I did my usual grocery shopping yesterday, and I'm surprised to say that Trader Joe's was not the mob scene I expected. Especially for the day before Mother's Day. Don't get me wrong, it was still a bit overwhelming, just less than I expected.
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| Coconut milk, mushrooms,bananas,sweet potatoes,chocolate truffle bar, tofu, spinach,ginger tea,jackfruit,sour gummies,Jasmine rice,red lentils,Romaine, coconut aminos, red pepper,lemons |
Pretty much the same, with a few new things thrown in the mix. Trader Joe's sour gummies are vegan, and they're pretty dang good. They have a grapefruit flavor which is my fave. They had the jackfruit this week so I had to get it. It's only twenty cents more than what they sell it for at the Asian market so it's fine.
While at Smith's I noticed a few new things there. One is they now sell a few of the Just dressings, I think I saw Just Ranch(!) and two others that I can't remember. Up until now they've only sold the mayo. They also are selling the Daiya salad dressings, and also Hillary's Eat Well.
It's always exciting when regular old groceries start carrying new vegan items. It tells me that there must be a demand because they are in the biz of making money. I doubt I'll ever try the Daiya dressings because as you can see they're six dollars a bottle which is like double the price of Just Ranch and I've heard very mixed reviews of the dressing. I'm also not a fan of their yogurt, it somehow still has that daiya taste. I might try the Hillary's if it ever goes on sale. But yes to Smith's for branching out!!
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| Potatoes, garbanzo bean flour,frozen peas,strawberries,cilantro, green onion,garlic,spirulina, vitamin B-12,bulk lentils and green dragon sauce from Trader Joe's |
Smith's had a clearance on spirulina supplements so I picked up a bottle. Years ago in Seattle I tried them and I remember they really made me feel great. They gave me extra energy and also seemed to help with the blues I was having from the constant rain. I've been battling some extra depression and lack of energy so I figured why not. And although I try to add nooch to something I eat at least once a day, sometimes I forget so the B-12 will come in handy.
For dinner I wanted to make baked vegetable pakoras. I kind of had a fail. I mean, they tasted great but the were flat, kind of like mini pudlas. I'm not sure what I did wrong, maybe I'll see if I can find a YouTube video. I doused the little pancakes with green dragon sauce, and also made a cilantro and parsley dipping sauce. Kitchen fails are always disappointing, but at least the taste was there. Kitchen fails are the worst when the taste is bad.
Everyday is yoga with cats at my place! Etta likes to tickle and rub on my toes, and then take little bites. She can be in a dead sleep, and somehow she knows when I'm doing yoga and has to come join!
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers of humans and fur babies alike. I hope you get to spend the day doing what you love! I get to spend the day with my girls so I feel pretty grateful for that.
$6?! That seems WAY too much. But then again I can't remember how much I paid for them. Maybe $4? or $5? Not that much cheaper. They were alright. The flavor was nice but they were WAY too thick. Such a pain to get it out of the bottle- even when it was full.
ReplyDeleteI know that's like triple the cost of Just Ranch, and even quite a bit more than FYH dressings. I am always interested in vegan Blue Cheese, but I just can't justify six dollars, especially if I don't like it!
DeleteWe get Daiya dressing here... I won't tell you how much it costs after they import it and add the 'vegan markup' that every single damn vegan item here seems to have. It is a special occasion dressing. But I do love the blue cheese one! I also got a bottle of the Caesar one on sale that I haven't tried yet.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should look into spirulina. More energy and a better mood is something I could do with these days.
Vegan markup is so unfair. It just discourages people from trying vegan products, and helps to feed the myth that vegan food is expensive. GRRR.
DeleteI remember really feeling a huge difference when I took it before. I'm on day two of taking it. I was also reading about chlorella and that seems to have amazing health benefits too. I've tried adding spirulina powder to smoothies, but the flavor is very strong and I don't like it so I prefer the tablets.
The most annoying thing with the vegan mark up here is that some of the local companies, instead of using this as an opportunity to provide a well-priced competition, have just increased their prices to match the imports. *cranky*
DeleteWill add spirulina to my list for the next time I am at a health food shop.
That is really annoying. It isn't right either as some of that stuff is already on the pricier side.
DeleteI really recommend spirulina, it has so many nutrients. It's also really high in vitamin B-12 which is helpful.
Just based off their cream cheese, I would not be interested in Daiya Dressing, but thanks for letting me know it exists.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember if I've ever tried their cream cheese, but I know I tried their yogurt and was not impressed. If the dressing were cheaper I might try it just because I loved blue cheese in my pregan days, but FYH is cheaper and they have a vegan blue cheese that I know I like so sorry daiya!
DeleteI'm with you on the price of the dressings! I do treat myself every couple of months when they are on sale at Wegmans which is rare. Sometimes I can find them on sale for about $3.99 which is still pricey for the amount but then again I'm cheap! LOL - The ranch was 'ok' it's not a buttermilk ranch but more of a peppercorn ranch. If I am going to spend $4 on one of them it would be the Blue Cheese first and foremost! That stuff is AWESOME! LOVE LOVE LOVE the Daiya Blue Cheese!
ReplyDeleteYou're the second person to say they like the blue cheese. Now I feel like I need to try it because Blue cheese was my FAVORITE in my pregan days. I also used to love peppercorn ranch!
DeleteYES! Doooooooooooo it! You will like it I bet!
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