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HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: During the height of the pandemic, (and even now from time to time) we have groceries delivered. I remember the first time it happened, I was so grateful I almost burst into tears. I still am in awe of the grocery delivery people. They are fabulous.
But one day, they dropped off a bag that was not ours. It just got mixed up, I guess.
It was just so clearly not ours!
It had oat milk. It had wheat germ. It had some weird kind of avocado oil salad dressing. It had sriracha. It had white rice. It had individual chocolate puddings. It had some kind of air freshener. Oh, and some kind of sugary cereal called Gorilla Puffs.
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Except for the sriracha, I would never have purchased any of those things. My grocery bag would look more like lettuce, lettuce, lettuce, arugula ( for me, at least, JS is not a fan :-)) peanut butter, black olives, Siete chips, soy sauce, brown rice, salmon, broccoli, snow peas, tomatoes of all kinds, green beans. Frozen yogurt bars. When Pigs Fly cinnamon bread. (the BEST!) Pumpernickel. Eggs. Sliced turkey for lunch. Chicken. Too much chicken.
Now, I don’t know what else might have been in the other bags that the mystery shopper had purchased, but whatever. But I did get such an instant picture of who that shopper might be! A health-conscious person with little kids, don’t you think?
Anyway, I called and reported, and the grocery people told me just to keep it, that they could not pick it back up. (My grandson loved the Gorilla Puffs, the avocado dressing was okay, the oat milk and wheat germ went to our next door neighbors.)
But. It made me think about how identifiable our grocery bags are, and how much we could learn from what’s in a character’s grocery bag, right?
What would be in your grocery bag that everyone could identify as yours, reds and readers? Or what would be in your character's grocery bag?
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JENN McKINLAY: Well, it used to be that my grocery bag would be identifiable by the cake, pie, ice cream, and cookies that were in it. *sigh* But my doc has me on a strict no sugar, no fat, no iron diet because apparently my body has decided to hoard iron in my tissues and that’s a bad bad thing. So, now my grocery bag has loads of fresh fruit and vegetables, low fat dairy (ugh), and no sugar or red meat to be found. I’m trying not to pout. I have discovered that fresh mango with a sprinkling of Tajin seasoning on top makes a solid sweet-heat bad breakfast choice, so there’s hope. As for my characters, well, if I have to go healthy so do they! I’m actually working on a sugar free cupcake recipe for the next cupcake bakery mystery - not sure how that’s going to work but I’ll give it a go...
HALLIE EPHRON: Great question! Whole milk. Because otherwise, why bother. Haagen Daz rum raisin ice cream. (Don’t say EW. It’s delicious.) Cheese. Eggs. Hard salami or corned beef or something fatty and unhealthy. Mmm bacon.
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I wouldn’t ask for produce in a delivery because I’m too picky. Right now, for instance, our local farms are actually harvesting melons which we never get field-ripened otherwise. But I need to see (they get a little velvety sheen when ripe) smell (aromatic!) and squeeze (a little give, not too much) before I buy. Ditto the late summer corn and tomatoes… pick by look and feel. And satsumas are about to come in – some are sensational and some just feh.
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I was just thinking of this, Hank, because I had to order groceries to go for my brother-in-law, who’s shut in due to his health (here, you have to pick them up yourself.) Canned chili, beef-a-roni, kiddie cereal and juice. Now I’m getting all sorts of weird recommendations when I log onto the grocery site!
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Like Jenn, I’ve given up sugar - at least at home, please do offer me dessert if I’m having dinner at your place! - so there’s not much fun in my bag. “Not Much Fun in my Bag: The Julia Spencer-Fleming Story.”
Box of spring greens, box of spinach, root vegetables (I love potatoes, squash and turnips; must be my German ancestry.) Pre-diced garlic, ‘cause I don’t have time for all that mincing. Three kinds of pasta, boneless skinless chicken breasts (again, time-saver) and lots of canned, diced tomatoes and olives to go into the pasta. I have definitely not given up carbs.
DEBORAH CROMBIE: Hallie, agree with you on the rum raisin–although I don’t actually buy it. And on the whole milk. I don’t think the amount I put in my coffee or tea is going to kill me, and it tastes so much better. Also whole milk plain Greek yogurt. Also really good Irish unsalted butter.
No sugar here, either, and pretty much no processed stuff. (Um, except for Rick’s potato chips…) Always too many fresh fruits and veggies. Lettuces, shredded cabbage, arugula (for me!), sometimes spinach, bok choy, sugar snap peas, haricot vert, cukes, radishes, grape tomatoes, avocados… berries, bananas. Figs! When in season. Apples, ditto. Mandarins, limes, lemons. No-additive smoked turkey breast for sandwiches. Hummus. Salmon, chicken breasts. Olive oil, brown rice, whole wheat pasta. Canned tomatoes, canned beans, cartons of stock. Nuts. Almond butter. It’s astounding how much money you can spend on all this healthy stuff.
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We buy our bread from the bakery. My friend Gigi (who makes the Sunday bakery run with me) laughs at me because I can make one chocolate cherry scone last a week. (A little slice with my afternoon tea.)
PS I love watching what other people put in their carts. So interesting. And in so many cases, so horrifying.
RHYS BOWEN: My bag would come from Trader Joe’s or Sprouts and include avocados, tomatoes and plenty of fruits and veggies. European style yoghurt. Selection of cheeses. Sourdough bread. Cinnamon raisin bread ( my treat at tea time). Also always fish of some kind plus TJ frozen goodies like the frozen scallops and mushrooms and tarte d’Alsace. Plus the boring healthy stuff like olive oil, pasta, oatmeal etc (they don’t deliver Prosecco, do they?)
LUCY BURDETTE: Now Rhys and Hank have me craving raisin bread! I still have lots of pandemic habits, so I order meat once a quarter from Butcher Box (mostly organic chicken and a little beef), pet supplies from Chewy, toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap, and my new obsession, which is fast becoming an issue, Rancho Gordo beans. Lots of veggies from the garden and farmer’s market, and that leaves whole and oat milk, great grains cereal, Rao’s arrabbiata sauce, coffee, cold cuts for John from the grocery store…
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HANK: SO agree to looking at what other people are checking out. You can instantly know: Lasagna noodles, tomatoes, mozzarella, oregano, basil, prosciutto, melon etc-- Oh! party at your house! Or, for other baskets--YIKES! What are you EATING?
How about you, Reds and readers? How would we recognize you by your grocery bags?
It was just so clearly not ours!
It had oat milk. It had wheat germ. It had some weird kind of avocado oil salad dressing. It had sriracha. It had white rice. It had individual chocolate puddings. It had some kind of air freshener. Oh, and some kind of sugary cereal called Gorilla Puffs.
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Except for the sriracha, I would never have purchased any of those things. My grocery bag would look more like lettuce, lettuce, lettuce, arugula ( for me, at least, JS is not a fan :-)) peanut butter, black olives, Siete chips, soy sauce, brown rice, salmon, broccoli, snow peas, tomatoes of all kinds, green beans. Frozen yogurt bars. When Pigs Fly cinnamon bread. (the BEST!) Pumpernickel. Eggs. Sliced turkey for lunch. Chicken. Too much chicken.
Now, I don’t know what else might have been in the other bags that the mystery shopper had purchased, but whatever. But I did get such an instant picture of who that shopper might be! A health-conscious person with little kids, don’t you think?
Anyway, I called and reported, and the grocery people told me just to keep it, that they could not pick it back up. (My grandson loved the Gorilla Puffs, the avocado dressing was okay, the oat milk and wheat germ went to our next door neighbors.)
But. It made me think about how identifiable our grocery bags are, and how much we could learn from what’s in a character’s grocery bag, right?
What would be in your grocery bag that everyone could identify as yours, reds and readers? Or what would be in your character's grocery bag?
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JENN McKINLAY: Well, it used to be that my grocery bag would be identifiable by the cake, pie, ice cream, and cookies that were in it. *sigh* But my doc has me on a strict no sugar, no fat, no iron diet because apparently my body has decided to hoard iron in my tissues and that’s a bad bad thing. So, now my grocery bag has loads of fresh fruit and vegetables, low fat dairy (ugh), and no sugar or red meat to be found. I’m trying not to pout. I have discovered that fresh mango with a sprinkling of Tajin seasoning on top makes a solid sweet-heat bad breakfast choice, so there’s hope. As for my characters, well, if I have to go healthy so do they! I’m actually working on a sugar free cupcake recipe for the next cupcake bakery mystery - not sure how that’s going to work but I’ll give it a go...
HALLIE EPHRON: Great question! Whole milk. Because otherwise, why bother. Haagen Daz rum raisin ice cream. (Don’t say EW. It’s delicious.) Cheese. Eggs. Hard salami or corned beef or something fatty and unhealthy. Mmm bacon.
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I wouldn’t ask for produce in a delivery because I’m too picky. Right now, for instance, our local farms are actually harvesting melons which we never get field-ripened otherwise. But I need to see (they get a little velvety sheen when ripe) smell (aromatic!) and squeeze (a little give, not too much) before I buy. Ditto the late summer corn and tomatoes… pick by look and feel. And satsumas are about to come in – some are sensational and some just feh.
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I was just thinking of this, Hank, because I had to order groceries to go for my brother-in-law, who’s shut in due to his health (here, you have to pick them up yourself.) Canned chili, beef-a-roni, kiddie cereal and juice. Now I’m getting all sorts of weird recommendations when I log onto the grocery site!
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Like Jenn, I’ve given up sugar - at least at home, please do offer me dessert if I’m having dinner at your place! - so there’s not much fun in my bag. “Not Much Fun in my Bag: The Julia Spencer-Fleming Story.”
Box of spring greens, box of spinach, root vegetables (I love potatoes, squash and turnips; must be my German ancestry.) Pre-diced garlic, ‘cause I don’t have time for all that mincing. Three kinds of pasta, boneless skinless chicken breasts (again, time-saver) and lots of canned, diced tomatoes and olives to go into the pasta. I have definitely not given up carbs.
DEBORAH CROMBIE: Hallie, agree with you on the rum raisin–although I don’t actually buy it. And on the whole milk. I don’t think the amount I put in my coffee or tea is going to kill me, and it tastes so much better. Also whole milk plain Greek yogurt. Also really good Irish unsalted butter.
No sugar here, either, and pretty much no processed stuff. (Um, except for Rick’s potato chips…) Always too many fresh fruits and veggies. Lettuces, shredded cabbage, arugula (for me!), sometimes spinach, bok choy, sugar snap peas, haricot vert, cukes, radishes, grape tomatoes, avocados… berries, bananas. Figs! When in season. Apples, ditto. Mandarins, limes, lemons. No-additive smoked turkey breast for sandwiches. Hummus. Salmon, chicken breasts. Olive oil, brown rice, whole wheat pasta. Canned tomatoes, canned beans, cartons of stock. Nuts. Almond butter. It’s astounding how much money you can spend on all this healthy stuff.
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We buy our bread from the bakery. My friend Gigi (who makes the Sunday bakery run with me) laughs at me because I can make one chocolate cherry scone last a week. (A little slice with my afternoon tea.)
PS I love watching what other people put in their carts. So interesting. And in so many cases, so horrifying.
RHYS BOWEN: My bag would come from Trader Joe’s or Sprouts and include avocados, tomatoes and plenty of fruits and veggies. European style yoghurt. Selection of cheeses. Sourdough bread. Cinnamon raisin bread ( my treat at tea time). Also always fish of some kind plus TJ frozen goodies like the frozen scallops and mushrooms and tarte d’Alsace. Plus the boring healthy stuff like olive oil, pasta, oatmeal etc (they don’t deliver Prosecco, do they?)
LUCY BURDETTE: Now Rhys and Hank have me craving raisin bread! I still have lots of pandemic habits, so I order meat once a quarter from Butcher Box (mostly organic chicken and a little beef), pet supplies from Chewy, toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap, and my new obsession, which is fast becoming an issue, Rancho Gordo beans. Lots of veggies from the garden and farmer’s market, and that leaves whole and oat milk, great grains cereal, Rao’s arrabbiata sauce, coffee, cold cuts for John from the grocery store…
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HANK: SO agree to looking at what other people are checking out. You can instantly know: Lasagna noodles, tomatoes, mozzarella, oregano, basil, prosciutto, melon etc-- Oh! party at your house! Or, for other baskets--YIKES! What are you EATING?
How about you, Reds and readers? How would we recognize you by your grocery bags?
Actually, I never order groceries for delivery because I'm far too fussy and I have to pick everything myself.
ReplyDeleteBut, if I were to order groceries, my bag would have fresh fruits and vegetables, potatoes, coffee beans, bacon, chicken, sharp cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, dark rye bread, whole wheat pasta, and Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Therapy ice cream . . . .
Can I come over? I think your bag is perfection! Xxx
DeleteSure!
DeleteYUM! You're doing it right, Joan!
DeleteI don't buy a whole lot. You'd probably recognize it by the TV dinners and other quick and easy meal things in it. I'd rather spend time reading than cooking.
ReplyDeleteTV dinners used to be such a massive treat when I was a kid! I bet they are really good now… Or at least, better :-) and there are lots of wonderful fast things, aren’t there?
DeleteHank, there is a restaurant here that makes TV dinners for take out. Such a clever idea and they are not bad! But the problem is getting them in the freezer...
DeleteOh, what a FABULOUS idea!
DeleteHa ha, we talked about my obsession with making overnight oats for breakfast, so Club-sized bags of rolled oats, unsweetened almond milk, chia seeds are necessary grocery items.
ReplyDeletePlain Greek yogurt, lemons, avocados, sprouted (or sourdough) bread, Kicking Horse whole bean coffee. Canned tomatoes (or passata), canned beans.
I am like HALLIE when it comes to produce. I need to pick my own, unless the delivery order comes from the CSA/local farm group that home delivers.
You are such an amazing foodie, Grace! I am always so impressed… And we need to do a whole blog on overnight oats. Totally.
DeleteI love overnight oats! Reen Carter
DeleteHANK: Awww, thanks. I'm definitely a foodie who is picky about what I use in my cooking. Fortunately, I live in the ByWard Market where I can shop for exactly what I want. And then order other items from a bigger grocery store. Life is too short...I have to cook & eat tasty food and read good books!
DeleteYay, another overnight oats fan!
DeleteSame. I need to pick my own produce.
DeleteSalad, chicken, rice, potato, unsalted butter, olive oil, cut melons, broccoli, string beans, corn on cob, and hot chocolate
ReplyDeleteI am on my way to your house, darling, Dru! That sounds like exactly perfect food.
DeleteOh, that was me, Hank.
DeleteI'll set a plate for you
DeleteYou all have such healthy eating habits! We've never had groceries delivered, but Hugh does all our shopping at Market Basket and I do the farm and local grocery stuff. In summer the farm run is greens, eggs, corn, green beans, berries, and tomatoes to fill gaps in my garden. The store list is whole milk, butter, fish, shrimp, chicken, salsa, tortillas, TP, beans, 12-grain bread, King Arthur flour (whole wheat and unbleached white), peppers, citrus, avocados, and ice cream, sometimes chips. Coffee, goat milk gouda, and things like frozen dumpling we get at Trader Joes, which is too far for regular shopping.
ReplyDeleteNow I need to go get a melon or two while they're rip! Thanks for the tip, Hallie.
I see a discussion about whole milk coming up! This is definitely a divisive issues. :-)
DeleteI am too picky to have my groceries delivered. And my local organic grocery never delivers anyway. Other grocery shops used to deliver though many of their produce are Not Organic. Once I was at the other grocery shop and I got Organic tomatoes and an "helpful" employee told me I could get cheaper tomatoes and we went over to the produce section and she grabbed the NON organic tomato. I told her that we only get Organic. LOL
DeleteEdith, wish we had a vegetable garden.
Diana
LOL! "helpful"!
DeleteSuch an interesting conversation. I often mentally groan when I notice some people’s choices. Especially if the person looks unhealthy or have children. I want to ask them, “what are you doing to yourselves?” it upsets me that their children are put on such an unhealthy road of poor choices. I’m into fruit, lots of salad bits, almond milk, Greek yogurt. . I do like beef, chicken and fish. Hank, that cinnamon bread sounds like dessert. My doctor says salt is important to have in your diet- thank goodness! Carbs and pasta as treats although I love them. I do live on Wasa crackers with butter. Wine is on my list!
ReplyDeleteWanda Crackers and butter sounds divine. Absolutely! Do you know crunchmasters?
DeleteOh, rats. That was me Hank.
DeleteWell! You all certainly made me hungry. We don't have food delivered, but if we did, our bag would be similar to some of yours: fresh produce, Greek yoghurt, brown rice, pasta, and because we are vegetarians (well, pescadarians, I guess, because we eat fish & seafood and go out for that), a lot of various beans and lentils, prepared with herbs and spices and sauces. We are both on statins, so we do low fat milk and heart-healthy butter (sigh) and rarely have ice cream (which was one of my husband's favorite desserts in pre-cholesterol days). We do occasionally indulge in cheese and are hooked on Manchego. And because my husband has to watch his sugar intake, when I bake, I only use whole wheat flour and much less sugar than the recipe calls for.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I certainly would be curious about the person whose bag HPR received by mistake, and yes, I do think it would be interesting to build a character around it.
Elizabeth, we love Manchego, too. I have sage in my garden and recently discovered this super simple recipe for a canape. It was a huge hit, all three times I served it this summer.
DeleteRoll 1/3-sq cubes of Manchego into individual sage leaves. Secure with toothpicks. Brown butter in a pan, then fry the sage bundles, about a minute per side. Serve warm, if possible, but they are also fabulous cool.
Yes, because the contents of a grocery cart so indicate one’s intent, and preferences, and socioeconomic economic status, maybe, and habit. Probably also family history, and choices that were made as a child. If your mom bought Tide, are you more likely to buy Tide?
DeleteElizabeth, Love Greek yogurt when I mix it with honey. Worth the risk!
DeleteHank, definitely! I grew up eating Whole Wheat Bread. I think my family was the only family I knew of who Never bought processed food nor White Bread (wonder bread). While my classmates had Sugary Cereal for Breakfast, we had Oatmeal cereal.
Diana
Karen, the manchego cubes sound wonderful. I have a sage plant on my deck so am going to try this.
DeleteLet me know what you think, Debs.
DeleteYes, sounds SO yummy!
DeleteBibliophile, now honey...well, we make an exception for honey and try to rationalize that it's a "natural"sweet. :-) Only use it on waffles, though, instead of syrup.
DeleteKaren, thanks for the recipe! It sounds delicious.
DeleteGlad to figure out how this blog lets me use my name instead of my giftsinopenhands blog. (Really a blog does not need groceries). And mine (also picked at store -- I have not tried delivery. First send me all your misdirected oat milk, thank you. Eggs, many eggs. Every tough day needs a one-of-a-kind omelette. Chicken, which comes first. Potatoes, eggplant, carrots, chard, tomatoes, dates for sweetness, most other fruit, occasionally an expensive grapefruit my favorite.
ReplyDeleteA good grapefruit is so delicious! I agree! But how can you tell?
DeleteSpeaking of expensive grapefruit, I just learned something strange from social media. An American living in England was talking about how she could buy healthy food cheaper in the UK than in the USA. My guess is that when she lived in the USA, the "healthy food" was at expensive grocery stores like Whole Foods (we call that grocery store "Whole Paycheck").
DeleteLove Oat Milk too.
Diana
You are wrong. Lots of local produce in the UK, which is certainly cheaper than the US, especially California. The availability is also very different.
DeleteI need to do more with eggplant.
DeleteI am on a big eggplant kick, It's all about saliting it first, and then wiping all the salt and water off. SO GOOD!
DeleteMy store doesn't deliver out here, so I have to go pick it up. BUT, when I'm busy (which is ALWAYS), it's so nice to drive to town, park, have them load my car, and drive home without spending an hour wandering through the store buying more than I need. I order bottled water (we have a bad well), almond milk creamer for my coffee, very dark chocolate, broccoli, salad stuff, brown rice, Paul Newman marinara sauce, an assortment of pastas, meatless fake meat, frozen fish and shrimp (I'm a pescatarian, so no beef, pork, chicken, or turkey). One week, when I was unloading my haul at home, I discovered they had mistakenly given me someone else's large package of ground chuck. Neither I nor my husband eat it, so I took it over to my neighbors. They were thrilled!
ReplyDeleteOh, I also see a marinara sauce debate in the works! Paul Newman for you, Annette, and Rao’s for Lucy! Anyone else want to weigh in?
DeleteAnnette, my store does not deliver either. If you like the taste of meat, then I recommend Portobello Mushrooms. Yummy! I'm sure your neighbors were very happy to get ground chuck from you.
DeleteHank, our marinara sauce is from Muir Glen (I think a local company).
Diana
HANK: If I can't make my own marinara sauce (that's what the canned San Marzano tomatoes/passata is for), then I also vote for Rao's. Very pricey, though, $12 a jar here in Ottawa.
DeleteYes, I like Muir Glen! ANd yes, Rao's is pricey--but I think worth it!
DeleteTrader Joe's, here!
DeleteEither home roasted and frozen or Classico jars.
DeleteEDITH: I would roast my own big tomatoes too if I had a backyard garden with more than 3 hours of sunlight. Cherry tomatoes are the most I can grow on my balcony. But I do grow plenty of basil for pesto (except for this year).
DeleteDuring the pandemic, a friend shopped for me, her parents, and her greatgrandmother. She would often order these groceries for pick up and somehow managed to get us all the right stuff. Except once, for me, when whole milk yogurt and whole milk were in my bag. Unlike the two Reds, whole milk is just plain unpleasant in texture and taste to me…just too thick and fatty. Ah to each their own! Happy Monday! And happy eating. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteOh, you know how much I agree! :-) And isn’t it amazing how something is instantly not yours? We are just so used to our groceries, and I wonder whether we ever really think about it…
DeleteElizabeth, As a child, I loved Whole Milk. In my twenties, the only milk I liked was Skim Milk - it tasted better than whole milk to me.
DeleteDefinitely, Hank. We are so used to our groceries.
Diana
It's SO personal!
DeleteI don’t like any kind of milk. I quit drinking it at age 5. It has a terrible after taste.
DeleteTo each their own, right?
DeleteYes!
DeleteI've never enjoyed visiting the grocery - my list goes by the way side and I try to dream about the supper I wish I could cook, but delivery is not an option here any longer either. I always pick up fresh fruit and veggies and I think I do a better job for me, but unfortunately, we have that gluten-thing in our house and I although I crave the cinnamon raisin bread, I feel guilty having it around someone who just can't have it anymore. And so goes the pasta, doughnuts, most crackers, and ... I guess it's not all bad. We are fortunate to have the choices we have.
ReplyDeleteOh, Marie, I so agree! Sometimes at the grocery store, I look at the array of, say, mustard. Or ice cream. Or cookies and cereal, and think wow, there are so many choices… One, do we need all those choices? And two, aren’t we lucky to have them?
DeleteYou need a balanced diet including carbs. It’s your health, no guilt should be involved!
DeleteI've never had groceries delivered (or ordered on-line). I live a few blocks from Safeway and generally walk over there. During the height of the scary pre-vaccination time, I went at 6 am when they open. My basket would include chicken and fish, smoked salmon, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, carrots, bananas, berries, rice chex cereal, gluten free crackers, low sodium chicken stock, a small container of organic half and half (for tea and cereal), Nancy's plain yogurt (I ditched the sweet vanilla for plain unsweetened a few months ago), dark chocolate salted caramels and the item I need to give up, Haribo gummy bears. I love Haagen Daz rum raisin ice cream, but only have a bite or two when my son's in town.
ReplyDeleteI am imagining the atmosphere in that grocery store, at 6 AM, when everyone was terrified. It was such a strange experience, wasn’t it? With that little edge of panic? Crossing fingers that is over forever. And yes, I am very much a fan of plain yogurt! Xxx
DeleteOurs had a seniors-only shopping hour 6-7. Hugh still goes at 7 when they open.
DeleteEdith, ours did too for awhile, although I don't think they kicked any younger people out. And Hank, I truly hope the panic is over!
DeleteSO agree, GIllian!
DeleteMy husband shops or we have delivery from Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh. All produce from the year round farmers market.
DeleteIt depends on the season. Right now we're moving from summer light to heartier fall food. Trader Joe's cheeses, haricot verts, and frozen shrimp. Salad stuff. Soon it will be pork chops with apples, chicken parmesan, and homemade lasagna.
ReplyDeleteYes, I love that transition! Somehow, at some point, beef stew, seems like a possibility, when two weeks before, it wouldn’t have been!
DeleteYes, it all sounds good, but you don’t need the heartier dishes, why not eat them year round on occasion rather then gaining weight in the fall and winter?
DeleteAgain, so much fun to make our own decisions!
DeleteLooking over the last 3 months shopping lists: butter (unsalted) milk, eggs, seasonal fruit, avocados, fish, frozen fruit for smoothies, yogurt, chicken, red meat (small amount)and goddess help me sausages. Omnivores live on Nome Street, who honor the food in all its forms.
ReplyDeleteI have mead a habit of trying to make a meal based on what is in another's shopping cart. Helps pass the time while in line. Now that I shop in a restaurant supply house, the meals have become more balanced.
"made a habit' dang you autocorrect
DeleteOh, yes, that is hilarious! I absolutely do that, too! And as I said, I try to gauge what the persons life is like, or what their plans are , based on their groceries. And you really can do it, absolutely!
DeleteGiven all the toxins in chicken, I eat steak at least twice a week, Hamburger several other days. Definitely a carnivore!
DeleteGrocery shopping is complicated in this house: fresh produce from one store; meat, pasta and some cheeses from the local Italian shop; what I call dry goods from a large supermarket -- and that's the cart that I hope no one judges me by because there is nothing fresh in it, just cat food, frozen pizza (which I dress up with goodies from the fresh produce store), ice cream and canned goods. Booze no longer agrees with me, sadly, but that was the most fun delivery I would get during the early days of pandemic!
ReplyDeleteMy in-store grocery shopping is similar. I walk 5 minutes to the Byward Market to get meat from the butcher, fish/shellfish from the fishmonger & cheese from the cheese shop. Booze from the provincial liquor/beer store. And my pantry is full with dried pasta, rice & canned goods. That is why the grocery delivery list I posted above was limited.
DeleteAmanda and Grace, it sounds very European. The only cheese shop I remember seeing recently was in Paris, France. It occurred to me that maybe there are still cheese shops in San Francisco? Not in my area. My favorite Deli went out of business about a year ago. They decided to close because the pandemic made it really tough.
DeleteDiana
DIANA: Yes, there is also an Italian and an Eastern European deli/grocery store in the ByWard Market. I go there a couple times each month. I can only shop this way since I live in the historic downtown district. Other Ottawa neighbourhoods have the big grocery stores.
DeleteDiana: Yes, it's a bit European. When I spent a summer in Toronto, I bought my supper ingredients each evening on my way home from work. It was wonderful and a no-waste way to shop and cook.
DeleteGrace: I, too, live in a neighbourhood that is walkable from downtown (which is not a thriving place here, sadly) and has small-scale commercial enterprises like bakeries, organic and other groceries, books and wool.
Oh, I forgot to mention there are 3 French bakeries/patisseries in the ByWard Market. But since I don't eat white bread (delicious, but dietary changes), I get the healthier sprouted or sourdough bread from the grocery delivery.
DeleteBread is the best. I have to be SO careful.....we get bread from our farm stand, and it is so irresistible. I freeze it so I won't eat it. :-)
DeleteHANK: Agreed, bread is my Achilles heel. I could eat a loaf of artisan bread easily, so to avoid temptation, I freeze half of it.
DeleteWe buy fresh sourdough bread from our local bakery. I live in the Bay Area. Diana there are three cheese shops within a couple of miles from my home. They are all over the Bay Area!
DeleteNo delivery here but we can request pick-up, something I've only ever done with library books. I need to choose my own items. Pretty boring list; apples, bananas, other fruit on sale if it looks or smells good. Maybe a butternut squash. A couple of baking potatoes. Then pet food. If my brand of TP is on sale I might stock up on that, or Kleenex. Lately I've been craving pickled beets, so I must have a couple jars of that, pumpernickel bread, whole milk, Chobani Greek yogurt, eggs and orange juice (extra pulp) as needed. Lacey Swiss cheese sliced very thin (thinner than that) if it is on sale.
ReplyDeleteLOVe thin sliced Swiss cheese! And I have to say, I have never been disappointed with delivery produce. I have an idea that the shoppers are proud of picking good things. Many of them are really into it.
DeleteAgree with you Hank, never have been disappointed with delivered produce.
DeleteOur neighbors had so many wacky delivery mishaps during the pandemic that I just skipped trying to get our groceries brought to us. My larder of pantry and two freezers, plus what is in the garden most of the year (greens around the calendar, except for February and March), and all we really needed was the milk my husband drains in astonishing quantity, his daily banana, and boxes of cereal for his breakfast. We had to have coffee and my dark chocolate, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm also way too picky about produce to let someone else pick it out for me. I did make a big order from Costco awhile back, and the bag of avocados they sent was virtually unusable. I'd rather choose for myself.
My bags look different from Steve's, because we have wildly different priorities. I like really good eggs with orange yolks from local sources; he will just buy whatever is on sale at the grocery. You wouldn't believe we were buying for the same household.
Karen: I'm with you on local/farm eggs. I have a bi-weekly delivery from real outdoor pasture-run chickens. Yum.
DeleteKAREN: I also buy local eggs at the Saturday (or Sunday) FM.
DeleteEggs taste different? Why orange yolks?
DeleteKaren, I am too picky about produce to have groceries delivered, though my local Organic grocery shop never delivers anyway.
DeleteGrace, I used to go to the FM. The last few times I shopped at the Farmer's Market recently after Lockdown though we STILL have the pandemic, I noticed that I get sick - not covid but sneezing like the cold/flu. None of the vendors at FM wear masks anymore.
Diana
HANK: yes, you notice the difference in egg yolk colour between factory-farmed eggs & pasture-run eggs. More orangey, like KAREN says. And there should be a noticeable difference in taste between factory-farmed and organic pasture-run eggs.
DeleteHank, the deeper the color of the yolk, the higher the beta carotene and other nutrients. Factory raised chickens only eat what they're given, which, because they spend their entire lives in a tiny cage stacked in tiers with thousands of other poor birds, has to include lots of antibiotics. Free range chickens eat what they're meant to consume: bugs, seeds, and lots of greenery, including kitchen scraps like vegetable parings. Yes, that very much affects the flavor.
DeleteOH, so interesting! (I kinda...don't eat the yolks anyway....)
DeleteLocal farm eggs (a mile from us) are SO good, and we can get them May through November. Flavor and nutritional value much, much higher.
DeleteHANK: WHOA, no yolks? We have to talk...
DeleteYes, well, cholesterol. I have egg whites almost every morning, but not the yolks.
DeleteI can get delivery or pickup from the grocery store or Target. These days, I do Target a lot because they have better prices - and I don't have to fight to reserve a pickup time!
ReplyDeleteYesterday I had grilled chicken strips (for easy salads); sliced turkey; smoked sausage for jambalaya; baby spinach; honeycrisp apples; Nabisco Fast-Break cheese and crackers; two small ham steaks; whole wheat bread; Ezekiel bread (don't ask) for The Boy; FreshPet chicken dog food; soft Milk Bone treats. On other days you might also find salsa, tortilla chips, cheese, salmon, boneless-skinless chicken breasts and Harney & Sons Vanilla Comoro decaf tea (they make the best whole-leaf tea bags with little pyramid-shaped silk bags).
I am so happy that it's time for honeycrisp apples! (and remember when you had to get a delivery time by staying up after midnight to be first for the day? I do NOT miss that...argh. )
DeleteLast week I bought the first bag of little new season honeycrisps at TJ. So good. Almost makes up for the figs being finished.
DeleteSO GOOD!
DeleteI used to be a Granny Smith apple person. But now I'm Team Honeycrisp all the way.
DeleteMy husband does the shopping and cooking, except for the holiday meals. Both pick up and delivery are options but we do not utilize them. The store is only a stone’s throw from our house. We are trying to eat healthier, but there are still too many “yikes” items that make it home. Tillamook cheese seems to have become a staple item; I think he gets that at Costco. I see the pantry is now stocked up with multiples of chili fixings.
ReplyDeleteDo not despair for those families with the yikes carts—We had all the sugary cereals etc when my kids were growing up and they are all healthy eaters now out on their own. Much more so than some others we know who were restricted from all that as children.
Yikes Carts. LOVE that! ANd you have a point!
DeleteMy children were never forced to eat anything. They willingly ate vegetables and everything offered. They are as adults very adventurous eaters. They had candy, cookies, and chips too. Nothing was restricted. If you restrict, most just want it more. Food should not be a psychological or guilt issue. I am shocked at the many attitudes of good vs. bad food here. All things in moderation!
DeleteSO with you about moderation! And always happy to hear everyone's delights and decisions.
DeleteMy son’s first friend (at age 1) was always obsessed with food. His mother was very controlling and would restrict what he could have. I haven’t seen him in years but she tells me he weighs over 300 pounds! It makes me so sad. But I definitely think there’s a psychological component to food - choices we make, restrictions we had imposed on us or not, etc.
DeleteI agree about the all things in moderation, but as I have gotten older my size of moderation is shrinking.
DeleteLucy/Roberta, are you saying you have TOO many Rancho Gordo beans?!
ReplyDeleteCan that BE? :-)
DeleteYou'll see, I'm going to blog about them next week:)
DeleteDoes everyone have food on the brain because it's Yom Kippur, the Day of Fasting?
ReplyDeleteOh, you are so wise! Hmmm..maybe ! xx
DeleteGreat topic today!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the pandemic, I just finished reading Carl Hiaasen's WRECKER novel from NetGalley and it takes place during the pandemic.
What would be in my grocery bags?
From my local organic grocery shop, Watermelons (I struggle with dehydration), Blueberries, Strawberries, Nectarines, Peaches, Fresh Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, Bell peppers, Carrots, Celery, small Cucumbers, Yam / Sweet Potato (best food for menopause), and lots of fresh produce.
They used to have Aioli though not anymore. Eggs and egg whites. Gluten free Bread. Frozen fruits and frozen veggies. Non Dairy Creamer for my coffee. Oat Milk or Soy Milk with Calcium. Dairy free Cheese (love cheese).
Canned beans. Low sodium soup cans. Oatmeal cereal. Orange Marmalade. Nuts and Raisins from the bins. And various vitamin supplements including new ones for the stage before menopause. No more hot flashes! Yay!
Baking Soda and Vinegar for cleaning stuff.
JENN: If you are craving "red meat" as in Steak or Hamburger, then Portobello Mushroom, for me, tastes like meat. It is yummy. I love Portobello Mushroom! It tastes like a wonderful hamburger to me.
Diana
This all sounds delicious! Dairy-free cheese?
DeleteJust bought Cashew Milk "Buffalo" ? Mozzarella. I made Caorese Salad.
DeleteDiana
As a doctors I can tell you vitamins have no impact on menopause. You have moved to a new stage.
DeleteWhatever works, right?
DeleteThanks, Diana. I do love a good portabello stuffed with spinach and a slice of sharp cheddar and air fried - soooo good!
DeleteMy sister and niece are delivery people. They do most grocery deliveries (and shopping) on weekend mornings. Truth be told my sister does the driving, my niece does the rest. They prefer delivering the groceries to the homebound than food runs to the dorms and college housing apartments with no parking and buildings with very difficult to find labels.
ReplyDeleteI use delivery services when I'm sick so it has ginger ale, saltine crackers, applesauce, already made jello, TP, tissues, ibuprofen maybe some cheese.
Oh, that is a great idea..delivery when you are sick. I hope it does not happen often! xx
DeleteOh, I love reading this! We did Walmart pick-up during Covid until we moved to Maine - I have to say we got far better produce than anything we saw in the stores. When we asked we were told it was because the pick-up stuff was the freshest and in many cases right off the truck. Good to know. At the time, Walmart had the only pick up service in our area. The other stores were just bringing it online when we left. We also used Costco Cold and Frozen delivery service until they discontinued it. Sigh. Please Costco, if you're reading this, bring it back!
ReplyDeleteMy current grocery bag varies. Hubs is having tummy issues and is on the fodmap diet. Regular stuff is whole milk plain Greek yogurt (him) Chobani no sugar vanilla (me), Nellie's eggs, Katie's butter, scallions, red peppers, carrots, lettuce, imitation bacon bits (don't judge), Kalamata olives, Rao's pasta, 1/2 and 1/2, whole milk, 95% lean chopped meat, chicken breasts, distilled water, sourdough bread, wine, and hard cheeses. Now I'm hungry!
I am so with you on those fake bacon bits. They were such a treat when we were kids--or, at some point, at least, and I am addicted. There are pouches, now, too of bits of "realer" bacon. ANd here's another #TeamRao!
DeleteAlthough I didn't do grocery delivery during the lock down, I did take advantage of the Mom and Pop Wine Shop's local delivery. I would order on line and a few hours later, Dan would come by with my wine (a discount for 6 bottles) and offering a taste of something that I might not otherwise try. In post-pandemia I have definitely cut down on my wine orders.
ReplyDeleteThat is GREAT!
DeleteThey have real bacon bits at Costco, and they are pretty good. I only know about them because someone here recommended them.
DeleteIn my defense, I might be able to make that cherry chocolate scone last two days--those scones are pretty dense--but never a whole week. Debs is much better at delaying gratification than I am.
ReplyDeleteMy grocery basket is evolving. For a while, back in 2022 when I was sick, one of my doctors had me on a horrifying all-vanilla diet to treat a condition it turned out I didn't actually have. One of the happiest days of that dark time was when I switched to a different doctor, who told me, "You don't have that. I don't see why you can't eat whatever you want." Turns out he was right.
But what I want is changing. Less beef, more beans, less processed stuff, more stuff I have to cook, which pretty much means less stuff altogether, since it's too hot to cook. My mother was not an adventurous cook, so there are many foods that are complete mysteries to me. What does one do with a turnip? With bok choy? With fresh fish? I'm experimenting. Some things may only make it into my grocery basket once, and never be invited back. Some are becoming new friends.
If all else fails, there's always that Sunday morning bakery run.
Yes, the bakery run--for bagels! Sometimes we go to the bagel place on SUnday, and it is wonderful!
DeleteQuestion for everyone: Have you ever used "Uber Eats"? I think they deliver. I'm not sure if it is that they deliver groceries or pre-packed meals.
ReplyDeleteDiana
Yes, Uber Eats delivers groceries but I never use that service. I use Instacart for my grocery delivery in Ottawa.
DeleteI think Uber Eats also delivers food from restaurants..and we have done that.Or maybe it's doordash. It's expensive-ish, but of course you're paying for the convenience. When we did it, it was a life-saver (exaggeration) and worth it. We use Instacart, too. It's fast and reliable. ANd whoa, what a timesaver!
DeleteInstacart here, too. You can get groceries on Doordash but I've never done it.
DeleteA friend in San Diego (Grace met her at LCC three years ago) works for Uber Eats. She said that she just delivers the bags to the door.
DeleteThanks! I wondered if Uber Eats was from grocery shops or restaurants.
Diana
We are so lucky to have not only a good year round farmer's market, but also a fabulous bakery (see scones above), and a great farm shop that sells not only local pasture raised meats, eggs, and dairy, but also a good selection of local organic produce. And wine! Now if we only had a good fishmonger...
ReplyDeleteIn Texas? xxx
DeleteLol, Hank. I know. But actually there is a good one between us and Dallas but I am too lazy to drive there. Also, we are five minutes from Whole Foods, which has a good fish counter.
DeleteChunky peanut butter, (the jam I get from a different store because I like less processed jam), unsalted butter, (we buy our Cape Seed bread from Cobs), 1% milk, family size box of Post Bran Flakes (in winter my husband eats oatmeal and I eat Red River Cereal), bananas (for him), chocolate chip granola bars (for him), whatever other fruit is locally in season (for me), triple chocolate brownies (for me), chocolate chip cookies (for him), grapefruit juice, extra pulp orange juice, baking potatoes, no preservative bacon, organic eggs, lettuce, whatever veggies are local and in season (right now, corn and brussel sprouts), brown rice, sheep's cheese (i like the kind with peppercorns), sausage with Barolo and peppercorns, (most meat I get from a local butcher every couple weeks), store brand spicy Italian or choritzo sausages (to grill), boneless skinless chicken breasts, touch of jalapeno tortilla chips, medium salsa, pistachio-filled croissants from store bakery (recent addition by store that I glommed onto), gold Yorkshire tea (which we make sugarless ice tea with)
ReplyDeleteWhoo! You have a fabulous list! And so interesting! xxx
DeleteYour list is great! Lots of variety!
DeleteI got so spoiled to grocery pick up that now I seldom talk myself into going into Costco or the regular supermarkets, and I have found that the shoppers do a fine job with the produce. It was hit and miss in the beginning but most of them are very experienced now and they do a good job.
ReplyDeleteBut I do shop at Trader Joe's in person every week, and I think I would do it even if they delivered, just because everyone is so nice and I love picking out flowers and seeing what's new there.
I wish Trader Joe's was closer to me, Debs. It's a good 30-40 minutes away (depending on traffic) so I only go there when I have other business in the area, and time to shop.
DeleteI also wish that Trader Joe's would come to Canada! Alas, I did go to Trader Joe's in Pacific Beach & Hiillcrest to get my favourite items while in San Diego.
DeleteI have three Trader Joe’s within a five mile radius. They will not ever expand to Canada, too much regulation!
DeleteWe never get groceries delivered. Too picky. I am intrigued, however, by the idea of a prosecco delivery service . . .
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, the delivery people are amazing!
DeleteI realized I ought to add, along with the healthy, unprocessed food I mentioned, these days you'll also often find DiGiorno's frozen pizza, sandwich fixings and Campbell's Bean with Bacon soup (come at me, haters.) I've been grinding to finish the book this past month, and consequently spending as little time as possible on meal planning and prep.
ReplyDeleteWRITE WRITE WRITE we will send you food if need be! xxx
Deleteabsolutely, will drive up supplies to Maine!!
DeleteJulia, I will send you groceries or home baked goodies (though it won’t be quite as fresh by the time it gets to Maine from San Diego!) if it helps you! — Pat S
DeleteJust finished 2000 words today, which is a real stretch for me!
DeleteI can’t put hearts on here, but know I am very happy for you. — Pat
DeleteYAAY Julia!
DeleteWe'll send you food, Julia!
DeleteThere is always a box of Yasso Frozen Yogurt Chocolate Fudge bars in my grocery bag. Also would easily recognize it as mine by Chobani Zero Sugar yogurt, NatureSweet cherubs, sweet potatoes. I love looking at other people's carts - it's so telling. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteYES! We love Yasso bars. They are amazingly delicious! And oh, absolutely those little yellow tomatoes. They are life-changing!
DeleteAlmost exclusively Trader Joe’s. They. don’t deliver, but they are near me so I can just walk to the store. They have many products that are unique to them, but some are just seasonal, some just disappear from the shelves if the store doesn’t think they are selling enough of the item. They have very few brand names so if I want any name brands I have to go elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteWhat I do get are produce such as lettuce, Campari tomatoes and other salad vegetables sometimes cut up fresh fruit such as pineapple. Also, low-sodium sliced turkey which tastes like real turkey not the processed versions. yogurt, fresh squeezed orange juice, frozen cauliflower rice (they have several kinds with different varieties of vegetables or just the rice alone), bread and butter pickles, frozen fish sticks which go well with their pineapple salsa. There are a lot of other interesting frozen options especially different ethnic dishes. I like their frozen lemon bars.They have very good French rolls which come from Canada.
My problem is the store is very popular, especially with students and the shelves often empty out quickly so my list frequently consists of what is available. I have also found that I can some things
early in the day, but are gone if I go later.
They have a frequent flyer leaflet most months which features new items and I like to try some of those. When they offer samples it is a good opportunity to taste something before buying it.
I just zoomed in on frozen lemon bars. That sounds lovely!
DeleteAnother yes to Yasso Bars! My husband does much of the shopping so there's meat and eggs, chicken thighs and salmon. And veggies and berries. I have to eat gluten-free, so g-f bread and treats. As for my fictional detectives, energy bars, apples, and KitKat bars.
ReplyDeleteYasso bars are SUCH a find!
DeleteFor marinara sauce, Trader Joe’s has a very good organic low sodium version.
ReplyDeleteTwo votes for TJ's marinara!
DeleteWe started ordering from Imperfect Produce before the pandemic. (They sell the produce that isn’t “pretty” enough for grocery stores to sell.) I liked it because it meant that I had things like a raw onion or other vegetables on hand. (Otherwise I’d only buy onions when needed for a specific recipe.) They’ve recently merged with another company and things have changed so I’m re-evaluating whether we’ll stay with them.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, my cart would have fresh fruit and vegetables, Fairlife 2% (only because they discontinued 1%) milk, bacon, chicken in various forms (bone-in thighs, boneless, skinless breasts, marinated pollo strips), eggs, potatoes, some form of chocolate. We’re discussing trying to go to more of a Mediterranean diet so I am sure my cart will change if that happens. And I keep seeing friends who have eliminated or severely restricted sugar in their diet who look fabulous. I know I should do that, too, but it’s hard for me to even contemplate. Another reason I think I am Jenn’s soul sister! — Pat S
Having an onion on hand is so much fun--I stash them, and then forget. (Which is NOT that much fun...)
DeleteWhat a fun question, and look at how many people jumped in! I have a box of fresh produce and small-batch local food products delivered every other week. This way, it's picked fresh, ripe, and pretty close to home here in northern CA. Everything's in season, too. A favorite is raison pumpernickel bread, the only sweetener being the raisons, which are so plentiful they're actually part of the dough. What might give me away as a character: the food I choose rarely comes in plastic of any kind, the items mostly need cooking, and are the kind you use in recipes. I get my cookies at the store and my meats from a local provider at the farmers market, so I might look like a vegetarian and someone with will power when it comes to sugar, but I am not!
ReplyDeleteSO great to see you! ANd yes, raisin bread is a treasure. But pumpernickel raisin sounds divine!
Delete