The closest Whole Foods Market is about two hours away from me in Omaha….and we almost never go to Omaha. This is why I have never, ever been to a Whole Foods Market. Until Monday!!! We decided to stop there on our way home from our trip and I was (like the nerd that I am) very excited. Who needs a shopping mall or a theme park when you can go to a really cool grocery store while on vacation?!?!
Judging from all the previous posts…it would appear that all of the fun parts of our trip centered around food. What is it with us, anyway?! Blueberries…Peaches…Chocolate…and a Whole Foods Market. THIS is what family vacation memories are made of…apparently.
Do you want to see what I got? (Yeah, just humor me.)
See, I had to get some sparkling mineral water because it’s a special treat that gives me “the burn” I miss. Plus I needed the dark green bottles to give my friend for when she makes kombucha for me. Ah, a twofold purpose for purchasing the mineral water.
And I had to get cherries, because I had to get cherries. Do I need another reason?
I got cheddar cheese because the last time I ordered cheese from Azure Standard, it didn’t come in and I was completely out of cheese.
I got hotdogs and lunchmeat because we’re in the middle of a very busy season with gardening and canning and soccer and school…and a girl needs a little convenience sometimes. (At least these are healthier versions.)
I got yogurt because I was out and I need to start a new batch.
I got organic apples and then I HAD to get Gjetost Cheese…because have you ever had Gjetost Cheese?!?!? It’s only THE BEST CHEESE EVER to eat with apples. We call it “caramel cheese” because it looks like little slices of caramel and it tastes sweet somehow. I bought not one, but two Gjetost cheese blocks because it’s almost apple season, and Gjetost with apple slices makes the BEST snack ever. They cost $5.95/block…but we can make it last quite a long time. You just need a tiny little piece of Gjetost with a slice of apple. Seriously, I think it may be one of the happiest snacks I’ve ever eaten.
And there you have it. I paid $35 for what you see in that picture. (I would have paid $55, but I had a $20 Visa Gift Card and – like the nerd that I am – it made me happy to use my gift on special groceries.)
While I LOVED my Whole Foods Market experience…I do have to say that I am VERY thankful for my health food co-op. Not only does it give me much easier access to organic and whole foods…it also saves me a lot of money.
And now, I do believe I will go treat myself to a little juice mixed with mineral water. Ahhhh…the burn….
I love Whole Foods! I used to live within walking distance of one, so I went there all the time. Now it is a little farther away, but I still go sometimes. The brown cow yogurt is my absolute favorite yogurt! And the 365 whole milk plain yogurt is delicious with honey and berries, and it is also a little cheaper.
I also really like the 365 peanut butter (just peanuts and salt)and the 365 whole wheat linguine. I agree that it is not the cheapest place around, but it sure is fun!
Oh wow! They sell Gjetost in America?! I did not know that! I’m a Norwegian girl living in USA and I love Gjetost (means goat cheese, but maybe you knew that?). I always bring some cheese back with me after visiting Norway, but I did not know I could get it in America. I’m really glad I read your blog :)
Our closest Whole Foods is a few hours away so we also stopped in on our way home from our vacation this summer (because I, too , am a nerd) :)
I used to love Whole Foods when we lived in Houston. Now that we’re in Idaho, we don’t have one. I did however just discover a place called Brown Box Organics here that carries all Organic food and delivers it to your door weekly for free. It was like hitting the jackpot! I still miss the Organic marshmallows that Whole Foods carried. Those things were sinful! LOL
I love Whole Foods! I must be a nerd too~I could spend hours in there just looking (& taste testing!) at everything. Sounds like a good vacation to me!
No whole foods around here :-(
Question… you use yogurt as a starter to make yogurt? But you have yogurt?
Yes, you use yogurt to make yogurt. Here are the instructions: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/make-your-own-yogurt-and-cream-cheese. Now that I have yogurt, I can start making it again. Then, I can use my homemade yogurt to make more homemade yogurt… Does that make any sense?!
Wow, I thought I was the only one who had ever eaten Gjetost! My grandma usually has it in her refrigerator and she would give me small slices when I was at her house. You are so right about how it takes so little. She also would make toast with strawberry or raspberry jam and Swiss cheese on it for breakfast. I think because it kinda reminded her of it when she didn’t have it.
Yay! I had never heard of a health food co-op. So I clicked on the link that you left for Azure Farms just to see what it was all about. At first, I thought, “nice, but they probably don’t even deliver to Oregon…”. Normally I’m not the “Eyore” type, but that’s simply where I went.
Imagine my delight when I realized they are based right here in Oregon! Whoo- hoo! I do have a Whole Foods about 20 minutes away – but I love the idea of cheaper prices and supporting a local business that has ‘my health’ in mind.
Thanks again for an ‘enlightening’ post!
You realize you called yourself a nerd twice in this post, right? :-) And now I want to go shopping! I haven’t been to the Whole Foods here, and I feel a bit guilty knowing I COULD go regularly, while it’s a special deal for you. I’m totally going to get some mineral water to try!
Yes, I guess I didn’t want people to think that I didn’t recognize the fact that I truly have some nerdy qualities. :)
Go to Whole Foods PLEASE…and think of me. Occasionally…I’ll go to Runza and think of you. :)
Well, I don’t view being nerdy as bad, just so you know. I’m proud
to “own” my brand of nerdiness.
And is it bad that I’d really rather just go to Runza with you??
:-)
Apparently I am a nerd too, because I like to go to really cool grocery stores on vacation also. And the ‘burn”, yeah baby- Laura, you are speaking my language today. Thanks for sharing!
I went to my first whole foods store yesterday! I am in LOVE! LOL! They had peaches for 49 cents a pound (45 if you buy a case!) and I got 50 pounds to can. I loved their bulk foods…. so many options! I had a sample of cheese…. it was a chedder/gouda mix with caramel bits added in….. OMGoodness! to die for!!
We also enjoy finding fun grocery stores when traveling. Our nearest Whole Foods is about an hour away and it is small. I could still spend hours wandering the aisles.
I love Whole Foods Market, however, the closest one is an hour from my house in the big city. Their email newsletter has yummy recipes. I live in Oregon and order from Azure Standard through a local food buying club. But….sometimes you want to just SHOP and then Whole Foods is very fun.
Our family loves Gjetost cheese. We have eaten it at Christmas for about 28 years since it was introduced to us by a Norwegian friend. I have never heard anyone else mention it before. As you mentioned, you only eat tiny slivers at a time so our purchase for Christmas lasts a long time.
Funny that you mentioned Gjetost cheese…I tried a sample of it at a cheese store and had never heard of it before! To tell the truth, I wasn’t crazy about it, but it definitely had a unique taste.
I also love going to Whole Foods and just wandering the aisles, maybe trying some new things… isn’t the bulk aisle just so much fun?!
I loooooove Brown Cow yogurt. If you ever go back, you have to try their Vanilla variety; it has real maple syrup, but it’s not to sweet. It’s like marshmallow cream! I could chug the quart… not that I’d do something like that. :P
You are NOT a NERD, unless I’m a nerd too!!! When we would vacation in Park City, Utah I looked forward to stocking up our condos kitchen w/food from Wild Oats (which was bought out by Whole Foods.) We would make the 15 min drive down there and eat lunch almost everyday. Plus the shopping outlets were across the street…I LOVED those vacations!!!
I order from Azure as well, we don’t have a Whole Foods near by. Even if we did though, they are a bit pricey!! I go to my local farmer’s market every week. We are blessed to have it year round (mild So Cal weather.) Plus I belong to a co-op which provides raw milk & cheeses, grass-fed beef, pastured chickens and baskets of fresh produce. VERY BLESSED HERE!!! Sometimes my hubby wants to move…I would if he actually initiated it of course, but I’m so fortunate here :)
I feel the same way when we go to a city with a Trader Joe’s – such yummy stuff and pretty cheap too. And my 19 year old son is just as bad. It’s pretty scary!
I’ve never heard of that cheese either, but I’ll keep an eye out for it now.
The Whole Foods in Omaha is nice but it’s still an hour from us in Lincoln. I’m generally satisfied with Open Harvest & Azure. Thanks for all your posts about Azure – I joined a drop point a few months ago & am now the “manager” for it. Whole Foods is a nice shopping experience but I love Azure’s prices. Also excited that we’re getting a Trader Joe’s in Lincoln!
Amy
Are you SERIOUS!?!?!?!?!?! I LINCOLN!?!??! Can you hear me screaming from York!??! We don’t get to Lincoln very often, but we get there more often than we get to Omaha. I am so excited!!! When? Where is it going to be?!!!
I thought I heard something last night! :) So far they have just applied for a liquor license & there is no opening date. It is going to be down at South Pointe next to Office Max. I am also so excited!! I’m surprised they picked Lincoln. I’ll let you know when I hear about the opening date. I told my husband I’m going to be there on opening day – I’ll make it a home school field trip! :)
Amy
I love Brown Cow yogurt. It’s all we eat unless I make it. I also am making my first batch of Kombucha all by myself! Woo Hoo!
Best and easiest recipe I’ve ever used to make yogurt: Heat 1/2 gallon milk to boiling. Must boil! Pour in a bowl. Let it cool to 110 degrees on your thermometer. Add 2 tablespoons plain yogurt then cover and wrap with towels and let sit overnight on counter. In the morning…Ta-Dah! I usually put it right in the fridge to solidify it more. BTW…I use 1% milk and I can’t tell the difference between that and whole milk. I make Lasse all the time (Indian yogurt drink) now. Glad you liked Whole Foods!
Laura,
All this time since you posted this one, gjetost cheese has been on the back of my mind. Yesterday we had a chance to Earth Fare ( a whole foods type store) and I glanced at the cheese section. They actually had it! We got to try a sample there and we love it! We bought a small block of it and I think I’m going to agree that gjetost and apples will make a good snack.