Two weekends ago I visited the far southern suburbs and happened upon a candy store called Greco Nut & Candy. This place has a huge selection of nuts (regular and chocolate covered, like there’s any contest) and candy, ranging from a generic form of Brach’s Pick-a-Mix to some of my long lost favorites (candy cigarettes!).

For $8.50:

4 candy necklaces
2 boxes Cherry Heads (made by local company Ferrara Pan, makers of Lemon Heads)
1/4 pound chocolate-covered peanuts
1 pound bulk hard candy (these ridiculous strawberry candies filled with honey)
2 rolls C. Howard violet candies
1 box C. Howard violet gum

THEN, on the way back from a doctor’s appointment Tuesday, I stopped in at a small deli and produce store I’ve driven past a million times. This time, for $6.13:

2 pounds carrots
2 large beets
1 bundle celery
16 ounces white mushrooms
2 pears
2 oranges

I used most of the fresh vegetables in a big slurry of quinoa which turned a beautiful color because of the beets. A cup of dry quinoa costs 50c at the most. That single batch made enough for four lunches this week.

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