My Grocery Haul: Quarantine Edition

Hello out there! How are you surviving? I hope well! I have not left my apartment complex in two weeks because of the current pandemic, trying to take this quarantine business seriously. Call me crazy, but also call me healthy- at the beginning of the month I set a goal to try and not leave my apartment complex for the whole month! Well now we are halfway through April and it's safe to say, I've done a pretty good job so far! I am naturally an introvert and homebody so it hasn't been hard for me to find ways to fill my time. As far as groceries, well that is what I thought would be fun to talk about today!

Today I'm going to share with you the food that I purchased on my last grocery trip, keeping in mind that it would have to last me the whole month. I thought this would be a lighter, more fun post for you guys to take in! Maybe I am just geeking out (I am definitely "adulting out") but I always think it is fun to hear about other peoples' grocery habits and purchases. Since having to shop frugally and more wisely with Covid-19 putting me out of my jobs, my grocery shopping habits have changed quite a bit. I've had to choose to forgo purchasing the less important things that unsually are staples on my grocery list such as poptarts 😜 and other non-essentials (sorry, you're probably sick of that term). The following 5 lucky items made my list of "Essential Quarantine Must-Haves" (we're talking food people! Don't get me started on the whole toilet paper thing...) for their shelf life, versatility, and low costs!

One. 

Eggs. Don't you just love how eggs can be cooked so many different ways; Scrambled, poached, fried, boiled, etc! And they can be used to enhance so many other dishes, and used in baking too!

For the simple people (like me): The 14 Most Essential Ways to Cook an Egg

For the egg connoisseurs: 100 Ways to Crack an Egg

Two.

Lots of Chicken. For the same reason as the eggs, chicken made it on the list for its versatility and for being a cheap form of protein. I Opted to buy these frozen precooked and preseasoned bags of Tyson Chicken to help with my, dare I say LAZINESS, but more so busyness. They are just easy and convenient to cook. Hey, if I choose not to prioritize gourmet cooking, that's my choice! 😉 How do you like to cook your chicken?

Three.

Nature Valley Bars. I have just always loved these, they can be bought in bulk, and are a great cereal alternative, and you don't even need milk! They also can be deemed as versatile; when crumbled up they can serve as a granola and be added to other tasty treats like yogurt for example. I bought huge boxes of them on discount at the grocery bargain outlet so they also get points for being low cost.

Four.

Tortillas. I love these babies! And they have to be the "Mission" Tortillas. Those ones are the best! I could eat these round the clock, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and snack time too! They are often used by me to make all kinds of quesadillas, burritos, and sandwich wraps. I'll even eat them plain or make them into chips! Let me know if you'd like to know more about how I do that. It's so easy and delicious!

Five.

Lots of fruits and vegetables. Sure they won't have the longest shelf life, but my plan is to freeze some of them for making smoothies later! Often you'll find me drinking banana, avocado, spinach, and kale smoothies! Do you have any good smoothie recommendations?

Well that's all folks! Those are my top 5 grocery must-haves of the season. Mind you, OF COURSE I have other things stocked in my fridge and pantry! For example, Rice will forever be a staple on my shelves (talk about versitle and cheap), and I have all the other basics too: milk and bread and such- I also have a TON of black beans from when I bought them in bulk from BJ's Wholesale Club to make black bean avacado brownies for when Ballet Magnificat was supposed to come and visit but then never did. Does anyone have any idea on what else I can do with black beans?

The above list is just a short list of items I wanted to especially highlight from my last grocery trip. What would your list of "Quarantine Grocery Must-Haves" consist of? Think: if you were stranded on a desert island with prospects of staying alive, what foods would you want to have with you? I just think it would be so fun and interesting to hear everyone's responses so leave it in the comments down below! 

And Stay healthy, safe and blessed!

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