Surviving the Grocery Workers' Strike

Searching  for alternatives for grocery shopping in the Burien Area during the upcoming Grocery Workers Strike? Well here are some…

Trader Joe’s 15868 1st Ave S- General Grocery store

Grocery Outlet-  236 S.W. 152ND ST- Discount full service grocer

Dollar Tree- 250 SW 152nd St.- Yes they sell canned goods and frozen foods

Duane’s  Garden Patch- 11215 8th Ave S, fresh produce

Wayne’s Produce- 144 SW 152nd St, fresh produce, Asian, European

B&E Meats- 15003 Ambaum Blvd. S.W., Meats and Seafood       

Eat Local- 810 SW 151st Street- prepared local foods
Grand Central Bakery- 626 SW 152nd St, Bread and baked goods 
Fresh Start Bakery and deli, 816 Southwest 152nd Street- Gluten free market and deli

Plant Sale to benefit Stanley Stamm Summer Camp

May 8th and 9th, There will be a benefit plant sale of Tomato and pepper plants to benefit the Stanley Stamm Summer camp. It will be held at the Grocery Outlet, 236 S.W. 152ND ST, in Burien, prices start at $1.25 per plant. A great way to grow tomatoes and help out a good cause at the same time- Hat Trick! So if you haven't started your tomato plants, or just want to grow a couple, come on out and pick some up! I know I will be there onFriday or Saturday buying tomatoes (I can never get enough of good tomato plants) and maybe pick up some peppers! I talked to Carol (the organizer/grower) and she is doubtful about the peppers but says she will have around 80 varieties of tomatoes, lots of cherry tomatoes, and some heirloom tomato plants.

Personally, I think this is a capital way for an organization to earn money. And cool to sell "plantables" instead of chocolate bars, too. Anyone out there raise money for an organization doing cool things like this?

In defense of the Grocery Outlet!

Here I go again, promoting a commercial store. Chile's blog right now has a series on food security. It is a very interesting topic. How do you afford to buy food? One answer I have is the Grocery outlet. It is a rousing discussion at work.

Seriously I don't know what folks have against the Grocery Outlet- or as FPF's husband, terrible person calls it the Used Food Store. Okay - so do I -can't resist a good store name - thanks michael.
I also call it a green store. And a lot of my friends think I have lost my tree-huggin' mind.

But when you think about it- their items generally are simply items that some CEO or some "mainstream" grocer has decided wasn't good enough to sell.

The reasons are varied- a label change on a product, a store closes and has excess amounts. But I call it a green store because they sell what normally would have been thrown away! They purchase the items at pennies on the dollar, and pass the savings on!

I personally like that, because I am getting good merchandise, and keeping waste out of the waste stream. I am not saying you are buying garbage there or their food is garbage. But why throw away a perfectly good can of tomatoes because you changed the label? Grocery outlet and stores like them are just opening an affordable shopping experience for people.

My mom used to have qualms buying clothes from thrift stores. And she used to tell me I didn't know who wore them before I bought them. And to which I would just look at her and reply What does that matter- I wash it once and it is clean. A person could argue with that whole outlook that you don't know who made the clothes either. Well my mom, while not a thrift store aficionado, will buy something used today.

And mom while not a Grocery Outlet fan, will go in there to buy items like canned tomatoes.

They also sell fresh items like meats, cheeses, produce. I have never bought produce there but have bought meat and cheese there. And it was all good. And tasty.