It has been such a very hectic month for both Frugal Fritz and I. Work has been pouring in non-stop and deadlines have been coming up faster than we can tackle the workload. As a result, not only have I not had any free time for researching or writing posts, I haven't even had any time to do a regular grocery.

While on an emergency grocery run a few weeks ago -- an emergency grocery run happens when my fridge looks like it belongs in a college dorm, empty except for an opened can of diet coke and a turnip -- I spotted a van, painted with a bag of fresh produce and a website address www.epiceriedirect.com scrawled across its side panel. When I got home, I checked it out and signed up for an account, though I did not purchase anything at the time.

The next day I received a call from Epicerie Direct informing me that whenever I do decide to place an order, the delivery charge (4.95$) would be waived. Within a few days, my grocery level hit the critical stage and I thought I would give their service a try. I decided to try to order the ingredients for 3 different recipes: Squash Ravioli with Sage and Walnut Butter, Goat Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers and Fish in Pine Nut Sauce. If I didn't have basics like butter, flour or spices, the total grocery would have cost me about 85$ the biggest costs being the 2lbs of ground lamb for about 13$ and 14$ for 4 turbot fillets. There were a few items they did not have, including saffron and the won ton wrappers for the original ravioli recipe I was going to make.

The website is set up so that you can clearly see how much each item costs, or how much of it you will get. Once you have all your items in the basket, simply checkout, choose your delivery address, the day you would like to have them delivered (next day has always been available when I have checked) and the 1 hour time frame for delivery. You can then decide if you would prefer to pay for your groceries online by credit card or debit, or you can pay cash at the door.

Once my order was placed, I received an email confirming my order and delivery time. The next morning, a few hours before my scheduled delivery, I received a phone call from Epicerie Direct, apparently, one of the flavors of yogurt I ordered was not available and would that be a problem? If any items are unavailable, or need to be substituted, they call.

The groceries arrived as promised between 3-4PM. The delivery person asked if he could bring the groceries in for me, placing them neatly on the counter in the kitchen. A very nice touch.

The vegetables looked wonderful, perfect, without the slightest imperfection on them! The fruit were just as beautiful. It was as close as I could imagine to restaurant quality produce. The lamb and the fish came in vacuum sealed packs and looked superbly fresh which meant no leaky styrofoam containers in the refrigerator.

The only misgivings I really have with Epicerie Direct is the frightening use of plastic baggies. They bagged everything; the garlic, the yukon gold potatoes, the butternut squash, the olives, the vine ripened tomatoes, everything. As well, they deliver everything in a doubled paper bag which sets off my enviro-guilt-o-meter. In their defense, it is because they are governed differently than your typical grocery store, and must abide by stricter food hygiene regulations set forth by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).

I asked about using reusable bags in the future - my own or a kind of "deposit" style bag circuit like we do with bottles. At this time, they cannot offer this service, but they are working on a plan to start using reusable bag. The challenge is to find a system to manage and sterilize the bags to meet AAFC guidelines. Meanwhile, they say that all of their paper bags and plastic bags can be recycled -- simply hand them over to the driver with the next delivery. They also recycle glass jars and will take your deposit bottles and give you a credit on your next order for the amount due.

This becomes a matter of cost versus convenience for me. They generally only have a few items on sale, listed in their two page online flyer which means that most of my purchases will be at full cost. On the flip side, I cannot describe how wasteful of my time it is to go to the supermarket for advertised specials, particularly in produce or meats, only to find that the quality of the items are not up to my standards. Although Epicerie Direct will not replace my regular shopping excursions, it definitely has a place in my budget, especially during these long winter months when venturing outdoors is something I wouldn't mind avoiding.