Use what you got

It is just a week into Raw for me (3 weeks experimenting), and I am definitely noticing an increased cost at the grocery store. In the beginning I bought a number of special items like agave nectar, raw tahini, raw almond butter, coconut oil, gmo-free lecithin and some other odds and ends. I realized these were items that would last beyond the weekly shopping trip, so I tried not to count them in the increased cost at the grocery store.

My first week I decided I would shop for just 3 days of meals and then see how I did and reevaluate what I could really make and how it all went instead of trying to stock up on a week's worth of perishable food. When I got to the check out line my total was over $100. I was shocked. What I ultimately realized is that the food lasted me most of the week because I only ate about 75% raw and ended up eating out for a few of the other meals. I agree with what my friend has said in one of her comments on her raw food blog, Cabin Blendings. She said, "I spend a lot of money on food, especially produce. But I love food, and I decided that my happiness and health are worth the expense." and I agree with her.

Oh Yeah, I Remember You

One thing I have tried to do it choose recipes that only call for special ingredients that I already have. For example, I am choosing a new dessert to make today, and I am only going to choose one that calls for agave nectar because I already have a jar. Also, I have noticed that I have a few kitchen items that I hadn't previously used as much that are surfacing in my everyday raw food life.

Citrus Press

I have a hand-press citrus juicer that my mom gave me a while back that I rarely used. Now, nearly every recipe calls for either lime or lemon juice.

Lettuce Keeper

A few months ago I finally got this lettuce keeper from Bed Bath and Beyond because my leafy greens kept going bad before I could get to them. I am finding this lettuce keeper to be very helpful since I have increased the amount of leafy greens I eat in smoothies and salads

ChicoBag Produce Bags

I have been using the reusable produce bags from ChicoBag for a little less than a year. It's great because I don't get plastic produce bags at the store, but I still have a way to keep them fresh and crisp in the fridge. These have become especially helpful as my consumption of vegetables has increased. My only complaint is that they don't keep certain veggies crisp quite as long as plastic bags, which is not a huge issue since I am shopping twice a week. I started of with the "starter kit", of course, but I ended up actually using the Produce Bag Repete the most, so I bought a set of three of them.