This week, I decided I miss good old American shopping.

I miss:

• Being able to find prices for things like brooms and ironing boards and baby clothes and sheets online at various stores, then going to the store and getting the exact one I want.
• Frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast (or any frozen meat, for that matter!)
• Apple sauce (I never thought it would be so hard to find. I miss rows of Motts to choose from!)
• Corn meal (polenta mix just isn’t quite the same–too gritty)
• Cream of Wheat (for me) and grits (for my husband)
• Variety of breakfast cereals (where are my two aisles?)
• Frozen pizzas (what ever you do, don’t try a grocery store frozen pizza!)
• Readily prepared foods (such as a vegetable platter)
• Carmex (Thanks, Mom, for sending some! Chap Stick doesn’t cut it.)
• Affordable makeup (The kind of foundation I particularly like is $20, which I’m sure is more than twice as much as that particular Maybelline style in the States. I think I’ll go for the generic. I don’t care about makeup THAT much.)

So here’s today’s story: I volunteered to bring a vegetable platter to a ward event tonight. I figured that would be the easiest possible option. Go to the store, buy a platter and dip, and voila! But no, they don’t have those here anywhere. I had to buy broccoli and cut it up! How old-fashioned!

Here’s the other story: The other day I went to no fewer than three stores before I found an acceptable ironing board (Target, Kmart, and Big W). All of these stores are in malls. Why can’t there be a store that stands by itself and has acceptable parking? I’m very tired of walking through malls. Besides, all of them have these very tempting ice cream kiosks on every corner. It’s very hard to resist (but I did! This time, at least.).

So, this week I really started missing all those good old American comforts when it comes to shopping. Go eat some apple sauce and enjoy it.