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I was thrilled to recently meet Stephanie of KeeperoftheHome because she is an expert in a topic I want to know about: eating organic on a budget. From comments, it seems readers want to know her secrets, too! Here is how Stephanie, who is based in British Columbia, keeps five bellies full of organic food for $450 a month.
Is it really possible to eat organic food cheaply? It really is. We eat about 80-90% certificated organic or non-certificated organic or natural foods. We do that on a pretty low budget for a family of five.
How much is your monthly grocery bill? $450 CAD [$430USD], including all our household and cleaning supplies. At the beginning of the month I start by listing all the firm parts of the budget. I always get $30 of eggs from an organic farmer and I always pay $40 for my organic raw milk and I always pay about $140 for my co-op purchases. From there I start to say well I’m probably going to need about $70 of produce and I’m going to need to go to Costco to stock up on butter and fish. When it’s gone it’s gone. We start eating beans and rice. I’m kidding, but we would do that if we had too.
What are your tips for saving on organic food? It comes down to being really eclectic with how you do your shopping. If I shopped at one store or just used coupons it wouldn’t be enough. I actually shop at five or six different places. I go to my meat store in the country once a month and stock up my freezer. I go to my big produce market every two weeks. There are weeks when I never go to the store, then there are weeks I go to three stores. Shopping that way makes a big difference. I can focus on the best prices at each place.
Do you have a price comparison list? I don’t because I’m one of those geeks who memorizes the price of a can of tomato paste. But I do really recommend it.
Organic meat has a higher markup than organic produce. How do you get organic meat at affordable prices? I don’t buy certified organic meat. There are so many farms where families are raising the animals in an organic method but they don’t get the organic certification because it is too expensive.
How do you know if a non-certified farm is raising animals using organic methods? I ask really good questions. How are you raising these cows? What are you feeding them? How much time do they get on pasture? Do they receive antibiotics or hormones? Once you get a farmer talking about what he does, he’s likely to be really passionate and share with you exactly what he does.
Can you talk a little about buying shares of meat? Yes. The most cost effective way to buy your meat is to buy it in large amounts. I go out to this farmer in the country and I make a really big purchase of a side of beef or a front of beef. Because I am purchasing in such large bulk he is willing to give me a really good deal. If I were to buy out of his deli, I would pay $3-7 a pound depending on the cut of meat. But because I purchase it all at once and I buy it frozen, I am able to buy it for between $2.20-$3 a pound, and that includes all my cuts: my roasts, my ribs, my steaks. For our family, my last side was 120-130 pounds. But you don’t have to do that. You can go in on it with four other families and you can get 25 pounds each.
Do have books or websites you recommend for more info on eating organic on a budget? Well I have my own book that I recommend, “Real Food on a Real Budget.” [See below to win a copy-- contest has ended.] It’s 13 chapters and each chapter covers a different element: buying local, seasonal, bulk, preserving, couponing. I would also recommend reading blogs that are in the healthy, organic food niche. Most of these bloggers are quite frugal, actually. I would recommend TheNourishingGourmet.com and NourishedKitchen.com. [Organic grocery coupons]
What do you buy non-organic? I use the dirty dozen list to help me prioritize which fruits and vegetables I should always buy organic and others that aren’t as important to buy organic, like broccoli and onions. I really wish I could buy organic potatoes but the prices are just a little too high for me. There’s also the odd condiment. I don’t buy organic mustard. I don’t buy organic vanilla, or things that we use in a small amount.
How much more is your monthly grocery bill because you buy organic? I think that if I didn’t buy organic we would spend between $300 and $350 dollars [$287-$330 USD].
Anything else you want to add? The other main things that I would mention is buying in bulk, joining a co-op or using Amazon Natural & Organic grocery
If you’d like to win a copy of Stephanie’s eBook, “Real Food on a Real Budget,” comment with how much you spend each month on groceries.
UPDATE: Comment by Aug. 18, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST to win. Thanks!
August 12th, 2010 at 9:14 am
[...] you are interested in eating organic on a budget, finding a nearby grocery store can be a challenge. Stephanie of KeeperoftheHome.org recommended [...]
August 12th, 2010 at 9:31 am
[...] along with my post about eating organic on a budget, here is a list of blogs and sites to find organic coupons and coupons for natural [...]
August 12th, 2010 at 9:59 am
We spend about the same as you, but there’s only two of us! But we live in Chicago.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:02 am
We spend $275 / month on groceries. I love these tips. Thank you!
August 12th, 2010 at 10:06 am
We have in our budget $800 for food each month. That includes the eating out (on the go a lot), school lunches and groceries. My husband and I talk all the time about wanting to eat more organic foods but when we visit our local farmer’s markets we leave having spent half our budget for the week but only have very few items. It was pretty discouraging. I have a family of five just like Stephanie so this article was extremely encouraging for me!! I would love to get her book and have it as a guide to help us acheive our goal of being more organic without breaking our budget. Matter of fact, it sounds like we’d come in way UNDER budget. I definitely have some things to learn.
Thanks Bargain Babe!
August 12th, 2010 at 10:08 am
I spend about $300 on groceries a month for one person – just me…! I do buy around 75% organic, but I’m fairly lazy about it. If I drove the 45 minutes to Trader Joes or Whole Foods, or even Woodmans, I would save a little bit of money, maybe close to $75 or so. But, as is, I purchase a majority of my produce at Jewel which is 5 minutes away and has outrageous prices. I think it’s all about planning and I obviously need to get better at that!
August 12th, 2010 at 10:10 am
Great tips – I will have to locate a farm to purchase meat from and see if other families are willing to go in on it. What a great idea!
August 12th, 2010 at 10:18 am
The problem is that we in Los Angeles aren’t near farms to get organic meat, and can you trust the grocery stores? Who knows how long meat has been sitting around, and traveling to 5 or 6 different stores for groceries seems to me, again living in Los Angeles, counter productive because it takes so long to get from one place to another…I think of all that gas!
August 12th, 2010 at 10:26 am
I am very impressed with Stephanie’s budgeting skills. This article inspires me to find a few families to go in on buying a bulk order of organic beef.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:30 am
We spend an average of $400 per month on groceries. I am big on canning and freezing when I see a good deal on things. I also have a large garden and this feeds us for most of the winter. We raise our own beef cattle, so this eliminates the need to buy meat from the store.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:35 am
We are new to natural living and eating organic foods. Changing the way you buy groceries and quit using prepared items has been a sticker shock to us. On the positive, we buy no junk food and try to find ways to sneak greens in our picky son that is 5. I would say that we spend $650 on food, general items for the house and such. I want to lower that number and I am very interested in the ways to do so.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:40 am
It depends on the season. I spend more in the summer b/c I am buying in bulk to put up for the winter. And b/c I have put up in the summer, I don’t spend as much in the winter. If I average the costs of our side of beef, half a hog, and bulk order of poultry… we end up having about a $150-200/month budget in the winter months and about $400/month in the summer months.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:50 am
We spend about $450 a month – when I am diligent. Meat is the hardest to be willing to spend the extra amount, but we are buying a 1/4 cow soon!
August 12th, 2010 at 10:51 am
I think I usually spend 500-600. I’m not very good at budgeting and I know I can do better. I love the tips and use them when I can.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:54 am
We spend 500.
August 12th, 2010 at 11:02 am
@Michelle Ventresca, farmers markets in LA carry organic and/or grass fed meat. Hollywood and Santa Monica for sure.
August 12th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Stephanie’s budgeting skills are indeed impressive! We’re a family of three (including a teenage boy), and all our food is either organic or natural. I love to cook and prepare everything from scratch and also entertain a bit here and there. We end up spending a small fortune on groceries every month (and we’re in BC, as is Stephanie)…some months more than $1000. I do cut corners as much as possible, and shop around for the best prices. We shop weekly at Whole Foods, but nearly everything I buy there is on sale. We also shop regularly at Costco, and get a small weekly order from a local, online, organic grocer. We don’t really buy fancy food, but there are some things I won’t compromise on, like organic, cultured butter (and we go through about 2 lbs per week), and freshly ground organic flour from a local mill, which is expensive, especially since I do a lot of baking. We don’t buy a lot of meat, but we do go through about a kilo of organic ground beef and a free-range chicken most weeks. I make a lot of meals without meat, though, and because I can’t find a good source of pastured eggs close enough to me, we buy sort-of natural eggs in larger quantities from the store (these are inexpensive). It’s frustrating because I don’t see how I can do things differently, yet we are spending far more than I would like. I have to say I’m cautious about buying regular condiments to save money, because most of them are GMO. I do make our own mayonnaise, but we still buy organic ketchup, mustard, and lacto-fermented pickles.
August 12th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Hi – we spend probably about $200/month on groceries. I shop at a combination of Farmer’s Markets (where I get the bulk of my produce – typically spend about $80 week there), then a combo of Whole Foods, TJs, Pavillions and Gelsons. My husband will typically get our meat from a butcher and our fish from a fish store. We are a family of 4 – 2 of which are young growing bottomless pit boys. Thanks, Maureen (jnomaxx at hotmail dot com)
August 12th, 2010 at 11:10 am
Sorry, I meant to say $200/week. Big difference! Thanks.
August 12th, 2010 at 11:58 am
I spend approx $300/month for one person. Shopping at farmer’s markets is one of the best places to find organic, grass-fed, and local foods. And usually you can talk to the farmer and get all the details. If you’re really on a budget, try shopping at the end of the farmer’s market-usually farmers will make deals so they have less to take home.
To help your budget, you can learn to preserve foods as well-you can extend the life of milk by turning it into kefir; you can culture (lacto-ferment) fresh veggies (sauerkraut etc.) and fruits, make creme fraiche, etc. Once you start doing these things, they are easy and cheap ways not to waste.
And, although real food may cost more ($10 for a half gallon of raw milk, higher priced organic produce, $7/lb grass-fed beef, $5 for a dozen pastured eggs, etc) it is absolutely worth it. You will feel so much better, stronger, and healthier eating these foods. I haven’t been sick for over a year and have almost no headaches.
And budget-wise when you’re healthier, you spend ALOT less on health care, both now and in the long run.
August 12th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
By the way….if you are near Pasadena, CA, you can take classes on real food preparation (culturing veggies and fruits, how to make kefir, making kombucha, soups and stocks, lacto-fermented sodas, etc) at Culture Club 101. They also sell some foods if you join the co-op (not cheap, but all nutrient dense, real foods). I used to work there and the food and classes are top quality.
http://www.cultureclub101.com
August 12th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
I can easily spend $150 a week for a family of four and that’s not even eating all organic or buying any beef (we have a freezer full at home). It’s ridiculous what we spend. I would LOVE to win this book!
August 12th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
I been looking for many expert articles about diet and weight loss you came on top of the search. realy expert blog you got started here. Going to keep coming back for sure.
DietsAndWeightLoss
August 12th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
We spend probably $600 a month for a family of four. I’m going to start implementing some of these ideas!
August 12th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
we have a family of four at home. our two youngest grown sons have moved back home so my grocery bill has tripled! 700 to 800 $$$$ per month. I need all the help I can get!!
Love your website
August 12th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
This year I’m enjoying the produce from my garden, which saves $$$, especially for tomatoes. I spend less than $200 monthly, even if I have company or occasionally eat out. However, I’ve learned where and how to shop for myself over the years.
During the war years (WWII), my parents went in with another couple to buy sides of beef which were kept in rented frozen food storage. They also got chicken, eggs and butter from a local farmer… and that was in the greater Kansas City area!
I suspect that if one were to investigate the Internet, there would be sources for following the wonderful suggestions made by Stephanie. I’ve been to BC, and am aware of all the wonderful areas up there for gardening bargains, etc. There’s a big pig farm upisland from Victoria that’s a great resource.
August 12th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
It’s true, there are lots of farms and farmer’s markets in BC, but, with one car and living in the city, it’s not easy for us to drive two hours both ways to purchase from the farms directly. We’ve tried a few farmer’s markets, but I find their prices to be mostly either the same or even higher than what I buy at Whole Foods and my local online organic grocer (who, by the way, stocks mainly fresh, local produce). I think it tends to be much easier for people living out of the city, but for those of us who live right in it, it’s harder. You also have to weigh the cost of gas (several times higher up here than most places in the U.S.), and, the environmental impact of all that driving. We did plant a garden this year, but it’s not the best growing season this year because of the mild winter which caused non-beneficial organisms that usually die, to survive. Many people in BC are struggling to grow a garden this year. We also didn’t have much summer to speak of until July! Makes it kind of tough for the vegetables that need hot weather and sunshine to grow. I’m hoping next year will be better, but in the meantime, I’m thinking of planting a winter garden; hopefully it grows!
August 12th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
We spend about $400/month for three people. That’s eating about 90% organic foods. It’s worth it to us and I’m constantly looking for deals and ways to reduce our costs.
August 12th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
@Jana ~ Not all of my summer crops are doing as well as the tomatoes, but I’m not complaining, as those are so versatile. I read in the Garden section of the paper that now is the time to start planting winter crops for a bountiful harvest.
@Dorrie ~ Good luck with that! My youngest moved back in with me for a time, so I set up some pretty strict rules, especially when it came to over-long showers, leaving lights on everywhere, etc. Fewer problems arose, as my boys all like(d) my cooking, and I know how to stretch a dollar. Soups, stews, skillet dishes, etc. can feed a crowd for relatively little cost. Whenever I got any complaints, I just reminded them that they knew where the nearest Mickey D’s was located! Get tough, Mom, and they’ll leave sooner!
August 13th, 2010 at 5:02 am
My wife and I, both vegetarian, spend about $250 a month on grocery. It’s a little more in the summer because we go to farmer’s markets. We haven’t really explored organic, but I might for the Dirty Dozen. I’ve been wanting to ever since I downloaded that list from the Nutrition Diva.
August 13th, 2010 at 6:32 am
Oh my gosh, I would LOVE this book. We are a family of two adults, a four year old, and twins who are almost a year and a half and we spent $700-800 a month on food. We try to eat almost entirely organic, unprocessed food and we are vegetarian so I am shocked that she can feed her family on so little! Of course, we don’t have a co-op and I am forced to do a lot of shopping at Whole Foods.
August 13th, 2010 at 8:52 am
I have recently just started a budget and keeping track of how much we spend on groceries. Our budget is $600/month for a family of 3. I know its really high, I would love to win a copy of Stephanies Book!
August 13th, 2010 at 9:21 am
[...] from Bargain Babe has some great tips on feeding your family organically without breaking the bank. There are some [...]
August 13th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Perfect timing! Just REALLY looked at where our money is going. We were spending 640 a month- family of four (preschooler & toddler). Have cut back to 400! and not wasting as much food!
August 13th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
I spend between $500 and $600 for a family of 9, (4 teenagers)
August 16th, 2010 at 9:44 am
I NEED HELP PLEASE!! I have a family of five and I spend about $300 a week on groceries and I buy organic. I liked some of the tips in this post and would love more. We used to have the room in our family budget to spend like that but these days our income is very different!!
August 16th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
@Shane ~ While I understand the craze for organic products, and dislike bursting anyone’s bubble, I do think there comes a time when one needs to adjust buying habits due to economic restraints. A friend of mine who definitely prefers organic has decided to buy organic mostly for fresh produce that she absolutely knows is organic, but buy shelf and other items that are still nutritious, although non-organic. I have to tell you that I do not buy organic, never have, and that I’m still extremely healthy in my mid-70s, and that all three of my sons are healthy. My mother and grandmother always said it was good to eat a peck of dirt in one’s lifetime, and I’m sure I’m well over that limit. I rarely get colds, can’t remember the last time I had the flu, and had my first case of pink eye ever just this year, despite more than 32 years in a classroom. Sometimes common sense needs to prevail. Try writing down the basic food items you serve your family, then tweak it a bit to swap out shelf items for organic products.
August 16th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
@EllieD- I agree with you 100%
August 16th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
@EllieD–I think you’re right, to some extent, about adjusting one’s buying habits due to economic restraints. I also think you’ve been very blessed to be that healthy while doubtless ingesting a certain amount of pesticides and chemicals from non-organic food and produce. I do think that some people’s bodies can take more of an onslaught than others, and some people will get sick eating a little, while others can ingest a lot without becoming ill from it, or at least, it takes many more years for the effects to be noticed. Also, I believe one’s environment plays a large role in health.
Although I myself spend more than I would like on food, I also happen to live right smack in the middle of the one of the most expensive cities in North America. My advice to Shane would be to cut corners where she can, including obtaining the “dirty dozen” and “clean 15″ lists, so she can buy some non-organic produce to save, and also try to eliminate packaged food which costs quite a bit. We don’t buy paper towels anymore, and that saves a little. I also don’t buy cleaning products and use hydrogen peroxide, white vinegar, baking soda, and tea tree oil for almost all of my cleaning. This has saved us quite a bit of money. Most of my grocery purchases are whole foods such as cheese, milk, eggs, butter, meat, and produce. Making yogurt saves money, since you can make a whole gallon of yogurt for the price of a gallon of milk. Making as many things from scratch as possible saves too, if one has the time.
August 16th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
We spend about $800 a month for a family of 5 and I try to shop at several stores. I definitely need to find a cheaper solution to eating organic.
August 16th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
@Jana~ I too live in a large city… L.A., in the San Fernando Valley. I also lived in Kansas City, MO and Omaha, NE, so I’m big city born and bred. I think we agree on more things than have differences. I have long used white vinegar and lemons for cleaning, peroxide for cuts and scrapes, baking soda for a variety of things. Now that I can no longer do many of the heavy duty household chores, I have a woman come in once a month to help me, and have tried to teach her how to stop using the store-bought chemical-laden stuff.
I’ve always been a home cook, and have even taken cooking to a new level by trying more creative dishes, etc., and find it therapeutic. Cooking meals from scratch is definitely the way to go. I learned how to make a feast from the cheapest cuts of meat, and make everything stretch. Three boys can eat enough to feed an army!
August 16th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
I spend $$350-$400 per month on groceries. This includes hygiene, diapers and cleaning products. I’m trying to go more organic and more green, but need more tips, so thank you for this post!
August 16th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Now that I am getting better at couponing, we spend about $350 a month on food for four including a nursing mom and household cleaning supplies, etc., but I am not as strictly organic as I used to be. I would like to keep our cost down, but continue buying organic and healthy foods.
August 17th, 2010 at 7:46 am
[...] a copy of the eBook “Real Food on a Real Budget,” by Stephanie Langford. The book is devoted to eating organic on a budget. Click on the eating organic on a budget link and leave a comment with how much you spend on [...]
August 17th, 2010 at 9:58 am
We usually spend about $600 on groceries for our family of four. I would love to find more ways to save on our daily necessities.
August 17th, 2010 at 10:34 am
We spend about $250 for a family of three but really the only thing I must buy organic is yogurt and milk.
August 17th, 2010 at 11:05 am
We spend about 500 including restaurants. That’s for three of us. I would love to learn how to keep within that budget or even lower it a bit, and be able to include more organic foods.
August 17th, 2010 at 11:15 am
For those who are not locked into buying only organic, I recommend store label rather than name brand products. If you read the labels, you’ll find that most are identical. I buy things like canned diced tomatoes with no salt added to use for pasta sauces, etc., and can usually find other no-salt added products as well. I keep in mind the fat and sodium contents for all items, as those tend to be the most negative factors in a healthy diet. Frozen veggies, such as corn and mixed veggies, can also be found with no salt added. Try to let common sense be your guide. I firmly recommend natural cleaning items, such as vinegar, etc., as they’re cheaper and non-toxic.
August 17th, 2010 at 11:26 am
@EllieD, I think we do agree on a lot!
I like the Whole Foods in-store organic brand, it is dollars cheaper than other brands. The only problem I have is with canned goods. Most, if not all–except for Eden Organic brand–canned goods are contaminated with BPA. This is cause for concern. This is why I don’t often buy canned tomatoes at all, since Eden brand is quite expensive. I guess the best way is to can your own, in glass jars.
As far as fat content, what you want are the healthy fats, such as butter, pastured animal fats, and coconut oil. Our health has improved so much since beginning to include these fats in our diet (years ago now) on a regular basis, although my family has always used real butter. I make sure we eat only organic, cultured butter, since I have heard that pesticides are very concentrated in non-organic, non-pastured butter. Some people say, if you do nothing else organic, at least do organic butter.
Sodium I don’t worry about anymore since we don’t eat much packaged food, and at home we use only Celtic grey sea salt, which is very nourishing and extremely good for you.
August 17th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
I buy mostly organic and have a garden, and spend around 150/month for just me! Unfortunately I will also spend around 50/month eating out as well. I would love to learn how to budget more for food and just started clipping more coupons to reduce my bills. This book sounds awesome!
August 17th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
My husband and I spend about $450.00 dollars a month on food. I buy organic carrots, but not much more than that in the way of organic produce. I would like to be more conscious of choosing organic, but sometimes price rules. I have purchased organic ketchup, as it is high fructose corn syrup free. Thanks for the butter tip, Jana!
August 17th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
I live at home = not the main person paying for groceries right now… but back when I was living by myself in Salt Lake City, my grocery budget was 100/month.
August 17th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
I am a single woman with no children and I spend $200 a month on groceries
August 17th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
I have a family of three and we spend around 250 a month.
August 17th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
We spend approximately $250 each month, for two adults. We really try to eat organic as much as possible (Cancer Treatment Center recommended this & we’ve tried to hold to it!). We shop at Kings Soopers, Vitamin Cottage/Natural Grocers, Wal Mart and the farmer’s vegetable stands. This year we are buying at the family farm produce stands and dehydrating the veggies & then vacuum sealing them…really hoping this helps cut the budget!
August 18th, 2010 at 7:19 am
Hi,
Usually the summer months are more expensive because I buy so many fruits,
but according to my monthly spreadsheet I average between 300-400 a month between my husband and I. We rarely eat out, so I cook almost every meal. I try to keep our health in tact by cooking as healthy as I know how to. And since my husband and I don’t eat beef or pork, we spend a lot on chicken, salmon and shrimp.
August 18th, 2010 at 8:51 am
~$550/month for a family of three. We rarely eat out (trying to budget and stay healthy) now with our family’s income with the economy and career changes. I just read through the nourished gourmet, nourished kitchen, and amazon natural and organic sites and think those will be more inspiring and helpful, so thank you for the resources. I use coupons on anything I can for the household (and never at a restaurant without one!), in order to save money to buy organic groceries. Would LOVE to have the book for more good ideas!
August 18th, 2010 at 11:13 am
I would love a copy of this book, since eating natural and organic food is very important to my family. It’s my husband and myself at home, but my two grandchildren (aged 8 and 6) often eat with us, since we babysit about 5 days a week. We spend about $300 a month on food. I check the weekly specials at local supermarkets, go to the local Farmers Market, and use coupons.
August 19th, 2010 at 7:20 am
[...] of a contest to win the eBook “Real Food on a Real Budget.” The majority struggle with the cost of organic food, which is certainly a big reason why I have not fully embraced [...]
August 23rd, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Just be a little careful when it comes to Organic®. It’s one of the most brilliantly conceived marketing promotions of all time, and has suckered a lot of people into believing that anything other than Organic® is practically poisonous. We all want good, safe and nutritious food, free from harmful chemicals and pesticides; the Organic® movement is more about making you want it even more, and less about the actual products. It’s a brilliant way to often (not always) sell subpar products at a very steep markup under the guise of good health and nutrition. Just do your research.
August 24th, 2010 at 8:17 am
[...] I am eating organic. Cost has kept me away from organic in the past, even though I believe pesticide-free food is [...]
August 24th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
so what about tips for saving money and not having to feed five people, and having to feed one or two… i dont exactly have the room to store 25+ pounds of meat, much less 100 or more. and i cant buy produce once every two weeks because it would go bad by the time i could eat it all..
August 24th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
I came across this topic on another site and didn’t quite get it, but your post helped me understand it better. Appreciate it!
Guitar For Beginners
August 26th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
@Shannon ~ After I lost my husband a few years ago (my 3 sons are grown and gone), I had to adjust to cooking for one. I do enjoy cooking, so I’m lucky there. When I buy produce, especially veggies, I use what I can right away. When I see that they’re beginning to “age” too much, I use them for making soups, stews, pasta additions, etc… things that can be put into freezer containers in serving size portions, then defrosted and reheated for quick and easy “fresh leftovers.” If you’d like more ideas, give your email address to Julia, and I’ll contact you.