At the Gentrified Kroger...

So on Sunday,I made a run down the local gentrified Kroger.

This is the Kroger they built when all the white people started moving into my hood.

And it's a big fancy Kroger, 2 or 3 times bigger than a normal grocery store. There's even a bar.

I like it much, even though I rarely go there. I think this time was the third time this year I'd made a run there.

I needed something simple like dental floss. And I needed to take my spare car for a spin.

(These types of things could've waited until Saturday... but that dental floss, tho...)

Anyway, I saw some fascinating products up in my beloved gentrified Kroger. Things that weren't there for me, but if I wanted, I could buy them!

I came across some marvelous jellies and jams.

I saw a Cabernet jam.

I guess that's what's up if you love your wine. That peach marmalade looks great. But I will not being paying $9.99 for that.

Nope.

So for the holiday season, we have a nice pumpkin preserves.

No, that's "preserved pumpkin". I won't be buying that. Not only am I paying $9.99, I'm not paying for something that I don't like: pumpkin.

Now if they served up some "preserved sweet potato", I may get that.

What's most interesting about the gentrified Krogers near my home (there are two), is that their are MULTIPLE AISLES of liquor and beer. Multiple. The one that I've frequented over the past decade actually has its own wine steward. This new gentrified kroger is only a couple of years old (if that). I saw no wine steward at this new store, but I sure saw some wine.

Down one of the aisles, I saw some wine bottles locked behind glass. And you know me... I thought I would investigate.

I was shocked to see some $149.99 wine!

Now, I am not a wine connoisseur. Not in the least. The most I've paid for a bottle of wine is $21.99. And the only reason I paid that much is because it had some chemical formulas on it, and as a chemist, I was immediately intrigued.

Now I was already bugging over $150 wine. But a closer look at the other wine revealed some wine that was a little more expensive.

a

$549.99!!

Wow!! 

Who pays that much for wine?  Grocery store wine?

WOW!

Not me. Nope. But this is the gentrified Kroger. I am sure someone paid for it. It is there for a reason, you see.

Hmm...

A trip through  that Kroger is a far cry from the Kroger over in SWATS.

At least I know where to go now if I want something super fancy!

Monday Night Musings

It is Monday!

The Monday after a long holiday weekend!

And it's more O_o for me... As I only really worked one day last week.

ONE DAY.

The time off was good, but my attitude needs to be better about the return to work. I must admit that I have today I have ran through a range of emotions - anger, sadness, lethargy, confusion. At the same time, I have gotten a few things done today. I remember driving to work this morning that I thought "Something great will happen to me today."  And just making it through the day - I receive that as my great thing.

Thanksgiving was good. The whole week was good. I happen to get a good bit of decluttering done, and even take some items out to the Goodwill. I have been in my house for 12 YEARS. So I have an abundant amount of stuff  that needs to go. I am starting in the kitchen which is easiest to do, and if I haven't used items in a year, they must go.  For real. And I must admit it is very freeing.

That brings me to the quote of the week. Not sure where I heard it, but I did hear it.

"A cluttered space is a symptom of a cluttered mind."

My mind is a bit cluttered. I need to be free.

I am working on my house, and I will also work on  decluttering my cubicle.  I will.

Pictures. So my sister made gumbo. I watched her do it, while I had the baby. It came out good, but I like seafood in mine, and she has shellfish allergies - something like that (it is very confusing). But she did a good job. There's no picture of that. When it was done, I split up and froze that stuff QUICK while Notorious J was calm.

But I also made what I wanted to make for Thanksgiving. I get a taste for traditional thanksgiving food every few years, but I try to do something different every year. Our family doesn't gather for thanksgiving, which makes me sad, so it is easier for me to just go get a plate of traditional food from someone's gathering. This year I stayed home.  My sister came over later (she'd made the gumbo the day before).

I made my stuffed acorn squash!

(And here's a picture of my acorn squash before roasting).

Here's the final product!

Oh it was so good. I thought I added to much quinoa, but that actually turned out to be the right amount. It was more filling.

Of course I mixed in WHATEVER was in the fridge. Here's my concoction.

I'd run out of pecans, so I substituted pistachios, which was GREAT.

The stuffed acorn squash is good because it makes for great meals this week. So I don't have to deal with leftover turkey. I deal with leftover squash. And this is something I will not get tired of!

I also made some red bell pepper-carrot soup. I don't have a picture of it, but I do have a picture of the roasted peppers.

Here's a link for the red pepper carrot soup. It is super easy and oh so good. I think I may have to make it more often. It's getting cold and I have to have something hot, and preferably good for me.

That made for a great  Thanksgiving. And this little guy did, too.

LOL!! Look at that expression on his face! I wonder what he's thinking about!?

Maybe he just has gas.

That is it for me. I am looking forward to having a great week. On purpose.

You do the same.

Happy Thanksgiving

Friday Freestyles

Friday!

And it is PAY DAY!

And as usual on payday, the blinds of my mind are at half staff. Pretty much closed, really.

And I am thinking of the upcoming thanksgiving holidays! I have a 5 DAY weekend!

Wow!

Oh the things I will get done. Or better yet, the DREAMS of the things I will get done.

And it is alright to dream.

I know one thing we will get done: gumbo.

I asked my sister what she wanted for Thanksgiving since she and I will be spending that time together. She thought about it and she requested the gumbo. I sent her the recipe that I posted on this blog years ago ("The Original Oldgirl's Gumbo Recipe").. (And until this day, that is my most popular blog post searched in google).

She didn't want to make it herself, though.  But she wants me to watch her make it.

*crickets*

Wow. And I guess I will do this while holding the baby.

"Okay, Kay.. Keep stirring that roux until it turns the color of a penny. Okay, Justin is crying right now. Let me take over while you breastfeed him.When you finish, come back and give him to me. And finish this roux."

Yeah. That's how that's going to go.

We can make gumbo. And the best part of that is teaching my sister how to make it. Now, no, we are not from New Orleans, and the recipe was not passed down from some family matriarch. But I lived there and I had my share of good bowls of gumbo, and I know what I like! So I have a recipe that I've used over the past 15 years that leaves me satisfied. So yes, I will watch her make it.

But I wanted something for myself. And that is this right here.

Stuffed acorn squash.

I posted up the recipe a year or so go ("An Acorn Squash Tale").

That is quick and easy. I will basically throw the french doors of the refrigerator open wide and stuff the squash with whatever vegetables are there.

So that will be our Thanksgiving. And we will watch movies, movies, and more movies.

Song of the Week. So I went to lunch with a coworker. This is special because I don't go out to lunch with people. I may go no more than 5 times a year. And I save hanging out for lunch for people who have a good positive affect on me and my life. We went to a local korean street eatery and bakery, Sweet Hut, in midtown. They play an interesting mix of contemporary pop music. It was all music from the past couple of years, meaning that I didn't know any of it. I do NOT listen to current radio at all.

But then they messed around and played some old Michael Jackson.

Man, I had to do ALL I could not to bust out crying.

I told my coworker, "I'm going to go back to the lab and pull the Thriller album up on my Spotify!"

And I did. My favorite song on the album is "Lady in my Life".



Oh how I miss Michael Jackson! He had his problems, but the music from 30-40 years ago was AWESOME.

The last song by him that I like that I listen to often: "Heaven Can Wait".



That song is SO good.

That's off his final CD. Sigh.

He died in 2009. That is over 8 years ago. Wow.

Gone too soon. Music was his legacy. I am glad we still have that!

Well I am off to my weekend. And it will be a GREAT one, whether it is or I imagine and dream it to be!

LOL.

You have a great weekend, too. On purpose!!

Semi-Wordless Wednesday: Moon Grapes

Someone brought these to work. And they were very excited about them.

"What are those?" I asked the coworker who brought them and placed them in the general area for all to enjoy.

"Oh, those are moon grapes," she said, with way too much glee. "I got them down at Publix!"

I nodded.

But I didn't get any. Nope. They look mad crazy.

I'd never heard of them. And I didn't eat any.

Those grapes look special, They look like something we would see while stranded on an island and we were starving for food.  And we came across a tree with some bizarre fruit hanging from it.

I would still wait for someone ELSE to try them first because they may be POISONOUS!

Nope. I passed on those. I may try them...

Maybe next time.