
Breakfast: We just got dressed and went to the store, so there really wasn't breakfast. The boys ate from the time they got home until dinner, so, pretty normal.
Lunch: Boys had a bunch of grapes, 2 bananas, a few nori snacks, 2 apples, most of the yogurt cup, some almonds, and a big bowl of popcorn. This eating was from 10-6.
Total: $10.40. Wow, that is a pricey lunch! At least it's nutritious, yes? I think the grapes and apples pushed it up a bit. (grapes: $3, bananas: $.72, nori: $1.50, apples: $2.74, yogurt: $1.69, almonds: $.50, popcorn: $.25)
Made:
1. Started Kombucha! I got 2 different kombucha at the store, started one today and I am going to start the other one in a week, so I have one going each week. So very exciting! I followed Sayward's instructions on her blog Bonzai Aphrodite.
2. Started some coconut milk yogurt! Made my own coconut milk, although I hid it from the boys this time because they drink any that I make. It is amazing stuff, so I don't blame them. Followed (again!) Sayward's instructions, except that I don't have a cooler or a yogurt maker and my crockpot was too little, so I wrapped everything in a towel and I am hoping for the best.
3. Challah! I doubled the batch, subbed in the coconut pulp from the milk making for the millet flour portion, divided the dough in two, mixed in cinnamon and raisins into one batch and made 3 loaves:1 normal one, for dinner tonight, and 2 itty bitty cinnamon-raisin loaves, for breakfast tomorrow and possibly beyond. I think my yeast is starting to go flat (does it go flat? Would that be the correct term?) As it proofed, but not nearly as well or as much as normal. With Pesach coming up I'm not too worried about it, but I am wondering what is up with my yeast. We even had the heater going today, so the house was actually warm! A mystery to be solved.
Dinner: 2 bagels (Milt and myself), GF challah, ½ package of smoked salmon, ½ package of cream cheese, some grape juice, and a green salad made with ½ head of lettuce, a little oil, vinegar and pepper. So delicious!
Total: $9.50 (bagels: $2, salmon: $2.50, cheese: $1.75, juice: $1, salad: $1, challah: $1, guess tax:$.25)
Total for the day: $19.54. Let's just say $20, in case I missed something. So, $5 a person for the day. Not bad.
happily,
-nava
Breakfast: We just got dressed and went to the store, so there really wasn't breakfast. The boys ate from the time they got home until dinner, so, pretty normal.
Lunch: Boys had a bunch of grapes, 2 bananas, a few nori snacks, 2 apples, most of the yogurt cup, some almonds, and a big bowl of popcorn. This eating was from 10-6.
Total: $10.40. Wow, that is a pricey lunch! At least it's nutritious, yes? I think the grapes and apples pushed it up a bit. (grapes: $3, bananas: $.72, nori: $1.50, apples: $2.74, yogurt: $1.69, almonds: $.50, popcorn: $.25)
Made:
1. Started Kombucha! I got 2 different kombucha at the store, started one today and I am going to start the other one in a week, so I have one going each week. So very exciting! I followed Sayward's instructions on her blog Bonzai Aphrodite.
2. Started some coconut milk yogurt! Made my own coconut milk, although I hid it from the boys this time because they drink any that I make. It is amazing stuff, so I don't blame them. Followed (again!) Sayward's instructions, except that I don't have a cooler or a yogurt maker and my crockpot was too little, so I wrapped everything in a towel and I am hoping for the best.
3. Challah! I doubled the batch, subbed in the coconut pulp from the milk making for the millet flour portion, divided the dough in two, mixed in cinnamon and raisins into one batch and made 3 loaves:1 normal one, for dinner tonight, and 2 itty bitty cinnamon-raisin loaves, for breakfast tomorrow and possibly beyond. I think my yeast is starting to go flat (does it go flat? Would that be the correct term?) As it proofed, but not nearly as well or as much as normal. With Pesach coming up I'm not too worried about it, but I am wondering what is up with my yeast. We even had the heater going today, so the house was actually warm! A mystery to be solved.
Dinner: 2 bagels (Milt and myself), GF challah, ½ package of smoked salmon, ½ package of cream cheese, some grape juice, and a green salad made with ½ head of lettuce, a little oil, vinegar and pepper. So delicious!
Total: $9.50 (bagels: $2, salmon: $2.50, cheese: $1.75, juice: $1, salad: $1, challah: $1, guess tax:$.25)
Total for the day: $19.54. Let's just say $20, in case I missed something. So, $5 a person for the day. Not bad.
happily,
-nava
Grocery Disclosure 1 addendum
Milt bought 21 cans of tuna. That's quite a bit of tuna. We're thinking that by the end of the month he will be done with tuna for a while. :) So I have to add $16.59 to our grocery bill.
Grocery Disclosure 1
Today, oh blessed, blessed day, our Federal tax refund came through. Which was incredible because I went from wondering 'how will I get groceries for the family for $20 and have more veggie variety than potatoes and onions, and oh my gosh can I get any fruit at all? Hmm, I can still safely lose 20 lbs, I just won't eat.' to 'oh my gosh it is time for some bulk cooking and buying up in here you know it!'
We went to New Leaf, lovely, local New Leaf, our Staff of Life replacement up here. So nice. We mostly got staples, but Milt pleaded for some extras, so they are at the end and will comprise the most expensive dinner you will see in these parts, yes indeed. Frankly, we needed the mental boost, to laugh, oh so slightly, into the gaping maw of financial insecurity, and splurging on food is a lot better than some other things we could be splurging on! So yes, party food.
9 Valencia oranges $4.58 = $1.29/lb = $.51each (nice)
20 bananas (3 bunches) $7.04 = .89/lb = $.36 each (yay!)
4.5 lbs. grapes $13.43 = $2.99/lb (splurge)
9 Lady Alice apples $12.25 =$1.37ea (hmmmm)
.8 lb raisins $2.18
.5 lb deglet dates $3.17 (the boys eat these like candy; too sweet for me)
+1 lb.crimini mushrooms $5.14
7 Sweet potatoes $8.34 = $1.79/lb= $1.20 each
3 Romaine hearts $3.99
4 heads lettuce (red+green) $1.99ea
2 bell peppers (yellow+red) $5.59 = $2.80 each (ouch! Glad mine are growing!)
9 Red potatoes $10.27 = $1.14 each (you know, for a potato region, I am feeling these are a little...pricey? Maybe?)
7.4 lb. dried garbanzos! $14.75 (I have been hunting for garbanzos. Score!)
2 lb. bulk quinoa macaroni! $9.73
.72 lb. cane sugar $1.22 (I gave away all our sugar! Oh well. This is for some projects!)
7.7 lb popcorn $11.41 (I promised, and it is a fun snack)
2.7 lb. brown rice flour $6.14
1.5 lb. oat flour $2.85
2.3 lb shredded coconut $11.16 (yay!)
1.8 lb. bulk peanut butter $5.44 (It was pretty cool to watch it get extruded, although our boy asked what we were going to do with the poop. Ahem.)
1 Trout fillet $5.69
1 Cod fillet $7.19
1 Sole fillet $.55
Kelp noodles $3.69
2 pkgs nori $4.29ea =
1.65 lb bulk olive oil $14.83 (I think this was a bit pricey)
organic butter $2.99
1 doz. Eggs $2.19
.01 lb anise seed $.11 (for planting and cooking!)
Bob's Guar Gum $5.99
Bob's Xanthan Gum $12.99 (I was almost out)
So Coconut yogurt $1.69 (I am making my own yogurt!)
2 Kombucha! $2.99ea (I am starting my own scoby project with these; so exciting!
Stash Chai Tea $2.99 (for the kombucha!)
splurges:
4 Marsee bagels $3.99 = $1 each
1 loaf Marsee sourdough $4.29 = $.26/slice (these are for Milt sandwiches)
Redwood feta $6.60 (such a splurge! But, raw kosher feta! Whoot!)
Meyen Goat Cheddar $8.99 HUGE splurge, but I remembered it from CA; so good.
2 smoked salmon $4.99ea
2 organic cream cheese $6.98 (I did not realise he got 2. iiiiiinteresting.)
5.56 lb. White basmati $11.06 ( Milt does not like our brown rice.booo.)
Yama seaweed strips $2.79 (snack for the boys + anti-radiation)
Deboles spaghetti $3.29 (this is for Purim)
Organic basil pasta sauce $3.69 (you can bet when the tomatoes are in season I will be jarring sauce!)
Total: $297.04. Ouch! However, if we hadn't bought any of our splurge items, it would have been
$235.38. So we splurged over $60! I am going to make these splurge items last as long as possible, and I'll do a price breakdown of what we eat, from here on out. Our pantry was getting really empty, but there are a few things I'll have to guesstimate until I actually have to replace them. This is going to be a good exercise for me, really knowing what things cost.
I know we can eat cheaper, but frankly I am not willing to buy non-organic if there is an organic option, and buying in bulk and cooking our own already saves a lot of money. Out of the prepared foods, I am using the yogurt and kombucha to make my own from now on, so that cost is (hopefully) not to be repeated; the kelp noodles and nori I don't know how to make and are utilised in such a way to make their cost go down.
The cheeses, oh man. Dairy products are always splurges, plus I normally do not have any dairy in the house (lactose intolerance, toxicity concerns, etc). Fish as well; we have fish, if at all, on Shabbat. Again, toxicity issues (and veganic leanings on my part). The pasta sauce I'm not too happy about, but I am going to jar my own this summer so this is hopefully the last jar we will be buying!
As for the bread, I basically need to make more GF bread so Milt doesn't feel so deprived. :) Hopefully this cost will also not be repeated. We actually haven't bought bagels in over 2 years, ever since we stopped buying Noah's Bagels at costco, because we weren't finishing the bag, so that was a definite special occasion (as in, a Oh THANK YOU G-D we can pay our bills and not cry! celebration).
Anyhow, that's that, off I go to do some Projects. Yum.
happily,
-nava
We went to New Leaf, lovely, local New Leaf, our Staff of Life replacement up here. So nice. We mostly got staples, but Milt pleaded for some extras, so they are at the end and will comprise the most expensive dinner you will see in these parts, yes indeed. Frankly, we needed the mental boost, to laugh, oh so slightly, into the gaping maw of financial insecurity, and splurging on food is a lot better than some other things we could be splurging on! So yes, party food.
9 Valencia oranges $4.58 = $1.29/lb = $.51each (nice)
20 bananas (3 bunches) $7.04 = .89/lb = $.36 each (yay!)
4.5 lbs. grapes $13.43 = $2.99/lb (splurge)
9 Lady Alice apples $12.25 =$1.37ea (hmmmm)
.8 lb raisins $2.18
.5 lb deglet dates $3.17 (the boys eat these like candy; too sweet for me)
+1 lb.crimini mushrooms $5.14
7 Sweet potatoes $8.34 = $1.79/lb= $1.20 each
3 Romaine hearts $3.99
4 heads lettuce (red+green) $1.99ea
2 bell peppers (yellow+red) $5.59 = $2.80 each (ouch! Glad mine are growing!)
9 Red potatoes $10.27 = $1.14 each (you know, for a potato region, I am feeling these are a little...pricey? Maybe?)
7.4 lb. dried garbanzos! $14.75 (I have been hunting for garbanzos. Score!)
2 lb. bulk quinoa macaroni! $9.73
.72 lb. cane sugar $1.22 (I gave away all our sugar! Oh well. This is for some projects!)
7.7 lb popcorn $11.41 (I promised, and it is a fun snack)
2.7 lb. brown rice flour $6.14
1.5 lb. oat flour $2.85
2.3 lb shredded coconut $11.16 (yay!)
1.8 lb. bulk peanut butter $5.44 (It was pretty cool to watch it get extruded, although our boy asked what we were going to do with the poop. Ahem.)
1 Trout fillet $5.69
1 Cod fillet $7.19
1 Sole fillet $.55
Kelp noodles $3.69
2 pkgs nori $4.29ea =
1.65 lb bulk olive oil $14.83 (I think this was a bit pricey)
organic butter $2.99
1 doz. Eggs $2.19
.01 lb anise seed $.11 (for planting and cooking!)
Bob's Guar Gum $5.99
Bob's Xanthan Gum $12.99 (I was almost out)
So Coconut yogurt $1.69 (I am making my own yogurt!)
2 Kombucha! $2.99ea (I am starting my own scoby project with these; so exciting!
Stash Chai Tea $2.99 (for the kombucha!)
splurges:
4 Marsee bagels $3.99 = $1 each
1 loaf Marsee sourdough $4.29 = $.26/slice (these are for Milt sandwiches)
Redwood feta $6.60 (such a splurge! But, raw kosher feta! Whoot!)
Meyen Goat Cheddar $8.99 HUGE splurge, but I remembered it from CA; so good.
2 smoked salmon $4.99ea
2 organic cream cheese $6.98 (I did not realise he got 2. iiiiiinteresting.)
5.56 lb. White basmati $11.06 ( Milt does not like our brown rice.booo.)
Yama seaweed strips $2.79 (snack for the boys + anti-radiation)
Deboles spaghetti $3.29 (this is for Purim)
Organic basil pasta sauce $3.69 (you can bet when the tomatoes are in season I will be jarring sauce!)
Total: $297.04. Ouch! However, if we hadn't bought any of our splurge items, it would have been
$235.38. So we splurged over $60! I am going to make these splurge items last as long as possible, and I'll do a price breakdown of what we eat, from here on out. Our pantry was getting really empty, but there are a few things I'll have to guesstimate until I actually have to replace them. This is going to be a good exercise for me, really knowing what things cost.
I know we can eat cheaper, but frankly I am not willing to buy non-organic if there is an organic option, and buying in bulk and cooking our own already saves a lot of money. Out of the prepared foods, I am using the yogurt and kombucha to make my own from now on, so that cost is (hopefully) not to be repeated; the kelp noodles and nori I don't know how to make and are utilised in such a way to make their cost go down.
The cheeses, oh man. Dairy products are always splurges, plus I normally do not have any dairy in the house (lactose intolerance, toxicity concerns, etc). Fish as well; we have fish, if at all, on Shabbat. Again, toxicity issues (and veganic leanings on my part). The pasta sauce I'm not too happy about, but I am going to jar my own this summer so this is hopefully the last jar we will be buying!
As for the bread, I basically need to make more GF bread so Milt doesn't feel so deprived. :) Hopefully this cost will also not be repeated. We actually haven't bought bagels in over 2 years, ever since we stopped buying Noah's Bagels at costco, because we weren't finishing the bag, so that was a definite special occasion (as in, a Oh THANK YOU G-D we can pay our bills and not cry! celebration).
Anyhow, that's that, off I go to do some Projects. Yum.
happily,
-nava
Monday, March 21, 2011
what we ate today: 15 Adar II
Breakfast: The boys had some banana and apple; I refrained due to dairy effects, instead having water with a splash of apple cider vinegar (it is the only thing making my throat feel better, so I'm getting used to the interesting taste).
Lunch: We three ate the leftovers of the fried rice; yum yum. Milt had two tuna sandwiches, at work. :)
Total: $4.28 (leftovers: $2.10, bread:$1.04, tuna: $.79, mayonnaise: $.25, seasonings: $.10)
=$1.07 per person.
Dinner: Sushi! Turns out we had some white rice leftover from the fried rice, so I added in some rice vinegar and laid it out on some toasted nori. Laid on some sliced carrots, red bell pepper, cream cheese, smoked salmon and rolled it up. I wound up with one extra sheet of nori, so I cut that into strips and we ate it as well, plain. We each had a roll, and the boys split a second, although Adin is more into dinner demolition than consumption, so altogether he maybe ate one roll.
Total: $7.50 (Rice: free!, carrots: $.10, pepper: $.94, cheese: $.50, salmon: $1.67, nori: $4.29)
=$1.88 per person
Lunch: We three ate the leftovers of the fried rice; yum yum. Milt had two tuna sandwiches, at work. :)
Total: $4.28 (leftovers: $2.10, bread:$1.04, tuna: $.79, mayonnaise: $.25, seasonings: $.10)
=$1.07 per person.
Dinner: Sushi! Turns out we had some white rice leftover from the fried rice, so I added in some rice vinegar and laid it out on some toasted nori. Laid on some sliced carrots, red bell pepper, cream cheese, smoked salmon and rolled it up. I wound up with one extra sheet of nori, so I cut that into strips and we ate it as well, plain. We each had a roll, and the boys split a second, although Adin is more into dinner demolition than consumption, so altogether he maybe ate one roll.
Total: $7.50 (Rice: free!, carrots: $.10, pepper: $.94, cheese: $.50, salmon: $1.67, nori: $4.29)
=$1.88 per person
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