Day 280

December 1, the beginning of Advent, the day I stop going to stores except quick trips for groceries, and the darkest days of the year. After church, I am going to do more sorting and deleting. I’m on a roll. The plan is to collect unnecessary stuff and when Kelle is here, I’ll call Daily Bread Ministries to come and get it. They are still my favorite charity since their help when Kim died. Everybody wins that way.

December Senior News 

Remember when your Mother told you not to play in your food? There just might be some creative ways to do it. Even though I’m not recommending finger painting with chocolate syrup, I am suggesting a recreational shopping trip to your grocery store. Plan a quiet shopping time away from times when lines are long and shoppers are in a hurry. You will want to mosey along looking from top to bottom in all the aisles. It’s important to go to the shelves that are not on your usual path. That is where gems of new ideas may be waiting. Take time to see what brings curiosity about the possibilities of new taste treats.

I started at a cold case where I spotted fresh pasta. There is a soy noodle called shiritaki that caught my eye. Good for people who don’t eat wheat. There were cooking instructions on the package. I’m glad I had my glasses with me. The print was small. I moved on to packaged greens. Greens are nutritious and I was glad to see kale, chard, spinach along with the usual lettuce. There are fresh herbs bundled with labels that have recipe ideas on them. The bread display is amazing. A whole wall of choices. I picked up whole grain pita bread and Killer Dave bread to try. Another large selection appeared in the soup department. I often use boxed chicken broth and here were vegetable and beef too along with seasoned mixes of Mexican, Thai, and Chinese flavors. That brings up exciting menu ideas. Off to the ethnic aisle with a huge sauce display. I found orange sauce, Kung Pao, spicy blends, Thai peanut  sauce, sweet and sour, and red curry, all with recipes on the label. Those will wake up the taste buds for sure. Down the aisle were the grains. I use pearl barley and rice but there are so many varieties of both, and  rice mixes that are seasoned with exotic spices and herbs. I found grains that I didn’t know before this excursion such as red quinoa, farro, Arborio. Couscous, and basmati. Altogether I had twelve new items in my grocery cart and a whole new appreciation for the fact that world foods are available right here in my grocery store. Since most foods have recipes and serving suggestions on their products, I don’t have to look far for how to incorporate them into my diet. I only have 400 words so the rest of the discoveries are yours.