Y'know...one of the drawbacks to living rurally is the lack of quality food shopping. If we want to go to a supercentre (like WalMart) we have to travel 30 - 45 minutes. If we want to go warehouse shopping (Sams or Costco) we have to travel 45-60 minutes. We have a supermarket chain close by...Ingles. Not my most favourite place to shop, but it IS close.

*sigh* Country life does have its drawbacks...

Ingles isn't bad though - their house brands are actually quite good. I spread my shopping around between Aldi's, Ingles, Kroger's and Costco. If I have a lot to do and only a short time, then I'll use Walmart too. It was at the Ingles in Locust Grove that I actually found crumpets in their freezer section - and bought 10 packages! Hehehe, Now they are in MY freezer:-).

I love dark chocolate and prefer the European dark chocolate to what I have found here in the States. That being said, the good quality Hershey's dark isn't bad nor is the Dove dark. I agree, though, most chocolate here is far too sweet and not nearly chocolate-y enough - they might just as well rename it 'dark brown sugar'.

We have tried the house brands too, and find them good. Kroger's is a good 35 minutes away and I do love shopping there as well. I wish there was more variety out here though, and closer. I've been to the Ingles in Locust Grove before...I think what you find varies from Ingles to Ingles...I've seen things at the LG Ingles that we haven't found up here...like the crumpets.

I am quite fond of the Lindt chocolates...and they are found at Walmart. OOOO LA LA...those chocolate truffles are heaven in your mouth, especially when they get just a tad warm and when you pop one in your mouth...all that warm chocolate liquid...mmmm! Then one day I went to the Mall of Georgia....Oh my goodness...I found the Lindt store. I was in choccie heaven!

OMG, Lindt chocolates are to DIE for!

That's simple -- the United States is obsessed with "supersizing" meal portions at cheaper prices. While this seems like a good economic solution for those on a budget, it can -- and often does -- amount to children and adults eating far too much. Buffets have also become extremely prolific across the American landscape, which are quite inexpensive to eat at and offer patrons as much as their stomachs can handle.

While everyone has different meal requirements (some people need to eat more than others and men generally have larger appetites than women), there's very little reason for people to stuff themselves silly. Filling your stomach up to the point where you have to "waddle" out of the restaurant is ridiculous.

To make matters worse, people are eating very unhealthy food as well. Studies have shown that one out of three American children eats fast food every single day. Fast food in moderation is fine (just as anything else), but when it becomes an everyday habit, health problems are bound to occur. Health professionals point towards this and overeating as some of the reasons why Type-II Diabetes (previous called "Adult Onset Diabetes") has been showing up so often now in children, when it used to primarily attack adults.

If you don't believe me, compare the portions served up in the United States versus those in Canada. My wife was amazed at how large the meal and drink sizes are here when she last visited. She admitted some chain restaurants in Canada tend to offer up large amounts of food, but that's generally to cover up the fact the quality of their meals are subpar. Most places, she said (including coffee shops), had smaller sizes than their American counterparts.

Not every child though...and thank the gods my child isn't one of them. I watch her diet like a freaking hawk. I have to...she has epilepsy. She's skin and bones. I am overweight, but it's surely not from overeating. I dislike eating so much I feel that I need to "waddle" out of the restaurant. I can go to a buffet and eat a normal meal. I don't go back for seconds...or thirds. I am overweight because I have PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome. Ever hear of it? It has totally screwed up my endocrine system. My T2 Diabetes is a result of part genetics and this bloody disease. And no, I'm not using my health as an excuse. Anyone that knows me and has witnessed me eating will tell you that I do NOT overeat. At times my husband tries to get me to eat more. I watch my diet not only because of my weight, but because of the diabetes. When we do eat fast food, it makes me feel sick afterwards so I tend to not want fast food much at all.

Statistics like this don't always show the small margin of people who have other issues that cause weight gain like mine. Overweight people also get judged pretty harsh these days...the old adage "just push away from the table" doesn't fit the norm for all overweights....not anymore.

I'm not trying to sound crabby...just wanted to put out another viewpoint from someone that this generalisation doesn't fit.

I'm sorry if I sounded overly critical before or like I was lumping everyone who was overweight into one category. I realize that not everyone who has weight issues is that way due to overeating. I've had to fight the "battle of the bulge" my whole life as someone with hypothyroidism. In short, that means my thyroid gland doesn't work as well as it should and -- among other details -- makes it difficult for me shed excess pounds while enabling me to put on weight much easier than the so-called "average" person as well. So believe me when I say that I know there are numerous medical causes for weight gain.

However, these issues are in the minority. Most people who are overweight are such due to poor eating habits and a lack of exercise. In the past two years, I've lost about 80 pounds and if someone such as myself (with the aforementioned hypothyroidism) can do it by concentrating on a proper diet and getting in some good exercise, then I'm sure quite a few people who lack my problem could achieve even greater success.

I really agree about the portion size - back home I would order a large Tim Horton's coffee and here, that is the same size as the Dunkin Donut's medium. There are a plethora of all you can eat buffets here - (we do indulge once in a while) - and 90% of the people we see there are truly obese, their plates loaded ski high with all sorts of deep fried unidentifiable things - and who knows how many of these platefuls they have already eaten. Portion size, overeating and the wrong foods are definitely the main culprit here - but I firmly believe that the unnecessary addition of HFCS where it is not needed provides a lot of extra unnecessary calories. Cream, tomato soup, bread - none of these things need HFCS, yet you have to read the labels carefully to find these products without it.

And I'll back up Karen - she isn't a big eater at all. Whenever we have had meals together she has always had a reasonably sized meal and left something on the plate:-). I am pretty sure I ate more than she did, although I think we both did go back for select seconds at The Blue Willow Inn, hehehehe.

I have found crumpets in the majority of the Atlanta area Publix stores.

Thanks, good to know. Next time I make it into Atlanta proper, I will stop in at a Publix. I know that the ones here in Stockbridge/Morrow/McDonough/Forest Park area that I have been in don't carry them. Ah, crumpets! hehehe, or I may just drive to Locust Grove again - it's closer than Atlanta and I can take back roads there and back and not have to worry about I-75 traffic;-). Again, thank you.

One of our local Ingles (we have 2 in town) recently renovated and became a "super" Ingles. They added quite a lot of space, as well as quite a lot of new products. When I first got here the only "international" foods on the shelves anywhere in town was fake Mexican stuff (Taco Bell packaged taco meal kit type stuff) and a couple of Chinese packaged noodles and spices. None of the stores in town even had an organics section, and now most of them do.

I certainly wouldn't call Morganton and bustling metropolis (not even close!), but at least the grocery stores are starting to catch up with the rest of the world. I have to stock up on some items though because I know they won't be long on the shelves. A lot of international (and dare I say it, even healthier American packaged foods) stuff doesn't sell well still, so they don't stock it long sometimes.

DeadPool is right on one account though. When you can go to Hardees and get a thickburger meal if you look at the calorie and fat count, its enough to feed 2 people for about a day and a half. I know people around here that can, and do, eat 2 meals a day at Hardee's and the like. Just watching what some people around here eat makes me want to purge myself

I live in Athens and the Publix here also has crumpets...now if I could just find some Cadbury drinking chocolate.

hehehe I obviously need to have a talk with our local Publix manager then and suggest he contact some of his colleagues - and get in crumpets!

I'm from the Athens area! I grew up in Madison County, which is the county north of Athens. What part of Athens are you in?

Do you have an Albertson's in your area? Ours, on the corner, sells Cadbury drinking chocolate - plus if they don't carry it they have little sheets you fill out to request items

have you ever tired them frozen? mmm yummy ...

I want Curly Wurly.

Raised in Athens..went to Clarke Central...now we live in Winterville. Hubby loves it down here..he especially likes that there is no snow to shovel.

My Uncle Jack Fortson was sheriff for ages out in Madison County.

Ah yes, I remember him well. Didn't know him personally though. My hubby doesn't miss the snow much either, although when it did know up here a while back, he shoveled the drive...for old times sake.