The Peace of Plain Food: Finding Relief in a Simple Kitchen

image: Chefitt on Unsplash

In a world where we are bombarded with detailed recipes for different and complex dishes, I wanted to say that you can just cook plain food. 

A lot of what my husband and I have eaten over the last 40 years is just plain food. Last night I made scratch baked beans with a few remaining sausages (Labor Day) sliced in, Swiss chard sautéed quickly in saved bacon fat, grilled tomato halves, and steamed brown rice. Nothing was complex. And nothing required me to open a cookbook or go online for a recipe or instructions.

My husband and I began our life together this way. One afternoon when were were dating, I stopped by his apartment after my last class of the morning. He was in the process of making himself lunch and asked if I'd like to join him. He made fish, grilled tomatoes, and baked potatoes. The fish wasn't fish sticks or a fish fillet. It was a whole fish he had bought at the grocery store that morning when he got off his midnight shift. The fish had been gutted, but it still had the head and tail on. he chopped those parts off to feed to his cats, then pan-cooked the rest of the fish. This was just plain food, but it was all delicious.

So many of our meals have been plain and simple. I steam a single vegetable, boil some rice, scramble some eggs or cook some meat, as is, and cut up some fruit. It sounds boring. But when a person is truly hungry, even the plainest of foods tastes especially good.

I discovered that last fact the day we were driving to Portland to see my husband's sister. We'd been on the road for 4 hours with no stops. When we walked in the door I could smell something really delicious. I asked my sister-in-law what she was cooking, and she laughed a bit and said potatoes. Not a potato dish, just potatoes. She would turn them into mashed potatoes closer to dinner as she was grilling some meat and steaming some vegetables. But those potatoes smelled like the best possible food ever

Back to my point. Is there a point? For frugal people,.yes, there is a point here. You can save a lot of money by eating plain foods. Fewer extra ingredients, sauces, or seasonings to purchase. Most simply-prepared meals include some fresh produce, which can be a bargain this time of year. A dessert of a sliced fresh apple or a whole plum, even if bought, costs less per serving than a scratch-baked cake, pie, or cobbler. 

In addition to the financial savings, you save yourself from stress at the end of a busy day by putting together a simple meal. We had sandwiches two nights in a row last week. One night baked tuna sandwiches, the other egg salad. As a homemaker and backyard farmer, my days can be blown by in a wind of activity. I find myself at the 5 PM hour staring at the pantry's contents, hoping against hope that a dinner menu will magically present itself. On those days, a simple meal of sandwiches or plain vegetables, rice and meat fits the bill.

"Plain Food" as a Deliberate, Comforting Choice

I sometimes think we need to reframe how we view simple meals. Putting together plain foods in simple ways isn't a compromise born of exhaustion or strict poverty. It is a protective boundary. It is choosing to spend my evening connecting with my family over dinner, rather than standing over a hot stove, then washing five different mixing bowls.

The benefit to my household is not just in the dollars saved on the grocery receipt, but in the massive return of time, energy, and mental clarity. Plain food allows us to actually taste the ingredients I worked so hard to grow or shop for.

This time of year, especially, is a good time to savor the natural flavors in the fresh produce we can get. I often find that there's no need to cover the flavor of a late-summer tomato for our dinner plates. Nature gave it all the flavor it needed. Come winter, when fresh produce has been sitting in warehouses for weeks or more, produce might need a little additional flavor. But for this very month, simple seems to taste best to me.

Slowing down our kitchens doesn't mean we are lowering our standards; it means we are prioritizing our peace and choosing the flavors of simple cooking for the week's meals.

Your Turn: As you wind down for the weekend, I would love to hear about the simple rhythms in your own kitchen today. When life gets frantic, what is your absolute favorite, gold-standard 'plain meal' that brings instant comfort to your table?

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Inside the Bulk Bins: A Photo Tour of My Frugal Haven

I know many of you in our wonderful community live in regions where WinCo stores don't exist. Today, I want to invite you along for a bit of 'frugal consumer tourism.' Even if your local town has a completely different set of supermarket chains, looking at how this specific model works might identify opportunities to save in your own stores.

Today I'm going to actually show you how WinCo shopping works.

Don't forget to bring your own bags. WinCo (and all Washington state
stores) charges per bag. You'll notice there's no coffee cup holder
on the cart. WinCo is no frills. There are no coffee kiosks in the store
like you find at Safeway, Fred Meyer, QFC, or
other standard grocery stores in the area.

WinCo is a frugal sandbox where the customer holds all the power. This store chain employs specific, low-overhead mechanics that keep their costs down, such as:

• The Employee-Owned Advantage: WinCo is entirely employee-owned (ESOP), which means the workers have a direct stake in keeping operations efficient, resulting in lower prices. 
• The No-Credit-Card Rule: Because they don't accept credit cards (only debit, cash, or checks), they save millions in merchant transaction fees and pass those savings directly to the grocery receipts.
• The Bag-Your-Own Station: It’s a low-frills environment where you do the labor at the end of the belt, keeping staffing costs lean.
• Did I Mention, It's All About the Bulk Section: WinCo's bulk section includes looseleaf teas, baking supplies, nuts and seeds, an entire row of dried fruit, prepared cereals, snack foods, candy, grains and beans, variety in pasta shapes and ingredients (protein pasta, whole wheat pasta), seasonings and spices, coffee beans, liquids like olive oil, avocado oil, honey, agave syrup, and grind-it-yourself nut butters. One key aspect of the bulk food model is the elimination of extensive shelf space  given to a singular type of food. Instead of containers of 4 brands of oats, there is just one bin. The store uses much less floor space while offering a large range of food products. The customer feels satisfied to have the items they want available through bulk dispensers/bins, even with less selection in brands, as they net a discount on their food purchases.

My tip when you first enter the store with your cart.
You know those dispensers of cleaning wipes for the cart handle?
Grab an extra one to take into the store.
(I drape mine over the heavy wire of the child seat.) When you need to open a
plastic bag in the produce, meat, or bulk aisle, wet your fingers on the
cleaning wipe. The bag will be easier to open with damp fingers.
You're welcome!

A Warehouse or a Store?

WinCo has a warehouse feel to it. When you walk through the doors,

you're greeted by a long aisle of sales-priced foods

stacked on warehouse shelving. 

The store screams "I'm really just a warehouse!"

Buying Just What You Need

The habit of buying only what you need is a universal frugal tool. WinCo's bulk section does this on a massive scale. If I only need a small amount of a spice, I can buy just that amount. If I want to try Himalayan pink salt to see what the fuss is, I can buy just over a teaspoon of this salt. We did a "coffee flight" for a holiday one year. I bought an ounce or two each of several different roasts and origins of coffee to brew up in a single cup coffee maker (not a pod type) and divided between us tasters. It was a fun way to celebrate without much expense. 

My daughter bought exactly 20 mellow creme pumpkins for herself.
That's all she wanted. You can do that here.

freshly ground peanut butter

liquids dispensed by you

coffee and much much more in bulk bins and dispensers

The bagging station: You do it yourself.

A motley collection of bags, yes, but it saved me 32 cents to bring my own bags.

Are You Ready to Do a Price Comparison?

This is my real life shopping trip Wednesday morning. I didn't have a long list. But these are the things I actually bought. I've compared the prices to the best I could find at Walmart Neighborhood Market, WinCo's primary competitor. 

Dairy

Whole Milk, gallon X 2

WinCo price $3.52 ea

Walmart price $3.52

no savings

18-ct Large Eggs

WinCo price $2.47

Walmart price $2.47

no savings

2-lb Block Cheese X 2 (1 mozza, 1 cheddar)

WinCo $6.68

Walmart $6.96

I saved 56 cents total

Meats

Turkey Italian Sausage, ground, 1 lb

WinCo, Jenni-O brand $4.41

Walmart, no comparable match. I could buy Jennie-O plain ground turkey and season myself for $4.44

I saved 3 cents

Sliced Pepperoni, .68 lb

WinCo deli price $6.48/lb, total of $4.41

Walmart, no deli, best price $7.52/lb in 14-oz package

I saved 70 cents

Produce

10-lb Bag Carrots

WinCo $8.98

Walmart, no 10-lb bag, 2 X 5-lbs, $4.77 ea, total $9.54

I saved 56 cents

Medium avocado

WinCo price 73 cents

Walmart price 73 cents

no savings

Bananas

WinCo price 55 cents/lb (bought 3.03 lbs for $1.67)

Walmart price 50 cents/lb

I lost 16 cents

Canned Goods

12-oz Canned tomato paste X 2

WinCo $1.18 ea

Walmart $1.22 ea

I saved 8 cents total

5 oz Canned Tuna X 2

WinCo price 87 cents ea

Walmart price 87 cents ea

no savings

Bulk Foods

Rolled Oats

WinCo bulk bins, 70 cents/lb, (bought 2.57 lbs --41.12 ounces, for $1.80)

Walmart 42-oz container Great Value $4.18, $1.59/lb

I saved $2.29

Nutmeg, ground

WinCo price $8.98/lb, (bought .17 lb for $1.53)

Walmart price Great Value 1.5 ounce for $2.68, or $28.58/lb

I saved $3.27

PBFit peanut butter powder

WinCo price $5.88/lb (bought .42 lb for $2.47)

Walmart Price, Great Value Brand peanut butter powder in 30-oz jar for $10.53 or $5.62/lb

I lost 11 cents

Raisins

WinCo price $2.48/lb (bought 1.57 lbs, or 25.12 ounces, for $3.89)

Walmart price Great Value brand, 20-oz canister for $4.38 or $3.50/lb

I saved $1.61

Chia seeds

WinCo price $3.58/lb (bought .44 lb for $1.58)

Walmart price, Great Value Organic, 2-lb pouch for $10.78 or $5.39/lb

I saved 79 cents

Sliced Almonds

WinCo price $6.48/lb (bought .20 lb, or 3.2 ounces, for $1.30)

Walmart price Great Value brand $3.92 for 4 ounces, or $15.68/lb

I saved $1.84

Olive Oil

WinCo price Napoleon brand EVOO (small PNW family-owned brand), $7.48/lb (bought .94 lb for $7.03)

Walmart price Pompeian brand EVOO, $7.38 for 16 oz bottle

I lost 9 cents

Natural Peanut Butter (the kind that separates when unrefrigerated)
WinCo price $1.98/lb (bought .98 lb for $1.94)
Walmart (lowest price + best match) Smucker's Natural $3.86/16-oz

I saved $1.67

Total savings by shopping at WinCo

$13.04

Some items are difficult to compare. For example the chia seeds were best priced at Walmart in Organic but Great Value brand. I don't believe the WinCo bulk bin chia seeds are organic. On the other side, the olive oil at WinCo is a regional brand and difficult to find a Walmart match for. How do you put a price on supporting regional brands? The Great Value Peanut Butter Powder is sweetened with sugar, whereas PBFit is sweetened with coconut sugar, which is lower on the glycemic index scale. Overall, I tried to find close substitutes between what I bought at WinCo and what I would buy if shopping at Walmart for the same foods.

The biggest savings came from shopping the bulk/self-serve section. Nuts, raisins, spices, and grains are big money-savers when bought in the bulk section. Even with a house-brand like Great Value, where there is minimal advertising, the cartons and thick plastic pouch packaging add to the final consumer cost.

If you don't have a store with a large bulk section in your area, you can often find similar prices to the bulk items at ethnic markets (great for spices packaged in plain cellophane bags) , salvage outlets (great for off-branded packaged foods), and locally-owned small spice and seasoning shops (sometimes offer bulk dispenser-style options) for no-name or unfamiliar name brands.

Ultimately, you don't need a WinCo right down the street to practice this kind of kitchen stewardship. The real takeaway from these aisles is a question we can carry into any store, anywhere: 'Am I paying for the fancy packaging and corporate credit card fees, or am I paying for the actual food?' When we actively seek out the low-frills, plain-packaged options in our own local shops, we claim that same power over our budgets.

Your Turn: I want to take a virtual shopping trip with you this weekend! What is the primary grocery store chain in your area, and what is the number one 'frugal secret weapon' aisle or tip that keeps your receipt total low?

Post-Labor Day Life Moves Forward and I Put Together a Realistic Fall Cleaning Plan

Before I begin today's post I wanted to say thank you to all of you for your patience while I blogged on my phone for the past couple of weeks. My new computer arrived today, and I am happily setting it up. Some things are exhausting, but we do them anyway. Blogging by phone was one of those things. That's life. So, thank you, friends. And if anyone had an issue with the newsletter last week, please email me, and I will send out a new copy. (I can do that now again, too!) 

So here we go . . .

On my walk this beautiful day after Labor Day, I could feel a distinct shift in the air. There was a slight crispness in the morning. Then this evening, the light faded just a bit earlier. My focus is naturally winding up the outdoor chores and harvest and turning toward care of the indoor spaces. 

Some time this month, lifestyle, home and garden blogs and websites will flood their space with overwhelming checklists for "Fall Deep Cleaning." Our grandmothers did this every fall. They dismantled the entire house to get every corner cleaned and refreshed, then put it all back together again. My nana felt that everything must be done before the first frost arrived. She washed every wall, emptied every closet, scrubbed the baseboards, gave the kitchen the deepest clean of the year, tidied the furnace room, took the loose rugs outdoors to beat out the dust, vacuumed the upholstered furniture, swept under the beds, dressers, end tables, sofa and chairs, and gave the kitchen floor a shine to beat all shines.

I get dizzy just thinking of the work she put in every fall. A simple change of season became an enormous and exhausting chore.

But just like we talked about recently with our budgets, I’ve realized that seasonal housecleaning doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing endurance test.

Your home doesn't need to be pristine to be peaceful. Instead of falling into the trap of a rigid checklist, I like to focus strictly on functional stewardship—tackling the small, intentional tasks that will actively protect our comfort and our budget before winter sets in, while politely skipping the chores that simply don't matter for our daily life.

Here is a look at how my own realistic and reworked post-Labor Day cleaning list looks this week:

The "Yes" List: What Matters Before Winter

These are the few, high-impact tasks that focus on preparing the home for a cozy, efficient cold season:

• The Window and Track Reset: Before closing the windows tight for the next six months, I love giving the sills and glass a quick, clean wipe down. It lets the beautiful, low autumn sunlight stream in without catching summer dust.
• The Heating with Efficiency Clean-Out: Just as I replaced the furnace filter in August, I also must give some attention to the actual duct vents in each room and the cold air returns. This takes just a few extra minutes when vacuuming a room or hallway. I detach the hose from the base suction on the vacuum and clean out the  first foot or so of the duct just beneath the vent cover. I also give the cold air returns a good vacuuming while I'm at it. It's so simple, but it adds comfort and saves money on our winter heat bills. It improves air flow, eliminates musty smells when the furnace first comes on, and removes trapped allergens. Vacuuming the cold air returns protects the furnace filter and helps maintain proper system airflow.
• The Deep Kitchen Filter Clean: Since the kitchen will soon be full of simmering soups and cold-weather baking, taking five minutes to run vinegar through the coffee maker, put a lemon shell through the disposal, and wash the stove hood vent keeps our hard-working appliances running seamlessly and smelling as they should. I'll also auto-clean the oven, wipe down the backsplashes, brush away any crumbs lurking behind countertop appliances, vacuum the grille at the base of the fridge, and give the floor a good mopping.
• The Spot Cleaning That Matters: I don't do a thorough steam cleaning of our carpets, but I do spot clean stains and spills. A spill-free carpet looks clean enough for winter. After a season of mud, that's when I bring out the full-sized cleaner. The other "spot" that gets a good clean is the baseboards. We have white painted baseboards throughout our house. Dirt and dust is O.B.V.I.O.U.S. I begin in the most public parts of our house and work my way to the private spaces. All it takes is 10 minutes on the floor with a damp rag to get all of the baseboards in one room spotless.
• The Cobweb Sweep: While I don't wash walls, I do attach a dusting cloth to the end of a pole to snag every cobweb that has been spun along the ceiling's edge. Doing this just makes the room look cared for.

The "No" List: What I Am Contentedly Skipping

These are the traditional deep-cleaning tasks that I am choosing to skip because they consume an immense amount of time without adding real value to our peace of mind or wallet:

• Washing the Walls: Unless a spot is actively dirty, a full wall-scrubbing sprint stays off my list. Life is too short to scrub surfaces that look perfectly fine under a cozy lamplight.
• Vacuuming the Furniture: Unless one of us is experiencing allergies when using particular pieces of furniture, I don't routinely vacuum the upholstery in fall and spring. Instead, I occasionally give the sofa and an easy chair or two a once over with the brush attachment of the vacuum once-a-year as a rainy day project. I might also make a pass over the drapes with the vacuum when I have time while vacuuming individual rooms in the house on some random day of the year.
• Waxing the Kitchen Floor: Most residential flooring these days are labeled no-wax. A simple mopping with warm water and a neutral pH floor cleaner or mild all-purpose cleaner is all most residential vinyl flooring requires.
• Emptying and Sorting Every Closed Cabinet: If our storage spaces are organized enough to find what we need, they don't need a total overhaul just because the calendar flipped to September. I wipe out kitchen cupboards and drawers as the mood strikes throughout the year and sort the rest of the closets on an as-needed basis.
• Flipping the Mattresses: All of our beds are single-sided, meaning they have a firm, supportive core underside and a pillow/cushioned upper side. Flipping the mattress would defeat the purpose of buying one with a pillow top. Many of the newer mattresses are single-sided. What I do do is rotate the mattresses, head to toe. This evens out wear and prolongs the time until we need to replace them. And I have to say, rotating a mattress is a whole lot easier for a person alone to do than flipping.

Dropping the pressure of an all-or-nothing cleaning routine is the difference between me making a large and substantial list that remains on my desk, or me actually getting the important stuff done. List-making doesn't clean. Me getting up and moving does. Housecleaning, then, is no longer a guilt-driven obligation, but instead it is a quiet act of home love. By focusing only on the routines that protect our comfort, we keep our energy intact, our homes calm, and our afternoons free to sit down and enjoy a warm cup of tea and a good book as the seasons change.

How do you feel about fall housecleaning? 

• Is this something you do, or are you focused in another area of life right now? 
• Do you choose an abbreviated cleaning list for now and work on some of the extra tasks throughout the year?
• Or do you prefer to get it all done in one fell swoop? 

I can understand the appeal of cleaning the house from top to bottom and having a fully clean house to relax in. But I also appreciate a lighter fall routine so I can enjoy the season. What are some of your best fall housecleaning tips? Share in the comments below.