Shopping For Food Frugally

I am shopping for potatoes today!

Frugal shopping takes planning, as I told in my previous post, Making A Plan For Frugal Shopping. Walking into my local grocery store, Mainesource in Binghamton, NY, with my well planned list should result in a good supply of food for my family. Now if you shop in the discount grocery stores, you will get bargains. Bargain food in those stores though, is usually not quality grade food. It is good and safe, but most times the meat is greasy and the produce has seen better days. Not so at Mainesource, which is where I do most of my shopping.

Plenty of choices for potatoes or onions here!

Upon entering the store, the first thing we encounter is the fresh produce. My plan included potatoes and onions, as we eat a lot of them and are always running out. Have you ever bought those five and ten pound bags of potatoes and get them home to find they are spongy, full of sprouted eyes and some are really dirty? Many times the other stores put them on sale to move them out of the store. At Mainesource, the potatoes are always fresh, clean and almost perfect.

Top quality food for restaurants is good for consumers too!

After paying more money for those small bags of potatoes, I was pleased to see the prices on these bags. We bought one 50 pound bag of potatoes for $13.49. Potatoes is a good food to serve your family as it helps you to fill up those with big appetites. There are so many ways to serve them and usually everyone likes them. I like to find recipes for old favorites and add some variety to our menu.

Good sized, fresh potatoes!

The next time you go to the store you make your big purchases for something else. After all, you shouldn't need more potatoes. If you find you do, because you used them all up, then you should buy two bags instead of one. By knowing your family's eating habits you will know whether they will go through something quickly. Sometimes it maybe that having something new in bulk makes them eat more of it. After a period that may wear off. Then they'll be saying they are tired of it, unless you fix it in different ways.

Home fries in the making!

I like serving potatoes for breakfast as home fries or hash browns with eggs and toast. Makes your family members starting the day out with a full stomach. There are many recipes for potatoes online, you can make so many dishes with them. Here is one from my friend, Paula, Fanned Potatoes. That is a recipe I will be making soon, as I know Paula is a fantastic cook! Here are some of my own:

   Steamed Potatoes

Wash clean a dozen well-grown new potatoes, steam
until a fork will pierce, dry in heat five minutes, then peel, and throw
into a skillet, with a heaping tablespoonful of butter, well-rolled in
flour, half a pint of rich milk, ten drops onion juice, salt and pepper
to taste, and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley. The sauce must be
bubbling when the potatoes are put in. Toss them in it for five minutes,
put in deep dish and pour the gravy over. Serve very hot.

Easy Shepherds Pie

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Cream of Mushroom Soup, or whatever you have
1 tbsp. ketchup
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
Mashed potatoes to cover the top.

Cook beef and onion in 10" skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring to break up meat. Pour off fat. Stir soup, ketchup, black pepper and peas and carrots into skillet. Spoon beef mixture in 9" pie plate. Spoon potatoes over beef mixture. Bake at 400°F. for 15 min. or until potatoes are lightly browned.

Parmesan Corn Chowder

2 cups water
2 cups diced peeled potatoes
1 cup sliced or diced peeled carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups milk
1 can (14 3/4 oz.) cream style corn
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, combine the first five ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender (do not drain).

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir into the vegetable mixture. Add corn and Parmesan cheese. Cook 10 minutes longer or until heated through. Yield: 7 servings

Parmesan Potato Casserole

2 cups mashed potatoes
8 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs; set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, combine mashed potatoes, cream cheese, eggs, onion, and flour. Beat with a mixer on low speed until blended. Beat at high speed until mixture is light and fluffy. Add salt and pepper. Pour potato mixture into a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumb/Parmesan cheese mixture. Bake for 35 minutes

Potato Deutsch's

7 potatoes
6 slices dry bread
2 cups milk
2 eggs
salt and pepper

Grate potatoes, rinse in cold water, press dry. Soak 6 bread slices in milk, then beat in 2 eggs, salt and pepper, to taste.  Stir in the potatoes. Pour into a greased dish, top with sour cream, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

 Latkes


Potato pancakes are really tasty!

2 cups grated peeled raw potatoes, well drained (about 2 large)
1 beaten egg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 - 4 Tbsp. flour (just enough to make a thick batter)

Drop by spoonfuls (spread with spoon to 3/8" thick) on a well greased griddle or heavy frying pan containing hot oil. Brown on each side. Drain on paper towels and newspaper before serving. Great with applesauce!

A pleasant buying experience at Mainesource!

I am trying to buy most of our food in bulk these days. The reason is that you get more food for less money. Once you get started doing this, you will really see the savings over time. You will be paying less money per pound. So for me it is worth the drive 32 miles away to buy the food. Buying not only potatoes, but other produce, meat, dairy products, canned goods, condiments and pasta this way, will really stretch that food budget in these tough times.

$13.49 for 50 lbs.

By the way, According to the FTC Blogging Disclosure, I have to let you know that Mainesource did contact me about writing a post about how to save money by shopping in bulk. That was after I had posted about their store in several past posts, since it is my regular store. In no way did they influence me on what I wrote!

If you already shop in bulk, put a comment in telling your tips for buying, storing and using your bulk food. I'd love to hear from you and may use it in a future post on this blog.

FTC Blogging Disclosure

Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole

Flooding In Upstate New York

 The Susquehanna at a nicer time!

Self-reliance is never more apparent to me than when natural disasters happen. In my area, of upstate New York, this month, we had tropical storm, Lee hit. With the relentless downpour of rain, the rivers were quickly at flood levels and beyond.  The areas anywhere near the Susquehanna River and Chenango River, and all the creeks, flooded beyond anything I have ever seen in my lifetime around here.

Third Avenue in Twin Orchards

Many people have lost their homes. Or they have to rebuild their homes. Many are tearing out the walls, and trying to repair damage that is not covered by their insurance, because they were not in a flood zone. One area of Vestal, NY, Twin Orchards, is an area I lived in many years ago. The house we lived in has appeared in pictures completely surrounded by water. Makes me sad to to see that, as it was a wonderful house. All the houses on the same street and surrounding area, were so bad that it was days before the residents were even allowed to go back to see their homes. To see if they even had homes! So heartbreaking!

 I read in the paper how one young couple in that area had just finished renovating their kitchen. You know how excited you are when you do something like that? They had no flood insurance due to the fact that in 2006, there was major flooding here too. But they said it wouldn't happen again for 100 years. Something to do with the hundred year flood plan. So some people didn't feel they needed it immediately. Hurricane Irene didn't do this much damage when it came through our area.
 

The Chenango River

Now people are trying to clean up. The mold is very dangerous. Various clinics are offering free Tetanus shots for anyone working in these areas. It can be deadly, and especially for anyone with lung problems. One of the reasons this is so bad is that everything flooded. Fuel tanks, hazardous materials that were stored in houses, garages, vehicles, businesses, and sewage, and all that has gone into the flood water. It stinks! And it makes many people sick to smell it. Many people from other areas have come to help residents. They can't do this alone. Many are elderly, many are young couples who don't know how to do this themselves. And what about the children? Their schools were flooded too.

Most of the residents who had flooding have lost most of what was in their basements. Which is, of course, their furnace, washers and dryers, and whatever they had stored down there. Then people who had worst flooding lost everything on the first floor also. Some people were lucky enough to move some of their stuff to the top floor if they lived in a two story house.

 Home Depot was completely flooded!

Not only are homes effected by this flood, but businesses also. Some have decided not to rebuild and are leaving the area. Taking with them the jobs that are needed so desperately at this time by many triple cities residents. Some of these were in business for over thirty years or more. They have had enough!


According to WBNG-TV, "Miller Farms in Windsor is just one of the many farms devastated by flooding in Broome County. " They had 65 acres of their corn crop destroyed and their insurance will pay for only half of that amount. That is what they feed their livestock with. Mr. Miller had to buy $75,000 worth of corn feed to replace it. Also the fourth cutting of hay was lost due to the water standing in the fields. So this will effect not only the cows' feed, but our food also.

To read more go to: Flooding Ruins Crop For Farms.

Binghamton, NY

So I have been busy getting together a box of clothing to take to one of the donation points. Most of these people have lost everything. Owego, NY has been devastated as well. It is struggling to get back to normal. Normal? I don't think it will ever be normal again.

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole