I said I'd be posting more, so I have to follow through on that promise - whether you like it or not.
The husband and I just got back from a week-long vacation to the gorgeous Carolina's! We got to celebrate his brother's wedding - that was at a castle!! We did some road tripping down to Charleston, SC - saw my dad's navy ship, Fort Sumter, laid on the beach {got really sunburned}, explored City Market, rode on a carriage, went to Middleton Place and ate a lot of really good food [and some not so good food, too...]
BUT when we got home, we came home to a completely empty refrigerator!! I think we had a little bit of cream left, some oranges and a wonderful selection of condiments waiting for us.
So, I had to do some heavy duty grocery shopping this morning. And I wanted to share with ya'll {sorry, still got some southern with me, I guess} some of my requirements and necessities that I buy almost every time I go grocery shopping without doubt. These are my items that could just stay permanently on my list.
- Number one on my list are eggs! Now, I'm being completely honest, I do not buy organic, pastured eggs... so shoot me. My budget isn't that nice to me and I would rather keep my kidneys. BUT this is a good runner-up. They're fortified with the goods and they come in 18 packs - we go through a LOT of eggs a week, so I buy at least 2 of these packages. Today I bought an extra dozen for my breakfast (recipe below).
- Next, I always buy yogurt. It's just required in my book. I usually have yogurt now for a snack with some fruit or just a touch of honey in it. I used to eat yogurt for breakfast, but lately with this pregnancy thing, I just don't have the taste for it in the morning - funny how you change.. Again, this isn't usually an organic choice for me but I have to do my best. I have searched and searched, and then searched again, for a full-fat yogurt at my closest grocery stores without luck... and without having to drive two cities over to get full-fat deliciousness, this is my next option.
- Another gem that I've come across is this fabulous peanut butter. The biggest annoyance is when you buy a healthy, natural peanut butter and then you have to take 2 whole entire minutes just to stir the stuff! For real, who has time for that?! {No sarcasm here, folks} But honestly, I don't have time for that.. This is a great option! It only has peanuts and salt in the ingredients and you don't have to stir it! You still need to keep it refrigerated but I don't mind that part. No yucky trans fats or added sugar here!
- Last, but for sure not least, is my ultimate favorite item. I just get happy every time I put it in my cart. It starts with an 'H' and ends in 'eavy cream'. Any guesses?! Not organic again - and I keep mentioning this with some of these items because when you are choosing any animal products you have to just remember that non-pastured cows or chickens are given hormones and fed corn [and who knows what else] that gets stored in their fat - so you are essentially eating that stuff,too. So full-fat organic dairy and pastured, organic eggs/meat are definitely going to be worth the splurge if you're wanting to get the best quality foods you can buy (obviously I'm not taking my own advice, but it would do your body good if you did). Alright, that's my disclaimer... here's the goods:
So those are a few of the usual for me. But I can't post these few items without saying that I fill my refrigerator up every week with a TON of fruits and veggies. When you don't buy bread, pasta, crackers, cereal, pretzels, oatmeal, fruit snacks, granola bars or anything else that comes in a box you can afford to buy a bunch of fresh fruits and veggies.
Now, coming off of a long vacation of eating out and travel munchies that weren't such great choices, I think I was in desperate need of some fresh stuff... I may have gone a bit overboard...
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| I just realized this photo is really not in focus.. but this is all packed away now so you'll have to deal... |
Most of these fruits and veggies came from Aldi with the exception of some avocados and the apples. Aldi is the shiz.
I bought: oranges, cantaloupe, pineapple, apples, bananas, broccoli, celery, cauliflower, spinach, cilantro, sweet potatoes, avocados, mini peppers, tomatoes, jalapenos
This selection will definitely last longer than a week - guaranteed.
Ok, really, this is the last thing that is my most treasured thing in the world {maybe that's going a little extreme}, but it's something that I've started to make every weekend in prep for the week.
Two words: Egg. Bake.
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, yogurt, [and waffles and pancakes, but that's a secret.. not really]. My husband makes fun of me because of my love of this concoction. I could eat it for every meal, but I try really hard not to.
This is my makeshift recipe. Use this as a basis and get creative with what you like. Use different cheeses, add more veggies like tomatoes, peppers, spinach or broccoli. Add different herbs and spices. Try ham or sausage instead of bacon - or, heck, put all of those things in there! Whatever you like, throw it in.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter to grease the pan
Uncooked hash browns (the kind you buy by the eggs in the store, not in the freezer section that are pre-fried)
8-12 eggs (honestly I've used 8, I've used 10, and I've used 12.. the cooking time might vary by a few minutes but this is pretty flexible)
1 cup of cream or milk (give or take, I usually eyeball it)
1 cup shredded cheese
1/8 cup chopped green onions
Salt and pepper to taste
3 slices of cooked bacon
Directions:
1. Grease a 13x9 in. pan with butter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
2. Layer hash browns on the bottom of the pan - my layer is usually just enough so I don't see the bottom of the pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl add the eggs and cream/milk and whip them up a bit
4. Add to the eggs the cheese, salt and pepper, onions
5. Pour the egg mixture into the pan on top of the hash browns
6. Add the bacon on top - I press the bacon into the egg a little bit so it doesn't get burnt or cooked too much when it's in the oven
7. Put the pan in the oven for approx. 30 minutes
This takes me about a half hour to prep (including the time it takes to make the bacon), then a half hour of baking time. Pretty simple.
And this recipe gives me breakfast for the whole week, if my hubby lets me have it all to myself.
Well, there you have it. My favorite things when it comes to food. I find that getting into a good routine with meal planning, grocery shopping, and prepping for the week makes me the most successful to eat real foods.
{Here's to MN warming up to some spring/summer weather!}
