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Health & Fitness

Source Your Ingredients - 'tis the Season!

‘Tis the season to indulge, party and do your best to keep a bit of money for the proverbial rainy day.  Thanksgiving week – so it begins.  Yes, I have a lot to be thankful for and I take time every day to be grateful. On my grateful list is my shopping savvy.

Now, let’s get down to business.  Sourcing your ingredients is creative, fun and can save you some moolah!  Coupons are good but sourcing is better.  It’s all in the route.

 

I have different routes for different needs.  Yesterday I went on one of my grocery routes.  Yes, with a bit of cash in my wallet I started my sourcing.  I am a list maker who loves a deal.  With nearly indecipherable scribbles on my many scrap papers I find what I need.

 

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Let’s start at GO – Trader Joe’s.  Taking a chance and using a familiar phrase it is quite possibly the happiest place on earth!  This is a very exciting GO button and with the holidays about a minute away I allowed myself to go off the grid and get some items from the Fearless Flyer.  Now TJ’s is not a place for staple food – oh but the goodies!  It was a basket only day at TJ’s but I did manage to do some “damage” and left with eggplant Parmesan, dog treats, red wine (Grifone Primitivo– a great find at $3.99 (not a typo)), free-range eggs and some Fearless Flyer delights. 

 

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My grocery route takes me around Toluca Lake and Studio City.  Circling, I next parked my sturdy and reliable 2002 Camry next to BMWs and Audis at the 99 Only Store.  Yes, many have discovered this corner of Lankershim and Whipple.  They were redoing the inside of the store when I arrived with higher shelves and more items.  So, I went on a discovery tour.  Well, really how much fun is it during the holiday season to get a gift bag for 99.99 cents, wrapping paper for 99.99 cents and some platters for your potluck goodies so you don’t have to clear your good china when it’s time to leave the party.  And, if you, like me, cannot walk by produce without stopping to peruse you might be surprised on a lucky day to find Earthbound Mixed Organic Greens for 99.99 cents.  With the new shelves there are more savings.  Not everything is a bargain though so source! 

 

Completing my route I headed southbound to Ralphs for some staple foods.  I wound my way down to the underground parking, rode the elevator up, and grabbed a basket.  Grocery shelf real estate is all about location, location, location – eye level being the high rent district.  I filled my Ralph’s basket with little surprises including orange extract found on the top shelf.  That’s right, orange extract for who knows what but I will find a delicious way to use it.  So become an adventurer and look up and down now and again and you may find something new and delicious.

 

Being in the food business my sourcing has also taken me to Restaurant Depot (industry only), Albert’s Organics (industry only), Whole Foods, Smart and Final, Costco, Gelson's, Bristol Farms and Jons. I must include our local well-loved institutions like Full ‘O Life in Burbank as they even have a cafe!  Now who doesn’t like to shop and have lunch?  I buy specific items in each store, save money and often find a hidden treasure. 

Make a list, create a route and have some sourcing fun while saving dollars!

 



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