Monday, June 2, 2008

My Sunday Brunch Routine

Several years ago, me and three of my closest girlfriends instituted a Sunday "Sex & The City" brunch ritual. Every couple Sundays, Honda, Miss V, Annie, and I would get together at a cute brunch place, and eat and gossip to our heart's content.

Years passed,  and Annie moved away to travel the world, but Miss V, Honda and I continued to get together for brunch every so often. It was difficult, we were all busy, and sometimes several months would go by without our girls' brunch. We missed it, but life gets hectic. When you work long hours, the weekends can get crammed with endless errands to run, apartments to clean, and meals to cook. You just don't always have time for a leisurely, gabby brunch.

But then about six weeks ago, Miss V asked me if I wanted to go to the farmers' market with her. Of course, I wanted to go to the farmers' market. So on our first free Sunday morning, we went. We bought breakfast first from one of the vendors, and then we set off to do our shopping. Crunchy snow peas, juicy strawberries,  and creamy wildflower honey were piled into our bags. By the end of the morning, we were hooked.

A couple weeks later, we decided to go again, and this time, Honda came along. Soon enough, we had developed a little routine. We pile into the car and head over to the market together. Miss V and Honda get coffee, while I make a mad dash to the bank. (Because I'm disorganized like that.)

Then we hit the stalls. Our first stop HAS to be the tamales stand. We sit on the curb, and gobble up what may very well be the finest tamales in LA. After we finish our tamales, we start shopping for produce. Once we've bought our fruits and vegetables for the week, we might pick up a nice goat cheese, and then we make our way to the bison meat stand. We buy our meat for the week from the nicest woman on earth, and we're good to go.

And while we eat, shop, and gaze lustfully at the heirloom tomatoes, we get time with each other. We catch up on each others lives, exchange gossip, and make fun of the very earnest yet truly awful musicians that are the bane of farmers' markets everywhere

When we're finished shopping, we can head home and cross "buy groceries" off of our list of errands. So you see, now we get our brunch time, our quality friends time, and our errand time all rolled into one. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?

19 comments:

Burbanmom said...

My favorite day of the week is Thursday, when my friend and I drop the kids off at preschool and head over to the farmers market for some grown-up interaction and good food (and yes, bad music -- what's UP with that?!?!?).

Well, it was my favorite day, until preschool let out. :-)

Leila Abu-Saba said...

I used to meet a posse for brunch back in NYC when I was single...

and now I do occasionally meet a friend at the farmer's market. What a great idea, Arduous.

If and when you reproduce, you'll find that the farmer's market is a good kid-and-parent activity. (You've probably noticed - strollers bumping your shins and so forth). The trendiest market in Oakland, on Saturdays, features a giant bouncy slide - a clear appeal to the kiddie segment.

Burbanmom, my sympathies on the end of pre-school. Pretty soon though you can put them in day camp.

Natalie said...

The farmer's market is also part of our Sunday routine. It's great family fun. The closest one to us is held in the parking lot of an elementary school. So the school's playground is usually part of the fun for my kids. (It's also an awesome distraction that helps Hubby and me divide and conquer!) Of course, they get a total kick out of the really bad music, too!

pink dogwood said...

our local farmer's market opens June 12th and I can hardly wait - they are open from june till november and every thursday I buy lots of vegetables and best tasting fougasse bread and that's my lunch every thursday till november :)

Anonymous said...

I venture to guess that you don't talk about your new $750 Manolo Blahnik shoes?

We don't meet friends at farmers' market intentionally. But it seems that every week we run into friends/families there. The kids wind up playing together for 30 minutes while the adults gobble down fresh loot.

It's the best!

Sam said...

One downside here is that there are too many farmers' markets and I want to visit them all (the vendors are all different). The Amish vendors don't do Sundays because their church prevents them from doing business on Sundays. And the Amish have the cheapest stuff.

There is a taco stand at the Sunday F. Mkt which we've started visiting and its nice to get our bellies full before shopping.

ruchi said...

Burbs, I really don't know what's up with the bad music. Honestly I'm not that picky! But the music is BAD.

Leila, yes, there are lots and lots of strollers at the farmers' market. Seems like a fun way to spend a Sunday with the kiddies.

Natalie, I'm glad someone's getting a kick out of the bad music!

Pink Dogwood, what's fougasse bread?!

Cindy, no we do not talk about Manolos or Jimmy Choos. We do sometimes talk about boys though so we adhere to part of the stereotype.

Beany, wow an Amish farmers' market sounds FASCINATING. Wish I could check that out.

ruchi said...

P.S. Beany, do the Amish have better music?

EcoGeoFemme said...

That sounds positively wonderful. I'm envious.

ruchi said...

Aw, EGF, don't be envious. The farmers' markets have got to be getting going wherever you may live. Get a couple of friends together and go!

Anonymous said...

Arduous: the Amish have NO music. Which is music to my ears.

ruchi said...

Oh, wow, that IS awesome!

pink dogwood said...

fougasse? that's what the baker guy called it. It was a long and narrow loaf with loads of olive oil and herbs on top - way too good.

ruchi said...

PD, my mouth is watering!

Going Crunchy said...

Oh, fun! I'm having a girls night this weekend to go see S&TC and I just can't wait. Your farmers market ritual sounds like the green scene cup of joe and gossip.

ruchi said...

Shan, it is pretty great. I'm lucky to have such great girlfriends. :)

Mad Hatter said...

Wow...that sounds like so much fun! I'm going to have to steal this idea and see if any of my friends want to do this too. :-)

ruchi said...

Steal away!!

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