Midnight Munchies
April 23rd, 2010 § 20 Comments
My roommate and I are pretty creative people. She is actually the person I have to give credit to for coining the word “blend” which if you didn’t already know is a super cool way to talk about the friends you’ve made through blogging. Blogger friend = blend. Use it, people.
Another phrase we have come to create and love in our house? Clearwater. No, not like the beach in sunny Florida where you can run and sun and drink and be merry. Quite the contrary. Clearwater in our house relates to the state of your bank account. I don’t know about anyone else out there, but when it gets close to payday, things get stretched mighty thin here – I mean, I did put my best friend Chase Visa in the freezer and all. So what happens with all the little dolla bill fisheys swim away? You start seeing the bottom of your little ocean of funds. As in it’s clearing out. As in, I am in clearwater right now.
“Hey wanna go to the movies?”
“Can’t. I’m in clearwater.”
“Let’s go have a drink after work.”
“Sorry. I’m in clearwater.”
“OH EM GEE. I want everything in H&M right ne-OW. Dang, clearwater.”
So, when pay day does arrive in all its glory, we are two very happy little ladies. Not only can we stop eating spaghetti noodles with ranch dressing for dinner, we can actually go places and do things and you know, be a grownup and pay bills.
Yesterday our kitchen hit a sad state of nothingness. No produce, no bars (gosh do we love our bars) no eggs and even gasp no trash bags. So we decided to do what anyone in clearwater would and wait until midnight when our paychecks magically zinged! into our accounts to go grocery shopping. I mean sometimes, you just can’t wait. KnowI’msayin’?
So we ventured off to the GIANT! new grocery store in town, Market District.
Now, I feel kind of like a mean girl saying this, but Market District is just a wannabe Whole Foods. Giant Eagle is the primary grocery store around here and Market District is like a Giant Eagle that started watching “The Doctors,” got a gym membership and decided it wanted to be like the cool organic/all-natural stores on the block. The good thing about Market District is we found a lot of unique foods that I know Whole Foods carries, but at a fraction of the cost. Another good thing about this particular location? It’s open 24 hours and no one was there last night.
Now, I get the allure of Whole Foods. I love it just as much as the next health conscious chick. But, I tend to get overwhelmed in there. Like, nearly-an-anxiety-attack-meets-OD-on-food-porn kind of overwhelm. I feel like there’s just so much to look at and so many people and tiny aisles and finicky carts and oh! the hot bar, can’t forget the hot bar! So, taking a more relaxed pace was what I needed.
Here are a few things I was excited to find.
Popchips! We opted for the smaller 99 cent bag and whew! it’s a good thing we did or this house would be smelling like a garlic clove today. Strong flavor but I did like the consistency, it reminded me a bit of a rice cake.
OK confession: I only bought this because every food blogger I have ever talked to gets their drawers all in a twist over this. What can I say, I’m an impulse shopper. Did I squeal in delight when I saw these even though I have never had it in my life? Why, yes. Yes, I did.
Other great finds include strawberry pomegranate organic yogurt from Stonyfield, blue corn tortilla chips, more bars than I could have ever imagined – I am on a white chocolate macadamia nut kick – and the return of the one true love of my (food) life.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! (As in, angels, singing. Or more squealing.)
I have an addiction slight obsession with this stuff and about lost my marbles when Coffee Mate announced they’d be keeping it on board after the holiday season. Except I can’t find it ANYWHERE. That is like telling Carrie Bradshaw, “Oh I’m sorry Ms. Bradshaw, those Manolos you love? We lied. They’re GONE. Bye!”
I wanted to dump a baker’s dozen of those babies in the cart a la the scene in the Piggly Wiggly during “Steel Magnolias” where Clairee loads up the cart with pork and beans for Drum Eatenton while M’Lynn recovers from surgery. (Six million gold stars if you know what I am talking about.) Alas, I got two and now I know where I can get my fix, um, favorite creamer.
Waking up in the morning is just so much easier with a kitchen stocked with good food – don’t you agree???
Happy weekend y’all!
Jealous! Take me next time.
GAH SOOOOO JEALOUS of your giant Giant!!! All we have here in the boonies are the little ones. Which is probably for the best, speaking of bank accounts. haha. I love grocery stores so much but I’ve never even been in a Whole Foods or Trader Joes (wasn’t blessed to be born or schooled near a large enough metropolis) I think I would explode.
This killed me…. I understand the allure of grocery shopping and the clearwater state.
I’ve totally squealed in delight over finding some precious item I’ve seen countless times on food bloggers sites, even though I’ve never in my life tried it and might actually hate in reality. But, still, I’ve done the giddy dance.
As for your coffee mate obsession, I had one to International Delights white chocolate macadamian nut creamer and when I found the magical stash (the stuff was like panning for gold, it was so hard to come by), I would load up my cart a la Clairee.
I feel the need to pull out my copy of Steel Magnolias. When I was a kid I totally wanted to visit Truvy’s hair salon to get my hair done and chat with the ladies, and wanted my wedding colours to be Blush and Bashful just like Shelby. Also, fav line “there is no such thing as a natural beauty”.
haha. I was dancing in the aisles when I went to trader joes for the 2nd time in Albuquerque. I know how you feel! I don’t squeal or dance in the aisles at the commissary here unfortunately
but I do when i go to the German market. 
Yay for pay day!!
I love late night grocery shopping. Way better than dealing with dodging carts going every which directiction after work…
Will you be my blend? I love the terms, they are pretty awesome! I wish I had a big health food store like that in College Station. You seriously crack me up each time I read your blog. Thank you for that.
Oh my. This post just cracked my shit up. So funny. I’ve actually been thinking about freezing my credit cards. Clearwater….brilliant! I get sooo overwhelmed in WF. I love it, but I could seriously get lost in there for hours. There is no “I’ll just run in and get it” like you could do at a regular grocery store.
Okay first, I love the term “clearwater” more than just about anything. I will be using that (frequently, because it’s ummm story of my life).
Second, I’d def go the store at midnight when the check magically zinged…with ya on that!
Third, my grandma loves the sugar free Hazlenut creamer and it’s always a hassle if she’s out…someone has to go to the store at night to be sure she has it the next day. So a couple months ago, one of the grocery stores put it on a major sale and my mom no joke bought 10 bottles of it. They are in our downstairs fridge. Ridiculous, but hey. Just wanna be prepared.
This really cracked me up. I also took a really late shopping trip to the good old Giant Eagle last night. I am jealous of the Market Fresh store you have though, I will be making my way down there soon to stock up on some cheaper “whole food” products.
I find I spend the bulk of my money on greek yogurt! Why is this form of foodgasm so expensive?! Veggies and fruit put me in the “clearwater” haha, love that!
I am going to start making weekly trips to the Strip District for some cheaper produce, hopefully they are ready for me when I come Sunday!
I love blend and clearwater. Also I love creamer, and that one is reeeally good.
omgee… I can totally picture you girls SKIPPING to the store at midnight. I used to do the same thing in my bar star days… Thursdays were always pay day for my summer crew and I and it just so happened that Wednesday nights were our ahem… mandatory staff social. You know homegirl was lurkin’ around the ATM at the bar come midnight. Just like Cinderella, that was the magical time, although, rather than going from ballgown to rags, I went from empty glass to dancing on the tables.
but now? bloggie food items get me dancing on the tabletops, or rather- the hotbar.
Don’t eat Giant Eagle sushi.. words of wisdom from an idiot who happened to be a few drinks in at the time. Bad life choices #3425.
your nails look pretty! sorry no other earth shattering thoughts. but I figured I’d let you know I’m a creeper.
Leave it to you to literally have me LOLing. Usually when I say “lol” (which isn’t often) I’m totally lying. Okay, maybe I’m even lying right now. But I was definitely giggling! I just seriously appreciate your humor. That is all
i love this post.
that really makes me happy in my heart. i understand the wanting somethign and searching high and low for it and then coming across it and feeling a small imaginary tear of joy rolling down your cheek. totally.
and im happy that you found your creamer
also. i totally buy things with excitement even though i havent tried them but 1848314 bloggers love them. i think we ALL do this.
I don’t go grocery shopping often enough so when I do, I hear angels singing too. And they sing even louder when I find a food I’ve been dying to try! (Glad you got your Coffee-mate. I just use the regular flavor!)
yes good food in the kitchen gives me a mornnig high and i leap like a lemur! coffee will do that to me too. LOVE ur shopping cart- omg so many delicious eats/finds. xoxo love ur bloggie <3
One of my friends is also obsessed with that flavor coffeemate…too funny. I love white peppermint mochas from Starbucks! I’m going to have to give this coffeemate a try since I do have a MAJOR coffee addiction!
SIIIIIIGH! Peppermint mocha! I had no idea they made that. I MUST have it now.
[...] with a bag of chia seeds in your mouth, indulge on something nice for yourself, even if you are in clearwater and just laugh. My goodness, I do a lot of that. I hope by visiting here, if I don’t leave you [...]