Shopping local

Recently, Daddy decided that since we have a wonderful main street or down town are mouse should shop there more often. In fact, honestly there's no reason to step into the supermarket, except to buy the occasional box of cereal -- which to be honest, can be purchased cheaper at Target, as can the rice, flour and sugar we might need...hmmm.

Building a professional relationship with a real butcher is far better than picking out what seems to be a decent cut of meat from the case. He'll let mouse know about specials that are coming up so she could adjust her purchases. The fishmonger, just a few doors down -- that never has that fishy smell -- gives mouse endless ideas. One word from mouse that Daddy despises tilapia and he's never once brought it up again regardless of the price. The vegetable, fruit and other store...well, that's really more of a challenge. They only deal in fresh, local and organic, which means in winter pickings are mighty slim. But the milk and cheeses are wonderful. They do their own orange juices and sell eggs.

Bakery down the road, has the most wonderful breads...and they list exactly what's in them! Whole grain flour, a little honey, water and low salt. They make the best pastries and cakes too. Their Challah is completely kosher. We already had a standing weekly order for that, but now mouse is getting all the breads from there.

What's really strange about all these places is once you go in a few times to show your a good, stable customer, they all set up accounts for you. So, you pay once per month or when the bill gets to be so high. All those go straight to Daddy, so now mouse doesn't need to carry cash. Now mouse would have thought she'd be spending more, but the truth is she's spending far less. Maybe it's because she has fewer choices? Or she's not distracted by the soda, crackers and cookies..or the other crap she shouldn't make or eat. They say you shop just the parameter of the store...

Mostly less...the florist shop is another story all together!

The other thing that helps, is really planning the meals, which means a specific order to shopping. For example, mouse starts with the bakery. Then moves to the vegetable and fruits, milk, cheese and eggs. Taking in ideas for what to cook for the week. Then looking at the fish or butcher for final componate. The problem is that sometimes the butcher has a great special on say pot roasts....then a second trip to the vegetable place might be needed. Or the pot roast could be wrapped to freeze. Breakfast, lunches and dinner...that's 15 meals a week.

Weekends are much more loosely handled. Tho, Friday for Shabbat, a large meal is prepared so there can be plenty of left-overs on Saturday. Sunday can mean that Daddy might cook, or we might go out. Sunday's, tho is when mouse spends some time thinking about the week ahead and doing prep as needed.

If you do cook a lot during the week, a little prep can go a mighty long way. Routinely mouse will chop up 3-4 onions, mince a head of garlic (you can mix that with some extra virgin olive oil and store it in the fridge) and any other veggies cut up how they'll be used. For fusion tacos, mouse will often cut up zucchini and maybe carrots in matchsticks, add cooked bean sprouts and some sort of meat or fish, cooked in some Szechwan sauce. Serve in a warm tortilla with cabbage.

Or do parchment paper wraps of fish (a flaky white fish works best), veggies, white wine or sherry. Take a sheet of parchment paper and place, the fish first, top with veggies, add a splash of white wine, top with maybe a squeeze of lemon and seal it up tight. Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes at 350.

However you cut and use them, the precut veggies are a huge time saver.

Another time saver, if you plan on making mashed potatoes, try baking them and using the skins for, what else potato skins. Even if you don't cook them right away, they can be frozen! Next time you have a crowd over, take them out of the freezer, let them defrost in the fridge, top with cheese, left-over bacon and bake until the cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and green onion or chives. Much better than those frozen Fridays one they sell and super cheaper! It's true, mouse keeps a supply of frozen potato skins on hand. Never know when Daddy might have the guys over to watch a game...