Shopping for One: Tips & Tricks

I got a little bit ahead of myself with today's earlier post...

Cooking for me is therapeutic - a chance to exercise my obsessive nature (if I choose) to make perfect cuts, plan out to the last detail, and be in complete control of what I get to enjoy for a meal.

It seriously hurts in my gut to hear friends and family talk about their dining routines. My brother is notorious for running up a $300 food bill and throwing $40-$50 out from food going bad. Friends talk about not enjoying dinner because there's nothing exciting about what they cook, they don't know how to cook or don't know how to shop. And there's a boyfriend that will actually skip meals - I'm talking like eating once in two days - because going grocery shopping and prepping a meal is too overwhelming. GAH!

I'm a 40-hour/week + 7-hour part-time student so give me a little slack, but what I'd like to do is give a little help to all you single folks from a few things I've learned in the last few years...

NUMBER 1: The absolute most important rule of this whole thing: PLANNING. Fortunately, if you're reading this, I'm hoping to make that easier. But seriously, figuring out what you want to eat and knowing what you have to get for that and then shopping with a list will make your life infinitely easier.

NUMBER 2: Think bulk. I'm not really saying Costco or Sam's Club here, but try exploring new recipes with novel ingredients without breaking the budget by using the bulk aisle. We have HEB and Sprouts stores (not to mention Whole Foods or Central Market) with everything from spices to grains to nuts and dried fruit that is an incredible help to someone shopping for one. Half a teaspoon of ground cloves? No problem, it will run you a grand total of $.02 and you'll not have to toss a mostly-full container away in 3 years when you clean out the pantry.

NUMBER 3: We've got our favorites but shop seasonal. Shopping frequently (think once/week or more often) lets you take advantage of foods on sale and in season. It keeps you from tossing out half your grocery bill too, because, mostly anything you buy will stay fresh for a week in the fridge. So don't toss the cluster of papers when they come in on Wednesday, sit down and see what's a good deal and start thinking about how you can use that. If you've got the budget, farmers markets are a great option as well. As you start cooking healthier, flavorful seasonal food you'll probably experience some new ingredients that you didn't know could be so delicious which will get you more excited about keeping up this lifestyle choice.

Good luck!

http://gotexan.org/Portals/1/doc/pdf/publications/produce_avail_050310.pdf

Weekly Shopping List: Summer Produce and Grilling

In grocery stores this week we've got great deals on peppers, peaches, onions ($.50/lb!), broccoli, and mahi mahi fillets so I'm maximizing on those deals and doing most of my cooking NOT in the oven or stovetop since we've got temps in the hundreds this week.

SUMMER PRODUCE & GRILLING

Produce:

lemons (1)

fresh bay leaves (2 leaves)

fresh rosemary (2 sprigs)

parsley (1 bunch)

garlic cloves (1 head)

broccoli (1 head)

cherry or grape tomatoes (1 pint)

red onion (2)

peach or nectarine (1)

choice of red/yellow/orange/green bell pepper (1)

Bulk:

¼ tsp paprika

½ c quinoa

¼ c kalamata or green olives

Canned Goods:

1 can chickpeas

red wine vinegar (1 T/small bottle)

balsamic vinegar (2 T/small bottle)

Meat:

whole rotisserie chicken (or self-roasted, if preferred & needed)

1 link sausage (flavor as desired)

12-16 oz mahi mahi fillet

We're doing Rotisserie Chicken with Grilled Sausage, Peaches & Peppers, Charred Broccoli & Red Onion Salad with Toasted Quinoa and Mahi Fillet with Chickpea Puree and Parsley Sauce.. 

For those (like me) that aren't too keen on a lot of meat during the summer, you could omit the chicken. For the menfolk that need a little more bulk to their meals or anyone else that needs the filling to their plate, rotisserie chicken is easy and cheap option (shout out to Costco!) to use throughout the week.

You can also self-roast a whole fryer with herbs if preferred.