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Cottage Home & Garden, Feminine Ready Wear & Miscellany

Cottage Home & Garden, Feminine Ready Wear & Miscellany
Showing posts with label easter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label easter. Show all posts

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Order, Prep, Cook, Cleanup & More


Since the lock down began, I feel like everyday I get a "Chopped" basket.  Especially when the groceries are on the wane and time for a new order. It is challenging my creativity but I'm a home cook not a home chef.  Nothing wasted.

This last week, I have spent hours and hours trying to get an order through on Amazon & Ralphs. I've given up on Instacart. I start a week ahead from when I actually need the groceries. Yesterday, I got a Ralphs pick up time for next Friday. This morning, I got an Amazon delivery time for Monday.  After you successfully order, you need to allow extra time for delivery or pickup date.
My experience three weeks ago at Ralphs was I ordered about $100 worth & I got $58. Not being proficient at this yet, I found that out at the car from the employee. Because of the time lapse, items are out-of-stock and logical substitutions are out-of-stock too.  Amazon, I got about 3/4 of what I ordered.  So this time, I am keeping both orders.  Not duplicates per se.  It would be nice if I could stock up for a month. I'm not a hoarder but it averages about 10 hours on the phone/computer trying to get these orders through.
The romance of it all escapes me. I do like the cooking part & the eating part.


We now have local restaurants (3) that are pop-up markets with basic essentials so I can get fresh produce. I went on Wednesday and I was the only one there at the time. I did wear my mask, gloves & long winter sweater. I carry wipes, disinfectant in the car & sprays.

When I get home, I wash the clothes I was wearing immediately. Spray the bags & items that I can. Wipe down contact surfaces. Now all veggies go into a big tub with cold water & a drop of Dawn for 2 minutes & then rinsed thoroughly. Dried. I heard this from one of the doctors or scientists on TV.

Sometimes, the pop-ups have TP (gold) also other non-food items.  They buy from their suppliers to help keep us all going.

This week it is hard to get eggs.  Easter is coming and a good family activity is to have the kids dye eggs and do an Easter egg hunt on Sunday.  Deviled eggs are also popular.

Items that seem to fall off my list before I get the order are chips, sodas, pasta (I can't get plain pasta, any pasta) and dry beans.  Even when people shop in person, come home and leave a post on NextDoor...the neighbors go right away and items are gone.  It changes fast.

Our experiences are different here depending on where, when and how you shop.

I am taking the weekends off .  It might appear that I have the week days off too.  The weekends I have "more off." 

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Happy Easter from Gracious Cottage Long Beach, CA

My Gate at Easter