friday five: food shopping!

Shopping at Whole Foods on a trip to St. Louis

Sophia at RevGals writes: My family has happily Trader Joe'd in southernmost California, up to the Northwest, and back down to southern Cal. And now we're really excited because today a brand new Trader Joe is opening up across the street from our apartment. Wahoo! There are sure to be lots of tasty free samples on opening day and from now on we can just walk across the street to get a lot of our shopping done. I have a new spiritual directee coming tomorrow and she has already mentioned that she'll be stopping in on the way here, leaving me to be jealous cause I'll be spending that noon hour like, praying and preparing and study-vacuuming and everything, and won't be able to stop in till the afternoon.

So in honor of the new Trader Joe's, this week's Friday Five is all about food shopping.

Trader Joe's has just come to Nashville, but we haven't been there yet. It's 45 minutes away--not a dreadful distance, but on a tight budget these days we're conserving gas. Next time I have to be in town, however...

1. Grocery shopping--love it or hate it?
Neither—it’s a necessity. Of course, if the store is fabulous the experience can be amazing! Publix is a mile away, and we're thrilled to have it so close. We love Publix.

2. Who is the primary food shopper in your household?
It tends to be me because my schedule is more conducive to shopping. But my husband shares the load.

3. Do you have a beloved store like TJ's which is unique to your location or family?
Not unique, but I love The Fresh Market and Whole Foods. Unfortunately both are a distance from us (45 minutes +)

4. How about a farmer's market, or CSA share, as we move into summer? Or do you grow your own fruits/veggies/herbs?
Our local farmer’s market is a bit small, but we have one! During the summer months we do our best to support it. This summer we’re also growing our own herbs and a few veggies.

5. What's the favorite thing you buy at the grocery store?
I don't think I have a favorite item, but we don't come home from the store without half and half, which I must have for my coffee. This doesn't mean there aren't things that tempt me, however!

And here's a bonus for the cooks among us. Check out this site!