[Sca-cooks] Fair feast budget

[kattratt]

a5foil wrote:

>I figure my budget using grocery-store prices at the market where I usually
>shop (which is not the cheapest one) using shelf prices rather than sale
>prices. That way I know that if I get no deals at all, I will still come in
>*at* budget.
>  
>
We ended up shopping in four places.  A local bent and dent store that I 
shop at for our familyfor staples like Cous Cous ($.33 a box), Rice 
($1.49 for 1lb 12oz box), and other items.  The Oriental/Mexican Farmers 
Market in Atlanta Ga for meats. (I live in Greenville SC btw).  The 
International Farmers Market in Atlanta for veggies.  The Happy Berry 
Farm in Pickens SC for fruit.  (Yes I am aware that you all can't shop 
at those places but I recommend shopping around those venues if you have 
never looked.)  

>I do make things from scratch ahead of time if I can, mostly because of
>quality rather than price. I find that making bread is not that great a
>savings, because I don't use el cheapo flour. 
>
I agree about the economics on the bread making... Although if I were 
using a kitchen I would bake at least 4 loaves or something for the 
fresh baked bread smell.  But shucks we priced bread out for a hard 
crust loaf at around $.43 per loaf.  That was bread dated as baked on 
that day for those that freak over the aforementioned bent and dent 
place and was not purchased at the Bent and Dent store.  

>On the other hand, chicken
>stock is a *big* savings because the market stopped carrying the inexpensive
>brand of organic canned stock. I either have to go with affordable but
>ingredient-laden, expensive but tasty organic, or homemade. And chickens
>are, yes, cheap.
>
>Also if you fill people up with soup, they will eat less of your expensive
>meat and still come away feeling satisfied, if not stuffed.
>  
>

Yeah our soup went over very well to.  My thinking was to give almost an 
appetizer portion (think a chicken leg or thigh,  maybe 2 slices of 
beef, a cup/bowl of soup,about 1/2 a cup of veggies, 2 slices of bread 
1/2 inch thick, that sort of thing.) for each item; that way everyone 
eats what they want but also tries different things.  My problem was 
that I did not realize that some things were cooked alot in this area. 
 I wasn't aware that alot of folks served duck.  
I also remind folks that there are such and such number of courses and 
dessert so they should pace themselves.  

Nichola



>Cynara
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