I think I hit all the food groups.
BBQ. Again. This time around he made 5 pounds of potato salad and his favorite broccoli salad to go along with all the steak and weenies. Note to self {and husband if you are reading this}: 5 pounds of potato salad {no matter HOW GOOD} is too much for 2 people to eat in 4-5 days.
Big salad.
Leftover chicken, and sausage quiche.
Same dish, different day… Blueberry Crisp.
Chicken salad.
Quick mid morning snack – a ham and cheese roll. And just so you know, that bowl and spoon in the sink, it’s not mine. Because after being adult for like, I don’t know, nearly 30 years, I have learned that the dishwasher, is just one step away. And if your not going to wash the bowl and put it back on the shelf your own self, why not set it down in the DISHWASHER rather than the sink so everyone else has to look at it for 2 days.
But what do I know?
Local strawberries from a farm stand alongside the road. $14! {$7 a quart}. All the farmers here seem to use wooden baskets. And I LOVE it!!!
Market Basket $70.55 {the steak was $18.94!} *missing from picture – grapes.
When did baby food get so expensive?
And last but not least… Please help me with a disagreement the HH and I have about picking out grapes. I think it’s okay to touch the grapes before you put them in your basket. You know, give them a little squeeze to make sure they’re not soft. He think’s it’s totally rude and insulting to the produce {department, guy? I have no idea}.
We both agree on sampling fruit though, that’s a no-no {unless of course there are free samples out on display}. Time and time again, he has walked back to the cart with a funny look in his eyes because some lady is over in the produce section sampling the grapes, or the strawberries or a green bean before she decides if she’s going to buy it or not.
It makes him crazy. And EVERY TIME this happens, I have to listen to his whole spiel about how you don’t see people walking down the bread aisle whipping out a slice to see if it’s fresh or not, or how people aren’t in the deli department opening up tubs of pasta salad or breaking open packets of cheese to sample.
The grocery store… It’s not a buffet! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!?
Husbands. They’re a funny lot.
So…. Do tell. Are you a grape squeezer? A sampler perhaps?
Curious minds want to know.
Have a wonderful day Monday everyone. May you find wonder and excitement in the little things. 😉
~Mavis
Total Spent on Groceries This Week $84.55
- Total Spent on Groceries in June $259.12
- Total Spent on Groceries in May $262.39 {More meat!}
- Total Spent on Groceries in April $284.56 {My husband bought a smoker and a BUNCH of meat!}
- Total Spent on Groceries in March $321.69
- Total Spent on Groceries in February $220.92
- Total Spent in January on Groceries $41.19
- Total Spent So Far on Groceries in 2019 $1389.87 Yikes! {Goal is to average $150 – $175 a month for the year but right now we are averaging $231.65 a month. I blame it on BBQ, cheese and Good n Plenty.
You can go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories.
Sarah says
I’m a grape squeezer too-I HATE soft grapes!!!
Christine says
I will taste one grape because on more than one occasion I have gotten home with sour grapes that were not edible. But that is the only taste testing I do.
Robin Martin says
I do sample the grapes, I don’t know how many times I have bought gorgeous grapes, only to get rhem home and they are inedible! Sour or completely tasteless. So yes, I will sample 1. Then buy the bunch if it is good. I figure I am spending a lot of money on this food in this store, why buy yuck?
Lori says
I am totally a grape sampler. I have to know if it’s the green, red or black that are in season.?♀️
Katherine says
I don’t sample grapes for two reasons, they have not been washed and I don’t know who or what has touched them and “sampling” was the same as stealing. If your grapes are not to your liking you can return them.
I do touch grapes, cherries and all berries to see if they are firm or soft. It’s no different then picking up a tomato or apple to check it out.
Angela D. says
Yes, word for word: me too!
lynne says
feeler, not a taster, of the grapes. it’s more the thought of sampling something that other hands have touched, without washing it first…EWW!!!
Lucy…her picture still makes me smile. Thank you for sharing your life! LynneinMN
Leanna says
My mom will sometimes taste the grapes. Once we asked if peaches were freestone and the produce guy cut one open right then and there to find out and then of course offered a slice to us.
A Autenrieth says
The produce guy offering a sample has happen to me – maybe once or twice. I was surprised and grateful! Once a produce guy offered to open a bag of a new kind of snacks so I could sample – I declined thinking that was just too much to probably waste. I don’t usually sample but I do feel/squeeze like with avocados and tomatoes and others. Boy though, DON”T EVER do that in France and maybe other countries, too!!! I got roundly yelled at for that! You are to let the seller at the booth pick for you!!!
Sue says
I never knew people squeezed grapes and have never noticed anyone doing it. I’m not a fruit sampler either. I just hope the fruit I buy is good but I’m not always successful with that.
Mary Ann says
This would be my answer completely, too.
Deborah says
I don’t squeeze grapes. And I don’t taste any produce. I don’t know what’s on it or who’s touched it. I’m not a germaphobe, but I also don’t want to get strep throat or anything else.
Lissa says
I always touch produce. I also taste a grape–not going to waste $7 on sour grapes.
Cheryl says
There are only two of us and when making potato salad I use 2 potatoes. I am old and in Aldi last year an old woman was opening 4-5bags of grapes to taste which ones she might like. I wasn’t impressed and that is the chance you take when buying food. I don’t want someone fingering fruit.
Jessica says
I do give a gentle squeeze because mushy grapes are only good for feeding the chickens…I do occasionally taste the grapes.. especially if the price seems too good to be true.. to make sure not getting sour produce! lol I have never tasted anything else.. besides the all you can munch apples at the field…
andrea d says
I let my kids pick out the grapes because they are extremely picky and refuse to eat anything with even the slightest hint of bruise – I’ll have to ask them if they squeeze; hopefully they aren’t tasting 🙂
Speaking of tasting, you need to google the story of the lady who ate cake at Walmart. She ate half a cake while walking around the store, then when she got to the register refused to pay full price; said she should only pay for the leftover half.
Mel says
I used to feel a little guilty checking produce. However, since I watched the produce manager at our grocery store throw—literally throw, such that they bounced—cantaloupes into a display bin, I now have no problem checking things before I bag them or putting them straight back when my fingers sink into hidden mold or rot. I also won’t buy any pre-bagged apples or anything as they are always rotten or mushy. Last year, they had an entire display of zucchini by the entrance that was visibly moldy and rotten, and they left it like that. This year, for three straight weeks, all of their onions were moldy.
The deli will offer you a sample of cheese or meat before slicing it, but I never buy stuff at the deli counter since it takes me so long to find decent produce.
I do not check produce at the farmers market though. The sellers there typically know better than to throw things, and everything is fresh enough to not be moldy or mushy. They also often tell us to come back for a refund if the fruit is not ripe. Sometimes, I get mushy apples for free there to make applesauce.
Brianna says
I rarely sample produce, but my 3 kids each grab either an apple, banana, or orange to snack on during the shopping trip. I get so many weird looks and nasty remarks from people behind our back and sometimes to our face about it. The silly thing is, I shop at that particular grocery store so my kids can have a piece of fruit to munch on…..they have a produce kids club and my kids each have a special card that they can show at anytime to show they can have 1 piece of produce during our visit. My kids have also been excited about certain produce items and the person working produce will gladly come over and let them sample it or even offer me a sample. Last week we each got a black velvet apricot. Our grocery store is very friendly….any deli items, house baked goods, or even meat department salads can be sampled, you just have to ask. My daughter tried liverwurst and seafood ceviche last week, surprisingly she likes the ceviche, so I bought her some for lunch. I would have doubted both of those items with her and looked past them otherwise.
Laurie says
I love that they have a produce kids club. That is a great idea! When my daughter was little she used to get a slice of cheese from the deli, a small apple from the produce people and a cookie from the bakery. She loved going grocery shopping with me! I also squeeze the fruits and vegetables, some I even smell. I don’t think it is rude at all. Sometimes an old piece of fruit could get mixed in on accident.
A says
Our grocery stores have a section at the front of the produce section with single bananas, apples, and the like for the lids to grab and eat while shopping. It’s marked for kids! 🙂 I really like that idea.
Lana says
I squeeze grapes and all the other produce I buy but I do not taste, But ye gads, local strawberries are $12 a gallon here.
Deborah says
Yes I do sample a grape. If they are not good, no one will eat them.
KC says
Definitely check the grapes. If I didn’t care whether my grapes were soft, then I wouldn’t, or if they were always good, then I probably wouldn’t, but… nope. That said, I can often feel from the bag if the grapes are firm enough without squeezing them – but if not, absolutely a (gentle) squeeze. And no eating-what-you’re-not-paying-for without asking permission, in my book. (although I assume sampling is permissible with u-pick stuff, so maybe I’m not consistent there.
The grape non-squeezers are probably subsidizing the rest of our produce, though, so there’s that; someone’s gotta buy the lousy stuff or the grocery stores have to eat the cost…
LaToya says
A squeezer but not a taster.
And, if the produce – like grapes – come in prepackaged bags, I take them out of the bags, because they are usually heavier than the regular produce thin plastic bags which adds more weight and more money to the bill. And, in doing so, I also pick out any bad ones, or ones that feel too squishy to me. I’m not trying to pay for things I’m not gonna eat!
Could you repurpose the potato salad? In an egg scramble, or a quiche, or some pastry pocket type thing. Even with some of the barbecue maybe? Or is that gross? I dunno. That’s a lot of dang potato salad – LOL!
Alice says
Years ago I was at a Meijer store and an elderly lady was in the alcohol aisle and I saw her unscrew the cap an take a nice long swig from the bottle, screw the cap back on and place it back on the shelf. It must have been long before the checkout people use the special tool to remove the safety lock on the bottles. I notified an employee and they just shrugged their shoulder and walked away!
I don’t sample any fruit because everyone has touched them and I only press lightly on the outside of the bag to see if the fruit is firm or mushy.
Ash says
I’ll discreetly poke grapes to see if they are firm or mushy to decide how much I want to buy.
I saw a lady picking grape by grape out of the bags to get herself the perfect bag o grapes. Grrr..people gotta grow up and deal with a few bad bad ones!
There was an episode of Roseanne where she was eating grapes in her cart and said ‘I’ll pay for them!’. And Jackie had to explain that once they were eaten they could not be weighed.
Diane says
I don’t squeeze grapes because I can usually tell they’re decent if they look plump and just a LITTLE bit on the yellowish side of green. Too green often means tart or even sour. If I’m buying red/black grapes, I just look for plump. Yeah, it’s a crap shoot.
I agree with Mavis’ HH about sampling. Sampling produce when samples are not offered is THEFT. Are you going to bring a pocket knife along to the store so you can cut into a nectarine or peach? Cut into a package of wrapped cheese to taste a little hunk? Let your child open a candy bar wrapper and take a bite to see if he likes it before you buy? Uh-uh – no excuse. Keep your cash register receipt and go back to the store for a refund if the produce you pay for is bad quality.
Staci says
I’m with you Diane!
Lace Faerie says
I do not sample grapes. But if they are being sold by the pound, I have no problem at all opening the bag to examine them and pick out any loose ones as they are gonna have mold on the stem wound. I also have no problem taking them back to the store for a refund if they are not edible.
I love that many grocery stores offer a choice of fruits to kids for free. So much better than the cookies that were offered when my kids were little. With the grandkids in tow, it makes for a much more relaxed pace shopping than if we were hurrying to get home to a meal. I was hesitant about the apples, but our produce manager says the kids fruits are given a good rinse before going to the kiddie display.
Kippy says
The local store has grapes in open bags and sells by the lb. produce guy told me it is okay to take grape clusters out to get lb. I want. Bags usually have over 2# of grapes. I did that today and also took out the old loose icky grapes out from bottom of the bag.
Linda says
After reading this I am going to stop feeling guilty about the day both my husband and I sampled a grape from a bag prior to buying them -after having gotten several bags of particularly seedy and sour grapes home. And I never even thought about all the handlers who’d touched it. So I’m now just grossed out!
Lori says
I always roll the grape I’m going to eat of my jeans first to clean it.
Rita says
Nope I don’t sample the grapes. They aren’t washed!
Stacey B says
I squeeze the grapes AND will try one! I’m actually kinda a germaphobe, so I wipe the grape on my shirt (as if that actually cleans it lol) but grapes are so expensive and it’s a crap shoot if they are good or not. I’ll also take out any bruised bunches and put them in another bag so I get exactly what I want.
Tracy says
Nobody —-that’s NOBODY— wants to buy that bunch or bag of grapes from which five other people have sampled “just one”. And nobody wants to know that five other people have plunged their mitts into the bag to squeeze some. Good grief, people! If you can’t tell if grapes are firm from looking at them (where the stem meats the grape), then pass them by. Just good manners.
Granny in SWMO says
And just in case someone doesn’t know, don’t feed grapes to your dog. It causes kidney failure.
Jess says
Not always a grape squeezer but definitely turn over and feel those bags of small oranges or bag of onions. Also turn over the plastic bins for blueberries, cheery tomatoes and raspberries to make sure there is no mold
Jennifer says
I usually do not sample the grapes, just pick the absolute greenest and hope that they are super sour. Love them sour. I sniff stone fruits and cantaloupes, check the avocado by checking stem, and check watermelon stems and yellow spots. I buy either the greenest or brownest bananas depending on purpose, and check the bottom of the strawberry tub. I never squeeze produce, especially cantaloupes and stone fruits, as that leaves a bruise. But, I will sample an odd grape variety (the cotton candy, jelly, and gummy grapes come to mind). I could buy and return, but then it’s mandatory trash. Produce manager has no problem with it, and usually has samples of the weird ones anyway. I also remove grape bunches from my bag, I don’t always want three pounds of grapes, I buy only what I want. That’s fine, as the bags are there to prevent rogue grapes from escaping to the floor, not to prevent you from adjusting quantity. Blister packs are different, I buy those without opening, as those are priced by unit rather than pound.
Judy says
Don’t squeeze, don’t eat. But I do feel the bags, the ones that are cold are the most recently put out. If it then looks good, I buy it.
Never have been disappointed yet.
Amanda says
As a grocery store employee, I would not sample anything that hasn’t been specifically set out for samples. That has been washed, inspected, and safely displayed for human consumption. You never know who has been in the store, and what they have touched. Imagine a working man coming in to buy his lunch, hands covered i grease. Or kids straight from the park, covered in dirt and mud. I have seen produce dropped on the floor and then scooped back into the display before an employee can come around. I have seen small children lick everything in their reach.
No grocery store employee is going to care if you sample a grape or a loose cherry; produce always throws massive amounts of spoiled food away daily; a few pounds of grapes lost to taste testers isn’t going to hurt his bottom line. the average produce manager at a chain store has no control over the quality or origin of produce they are going to receive, all of that is typically controlled by a corporate buyer, and highly dependent on the weather, season, and how far you are from the place of origin. If you want his opinion on the ripest fruit or veg? he will know what direction to point you.
if you w ant a sample of something, just ask. most of us are happy to open a container, or slice open a fruit as long as we aren’t busy with other customers. The presliced melons that are often sold in summer? we typically pass funny shaped slices around to taste in the back. Most importantly we can also wash things before you eat them.
If you wouldn’t eat it off the floor of your grocery store, sample at your own risk.
Rebecca says
I never understand why people sample grapes, either. All I can think about is the pesticides/dirt/icky hands that have been in contact with the unwashed grape those people are eating. GRODY!!!!
Staci says
I’ve never sampled grapes or anything that wasn’t specifically set out for that purpose. In my book and upbringing, that’s stealing. Ask the produce manager if you must and be willing to bring them back if you’re not satisfied.
Our small town store also has a kids fruit club and will give you samples from the deli case of you ask to try something. Love the small town life.
Catherine says
I am definitely a grape sampler. I’ve had too many bad experiences, coming home and finding that I had a whole package of sour grapes. Yuck!
Wendy says
I worked in the grocery industry for 25 years. Grape sampling is not as offensive as you’d might think. We would rather you buy something you like than return them because they are sour. All fresh returns will have to be thrown away and can’t be sold again. A couple of grapes is a fair price to pay for a happy customer! If you feel uneasy about just helping yourself ask the produce clerk if you can try some. They will be more than willing to oblige.
Nancy from mass says
I am a grape squeezer but I squeeze it from the outside of the bag. Also I would never eat grape or any other produce that wasn’t put out as a sample. Not only for the cleanliness factor but the fact that is shoplifting by aspiration (I think it’s called) because you are stealing something that hasn’t been weighed and paid for
Cathy says
I sample one grape to make sure they are sweet. I can’t afford to waste money to get inedible produce or time to have to return it.
I watched my mom and grandma taste the grapes before we bought them my whole life.
Amber says
I’ve been burned too many times on grapes where I’ve spent a TON of money (well, not a ton, but a ton for grapes alone), and they’re not good. So, I will sample one out of the package (taking care not to touch others, for what it’s worth). If they’re sour, I will not buy them. If they’re good, I’ll stick ’em in the cart. I don’t sample other items, though.