Do we need a cow?

When asked what he would like to tell everyone on the Blog, Finn said, “I want to tell everyone that I have been drinking milk.” It’s more like, what has he been ingesting other than milk? I know every kid goes through a non-eating stage but other than an occasional yearning for yogurt and pizza, Finn’s only request is for milk.

We have been trying to figure out how to deal with this milk addiction, knowing that soon, we won’t be able to run over to Aldi on a dime for the freshest stuff short of owning a cow.  (Yes, in my professional opinion, Aldi absolutely has the best and freshest milk.)  We have been trying different types of powder milk, rice milk and UHT milk while we still have a car. I had avoided dairy for a few months when Anna was an infant and really don’t like soy milk but had settled at that time for rice milk.  We had perceived that dry milk was cheap but quickly learned that it is even more expensive than fluid milk.  So, on each shopping trip I would bring home an alternative for a family opinion and evaluation.

I started with what I assumed would be the most affordable place to buy dry milk, Aldi. A box there was close to $8 which I quickly back calculated to about $6 per gallon. I now realize this is the least costly alternative but still far above what I had anticipated.  I didn’t give up and hunted down the dry milk at Wal-Mart, not my favorite place but it has certainly proved useful in provisioning, stocking and searching for odd and useful items.  Wal-mart sells powdered milk in single batch packets (1 quart), versus loose in a large box covered with waxed paper, which seemed very useful to me for use in a damp environment. Anna mixed up a batch for a family trial. Finn drank it without complaining, Bob and Anna deemed it “not bad” and I decided if Finn drank it without complaining, I would manage a few months without the good stuff.

Again at Wal-Mart, I searched for UHT milk, milk that has been heat treated to allow a shelf life without refrigeration. I had tried it years ago at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin and had seen it while travelling in other countries but I wasn’t sure if it was really main-stream here in the U.S. or not. I had looked in the vicinity of the powdered milk and didn’t see anything. I even went and found a friendly Wal-Mart employee, who called and asked. We went to another part of the store and found individual serving-size, organic UHT milk. Although expensive, pack of six for over $6, it would be a better than no-milk alternative in a pinch. So I held my breath and added the pricey item to my cart; knowing this wouldn’t be the most expensive special item for the trip. I stopped for a haircut on the way back from the shopping expedition and the familiar, “I want Milk!” chant started from the back seat.  I dug through the bags and pulled out a carton and Finn sucked it down, no complaints, a big smile on his face.  A big light bulb lit up over my head, this stuff is great and saved my @#$ before we even got home from the store. It is definitely worth having a few on-hand, for any milk-drinking family.

After returning home, I did a little internet search and realized that Wal-Mart does stock a traditional (non-organic) UHT milk item in a more reasonable unit (Parmalat quart, about $12/gallon). It was October in a location from which a significant number of cruisers depart for points south, apparently the More Head City store had been sold out.  

I did a lot of pondering over the next few days on what the best choice would be. The rice milk was tried and ended up in a pie; and was crossed off the list. Finn actually asked if we could bring a cow, and as much as I would have enjoyed owning a cow again, we are too space-limited for an additional passenger. I finally decided that with limited water capacity, the UHT milk would be a better decision as long as we could find space.

Now that I had made a decision I went to the internet and started a true search, eventually settling on Amazon. As the boxes rolled in, the folks at the boat yard finally, just had to ask,

      “What are you buying?”

     “Milk, of course!”  

We have now finally found space for all the cartons, three cases of 32 oz. Parmalat and four cases of 8 oz. Horizon Organics Best, under floor boards, inside pots and tucked between the crackers and cheerios. Of course, we ended up buying bins for all the milk to keep it in secondary containment in case of a breach. So the cost per cup has been increased considerably. The good news though is, with each cup consumed, our waterline will come a little closer back towards normal.