Changes in Grocery Shopping

I have been trying to "streamline" and simplify my grocery shopping lately to make it more predictable (and to make it easier on the kids!), as well as looking for pastured dairy, meat, and poultry. I would just shop at HEB in Marble Falls, but they don't carry a LOT of things that I buy. I LOVE Whole Foods, but it is really far away and always crowded/stressful. I have decided to go back to shopping at Sun Harvest. My plan is to use them for my major shopping (instead of going to 2-3 stores in one trip), use HEB in Marble Falls when I'm there for work (for a few as needed household items; not regularly), and to use a delivery service for my meat, dairy, and poultry. I just found it the other day (by picking up an EdibleAustin magazine from Whole Foods). They are brand new- http://www.farmhousedelivery.com/. I haven't figured out if they deliver out here (their delivery is free, if so!), and their website isn't working right at the moment, but if I can schedule a pick up while I'm in town to go to Sun Harvest, that would be fine too. They sell only pastured meat (beef, bison, lamb, pork), dairy (milk, cheese, etc), eggs, and poultry. They also sell produce shares, but for now I'm just going to continue buying it at Sun Harvest, and if our garden works out, I will have that produce! I may decide to start buying shares if I like what's in it! :)

Robert let me get out of the house by myself last night, so I went into town and checked out Sun Harvest again since it's been a little while since I've been there. Their organic whole grain berries are CHEAP. Their organic hard red winter wheat is 89 cents a pound, and their organic hard white winter wheat is 79 cents a pound!! They also have organic kamut, quinoa, etc in their bulk section at reasonable prices. We're buying a grain mill attachment for my stand mixer soon; I'm so excited! :) The store is so much more peaceful and laid back compared to Whole Foods, and they actually have better prices on a lot of things (including organic pasture butter!). So, I made the right choice. They don't have the selection that Whole Foods has (and they don't have the milk that I buy), but they have (almost) everything that I need.

I have been thinking a lot about the farmer's market that I posted about, and I've decided not to rely on it as one of my regular sources for groceries. I very rarely go into town on Saturdays, so it would be difficult to get into that new routine... Plus, if I can find everything that I need/want elsewhere, I would rather do that. I may shop there every once in a while, but as of now, it's not going to be my regular shopping place.

I will still use Vitacost for formula (although, they have gone up considerably! from 8.79 to 10.28! yuck!), coconut oil, honey (if I don't buy it at HEB), and personal care products. I just can't find anywhere to beat their prices. I'm considering using http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ for coconut oil, but I would have to buy a gallon at a time, so I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet! :)