More O'Organics at Carrefour

I have a sneaky suspicion that the O'Organics line was just a test...and that once these products are gone, you won't see them again (at least in Carrefour stores). The creamy peanut butter has been reduced to NT$149, which is a great deal. I also highly recommend their salad dressings.

You can also find some newcomers in the pasta aisle--- boxed Mac and Cheese and Alfredo Mac and Cheese. I think they're NT69/ box.

I'm not sure what makes pasta "organic," but whatever....

100% all-white turkey burgers at Costco

I was pleasantly surprised to see turkey burgers at the Shihjr Costco last week! For just over NT$400, you can enjoy 12 1/3 lb. all-white turkey burgers that are quite tasty. And did you know that all Costco stores are not created equal? That's right...some stores carry different kinds of foods, and my personal opinion is that the Shihjr store has a better selection than the Neihu store. For example, you can find Gardenburger veggie burgers at Shihjr...and more cereal varieties like GoLean Crunch.

O Organics Peanut Butter at Carrefour

Carrefour has been stocking O Organics foods for awhile now...and I highly recommend the peanut butter. You can find crunchy or creamy peanut butter with only two ingredients---peanuts and salt. (no hydrogenated oil) This is good stuff, and is cheaper than the organic peanut butter you'll find at Jason's or Wellman's. One jar is NT$169. Just make sure you keep it in the fridge after you open it.

Other O Organics products include popcorn, noodles, and salad dressing (low-fat).

Get 'em while they're hot!

Betty Crocker Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip cookies are half price at City Super right now...only NT$70/ bag. These cookies are the easiest ever---just add water, oil, and an egg. Mmmmm...

New bargains at Carrefour! Get 'em while they last!

It seems like Carrefour has a new selection of imported goods each month...and they don't stick around too long, so stock up while you can. French vanilla cake mixes are now available for NT$79, which is the cheapest you'll find around here.

Vanilla and maple syrup teething biscuits are NT$99/ package.

Love this sassy salsa microwave popcorn!

Okay, so they're not the real Wheat Thins, but they're a close second.

And, finally, you can buy regular graham crackers for less than NT$100 a box!

Granola bars and American graham crackers.

This week, I found the Sweet and Salty granola bars at Geant for NT$99...the cheapest I've seen them so far.

And at Carrefour, I found American chocolate graham crackers for NT$89 a box. That's quite a bit cheaper than what you'll pay for the same thing in Tianmu.

City Super Finds (New SOGO branch)

Diet Lime Green Tea Snapple- NT$55/ bottle.

City Super now carries Splenda in the large bags for baking at NT$360/ bag. Perfect for diabetics or people wanting to cut back on their sugar intake.

I also saw Reeses Peanut Butter Baking Chips---I haven't found these anywhere else in Taipei yet.

New candy at Carrefour!

Carrefour just got in some new kinds of candy...candy that is usually hard to find in Taiwan! I've always brought back Almond Joy bars from the U.S., but now I can buy a big bag of the "snack size" bars for NT$135 (NT$110 if on sale) at Carrefour!

They also have large bags of Hersheys' Miniatures...which include Mr. Goodbar, Hershey's Milk Chocoalate, Special Dark (YUM!) and Krackel bars. I think the bag was NT$165. Very reasonable, since these bags sell for at least $3 in the U.S.!

Another new find are king size Hershey bars, which are good for prizes, small gifts, or S'mores!

More deals from ECC (aka, The Filipino Store)

Pepsi Max is here! I haven't seen this soda anywhere else, although it may occasionally show up at Jason's Marketplace. But you won't find it any cheaper than what you'll pay at ECC---only $25/can. This is basically diet Pepsi, but much better tasting than that Pepsi One stuff you can buy at Carrefour.

Only $50/can for some tasty spaghetti sauce---I highly recommend the green pepper mushroom kind.


There are several new green tea drinks called "C2", which stands for Cool and Clean. (?) Anyway, I'm glad it's "clean!" It's also tasty and cheap.

Move over Sunchips. These multigrain snacks taste almost the same, and are about 20% of the price of a bag of Sunchips. I think they're only NT$15/bag. You can't beat it!

Chocolate graham crackers for NT$28.

Decent-tasting and not-too-sweet biscuits that would taste great with a slab of Nutella.


A new kind of fruit cocktail---lychee flavor!

Once again, if you haven't been to ECC, it's on Jhongshan N. Road, and it's a gold mine. (in my opinion)

See earlier posts for directions.

More good (and cheap) imported food at Carrefour.

You can now buy tabouli and couscous mixes at Carrefour for about $89/box.

I also found some whole grain crackers that aren't loaded with trans fat. These are more like crispbreads, and there are some great flavors!

For $159, you can buy a large box of healthy Just Right cereal...a very good deal!

Flavored oatmeal at the ECC Filipino Store

Like flavored oatmeal, but don't want to buy it in bulk at Costco? Well, then head to the Filipino store for a fantastic deal on instant oatmeal packets. I've tried the banana and chocolate varieties...and they are similar to the stuff you'll find in the States. You can also find individual packets of this oatmeal for a cheap price if you only want to try one.

Cheap lasagne noodles

You no longer have to go to Tianmu or Jason's Marketplace to find lasagne noodles. You can find them for half the price in Carrefour. Just one more reason to visit the French hypermart. And pick up some spaghetti sauce while you're there; they have more choices than you'd expect!

Note---you might not find these noodles in the pasta section---look for them in the imported foods section. That's where I found them.

Granola bars at Carrefour

Carrefour continues to stock their shelves with new products from France, and these granola bars are worth a try! The apricot bars are very flavorful, and if you like coconut, you'll enjoy the coconut bars. They also have a raisin variety. Normal price is about NT$70 for 6 bars, but I got a box for $38 yesterday...they were majorly on sale.

Creative ice cream flavors

I was pleasantly surprised to see a different line of ice cream at my local Chinese grocery store. For under NT$100 each, you can find flavors like blueberry cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, cookies and cream and double chocolate. They're worth a try, especially the blueberry cheesecake!

This is the store where you can find the ice cream, as well as a variety of other products. We've found that this is the cheapest place for baby wet-wipes, some beauty products, and men's razors. You can find these stores all over Taiwan.

Breakfast foods.

When I spotted chocolate cereal in Carrefour, I knew I had to try it. For NT$119 (give or take a few dollars), you can have a delicious (and nutritious?) treat. This cereal is good without milk, too, and it has yummy chocolate shavings mixed in.



One of my best "finds" has been the English Muffins at I-Mei bakery. These 'NG' (No Good) muffins are reported to be the McDonald's rejects...but you'll have a hard time finding anything wrong with them. At NT$25/ package, they're a steal, and they taste good toasted! I often use them in egg and cheese stratas, and my husband loves them with cream cheese. The only bummer is that they're very "hit and miss." You have to keep checking the store on a regular basis, as they're not always on the shelf.


I was also pleased to find that Jake's Country Kitchen offers egg-white omelets!!

CITY SUPER is SUPER!

Another City Super just opened up in the new SOGO (which happens to be a 2-minute walk from the old SOGO). This is a fantastic store for imported goods...many of the products come from Hong Kong, and they're not cheap, but you can find just about anything you're looking for.



The best deal in the store (in my opinion) is the CINNAMON LIFE cereal...only NT$135 a box! You can't find cereal that cheap anywhere, especially imported cereal!



City Super also carries a number of cookie mixes, cake mixes, and other "desserts-in-a-bag" that come in handy when you don't have time to make things from scratch.

Craving Cream Soda? City Super sells LIGHT Cream Sodas for only NT$20 a can! Once again, that's quite a bit cheaper than what you'll find in Tianmu. And these things are GOOD!

Two good buys at GEANT

Did you know that you can now find Hershey's Cocoa Powder at your local Geant? At least the big store in DaZhi carries it for only NT$94! Nice!

I must say, the Duroyal "Super" ice cream series is the best yet. It's about twice the price of the other ice cream flavors (NT$120), but it's worth it! The ice cream is much creamier than your typical Taiwanese ice cream. And the chocolate kind has real fudge in it.

G & G Continental Delicatessen

Address: 6-1, Ln 14, Zhongshan N Rd, Sec 7, Taipei
Telephone:(02) 2876 8557
Open: 10am to 9pm
English menu; credit cards accepted

If you've been here awhile (or happen to live in Tianmu), you've probably been to G&G, which is located in Tianmu, back behind Swenson's. It's a bit out-of-the-way, which is probably why I didn't discover this place until last year. Although G&G isn't a place to find cheap stuff, it does carry a good selection of imported products, and I think it has a wider selection of Jello, pudding, and cake mixes than Wellman's. And sometimes you just need to splurge and buy those things you are really craving...like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups! :)



G&G usually carries a variety of cakes and frostings.




One nice thing about G&G is that it has a deli inside the store where you can buy lunchmeat and cheese and freshly made sandwiches, and you can sit and read the newspaper while you eat lunch. Sandwiches run from NT$135-155, and you can choose from a variety of homemade breads. Bagels, soups, salads, and homemade yogurt are also on the menu.




And, of course, they have a good selection of cereal...but be prepared to pay the price! It's cheaper to buy cereal in bulk at Costco. If you really need Reeses Puffs, then this is where you'll have to go.


Nutri Grain Bars and Ritz Chips. Both are too expensive for my budget. You can make homemade Nutri Grain Bars...sort-of. And they taste much better---I promise!

Semi-Nutragrain Bars
1 package yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup melted butter
12 ounces jam or other filling
1 T. water
Mix cake mix, oats and butter. Press half of the mix into a 9x13 greased pan. Mix jam and water and spread over the mix. Add the remaining mix on top and bake for 20 minutes at 375. Before cutting, cool completely.
Variations: Use a strawberry cake mix with strawberry jam as the filling, or use a chocolate cake mix with peanut butter and marshmallow cream as the filling.