Challenge 3

Joe's Market is a corner store on Como, about four blocks from my house.  When I first got there, I walked the entire store 3 or 4 times just trying to get some inspiration -- instead, I was getting strange looks from the cashier.  The selection was better than I expected.  There was a cooler with fresh produce including tomatoes, apples, pears, avocados, and greens among a few other options, as well as shelf produce including bananas, potatoes, and onions.  While most of the middle shelves were typical gas station junk food options, there was also a small section with grocery goods -- pasta, rice, etc.  In spite of the options, I had a hard time coming up with a meal on the spot like that; I normally am able to make a list of things before I head to the store, but I wasn't sure what to expect from a corner store selection.  Here's what I decided on:

Bananas were also $.99 per pound, so I got two.

I decided to make scrambled eggs with peppers, onions, spinach, and a side of toast. It was pretty tasty, actually.

I felt full from this meal, it fell well below $15, and like I said, I was somewhat surprised with the selection available at Joe's Market.  That being said, it certainly would not be a place I would want to rely on for all of my groceries.  Like I said earlier, it would be really hard to go there with a shopping list for a week or even a few day's worth of meals.  While there was some fresh produce, there was significantly more processed food that have the allure of being able to be put into the oven for a few minutes and ready to go, with no more work than opening the wrapper.  Also, if someone did shop their regularly with the intention to cook, the meal options would be limited to the same redundant rotation of rice and pasta -- definitely not enough to keep dinner exciting.  All in all, for a meal in a pinch, Joe's did the trick, but I will definitely still be going the extra few minutes to the grocery store for my food.

Oh, and there was a sign outside on the door that said they didn't accept EBT...