Tuesday 2 March 2021

pickles and other random stuff

Anne's talk of pantry challenges, meal planning, deviating from the plan and her hubs recreational shopping inspire me to write a related post.

My dad has often bought pickles and relishes and jams, usually at fetes and markets and these days I realise he's probably just supporting the event/ organisation but as a kid I thought it was an extremely weird quirk of his.

Then I grew up and realised that I do the same....except it's not just pickles. I love trying new stuff. I buy different flavours of mayo, tomato sauce, relish, convenience foods (the Aldi potato bake is a smasher) etc etc etc. Keaghan gives me a large amount of grief about having a fridge full of curry pastes. An entire shelf is full of condiments. I look in amazement at clutter free fridges. 

I just have to try it all.

For many years I religiously bought the "Taste" magazine put out by one of the major supermarkets. It was a great mag, full of realistic recipes. The reason it was realistic was because it was trying to make sure people bought their stuff. Every new product was featured and I bought a whole lot of them. Some products made it into regular rotation and some didn't. Some are hanging around in the fridge or pantry waiting for me to decide they are useful (sugar free drinking chocolate, anyone?)

My knowledge of what you can get in a supermarket is, I humbly estimate, at expert level. Got a culinary problem? I probably know the product.

Did you know you can buy pre-chopped onions? what a boring job that saves (no, i don't buy them but sometimes i wish i did)
What about the Aldi potato bake?

Frozen gozleme? makes a fabulous light meal but drink loads of water cos it's salty

vegan fish fillets? great for a fish burger vegetarian fake-away


It's no wonder there's no room in the pantry



18 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I'm just really bad at using things before I get the next

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  2. It is himself who buys the new products here. Some have been successes, some emphatically have not.
    Since we have very different tastes our fridge/pantry like the house will never be minimalist. Which is fine.

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    Replies
    1. I'm realising I just can't do minimalism, no matter how much id like to

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  3. You had a range of mouths to feed Kylie so that would allow room to purchase EVERYTHING! Taste magazine featured at my place too, it was definitely a marketing tool.
    My biggest supermarket peeve was finding a product I really liked, finding other shoppers didn't like it and then finding the supermarket no longer stocked it.
    Grrrrrrr.
    Did you change your post? I could swear I read the words 'hi mum' in there somewhere. Or am I hallucinating?
    Alphie

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    Replies
    1. There was a point where I couldn't buy it fast enough!
      I took out the "hi mum" when I took out the swear word. I can't swear in writing

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  4. Oops, I have a minimalistic fridge, and ready chopped onion in the freezer!
    Sx

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  5. I am a sucker for pickles and chutneys too and with targeted advertising now so effective on social media, I tend to buy them online and often give away half used bottles to unsuspecting visitors who may join me for lunch and compliment one of them.

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  6. I know nothing about cooking or food. My diet is crap. My older daughter has a bag of frozen chopped onion on the freezer.It saves her so much time when cooking.

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    Replies
    1. Chopping onions is time consuming, the re-chopped ones make so much sense

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  7. Those stall bought pickles and jams are the best. Not watery like some of the commercial products trying to eke out ingredients and make more money.

    And sugar free drinking chocolate for us is 'Blooker' - it's a Dutch chocolate powder and works like any 'instant' drink. I don't have it with any sweetener - it's just pure chocalate and I like it strong.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, and home made pickles have better flavour. I have never heard of Blooker, do you get it from a Dutch shop?

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    2. We get it from IGA Kylie but I reckon Coles and Woollies would have it too. It's not that exotic and if I checked the label it would probably say 'Product of China' or the Phillipines. haha

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    3. Haha ok! I'll keep an eye out

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  8. Timely post for me. I was just reviewing my fridge and pantry and so much stuff I haven't used. Bought with massive plans for gourmet meals. Never happened.

    XO
    WWW

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