doing things differently

When we moved, I threw out a lot of stuff. I probably will throw out a ton more when we unpack. Oh, and when I say throw out, I should clarify. some stuff got sold, some got donated and then some stuff just got thrown out.

One thing that I really wanted to replace was my pots & pans. I have had the same set since we moved in, which is great for sure. They've lasted this long and have done the job. But I'm trying really hard to be better about what is in the food we eat, and part of that is knowing what you are cooking with. So, out with the non-stick totally toxic target pots & pans and in with the way more expensive stuff. Seriously.

I scoured the interwebs for help on this, and kinda felt overwhelmed. I finally found one site that really said "hey..you only need XX stuff and here's the top choices for each"

As I scrolled through I realized I was already ahead of the game. Dutch oven, check. Cast Iron Pan, check. Sick sauté pan from CIA that I got for x-mas that meets all the criteria (and is like $120...wow), check. So it looked like I needed a few sauce pans and a stock pot. And I wanted to find a small fry pan for eggs and what not. All Clad was mentioned all over that site, and while I was determined to make cooking safer for my family, I was also determined to not break the bank. Enter Marshalls....

Seriously. Who doesn't love being a maxinista? To be honest, I VERY rarely look at clothes (well, for me at least, I always stop by the kids section). But shoes, bags, accessories, house stuff. Yes please and thank you very much.

Taylor and I were running errands one Saturday so we stopped in Marshall's. After I explained that we were looking for house stuff and that she would not be able to buy shoes (don't ask) we prepared for our adventure.

I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of cookware this particular store had, and I was able to get a few things I still needed, and found this awesome stainless steel with copper base pan for $15. SCORE!

I walked out of there with three really good pans/pots for like $40. Yes. Please. and Thank you!

In addition to trying to be better about what I cook with, I've started up my Walden Local Meat share and am trying my best to buy organinc and NON-GMO as much as possible. The cabinets will probably be bear for a bit, but I'm excited about building a pantry that I know will be good for my family. Any recommendations?????