Author Topic: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget  (Read 430115 times)

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #900 on: December 25, 2018, 09:47:28 AM »
I need some help here. A while back I bought some boysenberries (canned) on line. I remembered as a kid we would get yogurt with boysenberries in it and it was so good. However, I have never seen that combo offered since I was a kid. I bought something like 8 15oz cans. I did use it in yogurt but OMG, the seeds are terrible! They get stuck in your teeth and it is nasty. The texture of the berries are pretty soft due to the canning process and they look like large blackberries. So now I have all these cans that I want to use up but the seeds are turning me off. I suppose I could push them thru a mesh strainer but would lose most of the  pulp and seeds and end up with juice. I am not so inclined to make jelly either.

My first thought was to strain them, but you already considered that. My only other thought would be to run them very thoroughly through a blender, so as to break the seeds up (could use the blended mix to make jam cookies or pastry). SO suggests maybe to use them in baked goods, where the crunch of the seeds won't be as obnoxious.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #901 on: December 25, 2018, 10:12:39 AM »
I need some help here. A while back I bought some boysenberries (canned) on line. I remembered as a kid we would get yogurt with boysenberries in it and it was so good. However, I have never seen that combo offered since I was a kid. I bought something like 8 15oz cans. I did use it in yogurt but OMG, the seeds are terrible! They get stuck in your teeth and it is nasty. The texture of the berries are pretty soft due to the canning process and they look like large blackberries. So now I have all these cans that I want to use up but the seeds are turning me off. I suppose I could push them thru a mesh strainer but would lose most of the  pulp and seeds and end up with juice. I am not so inclined to make jelly either.

My first thought was to strain them, but you already considered that. My only other thought would be to run them very thoroughly through a blender, so as to break the seeds up (could use the blended mix to make jam cookies or pastry). SO suggests maybe to use them in baked goods, where the crunch of the seeds won't be as obnoxious.

Thanks for replying. The blender idea might be good. The seeds are really obnoxious, very big. I can tolerate seeds but these are too hard and don't want to break my teeth! I was poking around on the internet and saw something interesting and it was a barbeque sauce made with boysenberries and cayenne pepper (I think). Was very early this morning. Will have to look it up again. They showed a picture of it on chicken. I kind of like the idea of tart, sweet and hot/spicy sauce on chicken. I did see some crumb cake recipes too. I also saw some people use the juice in seltzer. I paid too much for these cans of boysenberries to waste them!

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #902 on: December 25, 2018, 10:21:37 AM »
I need some help here. A while back I bought some boysenberries (canned) on line. I remembered as a kid we would get yogurt with boysenberries in it and it was so good. However, I have never seen that combo offered since I was a kid. I bought something like 8 15oz cans. I did use it in yogurt but OMG, the seeds are terrible! They get stuck in your teeth and it is nasty. The texture of the berries are pretty soft due to the canning process and they look like large blackberries. So now I have all these cans that I want to use up but the seeds are turning me off. I suppose I could push them thru a mesh strainer but would lose most of the  pulp and seeds and end up with juice. I am not so inclined to make jelly either.

My first thought was to strain them, but you already considered that. My only other thought would be to run them very thoroughly through a blender, so as to break the seeds up (could use the blended mix to make jam cookies or pastry). SO suggests maybe to use them in baked goods, where the crunch of the seeds won't be as obnoxious.

Thanks for replying. The blender idea might be good. The seeds are really obnoxious, very big. I can tolerate seeds but these are too hard and don't want to break my teeth! I was poking around on the internet and saw something interesting and it was a barbeque sauce made with boysenberries and cayenne pepper (I think). Was very early this morning. Will have to look it up again. They showed a picture of it on chicken. I kind of like the idea of tart, sweet and hot/spicy sauce on chicken. I did see some crumb cake recipes too. I also saw some people use the juice in seltzer. I paid too much for these cans of boysenberries to waste them!

Ooh boysenberry BBQ sauce sounds like it could be pretty delish. Or you could do a spicy/sweet sauce like people do with a raspberry chipotle. That would be good too.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #903 on: December 25, 2018, 10:31:18 AM »
I need some help here. A while back I bought some boysenberries (canned) on line. I remembered as a kid we would get yogurt with boysenberries in it and it was so good. However, I have never seen that combo offered since I was a kid. I bought something like 8 15oz cans. I did use it in yogurt but OMG, the seeds are terrible! They get stuck in your teeth and it is nasty. The texture of the berries are pretty soft due to the canning process and they look like large blackberries. So now I have all these cans that I want to use up but the seeds are turning me off. I suppose I could push them thru a mesh strainer but would lose most of the  pulp and seeds and end up with juice. I am not so inclined to make jelly either.

My first thought was to strain them, but you already considered that. My only other thought would be to run them very thoroughly through a blender, so as to break the seeds up (could use the blended mix to make jam cookies or pastry). SO suggests maybe to use them in baked goods, where the crunch of the seeds won't be as obnoxious.

Thanks for replying. The blender idea might be good. The seeds are really obnoxious, very big. I can tolerate seeds but these are too hard and don't want to break my teeth! I was poking around on the internet and saw something interesting and it was a barbeque sauce made with boysenberries and cayenne pepper (I think). Was very early this morning. Will have to look it up again. They showed a picture of it on chicken. I kind of like the idea of tart, sweet and hot/spicy sauce on chicken. I did see some crumb cake recipes too. I also saw some people use the juice in seltzer. I paid too much for these cans of boysenberries to waste them!

Ooh boysenberry BBQ sauce sounds like it could be pretty delish. Or you could do a spicy/sweet sauce like people do with a raspberry chipotle. That would be good too.

Anyone have a raspberry chipotle BB sauce recipe? That sounds good! I could just replace the raspberries with boysenberries after blended or sieved.

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #904 on: December 25, 2018, 12:11:07 PM »
I need some help here. A while back I bought some boysenberries (canned) on line. I remembered as a kid we would get yogurt with boysenberries in it and it was so good. However, I have never seen that combo offered since I was a kid. I bought something like 8 15oz cans. I did use it in yogurt but OMG, the seeds are terrible! They get stuck in your teeth and it is nasty. The texture of the berries are pretty soft due to the canning process and they look like large blackberries. So now I have all these cans that I want to use up but the seeds are turning me off. I suppose I could push them thru a mesh strainer but would lose most of the  pulp and seeds and end up with juice. I am not so inclined to make jelly either.

My first thought was to strain them, but you already considered that. My only other thought would be to run them very thoroughly through a blender, so as to break the seeds up (could use the blended mix to make jam cookies or pastry). SO suggests maybe to use them in baked goods, where the crunch of the seeds won't be as obnoxious.

Thanks for replying. The blender idea might be good. The seeds are really obnoxious, very big. I can tolerate seeds but these are too hard and don't want to break my teeth! I was poking around on the internet and saw something interesting and it was a barbeque sauce made with boysenberries and cayenne pepper (I think). Was very early this morning. Will have to look it up again. They showed a picture of it on chicken. I kind of like the idea of tart, sweet and hot/spicy sauce on chicken. I did see some crumb cake recipes too. I also saw some people use the juice in seltzer. I paid too much for these cans of boysenberries to waste them!

Ooh boysenberry BBQ sauce sounds like it could be pretty delish. Or you could do a spicy/sweet sauce like people do with a raspberry chipotle. That would be good too.

Anyone have a raspberry chipotle BB sauce recipe? That sounds good! I could just replace the raspberries with boysenberries after blended or sieved.

Sadly, I have no such recipes, and I'm sure there are only a gajillion on the internet to try to choose from. :S

Monkey Uncle

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #905 on: December 25, 2018, 02:10:54 PM »
I need some help here. A while back I bought some boysenberries (canned) on line. I remembered as a kid we would get yogurt with boysenberries in it and it was so good. However, I have never seen that combo offered since I was a kid. I bought something like 8 15oz cans. I did use it in yogurt but OMG, the seeds are terrible! They get stuck in your teeth and it is nasty. The texture of the berries are pretty soft due to the canning process and they look like large blackberries. So now I have all these cans that I want to use up but the seeds are turning me off. I suppose I could push them thru a mesh strainer but would lose most of the  pulp and seeds and end up with juice. I am not so inclined to make jelly either.

My first thought was to strain them, but you already considered that. My only other thought would be to run them very thoroughly through a blender, so as to break the seeds up (could use the blended mix to make jam cookies or pastry). SO suggests maybe to use them in baked goods, where the crunch of the seeds won't be as obnoxious.

Thanks for replying. The blender idea might be good. The seeds are really obnoxious, very big. I can tolerate seeds but these are too hard and don't want to break my teeth! I was poking around on the internet and saw something interesting and it was a barbeque sauce made with boysenberries and cayenne pepper (I think). Was very early this morning. Will have to look it up again. They showed a picture of it on chicken. I kind of like the idea of tart, sweet and hot/spicy sauce on chicken. I did see some crumb cake recipes too. I also saw some people use the juice in seltzer. I paid too much for these cans of boysenberries to waste them!

Ooh boysenberry BBQ sauce sounds like it could be pretty delish. Or you could do a spicy/sweet sauce like people do with a raspberry chipotle. That would be good too.

Anyone have a raspberry chipotle BB sauce recipe? That sounds good! I could just replace the raspberries with boysenberries after blended or sieved.

Sadly, I have no such recipes, and I'm sure there are only a gajillion on the internet to try to choose from. :S

I made a sauce like that from wild black raspberries a while back.  Got the recipe from Michael Symon's barbecue book.  Not sure if that recipe is available online.  Basically it's blackberry/black raspberry puree, balsamic and red wine vinegar, brown sugar, onion, garlic, hot peppers, coffee, coriander, and cumin.  I don't want to transcribe the exact recipe out of respect for Symon's copyright. 

I was kind of disappointed with it because it burned very easily on the grill, and was too thin to use as a finishing sauce.  I might have to play around with it some day to see if I can thicken it for finishing use.  I always have more black raspberries than I know what to do with.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #906 on: December 25, 2018, 03:17:06 PM »
I need some help here. A while back I bought some boysenberries (canned) on line. I remembered as a kid we would get yogurt with boysenberries in it and it was so good. However, I have never seen that combo offered since I was a kid. I bought something like 8 15oz cans. I did use it in yogurt but OMG, the seeds are terrible! They get stuck in your teeth and it is nasty. The texture of the berries are pretty soft due to the canning process and they look like large blackberries. So now I have all these cans that I want to use up but the seeds are turning me off. I suppose I could push them thru a mesh strainer but would lose most of the  pulp and seeds and end up with juice. I am not so inclined to make jelly either.


I found this recipe. Sounds pretty good. I will sub the boysenberries for the raspberries: https://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/raspberry-chipotle-bbq-sauce-recipe/

My first thought was to strain them, but you already considered that. My only other thought would be to run them very thoroughly through a blender, so as to break the seeds up (could use the blended mix to make jam cookies or pastry). SO suggests maybe to use them in baked goods, where the crunch of the seeds won't be as obnoxious.

Thanks for replying. The blender idea might be good. The seeds are really obnoxious, very big. I can tolerate seeds but these are too hard and don't want to break my teeth! I was poking around on the internet and saw something interesting and it was a barbeque sauce made with boysenberries and cayenne pepper (I think). Was very early this morning. Will have to look it up again. They showed a picture of it on chicken. I kind of like the idea of tart, sweet and hot/spicy sauce on chicken. I did see some crumb cake recipes too. I also saw some people use the juice in seltzer. I paid too much for these cans of boysenberries to waste them!

Ooh boysenberry BBQ sauce sounds like it could be pretty delish. Or you could do a spicy/sweet sauce like people do with a raspberry chipotle. That would be good too.

Anyone have a raspberry chipotle BB sauce recipe? That sounds good! I could just replace the raspberries with boysenberries after blended or sieved.

Sadly, I have no such recipes, and I'm sure there are only a gajillion on the internet to try to choose from. :S

I made a sauce like that from wild black raspberries a while back.  Got the recipe from Michael Symon's barbecue book.  Not sure if that recipe is available online.  Basically it's blackberry/black raspberry puree, balsamic and red wine vinegar, brown sugar, onion, garlic, hot peppers, coffee, coriander, and cumin.  I don't want to transcribe the exact recipe out of respect for Symon's copyright. 

I was kind of disappointed with it because it burned very easily on the grill, and was too thin to use as a finishing sauce.  I might have to play around with it some day to see if I can thicken it for finishing use.  I always have more black raspberries than I know what to do with.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #907 on: December 25, 2018, 03:21:40 PM »
I need some help here. A while back I bought some boysenberries (canned) on line. I remembered as a kid we would get yogurt with boysenberries in it and it was so good. However, I have never seen that combo offered since I was a kid. I bought something like 8 15oz cans. I did use it in yogurt but OMG, the seeds are terrible! They get stuck in your teeth and it is nasty. The texture of the berries are pretty soft due to the canning process and they look like large blackberries. So now I have all these cans that I want to use up but the seeds are turning me off. I suppose I could push them thru a mesh strainer but would lose most of the  pulp and seeds and end up with juice. I am not so inclined to make jelly either.


I found this recipe. Sounds pretty good. I will sub the boysenberries for the raspberries: https://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/raspberry-chipotle-bbq-sauce-recipe/

My first thought was to strain them, but you already considered that. My only other thought would be to run them very thoroughly through a blender, so as to break the seeds up (could use the blended mix to make jam cookies or pastry). SO suggests maybe to use them in baked goods, where the crunch of the seeds won't be as obnoxious.

Thanks for replying. The blender idea might be good. The seeds are really obnoxious, very big. I can tolerate seeds but these are too hard and don't want to break my teeth! I was poking around on the internet and saw something interesting and it was a barbeque sauce made with boysenberries and cayenne pepper (I think). Was very early this morning. Will have to look it up again. They showed a picture of it on chicken. I kind of like the idea of tart, sweet and hot/spicy sauce on chicken. I did see some crumb cake recipes too. I also saw some people use the juice in seltzer. I paid too much for these cans of boysenberries to waste them!

Ooh boysenberry BBQ sauce sounds like it could be pretty delish. Or you could do a spicy/sweet sauce like people do with a raspberry chipotle. That would be good too.

Anyone have a raspberry chipotle BB sauce recipe? That sounds good! I could just replace the raspberries with boysenberries after blended or sieved.

Sadly, I have no such recipes, and I'm sure there are only a gajillion on the internet to try to choose from. :S

I made a sauce like that from wild black raspberries a while back.  Got the recipe from Michael Symon's barbecue book.  Not sure if that recipe is available online.  Basically it's blackberry/black raspberry puree, balsamic and red wine vinegar, brown sugar, onion, garlic, hot peppers, coffee, coriander, and cumin.  I don't want to transcribe the exact recipe out of respect for Symon's copyright. 

I was kind of disappointed with it because it burned very easily on the grill, and was too thin to use as a finishing sauce.  I might have to play around with it some day to see if I can thicken it for finishing use.  I always have more black raspberries than I know what to do with.

I posted this before but I guess the post went out into outer space. So anyway, I found this recipe and it sounds pretty good. I will sub out the raspberries for the boysenberries: https://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/raspberry-chipotle-bbq-sauce-recipe/

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #908 on: December 26, 2018, 07:24:35 PM »
Remodeling the bathroom, and want to put a smaller window in. So I need some siding to patch the gap on the outside. Does my house have normal siding like the rest of houses? Nope. Of course not. Spent all day driving around town trying to find a building supply place that carries the matching cedar shingle to what I have. After the first couple of places, where I tried to describe via dimensions and photos the existing siding, I came BACK home, removed a piece of siding and then went back around....walking into places and *still* getting "Oh wow. I don't think we carry anything like that." Finally found one place where the guy knew what it was, but only their Denver office has it in stock (1hr drive away, and not open on saturday). Ay yi yi. Bleah.


ANYWAYS.....stopped in the far Discount store and Save-a-Lot on the way home:



Marshmallows: $2.04
Mayo: $3.96
Gluten-free cake mix: $.99
Gluten-free pasta: $6.72

Total receipt = $13.71. I still have a raincheck for sweet potatoes, so I'm planning on putting the marshmallows to use for a sweet potato pie at some point, plus also to keep on hand for other occasions. Also, gluten-free chocolate cake. Just getting a pound of GF flour for 99¢ is a steal, let alone a cake mix. Score!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Save-a-Lot:


Ketchup: $2.79
Tomatoes: $.68

Total receipt = $3.47. Ketchup wasn't a super-sale, but we've been completely out for a few weeks now, so it will be nice to have back in the fridge as a condiment option.

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #909 on: December 27, 2018, 01:32:53 PM »
Just did my first mid-work-day Aldi's run today thanks to you.  After following you for a few months, I created a price book.  Another month and I actively sought out and tried all grocery options near home (some better than others) and noted prices. 

The Aldi's closest to home was an eye opener, but the traffic in that area is rage inducing, so I started going only when I had unavoidable errands in the area.  But the sweet call of inexpensive, good quality food options kept nagging at me so I finally checked on-line and found another Aldi's close enough to my office that I can sneak over during lunch.  WIN - Affordable soy milk is sitting in a cooler in my car as I type. Now I just have to work out storage options for the summer months.

Ok, that and I can tell I'll be seeking out and trying all the other grocery options near work soon.

Thank you for all the inspiration you provide!

Fitting inconveniently located grocery stops into other unavoidable errands is the way to go. And even better that you found one close to work! Maybe in summer, you can keep the cooler in your office instead of in the car?

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #910 on: December 27, 2018, 02:07:42 PM »
Stopped for a couple things on the way home from work:

Sprouts:


Sweet Potatoes (4lb): $2.07
Pears (4lb): $3.47

Total receipt = $5.54. Planning to make a sweet potato pie. I actually had a raincheck from Thanksgiving, but they were on sale for 50¢/lb anyway, so I get to save my raincheck for another future trip.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

King Soopers:


Eggs: $2.97

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #911 on: December 27, 2018, 02:23:51 PM »
I'm not going to call it for certain, but ^that^ looks to be the last grocery trip of the year. I feel like meals have generally been full of luxury, and certainly my pantry is more full now than it was at the start of the year (for one, I have a chest freezer that's chock full of all kinds of good stuff that I would not even have had space for in January!).

Roadrunner53

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #912 on: December 27, 2018, 02:49:23 PM »
I have an giant upright freezer and a refrigerator freezer in the garage FULL of food. My refrigerator freezer upstairs is FULL of food. I could feed my entire neighborhood! And...drumroll...we are only two people! I have shelves and cabinets down in the garage FULL of food! Just off the top of my head in the freezers  I have one 15 lb turkey, one 10 lb rib roast, one 8 lb rib roast, one 5 lb pot roast, then there are about 25 lbs of hot sausage, a pizza, frozen veggies, breaded chicken, breaded fish fillets, breaded shrimp, shrimp for shrimp cocktail, egg rolls, pork ribs...but wait...there is more! No more shopping for me either! A couple of months ago my upright freezer broke down and we went into panic mode. No local appliance store had anything in stock and most said it would be 4 days. In the end I placed an order on a Sunday on line thru Sears. It was delivered on Monday! We were able to save everything! WHEW, keep that in mind if you ever need a freezer fast! I was blown away with such fast service! I was also freaked out to buy such an expensive freezer sight unseen! It ended up a perfect purchase!

Can't say I am a frugal shopper like APowers but I do buy things on sale a lot. My turkey was 39 cents a lb. I buy hamburger on sale and cook it up and package it up for use in future recipes.

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #913 on: December 27, 2018, 06:42:54 PM »
Sweet potato "pie"!



Not really pie, as much as mashed and seasoned sweet potatoes in a crust with marshmallows on top, but still tasty. And this gluten-free pie crust is probably the best gluten free thing I've ever made.

OtherJen

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #914 on: December 28, 2018, 07:58:44 AM »
The pie looks delicious, @APowers ! Mind sharing your pie crust recipe? That’s one of the last gluten-free baking hurdles for me and I’ve never had success.

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #915 on: December 28, 2018, 03:16:11 PM »
WIN - Affordable soy milk is sitting in a cooler in my car as I type. Now I just have to work out storage options for the summer months.

Fitting inconveniently located grocery stops into other unavoidable errands is the way to go. And even better that you found one close to work! Maybe in summer, you can keep the cooler in your office instead of in the car?

You mean maximize the unwanted arctic summer air conditioning in my office?  FTW!!

With any luck, your office has air vents in the floor, and you can put the cooler on top to put the cold to better use...

Roadrunner53

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #916 on: December 28, 2018, 03:30:04 PM »
I worked in an office building and it was a total disaster as far as heat and ac. The last winter I was there the pipes froze in the ceiling and broke all over my desk, computer and chair. It was a disaster. It was so cold I froze every day. I bought an electric heating pad and would put it on my lap. It helped but it was bone chilling horrible. The problem with the building is that it was old and they had chopped it up a million times to make bigger rooms or smaller rooms. Then it threw off the heating and cooling due to the walls, etc that were not there originally when the designed the ac and heating system. Buy an electric blanket!

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #917 on: December 29, 2018, 08:06:18 PM »
The pie looks delicious, @APowers ! Mind sharing your pie crust recipe? That’s one of the last gluten-free baking hurdles for me and I’ve never had success.

I wanted to give it one more test run before I shared the recipe....



Turns out that swiss meringue isn't as hard as I thought it'd be. Also, turns out that I HAVE a blowtorch....it's just in my plumbing toolkit, and not my kitchen. ALSO turns out I've been watching the Breat British Baking Show wayyyy too much, lol!

Anyway, crust. This recipe is more of a happy accident than a purposeful creation, actually. A while back, I was trying to codify my GF bread recipe from "winging it" to writing ingredient proportions down so that I could solve issues that I kept having. Turns out the recipe is fine-- I just wasn't non-measuring very accurately. Back to the point-- I had added all the ingredients except the water, and decided on a whim to mix it up. After I did so, I looked at it and thought to myself *hm. that looks a bit like pie dough. I wonder if that would work....* I went to to make a successful bread. The pie dough idea simmered in the back of my head for a while, and then I tested it out on some "cheesecake" pie. It was so great, I decided to get sweet potatoes and try it again. It got pretty soggy underneath the sweet potatoes, so it needs some kind of glaze or something to really hold up nicely in a true pie. I haven't figured that part out yet. But it's still the best gluten-free bread thing I've made to date.

Gluten-free pie crust:

1/2 cup gluten-free flour*
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil

*I happen to use this flour mix. I didn't buy this mix on purpose, but it works pretty good. Once my current supply is used up, I'll move on to the next flour mix, and we'll see if it works the same.

I usually just use a table tablespoon (soup spoon? The larger one than I normally use for eating, whatever it's called) to mix it all together. Anyway. Mix it all thoroughly. Once it starts getting completely mixed, it will start coming together nicely in a dough ball. It usually feels a bit oily to the touch.

It will be way too sticky to roll out on the counter, so I roll it out between sheets of plastic wrap. This way, you also don't have to worry about it sticking to the rolling pin. Once you have it rolled out to a 10"(?) round (I just roll it until the diameter is out to the edge of my plastic wrap sheets, so maybe 11"?), then peel the top plastic off and you'll be able to use the bottom sheet to lift it and transfer it to your pie tin.

NOTE-- Grease your pie dish! I didn't once, and that was a mistake. But when I grease my dish, this crust doesn't stick (at least, it hasn't yet).

I usually pre-bake at 350°F for about 17 min-- 'til it starts turning golden brown. Then fill with pie filling as desired.

P.S. I add 1/4 cup of water to this recipe for my basic GF bread. It makes enough dough/batter for about 2 sandwich rolls, a mini-loaf (3"x6"), or a 9" pizza crust.

OtherJen

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #918 on: December 29, 2018, 10:21:25 PM »
Thank you! I will definitely try this.

I am a bit obsessed with the Great British Baking Show. I don’t understand Mary Berry’s prejudice against using a blowtorch on meringue. It looks like good fun.

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #919 on: December 29, 2018, 11:38:23 PM »
Thank you! I will definitely try this.

I am a bit obsessed with the Great British Baking Show. I don’t understand Mary Berry’s prejudice against using a blowtorch on meringue. It looks like good fun.

Oh, it is fun. But it does give a very different result than baking, because it only cooks the outside, and not all the way through. Also, it smells like toasted marshmallows, so yum!

zee dot

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #920 on: December 30, 2018, 05:07:55 PM »
Groceries are an area I can def spend less on.

Posting here to learn from the pros.

mountain mustache

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #921 on: December 30, 2018, 06:58:50 PM »
This thread has inspired me so much, and I'm stoked to say that I made it under $200 this month (actually $170.). It's not a whole year, but I'm beginning to think I could actually do it long term. I feel like my mindset behind grocery shopping, and what I "need" has totally changed. I go to the store now, and literally pick up exactly what I'm out of, and no extras...I don't really browse to see what else I could buy, I just focus on the necessities...veggies, fruit, meat, etc. My fridge is looking so much simpler, and I'm also stock piling less, which is something I was trying to get out of the habit of doing. I still pick up manager's specials now and then if there is something good, but only if it is something I don't already have a bunch of.
I have also been so much more creative with my meals, since I sometimes run out of my staples (baby greens, chicken thighs, etc for big salads) before it's time to buy more groceries. I've made some pretty weird dinners, but I feel so much more resourceful.
Anyway, all that to say, thank you for the challenge and great example!

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #922 on: December 31, 2018, 03:04:36 AM »
I had a free giant shrimp dinner tonight!  I had to share with you all.   Not exactly free, but pretty close.

 I found out a guest I had invited to Christmas dinner was deathly allergic to shrimp, include shrimp on other people' breath, so I could not serve my fancy  frozen pack of (I buy once a year or less, on sale) giant shrimp on the 25th...    So we were able to stretch them into a dinner for 3 tonight! 

Yum.   All this holiday cooking and leftovers.   Turkey soup tomorrow.

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #923 on: January 01, 2019, 11:51:04 AM »
Well. Here is the final tally. Results are in for December and the whole year. I somehow managed to miss an entry for eating out at Costco-- $9.18; so I've added that in here. I will also do an update on the pantry-- so y'all can see that not only did I succeed, but I'm better off than when I started out. As I said at the start-- when someone inevitably exclaims at me about "How can you possibly survive on just what SNAP gives you!?!?!? It's just NOT ENOUGH" or "You probably have IBS from eating unhealthy food!" or "I have to be gluten-free/dairy-free, and that's just not possible!". Well. It IS possible, I've done it for years, and this year was likely the highest-spending average of my lifetime.

$26.59 --- Safeway [6 visits]
$14.26 --- King Soopers [4 visits]
$11.98 --- Sprouts [2 visits]
$25.31 --- Discount Store [3 visits]
$22.83 --- Costco [1 visit]
$5.47 --- Save-a-Lot [2 visits]

$23.49 --- Costco Food Court [2 visits]
______

$129.93 --- Total Food Spending for December.


$124.70 = January
$210.46 = February ($201.28 if you don't count eating out)
$286.43 = March ($277.78 if you don't count eating out)
$185.53 = April ($172.57 if you don't count eating out)
$238.63 = May ($108.63 if you don't count eating out)
$303.50 = June ($194.48 if you don't count eating out)
$266.13 = July ($253.74 if you don't count eating out)
$264.58 = August ($255.93 if you don't count eating out)
$273.95 = September ($224.38 if you don't count eating out)
$160.27 = October ($144.96 if you don't count eating out)
$169.10 = November
$129.93 = December ($106.44 if you don't count eating out)

YTD Averages:

$217.76 = Monthly average (including eating out)
$186.17 =  Monthly average (not counting eating out)
« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 03:17:24 PM by APowers »

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #924 on: January 01, 2019, 12:00:50 PM »
Thank you again for the time you spent on this thread @APowers.  I learned a ton and you have inspired me to address our grocery spending in earnest this year. 

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #925 on: January 01, 2019, 12:05:20 PM »
Reiterating for the sake of a succinct headline:

2018 Food Spending:

Groceries: $186.17 per month
Restaurants: $31.59 per month


« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 02:16:16 PM by APowers »

nurseart

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #926 on: January 01, 2019, 12:17:08 PM »
Great job! Thank you so much, I'd been reading all year and learned a lot!

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #927 on: January 01, 2019, 02:51:35 PM »
This was my favorite thread of the year! Thank you so much for all of your effort in keeping it updated.

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #928 on: January 01, 2019, 03:26:45 PM »
After a year of spending only $185/month on groceries, this is what I've got. You all saw what I started with-- here's what I have now, at the end of the year:

Refrigerator-freezer:


1/2 carton ice cream
2lb ground beef
3 meal-portions turkey gravy
3 meal-portions cooked beans
3 meal-portions cooked turkey (~1lb each)
1/3 pack of jumbo tortillas
1 meal portion lentil soup
1 sandwich ziploc frozen grapes
1 sandwich ziploc frozen pineapple
4lb butter
1 meal-portion boneless pork
1 meal-portion boneless chicken
3 lunch portions vegetable soup
1 meal portion sausage links (12oz)
1 thin ziploc w/ pureed cilantro


4 packs mozzarella (8oz each)
1 meal-portion cooked turkey
1 meal-portion cooked pork shoulder
1 meal-portion sliced corned beef
1 quart ziploc henna (not food lol!)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Refrigerator:

Top shelf (left to right, more or less):
6 individual packs applesauce (hidden)
1/4 cup homemade sweet chili sauce
2/3 jar Strawberry jam
1/2 cup bacon grease
1 sandwich ziploc candied ginger (hidden)
1/2 large pack corn tortillas
2 bottles Powerade
1 pint active dry yeast
6 pints sauerkraut/kimchi

Next shelf:
1/2 jug pancake syrup (hidden)
8oz cream cheese (hidden)
~1.5 quarts yoghurt
1 meal-portion leftover gluten-free pasta
1 meal-portion leftover gravy
1 meal-portion shredded cheddar
1 snack-sized portion pork shoulder
1 meal-portion cooked potatoes
16oz sour cream
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 dozen eggs
1 person-portion brussels sprouts

Small drawer:
2 roma tomatoes
1 avocado
1 green pepper

Next shelf:
1/2 bunch celery
1/2 bunch parsley
1 pack tortillas
~2lb sweet potatoes
1 snack-sized portion curry sauce
1 single-serve applesauce
1 skillet's worth turkey fat (pint jar)

Bottom drawers:
4 large onions
~2lb carrots


Top shelf (left to right):
misc non-food
1/2 container sour cream
mustard
knob of ginger
~9oz nutritional yeast
1 quart mayo
mostly empty ranch powder mix
20oz ranch dressing
mustard
16oz ranch dressing
1 serving ranch (in pyrex)
1/4 bottle BBQ sauce

Next shelf:
Italian dressing
chocolate syrup
soy sauce
honey-ginger dressing
1/8 bottle sriracha
water bottle
ranch dressing
1/2 bottle lime juice
1/4 container beef broth base
minced garlic
aloe water drink
coffee energy drink

Bottom shelf:
soy sauce
misc condiment packs
balsamic vinegar
salsa
worcestershire sauce
more balsamic vinegar
ketchup (same size bottle as ^ranch^)
3/4 bottle gatorade
« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 04:37:26 PM by APowers »

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #929 on: January 01, 2019, 03:27:08 PM »
This is the chest freezer:



18 quart ziplocs of fruit (strawberries, pineapple, grapes, and blueberries)
2 bags of cheddar (2lb each)
1 bag mozzarella (2lb)
2 meal-portions of jambalaya
1 meal-portion of cooked beans



~5lb bone-in chicken breast
~6lb boneless chicken breast
5 packs of shredded cheddar (8oz each)
2 packs mozzarella (8oz each)



10lb bacon



3 packs hot dogs
5 meal-portions jambalaya
4 packs of smoked turkey (1lb each)
1 meal-portion broth (quart ziploc)
8lbs frozen veggies (brussels sprouts, broccoli, stir-fry mix)
1 carton ice cream
3 meal-portions hamburger patties (~6-8 patties)
3 meal portions cooked pork shoulder
« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 08:58:21 PM by APowers »

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #930 on: January 01, 2019, 03:27:24 PM »
Here's the last of the stock on hand.

Pantry cabinet:

5 boxes lasagna noodles
3 containers of frosting
7 boxes cake/brownie mix
5 packets hot cocoa
~12oz chocolate chips
2.5lbs almonds
3.5 bags marshmallows
2 handfuls pecans
2 handfuls pistachios
1 package oreos
~6 halloween mini candy bars


20.5 boxes gluten-free pasta (12oz each)
18.5lb regular pasta (some macaroni, some fettucine)
8oz pre-cooked rice
1/2 pack rice noodles (maybe 4oz?)


~8oz molasses (ketchup bottle)
Giant jar of baking soda (probably 10lbs?)
6 cans chicken broth
9 cans garbanzo beans
5 cans kidney beans
1 can pineapple chunks
7 black beans
6 cans corn


5lb potatoes
84oz coconut oil
2 jars mayo
~4lb honey
64oz pancake syrup
~4lb peanuts
9 creamy peanut butter
14 crunch peanut butter
20 cans tomato sauce (8oz each)
20 cans tuna
27 cans olives
~3.5lb popcorn
30oz mustard
18oz BBQ sauce
38oz salsa
1/3 bag tortilla chips


Spice cabinet:

Top shelf:
~7lb corn meal
4 boxes tea (partially-used, of course)

Middle shelf:
~1lb baking powder
xanthan gum
imitation vanilla
3/4 box cocoa powder
1/2oz italian seasoning
~1cup soy lecithin
~5oz oregano
1/2cup crystallized ginger sugar
~6oz corn starch
cream of tartar
baking soda

Bottom shelf:
~24oz salt
1/4 cup garlic powder
12oz black pepper
6oz ginger powder
2oz grill seasoning
1.5cups dill
2cups dry mustard
1.5cups cumin
1 cup chili powder
2.5 cups turmeric
3 cups coriander
1.5 cups cinnamon
2 cups allspice
1 qt cayenne


Baking cabinet:

3.75lb white rice
5.5 quarts canola oil
9lb gluten-free flour
~1 cup powdered sugar
1 box gluten-free cake mix
3.75lb dry pinto beans
1lb sesame seeds


[Not Pictured -- Buckets of Dry Goods:]
~15lb whole wheat flour
~10lb brown sugar
~15lb oatmeal
~15lb white rice
17lb brown rice
~5lb pinto beans
« Last Edit: January 03, 2019, 07:57:03 PM by APowers »

Goldielocks

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #931 on: January 01, 2019, 06:48:42 PM »
Thank-you so very much for your 2018 food blog with photos.   I admit I was a bit skeptical at first, (sandwich only dinners!  January had so much beans and carby pasta type meals) but within 2 months you had me turned around.

It was the consistency of the posting, so that I knew you were not hiding a splurgy dinner out a few times a month (or a week).   It was seeing that you do have stressful days, with kids, because you are a real family with jobs, and what your go-to solution was (Costco food court!).

It was seeing details of the occasional food bonus left by Air BNB guests/ renters and realizing that it was not overly significant.... seeing what you did for birthdays, etc., how much you got with free cooupons (lately a lot more than at the start, but only a few items here and there.).

It was seeing a varied but not too eclectic meal plan across the year.   Some of that is due to the gluten free challenges (most?!).

I mean, I actually get food from grandparents occassionally -- like several pounds of frozen fish, or left over entertaining foods yesterday (e.g., I got extra snacking nuts and a few pieces of cheesecake)...so I have different but similar quantities of free foods.   

Anyway  I would vote this for thread of the year if there was a place to vote.   Thanks for the tremendous challenge and inspiration.

ElleFiji

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #932 on: January 01, 2019, 06:59:24 PM »
I have been following but hadn't posted all year, because I had nothing to add. But I did want to thank you for sticking with posting and sharing - it's a huge project but it has been SO helpful. Especially because you have a mix of GF and not GF people to serve!

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #933 on: January 01, 2019, 09:03:10 PM »
Anyway  I would vote this for thread of the year if there was a place to vote.   Thanks for the tremendous challenge and inspiration.

Apparently, there is: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/what's-been-your-favorite-thread-on-the-forum-this-year-best-of-2018/

Although I still haven't made it onto the master Ultimate Mustachian Food Guide that @acorn put together, so I guess I didn't succeed in accomplishing my ulterior, selfish motive, lol. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 10:27:09 PM by APowers »

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #934 on: January 01, 2019, 09:53:36 PM »
Also, in perusing the first few pages of this thread I found this:

Just finished doing the monthly tally of receipts for December. Actual average food spending per month in 2017 ==> $189.58

So. 2018 has NOT been my most spendy year to date. I take that back.

namasteyall

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #935 on: January 02, 2019, 02:28:50 AM »
Well done AP! Hope you get to teach many others too. For money!

Hope you all had a wonderful Xmas and N Year.

zee dot

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #936 on: January 02, 2019, 04:52:58 AM »
Finally made it through this thread.
Very impressed w your budgeting AND your portion sizes.
You've inspired me to start using my food scale to see if I can start w 2 oz of protein.

Have a great 2019.

slappy

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #937 on: January 02, 2019, 08:17:52 AM »
 I had previously clicked on the notify button, but I don't seem to be getting notifications, so I'm posting to follow. Happy New Year!

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #938 on: January 02, 2019, 09:01:33 AM »
Finally made it through this thread.
Very impressed w your budgeting AND your portion sizes.
You've inspired me to start using my food scale to see if I can start w 2 oz of protein.

Have a great 2019.

Sometimes I even use 4oz portion sizes *gasp!*.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #939 on: January 02, 2019, 04:28:09 PM »
This was my favorite thread of the year! Thank you so much for all of your effort in keeping it updated.

This!!!

use2betrix

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #940 on: January 02, 2019, 06:11:47 PM »
I got really excited when I saw this as thread of the year (this is my first time viewing the thread) as our grocery bill is high.

I think we can take some advice of what we get here, but it’s pretty limited. The breakfast has no real protein source and lunch/dinner are very limited.

I have 6-8 oz meat x 3 meals/day. My wife has 3-4 oz. with our weightlifting we need a higher protein intake.

I can eat a pretty spartan diet, but I still have to meet my macros.


StarBright

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #941 on: January 02, 2019, 07:40:15 PM »
I got really excited when I saw this as thread of the year (this is my first time viewing the thread) as our grocery bill is high.

I think we can take some advice of what we get here, but it’s pretty limited. The breakfast has no real protein source and lunch/dinner are very limited.

I have 6-8 oz meat x 3 meals/day. My wife has 3-4 oz. with our weightlifting we need a higher protein intake.

I can eat a pretty spartan diet, but I still have to meet my macros.

This is how I felt when the thread started - we spend so much more than APowers and we eat differently. But this thread sort of wormed its way into my head.  I kept reading it, and I'd think of ways I could cut back that still fit my families needs. I really enjoyed it.

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #942 on: January 02, 2019, 08:27:09 PM »
I got really excited when I saw this as thread of the year (this is my first time viewing the thread) as our grocery bill is high.

I think we can take some advice of what we get here, but it’s pretty limited. The breakfast has no real protein source and lunch/dinner are very limited.

I have 6-8 oz meat x 3 meals/day. My wife has 3-4 oz. with our weightlifting we need a higher protein intake.

I can eat a pretty spartan diet, but I still have to meet my macros.

I'm glad you've found my thread at least somewhat helpful! I'm definitely not a weightlifter, so your dietary needs are certainly different than mine. But if you shop with your own best value-for-needs in mind, I'm not too uncertain that you can't be pretty close to me-- maybe you'll end up closer to $250-275/month-- and that would be a win, wouldn't it?

I just took breakfast for instance-- back in the first pages, I priced out what a typical breakfast cost us-- a total of $1.91. Now, I did oatmeal and fruit; but if you did 12oz of chicken (99¢/lb = 75¢), a couple tortillas (~30¢), a couple leaves of lettuce (~15¢), some mayo/mustard (~5¢), and a couple bananas (~40¢)...that'd hit you and your wife's protein intake for ~$1.65-- enough budget room to add in some more carbs if you need them (rice/beans/homemade bread/potatoes/etc.).

It would be a very different meal plan than what I make, but again, I'm not trying to say that everyone needs to eat just like me. Figure out what gives you the best nutritional bang for the buck, and buy/use those ingredients. When they're on sale, and stock up so that you don't have to pay a premium when they're off-ad.

use2betrix

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #943 on: January 02, 2019, 08:34:43 PM »
@StarBright @APowers

Absolutely! Tons of good advice here regardless. While we do shop around for meat/protein, there’s a ton of other great suggestions here. Most of the carb sources recommended are the good, healthy, complex carbs we eat anyways. Great thread.

Trifle

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #944 on: January 03, 2019, 05:11:16 AM »
I got really excited when I saw this as thread of the year (this is my first time viewing the thread) as our grocery bill is high.

I think we can take some advice of what we get here, but it’s pretty limited. The breakfast has no real protein source and lunch/dinner are very limited.

I have 6-8 oz meat x 3 meals/day. My wife has 3-4 oz. with our weightlifting we need a higher protein intake.

I can eat a pretty spartan diet, but I still have to meet my macros.

This is how I felt when the thread started - we spend so much more than APowers and we eat differently. But this thread sort of wormed its way into my head.  I kept reading it, and I'd think of ways I could cut back that still fit my families needs. I really enjoyed it.

Ditto to this.  The brilliance of this thread is that you don't have to eat exactly like APowers to learn something and benefit.  We eat very differently (serious food allergies, moral issues driving purchasing) but I learned a ton.  The initial voice in my head saying "I don't eat this way, so I can't lower my food bill like he did" was just wrong.   I'm on a mission to apply his shopping techniques to get our costs down further.   

Linea_Norway

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #945 on: January 03, 2019, 06:19:47 AM »
As my grocery budget in 2018 was 10% bigger than in 2017, I should perhaps join this thread and see what I can do.

We started the year by buying a pack of long-keeping bread, because the Sunday-opened shop had no normal bread left. (see picture below) This was for breakfast and lunch the next day. We were driving home from our cabin after a 2 week vacation. We did not buy candies, although I was very tempted to buy chocolate. We also bought a bottle of Coca Cola Zero, which is what we drink during long drives to stay awake. Apart from long car trips, we hardly ever drink sodas.

Yesterday I bought a pack of 6 chicken thighs, which was the only type of meat the shop had left. I guess they hadn't received new supplies after the holidays. I bought lots of el cheapo bread, which was on discount even cheaper than usual. But I splurged on an avocado and pot of fresh coriander. Further I bought the usual vegetables: pepper, squash, mushrooms, garlic, ginger. I bought potatoes on sale, plus a sweet potato and 2 baking potatoes. I also bought a broccoli on sale and a bag of el cheapo brand carrots.

The rest was just the usual maintenance stuff: milk, a pack of diced tomatoes, a pack of beans. I got 2 packs of good blue cheese to make veggie dishes. No candies of any kind. On the other hand, our goody-drawer is full is of stuff we bought during the Christmas holiday when visiting the homeland. We bought some foods that are typical for the Netherlands and not available in Norway, like a good variety of licorice.

From the trip at the cabin, I still had leftover dates. Dates are not something I usually buy, but I tried do to some advanced cooking there for once. I use the dates in a Moroccan style dish with the chicken thighs, sweet potato, spices and half of the fresh coriander. We only ate one thigh each and have 4 leftover for another time. Tonight DH has the task to improvise a dinner from the leftover chicken thighs. We also froze 2 thighs and the leftover Moroccan dish as a freezer portion for some other time.

I think I will pop into this normally expensive store again this afternoon to check whether they still have that sale, and get some more discounted foods. Broccoli can be frozen, right? And bread can definitely. I also want to buy some clementines, as long as they still taste good (December and early January).

I have some leftover cauliflower leaves, from the cabin trip. According to cookbooks, these leaves taste good, so I want to try them some time.
« Last Edit: January 03, 2019, 06:55:32 AM by Linda_Norway »

Linea_Norway

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #946 on: January 03, 2019, 06:40:02 AM »
Maybe I should add that I have a sensitive bowel and respond badly to eating onions. Therefore unfortunately, I can't eat onions, which are a typical low-price food. I also respond to some other veggies. DH responds badly to eating corn and certain white beans. But luckily not all beans. We can still eat kidney beans, black beans, and linzes.

DH wants to boycott sheep meat, because he doesn't agree with the anti-wolf politics in Norway (that favour the sheep farmers). I want to cut down on eating red meat for health reasons. So there isn't a lot of meat left to choose from: chicken/turkey and pig. Occasionally something more exotic, like reindeer meat, which is also red and very expensive. Occasionally we eat fish, which is slightly more expensive than chicken. Sometimes we eat self-caught fish. which is both healthy and free of cost. I try to eat veggie meals once or twice a week. We do it more often once than twice, though. Maybe something to do better in 2019: twice a week.

In 2018 my average food spending per month was: 4325 Norwegian crowns (roughly 450$) for 2 adults. This includes deodorant and that sort of stuff. It is also only my expenses, as DH doesn't track. But I buy most of the food.

In 2017 it was 3779 Norwegian crowns per month, roughly 400$.
« Last Edit: January 03, 2019, 06:47:10 AM by Linda_Norway »

smileyface

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #947 on: January 03, 2019, 10:50:12 AM »
I've been reading the blog avidly over the past year, but this is my first time commenting on it.  Just want to say a huge THANK YOU to APowers for documenting your shopping/cooking so thoroughly!  There is so much to learn from this thread, I feel like virtually everyone can take something valuable away from it.

APowers

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #948 on: January 03, 2019, 02:50:33 PM »
Just wanted to bump this for anyone who was interested-- all my pantry inventory is finally posted in the reserved post.

robartsd

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Re: Have a sub-$200/month Grocery Budget
« Reply #949 on: January 03, 2019, 05:37:45 PM »
Just wanted to bump this for anyone who was interested-- all my pantry inventory is finally posted in the reserved post.
Overall it looks like you've used up quite a bit of stored dry goods, but added a lot of meat (~20 lb thanks to the chest freezer); did the freezer take some of your dry goods storage space?

Flour and oatmeal each look about 40 lb short of last year, potatoes are about 15 lb short (you mentioned having difficulty finding good prices), dry beans and lentils are down about 25 lb; but canned beans are up about 12 cans, rice is up by about 25 lb, and pasta is up by about 16 lb (much of that GF).

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!