Sticker Shock at the Grocery Store

Hey Everyone!

I went grocery shopping at the store I transferred from about two months ago. I haven’t done much grocery shopping at work in the past two months as I have the time and energy to go elsewhere, where prices are a bit cheaper. I know the company I work for is way over priced. It’s nice on an occasion to get local meat and seafood where I work, but otherwise it’s really not worth it. Sticker shock really hit me today when I was there.

This is all I bought today. Granted there are some supplements and I also bought some scallops. I spent, with my discount – $107.18. Without my discount it would have been $153.10. As I am trying to live more frugally and simply, grocery shopping at work will mean buying less on a visit and shopping there way less frequently. Even Fred Meyer and Safeway that are a bit more expensive than say Winco, and some other places out there are still more reasonably priced than where I work. Where I work is up there more along the lines of Market of Choice, Zupans, and Whole Foods.

I honestly don’t know how people can go and do full on weekly grocery shops at where I work on a regular basis. Having that kind of disposable income must be nice, especially when many employees of the store are barely making ends meet, if at all. Many of my coworkers, I know are struggling to try to make ends meet. Blue slip items (damaged packaging but still good, about to expire or just past expired but still good, etc) are life savers.

I am still learning how to budget and be better at couponing and saving money at the grocery store. it’s hard with food intolerances and the food I can eat is more expensive to begin with and isn’t on sale as often.

The Lifestyle I feel called to lead is that of a simpler life, where I make more at home, and I am at home more. I know it doesn’t make as much sense and seems counter culture to what we know today. That being said being at home, and being more traditional is on my heart. Doing more homemaking, knitting and such has been on my heart to do for years. I am also one of those people who learns things the hard way.

Sorry for Disappearing

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I don’t think I have talked about here on this blog, because this blog has been on the back burner for the past couple of years, but I have been dealing with an autoimmune disease for the past few years. This past year has really been the year that it has been discovered. While I still don’t have definitive answers and I’m still in the “undifferentiated connective tissue disease” stage because there are markers for more than one autoimmune disease but not enough for one or the other really to get a clear diagnosis, I have been able to start a course of treatment and it is helping. For the past two plus years, having the energy to do more than survive hasn’t been there. I have finally started having a bit more energy the past month or so and have started doing things again. I also changed positions at work. Working freight is physically demanding, but where I am at is at least only 8 hour shifts starting late afternoon and going into the wee small hours of the night, so I am still going to bed at night and just sleeping in until late morning. That is at least a slight improvement over Price File where I would have to be at work anywhere between 5 and 7 am. My days off have also changed. So, even though it’s hard work and I am exhausted and more than past my limit by my weekend, when I am on my weekend, I am at least more functional than I have been for the past couple of years. I also have time during the day between when I get up and have to go to work to knit a bit and drink tea which helps me get going during the day and ready for work.

All that out of the way, I am not grocery shopping so much at work anymore. Even with my 30% discount, where I work is still more expensive than your average overpriced grocery store (Safeway, Alberson’s, Fred Meyer / Kroger), so going grocery shopping at Fred Meyer and Safeway feels like a bargain.

My schedule was weird this past week, so I am off today, which I am normally not. I went grocery shopping today to prepare for my work week. I went to Fred Meyer.

In total at Fred Meyer, I spent $150.39. Had I not picked up more of my favorite shampoo, conditioner and dry shampoo, I would have been closer to $100

After I got home, I made myself a pastrami on rye sandwich with mayonnaise, deli mustard and the kind of cheese I can eat. It was very good.

Now that I have come out of being in strictly survival mode a little bit, the desire to be more of a homemaker and live in the country or a small town anyway with enough property to at least have a garden is returning. When all I was able to do was eat, sleep, work and go to the doctor, it was hard and there were no dreams there, and even the desire to cook and bake were gone. Now, I am more like “oooooooh, I want to make this that and the other thing”. Now that I want to make more things, I will be posting and sharing more things again.

Fajitas, Icy Weather, Taking Care of Family

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Well, we have had our week of winter weather here in the northern Willamette Valley, freezing rain and all.

I was off work for a couple of days and went back yesterday. I was able to make it safely out of my neighborhood yesterday morning. By the time I left work today, the roads were pretty much fine. Some parking lots and sidewalks were still a bit sketchy, though.

I had spent some time shoveling the driveway Wednesday afternoon so I could get out yesterday morning. Even that little bit of work made me reconsider my dream of modern homesteading on several acres. It would be A LOT of work, and I don’t know if I have the energy and stamina for it, and I don’t expect whoever I marry to shoulder that load. I wouldn’t be adverse to urban homesteading where I could have a decent enough size garden in the backyard, and fill in where I couldn’t and didn’t have the space or energy for, with going to farmers markets, going to the farm stands and being more choosy about where I shop and what I buy.

Areas up closer to the Columbia River definitely got hit harder than where I am at and where my job is located. So they are still dealing with icy roads and stuff.

Since I went back to work yesterday and decided to get the chicken fajita meat mix that we carry in the meat department at work for dinner. Of course, I got enough for my parents to have it for dinner as well. I have been picking up groceries for my parents over the past couple of days since I have been able to get out and I work at the aforementioned grocery store. While they aren’t “ancient,” I still want them to be safe and to not have to deal with the ice if they don’t have to.

So far, we have not lost power at the house, which is a blessing in and of itself. There are many in the area who have lost power and haven’t had heat for a few days. We have had heat and been able to keep food cold, cook food in the kitchen, and have means of entertaining ourselves with electronics.

Sausage & Spinach Egg Bites

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This morning, I made sausage & spinach egg bites with seasoned tomatoes on top for breakfast.

I am trying to eat better this year, for my health.

I picked up the ingredients I needed at work since I work at a grocery store.

I didn’t really use a recipe. I only looked up what temperature I should set the oven to and how long to cook them.

I used:

• 1 dozen vital farms the blues eggs (any eggs will work)
• 1/4 almond breeze almond coconut milk (you can use regular milk or other dairy free milk)
• 1 tsp Jacobson cherrywood smoked sea salt
• 1 lb ground mild pork sausage cooked
• Dried sweet basil to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 – 2 cups spinach
• 10 cherry tomatoes diced

I cooked the sausage up in a skillet on the stove while the oven was preheating to 350° Fahrenheit. I also put spinach in the bottom of the muffin tin cups while the sausage was cooking. I mixed up the eggs with the milk (or milk alternative) and added some seasonings – salt, pepper, paprika, dried sweet basil leaves. I also started chopping up the tomatoes and put them in a separate bowl with some salt and dried sweet basil. I would have liked to have used fresh basil, but we were put at work.

When the sausage was done cooking, I drained off the Grease and put the sausage in the muffin tin cups on top of the spinach. I then poured the beaten eggs and milk mixture in over the sausage and spinach and then put it in the preheated oven. I baked them for about 25 or so minutes.

You can put cheese in them if you want, and can have cheese. Since I have to stay away from dairy, I opted to not use dairy free cheese since I have found that the texture of the eggs change when I use it, and I don’t care for it. The diced tomatoes that were set aside are for the top of the egg bites.

I had a raisin English muffin and a bowl of fruit to go with my egg bites.

Dietary and Lifestyle Changes

Hey Everyone! It’s been a while.

I have been away from this blog for several months as life has been crazy and there have been plenty of job changes.

I figured while I am winding down to go back to bed before going to work tonight, I would write a post here.

During this past year, of packing up all my stuff from my parents old house, where I grew up, moving, changing jobs a couple times, not having health insurance for a while and all that stuff, I had let my health slide.

It has finally come to a point where I need to deal with it and get myself healthy again. I have a Dr. Appointment next week, and I am working on starting to eat better.

Today, I had gone to the Happy Valley location of the company I work for, and did some grocery shopping. I have been trying to stock up on things I know I will eat and that are good for me. Things that I was eating when I was able to go for walks and hikes and felt good.

I am not going to be going into too many details about what’s going on with me, and my health as that is personal. Down the road, if and when I have a diagnosis, I feel comfortable sharing it and if it at all pertains to the blog I may share it, but for now its a battle I am fighting.

These issues though, have reminded me what I want in life, which is away from the city, on some property, with a small orchard, a huge garden and maybe some animals that will go to freezer camp when they are ready.

I still occasionally watch homesteading channels on YouTube when I have the energy, though that is not an all the time thing.

I have a couple areas in mind where I wouldn’t mind living, and they are fairly reasonably priced as compared to where I am now.

New Job Finds

Hey Everyone!

I started my new job two weeks ago. I work at a upscale grocery store now.

It is super interesting to see the different products we carry, as well as the variety of dairy free options my store carries.

I have found quite a few interesting things. Which prompted the “what I find at work” series on instagram.

The duck eggs are regularly $10.99 a dozen at my store, so definitely not something I will be purchasing much of in the future, as they are definitely not in the budget at that price. I was able to get them for reasonably cheap since I get a discount at my store and I had a $5.00 off reward coupon. I have heard that they are good in baking though.

The dairy free “cream cheese” has quickly become a favorite of mine with bagels. While I love it, it is rather expensive, even with my discount. Especially with fall and winter coming, I definitely see Scottish Oatmeal with dried fruit and chopped nuts on the breakfast menu going forward.

The dairy free version of the creamsicles, were actually a good price, they were only $2.99 a box. That I could afford for a treat in the heat we are having.

After punching the numbers and creating a budget. i am definitely going to be working towards paying off debt, saving money, trying to live simply, and working towards getting out of the city. Anyone who knows me could tell you I would rather be living simple life, somewhere far far far away from the city on a tight budget than have plenty of money and be living in the city. So for me, trying to get out if debt and not have to be reliant on my family as means of support is a huge thing for me.

Interview Update

Hey Everyone!

I wanted to update you all real quick on my interview today. It went well, my interviewer just wanted to confer with his assistant manager, who was off today. I should hear back on Tuesday.

I interviewed for a freight lead position at a local grocery store, that carries more of the food alternatives, like dairy free and gluten free options as well as local brands and produce.

While it is still retail and freight, I am hoping I get it, and it would be a good fit for my life right now.

My long term goals are to still be a stay at home homeschooling wife and mother and living on a homestead, in this season of my life, I still need to work. If I can get this job, and continue to eat well, I definitely feel like this will help me be in a better place for the life I am working towards.

I am definitely ready to quit the seasonal job I started recently, as I really don’t feel safe working there with what is expected of me, and the toll it is already taking on my body. I am not willing to risk injury to myself or put unnecessary strain on my body just to be chasing after money.

I just wanted to update you all on how my interview went, before I headed put to work.

Girls can like Hardware Stores too

Hey Everyone!

Today was another busy day, with yet another trip to the storage unit and trip to Home Depot. I enjoy going to hardware / home improvement stores. I know it’s not a “normal” girl thing, but I like seeing what’s out there and available.

It’s still my dream to build a homestead of my own, and part of the fun of wandering around stores like Home Depot, is imagining what I would put in my own home one day. I am not the super fancy type. I like simple, not super big, something low maintenance, easy to keep clean, and preferably someplace I can have a good size garden.

I picked up some more boxes and tape. I would rather have more than I need than to be on a roll packing and run out of one or the other. Whatever I have left, I will let my parents have for when they start packing.

I still have plenty to work on, but I am determined to take a break the rest of the day and tomorrow, as I have to work this weekend, and then deep dive more into my room next week.

Today, I also got some housework done, and have a load of laundry going. So I still feel productive for not getting a lot packed. it’s also our first 70 degree day, so I’d rather have been at the beach, where it’s a good 10 degrees cooler.

I am definitely glad I am going through all the stuff I have been holding on to. I am glad I am putting most of my stuff that I want for my future home all in one place.

This last year and a half has definitely been teaching me a lot about why living a simpler and more frugal life. It’s been a lesson to learn, but better late than never, right?

Canning Peaches

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Over the past weekend, my parents picked up over 50 pounds of Peaches. Tuesday and Wednesday, my mom and canned them. We canned five batches over the course of two days.

It had been a few years since we last canned peaches. Its also been a long time since we canned pickles and pears.

Canning is hard work, but totally worth it. Home canned tastes better. There are definitely things I want to try making a canning, some of which will have to wait until I have my own place again. I want to try things like Blueberry Syrup, elderberry syrup, and fireweed jelly.

Cod, it’s what’s for Dinner

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I had been craving fish for a few days, so I stopped by the grocery store on my way home from work yesterday, and picked up some Cod, and the makings for a blueberry crumble.

I stopped by the meat counter at the grocery store, to see what they had in the way of Fish. Cod was a better price than Salmon, so I got some Cod.

I am a huge chicken and fish person, I definitely would love to live in SE Alaska, do more fishing, and eat more Fish.

For dinner I had cooked the cod I bought, as well as green beans and almonds, and some sourdough bread. It was so good, and filling.

I also made another blueberry crumble. This recipe alone, made purchasing the Salmon Sisters Cookbook worth it. I had also picked up some vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream to go with it. I had used a stick if the melt dairy free spread in place of butter in the crumble topping.

I made a “butter” garlic sauce for the cod. The recipe I had found did call for butter, but I used my dairy free spread in the place of butter to make it dairy free.

There was a time when I used to be able to eat dairy, though I have been dairy free long enough that it is second nature to me at this point. I have definitely learned tips and tricks to substitute dairy free options for the dairy that is called for.

I am definitely wanting to cook at home more, and not spend so much money on “restaurant food”. Between wanting to live in a small town or in the country (preferably in Alaska), making home cooked meals is definitely something I want to get better at. I also believe that cooking at home is more frugal, and cost effective.

I am definitely trying to live more frugally, and as much as possible, do Cash Only, especially for the day to day expenses.