Can't Buy Good Produce

[bartfull]

OK, so I've mentioned before that I can't get anything good to eat where I live. But today it REALLY got to me. I cooked some chicken this morning and I needed to go to the store for some sweet potatoes. The first store had old dried out ones that were splitting open. I looked at the white potatoes and they were the same. So I went to the other grocery store and their sweet potatoes were so bad they had soft, wet, rotten spots. The white potatoes were like at the other place, all dried up and splitting open. So I figured I'd have to buy rice. They were out of the Uncle Ben's.

 

Now, I like Uncle Ben's instant rice but both stores stopped carrying it months ago. I've had to get the long cooking, even though it's a hassle to cook and I don't like the tase as much. But now they have NO Uncle Ben's at all, and other brands don't work for me (corn CC).

 

So, I bought broccoli, even though it was rather limp and wilted because I had to have SOMETHING besides just chicken.

 

Does anybody have any ideas of what else I could eat? I can't do canned goods because of the corn-based plastic cans are lined with now. My intolerances are gluten of course, corn, and soy. I am also going to give dairy up for a while to see if it makes me feel better. In the past I have had trouble with most fruit and other veggies besides the broccoli and cauliflower, but I'm willing to try a few new things again.

[Adalaide]

Can you do frozen veggies? I know it may take some legwork for you to find out but it could be a good option.

[1desperateladysaved]

Cabbage is in the same family as broccoli and cauliflower.  It keeps well.  I retried it lately, when my daughter begged me.  I shred it and cook it in coconut or olive oil and a little water.  How about turnips, swiss chard, or spinach? I make swiss chard chips that are excellent.  The only problem is that they disappear faster than I can make them.  If sweet potato works, perhaps carrots or squash would?  If you have intolerance problems, a rotational diet may allow you to eat various ones every four days.

 

When you move, get a sunny lot for a garden.  My broccoli is blooming its little heart out!  Fresh string beans from bush bean plants don't take much room, but burst with beans!

 

Do you do nut flours at all? My family likes almond crust for pie and almond muffins.

[Renegade]

Isn't sweet potatoes something that can last a long time? Weird how they would be rotten, the store must not care for the quality of their food I been storing some in the frigd for a whole week and they look just fine.

[bartfull]

Renegade, I live "in the middle of nowhere" and we get the dregs off the back of the delivery truck.

 

Desperate Lady, who said I was going to move??!!  Just because the food here stinks, that's no reason to move. Except for the food I love it here. Not fond of turnips but I do like squash. IF I can find some that aren't rotten! The cabbage thing isn't a bad idea. I never liked cole slaw but then one time I had cabbage on a sandwich and discovered it was that nasty sweet cole slaw DRESSING i didn't like.

 

Addy, you know me too well! Frozen would be SO much easier than cooking or something.   I'm going to give it a try.

[Adalaide]

Frozen doesn't really expand your horizons... but they're quick easy and way better than limp broccoli! I just didn't know if you had already discarded the idea based on the whole "corn thing."

 

And if you're going to try cabbage type things and it works out, see if such a thing as bok choy exists up there in the middle of nowhere. Way easier and tastier than plain old cabbage.

[bartfull]

Bok choy is something I remember from when I lived in civilization, but I don't think anyone here ever heard of it. I haven't done frozen because some frozen veggies are dusted with corn starch to keep them from clumping together. But I THINK I can probably do corn starch again and besides, if I'm lucky I might find some that is not dusted with it. It's worth a try. I'll probably do some calling/emails to some of the companies first though.

 

In the meantime, I'm going to take a trip to Rapid on Sunday. The Safeway up there usually has better produce.

[1desperateladysaved]

 

Desperate Lady, who said I was going to move??!!  Just because the food here stinks, that's no reason to move. Except for the food I love it here

 

 

 I thInk it may be I had delusions about it?  I remembered you talking about where you live.  Are you too afraid to go to the farmer's market to get some produce, or do they only sell "non-gluten" cross contaminated items?  Is there a sunny spot where you could put a garden or some pots? 

 

Sprouts are good veggies.  I use to have a net sprout bag that hung by the kitchen sink.  Every time I made a meal and before I went to bed, I would rinse them.  In a few days to a week, there are veggies to eat.  I really like mung bean sprouts in an eggroll wrap.  But I dunno how to make an eggroll wrap without grain.

 

I now use frozen sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, peas, beets, and string beans when I don't have fresh.

 

Maybe I would consider moving if I couldn't turn a quarter an acre or so into garden.

[bartfull]

There IS a farmer's market but they only hold it once a month. Some friends have gardens and have promised me some squash soon. I COULD put in a garden if I had time and money. I put in so many hours at my business I don't have much time to weed a garden, and because there are so many deer in town I would have to put up a six foot fence around it. I had thought about buying one of those dog kennel thingys and trying that. Maybe next year.

 

The sprouts are a great idea! I never even thought about them but I love sprouts. Thanks for reminding me!

 

As much as I complain about the food though, I'll never move from here. I moved here 9 years ago from Connecticut because the first time I came through here I KNEW it was where I belonged. And I honestly am happier than I've ever been. I'm surrounded by the most beautiful scenery in the country (IMO - and I have been all OVER this country.) There is no traffic to fight, nobody locks their doors here because the worst crime is an occasional drunk driver or domestic dispute, the people are WONDERFUL, and I love running my business.

 

Even my house - when I saw the wrap around porch I was in love, but when I walked in I noticed the carpeting in the living room was the same as my Mom (who had passed away 8 months previously) had in hers. Then I walked into the master bedroom - same WALLPAPER Mom had! THEN I saw the kitchen - same linoleum! It was like Mom was telling me, "Buy this house." And the kicker was, there's a MAPLE tree in my front yard. Maple trees are RARE out here.

 

Yep, this is my home, rotten produce and all.

[dilettantesteph]

If you are in the middle of nowhere, maybe there are some farmers who have stands by the road in front of their places.  You can buy up stuff in season and can and freeze yourself to avoid corn cc.  It's a lot of work, but maybe better than limp and split stuff.

[bartfull]

No farmers in the region. Just ranchers. I wish I could buy some steaks or pork chops on the side of the road, but alas, they sell to the big beef processing plants. SOMEDAY I'm going to buy a freezer and buy some grass fed beef from a rancher. The smallest amount they will sell is half a beef.

 

 

I've got another question. I have been eating ice cream for breakfast and again for my after work treat. I plan on giving up dairy for a while to see if it helps me feel better. Breakfast is no problem - I'll eat eggs. But I don't know what to do for my treat at the end of the day. One of the nice things about ice cream is that it cools me off. I can just eat ice chips for that, but what about the fill-my-stomach part? I usually eat supper around four or five so by 7:30 or so I'm hungry. I suppose I could eat some Against The Grain, but I'm open to suggestions.

 

Fruit is out. Not only can't I get decent fruit here, but I also want to cut down on sugar. Thanks.

[1desperateladysaved]

What flavor of ice cream?

 

I use fruit smoothies when I need something in the evening.  Maybe you could flavor with whatever flavor your ice cream is.  I use coconut or nut milk rather than dairy.  As soon as I get some spices back peppermint, cinnamon, fennel or fenugreek would be yummy!

[bartfull]

The ice cream I've been eating is vanilla. But I don't want to do fruit because of the sugar. I know I can't have a sweet treat, I was just wondering if anyone could think of something besides bread that would fill the hole in my stomach in the evening and taste good at the same time. I suppose another handful of cashews would do it, but I already eat those during the day.

[Renegade]

The ice cream I've been eating is vanilla. But I don't want to do fruit because of the sugar. I know I can't have a sweet treat, I was just wondering if anyone could think of something besides bread that would fill the hole in my stomach in the evening and taste good at the same time. I suppose another handful of cashews would do it, but I already eat those during the day.

Why not just eat peaniut butter? I wish I could but i digest it bad atm. People always look at me like i am an alien with i eat plain peanut butter with nothing else, but it's honestly the most satisfying and delicious thing for me. I've been missing it more then my coffee,cereal and hell, even weed.

[bartfull]

I have never cared for peanut butter. I know people think I'm crazy but even as a kid I would tell Mom, "No peanut butter on my sandwich please. Just jelly."  Now, jelly is a different thing. I LOVE it, but the pectin used in commercial jellies is derived from corn so i can't eat it. I'll have to talk to some of my friends who make jelly and see if they'd like to sell or donate some.

 

I'm HOPING that if I give up dairy and sugar for a while I'll get blueberries back. If that happens I will be SOOOO HAPPY! I love blueberries so much! Not only do they taste so good but they take me back to my childhood. We had them growing wild all OVER the place and Mom made the best blueberry pie ever. Even as an adult, I would always eat handsful of blueberries when I was out walking in the woods or fishing. Oh yeah. If I could get blueberries back I'd never even THINK about ice cream.

[Adalaide]

Do you eat bananas?

[bartfull]

Yeah, when I first started I ate a banana for breakfast every day. But I wasted a lot of money trying to find good ones. Several times I would buy some that were still green and they would rot to liquid before they turned yellow. I'm serious. The produce in this town is beyond pitiful. I'll be going to Rapid on Sunday to get some of the good stuff and yesterday a friend who lives in Rapid but works here once a week offered to pick up anything I need and bring it down.

 

If frozen veggies work I will try some frozen fruit sometime. I want to stay away from sugars for now anyway. Looks like I'll be eating the empty calories in gluten-free bread at night for now. It'll do.

 

Another thing I was thinking about - I know for certain that the corn-based plastic got me before, but it was a LONG time ago. Maybe by now I could eat canned goods. I'd rather eat fresh veggies, and frozen would be a second choice, but I could buy canned yams. And when I'm ready for white potatoes again, I could buy canned potatoes.

[AlwaysLearning]

How about a farm co-op? Many of them will deliver in-season veggies straight to your door or have a weekly pickup location.

Though the middle of nowhere may not offer much now, it could be an option in the future.
 

[Adalaide]

I was just thinking that since you can't have ice cream, you can freeze a banana (it is helpful if you cut it up a little) the throw it in a blender or food processor. You don't have to add anything to it at all, but you can add a little of whatever type of milk you may be using and BAM! Ice cream! I swear, it is awesome. I was doing this all. the. time. before I had to stop eating bananas.

[bartfull]

I'll see if I can find a decent banana and try that. And if I DO get blueberries back I'll do it with them. No need to add sugar. Tart blueberries are just fine with me.

[Juliebove]

I can relate!  When we lived in Staten Island and also on Cape Cod, we couldn't always get good fresh produce.  Especially in the winter.  But I could eat canned.  And you can't.  But there were other things that I did that might help you.  One is mail order.  Perhaps you can get mail order produce delivery there?  There used to be places that did this.  Diamond Organics was one such but I don't think they do that any more. 

 

Another is dried food.  I'm sorry, I can't remember what all that you can't eat but things like tomatoes, carrots, peppers and onion are great in dried form.  You can also get celery but it's mostly the leaves.  I have seen dried broccoli but I can't eat it so can't speak for how well it would hold up.  These things work best for things like soups or moist dishes like chicken and noodles or chicken and rice.  They do need to be used in a food that is cooked with liquid or at least rehydrated in a little boiling water.  The onlons on McDonald's hamburgers used to be dried and rehydrated.  Can't say if they are today or not as I don't eat there.  I used to buy these mostly online but when we moved here, I could get them freeze dried at my health food store.  And now I own a dehydrator and can make my own.

 

Freeze your own when you can.  Peppers and onions are two things I have frozen when I found them on sale for a very good price.  I didn't bother to blanch them or anything.  Just froze them.

 

At home canning.  Although I have only ever done this with fruit.  For most vegetables you need a more expensive canner.  But when I first started canning, I made do with a cheap corn pot that I bought.  A real canner isn't super expensive but is much bigger than the corn pot and allowed me to process more jars and bigger jars.  Most of what you would buy for canning is a one time investment and you can sometimes find these things used for less.  You do need to buy new seals each time you use the jars but you can reuse the rings and jars after washing well.  That way when you are able to buy a lot of produce that is good, you can put up your own.  Of course canning is rather time consuming too.

 

For the things like rice, I would probably mail order.  You can get a lot of grocery items from Walmart with no shipping charge although for some things you do have to purchase by the case.  There is also a website called Alice that sells foods and other essensials.  Not sure if they would have what you need but I have purchased gluten-free things there.  Or even this site here, might have some things that you could use.