Ali here. Lately I've been thinking a lot about the way I shop for groceries. This month I challenged myself to not go to a grocery store for two whole (!) weeks. Unsurprisingly, I saved a lot of money (upwards of $100) and, more importantly, I learned a lot about myself and my shopping habits. About halfway through week one, I rediscovered my freezer: Saved (and forgotten) cilantro stems turned into soup, and bags of frozen fruit bought "just in case" became smoothies. Not shopping forced me to actually use what I already had, and it reminded me that the freezer remains one of the greatest inventions to date.
The challenge also reminded me that recipes aren't rigid rulebooks. Normally, one missing ingredient is enough to send me back to the store. But without that option, I got creative. Frozen shallots replaced onions, jarred sauce stood in for crushed tomatoes — and everything still worked out fine. I also confronted my tendency to buy things just because they're on sale. Food waste is still food waste, even when I'm not paying full price. So I ended up donating overstock groceries, and I made myself a promise: If I don't actually want to eat it, then it doesn't belong in my kitchen.
As we head into a fresh month, both myself and Mara (hi, there!) are determined to make our grocery runs a little more intentional and joyful. This weekend, you might even catch us with one of these sweet new releases in our carts.
See you next week,
Mara & Ali
No comments:
Post a Comment