Why I blame Walmart for the lousy meals I've been serving lately

I served my family Hamburger Helper for dinner Wednesday night. To me, this is the equivalent of giving them garbage on a plate - full of chemicals with names I can't pronounce, let alone understand, completely devoid of any nutritional value, and chock full of fat and calories. Now don't get me wrong. I think it's ok to serve the occasional nutritionless meal, but I have been really struggling lately. Dinner time rolls around and the last thing I want to do is cook. Nothing ever sounds good to me, so I fight the urge EVERY SINGLE NIGHT to drive to Papa Murphy's and grab a pizza that I know everyone will like and will require minimal effort to prepare. Unfortunately, our budget doesn't really allow for that kind of extravagance, and then you have the whole fat/calories issue.

I was pretty good about menu planning before this last month or two. I would come up with a list of meals for the week, make my grocery list accordingly, and head off to Walmart for the grand shopping expedition. And there, my friends, is the rub. I can't do Walmart anymore. I know, I know - some of you are cringing and wondering why I would shop there anyway. Yes, we've seen the documentary about the evils of the retail giant, but we decided that the savings outweighed the accusations against the place and have continued shopping there. But my last Walmart trip just about did me in. I'm not kidding you - I was so exhausted by the time we were done that I could barely push the shopping cart to the car. This pregnancy is wearing me out already!

So if I were sticking to my usual shopping regimen, I would have the ingredients in my house for a meal or two at supper time. Even if nothing sounded good, I could force myself to cook and by the time it was ready, I'd be able to sit down and eat with my family. But I've been avoiding that oversized store like the plague, so I have nothing in my fridge or cupboards, and I'm forced to get creative (not in a good way), or head to the store for ingredients to whatever I can stomach.

There is a delightful alternative to Walmart just around the corner from my house. Oh sweet shopping bliss, thy name is Harmon's. I have never been in a store that made me quite so happy. The people who work at Harmon's are friendly and helpful. They offer a service they call "drive and load" which, although I don't use it much, is very helpful. They keep your groceries while you drive up to the special "drive and load" door, then you sit in your car while a nice boy loads everything in for you. The first time I used this service, they even gave me a little plastic garbage bag that fits over the cigarette lighter in my van. Isn't that sweet? The store is small enough that a trip to the dairy section in the back doesn't feel like a marathon, yet big enough to contain my every grocery desire. The meat is legendary for its quality, and the produce section is full of beautiful, unbruised and colorful fruits and veggies. (Not at all like picking through the bruised apples at that other store!) Everything is grand, until I start looking at the prices. Here's a little example for you. Velveeta at Walmart - $3.99. Velveeta at Harmon's - $6.99. (Please don't ask why I would ever purchase Velveeta. I promise my family won't all die of heart attacks at early ages.) I probably don't have to tell you that I just can't afford to do my regular grocery shopping at Harmon's.

So here's how we ended up eating Hamburger Helper for dinner. I went to pick up Tanner like I do every Wednesday night at 5:30. I had no idea what we were going to eat (a little late to still be clueless, don't you think?), so we stopped at Harmon's on our way home. (I allow myself to go there for small grocery runs because there's no such thing as a quick in-and-out at Walmart.) I allowed Tanner to decide what sounded good for dinner. Feeling disgusted with myself, I also grabbed the ingredients for two yummier and healthier dinners to finish off the week. I also picked up a yellow squash and a zucchini, which I served with the hamburger slop. Now maybe you don't think I'm quite so bad. And last night the menu included spinach and roasted red peppers in a parma rosa sauce, served over angel hair pasta, and salad with almonds, craisins, and feta cheese, topped with a delightful raspberry vinaigrette. There, have I redeemed myself?