hi, guys! hope you had a great weekend. i feel a little ripped off since it was an hour shorter.. but i shouldn’t complain because i LOVE the extra daylight.
i have had quite the relaxing day. i woke up at 10:30 (but really 9:30, right?? how long can we say that?) and then met two friends at starbucks for a couple hours of catching up over a grande chai tea latte. i left starbucks and spent my sunday afternoon wandering around station park in farmington. station park is a newer development with a plethora of stores. today i hit up ross, home goods, marshall’s, tilly’s, petco, and harmon’s.
i didn’t purchase things at every store.. i just like wandering the aisles and browsing. it’s very therapeutic for me! i spent three solid hours just walking around. i did walk away with some fun finds (and, granted, some impulse buys!) and thought i would share them with you.
i ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS check ross and TJ maxx for vanilla bean paste. that’s the only place i can ever find it, but they rarely have it. i lucked out today when i found SIX jars of vanilla bean paste at ross. you better believe i bought all six.
i love vanilla bean paste! i use it instead of vanilla extract (equal ratio) and it makes everything taste sooo much better. plus, i love the bean specks.
i found this discounted jar of coconut butter at home goods. i never bite the bullet and buy it because it’s $12 for a tiny jar at whole foods.. but this jar was six bucks so i decided to buy it. half off is hard to come by. i usually make my own coconut butter (need to post that recipe/tutorial soon) but it’s pretty time consuming. this was definitely an impulse buy, but it was a good one!
i spotted this new flavor of hope hummus at harmon’s. i LOVE the sweet potato flavor and the spicy avocado flavor, but hadn’t seen this thai coconut curry flavor until today! i opened it and enjoyed it on a rice cake before it even made its way into the fridge.. haha. it’s delicious! it’s slightly spicy and has just the right amount of coconut. i’m thinking that it would be delicious on some noodles and chicken for a quick & easy meal.
i have been wanting to try this variety of toblerone for awhile now. i love the original version so i can only assume this kind is just as good. i have a cookie idea in mind using toblerone, so i bought a couple to help me with my baking experimentation!
luna bars were on sale for a buck! had to pick up a couple of them. unfortunately they were out of my favorite (chocolate dipped coconut), but they did have the peppermint chocolate which comes in as a close second. it tastes like a girl scout thin mint cookie. i haven’t tried the s’mores flavor yet, but i am sure i won’t be disappointed. i love that the luna bars don’t contain dairy, as i am eating 95% dairy free these days.
i saw these fruit snacks at the check out line. they sure know how to place products! i snagged a box for marshall to use for his lunches. his fave flavor of anything is strawberry, so i got that, but they also had raspberry.
these apples were on display front & center in the produce department. again.. product placement is everything! i can’t wait to try–have you ever had an opal apple?
i was looking for some tomato bruschetta to spread on some paninis tonight, and i spotted this artichoke bruschetta. sign me up!
even though i have nixed most cheeses, i have found that i CAN tolerate goat cheese. (freaking yay, ’cause it’s the best!) i like the goat cheese crumbles from trader joe’s, but i wasn’t in SLC.. so i decided to see if harmon’s had goat cheese crumbles. they didn’t, but i did find this goat cheese spread.
consider my cream cheese woes over–this soft, spreadable stuff trumps cream cheese every day of the week.
i used the artichoke bruschetta and the goat cheese spread. for tonight’s dinner.
we had paninis and soup! super (souper? hehe) simple. i used fresh baked sourdough bread for the sandwiches. i spread one side with the goat cheese and the other side with the bruschetta, then drizzled both sides with a balsamic glaze. i stuffed the sandwiches with tuscan turkey (soooo flavorful–found that at harmon’s, too) and sun dried tomatoes before pressing them into paninis.
the soup was store bought. harmon’s hot bar. haha.. love harmon’s. i wasn’t too ambitious tonight, obviously. i had sausage vegetable and marshall had creamy tomato basil.
i can’t wait to try out my other fun finds!
in other weekend news…
i tried a new-to-me spot for brunch on saturday. i went to pig and a jelly jar with amanda and marshall. they have these adorable three-egg frittatas. i ordered “the frenchie” which had caramelized onions, mushrooms, and bacon. actually it had brie but i replaced the brie with bacon.. haha. SLC locals should check it out!
i went and saw warm bodies last night. LOVED it. super good soundtrack and it was a cute zombie love story. check it out.
after the movies, i came home and watched another movie. we picked up wreck it ralph at costco (FYI, it’s on sale if you are into that.) cute movie!
today was the first of many sunday rundays. mandy and i went on an impromptu run because it was way nice out and we needed to stretch our legs. we made it a whopping 2.1 miles. better than nothing, right? haha.. we will try for three next week.
okay… off to do my least favorite chore. that laundry isn’t going to fold itself, unfortunately. have a good night!
Qs~
1. what was your last fun food find?
2. springing forward for daylight savings time: love it or hate it? or do you not do it where you live?
xo. janetha g.
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{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
i love browsing stores for fun finds. it’s not as occurring with 2 littles though. the vanilla bean paste sounds like a super fun baking find. i’d never heard of it. my last fav. find were whole wheat cinn raisin british muffins at tj’s. sooo good.
and springing forward? well, so far so good. the kids slept til after 8:30 today (7:30 – i guess) so that was fantastic!
Man you sure know how to make this momma b hungry!! Your food finds look so delicious and that apple – wow!!
I was just at Ross too and saw all of that vanilla bean paste – now that I know you “collect” it I’ll be sure to snag it when I see it!
hmmm last fun food find…..I’m clearly stuck in a rutt on this one!
I don’t like the whole springing thing but I do like the daylight – like right now I want to go to bed but unfortunately my kitchen is not one of those “self cleaning” ones – rats!! It’s either that or folding clothes :-)
Love you!!
I love humus, that flavor sounds interesting! I also have never seen that kind of toblerone, YUM! My last fun food find was roasted cocoa pumpkin seeds :)
Impulse food buys are the BEST! I’ve never tried vanilla paste before… I love vanilla flavor, though, so I need to keep my eye out for it. Also, if you can believe it, I’ve never tried coconut butter! I can never bring myself to buy the ridiculously expensive jar.
Basically, I’m obsessed with all of the food in this post and I want it all.
I find it so odd that some places just decide not to participate in daylight savings time. I think that should have been 1 thing all states were either on board for or not. FUN finds. I agree- vanilla bean paste rocks. You make me want to go to our Tjs/Marshalls tomorrow to see if they have any. mmm to hummus. I just tried the coconut peanut butter. At first I LOVED It…now I think its just too sweet. I am a natural PB/AB girl all the way- no added sugar!
Love that spreadable goat cheese! Good idea to use it as a sub for cream cheese. Never thought to spread it on a bagel but what a brilliant thought.
I love fun food finds! That coconut butter is like a little sample of heaven. Seriously, I’m so obsessed with it, it’s a slight problem. I go through a big jar in a month, easily. Um yah, not so happy for my wallet, but I can’t help it.
That’s odd to me that some places don’t do the daylight savings. I don’t mind bouncing forward or backwards at all, as long as it’s just the hour! More than that and I’m a nut for days.
I need to try vanilla bean paste . . . it does sound like it would be way better than the extract. Last week, I made my own coconut butter!! And it worked so well, I’m posting about it today! It’s easy and way cheaper. :) Happy Monday!
LOVE finding fun food finds and good deals at places like Home Goods and TJ Maxx!
The hummus sounds awesome! I have seen that brand at whole foods out of state, but never at mine yet!
Sounds like you had a good weekend and I want to rent that movie! Might have to red box it or on demand it next weekend! <3
I will now keep an eye out for vanilla bean paste at our Marshall’s and T. J. Maxx.
Yesterday at the grocery store, my big find was Earth Balance creamy coconut and peanut spread; I was about to run out of the chunky, which was delicious, but I prefer creamy. I found it in hiding behind all the chunkies!
Vanilla bean paste is so superior to extract. I discovered it last year – through your site, maybe? – and am obsessed. In a good way. ;-)
That Opal apple looks remarkably like a Golden Delicious. Similar in flavor? GD is my second-favorite apple, after the almighty McIntosh. :-)
hold up. wait a minute. you ran?? :)
there is nothing I LOOOVE more than springing forward :-)
I’m pinning that paninis! Where did you get the bread, and what kind is it? Oh, and did you make the soup? Please post all the yummy stuff you end up making with all these food finds:)
LOVE both of those movies!! Especially Warm Bodies. Such fun.
Your panini sounds amazing. I really want that artichoke bruschetta and the goat cheese spread! YUM.
So many good finds! I looooove goat cheese so that spread looks amazing. And I really need to branch out and try different hummous flavors!
That goat cheese spread is a staple at my house, I wish it came in a bigger container!
I need to check Marshalls for vanilla bean pasta! Smart of you to buy it all up :)
Opal apples are my absolute fave! I actually bought them myself thinking that they are golden delicious apples. They were amazing though much better than golden delicious in my opinion!. Enjoy.
Yay! I found coconut butter at TJ Max for $6 too! Jackpot!
Love vanilla bean paste!!!!!! I get mine from wegmans.
Fun fact about goat cheese: it’s lower in lactose and easier to digest than cow cheese : )
I know! That’s why I can eat it :)
Toblerone … good to see that made an appearance outside of the holidays. That’s special any day of the year.
I love going to Home Goods and/or TJ Maxx to browse their specialty foods! They always have the best/most unique stuff for soo much cheaper than regular grocery items. I’m gonna have to look out for that coconut butter!
I’m with you on the browsing. haven’t had a fun food find lately :( I love having more daylight and I think the hours all even out, right!? so I try not to think about it to much! Sounds like you had a good weekend!
My favorite food find is Black Bean Pasta. It is gluten free and has 20grams of protein. http://www6.netrition.com/explore_asian_organic_black_bean_spaghetti.html
i love that pasta!
I love trying new apples. Never tried that type before.
LUNA makes some awesome bars. I am just sad that here in Texas, it’s almost impossible to keep them from melting 9 months out of the year
coconut butter at half off?! that’s amazing!! esp artisana – i love that brand!! i love finding fun foodie stuff at tj maxx and marshalls – never seen anything that stellar at home goods – will have to check now!
Question for you about dairy…
I just found out I have an allergy to eggs (not as in I’m deathly allergic, just that my body doesn’t tolerate them well) and if I avoid them for 3 months, hopefully after that time I’ll be able to have them again. Crazy, I know…
When you say you avoid 95% of dairy, what does that constitute? Do you consider eggs dairy? Or are you just avoiding milk, cheese, cream, that sort of stuff? I’m just dying thinking about not eating eggs or using them in anything for the next 3 months…ugh! Any help would be awesome. Have a great day!
Eggs aren’t dairy.. I eat eggs still. I say 95% because there are some things that I eat that have a trace amount. Or sometimes I will say screw it and eat ice cream :)
I probably sounded really dumb asking that question, huh? Ha, blame it on one hour less of sleep! ;)
So…my question for you then is any idea how to replace/supplement eggs from a diet?
Also, I’ve been thinking about eating less dairy. Where did you start with that and what do you do to replace things? Or do you just go without? Obviously you feel better without it, ie more energy, less headaches, less stomach aches? Sorry for all the questions, I’m just embarking on this new way of eating and feel completely lost!!!
never apologize! :) soo.. i quit dairy cold turkey. i already used almond milk instead of cow’s, so that wasn’t an issue. i tried to replace cheeses with vegan cheese, but it’s just not the same. no way, no how. so now i go without. i add extra avocado to things like sandwiches and tacos and salads since i can’t have the cheese. the only other dairy thing i ate a lot of was ice cream, but i have found that nondairy ice cream is OK in a pinch. i also make a lot of ice cream consistency protein shakes with plant-based protein powder and almond milk to satisfy that craving. oh, and i miss greek yogurt. that’s irreplaceable! so i will have a greek yogurt every so often.
i eat a LOT of eggs, so it’s hard to say how to replace them.. hmm.. since they are mainly protein, i would say just add in more lean meats, plant-based protein powders, and vegan protein options like tempeh and tofu.
There are so many things I love about this post- let me list them:
1. Toblerone can do no wrong, and the almond one is no exception
2. Chocolate dipped Coconut Luna bars are in fact, the best flavor
3. Souper- literal lol
4. I love the term “Sunday Runday”
Oh my gosh, I WANT THAT HUMMUS. It sounds amaaaaaazing.
And I really love the coconut butter! I often just splurge on a big jar ;)
My latest food find was roasted seaweed at costco. AMAZING!
I would like to own every single food item in this post! I always forget about looking at TJ Maxx/Homegoods, etc for food items.
I love that goat cheese- and I’ve been dying to try that hummus! I’ll have to wait until we move- can’t find it here!
And the Toblerone… just whoa.
I agree with Nicole above- the chocolate dipped coconut Lunas are above and beyond the best flavor.
And I dig coconut butter out with a knife and eat blocks of it. I broke a jar once by jabbing it too hard. Oops.
I love fun foodie finds! That coconut butter is amazing… always have to have a jar of that stuff on hand, yum! :)
My lastest food find wasn’t food, but a set of those tortilla bowl forms you use in the oven (yes, AS SEEN ON TV … I’m so ashamed). I thought, what the heck, the set I found was 4/$10. Not too big a risk. The shells turned out fine, and the family really liked the fat that they were crispy instead of greasy. Our taco salads were fab!
I love the extra daylight a bunch, but hate the changing thing. Why not just leave it this way year round? More light at night is grand.
That toblerone is SOOO good. But it’s swiss. so duh!
I love vanilla bean paste!!!
I just discovered World Market recently and LOVE it! So many unique and fun finds :D I’m not sure if it’s the time change or just my wonky sleep schedule, but the past 2 days have been off… Up past midnight and waking up before 5, oye!
My last impulse food buy was a turkey avacado sandwhich, because the description said it had pesto mayo. That pesto mayo (made in-house) is so.so.good! It is from a little local place in Holladay called Lettuce and Ladles. I think they make all their bread in-house too. I love their french bread!
I super dislike the springing forward part of daylight savings time!! I do love that it means the weather will be getting warmer though! ;)
I love it when you do restaurant reviews!
Good call stocking up on the Vanilla Bean paste. I scored when I found my expensive Illy coffee at Marshalls one day. You better believe I bought everything they had!
Springing forward was rough this year. My husband had a 5 am wake up call for a race. I went with him to get my long run in while he raced, so I definitely felt the “4 am” wake up.
I LOVE THAT TOBLERONE. It’s damn good!
Found the coconut butter at TJ Maxx! Thanks for the heads up!
I once bought toblerone with some kind of milk filling – it was awesome. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find that for a while. Probably discontinued. Haven’t seen that variety over here.