Quality over Quantity. Every. Time.

Last night was a rather eye opening experience, to say the least. I made dinner as I normally do, and when I sat down to eat it ... it was WRETCHED. Even Charlie thought so, and that's saying something LOL

I'm sitting there thinking to myself, "What did I do differently? Where did I go wrong?" The obvious answer was presented to me by Charlie who says, "This is what happens when you buy great value chicken. ICK."

He was so right.

The last grocery shopping I'd done, I was bound and determined, to spend less than $150 for all four of us for a week, but still have healthy options and choices. It wasn't hard, since myself and the girls drink water exclusively, and Charlie takes minimal food to work. I opted to buy the Great Value brand chicken because it was offering me more for a MUCH cheaper price. I threw it in the freezer like I normally do with chicken, and hadn't thought about it.

Well, with this new way of doing things, I'm also cutting back on my "helpers" for meats, which include butter and things. They're what I use to bake my meats in to help keep them juicy, moist, and yummy. Didn't do that with this batch of cheaper meat, and the taste really came out. It's hard to describe, it was like eating what tasted like raw chicken, but cooked. It was horrible.

Not to mention I'd bought the better value russet potatoes that were only $1.99 for 5lbs. Should've seen that one coming too. The potatoes last night were soggy, and gross, even after I baked them the regular time I always do. They just weren't quality products to start out with. Mashed potatoes, sure. They'd be great for that. Baked? Not so much.

So, this was a lesson I needed to learn. I stress so much about making sure I keep my grocery spending within a certain range, that I was willing to mince on the quality, just to get more. I seriously can not continue to do that. It would be irresponsible of me to sit here and expect myself to be full and content on a meal, when I can't even stomach it. That's not fair to me, as someone trying to do the healthier eating, or to my family who ended up eating Chef Boyardee just so they didn't have to consume last nights dinner.

Grocery shopping objective is in full enforcement: Buy the foods that I know are better, and will taste the way they should, and not settle for more of something crappier just to ensure everyone has more helpings than they need.

Quality over Quantity, from here on out!