It is a surreal time in the world. I have gone to get groceries a couple of times since after moving during the pandemic and I have learned a lot about what I do not want to live without when it comes to food. What I am craving. What I kick myself over forgetting to pick up. What is on top of my list the next time I go…
From products to ingredients, here is my list of foods I can not live without! If I can help it. Feel free to share yours!
The Classics
Sunflower seeds! Salted, in-shell. Always. Since I was 11 years old. I even brought them to Bible camp with me, if you can believe that! They are my super stress food. When all else fails, I turn to these for emotional relief.
Shiitake mushrooms. I actually prefer them dried and then rehydrated in my Instant Pot but they had fresh at the grocery store so I picked some up. These are one of the best immunity boosters out there and I love to add them to my spicy noodles! Which I am living on lately. You can always add them to a stir fry or a hot and sour soup.
I sliced and froze them right away since I had to wash them immediately when I got home. They defrost quickly and still taste fantastic!
President’s Choice
The first time I got to a place with President’s Choice products I picked up my crack: PC Maple Bacon Popcorn. Two bags! Without hesitation. This is my movie-watching treat. I just opened bag number two. I am rationing this one very slowly.
I rarely get the “buy 2 for $___” deal when it comes to hummus but for PC Beet Hummus? Yes please! Not only is it delicious (if you like beets) you get a ton of protein and flavonoids. I go through half a container in one sitting so buying two was very, very wise. The perfect product when you are just too tired and depressed with the current world situation to make food.
What I Am Missing
I am at the end of my PC Decaf Vanilla Hazelnut Coffee!!! Not only that, I could not find any decaf ground coffee that wasn’t for a specialty machine! I am also out of my own cocoa powder. Thankfully I have this fantastic dark hot chocolate mix my friend Dave gave me. At Christmas! I broke into that one last night. Gotta get my hot chocolate fix.
Because I could not get my coffee I bought this coffee syrup to try and make my own cold coffee with. Not the same!!! But it will do once I am officially out. Life without coffee, seriously…
I tried to follow the rules and only take the produce I touched so I have some crappy fuji apples, LOL. Not super stellar but I love them with peanut butter! Again, an easy quick fix when the weight of the world epidemic is on your shoulders.
Behind the apples you can see the butternut squash I picked up on a whim. I usually make my Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with it but realized I am out of some of those essential ingredients. Damn it! Thankfully squash tend to last. Next time get carrots and boxed broth Suzie!!!
Getting Picky
OK now I could have just any kind of yogurt if I have to (and trust me, I have tried) but Astro’s Original Balkan Yogurt has spoiled me rotten. There are real chunks of fruit on the bottom and they have peach and black cherry! So delicious. This yogurt tastes like the yogurt I grew up on.
As great as super thick Greek yogurts are in smoothies and used as sauces, when I sit down to have some yogurt I want it to taste like this. Weird texture aside, this is my favourite and am so glad I have some now!
Give Me My Sour Cream
I could not believe the first time I went shopping that the stores did not have sour cream! I am Latvian. I NEED my sour cream. I do not care where it comes from, the fat content… whatever! Give me sour cream. There were a couple of tubs left the last time I risked going to the store. I picked up a large container and have enjoyed it so much! I mean pierogies without sour cream? That is just WRONG!
Now I know having food right now is a privilege so this was partially written tongue-in-cheek because I am grateful to be able to eat. That said, let’s have our Survivor moment and think of all the foods we love that we want right now and appreciate the moments we can actually indulge in them.
What is on the top of your list? What are you missing right now? What is it like in your foodie world at the moment?
I love perogies but I never eat them with sour cream. That’s the tip-off that I’m an Anglo!
Oh Debra…no sour cream on the perogies??? I slather mine with caramelized onions and sour cream!!!
Me too!!!!
Wow!!! Well then you should be OK in a non-sour-cream reality which is a good thing considering it has been so challenging to get! My roommates prefers Greek yogurt. And however way you like them, enjoy them!
That popcorn looks delicious! I have to have my coffee too but not decaf. In my pre-keto eating days, pasta was my must have but I’ve found a keto friendly version that will work. No thanks for the beet hummus. Stay safe out there my friend!
Hope you can get getting your regular coffee out there Janet! That’s great you have a Keto version of pasta that works. You stay safe too my friend!
Hi Suzie :))
I think that the top of my list is wine! I could live off it (well, if I could…my liver disagrees lol). I love imbibing every evening while making dinner and with dinner. I would truly miss it, in fact, I would be one of those moonshiners I think , finding ways to make “bathtub Chardonnay” at home lol…
Cheese. Luckily I make my own, but with that comes the need for milk, so I rely on milk and would miss my cheese if I didn’t have it.
I’ve recently realized that I would miss my supplements. I take a chewable cranberry pill each morning and an effervescent B-Complex tab in water. I have enough cranberry for now, but I need to order more. The B-vitamin though…it’s supposed to arrive this week and I’m a little nervous because I only have a 4-day supply left. The B’s help me manage my depression naturally.
Tomatoes. Right now I’m luckily still living off the tomatoes that I canned last fall, but the supply is running short, I may have to buy canned tomatoes if I can’t get nice fresh ones.
Basil – there is a shop about an hour drive away, a fresh market year round. I was spoiled before. I could go there a few times a month to get a HONKIN bunch of basil for $1. That store has really reduced hours now and there are crazy line ups so I don’t bother. I bought a basil plant in January and I’m babying it LIKE CRAZY to make sure it stays alive and produces. It’s essential for my pizza and pasta sauces!!
Sweets…my go-to used to be milk chocolate of any kind. But I’m not so picky now, I’ll take what I can get!!! I made a sugar pie last week, today it’s carrot cake…when that runs out chocolate chip cookies.
Beggars can’t be choosy right? 🙂 But overall, everything that I enjoy is still available, even if it’s limited quantities!
What an epic list!!! And yes, I remember saying you made your own cheese, that’s incredible. I hope you can keep getting milk, that can be challenging. Same here, I have been able to get some supplements online but it’s getting harder. Sounds like you have a backup for your tomatoes which is good. Oh I love basil!!! One of those herbs that you have to have fresh. Me too, been rationing what chocolate I have and most of it is cheap, LOL. Yes, enjoy what you have when you have it!
Cheese. Cheese. Cheese. My local CSA sells them w. weekly veggie box. I cook around the great veggies in the box i get q Wednesday afternoon at my door. $$$$ tho
Tea from Davids Tea … They deliver!!
I am SO MISSING the Reuben with a side of cheddar jalapeno soup from the restaurant beside the library.
I have 10lbs of meatballs in the freezer. Im sick of them.
20kg bag if steel cut oats is still pretty full.
I have about 4MILES of t.p. as i bought an industrial case back in January. My sister in japan suggested that.
I what do I miss????
…my husband as we r 180km apart. He works in an er
…people not freaking out for stupid reasons.
…politeness
A
Although, one thing for sure. I may never eat rice again.
Cheese is a tough one to live without for sure! David’s Tea delivers?! Wow, you have a lot of supplies to keep you going, good job! I paid $20 for toilet paper last week, insane! I am so sorry about your husband and being separated from him, that’s the worst my friend.