I didn’t find any thread(s) specifically relating to food finds at either of these stores, which surprised me — they often have great deals on very good quality imported pasta, olive oils, random snacks, etc.
I went there for the sole purpose of finding a bottle of the surprisingly elusive lemon(-flavored) olive oil that several stores in town used to carry, and now don’t. Found that and then some!
Maybe we can share our recent and future purchases here.
The lemon oil, right next to an orange oil I naturally had to get as well
As you might imagine, the Dubai chocolate trend is still going strong, as evidenced by an entire end cap dedicated to it. But that’s for a different thread
I have not yet. Most lemon oils I’ve tried are very aromatic and fragrant, and I’m not sure they lend themselves to high temp cooking. I use mine almost entirely for a lemon dressing I make for arugula salad with shaved parm.
Here’s a NYT creamy lemon pasta recipe we liked a LOT, and it’s truly dead simple:
It would work very well with chicken breast on top, and maybe some green asparagus for color and health
Home Goods is my jam for food items you don’t normally see. That’s the first section I gravitate to when I walk into a HG or TJ Maxx.
I always buy European chocolates at HG right around Thanksgiving to fill small gift bags for coworkers just before Christmas. This year, there were chocolates from Great Britain, Belgium, Switzerland, and France, IIRC. (They also got holiday-themed Pez dispensers from World Market).
I’ve tried many herb and spice blends that HG has had. They often have Victoria Gourmet brand items (made by a woman-owned company in Woburn, MA, just 20 minutes down the highway from me in the town I used to live in). Right now, I have their Honey-Aleppo Pepper, and Tuscan Seasoning.
One item I ALWAYS look for is Aloha from Oregon Tangerine Marmalade, although I more often see their jalapeno pepper jelly. I like it better than orange marmalade.
I often buy coffee beans from them…various kinds because (1) I know and like the brand and (2) they’re new-to-me and the flavor profile fits what I personally enjoy. A couple of recent ones currently in my downstairs freezer.
I didn’t want to start a whole 'nother thread for Ocean State Job Lots finds (a name both my PIC and I couldn’t stop ranting about), to which I practically had to drag him today bc I was looking for tall takeout containers in which to freeze a sizable amount of lusciously golden chicken stock.
Naturally, we got lost in the food section (though I also scored a pair of cheap-ass gloves and cheap-ass PJs ) where I came across plenty of fun & interesting pasta shapes
I had to stop myself from buying bc “Hi, my name is Natascha, and I am a pasta hoarder.” The buchi maybe not so much, but the other two. I can always go back
I also saw these, which I seem to recall @LulusMom1 is particularly fond of?
I’d almost forgotten why we originally went there, but thankfully came across the containers I needed. Scored 10 of them! MOAR broth/stock/soup to freeze
When I’m at TJ Maxx, Homegoods, Marshalls, etc, I look for ceramic/glass top stove cleaner, both the squirtpaste and spray. It’s significantly less than big box, supermarket or hardware stores, sometime half off.
Wait. You found those pasta shapes at OSJL??? We NEVER get interesting shapes like those by me, and I’ve got several I can visit. Mine have more corn pasta than anything else, which I’ll pass on. I know each store’s choices are a crapshoot…sometimes the one in Maine that my sister often goes to has things we can’t get in the MA stores, and vice versa.
And yes, OSJL has all sorts of wondrous things. I always get my ice melt there, planters for spring herbs, small Christmas bags and gift boxes, but their food aisle is where I visit the most. That’s where I get my Archway Windmill cookies with sliced almonds, which I grew up with and was thrilled to find again.
My PIC was … trying on hooded jackets. I guess it’s time we gave up on our fashion influencer careers, what with numerous Sam’s Club tees already in the closet
Oh. My. GAWD. My sister told me about these before I went down to her house last weekend to “do Christmas” (even though she’s claiming she said we weren’t doing Christmas this year. Yeah, no, she didn’t tell me that. So she got Christmas from me).
She had said she had seen these at HG, so in the two stores I went to, I found 5 bags and cleaned 'em out. She got 4 of them, I kept 1. She squealed when she opened the box I had put them in and has put one in her “Provisions Bag” for her trip back up to their Maine cabin tomorrow.
I’ve found that one of them is perfect for an after-dinner “I gotta have a sweet”. Good chocolate; creamy marshmallow middle. Of course, if they’re at HG, once they’re gone, I doubt they’ll be back. Price was $4.99/bag, IIRC vs. $7.99 on their site.
I mainly went to see if I could find more funky pasta shapes… nothing funky, but I love paglia e fieno, and couldn’t say ‘no’ to the spinach tagliatelle. Oh, who am I kidding — I can never say ‘no’ to pasta.
The BTB shroom isn’t easy to find elsewhere, and it’s part of my hot pot soup base (plus BTB roasted garlic, especially when we host our pesca buddy). The anchovy paste will find great use for pasta sauces and Caesar dressings, and the red pesto will also make a good pasta sauce base.
Did someone say pasta?
Rao’s was down to $6.99, so I got a variety, and the Pomi strained tomatoes were $3.99.
We also saw TPSTO weird-ass potato chip flavors and an end cap on which a truck full of Dubai chocolates seemed to have exploded, but both are for another thread
My pie safe pantry is testament to my love of Home Goods’ food aisles.
) where I came across plenty of fun & interesting pasta shapes
