Susan

Thanks for your suggestions Deb. We do make some stuff at home but
I've slowly drifted away from that over the years as our lives got
busier - I'm going back to baking more which will help. We do use
brown rice, beans, and lentils but I've realized they could all be
made more frequently, especially since they are enjoyed so. Last night
I made the kids Mud Soup (black bean base) which they love (and it's
so simple to make). I'm wondering why I haven't made it more often,
but that will change. We were making trips to Whole Foods every few
months to stock up but with gas prices right now we wouldn't be saving
much. Sometimes it's just fun to go shopping at Whole Foods, though
and it's neat day trip.

Thanks to everyone who has responded to my request for suggestions &
advice. The past two weekends (when we do our grocery shopping) I've
made a point to buy more of their favorite foods. Since we ran out of
their soy ice cream halfway through last week I made sure to buy
double this week. They liked the cookies & brownies we made Thursday,
so I stocked up on the ingredients. I've talked to 2 of my local
grocery stores to see if they can start to carry (or at least order
for me) a few of their favorite products, like soy yogurt and rice
"graham" crackers. I'm willing to buy a case at a time if necessary.

This experience has also given me a chance to reflect on another
thread from several months ago about making errands and similar things
enjoyable for kids, such as grocery shopping. It's what would normally
be considered a tedious, boring task, but each week I've been finding
a few more small ways to make it enjoyable for all of us.

Thanks again for all the ideas!

-- Susan