Semi-Twitter Sized in Book Six: Trying to Hold On 2019
- Sept. 12, 2019, 4:23 p.m.
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- Public
So… I get grocery store anxiety. Hear me out… if I’m going to the Grocery Store to pick up “staples” that’s fine. Some milk, cereal, bananas, yogurt, a little meat, whatever. But when I go after looking over recipes and my intention is to buy things FOR those recipes? It gives me MASSIVE anxiety. Like… psych yourself up to go levels of anxiety. Because I can never find everything. EVER. And I go in knowing that. But the trick is always… did I not find it because they don’t have it or did I not find it because I don’t know where to look?
And if they don’t have it, can I substitute something for it? If not, where do I go for what I need? Am I going to have to drive an hour or so just to get “eggplant” because that’s too exotic for small town Iowa? And if I ask one of the workers for a seven ounce can of chipotle chiles, is that going to be another way the community thinks “Look at this Big City Outsider being uppity?” And if I don’t have all the ingredients, can I make the recipe anyway? Would that ruin everything? How long do I plan on cooking, anyway? My shopping list includes ingredients from 8 different recipes. Do I honestly intend to cook for 8 straight hours on Sunday so I can have appropriately meal planned meals for the following week?
Okay… so yeah. This is one of the reasons why I tend to eat very little or eat what is easy. Food Anxiety. Anxiety about buying the food. Anxiety about cooking the food. Bah!
CaítSídhe ⋅ September 12, 2019
Found you at random - I totally am the same. While it is a "your milage may vary" situation, I've found the Walmart grocery app super helpful. I can sit and search for each item I need. I also use Amazon for non-perishable food items if I can't find them around me.
As far as meal prep, I know people who do it. I just can't find myself using a huge chunk of one of my days off cooking. Also, my InstaPot hates me 😂
Amaryllis ⋅ September 12, 2019
Make two giant meals and pack a portion of it for every lunch and dinner. done. This is what I do every week.
Foofah ⋅ September 13, 2019
I see someone has already mentioned the Walmart app. I use it, it's amazing and it's free if the order is over $30 and you can choose to use substitutions if what you selected isn't available. However, I also know not all stores do the grocery pick up.
If you shop at Hy-Vee, download their app. They have a product locater on there and it's saved me so much time in store. They also do grocery pick up, although I can't remember if there was a fee involved and if the do substitutions. They also do delivery too!
hippiechica15 ⋅ September 13, 2019
Grocery stores can be so overwhelming. My main chain has moved everything around a lot in the past two years resulting in me wandering around aimlessly trying to think of where Crisco would be moved to (surprise: they had stopped carrying the large tubs and went with the stupid bars.) And when I first moved here from Queens it was SO white bread suburbia...I missed all the Latin American items I could easily find in NYC. And full fat yogurt -_- it's improved since then, thankfully.
There's a subreddit r/EatCheapAndHealthy that might be worth checking out. Usually full of very basic recipes that shouldn't have "exotic" ingredients, plus they will give tips on batch cooking. And I agree that online ordering might fit your needs, even if you have to wait to make a certain recipe. I've had to order certain things from Amazon, and I started shopping Penzey's for dried chilies and better spices (I think you'd like his call for political decency in his emails, too.)
What do you like to eat currently? I am an avid cook I can tell you some of my favorite "meal prep" items. People think I cook constantly but I really do it one night of the week for the most part!!
Rhapsody in Purple ⋅ September 14, 2019
Does anything hello fresh deliver in your area or are you too remote for that. We used hello fresh for two years and it took out all the anxiety of grocery shopping and menu planning.