We have been home in Key West for a week now. Our three weeks away definitely took its toll....we were really pretty lazy this whole past week, just doing what needed to be done and spending time with our books and pool otherwise. Oh, and we went to the grocery store about a million times. I didn't realize how many staples we were out of, so every meal idea had the 'basics trip' plus the 'how can we not have ANY mustard/extra virgin olive oil/etc in this house? trip.' There isn't much I miss about the 'real world' but there is one thing: Wegman's. I looove Wegman's. Is it weird to love a grocery store? I don't care. Every time I walked into Publix this week I sighed a little. Now, of course, we can get most everything we need, and probably most everything we want at the local grocery stores. But what about those food-related items you don't KNOW you need? Those are the things that always get my attention. Some of it is completely decadent (WARM chocolate chip cookies for sale by the coffee bar, anyone?), but some of it would really make me a better cook.
In the completely decadent category are their amazing mini cheese boards, available every day in ever-changing themes. The cheeses are accompanied by nuts, dried fruit, etc, and the display is surrounded with crackers and fresh baguettes for you to choose from. I wish I knew enough people to have a wine and cheese party every quarter, let alone every day! Some are available on a pretty little board, or even on a small piece of log, for taking directly to a party, just in case you don't happen to have your own collection of give-away cheese displays at the ready.
And before we leave the cheese department, look at this: SLICES of blue cheese for your burger. I mean, think of all the stress alleviated by not having to chase blue cheese crumbles around the plate during your next barbecue. They never stay on!
The bakery area is just jaw-dropping. Who purchases the bazillion loaves of every kind of bread you can think of, mini croissants filled with everything sweet and savory, whole cakes, cake slices, cookies, donuts, bagels, and cupcakes that look like Martha Stewart herself stopped in and decorated a batch for that themed party you didn't know you wanted to have? Really....can they possibly go through everything by the end of the business day? When we were in Maryland two weeks ago I took these photos. The cupcakes were Pre 4th of July....not stars and stripes just yet, but hamburgers, crabs, and watermelon slices.
The area of Wegman's that would make me a better cook is the produce section. I, like most moms with elementary school-aged kids, am constantly trying to get my girls to eat more fruits and vegetables. It is frustrating! At Wegman's they have so much already prepped for you that it would be easier to expose the family to different things without the major time commitment on the cook's part. My favorite example from this trip: Brussels sprouts. First of all, I don't know if I could find them in Key West right now, but if I could find them I know they wouldn't be available already cleaned and halved, let alone already cleaned and shredded. Toss them in a stir fry, saute with onions, bacon, and dried cranberries.....endless possibilities! I'm sure the girls would like THESE sprouts.
I won't see a Wegman's until our Christmas vacation (they are in MD, VA, PA, NY) and I can live with that. But I'm already wondering what kind of holiday goodies they will have for my photos. Until then, I'll see you at Publix!
No comments:
Post a Comment