Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

Earl and I do not like the same things for dinner, so that meal holds its share of challenges. He likes to eat early; I prefer late. He doesn’t like vegetables; I could make a meal of them. He slathers everything with mustard or ketchup or butter or salad dressing; I go for the natural flavor.

With these personal preferences in mind, we’re always trying new strategies at dinnertime. So recently we decided to tour the local supermarkets together in search of fresh meals offered from the deli counter, just like Dominick’s® offers in Chicago.

You can visit Dominick’s® on your way home from work and purchase soup, rolls, entrйes that range from beef stew to sautйed fish to baked chicken, with sides of mashed potatoes in several flavors, great looking beans, wonderful asparagus, cold salads, and more – – all freshly made that day! It does make life easier for the cook.

Earl and I had the idea that if something comparable existed in St. Joe, it could help us have dinner at a reasonable hour with little effort, other than heating the meal and plating it. We could each have the entrйe of our choice too.

So today we ventured forth, going to Meijer’s, Wal-Mart, and Martin’s – all local supermarkets — to size our options. At Meijer’s the deli department consisted of blocks of cold meats and cheeses, fried chicken you could warm at home, and pasty looking French fries. Wal-Mart was the same.

Martin’s, a local chain, did have some entrйes like the ones Dominick’s® offers, but they were limited to beef stroganoff, Salisbury steak, and coconut chicken. Since I watch the amount of beef I eat and dislike coconut chicken, that deli didn’t do much for our plan.

What to do? Neither of us wants to take cooking lessons. Furthermore, neither of us is willing to give in on the time we eat, what we eat, or the entrйe we like. I guess the next best thing is to shop in Chicago and bring the fresh food home, wrap it for the freezer, and see how it tastes over the week as we thaw and reheat. Or, better yet, perhaps we could become fruit and nut gatherers.