Going Back To Basics

We survived our 4-day impromptu processed food diet. Just.

Time to go back to basics.

This is an experiment I’ve had planned for a while. Looking for the ideal week to try it out, this week seemed as good as any. Better in fact, as we had just emptied a fridge of ready-meals.

Having recently reduced the weekly grocery spend by 50%, I’ve been very impressed with the quality and price of products at the supermarket I’ve been using.

But, there’s been a nagging doubt in the back of my mind. I’d like to eat more local produce whilst supporting local farmers.

Reusable bags in hand, I whipped round the farm shop I’d visited a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t tally up prices as the items hit my trolley. Instead I stuck to my grocery list of the basic ingredients I’d drawn up to feed the family for the next 6 days.

I’m getting pretty good at this. My bill came to £49.94.

I resisted all temptation to pop the produce in plastic bags, and even remembered to take a container for the minced beef. Although the server insisted on plastic wrapping the container (?), which I thought a little strange. There’s no getting away the obsession with plastic wrapping cucumber, even here. Once again it came wrapped. I may stop buying it.

Overall I was pleased with my purchases and my shopping experience. The butcher gave me some time to chat through the meat products and their heritage. And above all I got to meet Lucy. Check out Facebook!

I did have to pop elsewhere on the way home to buy a few items that are a must here at Chez Wright.

This increased my bill by a further £3.74. And I’ll need additional milk also.

How basic am I going? I’d say 80% basic with some shortcuts such as cereal, cordial and chocolate. I’ll be making meals from scratch, as well as baking bread, cakes and biscuits. I will, however, be saving hand-making pasta and yoghurt for another week, when I’m feeling more confident. And I doubt I’ll ever be a dairy farmer, so it’s a given I’ve purchased milk, butter and cheese. As for flour…you get the picture!

I’ll be posting more about the experiment on Tuesday (plus a giveaway). It’s going well so far. The Kids love getting stuck in…

There are added benefits to making from scratch – I even managed to turn baking biscuits into a maths lesson.