How apt to find this, when I'm writing about my food shopping obsession. As I waited in line for the third day in a row, I was really contemplating the idea that I am in my supermarket almost EVERY day. And -- whether that was a normal practice or not? Am I reaching some pinnacle of food obsession and how much do other people shop normally?
Am I buying food because I think I'll run out or am I just buying it daily because I like fresh food--or the more likely reason, I never know what I feel like eating until the day of--or day before?
I spend the majority of my money on food. That is a certainty. I receive as a benefit of my Americorps VISTA service, $200 in food stamps. This lasts me about 2 weeks. And then I'm into my stipend money, which covers me, but also is needed for other things.
I think part of why I shop every day is because I never know what I'm going to feel like and from past experience, I know if I buy ahead there is a grand chance that - that food will rot in the fridge because I just don't feel like eating it. Wasteful, I know. As well, I cook with a lot of fresh ingredients, so that means I need things that are bright and green and new.
I often wonder, if I lived in another country, would shopping every day be considered the normal practice? By another country, I of course mean, some pastoral dream land like Tuscany or the south of France.
I lived in Dubai for a long time, a long time ago and I definitely was at the market a lot, but back then, I was cooking for two--whereas now, it varies. More often than not, I cook for one, except for the times I can entice my family over and then it's a dinner for 10. Which is my favorite thing to do.
That is definitely one goal I have actually achieved is cooking more. LOTS MORE! Which is awesome and amazing. I have concentrated on expanding my repertoire which is cool too. Although I do tend to return to my same old staples.
My most usual items on the grocery list:
Land o' Lakes white American cheese
Sopressata
pickles
shrimp won ton soup
some greenery of some kind
chicken thighs, I'm really, really into chicken thighs
Always something indian, a pickle or relish
Matzah ball soup
Puck's brown rice soup
Annie's mushroom soup
Swedish meatballs
tabouleh
hummous
olives
lemons
shallots
garlic
Naked green drink
steak tips
onion soup
leeks
mushrooms
Those are the things you can pretty much always count on being in my fridge and pantry at all times.
Everything else will fluctuate based on what kind of dang diet I am working on at the time. Which is something I am going to embrace again since I have 20 pounds to lose in three months. Total body revamp!
But that's another blog entry.
I have gone through the meat only phase. It never lasts. I have gone through the frozen entree phase. That was horrible and very unfulfilling. I went through the fruit and vegetable phase which lasted all of 12 hours.
The closest I can come to sticking to a food regiment is if I focus on mostly proteins. I have come to appreciate whole wheat bread. Also butter. Since Australia, I've been into putting butter on my sandwiches. Which is like, hello! Extra fat for no reason, though, it does taste pretty creamy...
Oh, and I order out a lot too. Mostly Asian food. I am currently cheating on my old love, Naru, with Men at Wok because I was going through a serious crab rangoon phase. Like, 3-4 times a week. Overboard, I know.
I also went through a brief swedish meatball phase. That was like twice a day for a week. With petite green peas. I got over that pretty fast.
So, I guess, it's just pretty much I'm a total kook about food and with food. I have an intense and great appreciation for food.
Ya know when you do the what is your metabolic body shape quiz, one of the questions was, do you live to eat or eat to live? And I, definitely, live to eat.
Everything wonderful -- seems to center around food. There is such a joy to buying it, preparing it, serving it, eating it, and it can be either a lone or with friends and it is just as wonderful an experience...though, if pressed, I would have to say, cooking for and eating with friends and family is at the top of the charts-- for sure.
Food....okay, I think I'm going to go and make a sandwich now.
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