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Monday, August 30, 2010

My Shopping List

With the GST going up in October I'm actually planning on doing as big a shop as I possibly can, aiming for a whole years worth of groceries. Yep its a huge undertaking but I think I can do it! Here is my shopping list so far in case anyone is interested :

Rice
20kg Long Grain Brown Rice
20kg Short Grain Sushi Rice


Grains
25kg Kamut
20kg Barley
10kg Quinoa
10kg Rye
50kg Oats
75kg Spelt


Beans
25kg Black Turtle
25kg Chickpeas
25kg Cannellini
25kg Red Kidney
25kg Navy (Haricot)
25kg Lentils

Seeds
5kg Amaranth
5kg Linseed
5kg Poppy
5kg Sunflower


Nuts
10kg Hazelnuts
10kg Cashews
10kg Peanuts


Misc
1kg Garlic Powder
10kg Tahini

10L Tamari Soy Sauce
30kg Tinned Tomatoes
20kg Lye
10 x 40 pack Toilet Paper


Vinegars
10L Apple Cider Vinegar
10L White Vinegar

Pasta
10kg Macaroni
10kg Fettucine

Oils
25kg Rice Bran Oil
20kg Coconut Oil

Sweeteners/Salt
25kg White Sugar
40kg Rapadura
25kg Raw Sea Salt
40L Maple Syrup
10L Agave Nectar

Baking
10kg Cocoa
50kg Baking Soda
5kg Powdered Milk
5kg Baking Powder
15kg Dark Chocolate Drops
15kg White Choc Drops
5kg Yeast


There are a few other bits and pieces that I can't think of off the top of my head but thats a basic list. Since I have only done a 6 month shop at this point my amounts are a bit of a guesstimate though I'm pretty confident they're accurate to a mnimum 10 months. I'll be dating everything as I open it and making a note in my Homekeeping Notebook so I know for future reference how we did! We'll be putting a beast + a couple of sheep + a rack of $1 chickens from the local egg farm in the freezer, plus any wild rabbits/deer/etc that the big guy and the biggest little guy will bring home so that takes care of meat for the year in case you were wondering.

Here are some of the things I do and/or can make from scratch, using the basic shopping list above:

All cleaning products
Shampoo/conditioner
Soaps
Mama pads (I also use a Mooncup)
Cloth nappies

Pita breads
Paninis
Tortillas
Crepes/Pancakes
Bread loaves
Bread rolls
English muffins
Crumpets
Sourdough starters and products

Tomato sauce
Mayonnaise
Dill mustard
Nut butters
Salad dressings
Chocolate sauce

Muesli
Dried fruits
Fruit rollups/leathers
Canned meat
Sauerkraut
Muesli bars
Biscuits/cakes
Canned fruits
Canned veges

Cheese, different kinds
Cream cheese
Yoghurt
Creme Fraiche (used like sour cream)
Mascarpone

Hmmm lol I know theres more but I can't think of them since I'm not busy actually doing them at the moment...

Anyway feel free to post what you DIY to keep costs down :)

19 comments:

Lindsey said...

I am really only just starting to DIY. I got my Aunt's preserving jars from her on the weekend so looking forward to preserving and making jam, the plum tree has blossoms on it. Just planted some beans today to start my vege garden.
Came in under budget on my monthly supermarket shop on the weekend by following your bulk buying tips and trying to find a wholesaler to try a 6mth shop next month.
I can sew but my SIL's Aunt has twin boys a year older than my oldest and I buy her hand-me-downs which are still in great condition. I got 90% of his winter wardrode for about $20, just had to buy pjs, undies and socks.

Would be very interested to hear how you got on with the dehydrater (sp??). I have never had much success with mine, the apples either tend to be too dry or still moist and therefore go mouldy if not eaten quickly

Jakes Mama said...

Thats fantastic about coming in under budget Lindsey!! Were you pleased?

Yes I get alot of hand-me-acrosses for the boys too, mostly free which is great! I trawl the free bins in secondhand shops too lol sounds awful but I get some great bargains!! I got the biggest little one a jacket that'll last for the next 2 years then be handed on to his brother from the free box. It was in perfect condition except for the zip which still works but the taggy part you pull on is missing. Its a label brand too which is a bonus - call me shallow but I like my kids to look nice even on a tight budget ;)

I'm still experimenting with the dehydrator as I've found the same problem. For my next batch I'm slicing them to the approx thickness of storebrought, dunking them in a citric acid/water mix to keep their colour nice and drying them for about 16hrs. I use the dehydrator overnight so switch it on round dinnertime (5-6pm) and off again the next morning (round 9am). I'll let you know how it turns out :)

Lindsey said...

Yeah I was really happy with being below budget, especially since the last few months I have been about 10% over budget!

Would be interested to know what you do about more perishable items such as butter. I see that you make your own cheese so that is taken care of. Is there anything that you have to buy weekly/monthly?

Jakes Mama said...

I buy my milk fresh every week but otherwise no I can't think of anything I'd have to buy weekly/monthly except for fresh fruit and a vege topup every 3 weeks or so. I always buy boxes of seconds to can/ferment/etc so about $30 worth each shop.

I freeze the bulk of my butter and keep a couple of blocks in my flour bucket coz the flour keeps it nice and cool. I then half and half my butter with oil to make it go further.

heaf said...

I'll just comment on the dried apples, my mum does some in her dehydrator and they turn out awesome! She dunks them in lemon juice to stop them going brown. I'm not sure exactly how many hours she does them for (i know its quite a few) but I know she rotates the trays every few hours to make sure they all dry consistently. They do go slightly and chewy but they are really yummy!

Kel Robinson said...

I'm actually thinking of doing the same.

How do you think the grains are going to keep? Will they go off? I know wholemeal flour has a reasonably short shelf life.

Jakes Mama said...

Hey Kel.
Because they're grains rather than flour I'm expecting that they'll keep well. Everything I've researched about it says they'll be fine. They'll be in a cool, dark, dry place (probably under the cot covered by a blanket haha) and mostly sealed.
You can put bay leaf in your flour to keep it longer and fresher too.

Kel Robinson said...

Ohh ok.

I need to find cool dark places for my potatoes!!

Jakes Mama said...

My tummy??? ;)

Lindsey said...

Out of interest what do your children have for snacks? That is what I am stuck on with the bulk buying. I make the boys muesli bars and cookies and they have fruit, but they also have crackers which won't be able to be bought from the wholesaler. I am out of ideas

Jakes Mama said...

Muesli bars, cookies, fruits, homemade fruit rollups, boiled eggs, rolled pancakes filled with fruit butter, mini quiches, mini fritters, sushi, homemade crackers ;)

Lindsey said...

Homemade crackers? Do you have a recipe you are happy to share?

Jakes Mama said...

I'm working my way through a few actually to find a few different kinds that are easy and yummy.

Heres a basic favourite -
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (or combination of grains – I use 1 cup of millet flour for added grains)
1/4-1/2 cup oil or butter, melted (1/2 cup makes a moist richer flavor. Less will give a dryer crunchier cracker. Butter will make it richer in flavor as well.)
1 cup buttermilk, yogurt, or water and 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
Knead ingredients together till well combined. Divide dough into two portions. Roll each portion into a large rectangle (about 1/16 inch thick). Cut into desired squares and place on a sheet of baking paper. Pierce each square with a fork 2-3 times. Bake in a 210 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly brown.

I'll do a post on my favourite crackers when I finish working through my recipe list :)

Lindsey said...

Thanks for that, it sounds really easy

bonnie said...

I'm curious about buying nuts in bulk as I know they can go rancid quite easily and without knowing it we can be eating nuts with aflatoxin, which can cause liver damage. Do you know any more about this? I want to buy them in bulk but not sure how long they keep for.

Jakes Mama said...

Hi Bonnie,

Nuts are high in oils which does make them go rancid quickly if not stored correctly. If you want to buy in bulk I recommend buying them in their shelld where-ever you can, check they are dried (unless they're direct from the grower they should be), and stored in airtight containers.
Short term storage, where you expect to use them within a month, is fine in your pantry where its cool and away from anything that has strong odour as the nuts take it on.
Mid term storage for nuts to be used within 3 month can be stored in the fridge.
Long term dtorage for nuts to be used 6-12 months later, can be stored in the freezer.

HTH :)

bonnie said...

That really does help, thanks so much! Fantastic to discover your blog btw, it's great :)

Jakes Mama said...

I love moments where I feel smart ;P
Glad I could help and great to know you enjoy the blog - let me know if theres anything you're looking for thats not on here because chances are I have the required recipe or tip tucked away in one of my piles!

Sarah W said...

Alright missy whats your choc sauce receipe? Is hot or cold or both??

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