Things I've Tried While Being Stuck in a Rut

 I still haven't blogged much lately. I've been in a kitchen rut for so long, and I'm starting to fear that it's permanent. Like, do I just not like to cook? I've always loved cooking, even when all I have is a bag of lentils. 

I've barely even been grocery shopping, more like just picking up odds and ends that I need, to tide me over till I feel like actually doing a shop. I used to LOVE grocery shopping. Now it's a chore. 

But, I have still been eating food, so here are some things I've eaten and tried and mostly liked! First is the newish vegan Bolognese pasta sauce from Trader Joe's. I had tried a vegan Bolognese from the Kroger line Simple Truth, and it was one of the worst things I've tried. I couldn't finish my pasta or the jar and I HATE wasting food. I must have been in a brave mood to grab the Trader Joe's version. 

A lot of people have compared this to Chef Boyardee. I've never had Chef Boyardee, but I get what they mean. This is definitely a sweeter, more maybe school lunch tasting pasta sauce. I liked it, honestly it reminded me of being a kid and having spaghetti at a friends house, and the mom used regular white pasta, not whole wheat, and the sauce would be from a jar and have kind of a sweet, processed flavor that my mom's homemade, healthy ass sauce didn't have. I give it an eight out of ten. 

You guys know I LOVE Vegan Rob's! The Brussels and cauliflower puffs are two of my favorite snacks. But these were just okay. I love spicy food, and have a very high spice tolerance, but these were not the kind of heat I like. It's just kind of like a blast of heat and no other flavors. I also HATE the orange stuff on my fingers as I eat them. I'll stick to the Brussels and Cauliflower puffs from now on.

I haven't tried this as an actual salad dressing, but I did dip some awesome vegan tenders in this and it was a ten out of ten experience! I was thinking this would be good on a taco salad too. If you have a Kroger/Ralph's/Fred Meyer/Smith's near you, look out for the Simple Truth line. Lots of vegan options at a decent price, and while I've had a couple of misses most are huge hits.

I found this somewhere on sale, and it tastes just like I remember Mounds bars tasting. ten out of ten, definitely will buy again!

This is one of my favorite chocolate bars! It has little pieces of dried coconut and pineapple, which makes it tasty and a great texture. 

I have had the gardein beefless crumbles, but the potstickers and sausage will be new to me. I found these items in the freezer clearance section. Two dollars each!! They also had a daiya pizza for three dollars, but it was a cauliflower crust. I don't even really care for their regular gluten free crust, I'm not dying to try the cauliflower crust. Three dollars is only a deal if you like or can use the item. 

I walked by this house the other day, and it made me smile. I love how the grass is so overgrown, and then there's just a patch of flowers. That would be me if I owned a house, why mow when you have flowers?