Food For Foreigners

Christmas cookies at Family Mart

2011-12-15T01:31:00.000-08:00

Yum! Snickerdoodles and Ginger Spice cookies at Family Mart. So if you don't feel like baking your own Christmas cookies, buy them here.

Lavash Flatbread Chips at Costco

2011-12-05T21:55:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...I haven't seen these babies before. They certainly look yummy! Now if Costco would just start selling hummus....

New Special K cereal and jumbo bags of pretzel M&Ms at Costco

2011-11-22T05:22:00.000-08:00

What? Something besides Special K with Strawberries? Nice!

Oh, boy, oh, boy. Pretzel M&Ms are my new love. I almost tossed this huge bag of 'em into my shopping cart tonight, but I'm afraid they wouldn't last more than a few days in my house. But this is a much better deal than buying those individual packs of M&Ms that cost NT$30 each.

Starbucks ice cream at Wellcome

2011-11-15T23:03:00.000-08:00

Well, hellooooo, Starbucks ice cream! When did you arrive? You look so yummy...and so expensive. But I guess Starbucks coffee is also expensive, and I think this ice cream would last me longer than a coffee. So I'll be trying your Caramel Macchiato flavor soon! Oh, yes.

Mini Reeses Cups and other imported chocolates at 7-11

2011-11-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

7-11 is having some sort of promotional "world chocolate" event...so they're selling some yummy imported American chocolate right now. I snapped up a container of Reeses mini cups this morning for about NT$60.

And I also decided to try these creamy Dove candies. I love Dove chocolate...and these little milk chocolate balls are really good. Plus, they come in a cool container so you can snap the lid on and save some of them for later. (but who really does that? not me!)

So get the candy while it's hot, because it likely won't last long.

New cereals at Gourmet Wellcome (Miramar- DaZhi)

2011-10-12T02:42:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? The Gourmet Wellcome (B1, Miramar) is selling Cap'n Crunch cereal!

I spent NT$250 on a box of LIFE, but it was worth every NT$. This is my favorite cereal of all time...so I was very happy to see it on a grocery shelf here.

They're also carrying Corn Bran, which I've never tried...but will at some point. It's high fiber, so it's good for you, right?

Frozen mangoes, frozen cherries, jumbo peanuts and Lysol wipes at Costco

2011-10-12T02:25:00.000-07:00

Yummy! I couldn't resist buying some frozen cherries today. How I miss fresh cherries...but these are better than nothing.

I finally bought the new extra-large peanuts, and they're good...the canister is huge, so they'll last awhile.

Finally! Costco is selling Lysol wipes at a good price...and the containers are bigger than the Clorox wipes containers at City Super.

No need to dream about mangoes all winter...you can buy them frozen and use them in smoothies, salads, etc.

New Duroyal ice cream flavors

2011-05-09T02:34:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before, Duroyal SUPER ice cream is the best "Chinese" ice cream I've found so far. Our neighborhood Wellcome is now carrying two new flavors---peanut butter and chocolate swirl and chocolate fudge cafe latte. Looks good to me!

Frozen Kirkland Waffles at Costco

2011-05-09T02:33:00.000-07:00

New almond milk and Lactaid milk at Costco

2011-04-12T04:58:00.000-07:00

Boy, was I happy to find out that Costco is now carrying almond milk! You can buy them in a box of 4, I think. The milk tastes a little nutty, but you'll get used to it after awhile. I actually enjoy the taste---and I like the fact that it's hormone-free.

You can also buy Lactaid at Costco now, too...which is very good news for my lactose-intolerant friends.

New Kettle chips, calzones, and a new mixed nut snack at Costco

2011-03-30T01:58:00.000-07:00

Fully Loaded Baked Potato chips---talk about flavor! I found these at the Neihu Costco.

I recently noticed that Costco is selling 3 large calzones for NT$198. In my humble opinion, they're very good---and they have sausage in them---the pizza-kind of sausage that is hard to find here.

Just warm 'em up and they're ready to go!

I haven't seen this snack food before...but it also looks like it's packed with flavor.

Coke with lemon at 7-11 and other convenience stores.

2011-03-12T21:55:00.000-08:00

Get it while it's hot!

New granola cereal at Costco

2011-03-12T21:51:00.000-08:00

And it tastes GOOD! I like it to eat it plain for a snack.

New Pop Tarts & Caffeine Free Coke at City Super

2011-02-27T21:38:00.000-08:00

I actually love Pop-Tarts, although I rarely eat them. But now that City Super is carrying Pop Tarts that have extra fiber in them...well, I may have to indulge a bit.

And they're also selling Caffeine Free Coke!

Frozen pizza at Costco.

2011-02-27T21:28:00.000-08:00

I haven't tried this yet, so if you have, leave me a comment to let me know how it tastes.

New ice cream at EEC Mart (the red Filipino store on Jhongshan...near Florida Bakery)

2011-01-25T22:49:00.000-08:00

EEC Mart now has two freezers full of ice cream. Some are more Western flavors, others are typical Filipino flavors. The ice cream pictured above was imported from New Zealand. It's pretty good...I also saw a cookies-n-cream flavor.

And I picked up a small container of the Filipino brand just to try something new.

Every time I go to EEC Mart, I throw a handful of mini candybars in my basket. These can only be bought at Costco---in that HUGE bag for NT$500 or something crazy like that. First of all, I would gain 20 pounds if I bought that huge bag. Secondly, I usually only need one or two of these little mini candybars and I'm good for another 6 weeks. So I buy them individually at EEC Mart (they're in a little basket next to the cashier) for NT$6 a candybar. That's a deal I can't resist.

And remember---EEC Mart also sells cheap spaghetti sauce, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cookies.

Yummy new foods at Costco.

2011-01-25T01:54:00.000-08:00

These chips are deadly...you've been warned. They taste really, really good when dipped in sour cream.

I was happy to find spinach-stuffed ravioli. It tastes pretty good, especially with the parmesan cheese topping.

Peppermint Crunch Andes Mints at OK Mart and Wellcome

2010-12-15T05:55:00.000-08:00

Another holiday treat! Get 'em before they're gone!

Red Velvet Cake at Costco

2010-12-15T05:53:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Christmas! I bought one today for a Christmas party...so we'll see how it actually tastes. But it looks good.

"Apple" cheesecake and whey protein at Costco

2010-12-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Lactose-free whey protein- NT$1099/ container. (Nearly NT$1000 less than the EAS brand)

This is Costco's new "apple" cheesecake which is basically apple pie filling on top of their regular cheesecake. Pretty simple. But if you've ever taken one of these cheesecakes to a potluck, you know how quickly they disappear. People are crazy about cheesecake here.

New Hershey's candy to indulge in.

2010-12-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

I found these fancy little containers of Hershey's chocolate in Carrefour. I really like the milk chocolate balls---and, yes, they're super-creamy. (and only 10 calories each...in case you're a calorie counter. I should be...)

New goodies at Costco

2010-11-14T03:24:00.000-08:00

It's baaaack! (at least for a short time) I spotted the Kirkland Organic P.B. in the Neihu Costco yesterday.

Chocolate crepes are now available.

And these cookies look so yummy...perfect for the holidays.

I also noticed that the Starbucks Winter Blend is back.

Rare goodies at the Miramar Gourmet Wellcome

2010-11-08T00:48:00.000-08:00

Yum... Chive and Onion Cream Cheese.

The Pepperidge Farms Goldfish Grahams are so yummy...much better than I thought they would be.

New goodies at Costco

2010-11-08T00:39:00.000-08:00

These mochas are overpriced, so they're not a deal at all..but I'm sure they taste yummy!

String cheese is back!

And I also noticed Diet Green Tea with Citrus...I think this is fairly new, too.

Random goodies at the Miramar Gourmet Wellcome

2010-10-19T06:26:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Pocky Sticks! These babies are hard to find, but I saw them tonight. Woo hoo! Just in time for Halloween.

And now Gourmet Wellcome is carrying imported sodas...Dr. Pepper, A & W Root Beer, and 7-Up and Diet 7-Up.

PB & J Brownies---RECIPE

2010-10-17T04:22:00.000-07:00

Need to make a creative dessert? Try a Mommy S. original---

Peanut Butter and Jam Brownies.

I use the brownie mixes from Costco...they're incredibly easy. Here's the recipe:

1 bag brownie mix
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup jam
nuts

1. Mix up the brownies.

2. Pour 2/3 of the batter on the bottom of a greased pan.

3. Soften about 3/4 cup peanut butter in a microwavable bowl. (30 seconds in microwave)

4. Pour softened peanut butter on top of the brownie bottom.

5. Soften about 3/4 cup jam in a microwavable bowl. (30 seconds)

5. Pour softened jam on top of peanut butter.

6. Spread the rest of the brownie batter on top of the jam.

7. Add nuts on top of the brownie batter.

8. I also added caramel syrup because I like my brownies sweet.

9. Bake for about 35 minutes...although each oven bakes differently, so keep checking the brownies to make sure you don't overbake them.

And now for a few pics...

The peanut butter layer.

The jam layer. (Organic strawberry jam...so yummy)

More brownie batter on top of the jam.

The finished product.

Good bread.

2010-10-17T04:17:00.000-07:00

New at Costco---Honey Wheat Bagels. They're soft. They're delish. My husband loves them.

And if you haven't bought the NT$30 English muffins from I-Mei, you're missing out. They're really tasty and such a great deal.

Some (new) Costco goodies.

2010-10-13T00:40:00.000-07:00

Tropical Fruit Pie. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm intrigued.

Not sure if this is new or not, but thought it was worthy of a picture. I didn't know that Smucker's made instant lemonade!

Eclairs? Hmmm...they don't look all that great. Has anyone tried them?

Iced tea drink mix.

And here's something that I'm starting to see everywhere now---coconut water. Pure coconut water...no sugar added. I've tried it, and I like it. If you haven't done any reading about the health benefits of coconut oil and other coconut products, then you're missing out on some important stuff. I think coconut is some of the best food on Earth...so I'm pleased to see that Costco is selling coconut water.

Kirkland Organic Strawberry Spread---made WITHOUT high-fructose corn syrup

2010-08-26T23:35:00.000-07:00

New at Costco---really yummy Strawberry jam...it tastes like the stuff my Mom used to make.

Simple ingredients---fresh organic strawberries, sugar, pectin, citric acid.

The yummy Boysenberry jam you can find at Costco has high-fructose corn syrup in it. So if you're going to buy a jam, buy this one. It's a tad bit "healthier," if you can call jam healthy. It tastes good, though...and I can see myself putting it on top of vanilla ice cream!!

New goodies at the Shihjr Costco

2010-07-25T04:37:00.000-07:00

Low-calorie Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches are available---for a pretty steep price! You can also find Breyers fruit bars.

V-8 Fusion Light---another low-calorie option.

Instant Organic Oatmeal. (does oatmeal really need to be organic?)

Kirkland macaroni and cheese. (15 boxes in one carton) I took this photo of another person's shopping cart.

And we were so excited to see Anderson honey wheat pretzels---straight from Lancaster County, PA. Trust me, these are good.

I'm not even a fan of pretzels, and I really like these.

An "American" sale at A-Mart (formerly known as Geant)

2010-07-07T01:06:00.000-07:00

A-Mart is having a sale on so-called American foods until July 13. You can find spaghetti sauce, salsa, salad dressings, Spam, and other various items for sale. The salsa is a pretty good deal.

And Wishbone dressings are down to NT$139 each.

Usually the only reason I shop at A-Mart is to buy peanut butter. This is the kind of peanut butter I buy---I don't even know what it's called, since it's all in Chinese. But one of my Chinese friends had me try it a couple of years ago, and I've been buying it ever since. It's locally made, and it tastes more like a "natural" peanut butter---and it has a nice crunch to it.

You can find this peanut butter near the dairy section at the A-Mart near the Miramar. There's a display with all sorts of things like peanut butter, jam, honey, spaghetti sauce, etc. It's not far from the checkout lanes.

And just for fun...have you tried the "Ice Cream" Oreos yet? They're sorta blueberry-tasting. I don't really like Oreos plain, but I often use them in desserts. (I like to make Oreo pie when I bring back pudding mixes from the States)

Swiss Miss (100 calorie) Fudge Bars and Creamy French Onion Kettle Chips at Costco

2010-06-28T23:35:00.000-07:00

These are the real deal. Only 100 calories. Real taste. So perfect for summertime.

And, wow, these chips are tasty. Full of flavor. Get 'em while you can.

And have some sour cream handy for dip. (Sour cream is still only NT$149 for a big container---I think it's Costco's best deal out there. One of these days, I'll post my sour cream coffee cake recipe...for those of you who bake)

Organic virgin coconut oil at RT MART!

2010-06-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

Finally! You can find coconut oil somewhere other than an organic store. (The price is the same, though)

If you're skeptical about adding coconut oil to your diet, I challenge you to read up on it...it's one of the best oils (if not THE best) out there...and it has many, many curative properties. (Plus, it tastes good)

Something old, something new at RT Mart (Neihu)

2010-06-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

This cheese is really a great deal. (NT$150, I think) I use when I make Mexican food---it works well in enchiladas. And it's a good dip if you pair it with some salsa and sour cream.

RT Mart also sells all kinds of condiments---from malt vinegar to barbecue sauce to mayonnaise.

And now they sell soups---at a very cheap price. Tomato soup is hard to find in Taiwan!! And 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup? Yes, please!

Chicken noodle soup..."spaghetti" in a can...

And this stuff looks a bit healthier---or maybe it's just the "homestyle" on the label. :)

Remember---RT Mart is a great place for other goodies like refried beans...nuts...canned veggies...sauces. I always find good deals there.

NEW---Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing at Costco

2010-06-10T01:01:00.000-07:00

Looks yummy to me!

Soft and delicious chocolate chip bars---only a few ingredients!

2010-05-23T04:48:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (Wellman's)

1/2 cup (1 stick)cold butter (Costco)

2 cups (chocolate chips) (Costco)

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) (EEC Elite Mart)

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. 2.

Stir together flour and brown sugar in medium bowl; cut in cold butter until crumbly. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips; press mixture on bottom of ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.

3. Combine sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla in large bowl.

Stir in 1 cup chips and nuts. Spread evenly over hot baked crust. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.

*Melt the remaining 1/2 cup chips on top of the bars...just leave the bars in the hot oven for about 2 minutes and the chips will melt...then you can spread them on top of the bars.

Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Ken's Dressings---now at Carrefour.

2010-05-08T01:20:00.000-07:00

I remember the days when I brought back big containers of Ranch dressing from the States. Well, now I can buy Ken's dressings (Ranch included) at Carrefour, certain Wellcome stores (try the ones in Tianmu) and Jason's Marketplace. The dressings are reasonably priced at NT$99/ jar. Of course, Wellman's has dressing, too, but I've just never bought it there.

Yummy Ritter Sport mini bars at Carrefour

2010-05-08T01:15:00.000-07:00

Ah, I love Ritter Sport candy. But I never buy the big ones because I'll eat the whole bar---and feel crummy afterwards from a sugar-high. So I was pleased to see the mini bars at the DaZhi Carrefour today...they're being advertised as a "new product" and they're on sale. I like giving away candy with gifts, too, so these are the perfect size to slip into a birthday card. Plus, they're just the right size to satisfy the sweet tooth.

Whole-milk sugar-free yogurt (what to look for...where to buy it)

2010-05-08T01:09:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that 99% of the yogurt here is chock-full of sugar? Well, there ARE a few places where you can find all-natural plain yogurt. It's more expensive, but healthier alternatives are usually pricier, right? I've seen the Ticino yogurts in several stores---I bought this one at a Wellcome on DeXing in Tianmu. It's about NT$50/ container. I think it's also sold at Jason's Marketplace.

The same Wellcome also sells Bianco yogurt, which was recommended to me by a friend. It tastes like plain yogurt...not sugary sweet like other "plain" yogurts.

The American Club also sells homemade yogurt---NT$60 for a small container. Have you seen it anywhere else? Leave me a comment on where to find it...and how much it costs.

One of these days I'll just break down and make my own (if I ever get a yogurt maker). But I'm too lazy to do it right now, and I don't even eat yogurt---my sons do.

SUPER ZERO (diet soda) Sarsparilla at 7-11

2010-05-07T04:13:00.000-07:00

Hey Song has jumped on the "zero calorie soda" bandwagon. Introducting "Super Zero" (better than Coke Zero?), an artificially sweetened soda you can find at 7-11. (that's the only place I've seen it so far)

I bought one to try it, and it's not bad. It's worth a try if you drink diet soda.

Blueberry Buckle recipe

2010-04-29T01:22:00.000-07:00

When I lived in the States, I had a friend named Lori who made the best Blueberry Buckle you've ever tasted. Recently, I picked up a big bag of frozen organic blueberries at Costco (NT$399), and I have finally found a great recipe that (almost) rival's Lori's. Thank you, Martha Stewart. Blueberry Buckle is easy to make if you have the frozen blueberries. And you can actually buy "Crumble topping" at Jason's if you're too lazy to make your own topping. I added pecans to mine and drizzled honey over the top.

Check out the recipe here:

New---Macadamia Nut Ice cream at Carrefour

2010-04-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

Endulge. It's delish. The Duroyal "Super" ice creams are much better than the regular Duroyal flavors.

Nanaimo Bars- recipe

2010-04-13T01:07:00.000-07:00

-The final product.

Recipe can be found here:

You can easily make these yummy bars with ingredients in Taiwan.
Use Digestive crackers instead of graham crackers. (they are easily crushed) Pudding powder can be found in Tianmu. Chocolate chips are at Costco. Cocoa powder is everywhere. The best butter comes from Costco. I also added raisins to my "middle layer" and pecans to the top.

The crust.

The middle layer.

The top layer.

Easiest ever strawberry cream cheese brownies

2010-03-07T02:47:00.000-08:00

Once in awhile, I like to post a recipe. I'm a bit of a brownie fiend, so I like to experiment with the Ghirardelli brownie mixes from Costco. These are a good deal...you get 6 mixes for about NT$350. And you really can't screw these up too badly---all you need to add is an egg, some water, and some oil.

Now that Costco is selling strawberry-flavored cream cheese, I decided to combine the brownie mix with the cream cheese spread to create a chocolate-strawberry concoction.

I threw a few chocolate chips on top, and voila!

And then I gave one to my husband...still warm out of the oven...with a little vanilla ice cream on top. He called it "pure perfection."

Want the recipe? Here you go!

Ingredients:

One brownie mix

About 1 1/2 cups of cream cheese (I prefer the flavored kinds from Costco...in this recipe, you'll use 1/2 of the carton)

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup sugar

red food coloring (optional)

Directions:

1. Grease and flour a 9 x 13" pan. Preheat your oven, of course.

2. Make the brownies first. Follow the directions on the box. If you use the Ghirardelli mixes, you'll add 1 egg, 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup oil. Spread the brownie mix in the pan.

3. Mix the cream cheese (1 block, 1 tub or 1/2 carton of the Costco kind) with 1 egg and 1/3 cup sugar. Add red food coloring if you want a prettier look. I mix this with a mixer so it's all nice and smooth. Just mixing by hand won't work as well.

4. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the brownie mixture. Swirl with a knife to make it look pretty.

5. Bake for about 35-45 minutes. Baking time all depends on your oven. Bake at 320 degrees...or 160 degrees if you're using a Taiwan oven. I'm not very scientific on the baking times or temperatures. I just know how my little convection oven works, so I apologize that I'm a little vague on this part.

Don't overbake, though...nobody likes rock-hard brownies.

ENJOY! Let me know if you try my recipe!

Strawberry cream cheese spread at Costco.

2010-03-06T06:18:00.000-08:00

Have you tried the cream cheese spreads at Costco yet? I usually buy the caramel nut one, but this time we tried the strawberry cream cheese spread, their newest flavor. I also use these spreads as emergency frostings for cake. Cream cheese spread is quite versatile...you can also put it on sweet crackers or bagels.

Honey Dijon Kettle Chips at Costco...and cheap sour cream

2010-02-17T02:46:00.000-08:00

We found these chips at the Shihjr Costco, and they're very tasty and very flavorful. I don't even like mustard, and I dig these chips.

And now the price of sour cream is half what it used to be (only NT$160!), so I highly recommend a bag of these chips and a tub of sour cream if you need something yummy to bring to a party.

"Power Buns," Mrs. Field's Cookies, and yummy ice cream sandwiches at Costco

2010-01-17T02:19:00.000-08:00

New item alert: "Power Buns." Not sure what makes them so powerful...maybe a few flaxseeds or something?

I know the guy who brought Mrs. Field's cookies to Taiwan. I wonder how long they'll last here...

And these ice cream sandwiches aren't a new item, but I splurged and bought a box of them for the first time last night. They're gooood. As in, "worth every penny" good.

Delicious sweet potato casserole recipe.

2009-11-24T04:19:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

4 cups sweet potato, cubed
1/2 cup brown sugar (use brown sugar from Wellman's)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.
In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In medium bowl, mix the sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

New fitness products and vitamins at Costco

2009-11-24T04:01:00.000-08:00

Bodybuilders and health nuts will be glad to find whey protein and muscle milk back in Costco. Also, I was geeked to find Krill oil. I've been having my mom send me krill oil for a couple of years now, and it's nice to finally find it in Taiwan. If you don't know much about krill oil, google it. It's proven to be much more potent than regular fish oil. I'm a firm believer that it's incredibly healthy for the brain and body.

Thanksgiving food---where to find it?

2009-11-18T03:38:00.000-08:00

So you want to make a Thanksgiving dinner? Well, there's no such thing as "one-stop shopping" here. You need to visit several stores to get everything you need. Here's the official "Food for Foreigners" guide to Thanksgiving shopping.

TURKEYS
Costco (best deal, I think)
Wellman's
TAS (you need to know a TAS parent)
American Club (not a good deal...waaaay too expensive)

STUFFING
Jason's Marketplace
(as of 11/17, Wellman's didn't have any stuffing)

FROZEN GREEN BEANS
Carrefour

FRENCH FRIED ONIONS
can't find them anywhere. But you can try the Chinese version of fried onions...I think City Super carries them

MUSHROOM SOUP
you can find this anywhere...even at Wellcome

PUMPKIN PIE
Costco sells them for about NT$300 each and they're big.
If you want to make your own, you can get frozen pie crusts and pumpkin pie mix at Wellman's.

PECAN PIE
you can get big bags of pecans at Costco.
The dark or light corn syrup can be purchased at Jason's Marketplace or Wellman's.
Also, the best brown sugar can be bought at Wellman's. Don't bake with the Chinese brown sugar. It's not the same.

MASHED POTATOES AND SWEET POTATOES
visit your local vegetable vendors. Marshmallows for sweet potato casserole can be found at Wellman's. Sometimes Carrefour carries marshmallows, but they're not the Jet-Puffed ones, and they don't melt as well.

JELLO
Jason's Marketplace, Carrefour

Am I missing anything? Of course, this list isn't comprehensive...but hopefully it will give you a good start with your holiday cooking!

Green beans at Carrefour...just in time for Thanksgiving

2009-11-18T03:37:00.000-08:00

What's a Thanksgiving meal without green bean casserole? I found these large bags of green beans at Carrefour at a really good price. They are also carrying other frozen veggies now---like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc.

Chewy oatmeal chocolate chip bars---TRY THIS RECIPE!

2009-10-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

I finally stumbled on a recipe for oatmeal bars that's a winner...and I tweaked it a bit to make it even better. I think the key to these bars is the oatmeal, though...the Quaker oats are just too big and tough for me. I like to use the "First Choice" oats from Wellcome.

They're a smaller-sized oat, and it makes the bars taste better for some reason.

Here's the recipe if you want to try it at home:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup oil

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

2 cups oatmeal

3/4 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup chocolate chips

cinnamon (add as much as you want)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

honey (to drizzle on top of the bars)
pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix the sugar, oil and eggs together.

2. Stir in the oats, flour, peanut butter, chocolate chips, baking soda, salt and cinnamon

3. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.

4. Drizzle generous amounts of honey over the baked bars.

5. Enjoy!

How easy is that?

(*I forgot to add how much oatmeal you need in the original recipe...sorry about that! The recipe should be complete now.) :)

Orange-flavored M&Ms at (DaZhi) Carrefour

2009-10-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Halloween!

Pretty yummy granola cereal at Carrefour

2009-10-11T06:27:00.000-07:00

New cereal alert: Museli (tastes just like granola) at Carrefour. It's chock full of dried fruit, and although it gives your jaws a bit of a workout, the taste is really good (in my opinion).

Bacon Cheeseburger at Costco

2009-09-22T05:18:00.000-07:00

Has anyone tried the "Bacon Cheese Hamburger" at Costco yet?

New things (for me, anyway) at RT Mart

2009-09-22T05:14:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I've seen Diet V8 splash...it's only 10 calories/ serving. (NT$99/ bottle)

RT Mart is carrying at least two different brands of rice cakes now.

And you can also find "light" juices. Snapple is on sale, too...only NT$39/ jar.

More juices. I almost felt like I was in the U.S.

New goodies at Carrefour

2009-09-22T05:08:00.000-07:00

This one is just for fun...Hi Wheal Creak Pie, anyone?

I'm sure "immunity blend" veggies are just a marketing ploy, but if frozen veggies are your thing...

And you can also find Sara Lee cheesecakes for (probably) a limited time only.

These look yummy...chocolate cheesecake bites. Nice.

Items on sale at Jason's Marketplace

2009-09-18T07:01:00.001-07:00

Bulla ice cream is on sale right now at Jason's...I was surprised at the variety of flavors they're carrying at the moment. All of their ice cream bars and popsicles are also on sale.

And I found a lot of other great products that were quite a bit cheaper than usual...all of these products were under NT$70. (some of them are up to 75% off!) The sale should last until 9/24.

These Canterbusy Naturals products are usually very expensive...but they're dirt cheap right now. I bought the Chocolate Orange Pound Cake and Chocolate Raspberry Muffin Mix...these mixes are so easy because you only have to add one or two ingredients and you have a very quick and delicious dessert.

Minute Tapioca pudding is also at a very reduced price.

And I bought a box of Green's Lemon Cake...anytime I can find a cake mix for about NT$50, I buy it! You never know when you might need to whip up a cake, and I don't always have the ingredients on hand to make a cake from scratch.

While you're in the baking section, grab some white chocolate baking squares...I think the box was only NT$99. (it "expires" in a month or so)

Sometimes I find great sales at Jason's...today was one of those days. I only spent around NT$1000 and got one cake mix, three muffin mixes, two pound cake mixes, white chocolate squares, tapioca pudding, two boxes of granola bars, a box of cereal, and two packets of sauce mixes. That's far more groceries than I normally get for NT$1000. Everything I bought was on sale...big-time sale.

Guacamole dip and taco sauce at Carrefour

2009-07-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

Lo and behold, I saw guacamole dip at Carrefour last night for the first time. I haven't tried it yet, but I bought a jar for around NT$100. It looks like there's some salsa in the dip, too.

And I also saw taco sauce! Happy day!

I was shopping at the DaZhi Carrefour, and they have several new "Mexican" products on their shelves. I also saw some tortellini for the first time.

Strawberried Peanut Butter M&Ms at Family Mart

2009-07-09T05:56:00.000-07:00

The other day I was at a Family Mart and saw these new M&Ms. Since I'm a big fan of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I had to try them. They do taste a bit like a PB&J. I'm not sure if other convenience stores are selling them or not.

Also, Carrefour is having big sales on "American products" this month. I got a bunch of cake mixes at cheap prices. Most were NT$72 or less. I got one box of Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix for NT$20 because it's "expiring in a month." I can't pass up a cake mix for NT$20!

Coconut M&Ms and Snickers Nougabot Bar at 7-11

2009-07-02T23:49:00.000-07:00

I've been pleasantly surprised at the variety of M&Ms that have made their way to 7-11 stores here. Now, for all of you coconut fans, you can try the new limited edition flavor.

And if you dare, pick up the new Snickers bar, insipired by the Transformers movie. It has yellow nougat inside. I'm not sure yet if the nougat tastes differently than the normal nougat, or if it was just created by yellow food coloring. I'll have to give it a try and find out.

...we all scream for ice cream...

2009-06-28T03:43:00.000-07:00

And Costco has some yummy ice cream right now! Try the Chocotal Dominican flavors...

Or you can opt for the slightly healthier Sharon's Sorbet (which comes in Passion fruit and berry flavors).
Get 'em before they're gone for good.

Rocky Road ice cream is here!

2009-06-25T04:40:00.000-07:00

It's labeled "Rocking Black Forest," but it's really Rocky Road. This ice cream comes with marshmallow bits and almonds and chocolate pieces, and it's pretty tasty! The Duroyal Super ice cream varieties are far better than the regular Duroyal flavors. I found this at Carrefour, and it's the first time I've seen this flavor.

And these are a few of my favorite things...

2009-06-09T04:56:00.000-07:00

I don't have a lot of new products to share with you, but I am going to start posting some of my favorite imported goods and where you can find them at the best price. (to my knowledge). Enjoy!

I highly recommend Veggie Wash, which is around NT$250 at Jason's Marketplace. I use this daily!

O Organics Roasted Garlic Pasta sauce is one of the best I've tried. You can find it at Carrefour for around NT$150/ jar.

If you want some REAL high-fiber, whole-wheat bread, you need to go to the Adventist Hospital on BaDe Road, not to far from the Taipei Sports Arena. They have a little bakery on the first floor where you can buy the bread. It's very tasty and makes great sandwiches.

The cheapest refried beans I've found are at Florida Bakery for NT$63/ can. And you can buy great homemade salsa, tortilla chips and pita chips at this bakery, too. Florida Bakery is located on Jhongshan N. Road, near the Filipino grocery stores.

Cheap garbanzo beans at the EEC Filipino Store on Jhongshan N. Road! Only NT$50/ can.

Cherry and Blueberry pie filling at Tianmu Carrefour

2009-03-31T00:26:00.000-07:00

The Tianmu Carrefour has expanded their "imported foods" section recently. You can find all sorts of great products there...including Lucky Leaf pie filling for around NT$130/ can. I've been quite impressed by the other products offered, from blueberry muffin mix to delicious canned mushrooms to a variety of salad dressings.

Salmon burgers are once again at Costco

2009-03-31T00:24:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful surprise to see that Costco is stocking salmon burgers again! If you've never tried these burgers, you're missing out...and there are few foods healthier for you than salmon. I like mine with fresh salsa on top.

Salad spinners at Costco

2009-02-28T23:41:00.000-08:00

I saw a salad spinner at Costco yesterday. I didn't catch the brand of the spinner, but it was around NT$500. I bought a Tupperware salad spinner a few years ago and I don't know how I'd live without it. You can toss your washed lettuce in the spinner and it will completely dry the lettuce in just a few "spins." I've also thrown in things like washed mushrooms, spinach, etc., and it "dries them out" quickly.

Special Dark chocolate syrup at the EEC Filipino Store.

2009-02-28T23:36:00.000-08:00

the EEC Filipino store (on Jhongshan N. Road) is the place to go for ice cream sundae toppings. Not only do they have caramel syrup, they also have Special Dark syrup. (for NT$79...a great deal!)

New chocolate-covered pretzels and three-cheese potato chips at Costco

2009-02-16T01:16:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if this is the exact brand of chocolate-covered pretzels that you can now find at Costco, but I do remember that the pretzels were coated in Special Dark chocolate. You can find big bags of these in the chip aisle.

And from personal experience, I highly recommend the Kettle Tuscan Three Cheese Chips, unless you're prone to eating an entire bag in one sitting, in which case you should stay away. These chips have a lot of pizzaz...as the bag reads, it's a "Mediterranean vacation in a bag."

Also, while you're there, pick up a German chocolate cake, which is likely a "limited-time only" dessert.

Market Cafe buffet in Tianmu---newly opened, and very tasty

2009-02-15T18:06:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've blogged, and there's a reason for that...I found out I was pregnant and couldn't stand to think or talk about food for a couple of months. But I'm doing much better now and am back to blogging. This past weekend, I tried the new Market Cafe buffet on Jhongshan N. Road in Tianmu, not too far from Wendel's. As you can see from the picture, they have both indoor and outdoor seating.

There are several buffets to choose from---a huge salad bar, a noodle bar, a Chinese-style hot pot bar, an Indian bar, and a dessert bar. During the week, you can pay for individual bars if you don't want the entire buffet. On the weekends, you have to purchase the entire buffet, which is NT$880. For a splurge, this is a great place to go if you want both Western and Eastern food.

One of the best parts of the salad bar is that you get to put your salad in a big bowl. (not on a tiny plate) And the chef will "toss" your salad if you want him to. The salad bar alone is worth the trip to Market Cafe. (I think the salad bar alone costs around NT$400 on weekdays)

Also, they have an ice cream and dessert bar, and they do the "Coldstone Creamery" thing with the ice cream. You can get your ice cream all mixed up on a cold slab and you can mix in things like nuts, chocolate sprinkles, cranberries (?), raisins (??), fudge, caramel syrup, whipped cream, etc. The ice cream was fantastic.

So next time you're in Tianmu, stop at Market Cafe. But bring your appetite.

Pretty tasty (and very cheap) frozen pizza at RT Mart

2008-12-17T04:57:00.000-08:00

In a freezer near the O.J. and milk, you can find frozen pizzas for NT$100 each. We tried the salmon/ seafood pizza tonight...it was pretty good, and I would buy it again.

Sorry, I meant to take a picture of the whole pizza...but it was mostly devoured before I could get a good shot.

German Chocolate Cake at Costco

2008-12-17T01:15:00.000-08:00

Just in time for the holidays! Pick up a German chocolate cake at Costco for less than NT$400. What a deal!

York Peppermint Patty Brownies...perfect for Christmastime.

2008-12-05T01:19:00.000-08:00

Now that RT Mart sells York Peppermint patties, you can make these brownies at home. I took an old standby recipe and tweaked it. Here you go:

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup melted butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar (the Taiwanese brown sugar doesn't work well...use only the stuff you can buy at Wellman's...if you don't have the good brown sugar, just use 2 cups of white sugar)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

24 small York peppermint patties (the generic peppermint patties don't work as well...trust me)

DIRECTIONS:

1.
Mix butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs till well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Blend well.

2.
Reserve half of the batter, set aside

3.
Grease 13x9x2 inch pan. Spread remaining batter in prepared pan. Arrange peppermint patties in a single layer over batter about 1/2 inch apart.

4.
Spread reserved batter over patties. Bake 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50-55 minutes till brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. I sprinkle powdered sugar on top just because.

5. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Enjoy!!!

Mayo, oatmeal, mashed taters, aloe vera, and cheap granola bars at RT Mart

2008-12-01T22:55:00.000-08:00

The RT Mart import section is still well-stocked. I saw both "real" and "light" mayonnaise there for a good price. (the bottle is very big)

And the instant oatmeal is so cheap! Only NT$69/ box.

They also have instant mashed potatoes, for those of you who prefer the instant ones to the real ones. (I happen to like the instant)

Now, I had to post the NT$39 can of aloe vera, because if you've lived in Taiwan long enough, you've probably ordered a "green tea with aloe" at least once. That is still one of my favorite drinks, and I am now intrigued by the possibilities of making desserts with aloe chunks.

FYI...I have yet to find cheaper Nature Valley granola bars...you can get a box of the oats and honey bars for only NT$67! The maple and nut bars are NT$85, which is still a good price.

Christmas decorations, candy, and gifts at RT Mart

2008-12-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

I know there are several great "junk stores" in Taipei where you can find a lot of Christmas decorations, but sometimes it's just easier to buy the new stuff in a less-cluttered store. I was very impressed at the amount of Christmas decorations I found at RT Mart, along with some cute candy gifts. Most things were very reasonably priced.

You can find just about anything here...from lights to ornaments to tinsel .

So get in the Christmas spirit and go to RT Mart for decorations!

York Peppermint Patties at RT Mart!

2008-12-01T22:02:00.000-08:00

This deserves its own post. Yes, ladies and gents, you can now find bags of York Peppermint Patties for only NT$135/ bag at RT Mart in the candy section. One of these days, I'll give you my peppermint patty brownie recipe...it's perfect for Christmastime!

"Perfect every time" Pumpkin Bread

2008-12-01T00:32:00.000-08:00

If there's one recipe I've worked hard to "perfect," this is it.
So if you happen to have any extra pumpkin pie filling around, get baking!
This recipe was originally given to me by my mother-in-law, who has made it for years.
I've only slightly tweaked it, and it comes out (nearly) perfect every time. It also makes a great gift and freezes well.

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
(I sometimes cut this down to 1 cup, if I'm concerned about the spiked insulin levels of my recipients or making it for Chinese friends who "don't like sweet things")

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup oil
(okay, I know that's a lot of oil...but the bread tastes much better when it's moist. You can try 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup applesauce. I've done that, too).

3/4 to 1 cup cooked (or canned) pumpkin
(just depends on how much of a pumpkin freak you are...I always add at least 1 cup)

1/3 cup water

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

chocolate chips or walnuts (optional)

a little butter and sugar for the topping

Directions:

1. Beat the sugar, eggs, and oil together. (sometimes I use a mixer, sometimes I do it by hand)

2. Add the cooked pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and water and mix well.

3. Stir in the flour and baking soda. (you probably want to blend those ahead of time) Add chocolate chips and/or walnuts. Please add chocolate chips. They make everything better.

4. Grease (and flour, if you think that will help) a large loaf pan. Pour the mixture into the pan.

5. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees C, 170 degrees F. (my oven cooks things very fast, so I only bake it about 45 minutes, and I put my temp down to 100 degrees F. )

6. Okay, now here's the part you don't want to miss. When you pull the bread out of the oven, spread butter all over the top of it. (not margarine, folks...real butter). Then, sprinkle at least 1/4 cup sugar on top of that. Wait for the bread to cool, and then pop it out of the pan.

7. Enjoy with a nice cup of hot tea.

McCormick products at Carrefour

2008-11-30T22:58:00.000-08:00

I recently noticed that Carrefour carries a wide variety of McCormick spices, rubs, and powders. They sell curry powder, cinnamon, and lemon and pepper, just to name a few. And the containers are smaller than what you find at Costco, so if you don't cook or bake with spices very often, this is the way to go.

They also sell several varieties of Grill Mates, including Mesquite, Chipotle Pepper, and Zesty Herb. These are NT$68/ package.

And for your Super Bowl party, you can get the Buffalo Wings seasoning mixes for NT$79/ package.

Banana Cream Cheese Bread recipe

2008-11-25T21:58:00.000-08:00

I just tried this recipe recently and thought it was a winner. (after I modified it a bit) If you have extra cream cheese and bananas lying around, make this bread. The only thing I might add are some chocolate chips.

Creamy Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream
cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

DIRECTIONS:

1.
Cream the butter or margarine and cream cheese together. Gradually add the white sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, and soda; mix until batter is just moist.

2.
Pour batter into a LARGE loaf pan. (or two smaller pans)

3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

True Lemon and True Lime at HOLA

2008-11-25T21:50:00.000-08:00

HOLA now carries True Lime and True Lemon. I haven't seen these products anywhere else in Taiwan. They're quite popular now in the States.

If you don't know much about these products, here is some info. I pulled off their website:

For the first time ever, fresh squeezed lemon and lime taste is as simple as a tear of a packet or a shake of a bottle thanks to True Lemon and True Lime, the original crystallized lemon and lime substitutes, in packets and shakers.True Lemon in packets, which has been available nationally for six months, is now joined by True Lemon in a shaker bottle and True Lime in packets and a shaker bottle. True Lemon and True Lime can be used anywhere you would use lemon or lime juice and make the use of these popular fruits convenient and easy.

The packets are great to take to the office, gym, traveling and when you’re on-the-go, and the shakers are made for cooking, baking and seasoning. Each serving provides:

Consistent fresh lemon or lime taste without any mess, waste or inconvenience;

100 percent all natural ingredients including fresh lemon or lime juices and oils;

0 calories and 0g carbohydrates;

No artificial or natural sweeteners;

No preservatives or sodium; and

Offers 25 percent of an adult’s daily Vitamin C requirements.

True Lemon Website

Also, HOLA carries a great selection of all-natural cleaning products. I like HOLA, especially during the holidays. They have some nice Christmas decorations for sale.

LEECO Outlet sales

2008-11-17T23:31:00.000-08:00

I haven't been very impressed with the LEECO outlet yet, but right now they're having big sales in their B1 level. Ralph Lauren clothes are 80% and 90% off, so if you're looking for jeans, sweaters, or nice dress pants, stop by. The clothes are really cheap at the moment.

There's also a big Philips sale going on, and you can find some great appliances (like blenders, hair dryers, hair straighteners, etc.) for a good price. I've got my eye on a nice food processor....

And there are plenty of other things to buy, too...like shoes, workout clothes, etc.

But don't wait too long! The sale ends Nov. 31.

LEECO is located next to the Neihu Costco. Besides the B1 sale floor, there are at least 4 floors with lots of other name brand vendors. This place is always empty, though, so I wonder if anyone actually shops there...

A new restaurant that looks mighty good...

2008-11-17T23:28:00.000-08:00

I saw this sign in Tianmu yesterday for Market Cafe, which is opening in December. I think it will be located on Jhongshan road, and I saw some more information that makes me envision a really big salad bar with fresh foods from all over the world. Let's hope that's the case!

More new peanut butter at Carrefour...and some frozen green beans.

2008-11-17T23:22:00.000-08:00

I have no idea if Panner peanut butter is tasty or not, but it's something new, so it makes the cut. It's still cheaper than Skippy at the moment.

And I finally found big bags of frozen green beans! Most of the O Organics frozen foods are on sale right now, so if you need green beans for Thanksgiving, go here. Don't buy the canned stuff...it's too expensive and mushy.

Also, did you know that you can find Betty Crocker Pancake mix at Carrefour? I think the Costco version is better, though. (and a better deal)

Homemade Granola Bars- Recipe

2008-11-12T21:52:00.000-08:00

(this isn't my picture, but my granola bars look very similar to these)

Who doesn't love a good granola bar? A convection oven and stovetop are all you need to make your own.

And look at all of the extra and unncessary ingredients you DON'T need to add to your own bars...(these ingredients are pretty common in most packaged granola bars or protein bars).

High Maltose Corn Syrup, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Crisp Rice (Rice Flour, Sugar, Malt, Salt), Wheat Flakes (Whole Wheat, Sugar, Salt, Malt), Palm Kernel Oil, Corn Meal, Fructose, Canola Oil, Yogurt Powder (Cultured Whey Protein Concentrate, Cultured Skim Milk, Yogurt Cultures), Corn Bran, Maltodextrin, Calcium Carbonate, Nonfat Milk, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Honey, Color Added, Natural Flavor, Lactic Acid, Calcium Lactate, Mixed Tocopherols Added to Retain Freshness, Sunflower Meal, Peanut Flour, Almond Flour.

No, thanks! We'll leave the high fructose corn syrup out of our granola bars! Now, my best recipes are created through trial and error, so here is what I've come up with after making quite a few batches:

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup shredded coconut (if you can find it...try Wellman's in Tianmu)

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (Jason's Marketplace carries these)

1/2 cup wheat germ (optional)

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup dark brown sugar (go to Wellman's for the good stuff)

1/2 cup honey

1 cup raisins and/or chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla extract

First, preheat the oven to 350F, which is 175C.

Then, mix all of the "dry" ingredients in a big bowl---oats, nuts, coconut, wheat germ, raisins, chocolate chips.

After that, melt the butter, brown sugar and honey in a saucepan and bring it to a small boil for about a minute, stirring the entire time. Turn off the burner and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla.

Then, pour the liquid mixture over the oat mixture and stir until all the dry ingredients are coated. Press the granola firmly into the bottom of a greased 11 x 13" pan and put it in the oven to bake for about 35 minutes. Watch the bars carefully...if your oven gets too hot, they make burn on the bottom. Take the bars out when they look golden brown on top.

When you remove the granola from the oven, allow it to cool only slightly before cutting it into squares—but wait until it’s completely cool before removing the bars from the pan.

Other things you can add into the mix:

Kissables (a big bag is only NT$89 at the Tianmu Carrefour)

Cashews

Cinnamon

Craisins

More great deals at RT Mart

2008-11-07T04:15:00.000-08:00

I finally found Scope again! Carrefour is no longer selling it, but you can find it at RT Mart in the toothpaste section.

I almost started jumping for joy when I saw the generic brand of Grape Nuts for only NT$99! I used to buy them at Wellman's, but they haven't been selling them for months. These taste like the real thing, and the price is unbeatable.

And lo and behold, cheap instant pudding is finally in Taiwan. I guess I don't have to bring it back with me from the States anymore. For only NT$29, you can buy instant chocolate and vanilla pudding. Add 2 cups of milk, stir, and you're good to go. Now I can make pudding pies galore!

Great new foods at RT Mart

2008-11-07T00:04:00.000-08:00

RT Mart's "imported" section keeps expanding. I found a bunch of new products there, including...

Honey Mustard

Chocolate Chips (waaay cheaper than what you'll pay in Tianmu)

Honey Puffs!

Crispy Rice (another cereal that's hard to find here)

and yummy pasta sauces.

The prices for all the imported foods are really cheap! Where else can you find boxes of cereal for NT$85?

EEC Filipino Store bargains

2008-11-04T01:15:00.000-08:00

Today I found something I've been looking for for several years now---caramel syrup. And now it's here, and it's cheap---only NT$75 at the Filipino store. Can't wait to try it on some vanilla ice cream! Also, have you noticed that peanut butter has really gone up in price lately? The ever-popular jar of Chinese "Skippy" is now NT$169. (It used to be NT$88 when it was on sale at Carrefour). But, have no fear...the Filipino store sells the Planters variety for NT$95. What a bargain!

Also, make sure you get your Thanksgiving essentials here. The evaporated milk is only NT$35/ can, which is HALF the price of the same stuff in Wellcome. And you can also get cream of mushroom soup and cheap cream. This is the easy stuff...just chill it and pour it on your dessert. No whipping required.
**************************************
Two other products worthy of mention: You can now find small tubes of BATH and BODY WORKS lotions, which make any American gal a little nostalgic for the red and white checkered store.

And right now, the store is selling TWO big bars of dark chocolate Ritter Sport for only NT$59.

Thanksgiving food at Wellman's

2008-11-03T04:43:00.000-08:00

Wellman's (in Tianmu) carries pretty much everything you need for a Thanksgiving meal. Some of the prices are cheaper than what you'll find at Jason's Marketplace. So go ahead and get a few things there...but save things like evaporated milk, chicken broth and cream of mushroom soup for the Filipino store or Wellcome.

A 10-lb. turkey is around NT$1,000 at Wellman's. I'm going to price Costco's turkeys later this week.

I'm not sure if you can get French Fried Onions anywhere else...so if you're determined to have green bean casserole, you'll have to buy them here.

Stove Top Stuffing is definitely cheaper at Wellman's. You can get two boxes of it for around NT$200. One box at Jason's is NT$150.

And the pumpkin pie mix is cheaper, too. It's NT$120 at Wellman's.

They also sell a frozen pie crust you can use if you don't want to make your own crust, as well as frozen tubs of whipped cream. But both are expensive, so I recommend attempting a homemade crust and buying whipping cream at Carrefour or Costco.

I think Wellman's also sells Cranberry sauce, although I forgot to look for it today.

**********************************

If you want evaporated or sweetened condensed milk, visit the EEC Filipino store on Jhongshan Road. It's quite a bit cheaper there.

And you can get chicken broth for NT$29 at Wellcome.

For rolls, try Costco, if you don't mind buying them in bulk.

And, of course, there are the mashed potatoes...visit your local vegetable vendor for the potatoes. If you want sour cream, the best deal is at Costco. You'll have to buy a big tub of it, but it will last you awhile!

********************************

More ideas to come...

Almond Butter Recipe

2008-11-02T04:29:00.000-08:00

Who is going to pay NT$300 for a jar of almond butter at an import store? Not I! So I've learned how to make my own! First, you need to get a big bag of almonds. I recommend the Kirkland brand that you can find at Costco for about NT$350, I think. This gives you 9 cups of almonds, so it will make quite a bit of almond butter. I've already made 2 batches and still have a lot of almonds left in the bag.

Make sure the almonds are plain, because you're going to roast them in an oven.

So, your ingredients are as follows:

Raw almonds

a little oil (I prefer olive oil)

That's it! How hard can it be? Well, if you have a really good blender or food processer, you're in luck. All you have to do is roast the almonds, throw them in the blender or processor, add a little oil, and you're all set!

For some more detailed directions, check out this link:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/gist96.html

That will take you through the process, step by step. I had to add a little more oil than the recipe called for, but that's probably because my blender isn't that great.

The taste of homemade almond butter is fantastic. And if you don't know yet that almonds are really good for you, then do a little googling.

Coming Soon...Recipes using food you can find in Taiwan

2008-10-30T22:29:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a lack of new products lately, so I'm going to add a new feature to the blog---RECIPES. I'll keep them simple and useful. For example, have you ever thought about making your own almond butter? I tried that last week and it was fantastic. And you can save a lot of money by buying the bulk bag of almonds at Costco instead of buying the little bags at convenience stores. I'll also tell you where to find the cheapest Thanksgiving foods so you can have your own Thanksgiving dinner. Stay tuned...

Pepsi Light at Carrefour

2008-10-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

You can find this soft drink near the bread section at the DaZhi store. Doesn't make sense, but that's where it's located. NT$14/ can.

Dark Chocolate Peanut M&Ms at 7-11

2008-10-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

Get 'em while they're hot!

New breakfast foods

2008-10-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

Wellcome is now carrying 'breakfast bars' that you can find in the cereal aisle.

And they have a few more granola bars to choose from. Pineapple and papaya, anyone?

Move over, Special K. Your competition has arrived in "Fruit and Form," the Carrefour brand. Three varieties are available---plain, with strawberries, and with chocolate.

Rice Crisps and PEANUT BUTTER MMs at 7-11!

2008-09-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

Have you tried these rice crisps yet? If not, go out and get yourself a bag. They're delish. 7-11 usually carries several varieties, and you can also find them at Costco in bulk.

I was so happy to see that 7-11 is now carrying Peanut Butter M&Ms. I used to bring back big bags of these things from the U.S. Mmmmm...chocolate and peanut butter.

Pantry Magic, another Monopoly game, and big boxes of granola bars

2008-09-08T03:22:00.000-07:00

If you haven't visited Pantry Magic yet, you're missing out. This store is located on Shi Dong road, not too far from Shi Dong Market in Tianmu. This store has so many cool kitchen things, especially utensils and pots and pans.

Carrefour is selling another Monopoly game...this one is World Monopoly and features famous cities all over the world. These games make great gifts.

Carrefour is now selling big boxes of granola bars for a cheap price. You can get 18 Nature Valley granola bars for around NT$200. (usually, 6 bars is $99). So this is the best deal around.

Cheap almonds and tasty pita chips at Costco

2008-08-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

The best deal I've found for almonds is the Kirkland dry roasted brand. The only ingredients are almonds and sea salt, and this big 2.5 lb. jar is just over NT$300. Almonds are a really good snack, and this jar will last you awhile!

I tried the garlic parmesan pita chips for the first time, and these suckers are gooooood. I highly recommend buying a big bag of these things instead of potato chips.

More goodies at Carrefour

2008-08-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

Panner peanut butter is pretty good peanut butter and is quite crunchy, too. It's only NT$83, which is a good price.

I find that the Lysol brand of disinfectant works best when you need to mop your floors. Some of the Chinese brands are really strange and leave streaks and suds all over the place.

I recently saw Mott's apple juice for the first time at Carrefour.

And now you can move away from the ever-present Thousand Island dressing into new territory with Creamy Caesar dressing. (NT$129)

Also, in the cheese and yogurt section, there are several varieties of French "Dessert de Fruits" that are basically pureed fruits that are perfect for toddlers. Right now, you can get a pack of 4 for under NT$55. Some varieties are cheaper because they're expiring in the next few weeks. These actually taste really good and I've used them as substitutes for oil in recipes.

FINALLY! Someone is selling organic sesame butter (tahini?) for a good price! You can find this in the organic section for NT$149.

Also, the Armour TREET ham is on sale. (NT$79) There's a reduced fat version as well.

Splenda and Coldstone-To-Go at Costco

2008-08-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

Costco now sells packets of Splenda in a big box.

And last week in the Neihu Costco, you could purchase tubs of Coldstone ice cream for just under NT$400. I think this is a better deal than buying the individual servings of ice cream in the store. It's still a lot of money for ice cream, though...

Organic Spinach and Feta Pizza at Costco---a great deal!

2008-08-11T05:41:00.000-07:00

When these pizzas first hit Costco's frozen food aisle, they were over NT$300/ box. Last weekend, I saw that the price had dropped to NT$197/ box. And there are 3 pizzas in each box! That's a steal, and for a frozen pizza, this one isn't bad! It's pretty good, actually.

I took a picture of the finished product. Just pop it in the oven and you're good to go in about 25 minutes.
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FYI...if you're into Oreos, there's a new strawberry cream version at Carrefour. I guess you could dunk this into strawberry milk for a berry delicious dessert.

Clorox wipes at Carrefour

2008-07-15T01:32:00.000-07:00

I've actually brought these things back with me from the States for the last 5 years, and now I can find them at Jason's and at Carrefour. But the Clorox wipes at Carrefour are half the price as those in Jason's Marketplace. Right now, one big bottle is on sale for NT$119. These things are great for wiping down countertops. They supposedly kill the germs immediately.