I am quite certain that the first grocery store I ever stepped in was Red Owl, owned by the Huber's at the corner of Church and Meridian Street here in Small Town, USA.
Isn't this such a cool vintage photo? Even though it is not the Red Owl I use to know, it still brings back some memories.
It kind of makes me sad to think that kids of this generation will only know grocery shopping at Wally World or Target Boutique(said with a French accent), and not really get a home town feel when they walk into their local grocery store.
I admit, I have shopped all the big box stores for groceries and still do once in awhile. Lately though I have been trying to keep it smaller, more local. It is a challenge to find small & local, but it's there, and it can really be worth it.
I try to keep my grocery budget at about $150 a week, give or take(mostly give) a few dollars. Unless we are having company or a special occasion then I usually budget for more.
My first local stop was Cedar Summit Farm. This is a great organic farm! They raise grass fed beef and have a store/creamery right there on site. They carry a nice selection of meat & dairy products with a few extra things tossed into the mix.
You are probably wondering if grass fed, organic products are more expensive?.......Yes they are.
But here is the pay off, they are super high quality, high in essential fatty acids, high in CLA(conjugated linoleic acid) and very low in chances of contracting E.Coli. I also do not have to worry about my daughter getting any added hormones through food. Lord knows, we don't need to add to that brewing disaster!
Here is what I bought at the Farm:
1/2 gallon Whole,Grass fed Milk-, 2 dozen pastured chicken eggs( jumbo, and xtra large), 1 bottle of local maple syrup( total splurge @ $10.99!), Ferndale Italian sausage(Turkey) , 2 lbs of grass fed ground beef, 1 lb of Kalona grass fed butter.
Farm Total: $42.09
Next Stop: the local Coborns.
Lately I have been finding myself doing most of my "non Farm" food item shopping there. They have a great selection for a small town grocery store. Yes the prices are higher than Wally World, but when it comes to the price of gas and the price of my sanity, I think staying local is a great choice!
Now, before you try to bust me out, I do still purchase some craptastic foods. It's not all organic or "real". We are not perfect, never will be and sometimes it is hard to get a B'Dog to do new tricks....if you know what I mean. Honestly I can't blame it all on the B'Dog...I like chocolate(all kinds) and Lily likes....well...anything with sugar. It's a total work in progress folks!
OK let's get on with it:
Produce: Bananas, Strawberries, grapefruits, snap peas, kale(going to try making kale chips per my cousin Kristi), green onions, and red potatoes.
Bread: 100% Whole Wheat(Bruce & Lily) & Ezekiel bread(for me)
Meat: 1 bag of shrimp, 1 package of sandwich meat, 1 package of Applegate bacon,
3 packages of Bare chicken breasts
Staples: Rice vinegar, corn starch(I was looking for arrow root powder because I want to stop using corn starch but the store did not have it. Will have to look online for it), long grain brown rice, long grain white rice, and cashews
Home made pizza fixings: Turkey pepperoni, and Mozzarella cheese.
I am on the hunt for healthier versions of both.
Junk Snacks: M&M's and peanuts to make trail mix, Food Should Taste Good multigrain chips, Annie's white cheddar bunnies, and plain ripple generic potato chips.
Coborns TOTAL: $109.92
For a Grand Total of $152.01!
Not too bad, right? I know I could work on getting a little more of the super junkie processed stuff out of our diets and finding better alternatives. I am trying, really, really hard. Isn't it scary that this is a vast improvement from how we use to eat?
Maybe next time I will have some substitutions included. Provided I can find them :)
I always love to peek in and see what other are doing for meals....maybe sometime down the road I will include what our menu looks like for the week. Would that be something that interests you?
Thanks for visiting my kitchen.
Enjoy the View~
Jenifer
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