Thursday, January 27, 2011

A visit to Costco makes me giddy

CostcoImage via Wikipedia


The many empty parking spaces close to the entrance welcomed me. I was the second customer at the photo counter. Aisles were empty. I didn't have to wait on a line to order an 18-inch pizza for dinner or pick up a berry smoothie for my wife.

Yes. This was Costco in Hackensack this morning, about 30 minutes after its 10 a.m. opening. A store that is often so crowded you think it is giving stuff away was civilized for a change. Even the sun was shining.

 Encountering a woman in one of the aisles, I asked her, "Have you every seen Costco so empty?" She replied, "No. But it's wonderful." And both of us laughed heartily.

What was I doing in Costco the morning after a major snowstorm? 

Well, my wife and I got out early to clear the driveway, sidewalk and walk, and I needed a few things, including an 18-inch vegetable pizza from Costco ($9.95). It's big enough for lunch and dinner. The berry smoothie is $1.45, plus tax.

And I wanted more Kirkland-brand organic chicken stock to make the recipe for tortellini soup on the back of each carton ($10.99 for six quarts).

I also wanted to develop photographs in my digital camera, including several I took this morning of the winter-wonderland scenes around my home. They were ready in 15 minutes, compared to the usual one-hour wait.

Besides the chicken stock, I found Lucini-brand marinara sauce with roasted garlic ($4.97 for three, 13.5-ounce pouches); Cabot sliced cheddar cheese ($6.99 for two pounds); fresh strawberries, ($5.99 for two pounds); and Vlasic Farms sour pickle spears made with sea salt ($3.35 for a 62-ounce jar).
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
Costco Wholesale, 80 S. River St., Hackensack; open seven days.
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7 comments:

  1. I love the fact that you "needed" one of those giant pizzas! My husband went to Costco today too and said the same thing - deserted!

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  2. Thanks, Holly. I've been cutting down on bread and pizza to lose weight, and it's working.

    I don't think I've had pizza since my last night in Italy in September. Every time I go to Costco, I have to walk out past the food counter and those giant pizzas are always calling me.

    Tonight, I made that tortellini soup, had a bowl of that, plus a slice of Costco pizza, a big salad and wine.

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  3. You know chicken stock is made out of meat, right? Since you don't eat meat, how do you rationalize that?

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  4. I came late to giving up meat -- less than a year ago -- and it's been difficult. If I didn't eat seafood, I'm not sure what I would do.

    Yes. I know chicken stock is made from meat and the broth in Korean soft-tofu stew is made from beef or beef bones, but I overlook that if it helps me avoid the actual poultry, beef and so forth.

    When I was eating meat, I was shopping at three or four stores to find poultry and beef without antibiotics, preservative-free hot dogs and cold cuts, and so forth. So, at least I no longer have to do that.

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  5. Since when does chicken stock have meat? I thought it only had chicken.

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  6. I assumed the writer meant chicken, and used the same term in my response.

    Still, it's technically correct. Chicken is called white meat and dark meat, isn't it?

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  7. Perhaps, but tofu is called tofu and it doesn't have any toes in it. I hope.

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Please try to stay on topic.