My partner and I set aside time on the weekend to pick a menu and go through a shopping list. We check through ingredients we have in the pantry or freezer, before we head off. Our pantry is getting quite well stocked with herbs and spices since we started this, so we usually don't have to buy everything on the list. We also double check any other staples we need to stock up on (ie bread and milk) before we hit the road.
Our first stop is our local green grocer, Geelong Fresh Foods. We prefer to buy as much as possible there, as it helps to support our local economy, and the food tends to be fresher there as it hasn't gone to a central warehouse before going to a store, as per the big two. We have found that it is fairly good value for money compared to the big chain supermarkets, and they have a range of specialty deli items that you don't always find in the larger stores. There are some items there that are only available as an Organic product, and are a little pricey, so we may pick that item up somewhere else.
If we require meat, we stop at a butcher on Pako Street, Heritage Meats. My partner used to work on Pako Street, so he knows some of the guys there, and it is a great place to pick up a snag on the weekend. Gourmet snags in bread, for a gold coin donation, and all money supports a local charity. Usually by the time we get there our son is hungry, and we find it hard to resist the smell of a fresh handmade sausage, so we buy three!
We then usually go to Aldi, to pick up we haven't already found elsewhere, and then if we need to, go to one of the big supermarkets.
For some specialty items, we will go to a fishmonger, or a Asian supermarket.
It may seem like a lot of running around, but we know we have meals set for the next week, are conscientiously spending our dollars, and prefer better quality ingredients.
We try to get all the ingredients for the week off the shopping list, but as we don't always make everything during the week, we sometimes leave the meat and fish until later in the week, picking it up the day we plan to make that menu item.
As the meals are designed to serve 4 adults, we usually still make the full serve as per the recipe, and take the leftover for lunch the next day, but if we have unexpected visitors, or friends are in town we can easily have them over for dinner and not have to change our meal plans.
If one of us is working late, or busy in the evening we can do the meal by ourselves, but we prefer to try and cook together. My partner has heaps of tricks from his time working in kitchens and is slowly teaching me some of them.
It saves many arguments about cooking dinner. We also try to clean up as we go, and run the dishwasher daily to keep on top of the mess. We try to do this as a team as it also saves arguments about housework, as we both work full-time and missed the 'domestic' gene.
Our first stop is our local green grocer, Geelong Fresh Foods. We prefer to buy as much as possible there, as it helps to support our local economy, and the food tends to be fresher there as it hasn't gone to a central warehouse before going to a store, as per the big two. We have found that it is fairly good value for money compared to the big chain supermarkets, and they have a range of specialty deli items that you don't always find in the larger stores. There are some items there that are only available as an Organic product, and are a little pricey, so we may pick that item up somewhere else.
If we require meat, we stop at a butcher on Pako Street, Heritage Meats. My partner used to work on Pako Street, so he knows some of the guys there, and it is a great place to pick up a snag on the weekend. Gourmet snags in bread, for a gold coin donation, and all money supports a local charity. Usually by the time we get there our son is hungry, and we find it hard to resist the smell of a fresh handmade sausage, so we buy three!
We then usually go to Aldi, to pick up we haven't already found elsewhere, and then if we need to, go to one of the big supermarkets.
For some specialty items, we will go to a fishmonger, or a Asian supermarket.
It may seem like a lot of running around, but we know we have meals set for the next week, are conscientiously spending our dollars, and prefer better quality ingredients.
We try to get all the ingredients for the week off the shopping list, but as we don't always make everything during the week, we sometimes leave the meat and fish until later in the week, picking it up the day we plan to make that menu item.
As the meals are designed to serve 4 adults, we usually still make the full serve as per the recipe, and take the leftover for lunch the next day, but if we have unexpected visitors, or friends are in town we can easily have them over for dinner and not have to change our meal plans.
If one of us is working late, or busy in the evening we can do the meal by ourselves, but we prefer to try and cook together. My partner has heaps of tricks from his time working in kitchens and is slowly teaching me some of them.
It saves many arguments about cooking dinner. We also try to clean up as we go, and run the dishwasher daily to keep on top of the mess. We try to do this as a team as it also saves arguments about housework, as we both work full-time and missed the 'domestic' gene.
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