Just like last week, I don’t have much of a menu plan to share with you this week. Our family is having the most amazing time in Colorado – finding service opportunities, holding Meet and Greets, and catching up with friends we rarely get to see. We’ve been taking lots of pictures, which I’ll be sure to share as soon as I can!
We’ve been blessed to cook many of our meals in our friends’ home where we are staying. They eat a gluten free diet, so for the meals we’ve shared, I’ve done my best to make them GF.
Here are some of the meals we’ve enjoyed so far:
- Scrambled egg and cheese sandwiches with apple slices on our way to help with a food bank
- Lamb kabobs on the grill, stir fried veggies (carrots, broccoli, and asparagus), and fresh strawberries
- Brats on the grill with strawberry/pineapple/orange/mango smoothies
- Italian Pasta Bake made with Tinkyada rice pasta, tossed salad, green beans, watermelon
- Cereal (hey, we’re on vacation!)
What do we plan to eat this week?
We’re not entirely sure yet, as we plan to continue to be on the road for a few more days. During each of the days we’re spending time serving with organizations, we’ve just done whatever has been easiest and best for the people we’re working with. Plus, we’re doing all we can to make home-cooked meals as simple as possible for our host family. The more we can cook with or for them, the better! They are, after all, housing six additional people for over a week. :)
What has been really nice is the availability of awesome grocery stores in these parts! Really, I try not to be jealous. But how cool (read: unfair, boo, wah) is it that when we punched “Whole Foods” into our GPS to grab some food for the grill, something like TEN stores came up within just a few miles of our friends’ house! But really, we’re just so very happy for those of you who can drive five minutes and have access to such great stores. Really. I’m happy for you. Totally. :)
Later in the week, once we get home, our menu will likely consist of lots of salads, grilled meats, steamed veggies, Chicken Patty Sandwiches, and Calzones that are already made and in the freezer…and I’m really hungry for Whole Wheat Waffles with strawberries.
Here are my menu plan archives if you need more healthy menu inspiration. Meanwhile, I will be munching on fresh organic blueberries and cherries from Whole Foods. With each yummy bite, I will continue to be happy for my friends here and for all of you that you have such great stores in your backyard. ;)
How close is the closest Whole Foods store to your house? Me? I have to drive two hours. Oh, but we’re getting one in Lincoln later this year, so that will make it only about an hour away – yay!
I am totally blessed. Our closest Whole Foods is about 2 1/2 miles away (& Trader Joe’s is less than a mile). But I live in the desert (southern Nevada), so I am jealous of your ability to garden! It is much more challenging here! I miss the green of the midwest (we used to live in Omaha).
Sounds like you guys are having fun…and you are such thoughtful house-guests. :) The closest WFs is about 45miles away. We don’t go very often, though, as we have a very well stocked organic produce section at the local King Soopers and there is a Natural Grocer’s that opened up last year, too. There are also a couple food co-ops in the same location as WFs that end up being a great alternative, too, when we are down there.
What I really REALLY want is a Trader Joe’s. And Costco. haha.
Ours is about 1.5 hours away, so I feel your pain.
Oh I hear you! The closest Whole Foods is 1 hr+ away, I’m not even sure where the nearest TJ’s is. We have other advantages being where we are (east central/northeast Ohio) but I used to live in the suburbs of Chicago and my nearest grocery store was Whole Foods and it was only about 2 miles away.
Just a few miles from WF, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts and living in Phoenix we have 2 growing seasons…. and yet I’d love to move :/
30 min to Whole Foods, so I dont bother. There is a sprouts just a bit closer. I go there occasionally. I mostly just shop nearby , use azure and get bountiful baskets for produce.
I’ve never actually even SEEN a Whole Foods! I think the only one in my state (Maine) is in Portland, which is 6hrs away from me. Guess I’ll stick with my farming :) Pigs, chickens, beef critters (lol), big garden, canning, and horses for fun!
Our closest Whole Foods is about 1 1/2 hrs away, along with a Trader Joe’s. But, I’m jealous of YOU that you can get stuff from Azure Standard! They don’t deliver to MD yet… :)
The closest Whole Foods to us is about three hours away :( BUT we are blessed with having earthfare just about 20 minutes away! Which is a blessing because our only options would be Food Lion, Walmart, Krogers…which isn’t great when you are trying to eat a Whole Foods diet! Earthfare is expensive, but worth it compared to other stores. They do sell junk GMOS and things like Cocoa Cola sometimes which makes my eyes spin..but we do with what we have! We also have a GREAT farmers market about 45 mintues away I’m hoping to take advantage of this summer!
Also we have a lot of farmers around here so we were able to buy our beef from a great farmer!
Closest WF is a 15-minute drive, but we also have TJs here (two closest to me are both about 25 minutes away). WF is expensive, so be glad you don’t live closer to one, but it is fun to peruse their produce department and see things you never see in “regular” groceries. I imagine their waste is high, which is reflected in their prices.
I’d have to drive to Dallas which is four hours away or Baton Rouge which is four hours away. I’m not sure but there may be be one in Little Rock which three hours away. I do wish I lived near a Trader Joes. I go to one in Nashville when I visit my mother who lives there. We are blessed in this town to have an Azure drop.
I am a pro-life advocate, so don’t shop at Whole Foods as they support the other side. Personal gripe.
However, there is a Fred Meyer’s (Kroger) to you not from the Northwest, about 20 miles away, but I go to town weekly and shop then. They have a fair selection of organic at reasonable prices.
Also, we have farmer’s markets in season. And, since I live in Washington, there is no surcharge for Azure.
Just had to comment that I, too, am from PNW and a mile from a FM. They are remodeling their stores and mine was just finished a few months ago. Much better selection of organics, but yes, we do farmer’s markets, too — so much to choose from this time of the year! Woot!
My closest Whole Foods is about 35-40 minutes away. I live in northern Ky, just south if Cincinnati. I’m really considering Green Bean Delivery. Food Babe has an article up this weekend about a member-type mail place Green Dot (maybe)…it’s on my list to compare the two tmw. I think I’m going to try one!
However, our Kroger has an okay organic basic fruit/veggie selection. It’s not huge, but they have basics…apples, oranges, mangos (right now) and celery, carrots, etc. I’ve only been buying my fruit there lately…but I thought maybe one of these services would increase our variety, especially veggies.
Whole Foods and TJ’s are both about 25 minutes away. I go about once a month. I usually either have a 2 year old with me or am rushed by myself trying to shop while she is in preschool so I never have enough time in either. I could spend hours, I love going in both of them.
We love our Natural Grocer’s that is an hour away. Fortunately, my daughters have a weekly class nearby so we can swing by then.
Only stores I live by is walmart and meijers.
Our Whole Foods is about 20 minutes away. A 2nd WF and Trader Joe’s are an additional 20 minutes beyond that. But honestly, we don’t go there often. Between Azure Standard, local shops, and Sprouts, I just don’t need to!
I totally feel your pain….the nearest Whole Foods or Trader Joes is 3 hours away for us and we never have another reason to go to Omaha. Once in a great while we do…or I have a friend who goes there more often pick up a few things for me…but that’s it. So I rely HEAVILY on Azure.
Here in very southern Colorado springs/widefield, we mostly get produce from costco(organic apples, carrots, kiwis, etc) natural grocers (pasta, onions, potatoes, yogurt) and king soopers (best prices for lemons, kale) everything is about 25 to 30 min away, so we do a family shopping trip together. whole foods has a lot of conventional stuff too, gotta read labels, and their produce is pricey. We get zevia soda there when on sale and in the area, or a specialty treat, but not often. Also Azure does deliver here, but for what I usually get the local stops above are cheaper (great prices on bulk spices though). And there is rainy day foods.com for bulk grains or some local sources.
The closest Whole Foods is about an hour away. I’ve never been because I a) I have to use the highway to get to it and I avoid using the highway as much as possible and b) it’s in a city that I’m not very familiar with. They are supposed to be building one fairly close (about 20 minutes away) in the fall.
We have a TJ’s about 10-15 minutes away. It’s where I usually shop.
There is one in the next county (1/2 hour away). But I can do most anything I need to in my small town, so I don’t venture to the other town much.
They just opened a brand new Whole Foods 20 minutes from me last Friday that I went to. It was so crowded I will probably not go back for a bit. It is much more expensive too. I usually shop at Trader Joes anyway. I was very happy to see the local market here in town 5 minutes that sells pretty much a lot of the same things that Whole Foods does just lower many of there prices to being much more affordable so I’ll support my local market and farmers market here as well.
Whole Foods is about 3 hours from my town. I’ve only seen one on tv. :(
The closest Whole Food is a 3 hour airplane ride away in Seattle, Washington! We live on an Island in Southeast Alaska. Needless to say we don’t shop there very often, but when we get to Seattle, I do love looking around there and bringing home what I can in my suitcase and carry on!
We have a costco, whole foods, earth fare, and trader joe’s within an hour of us. I was used to having all of that within 20-30 min but we usually go once a month and stock up. Our fridge is so packed but we do what we can. We will be getting produce, including berries, from a local Amish CSA so we’re looking forward to that. We purchase organic eggs at $1.50/dozen and the eggs are XLRG so that is awesome! I keep forgetting to take the “what to buy organic” list with me when I go…need to get that printed off!
Well, there’s two Whole Foods stores in my town, both just a couple miles away from me. (I guess it’s not a town…more like a big city, but anyway.)
While Whole Foods is a super cool store, I rarely go there. As in, the last time I went was over a year ago when I had a gift card to use! Most everything is SO expensive there! The smaller health food stores generally have better prices. We used to have a Sun Harvest, Newflower, and a Sprouts. Now they are all Sprouts stores, so I shop Sprouts. ; )