Does a place exist where everyone’s friendly, the surroundings are beautiful and the clock stops without worry? Whole Foods managed to consume my whole morning and absorb the whole family food budget for the week (possibly part of next’s week budget, too). Friends have sent warnings and they spoke spot-on of the temptation:  Whole Foods offers natural beauty in its colorful produce, amazing pastries, tempting cheese displays, bulk spice racks and every other aisle of merchandise.  How can anyone manage to control cart-stuffing? I reminded myself that my ATM card would melt if I reached for anything else.  With a few pantry items left to replace from the relocation to Austin, I restocked my favorite balsamic vinegar, FINI Modena. And it’s a long way from the old herb garden, but the container herbs were priced well and a few of these found a new home. Late morning delivered a quiet shopping hour with enough patrons to mix up the crowd but with free garage parking still easy to access.

Whole Foods refunds .10 for each grocery bag the shopper provides. The “paper nor plastic” bags that you may have read about here at The Cookery a few months ago hold up with heavy items. Whole Foods sent me unpacking a whole week’s worth of fresh food.