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Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 6:53:22 AM

caitlyn

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This is going to seem like a stupid post, so please accept my apology in advance.

About six months ago, I sort of became the woman of this house ... for things like shopping, that is. Shopping isn't easy ... I never realized things like beer, actually go bad. I'm hoping to get some tips from experienced shoppers here, because I don't have a lot of time to spend doing this stuff and would really like to do a better job. I have some challenges and advantages:

CHALLENGES

The alpha male here, my foster dad, is a really big guy ... like 6'5" and about 250. He eats like it.
On any given evening or afternoon, without notice, a whole mess of big alpha males (for instance a softball team) will show up at our house, and need to be fed and beered. I don't have to cook for them, but would like to have grub available.
Beer is the real issue ... I can't buy it yet, and we run out all the time. Can you freeze beer?
My foster mom, can only eat puree foods.

ADVANTAGES

I have basically unlimited funds. The guy that eats a lot, makes a lot.

Three things I've done, have really helped:

I bought a huge freezer, and stocked it with meat of all kinds.
I got some plastic shelves and put them in the garage, so I could buy tons of paper goods. This was a big problem when I first got this responsibility ... running out of toilet paper, paper towels. etc ...
I got a bread machine with a timer.

What I'm hoping, it that there are some god tips out there that will help me. Can you freeze veggies and fruit? Can you freeze things like coffee and grains (rice, wheat, corn stuff). Can you freeze potatos?

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RE: Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 7:04:12 AM

Aileen68

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Beer can't be frozen.
Buy it warm and store it. Warm cases last quite a while. Months and months.
Shop at warehouse clubs if you have any near you. Great for bulk items like paper towels, toilet paper, napkins.
If you have the freezer, then buy veggies already frozen.
Invest in a vacuum sealer...then buy bulk packs of meat, chicken, etc and divide into portion sizes and then pack and seal with the sealer.
As far as I know...potatoes do not freeze well. They get mushy.
Loaves of bread freeze well. Butter freezes well. I've even heard that you can freeze milk.
You can't go wrong with canned goods. They can last for years.
If I think of more, I'll post.

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RE: Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 7:06:53 AM

ScooterTrash

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Nooo...don't freeze beer. Just stick a few cases out in the garage and from there, keep the fridge stocked. Yes, beer can go bad, but it doesn't sound like that will be an issue there...rapid use solves that. Use a FIFO system, first in, first out, so you don't end up with 1 year old beer in the garage and serving new stock. Just don't get it cold, then hot, then cold (skunked beer)...once it is chilled, keep it that way. The rest of the stuff, I'll leave up to someone else to answer...lol.

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RE: Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 7:10:38 AM

lighthearted

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not stupid, not in the slightest.

get yaself a copy of "The Joy Of Cooking"...in there, the author has the "freezable" properties of just about every food you can think of. even if you aren't really into cooking, it's a great reference book. my copy is nearly 20 years old and completely falling apart. she's also got the information on freezing various cooked foods too.

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RE: Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 7:13:16 AM

DianeB269

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Most beers have a shelf life of 110 days to 180 days. One of my subs works for Bud.

Diane

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RE: Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 7:19:15 AM

caitlyn

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This is great advice so far. Thanks to everyone!!

The vacuum sealer thing is a great idea. I bought a ton of beef at a butcher and it was all sealed. I bought a quarter cow, and quickly realized that wasn't enough. These men eat my yearly consumption of red meat, in one sitting. With a sealer, I could do fish, chicken, turkey, etc ...

About beer ... would it help to have a beer fridge? Is keeping it cold a good thing ... as in, extending the life? My issue is, that I can't buy it yet, so what I need is to estimate the consumption and stock that much ... but I have to get the big guy to buy it. (I don't know much about beer ... I hate the stuff).

The book is a great tip ... thanks. I'm going to score it.

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RE: Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 7:24:36 AM

DianeB269

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Beers like Bud, Miller and Coors should always be stored cold.

Diane

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RE: Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 7:32:56 AM

LTRsubNW

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quote:

ORIGINAL: caitlyn

About beer ... would it help to have a beer fridge? Is keeping it cold a good thing ... as in, extending the life? My issue is, that I can't buy it yet, so what I need is to estimate the consumption and stock that much ... but I have to get the big guy to buy it. (I don't know much about beer ... I hate the stuff).

The book is a great tip ... thanks. I'm going to score it.

GAWWWD you are going to make a great wife someday!!!!

"Would it help to have a beer fridge?"

No woman has ever asked a more pertinant, more salient question in the history of mankind!

Caitlyn, I'm putting you in my will.

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RE: Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 7:41:39 AM

farglebargle

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quote:

ORIGINAL: lighthearted

not stupid, not in the slightest.

get yaself a copy of "The Joy Of Cooking"...in there, the author has the "freezable" properties of just about every food you can think of. even if you aren't really into cooking, it's a great reference book. my copy is nearly 20 years old and completely falling apart. she's also got the information on freezing various cooked foods too.

Ditto. And don't fuck around with the paperback, 2 volume set. Go for the gusto!

It's only 30 bucks and one day, one of your kids will inherit it.

Joy of Cooking
75th Anniversary Edition - 2006
By Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker
Scribner, October 2006
Hardcover, 1152 pages
ISBN-10: 0-7432-4626-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-7432-4626-2

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RE: Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 8:16:03 AM

twicehappy

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Here is a quick uh oh companys here tip.

Buy frozen fruit in the big bags. Get out a pie pan. Fill the pan with frozen fruit. Peaches, blueberries, raspberries are all good choices. Dump the full pie pan into a freezer bag, add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of vanilla, a cup of sugar, a teaspoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of flour. Shake and put in freezer.

Buy the ready to use pie crusts either frozen or the kind in the dairy case.

Company shows, put the crust in a pie pan, dump the frozen fruit into the crust, dot with about two tablespoons of butter, put your top crust on, do not forget to vent it by pricking the top with a fork. Bake for 1 hour at 350.

You can also prebake cakes and freeze them, just defrost and ice. Banana, pumpkin and nut bread all freeze very well.

Cook chicken breast and dice, thaw to make chicken salad or chicken ala king really fast.

Make pots of bean soup or chili and freeze those.

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RE: Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 8:28:43 AM

farglebargle

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quote:

ORIGINAL: twicehappy

Cook chicken breast and dice, thaw to make chicken salad or chicken ala king really fast.

Cook chicken thighs, they're cheaper. Shit. Go all out. When you roast ONE bird, roast a second to debone and toss into a tupperware in the freezer. Whole roasters are likely cheaper if you keep an eye out.

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ברוך אתה, אדוני אלוקינו, ריבון העולמים, מי יוצר צמחים ריחניים

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RE: Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 8:45:29 AM

Majik

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Another thing I do is when I boil veggies or meat I skim off the fat and put the liquid into ice trays...freeze...then put into ziplock freezer bags. Makes a great soup base when your making a stew or soup in a hurry.

And YES...I have a beer fridge. In fact I have three fridges. The one in the kitchen, one in the garage and one in the extra bedroom. Also have a 14 foot freezer in the garage, filled right now with half a beef and whats left out of whatever wildlife we were given or hunted on our own.

I also make sauses in bulk and freeze. Great for a quick meal. Cook some meat add sause and pasta and wala...dinner in 30 minutes or less.

On cold days I try and use the kitchen as much as possible. (Good way to heat up the house and make it smell good with cooking smells as well.) Usually try to make a double batch of whatever i'm making at the time. Freeze half and you have a quick summer meal without heating the whole house.

I also have a veggie patch and several fruit trees out in the back yard. I either freeze or can whats left over for the winter.

And watch the paper...over here its the wednesday paper that has all the grocery sales fliers. Be picky...go in and get just what you need and try not to impulse shop. Also don't grocery shop when you are hungry. Eat before you go out.

Coupons combined with sales is a good way to save money. Take the money you save from both and put into a rainy day fund. You would be suprised how quickly it can add up.

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RE: Grocery Shopping Help - 2/4/2007 10:22:27 AM

twicehappy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: farglebargle

quote:

ORIGINAL: twicehappy

Cook chicken breast and dice, thaw to make chicken salad or chicken ala king really fast.

Cook chicken thighs, they're cheaper. Shit. Go all out. When you roast ONE bird, roast a second to debone and toss into a tupperware in the freezer. Whole roasters are likely cheaper if you keep an eye out.

Yes to the whole roaster no to the thighs. I never serve anything made out of all dark chicken, it changes the taste too much.

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