O is for Online Grocery Shopping

One of our local grocery chains allows you to shop for groceries from home. You can get all the current sales prices, have access to everything in the store and get to have someone else deal with the crowded aisles. They charge $10 above the regular prices. If you want delivery, it's another $5.95. This is great for people who can't get out like they used to or people like me who don't always have easy access to a car to go do shopping. 

When I was living with my mother taking care of her, I placed her grocery order several times online because I didn't want to leave her alone too long - and I take a while when I shop. So, they'd do the shopping for me and then I'd go pick up the groceries at the selected time. All it took was the time to get there, pay and come back home. Mom didn't have to be alone for very long that way.

Now I'm considering doing it again. My daughter has a car and I've put money into it as well so we would have a car to use, but she has plans with it every single night. If I want to use it, it's "I'm going out later, so don't be long." Grocery shopping? It ain't gonna be quick. So, I don't go.

Tonight a friend took me to dinner and we stopped at the one grocery we've been going to recently and I did get a few things there, but I know there are other things that are on sale this week only that I want to stock up on. This is ShopRite's twice-annual can-can sale. Canned goods are super low priced and we use canned goods frequently (corn, green beans, tomato products especially). They also have a sale on London Broil (aka Flank Steak) that's really good. I want to get some so I can cut it into smaller pieces and make beef tips or stew. Already cut stew meat costs more per pound than the price they have right now.

And, I need some more cat litter. I bought a small bag today at the one grocery, but some things there just aren't as cheap as they are elsewhere, even though other things are. Like, bananas were marked down from $.29/lb to $.10/lb. From the looks of it, they got a whole lot more than they usually do and wanted to sell them as fast as possible. They weren't even over ripe!

I was able to buy six pounds of ground beef, marked down, for $8.30. That's just over $1.38/lb for 81% lean ground beef (beef mince). I also got some thinly sliced top round steak that I'm going to make rouladen with. That was also marked down. I got 2 pounds for $10.11. If you're familiar with braciole, you'll have an idea what these are. I think they're just a slight bit thicker. These thinly sliced pieces of beef are then wrapped around stone ground mustard, onions, bacon slices and a pickle spear, secured with either skewers or kitchen twine, and browned. They are then, usually, braised in a mix of beef broth and seasonings until fully cooked and fall apart tender. Now, I do NOT like pickles, but I thoroughly enjoyed this when I made it. And, that's even though I did it all wrong! So, I'm looking forward to the difference doing it right will make. Here's one recipe (whose photo I borrowed for this) that you can try. She used Dijon, which is OK, but the stone ground or German mustard is more authentic. I like her idea of egg noodles, too, since I don't have the patience to be making spaetzle.

Anyway, that's about it for this entry of the A to Z Challenge. I'll be calling the supermarket in a couple days to make sure things work the same at my local store as they did when I lived with my mother. And then, it's a-shopping I will go!

First published to Bubblews.com.