Pitfalls

I've had two flip-the-package-and-study-the-label moments already. Where is this made? The first was on New Year's day. Drew and I were at the grocery store. I needed sponges and was checking out two different kinds. Side note here: I realize it's incredibly lame to get excited over sponges. I realize that! But there's an odd sense of excitement injected into adult-ish things such as buying groceries. After all, I'm doing them all for the first time. I'M buying the sponge with MY money (all right, OUR money!) and darn it, I want to study the different kinds of sponges and pick the one that makes me happiest.

It was at that minute that I suddenly remembered our embargo. I had been throwing food into the cart with no abandon previously, but this was the first non-foodie item. Both packages were turned over, plastic crinkling. Drat, the sponge I liked was made in China. The other label read, "Scour pad make in Canada." Good so far. "Sponge made in USA..." Still good. "...with US and imported materials." My face fell.

"What do we do now?" I wailed to Drew. "'Imported' probably, most definitely means China."

I scanned the sponge section. Drew was holding up the only other option: a dark green thing that looked rough enough to scrub tar off a metal chicken. There was no way I was using that monstrosity on my one-year-old pots and pans.

While this could be considered our first boo-boo - we bought the sponge - I still don't know either way that the imported materials DID come from China. I'm only guessing. However, I am going to chalk this up as a learning experience. I've been on the look-out for "Made in China," but apparently, the more subtle trap to watch out for is "...and imported materials."

As for the second "flip-the-package-and-study-the-label" moment - to be referred to as f.p.s.l in the future - I bought a package of brown gravy. Halfway through our New Year's day turkey meal, I ran tearing into the kitchen like a mad woman, scouring the trash, then the tiny room, for the package. *phew* We're safe. It was made in Canada.