Bored bored bored!

I have now been sick for five days and am bored out of my mind. But you know what they say about colds: 3 days to come, 3 days to stay, and 3 to go away. Tomorrow it should be going away since on Sunday I started to feel weird, but it was just the sickness.... anywho.

I am very excited I got a call from the food coop I applied to yesterday and had a phone interview. I am so excited. This would be my dream job!

So today I wanted to talk about the ridiculous amounts people spend on crappy food. There is so much chemically grossness out their that people pay an arm and a leg for that is just not worth it. What ever happened to cooking? Even if you are a person who doesn't buy into the organic hormone free food movement, there is tremendous savings in cooking moderately chemicaled food. I understand that if you don't know how to cook it can be really daunting especially when you need seasonings and basics so here are my tips to you:

1. Go to a health food store or food coop for seasonings. You can buy very small amounts. I know especially if it is a seasoning I am not familiar with I buy a couple of tablespoons worth and it is normally less than a quarter.
2. Some of these same stores offer oils and peanut butter etc. in bulk so you can buy exactly what you need. You will need to purchase a container or buy one though.
3. Bulk sections for pasta, flour, rice, beans, sugar, salt etc. Again you are only paying for what you need and you are not buying packaging.
4. Buy things you like. It will do you no good to cook a meal that you know you do not like. It only makes you frustrated! I do not like curry. If I were to make curry I would throw it out therefore I do not get things to make curry. However I love chicken marsala. So I make at lease a double batch of that when I cook it so I have leftovers to eat for days, bring someone a home cooked meal, or freeze.
5. Make coffee at home. It is easy and cheap. I am not saying don't splurge on a sleeping bear mocha from waterstreet coffee joint every once in a while but every day for a month would cost you $168. Coffee(the really good stuff) + reusable mug(if your buying it for the first time) + cream + sugar = Approximately $20 a month, $15 if you already have the mug, cheaper if you don't want good coffee and cream.
6. Bring water from home. Again buying a bottled water every day for a month over $31. To bring it from home all you need is a vessel to put it in. I have a cup that looks like a reusable fast food soda cup it was $7.

So these are some of the tips I am incorporating in my quest to live cheaply. I am trying to do this as organically as possible, but when mom hands me a bag full of non organic yummy pasta stuff who am I to say no:)

Have a great day

Bitha