There really is Heaven On Earth
I'm so excited about my previous day, I have just this overabundance of engery that wants to leak over onto you.
Alright, so, last night I got off work and went home to nap. I napped for not that long and got up at eleven thirty to dress and ready for an outing that Suzanne had planned. It was going to be a fun trip with three of the bestest friends a girl could just ever ask for. We (Michelle, Suzanne and I) headed over to pick up Mel after we'd all gotten dressed and trekked the short distance from our front door to the car (about twelve steps...I'm only estimating though.)
We headed over to The Container Store because Mel needed some magnets and tin containers for herbs and spices (if you've ever seen Good Eats with Alton Brown, you'll know of what I speak..) She also needed a paper towel holder. To go with the theme, she bought one that magnetizes to things too.
From The Container store, we drove about fifteen minutes to Central Market. If you've never heard of or been to Central Market - you really MUST! It's a grocer but it's also way more than just a grocery store. The produce is fresh and selection of anything and everything is ... amazing. Of course, it was a little after one when we arrived. It was lunch time.
As I said, the selection is beyond a normal store. The lunch area alone is overwhelming. It took forever just to decide what to eat for lunch. I did a spinach enchilada, a wild mushroom and goat cheese quesadilla, tabouleh (that may be spelled wrong) and some watermelon. It sounds like a lot...and it was. It's okay though because even though I was going to die from a full tummy - I was going to walk it all off...They also weren't the same size foods you'd get in a restaurant...still more than PLENTY.
After we'd filled our screaming bellies, we headed off into the Great Place of Foods and Fun. There were a million sections that we passed through so I'm only going to go over the ones that were important.
The first non-important-but-must-mention-section was the array of mushrooms. A great number of my friends aren't fans of mushrooms. I, however, can't get enough of the good cooked fungus. If I were to ever buy mushrooms to cook myself - and I will one day - I'll probably do all my purchasing at Central Market.
Next, we hit the alcoholic beverage section. I didn't pick up any wine - which I almost now regret - but Suzanne bought Vampire Wine for Michelle...Michelle has a Vampire liking. *shrug* I say this is one of the important sections because CM gives you the option of building your own six pack. By far, one of the most amazing things ever. Michelle and I build a six-pack together. We're not major beer drinkers. (Michelle just doesn't like it. I haven't had enough of it to decide if I like it or not.) So we took quite a while deciding the types of beer that we wanted to try. I know I picked a Belgium beer and two others...but I forget what I picked. Sad. Michelle picked sort of 'girly' beers. She tried the pumpkin beer tonight and she didn't like it - apparently you can taste the beer. I will do my trying tomorrow - and I want to go back and build another six pack. It was fun.
The next big section was the bulk section. It's probably the second best...if not tied for first. I've decided that when I move into my own appartment, I'm going to stock my kitchen with items purchased from the bulk section of CM. They've grains, pastas (whole grain which is hard to find - especially at a reasonable price), trail mixes, nuts, granola, coffee (the good kind), spices, herbs, beans, and just so much more. This is the section that I went the most crazy. I bought snack for nights at the desk when I get the munchies. Dark chocolate covered raisins, Apple-cinnamon granola, almost a pound of sunflower seeds, Mocha Crunch trail-mix, and an oriental trail mix (I didn't get a lot of the last because I wanted to make sure I liked it...) are all what I couldn't live without.
If I had a loose leaf re-usable bag/pouch, I think I would have bought loose leaf teas. But I felt that I didn't *need* to buy one...so I didn't. I did buy tea though. I bought a black tea and a red tea. See, the thing with tea is the fact that it is really hard to find non-flavored teas. I like regular green, black, red, and brown tea. I haven't tried a white tea, but I can't imagine that I wouldn't like it. It's next on the list. I hate that most of the teas you find have things like lemon, raspberry, spiced herb or some other nonsense that just makes it taste ... weird. But a CM, there was a large variety to choose from...just plain old regular colors. It was quite amazing.
Speaking of choices and variety...In a normal grocer, one might find vegetarian options such as Morning Farms or Boca (they're brands) and there is a pretty nice selection depending on where you go. I've had soy-burger patties, chik'n nuggets or patties and a great number of other things. At CM, there was a whole freezer section for the vegetarian brands. It was astounding really. I haven't been that amazed in some time...I wish to go back and maybe try something new...maybe.
The next land of greatness that we hit was the Breads. If you've ever met me, you know that bread is one of my favorite things to eat. I live on bread products and I would live on them alone if cheese and pasta had never been found/invented. Suzanne bought bagels. That was the only bread products purchase, but there were bread samples that we tried. The multi-grain was really good. I highly recommend it.
I stop to mention that immediately following the breads there is a dessert area...but there was no time for a meandering of any sorts because the number one section of the entire store was next...
CHEESE!!!! Oh glorious, cheese how I adore thee. Suzanne wanted to get a little ahead of Michelle because she wanted to see her face at all the cheeses. (It might be a little late, but Michelle's never been to CM...it was quite an experience for her.) Well, the first display one sees in the cheese department - and yes, it is an entire department - is a display of parmigiano reggiano. It's a semi-tall display so you don't get the full blast of cheese. I, personally, think this is done on purpose. If I had been hit with all that cheese all at once, with no warning, I probably would have fainted from sheer ecstacy. So, the first thing Michelle saw was the stack of P.R. which only made her eyes get a little big. Suzanne, sadly, was slightly disappointed in Michelle's reaction. But she soon got over it to do the thing she'd come to do - buy cheese. I, however, stuck with Michelle...and was with her when she took the few steps around the P.R. stand and was officially hit. It was amazing. A child's first taste of the actual amount of cheese there is in the world (Yes, I realize that the selection at CM isn't nearly the same amount as what the world has to offer, but compared to what one sees at Target or Kroger...it really just is...)
That was the best hour I've ever spend smelling things. Cheeses you pick up. You embrace the texture. The nose palate is touched with the stench of old and moldy cheese. The senses are just overwhelmed yet again by the ample amount of goodness there just is. I smelled Swiss, gouda, Mexican cheese, blue cheese, Purple Moon cheese (which is Mexican cheese soaked in Cabernet. It sounds weird, and I didn't buy it...but I'm not saying that I won't try it in the future. *intrigued*
Suzanne checked out a couple of books from the library and perued them for recipes. They were cook books. A lot of the recipes called for special cheese. She bought like eight different types of cheese. It may be a little less than that but the fact is...there's a lot of cheese in our fridge. I took it upon myself to buy a limburger and a maybe gouda...or some other type. Maybe a special Swiss (I really haven't found a Swiss that I didn't like...) Or it may have been a goat cheese...I forget...the point is I bought two cheeses. I also picked up an Australian cracker to go with the Limburger. I'm excited. I really just am.
*whew* After the cheeses, there are olives. I do like a nice olive. I like everything about them...the salty-sweetness, the tangy bite it give the taste-buds, the different flavors from the different colors...all just amazing. I didn't, however, buy any because I felt that I'd already picked up enough in the bulk section and the cheeses were already a luxury.
That is where the CM trail ends. We all made our way to the register to purchase our findings. It was awesome - indeed.
The trip home took a lot longer than the trip to Central Market because by the time we left it was nearly four thirty and the traffic had started. We were all really tired and ecstatic about our purchases. Finally we made it to Mel's place to drop her off and back to our apartment to put away all the greatness. Then naps were what we all took...I mean, we were all pretty darn tired.
And so concludes the best outing of the year.
Alright, so, last night I got off work and went home to nap. I napped for not that long and got up at eleven thirty to dress and ready for an outing that Suzanne had planned. It was going to be a fun trip with three of the bestest friends a girl could just ever ask for. We (Michelle, Suzanne and I) headed over to pick up Mel after we'd all gotten dressed and trekked the short distance from our front door to the car (about twelve steps...I'm only estimating though.)
We headed over to The Container Store because Mel needed some magnets and tin containers for herbs and spices (if you've ever seen Good Eats with Alton Brown, you'll know of what I speak..) She also needed a paper towel holder. To go with the theme, she bought one that magnetizes to things too.
From The Container store, we drove about fifteen minutes to Central Market. If you've never heard of or been to Central Market - you really MUST! It's a grocer but it's also way more than just a grocery store. The produce is fresh and selection of anything and everything is ... amazing. Of course, it was a little after one when we arrived. It was lunch time.
As I said, the selection is beyond a normal store. The lunch area alone is overwhelming. It took forever just to decide what to eat for lunch. I did a spinach enchilada, a wild mushroom and goat cheese quesadilla, tabouleh (that may be spelled wrong) and some watermelon. It sounds like a lot...and it was. It's okay though because even though I was going to die from a full tummy - I was going to walk it all off...They also weren't the same size foods you'd get in a restaurant...still more than PLENTY.
After we'd filled our screaming bellies, we headed off into the Great Place of Foods and Fun. There were a million sections that we passed through so I'm only going to go over the ones that were important.
The first non-important-but-must-mention-section was the array of mushrooms. A great number of my friends aren't fans of mushrooms. I, however, can't get enough of the good cooked fungus. If I were to ever buy mushrooms to cook myself - and I will one day - I'll probably do all my purchasing at Central Market.
Next, we hit the alcoholic beverage section. I didn't pick up any wine - which I almost now regret - but Suzanne bought Vampire Wine for Michelle...Michelle has a Vampire liking. *shrug* I say this is one of the important sections because CM gives you the option of building your own six pack. By far, one of the most amazing things ever. Michelle and I build a six-pack together. We're not major beer drinkers. (Michelle just doesn't like it. I haven't had enough of it to decide if I like it or not.) So we took quite a while deciding the types of beer that we wanted to try. I know I picked a Belgium beer and two others...but I forget what I picked. Sad. Michelle picked sort of 'girly' beers. She tried the pumpkin beer tonight and she didn't like it - apparently you can taste the beer. I will do my trying tomorrow - and I want to go back and build another six pack. It was fun.
The next big section was the bulk section. It's probably the second best...if not tied for first. I've decided that when I move into my own appartment, I'm going to stock my kitchen with items purchased from the bulk section of CM. They've grains, pastas (whole grain which is hard to find - especially at a reasonable price), trail mixes, nuts, granola, coffee (the good kind), spices, herbs, beans, and just so much more. This is the section that I went the most crazy. I bought snack for nights at the desk when I get the munchies. Dark chocolate covered raisins, Apple-cinnamon granola, almost a pound of sunflower seeds, Mocha Crunch trail-mix, and an oriental trail mix (I didn't get a lot of the last because I wanted to make sure I liked it...) are all what I couldn't live without.
If I had a loose leaf re-usable bag/pouch, I think I would have bought loose leaf teas. But I felt that I didn't *need* to buy one...so I didn't. I did buy tea though. I bought a black tea and a red tea. See, the thing with tea is the fact that it is really hard to find non-flavored teas. I like regular green, black, red, and brown tea. I haven't tried a white tea, but I can't imagine that I wouldn't like it. It's next on the list. I hate that most of the teas you find have things like lemon, raspberry, spiced herb or some other nonsense that just makes it taste ... weird. But a CM, there was a large variety to choose from...just plain old regular colors. It was quite amazing.
Speaking of choices and variety...In a normal grocer, one might find vegetarian options such as Morning Farms or Boca (they're brands) and there is a pretty nice selection depending on where you go. I've had soy-burger patties, chik'n nuggets or patties and a great number of other things. At CM, there was a whole freezer section for the vegetarian brands. It was astounding really. I haven't been that amazed in some time...I wish to go back and maybe try something new...maybe.
The next land of greatness that we hit was the Breads. If you've ever met me, you know that bread is one of my favorite things to eat. I live on bread products and I would live on them alone if cheese and pasta had never been found/invented. Suzanne bought bagels. That was the only bread products purchase, but there were bread samples that we tried. The multi-grain was really good. I highly recommend it.
I stop to mention that immediately following the breads there is a dessert area...but there was no time for a meandering of any sorts because the number one section of the entire store was next...
CHEESE!!!! Oh glorious, cheese how I adore thee. Suzanne wanted to get a little ahead of Michelle because she wanted to see her face at all the cheeses. (It might be a little late, but Michelle's never been to CM...it was quite an experience for her.) Well, the first display one sees in the cheese department - and yes, it is an entire department - is a display of parmigiano reggiano. It's a semi-tall display so you don't get the full blast of cheese. I, personally, think this is done on purpose. If I had been hit with all that cheese all at once, with no warning, I probably would have fainted from sheer ecstacy. So, the first thing Michelle saw was the stack of P.R. which only made her eyes get a little big. Suzanne, sadly, was slightly disappointed in Michelle's reaction. But she soon got over it to do the thing she'd come to do - buy cheese. I, however, stuck with Michelle...and was with her when she took the few steps around the P.R. stand and was officially hit. It was amazing. A child's first taste of the actual amount of cheese there is in the world (Yes, I realize that the selection at CM isn't nearly the same amount as what the world has to offer, but compared to what one sees at Target or Kroger...it really just is...)
That was the best hour I've ever spend smelling things. Cheeses you pick up. You embrace the texture. The nose palate is touched with the stench of old and moldy cheese. The senses are just overwhelmed yet again by the ample amount of goodness there just is. I smelled Swiss, gouda, Mexican cheese, blue cheese, Purple Moon cheese (which is Mexican cheese soaked in Cabernet. It sounds weird, and I didn't buy it...but I'm not saying that I won't try it in the future. *intrigued*
Suzanne checked out a couple of books from the library and perued them for recipes. They were cook books. A lot of the recipes called for special cheese. She bought like eight different types of cheese. It may be a little less than that but the fact is...there's a lot of cheese in our fridge. I took it upon myself to buy a limburger and a maybe gouda...or some other type. Maybe a special Swiss (I really haven't found a Swiss that I didn't like...) Or it may have been a goat cheese...I forget...the point is I bought two cheeses. I also picked up an Australian cracker to go with the Limburger. I'm excited. I really just am.
*whew* After the cheeses, there are olives. I do like a nice olive. I like everything about them...the salty-sweetness, the tangy bite it give the taste-buds, the different flavors from the different colors...all just amazing. I didn't, however, buy any because I felt that I'd already picked up enough in the bulk section and the cheeses were already a luxury.
That is where the CM trail ends. We all made our way to the register to purchase our findings. It was awesome - indeed.
The trip home took a lot longer than the trip to Central Market because by the time we left it was nearly four thirty and the traffic had started. We were all really tired and ecstatic about our purchases. Finally we made it to Mel's place to drop her off and back to our apartment to put away all the greatness. Then naps were what we all took...I mean, we were all pretty darn tired.
And so concludes the best outing of the year.