No food, we travel

Photo: the fruit stand and the meat shop
Our stocks at home are depleting, we needed supplies. We started our Saturday with this threatening thought -- arrrgh, no more food! No food, we travel. Thus, we drove 35 kms away to a farm where we bought a sack of potatoes and a bag of carrots for only 10 euro. A real bargain. Passing by a meat shop, we replenished our breakfast and 'baon' assortment by bagging a variety of sausages, cold cuts and salami -- and had breakfast on the go (meatloaf sandwich).

We drove on, looking for more farm stalls and on the next village bought a cauliflower and two packs of onions on the next stand. Oh, but we needed more! These things are not only for our own consumption -- but because I have listed our family provide the kindergarten the raw food diet for the whole of next week - I must also buy a separate ration for them. (Families volunteer for this, and since my kids are eating more raw veggies in kindergarten than at home, I indulge them.)

My husband wanted to skip the big 'not so mom and pop' farm store; but we have no more choice. The kids are already getting bored sitting in the car, despite having breakfast on the go. Here we found more veggies and fruits and spices and even plants and flowers are being sold in a separate building. Of course, now that there are more choices available, we irritatingly forgot our mental list of things to buy.

I chose a cucumber for kindergarten, as I have already decided the carrots would be theirs, too. That would be enough for the first two days, then I would have to bring something for the kids again. Giving the kids freshly bought veggies and fruits would make them enjoy them better, am I right?

My husband took time with his selection: an iceberg salad, a lettuce, a bunch of radish, and for the kids, a box of raspberry. The raspberries were completely devoured during the 25 mins ride to our next stop -- the Asia Shop.

I have a written list but I am not going to be strictly relying on it, I did rely on my sense of sight! Hmm, when I go inside an asia shop, I always feel like a child let loose in a toy store - I want this, I want that! I always try to restrain myself from grabbing everything, so I grab with my eyes, hahaha. A frustrating practice, but hey, I learned my lesson the hard way. I used to buy more than we can actually use. Thus, I have to throw half of them in the garbage, either they get spoiled in the storeroom or they get spoiled in the ref or freezer, not good! There could be more spoiled things in the undisturbed nooks and crannies of our cupboard, but who's looking? (My husband, actually, he's my kitchen police.)

Oh, after a difficult deliberation, my grocery bag included: bottles of oyster sauce, soy sauce, light soy sauce and rice wine; packets of ready mix chicken tikka masala, butter chicken (Indian food), Mamasita's barbecue marinade, and dried chilli; plus the sack of jasmin rice from Thailand. I wanted to buy the frozen Japanese-style dimsum, but I changed my mind when I found out that I would have to create the sauce for it. I dont know how to make the sauce, and I dont want to add another 'things to throw' when I dont get to mix the sauce.

The kids each got freshly made sesame balls with mongo beans. Though I wanted to, I didnt bother to buy one for me, despite my husband's urging (He saw the yearning on my face, gulp!) Good decision, because after a bite or two, they gave the sesame balls to me. I ate the sesame balls with a grin, accompanied by my husband's laughter.

Our last stop? My in law's house. During our visit to them this Friday, they gave us a slab of bacon and some dry sausages; which I forgot to bring home. We are just getting what's rightly ours, hah! We got two extra sausages for coming back for our things, too. As a bonus for bringing the grandkids to them for a surprise visit, I guess. Thus, ended our grocery trip, after more than five hours on the road.