05/24/2026
I missed the past two weeks – I'm sorry! Sometimes life gets in the way, but here I am with 3 more items.
This weeks '3 ways you can reduce grocery store dependency' Feel free to share this post if you think people on your friends list may benefit from it!
Each week, I pick three items from a running list of ways my family has reduced our dependency on the grocery store over the years. The list numbers in the hundreds and highlights the many things we grow, raise, process, preserve, and cook from scratch here on the farm. My passion is sharing homesteading and scratch cooking know-how with others, and while the list isn't specifically “homesteady” I hope you can use some of it, and I think most of it could be adaptable in many lifestyles. All of it focuses on one goal: reducing your dependency on the grocery store. Whether it's something you can make, grow, or a technique you can use, these are all meaningful things we've done over the years to keep our grocery budget low, help us through tough times – and now these things are what allow me to feed my family very well on a very low budget as a widowed mom of 10. Small things add up, and learning how to do things builds resilience.
1. Deli style potato wedges – you know those breaded potato wedges that often sit in the hot box waiting to accompany the fried chicken? They are crispy and flavorful on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside – and you can make them yourself for a fraction of the cost. Slice a potato into wedges (you don't need to peel unless you want to) dip the potato in a flour mixture consisting of flour, chili powder, salt and pepper,garlic powder and onion powder, then the egg, then the flour once more. Drop in a deep fryer until golden and floating. The best part is, you can make these ahead and freeze them, just be sure they are completely cool before freezing. To re-crisp cooled potato wedges, stick them in an air fryer (350f for 10-5 minutes) or a 400F oven for the same time, flipping halfway. If frozen, you can reheat in your oven at 425F for 20-25 minutes, ideally set over crumpled foil or on a wire rack for better air flow. Flip halfway.
2. Pita Bread! Pita bread is round, flat bread that has a pocket in the middle. You cut the rounds in half and fill each half with food of your choice. My favorite way to use pita bread is when I make shish tawook. I layer rice, marinated chicken, vegetables, pickled peppers and toum inside the pita. I've found homemade pita is SO much softer than what you would buy and bring home. It's not hard to make at all – and they freeze well!
3. Popcorn. Believe it or not, you CAN grow popcorn in Michigan! I grew a ton of it – and still have a couple 5 gallon buckets of popcorn kernels from that experience. It can be grown fully organic, and pops beautifully – what a great snack! I posted a video on youtube back when we harvested it https://youtu.be/F9xx8fLfnwE?si=SfnkoFoc56TfVaB5 and I just found clips for another video I never edited on popcorn that I will finish and post here once done – so follow along to see when it's up.
Follow for next week's next 3 items to make, grow or 'do,' to reduce your grocery store dependence!
Previous items were calzones, yogurt, toum, making pasta, growing onions, making ravioli, deli style lunchmeat, potato chips, burger buns, canning dry beans for convenience, growing potatoes, making fruit snacks, vanilla extract, bread, tomatoes to grow, waterglassed eggs, oyster crackers, evaporated milk, mayonnaise, sun dried tomatoes, biscuits, breadcrumbs, chicken stock, bouillon, fajita seasoning, corned venison hash (instead of buying the canned hash), ketchup, tortillas, peppers (to grow), and canned taco meat. You can find each week organized in the K7 Farm subscription group plus more ! Visit K7 Farm - “That Teaching Farm” on facebook and hit the 'subscribe' button.
