Cultivating

This week I discovered that even the Amish go to the supermarket. So it looks like there is me and that tribe who have yet to be discovered in Southern Borneo who are not going to one. I was further surprised to learn that some Amish sects are even allowed to go to Pizza Hut- yes in a horse and buggy and can not get deliveries, but pizza particularly from Pizza Hut is allowed by the Bishops. This I can totally understand, Pizza Hut is great. Although I can totally recommend Crusty’s Pizzas in Beaky and several others in the greater northern region of Tassie. But surely their ethos and way of life is more akin to small scale shopping and growing their own.

During the week, on one of my many weekly discussions (or rants) on why I don’t go to the supermarket it was suggested that I do not need to go to the supermarket as I am growing my own food.

Sorry it took a second for me to pick myself back up off the floor. In no manner have I ever produced something from the garden fit for consumption. Presently our garden produces two things poo and a nice view.

There is a photo of the nice view, you may need to trust me on the poo. We are country folk and the garden is full of native visitors, birds, possums, wombats, wallabys and the occasion kangaroo. They all pop in (the possums screech across the roof), chew on a bit of grass, leave a deposit and go.

I, like every other Australian, have notions about growing my own veggies and having some chooks, but may leave that till retirement, only another 35 years to go

 

Vegan's For Lunch

Last week fortune shined and we had a public holiday- I say we and as in the kids and I, Mark works in town where the show is celebrated in November. It is truly a point of cultural difference. So on our day of days we had Vegans over for lunch. 

How did I meet Vegans?  Well… as the kids are just a little stir crazy at home, when I’m not at work and they are not at child care- we are at playgroup. We have made some great friends and play mates that are different to my other friends.  I started going when we lived in England and I realised- wow I have no friends with kids and a tiny lounge room with a busy little lad. When I had a new born and a 14 month old toddler playgroup was my saving grace. We do a local playgroup and when I’m off we do Steiner playgroup in town.

I must admit that despite my family being 25% vegetarian having a family of vegans over was a little daunting. The vegetarian diet at ours is full of cheese, eggs, pasta and milk. So finding something fit all tastes- including 3 toddlers. So I made Vegan Spanakopita- taking out ricotta with vegan cheese (surprisingly sold at the Beaky IGA) and vegan filo. 

It was good- (the photo does not make it look great), even the kids ate it. Although it was a bit awkward when my kids wanted a yogurt and hadn’t planned on a vegan toddler who would be left out. Turns out the answer to this dilemma are sultanas.

I say bring on more holidays and summer!

Down, Down, Prices are Down

It has been a month since I have heard the “down, down prices are down,” ringing in my head. It has been more time consuming and marginally more expensive, but an exciting consequence is eating more fruit and vegetables.  

In some dramatic periods of reflection (alternatively called the drive to work) I was thinking about how when we lived in Japan and rarely went to the supermarket. Although it was a diet largely based on copious amounts of alcoholic beverages, it was local veg shop (which was under the highway), the occasional food hall, small local shop, convenience stores and fish mongers that I made all purchases.  So I have dived into the archives and found some photos of some of the greatest food in the world. 

Tako :)

I see an egg, some pink and maybe a potato cake.

Nabae- or as we call it stew

Yakiniku

Last one is my favourite, takoyaki. 

Arm and a Leg

We have had a massive week here.  A birthday, a new job, holidays, and my two year old has started asking to go to the “Big banana shop,” (translated as the Legana supermarket) and getting upset when we drive right past.  

Unsurprisingly, not shopping at the supermarket is expensive. Mark came back from the IGA with what seemed like half a bag of shopping and was $170 lighter for the experience.  I have no idea how much we normally spend on food, nappies and red frogs in a week. The word "budget" gets bandied about occasionally around here and is greeted like a bad smell. Now I’m not going to the supermarket and I am really not well organised, the little small trips add up.

So this week I made a shopping list and a menu planner. I was really pleased with myself, to the point where I was telling one of the mums at playgroup, to which I was simply told 'everyone does this.' Well great, I am just like everyone and they should also be very proud.  So proud I took a photo.  

Armed with my list I went to the Veggie Shed, Beaky Butcher, Baker and IGA and for less than $100 have everything for the week - including nappies and Diet Coke. Whether or not everyone enjoys it, is another story - possibly next week’s.   

How Dare you Question me ;)

I am very excited that over a thousand people read my first blog entry- it turned up on an Arabic version of Stumble Upon and was read by what google tells is a small area in the UAE. As a reult there have been some questions asked about what I am doing. So I have tried to answer them!

Does the IGA count? I say if you get served by the owner of the store, it’s not a bad place to shop. Our local is pretty small and nice. I am staying away from big multinational/Australian supermarkets Coles and Woolworths (is our Tassie choices).  

When will you write your blog? I hope to do one a week, hopefully on a Sunday night.

Does your husband know you are using his computer? Yes and it’s annoying him, he has another- but he would rather this one with the internet dongle.  

What kind of work do you do at night, and is it sexy work? No it’s defiantly not that- I’m a psychologist mainly doing emergency assessments.

Did you just have a crap trip to the supermarket? I have had many, but I just want to see if an average family can buy what they need to survive without going to a supermarket, going broke and losing the will to live.

So this week I visited a road side fruit stand for apples, pears, eggs and strawberries. Bakery surprisingly for bread! Bought some terrific sun dried tomato and bush pepper sausages from the butchers- amazing.  The best thing was some terrific non-alcoholic beers at Salamanca, ginger, raspberry and chilli lime!

J

No More!

Simple - I am not going to the supermarket anymore. Before I start it should be noted I am not a millionaire and going to get my caviar shipped to my door. I am just another ordinary person, but I hate the supermarket. I hate that the food can be old, you have to wait for them to serve you or even have to serve yourself. I hate that I can't fit two toddlers and food in a trolley. I hate that they hide the milk and that staff look like they want to die or stab you. I hate that people are shouting at each other, their kids and to the woman who is day dreaming in the aisle. I hate it.

I did at a time enjoy it! We used to live in England and more importantly over the road from what was for a time Manchester's biggest Tesco. Twenty four hours a day we could get tv's, nappies, beer, sleeping bags or bathers (all of these items were purchased). The English and furthermore the British nation know supermarkets.

We live now at the beach in Tassie, but we both work in town (granted two separate towns) so it is decidedly easier and cheaper to go to the supermarket. I work shifts and weekends, so its obviously easier to go there, then wait for our local shop to be open or go to the butcher, baker and candlestickmaker. We also can't get shopping delivered, which has been suggested. I also know people who work at supermarkets, and I am not saying everyone stop going there and let these people have no job/let everyone with coles myer shares go bankrupt, it's just that I am not going there anymore and I probably won't be missed.

So this is just a blog to for me to tell people about how I am not going there and how to do it/not to do it, as I embark on my journey.