English Muffins

 This is a story about English muffins.  Or maybe it's not.  Let's see where (and how) this goes.

When I was a little girl, if I recall correctly, every morning before my dad went drove down to the train station to get to work, he'd have half a grapefruit, an English muffin and coffee for breakfast.  Or at least that's what I sort of remember.  Thomas' English muffins were pretty much always in our pantry.

Here in 2025, we still have them in our pantry.  Most days for breakfast my husband has an English muffin with pork roll (yes, its pork roll) and cheese on it for breakfast.  We regularly buy them at the supermarket.  It's on the weekly shopping list and like most items, I just grab them and put them in the cart.  I don't necessarily look at the price; they are a grocery staple that I don't think twice about. We check out and the weekly cost seems to keep climbing.  (No matter what ANYONE says, prices in the grocery store and going up and I freely admit that I shop at ShopRite because they generally have the best prices.)

The other day, my husband and I headed out to a new to us ShopRite.  It had been recommended to us by a neighbor and it the LARGEST ShopRite in the world. 


Now this store is about a 40 minute drive for us, so no matter how amazing it may be, it's not going to be our "regular" store.  But we wanted to check it out. So after a quick side trip to Walmart (which is starting to look more and more attractive when it comes to prices on certain items), we meandered down country roads (encountering some weird fog along the way) and finally got there.

There was plenty of parking. 


It didn't look too busy for a Saturday morning, but it was early.  I'll admit I was overwhelmed by the size.

  There were so many aisles.  So much to see.  So much to buy. 

So much temptation, which we tried to resist, but...

Several items I picked up because they were on sale.  A bag of potatoes for 99 cents?  I'll use that.  Ground beef on sale?  I made spaghetti and meat sauce that night and froze the meat I didn't use.  Frozen veggies on sale...they were wiped out.  And Thomas' English muffins?  Completely gone.  So while I was impressed, I was also disappointed.  We may go back from time to time, but...

As a result, I needed to go back to "our" ShopRite (the one closest to our home in PA) today.  While not exactly on the way home, the store is not too far from the church I attend, so after the service today (where the subject of food insecurity came up more than once), I went.  (Also, off topic, but worth a note, a convicted criminal who was serving 87 months in prison for fraud and identity theft but had his sentence commuted by an old man currently in power who himself has been indicted 4 times for 88 criminal counts, was recently seen in this store, which makes my stomach turn.)  The lot was pretty full, but not awful.  I grabbed a basket (no need for a cart) and went in to pick up a few things before heading to the bread aisle.  There, my favorite, Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Butter White, which normally retails at the high price (in my opinion) of $4.99 for a loaf was on sale for half price, so I picked it up.  Then I went to find the English muffins.

My husband had requested the 12 pack, but they were out.  So I had to go for the regular 6 count package.  That's when I noticed the price; six English muffins for $5.49!  I was blown away.  I was angered by the cost.  Obviously I have NOT been paying attention.  (Or maybe I've just been burying my head in the sand.)  At that price I'm not buying two packages.  

As I checked out (self-check...not my favorite thing to do because there is always an issue), I got to thinking about that fact that I while I was upset and angry over the cost of this particular item I was still buying it.  Maybe I was reluctant, but I still had the means to purchase them.  I may be frustrated, but I am lucky enough to be able to put things in my grocery cart without fear.

When I got home, I ranted at my husband.  Then minutes afterwards, this article from the NY Times appeared on my phone (https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11/09/us/trump-news?unlocked_article_code=1.z08.NcJP.ylnyln6lQdNs&smid=url-share)

I'm even more upset.  I'm even more frustrated.  I have the means today to purchase groceries.  I am lucky.  I am blessed.  But that could change.  It could easily change for me.  It could change for you.  It could change for just about anybody.

And let's face it, this isn't about the English muffins.



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