Shopping for your cook

I know I said I would post this a couple of days ago now. I tried, really I did and my computer ate it up. I had my post all typed out, all I needed to do was press publish and my computer shut down. Uggg. So here I am attempting it again.

You have written your list and are ready to shop. The first thing you’ll want to do cross off anything that you won’t need until the meal is eaten, for example if you are making a taco pizza you will wait to buy the tomato's and lettuce on the week the meal is planned for. Before you leave the house, review you list so you are familiar with it, grab a water bottle, a snack, and some comfortable shoes. My average shopping trip takes about 2 hours, and the cart gets heavy. I try not to take my children with me when I shop for a cook like this. I have have many decisions that need to be made and the cart is heavy enough without extra weight. That being said I took mine with me this time because there was no other time to go. It took me 30 minutes longer with them along and I bought them ice cream on the way home as a reward.

When you arrive at the store go get your canned goods first. This way you won’t have to rearrange your cart to make room. Next I get my dry goods, like crackers and baking goods.

I do not but my spices at the regular groceries as they are so expensive. I get mine out at an Amish grocery in bulk. If you can get them this way you will save a lot of money. Some natural food stores carry them and there might be some on-line options to help you keep the costs down.

Your next stop is the meat department. This will be where the bulk of your money is spent. The most important thing to remember is to enlist the help or your butcher! I bought 45 pounds of chicken this time and he was kind enough to go get me a fresh box out of the cooler and put it on the bottom of my cart. He also made some meat selections for me that helped me save money. Sometimes they can even give you a discount if you order enough of something. There are times when I shop different stores for the sales and don’t buy everything at one stop.

Once you get your meat then move over to the dairy section and then the produce. This way nothing gets squished on the bottom of your cart. You may end up with more than once cart full of groceries depending on the types of meals you are making and how much you make from scratch.

Now that you have all of your items review your list one more time, then check out and take your groceries home.

Next up preparing for your cooking day.