A Marketing Adventure & Other Stuff

As in Supermarket-ing.

The day off began early because I wanted to beat the heat and humidity, but that didn't work out well.  It was already 82' when I left the apartment at 7 am to run a few errands and check out a few consignment shops on the off chance I might find an affordable loveseat, or chair for the living room. The errands were all accomplished in record time, but the sofa/chair shopping didn't work out well, either. The pickings were thin and what was there was already sold and awaiting pick up by the new owners.

I decided to stop and check out a recently renovated supermarket (this is the 4th incarnation since I've lived here) to see what kind of merchandise they carry and how the prices compare with my current market of choice. Nice deli section and the bakery had some interesting hard rolls, but their French breads were soft almost like a loaf of generic white bread, (no hard crust) and not worth the price. Produce section was well stocked and much of the product was grown locally, always a good thing, but unlike my fave store, their locally grown fruits and veggies are no less expensive and, for some products cost more than the stuff shipped from thousands of miles away.

I found it odd that, here we are in a beach town on the Atlantic ocean, and their seafood section offered only prepackaged fish, shrimp, scallops and lobster tails. No fresh fish, or live lobsters in sight. 

Didn't bother too much with the frozen food aisles, since I use very little frozen anything. Only certain vegetables that may be out of season here, oh, and ice cream when I can afford it and it's on sale. Their cheeses were the same as most other stores and the dairy aisle showed nothing exciting, either.

Glad I checked out the renovation, which is lovely, but one can't eat the 'lovely', so I'll be sticking with the store where everyone knows me, I know most all employees and the manager, and has the best prices on things that I use regularly. Not to mention 2 of the nicest, hunkiest butchers around who are willing to prep a meat order just the way you want it. (Insert joke here.) Steaks, chops, roasts, or whatever.   Even so, they slice spareribs for me so I don't have to abuse my hands with that effort. I found a new way to cook them to make them fall-off-the-bone tender. Yes, one very satisfied customer, is what I am.

There was a Weber gas grill in my previous life, but no more and I can't remember the taste of butterfly leg of lamb roasted on that grill. I still have the recipe - just no grill. I will find a way to prepare this one in the broiler, if necessary. Colour me determined. I don't know where that memory came from.

On the way home, I spotted that same little lady with her van from last week, so I stopped to see if there were more NJ tomatoes to be had. There were, so I bought 3 more of these juicy giants, then noticed a case of DAWN dishwashing detergent marked 50 cents per bottle!  I cornered the market, so to speak. I now have enough DAWN to clean any oiled wildlife that may come ashore thanks to BP.

(And from new reporting, tar balls have been spotted in the Atlantic on beaches as far north as the outer banks in the Carolinas. But, that story is for another post.)

Supper tonight will be baked pork spareribs, sliced NJ tomato with fresh basil and goat cheese, and pickled cauliflower heads.

Looks like we may get another rain storm this afternoon. The sky is very dark, the winds have picked up and the air is thick with that ozone smell we all know and love...


It's almost 5 o'clock and come rain or come shine, I smell olives.  Cheers!

And so it goes.
*