Shoes for Dinner

photo from: http://shootandfly.tumblr.com/

There's a reason city gals use their ovens as extra closet space.  It's not because they can't cook. It's not because they don't cook.  It's because the effort it takes to get to the actual cooking is exhausting.

The past couple of weeks have been challenging.  Albeit we are blessed to have this roof over our head, heat, electricity & running water.  I've lived in Hoboken with Chris for a couple years.  Hoboken is a mere three miles from NYC but there are some differences like grocery shopping that makes you feel like you're in the suburbs, except it's not.

Being away from home (& my kitchen) makes me realize how when you live in NYC it's far easier to use your oven for accessories (no I never did this but I think I could get there) & head to the many eateries in New York or simply to order take-out. 

For all of those who have never lived in NYC or have never lived in an place without a car I'm going to explain why the fact that I cook almost every night (in Hoboken) is a phenomenon to my girlfriends who still live on the island (aka: Manhattan).  The day starts like this: you scamper off to work chugging down a coffee in transit; get through the work day which ends probably around 7pm (or later) & then head home, hungry.  On your subway commute home you think of what you want to eat for dinner.  You have condiments in your fridge (& maybe shoes in your oven).  You promised yourself you'd eat healthfully this week to make up for the hurricane partying you did last week with booze & take-out.  Hungry & tired you drag yourself to the grocery store down the street. You opt for the shopping basket, not the cart because you're going to be carrying this home (& they won't let you take the cart with you.) You mill around the fish & poultry section, kind of grossed out wondering how long those fillets have been there(??) & where did all the organic chicken go(???). The second lap around the store (basket still empty) you grab some "all natural" chicken sausage, a bag of spinach and a roll of cookie dough (obviously).  Twenty-five minutes later (if checkout actually went smoothly), you're back on the sidewalk trekking home carrying a purse way too big for any human plus your new found grocery items.  You make a creative dinner with the findings at the grocery store & what was left in the cabinets & before you know it, it's 8:30pm & it's time to make those cookies. 

The next day around 7pm, you're wondering what you should get at the grocery store & start the process all over, or you just order pizza or grab dinner out with friends.

The moral of this babble is: city living is tough. You can't really stock up at the grocery store because you have no car but what you can do is order groceries from fresh direct, ahh & then I remember that's how my sister does it ;) Or you can eat at some of the yummiest places on earth. Ok so it's not so bad ;)

What's for dinner tonight at your house?