Sunday, March 30, 2014

What Are Your Food Foibles?

The weather was warm today, and Sunday is generally produce markdown day at my local grocery store, so I took a nice little walk to the store and back.

And I did score on sweet bell peppers in the markdown bin - yellow and orange peppers at 3 for a dollar, woo hoo! Combine that with what I got at the Mercado the other day and I see some fajitas in my future!


Unfortunately, I suffered a bit of a lapse, and came home with some other things that I probably shouldn't have - mostly dark chocolate and exotic fruit, 2 of my very worst weaknesses!


The thing is, dark chocolate is "healthy" (wink wink, nudge nudge). But I'm never sure which brand will be the best, so today I decided I really should do some comparison shopping and came home with three different kinds. Because, you know, it's very important to be an informed consumer. (The Lindt Lindor Extra Dark Truffles are the best, BTW.)


Anyhow, it got me to thinking about what I do and don't consider to be a splurge in terms of grocery shopping, and I'm not entirely sure that there's a whole lot of rhyme or reason to it.

Generally though, I think my splurges fall into one of two categories - the "too expensive" category or the "too unhealthy" group. Then, of course, there are the really decadent ones that manage to fall into both categories. Like... say... the um... Lindor Truffles....


So here are my Food Foibles:

  • Dark Chocolate - I think this qualifies in both categories
  • Ice Cream - vanilla only, and just the real stuff, no guar gum or unpronounceable ingredients - probably both categories on this one too.
  • Berries & Cherries - fresh, frozen, dried, you name it, I can't resist them. I once bought a four pound box of fresh cherries at Costco and managed to down the entire thing in a matter of days. I know they're considered to be healthy, but they do contain a lot of histamines which can either provoke or worsen an allergic reaction, so I'm supposed to be careful with them. Plus, they ain't exactly cheap. So probably a bit of an argument for both categories on this one too.
  • Dried Fruit - any variety, I pretty much can't resist (well, except for those yucky banana chips - could totally live without those.) Generally dried fruit is considered healthy in small quantities, but I'm sorta incapable of eating only small quantities.
  • Grapes - I could live on grapes if they weren't either toxic or ridiculously expensive. So, this is an either/or choice on the expensive vs. unhealthy depending on whether you go organic or not.
  • Shortbread Cookies - only the homemade variety made with LOTS of real butter. Pretty cheap, but nothing even remotely healthy about them.
  • Cream, Butter, Full Fat Milk & Full Fat Yogurt, or anything made with cream, butter, full fat milk or full fat yogurt like Alfredo sauce, whipped cream, cafe au lait, cheesecake, etc. Not terribly expensive, but not terribly healthy either.
  • Imported Cheese: Gouda, Havarti, Jarlsberg... the list goes on. Probably not too bad for you in moderation... Ha! And WAY too expensive to enjoy very often.
  • Nuts, by which I mean Cashews & Pistachios - I'm allergic to most of the rest. Definitely too expensive to indulge in every day, plus I think they're only "healthy" when you consume them in moderation... something that I am incapable of (are you sensing a trend?)
  • Buttered Popcorn (usually with powdered Parmesan Cheese too) - Cheap but artery clogging - see the above entries on butter and imported cheese...
  • Smoked Salmon & Lox - OMG, OMG, OMG... is there anything more delicious? Now, salmon is healthy, but I think the fact that it's smoked might sorta cancel some of that out. But it's sort of a moot point because it costs a small fortune.
So there you have it. Those are my food foibles. And now you know what to fill a gift basket with if you ever decide you have to send me one! 


But interestingly enough, there are a lot of foods that are supposed to be decadent which I'm either indifferent to or find to be outright disgusting like potato chips or chocolate ice cream, BLICK! 

And anything really sweet like marshmallows, cake or frosting just makes me sick to think about. So I suppose I should count myself lucky because my list could be worse.


I'm curious to know how your lists compare with mine. And do you have any other categories besides "too expensive" and "too bad for you"? I suppose if I were a better greenie, "too environmentally destructive" would be a third category, but alas... it hasn't quite gotten equal billing with the other two... at least not yet.

So tell me, if you were gonna splurge at the grocery store, what would you come home with?





28 comments :

  1. Why would smoking cancel out the health benefits of salmon? It doesn't do anything to change the nutritional value.

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    1. Well, I would LOVE to be wrong on this one, but I think smoked foods in general tend to have a lot of nitrates, nitrites and sodium - which make them not terribly healthy choices.

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  2. My list would include prepared snob foods like pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, nuts like cashews and pecans, ice cream, and lots and lots of junky candy like Twizzlers and Skittles.

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    1. Now see... I would never consider pesto to be a snob food - I used to make it weekly for CatMan before he decided he preferred lasagna. And goat cheese... yum! Have you ever had the Norwegian brown goat cheese? It's amazing! Almost tastes like caramel - perfect with a giant ice cold glass of full fat milk! I think my arteries are clogging just thinking about it! :-)

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  3. If I'm in an indulgent mood, I will come home with M&Ms, potato chips, or Klondike bars. I usually do this when I notice them on sale, so I can placate some of the guilt I feel. Yeah, like that makes a difference. :)

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    1. Well, you know, the caloric content does down along with the price when it's on sale... doesn't it? DOESN'T IT??? :-)

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  4. If money were no object, there are definitely some healthy foods that I would try and/or eat more of. The first thing that comes to mind in this category is hemp: seeds, milk, etc. Alternate nut butters, like almond and cashew butter also come to mind.

    Not that I am immune to the less healthy splurges, either: dark chocolate, nice ice cream (like you, none of the junk, but I do like flavors other than vanilla), organic dairy :)

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    1. Hmmm... I didn't realize that hemp products were so expensive. I think I tried hemp milk once and was rather "meh" about it - but... as you could probably guess from my list, I'm a sucker for the real thing where milk is concerned!

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    2. Yesterday afternoon, I opened my front door and stumbled over a big box. The tape was imprinted with "Lindt Chocolates." I immediately thought of you! This wasn't just a little box of chocolates, rather something the size of a very large shoe box, apparently something that Matthew ordered for an "Easter treat." Maybe you should come help me eat them ;-)

      As for the hemp milk, I think it's one of those things that varies by brand/recipe. I tried two about a year ago. One was definitely "meh," but the other was quite tasty. Unfortunately, I don't remember which was which, or even what two brands I tried (maybe Tempt and Pacific???).

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    3. I'm not sure if he should be commended for that move or punished! I've finished the Lindor truffles and now moved on to the Ghirardelli bar - not nearly as good, but it will have to do. I fear there might be another tummy ache in my near future. Thank God it will all be gone soon and I can stop doing damage to myself!

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  5. Mrs. DB40's list would look a lot like yours. Mine are the salty, fatty foods: a double double from In and Out, french fries, a bag of kettle chips...

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    1. OK... I had to go look up In and Out - I gather it's a burger joint so I'm guessing a double double is some sort of a double hamburger? But you do sound like a lover of the salty savory side... which I enjoy from time to time as well, but it doesn't quite have the same pull for me as the sweet, tart & creamy stuff does! And french fries?... in my book they're just a vehicle for ketchup!

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  6. If you buy salmon, try making grav lax - raw salmon, salt, pepper, dill. More detailed recipes available on-line but basically it goes like this: skin side down in Pyrex or glass container, seasonings, second piece of salmon skin side up. Cover with platic wrap, weigh down, refrigerate for a couple / three days. Slice thin and enjoy.

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    1. Wow! Is that safe to eat without curing it in some way? I'm deathly allergic to dill so I'd have to omit that part, but hmmmm.... my mind is reeling!

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    2. Yes safe because A) the sugar and salt cure it and B) it is refrigerated.

      Here is a link to no-dill grav lax recipes http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/277326

      and a link to Mark Bittman's riff on traditional, with dill, grav lax
      http://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/11/dining/the-minimalist-gravlax-without-fear-a-stunning-dish-just-looks-hard.html


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    3. Thanks! I'll go check out the links.

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  7. My list includes junk foods like french fries (like fresh cut ones such as In'n'Out's), peanut M&M's, Breyer's lactose-free VANILLA ice cream, Reese's (but not the little size and preferably the holiday ones because there is a greater PB to choco ratio), Cheezits or Annie's cheddar bunnies, any vegan baked good (as long as it has no fruit, nuts, or caramel), and I'm a sucker for P. Terry's veggie burgers---I think I could eat a good 3 in one sitting!

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    1. Wait... Breyer's makes lactose-free ice cream?!? Oh... that could be REALLY dangerous - knowing that I'll suffer from the lactose is generally the only thing that keeps me from consuming the entire pint in one sitting! And I love that you're experienced enough to know the chocolate to peanut butter ratio on the different kinds of Reese's - a true connoisseur!

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  8. There are so many . . Ben & Jerry's ice cream, vegetable gyoza, cheddar popcorn, dark chocolate covered almonds, and kettle chips top the list. The ice cream and almonds get bought more than anything because my husband enjoys them too, which means less chance that I'll splurge a little too much and wind up with a stomachache.

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    1. Ha! Well, I have to admit that splurge karma caught up with me last night and I went to bed with a terrible tummy ache! One would think that would have taught me my lesson but no... the siren song of the chocolate was a bit too strong and I just had a few more pieces. Hopefully I'll be able to refrain from buying any more next time I go shopping!

      And what on earth is a vegetable gyoza? I think I may have to consult the Googles on that one!

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    2. Gyoza is similar to a dumpling but with thinner dough. They're fried in oil usually and like a comfort food for me :)

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    3. OK... I looked them up and I have to say, they do look delicious!

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  9. ice cream, yogurt, and exotic fruit. I don't think it's possible for me to leave the grocery store without yogurt, especially if it's a new kind I've never seen before.

    This was a fun post!

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    1. Oh, the yogurt... sorta like ice cream only "healthy!" I actually have a rule with yogurt. I'm allowed to have it but only the plain kind and if I want flavors I mix it with real fruit. It keeps me from going crazy with it which I totally would otherwise!

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  10. When I first read your title, I thought of foods which I generally eat way more than one serving of at a time. I can eat cheese puffs until I can't really taste any more from all the salt and then keep eating them anyway, so I'm calling that my worst one.

    I also do not trust myself to bring home any other chips except pretzels. (Though I do it anyway when they are on sale.)

    But when I think of splurges, there are two kinds. One is the kind where I pay way more money for something that's more polite (like organic, free-range, etc.) or something super delicious (like fresh-squeezed juice instead of frozen). I'm actually making a list of these things that I've been talking myself out of while I feel poor to allow myself to buy once I retire and have a reasonable income again. (Mmm, Ben and Jerry's ice cream.)

    The other is where I splurge to have a lot of the processing done, both deliciously (Marie Calender's frozen chicken pot pies) and not so delicious (frozen pizza, frozen White Castle burgers).

    Actually, sometimes I also want to splurge on something delicious and extra evil (like lacy cookies made of toffee, dark chocolate, and nuts).

    I actually learned I'm generally fairly good with ice cream once I got my current roommate who doesn't like it. It can last a long time now. It turns out that even when I deliberately got flavors that I knew my previous roommates didn't like (even though they weren't as yummy to me, either) just so they'd last longer, my roommates were still eating it! Exceptions: poteet strawberry ice cream and various flavors involving dark chocolate do not last very long. Even though I will pour dark chocolate syrup (and peanuts) on vanilla ice cream, I don't go wacko over that.

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    1. Ahh...well, for me, once these sorts of foods make it into the house, they get eaten in quantities WAY beyond the suggested serving size, so I think it's pretty much the same thing.

      And I think you seem to have the most balance between the sugar and salt of anyone so far - so congratulations on your well balanced splurge list! :-)

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  11. I read this while hungry. MISTAKE.

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