Canadian shrimp a bit shrimpy

JANUARY 24, 2008

Payday….and grocery day. This will be the last big shopping day for this month. It will also conclude my first month buying totally Canadian. It was easier then I expected. My biggest negative.... having to travel to different grocery stores hoping I can find my missed items. So, any effort in supporting only Canadian products, may be harmful to my health. ..(using the car more often and the loss of my fresh greens).

But I am taking vitamins….and extra vitamin C.

The time frame is a bit annoying, until I find my true brands. My problems this time...trying to find tomatoes and shrimp. Kevin found the tomatoes at Sobeys downtown…….hot house on a vine.

I did most of my shopping this time at the Northside Superstore…this store rates the lowest.

My greatest feat/defeat was finding shrimp. I tried both Superstores, but every package of frozen shrimp was from China or Thailand. Next, I tried Sobeys (up the hill). Again, more frozen shrimp from Asia. This was my third store, I was tired .....I probably would have gone home without any shrimp. But, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a young fellow stacking a shelf. I asked if they sold any Canadian frozen shrimp as I was only interested in buying Canadian. He could not find any. I thanked him and continued with my shopping. Twice he approached me with frozen bags of shrimp. The first bag was prepared in Canada, but a product of Thailand. He could not believe it wasn’t Canadian. The second package he brought to me...was a product of Canada. I really didn’t want to buy them, they did not look very appetizing, but I did. Why? Because this young man had gone to so much trouble, and because some day he may be the manager of the fish department, and just maybe he will try to find better looking (and tasting) frozen Canadian shrimp.

I do feel I made him aware of what is being sold in the fish department.

As for the shrimp. It said to rinse really well, and then add them to your sandwich or pasta. Well, I made pasta, forgot to rinse , and ruined the pasta. They had been frozen in heavily salted water. Now how do they freeze shrimp in China and Thailand without all this salt?

I found two new items that I am enjoying. One is a crumbled Feta cheese. The brand name is Silani. It has a great little recipe for Shrimp and feta pasta on the reverse. I am sure it would have been delicious, if I had only remembered to rinse the shrimp.

The second item is Northumberland Apple Cranberry Juice. It is cold pressed and very tasty. It does say it has added sugar, but total carbohydrates seem about average. It doesn’t say if they use Canadian fruit….but they are located in the Miramichi,….really…..they must be using local cranberries and apples. Please.

That is it for January. My number one miss….my greens. My number one find…the feta cheese.