Thursday, July 7, 2011

Little Difference #5

One of the biggest adjustments we've had to make being over here is how we grocery shop. When we lived in the States I would make a meal plan for the week, usually 4 or 5 meals, and then put what I would need to create those delicacies (ha!) onto a list.

Using the list we would typically make one trip a week to the grocery store. We would load up on items for the planned meals and other necessary things (like Diet Dr. Pepper and Peanut M&Ms...you know, the essentials!). Every so often I might stop by the store after work if one of us (Jay) had a craving to cook something that wasn't on the list (chicken fried steak...I'm sure that wasn't the only meal I would drop in the store for, but that's the only unplanned meal I can think of right now! And to be fair to Jay, my cravings were usually for eating out). With a trunk full of groceries I could mark "grocery store" off my to-do list until next weekend {Yes, I realize the lists are a little out of control!}.

Well, things don't quite work the same for us here. For starters, we are on foot. No car trunk to load all your bags into and then carry in from the garage. This is the bag we have and whatever we choose to put into the bag has to be carried back to the apartment...it's not really that far, but you'd be amazed at how heavy it gets by the second block!




The second reason that it is impossible for us to grocery shopping using our old method is this...




That little white thing that looks like a dorm refrigerator? It's ours! So, I guess even if we didn't have to carry the groceries ourselves, we woudn't have anywhere to stash them.




I'm pretty sure most Dutch people don't have mini fridges in their homes, but the mentality of shopping for a day or two at a time is very prevalent here. When you are at the grocery store, you'll see people buying two apples, two rolls, and a container of yogurt. For real! It is still an adjustment we're working on....just so not how my brain is wired!

Want to know a secret? Yesterday when I went to the store I took my list and strategically thought of heavy and light things to place in my bag. I bought the groceries, came home (took the picture), unloaded the groceries, and then....went back to the store for the rest of my list! Terrible, I know. I made sure to go through a different line, so the cashier wouldn't think I was crazy.

Tot ziens!


1 comment:

  1. This grocery shopping issue would be a big problem for me....
    I always go in for just enough to fill my 2 cloth bags and without fail I walk out w/ at least 2 plastic filled bags as well! :-)
    I bet by the end of your time in the Netherlands, it's going to be a norm for you to go to the store daily. When you get back to the states, you'll probably have to get used to BIG lists again! :-D

    ReplyDelete