For now and the freezer
Occasionally, I buy bread from the Thrift Bread Store and freeze it. These four loaves of bread, package of buns, cheddar Cheese Sauce Mix, and Tasty Kakes cost $7.16. The chocolate Tasty Kakes were a quarter. The bread products were $1.19. The Cheese sauce was $1.09. I won't buy Cheese Sauce here again because I can get it elsewhere for $1.
Bread products I bought have no hfcs, no preservatives and are all 100% whole wheat. I wonder where I hid the cupcakes from myself.
I was expressing amazement to the clerk that the store was so empty of products. The worker told me that it was because of the storm the week before. All the bread was purchased and the grocery stores took all the bread products the trucks had. She had to call the plant and tell them the thrift store had no merchandise. She was sent bread fresh from the bakers. All these loaves had Feb 11, 2014. I purchased them on Feb 4th!!! Everything was super fresh in the Thrift Bread Store. They went into the freezer as soon as I brought it home.
Then, I got bad news.
I also love the old store, "Thrift" sign, handmade signs. Am I getting old? This is way beyond sentimental, right? Loving a bread store?
new store
This is the brand-spanking-new store. The "Thrift" is left out of the name! That seemed so quaint and odd to me. I mean, they have used bread, donated bread to sell? It amused me.
The new store is on the worst intersection in town. I just hate it and will turn early to avoid this intersection. Okay, when I took exbf by to show him the new location, I realized I could enter this little shopping center one block before the intersection, entering the parking lot from the side street. At the old one, I took my life in my hands entering and exiting the tiny spaces for four cars at the front of the old store, right smack dab on the road. PLUS, the new store is two miles closer than the old store. The old store really enlarged my shopping loop. So, I will try to be happy about losing the old location.
At any rate, I have the freezer stocked with bread. Since I cannot get to the other freezer, I was unaware of the two loaves already in that freezer! Well, I suspected they were there, but wanted bread now. Exbf had not gotten any out for me in three weeks, and I refuse to pay full price.
The bread from the big freezer was transferred to the refrigerator freezer in the kitchen. My bread never gets too old in the freezer or freezer burned because not only do I use it in order it was baked, I put it in plastic bags. Two-gallon freezer bags hold two loaves of bread. This day, I had to store the bread one loaf to a bag, sort of catty cornered.
I bought a different size loaf, so today only one would fit. When I get a loaf from the freezer, I mash all the air from the freezer bag, close the Ziploc zipper, roll up the bag and put it on the freezer door, ready to reuse for bread. Since only bread goes into the two-gallon freezer bags, I have no qualms about reusing them over and over without washing. That way, I can afford the Ziploc bags which I think are essential to storing bread in the freezer and having the bread emerging fresh tasting.
By buying bread at the thrift store and freezing it, I can save 50% to 66% on the price of bread.
Your turn
Do you have a bread store where you can buy bread for less? Do you regularly take advantage of it? Do you have a freezer to take advantage of the savings?
I don't have a bread store. Long ago, we went to a Wonder Hostess thrift store. The bread and buns would turn moldy very quickly.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Janie,
DeleteI hate that. Here, summer bread molds faster, especially since my kitchen is where the sun sets. Some days, I end up freezing the loaf and using out of the freezer. This bread should last longer because it was fresh from the bakery.
When I can I buy bread from the Farmers Markets. Full of flavour. Artisan's bread. Not mass produced.
ReplyDeleteIt is usually dearer - but tastes soooo much better that I bite the bullet and economise in other areas. And the fruit and vegetables at the market are good, good value. And I too freeze it in ziploc bags.
EC,
DeleteI am sure the artisan bread is tasty. I just buy sandwich bread at the Thrift store because there is no market that has good bread.
We have a flowers bread store here too. We buy a stack of bread which is usually 12 to 15 trays of bread for $6. They call it animal bread. We sort it and keep some for ourselves and feed our chickens crumbled bread, the rabbits slices of whole wheat and the goats get a slice or two of whole wheat. It helps our animal feed last longer. Sometimes the trays have snack cakes too. It sure helps keep expenses down.
ReplyDeletePeggy,
DeleteThey did sell a grocery cart for $4, but quit that. Now, a person must by a pickup truck of bread. I decided the hens should not have anything but the same as I eat and no white bread. It was all good while it lasted. I only have two hens, so I don't need a pickup truck load.
I do love flowers. I must find that Tasty Kake!
We live about 10 minutes away from the Dave's Killer Bread outlet - 100% whole grain, organic bread. It costs around $5/loaf in the markets; at the outlet, if I buy 12 loaves, I can get it for less than $2/loaf. We were just given a bread machine for a belated Christmas gift; I am making 100% organic whole wheat bread these days for less than $1 per loaf. And it tastes better than anything out there!
ReplyDeleteLaura,
DeleteI like the name of the store. I should be using my bread machine!
I haven't been to a bread thrift store in years - my parents used to go occasionally - we ate a lot of bread when I was living at home esp my dad- he took a sandwich to work every day and often we'd have sandwiches at least once a week - and sometimes Sun nights if we didn't find leftovers we wanted. Now I eat bread occasionally and usually freeze it. We didn't go so much when I was younger because it was on the other side of town - once they closed the closest one my parents decided time was more valuable. I don't have a big freezer so don't have the space for storing to make it worth driving to one here. plus I'd be stuck at the 25 cent tastycake table which I don't need LOL!
ReplyDeleteSuzy,
DeleteI have often not gone because it seemed too far. That is why I started buying it in quantity. I do have the freezer, not so big, just not so full. I still have not found that Tasty Kake! I will put it in a bowl of milk and eat it that way. Or, I will put pieces in a cup of milk...yum.
We have a bread store not far from us but it's been a while since they had good deals there. I do like to buy bagels for $1 per bag.
ReplyDeleteLena,
DeleteThis store has bagels, too. I just cannot start buying those again. I love them too much.
There's an orowheat bread store by me. I love that I can pick bagels for a dollar a bag. I buy a bunch and freeze them.
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
DeleteIt looks like there is a meeting of bagel lovers here. I would freeze them when I bought them. I could get to the freezer then and would thaw them too often.
I remember my parents going when I was a child. I would love it when they would bring home snack pies! Lemon was my favorite. I retrospect, I realize that the pies had to be quite cheap in order tor my mother to spring for them. I remember once, my parents brought me back a Snoopy poster. For some reason, they stopped going...time?Maybe it closed. If I recall correctly, it was a Dolly Madison bakery thrift shop.
ReplyDeleteWe do not have one convenient to us, but if we did, I would put it in the "rotation " so to speak.
Meg B,.
DeleteOooh, those lemon snack pies are delicious. I have not bought a snack pie at the bread store in about ten years. Aren't memories about lemon snack pies and Snoopy pies wonderful? Everyone should have a bread thrift store near them. I actually have two, but prefer Flowers and it's closer to other places I shop.
Aldi carries whole wheat bread now, so that's where I buy mine. I think it's $1.19 or less. I don't care about name brand bread. In fact, I don't even like Sara Lee (too soft).
ReplyDeleteI agree. Sara Lee it too soft.
ReplyDelete