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Do I Still Buy Organic Food?

March 15, 2023 by Laura 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Several have asked, so here’s the answer to: Do I still buy organic food?

Does it help answer the immediate question if I first admit that every time I go to Costco I buy a bag of frozen nuggets and a few boxes of frozen pizza?

I spy corn dogs in this Sam’s cart:

But also organic greens in this one:

Organic frozen veggies here:

A mix of organic and non-organic fruit here:

Do I Still Buy Organic Food?

In summary, sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. Here is some explanation behind my food purchasing decisions:

1. I need to keep to our $1,200/month grocery budget.

With 10 people to feed three meals every day and a rise in grocery prices, we considered increasing our grocery budget to $1,500/month. This would still only be $5/day/person which is very reasonable. But we’re hoping to maintain our budget as it is at $1,200/month, which is $4/person/day.

This decision was made because I knew it was possible. I CAN creatively and carefully keep our budget at this number. And I wanted to challenge myself to do it. So far, so good.

2. I decided to stop overthinking.

This has been tough because I KNOW that organic, grass-fed beef is much, much better than other beef. I know that free-range chicken is better. I know that organic produce is better.

And I also know that all of those cost much more. (Wait, not all. But most.)

If I think too hard about any of this, I feel guilty that I’m not spending time finding allllll the best sources for meat and produce, and that I’m not spending any amount of extra money that it takes to eat the best of the best.

Y’all, I’d be spending $2,500/month if I bought everything organic, grass-fed, and free-range.

Instead, I watch for sales on meat at regular grocery stores and we buy it, cook it, and eat it. I buy some organic produce when the price is right, and I watch for sales on the “regular” produce and eat it without guilt.

IT IS STILL MEAT. It is still fruit and vegetables. It is still real food. It still nourishes us. I have to be at peace with this and God is faithful to provide that peace.

3. My days are very full and my priorities have shifted.

I work to put real food on the table that is wholesome and nourishing. But with this many little ones to care for right now (currently seven kids ages newborn to 9), we also have to compromise sometimes with boxed mac and cheese – the kind in a blue box. We eat fruits and vegetables with every meal, even if it’s frozen pizza. And most of our meals still look like what you see below because I’ve learned to make very simple dishes that don’t take long to prepare.

What do I still buy organic?

  • Fresh spinach and greens – because it’s actually the same price or cheaper than regular
  • Any produce I find that is only slightly more expensive than regular
  • Milk from a farm because we have a good source that we’ve been using for years
  • Eggs from our neighbor
  • Meat only if I find a good price – which happens very rarely – so this barely makes the list

Otherwise, I focus on feeding us:

  • Real food as much as possible – meat, veggies, fruit, bread, milk, cheese, butter, peanut butter
  • Healthy fats – continuing to avoid hydrogenated oils and shortenings
  • Fruits and veggies at every meal
  • Low-sugar homemade baked goods

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You can see some examples of meals we eat here, here, and here.

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What are your current thoughts on eating organic foods?

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Groceries I Order From Azure Standard

February 12, 2020 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Curious about what groceries I regularly order from Azure Standard? Today I’ll share what’s often on my list!

Real Food Groceries I Buy From Azure Standard

First, let’s review.

Here’s a post to share what Azure Standard is and why I shop with them regularly. (Spoiler: They’re a food co-op that delivers even to small towns all over the U.S. Their prices on whole foods are fantastic!! More details here.)

Real Food Groceries I Buy from Azure Standard

  • 5-Pound Bags of Frozen Organic Peas, Green Beans, and Corn

We usually go through two bags each of frozen green beans and peas each month and one bag of corn. These are fabulous to have on hand!

  • 5-Pound Bag of Dry Roast, Unsalted Peanuts

I buy one of these each month to make several jars of Creamy Peanut Butter for my family.

  • 10-Inch Tortillas

Yes, I used to make them. But during this season in our lives, I am so grateful to have ready-made tortillas in our freezer! I buy them by the case and use them for Meat and Cheese Burritos, Breakfast Burritos, and Quesadillas. My favorite brand if tortillas from Azure is Stacey’s.

  • Hard and Soft White Wheat

I grind our wheat fresh in my Nutrimill, so I like to buy 25 pounds of hard white wheat and soft white wheat every month or two from Azure so I can always make whole wheat flour as needed. Read more about grinding wheat and which flour works best in various recipes here.

  • Oats

It’s so nice to buy a 25-pound bag of rolled oats to have for Homemade Instant Oatmeal, Breakfast Bars, Granola, and Cookies! I keep the oats in our extra freezers to pull out as needed. (Here’s a list of other great food I make with oats!)

  • Brown Rice

Just like oats and wheat, I like to buy 25-pound sacks of rice (if I still have room in my freezer!).

  • Active Dry Yeast

It’s awesome to buy a 5-pound bag of yeast to keep in the freezer and use it for baking as needed!

  • Fresh Produce

Some of their organic fresh produce is too pricey for my budget. But I find that most of the time their yellow potatoes, varieties of apples, peaches, and pears are usually super reasonably priced! And depending on the season, other produce options are a great price too!

  • Sale Items

Azure runs monthly discounts so I always scroll through them to see what is marked down 20% or or more and take advantage if I feel it will benefit my family!

I used to always buy butter and cheese from Azure Standard also, but the prices on those have gone up so now I just get those at a regular grocery store.

How Azure Standard works:

  1. Become a member. (It is completely free.)
  2. Join a local drop point (or start one).
  3. Order online each month according to your needs. (There is no obligation to order if you don’t need or want anything. Just shop any or all months of the year as needed.)
  4. The drop coordinator for your group will be informed of the truck delivery time each month. He/she will send information to let you know when/where to meet.
  5. Meet at the designated pick-up time and location to help unload the truck and take home your order! This unloading and sorting process usually only takes 15 minutes.

Are you a regular Azure Standard customer? What do you like to buy?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

I’m Trying Out Brandless Groceries. Here’s $6 So You Can Try Too!

October 23, 2018 by Laura 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Have you heard of Brandless? It’s new to me, but I finally tried it today and wanted to share my experience so far!

First, let me say that I saw that they offer a 10-ounce jar of Organic Coconut Oil for $3. That was the first to go into my cart. Obviously.

Then, I saw that everything they offer is only $3. Okay then.

Next, I realized that if I ordered $39 worth of groceries, I would get free shipping. Perfect.

Certainly, I had a blast filling my cart with 13 items which scored me free shipping! Beautiful.

Then at check out, they gave me a code to get a free bottle of hand soap. Bonus.

Last but not least, I received a link to share with you so that YOU can get automatic free $6 credit on YOUR first order of $39! Amazing.

I ordered a big variety of ingredients, snacks to take to soccer and basketball games, and did I mention $3 coconut oil? I can’t believe all I got for $39!

My first box of Brandless items should be here in just a few days. I’ll be sure to come back and share my impression of the products. BUT, the fine print tells me (if I understood it correctly) that only the first 25 of you who make your purchase through this link will receive the $6 credit on your first $39 order. So I’d hurry over and grab credit today while it’s available!

I am very impressed with the prices Brandless is offering. That’s why I decided to give it a try. Almost all of the products are organic, and it is my understanding that the quality is top notch. For now, I’ll wait patiently for my first Brandless box to arrive on my porch. (Free shipping rocks!)

Go get your $6 to try Brandless!

The link I’m sharing is my referral link. You get $6 credit. I get $6 credit. Then you can get a referral link too so you can earn grocery credit!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

My April Subscribe and Save Order Came!

April 18, 2014 by Laura 6 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Is there anything more fun than the UPS man bringing big boxes of food to the door? Yes, probably. But cases of groceries on my porch make my day. Wanna see part of what we got this month in our Amazon subscribe and save order?

subscribe and save april 1

This time around, I got several different “grab-and-go” snacks to take with us to the soccer field. And yes, I even got a case of Annie’s mac and cheese. We love my homemade Creamy Mac and Cheese, but sometimes it’s nice to have the boxed stuff on hand for the boys to make when Matt and I aren’t around. I got it for super cheap, and the boys were really excited to find it in our boxes!

Are you wondering why I got a case of black tea? (800 tea bags, baby!)  I’m going to get a batch of kombucha started, and have big plans to keep it going throughout the summer for a healthy, refreshing drink. I also ordered a scoby so I am all set! If you have no idea what I’m talking about (kombucha, scoby, what’s that?!) – never fear. I’ll take pictures and share more about it once I figure out what I’m doing. :)

subscribe and save april 2

I think we’re set on olives for a while. I couldn’t pass up the huge discount, plus I really like this brand. Opening a can of olives to help stretch a meal is always great!

subscribe and save april 3

I’m almost out of my home-canned tomato sauce, so I took advantage of the coupon offer at Amazon and bought a case of Natural Value brand to hold me over. It was a super deal! That rice was also an incredible price, and I figured it would be a fun change of pace.

I also ordered a few other items like toilet paper, which I didn’t figure needed to be featured with a picture. It’s toilet paper. What more do you need to know? But yay for a discount and for having a case of tp on hand, which was lovingly delivered to my door by my dear UPS man.

I took advantage of many of the coupon offers to go along with the 20% discount I got from Amazon Prime/Mom.

Want to learn more about using Amazon Prime and Subscribe and Save to get the greatest Amazon discounts? Read this post for more information. Also, always check in with our Amazon Deals page which I try to keep updated with the latest awesome deals at Amazon. Some of the items I talked about are still being offered at a great discount. Details here.

Did you (or will you) receive an Amazon Subscribe and Save order this month? What did you get?  (It’s so much fun to talk about food…)

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Stock Up On Whole Food Staples – Here’s a Free $10!

April 15, 2014 by Laura 3 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

It is so much fun to throw all of you a ten dollar bill. :)

iHerb is an online store that carries all kinds of whole food groceries. Shipping is always free for orders over $20. The best news: If you’re a brand new customer, that means you get $10 off your first order of $40!

Here’s a sample $40 order that you can get for just $30 (with free shipping!):

  • 2 pounds Organic Rolled Oats $5.83
  • 24 ounces Rapunzel Organic Sucanat $5.28
  • 2 pounds Organic Long Grain Rice $4.66
  • 7.1 ounces Organic Cocoa Powder $7.48
  • 27 ounces Bob’s Red Mill Popcorn  $3.70
  • 8 ounces Organic Corn Starch  $3.35
  • 1 pound Delallo Organic Whole Wheat Pasta $3.02
  • 1 pound aluminum free Organic Baking Powder  $4.66
  • 1 pound aluminum free Organic Baking Soda  $3.31

Grand total for this cart full of real food is $41.29. If you are a new customer, you can use my referral code: BID487 to receive $10 off your $40+ order. That means you get all that food I mentioned – or whatever you choose to put into your cart, for just a little over $30! Shipping is free.

Doesn’t that list look like fun? Think of all you can make! iHerb also carries a lot of gluten free products. Oh, and be sure to check out the pages of super cheap trial products you can add to your cart just for fun!

Enjoy your free $10!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

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