Well, after studying information from the Weston A. Price Foundation, I am trying to review our fats. I think this is an area where we are not doing too badly but that we need to make a few changes still. I have long been an advocate of eating real food. For example, I have always chosen to eat butter, preferably organic, rather than manufactured margarine. Even these new fangled "heart healthy" spreads do not tempt me. Firstly because my cholesterol is really quite low, secondly because they do not taste nice, and thirdly because I don't go out of my way to buy overly processed things when something natural will do. (I do buy processed foods of many kinds, but that is for another day).
According to the Foundation, however, I "should" be eating lots MORE butter, preferably raw from grass fed cows. Well, we will see. I don't have access to raw dairy products at all. Or I should say that I choose not to buy a pint of milk and have to spend £10, (yes, it is true) to have it delivered. Weekly. So until I move or I buy a cow, the raw thing just isn't going to happen. I do however have a source of dairy products which are not homogenized. This is a good thing because it is less processing as well as being healthier according to my Nourishing Traditions Cookbook. This is because homogenizing milk means that after heating through pasteurisation (and killing off helpful enzymes), the milk has the fat removed, then added back in in precise quantities. The process itself isn't helpful or healthful.
I have taken the bold step of ordering once again from Riverford Organic once again. I wrote in another post about my misgivings about their veg and meat box schemes, as well as their dairy products which are not local to me at all. But in the interests of health I would really like to try out their "healthier" milk products for a while to see if we like them. I have ordered milk, butter and cream to make our own butter and buttermilk.
A few months ago I started buying whole cow and goats milk products. Most of these are organic. But this change to Riverford will ensure everything is organic and I am choosing their whole milk products. Not sure what to do about goats milk, which we seem to digest more easily though...but I was trying to write about fats....
Showing posts with label Food Shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food Shopping. Show all posts
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Vegetable Box Trial 1
I received a medium fruit and veg box, a litre of whole milk, and some meat a couple of weeks ago. The company is Riverford Organics which is a chain of (I think) five farms throughout the country. I didn't fully realise that this was a chain until they sent me tons of leaflets about themselves with the first boxes. They also sent some recipe cards to get me started and to tempt me to purchase more produce. Here is my evaluation:
Fruit and Veg Box---Well I obviously ordered the wrong one because although I received some really lovely produce (including mushrooms, bananas, and fennel), I did not receive onions, carrots or potatoes. This came as a bit of a disappointment and now I have to go and purchase these items because I am all out. Looking through the catalogue I have chosen a smaller veg box for 2-3 people, which has the basics, and a fruit box for next time. (If there is a next time). And I might add to my order avocados and lemons. And make sure they do not ever put in grapefruit, red lettuce, or red cabbage.
Milk---When I ordered this I was thinking that this was from a local farm. The packaging says it is from Devon which is miles and miles away. So I am not any better off than ordering organic milk from Ocado in this respect. However, the milk is non-homogenised. Some would argue this is healthier, and it is certainly less processed and therefore "greener" in terms of fuel consumption. I really need to consider this. It is £.99 a litre. This is comparable with Ocado prices.
Meat----They insist that you have a minimum order of £25 for meat. This means that we cannot purchase fresh meat products weekly because we cannot afford to buy this much weekly. So, we would need to purchase every other week and freeze some. I am not against freezing meat, but I would find having to defrost meat every day for the second week both a hassle and a potential food hygiene hazard. So when it arrived:
Firstly, I was actually disappointed to see how commercial the packaging is. It isn't like my old scheme at all. My old scheme was a farm which reared and slaughtered their own meat. All of this meat says it was slaughtered in the UK and the labels, again, say Devon. I am not better off than using Ocado for meat. But I might be better off using a different local scheme. The only thing to save the day is the taste. The one drawback from my previous scheme was that the chicken and beef all tasted the same---very gamey. Now some people love it, but I didn't appreciate it. (Sorry to all food lovers, etc). So here is our critique of the meat:
Sausages---I chose their regular pork sausages, which are gluten-free. They are very meaty and way too salty. I cannot possibly buy them again. This is not great. I do love a quality sausage if I am going to eat them. I will definitely be feeding back to them about this.
Chicken carcass for soup---I won't critique this for a while because I a put it in the freezer. I have loads of stock in the freezer at the moment anyway.
Beef bones for stock----I have never made beef stock before, and we don't often have meat on the bone, so it is hard for me to do so. So I was glad, firstly, to find that they sold bones. There were a lot, so I put them in two pots. I think this was a mistake. Because although the stocks smelled good, they were watery and took a full 24 hours in the bottom of the AGA to make a decent flavour. This is, of course, down to my skills rather than the bones they provided!
Chicken breasts and cubed beef--these organic meats had a bland flavour much like organic meats you buy from the grocery stores. Some would complain about this, but I enjoyed it.
So, overall: I liked the quality of the products except for the sausages. Everything is a bit pricey, but that is to be expected with organic produce. I am really wary of the food miles involved with using this company. After a few weeks I am still really unsure about using them again. I will be writing to them with this critique and see if they can answer my questions about food miles. I would rather use a more local farm to support them.
Fruit and Veg Box---Well I obviously ordered the wrong one because although I received some really lovely produce (including mushrooms, bananas, and fennel), I did not receive onions, carrots or potatoes. This came as a bit of a disappointment and now I have to go and purchase these items because I am all out. Looking through the catalogue I have chosen a smaller veg box for 2-3 people, which has the basics, and a fruit box for next time. (If there is a next time). And I might add to my order avocados and lemons. And make sure they do not ever put in grapefruit, red lettuce, or red cabbage.
Milk---When I ordered this I was thinking that this was from a local farm. The packaging says it is from Devon which is miles and miles away. So I am not any better off than ordering organic milk from Ocado in this respect. However, the milk is non-homogenised. Some would argue this is healthier, and it is certainly less processed and therefore "greener" in terms of fuel consumption. I really need to consider this. It is £.99 a litre. This is comparable with Ocado prices.
Meat----They insist that you have a minimum order of £25 for meat. This means that we cannot purchase fresh meat products weekly because we cannot afford to buy this much weekly. So, we would need to purchase every other week and freeze some. I am not against freezing meat, but I would find having to defrost meat every day for the second week both a hassle and a potential food hygiene hazard. So when it arrived:
Firstly, I was actually disappointed to see how commercial the packaging is. It isn't like my old scheme at all. My old scheme was a farm which reared and slaughtered their own meat. All of this meat says it was slaughtered in the UK and the labels, again, say Devon. I am not better off than using Ocado for meat. But I might be better off using a different local scheme. The only thing to save the day is the taste. The one drawback from my previous scheme was that the chicken and beef all tasted the same---very gamey. Now some people love it, but I didn't appreciate it. (Sorry to all food lovers, etc). So here is our critique of the meat:
Sausages---I chose their regular pork sausages, which are gluten-free. They are very meaty and way too salty. I cannot possibly buy them again. This is not great. I do love a quality sausage if I am going to eat them. I will definitely be feeding back to them about this.
Chicken carcass for soup---I won't critique this for a while because I a put it in the freezer. I have loads of stock in the freezer at the moment anyway.
Beef bones for stock----I have never made beef stock before, and we don't often have meat on the bone, so it is hard for me to do so. So I was glad, firstly, to find that they sold bones. There were a lot, so I put them in two pots. I think this was a mistake. Because although the stocks smelled good, they were watery and took a full 24 hours in the bottom of the AGA to make a decent flavour. This is, of course, down to my skills rather than the bones they provided!
Chicken breasts and cubed beef--these organic meats had a bland flavour much like organic meats you buy from the grocery stores. Some would complain about this, but I enjoyed it.
So, overall: I liked the quality of the products except for the sausages. Everything is a bit pricey, but that is to be expected with organic produce. I am really wary of the food miles involved with using this company. After a few weeks I am still really unsure about using them again. I will be writing to them with this critique and see if they can answer my questions about food miles. I would rather use a more local farm to support them.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Ocado Delivery! and Vegetable Box Scheme
I am so excited to be getting my groceries delivered again! Ocado put on a deal where you can get as many mid-week (Tues-Thurs) deliveries you want for £2.99 a month. Or was it £3.99? Cheap anyway. Even if I only use it once or twice a month.
So the groceries just came and just in time too because we have been running out of basics like eggs and fruit. I nearly had to give my son ice cream for breakfast! (He usually refuses oatmeal).
The funny thing is though, that I actually struggled to fill my basket with £40 worth (the minimum order). This is because I am trialing a new vegetable box scheme tomorrow. The company I chose provides fruit, veg, meat, dairy, and pantry items. So I am trying out their medium fruit and veg box, eggs, milk, chicken, beef, and sausages. As a result I didn't want to put any of those items in my Ocado delivery. If the veg box works out well, I may not need Ocado nearly as much. The veg box scheme people have a minimum order of £25 for their meat products, which is certainly more meat than we eat in a week. Or rather, more than we can afford in a week. So I will have to weigh up the pros and cons of local, organic, expensive meat, versus Ocado's meat prices from not so local farms....
I am also thinking about trying a few different veg box schemes over the coming months. To see which companies, produce, and prices I like the most. I chose this one to try first because they sell dairy as well.
I am not sure that we will be self-sufficient in veg this year because I am too big and uncomfortable to dig in the garden at the moment, and I don't know how much I will get done with a small baby. The nice thing about all of these schemes is that you can order for the weeks you want and stop when you need to.
So the groceries just came and just in time too because we have been running out of basics like eggs and fruit. I nearly had to give my son ice cream for breakfast! (He usually refuses oatmeal).
The funny thing is though, that I actually struggled to fill my basket with £40 worth (the minimum order). This is because I am trialing a new vegetable box scheme tomorrow. The company I chose provides fruit, veg, meat, dairy, and pantry items. So I am trying out their medium fruit and veg box, eggs, milk, chicken, beef, and sausages. As a result I didn't want to put any of those items in my Ocado delivery. If the veg box works out well, I may not need Ocado nearly as much. The veg box scheme people have a minimum order of £25 for their meat products, which is certainly more meat than we eat in a week. Or rather, more than we can afford in a week. So I will have to weigh up the pros and cons of local, organic, expensive meat, versus Ocado's meat prices from not so local farms....
I am also thinking about trying a few different veg box schemes over the coming months. To see which companies, produce, and prices I like the most. I chose this one to try first because they sell dairy as well.
I am not sure that we will be self-sufficient in veg this year because I am too big and uncomfortable to dig in the garden at the moment, and I don't know how much I will get done with a small baby. The nice thing about all of these schemes is that you can order for the weeks you want and stop when you need to.
Kitchen Hints
These are some of our top hints for saving money and saving your sanity!
- Purchase in bulk where possible. Good places to buy grains, beans, and tins include ethnic shops, Cash and Carry (such as Costco), and larger supermarkets. I have also found some really good deals online by searching for "bulk whole foods." You can purchase fresh produce, especially potatoes from farm shops.
- It may seem counter intuitive to splash out on a lot of storage containers, but they really do help preserve food, and they keep you from losing packets of things at the back of the cupboard. Glass is an ideal material, but I admit that most of my containers are Lock-n-Lock plastic ones at the moment. Good places to find food storage containers are those inexpensive shops with loads of plastic items stacked up outside. Most towns have a shop like this. This is where I get canning jars, large plastic boxes for pet food and grains, and baskets. Lakeland has a nice selection of containers including Lock-n-Lock, but if you really want to see a range, search the Internet.
- Menu plan! Not only does menu planning make it easier to shop and stay in budget, but it is so much easier to prepare dinner when you don't need to make last minute decisions.
- Cook once, eat twice (at least). If you roast chicken on Sunday, use the leftovers for a stir-fry on Monday night, sandwiches on Tuesday, and meanwhile make and freeze stock and chicken soup for later in the month. Only keep leftovers two days in the fridge for health and safety. When I make a casserole I make two. One to eat now, preferably for two days, and one to freeze for later in the month.
- Freeze bread before it goes off. Even small crusts can be frozen to make breadcrumbs when you need them. We don't eat a lot of bread in our house, so we almost always freeze our loaf and take out slices to toast when we want them. I often buy bread and croissants from the sale rack to freeze.
- Make and freeze your own muffins. They are cheaper, healthier, and tastier. I often have batches of oatmeal, blueberry, and white chocolate cranberry muffins in the freezer ready to defrost for breakfast or the lunchboxes. Everyone in my house likes different varieties, so I could never get through a dozen of one kind before they go off.
- Many dairy products freeze well. This is useful when you have a carton of cream or milk which is about to go off, but you cannot find the time to use. I also purchase extras when they are on sale. If I keep butter, cheese, milk, cream, and yogurt in the freezer I will never be caught out.
- I find the easiest way to store cheddar is to buy a month's worth, shred it and freeze it. If you pack this loosely you can easily dig a spoon in to spread over toast or over the top of a casserole. Parmesan also freezes well once shaved or grated. I often find these cheeses go off before I can use them up, so this method results in much less waste.
- Embrace homemade oatmeal. Oatmeal takes less than five minutes on the stovetop or three minutes in the microwave. See recipes section for a few ideas. Why spend money on little packets? You can add the toppings you like, making it healthy with ground seeds and fruit or indulgent with golden syrup.
- Use reusable containers for drinks, lunchboxes, leftovers, and food storage. Disposable bags and wraps really add up over the year and do not do the environment any good--even if you can recycle them. There are loads of plastic, metal and glass containers on the market these days. Or save and reuse your glass and plastic containers.
- Use cloth napkins, washing up cloths, dusters, and towels instead of paper. They are cheaper and again better for the environment.
- Give each member of the household a big mug to use. Each person can use their mug for both hot and cold drinks during the day, washing/rinsing it as needed. This saves on the washing up and if you find one left where it shouldn't be you know the culprit!
- We also have bowls and plates which work on the same principle. You can purchase a set of six different coloured bowls, plates or cups from most grocery stores or IKEA. This makes it easier to prepare lunches and snacks for picky eaters and know whose plate is whose.
- Store like things together. Place baking supplies together in the same cupboard. Gather small packets of sprinkles, essences, and baking powder in baskets or large tins. Place all of the baking utensils, measuring cups, etc together in one drawer.
- Go through your junk drawers to make room in one large drawer. Fill this drawer with all of your barbecue stuff. Long utensils, gloves, mesh baskets, plastic plates and even condiments. These items are always awkward to store anywhere else and really need a home of their own.
- I love the racks you can get to store chopping boards, pans, and trays. They don't cost that much and make life so much easier.
- Recycle, recycle, recycle. And get a good system going to make it easier on yourself. No great tips---I just think this is important.
- Save money by buying snacks in large bags and then putting them in smaller snack containers for lunchboxes. (Reducing the amount of junk food your family eats is also healthy and better for the budget).
- Don't buy juice. Okay, I cannot seem to get my family to go with this one either. Studies have shown that not only is juice really bad for the teeth, but that it does not contain very many nutrients after it has been pasteurised. We eat loads of fruit in our family, which is healthier as it contains healthy fibre as well. Our health visitors told us not to give the kids fruit juice or any fizzy colas, etc. But we didn't listen and so we have an extra unnecessary expense each week. We do water down our juice with water or sparkling water, which helps a bit.
- Keep track of your diet for free with Sparkpeople.com. You can do this on a computer or using a free app for your mobile. You can input your daily food and they calculate your calorie intake and how much exercise you need to do to achieve your goals. (Please check their guidelines for use and to see if you agree with their dietary advice before using).
- Eat fruit and vegetables in season to save money.
- Use ingredient searches on recipes websites such as allrecipes.com to help you cook from your pantry.
- Try buying cheaper versions of food and household goods. Sometimes stores sell their own brands in two versions. One has plain packaging and one as a picture on it or a pull-top lid. The products inside are often exactly the same! Buying the cheaper versions works especially well with items you will be cooking with and some cleaning products. If you don't like it, go back to your own brand.
- If you are anything like me and get tempted to throw extras in your trolley, shop online and have your groceries delivered. I save money on petrol and by sticking to my budget even if I need to pay a bit for delivery. I am much more disciplined with my budget and I no longer have to deal with toddler tantrums---or Mummy tantrums at the store. See my post on my favourite UK online delivery service, Ocado.
- I cannot live without my family calendar. It has six columns for six people or categories, tear off to do and shopping lists, and comes with stickers to liven things up a bit. Mine is from OrganisedMum.com, but there are plenty out there if you have a look. The one advantage to this company is that they make so many different versions. You could have ones with fewer columns, or a desktop diary version, larger places to write, wipe off sections, shopping lists, party planner books, etc. So you can really choose which calendar will best suit your family.
Friday, 25 March 2011
Half a Lamb
Yesterday we took delivery of half a lamb from the guy who rents one of the farm fields for his sheep. I admit I am still squeamish about eating lamb I watched grow up--especially after being vegetarian for ten years. Never mind the the ten years of eating meat since! I still struggle with the idea of eating meat and rather like the packaged stuff we get from the supermarket. Ideally I prefer organic or free range meat because I am nervous about the hormones and things fed to animals these days. I am also concerned about animal welfare and prefer to eat "happy" animals if that is possible!
I love that this lamb is local and that it tastes so good! Here is the UK most of our lamb is imported from New Zealand. And although I know that New Zealand is well known for its lamb, the taste just does not compare to some of our local stuff. In fact, during my last pregnancy I couldn't eat lamb because I thought it had too strong a flavour. Whereas I have managed to eat plenty of our last half a lamb and I have been looking forward to this delivery.
It cost us £45 for half a lamb, which was butchered and wrapped ready for the freezer. This lasts us a few months if we are careful. Our first chops (my least favourite cut) last night were great.
Finding a small, independent supplier like I have might not be easy, but you can always check your local butchers for prices. A good option is salt marsh lamb It is a bit expensive, but some of the most delicious we have had. Go in with a friend and you may get an even better price. Sheep are free range anyway, so if the organic aspect does not matter to you, then you can save a bit.
I love that this lamb is local and that it tastes so good! Here is the UK most of our lamb is imported from New Zealand. And although I know that New Zealand is well known for its lamb, the taste just does not compare to some of our local stuff. In fact, during my last pregnancy I couldn't eat lamb because I thought it had too strong a flavour. Whereas I have managed to eat plenty of our last half a lamb and I have been looking forward to this delivery.
It cost us £45 for half a lamb, which was butchered and wrapped ready for the freezer. This lasts us a few months if we are careful. Our first chops (my least favourite cut) last night were great.
Finding a small, independent supplier like I have might not be easy, but you can always check your local butchers for prices. A good option is salt marsh lamb It is a bit expensive, but some of the most delicious we have had. Go in with a friend and you may get an even better price. Sheep are free range anyway, so if the organic aspect does not matter to you, then you can save a bit.
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Cook for a Month Trial Cooking
So here we have hit a bit of a snag. I had already taken into account that I would not be able to cook all at once. And I had taken into account that my son had a birthday party to go to, disrupting our cooking the next day. But I did not fully consider the disruptions caused by a really bad cold running through the household. I usually think it is best to stay out of the kitchen when you are sick, so this is a real dilemma.
A quick look at the expiry dates helps to organise the cooking over four days rather than two. Or maybe more days...
Day One:
Beef Brisket: Cost a hefty £15. Cooked in the bottom of the AGA all day. Made one roast dinner, and FIVE cottage pies in various sizes with this one. Portions: 17-20 depending on size.
Day Two:
Chicken: One free range chicken cost £7. I cooked this in veg broth, apple juice, leeks, apples, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, carrots, celery, and parsnips. This made quite a few portions of soup. We ate this and froze the rest in various size containers. Then, we took the bones, added spices and more veg and put it in the bottom of the AGA overnight to make more stock. This was made into soup and frozen/eaten. Then the rest of the chicken was eaten during two lunches AND the rest made into a Thai peanut curry and tucked in the freezer. Portions: 15-19
Eggs and Croissants
Day Three:
2.5 kg Chicken pieces: These cost £6 for 16 pieces on the bone. Four went into Honey Dump Chicken sauce, another four the same. Then I divided the other eight into two more freezer bags. I had originally wanted to make the Indian chicken and lentil casserole, but did not feel well enough.
Eggs and chapatis from the freezer.
Chicken Soup
Day Four:
Tilapia: 2 whole tilapia for £7. Delicious. Served with ugali and sukumawiki.
Eggs
Chicken---made this into Thai Peanut curry to freeze (see above)
This is the story so far. We still have cheddar, Parmesan, eggs, onions, apples, and more to use up. And I haven't made any muffins yet. I am hoping my wonderful partner will make bolognese tonight or at least divide the mince and put it in the freezer. I know I am asking a lot of him. But I am hoping that we will appreciate it in the end! We will likely skip the meatballs this time around. We have some great looking sausages that we divided up and put in the freezer as well.
A quick look at the expiry dates helps to organise the cooking over four days rather than two. Or maybe more days...
Day One:
Beef Brisket: Cost a hefty £15. Cooked in the bottom of the AGA all day. Made one roast dinner, and FIVE cottage pies in various sizes with this one. Portions: 17-20 depending on size.
Day Two:
Chicken: One free range chicken cost £7. I cooked this in veg broth, apple juice, leeks, apples, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, carrots, celery, and parsnips. This made quite a few portions of soup. We ate this and froze the rest in various size containers. Then, we took the bones, added spices and more veg and put it in the bottom of the AGA overnight to make more stock. This was made into soup and frozen/eaten. Then the rest of the chicken was eaten during two lunches AND the rest made into a Thai peanut curry and tucked in the freezer. Portions: 15-19
Eggs and Croissants
Day Three:
2.5 kg Chicken pieces: These cost £6 for 16 pieces on the bone. Four went into Honey Dump Chicken sauce, another four the same. Then I divided the other eight into two more freezer bags. I had originally wanted to make the Indian chicken and lentil casserole, but did not feel well enough.
Eggs and chapatis from the freezer.
Chicken Soup
Day Four:
Tilapia: 2 whole tilapia for £7. Delicious. Served with ugali and sukumawiki.
Eggs
Chicken---made this into Thai Peanut curry to freeze (see above)
This is the story so far. We still have cheddar, Parmesan, eggs, onions, apples, and more to use up. And I haven't made any muffins yet. I am hoping my wonderful partner will make bolognese tonight or at least divide the mince and put it in the freezer. I know I am asking a lot of him. But I am hoping that we will appreciate it in the end! We will likely skip the meatballs this time around. We have some great looking sausages that we divided up and put in the freezer as well.
Cook for a Month Trial Food Shop
I think we did really well! I spent more than I would have liked I guess, but we did not come home with food we won't eat. I also managed to find plastic boxes on sale and glass baking dishes with lids! This is great because I prefer to use reusable things instead of plastic bags.
So I spent an extra £30 on those items. And I found some great pillows on sale. This was on my wish list because I am entering that stage of pregnancy when you want good pillows. And mine are currently flat as a pancake.
But all of the food was within my original budget. And I was able to get cat food, cat litter, and everything else on my list. By dividing the list we were able to get through more quickly than usual even though it was a Saturday afternoon. We were all tired by the end though! And best of all we were able to fit everything in the fridge until it is all cooked and put away.
So I spent an extra £30 on those items. And I found some great pillows on sale. This was on my wish list because I am entering that stage of pregnancy when you want good pillows. And mine are currently flat as a pancake.
But all of the food was within my original budget. And I was able to get cat food, cat litter, and everything else on my list. By dividing the list we were able to get through more quickly than usual even though it was a Saturday afternoon. We were all tired by the end though! And best of all we were able to fit everything in the fridge until it is all cooked and put away.
Cook for a Month Trial Pre-shop Prep
If your weekly shop takes major effort, then a monthly shop and cook is a military operation. Here is what I did to prepare:
- Choose a shop: I chose Costco. This is 40 minutes away from my home and I haven't been in a while, so this is a bit risky because I don't know their stock well. They might not have exactly what I want and I may then need to go to a grocery store as well. But there is no better way to find out than trying it.
- Choose days to shop and cook. I need a day when my Other Half can drive, and he needs to be home the next day as well to do lots of cooking.
- Make sure there is room in the freezer and on the shelves for the goods.
- Choose recipes: I chose a number of dishes we like, ones I know to be inexpensive, a few which are new (but easy), and a few standby. Since I don't know what they will have I need to be flexible. For instance, I have no idea of they sell free range chicken. Here is my preliminary list: chicken goujons, cottage pie, meatballs and bolognese sauce, broccoli soup, fruity muffins, banana peanut butter muffins, mac & cheese, chicken & lentils with spices, Dump Honey chicken, and One Pot Feast. I also plan to purchase croissants to freeze, ketchup, spices, a few canned goods, pasta and fish....if the prices are right. Fortunately I have quite a few things, especially for the baking, already.
- Make shopping list from recipes: This is the scary part! It is a huge list. I divided it into two, so we will split up in the shop.
- Check out my containers: Do I have enough glass baking dishes, plastic storage boxes, and freezer bags for all of these things?? If not then do they have any at Costco? My plan is to budget for more containers this time, and if they don't have them try to buy freezer bags until I can get some.
Cook for a Month Trial Part One
To continue my new year's resolutions of paying off my debts and being more organised with family meals I thought I would give this a go. I have been reluctant to cook-for-a-month for a while, but the only way to really know if it would work for us is to try it.
I am nervous that I won't want to cook all in one day, or two. Especially since it is hard for me to find two whole days to devote to it. Right now I am not cooking much at all because I feel so ill during this pregnancy. But I have recruited the help of my Other Half who is willing and able.
I am also worried about trying to come up with recipes we can make easily, and will enjoy for the whole month. I know it will work better for our first venture to limit the number of dishes and just multiply them by 3-4. We love cottage pie so I know we will eat that four times or more easily.
I think this will work in the winter when we like soups and casseroles. I don't think this will work well for the summer when we barbecue and have more salads.
I am nervous that I won't want to cook all in one day, or two. Especially since it is hard for me to find two whole days to devote to it. Right now I am not cooking much at all because I feel so ill during this pregnancy. But I have recruited the help of my Other Half who is willing and able.
I am also worried about trying to come up with recipes we can make easily, and will enjoy for the whole month. I know it will work better for our first venture to limit the number of dishes and just multiply them by 3-4. We love cottage pie so I know we will eat that four times or more easily.
I think this will work in the winter when we like soups and casseroles. I don't think this will work well for the summer when we barbecue and have more salads.
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Fish Fight
Have you signed up yet?
So it is estimated that North Sea fishermen are discarding half of their catch (dead) due to a combination of our taste in fish and the current EU rules on fishing quotas. There must be a better solution to feed us and actually help create sustainable fishing.
According to the website:
"We need to diversify our fish eating habits, and we need to change policy so that it works for fish, fishermen, and consumers."
Check it out at fishfight.net
The website lists a few ways to help including signing the petition to be presented to EU parliament, writing letters to your MP, and choosing different varieties of fish.
So it is estimated that North Sea fishermen are discarding half of their catch (dead) due to a combination of our taste in fish and the current EU rules on fishing quotas. There must be a better solution to feed us and actually help create sustainable fishing.
According to the website:
"We need to diversify our fish eating habits, and we need to change policy so that it works for fish, fishermen, and consumers."
Check it out at fishfight.net
The website lists a few ways to help including signing the petition to be presented to EU parliament, writing letters to your MP, and choosing different varieties of fish.
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Pantry Staples
Everybody has their favourite pantry items. The ones you reach for again and again to make a meal in an instant. My cupboards are full of spices--usually big jars of whole spices I buy in Asian shops. I have loads of soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin, vinegars, and the like. Of course your spices and sauces will depend a lot on what kind of cuisines you like, but as for the rest, I cannot live without:
- Basmati Rice
- Red lentils
- Popcorn
- Flour (several kinds)
- Pesto
- Tin Tomatoes
- Stock or Knorr Stock "pot"
- Soup Mix (a plain mix of lentils and grains)
- Beans
- Noodles--rice or soba
Monday, 10 January 2011
Abundance
Although I would say that I am fairly good with money, I have found in the past when I try to be really strict with it I fail miserably. I feel blessed with simple tastes and by this simple fact alone have managed to save for things when I needed them, because it sure wasn't my will power!
I think that just like dieting, setting strict limits on spending can have a negative effect on the psyche. Sure, I have a few days of optimism, until I hit the grocery store and end up spending another £60 at the till. My two areas of overspending are on groceries and stuff for the kids (dvds, toys, books). And so to help me get into the right mindset for the next few months I am undertaking an exercise in abundance.
I am almost embarrassed to admit just how much food we already have in the house. Especially when I know there are so many people out there who don't have much. And to sit and complain seems a bit strange. But I guess this may be the point of the exercise. I am imagining my pantry now and I am going to list all of the things I can make with the ingredients on hand.
I think that just like dieting, setting strict limits on spending can have a negative effect on the psyche. Sure, I have a few days of optimism, until I hit the grocery store and end up spending another £60 at the till. My two areas of overspending are on groceries and stuff for the kids (dvds, toys, books). And so to help me get into the right mindset for the next few months I am undertaking an exercise in abundance.
I am almost embarrassed to admit just how much food we already have in the house. Especially when I know there are so many people out there who don't have much. And to sit and complain seems a bit strange. But I guess this may be the point of the exercise. I am imagining my pantry now and I am going to list all of the things I can make with the ingredients on hand.
- Pancakes
- Bread
- Muffins---oatmeal, blueberry
- Cottage Pie
- Turkey meatloaf
- Turkey and Apple Sausages
- Pasta with pesto or tomato sauce
- 1/4 of a lamb in the freezer can make many dishes
- Chicken stir fry, and chicken soup from yesterday's roast chicken
- sukumawiki
- ugali, rice, semolina, barley, quinoa, bulghur wheat
- oatmeal
- Sushi
- Apple crumble
- Apple pie
- Cookies
- Cakes
- Clam chowder
- Frittatta
- Cheese sandwiches
- Bread and Butter Pudding
- Ice Cream Sundaes
- Cereal
- Potato Latkes
- Sweet Potato Oven chips
- Zege
- Bean Soups
- A number of vegetable dishes
- Kebab with flatbread and veg and meat
- Samosas
Sunday, 9 January 2011
Moral dilemnas Part 1
We are bombarded with messages of what we should and shouldn't eat these days. From studies touting cholesterol reducing margarine, to companies claiming their vegetables are picked and frozen quicker, it can be a challenge to decide who to believe. Just some of the things I have been looking at in the last few days have told me that I need to do the following--or my health is at stake:
Ideally I would take the time to eat a whole foods diet. We try to grow our own and buy locally when we can. I go for Fairtrade items regularly (but not always), and buy free range when our budget does not stretch to organic. We work hard to reduce waste and compost as much as we can.
I would love to grow more, raise chickens, goats and bees. And I hope to manage some of these things soon. But at the moment it is difficult to fit them in to my current lifestyle. In addition, it is difficult to know what to grow, and eat when faced with all of the decisions outlined above.
- Eat 5 fruit and veg a day
- Eat only low fat dairy products
- Eat only raw, full fat dairy products
- Eat lots of meat
- Try to eat meat free several times per week
- Eat only new age margarine and sparingly
- Eat only natural oils such as butter, coconut oil, and cold pressed olive oil
- Take supplements
- Supplements are not necessary
Ideally I would take the time to eat a whole foods diet. We try to grow our own and buy locally when we can. I go for Fairtrade items regularly (but not always), and buy free range when our budget does not stretch to organic. We work hard to reduce waste and compost as much as we can.
I would love to grow more, raise chickens, goats and bees. And I hope to manage some of these things soon. But at the moment it is difficult to fit them in to my current lifestyle. In addition, it is difficult to know what to grow, and eat when faced with all of the decisions outlined above.
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Ads and Vegetable boxes
Well one of the rules is that I am not allowed to click on the ads on my own site. But they are so tempting since they are mostly related to what I write about. Like this morning when I logged on and saw the ad for
graze.com. They have such good looking goodies and I will likely try some when I have finished with my being really frugal and eating from my cupboards experiment.
I am on the lookout for a new vegetable box scheme. I am hoping since my last search that more have popped up in my community! I actually really liked the one I used to use. They had veg, meat, eggs, and some fish. They made their own sausages and cured their own bacon. But I had a few problems. One was that I was really hoping to find one which sold dairy products. And after a year or two eating their products I got really tired of eating their meats! They were lovely organic, free range cows and chickens they raised themselves. (They do pork as well, but we don't care for pork). But they tasted so gamey to me. Now this would appeal to a lot of folks I know, but not to me I am afraid. So I have been heading to the grocery stores and farm shops for meat more recently.
I do try to grow a lot of my own vegetables, and so cancelled my box a couple of years ago. But I have been having so many problems with my soil that my yield has been very poor in the last few years. (More of that in later posts). So I might peruse the web this morning in search of something new. Or have a look at my old scheme and see what they are offering these days.
graze.com. They have such good looking goodies and I will likely try some when I have finished with my being really frugal and eating from my cupboards experiment.
I am on the lookout for a new vegetable box scheme. I am hoping since my last search that more have popped up in my community! I actually really liked the one I used to use. They had veg, meat, eggs, and some fish. They made their own sausages and cured their own bacon. But I had a few problems. One was that I was really hoping to find one which sold dairy products. And after a year or two eating their products I got really tired of eating their meats! They were lovely organic, free range cows and chickens they raised themselves. (They do pork as well, but we don't care for pork). But they tasted so gamey to me. Now this would appeal to a lot of folks I know, but not to me I am afraid. So I have been heading to the grocery stores and farm shops for meat more recently.
I do try to grow a lot of my own vegetables, and so cancelled my box a couple of years ago. But I have been having so many problems with my soil that my yield has been very poor in the last few years. (More of that in later posts). So I might peruse the web this morning in search of something new. Or have a look at my old scheme and see what they are offering these days.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Oca, oca ocado, ocado, ocado
I have been having the most wonderful love affair with Ocado. For over a year now I have had my groceries delivered to my door, by nice drivers, on time and what's more--with very few "substitutions." (I have had two very poor experiences with Sainsburys deliveries and Tesco won't deliver to me because I live on a farm. I am not a farmer, but that does not matter to them.) Yes, I prefer our local farm shops and our meat and vegetable box delivery scheme, but they don't sell everything. So needs must.
But they are too expensive, you say? No, they have Tesco price match, Waitrose brand products, Ocado brand products, and deals all of the time. Plus, when I go to the grocery store I end up putting tons in my trolley. Online, I can take them out if I go over budget---much harder to do at the till with a toddler. I have actually been able to reduce my grocery spending over the last year using ocado.
I want to pick out my own stuff you say! Well, I don't with a toddler. Any trip to our Tesco Extra means 20 minutes in the toy aisle and then a frantic look around for what I want. I can never remember what I want by then, and always leave disappointed. (I do like Tescos, but on my own, or with a lot of leisure time to explore the toys!)
Actually I am sometimes disappointed with the produce from ocado, but I do pop into other store occasionally. (The produce is usually very good quality, but your avocados might not be as ripe as when you pick it out yourself. ) I also purchase cheap toilet paper elsewhere, because we need the really cheap stuff because we have very old drains which can't cope with puppies and teddy bears.
I don't want to pay for dellivery, you say! Well, the nearest supermarket is 20 minutes away from me, and with the money I save by not putting extras in my trolley, I can afford the delivery. Plus I have a trick. They offer a annual delivery pass for about £110 or so. I wait until they have an insanely good offer like last year when I got the delivery pass for £59. You can then have as many deliveries as you like for the price.
Having said all of that, I have to make some dramatic cuts to my spending and so I need to cancel my ocado for a few months. My free delivery pass is expired. And with a minimum spend of £40 per delivery I cannot manage this amount for a while. I need to be extra frugal if I am going to meet my financial goals this year. So it is farewell and not good-bye. We will meet again one day.
But they are too expensive, you say? No, they have Tesco price match, Waitrose brand products, Ocado brand products, and deals all of the time. Plus, when I go to the grocery store I end up putting tons in my trolley. Online, I can take them out if I go over budget---much harder to do at the till with a toddler. I have actually been able to reduce my grocery spending over the last year using ocado.
I want to pick out my own stuff you say! Well, I don't with a toddler. Any trip to our Tesco Extra means 20 minutes in the toy aisle and then a frantic look around for what I want. I can never remember what I want by then, and always leave disappointed. (I do like Tescos, but on my own, or with a lot of leisure time to explore the toys!)
Actually I am sometimes disappointed with the produce from ocado, but I do pop into other store occasionally. (The produce is usually very good quality, but your avocados might not be as ripe as when you pick it out yourself. ) I also purchase cheap toilet paper elsewhere, because we need the really cheap stuff because we have very old drains which can't cope with puppies and teddy bears.
I don't want to pay for dellivery, you say! Well, the nearest supermarket is 20 minutes away from me, and with the money I save by not putting extras in my trolley, I can afford the delivery. Plus I have a trick. They offer a annual delivery pass for about £110 or so. I wait until they have an insanely good offer like last year when I got the delivery pass for £59. You can then have as many deliveries as you like for the price.
Having said all of that, I have to make some dramatic cuts to my spending and so I need to cancel my ocado for a few months. My free delivery pass is expired. And with a minimum spend of £40 per delivery I cannot manage this amount for a while. I need to be extra frugal if I am going to meet my financial goals this year. So it is farewell and not good-bye. We will meet again one day.
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