Here are a few of my favorite organic/natural deals for the week.  If enough people are interested in this type of post I will try to make it a weekly feature.

Fred Meyer (through 2/11)

Organic 6oz blueberries 2/$5

Organic Brown Eggs (Chino Valley) $2.99 -Great Price!

Mini Carrots 1lb 2/$3 (Not sure how good of a price this is. We don’t usually buy mini.)

Tom’s of Main Toothpaste or Deodorant 40% off.

Fred Meyer Butter 1lb 2/$5 (decent price)

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Zaycon just opened a SHORT NOTICE ground beef event.

Ground Beef, Lean (93/7) – 40 lbs at $2.99 a lb.

Deliveries in Eugene, Albany, Salem, McMinnville, Hillsboro, Gresham, and Oregon City.

The pick-up process is SO easy (just drive up and they load it in your car).

Deliveries will be Feb 9th, 10th and 11th.

This is not organic, but people said the quality is great and it is very lean and tasty.

Register (free) and then look under “events”.

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O Organics 3-lb. Bag Potatoes 3.49 ea- (Also check grocery outlet for a possible better deal)

Updated 1-31-02

Costco on a Saturday morning…why not? We headed out the door and found our favorite store filled with sample hungry shoppers.  People complain about Costco on Saturdays, but it is really not all that bad.  After pushing a beast of a stroller through that store for years with the twins, I almost expect to not be able to navigate very smoothly.  But, it was no big thing with all registers open and parking for everyone.  In fact, the only thing that slowed us down on this trip…ME!  The shoppers (and my husband) must have thought I was crazy snapping pictures of price tags every few feet.  I heard my husband explain to one male shopper who questioned us, “She has a blog”.  I am not sure if that helped explain, or confirmed the fact that I am actually crazy.  Some people don’t get the “blog” thing.  Some people also don’t get having 3 kids 3 and under.  Call us crazy.

Here is a list of my findings. This list is not exhaustive.  Also remember that Costco’s stock changes quickly.  Sometimes an item will be carried for quite some time, and other times it is just making a brief appearance.

 

This price list is from the Salem Oregon store.  The reader tips are likely from a different store.

*= Updated price, new product, or confirmed price on recent trip.

Organic Products

Premium Gold Organic Flax Cold Milled 3lb $5.89 p. p. lb 1.149

Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Sugar 10lb $11.40 p. p. lb 1.149

Bob’s Red Mill Organic While Wheat Flour 25lbs $13.49 p. p. lb .540

Ancient Grains Granola with Almonds $6.95  p. p. oz .204

Natures Path Organic Flax Plus Pumpkin Granola Cereal 35.3 oz $6.99 price per oz .198

Nature’s Path Organic Hot Cereal 32 count $8.99

Coaches Oats Whole Grain Pancake Mix 64oz $7.49 (Stock up! This might be the last shipment)

Truroots Organic Quinoa 4lbs $9.97

Truroots Organic Sprouted Bean Medley 3lbs $9.99

Truroots Organic Sprouted Grain medley 3lbs $8.99

Organic Indian Brown Basmati Rice 10lb bag $8.99 p. p. lb .899

Lundberg Organic Short Grain Brown Rice 12lb bag for $12.99 p. p. lb 1.083

Sunwest Organic Harvest Medley Rice 3.2lb tub (brown rice, wild rice, sweet brown rice and red rice) $8.99 (reader tip)

Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1.5 liter $10.99 p. p. liter 7.327

*Sun-Maid Organic Raisins 2/2lb $7.79

Tree Top Organic Applesauce 36/4oz cups $9.99

Kirkland Organic Salsa (2) 38 oz  $7.75

S&W Organic Italian Stewed Tomatoes (8) 14.5 oz cans $7.69 p. p. can .961

S&W Organic Diced Tomatoes (8) 14.5 oz cans $7.69 p. p. can .066

S&W Organic Tomato Sauce (12) 15 0z $7.69

S&W Organic Tomato Paste (12) 6 oz $6.39

Kirkland Organic Chicken Stock (6) 32 oz $10.99

Pacific Organic Creamy Tomato Soup (6) 32 oz $10.95

Amy’s Kitchen Organic Lentil/Minestrone Soup (8) 14.5 oz $11.99

Amy’s Kitchen Organic Medium Chili (6) 14.7 oz $11.79 (Stock up if you like it. Might be last shipment)

*Organic Petite Peas 5lbs for $5.89 $1.179 p. p. (they also have organic corn and green beans that I will get the price for next time)

*Organic Apples (new crop) $1.34-ish a pound

*Organic Spring Mix Lettuce 1 lb $3.99 (updated price)

*Organic Baby Spinach 1lb $3.99

*Organic Caesar Salad Kit 1lb $4.29

*Organic Brocollette 2lb $5.79

*Organic Peel Carrots Snack Pack 24/2.5oz bags $6.49

*Organic Peeled Carrots 5lbs $5.29

*Organic Cello Carrots US#1 10lb $5.99

*Organic Sliced Apples 8/6oz bags $5.99

*Organic Tortilla Chips 40 oz $4.49  -price per oz .112

Dave’s Killer Bread Organic  “Good Seed” or “21 Whole Grains”  2 loaf pack $6.99

Hannah Organic Classic Hummus 32 oz $5.99 (did not see at Salem OR store this trip)

*Kirkland Organic Low Fat Milk 2 gallon pack $9.99 (new price)

*Kirkland Organic Butter 2/1 lb quarters $7.99 -p. p. lb 3.995 (new higher price)

Organic Eggs 18 pack for $4.79 (reader tip. not available at my store)

*Brown Omega large grade A eggs 18 ct $3.79

*Sambazon Organic Acai Juice 2/32oz $9.99

Made In Nature Organic Black Mission Figs 32 oz $7.99

 

Natural Products

*Pirates Booty Aged White Cheddar 16 oz $5.29

*Riceworks Sweet Chilli Rice Crisp 20 ox $5.99

*Stretch Island Natural Fruit 48 ct. $10.65

*Kettle Baked Salt & Pepper Chips 12 oz $3.99

*Kettle Krinkle Cut Chip 32 oz $4.49

*Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Tortilla Chips 24 oz $6.29 price per oz .262

*Stacy’s Pita Chips 28 oz $5.79  p.p oz .207

*Nature Valley Crunchy Multigrain Chip 20 oz $5.99

Milton’s Multigrain Muffins 12 ct $3.79 (We love these)

Bandon Med Cheddar 2.5 lbs $6.55

Tillamook Med Cheddar 5 lb $15.89 p. p. lb 3.178

Fage Yogurt 35oz $5.19 (reader tip)

*Annie’s Homegrown Bunny Snacks 36/1oz $10.99

*Kashi TLC Bars Trail Mix 30 ct $11.79 price per each .393

*Odwalla Superfood 2/32 oz bottles $5.75

*Odwalla Variety Pack 10 ct 12 oz bottles. 13.99

Kirkland 100% Maple Syrup 32oz $11.99 (price drop I believe)

Maranatha Natural Almond Butter 26 oz $5.79

Busy Bee 100% Pure Clover Honey 6lbs 13.99 p. p. oz 146

Rodelle Whole Vanilla Bean 10ct $11.99

 

I am trying to slowly price everything we regularly buy.  I was excited to have the chance to get this list together.  Hope this helps you with your shopping!

 

If you have spotted any organic or natural foods at Costco recently and know the prices leave a comment with your item name, size, price, and store location if possible.  and I will add it!

Thanks to readers who contributed a price: Kristin Elaine and Kayla

 

I am linking up with Raising Homemakers and Woman Living Well today! Check out the other amazing post people are sharing!

As much as I love the cheap and colorful Ikea bowls (that are supposedly BPA free), I am quite simply drowning in them.  By the end of the day the sink is FULL and between all 3 kiddos we have gone through a pile of them.  Yesterday we did our coffee filter craft again and I was reminded of a trick my mom used to use with us.  Use them for easy disposable snack bowls!  They are dirt cheap, have just the right shape, and can wad up miraculously small.  Over the years we have moved away from quite a few disposable items, but I will let these pass.

Happy Thursday y’all!

I was stoked when I found out I was chosen to review Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers for my blog through Moms Meet.  When the box arrived I was thrilled and did a definite dance for joy.

Crunchmaster Crackers are an alternative to regular wheat crackers.  They are natural and certified gluten free.  They are  made from brown rice, stone ground corn, oat fiber and a 4 seed blend.  These crackers are oven baked and have a great texture.

The verdict is in and these get a thumbs up from my family.  I love having a great multigrain cracker for the little ones.  Our family does not need to avoid wheat, but they get plenty of wheat in their diet and I like to offer a wide variety of foods (and grains).  These crackers help us to shake things up a bit.  They have the perfect crunch and and come in 3 flavors.  They come in sea salt, roasted vegetable, and white cheddar.  I think our favorite flavor was the white cheddar.  The only thing I would love more about them is if they were organic.

On to the BEST news.  They also wanted me to give away a case to my readers!!! So…just enter by leaving a comment below (make sure I have a way of contacting you if you win).  What flavor would you be most excited to try?

Giveaway closes Dec 21st.

I would also be thrilled if you wanted to become a “follower” so that I can bring you more awesome giveaways.

For more info check out Crunchmaster’s web site (they even have a coupon up right now) or their Facebook.

 

WINNER IS… JEN “Roasted Vegetable sounds good”

She has been notified and 48 hours to respond by email.

 Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

I was fortunate enough to get to sample Kashi Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars (say that three times fast) .  Awhile back I was accepted into the Moms Meet program and occasionally I am chosen to try some fun products. I share them with my group, and then am sometimes asked to summarize what we thought on my blog.

Here is what Moms Meet has to say about the new bars, “Looking for a good-for-you granola bar that also tastes good? Kashi’s all natural TLC^® Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars start with a chewy granola base made with peanut butter and peanut chunks for a nutty flavor. A thick layer of real soft fruit mixed with rich, dark chocolate tops the granola along with roasted runner peanuts and dark chocolate pieces for hearty, natural goodness you can see and taste. And they’re nutritious, too!”

When the box came in the mail we were holding our big garage sale.  I was stoked!  The kids were just getting up from their naps and they saw the box.  They asked if they could try them and we handed them each a bar and sat them on the chair.  They sat in perfect silence while they chowed every last speck.  I was actually surprised at how focused they were on the bars.  When strangers are waltzing around your front yard and taking away your beloved possessions the last thing I expected was them to calmly sit and focus on a snack.  They LOVED them and have asked for them many times since.

The main purpose of the sampling is for me to share them with a group I meet with who are interested in natural/green products. This totally fits with the interests of the girls in my Bible Study and so when I get a package from Moms Meet I always take the goodies along.

Here is what one of my friends thought of the bars:

“The texture/consistency was perfect. Chewy, but not gooey. I also thought the flavor had good balance between the chocolate and the peanuts. I am not a big peanut fan, but I did enjoy these.”

If you are interested in any of their products you can check out Kashi’s website.

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Go check out Kashi’s Facebook page to stay up to date on their promotions and be alerted of coupons.  I just checked and RIGHT NOW they have  a coupon for $1 off a box of their new pita crisps! Pared with a sale this will get you a great deal!

 

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Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

We have been having a blast picking this summer now that the the twins are 3 and a half.  This is the first Summer that we have been able to spend some time picking with the kids old enough to participate a little.

Here is what we have picked this year:

• Organic Blueberries at Minto Island Growers $1.74 ish per lb.
• Cherries with Salem Harvest-Free!
• Cherries at our generous friends the Askeys-Free!
• Broccoli with Salem Harvest-Free!

It was a little hard to decide what to do with all the cherries, but in the end I decided to just wash, pit, and freeze what we could not eat immediately.

 

Here are the steps I used to “put up” our cherries…

1) After I read about some different techniques to wash fruit I got excited about using vinegar and water.  I figured that instead of a making a spray I could probably make a soak for them.  I put 3 parts cold water to 1 part vinegar and let them soak for a few minutes and agitated with with my hand a bit.  Then I fished them out with a shallow ladle type tool with holes in it.

2) After the soak I rinsed them in cold water for a bit to get the vinegar off and get them a little cleaner.

3) Next, I dumped them into my salad spinner to let them drip dry a little more without getting the counter soaked.

4) Now it was time to pit!  Little Miss woke up from her nap and was so excited to help me.  It was our first summer harvest we have gotten to work on together and a great memory.  She was very helpful and so eager.  Her job was to pull the stems off and keep my hopper full in the cherry pitter.  She took pride in her work and said some of the funniest things.  “Oh look at this tiny sad one Mama! You think she will be okay (cherries are obviously girls)?”  She also told me, “I am a Mama” and made it clear that she was feeling so very grown up.

This was my first summer using the Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter.  I bought it from Azure Standard and I have no idea how I would have done this job without it.

4) I then bagged the pitted cherries flat in zipper bags.  I got as much of the air out as I could and then stacked a couple bags on a cookie sheet to freeze.  After they were frozen flat in bags I rearranged them in our freezer.

These will be great for smoothies, baking, mixing into ice cream, and cobblers!  What a blessing to fill our freezer with free fruit!

Making slow healthy changes with our food and home has been a gradual progression around here for quite some time.  The changes largely started when we had kids.  Hubby and I joked that we had to get the Cheetos out of the house before the kids were born.  When you are building a person from the ground up why not make every bite count?  It was also greatly spurred on by a litany of food allergies that worsened after the twins were born which got me reading labels.  Some days we do better than others with this stuff .  We are by no means perfect (the twins coincidentally might have even had Cheetos this weekend on vacation).  Here are some more changes we have been striving for around here…

See the first 3 steps I wrote about  HERE.

4) Ditch the lunch meat.  We try to not purchase lunch meat often.  Most of them are full of nitrates and other preservatives, have tons of sodium, are often made with questionable cuts of meat, and quite possibly have MSG.  When I am craving a good grilled panini we splurge on high quality meat (without most of the scary stuff in it) and only occasionally as a “treat.”

We have replaced lunch meat with other forms of protein like hummus, eat leftovers for lunch rather than sandwiches, and made sandwiches out of home made chicken salad (amazing!) or other non “slimy meat” ingredients.

5) Make your own baked goods.  We try to have healthy whole wheat muffins on hand for breakfast, snacks, or cravings for something “sweet.”  Our current favorite is pumpkin chocolate chip.  The kids gobble them up and the whole wheat makes them much more filling than a regular muffin made with white flour.  We also love to make scones, whole wheat cookies, and cinnamon rolls for a very special treat.  Although, most of these would not qualify as “health food” they are much better made from home where you know the ingredients and can make some healthy substitutions.  Most people know that there is some scary stuff (mainly in the form of weird oils and tons of preservatives) in the boxed and wrapped baked goods, but even much of the grocery store baked goods have a lot of weird ingredients.  The fresh baked bread is not always too bad, but things like the plastic clam shells filled with neon cookies and cupcakes are probably pretty questionable.  Check out this link on the wonders of supermarket baked goods.

If you find that you are baking a lot you might even want to consider investing in a grain mill.  I love my Nutrimill!  Fresh ground flour is tastier, but best of all is much more nutritious.  As flour sits it loses nutrition and much of the flour in stores could even be rancid.  Even the way the flour was ground initially can affect its nutrition.  All you have to do is buy wheat berries and run them through the mill and you have flour (you can grind other grains as well).

6) Get the plastic out of the kitchen.  Plastics often contain BPA and other harmful ingredients.  Some of the new plastics are labeled BPA free, but I still prefer other materials when possible.  Glass, metal (stainless steel is great), and ceramics (Fiestaware is lead free) are just so much more attractive and whimsical.  Since the kids were little we have avoided using plastics with BPA in them.  When they were young we had to do a bit of looking at labels, now it is a bit more common to find clearly labeled kids products from big name brands.

*We do however use Ikea’s plastic children’s bowls and plates.  I was told they were BPA free and they are very affordable.

 

I never mean for these posts to make anyone feel like they are not doing enough for their family.  Being a mom is hard!  This is just our SLOW journey.  Some days we do great on these types of things, and other days we are just trying to hang on and survive.

Hope your day was splendid! If not, tomorrow will be a fresh start.

Blessings!

 

What changes have you made in your home?

 

1) Ditch the Teflon pans. Many of us are used to cooking on Teflon.  Its nonstick surface is so appealing.  What is not appealing is the dangerous substance that it is made from.  Have you heard of the “Teflon Flu”?  Apparently it is the fumes that are emitted and inhaled that are the most dangerous (especially for animals).  We are slowly replacing our Teflon pans with other alternatives.  I recommend stainless steel or cast iron.  I have just been buying one piece at a time as I find them cheaply at places like Costco, Kohls (with a coupon), and TJ Maxx.

Here is a link to more info on Teflon

2) Change up your breakfast routine a bit. Instead of serving breakfast cereals, strive to feed your family things like organic oatmeal from scratch (easy), home made whole wheat muffins with fruit in them, yogurt or kefir, eggs, and one or two bigger breakfasts if you like.  It won’t take much more effort at all.  Breakfast is the easiest meal to change up if you are striving to feed your family more healthy whole ingredients.  It is the perfect place to start!

 

3) Skip the High Fructose Corn Syrup. Whats the big deal with HFCS?  I kinda wondered this for awhile too.  I figured it was worth avoiding feeding it to the kids. Over time I have learned more about why I did not like it all along

Here are the reasons why I try to avoid it.

1. It has been linked to many negative health impacts (much like sugar).
2. HFCS can very likely contain mercury. One study states that mercury was found in about half of its tested samples.  That is crazy.
3. It is often a sign that a product is made up of cheap ingredients.  HFCS is a very inexpensive sweetener.  When companies choose it to sweeten their foods they are often choosing other cheep or poor ingredients…which could often point to use of GMO ingredients, MSG (or hidden MSG), trans fats, etc.  By avoiding HFCS you are likely avoiding other bad things.
4. The process to make HFCS is scary.  It sounds like it includes chemicals, chemists tweaking stuff, things that aren’t safe to touch, huge labs, protective gear etc (watch King Corn).  Its no small thing.

More sources on HFCS here and here.  A bit on how it is made here.

Disclaimer-I am no genius. I am just a mom trying to do the best for my family.  Be sure to research things for your own family before making any big changes.

I must tell you all about my new favorite thing. For more months than I would like to admit I have been modifying my “virtual cart” at Azure Standard.  Last week I was finally able to get my first order.  Azure Standard is a co-op of “quality bulk and natural foods”.  They can ship most things to your door, but the best way to order from them is by having your order sent to a “drop point.”

It is like grocery shopping from your couch…for good quality food…at great prices.  What’s not to like?

To get started you can call customer service and tell them your city and see if they deliver to your area, or check out their route information on their site.  Then, ask them for the phone numbers for some people who have “drop sites” in the area.  After calling around and settling on the coordinator that is most convenient for you ask when you need to submit your order by (or try to figure it out online), and when the order will come.

The items come by truck to your drop point and either the driver or coordinator will usually call you to tell approximately you when your things are coming/ have arrived.  Some sites work things a bit differently.  Some drops are in parking lots and some are on porches.

I found it a bit difficult to get started because of all the phone calls that I had to make.  With three small children it was really hard to call the 9 names they gave me to actually figure out which drops where near me.  I attempted a few times, but then got busy and a month or so would pass before I would get back around to it.

The other tricky thing is that most drop sites have to make a minimum order to get delivery.  The first drop I tried was going to be really close to my house, but we did not make the minimum order and I had to switch at the last minute to find a new one.  I ended up doing what I knew I should have done all along and went with a “tried and true” drop that a friend used that always meets their minimum (around$500).  Another thing to be aware of is that I believe most sites require that you meet a personal minimum order of $50 if you are having your items sent to a drop.

Be sure to check out their specials as well.  Their sales span over a two month period.

They carry SO many different types of things.  They carry tons of bulk foods, canned goods, produce, packaged natural/organic yummies, dairy, frozen goods, meats, herbs, health and beauty items, cleaning products, baby things, supplements, pet care items, and more all at great prices.

Here are some more shots of the goods…in case you are as curious as I am about what other people buy when they shop.

Here is what happens after you get all your pretty new glass jars out and start putting your bulk purchases away.  After months of dreaming of this moment…your toddler knocks the oatmeal over.  You bite you lip, try to show grace, and see how fast you can run the price per lb.

 

(In case y’all were wondering, I get nothing for this endorsement. I just am really enjoying my purchases.)

If you have any other questions for this newbie feel free to try me.

Do you order from Azure? What are your favs?

It had been awhile since I have planned a big shopping trip.  I spent the kids nap time going through my coupons, reading blogs for match ups, printing coupons, and planning my stops.  I ended up hitting  Walgreens, LifeSource, and Fred Meyers.  I was quite excited with what I ended up with.  The most exciting part was how I was able to work the recent change in Fred Meyer’s coupon policy.  They are now taking Catalina coupons (the coupons that print out with your receipts at the end of a transaction).  They are reporting that they will take a Catalina from any store, as long as it says “manufacturer coupon” on it.

I was anxious to see if coupons like my Register Rewards from Walgreens would work like it sounded they might…and THEY DID.  I had $12 in RR’s and they just came off my total at Fred Meyers.  This is wonderful news because I was able to use them in the same shopping outing on things like groceries and clothes I needed.   It was so much easier than saving them for my next Walgreen’s trip and trying to figure out what to spend them on (before they expired).  This is another great example of how couponing can even help fund your natural/whole foods budget (disregard the Cheez-Its) .

Here is what I got at F.M.

2 Bags of Kettle chips 2/$5 sale this week

2 bags of organic potatoes 2/$5 sale this week

3 organic pears (not on sale)

2 boxes of Annies mac 10/$10 plus used a manufacturers coupon they had on a tear pad right above which made them about 65 cents

Food Should Taste Good GF multigrain crackers (for retreat) $2 ish after coupon

2 jars of organic baby food (trying new tricks to get baby to eat food)

Yoplait-coupon for free product.

2 dozen “repackaged” eggs.  I had a coupon that would work on any 2 packages of eggs, but they did not have any on a good sale.  I happened to find 2 packages of eggs for 99 cents each.  I asked the guy about them and he said that when an egg breaks in a package, they repackage them and mark them down.  Little shopping trip blessing

2 boxes of Cheez-Its on sale plus used a store coupon and manufacturer coupon.  (Both supposed to be for the Women’s retreat this weekend, but hubby found them and suggested we keep one.)

1 box of Chex for $2 after sale and store coupon (somehow did not get in picture…wonder if I missed others?)

4 pairs of Kids Connection shorts (we especially love the girls ones) and 2 shirts.  On sale for 4.99 each and then an extra 15% off with coupon in the baby sale flier (thanks Sarah!).

Total for all pictured- $40.95 (loved using my Walgreen’s RR’s!)

Here are my purchases from Walgreen’s

Pull-ups-4.99 after Register Rewards and coupon

Baby Magic-Free after RR’s

Colgate-Free after RR’s

Aquaphor lip treatment-free after RR’s and manufacturer coupon

Children’s “tylenol” B1G1 free this week-$4.99 for both

Quaker Oats- Used coupon in ad and manufacturers coupon and got for $1.50

Total for this trip- about $21 out of pocket and got $12 in RR’s

Here are my purchases at LifeSource

Wheat Berries for grinding-$6.55

Little organic oranges for $1.58 they were only 49 cents per lb. !!! GREAT DEAL (Head there soon if you want some)

Organic raspberry kefir on sale for $3.69

Total  $8.72 (after returning glass cream containers and bag discount from bringing my own bag)

Happy shopping! Let me know if you have any questions!