March 11th Workshop: GROCERIES & MEAL COSTS

Where we shopped:
Dan-D-Market 2696 W. Broadway
Decent prices, nice staff, good bulk section full of Dan-D-Pak goods.

Donald's Market 2279 Commercial Drive
Across the street from Dollar Grocers, where we went for the last workshop. This place offers organic and non-organic products, their bulk section is pretty small. Offers a variety of Asian products, like dumpling skin.

Young Brothers 3151 W. Broadway
A little cramped but excellent prices!

Barley Borscht
Beets ($0.79/lbs): $3.53
Crushed Tomatoes: $1.19
Carrots ($1.74/kg): $0.91
Onions ($0.39/lbs): $0.60
2 lemons: $0.98
Organic pearl barley: $1.71
Plain yogurt: $ 2.59
1 bunch of dill: $0.99

SUB-TOTAL: $12.50

Chickpea curry empanadas
Pie shells: $13.16
Chickpeas: $0.99
Yellow pepper ($4.39/kg): $0.83
Red pepper ($1.89/lbs): $1.32
Whole wheat flour stoneground ($1.74/kg): $0.07
Onions ($0.39/lbs): $0.60
½ bag frozen peas: $1.30
Certified organic unbleached flour ($0.99/lbs): $0.54

SUB-TOTAL: $18.81

Potato Leek Soup
Light cream: $1.99
Potatoes ($1.08/kg): $1.41
Potatoes ($0.69/lbs): $$2.45
Leeks ($4.82/kg): $3.90
Leeks ($1.99/lbs): $5.45

SUB-TOTAL: $15.20

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Yams ($1.08/kg): 3.95
1 can tomato paste: $0.59
Carrots ($0.49/lbs): $0.50
Onions ($0.39/lbs): $0.60
½ bag frozen peas: $1.30
1 bag frozen corn: $2.59

SUB-TOTAL: $9.53

Chocolate/Pear Tart
Bosc Pears [Large] ($0.99/lbs): $2.49
+ 1 pie shell

GRAND TOTAL: $58.53

Feb. 27th Workshop: GROCERIES

These are the business cards for two of the local, independent stores that we purchased from for our February 27th kitchen workshop. Our budget requirement was to spend no more than $5/participant and we purchased everything from fruits, veggies, and meats, to cleaning supplies.

Dollar Grocers is located on Commercial Dr. at E. 6th Ave. (next to JJ Bean) and sells among other things, organic and non-organic products, as well as local produce and bulk goods at reasonable prices. The Butcher located in West Point Grey is a place to find high quality and specialty meats.

Shopping In Season

One of the goals of The Student Kitchen Project is to share tips on how to shop on measly student budgets, and one of the best ways - not to mention a very eco-friendly one - is to shop in season and shop local.

We're not necessarily talking full-on 100-mile diet, but just consult one of the links below for what's in season in BC before you go grocery shopping next time, and then do a quick price-check. However, important to keep in mind is that what is said to be "in season" is sometimes contentious whatwith hothouse produce, e.g. one of the links has lettuce in season year-round in BC. So, we'd just have to recommend the use of intuition and personal comfort i.e. what are you comfortably willing to wait for?

• Act Now BC - Buy local, in season fruits and vegetables
• BC Association of Farmers' Markets - Seasonal Produce Chart
• Eat BC! - What's in Season

On a final and personal note, we used to enjoy eating avocados and strawberries in winter before realising that not only were they the priciest things on our food bills, but that it was kind of weird to be eating guacamole and drinking strawberry daquiris in front of a roaring fireplace while wearing reindeer sweaters from our dear old aunties. Now, it's kind've nice to wait all year in anticipation for "strawcado season," when these things generally taste better, and the only thing burning is skin with no sunblock.