Superstore be Gone!

One of my favorite things about this place, this big beautiful bustling city is the way we grocery shop here.

Unless you're in the suburbs, there is no Sobeys or Safeway or Superstore. There are many small, family-owned grocery stores (in my neighborhood, all Italian), each with their own charm and their own specialties.

They're on every corner so there's nobody drives for groceries. This means there is no such thing as the big, bi-weekly 250$ mega shop at Superstore like in Winnipeg. I do not miss Superstore!

Food is purchased in small doses, throughout the week. And the prices aren't far off from Superstore. Let's say like Safeway prices. Lots of farm-fresh and organic stuff everywhere. Here in Petite Italie, lots of specialty cheeses, oils and pastas- hence my newly-rigorous workout regimen.

I guess its a little more like the 'old days' here. Getting cheese at la charcuterie, your bread at the bakery...its really lovely! In a way it makes you appreciate and think more about each thing you buy. You end up putting a little more love into the grocery thing when you're not pushing a 90 pound cart, crammed in a mile-long aisle, under fluorescent lights, surrounded by 4 generations of the Haziz family.

It's definitely more work in a way- going more often, no carts, taking your wallet out, paying, putting it back, taking your wallet out, paying, putting it back, taking your wallet out, paying, putting it back, walking all the way home with your bags....I dont know how people do it with kids. I get stressed just watching them try.

But having to put more effort into it makes me appreciate and respect the food more. I never used to save leftovers let alone eat leftovers... or put any work into getting creative with the food I have in my fridge. Now I do!