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Grocery Haul ~ June 16, 2015

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Grocery haul - June 16, 2015



Lisa (my daughter who blogs at Retro Housewife Goes Green) and I usually do a major grocery shopping trip once a month but for various reasons we hadn’t done one since February. We finally found a day that worked for both of us and that’s what we did yesterday. Good thing, too, because today we are getting what is forecast to be a ridiculous amount of rain.

We made it out of town at a pretty decent hour so I had time to stop at the mall for the dreaded swimsuit shopping (I did find two so I should be good for another 15 years – ha!). We then met up with Lisa’s friend, Audrey for a lovely two-hour lunch.

As always, we had a great day together. It’s so nice to have a daughter who is also a friend.



Sprouts:

  • apricots
  • artichokes
  • meyer lemons
  • tomatoes
  • apples
  • green grapes
  • green beans
  • orange bell peppers
  • russet potatoes
  • strawberries
  • blackberries
  • raspberries
  • bananas
  • onions
  • yellow squash
  • cereal x4 boxes
  • chocolate syrup
  • Herbs de Provence
  • ground black pepper
  • whole peppercorns
  • cumin
  • parsley
  • tomato paste
  • chicken broth
  • black tea
  • coconut milk creamer
  • muenster cheese
  • sliced cheddar
  • deli roast beef
  • boneless pork chops
  • chicken and apple sausage links
  • pork sausage links
  • baguettes
  • frozen french fries
  • essential oil
  • root concealer
$190.34

Natural Grocers:
  • prunes
  • cheese slices
  • shredded parmesan
  • cheese x3
  • gourmet mayonnaise
  • gourmet ketchup
  • yogurt x3
  • butter
  • red leaf lettuce
  • new potatoes
  • dishwasher detergent
  • corn on the cob
$63.97

Dodson’s:
  • toilet bowl cleaner
  • bbq chips
  • blood pressure tea
  • Sun Cups x2
  • red grapes
$22.96

Braum’s:
  • head of lettuce
  • 1/2 gallon milk
  • chocolate chip ice cream
  • half and half
  • cream
$13.58

Oklahoma Food Coop (will pick up tomorrow):

  • all natural chicken breasts
  • goat’s milk patchouli soap (3 bars)
  • tomato plants (yeah, finally going to plant some!)

$48.99


Total: $339.84

You may notice that my grocery hauls can vary a lot and may seem to be missing some items. For instance, this time there is no pasta, rice or beans. I happen to be well-stocked on those right now. Most of this shopping trip focused on fresh produce. I love this time of year when so many yummy things are in season. During the summer we eat a lot of meals which feature mostly vegetables.

I bought several spices this trip because I recently sorted through my spice cabinet, noting things I was running low on. We don’t eat a lot of meat and I do happen to have three packages of ground beef, some bulk sausage, bacon and a few other items in the freezer. And speaking of the freezer, I MUST make a concerted effort to use up some of what’s crammed in there in order to make room to freeze peaches when they come into season – which should be soon.

I quit designating which items are organic. The majority of what I buy is organic and I just got tired of writing that by everything. If you are curious about specific brands or anything I do or don’t buy, feel free to ask in the comments. Also, if you are interested in what I actually do with what I buy, you can check out my weekly menu which is usually posted on Mondays on Dee’s Kitchen. If you do grocery haul posts I would love to read yours. For some reason I find it fascinating. Yeah, I may be a little weird. 


February 2015 Grocery Haul (and a dead raccoon)

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February grocery haul
My daughter and I hadn’t done one of our big grocery shopping trips since November 12th but we finally found time for a trip Tuesday. We couldn’t have picked a nicer day for it. It was sunny and around 60 degrees which is just about perfect for a major shopping day. We started out by dropping off several months worth of glass recycling. I hoped no one would notice how much I had and discreetly slip me the contact information for the nearest AA meeting location. 
Then we met up with Lisa’s friend, Audrey, for an amazing lunch at Scratch. We all three opted for the pulled pork sandwich on homemade Hawaiian sweet bread. Delicious! We enjoyed a leisurely lunch and didn’t actually start our shopping rounds until a bit after 2 p.m. 
We went to six stores plus a final stop at a pet store so I could get a couple of goldfish. Our goldfish, which we had for years, died a couple of years ago and the aquarium has sat empty all this time. I am determined to tackle a bunch of things I have been procrastinating about and that was one of the things on my list. 
Neither of us were hungry for dinner even after all that shopping but Lisa had this absolutely brilliant idea which involved cherry cheese pastries and hot tea at Panera Bread. I like the way that girl thinks.

It was a wonderful day other than our sad collision with a daredevil of a raccoon on our way home. It remains to be seen how much the repair to our bumper will be but I’m fairly certain we came out ahead compared to the raccoon. It was a dark, two lane highway and nowhere to turn around and check on the little guy. When I mentioned this to David he asked me what (in the world!) I thought I could have done about it. I think he envisioned me putting an injured wild animal in the back seat and taking it to a vet. Or perhaps he thought it would turn out something like this. Silly man. I informed him that I wasn’t stupid but if the poor thing were lying there suffering I might have tried to find someone nearby to put it out of its misery. He then points out that knocking on people’s doors after dark,in the country, and asking if they have a gun might not be such a great plan, either. Whatever. 

So, anyway…here is my grocery haul for February.
 Sprouts:
  • asparagus
  • pineapple
  • fresh green beans
  • mandarin oranges (2 lb. bag)
  • zucchini
  • navel oranges
  • garlic (organic)
  • blackberries (organic)
  • yukon gold potatoes (5 lb. organic)
  • russet potatoes (5 lb. organic)
  • green bell pepper (organic) 
  • red bell pepper (organic)
  • bananas (organic)
  • yellow squash
  • grape tomatoes (organic)
  • cereal (4 boxes and 1 bag)
  • dark chocolate Sun Cups candy (2 with coupon)
  • organic maple syrup
  • English Teatime tea
  • diced green chilies (2 cans)
  • chicken broth (2 cartons organic)
  • coconut milk creamer (2)
  • mini croissants (pkg of 6)
  • Seventh Generation dishwasher tablets
  • glass cleaner
  • bag of ice
  • oven fries (organic)
  • seasoned waffle fries (organic)
  • mints 
Total: $122.12

Homeland:
  • vinegar (1 gallon)
  • Downy fabric softener
  • birthday card for my brother
  • spray starch
  • lemon oil
  • shampoo for David
  • baguette
Total: $31.66

Dodson’s:
  • local honey (48 oz.)
  • tortilla chips (organic)
  • chopped tomatoes (1 carton)
  • rice noodles
  • sweet red chili sauce
  • orange juice frozen concentrate (2 cans)
  • natural maraschino cherries
  • lemons (2 organic)
  • grated parmesan cheese (8 oz. organic)
Total: $39.67

Forward Foods:
  • gruyere
  • smoked cheese (like gouda, can’t recall the name)
Total: $24.38

Natural Grocers:
  • canvas reusable bag (they have some of the best)
  • purse (really cute, with fringe – Fair Trade)
  • celery (organic)
  • CoQ10 supplement
  • Applegate Farms breakfast sausage links (2 pkg. organic)
  • cheese puffs (organic)
  • cranberry pomegranate juice (2 jars, organic)
  • grated parmesan cheese (organic)
  • sharp cheddar cheese (organic)
  • French style whole milk yogurt (in 3 cute glass jars – organic)
  • sliced provolone cheese (organic)
  • salad mix (organic)
  • chocolate bar (organic, Fair Trade)
Total: $85.61

Earth Natural Foods:
  • locally made baguette
  • cream cheese (organic)
  • cookies
Total: $12.63

Braum’s:
  • milk (1/2 gallon)
  • sliced cheddar cheese
Total: $6.10

Grand Total: $322.17

I won’t need to order from the coops this time around as I’m well-stocked. In fact, other than fresh produce and dairy I don’t know that I will need much of anything else for a couple of months. That’s always such a good feeling, especially in the winter when my hermit tendencies kick in. 

Hippie Day Grocery Haul

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The past few months have been extra busy so Lisa and I haven’t done one of our usual monthly grocery hauls/hippie days since March. We finally found time to go shopping yesterday and as usual, we had a great time. 
We noticed that Norman now has an Aldi’s grocery store and since we will soon have one in Ada we decided to do a quick walk-through just to see what it’s like. While it won’t take the place of all our out of town grocery shopping, it will be a nice addition to our town. 
We dropped off glass recycling then headed to our favorite lunch spot, Tres Cantina. We both opted for the Chicken Barbacoa sandwich on freshly made croissants. So yummy! We also talked to the owner about scheduling one of our HMA bands to play there and gave her a CD of a few of Rowdy Folk’s songs. 
Before we started our grocery shopping we decided to check out an antique store across the street from Tres Cantina. So many cool things, including a whole room full of vintage guitars. I also found David’s Father’s Day gift there. 
Then it was time to get busy. We hit up a total of five food stores plus Cellar’s, a HUGE liquor store with an amazing selection. I was down to one bottle of Pinot Noir at home so I bought two bottles, including one I haven’t tried before. I also bought a bottle of the Scotch I recently tasted at a wedding. I don’t normally like Scotch (I prefer whiskey) but this one was exceptionally good. I also picked up a bottle of Prairie beer (artisan beer made in Oklahoma) which I thought Chris might like. David received a couple of bottles of rum as birthday gifts which he hasn’t opened yet so we are now all set in the alcohol department for quite awhile. 
Midway through our shopping we picked up cherry limeades at Sonic. We decided we deserved a treat and they really hit the spot. 
I had intended to go straight home after dropping off Lisa but I ended up meeting David for dinner at Rib Crib where Brittany Nicole, one of our musicians, was performing. I was just going to eat and go home but several friends joined us so I stayed until the music ended at 9 p.m. 
Finally home after a long day, I hauled everything in, and took this picture:
#groceryhaul
I hadn’t cleaned out the refrigerator before this shopping trip and since so much of what I bought was produce my fridge now looks like this:
Full fridge. Need to do some organizing today! #groceryhaul
I’ll do some reorganizing tonight or tomorrow but at least I managed to get in all in there. It was touch and go there for a bit but I finally did it. My freezer and pantry are every bit as crammed. As busy as our life has gotten I’m not sure when I’ll make my next shopping trip but I can pick up dairy at Braum’s and produce at the farmers market. I’m well-stocked on everything else so I can make do here in town for quite awhile. In fact, I’m so well-stocked that I didn’t need to order from Azure Standard or Oklahoma Food Coop this month. We are eating mostly vegetarian this summer so as long as I can make it to the farmers market we’ll be fine. 
One of the things Lisa and I like about shopping at what we refer to as “hippie stores” is that the workers are always so nice and often a little quirky. At Natural Grocers we overheard the cashier in the line next to ours ask his customer, “Are you living the dream?”. That’s not the sort of question one is likely to get at Walmart. I just love the cool, peaceful, hippie vibe these stores have. Even though it’s a long day for us it’s not in any way stressful. I would much rather devote a whole day once a month shopping with my daughter like this than weekly trips to Walmart. I used to feel like I needed a shower, massage and stiff drink after shopping at Walmart. It’s now been about six years since I’ve been in Walmart and I haven’t missed it one iota. 
Homeland:
  • 3 greeting cards
  • Bonne Maman apricot preserves
  • Bonne Maman cherry preserves
  • Hellman’s mayonnaise
  • organic salad mix
total: $27.32

  • cereal
  • toilet scrub
  • dish soap
  • organic cotton balls
  • coconut milk – chocolate
  • coconut milk- vanilla
  • coconut milk creamer
  • organic sweet pickle relish
  • Spry peppermints
  • quinoa chips
  • Tillamook cheese, sharp (2)
  • organic mozzarella (2)
  • liquid B12 supplement
  • multivitamin
  • flax oil
  • vitamin E
  • Black Cohosh
  • organic frozen black cherries
  • organic eggs
total: $134.34

  • organic apricots (2)
  • artichokes (2)
  • asparagus
  • pineapple
  • green beans (2 pounds)
  • organic blackberries
  • organic blueberries
  • organic strawberries
  • organic red grapes
  • organic bananas
  • organic black plums (3)
  • fresh corn (8 ears)
  • cereal (3 boxes)
  • Emergen-C
  • coconut milk creamer (2)
  • sliced roast beef
  • sliced smoked turkey
  • Applegate Farms organic bacon (2 packages)
total: $89.28

  • organic limes (2)
  • Applegate Farms organic Black Forest ham
  • organic European style butter
  • organic cream cheese
  • organic colby cheese (2)
  • uncured, natural sausages (3 packages)
  • malt vinegar and salt chips
  • organic tortilla chips
  • organic frozen French fries
  • organic flour tortillas
  • yoga magazine
total: $61.27

  • French baguette
total: $2.80

Total: $315.01

What about you? How do handle your grocery shopping? What are your favorite stores? 

Milk! Bread! Eggs!

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No, no, no!

We have a winter storm on the way with the possibility of sleet/ice/snow the next couple of days and bitter cold through the middle of next week. I am not amused. But I *am* prepared. We already had plenty of food in the house but after my piano lesson yesterday I made a quick stop at Braum’s and bought a couple more half gallons of milk, more bread, butter (you can never have too much butter) and smoked sausage which I used in a big pot of gumbo tonight. A case order of toilet paper from Amazon arrived Monday and we are stocked up on wine.

Today I’m seeing lots of people on Facebook talking about what a madhouse they were encountering at Walmart as everyone stripped the shelves of milk, bread, and eggs. Is there some rule that says you have to make French toast during bad weather? I haven’t been in Walmart for close to six years now and can no longer fully imagine the horrors of a pre-storm shopping trip.

There’s a good chance we’ll lose our internet if we get much ice so don’t be surprised if I don’t post for awhile. I just hope we don’t lose electricity. We do have a fireplace but this is a pretty big house to heat that way. We’ve played that game more than once and quite frankly, I’m totally over it. A friend in New Orleans mentioned that it’s going to be 80 degrees there tomorrow. Just one more reminder that I am supposed to live there.

Okay, enough whining (for now). I’m going to finish my hot tea, take a hot shower and then climb into bed with my heating pad and a book, then hopefully dream about Spring. And living in New Orleans.

July Grocery Haul

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I missed my usual monthly shopping trip with my daughter this month while I was in California. I flew into OKC Sunday night and David, who had been on a business trip also arrived that day. It was late so we spent the night at our home-away-from-home, the Skirvin Hotel, and went home Monday. Before going home I made a fairly quick stop at Whole Foods. When we got to town we stopped at Braum’s for burgers and I picked up a few other items. And then yesterday I picked up a few more things at Apple Market. Here’s what I bought:

Whole Foods:
  • 2 packages organic chicken breasts
  • 5 pounds organic russet potatoes
  • butter lettuce
  • organic red pepper
  • organic green pepper
  • organic bananas
  • organic red grapes
  • cherries
  • organic sliced cheddar cheese
  • baguette
  • bag of mini croissants
  • loaf of sourdough bread
  • 12 pack of La Croix coconut water
  • 2 cartons coconut milk creamer
  • soap
  • liquid hand soap
  • spaghetti
  • 2 boxes organic cereal (raisin bran, morning o’s)
  • package of pasta (cappellini)
  • 3 cheese blend
  • insulated freezer bag
Total: $122.27
Braum’s:
  • 2 1/2 gallon cartons milk
  • head of lettuce
  • 2 pints whipping cream
  • dozen eggs
I forgot to keep the receipt but it was less than $20.
Apple Market:
  • 5# bag apples
  • 5# bag oranges
  • pineapple
  • guacamole
  • sour cream
  • cheddar cheese
  • salsa
  • organic milk
  • package of Werther’s candies
There may have been a couple of other items which I don’t recall and I didn’t keep the receipt. The total was around $40. 
Before I went to California I picked up my monthly co-op order:
Azure Standard:
  • (2) quarts coconut milk
  • organic crackers
  • (2) organic tomato paste
  • 1 pound organic raisins
  • Covermate stretch food covers (box of 10)
  • albacore tuna
  • 1 gallon coconut oil
  • 32 oz. Biokleen dish soap
  • 25 pounds organic cane sugar
  • *personal item*
Total: $130.96
Total for the month (so far): around $315. 
My freezer is packed and my pantry is stuffed, as well. All I foresee needing the rest of the month would be some fresh produce from the farmers market and perhaps another carton of milk (especially if I make more yummy banana ice cream!).