February Food Budget $192.92

My friend Theresa gave me all of this stuff.  Lettuce, bok choy, tangerine, apples, potatoes and sweet potatoes.  All organic! Thank you Theresa!!! Hope you enjoy your little surprise I left you!!

NEW SEASON'S

$4.99 Puget Sound Jam (ran out of my homemade kind & this is a local company. Cool container to reuse too!)Not organic but local
$2.89 Brown Sugar (bulk .99 per lb)
$2.49 Organic Corn Polenta (bulk $2.19 per lb)
$2.20 Organic Amaranth ($2.29 per lb bulk)
$2.15 Laundry Soap (bulk)
$3.19 Chili Powder (bulk $10.99 per lb)
$2.16 Holiday Dark Chocolates (bulk 5.99 per lb)
$1.99 Organic Onion 3lb bag (that's .66 cents per lb)
$1.24 Organic Brussels sprouts (sale $1.79 per lb)
.78 Organic Garlic ($5.99 per lb)

Total minus bag credit-$23.93

I'm trying out the amaranth to see if we like it.  Dark chocolate candies are mine.  I love me some dark chocolate!

I found these little pretties in the clearance section at New Season's.  Last week they were 30% off so I'm glad I held out till now.  They were $19.99 and at 50% off I paid only $9.99 for them. Woot woot! Handmade by third world artisans, Andes Gifts products are fair trade.  I am a happy camper!

WHOLE FOODS

$1.69 Crunchy Pretzels (1 lb bag. Girls snacks in their lunches)
$1.99 Hemp Chocolate Milk
$1.99 Organic Vanilla Oat Milk
$1.99 Organic Almond Milk
$2.71 Organic Lima Beans
$1.49 Sunshine Dairy Half n Half (local!)
$3.99 Vanilla Coconut Milk
$3.39 Rose Valley Butter (sale! Plus a local company)
$1.67 Sunshine Dairy 3 small yogurts (.89 cents each coupon $1 off of 3)
$2.79 Organic Vanilla Yogurt 
$4.99 White Rice 5lbs
$1.47 Mushrooms (bulk)
$1.00 Sunshine Dairy Sour Cream ($1.50 sale .50 cents off coupon)
$3.49 Can't say Sour Cream
$5.79 Natural Beef Chuck ($4.79 per lb sale)

Total-$40.44

Grand total-$64.37

Beef Chuck -Whole Foods was having a sale on this beef.  In the prepackaged area it was sliced up and ready to go in a meal. They were packaged in Styrofoam (I'm sure is biodegradable) and covered with a plastic film. NOPE!  When I went to look to see if they had cut up beef in the deli area, I had no luck.  They only had large pieces.  So I asked the deli worker if he could slice one of the large pieces in half and wrap it in paper. I should of watched because I found a small piece of plastic (they use to pick up the meat) which I was trying to avoid in the first place. Urrr. Anyways here is what I did with this meat.

I took the meat and cut off all the fat. I know it gives it more flavor (I can hear you yelling at me already lol) but I just can't eat it. Puke! I give those tid bits to my dog and she enjoys it 100%. 

Next I cut up the meat across the grain of the meat.  This way its easier to chew later on when I use it.  I split the pound and a half of meat into thirds.  We don't eat much meat and it makes my money go further.  It's not about how much you have if you ask me. Its quality! Frankly I'm getting sick of ground beef and pork so this is a good change.  I wrapped these up in natural wax paper (biodegradable of course!) and put them in the freezer.  Each pack cost me $1.93 per meal. Not bad!

Also I decided to go dairy free to see if it helps my allergies.  You all recommended this to me so today will be my first dairy free day.  Wish you could see my sad face right now. I'm really sad. I love my dairy. Mostly sour cream. Sniff Sniff.

I found a dairy sour cream substitute called WayFare Sour Cream 100% Dairy free.  Its made from lima beans, oats, rice, oat bran, coconut oil, safflower oil, tapioca and sea salt.  All non GMO and vegan.  I'll let you know later how it taste.  At $3.49 it better taste damn good!