http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blog.php A discussion forum community for saving money on organic groceries; and helping consumers better understand environmental issues and green living. en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:50:55 GMT vBulletin 720 http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blog.php http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/cpnsrfree-/107-quest-cents.html Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:56:05 GMT Sprouts Farmers Market Deals 07/01-07/08 Sprouts Farmers Market Deals 07/01-07/08
]]> CpnsRfree$ http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/cpnsrfree-/107-quest-cents.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/jujubee/104-i-cant-stop.html Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:07:02 GMT I can't seem to stop making reconstructed skirts for dd.

I found this cute plaid skirt at a yard sale this weekend for .50, and I just knew it had to be made into another skirt for dd. Besides, learning to sew on a .50 item is a great way to go!

This was a women's Limited size 2. I picked out the zipper and cut across the top as you can see:



The sewing part is really easy: Just fold over and iron 1/4 in, then 1/2 in to make a casing for your elastic (using 5/8 in elastic). Top-stitch around the casing and leave a small opening unsewn so that you can thread your elastic through.

Measure the waist of the child for your elastic, and thread it through the sewn casing using a safety pin.

Sew your elastic ends together, and then sew the opening closed.

That's it!



DD has learned to sew buttons at school, so she was very excited to sew a button on her new skirt. :smile5:

This skirt had a back pocket that was a perfect little pouch. We used the draw-string from the original waist to make a strap, and dd drew her initial on paper which I traced out on some remaining fabric and attached to the pouch with double-sided fusible webbing.

The final product:



DD loves it! ]]> jujubee http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/jujubee/104-i-cant-stop.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/jujubee/102-easter-skirt-recon.html Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:01:32 GMT I started with dd’s first Easter outfit – a size 18mos reversible jumper: Image: http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u284/jujubee999/P1020017-1.jpg Image: http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u284/jujubee999/P1020019-1.jpg And cut it down to make a skirt: Image: http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u284/jujubee999/P1020020-1.jpg I am thrilled at the outcome! Since the skirt is reversible, it’ll get lots of wear this summer. Image: http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u284/jujubee999/P1020025-2-1-1.jpg ]]> Determined not to spend any money for dd's Easter outfit, I decided to take on a reconstructed clothing challenge. Mind you, my sewing skills are rudimentary at best, and since this recon involved a garment I have loved and cherished and held near and dear in the closet for 4 years, it was a risky undertaking.

I started with dd’s first Easter outfit – a size 18mos reversible jumper:





And cut it down to make a skirt:



I am thrilled at the outcome! Since the skirt is reversible, it’ll get lots of wear this summer.


]]> jujubee http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/jujubee/102-easter-skirt-recon.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/jujubee/101-reconstructing-clothing.html Wed, 15 Apr 2009 03:34:16 GMT For the past several months I have been obsessively following bloggers who reconstruct clothing. That is, taking an old unworn/unwearable piece of clothing and making something useful/wearable out of it. I am continually amazed at the many creative outcomes I come across. Reconstructing clothing keeps items out of landfills, and can also save money by extending the life of an item.

Finally, after much ooh-ing and ahh-ing over others' reconstructions, I got up the nerve to try it myself.

Here is a yellow woman's tunic I found at a thrift store for $1.50. The bright yellow just screamed Summer! to me, and I thought it would be perfect as a beach cover -up for dd. It was size XS, and the elastic band under the bosom was already in place. All I did was cinch up the bodice and sew it closed. No before pic, but here is an after shot:



Next up was an old skirt of mine that I loved once upon a time before my body reshaped itself after dd was born. :whistle:



An easy adjustment since it already had a draw-string waist. I simply added elastic in the casing, and cut and hemmed the bottom.



A perfect new summer skirt for dd!

Obviously she loved the yellow cover-up - she didn't want to take it off for the skirt pic, lol. ]]> jujubee http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/jujubee/101-reconstructing-clothing.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/jujubee/100-vital-stats.html Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:42:14 GMT Name: Julee

Age: 34

Home State: Kentucky

Occupation: Student

Marital Status: Married

Pets: One 11-yr old cat.

Little Known Factoids: I once saved a man's life on a date by performing the Heimlich.

Favorite Money Saving Tips: Look for organic produce on markdowns at your local grocer. Most items will stay fresh long past their sell-by date. If you find a great deal, learn what you can freeze.

Stores I shop at the most: Kroger, Meijer ]]> jujubee http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/jujubee/100-vital-stats.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/99-thai-green-curry-meatless-monday.html Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:37:10 GMT Thai Green Curry is one of my favorite dishes to make at home for hubby and I. It's loaded with healthy veggies, doesn't require a lot of ingredients, and comes together in about half an hour. If you've never had Thai Green Curry, it's got a thick, sweet sauce made of coconut milk and green curry paste. Because there are chile peppers in the green curry paste, it's also got a little bit of heat to it.



My family likes it without meat, which is great because it keeps the cost down and we can use whatever veggies we have on hand. (This is a great meal for polishing off some of the items in a summer CSA box!)

Here's how I make my Thai Green Curry:

Step 1: Open the fridge and find some vegetables. This is green curry so I like mostly green vegetables. I used: green beans, broccoli, thinly sliced carrots, bell pepper, and snow peas. You can use what you want or what you have. I don't recommend using frozen vegetables. They're going to turn out mushy because of the excess water content from the freezing process.


Step 2: Start preparing the rice according to the package directions. You can use brown rice (it will take longer), but this is a dish that's best with white rice, so it's a special treat. Also, this is a Thai curry so I like to use jasmine rice, but any white rice will do. I also use a rice cooker-- it saves me time, the rice never sticks or burns, and it wasn't very expensive. White rice will take about 20 minutes to cook which will give you plenty of time to finish up the rest of the meal.


Step 3: Cut up the vegetables. I'm using a mixture of sturdy veggies (broccoli, carrots, and green beans) as well as delicate veggies (bell pepper and snow peas). All of the vegetables should be chopped up to be bite sized. Keep the sturdy veggies separate from the delicate veggies. You'll need a few cups of vegetables.

Step 4: Cook the veggies. Put the sturdy vegetables into a large pan over medium heat. There's no need to use oil, but you can add a little bit to the pan if it makes you feel more confident that your food won't stick to the pan, or use a bit of olive oil cooking spray. Cook the sturdy vegetables for a few minutes (4-5) over medium/medium-low heat until they start to heat through. Things like broccoli and green beans will get a darker shade of green. If your veggies burning or looking dry, turn down the heat. If your veggies start to look soggy, turn down the heat. Once your sturdy vegetables have a head start on the cooking, you can go to the next step.

Step 5: Add the coconut milk to the pan and stir. Brand doesn't really matter, this was just the cheapest available at my organic market when I last stocked up. Curries are runny (and traditionally eaten with a spoon in Thailand), so don't go thinking you've screwed up by not including enough veggies. Your curry should look like a cream soup with lots of veggies in it.

Step 6: Add the green curry paste to the pan and stir into the coconut milk. I prefer the Thai Kitchen green curry paste because it has an authentic flavor. Another plus is that it doesn't contain fish sauce, which I'm not terribly fond of anyway, so it's great for vegetarians! Thai Kitchen also puts out coupons on a regular basis, so I can get it at a discount. A note about green curry paste- it's made with green chile peppers, so it does have a slight kick to it. If you're not especially fond of really spicy food, only use a teaspoon or two. Since you're mixing this with coconut milk, which is a fat, it's going to cut the heat down a lot so the result is a very mild sauce. If you like your curries hotter, you'll want to add more paste and may also want to consider mincing up some jalapeno or Thai chiles to add to your sauce.

Step 7: Add the delicate veggies to the pan and stir to combine everything. If your curry is bubbling and spitting at you, turn down the heat. This is a low-heat process. Your vegetables should be al dente and still have a little bit of a bite to them when they make it to your plate. Depending on what you've got for the delicate vegetables, you'll need a couple of minutes at most to heat them through. At this step in the cooking process, I also like to add a little fresh basil. It's not mandatory, but it will make your dish a little more special if you happen to have some available. Fresh herbs grow really well on window-sill pots and the seeds are very cheap.

Step 8: Check your rice. At this point your rice should be finished. Whether you're cooking it on the stove top, or a rice cooker, you'll just want to fluff it with a fork.

Step 9: Serve up your meal. Put a spoonful of rice in the middle of the plate and ladle the vegetables and curry sauce over the rice. You should be able to feed 3-4 off of this amount of ingredients.

Step 10: Devour and enjoy! In Thailand, curries are traditionally eaten with a spoon so feel free to use whatever utensil works best for you. ]]> kristen.c http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/99-thai-green-curry-meatless-monday.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/bettyboop/96-honey-allergies.html Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:03:59 GMT How much honey do you take per day to help with allergies????? How much honey do you take per day to help with allergies????? ]]> bettyboop http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/bettyboop/96-honey-allergies.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/jdb525/95-all-natural-sweetener-stevia.html Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:52:15 GMT I just started using Stevia Extract and absolutely LOVE it! This no calorie, all natural sweetener is delicious in my teat and coffee. I even started baking with it. Since my mom is diabetic, I tend to find new products to help her with her diet. This product is available at grocery stores but if you cannot find it there, it's sold directly on their site. Check out
stevia has been around for more than 3 decades but it's a great new delcious way to sweeten your drinks or foods. If you haven't tried it yet, try it now! :) ]]> jdb525 http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/jdb525/95-all-natural-sweetener-stevia.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/94-eco-crafting-pin-cushions-bottle-caps.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:56:28 GMT A few days ago I was browsing the internet and found a Flickr tutorial that shows how to make a pincushion base out of a soda bottle cap. DH brings home lots of these from the recycling bins at work so I can use the coke codes, and I usually toss the caps back into our recycling bins once I've entered the codes. Not anymore!





I made two pin cushions- the ladybug is out of a sports drink sized cap, and the bumble bee is out of a traditional plastic soda bottle cap.

So why is this craft eco-friendly? In addition to reusing the bottle cap, the felt I used is made from recycled soda bottles. (You can get it at JoAnn's.) The stuffing I used for the inside of the pin cushion is from a bed pillow that has seen better days and one that I replaced with a newer, firmer pillow. Instead of tossing it right away, I kept it around in the closet to see if I could do something with it.

I can't wait to make more of these. They're very cheap to make, incredibly easy, and too cute for words.

If you're interested in learning how to make one for yourself, check out the following links to the original tutorials.

How to do the base:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/verybig...7594099768007/

Adding a ladybug on top:
http://flickr.com/photos/verybigjen/...7594386788217/

Simple tutorial with decorative stitches:
http://www.craftstylish.com/item/945...ty-pincushions ]]> kristen.c http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/94-eco-crafting-pin-cushions-bottle-caps.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/buddy-the-elf/93-buddys-first-blog.html Fri, 12 Dec 2008 01:12:21 GMT Today was such a big day! It's 2 weeks until Christmas, which means last night all of the elves were up late prepping the reindeer on this year's flight plan.

We did the dry run, but it's been hard without Rudolph. (He's been a little under the weather this past week.) All of the other reindeer just want to laugh and play reindeer games, but they don't understand that the practice run is almost as important as Christmas eve. :harried1:

Tonight, we have the Elfin' sponsored pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-Christmas party. Thankfully there are only 13 more of those to go. Phew...I don't know how much more late-night drinking I can handle! :party1:Some of the elves are under so much stress they've been hitting the high-fructose corn syrup a little harder than usual this year. It's hard to maintain the holiday cheer and non-stop energy without a little something extra! That HFCS is something else, I tell ya! ]]> Buddy the Elf http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/buddy-the-elf/93-buddys-first-blog.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/92-warm-spinach-salad-great-winter-lunches.html Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:25:46 GMT If you're anything like me, winter is a time of feeling sluggish and tired with little energy to do much else. I'm a soup and salad kind of person, but I find myself shying away from salads in the colder months because they leave me feeling unsatisfied and still hungry, which leads to unhealthy snacking later in the day.

One of my favorite winter salads is a spinach and tomato salad. It's served warm, so it warms your belly when you eat it and leaves you feeling full. Since spinach is so healthy for you-- full of fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients that help guard your body from the winter sniffles-- you can eat a lot of it without feeling guilty. Tomatoes are also great because of their anti-oxidant qualities, but the flavor is sometimes a little dull throughout the winter months. Heating them up in a pan to bring out their natural sweetness and rich flavor is a great way to enjoy fresh tomatoes in the winter.



To make the salad you'll need some organic baby spinach, a couple large cloves of garlic, a handful of cherry tomatoes, some extra virgin olive oil (find one that you like the flavor of, they aren't all the same) and some sea salt and pepper. Start by peeling and finely mincing the garlic. Then, in a skillet over medium-low heat, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and the garlic. Make sure the garlic is coated in the oil, and let it sit for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. If you start to see the garlic turn brown, turn down the heat. Add the tomatoes and toss them with the oil, moving them around in the pan every so often. Sprinkle a little sea salt and pepper onto the tomatoes. Their color will start to brighten and they will begin to soften in about 4-6 minutes. The tomatoes should begin to burst and release some of their juices. If they don't, help them along by gently piercing them with the blade of a sharp knife. The warm tomato juice will mix with the olive oil and create a delicious dressing for the spinach. This is when you want to turn off the heat and put 2-3 good-sized handfuls (one handful is roughly a cup) of the spinach into the pan. Using tongs, toss the spinach with the oil and tomatoes so that it is coated and begins to wilt. You don't want to cook the spinach, just get it to soften slightly and release some of its moisture. After tossing for a minute or two, transfer the salad to a plate. Season with a little more salt and pepper, if desired.

This recipe is for one person. It doubles, triples, and quadruples easily, but make sure you use a really big pan if you're making this for more than two people.

I like having this with a cup of vegetarian lentil soup or sometimes a slice of whole grain baguette. It's a lunch that leaves me satisfied and helps keep my energy levels up until dinner time.

Just an FYI, as prepared above, this recipe has around 5 grams of fat (but that's healthy fat from the olive oil) and is well under 100 calories. ]]> kristen.c http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/92-warm-spinach-salad-great-winter-lunches.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/91-mom-shopping-trip-feeding-freezer.html Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:52:21 GMT Thanks to trades, trains, and RAOKs, I have a pretty thick stack of $1/1 Cascadian Farm coupons that expire on 11/15 and so I've been trying to stock up on their products when I can. One of the local natural foods markets (My Organic Market, for those who live in Maryland) has the 10 ounce Cascadian Farm frozen vegetables on sale for $1.79, so only 79 cents after the coupon. Normally these go for $1.99-$2.99 in my area. This is a store I shop at regularly, and they also had good prices this month on some other the other things I buy, so I spent some of the weekly budget on those items also.

Here's what I bought:
2 bags Cascadian Farm broccoli
2 bags Cascadian Farm peas
1 bag Cascadian Farm sweet corn
1 bag Cascadian Farm edamame
2 jars Cascadian Farm apricot jam
3 cartons Imagine organic chicken stock
1 bag Bob's Red Mill 5-grain hot cereal mix
organic Adzuki beans from the bulk bins
2 cans Muir Glen diced tomatoes
2 large cans Muir Glen chunky tomato sauce
1 large bunch red chard
1 carton Organic Valley fat free milk

Coupons used:
8 $1/1 any Cascadian Farm product
3 $1/1 any Imagine soup or stock
4 $1/1 Muir Glen tomatoes
1 $1/1 Organic Valley item
1 $0.20 reusable bag discount

Total saved just using coupons: $15.20
(additional money was saved because of store specials, but not calculated here)
Total spent: $27.15

I will make at least one more trip before the coupons expire. If you have a chest freezer, or an extra freezer, this is definitely the kind of sale where you'd want to buy as many bags as you have coupons for and can reasonably store. I just have a regular sized freezer, so realistically I can't stock up on too much more than what I've bought already. The great thing is that these go on sale every few months so I can always count on more coupons and more stock-up prices. Not to mention, the sale runs until the end of November, and there are Cascadian Farm coupons with longer expiration dates so as we use some of the vegetables I'll be able to replace them for the same price. The same goes for the Muir Glen tomatoes. These go on sale often, there are almost always coupons available, and if you have the room they're a great stockpile item. Canned tomato products can be used in everything from soups, stews, and chili, to pasta dishes, casseroles, and if you're so inclined, grown-up beverages like the Bloody Mary. (Not that we need to be stockpiling tomato products for that particular use, lol!)

A trip to the farmer's market for some additional produce, a stop for a few servings of organic meat (on sale), and I'll basically be set for meals for the next week and I will have also added products to my (small) stockpile. ]]> kristen.c http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/91-mom-shopping-trip-feeding-freezer.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/89-dc-green-festival.html Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:58:05 GMT Yesterday DH and I went to the Washington DC Green Festival. We lucked out on tickets as one of the local natural markets that I shop at regularly is a sponsor, and they just happened to have a coupon at the checkout for a buy one get one free admission. Parking in DC can sometimes be tricky, and there is a Metro station right at the convention center where the festival was being held so it was a given that we'd take the Metro to the convention, and because we had our Metro passes we got an even further reduced rate. We ended up getting a two-day admission for only $10 total for both DH and I, whereas other people were paying full price of $15 per person for only one day-- a huge savings for us.

We got there shortly after the festival began, and got to work filling out contest entry forms, collecting freebies, and sampling all kinds of goodies. There were some big name companies there- Earthbound Farm, Dr. Bronner's, Kashi, Nature's Path, and more, all giving stuff away! There was a table (Dogswell) that gave us a bunch of organic dog snacks for Mr. Tucker, and another table that gave us some Innova dog food samples to try. I brought a tote bag knowing that I'd want a place to stash stuff, and we were giddy when we saw that a local natural market (MOM's) was also giving away totes, Mambo Sprouts coupons, and tons of samples! Getting all the stuff was like trick or treating. We tried to remain organized about the event and give everyone a fair glance so we chose to weave our way up and down each row. We did manage to miss a few things, like the Planet Green booth right at the front that was also giving away really nice tote bags, but when we took a break for lunch I checked out the navigator pamphlet so we could take a look at the stuff we missed and find some lectures to go to for the afternoon. One of the things I really wanted to see was a discussion about the economics of happiness but it wasn't until 3:00 and I wasn't about to deal with the crowds for another 2 hours, especially since we had already visited every booth. I was really amazed at some of the rudeness I witnessed at this event. While most of the people were obviously trying their hardest not to bump into others, there were some people that pushed other people out of the way or cut in line! After lunch we visited the booths we missed (Planet Green, Larabar, and this really cool machine that makes sparkling water/soda using your own tap water) and then made our way back to the Metro to head home.

I've really been wanting to get a stainless steel water bottle to replace my Nalgene bottle (which may or may not contain BPA) so I stopped at the Klean Kanteen table and bought an orange bottle and a sport cap to go on top. We didn't buy anything else, except for lunch, which we weren't overly impressed with. The food was alright, but we thought that a lot of the prices were high, and it was hard to choose which stand to get food from because no one really had a menu or prices listed.

Unfortunately, we didn't stop in the beer/wine garden since it was really busy after lunch. It wasn't so busy during the morning but I hadn't had anything for breakfast and didn't want to end up being lightheaded from drinking at 10:30 in the morning! We could have gone back down today and gotten in for free, but DH and I were both tired and didn't feel like dealing with the crowds again, especially after we hauled so much stuff home yesterday. (If you don't believe me, see the photo below, lol!)

The employees and volunteers there were amazing. Each trash station had a few volunteers to help you figure out which can your items needed to go in- landfill, compost, recyclable, etc. The people manning the booths were friendly to everyone even though I'm sure they must have all had headaches at the end of the day. I am a little disappointed that I didn't get to do a lot of networking on behalf of OGD. There were some fellow Tweets there that I could have met up with had I been more organized...

All in all we had a great time, and though I'm disappointed that we didn't get to go to any of the lectures/discussions (the ones we tried to were packed FULL of people with standing room only) I saw that they will be available for viewing on the website after the festival is over. We were lucky to get there early because when we were trying to leave the room was so packed with people that you could hardly move. I'm hoping for a phone call later this week to let me know that I guessed the right number of Eden Organics lip glosses, or that I won something else from one of the contests we entered. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Click the thumbnails for larger images.


Look at all of the samples and freebies we got...I will definitely be sharing these with my OGD friends!


Mr. Tucker got lots of samples too...


This one was a dried banana chip with dried chicken wrapped around it. It's supposed to be good for the skin and coat. He gobbled it right up. ]]> kristen.c http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/89-dc-green-festival.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/88-choosing-organic-my-story.html Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:45:04 GMT Though I'm still a meat-eater (well, sort of), I eventually did make my way back to organic products. While DH was nonplussed about my original organic shopping way back when, he's been pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive the transition back into the lifestyle has been. He even seems to enjoy making the occasional trip to the local natural foods store with me, though it may have something to do with the free coffee and other treats he samples while we shop. Choosing organic is important for me because I want to ensure that my family and I have the best health as we possibly can. We don't have children, but we do have a wonderful canine companion named Tucker who has health issues of his own. Switching to a natural brand of dog food has helped immensely to cut back on his seizures, and with the vets advice to put him on an anticonvulsant I'm hoping that we can eliminate them completely. He even gets a little bit of organic people-food every once in a while. For me, although I have abandoned vegetarianism that doesn't make me happy carnivore. We still choose to plan our meals around mostly vegetables and whole grains, and make sure that the meats we buy are free of hormones and are raised humanely. When OGD launched I was thrilled to have a place that was warm and welcoming to every organic shopper, whether it's someone who shops solely at their local food co-op and farmers market, the girl like me who puddle jumps all over the county to round up organic bargains, or the shopper who occasionally pokes their head into the natural foods section of their store to see what's there. As an admin I hope to continue to foster that warm and welcoming environment that was extended to me when I joined as a regular member just over a year ago. ]]> I started buying organic foods while I was in college. I was a vegetarian at the time and because our school's dining hall was very vegetarian friendly, I was introduced to a lot of new foods that I couldn't find in the regular grocery stores. I think the first organic product I ever bought was at an upstate New York Wegman's, and I can pretty much guarantee you I paid full price for it. A few years later, living in Albuquerque, New Mexico I was introduced to the store Wild Oats. It was similar to the Wegman's organic/natural section but encompassed an entire store. I was thrilled! I forked over dollar after dollar of my hard earned paycheck each week to Wild Oats. I didn't really bother looking at prices, except in the home goods section where I scoffed at how much they wanted for paper towels and toilet paper. Instead I went to Walgreen's and paid full price for the brands they offered. I wasn't opposed to using coupons, I just didn't know they existed for the products I bought. During this time DH and I were dating-- not yet married-- and he was surprised at how much money I seemed to waste by shopping at Wild Oats. Meals were made for the both of us and I took into account his tastes and preferences as well as my own when I shopped and cooked. I started shopping more at Smith's, cutting out more and more trips to Wild Oats until I eventually stopped making regular trips there. Ironically, looking back, this is when my health really started to decline. My doctor suggested I give up my vegetarian diet and after a few months of thinking about it I made a difficult decision that I would slowly introduce meat back into my life. After living a vegetarian lifestyle for over 10 years it was a huge step for me to even get near a piece of chicken, let alone consider putting it into my mouth.

Though I'm still a meat-eater (well, sort of), I eventually did make my way back to organic products. While DH was nonplussed about my original organic shopping way back when, he's been pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive the transition back into the lifestyle has been. He even seems to enjoy making the occasional trip to the local natural foods store with me, though it may have something to do with the free coffee and other treats he samples while we shop.

Choosing organic is important for me because I want to ensure that my family and I have the best health as we possibly can. We don't have children, but we do have a wonderful canine companion named Tucker who has health issues of his own. Switching to a natural brand of dog food has helped immensely to cut back on his seizures, and with the vets advice to put him on an anticonvulsant I'm hoping that we can eliminate them completely. He even gets a little bit of organic people-food every once in a while. For me, although I have abandoned vegetarianism that doesn't make me happy carnivore. We still choose to plan our meals around mostly vegetables and whole grains, and make sure that the meats we buy are free of hormones and are raised humanely.

When OGD launched I was thrilled to have a place that was warm and welcoming to every organic shopper, whether it's someone who shops solely at their local food co-op and farmers market, the girl like me who puddle jumps all over the county to round up organic bargains, or the shopper who occasionally pokes their head into the natural foods section of their store to see what's there. As an admin I hope to continue to foster that warm and welcoming environment that was extended to me when I joined as a regular member just over a year ago. ]]> kristen.c http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/88-choosing-organic-my-story.html http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/87-vital-stats.html Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:41:21 GMT Name: Kristen (I also answer to KC or Kiki, and on occasion "hey you")

Age: 28

Home State: Maryland (greater Baltimore area)

Occupation: Freelance Writer

Marital Status: Married in July of 2005 to Michael

Pets: One dog, 5-year-old Australian Cattle Dog/Corgi Mix named Tucker (frequently pictured in my avatar and discussed ad nauseam on the board)

Little Known Factoids: I’ve never eaten a black olive that didn’t get stuck on the tip of my finger first. I’m overly paranoid about fire safety. I'm madly in love with about half of the NY Giants.

Favorite Money Saving Tips: Learn how to cook and prepare your own meals from scratch. Buy fresh produce when it's in season, and if you can, from a local grower.

Stores I shop at the most: My Organic Market (local to MD/VA), Trader Joe's, Costco ]]> kristen.c http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/blogs/kristen-c/87-vital-stats.html