In first grade, I ate dried octopus because my best friend did it first. Not my best decision, I know, but we’d just gotten back from a field trip to Your Dekalb Farmer’s Market, which was my family’s regular grocery store. I felt pretty worldly, and I didn’t want to be shown up – despite the fact that the whole classroom smelled like the trash pile at a fishmarket the moment my teacher let the octopus out of the bag.
The octopus was disgusting, but it was a good day. I got to wander around the grocery store and I got to eat something new.
These days, not much has changed. I still love to wander and explore new grocery stores (I’m planning a field trip across town to Wegman’s just as soon as it feels safe to shop frivolously again).
More often than not, though, the weekly grocery run is just another chore – and my goal is to get in, get out, and get home as fast as possible so I can get on with my day.
This is tactical strike grocery shopping – and it all starts with a solid plan of attack.
(more…)
