Tesco and Budgens make a liar out of me

Before we came to the UK, we warned the kids that we may not be able to buy all of the things they're used to here. Probably no peanut butter or Kraft macaroni and cheese. No great hardship; we can adapt!

We were only here for four days before our global economy revealed itself. The kids and I ventured out to the Tesco superstore, a supermarket with some clothing, housewares and electronics. What did we find? Peanut butter. Not 42 varieties like there are to choose from in the US, but it's tasty and reasonably priced. (That's the good news for PB&J or PB&H eaters in this house. The bad news: the peanut and nut-product ban at school.)

Then we discovered the special section at our local Budgens, another grocery chain. The "Americatessen" features your basic necessities of American life: peanut butter and jelly, Cheerios and Kraft mac & cheese. While we were surprised to find them here, we were shocked at the prices. At the current exchange rate, which is really quite good for Americans, you're looking at a $10.35 box of Cheerios, nearly $6 for that familiar blue box of cheesy goodness and about $6.50 for the Jif. We'll stick with the Tesco brand peanut butter. Even though the tag says "Family Size" for the macaroni, that's just a regular 7.25 ounce box. It looks like someone's buying the Lucky Charms and Cap'n Crunch, though.

We can shop at a commissary on base, but the closest one is about an hour and a half away. With plenty to choose from in the local stores, we probably won't go there much.

(The kids asked why I was taking pictures of "boring stuff" in the store and I explained that it wasn't boring to me. Later in the week we went in to London and rode the London Eye. John said that because I took pictures of things that weren't boring to me, he'd take some that weren't boring to him. He proceeded to photograph the barges on the Thames from above. Right. Not what I would have chosen.)