#hy-vee

Scenes from the deli section of a Hy-Vee in Mason City, Iowa

"SNAGGLEPUSS--!!"

"TC--!!"

(And as it turned out, Top Cat brought along his clowder to help in the selection of the delicatessen.)

"And if I may say so, Snag old buddy ... yours truly thought it worthwhile to get a few deli meats and cheeses out of the way--not to mention some bread--for some of the run up to the Convocation."

"In Clear Lake, I take it," Huckleberry Hound chimed it.

"Where else?" was all TC could rejoinder. "Not to mention maybe having a modest little welcome center for the early coners to the July 4th weekend."

"Understood to be especially popular," a clerk at the deli section was quick to note. To which I added, "And it will interest you to know where a number of characters of the Hanna-Barberian persuasion will be over for Clear Lake's July 4th festivities!"

"Hopefully," Huckleberry Hound added, "you and your friends will be able to join your past Saturday-morning favourites over the holiday weekend."

"At any rate," TC remarked to the deli person, "what we have in mind are a few basic deli meats for such among our characters as will likely be arriving early. Maybe some sort of slap-up sandwiches."

"You know Scooby-Doo?" asked another worker at the deli.

"After all," Benny the Ball, TC's trusted leftennant, "we of the Hanna-Barbera Funtastic persuasion KNOW Scooby-Doo!"

To which Choo-Choo rejoindered, "And pretty much everybody else."

Brain, ever the clueless and confused one, took note of the deli selection including "double-smoked ham," prompting a request for a sample to just get an idea of what double-smoked ham tasted like.

"You think maybe our guests will go for double smoked ham, TC?" was Brain's query in response to his tasting.

"Now THAT, boys, will certainly be a novelty!" was how TC responded. "And maybe some more conventional deli ham!"

"Maybe some roast beef as well!" was how Fancy-Fancy added to the discussuion, oh so arrogant and everything.

"And, uh, like, pastrami?", to hear Spook enquire.

"Good choices, there, Fancy-Fancy and Spook, as if a couple of ham varieties weren't good enough," quoth TC. "Though it might not be a bad idea to maybe add some turkey breast of the smoked sort!"

Huck chimed in in agreement, adding where he and I might go looking for worthwhile and apropos bread and rolls. I myself suggested a rather hearty multi-grain loaf and Huck recommended a peasant loaf-type bread. We purchased both. TC couldn't have welcomed the choice more, adding that the peasant loaf had a sort of basic charm to it.

"Oh, to imagine a roast beef and ham sandwich done up in some multi-grain loaf," rhapsodised Choo-Choo.

Getting things finally squared away, Huck and I explained that our early arrival was to get some of the early-stage planning for the Convocation out of the way just before the actual weekend got started ... "but we wouldn't mind some sandwiches as well," added Huck.

"Feel free to join my clowder, boys," TC remarked.

And you'll likely imagine how things will go from here ...

*************

Friday, May 8, 2020, West Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.A

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Iowa to be part of a discussion of agriculture and food supply chain issues. The meeting was held at Hy-Vee headquarters in West Des Moines.

Pence was ultimately there to make a show of meeting food industry leaders and coronavirus response, but all five of the industry panelists were wearing masks. So before Pence came out, they were instructed to remove their masks, and they all did.

"Millions of pounds of ready-to-eat salads and premade food items including entrees, burritos, wraps and pizzas at several big name retailers such as Harris Teeter, Kroger, Whole Foods, 7-Eleven, Trader Joe's and Walmart have been recalled due to the potential risk of listeria and salmonella contamination.

The recalls stem from those issued by a dozen food manufacturers including Bakkavor Foods, Envolve Foods and Ruiz Food Products. The food makers notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture about products they shipped that could include ingredients such as corn, diced onions and other vegetables possibly tainted with bacteria – all provided from a single company, McCain Foods, the USDA says."

Exciting news for the Hy-Vee and Wahlburgers chains! :)

"Grocery chain Hy-Vee will break into the restaurant business next year.

Hy-Vee announced late Wednesday that it has partnered with Wahlburgers, a restaurant chain founded by Paul Wahlberg and his brothers, actors Mark and Donnie Wahlberg."