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| Gardening is my favorite thing to do! This is a great site with lots of herbal information http://mountainroseblog.com/category/info/ How to grow herbs in a small space http://www.howtoinstructions.org/how-to-make-diy-vertical-garden-design-step-by-step-tutorial-instructions/ |
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Garden for Good Health
How to Buy Food on a Shoestring Budget
Food is one of the most important investments you can make for the future health of you and your family.
Anyone can eat well, it takes creativity and commitment.
1) I like to go to better quality grocery stores first of the month. They usually carry more organic choices. I check out what is on sale and what is marked down in the vegetable bin. They are especially good after the holidays, lots of mark downs then. I always find either duck breast, lamb or sometimes even Atlantic salmon half off. They seem to be meat that aren't appreciated as they should be. They are the safer choices compared to many other options and that way we get variety.
2) I go to pick your own sources once a month when in season. This is what I call my investment. I sacrifice $100 of my food budget and pick that in blueberries one month, strawberries the next and apples (it lasts us through winter when there is a shortage of organic choices) We got to an apple store and get seconds, $10 for a bushel of macintosh, they only have slight bruising. I immediately bring home, dice with skin on (to use as the sweetener in a dessert base) and slice and spice up some for pies
3)Gardening! Yes it costs on the onset, but it is an investment that keeps on giving. You can cut costs getting to know farmers who sell manures cheap and buy direct. Buy heirloom seeds and allow some of your plants to go to seed for next year. Don't forget to plant french marigolds everywhere in your garden. It deters pests and deer. Believe me it works! I have had my garden three years and bunnies skirt around it but never go in my lettuce patch and I live in the forest!
4) Learn the art of canning and dehydrating to preserve your food.
5) Find a farmer that grows grass fed animals. I prefer to buy 10lbs of good hamburg to store bought steak any day because I know what I'm getting. Liver is always cheap and round steak makes great stir fry's. If you can, go in with a friend who lives in the country on some chickens. The best tasting are the ones that roam free and find their own food in the barnyard.
6) Buy organic foods such as potatoes and garlic to plant in your own garden.
7) Herbs, can't say enough about them. They are one of the healthiest things you can grow and a herb garden can be grown in containers in the smallest of areas.
8) Dry goods from the bulk store, the more you go the more creative options you find to try out. I buy stores of dry beans and rice as well as healthy grain options for home made bread. Their herbs and spices are fresh, not sitting on a shelf for who knows how long.
9) Dollar store, great place to find large storage jars and spice jars.
Anyone can eat well, it takes creativity and commitment.
1) I like to go to better quality grocery stores first of the month. They usually carry more organic choices. I check out what is on sale and what is marked down in the vegetable bin. They are especially good after the holidays, lots of mark downs then. I always find either duck breast, lamb or sometimes even Atlantic salmon half off. They seem to be meat that aren't appreciated as they should be. They are the safer choices compared to many other options and that way we get variety.
2) I go to pick your own sources once a month when in season. This is what I call my investment. I sacrifice $100 of my food budget and pick that in blueberries one month, strawberries the next and apples (it lasts us through winter when there is a shortage of organic choices) We got to an apple store and get seconds, $10 for a bushel of macintosh, they only have slight bruising. I immediately bring home, dice with skin on (to use as the sweetener in a dessert base) and slice and spice up some for pies
3)Gardening! Yes it costs on the onset, but it is an investment that keeps on giving. You can cut costs getting to know farmers who sell manures cheap and buy direct. Buy heirloom seeds and allow some of your plants to go to seed for next year. Don't forget to plant french marigolds everywhere in your garden. It deters pests and deer. Believe me it works! I have had my garden three years and bunnies skirt around it but never go in my lettuce patch and I live in the forest!
4) Learn the art of canning and dehydrating to preserve your food.
5) Find a farmer that grows grass fed animals. I prefer to buy 10lbs of good hamburg to store bought steak any day because I know what I'm getting. Liver is always cheap and round steak makes great stir fry's. If you can, go in with a friend who lives in the country on some chickens. The best tasting are the ones that roam free and find their own food in the barnyard.
6) Buy organic foods such as potatoes and garlic to plant in your own garden.
7) Herbs, can't say enough about them. They are one of the healthiest things you can grow and a herb garden can be grown in containers in the smallest of areas.
8) Dry goods from the bulk store, the more you go the more creative options you find to try out. I buy stores of dry beans and rice as well as healthy grain options for home made bread. Their herbs and spices are fresh, not sitting on a shelf for who knows how long.
9) Dollar store, great place to find large storage jars and spice jars.
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