Our meals were really simple this week, and it seemed like everything we made lasted at least 2 days. When the kids were home and I would make a tuna casserole, the HH would be lucky if there was anything left for his lunch the next day.
But now that it’s just the two of us, it takes a while longer to finish it up. Not having to cook every single day is nice, so I don’t mind.
Mel’s drunken beans… always a winner. Especially on a chilly afternoon.
Coconut macadamia nut French toast. OH MY!
Sliders… because we had Hawaiian rolls and the HH can’t stay away from the griddle.
But I think my favorite thing I ate last week was the HH’s chicken noodle soup {I’ll post the recipe tomorrow}. Now that temperatures are hovering between 65-70 degrees, soup is back on the menu… and I couldn’t be happier.
And now for the food we bought last week.
Farmstand $8 {$4 for eggs, $4 for 3 pounds of French fingerling potatoes}
I think I might try and wrap 3 of the fingerlings in newspaper and store them in the basement this winter in hopes that I’ll be able to plant them next spring.
Farmstand $13.50 {$3 broccoli, $3 cauliflower $1.50 Kuri squash, $6 for 6 pounds of white potatoes}
This is another farmstand that sits at the end of a very long driveway and is on the honor system. They also had oodles of pumpkins and corn stalks too {in addition to zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers}. I’m hoping they’ll have a few more varieties of winter squash in the coming weeks, but only time will tell.
Farmstand $10 for 2 slices of caramel apple cheesecake
King’s Hawaiian online order $33.00
Longtime reader LaToya gave me the heads up last week that King’s Hawaiian was not only offering free shipping on orders over $30, but that they had their famous coconut macadamia nut sliced bread in stock {which I’ve never tried, but apparently it’s a big deal because it sells out quick when they do offer it}.
Yada yada yada… as soon as I saw her message, I hurried over to the website and placed an order for the coconut macadamia nut bread, some slider rolls, English muffins and for a package of their creamy coconut bread pudding mix.
So far we’ve had 1 loaf of the coconut macadamia bread and 1 package of the slider rolls and both were FANTASTIC! {We froze the others for later.}
Well done LaToya! 🙂
I had no idea you could order bread online. Shipping was quick and beautifully packaged too.
Scammaford $163.49
We bought another small chest freezer so we could totally stock up on winter rations {and so I could make some freezer meals and because I wanted to have one for next summers garden bounty that I plan on growing} and well, I bought a few things to fill it with. 🙂
For us, I like the idea of having 2 smaller chest freezers rather than one giant one because as the winter progresses and we consume what’s in them, we can unplug one and maximize the energy use rather than having something that’s sitting around half empty.
Having a well stocked larder, it’s a good thing. Not having to leave your house in the snow and drive through the frozen tundra for rations is even better.
How about YOU? Is stocking up for winter {or an emergency} on your radar yet? If so, what have you been buying lately? Curious minds want to know.
Have a great Monday everyone,
~Mavis
P.S. Whole chickens were $1.39 a pound, and the least expensive pot roast was $3.99 a pound.
P.P.S. Give me some of your tots.
Also, I just noticed Botanical Interests is offering free shipping today! No minimum order.
*****
Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries and Bakery Treats We Brought Home $227.99
- Total Spent in September on Groceries and Bakery Treats $227.99
- Total Spent in August on Groceries and Bakery Treats $675.99
- Total Spent in July on Groceries and Bakery Treats $1037.79
- Total Spent in June on Groceries and Bakery Treats $297.1
- Total Spent in May on Groceries and Bakery Treats $323.38
- Total Spent in April on Groceries and Bakery Treats $352.64
- Total Spent in March on Groceries and Bakery Treats $712.01
- Total Spent in February on Groceries and Bakery Treats $230.98
- Total Spent in January on Groceries and Bakery Treats $128.60
- Total Spent on Groceries and Bakery Treats We Brought Home in 2021 $4046.10
Mel says
We have two freezers for the same reason. It’s also just nice to be able to move everything into one in order to defrost/clean the other.
I’m stocking up for Fall and winter mostly just for convenience and to be able to shop less often. I normally do that before school starts, but I wasn’t able to do that this summer, so I’m doing it now.
So far for a total of about 50 freezer meals I’ve made:
red beans and rice, chickpea curry, quesadilla filling, eggroll filling, lentil soup, chicken and rice soup, tomato soup, hamburger soup, pesto, garlic Parmesan cream sauce, tamale casserole, corn chowder, Cincinnati chili, and vegetarian chili.
I still need to freeze (for a total of 40-50 more meals):
chicken noodle soup, bacon bean soup, maybe another soup or two, sausage gravy, Bolognese, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, stir fry sauce, pot beans (and/or drunken beans), more Parmesan cream sauce, four cheese Alfredo, pot pie filling, regular chili, sloppy Joe filling, cheese, and lasagna filling.
For dry goods I have or have ordered:
pasta (all shapes and sizes), dry milk (for baking), rice, dried beans, tuna, sandwich wraps (I have to eat outside without a table due to Covid, so handheld lunch is a must now), and sweetened condensed milk. (No idea where I’m storing most of this yet.)
I still need to buy (probably this week):
canned tomatoes, tomato paste, olives, roasted red peppers, oil, oatmeal, some condiments, flours and sugars, chocolate chips, evaporated milk, coffee, vanilla
Combined with CSA delivery, that should get us to at least January before we need to do a significant grocery run. It sounds like a lot, and I definitely prefer to do this over the summer, but it really hasn’t been too bad cooking/freezing as I go.
Susie says
Mel, any chance of keeping one of those small folding camp tables (canvas, like beach chairs) in your office to take outside with you for lunch? Just a thought. 🙂
Mel says
Oh, I definitely considered it! I haven’t quite ruled it out, but I think it will be too hard to tote around. I’m trying to figure out what to do today since it’s raining.
StephanieZ says
Me and my HH are recently retired and empty nesters which should mean traveling in the fall and winter months, pre-Covid.
Although I have a full garden, I only make freezer jam to store. The balance of my excess produce, I give away (hello, 45 tomato plants, 16 fruit trees). I even joined a few local gardening and buy nothing groups so people can come fetch the extras.
Kirsten T. says
Hi, Mavis!
Stocking up was on my radar in early August. One of your throwback posts from your $100 a month grocery budget year showed you taking inventory of your freezer, and I drew inspiration from that, in light of our garden not doing so well this year due to an over-abundance of rain and too-cool daytime temps.
I took inventory of both our freezers (one is for veggies and bread, the other is for meat and convenience foods), along with our pantry, and then made a list of all the fall and winter meals we like to eat, and then figured out what I would need to supplement our existing rations to last through Christmas, at least.
Then, I watched the ads for bulk meat prices and was able to score whole chickens at $0.99 per lb., 90 percent lean ground beef at a decent price, locally cured bacon, BOGO pork loin chops and hot Italian sausage. Although the prices were a little higher than I would typically pay, I also snagged a few pork and beef roasts for lazy Sunday crockpot meals.
While school shopping, I also went to Aldis on two separate occasions to stock up on canned veggies that I would have normally canned myself, along with pasta, beans, condiments, and convenience foods for my kids, since they’re both home from summering with their grandparents and will be packing lunches for school.
The last step in this stock-up process was to visit the local Mennonite store to snag flour, oats, frozen peas and broccoli in bulk, along with some interesting pickled items they carry, like pickled Brussels sprouts.
This year, in an effort to rein in our grocery spending, I’ve made it a priority to be more organized and treat my pantry and freezer like I would if I were managing a business inventory. Doing so has resulted in less food waste, a more organized and manageable garden despite the poor harvest, a reduction in grocery spending overall, healthier eating, and more time at home.
Beth says
We’ve been trying Imperfect Foods for the past 3 weeks and I’m back to meal planning one week at a time which is an improvement over what we were doing. I’m also trying out the online ordering at nearby grocery stores and then driving up to pick up my groceries- I was hesitant to try that for produce and meat but I like it so far plus not going in the store reduces the temptation to add last minute items we don’t need to the cart.
I will stock up on a few basic items in the next month or so but freezer meals aren’t popular in this house- meal planning with my AnyList app works better.
Elle says
We have a 14ft upright freezer. It is nearly full now. I have stocked up: organic chicken, local organic ground beef, wild Pacific Sockeye and King Salmon (local family goes to Alaska to fish), 2 racks of pork ribs, 5# fresh grated Tillamook cheese, diced sweet peppers (excess from our CSA so far this year), Adobo chilis (hubster is making these-jalapenos from the garden), Ratatouille (zucchini and eggplant from garden and used up last year’s tomato sauce since we still don’t have any tomatoes 🙁 We also have 3 gallons of blackberries from hubster’s patch as well as 5# butter!
We still have 3/4 shelf of ratatouille from last year (vacuum sealed so good for 3y). Apparently we didn’t eat enough this past year?
Our CSA has 6 more weeks so there will be more going into the freezer. And if we’re lucky they will offer a winter share like last year, which was 10 weeks!
I have plenty of ingredients for breadmaking through winter (we only do a loaf/month these days.
I get 2d farm fresh eggs/week from a friend.
Through winter I’ll only need fresh organic veg which I get at Costco about every 2w, the occasional carton of milk, and various dry goods when containers reach empty.
Wishing you and your readers a wonderful Labor Day to sit back and appreciate all the hard work.
Emily says
Thanks for sharing the botanical interests sale. I just ordered some milkweed seeds, perfect for fall sowing!
Jennifer says
I created a shelf for “extras” that I really consider a disaster shelf. I’m stashing extras that will be good to have if things get really bad. So far I don’t have much – water, mac n cheese, oats, fruit cups, cous cous, chef boyardee, and instant brown rice. I will add some items each time I shop. I definitely need tuna, PB, pasta, canned tomatoes etc.
I did buy a peck of tomatoes from the farmers market for $8. I diced and canned them and got 7 quarts. I love canning and did not make it to the produce auction this year. I have also canned strawberry and peach jams.
Rosemary Calhoun says
I have an upright freezer – better for me than the chest type – easier to see and reach everything. I never could get the chest freezer organized and would have to take out stuff in order to reach other stuff. Organizing is a lot easier for me now. Each shelf has it’s own purpose (even my hubby can find things in it . . . ha ha ha).
I freeze water in plastic containers and then remove the ice, put the ice blocks in ziploc bags and put back in the freezer to fill in any empty spots. It also helps keep the food cold when the power goes out. And if I need more room, I just take out some ice.
When the garden produces abundantly, I freeze. When there is a really good deal on meat, etc, I buy extra and freeze. If I have an abundant amount of lemons or oranges, I juice them and freeze the juice – comes in handy for various recipes. I freeze bananas that are starting to get “too ripe” and then use later for fruit smoothies. I don’t like to waste food (or money) and freezing gives me options.
In the next couple of weeks I will start making cookie dough (a few batches at a time) and freezing it. Then, a couple of weeks before Christmas, I will make about 1200 cookies (100 dozen). By making all the dough ahead of time, it saves me time in the kitchen. If I make too many cookies, I freeze the baked cookies. They don’t really freeze solid and can easily be eaten after the holidays.
I have always had a freezer of one type or another ever since the 70’s – don’t know what I would do without one.
Jamie N. says
All of my kids moved out in the last 2 years, including my baby I just dropped at the college dorms. We’ve been trying to eat out all the stuff only the kids liked, before my son left. I will be rearranging and restocking food based on just the HH and me when I finally return.
Now my garden is flourishing, but I’m not home to freeze, can, etc. I’m helping my mother clean out 8,000+ feet of space she shares with my sister who is past ready to have a normal amount of stuff and clear out the junk. Not a fun process, but it’s worth loosing this years garden bounty and a month of my life to help have drastic change for my family.
Kim says
Thank you for the heads up on the free shipping on seeds. Just placed an order.
We are packing up to head to Maine for a week, leaving on Sunday. We will not miss these TX temps of high 90’s. So very excited about revisiting your beautiful state!
Mavis Butterfield says
Have fun Kim. 🙂
Nancy D says
I have a fun story about fingerling potatoes! My mom bought me a small 3 lb net bag of them 25 years ago. They were a mix of yellow red and purple skinned. I wanted to save them for a fancy dinner so I set them aside.
Needless to say, later that fall I came across them starting to shrivel up. I felt bad and quickly stuck them all over in my flower beds (didn’t have a garden). When they came up the next year, they were more yellow skinned and we dug up about two five gallon buckets of them. And since you don’t get all of them. AND I always leave the teeny ones in the ground they come back every year.
This year 25 years later, we just dug two more five gallon buckets full of them. All yellow skinned now. It’s a family joke! They boil up well and any leftovers fry up wonderfully.
Have fun!
Mavis Butterfield says
I love it!! 🙂
Psuchica212345 says
YES to the idea of 2 freezers….and a bigger yes to going nowhere in the tundra! I am more than happy to scavenge my frozen haul!
Heather says
Since we live in earthquake, wildfire and snow country I always have some sort of stash for in case of emergencies. I have one upright freezer. Since I am trying to do #Shelftember that Jordan Page suggests (where you eat mostly from your freezer and pantry), I went through our freezer this morning. I organized everything by what needed to be eaten first, etc so I have a potential menu for at least a couple of weeks figured out. I have frozen Blue Ice type containers in the freezer so it stays cold if we do lose power. From the coop, that delivers locally, I bought large bags of brown rice, white rice flour, flax meal and dried garbanzo beans since I mostly bake gluten-free items and my husband makes lots of hummus. I watched YouTube videos to learn what I needed to store the flour for an extended period of time so it shouldn’t go bad before we eat all of it.
Teresa Young says
Mavis – Do you freeze your almond milk? If so, does freezing change it in noticeable way?
Thanks!
Mavis Butterfield says
No. I don’t know. We don’t freeze it but Almond milk typically has a long use by date {Mid November with this batch, so a little over 2 months from now} so whenever my husband needs it, we buy as much as we think he will drink before the expiration date.
Marcia says
Not gonna lie, I’m a little bit jealous. My boys are 15 and 9, and as the weeks/ months/ years go on, the leftover last less and less. Even as I make more and more.
Thus, we aren’t really “stocking up”. I mean, we have a mini extra freezer, in addition to the fridge. We have a shelf in the hall closet for additional “pantry”, but none of it lasts very long.
Also, I did a Mavis. I made nectarine/ berry crumble yesterday, and I ate it for breakfast. Carbs, fat, on top of some yogurt for protein!
LaToya says
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!
So glad you could take advantage.
I love their stuff, and their packaging, and their ship time.
I keep the white boxes and the orange tissue for gifts and the envelope to send cards or letters in. The rainbow bread makes a unique gift – love sending it at holiday time with a free ship promo.
They’ll do something like this again in November-December. 😉
Mavis Butterfield says
The packaging cracked me up! When you see the deal again please let me know. Thanks again. 🙂