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Farm Kitchen:  Buying Gourment for less...  |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
 Posted - May 21 2008 : 5:25:36 PM
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Is it possible?? The problem is I like artisan bread, goat cheese, yummy little things in jars like olive, artichokes, sweet peppers, interesting flavors of hams or like we talked about, salamis and such but the $$$$ are killing me. I don't really buy just white bread or regular cheese, other than American for Charlie's grilled cheese. Is there anyway a gourment girl can survive?? My store does not carry a lot of fancy things and we only have 2 grocery stores to choose from, one of which is Albertson's, which I really don't like. I haven't been to Costco in awhile- do they still have their fancy fixin's???? 
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
FARMGIRL #90 |
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nashbabe
True Blue Farmgirl
687 Posts
687 Posts |
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kindacrunchymom
True Blue Farmgirl
94 Posts
Diane
In the thumb
Michigan
94 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2008 : 6:19:58 PM
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Lol, this is us too!! We don't have anything like that at our local stores, I have to go a ways for it.
I try to keep myself to one or two splurges a week. We bake a lot of our own bread, and I do a lot of cooking to make up for the lack of other flavors.
And, on bad days, I grump about it.
Farmmom to my 3 year old farm tot, and wife to a country boy!
To learn more about me, here is my blog:
http://mcadmom.wordpress.com/
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2008 : 6:25:47 PM
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Costco still carries lots of fancy stuff. You could learn to bake the specialty breads which would help, and also the flavored hams. Good luck!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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tziporra
True Blue Farmgirl
234 Posts
Robin
Seattle
WA
USA
234 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2008 : 9:32:47 PM
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Two words:
FROM SCRATCH
I've found the only way to adjust for my champagne tastes is to make everything I possibly can from scratch. It's the only was to put enough wiggle room in the budget so I can afford my $8/gallon milk. So (almost) nothing comes into my house in a box. No cereal, no bread, no mixes, no frosting, no tortillas, no spice mixtures, no chips or snack foods.
I do buy dried pasta (a good italian brand is superior to fresh in my opinion) and phyllo dough (but I make the croissants). And I go back and forth on condiments such as ketchup and mayonaisse -- sometimes I make my own, other times I buy.
In addition, I can a lot of produce and make my own jams. This leaves me money left over for my gourmet sausages and cheeses, my ridiculous milk habit, real cream with no additives, excellent butter, fresh line caught fish, etc. But I end up pickling my own jars of fancy fixings :) The Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook has the GREATEST relish section.
Best,
Robin |
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nouveau_farmchick
True Blue Farmgirl
173 Posts
Paris
Sequim
Wa
USA
173 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2008 : 05:17:03 AM
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I agree with Robin,
make your fancy fixins from scratch! They will be so much better.
Farmgirl
sisterhood #167 |
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JudyBlueEyes
True Blue Farmgirl
657 Posts
Judith
Spokane
Washington
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2008 : 09:23:40 AM
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Heather,
Try a restaurant supply store. You are close enough to San Antonio that you should be able to find something there, and then make a couple of trips a year to stock up...the canned or jarred gourmet items keep. I looked at Smart & Final, but they are only in the West. As well, we have Grocery Outlet, but they are not in TX either. But google "damaged goods" stores or restaurant supply stores, there has to be something in San Antonio. Grocery Outlet is damaged goods, but they are perfectly fine and they have lots of gourmet items that you speak of. Also, after Christmas, my Safeway always has the delicacies that didn't sell during the holidays at rock bottom prices. My Grocery Outlet will sometimes have goat cheese in a 4# bag and I buy it and parcel it up and freeze it - do the same with feta cheese. Up here in Spokane we don't have Smart & Final, but another store that I can never remember the name of that has the same stuff. And I get some fancy things there for cheap. At the restaurant supply you can get a gallon of black olives for like $7-8 and then you could flavor them yourself but you'd have to have another fridge to store the specials in. I think they would last a long while if you sealed them with olive oil. I am but one person and I used a gallon jar of olives...granted, they were in my fridge for a long time, but they really don't go bad...Good luck on your quest, and be sure to check out San Antonio. You must travel there for some reason sometimes, no? Now I'm hungry! Judy
We come from the earth, we go back to the earth, and in between, we garden! |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2008 : 09:28:20 AM
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Thanks for all the suggestions. Yes, I about 20 miles from San Antonio. I will give it a try next week. I am sure there are some things in Austin as well. I will give all of ya'll ideas a go. Thanks!!
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
FARMGIRL #90 |
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tziporra
True Blue Farmgirl
234 Posts
Robin
Seattle
WA
USA
234 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2008 : 09:30:24 AM
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Judy,
Spokane has Cash n'Carry too!!!! Maybe San Antonio? Oh, and Trader Joes has some bargains, but you kind of have to want what they are selling in any particular week. I can never count on them to have my Israeli Sheep Feta, for instance, although sometimes I find it there for half the price of Albertson's.
Best,
Robin |
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2008 : 8:04:29 PM
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check out bulk olive bars in grocery stores too...
I carry the Israeli sheep feta in my department, and sometimes we are able to put the whole thing on sale, in any case it is cheaper than packaged |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2008 : 08:53:25 AM
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I always hit Homegoods and Tuesday Morning for my high end cravings. Oftentimes, these things are even on clearance and have a perfectly good use date several years from when you purchase them. I buy pasta and pasta sauces, salsas or marinades, really good olive oil and balsamic vinegars that way, and English jams and high quality maple syrup. But, with cheeses, I splurge...so shoot me :)
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
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Farm Kitchen: Buying Gourment for less... |
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Buying Gourment for less...
