Frugally Yours : A Shoutout to Milk Pail Market!

I have a confession to make - I totally "scope out" grocery purchases made by people next to me in the lines to the cash register - makes my 5-10 minutes wait in the grocery line entertaining. Be it the really fit looking lady with all the produce (ooh! I should have got those raspberries) or the older gentleman buying eggs, meat and dairy ( the salmon sure looks yummy, as do those biscotti)...you get the picture ;-)

Yesterday, there was a pretty interesting discussion on a work mailing list about food and nutrition -  someone posted a comment by Michael Pollan - Good high quality food costs more and is worth it (for individuals and the environment)...and of course your's truly had to get her 2 cents ( or is it one cent?) in - so here's what I said :
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That was actually one point that I didn’t  agree with Michael Pollan on —> it’s true that there is a perception that Organic and High Nutrient foods is more expensive but that is just it —> it’s a perception.

What I have realized over the  past 15-16 years of grocery shopping, food prepping and cooking is the following  –

1.  it doesn’t really have to cost an arm and a leg – especially if you are shopping  in the periphery of the supermarket or at a closed farmer’s market like Milk Pail in Mountain View (fresh produce, dairy and meats) 
2. I shop at the Belmont Farmer’s Market and pay much lesser for the pesticide free/organic  produce, eggs and bakery products than I would at a Whole Foods – I go with the seasons on the produce ( eat a lot of the citrus in the winter,  organic berries in the summer etc.) 
3. Shop the bulk sections in Natural Grocery Stores ( most times it’s cheaper than a Safeway or Indian Store)
4. Canned Beans are a great source of protein and nutrients and inexpensive.
5. Shop the Sales Flyers at Natural Grocery Stores 

 You can definitely eat healthy, nutritious food on any budget – especially for a mostly vegetarian Indian Palate – high quality food is reasonably priced and pretty affordable! 

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I also wanted to let you take a peek at my grocery buy from Milk Pail Market this week all for about twenty bucks and some change.

• Almost 5 pounds of pomegranate
• 2 pounds of Green Zucchini
• 2 pounds of cluster vine tomatoes
• Red Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• 2 Boxes of Blackberries
• 3+ Pounds of Apple ( Opal, Cameo)
• 2 Grapefruits
• .75 lbs of Jalapeno Havarti
• Whipped Goat Cheese
• Three Little Pigs - Mousse De Canard au Foie Gras ( duck liver pate') 

Here are my  three reasons for shopping at Milk Pail Market even though it's about 15 miles from where I live - 

(a) I save some serious moolah on both the healthy stuff and the exotic yummy stuff.

(b) I am feeding my family healthy without breaking the bank ( these kind of savings add up!) 

(c) I am supporting small, local businesses like Milk Pail Market which are truly the lifeblood of America  ( we need these businesses to create a corporate conscience about what is truly critical for our survival - these guys do an awesome job of supporting the community, educating & spreading awareness about their small business in Mountain View)

Convinced to shop local yet? So what's in your grocery basket :-)