Rejoice in the Lord, ALWAYS and again I say rejoice! Another thing I have come to rejoice in is Kroger! This allergy shopping has really made the weekly grocery store runs challenging. We used to spend maybe 56 minutes in the store, one of us chasing Lady H, one of us pushing the cart and both of us just absent mindedly tossing things in.
Those days have come and gone. We now carve out a solid 2 to 3 hours for a trip to the grocery store. We often map out our route because we need to hit this store for the better selection of cheese, that store for the goat milk and two other stores to ensure we have the bread and snacks she likes.
When she was first diagnosed, I immediately thought we would be limited to Whole Foods and Fresh Market. I have no ill will towards either of these stores, but we just can't afford to get groceries from either, especially not on a weekly basis. They are pricey and not close to our house. I did bite the bullet and walk into Whole Foods though. Two grocery bags and $110 dollars later, I vowed to find another way.
One random Saturday, I needed some butter for something I was making (but Lady H couldn't enjoy.) and so I ran across the street (literally) to Kroger to pick some up. As I was walking towards the butter, I noticed a large section that I had never seen before. I don't know if I just hadn't paid that much attention or if it was because I hadn't shopped in a Kroger in a long time. No matter the reason, I began to browse this land of Lady H approved foods and a small tear or two may have rolled down my cheek! There were tons of things that she could eat, and they were affordable. I felt the Heavens open up and the Lord shine down saying, "well done my good and faithful servant. Here is your land of milk and honey." I said a small prayer of thanks and began to load a cart. That butter trip turned into a free for all of all things allergen free.
Those days have come and gone. We now carve out a solid 2 to 3 hours for a trip to the grocery store. We often map out our route because we need to hit this store for the better selection of cheese, that store for the goat milk and two other stores to ensure we have the bread and snacks she likes.
When she was first diagnosed, I immediately thought we would be limited to Whole Foods and Fresh Market. I have no ill will towards either of these stores, but we just can't afford to get groceries from either, especially not on a weekly basis. They are pricey and not close to our house. I did bite the bullet and walk into Whole Foods though. Two grocery bags and $110 dollars later, I vowed to find another way.
One random Saturday, I needed some butter for something I was making (but Lady H couldn't enjoy.) and so I ran across the street (literally) to Kroger to pick some up. As I was walking towards the butter, I noticed a large section that I had never seen before. I don't know if I just hadn't paid that much attention or if it was because I hadn't shopped in a Kroger in a long time. No matter the reason, I began to browse this land of Lady H approved foods and a small tear or two may have rolled down my cheek! There were tons of things that she could eat, and they were affordable. I felt the Heavens open up and the Lord shine down saying, "well done my good and faithful servant. Here is your land of milk and honey." I said a small prayer of thanks and began to load a cart. That butter trip turned into a free for all of all things allergen free.