1203 – Garbanzo | TJ Shopping List

Real Time

 

Trader Joe’s

https://www.whatsgoodattraderjoes.com/

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/trader-joes-reviews-august-2023

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/trader-joes-reviews-july-2023

 

TJ’s Sparkling Water

https://delishably.com/beverages/Carbonated-Water-Pellegrino-vs-Trader-Joes-Sparkling-Water

https://www.midwexican.com/trader-joes-sparkling-water-review/

https://www.aisleofshame.com/types-of-sparkling-waters-at-trader-joes/

 

Salt

https://twokooksinthekitchen.com/salt-the-bare-essentials/

https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/salts-for-cooking

https://www.thespruceeats.com/best-salts-5088217

 

S'more Flavor Craze

https://www.foodandwine.com/desserts/give-me-some-more-history-about-smore

https://www.thedailymeal.com/1113146/the-complete-list-of-smores-flavored-snacks-ranked/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/59540/11-craziest-smores-combinations

 

DOWN TO BUSINESS

Everybody out there wa wa wondering

I already forgot what tonight is gong to be

 

Deep Dark Night United / Sleepy Supporter Zone

Looking for Sponsor Supporters

 

PLUGS

SAG-AFTRA Strike Support; Meditative Story podcast; The Midnight Mission; Trevor Project; Patreon; SleepPhones; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline

 

SPONSORS

Hello Fresh; Odoo; Helix Sleep; Air Doctor Pro; Zocdoc; Progressive

 

INTRO

Thoughts around your mind

Yesterday was a big day of feelings for me

Feelings about thoughts about feelings

The French du Jour aka Tour de France

The Old Cycling

I’ve been where you are right now

It’s ok if I’m not your cup of tea

A cup of Ted Lasso is not Ted Lasso’s cup of tea

It’s like when you listen to podcasts when you run

Kind of Listening

Falling Short of Witty

The Intro is part of a larger transition to bed

Use the Twilight Period however you want

I just got lost thinking about my bedtime routine

 

STORY

I miss our real time cooking

Real Time in a New Way

Shopping at a new TJ’s

I’m going through my shopping list from this little trip

Then we’ll talk what I’m gonna prep, and then what I liked

Normally, I start in the produce/flowers section

I looked at the plants

A palm that just needs to be near a cool door

I guess they call it soil, not dirt

I was tempted by many plants but didn’t get anything

8-pack of pineapple sparkling water

I always know this is good

It is a nice little flavor

I started buying Garolsteiner mineral water again

Drinking from the glass bottle makes me feel like a person in a movie drinking from a bottle

Blueberry Lemonade Sparkling Water – I buy it, but it doesn’t stick

I only see 8-packs now

And TJ’s has since moved to cans, not just bottles

Watermelon Lemonade Sparkling Water

Who makes watermelon lime sparkling water?

Something from the dairy – organic grass-fed milk

I’ve been having a little more night milk

Large box of Diamond Kosher Salt

I don’t have iodized salt anymore

I had Maldon, but I still lacked Kosher Salt

Different Types of Salt

The containers I use are from a former sponsor

Horchata Ice Cream – I’m looking forward to trying this

Smores Ice Cream – it doesn’t exactly taste like smores, and it’s smooth, but I like that

A bag of lemons, twofold

2 limes

The General Idea that I’ll make a Dish that needs lemon

I actually will take these lemons and make lemonade

Ooh, a Garolsteiner with a lime slice in there? Oh yeah

Chickpeas with cumin and parsley – a very versatile component

TJ’s couscous used to be a staple in my life

I burned my daughter out on couscous

Couscous can have a strange dryness

I have enough pita for 2 dinners

A couple good flatbread options

A flashier whole wheat-ier flatbread

I kind of gave up on store bought rice treats

Or rather, I gave up on eating them

I never found satisfaction with my own rice treats

An impulse buy

Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo – an absolute necessity

I used to buy Suave shampoo way back in the day

I like the minty tingle of this shampoo

Then I fell in love with Aveeno Apple Cider Shampoo, but then I couldn’t get it anymore

A platonic conversation at TJ’s about a shampoo bar

Shampoo Bar Confusion 

Pizza sauce – this does need some help, though

Usually I buy their creamy vodka sauce and use that as pizza sauce
Cracked Olive Salad

An actual human connection and recommendation at TJ’s

A sauceless pizza

Frozen-Pizza Like Thing (FPLT)

And then they put this garlic spread on it

This garlic spread is so versatile

As a dip with pretzel chips it’s unbelievable

I pair it with the pizza sauce

I’ve returned to Roberta’s pizza crust recipe

This garlic spread did permeate the flavor

Regular Pizza Flavor vs Specialty Pizza Flavor

A can of organic fire-roasted tomatoes

Squiggly Noodles – these are great

Already Steamed Lentils

I will combine the lentils with the cracked olive salad and report back

Bags of Ready Veggies

It’s like leftovers from other stuff, let’s be honest

A general amount of leftover vegetables

Sautee it with some olive oil

A can of whipped cream

Whipped cream is essential to sundaes, in my opinion

Friday night is pizza and movie night

Persian cucumbers

Not cuban cucumbers

These don’t last very long

Baby carrots of many colors

I don’t necessarily use these as a T-R-E-A-T for Koa

This next thing was an unplanned opportunity to face my fears

Chocolate Snacky Clusters

I did try their smore clusters

Where did the S'more Flavor Craze come from?

I see a lot of s’more flavored things

The Pros and Cons of S’mores

Easy to pack

Fun

Participatory

Invokes Nostalgia

It’s tough to object to those flavors

Cinnamon graham crackers didn’t really change much

The S’more clusters had better flavor balance

The Famous Name Chocolate Bar

Back to the snacky clusters

Chips enrobed in chocolate – that’s weird…or is it?

My daily assignment: initiating nice small talk with strangers

I hope I can consistently practice and feel better about it some day

I saw a woman doing the same dance with the clusters that I did

I reached out for a moment of human connection

Wow, Little Scoots faced his fear today

Mini Sweet Peppers

A pound of brussels sprouts

Koa loves Cruciferous Crunch

Chimichurri Sauce – maybe I’ll try that with some steak

Tzatziki – for the flatbread sandwich

Then I got some cherries

Brazil Nut Body Wash – a big hit

Everything I bought home has been a hit with my daughter

Thanks for coming with me on this trip

We’ll cook and review next time

I’ve missed you

It’s good to be back together

 

FACEBOOK COMMENT THANKS

Trina; Nancy; Jen; Grant; Denise; Gordon; Nina; Natalie; Thomas; Charlotte; Jan; Julie; Mike; Joe; Heather; Silvia; Laurie; Heather; Phil; Jeff; Andrea; Jay; Linda

 

SUMMARY:

Episode: 1,203

Title: Garbanzo | TJ Shopping List

Deep Dark Night United / Sleepy Supporter Zone: Looking for Sponsor Supporters

Plugs: SAG-AFTRA Strike Support; Meditative Story podcast; The Midnight Mission; Trevor Project; Patreon; SleepPhones; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline

Sponsors: Hello Fresh; Odoo; Helix Sleep; Air Doctor Pro; Zocdoc; Progressive

Facebook Comment Thanks: Trina; Nancy; Jen; Grant; Denise; Gordon; Nina; Natalie; Thomas; Charlotte; Jan; Julie; Mike; Joe; Heather; Silvia; Laurie; Heather; Phil; Jeff; Andrea; Jay; Linda

Notable Language:

• The French du Jour
• Cycling
• Twilight
• Web-Based Being Plant (WBBP)
• Night Milk
• The General Idea that I’ll make a Dish that needs lemon
• Bean-Type Salad (BTS)
• Couscous
• Primary Dinner Idea (PDI)
• Shampoo Bar Confusion (SBC)
• Frozen-Pizza Like Thing (FPLT)
• Cuban Cucumbers
• T-R-E-A-T 
• Koa loves Cruciferous Crunch

 

Notable Culture:

• Trader Joe’s
• Tour de France
• Waterloo
• Garolsteiner Sparkling Water
• Gordon Gecko
• Diamond Kosher Salt
• Maldon Salt
• Roberta’s

 

Notable Talking Points:

• Thoughts around your mind
• Yesterday was a big day of feelings for me
• Feelings about thoughts about feelings
• The French du Jour aka Tour de France
• The Old Cycling
• I’ve been where you are right now
• It’s ok if I’m not your cup of tea
• A cup of Ted Lasso is not Ted Lasso’s cup of tea
• It’s like when you listen to podcasts when you run
• Kind of Listening
• Falling Short of Witty
• The Intro is part of a larger transition to bed
• Use the Twilight Period however you want
• I just got lost thinking about my bedtime routine
• I miss our real time cooking
• Real Time in a New Way
• Shopping at a new TJ’s
• I’m going through my shopping list from this little trip
• Then we’ll talk what I’m gonna prep, and then what I liked
• Normally, I start in the produce/flowers section
• I looked at the plants
• A palm that just needs to be near a cool door
• I guess they call it soil, not dirt
• I was tempted by many plants but didn’t get anything
• 8-pack of pineapple sparkling water
• I always know this is good
• It is a nice little flavor
• I started buying Garolsteiner mineral water again
• Drinking from the glass bottle makes me feel like a person in a movie drinking from a bottle
• Blueberry Lemonade Sparkling Water – I buy it, but it doesn’t stick
• I only see 8-packs now
• And TJ’s has since moved to cans, not just bottles
• Watermelon Lemonade Sparkling Water
• Who makes watermelon lime sparkling water?
• Something from the dairy – organic grass-fed milk
• I’ve been having a little more night milk
• Large box of Diamond Kosher Salt
• I don’t have iodized salt anymore
• I had Maldon, but I still lacked Kosher Salt
• Different Types of Salt
• The containers I use are from a former sponsor
• Horchata Ice Cream – I’m looking forward to trying this
• Smores Ice Cream – it doesn’t exactly taste like smores, and it’s smooth, but I like that
• A bag of lemons, twofold
• 2 limes
• The General Idea that I’ll make a Dish that needs lemon
• I actually will take these lemons and make lemonade
• Ooh, a Garolsteiner with a lime slice in there? Oh yeah
• Chickpeas with cumin and parsley – a very versatile component
• TJ’s couscous used to be a staple in my life
• I burned my daughter out on couscous
• Couscous can have a strange dryness
• I have enough pita for 2 dinners
• A couple good flatbread options
• A flashier whole wheat-ier flatbread
• I kind of gave up on store bought rice treats
• Or rather, I gave up on eating them
• I never found satisfaction with my own rice treats
• An impulse buy
• Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo – an absolute necessity
• I used to buy Suave shampoo way back in the day
• I like the minty tingle of this shampoo
• Then I fell in love with Aveeno Apple Cider Shampoo, but then I couldn’t get it anymore
• A platonic conversation at TJ’s about a shampoo bar
• Shampoo Bar Confusion 
• Pizza sauce – this does need some help, though
• Usually I buy their creamy vodka sauce and use that as pizza sauce
  Cracked Olive Salad
• An actual human connection and recommendation at TJ’s
• A sauceless pizza
• Frozen-Pizza Like Thing (FPLT)
• And then they put this garlic spread on it
• This garlic spread is so versatile
• As a dip with pretzel chips it’s unbelievable
• I pair it with the pizza sauce
• I’ve returned to Roberta’s pizza crust recipe
• This garlic spread did permeate the flavor
• Regular Pizza Flavor vs Specialty Pizza Flavor
• A can of organic fire-roasted tomatoes
• Squiggly Noodles – these are great
• Already Steamed Lentils
• I will combine the lentils with the cracked olive salad and report back
• Bags of Ready Veggies
• It’s like leftovers from other stuff, let’s be honest
• A general amount of leftover vegetables
• Sautee it with some olive oil
• A can of whipped cream
• Whipped cream is essential to sundaes, in my opinion
• Friday night is pizza and movie night
• Persian cucumbers
• Not cuban cucumbers
• These don’t last very long
• Baby carrots of many colors
• I don’t necessarily use these as a T-R-E-A-T for Koa
• This next thing was an unplanned opportunity to face my fears
• Chocolate Snacky Clusters
• I did try their smore clusters
• Where did the S'more Flavor Craze come from?
• I see a lot of s’more flavored things
• The Pros and Cons of S’mores
• Easy to pack
• Fun
• Participatory
• Invokes Nostalgia
• It’s tough to object to those flavors
• Cinnamon graham crackers didn’t really change much
• The S’more clusters had better flavor balance
• The Famous Name Chocolate Bar
• Back to the snacky clusters
• Chips enrobed in chocolate – that’s weird…or is it?
• My daily assignment: initiating nice small talk with strangers
• I hope I can consistently practice and feel better about it some day
• I saw a woman doing the same dance with the clusters that I did
• I reached out for a moment of human connection
• Wow, Little Scoots faced his fear today
• Mini Sweet Peppers
• A pound of brussels sprouts
• Koa loves Cruciferous Crunch
• Chimichurri Sauce – maybe I’ll try that with some steak
• Tzatziki – for the flatbread sandwich
• Then I got some cherries
• Brazil Nut Body Wash – a big hit
• Everything I bought home has been a hit with my daughter
• Thanks for coming with me on this trip
• We’ll cook and review next time
• I’ve missed you
• It’s good to be back together

Episode 1203 – Garbanzo | TJ Shopping List

 

[START OF RECORDING]

 

SCOOTER: Alright, friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and everybody out there wondering…or wa-wa-wondering…or everybody out there, wherever you are…I don't know, I thought I’d think of something more interesting, but I guess I didn’t. It’s time for Sleep With Me, the podcast that’s here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff so that you could fall asleep, to be your friend in the deep, dark night, to cut through that loneliness or to just take your mind off of whatever’s keeping you awake. Even if you don’t feel lonely…that’s only because that’s one of the things that comes up a lot with listeners, or how I felt…and even in a house full of people when I couldn’t sleep.

 

This show is here to be your companion in the deep, dark night whether you’re listening to me or not, and really because you deserve a good night’s sleep. You deserve a place you could get some rest. I hope this show can provide it. It is very different, does take a few tries of listening to get used to it and realize, oh, this podcast is different and strange, but it’s here to be my friend. It never really makes a whole lot of sense, but it kinda just barely never makes sense. So, I’m glad you’re here. What we got coming up is support; that’s how we get to put out the show for free. If you’re looking for a ad-free experience, that’s also available. But this…that enables us to reach the widest number of people possible that need the show and enjoy the show. Then there will be a long, meandering intro which is separate from the support.

 

It’s meant to ease you into bedtime, to kinda give you a little bit more…to take your mind off of stuff and put you at ease, and, I don't know, be a part of your bedtime routine or your wind-down routine. So, don’t miss out on that part. It’s where you get to know the show and you say, oh, okay…eventually you could start skipping around, but at first just give the intro a try. Give the show a few tries. See how it goes. Then there’s our story. Tonight…I already forgot what the story was gonna be. I remember…I recorded it two days ago and now I have no idea what it was about. It was…I had a bunch of research in front of me; I remember that. So, I guess I’ll be working off some kind of research or going through something, but I really have no idea. That’s just how my mind works, but a bedtime story nonetheless meant to ease you into bedtime. So, that’s it. I’m so glad you’re here. Thanks for coming by, and thanks for making it possible, my patron peeps.

 

INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake, whether it’s thoughts that you’re thinking about, like thoughts you think…thoughts you’re thinking about about the past, the present, the future. So, just thoughts on your mind or in your mind, around your mind. Thoughts; I have them.

 

Feelings; oh boy, yesterday was a day of feeling for me, and it came with thoughts and physical sensations, but I had a lot of feelings, or only one…I had a lot of…I guess I more had physical sensations related to my feelings which were related to my thoughts. But if anything’s coming up for you emotionally…and then you have…sometimes I have thoughts about feelings and feelings about thoughts, and then I have feelings about those feelings and thoughts. I don't know if you’ve ever been in that cycle before. You say, how come there isn’t one like that? There’s cycling, right, or what…they call it cycling. There’s the French Du Jour or whatever. Tour de France. The French of the day. It’s the Tour de France. There’s a new documentary or show…doc…show out.

 

So, it’s just been on my mind, obviously not so much that I actually know the name of the…and when it’s…I don't even know when it is. I think it’s around sometime when I’m putting out an episode. Maybe not this one. I know my neighbor follows it, 'cause sometimes I’ll come home and I’ll…but anyway, how come…for those…the cycle of thoughts and feelings that…it’s just feeding itself…and physical sensations. But it could be other physical sensations that are keeping you up, changes in time, temperature, routine, you could have something coming up, you could be going through something, going somewhere, having someone come to visit, changes in work schedule. Whatever it is, the reason I go through all that stuff is to let you know you’re not alone, and maybe you’re dealing with something else.

 

Maybe it’s something even I haven’t been through myself, but I can tell you that there’s someone out there listening right now who’s probably been through what you’re going through or something similar, and there’s even more people — and maybe even me — that can relate to how it feels. I know this is digital and pseudo or whatever, but it’s true that we know how it feels, and it’s not easy. That’s why I talk about it being lonely and I talk about the deep, dark night, because it’s not easy, right? That’s why I make the show, is because I’ve been there and I still go there, ideally just to visit now, but I’ve lived there in the deep, dark night. So, that’s one of the reasons I make the show. The other reason is you. You deserve a good night’s sleep.

 

You deserve a bedtime you could feel neutral about or feel good about and not have to dread, a bedtime you could look forward to, even. I hope this show can provide that. What I’ll do is I’ll send my voice across the deep, dark night. I’ll use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones and pointless meanders, which means my voice is not traditionally soothing, but it’s there, so…it’s there to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff. This show does take some getting used to at first. If you got here and you’re skeptical or you’re doubtful or you’re frustrated, you’re fed up, you’re tired, I understand. I’ve been there. If you’re not sure about this show, that’s how most people get here. The most common review I have is hey, it took two or three tries to get used to the show.

 

The most common messages I hear, the ones that are constructive, are, hey, it took me a while to get used to the show, but now I’m glad it worked for me. I had no idea I was looking for something like this, but I definitely was. Two, the second thing that I hear from people is this is what I’m dealing…this is what I’ve been through, and I’m glad I found something like this. This is my story. But commonly, it takes a couple tries to get used to the show. It is very different. The third-biggest piece…well, actually, the…it’s probably not the third-biggest, unfortunately, but I hear from a lot of people who this show just won't ever work for, and…or it’s…they’ve changed their opinion about the show. But a lot of people get here and it’s not…it doesn’t work for them. It’s not their cup of tea.

 

Maybe you’re not even in a place where you’re…you say, I already know; I don’t need to give it two or three tries. I understand. I even have a website for it, and believe me, I’ve heard from a lot of people. I know. I mean, I already knew even before it made the…that’s why it took me so long to make the podcast. I knew I’m not everybody’s cup of tea, and…Ted Lasso’s a perfectly nice character. Ted Lasso doesn’t…a cup of tea is not Ted Lasso’s cup of tea. I don't know if they did a bit like that on there, but it’s true. So, I have a website set up; sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, and it’s there with other sleep podcasts and other sleepy stuff for you to check out. So, check it out and see. See if it works. See if it’s helpful.

 

So, that’s…oh, so…okay, structure…other stuff that throws people off; this is a podcast you don’t really listen to, either, so that’s one of the things…when you say it takes two or three tries. It’s kind of a podcast you almost passive…it’s not quite passive listening, but it’s not active listening. It’s kind of like something that’s in the background that you could kinda pay attention to. For a lot of us, it’s not immediately relatable, but you say, oh yeah, that’s what I do when I run; I listen to podcasts but I’m only kinda listening 'cause I’m also thinking and running. Or I work with maybe some YouTube or something else on in the background, or I cook while kind of listening to something else.

 

Sometimes you feel…oh, well, I should be listening to this or I have to rewind it because I don’t…didn’t know what they were talking about, or I have to pause it. With Sleep With Me, it’s kind of its purpose. You don’t really need to listen to me. You could or you could re-listen at another point, but I’m here to be your background noise. Also, the strange thing about the show is there’s no pressure to fall asleep. I’m here for over an hour to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff. So, yeah, it’s…there’s no pressure to fall asleep. There’s people that can’t sleep and I’m here for them as much as I’m here for you when you fall asleep. I’m here for the people who can’t sleep or who are having a tough day and need a break…and use the podcast for relief in that sense.

 

I’m here to the very end, but the episodes are over an hour so you say, oh, I got plenty of time. I don't have to think about falling asleep. I’ll just barely listen to this gentleman who’s kinda going on and on and on about nothing. ‘Cause I’m here to be your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bor, your neigh-bore, your Borbie, your bore-bestie, your bore-bruh. Whatever…I’m here to be your friend in the deep, dark night, to keep you company, but a friend you don’t have to entertain or listen to. So, those are a couple things. The other thing that throws people off is the structure of the show. The structure of the show is very intentional, and it is adjustable.

 

But the two biggest adjustments I’ll talk about maybe in a second…there’s…but so, the show starts off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, then I probably say something…I attempt to be witty so you say, okay, I feel seen and welcomed in. I see that he’s trying to be witty and falling short of it a little bit. That’s cool. I relate to that. Or, oh, it’s a little bit silly; okay. So, that’s what the greeting does. Then there’s support so the show could come out free, 'cause there’s a lot of people that say, hey, I really benefit from this free podcast. Then there’s a long, meandering intro which is separate from the support.

 

What that intro does is…it’s there to kinda introduce people to the podcast, but the reason it goes on and on and on for ten, eleven, twelve, twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen minutes, even, is so that it can ease you into bedtime. The intro is a transition between whatever you were doing before you started getting ready for bed and the bedtime story. It’s a twilight period. You can use that twilight period however you want. There’s 2% of people that skip the intro. There’s probably 2% or 3% of people that fall asleep right away, and oh boy, are we kind…mostly somewhat happy for them. But for most listeners, they’re doing some other activity whether it’s getting ready for bed…this is the one podcast you could listen to while brushing your teeth with an electric toothbrush, 'cause you’re not gonna miss anything.

 

But a lot of listeners over the years…as this show becomes a regular part of your routine, maybe you’re doing some other chill activity; stretching, drawing, coloring, whatever it is. So, that’s part of the easing you into bedtime. Let’s see, what else is…? I’m drawing a blank now. For some reason, my mind just went total…oh, easing you into bedtime. I was thinking about my own bedtime routine; that’s why. But there’s people that are listening while they’re in bed getting comfortable and they’re unwinding that way. So, that’s why the intro goes on and on and on. Oh, the two ways that people adjust other than the people that are falling asleep or skip the intro…there’s people that listen to story-only episodes on Apple Podcasts or Patreon, or…but there’s also a large number of people on Patreon that listen to all-intro episodes exclusively, 'cause they get extras of those every single month.

 

So, it’s just interesting; as you become a regular listener, you’ll probably adjust how you listen, but for most people it’s about having the intro ease you into bedtime, then the story. But there’s a lot of different ways to listen, so just kinda see as you…just see how it goes. Then there will be…after the intro there’s support, and then there will be our bedtime story which I already recorded two days ago, but I have no idea what it was about. So, I don't know. I wish I knew. Then there will be thank-yous at the end. But I’m so glad I’m here. I’m so glad I get to be here to keep you company and try to put you to sleep, because like I said, I’ve been there. I know how it is. I really appreciate you coming by. I work really hard. I yearn and I strive. I really hope I can help you fall asleep, and these are the ways I get to do it for you for free twice a week.

 

Hey, it’s me. I’m sending…I really missed us cooking together and shopping together, and I’ve been trying to find a way to do it again. I just came up with this idea where we could do it…I know we’re not in the same room and you’re just listening to this right now, and I miss being together and cooking and shopping, so I thought I’d try to do it…try to find a way to do it in a new way that might work. So, I’m gonna take you with me and we’ll go shopping. So, I just went…'cause I was thinking of you…well, I was just shopping, to be honest, and maybe it was that I was not at my normal TJ’s, but I had brought my daughter to rehearsal and then I said, well, there’s a TJ’s near there; I might as well go there on my way home, get my grocery shopping done early for the weekend.

 

Originally I was like, I could get lunch across the street, but then I wasn’t hungry. It wasn’t exactly lunch time. But I thought we could go through this shopping list. It will be…I want to go through the list in order, 'cause otherwise I’ll forget. But we’ll probably do a lot of backtracking. But yeah, let’s go to TJ’s together. Then we’ll talk about what I’m gonna prep, and then maybe I’ll come back and we’ll talk about, hey, what did we like? So, this might be kind of a two-part episode or a front-half and a back-half episode. But I could tell you the one thing; normally I go into the store…I start in the produce, flowers, and that thing, and that’s what I did this time without making a purchase. I looked at the plants, and even though there was some sort of palm that said ‘thrives on not paying attention as long as it’s not by a cool window’…and so…’or a cool door or window.’

 

So, that kind of…I live in the Bay Area, but also, I don't need any more plants. But I almost bought that anyway 'cause it was so cute. They were so cute, these palms…something palm. It looked like…a bit like a webbed-based-being plant. It was so cute, but then it had this ball…it had bulbs. Maybe it was growing out of the bulbs, but they were in dirt or soil. I guess they call it soil, not dirt. Then they had lucky bamboo and succulents, but I held off. I said, do we really need any plants? But normally I head to the right, but right now because we’re just going by my actual…what do they call this? Sale transaction is what they call it. We’re gonna start at the sparkling water and we’re gonna get a eight-pack of pineapple sparkling water. I can already tell you this is a good one.

 

This is one that you don’t always go to when you see it, and I will recommend…I’ll say Trader Joe’s or Waterloo are the two pineapple ones I really enjoy. Ice-cold sparkling…not like drinking pineapple juice, but it is a nice little flavor. So, we’ll grab one of those. We’ll be back. Well, we could get the other sparkling waters now. It’s funny 'cause we just re-released a episode where I was talking about Gerolstein…I don't know how you…Gerolsteiner Sparkling Water. That really…that re-release reminded me, oh, I haven’t had that in a long time, so maybe I should pick…this was not this time. Two trips ago I started buying it again, but only two at a time. That’s a mineral…sparkling mineral water. I think it’s natural bubbles, even. It comes in a glass bottle and I love drinking from the glass bottle.

 

It makes me feel like…it doesn’t make me feel like Gordon Gekko, but it makes me feel…even though it doesn’t have anything to do with that era, I just picture people in those movies drinking from bottles. I don't know, a really nice flavor and can get really cold. I don't know, it’s just nice. The other waters we’re gonna get…we got the blueberry lemonade which is…I’ll be honest with you; I’m not…I don't have…I always buy it because it’s seasonal and I like the idea of blueberry lemonade. I like blueberries; I like lemonade. This is only sparkling water, so it’s just a flavor, but it’s not a flavor that sticks with me. But I must enjoy it on some level 'cause I keep buying it. I only buy a eight-pack. Trader Joe’s got this eight-pack point and now my full grocery store is now pretty much eight-packs. I say, what do you…do you really…?

 

I mean, I get Trader Joe’s…they have limited shelf space, so I can…and they never had twelve-packs, so it’s not like they reverted. They did have six-packs; now they have eight-packs. It used to be they only had bottles of sparkling water, and they moved to cans probably since the last time we did one of these shows, shopping and eating together. But this eight-pack thing…this is one of these great things that they…I just don’t like it. I don't know what else to say. I feel like…I don't know. So, I don't know. But so, I got that, and then I also got watermelon lemonade. Now, I’ll be honest; there’s another watermelon something…I think it’s watermelon lime. I don't know which company that one is. AHA, maybe? …that I’ve had that I really enjoy. So, maybe I enjoy this one? I don't know. This is the first time I remember buying it.

 

Then we have something from the dairy. I know not everybody has dairy, but I do, and that’s organic, grass-fed milk. I’ve been buying this one when I…that’s pretty much the only…sometimes they have a 2% and a whole. I read stuff and then I say, well, I don't know. But I say, well, I don't drink that much milk. Maybe four…well, I have night milk, or lately I’ve been more consistent about that. This is another thing we could make together, but…'cause Trader Joe’s doesn’t sell it anymore. But I probably have four or five cups of milk a week. I don't know, I just like this one. Plus, it’s like, the price comparatively to other stores, I’m happy with. So, there’s that. Oh, then this one was new at Trader Joe’s, but it was something I actually needed. So, they had a large box of Diamond kosher salt.

 

I’ve really been…I’ve been more consistent with my salt game kinda by accident. I always have had a container of sea salt, finely ground, that I use kind of…I don't have iodized salt anymore that I know of. Not that I’m against it or anything. I just say, well, if this is sea salt, it’s…maybe it’s just marketing. Even generic sea salt, I say, holy cow, that’s from the sea. So, it probably just is marketing. Then I have pink Himalayan salt that I got at T.J.Maxx, like a big bag of it. I’ve taken a bath with this salt before, but this wasn’t a bath-level bag. This was finely ground. So, then I’ve been using that in recipes, like pinches of that. So, I either use the sea salt or that. Then I have Maldon salt, I think it’s called, which is a larger crystallized salt. But I don't have…I didn’t have kosher salt.

 

So, I have different salt options for different dishes, 'cause you want the kosher salt for things…steak is one thing, or other things where it’s just not as salty. It’s more flaky. I have made that mistake before. I did make a big mistake, to be honest with you. I made my own…I decided I wanted some kind of Cajun blackened chicken and fish. So, I looked up recipes for those…how to make my own spice. But I didn’t have kosher salt which was what was called for, and in its place I used the exact same amount of Himalayan salt, finely ground, and it was way too…way, way, way too salty. But I did end up diluting…eventually I used some of it, found out it was too salty, and then I used enough that in the container I was able to dilute it.

 

Funny enough, the containers I use are from a former sponsor that was…made something to make your hair healthier. I still…now I still actually get that. But it’s like…I get it in a bag now instead of a…it would come in a glass jar, and I’ve kept most of those glass jars and used them for spices, night milk, other things. So, yeah, so that was a big box of Diamond kosher salt. Okay, next…so, that was in the new section, right, and we’ll be back to this new section soon. Next up was one new and one semi-new, and both these were on my…well, one was…has been on my purchase list, but I’ve said no the last time…was a horchatta ice cream, which I have not tried, so I’m looking forward to trying it and telling you how it is. But then just yesterday I saw a review of s’mores ice cream.

 

Thank you; can I have s’mores ice cream? But the person that was reviewing it, they said, hey, one, it doesn’t exactly taste like s’mores, which to me is a good thing. It was that it’s more of a marshmallow…it doesn’t have any chunks. It’s a smooth ice cream, she pointed out, which is important to me because, I don't know, sometimes the chunky ice creams…they lose their focus. So, I’m looking forward to that one, however it tastes. Then I got a bag of lemons. Now, I got the bag of lemons twofold, and I got…also got two limes. I don't know, that’ll come up on the list, I guess. The two limes I…there’s lemons I got for two things; one, a general idea that I’m gonna make some sort of dish that’s gonna need lemon, probably some sort of meatball that we’re gonna grill and have in a pita.

 

I said, it probably could use a lemon on there. Then also lemonade. It’s been a little while since I’ve made lemonade, and I will actually take these lemons and make lemonade. I also got two limes just in case. But then if I go to make the lemonade and I haven’t used the limes, I’ll also juice the limes and kinda make a lemon limeade. But only two limes, so it’ll just be a hint of lime. You know also what would be good is the Gerolsteiner with a lime slice in there. Okay, now this one I’ve never bought before, another strongly…on social media and on clickbait, this is strongly reviewed. The algorithms have been pointing me towards this and I have not got it 'cause I always forget or it’s not there. So, it was actually on my list. When I say that, I only…this…it wasn’t actually on my list, though.

 

It was actually…it was strongly on my mental list, but I don't think…so, I guess I’m not being totally clear. I got two cans of it, which I did debate back and forth, back and forth. Do I really need two cans? Well, what if you like…? Well, you couldn’t find it at the other place. Why do you always gotta get two cans of everything? I don't know, this is something that’s…it’s probably gonna be…but you don’t know. Yeah, but what if I go to my Trader Joe’s and I can’t…what if it is good and then I can’t find it ever again? So, I didn’t think I’d ever have FOMO for chickpeas with cumin and parsley, but today is what my experience was.

 

I really am looking forward to this 'cause I think, okay, this chickpea with cumin and parsley…a lot of ways we could use it; in some sort of bean…chickpea-type salad, even if it doesn’t have…with just some chopped-up peppers and onions, maybe. It already has the oil and the stuff in there, so we really just have to put it in a bowl with stuff and mix it up…or with just couscous and this. I mean, talk about a superfood. I have already. I didn’t even buy any more; Trader Joe’s whole-wheat couscous. Used to be a staple in my life, maybe even when we were cooking together. It was too much of a staple where my daughter started to loathe it, but that was before…that was when she was a little kid. So, I just stopped buying it 'cause she would refuse to eat it. I’d say, well, it’s just the pasta, but it’s whole wheat. It’s really…or whole grain.

 

So, I think it’ll be good with couscous, too, and also the fact that it has oil and seasonings means we could just lightly season the couscous and then…I don't know, 'cause one of the issues with couscous is it can have this strange dryness, and I think that’s why she didn’t like it. But then if…even if you put oil or some sort of butter. But then you could also put…you could cook some chicken thigh or chicken breast or chicken tender or grill it, chop it up, and mix it with this, and then put that on a pita. Not my primary dinner idea, but I think that would be good. I think I have some chicken in the freezer, but I’m not positive. But that could be a dinner coming up, 'cause I have enough pita for two dinners, I think, if it holds. I didn’t get the Trader Joe’s pitas, but Trader Joe’s does have a couple different good flatbread options.

 

We’ve talked about it in the past before. They have a whole-wheat lavash, which is really good, they do have a non-whole-wheat lavash that I don’t have experience with, then they also have a couple different Mediterranean flatbreads which are really tasty. I don't know if they have a whole grain or whole wheat option there, but those things are really spongy and really delicious. Then they have a whole-wheat pita and a non-whole-wheat pita. Their whole-wheat pita is kinda like your standard grocery store one. It’s not exactly the freshest or…it’ll do the job. But I found this one pita that is whole wheat that’s a little bit flashier, a little bit fluffier. I only occasionally get it 'cause it is a little bit more spendy. It’s at my regular grocery store sometimes. So, I’m gonna use that one. So, I think, yeah, we…maybe we’ll have that.

 

Chickpea with cumin, parsley…we’ll get some chicken going. Yeah, then…also in the Trader Joe’s new section was peanut butter crispy rice treats. Normally store-bought rice treats…here’s the thing with rice treats; I kinda gave up on them. You got the store-bought ones. I don't mean eating them. Okay, hold on. Hold the phone. I know you’re laughing and saying, who are you? No, no, I haven’t stopped eating them. I did stop attempting to make them, and maybe it’s just that they’re better when somebody gives them to you and there’s only a limited amount. Not that I would eat a lot of it, but I never found satisfaction with my own rice treats. Even when I…sometimes I would try to fancy them up, then I tried making plain ones, I tried different recipes, and I just never found…I said, well, it’s better when someone gives them to you.

 

The store-bought ones just aren’t the same. But I don't know, this, I guess, was a…I said, well, what did…how does Trader Joe’s compare? Let me try it. It has peanut butter. Looks like a peanut butter chocolate topping or something. I said, well, let’s give it a try. A impulse, but not as impulsive as something coming up. Then this was a necessity; tea tree tingle shampoo. We’ve gone through shampoo…at my house, I’m not a shampoo…it used to be Suave balsam and something. That was the only shampoo I used most of my life. It was the shampoo we had at home as a kid, then when I went to college or whatever, if I was buying the shampoo, that was what I bought just because…I don't know, I just remembered having it and I said, well, this smells decent and it’s $0.99 or how much Suave is.

 

I didn’t even know Suave was like, hey…but I’ve always had a thing…I don't even know what it’s called. Balsam and something. Not cedar and balsam, though. I know I talked about it to you years ago. Then at some point I said, this tea tree one, I like it 'cause it’s minty, it’s got a little tingle to it, and they have a conditioner. But it wasn’t like…either way. But usually I’d just say, okay, that’s the shampoo I’ll use. If I ran out, I would use hotel shampoos if I wasn’t building hygiene kits. Then at some point we used…something came up with my daughter’s hair and we were using Aveeno apple cider something or other, and I fell in love with that shampoo. The problem was, couldn’t…it was something I have to go searching for.

 

Then for a little while on the internet…that internet place where they…you just subscribe and they send it to you once a month, I had it on there so I would regularly get a delivery of it, then I changed it to every two months. But then at some point that didn’t work anymore, so we went back to tea tree and tingle. Then I found…my daughter said, actually, I like this shampoo a lot. So, that’s what we…that’s the shampoo I have. Now, sometimes…now, I didn’t buy it this time. They do…'cause my daughter won't use it but I will; they have a shampoo…a bar. I think I…maybe this was the last time I talked. It actually caused a ongoing conversation with someone at Trader Joe’s to where I said, did I just hold a conversation about a shampoo bar with someone that I could be attracted to but didn’t have a crush on?

 

Did I just inadvertently connect with someone over…? Then I said, I better get outta here and get to my car and get home and distract myself with work or something, which I did. Don't worry. Don't worry; I did that. But that person — this was years ago — said, oh, this…I use this, too. I said, oh yeah, I really…maybe it was the first time I was buying it. I said, how do you even use…? Maybe that’s what it was. She got a kick out of it. Said, how do you even shampoo your hair with a bar? I don't know. But since then, I will buy this occasionally. The only problem is if you have a guest at your house or something…or the fact that my daughter doesn’t use it, you could get shampoo bar confusion. I don't know why that would bother me, but I say, well, if I have someone visiting me and they use that for their body…but I guess that’s fine.

 

I don't know. So, I don't know why I stopped…I almost bought it today but I said, no, we’re getting shampoo. Okay, then we got pizza sauce. Now, I’ll be honest, this is not a high flier. Usually I’ll buy their creamy vodka sauce and use it on pizza, but as we get further in this list, I’m gonna give you a new tip that I’ve been using. So, this pizza sauce does…I say, this pizza sauce will do just fine. It does need some help, which now I have a big help for it. But yeah, I say, I’m not…this is not something I recommend. It’s something you could plus, but if you’re gonna buy something…I don't know why I buy it. I’ll be honest with you. I guess I’m confused as you are. Why not just buy the vodka pasta sauce that has a little cream in there? I don't know. I just bought it. It’s just one of those relationships I don't understand. You’re right.

 

Okay, next up is a new purchase, again, that the algorithms and the influencers have been on me…at least not personally but in a general way, whatever my psychographic is. They’ve algorithmically told me for a long time now to get this cracked olive salad. Even the flyers have told me and I haven’t got it, but again it was on my mental list with this…with those cumin and chickpeas. I finally cracked and got the cracked olive salad. It was only, actually, the fact that I was getting the chickpeas that reminded me to look. Then I saw it; I said, okay, it’s a smaller jar than I imagined and it’s a bunch of vegetables and olives in oil and vinegar. I have a distinct plan for it for lunch or for another salad. Again, this is new territory for me, so exciting times. So, that’s why we should get back together and review this stuff.

 

Okay, next up, though, is this garlic spread. This one was not a connection, but it was something I connected with…I guess a human connection. Not an attraction-based connection, but a useful connection with a Trader Joe’s employee where I was actually…I guess I’m growing, where I was actually interacting with them without any motivation other than the…I wouldn’t call it the joy of interaction. But what happened was…this was one time I was checking out and I said…we were just chatting and I said, well, what are you…what’s going…what are you recommending? What are you liking? She said, well, we just had this…so, I gotta tell you…'cause it was slow at the store.

 

She said, I got…we had this…I’m not a big believer in frozen pizza, but there’s this non-tomato frozen pizza or a sauce-less pizza or something, or for…I don't know, some sort of frozen pizza-like thing. Maybe it didn’t have cheese on it or something or sauce. I don't remember, but she said they…we had that and we put this garlic spread on it. Then maybe they put cheese on it? I don't know. We had that and it was…a strong…she was saying strong, strong, strong recommend. So, I put this in my mental queue, the garlic spread, and then that pizza. I did recreate that pizza; I think I put too much garlic spread on there. But then I found this garlic spread to be so versatile. Now, it doesn’t come in a jar, so it is perishable.

 

I don't know what the perishability of it is, but this stuff is…it’s not buttery but it’s similar to what you’d have on garlic bread, maybe with the butter? Haven’t tried it to make garlic bread, but I will. But with…as a dip with pretzel chips or something like that, it’s unbelievable. Then…this is just a recent discovery, and…paired with…unfortunately meddling in Trader Joe’s pizza sauce…so, here’s what we did, and this was just last night; I took…so, I had already made my pizza crust. I still…I’ve got Return to Roberta’s pizza crust from a recipe I pay for through the NYT, so you could do that or look up your own pizza dough. Now, I parbake it and make two crusts and use one, and then a week…I freeze the other one. That’s just my method. So, this was a pre-made, frozen-but-homemade pizza crust.

 

So, first what I did was spread a little bit of this garlic spread on the crust. Even the amount I put was a little bit too much, but I love garlic, so it wasn’t too much for me. But it did change the flavor of the pizza into something less pizza-like. So, next time I’m gonna go even thinner just to see if I can get it into a pizza flavor instead of a specialty pizza flavor. Then I put the pizza sauce on and they kinda meld together. Then I construct the rest of my pizza. But…oh, well, we’ll have to do a pizza episode another time, but that’s just…so, I’ll stop there. So, yeah, maybe we could do a…if this gets a response, we’ll do a pizza episode. But that garlic spread…then I got a can of organic fire-roasted tomatoes 'cause I’m just out of those. Those are very versatile.

 

But it did remind me that I said at some point I’m gonna make kind of a tomato-based rice with riced cauliflower. So, I’m gonna try that at some point, but not this time, 'cause I didn’t buy any riced cauliflower. Okay, what do we got next? Oh, holy cow, this is a strong buy. Now, especially if you have kids, you have kids that like ramen, you have kids that like noodles…and for grilling season I would say it’s a strong buy. If you grill a lot of chicken or rotisserie chicken, it would go great with this…these squiggly noodles. They’ve come up in the Fearless Flyer before. These noodles are delicious. They come with their own kinda soy and, I think, ginger sauce. They’re easy to prepare.

 

Now, they’re not whole-grain, but for a quick lunch, the noodles by themselves…I’m sure you could throw some tuna or something in there, too, but…with some chicken or maybe, I don't know, a bean or something. They’re delicious, but really easy…good for a really quick, easy meal that you would have…ramen. A similar preparation to ramen, but a little bit different flavor, and in some sense the noodles are just much…they’re different than ramen but they’re really delicious. So, just a strong recommend. So, this was a new one and this, again, is what I’m going to…steamed lentils. I know I saw this in one of the Fearless Flyers and I said, I should try those.

 

So, they’re cooked, refrigerated lentils, already prepared, and I’m…here’s my plan; to take either all of the lentils, the 17.6 ounces, according to this, and I’m either gonna take all of the lentils or half of the lentils and combine them with the entire jar of cracked olive salad and eat that as a lunch or as a side, just toss those two together and then see how it tastes. I’ll review it for you and say, well, it could use something else or whatever. But I really think the lentils have…they’re high in fiber and protein. So, you say, okay, there’s two coverages. Then the cracked olive salad I’m hoping will be high in flavor and it’ll have a little bit of fats and vinegar and salt and then vegetables to kinda make it flavorful. But we’ll see. I haven’t found a way to consume lentils on a regular basis that I’ve been happy with.

 

Okay, now, this next one…and you’ll call me…you’ll say, Scoots, they have you. I’d say, okay, well, here’s the thing; okay, so they have these bags of what they call Ready Veggies or something. It says R Ready Veggies. It’s a bag and for me, it’s two servings, and it is leftover vegetables or whatever. So, it’s usually broccoli, carrots, Brussels sprouts, different slaws like broccoli…like when they make their coleslaw, this is what’s leftover, you know? Someone had the…oh, pea pods. So, it’s just a general amount of leftover vegetables. They don’t say that, but come on, I know. I’m not…it’s the same as baby carrots. But at the same time, this is a super-easy way to prepare and you’re getting four or five vegetables.

 

‘Cause alls you do is you heat up some olive oil, I toss half the bag in there, season it with some seasonings, maybe some kosher salt, but usually I’ll use a different seasoning and then salt them. Then you steam…then you put a little water in and you steam it. It does cook at different levels 'cause obviously you have the pea pods and the carrots and maybe some thicker Brussels sprouts, but it’s just a really easy way to get a diverse amount of veggies. ‘Cause sometimes…I don't know, I’ve gotten to the point in my life where I’m like, well, just broccoli on its own…I don't know, man. Maybe I do need to…maybe I need to grow up and get back to that, but I’m…I don't know. So, that was that one. Oh boy, I missed this one, though; whipped cream, a can of whipped cream.

 

Not exactly a bargain, I don't think, compared to the store…a grocery store, but that…with those ice cream purchases…I almost had ice cream last night but I said, I don't have whipped cream, and if I’m gonna have a sundae, to me, whipped cream is a part of a sundae. You have ice cream, you have a topping, you have whipped cream or…and sprinkles. Those are my necessities for an ideal sundae. The topping part doesn’t matter 'cause that’s one thing that kinda lives in your fridge forever; whatever, caramel or chocolate sauce or whatever. Sprinkles I bought a large…not a large tub of sprinkles, but what are those…? Like a tub that’s about the size of your hand. I just saw it at the grocery store. I said, well, that would be useful.

 

That’s enough sprinkles that…'cause usually sprinkles just come in some sort of…and I said, it’s got a top. It’s actually…I put my fingers in and sprinkle it on…sprinkle the sprinkles. So, I had everything. I have whipping cream in my fridge, and I…even last night I said, okay, let me put a bowl…a metal bowl in the fridge or the freezer and get ready to make some whipped cream. But then we were watching a movie and I said, okay…then I said…let me just have something else for dessert, 'cause it was Friday night, pizza and movie night. Okay, what do we got…what do we got? Persian cucumbers. These are small cukes. These, again, are gonna come in for one of our meals that we’ll talk about in a minute or two. But yeah, I’m looking forward to that. So, some Cuban…not Cuban cucumbers. These are good…now, they do not last.

 

I’m sure we’ve discussed this before. They have organic and…not inorganic. They’re not inorganic, though. But those…they’re really good by themselves. You could just eat it as a snack. You say, okay, I got two cucumbers as a veggie, packing it in a lunch, but they…oh, they go bad really fast. So, these, I don’t believe…I can’t rely on them lasting me — today’s Saturday — through next Saturday. I should use them this week. I plan on it. I plan on chopping them or either slicing them or dicing them, eating a couple of them as part of a meal that we’ll get to eventually…not everything we bought here at Trader Joe’s. Then carrots, baby carrots of many colors. Again, this is just like regular baby carrots but you got a purple, you get a couple different colors…which they say, get some bright colors in your foods, right?

 

These are versatile as well. I don't do a lot of roasting of carrots, but I could. But these ones you could chop up and use as a topping on a salad or you just eat them by themselves and you’re getting some different rainbow colors, which is good for your insides. Now, it’s a smaller bag, so I don't necessarily use it as a T-R-E-A-T for Koa, but…yeah. Okay, this next one was in the new section. This was unplanned, slightly debated, and gave me an opportunity to face my…face a fear. I don't know if this is a recipe we’ve discussed, but…so, we’ll talk about the cluster, then we’ll talk about facing my fears, which I know is a little bit…but this is a small thing and it’s just a practice I’ve been trying imperfectly. I’m just trying. Really, you probably know. You say, you are trying. So, this is…it’s called Chocolate Snacky Clusters.

 

Now, just a month ago I bought s’mores clusters, and they also…the person who reviewed the ice cream…I did not hear a review of these, but I did…the algorithms did tell me about it. I said, huh, I don't know if I’m into…I’m not into s’mores. But I said, s’more clusters I’m willing to try, and it did not taste like s’mores to me, but the s’mores clusters were very good. Where…so good, in fact…I didn’t complete the bag but I said, probably shouldn’t buy these again. Probably…even I offered them to my daughter and she said, eh, I’m not in the mood for s’mores clusters. I know there’s s’mores people out there, and I know I’ve talked about this…we’ve talked about this. I don't know where the s’mores flavoring craze came from, because there hasn’t…I’ve never had a s’more in the wild that has blown my mind.

 

Then, even fancy restaurants have tried it. I say, well, can’t you come up with something better? Now, I have seen on the internet some ideas. Now I can’t even remember what it was, but…that I said, okay, well, now you’re talking. That’s better than a s’more. Maybe it was fudge stripes and marshmallows? That I could get behind. That, maybe, I’ll try this summer. But so, again, you see a lot of s’mores-flavored things, or at least I do, or the algorithms and the clickbait show me that, and the influencers. But this…these s’more clusters, they’re just good. They’re a little too indulgent; that’s why I never repurchased them. But it’s a chocolate with marshmallow and a little bit of graham cracker. Maybe that’s where they got it right, is like…the problem with s’mores a lot of times…one, is like, eating it.

 

Two is cooking the marshmallow. But three is that the balance of a s’more…I guess the whole purpose of the s’more is it’s easy if you were camping somewhere to make a dessert that’s participatory, social…so you’d say, okay, what are the pros of the s’mores? I didn’t think we’d get into this, but s’mores pros; non-perishable for the most part. I guess you could fit them in a backpack, but maybe they’d get…but you could easily…for car camping, unbelievably easy. For backpacking, maybe take some prep or spread it around people…easy. Social; check. Participatory; check. Fun; I’d say yes. Covers…evokes nostalgia; okay, check. Maybe that’s where you get into this…oh boy, now we’re in a danger area, 'cause that’s probably the most import…powerful thing, is the nostalgia factor. Not even in a good way.

 

You say, well, maybe your nostalgia’s…but okay, I’m not…I guess I am. I’m just expressing my opinion about s’mores. So, okay, those are all positives. Easy; check. Messy; check, but you’re outdoor…ideally you’re consuming them outdoors. Tough to say I object to these flavors. Now, I have tried using cinnamon graham crackers, and that was not successful. I tried it years ago. I said, this will change my relationship with s’mores. It didn’t. I’d say the main con for me…and actually comparing it to these s’more clusters…one is it’s not the flavor of the…I mean, it’s just…the s’more cluster would achieve…it was easy, it was messy, but it had the more…the better balance of…the chocolate, the marshmallow, and the graham cracker on a traditional s’more are almost equal in the…I guess you have a little bit more…you have two pieces of graham cracker to one piece of chocolate and one marshmallow.

 

That’s just too much graham cracker, especially these graham crackers that are designed to last forever, and maybe even too much chocolate. You may be saying, Scoots, you’ve been doing them wrong. I’d say, maybe you’re right. But I would say, for me, thinking about two fudge stripes and a marshmallow…that might seem better to me. I guess maybe I saw that…maybe that was what the algorithms showed…it did show me something, and I thought it was fudge stripes or something else where I said, okay, that’s…that I could get behind. What else could it have been? I think that must have been what it was. I said, okay, well…and then you don’t have to worry about the chocolate.

 

Come on, you’d say, well, those…the fudge on fudge…I’d say, compared to the chocolate that most people use for a chocolate bar…that’s also just not my favorite flavor of chocolate. I think people would say, technically that’s also not chocolate even though it’s called the famous name ‘chocolate bar’. I think I’ve tried subbing in other chocolates and other things. So, I don't know. It’s my…it’s me. It’s not…but so, I will…we’ll get back, also, on this fudge stripe thing later this summer, maybe try that out. So, that was…oh, but so, that was a whole tangent. To go back to these Snacky Clusters…okay, so, I saw…I said, okay, there’s a cluster. I said, don’t look, Scoots. Keep moving. You don’t need them. I said, well…but let me just look, because I had such a positive experience with those s’more clusters.

 

Then I looked and it had…it was snacks enrobed in chocolate, like peanut…potato chips…to be honest, I didn’t even know what else. Maybe pretzel and maybe something else? Oh, corn chip and a pretzel and potato chips in chocolate, and maybe something else. I said, well, that’s weird. Then I said to myself, huh, I guess this one might be…this was a bit of FOMO but it was also like…a corn chip? That could be good or not good. I said, this one might be worth a try. Okay, so, I said, okay, I’ll buy it. But it was very…and I went back and forth. Then I went around the grocery store. So, now to facing my fears.

 

I have an assignment every day which is just a practice of something I’m not good at and that I’ve avoided my whole life and has never found natural to me, which is making nice…quick small talk with a stranger and initiating that small talk with no ulterior motive other than to be…to connect with another human being, other than it’s practice and I don't want to do it. For some reason…and I know maybe you relate to this, but maybe you say, I don't understand. I say, well, I don't need to understand why I don't want to do it or why I want to avoid it or whatever. I just know I do. But I know it’s good for me, and I hope one day if I consistently practice it…'cause the problem in the past has been maybe I’ve inconsistently tried it for a little while and then given up on it.

 

So, now what I’m trying to do is consistently do it every…once a day, and that’s to approach a stranger in a appropriate area and say…and just make some small talk, even if it’s a few…and that was what I had in my…I said, okay, remember; when we go into this Trader Joe’s, it doesn’t matter if it’s someone working there or a customer. When there’s an opportunity, you’re gonna talk to a stranger and face that fear. So, let’s keep an eye out for opportunities, 'cause sometimes what we do is we say, oh, I didn’t see an opportunity, so we’re gonna try to stay focused. Great new; it’s like, 10:30 or whatever…yeah, 10:45 in the morning. Then we’ll be done…we’ll have faced our fear already today. I know this is different for me and it sounds strange, and it doesn’t come from a place of total optimism or whatever.

 

It just comes from a place of like, I’ve seen this work and I know I need to do it, or I’d like to do it 'cause I would like to change. Just a little bit…become a little bit more comfortable with it or do it ‘til maybe it becomes automatic. I don't know. So, I had that all in my mind. Now, I went to go to another place in the store and then I walked past the new section and I saw someone, and it was a woman with a baby, and she was doing that same dance I did with these clusters; picking it up, putting it back. Didn’t look totally consumed with a frowny-face like I was. I actually laughed out loud. I said, I totally just did that with these clusters and decided to buy them. It’s just too strange an idea. I have to taste them. She said, yeah, holy cow, it sounds so wild. I guess I gotta get it, too. That was it.

 

Then I said, wow, you really…little Andy, little Scoots faced his fear today. So, now, some people might say that’s pish-posh. It’s not a victory, and I guess I’d say it’s not a victory, either. It’s just an esteemable act. That’s how I get my self-esteem now, or try to, to face a little fear and say, wow, I actually did it. So, did that…okay, what else do we got here? We got eggs; always need those. Maybe I’ll make some chaffles. Mini sweet peppers; those are good. You can grill them or chop them up and use them in salad. Or maybe I’ll even chop up a few of those, and then a pound of Brussels sprouts…that’s what I have with pizza on Fridays, a bag of Cruciferous Crunch; that I can eat myself. I can roast it, or Koa loves it.

 

Champs Elysees Salad; that one goes bad fast, but that’s a good base for a salad for me, with a little bit of Cruciferous Crunch, maybe some of those chopped carrots, maybe a couple of those cucumbers, maybe some of those chopped peppers. Then another one the algorithm and the Fearless Flyer’s been on me about; chimichurri sauce. I’ve always liked chimichurri sauce. I think I’ve made it once or twice myself. But I said, well, maybe I’ll have that with a little steak. That might be nice. I do have some steak I could have this week. I said, well, maybe we could put the chimichurri on there. Okay, the next one is tzatziki. That’s right; tzatziki. Now, this is another one…now, this is part of our meal that is…I don't even remember.

 

So, we’re gonna have pita, onion…so, we’ll slice up some onion, maybe we’ll pick…slightly pickle it with a lemon to take some of the edge off, some of those chopped cucumbers, and then we’ll make a meatball. I have a couple different ground in the freezer. You could make it with whatever spices you have. I have something that’s a little bit…I don't know which one I…I made another spice mix, but I can’t think of what it was. But it has kinda some of the flavors that would go good with tzatziki. But you could also make it a curry style. Those go good if you have some sort of curry seasonings. That’ll be a meal, and then, yeah, on the side I could have those chickpeas or I could have the chickpeas mixed in there. Then I got some cherries. I found that ripe cherries are delicious.

 

So, looking forward to those, two pounds of cherries. I said, maybe I’ll make some sort of cherry tart. But I said, maybe I’ll just enjoy the cherries on their own. Then the limes, and then the…then onions for the tzatziki, and then again we could have it with chicken and chickpeas mixed together. Then Brazil nut body wash; this was a hit when I brought it home last time. This is hype. It’s got a pink bottle, purplish-pink. Everything I’ve brought home from this has been a hit with my daughter. Originally they had some sort of Brazil nut body scrub, and she liked that. I haven’t bought it again. Then a Brazil nut body butter. Then I said, well, they got this body wash. I brought it home and she was like, can you believe how good that smells? I said, the first time I got it in my eyes. I didn’t like it.

 

But then I found if I don’t wash my face with it, that I’m like, wait a second, this stuff is really good. It’s a little bit smaller of a bottle for the price, but that just might be me. That’s everything that we got this trip. Thanks for coming with me. So, maybe what we’ll do is…I don't know, will we cook together or will we just review together next time? I don't know, but it’s been a while since we’ve gone together and talked food and shopped. So, I’m glad to have you along with me. It’s been so good catching up. I’ve missed you, and I’ve missed shopping with you. So, it’s good to be back together. Thanks. Once you rest and get some rest…and then we’ll be back at some point in the future to talk about some of this stuff. Goodnight. 

 

[END OF RECORDING]

(Transcribed performed by LeahTranscribes)