right now

right now

Aug 18, 2011

Yesterday was a bust...

Once again I was foiled in my plans to spend the day outside working!  This time it was grocery shopping.  Some of you may know, but I hate this chore with a passion.  My grocery shopping tactics have changed in the past few months, the kids are getting older and eating more, I am preparing more things from scratch at home, and those facts combined with my hatred of the weekly shopping run have forced me to rethink my strategy.  I have become a club-store shopper, yikes!  It's the equivalent of the mini-van driver, only in the kitchen :)

My ultimate goal is to have a 6 month supply of everything in my house, and I'll probably post more about that project this winter.  Ideally, a year's supply would be great, but that won't happen in this little house with no closets, no garage and no basement.  So far we could live very comfortably for about 30 days and after that it's hit or miss, so I have a ways to go.  Our financial situation dictates that we build this supply over time, by shopping sales and using coupons, although at least we don't have to worry about the veggie stuff! Consequently, you may find that right now I have a good supply stashed of things like dishwashing liquid and pasta & beans, yet not enough coffee or flour, etc.  It will take time, but I figure 4 months of shopping like this and we'll be set.  

So anyways..... after pleading with the kids for over an hour to get them out the door, we didn't arrive to the store until past 10 am and it took about 2 hours to shop "smartly" with kids in tow - I can't wait until school starts!  I'm trying to look through my list, stack coupons with sales, and mentally figure out where to store things the whole time my normally well behaved boys are making me crazy.  I even had 2 different people comment on how well behaved they were LOL, this always amazes me.  I will say that they are oodles more well behaved than most kids I see in the store, but yet they still make me crazy.  "Erratic" is the word that comes to mind, they just move and jerk around too much LOL.  I even gave Loch a notebook and had him round up the price of each item and jot it down (buying bulk adds up before you realize it), but yet he still had time to poke Finn with the pencil, make a paper airplane, etc.

Don't get me confused with those crazy people on 'Extreme Couponing' - that's not me, I don't think I have enough time in the world to do that and I don't really use much of that garbage they stash anyways, but I do try to be smart when I can.  Apparently, that's not good enough for Loch.  Upon checkout, my total was $204.00 and the cashier brought it down by $15.00 through my coupons, Loch looks and says "$15 bucks?  That's not very extreme, mom."... Maybe I have found a calling for this kid LOL, I'll put him in charge if he can do it better!

So after that and lunchtime, it was then 1 pm so I figured I'd better scratch working in the garden and straighten up the kitchen and unpack everything.  I did have time to use up some cream I had in the fridge in 2 batches of ice cream...

Strawberry from some of my freezer puree stash


Finn cleaning up my vanilla mess...


Before I knew it, the day was about over and it was time for dinner.  Some of you have asked what do I DO with all those pickles and peppers I make?...

Busy night dinner can be fresh, too!  


Veggie burgers on toast with Brandywines, marinated bell peppers in oil, pickled pepperoncini and pepper & onion relish!  Then as a "side dish" I slapped down some chips and salsa - this goes to show you that us gardeners have healthy "fast food"!  


It's 10:30 am now and I should really get out to the garden and start bushwhacking a path through the grapevines to find my old pathways instead of prattling on about my grocery trips LOL... send in search and rescue if I'm not back in a day!

14 comments:

  1. I really don't know how anyone can shop for anything with kids. I have such a hard time focusing that I would never be able to do it! I think that's a great idea, Erin. The fewer times one shops, the less one tends to spend. Those veggie burgers look wonderful!~ Send up a flare if you get lost in the jungle...

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  2. Someday, you will have a pantry the size of your duplex alone!! Then you can stock up to your hearts delight and just sit back and say "Ahhhh!" You amaze me always with what you can do with limited space. Grocery shopping is never high on my list either, so I can only imagine that poking a brother with a pencil was probably mild, huh? And you DO have great kids!!

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  3. APG has it right--I picture you with a HUGE WALK-IN PANTRY......like Mama Pea and not having to go to the store for months. Cripes-wouldn't THAT be nice!!!!

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  4. search and rescue here --I mean for me--we took baby and katelynn to the store the other day[I say never again but I don't drive anymore so what choice do I have] baby lost his pacifier ,so we grabbed a pack of them,opened them without paying for them first so there was a manager waiting at the checkout for us but after see how upset the kids had made me and crazy to boot-I was literally throwing things on the counter but seriously-one look at my face she walked away--I payed for the damn baby plugs but after katelynn tried to dismantle the walmart that they were trying to re-do into another super walmart grrrrrrr did I tell you how much I hate walmart

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  5. I never took my kids shopping with me. I always left them with their dad while I went out and shopped. Now I take them but that's because they have to help carry stuff but when they were little I didn't have to take them so I didn't. I just waited till their dad was home and go shopping then.

    I hope you got out into the garden and managed to get a bunch done. I'm not even going out in my yard due to the digging next door.

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  6. Susan, yep - fewer is definitely better! It's too easy to part with $30 here or $40 there, but having to shell out $200 at once is difficult and I make sure I need the stuff that's in there. I'm almost down to once a month, but can't figure out how to prevent that stupid milk run! Kids... they drink a gallon a day!
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    APG & Sue, I seriously dream about having a big pantry! One I could disappear into and lock the door, too!
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    Judy, LOL! I can relate! Well, no search and rescue needed, I did spend a couple hours out there but I'm back, kids have music lessons... I can never get a nice uninterrupted chunk of time to get my work done!

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  7. That's so funny because I LOVE grocery shopping! Luckily the commissary is close here, so it's not a big deal to run over (better yet, we have been jogging there, I walk in all sweaty and nasty. Ooooooh baby!) and just grab a few things. They just got those shopping carts that are shaped like cars that Rosemary loves, but it much like maneuvering a small aircraft in the teeny aisles. Keeps little miss entertained though!

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  8. During the school year I do the grocery shopping without the kids, but during the summer they went with me. I really prefer going alone,but at 11 and 13, the girls are able to help. I give them coupons, make them get the items and make them remember the price of the item. I figured it would show them how much groceries really are.
    (We don't buy a lot of packaged food, most of the coupons are for things like toiletries, yogurt, dog treats and such.) It also helps, that the girls really love the subs they make in the commissary. If everything goes smoothly and I don't have to loose my mind over their behaviour, they get to pick out a sub for lunch.

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  9. MilitaryFarmGirl, I didn't mind it when the boys were younger, but now they are just plain bored LOL! Close doesn't even describe my commissary - I live off base bur I could walk to it LOL but after paying the surcharge and tipping the baggers I find this one isn't that cost effective, although for some things I go there, namely any ethnic items or meat.
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    Anke, I'm jealous, I think I might like shopping with girls! For me, the sushi to-go gets me every time at the commissary LOL!
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    Sparkless, ideally that's what I'd do, but I waited both Mon and Tues night for hubby to come home and it didn't happen until pretty late, about 7 pm - too late for me as I need my knitting and relaxing time to start at 8pm sharp!

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  10. I absolutely HATE most shopping!! "The Italian" loves it though....so, it's his job! We buy very little at the grocery store. Mostly cat supplies and seltzer! I go to the Farmer's Market butchers late Saturday afternoon when they have their sell-off. That's fun, you can make deals on what meats they have left as they are only there 3 days a week. We try to purchase in bulk items like sugar, mayo and stuff like that. Some are purchased at the club store and some at the restaurant supply store. I have found really good deals at the restaurant supply store.

    With regard to taking the kids shopping, my grandson is good but my kids used to drive me crazy! They were well behaved but they would just get on my nerves. I guess I got a lot more relaxed with age :)

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  11. Two hours at the store!! I would have had a stroke. What, you hit the home brew before a trip like that? I think I would have been poking people with a pencil by then. Ice cream looks good!

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  12. Doesn't it feel good, after two hours in the grocery store though, to have people comment that your kids are well behaved? Even if you're like "Um...what? THESE kids?" Kinda makes you smile to yourself. Just think. If they weren't well behaved you never would have made it past the first 15 minutes! :)

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  13. Robin, are you in the restaurant industry? I'm jealous LOL, we have a new restaurant supply here and I've heard it's nice, but you have to be in the industry to be a member. Thankfully I think my next trip will be after school starts so I'll be alone!
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    Jane, 2 hours is about standard for me LOL, but I only go once a month and I use coupons so it takes awhile!
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    MamaTea, I always end up feeling like such a Type A stressed out mom when people compliment my kids' behavior and I'm thinking they are making me crazy!

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  14. No, we are in the construction industry. The restaurant supply stores here sell to the general public too.

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