News Taffy

OK, I know I am a food nerd. With that confession out of the way, I was SO excited to go to Whole Foods in Memphis this past weekend. A trip to Whole Foods is more exciting for me than a shopping spree at Dillard's because I know I’ll find something that is perfect at the grocery store. Shopping for clothes or shoes is always an iffy proposition.

When I walk in the door of a Whole Foods, I feel like a kid in a candy store - so many possibilities! If you have never gone to Whole Foods, you should make the time and effort to visit. You are sure to find something that intrigues you or piques your taste buds even if you aren’t a food nerd like me. For example, my husband picked up several beers from microbreweries around the US to sample. He also found a new organic coffee, then he spent time tasting cheeses and gazing longingly at the bakery display case. (We bought three cheeses but skipped the sweets.)

Meanwhile, I walked through the produce section in awe of the gorgeous display of fruits and vegetables. I was on the lookout for anything unusual to try. This time I scored the lovely golden beets and the purple sweet potatoes you see in the pictures. I’ll bet you thought the purple vegetable was a beet; I’d never seen purple sweet potatoes myself. Then I checked out the meat department where they always have an incredible selection. They had the biggest slabs of salmon I’ve ever seen which would have fed a large group of people. We got some cooked shrimp for Barry and Grace (I’m allergic to shellfish unfortunately) while I got their Super Salad and Mac N Cheese.

I can’t leave Whole Foods without some fresh baked bread from their bakery. After some debate, we chose the sun dried tomato bread and a loaf of Portuguese sweet bread. The Portuguese bread isn’t that sweet but it does make delectable french toast, or I guess I should say Portuguese toast. Because it has a slight lemony taste, we spread our Portuguese toast with orange marmalade. It is a heavenly breakfast.

One of the cheeses we picked up is an unusual cheese from Norway that is caramel colored and has a slightly sweet taste called Gjetost. You could certainly plan a lovely wine and cheese party at Whole Foods. Next time I will get the selection of humus dips they offer, like the black bean humus.

Another reason I love Whole Foods is their commitment to organic, sustainably grown foods and their support of local farmers whenever possible. Whole Foods encourages environmental stewardship through their policy of “reduce, reuse, recycle”. For example, they use compostable plates and bowls in their dining areas and ban plastic bags. Whole Kids Foundation was established to help parents and schools provide better nutrition for kids, a cause near and dear to my heart.

The next time you are headed to Little Rock or Memphis, take a cooler and stop in a Whole Foods. You’ll be glad you did.