Grocery Shopping is SO Expensive...Is This Why??

If anyone has been grocery shopping within the last 5 years, I am sure that you have noticed an increase in the price of food. So If you are like me, you pay a bit more attention while food shopping... with your two screaming kids, phone ringing, oh and late for a meeting...thank you for those wonderful car shopping carts. I have been known to follow people who have just left the store with a full car shopping cart, just to ensure that I can have one for my shopping adventure.

Unfortunately coupons do not cover many of the items that I purchase, especially if you shop at a store like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.

So here are some of the things that I have done to keep my grocery bills lower...:

-I do not buy as many snacks. I try my best to make things. Not a baker? Try things like buying frozen fruit when it is on sale. Tastes great and less expensive than the fresh kind, (blueberries, strawberries, etc). Great for yogurt, smoothies, baking, etc.
-I do my best to not get sucked into ..."wow that looks so good, I must buy it!" moments.
-If something is on sale that I like, I try to stock up...But stick to what you really need and only allow yourself, 2-3 TREATS.
-Sometimes I buy my paper goods at places like Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens. And many times I will have a coupon for these items.
-I do my best to either write down or keep a mental note of some of our favorite items prices. So for example, my eldest daughter loves applesauce. I find that the small packages are less expensive at Target, so whenever I make a run there, I try to stock up.

Here is one IMPORTANT thing that I have realized. Sometimes when I go to stores that are very inexpensive, I tend to buy more. Target is a good example. The prices are sometimes great. So you actually end up buying more than you actually need. Just because it is a good price, does not mean that you really need it! Refrain and focus in on what you actually need. Do you need 4 bags of chips just because they are $2 cheaper at this store than your normal store? Do you really need to buy those pretzels, just because they are so much cheaper here?

If you shop at a store that offers WHAT YOU NEED, as opposed to offering steep discounts, you may actually save yourself money by not buying things that you really do not need!

If you have more shopping tips, PLEASE SHARE!!

LivEWisely

Find Great Deals at Ethnic Grocery Stores

Ever since I was little, my family has shopped a Ethnic Grocery Stores. In fact, my parents sometimes turn into crazed animals when they first enter. They are off and running quickly throwing anything and everything into the nearest shopping cart! Slow down I told them on our last adventure. Do you really need that??

The great thing about these outlets is they not only offer unique food offerings, but the prices tend to be quite affordable.
Here are a couple of items that I typically pick up and keep on hand in my pantry:

Cosmos located in West Hartford on  Farmington Ave offers a great selection of Indian delights. I typically pick up: couscous, naan bread, (great for my pizza), dates, spices, coconut oil, ginger, barley, jelly/jam. They offer many of these items in bulk and for great prices.

Tangiers  also on Farmington Ave in West Hartford serves up the best falafel in town!!







A Dong located on Shield St in West Hartford offers an amazing array of Asian groceries! This place is huge and has just about everything you could possibly want: veggies, fruits, miso, (great for my slow cooker pork orange miso recipe), famous Vietnamese sandwiches, Banh Mi popularized by the Food Network, frozen dumplings, huge bags of every kind of rice...take a trip down there just for fun!











 Appletree located on New Park Ave in West Hartford has what seems to be the cheapest fruits and veggies in town!

The Delicacy Market also on Farmington Ave in West Hartford has a wonderful selection of European goodies, (mostly Russian). My dad loves their huge selection of sausages. They have excellent prices on meets and cheeses and make huge delicious inexpensive sandwiches. Go crazy!

There are also a number of places on Park St in Hartford that I have yet to explore.

I know that we all go to 4-5 different grocery stores as it is. But it is worth a trip just to stock up on some great pantry items.

If you know of any other great places, please let me know.

What I Keep in My Pantry

I have always enjoyed cooking. Now that I am married with Children, I LOVE to cook. It is my way of relaxing. If I am stressed out, avoiding something, whatever, cooking will get me back on track. I enjoy coming up with new ways of using foods, and I hardly ever ever use recipes. It drives my husband of some of my friends who later ask how I made something, crazy.

As a busy mom, I need to always make sure that my pantry and fridge are fully stocked so that I am always prepared. There are quite a few things that I almost always have on hand. This way, if I am in a rush, I can quickly throw something Yummy together. My children have never eaten frozen nuggets, or canned soup, or frozen pizza for dinner. I am a stickler for "fresh" food.

One important thing to note with regard to how I cook is that I am not a stickler for always using the ingredients that are listed in the recipe. If I don't have one or two of the ingredients, I may try to substitute something else. I will add a bit, try it, repeat, etc. If you are making it, you need to enjoy it, so add a bit of what you enjoy!! I will continue this subject in another blog post...

Below is just a start on this blog post. I will try to add to it whenever I can. I hope this helps!!

What I keep in My Pantry:

Can Food, (I am not a huge fan of canned food..but I am also a mom that sometimes has time to cook, and sometimes I just do not...so I would rather my family eat a homemade meal made from a can as opposed to going out and eating something unhealthy. Always frozen veggies and fruits! They say that they are sometimes healthier for you! 

Fresh produce like eggs, yogurt, and milk are great to always have on hand. And then this year, my family bought a portion of a cow. It is grass fed and free of hormones and antibiotics. Check out this great website for more info: Eatwild  I also buy the 10lb bag of chicken from Halls Market   when it is on sale, (usually $17.90). I portion it into frozen zip lock bags, (about 10 small bags), and lasts for quite awhile. Their chicken is also hormone free.

Protein:

Tuna

                tuna salad sandwich/ tuna melt

                tuna casserole  

                tunaburgers  

                NouveauNiçoise  

Beans:

Buy what you like. I prefer Black, Kidney, Cannelli and Garbanzo.

Black beans are great for Black Bean Dip,

Black Bean Salad  

Chick Peas can be thrown in salads or blended and then stuffed into zucchini or summer squash halves sprinkled with a bit of cheese

Kidney Beans are always great in any kind of chili

Cannelli Beans can be wonderful in Pasta's.

Diced Tomatoes, Pureed Tomatoes, great for so many recipes...sauce ,etc

I love to make an easy sauce:

Sauté Garlic, Onions, (and shredded carrots) until soft

Add Diced or Pureed Tomatoes

Mix in aprox 1.5 tbsp of ketchup

Add in whatever spices you prefer, (salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, parmesan cheese etc)

If you have a few hours, throw in one or two bone in pork for some delicious flavor

Dried Foods:

Rice, (brown and Jasmine)

Polenta

Couscous

Oatmeal, (great for breakfast or can be pureed and added to muffins,

All kinds of Pasta

Lentils

Flour/Cornstarch, (great thickeners)

All kinds of nuts

Liquids:

Olive Oil

Veggie Oil

Coconut Oil

Red Wine and Apple Cider Vinegar

Balsamic Vinegar

Honey

Maple Syrup

Agave

Soy Sauce

Apple Sauce

Peanut Butter

Condiments:

Ketchup

Mustard

Miso  Can be used instead of salt! 

I have a great Bone in Pork Slow Cooker Recipe that Calls for Miso and it is Super Easy!

Throw a Few Pieces of Pork in the Slow Cooker. Then Mix Together, 1 Tbsp of Miso, 2 Tbsp of Orange Juice, (or an orange if you have that on hand), a squirt of Sriracha, 1 tbsp of sweetener like maple syrup and then pour over Pork. Cook for 4-6 hours. Yum!!

Mayo

Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce  

Produce:

Sweet Potatoes

Garlic

Onions

All Kinds of Fruit

Frozen Food:

Veggies: Broccoli, Corn, Peas, Green Beans, Peppers, Spinach

Fruits: Strawberries, Blue Berries, (great for baking muffins, cookies, or adding to pancakes)

Butter, (freezes well) I buy it when it is on sale

Shredded Cheese, (freezes well) I buy it when it is on sale

Naan Bread, (freezes well) and make wonderful pizza!!

Jet's Naan Bread Pizza

Drizzle Olive Oil and some Sea Salt over Bread

Spread Whatever Sauce you Prefer, (red sauce, Basil sauce, Pea Sauce)

Decorate with whatever toppings you have in the freezer and/or fridge

Add Cheese if you like

Bake on 350 until cheese melts and Bread starts to brown a bit on the edges, (aprox 15-20 min)

Favorite Cooking Tool:
Small Food Processor  ( I find the large ones to be too much work)

I honestly blend so many things!! And for kids, it can help to mask a lot of flavors!! I have started adding lots of veggies to a ton of things, (carrots and peas and/or  frozen butter nut squash to meatballs, carrots to tomato sauce), or pureed tofu instead of ricotta cheese in lasagna, (no one noticed!!)

I hope this helps! I am going to put together some recipes to add to this soon!

Please Leave Comments!!

Discounted Movie Tickets?? Oh My!

I am amazed how much my friends save!! Little things here and there...it goes a long way.

A great friend of mine clued us in to a great way to get discounted movie tickets! At the Bow Tie Cinema's in West Hartford, an Adult ticket cost $10.50. Big Y offers discounted tickets at $7.98 if you use either a silver coin or a silver savings card!! Of course I had to see what else Big Y was offering and the list goes on and on.
http://www.bigy.com/Coins#.UKvTp4ao9z9

Within the past year I have been buying more things in bulk. I do not do a ton of shopping at the large bulk stores like BJ's or Costco, (I sometimes go with my girlfriend and she buys me some items), because I do not need 4 gallons of mayo. But I like to buy things like Israeli Couscous or Powdered Garlic, or Naan Bread in bulk I either store them in glass jars, or freeze them. I have found that some of the Ethnic stores have great deals if you are willing to do a bit of digging around.
I am a huge fan of Cosmos International located on Farmington Ave. They sell some items in bulk for great prices, (dates, rice, bulgar wheat).

If you like Asian food, stop over at A Dong on Shield St in West Hartford. They have tons of great items that you may find less expensive than your local grocery store.

Please share any more tips that you may know of!