Shopping at a grocery store is becoming a distant memory as we adapt to food shopping online. The waiting time now for pick-up is 12 days, as grocery stores go flat out to keep us fed and at home.

The online order form didn’t recognize “wheat berries” though I’ve seen them in the store. No matter. I have rice and quinoa.

Now that a stranger is food shopping on my behalf, I’ve had a few surprises. For instance, I ordered ginger marmalade, but I got orange and ginger marmalade. No big deal, right? Only I really, really don’t like orange marmalade. Some people love the tangy bitterness of the orange rind. I’m not one of them.

But with almost two weeks until my next delivery, I decided to try it on toast. I took a cautious bite, and I will stay that I didn’t hate it. The ginger softens the bitter orange. I wouldn’t buy it again, but I’ll eat it.

While writing this, I remembered a very funny song, “Toast,” recorded in 1978 by Streetband, with one Paul Young singing lead. (He went on to have a hit solo in 1985 with “Every Time You Go Away.”) Marmalade is listed as something to have on toast.

That’s toast
Just toast
Boo boo boo boo boo boo boooo…

But I digress…

The pita I ordered wasn’t available, but I did get yeast and I’m going to try my hand at making homemade pita. If nothing else, it’ll be very fresh.

A friend has been picking up groceries for me, and I’d asked for lemons. The only ones available came in a big bag, and one of the things I made with this bounty is lemonade: a simple syrup infused with lemon zest, then added to freshly squeezed lemon juice and filtered water. It’s tart and sweet, and makes a nice substitute for pop. And I got to reuse two plastic water bottles.

When life gives you lemons…