Shopping...bleh!

Have I ever told you I hate shopping? Well...specifically grocery shopping, but I have to be in the mood (and have money) for other types of shopping. Insert unpleasant household chore here ____ and I would rather do that than grocery shop. It gives me hypertension. I try to avoid it when I can or make someone go with me (have I told you lately my husband is Mr. Wonderful?) I don't know why...but I hate grocery shopping.

The exception to this rule are stores like Trader Joe's (I know there is a category for these types of stores, but it's not coming to me at the moment). There is something about a store like Trader Joe's that makes you want to try to be a chef, be green and crunchy (read hippy), and start using aromatherapy all at the same time. Unfortunately, I have yet to find such stores in or even near Flowery Branch (have you looked this up on a map yet? Do you know where I live? Yeah, most people don't either.) I happened to be back in good 'ole Athens this week (seriously got warm and fuzzies when I drove into town) and so I had made my list of must buys while I was there. I hit my 3 favs...Trader Joe's, Earthfare, and the Fooks Foods (the Asian food market). Little tip from me to you...if you can, buy your Asian food stuff like soy sauce from an Asian food market...ridiculously cheap and tastes way better. I stocked up on soy sauce, oodles of noodles, wanton wrappers, etc. I should have taken a picture of the humongous bottles of soy sauce that I got for around $1.35.

And of course I had to stock up on herbs. Buying them wholesale is ridiculously cheap. Example (I've picked the most expensive one on my receipt): Thyme was $19.99/pound...I picked up enough to refill the bottle in my spice rack (which I actually got too much)...and it cost me...wait for it...$1.00. I bought a bunch of herbs and spices, quinoa, deodorant (Tired of nasty pit stains and your deodorant ruining your clothes? Come talk to me.), nutritional yeast, and got out of there for a whopping $12. Left my car smelling "herb-y"....mmm.