I started the idea of this series two weeks before they announced the closure of Ontario schools. I had done a pretty big shop on March 11th and had plans on doing a Grocery Games post. And to share pictures of the Great Toilet Paper Hoarding Shortage of 2020:
On March 12th, the Ministry of Education advised the closure of all schools until April 5th. I sent hubby to No Frills on March 13th to grab the week’s specials and the place was so full they had to limit entry.
As everyone knows, things then changed daily – sometimes hourly – new closures, new restrictions. Husband got sent home to work. All of my classes are cancelled. March Break plans changed.
On March 17th, I decided to do some local shopping. I am avoiding the big box stores for as long as possible. Some have limited the number of customers to 50 and some people are practicing social distancing. Is ‘some’ good enough though? By going to local, family-run businesses, I am exposed to less people and help these businesses stay afloat. All the ones I visited are being very proactive with sanitizing, providing sanitizer, and limiting the items people can touch. On this shop I went to:
- The Butcher Shop – corned beef, chicken, bacon, eggs, brie, hotdogs
- Montmartre Bakery – rye bread, baguette, apple strudel, muffins
- Bulk Barn – spices, popcorn, raisins, oatmeal, flour for Soda Bread Recipe
- Manke Fruit and Vegetables – romaine, red leaf lettuce, apples
Today, March 21st, I needed to do a pickup at Lawlor Pharmacy so also went to Courage Foods and Tony & Claudia’s Fallingbrook Market. This was a long-winded introduction to show what I was able to purchase in our two local stores.
So what did I buy today?
- Romaine – 2 bags – one for my us and one for my parents.
- Carrots (5)
- Tomatoes (3)
- Clementines (6)
- Grapes
- Milk – 1L
- Flattened and de-boned lemon and herb chicken
- Mild Italian Sausage
- Mushroom Ravioli
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Whipping Cream
- Butter
- Mad Mexican chips, guacamole, and pico de gallo
- Prepared salads – 3 potato (so so so good) and beet with goat cheese
- Fresh made sausage rolls (4)
- Apple Mango juice
- Baguette
What will I be making the next few days?
- Water with splashes of apple mango juice (keep up that hydration!)
- Raw vegetables with dip and popcorn for healthy snacking!
- Corned beef dinner with cabbage and potatoes
- Corned beef sandwiches on rye
- Club sandwiches on rye
- Scrambled eggs with pepper, onion, spinach and cheese
- Salad with Courage Foods prepared salads and hard boiled eggs or chickpeas
- Hotdogs with Baked Beans
- Quesadilla with cheese & beans (maybe egg too) with guacamole and pico de gallo
- Pasta with Sausage
- Lemon and Herb chicken, rice and salad
I know we need some pantry staples like oil so I’ve asked my friend (and neighbour) if she can grab it when she goes to the grocery store today. If you only need an item or two, see if someone else can grab it during their grocery shop and leave the item at your door.
I’m going shop by shop folks. I know that my grocery spending will be higher during this time but it will be off-set by the lack of random coffee shop visits and weekend lunches out. We also hope to support our local restaurants once week since they can still provide takeout and delivery. I’ve advocated before about the importance of shopping local – with the current crisis, please support your family run shops. We don’t want empty store fronts and the big corporate entities as the only ones left when the social distancing ends.
What are you buying and making during this time? Has it encouraged you to explore new recipes or are you seeking comfort foods?
Previous Grocery Games:
Sprouting Balance 
3 Replies to “Grocery Games: Social Distancing – End of Week 1”