Monday Q&A | Produce + Weekly Shopping, Juice Drinking, and Two-Piece Swimming Suits
I have a general grocery question that has been giving me trouble for some time. I plan meals and try not to go grocery shopping more than once a week. (We started this practice when we realized that our "last minute" shopping trips on the weekends were costing almost as much as my carefully planned trip to buy food for M-F!)
My problem, however, always comes down to produce. I go shopping Monday morning, and many things just won't last until Sunday. Do you plan specifically by what will last? Just use frozen vegetables at the end of the week? Any advice would be appreciated!
-Elizabeth
Oooh, that's so true about the last-minute trips. It's way too easy to plunk down $20-30 when you really just meant to pick up two things.
I do plan my produce shopping and eating around what will last the longest. Fruits and vegetables that are the most perishable (strawberries, grape tomatoes, spinach, cilantro, etc.) go on the menu shortly after shopping, and produce that lasts longer is scheduled for later in the week. When properly stored, lettuce, celery, cucumbers, citrus fruits, apples, pears, carrots, peppers, watermelon, green beans, and tomatoes all seem to last a week without a problem (some of those will make it even longer than a week, in fact).
Also, some of the produce that I buy isn't ripe and ready to eat when I buy it (this is especially true of pears, avocados, mangoes, and pineapple), so this gives me a little more time to use those up.
Of course, a large part of preventing produce waste is keeping an eye on what needs to be eaten throughout the week. Although I make a plan for what I buy, it's flexible and subject to change if something ripens faster than I think it will.
Though we don't eat a lot of frozen vegetables (I just prefer the taste of fresh, and I prefer a lot of my vegetables raw), I do keep frozen fruit around to use in smoothies. Obviously that kind of fruit lasts just fine for a week or more.
Do you have juice at every meal? I spy 2 bottle of sparkling juice, a carton of oj and a couple cans of frozen juice. Can that be cut out to help with the budget?
-Fran
(this question was left in the comments of Saturday's grocery post)
Oh, goodness no! We'd need a LOT more juice than that if we drank it at every meal...six people could go through a frightening amount of juice in two weeks.
At breakfast, the kids and Mr. FG each have a small glass of OJ (I don't really drink juice).
At lunch, we drink water or yogurt smoothies.
At dinner, we drink water except for when Mr. FG and I have our weekly date night (we drink a bottle of sparkling juice with our meal then).
Mr. FG and I could drink water with our takeout, but it's kind of fun to have a special drink once a week, and sparkling juice is a lot cheaper than anything alcoholic. And Mr. FG and the kids could go without juice at breakfast (they do when we run out!) as it's not particularly nutritious, but it's not a hill I'm going to die on at this point. I'm just pretty pleased that we're all drinking water 95% of the time, especially because that is not a habit Mr. FG brought with him when we got married.
I've noticed in the pictures of children in their swim suits that your daughters always have modest one piece suits. Is this an intentional decision that you and your husband have decided upon or just happened? If it's an intentional decision, what reasons do you give your daughters when they ask (if they have) if they can wear a two piece suit?
-Sarah B
Actually, Zoe had a two-piece fish swimming suit that she wore for a lot of years. It wasn't a string bikini, but it was two pieces, and I thought it was super cute (also, I think it's amazing that my mother-in-law bought it when Zoe was born, when of course we had nooo idea Zoe would be so into fish!).
Sonia wore that suit some too...it worked when she had a diaper to help hold the bottom up! 😉
I really, really cannot get myself all lathered up about modesty for babies, toddlers, and little girls...I mean, I wouldn't let them run around naked in the street, but a two-piece suit just doesn't bother me. Mostly for little girls, I prefer to stay with suits that look like little girl suits, not mini versions of what you could buy at an adult bikini store (and the same goes for clothing).
I'm not opposed to two-piece swimming suits in the form of tankinis. In fact, that's all I've worn for ages now, and they're awfully handy when you need to visit the bathroom.
However, most of my girls are all so slender, a two-piece suit rarely will stay up, and so we've mostly opted for one-piece suits. Thus far, that's what they've been happy with, as they're not really fans of having their suits fall off!
As our girls get older, we'll have a multitude of conversations with them about clothing choices, but hopefully, most of those conversations will involve talking about their heart attitudes and motivations, and helping them see what's driving their clothing desires. Outward conformity isn't what we're after as much as a heart that wants to please God.
You are funny and sweet! I greatly enjoy your blog everyday. God bless you.
I am a tankini fan myself. They are often more budget friendly, too. It seems that my tops often wear out faster than the bottoms (?). So, if you have a "neutral" bottom, you could just buy a top when necessary...
Great way to handle the modesty part, too. My daughter is 5 and quite interested in "fashion". I have a road ahead of me, for sure...
I wear a tankini too, and Kimberly, you're absolutely right about buying a neutral bottom! I'm actually in my second pregnancy, and my neutral brown bottoms have worked for 2 different maternity swimsuits AND I wear them with my regular suit. Yay for multi-tasking.
As far as the juice thing is concerned, my husband and I have chosen to not buy soda regularly as a way to cut costs and increase our health. We hardly ever buy juice either, and instead tend to stick to homemade iced tea, homemade lemonade (equal parts sugar or evaporated cane juice with water), and water. It works for us, keeps tons of sugar from soda out of our bodies, and makes the occassional splurge even more enjoyable!
We struggle with the produce question too. I used to do a once-a-month shop and the produce runs were killing our budget. We can get stuff to last a good week though. Our problem is that we run out of fruit... berries especially are big favorites! I went shopping on Friday and our 3 pints of berries are GONE!!!
Now I do two-week trips and it helps a lot. We do end up utilizing canned/frozen veggies toward the end of the run. And there are things that use fresh produce that get thoroughly cooked anyway -- for example, on our menu for Thursday this week is Saag Paneer (I don't mind if the spinach looks a bit past its prime when it'll be cooked down so much). But next week we have Vegetarian Jambalaya, and the only fresh veggies used are onions and bell pepper (and I could even saute that mixture and freeze it, if the pepper I bought is looking a little sad). The other ingredients are rice, stewed tomatoes, and black-eyed peas that I cooked previously and have frozen.
I know...berries don't last long here either.
Another reason to buy local and organic produce. If your produce is not lasting through out the week it was most likely picked early, bumped and bruised on its long transit to you and then sat all the while looking pretty. Part of the problem with produce is we have bred it to look large and nice, but it looks nice until one day it just isn't good anymore.
I buy my local produce from a local farm market. I have never had anything (even my strawberries or blueberries no last 7-10 days - freshness wise). Strawberries are rinsed, dried and stored in the fridge and they are eaten within days (but I buy enough to make it through the week). Other than berries all produce should be lasting a week or more if it was picked fresh that day (which all of my local produce is).
Again I know what produce is at its peek and use it accordingly and we switch meals around if the avacadoes suddenly are ripe, but otherwise I have a head of lettuce from last week, a pack of peppers from 2 weeks ago, parsnips from 2+ weeks ago (all organic and local) and a cabbage from 2 weeks ago. All are still in good shape and will be getting used up this week. I used some of the peppers last night in quesadillas.
I have the opposite experience with local berries - they don't last nearly as long as supermarket ones. But they taste a lot better. I don't complain about needing to eat 2 quarts of strawberries in 3 days. Yum.
I have noticed that, too. our local strawberries are quite soft and i've had to cook down part of every quart I've bought b/c they got kind of squishy/unappealing after 2 days, but they WERE extra delicious!
We seem to eat them so quickly that I haven't had a chance to find out 🙂
There's a nasty chemical that gets sprayed on imported strawberries to keep them firm (I forget the name...). My local farmer's market gal doesn't use that, so hers taste excellent but spoil faster - such a hardship having to eat them all within a few days!!!
My supermarket's strawberries are all grown in the US - California or southern US.
As Stacy S says, such a hardship.
Re: strawberries. I get mine from the local farmers market and was having them go bad within a few days. When I mentioned it to the farmer, he said to not rinse them all right away as moisture makes them go bad faster. He said to store them in a container with a paper towel and rinse them right before we're going to use them.
This is true of most produce...it should stay dry until you're ready to eat it.
I've never been organized enough to think of washing produce before I store it, so fortunately this has never been an issue. lol
Another thoughtful posting. I guess with kiddoes you negotiate and figure it out as you go along.
Take care. Have you thought about what to make for the 4th of July? We like to do the cool whip flag cakes with strawberries and blue berries. Yum.
Ha! Nope, I haven't thought nearly that far ahead yet.
There are lots of containers out there to help your produce last longer in the fridge. I've had great success with the tupperware brand fridgesmart containers. You can put a few items that you want to last the longest in there. I also tried the rubbermaid brand producesavers and was not impressed. I don't think it made it worse, but in my fridge they certainly didn't work as well as the fridgesmart ones. I have yet to try the various green bags out there.
Also, some produce shouldn't be in the fridge, berries certainly. (Although, as seems common here, expect them all to be eaten w/in 2 or 3 days of being home). Also, un-cut melons, apples, bananas, oranges--look at your grocery store and what gets stored in the middle, out side of the refrigeration.
I use the green bags and I think they do help for a while, after a few washings they don't seem to work as well. They do extend the life of greens by several days.
"Outward conformity isn't what we're after as much as a heart that wants to please God."
Amen. Everyone has a different call on their lives, so everyone's response will look different. The important thing is the inner obedience, not the outer show. If the heart is in the right place, it will naturally be reflected in what we eat, wear, say, and do.
Great thoughts, Kristen.
Thanks for sharing these questions this week. I actually have one of my own its been on my mind for quite some time. How do you feel about taking destination vacations? Like trips to Disneyworld?Disneyland? NYC? Is that something you would ever consider doing with your family?
Ooh, good question! And here's a 2nd part for you - what about trips outside the USA or outside North America? I haven't heard you talk much about those. Is it something you're planning for one day? With a family of 6 it would certainly take a while to save up for.
I will file that away for a future Q&A!
My niece is almost 10 and for the past 2 years she has only be able to wear tankini 2-pieces because she is SOOO tall. She wears a L/XL or 14/16 in girls, but the one-pieces are too short. They pull up from below and come down too low on her chest, both of which make her uncomfortable--it doesn't even get to an evaluation of how it looks. The tankinis are technically a little short, too, but a flash of her still-a-little-girl belly is definitely preferable. 🙂
And, as Kristen mentioned, tankinis are SO much easier for running to the restroom!
That was a big problem for me when I was a kid as I have a long torso. Tankinis weren't really popular then, so I had to depend on Lands' End long torso suits.
My daughter has the same issue - she's almost 11 and very tall (takes after her Mum!) We have been buying tankini's for a few years now - she likes to mix and match with them too. I don't know if you have them in the US but here in Australia we have "rashy" shirts - t-shirts made from UV resistant lycra material - they tend to be a lot longer in length, so the belly is covered too and they help prevent sunburn too. All my kids wear them.
I think they are starting to hit mainstream swimming fashion here, Suze: I saw them at Costco the other day, and some kids at our pool were wearing them, too.
When my strawberries (and other berries) are starting to go bad, I freeze them to use in smoothies and baking.
I have 2 reader questions for you:
1) How do you determine the curriculum used for your children's education?
2) Have you heard of "unschooling"? I know that you don't pursue unschooling with your children, but as someone experienced with homeschooling, what's your take on the unschooling and the value that it's principles can bring to a philosophy on educating children? (If you've heard of it/think about it at all, others may not think about unschooling as much as I do!)
Context - from reading your blog and others, I have become fascinated with non-mainstream formats of education. I personally have only experienced traditional education through public schools and love hearing about these things from someone with different experiences.
Not Kristen, but I just wanted to say that there are a LOT of homeschooling curricula out there (as well as traditional classroom curricula that can be adapted to homeschool needs, and the option of coming up with your own materials). I think the best way to get a sense of what to use is to see what works for other homeschoolers (internet forums are a good way to do that), particularly those who have children with personalities/learning styles similar to yours and teaching styles similar to yours.
I think unschooling is great in theory, and probably great for many families. For me, quite honestly, I'm too lazy; I think that, to unschool well, you need to be constantly ready to turn an experience into a lesson, and to drop what you're doing and jump into an enriching activity, and that's definitely not the way my personality leans, or very practical given our family right now (the 7 yo we homeschool, a 1yo, and a new baby on the way in a couple of months). I like the structure and security of having a list of things I'm going to cover that day, and checking it off, and knowing that over the course of the year we'll cover certain things. But, I think my son would actually be a great candidate for unschooling, if it worked for me, too. I do think many homeschoolers do a lot of informal unschooling, just because formal lesson times are usually quite short (my son does his daily second-grade work in under two hours--usually 90 minutes--a day) and so there is a lot of free time to explore interests.
You have so much grace when you answer questions. Just wanted to say it doesn't go unnoticed. 🙂
Aww, thanks for the encouragement. I appreciate it. 🙂
I don't understand the question of the swimsuits. Is it modern to buy a swimsuit instead of a bikini?. In the Netherlands both are okay.
Oh, people definitely buy two-piece swimsuits. As you can see by my pictures, we've owned a couple of two-piece suits ourselves.
Some people feel that bikinis and such are inappropriate to wear, even for little girls, so that's where the issue comes in.
I personally am much more inclined to be concerned about coverage for teenage girls and adults, not little girls.
i agree. i just bought a 2 piece for my 2 year old. i actually wanted this 1 piece first but the didn't have any in 24 months and only 2T. my daughter is petite and i thought it would sag so i bought this 2 piece & the cashier says to me " i can't believe that they make these for babies." at this point i thought she was going to say how cute it was & then she says " i mean, this is so inappropriate!" i was shocked. it wasn't even skimpy, it had a ruffled skirt and all. i was going to say "i think it's more inappropriate for adults & young ladies and for you to tell a customer that" but i held my tongue. i believe in modesty but i don't mind babies showing off their chub!
As far as vegetables go, I've noticed that stuff I get from the farmer's market lasts longer since I'm buying it soon after it was picked, not a week afterwards.
So true. I get a weekly basket from a produce co op (Bountiful Baskets). Most of the produce is ordered directly from small farms, so it is picked fresh and delivered within the week. All the produce I get lasts much longer than the exact items I buy at the store. Most things last a week plus (except for spinach and berries which is about 4 days).
RE: girls' swimsuits. I have a friend who moved to the US from France a few years ago. They have a little daughter and were surprised to see the little girls at the pools and beaches wearing tops. I guess everyone has different ways of doing things. We have boys so we've never had to even think about that issue.
great share!
We do a second shopping trip on Fridays for fresh vegies, to replenish our milk supply (we go through 2 gallons a week, but prefer it as fresh as possible) and for special dinner items for Friday night dinner (i.e. fresh fish or a nice cut of meat) which is special in our house. BUT, we budget for this and stick to our list. My husband shops on the way home from work at a market that has mostly organic produce and foods, so he doesn't have the time or inclination to do any impulse buying.
I'm really excited because the Wednesday farmers' market on the campus where DH (and I, but I don't work during the summer so it's moot) work is opening again this week. We drive to a local fruit market on Saturdays, and then on Wednesdays when the farmers' market is running, DH stops by on his lunch break and gets stuff that we need. I find that a lot of the fruit we eat--apples, carrots, grapes--make it through the week, but other stuff--particularly berries, as mentioned, which are my kids' favorites--often doesn't last that long. This way we can replenish our fruit supply midweek, very easily. We usually just budget a certain amount for the midweek trip, around $15-20, and DH picks out stuff that looks yummy.
I find that if I do a quick check of the condition of the fruit and veges each morning as I'm deciding tonight's dinner it really helps prevent wastage. If something looks a little sad it gets used that night or prepped & frozen. I meal plan fortnightly but don't specify a particular night for most of the meals. I do a fresh fruit, veges and milk top up in the second week to keep things as good condition as possible.
The question for the Mom that drinks more juice than the blogger. Another way to look at Kristin's blog is more a guideline. Her budget is unrealistic for my family of 4. The first thing I noticed it is that her kids are young and don't eat as much as mine. I have a 13 1/2 year old and 10 year old. Both are extremely active with swim and water polo and probably work out 5 to 10 hours a week. So, if I fed them what Kristin does they would be very hungry. My kids wouldn't eat snacky stuff on Sunday (but I'd love it if they did as it would give me a day off from cooking). Our typical meals would Hamburgers with potato salad and Veggies with dip. Our Taco night would be tacos with rice and beans and cucumber avocado tomato avocado salad. I do find her advice helpful but adapt it to my family's lifestyle and budget. For example, I was buying my bread at the store at $4.50 a loaf and started making my own at home which now my family prefers We also tend to eat more "gourmet" food than her family so, our food budget is higher. Also, we eat more meat as well.
Exactly. Do what works for you!
I am puzzled as to why no one in Kristen's family seems to drink milk with their meals.
It's a preference thing, really. The kids and I don't really like drinking milk (though the kids do like a small glass to dunk cookies in. When we have cookies. Which is not very often. I fail at baking cookies regularly!).
Mr. FG does occasionally have a glass with dinner, though.
I'm a little late on this question (it's also waaay past my bedtime!) but I've been wondering and wanted to ask before I forgot! Anyway, I know you don't care about that. My question is how often do you bake bread and make yogurt and any other foods that you make on a regular basis?