Whole Foods Flowers, Olives & Nectarines

We had to take a short walk this morning rather than the usual long walk because of a prior commitment. But we also needed to pick up a bunch of flowers. To that end we promenaded over to the Whole Foods that is located hardly two blocks away. It was rather cloudy and windy with a threat of rain. So we bundled up for the cold but soon realized we were overdressed. By the time we reached Whole Foods both of us were quite warm. The fresh nectarines were too hard to pass by. The flowers were right next to the nectarines and we found a nice bunch. We quickly passed through the store and landed at the olive bar - something that is very hard to resist. We thought about looking for something for dinner but decided we would make due with whatever we had at home. By this time we were really warm! The check out didn’t take long and we were happy to be home in short order. By then, the sun was out and all was right with the world. We usually dress right for the weather. I’m not sure what happened this morning. 

Cookie Monster at Whole Foods

After walking around the SE waterfront Yards Park neighborhood yesterday morning we stopped by the newly opened Whole Foods. It’s really very close to our house - only about 2-3 blocks away. We usually go there to pick up things during the week that we either forgot to get on the weekend or ran out of. I usually have angel food cake for dessert but lately it’s been tough to come by. So I have been stealing a cookie or two from my husband’s supply. That temporary habit has depleted his stash. I really prefer the cake to the cookies for the calories alone. Angel food is just enough to satisfy a bit of a sweet tooth. Every evening my husband always has tea and cookies. So we needed to restore the supply. I noticed the last time we were in Whole Foods that you can select your favorite type of cookies rather than buy a box of one kind - but you can do that too if you prefer. So after we picked up an Italian loaf of bread and some olives, we checked out the fairly large assortment of cookies. The calorie count alone should scare one off. But we did pick out about 4-5 different types - chocolate chip, raspberry filled, pistachio based. We ended up having a 125 calorie cookie with tea after dinner. It was very good, but not something we want to do every day. Unfortunately Whole Foods doesn’t have angel food cake. That is very disappointing! 

Whole Foods Trip for Cabbage Soup Ingredient

Who doesn’t love soup? We do - and my husband makes great soup and usually without a recipe. We brought home some leftover turkey from our Christmas dinner with family in Virginia and had a big pot of soup that lasted for a few meals. When we were in the grocery store last Saturday I saw a great looking cabbage. So we decided it would be a good time to make a really good cabbage soup. Unfortunately we forgot to get all the ingredients. Whenever that happened in the past it meant that we had to take a long walk to the grocery store - Harris Teeter that is eleven blocks away or Trader Joe’s that is eight blocks away. It’s okay if we are out for the morning walk, but not when it’s later in the day due to other commitments. Luckily for us the newly opened Whole Foods is just down the street from us. It’s at most a convoluted two blocks or so. So we walked down to the store and picked up a can of diced tomatoes, and also an Italian loaf, our favorite P’tit Basque cheese, an olive assortment from the olive bar, and a piece of watermelon. Whenever we think about moving from this neighborhood we always consider what’s important. Walking, not driving, to places we need to visit is a key consideration. Living in an 1890’s building has its drawbacks, but the location can’t be better. We just can’t seem to decide what’s most important. So as long as we can’t figure it out we’re not going anywhere. Now it’s time to make soup. 

Whole Foods Three Blocks Away

Everyone in the neighborhood was waiting for the big day. Whole Foods was finally going to open in the Yards. We weren’t able to make the grand opening morning, but walked over the following Sunday to pick up something for supper. The place was PACKED. And you see a lot of Whole Foods shopping bags coming in our building. After all, it is located hardly three blocks from here - just on the other side of the overpass. So this morning we decided to stop in and pick up a couple of items - peppers, cheese, bread, and a cooked chicken for dinner. The place was empty at that time of the day. So we checked out the aisles to see what was available. I don’t see it as our “go to” grocery store because it doesn’t have a lot of the more familiar brands we prefer. But it is very convenient for a couple of items kind of thing and Amazon Prime might get us a bit of a discount. Everything looked good and maybe we just need to get more familiar with it. They do have a breakfast bar which may come in handy after the morning walk. But the timing must be right to avoid the morning/lunch change up. When we moved to DC twelve years ago none of this existed. From our house to the Nationals Stadium the neighborhood has been completely transformed. Being able to walk to groceries, restaurants, dentist, doctor, haircut, etc is really nice - if you can stand all the inconvenience and noise of an urban environment. 

Whole Foods in Alexandria

We have been waiting impatiently for the new Whole Foods store to open up in our neighborhood. It will be about two blocks away from us near the Navy Yard/ Yards Park. We usually don’t go to Whole Foods for groceries. But since we became Amazon Prime members it made sense to give it a try. We went to the store in Alexandria after lunch today. We were there about ten years ago to buy a head of cabbage and never went back. But now we have an incentive. The store in our neighborhood will be ten years newer, so I’m sure it will be ten times nicer. Whole Foods has a lot of brands we aren’t familiar with and we generally don’t care for organic or gluten free foodstuffs. We were more interested to see the fruit, the bread, and the cheese. I think the fruit and cheese were great - especially since they had our favorite P’tit basque. We haven’t bought flowers for awhile hoping our garden would substitute. But that hasn’t happened this year so we got a nice bunch. The olive bar was fine but the bread didn’t win us over. I can see this might be a good place to pick up things in between our regular shopping at Harris Teeter or Safeway. But perhaps the new store will have more appeal. I like the idea of getting discounts on groceries, and the cherries we picked up were a real deal. Let’s hope they taste as good as they look! At the register you scan for additional savings using the iPhone app. If we like it enough we may one day buy a cart to drag around and haul the goods. I found the perfect one on Amazon of course. 

Amazon Prime, Coupons, Video, Shipping

I’ve been an Amazon customer since 2000. One of the first things I bought on the site was a digital camera that used floppy disks. But only until recently did we decide to get Amazon Prime. We certainly use it often enough to benefit from free shipping. But it wasn’t until Apple TV allowed Amazon to have an app on it that it made even more sense. My husband said the subscription was worth it just to watch Billy Bob Thornton on Goliath. And having a soon to open Whole Foods store two blocks from where we live made it even a better idea. But it wasn’t until we were grocery shopping this weekend that it really made sense - especially for bulk items. We used to go to Costco, but it was overwhelming and you were somewhat tied to particular brands. So I went on line and stumbled upon coupons, and dash buttons, and pretty good discounts on frequently used items. I don’t think we will ever buy them in the grocery store again. And we won’t have to lug it all from the car to the house that only has street parking. And, even though you get free shipping, you can opt for regular shipping and earn $5 coupons back  - which essentially was how things had always been shipped anyway. For some items, who cares when they arrive? And if you have a favorite charity, you can shop on Amazon Smile. The trick is to use the app to shop and then check out on Amazon Smile on your browser. I’m sure the National Borzoi Rescue Foundation appreciates it. I probably won’t use most of the freebies Amazon Prime has to offer, although the clothes option sounded intriguing. Who knows what the next feature will be? All I know is it makes things a lot easier for so many people in ways we have yet to imagine.