Monday morning during quarantine has been our grocery run time. We can time it to be in and out of the store in 15 minutes which is exceptional when picking up an entire week’s worth of groceries. We’re obviously taking precautions when we’re out in public but I haven’t hopped on the grocery delivery train because it ends up being quite a bit more expensive and I’d rather save those delivery time slots for the people who are high-risk or unable to leave their homes.
I’ve actually found that apart from some paper goods, the store I go to is pretty well stocked with items that I normally buy. I wanted to share the places I shop, what I buy, and what I make in a typical week at home.
WHERE WE SHOP
+ Aldi – this has always been my go-to for all the grocery essentials. A lot of people don’t know but Aldi is actually owned by the same company as Trader Joe’s and there’s always similar if not the same specialty items in the store. We live on the West side of Greenville so to consistently shop at places like Whole Foods or Trader Joes requires a bit of a drive and I’m just not about that, especially right now.
+ Fresh Market – we have a FM about 15 or so minutes away and on Tuesday’s the have a great deal on chicken and ground beef. We also sometimes go to pick up coffee or something specialty that Aldi might not carry.
+ Local Markets – if you’re GVL local, you’ll likely have heard of Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery. We live pretty close to the market and go often to pick up locally roasted coffee, the most delicious bread, and sometimes local eggs.
WHAT I TYPICALLY BUY
I have a list of items I buy pretty much every week and then some that are an every other week purchase.
Of course, this can vary depending on what’s on sale, what I’m planning on making that week. For instance I might be baking a lot that week and need to pick up a bag of flour or cream cheese. I do also try to shop for items that are in season. In the summer I might pick up a melon or more tomatoes. In the winter, squash is on the menu a little more. Seasonal ingredients and recipes are super important for me while cooking.
But for the most part this with some variation is what pick up on a weekly and bi-monthly basis.
A WEEK OF RECIPES
- Breakfast – we rarely eat a full meal for breakfast – with the exception of Sunday morning.
- Lunch – normally I send leftovers/wraps/sandwiches
- Dinner – typically our biggest meal of the day. Unless it’s the weekend where we often eat leftovers, I’ll make something every night for dinner.
MONDAY
One pot diners are the best for Mondays!
- Chilly Months – it’s chili or another hearty soup
- Warmer months – creamy chicken and rice skillet / shrimp jambalaya / Mexican chicken and rice
TUESDAY
- Pasta!!
WEDNESDAY
- Chilly Months – Roasted Sweet Potato & Rice bowl or Homemade Ramen
- Warmer Months – Rice Bowls or Loaded Salads
THURSDAY
- Sometimes Mexican ( tacos, loaded nachos, etc.)
- Sometimes fancy hot sandwiches like a Madam Croque
- Sometimes the ultimate comfort food – polish sausage, cabbage and onions, and mashed potatoes
- Sometimes Greek food – chicken pitas with roasted veg and rice pilaf
Friday
- We love to do breakfast for dinner on Friday nights
- Or go a little fancier with Coq au Vin and Risotto
SATURDAY
This is often our time to eat out for the week. We love cycling through our favorite local restaurants and have still keep this up with take-out options.
SUNDAY
- Pizza
- Hamburgers & Sweet Potato Fries
- Leftovers
- Clean Out the Fridge and Throw Things Together
Now, obviously we don’t stick 100% to the list above. I find new recipes all the time and love to give them a try. Some are winners, some are . . . rough.
But I did want to share a few more notes about our food:
- we start the day out with lemon water before anything else
- we drink pour-over coffee at home with locally roasted coffee only
- we don’t count calories or diet
- I try to buy some things organic or free range (chickens, eggs, spinach, etc.) but don’t exclusively buy organic food
- we rarely eat dessert. Every so often we’ll make brownies or cookies but that’s it. I don’t like sweet things.
- we don’t typically buy snack food or snack a lot – with the exception of a box of cereal or a box of cheese crackers now and again
- I try to keep the pantry stocked with things like an extra box of pasta, plenty of rice, flour, good salt, herbs and spices and an extra pound or two of chicken in the freezer