Friday, January 13, 2017

Conkers And Other Supermarket Surprises - R2BC

Conkers in the Supermarket!
Yeah I know it's the little things in life, blah, blah, blah; and I really do believe that. However, when the supposedly little things, like a trip to the supermarket, take up almost your whole, one free morning, it turns into a much bigger thing.

The supermarket on a Friday morning is hell as it closes at 2 pm and isn't open all day on Saturday (Shabbat). And Shabbat is a big deal here - think Christmas dinner, Boxing Day lunch and Easter Sunday Tea (if there is such a thing) all in one day. Obviously many people don't bother with all three meals but it's still of lot of food and Friday night is when people eat together. So add at least half an hour at the checkout, ten minutes at the cheese counter, as well as the 30 minutes of walking to and from (10 minutes downhill to and 20 minutes uphill back with a full trolley and extra bags). I usually shop on Wednesday or on Friday at 1 pm just before it closes and most people are sorted.

Anyway, here are my R2BC around the Supermarket theme...

1
Nephew coming for Shabbat
Today my nephew texted me at 8 am to ask if he can come for Shabbat and stay over. No problemo but I do need to serve real food and it all has to be gluten free for him. This is why I went shopping first thing in the morning to make sure I could get what I needed. I did. And we are looking forward to the company.

2
Friends in the Supermarket
I met a friend in the aisles who has been through some rough times and has come out the other end looking fabulous and feeling very happy. Of course I didn't know the half of it until this morning but it was good to see her and catch up. And great that she's doing so well and looking amazing. (You know who you are :~).)

3
Neighbours in the Supermarket
I met my upstairs neighbour in supermarket. As usual I'd underestimated the volume of my haul compared the the capacity of my shopping trolley, not to mention the mass of the total compared to the strength in my arms. Fortuitously we left at the same time and I asked him if he'd mind taking my bulky 48-roll package of toilet paper home in his car. (I had to stop for something on the way home so a ride would not have helped me and he didn't have room for my whole trolley anyway.)

We arrived back home at the same time so he also helped me up three flights of stairs by carrying the toilet paper and my extra shopping bag. I really should have got a delivery today - I messed up - and I would not have managed to make it home with everything if I'd not met him. I would have got up the stairs in two journeys but six flights of stairs with heavy shopping isn't fun. Thanks Meir, *Neighbour of the Week Award*.

4
Bags at the Supermarket
We have finally joined the western world in that we now have to pay for Supermarket bags. At 10 agarot ( about 2p) each, it's not a big deal but out of principle I prefer not to. My Supermarket is giving away reusable shopping bags - one for every 100 shekels you spend. They never have any left by Friday so I've saved up seven tokens so far for the next time I make it there earlier in the week.

However, I did buy 1kg of a certain cheese that got me a free reusable freezer-shopping bag that is much sturdier than the other free bags. So I had my extra bag that fit all my trolley overflow (I usually have at least three plastic bags as well as the trolley). And now it lives in the trolley happily ever after for the foreseeable future.

Can you spot a potential seventy-fiver?
5
Conkers
They are selling conkers in the Supermarket. I had to take a picture. They're  not graded so you don't know if  your're buying a potential two-er, tenner, or seventy-fiver. Also, you can't just buy one for the odd game of conkers as they sell them by the kg, I would say you need to buy 100g at least, which is about 15 conkers. Who's got time do do all that soaking them in vinegar, baking them in the oven, making the holes and threading the string? And that's before you even start playing. I didn't buy any.

(This last bit was a joke. These are sweet chestnuts that you can roast and eat. DO NOT TRY TO EAT ROASTED CONKERS (horse chestnuts) - THEY ARE POISONOUS!)

6
Coffee and Blog
Best of all, I arrived home with a whole hour to spare before I have to go and collect DD from school. I made myself a cuppa and decided to let the cooking and the cleaning and the grading and the report cards, wait while I blogged.

Each week seems to get more manic and me more tired in the evenings. I really want to blog every day or at least every other day. I was going to say, in an ideal world, but in in an ideal world I'd have nothing to blog about. Anyway, come the first moment in the day when I have free time and I've not got the mind for it. January started so well with four posts in one week. And then Eight days with nothing. So blow the other stuff - I'm blogged. :~).

As always, I'm linking up with the R2BC linky with Michelle on Mummy from the Heart.



14 comments:

  1. Yay for an hour to yourself and I am amazed they are selling conquers in your supermaket. is the only reason to use them fr game playing? Mich x

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    Replies
    1. Nah, most people roast them and eat the chestnuts inside. :)

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    2. OMG I just googled it. Horse chestnuts (Conkers) are poisonous! Don't eat conkers! The ones in the shop are sweet chestnuts that you can roast and eat. DON'T EAT CONKERS FOLKS!

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  2. Lovely insight into your world and amazed they sell conkers! Here's to more coffee and more blogging

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    Replies
    1. LOL, they're horse-chestnuts for roasting and eating. I was joking.

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    2. OMG I just googled it. Horse chestnuts (Conkers) are poisonous! Don't eat conkers! The ones in the shop are sweet chestnuts that you can roast and eat. DON'T EAT CONKERS FOLKS!

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  3. It was a big grocery shopping day for me too this morning! I've only bought a few odd bits and pieces since before Christmas so needed to stock up. And like you I over estimated what my trolley could carry and knew that there was no way I'd make it down the stairs at my usual subway station across from the supermarket. Decided to have a bit of a walk to the next station where there is an elevator to the trains! Should have taken my more heavy-weight trolley as I had a lot of canned items - my shoulder will feel it tomorrow! Luckily my small building has an elevator (many in this neighbourhood don't) as I live on the top floor (4th) and I don't think my knees would have made it today!
    My supermarket also had chestnuts on sale today! I love them warm but it's so picky to do them - friends and I were lamenting the passing of the chestnut vendors that used to be all around downtown at this time of year - much easier to buy them already cooked and peeled!
    Have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. We also used to have chestnut vendors on the corners of the street. And in the summer they switched to selling corn on cob. I have bought them in the past and just washed them and put them on a baking tray in the oven. After they're done it's quite easy to crack the shell and peel them. They are delicious. I think I might try buying some next week.

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    2. Just remember to cut into them before putting them in the oven or they can explode! I remember the peeling as being picky and a bit painful - but maybe I just remember that because as a kid I was impatient to get to them. Maybe I'll buy a few myself this week. Our vendors used to switch to popcorn come the summer!

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    3. Thanks, I'll remember to cut them. I didn't know you had to. :)

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  4. I have to say that shopping delivery is the way to go! Sounds like your trip bore plenty of pleasant fruit though.

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    1. There's online shopping and there's delivery when you go to the shop and do your shopping but they will deliver it afterwards. I prefer to shop myself than online as I like to choose - especially the fresh produce. I should have done a delivery but it worked out ok in the end. I actually enjoy going and meeting people at the supermarket - I always see someone I know.

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  5. In all fairness, they do look really like real conkers! And you'd be amazed what can be sold :) Love the supermarket theme and especially the help you got, and isn't it great that we have this linky to focus our mind on blogging, when we otherwise wouldn't get around to it? Hope Shabbat went well xx

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    Replies
    1. Yes, the linky is a gentle pressure without which I might not blog for weeks in a row. I love it. And thank you, Shabbat was restful, non-eventful and easy. We ate, slept, read, and played Rummikub. Perfect.

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