It was another great week in the meal department here at Camp Butterfield.
Lot’s of homemade goodness, lot’s of time outside and some seriously overpriced cream cheese.
I wish we were closer to a Costo. But then we’d need to live closer to a big city, so in reality, probably not. But I do miss their lower/bulk pricing.
I also wish we lived closer to a Market Basket.
Luckily, one is currently under construction in Topsham. So while not exactly right around the corner, at least it will be do-able from a stock up stand point if we can incorporate traveling that direction into a date day at least once a month.
Living in the sticks has its perks… But shopping isn’t one of them. 🙂 We have exactly ZERO stores in our town. Have I told you that before?
But what we do have are a bunch of adorable farm stands and people with coolers at the end of their driveways with their extra offerings for sale. And that totally makes up for it if you ask me.
Here’s a show and tell of what I purchased last week:
$2.99 for 1 pound of sour cream. {Crazy! This would have been about $1.50 a year ago.}
$5.48 for 2 bricks of Philadelphia cream cheese. {the HH was out and about and I asked him to pick some up for the cake I was making}.
Back in the old days I remember getting name brand cream cheese for $1 a brick. The current food prices make me crazy.
They make me want to invest in a greenhouse, go vegetarian and grow all my own food. Well, almost all my own food. Growing whole grains and grinding them down to flour and getting a dairy cow… not so much.
Chickens, yes. If I could convince the HH. Actually it’s not so much about convincing him to get chickens {although he doesn’t really want them} it’s about who is going to go out to the coop everyday during the long {cold and snowy} winters here in Maine?
Ummm… Not me. I’d rather stay in pajama land and hook rugs.
Market Basket $23.54
$4.99 for Nathan’s weenies {the best if you ask me} and $4.49 for 5 pounds of potatoes {crazy!} were the big ticket items when we stopped by Market Basket after an appointment down south.
I’m hoping to grow a bunch of potatoes this year in the garden. We love potatoes! They’re filling and cheap {well, they used to be cheap. Now you have to grow your own if you want a deal} and good for you too.
Fingers crossed we get a good crop this year.
I also received a lovely care package from Chukar Cherries! I don’t know about you, but I LOVE care packages that involve food.
As for the meals we ate last week, we were so busy working out in the yard that I forgot to snap pictures of a lot of the food we ate, but I did get a few.
Weenies with home canned zucchini relish.
Homemade lasagna {and some for the freezer section too!}.
There was also Saturday night beans {we’ll be eating the leftovers today for lunch}.
I also made 2 loaves of banana bread {one for snacking and one for the freezer}.
And there was hummingbird cake too! {We ate half and froze the other half}.
In addition to the food above, I also made a pot of chicken and rice soup and loaded baked potato soup.
We also feasted on stuffed shells and homemade tomato soup from the freezer.
It was a good week!
How about YOU? Did you find any deals or stock up on anything good this past week? Curious minds want to know.
~Mavis
*****
Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries $32.91
- Total Spent on Groceries in May $162.34
- Total Spent on Groceries in April $35.36
- Total Spent on Groceries in March $82.28
- Total Spent on Groceries in February $101.14
- Total Spent on Groceries in January $167.33 {this includes buying groceries on Fair Isle}
- Total Spent on Groceries in 2023 $550.35
Mallory L. says
Mavis, there is a Costco currently under construction in Scarborough, just over the South Portland line. Only a couple of exits past the Market Basket on 95, set to be open this fall. I know we are very excited to finally have one in the area!
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes! Thank you for reminding me. I had no idea it was opening this fall. Yee-Haw!
Bonnie in GA says
Hi Mavis! I love your blog! I know this has nothing to do with your subject today, but how many muffins does your blueberry muffin with crumb topping recipe make? I am making some for my fellow school bus drivers for an end of school treat.
Melonie K. says
This has probably been brought up before and I missed it – but do you have an Azure Standard drop near you? That might be a way to stock up affordably. My understanding is some of the prices aren’t the super lowest if folks have a lot of options, but it’s worked out well for us (rural area an hour plus from more than basic grocers and a wee organic co-op). It also helps that we are a small family of 2 adults, 1 teen so bulk buys last us six to twelve months, for a larger family that might not be the case. But maybe you and HH would make good use if the drive to a drop wasn’t too far?
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes, I have looked into it {The Duck Lady buys from them} but for what I need, I don’t feel the prices are that competitive and there is a 8.5% “shipping” fee {for a drop ship that I’d have to drive a distance to to pick up myself}. I do think they might be a good option for folks who live farther out though and see it as more of a convenience/time saver.
Bec in the PNW says
Oh gosh, grocery prices are really… something these days. I shop sales and try to make as much as I can from scratch, but we’re going over budget by so much every time I head into the store. I’m going to have a small garden this year, but hoping to expand by next summer as my littlest is a toddler now and I might be able to actually get some things done. This year, just tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, and some kale.
Lana says
Our big win was eggs for 70 cents a dozen! I am still not believing it!
Terry McA says
Have you ever gone to the store, spent $150, and said to yourself, “what in the world did I buy that cost so much?” Well, that happened to me this week. Sugar, koolaid (my brother loves it), 2 chuck steaks, 1 4-pk hamburger patties, turkey hot dogs, lettuce, 2 lbs of Sunday Ham, 1 pk swiss cheese, Crackers and spray cheese (for the brother), Pumpernickel rye bread, 10 cans of cat food, and butter. I almost fell over. Anywho….
Meals this last week included bbq chicken legs, grilled bacon-and-gouda sandwiches, pecan-crusted chicken, and takeout pizza.
I started work on a blanket last week… and I didn’t like it, so I have started over!
Hope you and yours are happy, healthy, and filled with peace and blessings.
Holley says
I hate to tell you this, but that cream cheese is cheaper than I can get it at my local Kroger! I live in north Georgia with a LOT of competition from soooo many different grocery stores. The prices are just absolutely insane, it has nothing to do with where you live!
Lori says
I’m lucky in the fact that I don’t use artificial heat and light for my chickens so mine don’t lay over the winter months. So I don’t need to check on them every day. The chicken waterer holds 12 gallons. That last a couple weeks. It has a heater that gets dropped in and plugged into electric to keep water from freezing. The chicken feed container holds a fifty pound bag +which last my 8 girls almost a month in the winter months. In the summer the are free ranged. So during the cold winter months I check on them once a week and bring them a treat.
Ashley Bananas says
So far this week I was able to get a roll of aluminum foil at Winn Dixie for $3.29, then the store gave me 500 points back which is a value of $5.00. They also gave a bogo coupon for a frozen meal at their print station. I had about $10 in points and got the bogo frozen meals, and about 1 lb of hamburger meat which ended up being no cost after coupon and points. Total spent $3.29.
We made frozen cupcake meatloafs for dinner last night along with corn and potatoes we had on hand. That will be left overs for a few days. We are trying to work out way through food storage right now and buy things as needed, or if they are deeply on sale. It’s really helped trim the food budget this month. Considering buying St Louis port spare ribs at Winn Dixie this weekend, they’re a loss leader at $1.99 a lb, which is cheaper than Aldi who has them on sale for $2.29 a lb.
Hope you all are having a great week!