October Azure Standard Order+ A Few Favorite Products. Plus, what I'm stocking up on for the Holidays!

Check out my October Azure Standard order and a few of my favorite products that are always on my list!

We’ve been ordering from Azure Standard for at least 18 months now. (You can read a little more here) I don’t necessarily order every month, but more on a “we need” basis. I have a few staples that I always get from them, and a few things I’ve learned aren’t my favorite. Today, I’m sharing what was in my October Azure Standard order.

This month I ordered 20 pounds of bartlett pears to can, 25 pounds of carrots (because based on my above ground assessment of the carrots I planted, we would need more to get us through. I was WRONG. Ended up digging about 30 pounds of carrots. We have way more than enough now! ha! Lesson learned, never judge a carrot by it’s top…), 10 pounds of all-purpose flour, sour cream, cream cheese, and a small wedge of parmesan cheese. Those are the typical staples for us. I also ordered their version of oxi clean to try. I’ll keep you posted on that.

I also grabbed a new jar lifter for canning. Mine has been around for about 15 years, and the rubber gripper is torn off. It’s probably not the safest thing to get hot jars out with. They had one on sale last month.

My favorites

Nancy’s organic sour cream
Nancy’s organic cream cheese
Azure Market organic all-purpose flour
Azure Market Raw Cheddar cheese
Azure Market Organics Hashbrowns

Things I won’t order again

Azure Market Cheddar Cheese powder. (This was a total impulse purchase after I watched a social media influencer use it. She went on and on and about how delicious it was to use for macaroni and cheese. I wasn’t impressed. I’d much rather grate some fresh cheese and make my own creamy cheese sauce.)
Azure Clean Stain & Odor Eliminator, Ylang Ylang. First of all, I don’t love the scent. Secondly, I wasn’t super impressed with the results. Fels Naptha works much better, and is MUCH more affordable.
Most fresh produce. I think this is just because we are so far from a warehouse, but usually the fresh produce is less than ideal when it gets to us. This month I ordered pears (it’s late in the season, I know, so I’m not holding it against them.) May of the pears are ok, but a few are rotten and no good. I find this to be true with most of the produce with the exception of the potatoes, and carrots. I’d much rather buy things from a local farmer or grow them myself is possible anyway.

For the most part I am always very pleased with the products we get from Azure. If you’re interested in ordering you can check them out here: Azure Standard.

Things I’m stocking up on for the Holidays

Boy the holidays are coming quickly, aren’t they? Thanksgiving is just about three weeks away, and Christmas will be here before we know it. I’ve been trying to squirrel away a few things in preparation.

All-purpose flour- As I already mentioned I really love the Azure Standard brand, but having all-purpose flour on hand is essential for making rolls, and pie crusts this holiday season.
Butter. I love a good grass-fed butter. The color is so rich, and it is packed with nutrients. When I see it on sale, I always grab some and stick in the freezer. You can never have enough butter when you’re baking!
Granny Smith Apples. Not to toot my own horn, but my Nanny loves my apple pies. I like to take advantage of apple season and buy at least 10 pounds of granny smiths for pies at Thanksgiving. I like peel and slice them and have them in the freezer for when I need them.
Lard. I use this year-round, but it seems like I go through copious amounts during the holiday season. It makes the BEST pie crust.
Pumpkin pie spice. It seems like once we get a couple weeks away from thanksgiving pumpkin pie spice is next to impossible to find.
Canned pumpkin. Again, it gets so hard to find! I either can it on my own, or buy it already canned. Either way, I try to start stocking up early.
Sage. From the turkey to the stuffing, I try to dehydrate as much as I can. It’s so easy to grow. If you’ve never tried it, add it to your list of herbs to grow next year.
Tins, jars, and give away containers. I love to pick up a few extra glass jars, tins, and containers when I’m out thrifting. It makes such an easy gift to fill with cookies and tie some ribbon on.

Are you preparing for the Holidays? I’d love to hear about it!

As always, thanks for spending a little part of your day with me!