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We went up into Amish country and had some great luck. :D
Our first stop was a bakery, where we found delicious cookies and a pocket pie. We also saw several ponies pulling cards -- not the tall cart horses, but much smaller. Eventually we figured out it's because school just let out and the kids were driving home. Yes, while some states are infantilized to the point of saying that 14 is the minimum age to be left alone ever, Amish gradeschoolers are still walking, biking, or driving pony carts to school on their own. Based on my knowledge of Amish culture, I would bet it's their cart and pony to take care of, too.
The biggest score was at the salvage store. I got interested in some tomatoes for $.99/pound, and then Doug spotted the 25-pound box for $6.95. So we pounced on that, added several green peppers and onions, a head of celery, a head of garlic, several bottles of ketchup and barbecue sauce, and a 10-pound roll of ground beef. I will be making copious amounts of sloppy joe filling and spaghetti sauce. \o/ Looking at huge piles of food makes me happy. Making my own food makes me feel accomplished. I think we spent about $40 on supplies and the results will probably cost well under $1/serving.
Later finds at Wal-Mart included a new pair of ventilated shorts and a package of loose-ground Italian sausage. I have a nice large basil plant, so I'm planning to harvest that and make the Zesty Italian type of spaghetti sauce. :D
