After a successful Week One, I headed into Week Two with gusto. Stoplight Pasta was a combination of pantry-scraping and seasonal produce, as well as utilizing leftovers to make a new dish. After some hit-or-miss attempts from Week One, I finally won James over with BBQ Chicken Stir-Fry and Spinach & Quinoa Salad. We are not trying to go meat-free, but meat-reduced and semi-vegetarian.
One lesson, however, from this week is reducing The Carbon Footprint of Food, which demonstrates that eating less beef makes more of an impact then buying local produce. Another lesson focused on Concentration: Think Green! inspired from a daily tip at Ideal Bite:
Above: Click for more info, sign up for daily email tips.
Here are the food purchases for June 8-14:
Splurges:
Bing Cherries ($8.07): I could not help myself! Last time, I found myself rationing cherries to get through the week, so I bought almost 3 pounds this week. Regardless, at $2.99 a pound, it is not a bad deal. These will probably never make it into a recipe, as I usually eat them before I get around to it.
Golden Raisins ($2.69): After how successful these were in the eggplant dishes from the week before, it was worth the investment to buy another box. These are great in salads, granola, yogurt, or spicy dishes. The expiration date is into 2009, so I’m sure I will find a use for them before then.
Milk ($2.50):A gallon of milk was still on sale, and I went through the last gallon much faster than I thought I would. Part of it is that I have been on anti-botics for almost 3 weeks now, and like to take them with milk to avoid an upset stomach. Also, I’m not buying daily lattes and mochas anymore, so I need to fill that calcium void.
Stir-fry Beef ($2.40):This actually didn’t seem like a bad deal, for almost a pound of pre-cut strips perfect for stir-fry. While I am trying to purchase less meat, finding a deal like this seems acceptable. The “sell by” date was the same day I purchased it, so it immediately went into the freezer so I could use it on my timetable.
Peanuts ($2.29):A large bag of unshelled, roasted, salted peanuts was a pretty good deal for the price. This was actually for James, so he would have something to snack on when he comes over, and because he bought us watermelon and pitas over the weekend.
Above: Stoplight Pasta also makes some tasty leftover soup.
Saves:
Green Beans ($0.95): This time I actually did buy green beans, because the bulk sugar snap peas looked horrible (especially for $3.69 a pound!). I did buy a half-pound package of snap peas for $2.69 instead, which isn’t a better deal but at least these looked edible. I refrained from buying my usual pound because of the price.
Canned Tomatoes ($1.24): The small can is $0.95 and the larger can is $1.24, so it made sense to buy the larger can. Even if I do not use it all at once, these will keep in the refrigerator for a couple days if stored in an airtight container. It’s not quite time to start trolling the Farmer’s Markets for tomatoes yet, maybe in a couple weeks.
Animal Crackers ($1.25):For the price, you really cannot go wrong with animal crackers. My mom used to keep tons of these in the house and take them to work (and I’m willing to bet she still does!), so they must be a bargin because she knows about those kind of things. Nostalgia aside, I like to dunk animal crackers in fat-free yogurt for a complete mid-day snack.
Chicken Breasts ($1.97): Less than $2 for a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts? I dare you to find a better deal. These were even the “trimmed and ready” variety, from chickens raised without antibiotics. Again, the “sell by” date was the day I bought them, so into the freezer they went.
Red Grapes ($2.20): I pitched a fit last week for paying over $3 for grapes, so of course this week they were on sale. $2.20 isn’t exactly a steal, but at $0.97 a pound, it’s still a deal.
Again, many of my purchases were from the produce department. My list was much shorter this week, the only other items were:
Pine nuts ($1.42, on sale from $1.99)
Broccoli ($1.67 for a large head)
Bananas ($1.94)
Cucumbers ($2.00 for 3)
Orange juice ($2.00, on sale from $2.79)
Red lentils ($2.19 for 1 pound)
Orange juice is about the only juice I buy, but I will wait for a sale.
Total grocery bill: $39.47
This week’s bill is lower for a couple reasons. First, I had a better idea of the items I already had and what I needed to complete meals. Second, I filled up my gas tank before going shopping, and the $63.50 total was a little shocking. Fortunately, I can make it almost 2 weeks on a tank of gas, but it was still a little ridiculous. Now that I am paying closer attention to prices and sales, I noticed that I tend to shy away from anything above $3 unless I really need/want it. It’s a good rule of thumb to avoid expensive impulse buys.
Though I still divide the bill between “Splurges” and “Saves,” most of my purchases were good deals. The only real splurges were the cherries, golden raisins, and sugar snap peas; everything else was reasonably priced. In fact, the top of my receipt tells me the total savings were $11.69 by purchasing items on sale. I’ve started an “on sale” grocery list, which is a list of things I do not need immediately, but will in the near future. This way, I can scout sales and get a deal before I run out of an item.
Above: Cucumbers are inexpensive and a great addition to salads, sandwiches, and dips.
On-the-Go Food Purchases: $6.12
West Coast Coffee ($2.75): Local coffee house, I purchased an iced tea during a walk on a hot day. Then I treated myself to a gourmet salted caramel (more specific, a Sea Salt Caramel). It was delicious and I savored every bite!
Panera Bread ($3.37): An after dinner treat for James and myself, black coffee for him and lemonade for me. But, in my defense, we did walk there and back as well as reused the plastic cup from my lemonade.
Food Waste: Moderate
A few things went bad before I could use them up, including fresh basil, mint, and bean sprouts. I love fresh herbs but can never seem to use them up in time, the unfortunately thing is they are only available in one size (too much). Also on the chopping block are 2 bananas that ripened much faster than I thought they would and some strawberries that look dangerously close to sprouting white fuzz. Hopefully, I can salvage these items before it becomes a lost cause.
Monitoring how much food I buy, eat, and throw away has given me a better idea of how much to buy in a given week. I have also adjusted my boxed lunches to avoid running out of snacks and preventing impulse buys.
For next week: Continue to reduce grocery bill and on-the-go purchases, as well as look for concentrated household items. When purchasing fresh produce, remember the shelf life and adjust the quantity if possible. Look for meat substitutions and other ways to reduce carbon footprints.
