Monday, December 10, 2007

Ce Que Je Mange

By request, here is what one can normally find in my grocery cart:
  • A loaf of bread - I prefer Granny Whosit's with sunflowers. No, I can't remember the name, but I know exactly where it is on the shelf and what the package looks like.
  • Milk - skim, usually 1/2 gallon unless I'm planning on cooking lots of recipes that require lots of milk.
  • Eggs - lately, I try to eat one egg a day; usually at breakfast, and usually hard-boiled.
  • Cereal - during the warmer months, I tend to eat a lot of cold cereal; Frosted Cheerios and Vanilla Mini Shredded Wheat are the two most common purchases. During colder months, I may buy the fruit variety pack of instant oatmeal. In fact, it's in my cupboard right now.
  • Hot chocolate - this is a colder months purchase, too. Last year, Cardine got me hooked on Stephen's Dark Chocolate, so that's what I have now. Yummy!
  • Spaghetti - I like to make the whole bag of spaghetti at once so I can easily heat up the leftovers on subsequent nights. (I love leftovers!) I also make my own sauce, since I've never found a brand that I really love. Every time I make the sauce, I put in different spices, sometimes with meat, sometimes without. Mmmm. It's what I'm having for dinner tonight. Can't wait!
  • Baguette and chevre - my french teacher once offered this treat as an hors d'oeuvre at a party she threw for my class, and I've been hooked ever since. (chevre = goat cheese, baguette = long, thin loaf of bread - just in case you didn't know) What you do is slice the baguette any way you like, then spread a bit of chevre on each slice. Place under the broiler for a few minutes - watch carefully so you don't burn the cheese/bread. I've also tried topping the cheese with slices of avocado or green olives, and both turned out quite yummy.
  • Hummus and pita chips - got hooked on this treat on my mission and must buy it at least once a month. Tomorrow, some friends and I are having a dip party. We'll be enjoying homemade pumpkin hummus (Cardine), tzatziki (Warnser), and baba ghanoush (me) with homemade pita chips. Mmmmm. Can't wait!
  • Chicken - I know a lot of chicken recipes, so I tend to buy/eat a lot of chicken. I love Booklogged's Ritz cracker recipe, and I make it often. I also enjoy my sister-in-law's chicken and pasta salad.
  • Fruit - I buy lots of fruits; apples, bananas, kiwis, pears, plums, grapes, and clementines (not oranges), and will sometimes experiment with new fruits, like star fruit. When I'm feeling in a particularly splurgy mood, and when they're in season, I buy fresh strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries.
  • Vegetables - I lack variety in my veggies; I buy baby carrots every week, no matter what. I'll also buy one of the following, depending on the mood I'm in: basket of grape tomatoes, English cucumbers, or green/red bell peppers. Every so often, I'll get asparagus or corn on the cob or something else, but rarely. I like a lot of veggies, but I'm often too lazy to prepare them, so baby carrots are really handy.
  • Hot dogs - yes, I admit it. The family I lived with in New York introduced me to all-beef hot dogs that actually taste pretty good. I don't buy hot dog buns; I just slather mustard (not ketchup!) on a slice of the aforementioned bread. I freeze the hot dogs, because I can only handle one every so often.
  • Popsicles - not just for warmer months, these tasty frozen treats satisfy my sweet tooth all year round! I like the bag of popsicles (can't remember the brand) that has apricot, lime, cherry, and purple grape. In a pinch, I like the box (brand???) with root beer, lime, and banana.
  • Chocolate - my latest chocolate fix comes in the form of dark chocolate plain M&M's. A small handful will cure even the most severe chocolate craving.

Wow, this list is getting long, so I'm going to stop it. There are other things I buy on occasion, and I don't always buy the items on the above list, but they tend to be in my cart on a fairly regular basis. I probably missed fairly significant items, but I'm getting hungry (go figure!) and need to go home and make spaghetti!

8 comments:

Cardine said...

Mmmmm... it all sounds very delicious! I'm glad you mentioned the pumpkin hummus. I need to go to the store.

I am a huge rice person, and I love jasmine rice.

Framed said...

I had hot dogs on buns for dinner tonight. I buy a package and then eat them for dinner every night until they are gone. That satisfies me for months. My shopping list is not nearly as interesting as yours. I usually write "Meals" and head right for the Lean Cuisines, etc. Things that are easy taste better to me.

Alyson said...

I really love how creative your posts are. I would never have thought about writing a post about what's in my shopping cart, but it really gives everyone a peek into your life.

All of you purchases sound very good. I should buy fruits and veggies more often, but they go bad too quickly and I don't eat them fast enough. I never buy bananas because I can only eat them in a 2 day window or they don't taste good anymore (imo).

Alyson said...

P.S. I'm up doing some last minute cramming for my Physics final...in case you were wondering why I'm posting at 5:00am. Oh, and I'm taking just a short break right now. :)

Cassie said...

I love the ritz cracker chicken too. So good. I had a hot dog phase. Hummus is so good especially Cafe Med hummus.

tearese said...

I love spaghetti- if you ever visit us (?) I will have Joseph make his, it is delicious!!
And ethnic food, I miss from Seattle. You could buy tzatsiki at most stores there, I don't know about here.
Fun list!

julie said...

Cardine, I think I like rice more than I remember. I never think of eating rice, but when I do, I really really like it. Jasmine rice sounds good!

Framed, I've tried the frozen dinner route and liked it for awhile, but eventually I really want to cook something.

Aly, thanks, but it wasn't my idea. Cjane requested this list, and I was happy to oblige. And, when I buy bananas, I only buy 4 and they are on the green side so they'll last 4 days. Sometimes they don't and I throw 1 or 2 away. Rotten fruits/veggies is another reason I stick with carrots, apples, pears, etc. - they tend to stay good longer.

Aly, good luck with all your finals!

Cassie, I'm totally craving hummus from Cafe Med! I hope tonight helps satisfy that craving!

Tearese, I'm planning on visiting sometime - I promise! And, when I do, I'd love to try Joseph's spaghetti! I haven't looked for tzatziki at the stores here because Warnser makes it so well. Someday, I may have to resort to buying it, but 'til then...thank you Warnser!

Indy said...

Your shopping sounds more exciting than mine does (my grocery cart always looks so boring). My goal is that when I get done with school I will spice up my life by learning more about cool recipes. I want to become a fun, exciting cook.