where i buy food + a look at the new shoprite

I had the chance to check out the new Albany ShopRite store last week before it opened. Having started as a Potluck blogger before there was a really convenient location near me has gotten me all hyped up. It also got me analyzing where I shop for food. Here's the scoop:

I'll always be loyal to our local co-op for certain things, especially bulk items, their delicious prepared meals & other hippie goods. I support the co-op as much as I can and talk about it to anyone who will listen. If you are local, you should shop there. Quit complaining about the parking or the cramped aisles, because it's worth it to navigate. Try it out, I think you'll like it.

I'm very much looking forward to the start of our new CSA season with the lovely Denison Farm. Knowing exactly where my vegetables came from and who grew them makes eating them all the more delightful. Just listen to Episode 2 of the FSC Podcast and you'll hear how excited I am about CSAs. Similarly, Saturday mornings at the Troy Farmers Market are some of my favorite times and we try to buy as much of our produce there as possible when we aren't in our CSA season. There's a great community that gathers at local farmers markets and it's one of the most fun ways to buy your food. Plus, you are directly supporting local farmers and producers, and that is always good.

We are nearing the end of our second season of being part of a community-supported bakery. At the beginning of the "bread season", we made an upfront financial commitment to All Good Bakers in exchange for weekly loaves of fresh, locally-sourced, artisan loaves of bread. So that's primarily how we get our carb intake each week.

With all of that being said, a good portion of our weekly grocery shopping still happens in supermarkets. There, I said it. Slay me!

What do we buy at the supermarket? Well, we buy bananas. And avocados. They aren't local, but I love them. We buy tofu, tempeh, English muffins, cooking oil, almond milk, granola bars, frozen berries and a few frozen vegetables, veggie burgers, cereal, yogurt, juice, crackers, cheese, toilet paper, paper towels, beer, an occasional convenience food and whatever else tickles our fancy. These are things that we buy regularly and that we appreciate paying cheaper prices for. We stock up on pantry items. Sometimes I buy People magazine there with a candy bar. And I'm guessing, and this is just a guess, that many of you are at a grocery store on a regular basis.

Which explains the excitement over the new Albany ShopRite. I mean, I'm excited! Genuinely.

They've hired over 500 employees from the area and are regionally-owned. They have an on-site dietitian who provides one-on-one nutritional consulting and will walk around with you and help you shop for a diabetes-safe, gluten free, low-sugar, allergy free or whatever else fits your lifestyle. For free. But, and I think this is more impressive, they also do community outreach to places like schools and senior centers to talk about healthy foods.

They make a lot of prepared foods, from straight up home-cooking and fried chicken to hot paninis and Asian fusion. The prepared foods are made from scratch daily by what appears to be a staff largely trained by the Culinary Institute of America.

85% of their bakery goods are made from scratch, on site. They also feature baked goods from local companies like Coccadotts (cupcakes!), Cookie Factory (Fudge Fantasies!), Villa Italia (yum!), Neighborhood Bakery (halal products) and Bread Alone (natural, local & organic). They also have a gluten free bakery section though, of course, watch for cross contamination. ShopRite has a full kosher grocery section too.

ShopRite's produce section has an impressive organic selection. Right now, their "local" produce comes from New Jersey but they've committed to sourcing a fair percentage of their produce from actual local farmers by July. I was also guaranteed that their produce staff is well-trained and will actually be able to answer questions about vegetables, which... you don't find at all supermarkets. ShopRite also has a big cheese counter with an actual trained cheesemonger plus they have house-made mozzarella-- perhaps we should team up? :)

If you're into fish, it all sounds pretty good in that department. I believe that ShopRite is the only supermarket with its own USDC Grade A fishery, so that's something. You order weird things like live eels & sea urchins, if you so choose. They'll marinate, season & cook your seafood on site for free- although I think Price Chopper might also do that, no? I was impressed that their fishmonger actually mentioned seasonality when talking about what types of fish were in stock or expected soon. In the butcher department, while they don't offer locally-raised meat products, they do make their own ground beef in small batches several times a day to ensure ultimate freshness. ShopRite only sells Grade A poultry, which I'm sure means something good, and they also have Boars Head (gluten free, no GMO) deli meat. 

Look! Battenkill Creamery! The best chocolate milk ever. And they are even in their glass bottles.

And hey! Locally-made Gatherer's Granola! It's really delicious, if you haven't tried it yet. Sweet and crunchy.



They have a huge variety of these aloe drinks, which Chris loves but I'm not so sure about. There's no other local place with the same selection, apparently.

Oh & did I mention that you can place a grocery order online and either pick it up or have it delivered to you?! WHAT?! Yup, ShopRite from Home. I will absolutely be trying this out soon and reporting back.

Now you know where we buy our groceries. We're kind of crunchy and pretty locally-minded but yes, we go to grocery stores. I've been a member of the ShopRite Potluck blog team since last summer but this is the first time I've had a store that is actually convenient for me to shop in, so I'm eager to see how it will impact my weekly grocery shopping. I know, it's just a grocery store. But I'm feeling pretty good about it as a supplement to my CSA, farmers market & co-op excursions. As always, you can read my Potluck blog posts right over here. (I should mention that I am never obligated to post about ShopRite on my own blog. I just thought I would share in the new store frenzy that has swept the area.)

the pixie cut series, part 3: growing it out

This is the final installment of The Pixie Cut Series. For anyone out there who could care less about short, cute haircuts... tune back in later :) It's a crazy photo-heavy post, because I crazy Googled pictures of growing-out-pixie-cuts to assure myself that was possible. 

If your biggest fear about chopping your hair off is, "What will happen when I want to grow it out?"... just stop. Live in the moment! Seize the day! The answer to your question is, "It will grow out!" Your hair will grow back. You will get through any awkward stages with grace and spunk. You will experiment with different styles. You will contemplate wearing a turban to work. All of these are good things! So, my promise to you is that Yes! Your pixie cut will grow out, if you so desire. Here are my tips for growing it out with dignity.

Part 3: Growing it out

Be patient. Obviously. My last maintenance pixie cut was sometime in late November. My hair grows really fast, but it's still a pretty short hairdo right now. I'm not aiming to grow it much longer than a cute bob, so I'm just a month or so away from that goal. For what it's worth I estimate the transition from pixie cut to chin-length layered bob will take about 6-7 months.

You must get regular trims! Prevent the mullet at all costs. That back part by the nape of your neck grows super quickly. Enlist your regular hairdresser, SuperCuts or a friend to administer regular mullet chops once a month. Cut that tail off and let the rest of your hair catch up a bit. At some point, you'll also want to trim the other layers to prevent squirellyness, but if you can, wait a few months for the top parts to grow out.

It's your call on the bangs. I kept mine trimmed because I thought I looked less haggard and more put together, but you could also decide to grow those out at the same time. Whatevs.

Let the sides grow. Those parts around your ear will grow out and will prevent a mullet. They'll also give the illusion of longer hair since they frame your face. Leave 'em be for at least a few months and you'll feel a lot better on your path to longer locks.

Don't be afraid to try other styles on your way out. It's a good time to experiment with other short 'dos and, unless you are in a rush, there's no harm in delaying your grow out period. Once your hair has evened up a bit, maybe a 3-4 months into the process, get your layers trimmed up and start experimenting. Poof it up. If it's long enough, get a curling iron up in there and create a little texture. Wear it pushed over all on one side. I'm practicing an asymmetrical look so I can work up the courage to get something crazy done soon :)

When all else fails, wear a hat. Or a scarf. Sometimes your hair will just look a bit squirelly. It happens. I went through most of the awkward growing out phases during winter, so I often just threw on a slouchy knit hat and was on my way. A wide scarf can also do the trick because it hides some of the back mullet-y parts and breaks up any grown-out layers so that you look chic rather than sloppy. Style your hair the way you would normally wear it, and then gently wrap your scarf around your head so it still covers your ears a bit. Pulling my bangs back underneath the scarf always looked too severe and athletic for my taste.

That concludes The Pixie Cut series! As a sidenote, about 90% of the times I tried to type out "pixie cut", I actually wrote "pixie CUTE". Which is fitting, because short hair is so freaking cute. I hope this has helped any of you who are on the fence to take the plunge, or maybe it reaffirmed that you are most comfortable as a long-haired vixen. Either way, let's continue to wildly collect photos of Michelle Williams and other cute, confident, pretty ladies who are proving to the world that short hair is feminine and fierce. Leave your tips for growing out a pixie cut in the comments. Although, I  should be honest that this blog series is making me want to go super short again!


The Pixie Cut Series
Part 1: Chopping it all off
Part 2: Rocking the pixie
Part 3: Growing it out
An Update- 8 Months Later

an online book club

I must take a quick break from The Pixie Cut Series to tell you all that the FSC Book Club starts today! I'm helping moderate an online, no pressure, really great foodie book club over on From Scratch Club's Facebook page. I am beyond excited to finally be a part of a book club. I think I was predestined as a small child to someday become a moderator of a book club. That time has come.

This post has all of the details. So low pressure. So fun. Join us! Our first book is An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy & Grace by Tamar Adler. Grab a copy, read up & jump in the conversation!

(FAQs and the announcement of the book club can be found here.)

the pixie cut series, part 2: rocking the pixie

This is Part 2 of my Pixie Cut Series. For anyone out there who could care less about short, cute haircuts... tune back in later :)

By now most of you have gotten yourselves a trendy little pixie cut and wondering how the hell to rock it. There are so many ways, dear pixies, so many ways indeed. In fact, I asked a few of my favorite short-haired ladies to chime in with their thoughts & photos. But first, here is my tried & true advice for rocking it.

the pixie cut series, part 1: chopping it all off

This is Part 1 of The Pixie Cut Series. For anyone out there who could care less about short, cute haircuts... tune back in later :)

Part 1: Chopping it all off

A little over a year ago, I finally made the leap to a pixie cut. For months, my hairstyles had been getting shorter and shorter with each trip to the salon. One day, I brought in a cute photo of Carey Mulligan and an hour later, I walked out with a definitively SHORT hairdo. It was such a natural progression, I didn't even think about how short it was. If you have straight-up LONG hair and want a drastic change, that's even cooler! You've obsessed over Michelle Williams' short 'do for months now. You have a Pinterest board dedicated entirely to pixie cuts. You are ready to take the plunge. Here are my tips & tidbits before you get in the chair.

Think it through one last time. I am very pro-short hair, but think it through one more time to make sure it's right for you. Personally, I'm of the attitude that "Hey, it's just hair. It grows back." (Which, unfortunately is what some people told me after I got mine cut... even after I told them I was really happy with it...) But seriously, it's not permanent. Take a chance! Look back on this time in your life when you made a change and rocked a new look. That being said, if you are working the Rapunzel style now, it will be a big change. You can't just throw your bedhead hair into a ponytail and you do limit the number of ways you can wear it. Just know that, accept it & get ready.

Don't skimp on hair stylists. When I had longer hair, I'd go to any crazy person on the street for a haircut. When you're going super short though, go to someone you trust. That could be someone at SuperCuts, for sure, but really make sure you like that person's style & are confident in their ability. One slip of the scissors at this length could mean disaster.

Bring a photo.  This is probably an obvious one, but again, when I had longer hair it didn't seem as necessary to bring photo inspiration. There are so many variations of short hair, though, that it is essential to bring examples. Do you want a longer floppy cut like this one? (Sidenote: this was the photo I brought for my first pixie cut!) A really close crop like Michelle? An edgy mohawk type thing? Long bangs? An almost-buzzed Emma Watson cut? Figure it out & then bring as many pictures as you can. Try to get photos of the back of the head too, that's where the real pixie cut magic happens.

Personally, I really wanted to avoid the early Sex in the City Miranda look. I wanted the part near my neck to be really short, no long wisps reaching towards my collar. I wanted a nice round profile for the back, so that it wasn't too fluffy on top or too flat looking. For the most part, I kept my bangs and top on the longer side, just because.

It might take a few days for your hair to settle into its new cut. Sometimes hair just doesn't quite lie the right way when it's first chopped off. Maybe your hair will look awesome right out of the gate. It probably will. But I guarantee that it will look even better in a week. Have a little patience, play with it a lot in front of a mirror if you need to and settle in to your new, awesome look.

Just do it. My hairstylist asked me if I was sure my boyfriend would be ok with such a short haircut. Hmmph... Of course we all want to look good for our Special Someones, but... if you really want a pixie cut, then you should get one. That's what I think, anyway. My dude liked it, which is awesome, but more importantly, I really liked it. It's a bold move for a lot of people and sometimes you just need to take the plunge and not worry about what other people think. A pixie cut may not seem that crazy to some of you-- and that's because it isn't. But in our society, chopping your hair off can seem drastic to a lot of people. There will always be more photos of fashion models with long, flowing locks than there are of ones rocking a cropped cut. There will always be haters out there, but you will look so good that it doesn't matter. Rock it, sister, rock it.

Stay tuned for "Part 2: Rocking the Pixie" soon, wherein I talk about overcompensating with girly accessories and makeup, and also talk about how a pixie cut can actually be kind of freeing. Please feel free to chime in with your short hair wisdom in the comments!

The Pixie Cut Series
Part 1: Chopping it all off
Part 2: Rocking the pixie
Part 3: Growing it out
An Update- 8 Months Later

the pixie cut series

Hello friends! What have I been up to during all these weeks of blog silence? Well, among other things such as working really hard all the time, amping up my yoga practice so I don't stress myself into an early grave, hosting the FSC Podcast and generally kicking it around town...

... I've also been growing out the ol' pixie cut.

Sigh, the pixie cut. I've been meaning to wax poetic about it on here for awhile, and now that I'm growing it out, today is as good a day as any to start. Ever since I cut my hair short, it has been the #1 compliment I've gotten from strangers and also one of my top insecurities. Interesting, eh? More women come up to me to talk about my haircut now than ever before in my life. I get so many questions about it, so very many questions, that I thought some of you here might have the same questions. Fortunately, I have a limitless enthusiasm for talking about hairstyles. Since I Googled the hell out of pixie cuts before, during and after my own brush with short hairdom, I'll offer a few tidbits for the pixie-curious folks out there.

The Pixie Cut Series

Part 1: Chopping it all off

Part 2: Rocking the pixie

Part 3: Growing it out
An Update- 8 Months Later

"Part 1, Chopping it all off" is coming up this week right here on the blog. Get ready, long-haired vixens, you will be scrambling to join the short-hair club soon.