Day 1 & 2: Knoxville's Ten Days of Real Food Challenge

Finding time to post about Knoxville's Ten Days of Real Food Challenge may be as challenging as finding the right foods, but I'll do the best I can. I can already tell I won't be as exemplary as my good friend Gabe (check out her updates on day 1 and day 2 of this challenge), but hopefully my honesty will inspire those intimidated by a challenge like this.

First off, I confess I forgot about the challenge until yesterday and didn't change my shopping to make any changes in our current eating habits. I'm working with what I have in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. This will give me a clear idea of how our current lifestyle stacks up.

Sunday, April 1: DAY 1

Breakfast: My hubby and son ran a 5K this morning and I was hurrying the kids to church for the Easter egg hunt. Our traditional breakfast consisted of cereals: Frosted Mini Wheats, Honey Nut Cheerios, Raison Bran, or Kashi Go Lean. Most of us use almond milk but one son still prefers 1% milk (not local). Coffee for the adults consisted of sweetened with one scoop of sugar and a few tablespoons of 1% milk. The Mini Wheats and Raison Bran fall under the 6 ingredient rule, but I have a hard time considering Kashi a poorer choice. MARGINAL PASS.

Lunch: Since we had the Covenant Health Kids Fun Run the night before and ate frozen pizzas for time (Fruschetta and DiGiorno), we had left-over pizza for lunch. FAIL.

Dinner: I roasted chicken breasts (not local or organic but they were on sale ;-), organic carrots, sweet potatoes, and onions. I cooked enough chicken to use in other meals this week. Breyers ice cream for dessert; has more than 5 ingredients but is better than many brands in my opinion. MARGINAL PASS.

Monday, April 2: DAY 2

Breakfast: Cereal again. MARGINAL PASS.

Snack: Brooke and I went to the Moms Club Easter Egg Hunt. I brought orange slices but of course there were tons of more tempting choices like cookies, cupcakes, and muffins. Snacks that would pass included cheese blocks, fruit, Annie's bunny grahams, and Pirate Booty (I think this pass). I did pretty well but split one pink cupcake with Brooke. MARGINAL PASS.

Lunch: I heated up left-overs: wild caught mahi mahi, rice (from a package that I had gotten on sale), steamed broccoli. Bob had the same. Brooke really wanted chicken nuggets, pasta (not whole wheat) and orange slices. She ate so many oranges, I agreed. Devin's lunch at school was white pasta, organic apple slices, goldfish, chex mix, and 3 chocolate eggs. Only the apples passed. Bobby's lunch had homemade salsa, tortilla chips, goldfish, and a Fiber One brownie. The salsa and chips passed. MARGINAL PASS.

Dinner: I made a stirfry primarily with veggies but with a little left-over pork loin (not local or organic). Ingredients included garlic, onions, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, cabbage, and carrots. I added a little soy sauce, lime juice, and ginger. I cooked brown rice in chicken stock I had made the night before. This makes the difference between bland and delicious rice without the insane sodium in packaged rice. The kids weren't as keen on the stirfry like they usually are. After forcing a few bites down, I let them have some pasta, baked beans, and hotdogs with no nitrates. All three fail the criteria but I tried. MARGINAL PASS.

As you see, there isn't one meal I'd say we pass with flying colors. Is that depressing? A little, but I'm still making an effort to feed them better alternatives, even if they don't follow THE RULES. And when we were "on the run," we were literally on the run at races. This week Bobby and I also biked 8 miles, swam 20 laps, and kayaked nearly every day. Devin and Brooke run nearly everywhere they go and spend a lot of time on their bikes. Knowing how active we all are has to factor in there positively.

What do you think?

Just Eat Organic Video

LOVE this video! Makes you think twice about what you put in your body, no?!

Earthfare: $44.16 of goods for $11.54

Today was a great shopping day at Earthfare! They are so generous with their freebies and willingness to work with us crazy couponers. I just got $44.16 of goods for just $11.54 (and that includes tax). For the best savings, make sure you shop TODAY, 2/14.

Here's what I bought & how I saved:

• 1 all natural whole chicken ($7.67; FREE with dinner promotion expiring 2/16)
• 1 16oz bag of baby carrots ($2.49; FREE with dinner promotion expiring 2/16)
• 1 container of mashed potatoes ($5.34; FREE with dinner promotion expiring 2/16)
• 1 box of organic chocolate truffles ($5.98; FREE with coupon expiring 2/14)
• 1 box Nature's Gate toothpaste ($4.99; on sale for $3.99; FREE with take the boot challenge coupon)
• 2 bags Cascadian Farm edamame ($2.69 each, on sale for $2.19, used 2 $.75 printables=$1.44 each)
• 2 cans Muir Glen tomatoes with chilis ($1.68 each, on sale for $1.50, used 2 $.75 printables=$.75 each)
• 2 bags Arrow Head puffed cereal ($1.99 each, on sale for $1.50, used 2 $1/1 printables=$.50 each)
• 1 16 oz container organic strawberries--our treat for tonight's chocolate fountain--$4.97

Total after coupons: $10.35; $11.54 with tax. Since you had to spend $10 to get the free dinner items, that's about as close as you get. Go green, save green!

For all the links to printable coupons, check out Hannah from Frugally Farming Family.

Shopping United Grocery Outlet: my experience

For the past year, I've been planning to check out one of the United Grocery Outlets, a discount grocery chain, because I heard they sometimes have great deals on organic food. There are stores in Halls, Alcoa, Chapman Highway, Lenoir City, and Oak Ridge. Since I was already planning to go to Mother Goose on Thursday in Oak Ridge and it's right down the road, I decided today was the day.

First impressions can be hard to shake. So if you walk in, take one look and turn around, I don't blame you. The nicest way I can put it is that it doesn't give you the warm and fuzzies. That's ok. I'm here for deals. Keep walking.

It's a small store and within 10 minutes, I'd scanned every shelf. I will say that if you're not interested in clipping coupons or waiting for sales, the prices are reasonable. But almost every item I saw, I thought, "I can do better." I think it's one of those hit or miss experiences and it depends on the most recent shipment.

The produce looked abysmal, and I didn't trust the freshness of the meat. The best deal I could find was Breyers ice cream for $1.99, but I wasn't in the market for ice cream. I bought a bunch of bananas (only because we're low and I'm not going to Kroger for 4 more days) for $1.13. Good thing it wasn't out of my way. I doubt I'll be heading back any time soon.

Have you shopped at United Grocery Outlets? Which ones? What did you think?

Christmas Feast: Local and Organic Style

As I've mentioned in previous posts, a group of local bloggers have teamed up to bring you a variety of holiday posts to save you time, money, and hassle. Even better, today's tips help you plan a delicious Christmas feast with local and organic foods. This post from Hannah from Frugally Farming Family (mother of seven!) makes buying organic a priority and still stays within a budget. She is an inspiration.

This tip may sound like a given, but it saved me lots of money and helped me share organic goods for our Thanksgiving feast:

• Before you go shopping, check your pantry, freezer, and fall garden for items on your list.

Though I did not host a Thanksgiving meal, I contributed Sister Schubert rolls bought for 75% off with sales and coupons and a squash casserole I had frozen from our vegetable garden's bounty. As a hostess gift, I brought homemade strawberry jam from berries we picked in Maryville, homemade salsa from our garden tomatoes, and a package of organic blueberries we had picked at another farm in Maryville. We enjoyed the berries for breakfast, and they were most impressed. The blueberries still tasted like we'd picked them yesterday.

Make sure you check out her other tips and recipes. Hannah has also done the leg work for the coupon match-ups with sales for December at Earth Fare. Here are the best deals she sees:

• 8 oz. Gluten Free Deboles Pasta for $1 each with coupons
• Organic Olive Oil 3 liters $19.98
• 32 ounce Muir Glen Soup $1 after coupons
• Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day 16 oz. Lavender Dish Soap $1.99 after coupons!

There are still more great holiday posts to come from these fabulous ladies: Coupon Katie, Coupon Mommie,Couponing in Critical Times,Coupons Are Money, Frugalissa Finds, Frugally Farming Family,Knoxmoms.com, Knoxville Mamabelle,Knoxville on a Dime, Sharing Savings with You.

Great Earthfare Deals (good through 11/30)

First of all, many thanks to Hannah at Frugally Farming Family for taking the time to do the monthly Earthfare match-ups. She has 7 kids and still finds time to help all of us save on healthy foods. The November deals are already up and will be good through 11/30.

Here are the deals I got today:

• 1 3lb bag of organic honeycrisp apples: $5.99--FREE with this coupon through 11/2.
• 1 tub of sliced almonds: $2.00 (receipt says I saved $5.99 but I don't think that's right; I believe they are a savings of $3/lb)
• 2 Cascadian Farms organic peas: normally $3.19, on sale for $2.00, used 2 $.75 printable=$1.25 each. Tip: If you're new to Cascadian Farms, you can print a $1/1 coupon.
• Dagoba chocolate bar: normally $2.49, on sale for $2.00, used $1/1 coupon from Mambo Sprouts mailer. Tip: Ask one of the clerks if they have any Mambo Sprouts / Earthfare coupon books. I forgot today.
• 2 Muir Glen 28 oz canned fire roasted tomatoes: normally $2.54, on sale for $2.00, used 2 $.75/1 printables=$1.25 each. Check Hannah's list for several places to print this coupon.
• 1 Green Genius bio-degradable kitchen bags 45 count: normally $8.99, on sale for $7.99 through 12/31 (this is one of the environmental products I'm willing to pay more for.)
• 1 bag of onions: $3.49 (not on sale, but I needed them).

Total Spent: $21.46

Total Saved: $20.93 (though that may be inflated with incorrect almonds savings)

If I were willing to go back later today, I could save another $5 off $20 from the stamp on my receipt, but that's just not practical for me. Go green, save green.

Great Earthfare Giveaway

Hannah at Frugally Farming Family has orchestrated an awesome give-away from Earthfare. How she does anything extra with a newborn and six other children (yep, seven kids) is beyond me! Go to her site to find out three ways to win $25 of groceries from Earthfare and a pantry make-over: total value is $40-$45! Cha ching! You have til October 1.

The winner must be local to Knoxville and available to take a tour of of the store with Mike Newman of Earthfare. Personally, I'd love a guided tour. I'm sure I'm missing all kinds of great goods.

And Hannah is also the one who does the monthly match-ups of coupons with Earthfare's sale items. So be sure to enter today! I will be.

Farmers' Market Finds

Today I took all three kids to the Market Square Farmers Market and was very pleased with my purchases. Sometimes all the booths can be overwhelming and you feel paralyzed, "What should I buy?" Ultimately it comes down to what you like and what you're willing to try.

For veggies, I picked up some unique looking summer squash ($2.75/lb), tomatoes ($3/lb) that I plan to dehydrate to make sun dried tomatoes, and swiss chard ($2/bunch) he suggested I saute with garlic. Tonight's dinner was beef stew, and a fresh french baguette ($5) was the perfect addition.

Since Gabrielle at Couponing in Critical Times had raved about the goat cheese (yep, ran into her at the market), I picked up 5 oz of the italian herb variety ($6) from Kira's Kids Dairy. Kira is a goat who's had 29 kids. Larry Banks milks the goats and his wife Kimberly makes the cheese. The cheese is melt-in-your-mouth and can be used on sandwiches instead of mayo, on baguettes, on pizza, or in a variety of recipes.

I had also never tried Cruze Dairy Farm products until ice cream samples were presented to my sons. They gobbled them down quickly, knowing chocolate before noon was a rare treat indeed. "Mmmmmm" was all they could say. We also sampled some of their milk, and I decided on a half gallon of chocolate and a half gallon of whole (for Brooke). Together they were $5 but SO worth it. Bobby commented on the chocolate milk at dinner, "It takes like the ice cream, just melted." Yes, it did! Since we go through 3-4 gallons of milk a week in our home, I'm not ready to pay their prices for all our milk, but sometimes you've just gotta splurge for good health's sake.

I guess that's why I shop the farmers' markets at all. I know the prices are more than I could get at Kroger, but my couponing allows me the luxury of spending more here. I'm willing to pay more for A. local, B. fresher, C. tastier D. healthier. Personally, I seek out the stands that are "Certified Naturally Grown" (a certification similar to organic). We have no local organic farmers because of the money involved in becoming certified organic, but I commend those who make sustainable choices in farming.

Some of my favorites are the Colvin Family Farm, Mountain Meadows Farm, Organicism Farms, and Bob Due's Terraced Gardens Farm. I'm considering joining one of their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs. You pay $20 - $30 a week and get a variety of the freshest fruits and vegetables that farm produces. I saw one woman picking up her box, and I was impressed.

At the end of the market, I had spent $31. But Bobby's response for "Why do we shop at the farmer's market?" was priceless. "Because they sell healthy food. After all, they're farmers!" Ahh, something is sinking in. ;-)

Please continue to check out the farmers markets around town through Thanksgiving (I think). There is one every day but Monday and Sunday I believe. And if there's a UT home game, go early to get a parking space!

Which markets do you frequent? What are your favorite items to pick up at the markets?

What's for Lunch?

It's back to school time--back to early rising, back to homework, and back to packing lunches. Whether your child is in high school, grade school, or MDO, the dilemma of what to pack can be an on-going challenge. But once again, I'm here to share ideas for how you can go green and save green for school lunches.

Since my first grader has no interest in school lunches, I'm packing every day. To cut down on trash, I've bought Laptop Lunch boxes (like the traditional Japanese bento box) for all three kids. They're a little pricey ($25 at reusit.com or search online for "discount codes" before buying), but it's a worthwhile investment. Inside, there are two small and two medium size boxes (dishwasher and microwave safe). There's also a tiny box you could use for ketsup or dipping sauces, and flatware included. Most boxes don't have tops, but solid contents will not fall out, even turned upside down. I can attest that the boxes and flatware are great quality and will hold up to everyday use. They also fit into most standard insulated cases.

For a ton of ideas of what to pack in your laptop lunches, it comes with a handy book. Melissa at Frugalissa Finds has some great pictures and ideas too; here's another of her posts about how to actually get your kids to eat these healthy lunches.. If your school allows them the use a microwave, that opens up loads of possibilities. I send cooked pasta, lunch meat rolled up since they don't like sandwiches (aka: turkey or ham roll-ups), slices of cheese, cut-up fruit, Chex mix, popcorn, goldfish, cheezits, Annie's bunny snacks, raisons, mini carrots, and pretzyls. I stay away from anything already prepackaged, including Capri Suns and juice boxes. I send ice water in a Klean Kanteen instead; look for the sport caps for younger children. You can often pick them up for half price on babysteals.com.

The most important detail is follow your program's guidelines on nuts. If peanuts are out but other nuts are allowed, I recommend fresh almond butter at Ingles for sandwiches. Since Devin has a classmate highly allergic to all nuts, I'll be careful of that.

For more ideas, sign up for Earthfare's Healthy Lunch Challenge. You'll get a coupon for a free insulated bag (value: $2.99) through 8/31 or while supplies last. Now through 8/24, you can get one pound of organic grapes (red or white) for FREE with this coupon. Remember grapes are one of the "dirty dozen" that you want to buy organic or at least grown in the USA. For other sale items at Earthfare and printable coupons, go here. And don't forget to check out Iheartearthfare.com.

If you haven't made it to Kroger's mega sale the past two weeks, get there by Saturday for some great deals on lunch items. For fresh produce, there was a $4 off $20 or $1 off $5 coupon in the Kroger home mailer. I also had two store coupons for $.50 off mini carrots. Note: these do NOT double, but with the sale this week, each pack was only $.50. There's also a $.55 off Earthgrains bread; never underestimate the importance of good quality bread! Finally, there was a $1 off Hefty storage bags, which makes one box free this week. The gallon freezer bags are great for making freezer meals to save you time during the busy school year. If you don't get Kroger home mailer coupons, call customer service; they're great!

As for lunch meats, I prefer Hormel Natural Choice meats. They have NO nitrates, NO artificial ingredients, are minimally processed, have NO MSG added, are raised without added hormones, and are gluten free. You can also find coupons in the paper, online, or in blinkies near the meat. This week they're on sale for $2.50 each, and I used 2 $.55/1 and 2 $1/2 to make each pack about $2. The expiration is still a few months out; so I could stock up.

Thanks to creative couponing, you can get Fiber One bars, Nature Valley bars, Nature Valley clusters, Chex Mix, and Gardetto's Snack Mix for FREE this week. They're not as healthy or green in terms of packaging, but they sure are handy. You might also consider donating them to a food pantry. For details on how to get the best deals this week, go to Southern Savers. Coupon Katie and Gabrielle at Couponing in Critical Times also posted their trips to Kroger for guidance. I saved 53% today (a high percentage for me).

What tips do you have for making school lunches more green?

Blueberries Galore

"Ooohhh, here we go into the enchanted garden!" I beckon. "Ooohhh," my kids respond, ducking under branches into a copious canopy of lush fruit. "Look up...and over there...and right here...blueberries are everywhere!" I exclaim with joy. The excitement is infectious and within minutes, my children (ages 6, 3, and 1) are all busy gathering a bounty of blueberries.

We've come to Maxine and Bob Falls Blueberry Farm in Maryville today to stock up on this antioxidant superfood. Since this is one of the dirty dozen (foods you should try to buy organic), my goal is to get as many as I can today. Though this farm is not "certified organic," they are "green" in my book because they do not use chemicals or pesticides and are locally grown. I'd take the freshly picked element over certified organic trucked from across the country any day.

When we first arrive, we are greeted by Bob and Maxine on the patio. To me, it looks more like an extended garden in their yard than a farm. Open to the public for 18 years, the Falls attribute the success of these 30-year-old bushes to using filtered water. "You can't grow blueberries with city water," Bob declares. Duly noted.

Each of us are outfitted with their brilliantly simple blueberry gathering system: milk jugs with the tops cut off attached around the waist with belts strung through the handles. I'm going to make some of these for our own garden. The boys beam with pride in expectation for a grand expedition.

"Where should we go?" I ask. "Oh anywhere," Bob responds. "Just choose a bush and start pickin'. You'll probably be more comfortable under a bush looking up than in the sunshine. It looks like an arbor in there." Thinking of our own blueberry bushes my husband planted last spring that are maybe two feet tall, I have a hard time imagining an arbor of blueberry bushes. Sure enough, many of them are probably seven feet tall and I have to get on my tip toes to reach the upper branches. Already 10:00am and stinkin' hot, I had feared the kids wouldn't last long. However, under the branches, it must be ten degrees cooler. Ahhh.

After a few pictures and video clips, we all get quickly to work. Though I've loved picking strawberries with the kids, a few bonuses spring to mind about blueberries.

A. We aren't out in the blazing sun.

B. We don't have to walk far.

C. All three kids can wander and still be within sight.

D. There is no mud or standing water.

E. I don't have to crawl in the mud.

F. Their attention span is much greater and allows us to stay for nearly two hours.

At the end of our quest, we've gathered six pounds of blueberries, about the equivalent of 1 1/3 gallons. Here's the best part: the cost. Since they only charge $1.25/pound, my total is $7.50 for blueberries that should last us at least a few months. I'm debating about going back for another round before they're out of season (Maxine expects another 3-4 weeks for harvesting), but I'll need to evaluate my freezer space.

So what does one do with 6 pounds of blueberries? Maxine hands us a sheet with recipes for using blueberries in syrup, bundt cakes, jam, pancakes, pies, lemonades, smoothies, even chicken salad. I think we'll eat as many as we can fresh, I might make Gabe's cobbler recipe, I'll trade a bag of berries for homegrown cantaloupe with my friend Libby, and I'll freeze the rest. Maxine recommends NOT to wash the berries before freezing--only just before eating them. I'm going to lay them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and pop them into the freezer; then I'll throw them into quart size freezer bags.

Nearly noon, I ask the boys if they had fun. "Yeah, can we do this again?" Bobby asks. "I'm a good helper." Smile. Honestly, there are days every SAHM questions if she's the best person for this important and sometimes daunting task of raising children 24/7. Our little field trip today not only proved that it can be fun to "go green and save green" but that I'm on the right track of mommyhood.

Thanks to Squeezing a Dollar out of Dime for the tip on this place. Here are the basics of the farm:

Maxine and Bob Falls Blueberry Farm

111 Harmon Rd. Maryville, Tn 37804

(865) 982-3457

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday 6:30am-8:30pm.

1.25/lb when you pick them yourself and 2.50/lb if you just stop in to purchase them. They also have a few baked goods.

They're located about 10 minutes beyond McGhee Tyson Airport.

Please enjoy my little video below.

New Dirty Dozen

Here's the dilemma: do I buy what's healthier or do I save money? I get it. There's some resistance out there to spending the extra money on organic because most of us don't want to be suckers. What if organic isn't all that special and we're throwing our money away?

I, for one, do NOT feel this way. I've read enough to know the herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones used in much of mass produced, conventional farming is horrendous. However, I'm not an organic purist. My first choice is to buy locally farmed, non-certified organic foods at our wonderful farmers' markets. Most are responsible farmers and want to produce food they would serve to their families. If you really want a label, look for "certified naturally grown." I hear 4 or 5 of them are at the Market Square farmers' market weekly.

That said, there are other vegetables and fruits I want to buy that can't be grown locally or aren't always in season. That's where I start trying to decide which foods are most important to me to buy organic.

The best place to start is the New Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic. By choosing organic for these foods, you can reduce the amount of pesticides you ingest by 80%! The list has been around for 15 years, but it changes somewhat from year to year. Here's the list for 2010:

1. Celery: I'm stunned to read that 64 pesticides were detected on celery. Who knew there were 64 pesticides they could use?! I haven't bought organic before, but I'll be looking for that now.

2. Peaches: Peaches didn't fare much better with 62 pesticides. Having grown up with a peach tree, I've seen how quickly they turn from ripe to rotten. I'm thankful we now have two peach trees in the backyard. I'll let you know about July how they taste and how I preserve them.

3. Strawberries: I know it's hard to pay sometimes twice the price for organic vs conventional strawberries, but I think that's money well spent. However, if you're willing to pick them yourself, now is the perfect time to pick your own. We went to Rutherford's Strawberries in Maryville 5/7/10 and the plants are dripping with berries! Look for a post on that soon. Rutherford's is not organic but they use minimal pesticides and the cost is just $1.25 / pound.

4. Apples: Since scrubbing apples doesn't remove all chemical residue and many of the nutrients are in the skin, this is a good food to go organic. Head to Earthfare for these. They've had deals for free apples in the past and most recently they were 3 pounds for $5--a reasonable price. If they have them at Kroger, look for bags in bulk.

5. Blueberries: This is one of those "super foods" loaded with antioxidants, but they can be very expensive. I have found a coupon from Driscoll's before to use at Kroger. Consider buying them frozen to put in smoothies. Cascadian Farm often has coupons; paired with a sale, they're a good buy. We planted blueberry and blackberry bushes this year; I'm just hoping we get them before the birds do.

6. Nectarines: Since I never buy nectarines, I can cross this one off my list. If you're looking for alternatives, consider mangoes and papaya.

7. Bell Peppers: Now I admit I rarely look for organic when buying peppers, but maybe I'll start. I have read that red peppers have loads more nutrition than green (that may explain why they cost three times as much); so if you see a deal on red, get those.

8. Spinach: This is a fairly easy vegetable to buy organic. Last week I bought organic spinach at Sam's Club for $3.97 / pound. Most grocery chains carry organic spinach and often put it on sale. Or I saw a few people selling locally grown spinach at the farmers' market.

9. Kale: Again, I rarely buy kale but I'm trying to muster the courage to try it. Safer alternatives are broccoli and asparagus. I bought beautiful broccoli and asparagus at the farmers' market on Thursday.

10. Cherries: I was surprised to learn that one survey found three times the number of pesticides on U.S. grown cherries than those imported. Good thing I rarely buy them.

11. Potatoes: When I read this article, what struck me was that most potato farmers would never eat the potatoes they grow (which require so many pesticides). They usually plant a separate plot without all the treatments for themselves. That's why I buy our organic potatoes at Earthfare. They have had specials for free potatoes and most recently a 5 pound bag of red cost $6 and russet cost $4.

12. Grapes: They warn imported grapes can be much more contaminated than local alternatives. I'll be trying to buy American grapes from now on. Keep that in mind for wine as well.

Other fruits and vegetables to consider buying organic when possible are leafy greens, carrots, pears, and tomatoes. The article also discusses the importance of buying organic meat and milk. Here are my two cents on those.

Meat: This one is tough for me because organic meat is so much more expensive. However, we've begun buying 1/4 of a cow from a former colleague of my husband's. He does it as a hobby and is experimenting with grass-fed beef. Yes, I have to store a lot of meat in my freezer at once, but the price works out to much cheaper than anything in the store, and we know he uses minimal antibiotics. There are several local resources you might consider; start at the farmers' market or contact Hannah at Frugally Farming Family.

After reading about The Seven Foods Experts Won't Eat, we stopped buying farm-raised salmon. A few weeks back I found wild salmon on sale at Kroger and stocked up. I'll let you know when I see that again.

I admit I haven't researched local pork or chicken. If you have suggestions for where I can find affordable meat locally, please leave a comment.

Milk: Again, this one is tough to do financially for us for the sheer volume of milk we buy a week: 2-3 gallons. Maybe I'm fooling myself, but at least I feel better that the milk we buy states: "Our farmers pledge not to teat their cows with rbST."

Finally, the good news. Here is the list of the Clean 15: foods that don't need to be organic. These fruit and vegetables typically have a protective skin you don't eat: onions, avocados, corn, pineapple, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.

Where do you stand on organic vs conventional?

Organic Deals for Earth Week-UPDATED

In celebration of Earth Week, I've been scouring the ads and online blogs for the best organic and eco-friendly deals this week. Here's what I found.

Kroger disappointed me big time. Other than marginal deals on Seventh Generation, I didn't see anything to celebrate there.

Ingles is my neighborhood store, but I've been shopping more at Kroger the past few months to save money. I was happy to be one of their patrons today. Through sales and coupons, I spent $31.35 and saved $34.87.

They have excellent prices on Muir Glen products (all organic). You can buy the 15oz cans for $1.25 or the 28oz cans of tomatoes for $1.84. Many of the cans have stickies on them that will save you $1/2. I used 2 $1/1 printables here and will save those for another visit. I also bought 4 jars of MG red sauce for $2.50 each and used 2 $1/2 stickies on those jars.

Cascadian Farms frozen vegetables (all organic) were on sale for $2 each. I picked up 2 16oz bags of peas and used 2 $1/1 printables found here. Organic raisons were $1.50 for 6 boxes; those will be good for lunches. Tip: I save the boxes and fill them with raisons again from a larger box. And Greenworks detergent was on sale for $3.99 (B1G1 but you don't have to buy two). I still had a $3/1 coupon I'd printed months ago, but the paper had a $1.50/1 coupon recently.

Lots of Seventh Generation products were also on sale and you can find $1/1 coupons for lots of their products here. There was a rebate form for 3 products but that seems to have disappeared. Let me know if it's still available.

Finally they're also running a special with Muir Glen and Cascadian Farms: Buy 2 products, get a free Ingles bag (value: $1; limit 1). However, I asked the manager since I was buying 8 qualifying products, would he consider giving me one of their insulated bags instead (value: $2). That I could really use! He agreed and I was thrilled. Now that's good customer service!

So my final costs on organic or eco-friendly products were:

2 28oz cans tomatoes: $1.68

4 jars red sauce: $8

2 bags of peas: $2

6 mini boxes of raisons: $1.50

1 30 load detergent: $.99

1 insulated reusable bag: FREE

Update 4/22 (deals good through 4/27): I just returned from Earthfare, where I spent $39.13 and saved $20.38. I can't say the deals are amazing this week, but I'm glad I went. With this coupon, I got a new cloth bag with snaps (a nice feature) and because I was one of the first 200 customers today, I got another one as well (value: $2). I chose for my bulk item dark chocolate covered almonds (which I will be hiding from the kids--seriously ;-). They are a little bit of heaven on earth that I'll take as my reward for couponing. They are on sale for $6.99/lb (regularly $9.99/lb), and the coupon took another 20% off. Tip: Although this product is already pre-packaged, it qualifies for the discount. My final cost for a container was $4.30.

Though I don't usually buy sausage, I decided to try the Organic Prairie pork links in the freezer section. They were $1 off and I had a $1 coupon from some newsletter. Stonyfield yogurts are on sale for 5/$4 ($.80 each, normally $.86). Apparently you have to buy 5 to get the discount because I only bought 3. Using a $.50/3 printable found here, I saved at least that and I'm not one to squabble over $.18. I also got a free Honest Tea with a coupon I think I picked up at the coupon fair.

I spent most of my money on organic produce:

2lbs strawberries: $3 each (phenomenal price for organic and they looked great!)

3lbs apples: $4.97

5lbs carrots: $4.99

5 Valencia oranges: $5

5lbs red potatoes: $5.99

5lbs russet potatoes: $3.97

Since my total was over $35, I used the $10 off $35 coupon I got at Earthfest. Tip: It's good through May if you want to save it for another trip.

And don't forget to pick up the new Earthfare Spring Savings coupon booklet with coupons worth $85. They had arrived just as I was checking out. Some of my favorite companies with coupons are: the Earthfare line of foods, Seventh Generation, Kashi, Cascadian Farms, Ben & Jerry's, Organic Valley, and Pirate Booty. Tip: Pirate Booty (a yummy snack) is currently on sale and there's a $1 coupon in the book.

I hope you can take advantage of some of these deals and realize once again, you can go green and save green.

Coupon Mania: The Bad Kind

Today I was checking out Gabe's blog and saw at the top this video from Earthfare. You know how much I love Earthfare and organic in general, you know how much I've loved saving money there. So it was with great sadness to learn they are having issues, especially the last few weeks, with people committing COUPON FRAUD.

They have multiple cases of people trying to take advantage of the weekly freebies 4, 6, even 8 times! Some have even purchased the item, changed clothes in the parking lot, and returned "in disguise." Really?! Who does that? I'll admit the free pizza and cheese deal was so tempting, I dragged a sick child into the store to get it. It's actually kindof a funny story if you need a laugh. But try to redeem more than one free offer? Never!

The coupons clearly state one coupon per person. Get your deal, say thank-you, and go home! Hopefully you'll value the freshness or quality enough that you'll return another time to purchase it again. But don't abuse the system. When you do, we all suffer.

According to this recent Wall Street Journal article, fraudulent coupons are not a big portion of coupons redeemed but they have increased 14% in the past year. Additionally 198 faulty coupons have been identified since late December--more than the previous decade combined! And if you're ever tempted to use bogus coupons, beware of these guys: the CIC, a non-profit fighting coupon fraud. They haven't lost a single case. You go!

Now I don't think Earthfare is battling fraudulent coupons. The coupons they email weekly CAN be printed multiple times and are often shared on lots of local coupon blogger sites. But just because you CAN print them multiple times doesn't mean you SHOULD. What Earthfare is dealing with is people abusing the system. And the more people who do that, the less likely they will share wonderful deals in the future. It's not worth a couple of extra pizzas--really!

While we're on the subject of coupon ethics, Katie had some great suggestions for making sure we all remain ethical when the dollar signs of savings are in our eyes. I'll admit I've been greedy with taking a few extra peelies off products in the past, but I've vowed to change my ways. Thanks for reading and being one of the good guys.