Random goodies at the Miramar Gourmet Wellcome

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

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.

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.

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

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

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)

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

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!

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)

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

Looks yummy to me!

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

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.

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

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)

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.