Guacamole dip and taco sauce at Carrefour

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

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

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...

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!

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...

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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!!!