Strive for Five

I have always had basically the same method for grocery shopping. I start out going for the 10 or so items that are on my list (well, the 10 or so that I remember, since the list is usually in a "safe place" where no one will ever find it) remembering in the dairy end that I forgot potatoes, remembering at the russets that I forgot cream cheese. Add the 2 kids to the mix, climbing out of the cart and tossing shoes at the elderly, and by the time I get the bare necessities, old mother nature recipes, it's well past time to go. I spend the way to the checkout with a train of thought that goes something like this: "we need eggs- I'll try to lay some later. We need milk- that's why God invented water. Darnit, toilet paper... oh well, we have paper towels." For dinner, I end up making something like "potato surprise" or some freezer to microwave special, and resolve to do better next time. The boys usually end up having some variation of macaroni and cheese or a special souffle prepared just for them by the renowned Chef Boyardee. The only nutritious part of the trip is the sit-down-be-good apple Jonathan picks out the second we stepn into the store (don't worry people, I scan it). Well, this past week, I decided enough was enough. No more pre-packaged crap, no more adding broccoli to Velveeta and calling it homemade. No more frozen vegetables thrown in with egg noodles and tuna and cream of something soup and keep adding cheese until it looks edible. The Gages were turning a new page. I spent forty minutes, and at least as many dollars, in the produce section. "Carrots? I love carrots. Mmm, snow peas. Parsnips? I saw those on Hell's Kitchen once." The boys went through two apples and an orange (I had a $3.87 bag of peels when we were done, it was awesome) and were surprisingly well behaved. Everything went great, until Jonathan bolted into the checkout aisle and bit right through the wrapper of a Snicker's bar. With that kind of determination, I had to let him have it. Ethan baby was perched in the seat making eyes at the nice Australian woman behind us. She was very sweet. She just kept telling me how well-behaved my children were. "You have no idea how loud they can be. It must be because your boys have such a good diet." She smiled approvingly at my little shopping cart. I smiled and nodded. Yes, yes, must be their good diet.