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I just discovered two new drinks that are sooo good:
1) Minute Maid Limeade. Ok I never really liked limes or lemonade, but that stuff is so refreshing and delicious. I can't get enough of it when I get home from doing sports. It is the most refreshing drink I've ever tasted. I love it now.
2) McArthur Dairy's chocolate milk. The only kind of chocolate milk I ever tried growing up was the Hershey's chocolate syrup mixed with milk. I never liked it. I tried McArthur's one that comes already made, man that stuff is good. I could go through a whole carton in a day. It's so chocolatey.
What are your favorite packaged grocery foods that are sold in most supermarkets?
Posts: 2054 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Trader Joe's... - Dark chocolate covered soy nuts - Two buck chuck, particularly the Shiraz and the Sav Blanc - Organic tomato & roasted red pepper soup - Cinnamon sugar pita chips
Standard grocery store... - With you on the Minute Maid Limeade - Edy's fruit bar strawberry popsicles & lime popsicles - Haagen Dazs strawberry ice cream - Lucerne pepper jack cheese...nice and spicey
Posts: 1784 | Registered: Jun 2001
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And Lyrhawn's got it right on the OJ. I usually *hate* all non-Florida-fresh-squeezed-OJ, but Simply Orange is simply excellent.
Posts: 1784 | Registered: Jun 2001
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Damn it, they're $5 a can and they hardly last a day, and I can't buy them every time I go grocery shopping, but once I start on 'em I can't stop.
Yes, I know they have hazelnut and I'm supposedly allergic to nuts, but I seem to be OK with these, thank God.
Also, one of these days I have to convince my wife that it's better to go to the grocery store ONCE a week or something. Now it's "we're out of milk" today, "we're out of bread" tomorrow, "we're out of orange juice" the next day... Gah!
Compounded with the fact that she things everything experiences a sudden and major chemical reaction at 12:01am the day after it expires makes it all the more frustrating. She has to stop asking me "taste this, see if it's bad."
Posts: 3486 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Boon
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Wow. I'll talk to your wife if you like; we do our major shopping once a MONTH, with weekly stops by my husband for milk. That's it, just milk, two or three gallons at a time.
If we run out of milk midweek or he can't stop on Friday for some reason, it's no big deal though. I just mix up some powdered.
"Use by" and "sell by" dates are very conservative on most things...and even spoiled milk can be useful...
Trader Joe's is definitely a good store for packaged foods. My favorites: Chocovic 71% (the orange and yellow labels -- they don't carry the other one) and Valrhona 71%, the non-pasteurized (makes a big diff) fresh squeezed oj, and these sesame fortune-style cookies that I haven't found for a while.
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jan 1999
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Trader Joe's makes the only soymilk I drink-- the chocolate TJ's store brand. I could go on for HOURS listing all my favorite TJ's foods. But I won't.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Actually, she doesn't ask that as much as she should. Sometimes she hands me a bag of treats and suggests I take them to the office for snacks, which I do, but every thing I pick I have to analyze.
"Honey, a candy car you gave me yesterday expired during the Carter administration..."
"God, your picky! I'm never giving you snacks again!"
And, three days later, the cycle repeats...
Posts: 3486 | Registered: Sep 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Nighthawk: She has to stop asking me "taste this, see if it's bad."
But that's what husbands are FOR!
I beg to differ. My husband will eat nearly anything food-like, expired or not. Whereas I am extremely sensitive to the slightest spoilage in milk, or the tiniest bit of mold. He asks me if things are spoiled.
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Of course it's not available here, but Utz Crab Chips, which aren't really crab flavored but spicy. Does anyone on the east coast want to pick some up for me?
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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They might be a bit more south than you, I'm not sure. I know they have them in PA, MD, and VA. And other places too. I'll look it up.
Ok, also VT, NH, Mass, Conn, RI, NJ, DE and a teeny bit of New York (which i believe is the city). But that's just who has Utz, not the flavor I love, that's harder to find.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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It's a store with a brand. A health food, natural type chain store. Very awesome, I sort of wish we had one here except that it'd probably drive out our Co-Op which is almost as awesome and not a chain.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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It's a store, but they have a store brand, like most grocery stores. Their brand is really nice, just as 365 is at Whole Foods. I've seen them all over the country.
edit: darn, too slow!
Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
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I've only been into Trader Joes once since I've moved in the vicinity of one because everyone kept raving about it and I don't see what the big deal is...
*ducks and runs away*
Posts: 697 | Registered: Nov 2005
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whole wheat mini-bagels fuji or gala apples peanut butter sugar-free jelly sweet potatoes turkey sausage eggs oatmeal bread whatever fruit is in season frozen chicken breasts
That's the basis of my shopping list.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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I'm surprised no one mentioned 'Nutella'. Nutella is a hazelnut chocolate spread for bread and toast, very similar to peanut butter. But, here is the thing that will suprise most Americans, world wide Nutella out sells all brands of peanut butter combined!
I see it is now available in most grocery stores and I buy it a my local Walmarts. Though I don't buy it too often because it usually last two days and not a speck of it every touches bread or toast. I just eat it out of the jar with a spoon.
When you read British literature and read references to kids putting chocolate spread on their toast, it is almost guaranteed to be 'Nutella'.
I love ginger ale (or ginger beer, if you prefer).
Stewards Ginger is absolutely excellent. It has a nice ginger bite that is offset with a substantial amount of sugar (50g). It tastes excellent, but the high suger content means you shouldn't drink it very often.
Reeds Ginger Brew is also very good. I prefer the 'Extra' meaning extra spicy version (red label). It is excellent with a hint of pineapple, and 37g of sugar.
A good compromise between fiery state and moderate sugar is the very so good Boylan's Ginger Ale. Pleasant ginger bite excellent taste, and 35g of sugar.
For those seeking a excellent unique taste in ginger ale with a low sugar content and a nice ginger bite, try Sprecher's Ginger Ale (made in Wisconsin). It comes in 16oz bottles, and a nice hint of vanilla, with a every so slightly bitter ginger bite, and only 28g of sugar per 16 oz bottle. This goes first rate with a movie and popcorn.
Note Boylan also makes a first rate Root Beer and an excellent Red Birch Beer. Stewarts makes first rate Cream Ale, Root Beer, Orange, and I think Key Lime. Speachers' makes a first rate Root Beer and a few other specialty drink, plus some nice ales.
The absolute best Ginger Ale/Beer in the USA is Blenhiems. Absolutely first rate, but it is only available in South Carolina and the general vacinity. Though I have had them UPS a case or two to me. The actual bottle cost is relatively low, but the shipping is a killer. Overal, even shipped it is roughtly the price of other specialty sodas at the local store. And I say once again, it is the absolute best their is.
When I lived in Minneapolis I used to love to go to the many Asian grocery stores and look for interesting foods. Though I confess that I am not a very daring eater. One of my best discoveries was 'Gold Kili 3-in-1 Instant Coffee'. Individual packets of single serving coffee with a bit of coffee creamer and a hint of sugar.
They had several brands, but I chose Gold Kili because it had the lowest sugar. If you like you coffee with a bit of cream, I swear you will not find a more perfect cup of coffee than this. Excellent first rate coffee, great quality creamer, and just a hint of sugar.
A good second choice is 'Vina Cafe' which is available in both ground coffee and 3-in-1 instant. Just as good as Gold Kili with slightly more sugar.
Really, either one is an absolutely first rate cup of coffee. At my local store, US$3.75 for a box of 20, but the do have larger packages and the price per unit is slightly less.
Minute Maid Limeade - oooow, that is soooo good on a hot summer day, and a very nice change from lemonade.
Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue sauce is excellent. I just finished a bottle of 'Hichory and Brown Sugar'. Now I'm off to a bottle of 'Famous Dave's Devils Spit'. Famous Dave is also first rate, but the Devils Spit is spicy. Try it you'll like it.
Finally, a bargain, Banquet Hot & Spicy Chicken Wings. Far better than most other frozen chicken wings on the market, and they are not all that hot and spicy. Certainly well within the comfort level of even the most sensitive palates. Though I confess that when I am done with them they are truly hot and spicy.
Unlike 'buffalo' wings, Banquet doesn't have a vinegary taste, and the wing are relatively lean, not fatty like most wings. They are also relatively cheap.
I want to buy some frozen dinners for when I get home from soccer when I'm starving and dinner isn't made yet. I tried one called Hungry Man and it was Salisbury Steak, and it was ok. I also sometimes get Stouffer's but I'm not crazy about the ones I tried. Anyone know any good brands/specific meals? No Lean Cuisines or any diet ones because I'm trying to put on weight, so ones that are high in calories and protein are a bonus.
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Michelina's are the best frozen dinners available at regular stores, IMO. Of course, TJ's has better ones, but that's only if you have a TJ's in your area.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Thanks. That name sounds familiar, I think I may have tried one once. Any specific meals that you like from them?
Posts: 2054 | Registered: Nov 2005
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I like the lasagna with meat sauce and the fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli and chicken, though that one can be hard to find. My husband loves the Swedish meatballs.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Here in the Baltimore vicinity they sell something called Smearcase. It's like some kind of misbegotten hybrid of flan and cheesecake.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Ok, I'll admit it: I think Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is a treat.
Orange Milanos (I buy them maybe once a year because they are so gone in one sitting . . .) Just about any kind of hummus canned chickpeas (not fussy about brand) Ezekiel pocket bread cut up fresh pineapple
I love that stuff! I used to buy that constantly and then I kind of forgot about it. Now I have a huge craving for it again. Posts: 2054 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Bertolli frozen pasta meals. I love each and every one of the chicken ones, especially the Chicken Florentine and Farfalle. Perfect for two.
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003
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I'll join the chorus for MM Limeade. Plus, it's cheap and often on sale.
Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies w/Pecans. Much better than all other store-bought cookies. Pepperige Farms gives them competion, but they're way overpriced.
quote:Originally posted by maui babe:
quote:Originally posted by rivka:
quote:Originally posted by Nighthawk: She has to stop asking me "taste this, see if it's bad."
But that's what husbands are FOR!
I thought they were for fixing the washing machine and parallel parking?
No, no, it's lawn care and vehicle maintenance.
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
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None in Florida. Anyone who lives in South Florida know any similar stores?
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