December can be a real son of a gun.
I won’t lie friends. As I write this post, I have about 86 things on-the-go and I’m struggling to get my act together. Don’t get me wrong, decorating the tree, using copious amounts of butter for my holiday baking and watching my 1-year-old lose her mind (in a bad way) on Old Saint Nick’s lap, totally gives me the Christmas warm and fuzzies.
But having to juggle all that with work, commuting, holiday parties, dog walks, exercise, laundry, dinnertime and grocery shopping? How ‘bout no?
PS, I’m calling your bluff if you tell me you don’t hope for your kid to be a little scared of Mall Santa. Why? Best photos ever.
Point is life is busy. Add a hectic holiday schedule in to the mix and, well, my Christmas goose is cooked.
Lately I’ve been looking for ways to streamline…life, in any way I can, so when Dara and I were approached to work with Walmart Canada in promoting their urban Toronto Walmart.ca Grocery Pick-Up service through Penguin Pick-Up, I thought, “Gee, what perfect timing.”
I know Walmart Supercentres (which carry groceries) have been a thing for a long while, but in my 13 years of living in the heart of this great city, I haven’t lived close enough to one to consider them a viable option. Having somewhere to grocery shop close to home is #1 on my list of “Reasons I Shop Where I Shop.”
With their new walmart.ca grocery pick-up locations at Yorkville, Yonge & Davisville, Leslieville and Harbourfront, Walmart is now officially in the hunt for my hard earned grocery dollars.
First, let me briefly tell you how it works. Then, I’ll give you the inside scoop on why it’s kind of great. Finally, a recipe (obvs)!
You can visit Walmart.ca or download the Walmart Canada app on to your Smartphone. The app will take you through a quick tutorial to show off some of its cool features.
The online shopping aisles, which allow you to browse by category, are both intuitive and easy to navigate. You can also browse by Rollback items (sale items) in each category, so it’s like you’re carrying the flyer in one hand and pushing your cart with the other (that’s what I call streamlining).
If you know what you’re looking for, you can also use the search engine.
*Warning: if you search ‘yogurt’ be prepared for over 200 hits! The variety is actually staggering.
Add and remove items from your virtual cart as you go and when you’re all set choose a location and a two-hour time window for pick-up. You can even pick up same day via Penguin Pick-Up, for orders placed before 11 am.
Side note: If you’re feeling weird about someone else picking produce for you, let me tell you that, first, I totally get it (I was there too) and second, don’t. Their experienced shoppers are awesome and pick the best of the best. Truly, I couldn’t have picked better myself.
I picked up my order at the Leslieville Penguin Pick-Up location, where the entrance and parking are well marked. A nice young man came to greet me at my car window with a tablet and confirmed my order with a piece of ID then proceeded to load up the trunk. I was in and out under 5 minutes. Guys, 5 minutes!!! (more streamlining!)
On top of the obvious time savings, another reason I like this service is the quality guarantee. If you’re not totally happy with any product in your order, you’ll be credited or refunded without fuss by calling customer service. I was even reminded of this when I picked up my order.
Finally, and this is the big one, you save money. Like, a seriously decent amount. With Toronto real estate and rental rates soaring and the cost of food also on the rise, peeps like Dara and I, who also appreciate good quality fresh food, are looking outside the box to find new options. The prices online are the same great in-store prices Walmart is known for.
Here’s a new recipe using fresh groceries from my most recent pick-up order. I wanted to choose something that showcases fresh produce, you know, the me being-a-dietitian thing.
These simple grab–and-go breakfast frittatas are a quick, healthy, get-out-the-door-before-traffic-is-a-disaster breakfast. Make 12 at a time and freeze what you don’t eat within a couple of days and heat them with a quick zip in the microwave when you’re ready for more.
Customize as you will, but always be sure to cook your fillings thoroughly before adding the egg and baking. You want to avoid too much moisture.
I wish you luck in your holiday streamlining too, friends!
Erin
Grab and Go Breakfast Frittatas
Serves | 6 |
Prep time | 20 minutes |
Cook time | 20 minutes |
Total time | 40 minutes |
Ingredients
- 9 Large eggs (beaten)
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 3/4 Tsp salt (divided)
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 Small onion (finely chopped)
- 1 red bell pepper (finely chopped)
- 227g cremini or white mushrooms (finely chopped)
- 3 Cups fresh chopped spinach
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 75g)
Note
I love this Bon Appetit Guide to Making a Perfect Frittata and used their great guidelines to make these.
Directions
1. | Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and a 1/4 tsp of the salt. |
2. | In a large frying or sauté pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushroom and cook until most of the moisture is cooked out and they begin to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Add red pepper and cook until softened, another 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, mix in spinach and remove from heat once it begins to wilt. Season with the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt. |
3. | Spray the inside of a 12 cup muffin pan thoroughly with cooking spray or brush with butter. Divide the vegetable mixture among the cups, about 2 tbsp each. Using a ladle, pour egg mixture over top, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way. Sprinkle each with crumbled feta cheese. |
4. | Bake for 18-20 minutes until frittatas are puffed and very lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes, and run a small spatula or knife around the edge of each cup to remove them. |
5. | Eat within 2-3 days if refrigerating or freeze in packs of two, first by wrapping them in paper towel and then transferring to small freezer bags. Reheat in microwave for about 1 minute on high in the paper towel (depending on your microwave you may need more or less). |
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