(This is the weekly post where you share your week of food. Did you have anything that really made your week, such as your favorite soup, a lunch out, or maybe you had something new? Find a new food product? A new appliance? Please do share!)
I had a very strange food week. On one hand, it was terrible, on the other, it was great!
The bad news was that A - I didn't eat enough, or well. B - I took part of my money earmarked for other things, and bought food with it. It was now or never, as items were down to the last box or 2 of what I can eat, and I could either get meat, or hold my peace for at *least* another month.
The good news is that if all goes well, we should be eating more healthfully this month, and I got some things which are no longer available since I got them, or are only available at gouging prices.
Some I have said, so I'm sorry for repeats...
I got my gf pasta...spaghetti, elbows, and some penne. Since they, and other companies that I've contacted, don't have a clue as to when they will have products to sell on the retail level again...it could be several months...this will have to get us through for a while. When we run out, we can't replace it until....? So, I felt good about getting it.
I use spaghetti for, well, spaghetti, but I use penne for 1 skillet meals, and elbows for everything.
I got the last box of canned corn, some of the olives that I eat with my pills each day - which are getting harder to find, and the garlic powder that I use which is gf.
I work with a wholesaler who sells several items, including the garlic powder, and have for almost 30 years, but even they were down to 2 containers! I also found 1 on Amazon. So, I got all 3...one for Ds, since he is almost out and can't find it in any of the 5 stores that he checked in, one for us, and the last one for us to share when we all run out.
Also, I found my Italian herbs, yeah! It's been out of stock in local stores for over a month, but one store in Ukiah had a medium container, and a small container. We split those with Ds, too.
I got a fantastic deal on tiny snack bags...which we use all the time, and freezer bags, since I hope to be freezing meals, tape - which we needed, and maple syrup. Strange bedfellows, I know, but I'm glad to have them. The maple syrup, was the last one in stock (there were other brands, but not at a good deal like this.) on Amazon.
I've continued to lose sleep over oil. I'm so limited in which oils that I can use, that I stick with one light olive oil. Some oils labeled olive oil have been proven to be contaminated, or even cut with, nut or legume oils. Being allergic to those items...
But, it's fairly expensive. So, when the beginning of the month came around, I made an executive decision to spring for 2 containers, and cheese for Dh, to help keep his weight up.
The cheese was there, but there were only 4 containers of oil available until no one knows when, so Ds and I both got oil. It was painful spending money on all of these items, but if I had hesitated, I'd not have pasta, cooking oil, etc. until they are back in production full swing, and that could be some time.
This week, there were a couple of packs of chicken tenders at Safeway, so Ds got one, and so did we. That's what made the 2 good meals that we had this week, and it wasn't a moment too soon.
Also, I got epsom salts. I have to soak my hands or feet in them most days, to keep my magnesium levels up, so I tend to buy the salts in bulk. Long story short...I get Amazon's generic for the best price, but I found a better deal...again, nearly out of stock...at Walmart online. I saved 33 % over my usual best deal (hooray!) and got it shipped to the Ukiah Walmart for pickup.
Ds agreed to pick it up, as he was going to be in the area, and that's when the idea of meat came back around. The ranch was supposed to get meat into their store, but I've not been able to buy it again.
So, again, making an executive decision, I called, and after confirming their new days and times, decided to get some meat. That would really make life good here!
Generally, while being extra careful of money, we've been stopping at getting 1 roast, rather than filling the freezer. We thaw the big roast, then have only a short window to cut it into slices, chunks, or make it into ground meat, then cook, cook, cook!
This time, rather than 1 large roast, Ds was able to get 4 very small roasts. What I like about that, if the meat is as good...it's not the same cut, is that we can thaw one at a time, process and cook it, then wait until we are ready and have vegetables to thaw the next one.
So, for example, we can make one small roast into beef stew. Have it for a couple of meals, and freeze the rest for future meals.
Then, a few days later, we can make a roast into chili, and so on.
So, I'm now waiting to win the lottery to make up for my sketchy decisions on spending money, But, I have meat, pasta, oil, spices, etc.
As for fresh items... After our bad food week, I decided to get some fruit and vegetables in the house. Not a ridiculous amount, but 2 x's worth of broccoli, onions, greens, and extra lemons and oranges/cara caras. I still have baby beets, carrots, and celery.
Anyway, normally I don't have so much to say on this, but these are strange times where shortages are becoming the norm, and I had to make difficult decisions to get food in.
There are 2 other items that I wanted to mention.
Paper towels. Getting them has been spotty, so I went looking where I can usually get them...but, they didn't have them at a good price at all, of what was in stock.
So, I found individual, brown, folded paper towels. If they will wipe up a mess, they will do. What made me decide to get them, is that they were on sale...2/3 off! I'll let you know if they work well, or not.
In case not, I got a jumbo pack of 7th Generation napkins. I've used their paper towels and tissues, but never their napkins. We'll see on them, too, but right now, I'm just happy to be able to have them.
The 2nd item is chamomile tea. Ds has been giving Thyri some now and then, as they work on her formula (btw, she's doing a lot better on the goat's milk formula!), Dh sometimes drinks it, and I use a little now and then in my lotions and hair rinses. But, what's available right now here is something like $12. for 20 bags.
After searching, I finally found Solimo brand, which is Amazon's brand, for $2.99 a box of 20. That should take care of us for all purposes, baby and all. And, yes, I'm planting some again!
So, that's all of the food news, and probably way more than anyone wanted to know!
How was your food week?
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