We were having an open house for neighbors and ham was on our menu. While shuffling through the food aisles at Sam’s Club, Nancy saw a “carver ham.” No bones, no spiral cuts, just a boneless, pre-cooked ham and it looked easy to carve. We bought it. I sliced it thinly and we stacked it on Hawaiian rolls. It was a delicious and a huge hit. I can’t remember ever buying a “carver ham” … [Read more...]

We had some shrimp cocktail as an appetizer recently, and the shrimp were out of sight. Succulent, juicy, delicious. They tasted like they just came from the nets of a shrimp trawler out of Wanchese, North Carolina. Turns out, they were from Food Lion – extra-large, fully-cooked shrimp, about 26-30 per pound. I have had good luck before with Food Lion shrimp. On several occasions, I have … [Read more...]

I used to drive by the Food Lion in Greene County on my way home from work and stopped in often for groceries. But since we closed Lights Out, I rarely go out of my way to shop at a Food Lion, even though I have always enjoyed their products. Last week, I passed by the one near the old Toys R Us and stopped in for a few items. I needed some ham for lunch meats and saw a product called Frick’s … [Read more...]

We go through Ziplocs at our house like Taylor Swift does boyfriends. Sometimes we’ll put old Ziplocs in new ones. Not really, but we use a lot of these convenient little storage bags. Since Charlottesville imposed a nickel tax on those little brown bags you get at grocery stores, our Ziploc usage has increased. I hated those bags for groceries, but they were often handy for storage of certain … [Read more...]

Panic! I just used the last of my Charlie Mills BBQ Sauce Seasonings. I’m down to one pint jar of the splendid Carolina concoction in the fridge. In a few days I’ll have more because I just ordered two more bags. I used to make my own BBQ sauce, Carolina style, of course. But when I stumbled on Charlie Mills secret blend of peppers and spices, I no longer have to empty my spice cabinet to make … [Read more...]

I saw them in the bread aisle on my last grocery store excursion – Buttermilk English Muffins from Thomas, the clear frontrunner in English Muffins. They sounded good and I picked up a package. They were good, and from now on, this will be my muffin of choice. They make delicious toast when slathered with butter and set beneath a broiler, and they also make great sandwiches. And they are very easy … [Read more...]

    I have no faith whatsoever with the average cantaloupes at the grocery stores. They mostly have no odor, meaning they are not ripe, and they are tasteless. So, I try to buy more exotic cantaloupes – like the Tuscan-Style melons from Dulcinea Farms. I have been seeing a few recently at various stores and bought one yesterday at Wal-Mart. In a word – excellent. Sweet, firm, … [Read more...]

I have been shopping more and more at Aldi’s. Their prices are simply incredible, and I have found a few products that I really enjoy there that are available nowhere else. Their Great Gherkins Hamburger Dill Pickle Chips, for one. I was in Aldi’s recently and bought some ground sirloin for burgers that night and remembered that I was out of dill pickle chips. To me, a cheeseburger without … [Read more...]