From the Heart (of Texas): Store Envy

After happily settling the kids at Gommie's (4 bathrooms! no basement! what a strange place!) with all the new-to-them toys, Mama and I did one of my favorite things to do in Houston: grocery shop. Some of my strongest memories are of shopping at the Randall's, when that was the store to visit (mainly because for a long time after it arrived, it was one of the only stores; before it came, we had a long trek to the Gerland's. NW Houston as the boonies then). I remember free cake on customer appreciation day, all the soups and Kool-Aids, the staff whom Mom knew by name. I'd swear we'd go more than twice a week!

Well, Randall's isn't the store anymore, having been replaced by newer, swankier, better-stocked, less religious (Randall's didn't sell alcohol when I was a kid) stores. Tonight we hit Kroger's; later in the trip we'll go to the big H.E.B. Both have amazing stocks of organic and natural products, ethnic groceries, a variety of produce, and just things you never see in the smaller, older groceries in Connecticut (even though the new Shop Rites, replacing the old Shaw's, as well as Big Y, come closer than Shop and Stop. Yes, I always say that backwards, accidentally; and now it's a habit.) Sure, last year I questioned the need for such quantities of goods (and I stand by some of my concern about the excess)--there is a whole aisle of paper towels and toilet paper! And about 6' of grocery shelf space of powdered drink mixes! But they also carry all the Bob's Red Mill flours and a ton of Indian, Asian, and Mexican ingredients. Yep, I have grocery store envy.

And some nostalgia, too: BLUE BELL the best ice cream in the country (now in convenient pint containers), Ranch Style Beans, Rotel (which we do now get, but not in as many varieties), Steen's Syrup, those pink and white frosted animal cookies, just the name "Parkay" (not that I think I've ever even had that), Adams extracts, Imperial Sugar, Trappey's Black Eyes. And those are just the things I noticed in our quick run today. I got a little teary-eyed in the grocery store (yes, I'll cry about anything) and so had to buy a tacky Texas totebag in honor of it all! We also got 4 pints of Blue Bell, just for samples and I came home humming that tune . . . .

After a delicious dinner of baked chicken, rice and gravy, peas and carrots, corn on the cob, and squash, all of which (minus the last) the kids scarfed as if they hadn't eaten all day, and a little watching of the DVD Mama made of the Mother's Day tea and graduation at preschool and the church pageant (all of which made me a bit teary; yeah, yeah, I know--just like Gommie, who had to wipe her eyes too!), we put the kiddos to bed, even though it was still light out, and headed off to the bookstore. The Half-Price Books bookstore. I think I like it even better than the grocery stores! Good thing I only get to visit once a year. But that's okay because I think I picked up enough books for that, from Elizabeth David's tome on English Bread and Yeast Cookery to Marion Cunningham's iconic cookbook on breakfast, plus a couple of books on baking. Mama got a few drawing books, a history of ancient China, and some books on knights and castles for Bud and folktales for Sis. We could've picked up more for them but, then, we know we'll be going back before the trip is over.

Right after we go back to the grocery store!