Organic Update: Whole Foods Revisited

Remember last week when I sent forth the Organic Challenge: What's Your View? Okay, I promised I would give you the low down on whether the food stretched or we felt it was worth it etc. So here's the highs and lows.

Best Purchase- The $15 turkey breast...not organic, but all natural, which means, no hormones, steroids or antibiotics. They are free roaming and well kept. Their diet is monitored but not promised to be organic. Okay, I can live with that. That turkey breast was approx. 2 1/2lbs. before cooking. It was dinner one night and a hefty sandwich fixin' the next day for four. Yes, the same one that was the proverbial Phoenix rising from the ashes with the curry crust. Click here to get the recipe. It was so luscious and moist; it sliced beautifully for a sandwich on crusty bread, aged cheddar cheese and a big handful of lettuce. Totally worth the initial cost. It was a bargain with the amount of meals we made out of it. We still have a nubbin' of it left in the frig.

Coupons!- I guess I was expecting that Whole Foods wouldn't have coupons. But they do and they are good ones. Most all are a dollar, some even $2 off. The fliers at the entrance of the store are full of them and then I found yesterday (after my trip to the store...wah, wah.) that there are more on line, click here! So take advantage.

Buy one, Get one free?- Yes, WF (we will refer to Whole Foods as WF from now on) had some two-fers going on. I found a fabulous, I mean fabulous, all natural smoked sausage, buy one get one free. No nitrates or preservatives. Meat was all natural etc. Awesome. It was so delicious, much less salty and process-y tasting.

Did the food stretch all week long?- The answer is YES! I was surprised. When I looked in our basket I thought, I'm for sure going to have to run to the big Texas market, that is close to my house, at least once this week...ehm, okay, I just remembered. I did have to go there once, but it wasn't because we ran out of food, it was for stuff like diapers and stuff I just plain forgot at WF. But as far as what we bought, cooked and prepared from WF, it was plenty and we were quite satisfied.

365 and WF brand- Their version of generic brand, great quality, good price. I buy their organic milk, canned items and the frozen pizza was great and a fab price!

One of my favorite "SCORE!" items-Well, as I was meandering over to the bread section, bracing myself for the price of organic bread, I was distracted by the WF fresh baked items. What I found was loaves of their rustic Italian mini breads for 99 cents each! The ingredients are simple and organic. It looks and tastes like white, crusty bread but a bit healthier. Is it as healthy as the 18 grain bread? Probably not, but for it being organic and delish...it was going in the basket. I got 4 loaves and 3 loaves would have lasted the week. But SUCH A GOOD BUY! The bread is so great for toasting...it's amazing. It was even more amazing as I saw the price for the organic regular loaf bread for $4.95 a loaf.

Other pluses- I found that because we were spending a bit more for our food, placing more focus on choosing better quality and buying less over all, we were more careful and caring with our food. I think it's a good way to look at our food, making it stretch, not be so wasteful and in turn getting better food down into our tummies creating healthier bodies.

Two words, Olive Bar- It's $8.99 lb. It's a buffet of salty, rich, meaty olive-y-ness. My personal favorite? A green olive that I cannot remember the name of, let alone pronounce, but I know it from the cafes along the sea walk in Naples. They aren't overly salty, that's why I like them and they have such a oily, olive flavor. Oh, so good. And the most perfect color of green.

Let down, sorta: Things are just more expensive but not just for the sake of being expensive. You really are getting better quality. But for things like diapers, trash bags, Q-tips and razors, those best be bought at Target or Wal-mart. Ya know? Also, I think the more I shop there the more I will figure out the in's-n-out's of the place.

I will say I am pleased with WF. Service is superb. I truly enjoyed "grilling" the fish monger and butchers. I can't help myself. I mean, I am paying an arm and leg for meat now, so they better give me the 411 on it all. And you know, I can honestly say, they deliver every time. I've machine-gunned questions at about 4 different meat/fish peeps and they have all been knowledgeable, kind, helpful and quick to answer. So they get the Foodie House stamp of approval. Tip on the meat/fish: I buy 3 meat/fish items for the week. Last week it was the turkey breast, salmon and house made hot dogs. The rest of the nights were leftovers or a vegetable main. It was not hard to do. I was so pleasantly surprised. This week was house made sausage (for sausage lentil soup), rock fish (which was insane) and skirt steak which will be made into fajitas.

Oh! I forgot to mention the produce. It's just exquisite. The strawberries I got this week were organic and so incredibly delicious. I have lowered my expectations of strawberries in the past because no matter how good they looked they would always fall short of being really, really good. They could be bright red, perfectly shaped but so tasteless it was pointless to even eat them. But these, oh these were beautiful and juicy, sweet, soft and full of taste! Now I know what I've been missing out on. Don't even get me started on the peaches...

Cheers, my dears!

Perfect Cup 'O Coffee- Pictorial Tutorial

My love affair with coffee started when I was young. I think my first cup was around 12 years old. My dad made it for me the way his mother made it for him, which was this: lots of sugar, lots of milk and a little bit of coffee. This love led me through various jobs working in coffee houses, preferably the mom and pop places, intensifying and justifying my love for this most intoxicating bean.

Like so many foods and drinks, coffee for me equals memories. Its comfort. Its the quiet times in the house before I am pounded with the demands of the day; vivid memories of brewing coffee for my coffee house regulars and chatting with my parents at the kitchen table of my childhood home. All things I hold dear. I love talking with my husband in the mornings on weekends, as we sleepily sip our cups of dark, rich brew. Some of our best talks are over coffee.

My grandma was Neapolitan. If you  have ever had Neapolitan coffee you know this: it's very strong, very sweet and served in a small amount so one may drink it quickly, hence the name espresso. Traditionally they don't bother with the milk. But I like milk in my coffee.

What I want to do for you today is not give you a recipe, but a visual journey of the art of making the perfect (in my opinion) cup of coffee. When Anna, my grandmother's best friend's daughter (I know), showed me how to make it, it was, like most delicious things, done by "eye-balling" it. There are no measurements and honestly, it took me months to get the ratio just right to where it wouldn't spit and spray from the part where the top attaches to the bottom. It was always because I put way too much coffee.

I'm using the coffee pot I bought right there on the streets of Naples, some 13 years ago. I used a dark rich coffee (french roast or espresso roast works well), water, sugar and milk. That's it. I did heat the milk before I added it, until it was just bubbling. So, enjoy. I know I did.

P.S. What's with my glasses? I look like I'm the head of a family...fuh-getta-bout-it! Oh, and my cup- you're probably wondering what that is with the words "I wish I hadn't cried so much"- it's an Alice in Wonderland cup. I love and collect all things Alice in Wonderland. This cup I bought in Carmel, California in the most wondrous Alice in Wonderland shop, called the White Rabbit. Click here to see the site.

Shine On My Friends!

It's far from sunny here in Houston right now. It's pouring rain. The hurricane in the Gulf is stirrin' stuff up. The wind is eerily blowing and I have no intention of going anywhere today. I'm not complaining because that just means I don't have to lug children around, buckle anyone into a car seat or deal with meltdowns in Target. We're just going to make crafts, watch t.v. and cook.

Well, I am excited. I've received two Sunshine Awards recently from two stellar ladies. First award was given to me by Jaime, at Mangiabella, who is an amazing woman, full of life, joy and spreads encouragement and love to all who are within a mile radius of her. Stop by her blog and enjoy beautifully written posts on living life to the fullest and fabulous food.

Secondly, I want to thank Lisa, at Korean American Mommy, for my second Sunshine Award. We have bonded through our mommy experiences and yummy foods...this girl can cook! So please swing by her blog for an array of recipes, thoughtful musings on the joys of parenting and incredibly beautiful pictures!

Here's what you do:

1. Put the award on your blog and or/within your post.
2. Pass the award onto other bloggers.
3. Link to the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received the award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link the person from whom you received the award.

Bloggers who deserve the Sunshine Award are listed below in no particular order:

Heather at Home: Made Simple- Well, firstly, she's my sister-in-law, whom I love, so that's a good reason right there. But as far as her blog goes, check it out for great, simple but delicious recipes with inspiring photos. Her "Green With Envy" post looks so good I just wanted to stick my face in it! (Creamy Jalapeño Cilantro Salsa)


The Cilantropist is a cheery, interesting blog on all things food. She is a scientist gone amateur chef, but there is nothing amateur about her food, photos or writings. Her curious mind mixed with her creative abilities makes for a good read and a spot of sunshine. One post I found extremely interesting was the one where she sprouts a tomato, gotta read this!

Bridget at Bake at 350, is a fabulous baker specializing in decorating cookies. Oh my! If you have not seen her blog, stop by and be ready to be inspired. If you can dream it she can make it into a delish sugary treat! My favorite has to be the Darth Vader cookies. If you have a son, husband, brother or possibly yourself, who is a Star Wars fan, well this is a must see/must bake for you.

Gwen at Simply Healthy Family, has an informative but light-hearted blog about family friendly foods and ways to go green. If your thinking of going green or want more info on the best ways to go about it, check out her blog! One the most informative posts on her site is 7 Common Foods You Should Avoid Like the Plague. Read through it, you might be surprised.

Lorriane at Lorriane Brown, is such a wonderful lady. I met her through the Real Women of Philadelphia contest. Her sweet spirit shines through her beautifully written poetry and fabulous recipes. Stop by her blog to be inspired and encouraged. Oh! and if you are looking for an awesome 4th of July pie, check hers out...so cute!

Chef Dennis at More Than A Mount Full, has been such an encouragement. He was one of the first friends I had on http://www.foodbuzz.com/ and helped me navigate through the complexities of getting my profile set up, posting and tips on how to build a following. More than that, his food is divine. Excellent pictures, an array of various cultural foods and always creative. His last post for Caponata looks so good! I can't wait to make it.

And finally, Rick over at Bittersweet, well, what do I say? He is hysterical. I love his posts. Written in an honest fashion, no sugar coating...yet that's all he does, makes sugary desserts for us to drool over. He's blatant about his love of all things sugar. It's really hard for me to pick a favorite post of his, but I would have to say it's between Frozen Heart Ice Cream Lick and Stoner Whoopie Pies.

Everyone, copy and paste this award into your side bar - and pass this award on to others whose blogs you love and brighten your day. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v702/Tallulah1972/sunshineblogaward1.jpg

Have a fabulous weekend, Foodies!

Eggs? Who Needs 'Em? Best Chocolate Cupcake

When we found out my youngest son was allergic to eggs, I was scared, shocked and sad. It was scary to see him have a reaction, number one, and feel so helpless. Thankfully his body reacted properly and with Benedryl and a trip to the doctor he was fine. After testing we found he was severely allergic so it means absolutely nothing with egg.

Well, being the foodie and nurturing mom that I am, all I could think about was what I couldn't make for him. (We are praying that he will grow out of it, as egg allergy is the most common allergy to grow out of.) The first thought was baking. I mean how the heck do you bake without eggs? And what in the world was I going to do for his first birthday cake? And what about helping make cookies with me and his siblings as soon as he can stand on a stool?

I got on-line and to my surprise I found several egg-less cake recipes that got good ratings. I started seeing the hope shining through.

Then just the other day I got a newsletter from the Martha Stewart website and they happened to be featuring allergy free treats. You can check it out here. What I found was the most delicious chocolate cake recipe.

Normally I don't always test things out before I try them for the first time and much of the time it's when I'm having guests over. Maybe it's the thrill of it all...sorta like sky diving for foodies-major rush. But I didn't want to chance it for my son's first birthday. This weekend I tried this recipe out. WOW. It was so fantastic. I highly recommend it. These cupcakes were light and airy, chocolaty and moist.

I also used the recipe on her site for the icing that went with the cupcakes. It was okay. I had read the comments below the recipe and one lady said it was overly sweet. Initially I thought, "what a dumb statement," frosting is just that...extremely sweet, lady. But after I made it, I would have to agree that it was oddly, overwhelmingly sweet. I don't know if it was the ratio of butter to sugar, whatever it was, I just wasn't a big fan. So I've got a great cake, but I would love some ideas on egg-free frosting. If you have a good one, please share in the comment box below. I'm open to different flavors, types, just make sure it's egg-free. I know most are, but I just don't want any recipes for 7 minute frosting, ya know? (I have vivid memories of making that as a kid at my neighbors house. It was the best frosting I had ever had.)

Even if you don't have an egg allergy, you will adore this cake. And if you do, you will be super pleased to have this in your recipe box now. Delish!

Divvies Chocolate Cupcake

Oven: 350 degrees

Makes 1 dozen

1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)


3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.


In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water until well combined. Add flour mixture to the mixer and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Batter should look and feel more watery than normal cake batters.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup 1/2 to 3/4 full. Transfer to oven and bake, rotating pan halfway through cooking, until a cake tester inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Immediately remove cupcakes from muffin tin and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting

A Tale of Hope After Turkey Gone Bad...What's Yours?

I had a bad experience with turkey. I love to eat turkey, but cooking it has been another story. Far from love, more like dread.

I will give you the history that turkey and I have. It's a short one. Two years ago, after Thanksgiving, but before Christmas, I decided I had not had my fill of turkey. My mom was staying with us and we tend to get into shenanigans together every time she visits. This time is happened to be of the poultry persuasion.

I had a received a free turkey at the grocery. It was some sort of meal-deal thing. Buy a ham, get a free turkey. Well, let me tell you, I now know why it was free. So we defrost the turkey like you should. The whole day I was dreaming of succulent turkey with stuffing, cranberries- the whole nine yards. There was a lot riding on that turkey, but evidently not enough.

Mom tells me that she's got this amazing, fool-proof recipe for turkey. She had it at friend's house but she had to call that friend to get the name of the lady to made the turkey so she could get the recipe. For some reason that didn't sound solid to me, so I started searching on-line for how to cook a turkey. I had never made one and was really pumped to do it. Well, my mom finally got her recipe. She was positive that it was a winner. So we tried it. There was something about 425 degrees, some aluminum foil and it being a luscious golden brown when it was done. What we saw as we lifted the shiny silver tent, was none other than the greyest, ugliest, saddest, rubbery steamed bird you've every seen. I mean it was nauseating. We took one look at each other and busted out laughing.

Regardless of it's appearance, we brought the turkey to the table and started serving it up. We give my husband the leg. He takes one bite and, well, he couldn't, it snapped back like a rubber band. Bless his heart. Mom and I were laughing so hard at this point I think we were snorting. The kids looked bewildered. No one ate it. So that's when the "Phoenix" went down into the ashes, as it were.

But yesterday was it's revival! I have been planning for months now, how do I make a good turkey? I was just as excited as I was scared. I was especially scared because now I had a $15 dollar, bone-in turkey breast staring back at me, laughing. I know she was laughing.

I got this idea to rub under the skin my favorite curry paste. I am new to Indian food. I've just recently really started to enjoy it. So I thought it would be a great way to flavor this bird. I take the entire contents of the packet and mix it will some olive oil.  I made a pocket under the skin and started grabbing handfuls of the curry paste and trying to spread it around. The most bizarre thing happened. It was sticking to my hands and not the bird. Before I know it, I'm wrestling with the birdy breast, half laughing, half talking to it. I feel like it knows. It knows I'm scared I will ruin it and the Phoenix will stay in the ashes for good. I press on, giggling every so often that my fingers now look like mini curry clubs. Finally I figure out a method that works: shove the curry under the skin and work it around by massaging it around on the outside of the skin.

I stared at the turkey, feeling quite like the new champion. I needed some where to perch my leg and then lift my arms in victory. Instead I threw it in the oven at 325 degrees and prayed.

The ending to this story is that my husband said it was the BEST turkey he's ever had. Sammy just doesn't make statements like that very often. I was flabbergasted. YES! I did it! The "Phoenix" arose from our plates to claim its rightful place in the category of "Best Ever". I must say it was delicious. Juicy, flavorful, soft and tender.

Do you have a victorious or just plain bad turkey story? I would LOVE to hear it. Or, tell me what you think is  the best way to make a turkey. I'm all ears!


Curry Crusted Turkey Breast with Yogurt Sauce

Prep time: 10 min.
Bake time: approx. 65-70 min.
Oven temp: 325 degrees
Serves: 4-6

1 pkg. curry paste, 3.5 oz. (my favorite is Taste of India, Butter Curry)
1 bone-in turkey breast, 2-3 lbs.
1 tbls olive oil

Mix curry and oil together. Rub under skin. Sear skin side down in a skillet over med.-high heat until nicely browned. Place skin side up on roasting pan and bake until thermometer says 160 degrees. I do not follow the sites that say 175 degrees, it would be a charcoal briquette!

Let the turkey rest. Seriously, for 10 min. I cut into it a bit to early and the juices were gushing out. So it would have been even better if I waited the whole 10 min. Do as I say, not as I do.

Yogurt Sauce

Prep time: 10 min.
Frig time: 15 min.
Serves: 6

2 c. of strained yogurt or Greek yogurt
2 small Persian, English or Kirby cucumbers, small dice
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Big handful of fresh dill
Salt and pepper

Disclaimer: Now, I do not claim to be an expert on international cuisine. I know Indian food is often served with a raita and the Greeks love their tzatziki. My husband's family eats grape leaves with a similar sauce but it's made with dried mint instead of dill and tons of garlic. This is how I make it for our family. We like this version the best. No belching of garlic fumes and it's extremely refreshing with the spice of the curry.

Mix all ingredients together. Adjust to your tastes. It's so delish.

Aww, Shucks! Seared Salmon Over Fresh Corn Salad

As a continuation from yesterday's blog, I will be showcasing the goods from Whole Foods in these recipes- that sounded sorta snobbish and weird. I'm totally not snobbish about it. Use what you like dear ones, while I drink my Cristal in the comfort of my lush surroundings...oh, wait. (squealing tires) Sorry, minor lapse in judgement. Rather, I am flanked by my 3 year old son and daughter in the not-so-over sized recliner, trying to console my teething baby boy, while tiny, needle-like elbows jab me in the most unwelcome places. There is no Cristal, no comfortable seating, but lots of love...and repetitive questions.

Anyways, I got my kids to work in the kitchen...again. They don't see it as work. Well, maybe Lily. She has limited patience for chopping vegetables so I moved her over to shucking corn. That got her interest. Anything involving shredding or tearing is her kind of cooking. She appears to be using the corn as a baseball bat? All I know is that she enjoyed picking off all the strands of corn silk, sniffing the corn and then asking if she can eat it. Isaiah got into it as well. He was using his muscles ("just like Barney does"-it's the episode on fitness...okay, I have to say, lately, anything you say, Isaiah responds with the previous comment. So you could say, "wipe your face" or "put your cup in the sink" and the same response would ensue.) to tear off the corn husks, but in a real tough guy way. He even had his muscle shirt on. I love my kids.

What makes this funnier is the fact that my children are wearing the crowns they got from none other than Burger King. You may be thinking, is Burger King now serving organic foods? Ah, no. Yes, I do occasionally feed my children trash. Even more reason to eat organic the rest of the time. I never claimed to be a purist. Sometimes the cure for my PMS is a Whopper- hold the tomatoes.

So we whipped up a little fresh corn salad. I debated between making creamed corn or this, but I chose the fresh preparation because the corn was insanely sweet and crunchy, I mean, why would I alter it in any way? We tossed in the veggies, made a quick vinaigrette and done!

I simply seared the salmon in a pan with olive oil. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, rosemary and shhhhh...a pinch of sugar. It's something my mom does and it makes it so brown and caramelized on the outside, who could resist? (That was pretty much the recipe for the salmon. I don't need to write it out for you, do I? You're smart people. Just make sure your pan is super hot and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side.)

Fresh Corn Salad

Prep time: 15 min.
Serves: 4

2 ears fresh corn
1 small carrot, grated
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 of large tomato, cubed
approx. 1/3 c. cubed cucumber
1/2 Hungarian hot wax pepper, minced (jalapeno would be good too)
3 tbls. rice wine vinegar
1 tbls. olive oil
8-9 basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 tbls. fresh dill, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the corn off the cob, toss with all the other ingredients. Notice my ratio for a vinaigrette is backwards, I did that on purpose. Let fattening (gotta make up for that BK snafu), more flavor, but do it how you like. Let it set in the frig 15 min. for best flavor and forget about left overs...if your hubs or boyfriend is like mine, it will be eaten out of the Tupperware container before you can even think about having it for lunch the next day. Cheers!

P.S. I am lovin' all the comments on the last post! You guys have some great ideas and I love hearing your viewpoints!

Organic Challenge: What's Your View?

I set up a challenge for myself this weekend. I shopped at Whole Foods instead of my regular big, Texas grocery. My challenge was to see if I could stay within the budget and buy nearly everything organic. I was a little leery. Every time I've been to Whole Foods, I've been blown away by the prices and not in a good way.

My biggest reason for doing this is because of my kids. Knowing what I know about meats particularly, has made me want to make the change from conventional to organic. Hormones, steroids, anti-biotics, pesticides in the animal's food, poor living conditions etc. just doesn't sound tasty to me.

So here we were, the entire crew. My husband starts out pushing the wonky "car" cart, which I told my kids that we were NOT using, until I got to the door of the store and saw they had a less wonky version of what I was used to and then I said "okay". Oh how their little faces lit up. So easy to please at this age.

I'm in the hyper-mommy mode. Large cup of coffee, minimal breakfast, on a time crunch (my in-laws will be at the house at noon with lunch) and trying to wheel this ridiculously large cart around in a unfamiliar territory. I don't know where anything is. I'm trying to figure out which vegetables are organic and which are not. Flabbergasted by the price on the bell peppers. We mow through 3 a week, just snacking on them. Here I was looking a the price of $4.99 per lb and not even organic! Whoa. Okay. But then I saw the variety of organic potatoes, reasonably priced and I was okay.

It was a mixture of highs and lows. Re-adjusting my mental shopping calculator. I realized it's going to take some time to get used to this. I told myself, it's all worth it. If we end up eating less meat and more vegetable main dishes, it's okay. If we have to be less wasteful, that's probably a good idea. I will tell you this much. Because we paid $13.99 per lb. for salmon, free of all the bad stuff, you better believe I will treat it with the utmost care and make sure every bite is eaten. The turkey breast I got, will be used for dinner one night and sandwiches another.

Along with meats, dairy was also a big deal. I want my kiddos to have organic milk, or in Lily's case, organic soy milk. It's definitely more. But what I've done is cut back to where the kids have milk in the morning and water the rest of the day. My pediatrician told me to cut back on the milk, because I was giving it to them every meal. That's how I grew up. We don't drink juice at home, I think it's pointless. And when we go out to eat, getting apple juice is a big treat.

I'm making the mad dash through the store, crumpled list in one hand, fending off my baby boy from trying to steal it with the other, while telling the two "drivers" in the front to stop hitting each other. We finally make it to the freezer section (que angelic music) where they have a play area for tiny tots. So I drop off my husband and the three year olds to go and have fun, while Wil and I go to tackle the rest of the list. My cart is sixty pounds lighter and a bit quieter too! That play area alone has me coming back.

I know I looked like a tourist in the land of organic shopping. A very sweet employee walks up to me and asks if I need help. I tell him this is my maiden voyage here at Whole Foods. He asks if I got a flyer with coupons. I think I squealed with surprise and delight that they would have coupons! Seeing I was pushing the wonkster cart, he ran and got me one. I'm now moving at the speed of light. Rummaging through the coupon flyer looking for anything relevant. I see a couple for cereal. That's good, we eat tons of it. These coupons were substantial. Dollar coupons. I don't think I saw any for less than that. Score!

Side note: If I had the time, I would have spent hours just in the cheese section. Cheese, glorious cheese! Magnificent. Overwhelming. I grab some fresh mozzarella and tear myself away.

I finish up the trip by having a sample of God-knows-what, some energy, green drink that tasted good. Chatted with the lady giving out the samples for a moment. I must always chat with someone at the grocery. I can't help myself. I love talking to people.

I cut back through to pick up the rest of my family at the play area. The kids had so much fun. While other kids go to the pool this summer, we will be hanging out at the Whole Food freezer section play area.

Duh-duh-DUH! (that was supposed to be dramatic organ music) We roll up to the check out. I had been lazily adding up all the stuff in the cart to stay within budget. I know I missed some stuff but I was hoping for the best. After it was all rung up, after coupons (I saved $3.00 on stuff I was going to buy anyways), it was just a few dollars over. I was very impressed. The only thing now is, did we get enough food to last the week? Hmm. I will let you know. I think we can do it. I want to make this work. I want the best for my family.

Overall, my experience was very good. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable.  I love that there are butchers and fishmongers. They know everything about their product. I peppered them with so many questions it made their heads spin, but heck! I'm paying top dollar. I want to know what I am paying for. They didn't miss a beat. I will be going back this Saturday for sure.

So, that my foodie friends, is the "haps on the craps" as my hubs would say. What has been your experience with the organic thing? Or do you think it's a bunch of hot air? Either way, let me know what you think. I would love to hear your ideas.