Showing posts with label groceries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label groceries. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Organic
I've been thinking a lot about the significance of organic. It started with biscuits.
I woke up on Friday with the express purpose of baking biscuits. I'd tried it once before, a couple years ago, to miserable results. I'd lived up to every expectation passed on from my mother....they were hard as rocks and the dogs wouldn't even look at them. Despite the disaster, I always felt if given a different recipe and sometime to properly prepare myself by researching oh....Paula Deen, that I could accomplish fluffy biscuits to the surprise of my Father and chagrin of my mother. She's never figured out biscuits, even though she makes a mean sausage gravy.
So that is how I found myself in the Baking Aisle at Valumarket, staring down the flour while Dan Kelty's daughter eyed me suspiciously. I had a serious look on my face, I'm sure it seemed odd. I picked up my usual flour, a natural unbleached white flour that doesn't have preservatives in it. Preservatives give Mom migraines and we've been trying to avoid them. However, from the corner of my eye I caught a package of flour that was ORGANIC. I panicked. Organic is good for us, right? That's what all the talk is. Buy Organic!!
But I love my flour, even if it isn't organic. And I was conflicted. So I placed MY flour in my cart and picked up the Organic one. There was nothing. Just ingredients: Wheat. Nothing explained that it was unbleached. No seals promised it's Organic-ness. Nothing.
So I walked away from the Organic Flour. Has Organic become a buzzword in the Supermarket industry? Stick Organic on it and you can suddenly charge an arm and a leg for it?
All of this organic thought got me further thinking about Milk. With the price of Milk skyrocketing as it is, and the fact that the household I live in currently goes through 2 gallons in about a week and a half I'll be the first to admit that aside from a small individual carton every now and then, our house does not buy Organic Milk.
Organic Milk is typically close to $4 per 1/2 gallon. Which would mean in a week and halfs time my parents would spend $16 of their money on Organic Milk. That is kind of nuts.
So I started researching about Organic Milk. Most of it (Horizon and Organic Valley) are Ultra-Pasteurized. Which means it's Pasteurized at a higher temperature to make its shelf life longer. Supposedly this is so it can be shipped from farther away in less shipments. Ultra Pasteurization makes the milk taste different than what you are used to. And it creeps me out that Horizon Milk can be left on a shelf forever until you refrigerate it.
But what is Organic Milk? Basically 2 things: no Bovine Growth Hormone was administered in the cow and it was not given Antibiotics.
Well. I could care less about antibiotics. And something tells me the person buying Organic Milk probably takes their kid to the doctor too much anyway and it's always on the drugs.
However the rBGH does freak me out just a bit. There are studies involving it and various cancers. It and young girls going through puberty sooner and sooner. I get the freak out over that one. Which is why Kroger and various other retailers began in February stopping the sale of milk that contained rBGH. So all of the milk options available at Kroger are free of this hormone anyway. And I imagine this is just the first of many.
Which of course brings me to the sustainability part of it all. We should buy local and support local farms. I get that, I really do. Except Kentucky is not at the forefront of sustainability. Rebekah Grace Farms has made their way into Valumarket stores and I am planning on purchasing a half gallon of their unhomogenized milk occasionally to support the efforts. But other than that you just don't see much of it.
However, milk talk always leads to egg talk which is why...
While I was at it, I found out that Free Range Eggs just mean the Chicken has access to a place to roam. It doesn't actually have to mean they let the chicken do it. However they feel free to jack up the price because of the "access". Yeah, tell that to the next person who acts like they are a saint for buying them.
So I've come up with my own manifesto on it all.
I woke up on Friday with the express purpose of baking biscuits. I'd tried it once before, a couple years ago, to miserable results. I'd lived up to every expectation passed on from my mother....they were hard as rocks and the dogs wouldn't even look at them. Despite the disaster, I always felt if given a different recipe and sometime to properly prepare myself by researching oh....Paula Deen, that I could accomplish fluffy biscuits to the surprise of my Father and chagrin of my mother. She's never figured out biscuits, even though she makes a mean sausage gravy.
So that is how I found myself in the Baking Aisle at Valumarket, staring down the flour while Dan Kelty's daughter eyed me suspiciously. I had a serious look on my face, I'm sure it seemed odd. I picked up my usual flour, a natural unbleached white flour that doesn't have preservatives in it. Preservatives give Mom migraines and we've been trying to avoid them. However, from the corner of my eye I caught a package of flour that was ORGANIC. I panicked. Organic is good for us, right? That's what all the talk is. Buy Organic!!
But I love my flour, even if it isn't organic. And I was conflicted. So I placed MY flour in my cart and picked up the Organic one. There was nothing. Just ingredients: Wheat. Nothing explained that it was unbleached. No seals promised it's Organic-ness. Nothing.
So I walked away from the Organic Flour. Has Organic become a buzzword in the Supermarket industry? Stick Organic on it and you can suddenly charge an arm and a leg for it?
All of this organic thought got me further thinking about Milk. With the price of Milk skyrocketing as it is, and the fact that the household I live in currently goes through 2 gallons in about a week and a half I'll be the first to admit that aside from a small individual carton every now and then, our house does not buy Organic Milk.
Organic Milk is typically close to $4 per 1/2 gallon. Which would mean in a week and halfs time my parents would spend $16 of their money on Organic Milk. That is kind of nuts.
So I started researching about Organic Milk. Most of it (Horizon and Organic Valley) are Ultra-Pasteurized. Which means it's Pasteurized at a higher temperature to make its shelf life longer. Supposedly this is so it can be shipped from farther away in less shipments. Ultra Pasteurization makes the milk taste different than what you are used to. And it creeps me out that Horizon Milk can be left on a shelf forever until you refrigerate it.
But what is Organic Milk? Basically 2 things: no Bovine Growth Hormone was administered in the cow and it was not given Antibiotics.
Well. I could care less about antibiotics. And something tells me the person buying Organic Milk probably takes their kid to the doctor too much anyway and it's always on the drugs.
However the rBGH does freak me out just a bit. There are studies involving it and various cancers. It and young girls going through puberty sooner and sooner. I get the freak out over that one. Which is why Kroger and various other retailers began in February stopping the sale of milk that contained rBGH. So all of the milk options available at Kroger are free of this hormone anyway. And I imagine this is just the first of many.
Which of course brings me to the sustainability part of it all. We should buy local and support local farms. I get that, I really do. Except Kentucky is not at the forefront of sustainability. Rebekah Grace Farms has made their way into Valumarket stores and I am planning on purchasing a half gallon of their unhomogenized milk occasionally to support the efforts. But other than that you just don't see much of it.
However, milk talk always leads to egg talk which is why...
While I was at it, I found out that Free Range Eggs just mean the Chicken has access to a place to roam. It doesn't actually have to mean they let the chicken do it. However they feel free to jack up the price because of the "access". Yeah, tell that to the next person who acts like they are a saint for buying them.
So I've come up with my own manifesto on it all.
- I vow to purchase produce because it's closer to me, not because it's labeled organic. Organic fruit from the South of Chile really isn't better than non organic fruit from Florida.
- I vow to grow my own produce, as much as I can this summer, to offset. What I can't grow I plan on finding at Farmer's Markets.
- I vow to continue purchasing my "Bad Milk" even though it's bad. Because I don't care for ultra-pasteurization or high prices. However, I do plan on purchasing the local milk every now and then. Call it a treat.
- I vow to not care about buzzwords. Organic Mac and Cheese from a Box is really not better for me than Mac and Cheese made with the stuff from my own pantry and refrigerator. And mine will taste better.
- I vow, for the love of god, to stop thinking Free Range means a damn thing in regards to eggs.
My new definition of ORGANIC: anything made from my own two hands without the help of shortcuts and 3rd parties.
And by the way my organic biscuits were fabulous. Much to my mother's chagrin.
Friday, March 14, 2008
The One Where She Doesn't Have Material
It's raining.
It's pouring.
I have nothing to blog today.
My cousin is bringing the Mount to Muhammad, i.e. Mamaw is coming to visit my Dad.
Maybe I'm not an orphan granddaughter after all.
Also, am thinking of visiting Sams and Costco this weekend to see which one I like.
I'm so silly.
Have a good weekend folks!
It's pouring.
I have nothing to blog today.
My cousin is bringing the Mount to Muhammad, i.e. Mamaw is coming to visit my Dad.
Maybe I'm not an orphan granddaughter after all.
Also, am thinking of visiting Sams and Costco this weekend to see which one I like.
I'm so silly.
Have a good weekend folks!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Examining the Way I Buy Food
I made a special trip to Whole Foods yesterday after I got back to Louisville. Yes, Whole Foods and then onto KFC, I'm not going to explain that logic.
However I will say I wanted to really compare Whole Foods to the grocery stores I frequent, just to see how the products and prices stacked up.
On any given week my grocery routine is something like this:
Walmart: only every few weeks for big bulk items. These include: large jars of olives, peanut butter, jam, Hidden Valley Ranch, and A1 Sauce. As well as large boxes of Honey Nut Cheereos, 2 1/2 dozen eggs, Cheez Its, Bisquick Mix, and 2 pound containers of yogurt. I don't like to do a ton of shopping at Walmart, however it's the closest place I've got with decent bulk item prices and I'm in there every few weeks for one of Dad's prescriptions.
ValuMarket: I like to buy our ground sirloin, or chuck if it's all they have, here. I also pick up my new favorite white flour, whole wheat flour, and flax meal here. In addition, our bread, deli items, my Dad's favorite ice cream, sometimes chicken if they have the natural brand I prefer, and produce. And local items, like honey from a beekeeper in Fern Creek, Mike Linnig's tarter sauce, Rebecca Grace Salsa and Mark's Feed Store BBQ sauce.
Country Mart: My go to meat place. Love it. And produce, they have kick ass sales on produce. Which is where I've recently scored .49 cartons of blackberries, .69 cartons of blueberries, and .99 hydroponic tomatoes.
Kroger: All of the above, but very rarely. And only if I'm in dire need of a change in my shopping routine and want to get out of the house.
Feeder's Supply: Our dogs only eat specific food brands. I'm a stickler about this. They eat grain free, all natural, organic dog food. Because grains like corn upset a dog's stomach and messes with their digestive track. Unfortunately most dog food is full of corn because it's cheap and a nice filler. Once I learned this food was the root of many our dog's problems I switched them to Taste of the Wild and Wellness Core. Jack's coat got shiny and soft, Jill stopped throwing up and having diarrhea and Molly has just never known any different. Also, good dog food eliminates the "dog smell". I can stuff my nose into Jack's fur and not smell anything. Which is how it should be. They also eat less of the good stuff, which justifies the little bit of money we spend per month in this area.
Dollar General: cokes, cleaning supplies, baby asprin, 100 count benedryl. They've recently become the cheaper option on medicine again over Walmart. I'm here to tell you Walmart is not slashing prices, they are jacking them up.
Walgreens: I coupon here. The only place I coupon anymore. I score lots of things, it varies from week to week, but I typically leave saving anywhere from $20-$60 while only spending $10-$20.
Other notes: We rarely buy processed stuff. No hamburger helper, no mac and cheese from a box, the only canned foods we buy are beets and asparagus, and none of those potato kits that I'm not sure are actually potatoes. However, I won't lie: Jon enjoys ramen noodles and Chef Boyardee. So we buy these two things.
Our vegetables are all fresh or frozen. We buy cheese already shredded because according to my price check everyone else is lying and it is cheaper this way. We go through 2 gallons of milk per week, I've yet to change this to organic because milk is expensive and I don't have a daughter who I have to worry about early puberty with, it already happened to me. We no longer buy convenience food. If we want cookies I make them from scratch, same goes with waffles and pancakes and muffins. All of these freeze well so we can have homemade from the freezer for much cheaper than those boxes at the grocery.
Things I discovered at Whole Foods: the only good this trip would do me is if I was already in the area and wanted to pick up dried fruit that Mom can actually eat, raw sugar, soy milk on the cheap, or fish (for some ungodly reason). Or, if we went with the intent of eating there. The salad bar looked awesome, they have extensive prepared foods and a kick ass bread section.
Also, Whole Foods carried brands I can pick up at ValuMarket. Including the flour and flax I use, the milk I sometimes buy...etc. And the produce was overpriced in my opinion. And too much of it was from too far away. I'm still on my kick of refusing to eat produce from a zillion miles away from home. I can wait for most of it to come into season. Or I can grow my own this summer and plan better.
Final Conclusion: Whole Foods was overrated. Local stores are doing a decent job at stocking better options for people. And Eat Local folks!
However I will say I wanted to really compare Whole Foods to the grocery stores I frequent, just to see how the products and prices stacked up.
On any given week my grocery routine is something like this:
Walmart: only every few weeks for big bulk items. These include: large jars of olives, peanut butter, jam, Hidden Valley Ranch, and A1 Sauce. As well as large boxes of Honey Nut Cheereos, 2 1/2 dozen eggs, Cheez Its, Bisquick Mix, and 2 pound containers of yogurt. I don't like to do a ton of shopping at Walmart, however it's the closest place I've got with decent bulk item prices and I'm in there every few weeks for one of Dad's prescriptions.
ValuMarket: I like to buy our ground sirloin, or chuck if it's all they have, here. I also pick up my new favorite white flour, whole wheat flour, and flax meal here. In addition, our bread, deli items, my Dad's favorite ice cream, sometimes chicken if they have the natural brand I prefer, and produce. And local items, like honey from a beekeeper in Fern Creek, Mike Linnig's tarter sauce, Rebecca Grace Salsa and Mark's Feed Store BBQ sauce.
Country Mart: My go to meat place. Love it. And produce, they have kick ass sales on produce. Which is where I've recently scored .49 cartons of blackberries, .69 cartons of blueberries, and .99 hydroponic tomatoes.
Kroger: All of the above, but very rarely. And only if I'm in dire need of a change in my shopping routine and want to get out of the house.
Feeder's Supply: Our dogs only eat specific food brands. I'm a stickler about this. They eat grain free, all natural, organic dog food. Because grains like corn upset a dog's stomach and messes with their digestive track. Unfortunately most dog food is full of corn because it's cheap and a nice filler. Once I learned this food was the root of many our dog's problems I switched them to Taste of the Wild and Wellness Core. Jack's coat got shiny and soft, Jill stopped throwing up and having diarrhea and Molly has just never known any different. Also, good dog food eliminates the "dog smell". I can stuff my nose into Jack's fur and not smell anything. Which is how it should be. They also eat less of the good stuff, which justifies the little bit of money we spend per month in this area.
Dollar General: cokes, cleaning supplies, baby asprin, 100 count benedryl. They've recently become the cheaper option on medicine again over Walmart. I'm here to tell you Walmart is not slashing prices, they are jacking them up.
Walgreens: I coupon here. The only place I coupon anymore. I score lots of things, it varies from week to week, but I typically leave saving anywhere from $20-$60 while only spending $10-$20.
Other notes: We rarely buy processed stuff. No hamburger helper, no mac and cheese from a box, the only canned foods we buy are beets and asparagus, and none of those potato kits that I'm not sure are actually potatoes. However, I won't lie: Jon enjoys ramen noodles and Chef Boyardee. So we buy these two things.
Our vegetables are all fresh or frozen. We buy cheese already shredded because according to my price check everyone else is lying and it is cheaper this way. We go through 2 gallons of milk per week, I've yet to change this to organic because milk is expensive and I don't have a daughter who I have to worry about early puberty with, it already happened to me. We no longer buy convenience food. If we want cookies I make them from scratch, same goes with waffles and pancakes and muffins. All of these freeze well so we can have homemade from the freezer for much cheaper than those boxes at the grocery.
Things I discovered at Whole Foods: the only good this trip would do me is if I was already in the area and wanted to pick up dried fruit that Mom can actually eat, raw sugar, soy milk on the cheap, or fish (for some ungodly reason). Or, if we went with the intent of eating there. The salad bar looked awesome, they have extensive prepared foods and a kick ass bread section.
Also, Whole Foods carried brands I can pick up at ValuMarket. Including the flour and flax I use, the milk I sometimes buy...etc. And the produce was overpriced in my opinion. And too much of it was from too far away. I'm still on my kick of refusing to eat produce from a zillion miles away from home. I can wait for most of it to come into season. Or I can grow my own this summer and plan better.
Final Conclusion: Whole Foods was overrated. Local stores are doing a decent job at stocking better options for people. And Eat Local folks!
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