My Wednes Pantry- Loss Leaders and the Economy

      Not that there's been many ad prices to write home about, but I'm trying to execute a better "stock up and shop my pantry" plan for 2023. Supplemented with just essentials and whole ingredients, I think we can have a healthy and well balanced menu. I hope to at least maintain our previous budget, average of $475, grocery, health, beauty, and household. If I can skinny off 10% or more, all the better. It got me thinking, if enough people do this, will the economy be harmed? Can stores afford this? 

     I came to the conclusion that will never happen. People with busy lives, kids and careers to juggle, social lives, and elder care, are the majority and won't shop this way. Seeing the USDA average budgets tells me this. Personally on my end, if I buy loss leaders at a variety of places, but basics in my local store, I'll hopefully balance out my budget and supporting local stores. I also don't plan on making special runs, but like Saturday, stop on route from somewhere else. 

There's some basics I want to keep on hand at all times:

• Dry beans
• Shelf stable milk and plant milk 
• Flour 
• Sugar 
• Yeast
• Ground flax
• Variety of spices, salt, pepper
• Baking soda and powder
• Oil- olive and vegetables 
• Canned tomatoes 
• Rice
• Assorted pasta
• Assorted canned vegetables and fruit 

     I've been cooking with these, along with loss leaders, fresh and frozen veg and dairy, and lowest cost purchased meat. I'm still buying eggs, but more like a dozen every 2 weeks or so. I'm not saving for baking, but using flax eggs, frozen banana, or other substitutes, or looking for vegan recipes. We like eggs as a protein option and find as a scramble or bake, can stretch with other ingredients. For example the four egg bake, with getting close to gone veg and cheese, fed us both brunch, me a lunch, and we finished using as an egg sandwich between thin slices of toasted homemade bread. That was a delicious breakfast sandwich and quite filling. Here was a use up the remnants of deli meat and a hunk of Colby cheese made on slices of the same homemade garlic and herb bread.

The bread didn't rise much, this was a salad
plate. The bread didn't taste heavy though. These were the last of Christmas cornichons. 

     This is old school to most of you. It's old school revisited to me. I'm trying to see as a fun way to experiment in the kitchen rather than the stress of inflation and the chore of meal prep. DH loved the homemade bread, so I'll try to do weekly. At least for this month. I hope I keep it up as the year goes on.