A Day in the Life: Produce

A whole day. That's what it takes to get our grocery shopping done for a week.

I'm still not brave or talented enough to get this trip done on my own. Maybe one day I will understand the accents so I know how much to pay and have the coordination to push a stroller and a grocery cart at the same time. Maybe one day I can keep Miss A in her stroller (as opposed to in a stranger's arms) while I get the things I need. For now, I'll keep Mister as my shopping partner. :)

We live about a ten minute walk from our fresh market. We walk there in the morning to get vegetables, fruit, and (hopefully) fresh meat. Then, we walk home to drop everything off.

The closest grocery store is a 10-15 minute walk in the opposite direction. 3+ hours later, we get home for good! Then, the real work begins.

(Green) oranges, kiwi, pears, spinach, garlic, potatoes, lemons, green chills, tomatoes, apples, 18 eggs, bananas, snap peas, red onion, bell pepper, carrots, cucumbers, ginger, mango, and cilantro. All this for less than $15--a perk of living in China!

They're beautiful, but full of germs and diseases. Even the things with skin need to be sanitized so we don't touch the outside and get it on the inside when we peel. I love the melon here, but have heard of people injecting it with China water to make it weigh more, se we rarely get them. mmm

First step: sanitize

Second step: rinse (with filtered water)

Third step: dry

Repeat with another batch.

After waking up to the lovely smell of wet and slimy spinach one morning, we decided to clean the greens as needed instead of with everything else.

and most people buy produce every day. Maybe I'm a wimp, but once a week is enough for me. :)