Stump the Local Yokel: Reader Challenge

Three months in, and so far, the spinach debacle remains the only cheat I've had.  I don't know that I provided an update here, but the day after I bought the spinach at Kroger, a kind friend on twitter pointed out that it had been recalled.  We were, of course, fine and suffered no effects from the listeria scare. I do remain convinced that the deity above has a sense of humor, and often at my expense.

I've settled into a bit of a routine these days when it comes to getting the items that we need as a family.  I never thought that planning would ever be a part of my vocabulary when it comes to shopping for anything, but it's not been that hard to integrate it into the daily flow of family, work, and activities.  

There are many things I've been able to source at an indie/local retailer that I never would have dreamed possible.  

My best example of that would have to be a shower curtain liner.  Seriously, take a moment to consider where in New Albany, IN you might find a shower curtain liner.  On the suggestion of a friend, I ducked into Ace Hardware the other day and sure enough, they carried 'em.

Wait, is Ace Hardware local?  I had to research a bit, but yes, they are.   They started as a chain back in the early 1900s in Chicago;  but, in the 1970s, the Ace corporation sold itself to its individual retailers.  Each location is owned locally, and uses the Ace name simply to leverage group buying power.  Their term is 'retailer owned cooperative'. To learn more, check out this excellent company history.

Really, though, the point of this blog post is to see if you, my readers, can stump me- or, if I've found an indie/local resource for just about everything yet.  I can't guarantee that I will; but I think it'll be fun to try.  

So, give it your best shot.  What don't you think I can find?

I'll post your stumping items and my results in a future blog post. 

The First Fall: Greenery

A couple of months ago, I promised that I would fail.

I wasn't sure when, I wasn't sure for what item...but, I knew I'd fail- and I even mentioned that when I did, it would be part of the ongoing conversation.

All has been going well, really.  I've adjusted into a routine of planning what I buy, and where I buy it, and buying indie/local has become second nature.  I can tell you where to get just about everything, or a workable substitute.

I found this item about a month ago at Rainbow Blossom, after having a heck of a craving for it.  After not seeing it at Save A Lot, I was thrilled that I'd found a source that would work for me, since this particular item is not in season until late winter/spring, so it's not available at the Farmer's Market right now.

But last week, I stopped at Rainbow Blossom, and the clerk politely told me they were out.  Their shipment comes in on weekends, and I should stop by on Saturday.  Due to the nature of life, kids, sicknesses, and other perils of motherhood and familydom, I couldn't stop by until today, Monday.

They were out already.  On top of that, they had no chicken, which was the other item I was looking for.

This is going to be really, really anticlimactic.  You're going to roll your eyes and say, "REALLY???"

What drove me to Kroger tonight was fresh baby spinach.

Yes, the green stuff.  I love a good spinach salad with almonds, mushrooms, onions, fruit, feta, and on some days, chicken.

The kids eat 1.5 vegetables:  Both eat broccoli by the pound, and my 8 year old girl also loves fresh spinach.  We had discussed the meal on our way to Rainbow Blossom, and she had her heart set on spinach salad topped with chicken.  I think she was more miffed than I was at the lack of spinach.

She informed me that we would pass Kroger on the way home, and by gosh, they have spinach- and she could tell me exactly where it was.  My other option was to drive another 15-20 minutes to Thriftway in Georgetown to see if they had it. We were already on the other side of cross country practice and coasting towards dinner time...so, I caved.

I bought spinach and their free range chicken breasts, as well as another salad mix.

For some reason, Save A Lot doesn't carry anything but iceburg mixes or iceburg heads, and that's just not a satisfying salad.

I never thought that spinach would be the first fail.  It's getting its own column on the excel spreadsheet- and at the end of the year, I hope we can count on one hand the times I fail.  It really irks me.

As they say, that's the way the feta crumbles.