Snacks and Stuff

Anywho, my dentist is relatively far away from where I live, so I rarely hit up the shops over there, which is too bad because they have an Earthfare (among some other fave shops of mine)!  I decided to take a "quick" stop at the Earthfare to see what goodies I could find.  First, I hit up the bulk bins to get some supplies for some future snacky goodies (to be posted later when I actually make them).

Next, I hit up the cheese aisle.  I love going to these types of non-traditional grocery stores, because they always have a fantastic supply of cheeses, often reasonably priced and available in smaller portions.  I picked up a small block of parmesan, some grated parmesan, and some Port Salut (a delicious, mild, gooey, cheese that reminds me a bit of brie).  I first had Port Salut when I went to France and have been enjoying it ever since.  If you like brie, you should give it a go.

After choosing those yummy cheeses, I decided to wander up and down the aisles of Earthfare, which I don't normally do since I like to follow the "shop the outer aisles rule" (click for info).  I'm glad I did wander the inner aisles, though, because I found this very interesting looking Pomegranate Jelly.  I like the flavor of Pomegranates, so I'm hoping I like this.

After finding the jelly, I was super excited to find one of my favorite teas – Ginger by Yogi Tea.  They don't carry this flavor in the grocery store I frequent.  Anywho, a good friend of mine got me some of this tea earlier this year and brought it by my apartment one day when I was sick.  The ginger tea is supposed to aid upset stomachs and digestion, but I really just like the flavor.  You know how ginger has that slightly spicy flavor to it?  Well, the tea has the same kick in liquid form.  It's delish and it really does help an upset stomach.  Ginger root has long been used for medicinal purposes, which may be why some people suggest drinking ginger ale if you have one.  I will add here that if you're ever out at a restaurant and want some ginger ale to treat an upset stomach…check to see if they really do have ginger ale.  I used to wait tables, and an old waiter's trick to "make" ginger ale is to put sprite in a cup with a dash of coke.  It tastes just like ginger ale!  Most restaurants will have real ginger ale at the bar, though, according to some quick web research (here's one of the sites I found), most ginger ale doesn't really contain much ginger – supposedly, they usually use artificial flavorings.  Research or not, ginger ale always makes me feel better when my stomach is upset so I will continue to drink ginger ale and/or ginger tea to feel better.

When I got home, I really wanted to dig into some of the yummy snacks I got, but my headache and sore gums were making me have second thoughts.  My growling stomach won out when I decided to have some peanut butter toast.  I used potato bread and a no-stir, organic peanut butter.  I love the naturally sweet taste of potato bread and the soft texture, though you lose some of that when you toast it.  I still enjoyed my little snack, though.

Ok, enough blabbing, I'm off to pack.  We're headed home to see my parents for Christmas.  Mr. Chic's family has us later next week and next weekend. 🙂