NotSoThoreau

I have been writing down the prices of my groceries recently. I write it in a Field Notes notebook. It’s interesting. I have been stocking up. I don’t have anywhere near what I’d like to have on hand, but at least I’m working on it. Here’s today’s interesting lesson: milk prices are really going up. I bought several pounds of instant milk at Winco. We are talking about purchases made today and on the 5th. That’s 11 days. It was $3.95 a pound on the 5th and $4.17 today. That’s an increase of 21 cents! I buy whipping cream for my tea. On 8/16, I paid $3.28 a quart. Today it was $3.48. If prices are like this now, what are they going to be like this winter? I picked up 25 pounds of oatmeal and another 25 pounds of wheat. I can feed Loretta with oatmeal and milk, plus protein. I’ve fed dogs on oatmeal before and they love it. I bake a loaf of bread every week. I love my wild caught starter! I let the sponge work overnight, then use my Kitchen Aid to knead it. I could do it by hand, but I have the machine so why not? I have the grain grinder for it too. And that’s a funny thing. Lon bought that by accident when Kate was alive. And now it’s finally getting used. You have to make two passes to get flour, without overheating the machine. But I think I have that down. I use starter, salt and flour for my bread, although I like to add a cup of Bob’s Red Mill 12 grain cereal. I bake it in a cracked dutch oven that belonged to Lon’s mother. It’s tasty stuff.

I bought some sprouts from Sprout People. I wanted to try their Big Bird Mix and get some seed for cat greens. I ordered their starter sampler. Still trying this out. I think that it would be good to start using sprouts. Lettuce seems to upset my stomach, so I don’t eat it very often. I think this will be a good, cheap way to get some fresh veggies into our meals in the winter. I will plant some fall crops in the garden at the river, but I don’t expect much out of that.

I try to limit carbs, but I don’t see any way to really stockpile fresh veggies and meat. I’m just not willing to be in a situation where we are stuck at home with nothing to eat. It just makes sense to shop ahead. I still need to take inventory of what we have and figure out what to get on the next shop. I’d like a 25 pound sack of beans and maybe the same of popcorn. And I’ll keep buying instant milk every time I go. I really hope that more people will try to shop ahead like this, but I doubt that it will happen. I’ve seen what the Camas Safeway looks like when snow is predicted.