What kind of person gets excited about a grocery store opening? I wondered this myself until the other day I became one of those people. Typically I do not associate myself as a coupon cutting guru, but when a $5 off coupon comes in the mail for something I actually need, I am all over it. As I was lamenting the loss of Summer, that particular morning I decided to jump into Fall with both feet. I had teased fall with a sweatshirt here and wearing socks there, but this day I embraced it. I pulled on my new pair of jeans and slipped on my favorite knee high boots, and will make a conscious effort to banish all brightly colored apparel from my wardrobe until Spring. I made my way down to the opening of the new QFC, hungry since it was time for lunch, but hopeful they might have a few treats on hand. As the entered my eyes were filled with heaps of fresh produce, bold colors and excellent organization. Everyone was happy, everyone was excited, it was as if I was a Disneyland for a moment. As I weaved through the produce there were samples of cheese intertwined with the apples and not the cheap gross kind of cheese either- oh so clever. Samples, samples, samples were plentiful at each corner, which reconfirmed my decision to go on an empty stomach. Sushi, steak, grilled chicken paninis, cookies, cheese, fruit, you name it there was a sample of it. Carrying around my basket burns a certain number of calories, right? In embracing Fall I have resolved to make soups and today I wanted to try my hand at a butternut squash soup. Once I determined which of the squash was in fact butternut I tossed it into the basket and headed home.
The soup turned out creamy, filled the house with the aromas of ginger, onions and garlic and most shocking of all I was coerced through a sample to purchase two ribeye steaks. I had never before dealt with such a beef product and knew Cameron would be delightfully surprised. As the heavens opened up that evening and dumped buckets of water onto the pavement, I sat in my new jeans eating my butternut squash and realizing I was more ready for Fall than I first thought.
