Full Circle Organic Farm Box Prices Versus Local Grocery Store Prices Comparison Review

Have you ever thought about subscribing to the organic produce subscription service, Full Circle? Did you ever wonder how the prices compared to your local grocery store?

I’ve put my Full Circle Organic Farm Box prices head to head with the prices on organic produce from my local grocery store, Fred Meyer (Kroger) to find the most cost effective way to get that nutritious, organic produce.

Several years ago Todd and I wanted to eat more organic produce, especially fruits and vegetables that are a little more special, fun, and hard to get up here in Alaska. A co-worker told me about Full Circle and I thought it sounded perfect; I subscribed to Full Circle (FC) starting in 2014 until 2017. It was my hope that the FC produce would be a bit fresher than the stuff we get at our stores. Alaska is a long travel for oranges and oftentimes they don’t enjoy the arduous trip from Texas.

As health-conscious vegans (most of the time), Todd and my diet is heavily whole food plant-based. We eat a lot of fruits and veggies so I opted for the FC box that feeds 2-4 people; it ended up being the perfect size. I really loved how you’re able to customize your boxes, switching out apples for blueberries or adding Field Roast Chao ‘cheese slices’, etc. However, I eventually began to see a decline in produce and found myself writing to Full Circle every week about super wilted lettuce or slimy cilantro or rotten avocados and it just got the point that it didn’t feel the price was worth the product any longer. Full circle always kindly refunded me and halting subscription is super easy.

Slimy greens.

Rotten avocado.

I appreciate that the poor produce could have been due to many factors. It may have been the produce itself or, more likely, it was the storage of box. At the time, Full Circle was shipping their boxes pre-packed from the States to a location in my town where I picked them up. Right before I halted my subscription they stated they were changing how they shipped and stored the boxes. They would be packaging them locally in Anchorage, Alaska then shipping them to the local locations. As of today, however, I see that you can have the boxes delivered straight to your house and strangely it was slightly cheaper to do so rather than picking up your box at a location in your area!

I wanted to try out FC again, hoping the poor produce/storage issues had been fixed. As signed up it occured to me that that now (as opposed to 2014) I can easily compare prices from Full Circle to my local grocery store, Fred Meyer (FM). Both show their prices on their website for produce. I decided to do a little cost comparison of the Full Circle box I had arranged and the same ‘box’ of organic items at Fred Meyer.

Some items I would have loved to add to my FC box but they were considerably more than the FM items. On the right side of the screen are some examples I would have liked to add to my FC box but reconsidered after seeing the lower FM prices. Full Circle is on the left and Fred Meyer on the right. Cremini Mushrooms are almost double the cost!!

Most of the items I put in my FC box were only slightly more expensive than the FM counterparts. Below you can see that the Full Circle total is $44.39. It will be delivered to my house and all the items are organic. Fred Meyer wants $30.26 for those same organic items and in the same quantity. However, if I want to have this ‘box’ delivered to my home I would need to order these items online for a $4.95 service fee then incur a $9.95 delivery charge for a total of $45.16. Alternatively, I can just pick up my ‘box’ of produce pre-shopped from the store, all ready to go, for $35.21.

To conclude, Fred Meyer is a about $15 cheaper than Full Circle (who delivers to my house). If I want to pick up my pre-shopped items at FM then it is still about $10 cheaper than FC. If I want to have FM deliver the items to my house it’s about the same price, $45.

Some items were about the same price and that’s what I added to my FC box. If I had added items to the box that were considerably more, like the mushrooms, there would be an even bigger discrepancy. Is it worth the extra money to have it delivered to your home? That’s subjective. For me, no. Even with a full-time job and a two year old, we still make it to the store every week and usually enjoy the trip as a family outing (yes, we lead quiet lives, lol). Sure, there are times I absolutely do not want to roll through a packed store with a screaming toddler but more often than not, it’s a pleasant-ish affair. If I am ever in a time crunch I can just order the items online, have them pre-shopped for me, and pick-up them up at the store.

In addition, I like to support our local agriculture at small farmers’ markets and stands. FM also carries some local produce like carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. We have a Safeway/Carrs too; it carries a decent amount of local produce, however they have a very limited selection of vegan offerings and those they do offer are really expensive. I don’t shop there often except for local produce occasionally. Alaska has no Whole Foods or Trader Joes. We do have a local natural food store but it’s a 50 mile drive and their prices are truly shocking.

I won’t delve into the quality comparisons between FM or FC, or the differences in selection (for example FM doesn’t ever offer sunchokes or Maitake mushrooms). That would be difficult to do and suspect to change I imagine, as well as dependent upon personal preferences. I did really enjoy the vast array of interesting fruits and strange veggies Full Circle offered but living on one income and being able to get the same organic staples locally for less… in the end pragmatism won over novelty. For now at least.

However, that doesn’t mean Full Circle isn’t right for you! I really do love what they are doing and their customer service is fantastic. I hope this information doesn’t steer you away from them if you are at peace with paying a little bit more for your organic produce. I hope this helped you, and of course prices for both entities change over the season and depending upon your location.

Anyway you can get your family to eat more produce is wonderful in my book! It’s better for the planet, the animals, and our bodies. <3

Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza with a Pizzolato Pinot Grigio Review

When Whole Foods contacted me to try this Pizzolato Pinot Grigio I was like, "Umm a thousand times yes. Send me all the alcohol, please." Then I thought to myself, a pinot grigio is white wine? I had to look this up. I don't drink white wine. To my credit, I did notify my contact that my preference leans heavily to the red variety. I have bought one, count it one, bottle of white wine in my lifetime. It was a riesling and I almost had to cut my tongue out. White wine apparently isn't my jam.

Needless to say I was feeling a bit of hesitation in sampling this pinot grigio. I knew I wanted the perfect dish to go with it and I knew white wine goes well with seafood but, obviously, seafood was not going to be on my menu. So, I turned to Google. "Google, what pairs well with a pinot grigio?" I asked. Google wasn't extra helpful. Some sites said to pair it with with a tomato sauce based dish, others said to stay away from acidic foods...like tomato dishes. Some said it pairs nicely with a heavy, buttery dish, while others advised to keep it paired with light dishes. Yet, they all could agree on the seafood. Boo that. I found a few that noted pizza and cooked vegetables were a good match. And so it was.

With a throng of vegetables from my CSA box waiting to be drafted (see the fruit in the background, they're next), I knew a roasted veggie pizza was meant to be. I found a crust that I adapted from Garnish and Glaze. It only needed 10 minutes to rise and with no kneading necessary, we had dinner done in about an hour and a half!

“Caramelized pistachios green pear aromas follow though on a soft entry to a dryish light-to-medium body with tangy baked apple and kiwi notes. Finishes in a quick, slightly pithy, nutshell accented fade with chalky fruit tannins.”

— Tastings.com

The Pizzolato Pinot Grigio is certified vegan by The Vegan Society of the United Kingdom and is the #1 selling organic pinot grigio in Italy. The wines are made with organically grown grapes or certified organic with no sulfites added and are also Non-GMO Project Verified. All great news! I hate finding a wine that I enjoy only to discover it's filtered with fish bladders, or eggs, and has sulfites added. Some people find they are sensitive to sulfites which  can give them headaches. 

Because I am not exceptionally familiar with white wine, I asked some friends for their thoughts. They told me it would be a great "afternoon" drinking wine...I think this means that it's light and refreshing.

I will definitely reach for Pizzolato wines when I can find them. Knowing they are organic, GMO-free and sulfite-free, and vegan will make wine shopping easy! I pretty much try to buy only organic wine because I know it's filtered in a vegan-friendly way, so I found a few good organic wines and I tend to stick to them. Find this Italian Pinot Grigio for $9.99 at Whole Foods. 

“Think like a proton. Always positive. ”

— Unknown

Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella. A perfect compliment to a crisp and refreshing pinot grigio. 

Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza

Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella. Serve with a crisp and refreshing pinot grigio for a fun and comforting winter meal. NOTES: Any assorted vegetables good for roasting can be substituted. Use a pre-made pizza crust if you wish. The crust is sweet and bready, so if you like a thin cracker crust maybe swap out for your favorite. Swap the 1 cup wheat flour for an additional cup of all-purpose flour if like. This recipe makes two large pizzas, so feel free to cut in half or just save the other half for another day like we did.

Ingredients

• -- Veggies --
• 2 small sweet dumpling squash (or about 2 lbs. of other winter squash), peeled, seeded, and diced small
• 1 lb. fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and diced small
• 1 lb. sweet potatoes, scrubbed and diced small
• 3 large carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1 inch slices
• 2 medium red onions, thickly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch slices
• sprinkling of olive oil
• pinch of kosher salt
• dash of ground black pepper
• -- Dough --
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. quick-rise yeast
• 2 Tbsp. vegan sugar
• 1 1/2 cup warm water (110 F)
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat white flour
• 2 Tbsp. cornmeal
• -- Toppings --
• 1 lb. package of vegan shredded mozzarella cheese (I like Daiya)
• sprinkling of dried basil
• pat of vegan butter

Cooking Directions

1. Start by preparing the vegetables. Once they are all chopped, preheat the oven to 425 F with your pizza stone in the oven. Spread the chopped vegetables evenly among two large, rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with a good amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Bake at 425 F for about 60 minutes. Toss the veggies have way through, and move the top pan to the bottom rack and the bottom one to the top. Remove from the oven when done, but keep the oven on.
3. Meanwhile, make the dough. Begin by combining the yeast, sugar, and water in a large bowl. Cover with a towel and allow to rest for about 5 minutes in a warm place, until the yeast is foamy.
4. Whisk in the salt, olive oil, and agave nectar. Then, stir in the flours ½ cup at a time. Continue to stir for about 5 minutes or so, until the dough begins to form a loose ball.
5. Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot to rise (at least 10 minutes) until there’s only about 20 minutes left for the veggies.
6. Next, transfer the dough to a heavily floured surface (don’t be afraid to use a lot of flour as the dough is very sticky) and cleave in half. Roll out one of the dough balls into the size of your pizza stone.
7. Remove the pizza stone from the oven and sprinkle with cornmeal. Transfer the rolled out dough to the stone and top with the mozzarella. Scatter with roasted veggies and bake at 425 F for about 15 minutes, until the crust just begins to brown.
8. Remove from oven and run butter along the crust edge. Sprinkle pizza with dried basil. Repeat with remaining dough ball.
9. Serve hot with a glass of Pizzolato Pinot Grigio!

Dutch Word of The Day

The word for a thing or person you can't find the name for --> dinges (ding-es)

Good Deed of The Day

This is my good deed of the day. Did you see that Field Roast has a new line of vegan sliced cheeses?!?! Sweet baby Jesus, Todd almost cried...I almost died!! We have yet to find them way up here in the boondocks of Alaska, so if anyone has made contact with this food of the gods, please let me know how it was! See the three varieties and learn more here. 

Vegan Pot Au Feu

I had never heard of Pot Au Feu until watching the "Create" channel. We seriously only get four channels at our house and Create is one of them, lucky for me. Rick Steves and I are BFFs. Anyway, Hubert Keller was on and he was making a giant, whole vegetable and animal meat dish. My furry friends being cooked up for me to eat, I could do without but the rest of the dish; carrots, baby potatoes, celery, and cabbage...well that all looked right up my alley. 

“It was a shrewd calculation. An estimated 12 percent of millennials say they are “faithful vegetarians,” compared with 4 percent of Gen X’ers and 1 percent of baby boomers, according to one study.”

— Sam Tanenhaus from The New York Times

This recipe is inspired by Chef Keller and his Pot Au Feu. It's a classic french dish that is traditionally served with mustard, salt, and bread. It's essentially whole vegetables and a protein simmered in a broth with spices and herbs. I used tempeh as a protein instead of adorable cows.

Pot Au Feu is shockingly quick and easy to make since the vegetables need really very little prep and as far as ingredients go, it's quite simple. While simmering, it filled the whole house with a comforting, savory smell that made my mouth water. 

Although, I did exhibit a bit of unfortunate planning. You see, it's been raining for a week straight up here in Alaska and I knew this would be the perfect meal to warm my wet and chilled bones. A great introduction into early fall. Except....yesterday it was hot! Exceptionally hot. So hot that on my lunch break at a nearby lake, I had to leave early because I'm pretty sure I was experiencing heat stroke. 

Either way, this vegan Pot Au Feu was a no-frills, delicious dish. Hearty and filling. 

You see that rutabaga there on the bottom right? I (not thinking clearly) threw that bad boy in too. Don't do that. It was unapologetically bitter. 

print recipe

Vegan Pot Au Feu

by Katie @ Produce on Parade August-20-2014

This is a vegan spin on a simple vegetable dish from France, using tempeh instead of animal meat. Pot Au Feu was enjoyed by royalty and peasants alike. It’s very easy, quick, and exceptionally adaptable. Note that vegetables like rutabaga and brussels sprouts should be avoided because they can turn bitter when cooked this way. Adapted from Chef Hubert Keller.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 2 springs of fresh parsley
• 2 springs of fresh thyme
• 2 springs of fresh oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 2 celery stalks, cut in half
• 2 large carrots, cut in half
• ½ kohlrabi, peeled and halved
• ½ small head of cabbage, halved
• 1/2 lb. mixed baby potatoes, whole
• 1 8 oz. package of tempeh, quartered in triangles
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 dried bay leaf
• ¼ cup stone ground mustard, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Once the onion is prepared, cut off a small chunk of the bottom and stuff in the whole cloves. Place the onion halves and clove stuffed bottom in a large pressure cooker or soup pot.Prepare the leeks by first slicing them in half down the middle and washing in between each leaf very well to remove all the dirt. Then, chop off the roots and remove one outer leaf. Gather the fresh herbs in a small bundle and wrap the leek leaf around the herbs to create a bouquet garni. Slice the remainder of the leeks, leaving about an inch of the green tops to discard. Place the herb bundle and sliced leeks in the pot. Add the remaining ingredients and heat over high until simmering. Don't worry if the broth doesn't cover all the vegetables. Cover with the pressure cooker lid and bring to pressure. Then turn to low and maintain pressure. Cook for about 10 minutes. The vegetables should be tender, but not falling apart. If using a soup pot, bring almost to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot with stone ground mustard, coarse salt and bread if you like.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 6

German Word of The Day

Peasant --> Bauer (yep, like Eddie Bauer) 

Good Deed of The Day

Read this article from the NYT about us Millennials. Seriously, it's very interesting and inspiring,