Humbled yet again...

With so much in this world that I don't know, I'm probably a bit smug about those things I do know about. Well...let's just say that I have been humbled. Yet again.

I recently came upon a wonderful bread and was fortunate enough to get the recipe for it. I've been a bit of a foodie for years (not in practice but in a more scholarly manner) and I love to bake bread from scratch.

So, shopping list in hand, I began searching for the needed ingredients at my local Bloom grocery store. I was familiar with all the items - while not in every pantry, I knew they wouldn't be too difficult to locate.

Here were my thoughts while shopping...

Hmmm....let's see...polenta - that's the corn like stuff, ok, dont' see it anywhere - going to have to go to the healthier-type-food store

rolled oats - hmm...I have Quaker in the cupboard but I don't remember if those are rolled or not - better buy the specific 'rolled oats' item called for - I'll get those at the other store, too.

Ok, wheat bran - not wheat germ - of course - I know where that is in the grocery store. Ok, here's another for the other store. I give up here - I'm just going to start again tomorrow with a trip to Earth Fare.

Ahh...Earth Fare...pretty cool place. Let's try again. Let's check out the bins of fresh items.

*Ok, polenta - No? Darn. Ok, I'll have to check the shelves.

*Rolled oats - oh hey, hurray! Ok, I'll grab a plastic bag with about 4-scoops of these rolled oats - I know I want to make a lot of this bread.

*Wheat bran - hmm...nope - oat bran but no wheat bran here -

*Unbleached bread flour - I can get that most places but since Bloom didn't have it and I'm here now I'll go ahead and get that. Just a small bag because I'll get a big bag at Sam's.

I should have the other items already...brown sugar, brown rice, salt, yeast, honey, buttermilk, poppy seeds. Oh good - buttermilk - I'll have to pick some up but that's good 'cause now we'll have my special hotcakes one night this week.

Ok...so now Abbey and I are off to check out the shelves for the still-needed items. This will take a little investigation because the items are certainly different from those found on my Carolina grocery shelves.

Score! Here's the wheat bran. That was easier than I expected. Now, polenta. Yes! Here it is. Bob's Red Mill; Corn Grits also known as Polenta.

WHAT!?! Corn Grits?!?

You're kidding, right? I've been looking all over the place for corn grits? I can't believe I have to go home and tell my husband I was looking all over the place for, of all things, grits. I will never live this one down. I'm envisioning the laughter bubbles penned above everyone's heads. Practically a headline in the Greer Citizen... Long-time resident skips grits and goes for POLENTA. ARGH!

Boy, oh boy, this bread had better be good.