First Adventure in Shopping

I had my first adventure in shopping today. Interesting thing to try to concentrate on with a 4-yr-old who hates grocery shopping. We went to one bulk food store where I was unimpressed with their gluten-free section (although this place has great prices on tons of bulk baking stuff, so once I learn what I need and like, I think it will be a great place to go for general items that aren't necessarily housed in the gluten-free section). When I went to one of the bigger grocery chains, I was impressed by the amount of gluten-free stuff I found but unimpressed by the gluten-free section. Huh, you ask? Just saying that most of the stuff I found was actually with the regular food - like the gluten-free brownie and cake mixes were with the regular baking mixes and not anywhere in the gluten-free section. So I'll have to learn where things are. Things I bought:

• Rice flour - not sure how I'll use it but it was the cheapest of the gluten-free flours


• GF Pizza Crust - more labor intensive than regular pizza crust mix but looks the same


• GF All-Purpose Flour - until I learn to mix my own, convenient but expensive!


• Brown Rice elbow noodles - for my homemade mac & cheese (pretty hesitant on this one!)


• 2 different spaghetti noodles - one pure rice, one rice/potato/soy (again, expensive!)


• Box of pecan shortbread cookies - just need some kind of snack until I start making my own


• Quinoa!


• Box of GF Mac & Cheese - definitely not Blue Box but M can't have that either because of the yellow #5


• 2 boxes of GF Bisquick - for biscuits and pancakes, etc.


• Betty Crocker brownie mix


• Betty Crocker cake mix


• Also bought a bottle of olive oil and grapeseed oil.....since I'll be sauting things a lot more, I think.

That's the rundown so far. I still need to find a bread I like (potato bread, maybe?). I don't eat much bread, so it doesn't have to be super-special. I was pleased that several of my favorite items are fine (the spaghetti sauce I like, the corn chips I enjoy, my favorite potato chips and dip). I think I'll survive without too much deprivation. Luckily, I'm a meat and potatoes kind of girl....so between those things and some rice and cheese, I'll survive. Just got to get the baking refined. I do love baked goods.