Jared Eats World

I only ask for a few simple things in life: food, shelter, clothing, and good chicken stock. Finding a one-stop shopping Tajmahal that supplies all of the latter… is like a Utopian dream. Unfortunately, this dream might not be realized in our lifetime.

Before I go on, some of you are probably screaming at your computer; “Jared, I know of a place… COSTCO! Costco supplies all of this and more! It’s a lavish garden of food, tupperware, and household items that you’ll never use; ohh, and they also have Chicken Stock!”

To this, I say “NEIGH!” Costco was once the Atlantis of stores. The place where you paid $50.00 to join, walk in with the intention of purchasing “just the necessities”, then walk out with a $300 bill: A new toaster, 20 bottles of wine, 4 turkeys, 2 whole pigs, and a walk-in freezer.

Costco, I used to write songs about you. I used to fall asleep dreaming about you… but lately, you have destroyed my faith in you. In fact, I don’t think we can ever share the same love we once had.

Kirkland. Organic. Chicken. Stock. How dare you try to sell me this watered down Meat Nectar?!

Picture it, Sicily 1925. I was walking down the isles of Costco, minding my own business… fighting off the “sample-whores”. I needed one thing to finish off my shopping list. I knew where I was going. I’ve made this trip every month for the past 10 years. Three isles past the frozen food section, 10 steps down from the evaporated milk, and directly across from the canned tomatoes. I stopped to grab the last of my food bounty: Chicken Stock.

As I reach down… I noticed that the normal brown box of “Pacific Organic Chicken Stock” was now replaced by “Kirkland Organic Chicken Stock.” Whoa there buddy. This isn’t what I normally purchase. I stayed calm, and decided to not make harsh judgements. I was going to start my treasure hunt all over again. I was going to walk to the far end of the Costco, and methodically walk down each isle… slowly. Making sure I look at each item, read each item, study each item. I couldn’t have passed it? Could I?

Nope. They no longer carry it. I shouldn’t have been surprised. This happens all the time to my other friends that shop here. It’ll never happen to me. I was wrong. Costco has now replaced my brown box of love, with a white box of its own proprietary liquid. Given the circumstances, I decide to purchase it. I’m not a quitter. I’m an adapter.

This is where Costco and I had our falling out.

Later that night I decided to make Risotto. What a perfect way to try out my new Chicken Stock… I grab the box, open the lid, give it a good smell, and immediately started to cry. This can’t be right. Nothing could smell like this? Could it?

It smelled like citrus and tamarind. It smelled NOTHING like chicken stock. It looked like cloudy water. I’ve never in my life had chicken stock that looked like water!? Even the cheap-ass, gross tasting, Swanson Broth in a can has some color to it. This was just… water.

I used it that night. Partly because I had nothing else. Partly because I was hoping for the best. That night, will forever give me horrors. That night ruined my life for a good 10 minutes. That night, will always haunt my dreams.

Costco… fix this sinking ship. Please bring back the Pacific Organic Chicken Stock. Then maybe, just maybe… you and I can become friends again. It’ll take some healing for what you did to me, but in the long run…….. this will make us stronger.

I read numerous articles on food daily. Some are quite interesting, others… well, not so much. Many of these articles have ideas that can help change a community, make it stronger, healthier, and more in touch with where your food comes from. Other articles just like to tell you what foods cause cancer, or what foods make you fat. As far as I know, blueberries cure cancer, malaria, the common cold, help your digestive system, cause divorce rates in America to double, and cause people to acquire Ebola. The last part I made up, but you’d probably believe me if MSN wrote it.

Introducing the 3/50 Project. An idea, that really isn’t an idea… more so, a way of life. It’s something that you should have been aware of, but weren’t. It’s an idea so simple, so minute in detail, that you never would have thought of it. Take the pet rock as an example. In fact, I’m petting my pet rock as I type this. Impressed?

The 3/50 Project is simple. Let’s start with the 3. Pick 3 locally owned businesses. No, Walmart and Target don’t count. If those 3 local store were gone, would you miss them? If so… then stop in, say hello, and support these businesses. You are the reason these businesses are still here.

Moving on to the 50. If 1/2 of the employed population spent $50.00 each month at locally owned businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. For every $100.00 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68.00 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend it at a national chain, only $43.00 stays local.

Now, I’m not a genius… but I’m pretty sure that America was built on local businesses and communities. This idea brings everything back full circle. We as consumers need to start helping others. The end to this recession starts with you. It starts by giving back to community, and it starts by supporting local businesses that actually care.

If you’d like to know more about the 3/50 project, please visit their website here: http://www.the350project.net