You are what you eat

Aimee sent me an email last week with a link to pictures of families all over the world and their groceries for the week.

It. Blew. My. Mind.

I thought I'd share. *Disclaimer: I do not own these photos. I just got them in an email. I Googled around a bit, and here is the photoset I found on FlickR, and here is the link to the book it seems like they came from.

Japan: 37,699 Yen or $317.25

Italy: 214.36 Euros or $260.11

Germany: 375.39 Euros or $500.07 North Carolina, U.S.A: $341.98 Mexico: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09 Poland: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27 Cairo, Egypt: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53Ecuador: $31.55 Bhutan: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03 Kuwait: 63.63 dinar or $221.45
Beijing, China: 1,233.76 Yuan or $155.06
California, U.S.A.: $159.18
Mongolia: 41,985.85 togrogs or $40.02 Great Britian: 155.54 British Pounds or $253.15 Chad: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

What I found the most interesting is that the less money spent, the more fresh produce was bought. Conversely, those who spent the most purchased the most frozen and pre-packaged, which are the least healthy. Yes, maybe the quantity we can afford counts for something, but my friend GiGi and I bought thought that the German family was probably just as malnourished as the family from Chad. And we both agreed we'd rather be the Chad malnourished. At least our skin would feel better.

I decided that, since it was grocery day anyway, I would add my family to the mix. And so, here we are, the Mr. Lady Family, Vancouver, Canada: @$300.This is a full week of breakfasts and dinners, about 2 weeks of sack lunches, and doesn't include the 5 more gallons of milk and the 2 or 3 more pounds of apples and pears I will buy this week. And I want to state for the record that I only bought Kraft Singles because they were out of Provolone. And I like Kraft Singles. So there. The tab was actually $357, but that included the months vitamins, toilet bowl cleaner, etc. I subtracted those and went just with food purchases.

What I notice most about my own spending habits is that though I do buy a lot of produce and fresh foods, I spend an assload of money on prepackaged lunch stuff, like Teddy Grams and crackers. I do this because A) I am too groggy in the morning to put a ton of thought into lunch and B) I ate gross, free school lunch every day for 12 years of school. I overcompensate by sending my kids with really cool, enviable, swappable lunch items. School lunch is crucial social networking time, and I want my kids on the top of that food chain. Yes, I have issues. Yes, many of them surround food. I'm ok with it.

OK. So there it is. I double dog dare you to post your groceries for the week on your blog. DOUBLE. DOG. DARE.

Coffee, anyone?

My friend once pointed out to me that I took my coffee like I take my men; white, with a lot of shit in them. It's not actually so true anymore; I just take it white now. But a lotta white. Like, Gap Khaki white. And that is just about dead on. (I don't mean that so much in the skin color way as I do the sterotypical behavior sort of way. I back that with the fact that if I were to ever run into this guy in a darkish alley, I'd have to spend a considerable amount of time after in one of those Catholic Confession booths. Oh, how he makes me swoon.)

I think about that sometimes, and I wonder if that analogy works for other people, too. I know that The Retropolitan takes his coffee hot and ready in less than 30 seconds. And his women. So we're 2 for 2. I think Molly takes her coffee straight, and if I compare that to the one boyfriend of hers I've ever known, I'd call that a match. Dark, steamy. Yup, that's him. My friend S likes decaf, and just like the men in her life, she likes them, a lot, but there ain't no way she's going to let them make her all high-strung and crazy. Josh likes his coffee at really inappropriate hours of the day, and if I say anymore, I'll cross that imaginary line we have set up.

So, what about you? I think I know you all just well enough.....tell me what kind of coffee you drink and I'll over-psycho-analyze it.

Update: Hubs likes bad coffee. Bad, evil, naughty coffee. And Alison, have you every considered switching...to tea? Sarah likes hers, um, well, just like mine. It's a good thing I'm taken have my own coffee pot, 'cause I think we'd be fighting over guys cappuccinos. Molly occasionally likes hers hammered (don't we all) and Blake likes his fast and artificially sweet. Blake, have you ever tried to meet Britney? I think it might be destiny. And my brother, well, if I read that right, I think he was trying to say that he's a no-nonsense coffee kind of guy. And that is about right. His wife? Awesome. But not one to be fooled around with too much.

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?