In our area, the only curbside pick-up option I’ve found for groceries is Wa1mart. My philosophical/moral/ethical objections to Wa1mart are not higher than all other considerations: I will buy a few things there that I can’t find anywhere else. And at some point the risk/reward ratio would reach a point that it would be worth it to shop there for groceries, but we are not there yet.
About a week ago I heard an ad on the radio that a grocery store chain in our area was going to offer curbside. It’s not a store I usually shop at: the nearest location is 20 minutes in an inconvenient direction, and it’s a noticeably smaller store than my usual, and it’s somewhat more expensive, so there’s no advantage. But I’ve been there a few times In The Beforetimes when I was looking for something hard to find, or when I happened to be on my way home along that road and just needed one or two things, so it’s not a completely unfamiliar store, which means it’s not new/scary. I got all invested in their website: made an account, added a couple hundred items to my Shopping List so I could choose from that list later—and then it turned out the store nearest to me didn’t offer curbside, even though at the start of this whole thing I had chosen it from the site menu that popped up when I clicked “Try Curbside!” Well. Perhaps they will have it later on. Or perhaps I will decide to drive to the one that is 35 minutes away.
Anyway, for today I had to go back into a store, and so I did. I did a two-cart trip, so we are all set for awhile in case there is a big back-to-school outbreak, or in case we want to pause while we wait to see if there is. There was nothing particularly interesting to report, but I will report it anyway. There were more varieties of chicken nuggets/tenders: still not up to the usual selection, but they had more than just the kid ones, including the ones I haven’t seen for ages like boneless buffalo bites. Plenty of toilet paper, but almost out of paper towels: employees were filling the paper towel shelves with toilet paper. They had some yeast in jars! Not a ton, and not the kind for bread machines, but a nice little row of jars of the regular active kind. Plenty of flour, of a nice number of brands/types, though not entirely back to normal. Still no antibacterial wipes or spritzy antibacterial cleaners, and only unfamiliar brands/shapes of hand sanitizer, including an “all-natural” one I looked at askance. They had more flavored seltzers again: for awhile they’d had only the more expensive brands.
I have rediscovered the joy of Snack Dinners. I used to do those all the time when the kids were much littler, but for some reason had stopped making them. They can end up remarkably time-consuming, but in a way I find fun. And I find it especially worth it now that I’m eating differently from everyone else again, because with Snack Dinner there can be overlap: if I make deviled eggs and coleslaw and little rolls of deli meat for my own plate, I can ALSO put those on other people’s plates (extra egg-half and no deli meat for the vegetarians). And it’s a good way to use up some of the unpopular granola bars (I cut them in as many pieces as I have kid plates), and the last of a kind of chips/crackers/pretzels that nobody seems to eating, and fruit everyone has rejected because of one small bruise. Or, if I have one potato left in the bag and it’s bothering me, I can pan-fry it and divide it up. Oh, and I have to credit Paul with thinking of the idea of popping a bag of the microwave kettle corn I bought and didn’t like very much, and using that as another Snack Dinner side dish. (Henry can’t have it, because he has braces.)
Also! Also! A long time ago, back in the spring, someone mentioned that their store was totally out of the purple box of Annie’s mac and cheese, and that that was the only kind their kids liked, and then a lot of other people chimed in, agreeing that (1) it was the best one and (2) it was hard to find. Well! We had never tried it, but I immediately want whatever everyone else likes and particularly if it is not available, and so the next time I saw it in the store I bought a box. And then it just sat there on the shelf waiting for me to remember to make it, until I realized I could make it for snack dinner! Normally the two older boys make their own dinner these days, but they’re still interested in being handed 1/5th batch of an interesting new macaroni and cheese to sample. So now I’m doing this with a bunch of other packaged noodle/rice items that look interesting to try.
Well, and also ANYTHING I want them to try. Like, I don’t want to make every single person a fluffernutter sandwich (a coveted treasure of my childhood, though not of Paul’s) and have everyone too grossed out to eat, and have all that food wasted. But I can make ONE-HALF fluffernutter sandwich, and give everyone a little piece! Or, maybe none of the kids are trying the new jam flavor because they don’t want to commit to a whole sandwich of it, but I can make a half sandwich and give them each a little piece; or I can make a slice of butter-and-jam toast and give them each one toast-finger. Or, maybe I buy a can of soup that looks interesting, and no one wants the whole can but everyone is willing to try a little snack-bowl of it. And so on! I find it quite fun. I think that’s what I’ll do for dinner tonight.
I wish there were not so much SOAP in this picture.
I am not feeding my children soap.
We also love snack dinners! Since we have those lunch containers that are plastic and divided with no regular use for them right now, my husband and I like to set up snack dinner in those for easy dinner-snacking. And you’ve given me some great new ideas for snack dinner!
My snack dinners are far less interesting. Generally just cheese, crackers, fruit and lunch meats. Good ideas there!
Your version of snack dinner is so much fun! Our version is basically charcuterie – cheese, meat, olives, pickles, crackers. I’ll have to figure this out for our family.
We call this bread dinner at my house because it is basically all different kind of things that go on bread.
And also we have bread.
Snack dinner sounds fun!! It reminds of Cupcake Dinners I made when the kids were smaller–meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potato toppings, taco cupcakes with wonton wrappers as the base and taco fillings inside, egg casserole made in a cupcake pan.
Oh, I am loving your snack dinner ideas! We often do a charcuterie/lunchable type dinner where we just have a veggie tray with dips and various meats and cheeses, and you have given me so many good ideas to expand this! I can’t believe I never thought to cut up granola bars like that, love it.
I love this expansion of snack dinner! I’ve only ever used up various bits of things from the fridge (I empty the whole fridge and throw anything plausible on the plates), plus crackers or whatever. But a can of soup! A package of noodles that isn’t enough for a whole meal! ANYTHING that isn’t enough for a whole meal. This is exciting.
*chanting* snack dinner! Snack Dinner!! SNACK!!! DINNER!!!!
Snack dinner sounds fun! I make a “garbage” salad – using veggies/deli meat that’s there not “enough” for a full helping/sandwich and otherwise might be tossed.
It’s interesting that you cannot find wipes in your grocery store – here, they are everywhere. I still have to fight the impulse to buy, even though I am quite well stocked on them. Same for antibacterial hand soap/sanitizer. Still no Lysol spray though.
Thought the Swistle-world would enjoy this article on the way we now grocery shop:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/dining/grocery-shopping-coronavirus.html
I love snack dinner! It is SUCH a good way to “get rid” of little bits of things in a way that doesn’t make it seem like cleaning/eating leftovers.
HOWEVER one of the staples in our house is pepperoni — which I mention here because it is a perfect snack dinner protein — and I have seen a couple of worrying headlines about there being a pepperoni shortage??? The last time I ordered groceries, my pepperoni was out of stock, so I had to settle for inferior pepperoni. (Better inferior than NONE, I say.) And then when I went into the grocery store last weekend, there was no pepperoni at all anywhere. Are people really eating THAT MUCH more pizza these days?
My son is! He’s discovered flatbreads spread with jarred marina and sprinkled with cheese, popped into the oven under the broiler for a few minutes. It’s been his almost-daily lunch all summer! His toppings of choice are fresh basil and/or pepperoni.
We do two variations of what might be called Snack Dinners: one is eating meals entirely made up of small finger foods or appetizers (so things like spring rolls, samosas, dumplings, tempura vegetables, small bowls of soup). I don’t build plates though, I just put it all out so people can take what they want. The other is when we say dinner is Catch-as-catch-can, which essentially means we have only single portions left of multiple leftovers, so whoever gets to their preferred ones first gets them or maybe two half-portions of different things, and we all eat whenever we feel hungry so not necessarily together.
I love finger food dinners at my mom’s because instead of heating up a bunch of finger foods she’ll actually make the components, so it’s things like deviled eggs (made from her chicken’s own eggs) covered with fresh herbs, sliced tomatoes and/or cucumbers from her garden, cold green beans in a garlic vinaigrette, a bowl of tuna salad to scoop from, slices of baguette, homemade guacamole, her own pickled beets, potato salad, etc. My mom is vegan, so this is something she can just leave any animal components out, but partake in most of what’s set out.
Well now I want to eat at your mum’s house! (Mom, sorry). But I’m very curious – is she a vegan who eats eggs? And if not does she just keep chickens as pets/because she enjoys them?
Believe me, everyone who knows her wants to eat at my mom’s house!
She’s had the chickens for over 10 years, but only became a vegan 2 years ago – she was vegetarian before that and ate eggs and dairy. Her husband isn’t vegan or even vegetarian, so he eats eggs, plus my mom’s love language is food – she cooks and bakes things for others that she herself doesn’t eat. Any excess eggs they sell to neighbours.
Over the last couple of years both her and my stepfather have had medical issues (he was in the hospital for 3 months last summer), so they haven’t replenished their flock as the hens have died off naturally from old age, etc. plus a fox got a few. They’re down to only 3 and are trying to figure out if they can/should rehome them before winter sets in. It would mean a lot fewer trips out into the snow and cold to care for them, plus 3 doesn’t really make up the critical mass required to keep the coop comfortable in the Canadian winter, even with a heat lamp on.
I should add that the 10 years of chicken ownership is just the latest round – she’s had hens off and on for decades, and we had a coopful throughout much of my childhood.
The lack of paper towels in my grocery store continues to frustrate me. The aisles at my local store are one way and the last time I was there I took three loops of the paper towel aisle because I was sure that my eyes were failing me. It turns out that it was just 100% toilet paper. I’ve had better luck with finding paper towels at the chain pharmacies, but that requires an additional shopping trip.
I almost forgot: if you’re a baker and feeling more relaxed about the renewed availability of yeast, flour, sugar, etc. you might want to think about stocking up a bit (not hoarding, but buying sooner rather than later). I believe that these things became more available over the summer because it was so hot people didn’t really want to bake, but when the cold weather hits and the threat of a second wave freaks people out (or the further rise of the first wave in places where it never really abated) I’m predicting demand will go up again substantially. I’m planning on making sure my flour bins are full and will be grabbing yeast next time I see it. The first kids just went back to school here yesterday and the pessimists are suggesting things will close down again within a couple of months. And we only have 225 known active cases in the city!
I do snack dinner for myself but alas my family is not on board so I have it when they have other plans. My 17 yr old will share the snack dinner but to him it is just a snack!
I have found the strangest shortages recently, one is our preferred brand of pepperoni. I can get turkey, or bold and spicy, or other weird brands, but not just regular normal pepperoni. Also lean pockets. My husband likes to keep a couple in his little office fridge for emergency lunch but I have not been able to get them lately. Oh, and the cat food I always get on auto ship keeps getting back ordered because of supply issues with the ingredients. I think I’m permanently switching cat food because they like their new one better and it’s a little less spendy.
As my husband does the majority of our grocery shopping, I can’t really comment on the shortages. But I do find it interesting that for some reason, our local Food Lion seems to be better stocked than the higher priced Lowe’s Foods. For instance, I ran into Lowe’s for dish soap, I think. And there was absolutely none. I drove down the road to Food Lion and they had a decent supply (of course, not the brand I would prefer…but still).
I’m just here to say that the special treat of PB and Fluff sandwiches took me back. My parents were the kind that absolutely never bought me Fluff (or other fun, less nutritional items like Hostess snack cakes or white bread, but I digress). So whenever I went to my BFF’s house she’d give me a PB and Fluff on white bread and to me it was THE BEST.
Note: I now buy Fluff for my kids but they do not find it as exciting as Nutella, which I also find delicious so I’m happy either way.
At my house I call this Hummus etc and often serve something like it for lunch. Cheese(s), crackers, carrots, celery, hummus, maybe peppers or dried peas, pickles or olives, maybe salami or deli meat. Oranges or grapes. Spears of leftover pizza. I like to include olive tapenade, which when eaten with Triscuits, tastes like pizza. But I haven’t been able to find tapenade in Texas (I used to find it in the deli/olive bar area).
Also, Swistle, I assume from this post that you are feeling better after the Spasm Scariness! *socially distanced hugs*
I AM feeling better and actually I am here to say OLIVE TAPENADE, which I got once in a gift set of Interesting Foods and I ate…….very very much of it, the very first sitting. I could not stop. I was eating it on pita chips. Now I want to try it on Triscuits.
I found it at Trader Joe’s once, if you have one of those near you. (“Once” because our nearest Trader Joe’s is far enough away that I’ve only been there once; not “once” as in “once and then they didn’t have it after that.”) They even had two different brands, if I remember right. I had to ask a clerk for help to find it.
If you have any kind of blender/food processor it’s not hard at all to make! Pretty much olives, olive oil, garlic/seasonings.
I have one devotee of the blue box and one of the orange box. They are quite loyal.
NOW I MUST TRY THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE
Our local grocery store does delivery and it is SO GOOD. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to go back to dragging all 4 of my kids to the store with me when this is all over! (Even though I’d really only have to take all of them during the summers on weeks when my husband works 8 in a row.)
// Well! We had never tried it, but I immediately want whatever everyone else likes and particularly if it is not available, and so the next time I saw it in the store I bought a box.//
This is me in a nutshell! Tell me something is good and hard to get? I’m all about that!
We used to have similar snacky lunches that my Dad called ‘bread and put’ because it was bread and… anything you could put on it.
I LOVE snack dinner, although my husband has been a lot longer to warm to it. The kids also like it, but like other commenters mine is much more “Here’s a bunch of charcuterie and cheese and oh yes we have an apple and ooh half a thing of grapes I guess?” Someone else mentioned a leftover dinner and my mom always called those “MustGos” and just pulled a bunch of stuff out of the fridge that needed to be eaten and you got what you got and everyone usually had a different plate of stuff but then the fridge was cleaned out. We don’t do that as much b/c my kids are too picky, but I do love the occasional nights where it lines up that I don’t have to cook but everyone still has someting hot that didn’t come from the cupboard.
This is such a fun post! Our version is called Nibble Night, which is what my friend’s dad called it growing up. I usually put fruits, veggies, cheese, charcuterie, crackers/carbs into a muffin tin and let the kids go at it. Something about the muffin tin makes it extra fun for them, and even better if they can carry the muffin tin and a plate outside and have a picnic.
SNACK DINNER. Have not done that in forever. Must rectify.
I am loving all the names people have for these nights. Hummus Etc! MustGos! Bread and Put! At my house we called them “Smor-ga-borrrrrgs” because that’s how my little brother pronounced smorgasbord. And you had to kind of sing it, operatically.
We call our snack dinners Princess Dinners. I can’t remember exactly why, but it has to do with the lots of little bites and plethora of options- I guess maybe that’s how I think the Royalty eat? We also have Scrounge dinners, which is basically to use up the little odds and ends of leftovers in the fridge.