Azure Standard, Here’s What I Got This Month!
ByMany of you have asked to see what I get from Azure Standard, our health food co-op each month. Sometimes I just forget to take a picture during the chaos of taking food out of boxes and finding places for everything. This month, I remembered!
I got an organic green cabbage, two jars of Hain mayonnaise, a case of turkey franks, a case of white cheddar cheese, five pounds of organic carrots, a pound of organic baby carrots, 3 organic avocados, 25 pounds of organic sucanat, 3 pounds of organic onions, 5 pounds of baking soda, 20 pounds of organic apples, a case of frozen organic peas, 38 pounds of organic oranges, 50 pounds of organic potatoes (only 5 pounds are in the picture), stevia and a tub of maple syrup yogurt (special treat!). My total was $213…for a LOT of organic food!
Now, you may be wondering, “Laura! What in the world are you going to do with all of those oranges?!” Because wow, 38 pounds of oranges is a lot of oranges! They cost $23 for the entire box, so I got a wonderful deal! We’ve been going through quite a few oranges lately because we’ve been on a Creamy Orange Cooler kick. We’ll also probably make some Orange Muffins. And well…we’ll just eat lots of fresh oranges!
You may also be wondering, “Laura! Why in the world did you buy FIVE pounds of baking soda?” Well, if you recall…we use baking soda and vinegar to make volcanos in our bathtub unclog our drains safely. Plus, I’m working on a homemade laundry detergent recipe, and I needed a lot of baking soda.
And you may be wondering, “Laura! How long will all of this food last you?” And I’d have to tell you that most of it will be gone in about one month’s time. Well, the 50 pounds of potatoes may last us two months. And the sucanat will last us several months. Good grief, we better not eat 25 pounds of sucanat in one month. We can’t have that many Healthy Celebrations!!
Want to know if you can order from Azure Standard? I’ve written a whole post about how Azure Standard works.
Hmmmm, this is “food for thought,” shall we say? =) The photo does make ordering from Azure more intriguing… I will have to look at it again.
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Something else to do with the oranges – I just canned my own orange marmalade (but you need lemons too) last weekend – still waiting to see how it turns out. It has to set for 2 weeks before you get to try it. But I’ve been calculating the costs, and making your own jam seems much cheaper (and healthier – you choose the sugar to put in it!) than buying from the store.
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I’m really liking this idea
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Do you know of a good Mid-Atlantic (suburbs of DC food co-op?)
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Laura Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Read through this post and especially the comments to see what others from other regions know about food coops in their area. http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/feeding-the-family-more-organic-food-resources
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how long does the produce last? It sounds like the oranges can stay good for a month? How about the apples? potatoes are still holding up after 2 months? thanks for sharing this, i didn’t even know their was anything like this. I wish they delivered to Michigan.
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Laura Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 6:59 pm
It depends. We’re nearing the end of the season on apples, so they will last about a month, but no longer. We’ll have them eaten before a month is up anyway! The oranges may keep a little longer than one month if I put the last few in the fridge. Potatoes will be okay for a couple of months maybe…but I have some tricks to share about using up the potatoes that I hope to share in the next week or two!
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That is a lot of food! I looked into them, but it didn’t look like they delivered to my area.
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Thanks to you I signed up with Azure a year ago and they have since been such a blessing at giving us quality, lower price ingredients. I use baking soda a lot to clean my stainless steel pots and pans.
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I look forward to hearing the results of your laundry detergent. I’d like to switch to something more natural when my store-bought stuff runs out.
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SO wish they had a drop point in our area!
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You ordered many things that are sitting in my cart with Azure right now! Our orders go in next week and I’ve already got my cart full and ready to be sent. It’s my first order. Can’t hardly wait to receive it all.
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Wow— looks a lot like the order I just picked up this morning!
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I just got my order last night; we must have the same driver/route! I’ve only ordered twice so far and I LOVE the goodies and the prices, but both times some of my items were out of stock. Is this normal? I had to find a new source for my raw cheese as we were all out, and apparently, so was Azure. =(
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If your oranges start to get soft, you can always use the extras and juice them. That’s what we do with the extra oranges we get. And I stick the juice in ziplocks in the freezer. (Oh, and we have a juicer, and the “pulp” that spits out the back-end most the time has loads of juice still in it, so I put a collander over a bowl that will let it drip, put a couple of paper towels in to hold back the pulp, and let it drain into the bowl. I usually get quite a bit more juice that way.)
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I wish there was something like that in my area.
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I’d very much like to win a bag of this granola! Looks yummy!
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I am a Fan of Malachi’s on Facebook
Carol Anderson Ezovski
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have you told us b4 what brand of flour you use? i’v been using the 50/50 wheat/white from Hodgson Mill, but after reading nurishing traditions i’m not sure if i could be using something better (especially if i try to soak them). so over-whelming…so confusing!!
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Kris Mays Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 8:32 pm
I believe she grinds her own.
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Laura Reply:
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Yep, I grind my own: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/category/grains-and-grain-mills
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Wow amazing food for amazing prices! We can’t get prices like that around where I live! Organic food is outrageous and we can’t get azure standard! :( There are a few of us who would LOVE to be able to feed our families from Azure! We just do the best with what we have and let the Lord take care of the rest! Thanks so much for sharing you Azure Standard orders with us..even if we are a tiny eennyy bit jealous ;) LOL
Joy
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I would love to be entered to win the bag of granola! I ordered an Azure Standard catalog after reading on your website. It just came a day or so ago so I’ve not gotten to decide on what to try first but my husband and I are going to go over it to see what we might order. The nearest drop point is 2 hours away though. Might still be worth it.
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I love, love, love Azure Standard!!! I am getting excited to just be in the U.S.A. again so that I can order. I’m already gearing up!
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A colleague of mine belongs to a co-op and sometimes he’s willing to share with us because he over-buys on some things. I always ask for asparagus if he can spare any. I’m not a fan of many veggies, but I’ll take ‘em if I can get ‘em.
I’m laughing about you having so many oranges because I had a dream last night that there were too many clemantines to fit in our fridge at work and when I opened the door, half fell out. When I shoved them back in, the pressure of the door caused half of them to burst and a whole lotta juice came out! I wish I’d had a cup to collect it in.
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I love Azure! We love their carrots, potatoes and pears!
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Lots and lots of goodies there. For your oranges I recommend you make this slushie – Into a blender squeeze a few oranges, add lots of chopped ice, globs of honey, a banana, and some chopped pineapple and blend together. I’ve been making lots of these lately and everyone loves them. Now to go read your post on what Azure Standard is…
Thanks for the inspiration :)
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I’m really ready for Azure to deliver to KY. Maybe someday!
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http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm
This is the laundry soap recipe I use. I generally use the fels naptha to make it. I think it cleans well but sometimes I would like it to whiten better so I add the oxygen type powder to it. I will be watching for your version.
I have also used vinegar for fabric softener which works well. Once the clothes are dry, you don’t smell the vinegar.
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I just placed my first order from Azure Standard. I should be delivered on Monday!!
I was wondering what brand of cheese it was that you ordered. The choices are a little overwhelming so it would be nice to know what it tried and true. I can’t quite make it out from the picture.
Thanks so much for your blog. You have inspired me and my family to eat healthier!
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Laura Reply:
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Landmark Raw White Cheddar. It is THE best!
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Laura, I’d LOVE a natural laundry soap WITHOUT Borax. every recipe I’ve seen has it in it.
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elaine Reply:
April 25th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
me, too! I gathered all the ingredients together to make some about a year ago only to discover that Borax wasn’t good for a number of reasons. Also – I thought it was washing soda not baking soda – can you use baking soda?
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Danielle Reply:
April 26th, 2010 at 2:53 am
It’s not the same thing. I’m having a bad reaction (a rash, but it’s sores) to a homemade deodorant right now. And all I used was CO, baking soda, and arrowroot powder. I didn’t add any essential oils to it. I’m glad I didn’t or I wouldn’t know for sure what caused it.
Now I’m even more concerned about making anything homemade. :-( I have VERY sensitive skin. I thought I would be ok, since it was homemade.
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I’ve seen you use that mayo before. Is the taste good? Is there any corn syrup or other yuckies in it? That is one thing I don’t think I could bring myself to make from scratch. Thanks! As alway, jealous of your access to Azure Standard but love to look at groceries/great deals!
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Laura Reply:
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Yes, the taste is great! We love it. Probably a reason I haven’t tried making my own yet! It has dehydrated cane juice…no corn syrup!
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OOOOO! such a beautiful picture! I was flipping through their sales catalog that came in my order this week, and I decided I want to go to Oregon and visit Azure Farms in person! Want to take a field trip with me?!?!?!?
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Laura Reply:
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Ooh, let’s do!
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I’m curious how much per pound you pay for organic sucanat? Our local bulk/health foods has it for $1.79/lb. I’m REALLY trying to work my way to that. When our regular white sugar ran out recently, I bought organic evaporated cane juice. I did notice that it wasn’t nearly as concentrated as the regular sugar, much more pleasant taste. Oh well, baby steps.
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Laura Reply:
May 4th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
The best deal I’ve found is $1.53/pound when it’s on sale at Azure Standard. It is pricey…but I find that I make sweets a LOT less often now!
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So fun to see all your goodies and to hear how you’ll be using them. We have a drop in our city, but I’m in the process of getting a drop set up for just a mile away. It’s been great to order from them and I like that you post tips, sales, and experiences so that we can learn from you.
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I SOOO love granola. I want to try it. LOL
(I did the facebook thing, as well. )
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Or, you can borrow your friend Valerie’s juicer and juice the oranges for some yummy OJ then use the leftover pulp for orange muffins!
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That looks great! Too bad they don’t have a delivery spot near me!
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Don’t forget the orange marmalade! :)
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This would be a great snack between school & swimming team practice (indoors) since we don’t have time to run home in between.
Thank you!
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If you end up with a lot of potatoes often and don’t get a chance to get to them right away, you can put an uncut apple or two in with them and it keeps them from sprouting so soon.
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