Hunter-gatherers...
Today was a grocery day. It wasn't planned really, just happened. I stayed home to get some writing done, Jonathan came home early, and the fridge and pantry were looking a little bare. So rather than make the usual grocery trek with everyone else and their poodle on the weekend, we decided today was the day.
First, I went to the morning market. It's right on our street two days a week, but the last time I went was before Thanksgiving (I know - shame, shame from all you foodies who would love to have a market on your street) since I've been working double-time at the office. Half an hour and eight bags later, we were stocked in Maltese oranges, green beans, eggplants, strawberries, goat cheese, asparagus, mâche, pears, and apples. Now for the less-perishables.
Loaded down for the trek home
We chose to go to my favorite grocery store, Intermarché, which is a just over a mile walk from our apartment. Last year they had a huge sale after Easter and I was hoping to get in on some of that action again. Apparently last year they over-stocked their meat department...and apparently they learned from their mistake 'cause there was no sale today. In any case, we were able to get what we needed.
Hey - I did my part earlier in the day at the market :)
It was as Jonathan was bagging our groceries that it hit me how different this must look from grocery shopping in the US:
...walking to the store, or taking public transportation
...bagging your own groceries
...bringing your own bags, or buying them there
...only buying what you can carry
All of this calls for a strategy, which we have refined in our three years of doing it. In an ideal world, here's the plan:
1. Stock up on non-perishables from the Middle Eastern grocery store (Bahadourian) once every three months. This is where we buy our dried beans, rice, quinoa, spices in bulk, and what I call 'granola fixins' like oats, raisins, wheat germ, sesame seeds, dried fruit, etc...
2. Monthly trip to grocery store around the corner, even if more expensive, to buy heavy liquids such as milk, juice, Pepsi Max... This makes #3 much more manageable.
3. Weekly trip to less expensive grocery store (about 1/3 mile walk) for whatever the week's menu requires - usually the same items week after week.
4. Weekly trip to local market for fruits and veggies. Unfortunately, this one gets bumped often since we're not usually home on market days.
By the way, we did see lamb's brains on sale at the store. It was tempting to buy them for dinner just to say we had tried them...but not so tempting that we bought them.
First, I went to the morning market. It's right on our street two days a week, but the last time I went was before Thanksgiving (I know - shame, shame from all you foodies who would love to have a market on your street) since I've been working double-time at the office. Half an hour and eight bags later, we were stocked in Maltese oranges, green beans, eggplants, strawberries, goat cheese, asparagus, mâche, pears, and apples. Now for the less-perishables.
Loaded down for the trek home
We chose to go to my favorite grocery store, Intermarché, which is a just over a mile walk from our apartment. Last year they had a huge sale after Easter and I was hoping to get in on some of that action again. Apparently last year they over-stocked their meat department...and apparently they learned from their mistake 'cause there was no sale today. In any case, we were able to get what we needed.
Hey - I did my part earlier in the day at the market :)
It was as Jonathan was bagging our groceries that it hit me how different this must look from grocery shopping in the US:
...walking to the store, or taking public transportation
...bagging your own groceries
...bringing your own bags, or buying them there
...only buying what you can carry
All of this calls for a strategy, which we have refined in our three years of doing it. In an ideal world, here's the plan:
1. Stock up on non-perishables from the Middle Eastern grocery store (Bahadourian) once every three months. This is where we buy our dried beans, rice, quinoa, spices in bulk, and what I call 'granola fixins' like oats, raisins, wheat germ, sesame seeds, dried fruit, etc...
2. Monthly trip to grocery store around the corner, even if more expensive, to buy heavy liquids such as milk, juice, Pepsi Max... This makes #3 much more manageable.
3. Weekly trip to less expensive grocery store (about 1/3 mile walk) for whatever the week's menu requires - usually the same items week after week.
4. Weekly trip to local market for fruits and veggies. Unfortunately, this one gets bumped often since we're not usually home on market days.
By the way, we did see lamb's brains on sale at the store. It was tempting to buy them for dinner just to say we had tried them...but not so tempting that we bought them.
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7 comments:
Oh, how I'd love to do groceries like this. Maybe when I trade my car in for a scooter we will be forced into smaller, re-usable bag-style trips to the market.
Until then, it's Wal-Mart up by the mall.
WalMart has its advantages. As much as I love the market, they don't have an ICEE machine.
the people at winn dixie used to look at me funny, but are getting used to my big Carrefour bag--if anything, when shopping by myself, it holds as much as several grocery bags do and it's much easier to carry out. i love it-it's a grocery bag, a gym bag, an overnight bag, etc. maybe one of my next posts should be all the ways I use my reuseable bag...that would be the Kari thing to do:)
i miss the market...
Sounds less convenient, but way tastier! Fresh ingredients are the best. I don't know if you remember Harry's, but I wish we had one in Rome. Our choices are Wal-Mart, Kroger and Pigly Wigly, and I refuse to shop anywhere with pig in the name.
Hey, if you want to try brains, let us know! Alex loves them and is really good at making them...ok, so I don't eat them, but I tasted them once. Actually, the whole preparing of them is quite an experience!
Mm, fresh ingredients do sound good. I'd be forced to be much more creative and plan meals ahead of time, which I suspect would be much better for my health and maybe even my wallet.
Now, if only I had initiative...
i love those carrefour bags. i brought one back to CA to use at trader joe's. i'm jealous of your market.
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