What is your one ingredient you don't skimp on?? - Page 3

[Doodlebugsmom]

Coffee. I buy the organic, fairly-traded, shade grown from the bulk bin at our co-op.

Eggs for the dh and the kids (I'm vegan). I buy local, pastured eggs for them.

Salt. I buy the unrefined sea salt that is pink-ish in color. (Yep, from the bulk bin!)

Vanilla.

Spices. I buy the organic ones from the bulk bin at our co-op. They're so much cheaper than the conventional spices at the grocery store.

Organic canola oil, again from the bulk section.

Having all these options available in bulk from our local co-op is definitely a luxury that many people don't have. We're lucky to have such a nice natural foods co-op in our small-ish, rural-ish town.

[CageFreeFamily]

We never ever skimp on our animal products.
Always organically raised, mostly pasture finished, not soy/corn fed.

We go w/o many things in order to afford them.

[DaughterOfKali]

For ds, I only buy organic fresh produce.
Organic milk.
Pure maple syrup.
Organic, free range eggs.
Pure vanilla.
Good olive oil.

[Elizabeth2008]

there isn't just one. Truthfully, there are very few food items that I WILL skimp on. Food is the one area where I try to always put quality considerations first. This makes me have to skimp significantly in other areas!!

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by Jaxinator

Please don't think I actually bought that! There were samples out at a wine store I visited.
No, my bottle was $15.
I don't buy the best balsamic ever, but I guess it's like wine, you can get really bad vinegar and wine for cheap, or pretty decent wine and vinegar if you can spend a bit more. I think my limit would be $20. For vinegar AND wine.

Oh no! I just wanted to clarify that I didn't mean the super pricey kind I just said I "don't skimp" and I wanted to be more clear.

[sanguine_speed]

Originally Posted by Doodlebugsmom

Organic canola oil, again from the bulk section.

Having all these options available in bulk from our local co-op is definitely a luxury that many people don't have. We're lucky to have such a nice natural foods co-op in our small-ish, rural-ish town.

That's awesome. I'd *LOVE* to have bulk organic canola oil available!

[Sol_y_Paz]

wild caught fish, real maple syrup, and a special type of rice from the Asian market in a big huge bag, and organic milk/yogurt.

[BarnMomma]

I have to be honest here, we won't skimp on any ingredient. I'd rather not buy soemthing else, nice shoes or clothes, than skimp on quality food. I've been unhealthy before and I've experienced health problems becasue of it. Never again. If it goes in my body, it's going to be the best quality food I can find.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by Sol_y_Paz

wild caught fish, real maple syrup, and a special type of rice from the Asian market in a big huge bag, and organic milk/yogurt.

For me, I usually have wild caught salmon that is free so I don't consider it something I wouldn't "skimp" on.. I have a lot of relatives that fish so I usually am giving it away by Christmas time if we haven't eaten it ourselves..

My mom used to send me wild caught King crabs by the box, too but she moved a couple of years ago so it is harder for her to get some for me.

My dp is pretty picky about rice too, but thankfully the kinds he prefers aren't usually the most expensive ones, so that helps.

[Sol_y_Paz]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

For me, I usually have wild caught salmon that is free so I don't consider it something I wouldn't "skimp" on.. I have a lot of relatives that fish so I usually am giving it away by Christmas time if we haven't eaten it ourselves..

My mom used to send me wild caught King crabs by the box, too but she moved a couple of years ago so it is harder for her to get some for me.

That would be divine!
It is very expensive where I live, so consider yourself lucky. I need to give you my address so you can give it away to us, lol. I would eat it every day if I could it is so delicious. Fish is the only meat I eat.
We only live a few hours from a beach (atlantic I think) , maybe we should learn to fish in the ocean. Not sure if that would be cost effective or not based on gas, supplies, a boat, and so forth.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by Sol_y_Paz

That would be divine!
It is very expensive where I live, so consider yourself lucky. I need to give you my address so you can give it away to us, lol. I would eat it every day if I could it is so delicious. Fish is the only meat I eat.
We only live a few hours from a beach (atlantic I think) , maybe we should learn to fish in the ocean. Not sure if that would be cost effective or not based on gas, supplies, a boat, and so forth.

we give fish away like crazy during the holidays- bus drivers, mail carriers, etc etc..

I would be wary of fishing off a beach. There are only a few beaches that I would "trust" for wild fish... a lot of beaches just have so much debris and chemicals in them now (think about currents and such).. I have fished off the beach in Seward, for example, but the beach there is a fairly rough beach so I think the water gets moved around quite a bit.. some areas near large boat transpo for example have a lot of pollution.. there is a creek here that has had fish with higher mercury content for some time.. I know some people that fish there (not "high enough" for a health risk at this time I guess), but I wouldn't eat them..

For the most part I think boat fishing results in healthier fish than shore fishing does.

[Chicky2]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

Real vanilla. Years ago I had a boyfriend that regularly vacationed in Costa Rica and he would always bring back big jugs of real vanilla. Imitation vanilla (which I see all the time around here) just does NOT compare.

I am not with him any more but thankfully my classroom is RIGHT next to the Spanish teachers' room- and guess where the school trips go? Yep. Costa Rica.

Have you looked into making it yourself (and any others of you who like the real stuff!)? It is soooo easy! I just buy a bottle of high alcohol content Vodka and add my vanilla beans, split in half lengthwise. Put in a dark place, and let sit for 6 wks. You can get good beans off Ebay! I won't buy vanilla anymore since I started making mine. Sooo good! Also, I bottled some up to put in my Christmas gift baskets this year and got lots of compliments!

Now, as for the OP, I won't skimp on meat. We raise most of ours, or we eat wild trapped/hunted meats. My mom's hubby and his neighbor trap wild pigs (they are considered a nuisance where they live and otherwise shot and left for the birds), so we butcher and get all of our meat for free (other than what we raise ourselves). We eat wild pig, goat, domestic rabbit, pastured, free-range chickens from our yard, guineas, and fish (that we catch, or else it's wild caught), and the shrimp we buy from around the corner (very local!) that is raised right there and we buy at the yearly harvest.

I also won't buy eggs from the store. I'll go w/out if our chickens, or a neighbor's aren't laying.

And milk. Raw goat milk from across the road, and soon on our own property!

OH yeah, and butter. Gotta have great butter!

[Chicky2]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

we give fish away like crazy during the holidays- bus drivers, mail carriers, etc etc..

I use to have a neighbor who went to Alaska for a month one year. He was working as a soux (sp?) chef. He brought back TONS of salmon he caught, along w/halibut. The biggest, prettiest pieces of halibut I've ever seen. (We cannot afford to buy it so what a treat!!!). He had lots of the salmon smoked, and never have I had fish like he gave us! You are so fortunate!!!

[peaceful_mama]

I keep it real Real maple syrup. real butter. Real jam not corn syrup jelly.

My spices. But I pay very little really considering the amount i get. My cumin and coriander MUST be from the import store.

[Chicky2]

Ooooh, yeah, spices.....I buy mine from Barry's Naturals off Amazon. So far I've been very happy. Oh, my cumin comes from Mountain Rose Herbals. Organic and soooo good! We use alot of cumin.

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by Sol_y_Paz

That would be divine!
It is very expensive where I live, so consider yourself lucky.

It is very expensive here too. I get it every now and then.

[lindsayjean]

A lot of things... lol... like others have said, food is important to us and we skimp on very little even though we are poor. We cut back in other areas and I search for the best prices.

Real butter. Raw milk. Pastured eggs. Grassfed meat. Coconut oil.