Fruit Inspection

Who in their right mind has a Friday Favorite Grocery List??? I know that’s what you’re thinking. But wait…hear me out. You might be surprised!

Quite a while ago I joined a cooking website called Allrecipes. It’s completely free and full of all sorts of recipes. It appealed to me because I can’t tell you how many times I thaw a piece of meat for dinner with absolutely no idea of what I’m going to do with it. On the Allrecipes site, I can type in a search for the meat I have and up pops all kinds of suggestions. Each one is ranked according to the level of difficulty, and also other members can review a recipe they’ve tried to tell you how they liked it.

I enjoyed using it quite a while before I discovered the fantastic grocery list feature. I don’t know about y’all, but I tend to make the same basic meals depending on the season. For instance, in the fall I prepare more soups, stews, and roasts. I purchase more canned goods and less fresh fruits and vegtables. In the spring and summer, it’s the opposite.

That brings me to the grocery list. I am basically shopping for the same items, with a few extras thrown in here and there. The Allrecipes site allows you to type in a grocery list and save it. Last October I sat down with my recipe books and figured out exactly what I would need if I had to buy every ingredient for the things I make in the fall and winter. I also put things on the saved list like dog food, detergent, and toilet paper.

For the remainder of the season, when it was time for a trip to the store, I’d go into the Allrecipes site, print my saved list, and take it to the kitchen. Then I’d simply cross off items I did not need, leaving me with all the things I’d have to purchase to feed my family the next few weeks. It was huge time saver!

Oh, and one other perk! The list prints out according to items. Let’s see if I can explain. All the dairy products automatically print out together. The meats, cereals, condiments, soups, etc. Everything is in order as to how you will find it in the store. And it doesn’t seem to matter which store. Even though some stores have the bread next to the vegtables and others have it next to the beverages, they all have basically the same items next to the bread. So, in other words, you just turn the corner in the store, see what aisle you’re on, look at the list and everything you need from that aisle is all grouped together.

I can’t tell you how helpful this has been for me the last 6 months. Not only do I rarely forget to put something on the list, but I also rarely come home without an item that was on the list to begin with! Which can be so frustrating!!!

Now that the weather is warmer and the fresh produce is lookin’ good, it’s time for me to pull the recipe books out again and make my spring and summer grocery list. I really think making a grocery list only twice a year definitely qualifies it as a Friday Favorite!