Caught

When I go grocery shopping, I like to peek into other people's carts and try and cobble together what they're eating habits are by the foods they buy. It's a fun game to play. Especially when you feel superior with your food choices. But the game is less fun when you're one being judged. Recently, I stopped at my neighbourhood grocery store after a long day at work. I was tired and hungry and a bit cranky. I crazed some comfort food. Which is how the box of Stove Top Stuffing ended up in my basket. Stove Top Stuffing comes with two pouches -- one containing the "seasoning" (chicken broth powder, shrivelled up veggies and MSG) and the other containing hard little pebbles of dried bread crumbs. All you need to cook the stuffing is rip open the box and zap the contents in a microwave with a bit of water and butter. Not the most appetizing description, but then again, not really appetitizing unless you're in one of those weird cravings. So I've got my guilty pleasure box of Stove Top and am heading to pay when I come face-to-face with Michael, also grocery shopping after work. Michael -- the same person I swap cooking stories with and have convo's about what's fresh at the organic farmer's market. For a brief moment, I thought of rearranging the contents of my basket so as to hide the Stove Top Stuffing under my tofu and broccoli. I think it was my look of guilt that made Michael glance into my shopping basket. He arched his eyebrows at the stuffing. I felt like I'd been caught with my pants down. Luckily the guilt went away after Michael left. I went home and wolfed down half the box. Mmmm...