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Cyber Monday Deals | Cuisinart Immersion (Stick) Hand Blender

November 26, 2017 by Eric Samuelson Leave a Comment

IMMERSION BLENDER ON SALE

Cuisinart CSB-75BC Smart Stick 2-Speed Immersion Hand Blender

This post contains affiliate ads as part of the Amazon Associates program

Happy Cyber Monday 2017! Plan to do some online shopping today? Today I will be spending some time sharing with you some recommendations I have for some products that will be useful in your kitchen and will save you some dough if you buy them today. I am only going to endorse products that I myself would purchase, cause that’s how we roll at Eat Like No One Else.

We are going to start the day off with an immersion blender. I love these things. There is no better or easier way to puree a soup than an stick blender. Here are a couple things that I would look for when shopping for an immersion blender

3 Things To Look for in an Immersion Blender

1. Does the shaft come off? I used one before that was all one piece, which made it a lot more difficult to clean. I always had to be careful to keep the motor from getting wet. It was just a huge pain in the butt.

2. Does it have more than 1 speed setting? I like having more than 1 speed. When I make potato leek soup, I still like to have some chunks in it, so I want a lower speed. When I make carrot soup, I want it to be smooth, so a higher speed is great to get the job done quickly.

3. Is it easy to hold? I want it to feel comfortable in my hand, that way I can feel like I have the most control.

I found a stick blender on sale today that meets all of those criteria:

Cuisinart CSB-75BC Smart Stick 200 Watt 2 Speed Hand Blender

The Cuisinart CSB-75BC has a low and high speed, it is designed to be gripped comfortably, and the shaft comes off for easy cleaning. It’s also fun that it comes in multiple colors from Pink to Sapphire. Be careful when selecting your color. I found that the price sometimes change if you change the color.

More Cuisinart Immersion Blender Options

Cuisinart CSB-79 Smart Stick 2-Speed 200-watt Immersion Hand Blender with Attachments

For about $16 more you can get the Cusinart CSB-79.

This stick blender comes with two additional attachments, one for a chopper to make your blender into a mini food processor or a hand mixer with the whisk attachment. I do not know how well either of these attachments work as I have not tried them myself. I want to let you know they are out there.

Cuisinart CSB-75FR Smart Stick Hand Blender (Certified Refurbished)

Want to save a few extra bucks, you can get the Cusinart CSB-75FR. It is a certified refurbished model. It comes with a 90 day warranty. Anything I have ever gotten refurbished I have never had an issue with. It’s kind of nice that the bugs we were worked out and I could save $$$ as well.

My Favorite Stick Blender Recipes

Here are some recipes from my site that utilize an immersion blender:

Making Soup with Asparagus Ends
How to Make Heirloom Tomato Soup
Frozen Strawberry Yogurt Agave Pops
Roasted Cream of Turnip Soup Recipe
Homemade Peach Lemonade

How Will Amazon Buying Whole Foods Affect Customers?

June 16, 2017 by Eric Samuelson 3 Comments

Amazon has bought Whole Foods Market. Wow! Can’t believe I am typing that sentence. I have known for a while that it was only a matter of time before Whole Foods was going to be bought by another company.

To sum what is going down (thanks to NPR🙂

Amazon is buying Whole Foods, in a merger that values Whole Foods stock at $42 a share — a premium over the price of around $33 at the close of trading on Thursday. The Internet retailer says it’s buying the brick-and-mortar fixture in a deal that is valued at $13.7 billion.

“Whole Foods Market has been satisfying, delighting and nourishing customers for nearly four decades,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, adding, “they’re doing an amazing job and we want that to continue.”

For Amazon, the move furthers its push into in-person retail, a direction it has been moving in with its Amazon Go and “Fresh Pickup” grocery experiments.

There have been rumors for some time now. I always figured it would end up being another grocery store chain making the move. With Amazon buying Whole Foods that completely changes how I think things will go in the future for the grocer. The landscape has changed!

I am going to give you my initial gut reaction on how I think this purchase could effect Whole Foods Market customers. I am sure it will be interesting to look back at after some time as past.

5 Ways Customers Will Be Effected by Amazon Buying Whole Foods Market

1. Technology

I have no doubt in my mind that Whole Foods is about to become the most technological advanced grocery store on the planet. They have been looking to re-invent themselves. Whole Foods has been the organic grocery store until other stores (Kroger, Costco, Walmart, etc.) caught up. These stores surpassed them in terms of sales. Now Whole Foods has a huge edge with gaining all of the insights and resources of Amazon. This will mean better technology in the stores that will lead to an improved customer experience. Take a look at their Amazon Go concept they launched in Seattle. I am expecting to see some of these innovations show up in Whole Foods Market stores.

2. Cashier and Self-Checkouts

Whole Foods has been pretty resistant to self checkouts in their stores. They focus on customer service and want that face to face encounter with their customers as they check out. I have to wonder now if Amazon will push for them to include self-checkouts based on what they are doing in their Amazon Go store. The downside to this is that less cashier jobs may be available.

3. Increase in the 365 store concept

Whole Foods has started another chain of stores called 365 by Whole Foods Market. In some ways it is a similar idea to what Amazon is doing with their Go store. I expect to see this concept expanded and refined. Whole Foods has been very slow to open these stores and are now in what they call their 2nd generation model for 365.

4. Amazon Shipping Abilities

When it comes to shipping goods, Amazon is the king. Their Amazon Prime program is the proof in the pudding. I can only order pretty much anything my heart desires and get it within 2 days. Their knowledge of moving goods can be applied to the way Whole Foods gets products into their stores. What positive effects this can have for the customer is:

1) Less items out of stock – Nothing more than makes for an unhappy customer is when the thing they traveled all the way to the store for is out of stock. If you get products to the store faster, then when something runs out which will still happens, it happens on Amazon now, then you can decrease the gap in which a product is out of stock. Happier customers spend more $$$.
2) Fresher products – If you are able to move fresh food from point A to point B to point C faster then naturally it will be fresher. This means better food for the consumer and less food waste for the store.

5. Product availability

Whole Foods pride themselves on working with vendors that they work with directly. Amazon brings the opportunity for these vendors to reach a wider audience and have their products move to markets they currently aren’t in. Whole Foods is divided up into regions. Different regions carry different products. The Whole Foods in Nashville, may has items that the Whole foods in Ann Arbor does not and vice versa. This can be a great resource for those that have moved to a different regions and still want their favorite local products.

What are your thoughts on the Amazon purchase of Whole Foods Market? Leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.

How to Make Pot Roast Lighter

January 27, 2017 by Eric Samuelson 2 Comments

Pot roast. The classic American comfort food. It’s meat and potatoes. I do enjoy a good pot roast. But sometimes I am in the mood for something lighter. Pot roast can be heavy. It’s not as always so comforting. I have looked for ways to lighten up the classic. This post is all about showing you how to make pot roast lighter.

Lose the Beef?

Should I change the beef? Well pot roast isn’t pot roast without beef (well unless it’s bison!). You don’t make pot roast with chicken or pork. This is a red meat dish.

What Kind of Beef Do I Use?

Choose meat that come from the chuck primal of the cow. It is perfect for pot roast.

When making pot roast I always choose a chuck roast. It is a cheap cut of beef that becomes tender when you cook it for a long period of time. You can use a roast from the round section of the cow as well but I think chuck has more flavor. When you have the option go for bone-in meat. The bone will bring in more flavor. You may find a roast called a “7-bone roast”. It doesn’t have 7 bones in it, but it has a bone that is shaped like a 7. I don’t find these often but when I do, this is what I use. Most of the time you are going to find boneless only and that’s still ok.

Replace the Potatoes

Here is how I begin to lighten up the pot roast. First off get rid of the potatoes. Blasphemy you say. Well although I love potatoes and this is a meat and potato nation, they do tend to make the dish heavy. We need some other starch to replace the potatoes. Couscous is the perfect choice. Couscous are basically balls of semolina flour. I choose the small type of couscous, not the larger Israeli couscous, that I use most of the time. Couscous when prepared correctly can be light and fluffy. If done wrong it ends up being gummy and heavy – what we are trying to avoid. If you have never cooked couscous or don’t know how to make it fluffy, check out my review of Alton Brown’s way of preparing couscous.

Besides being light and fluffy, couscous is a whole grain food – so your body gets all the benefits of it being such.

Keep the Carrots

Don’t worry I am not taking everything away from your grandma’s pot roast. The carrots can stay. But I don’t want them cooking the entire time with the meat. When you do they mushy and water logged. You can add the carrots either in the last hour of cooking or you could choose to steam or boil them separately then adding them into the roast. If you want to use any other veggie in your pot roast, treat them the same way, just remember how long they take to cook. Crunchy celery doesn’t good in a pot roast.

Add Fresh Herbs

For my final tip, I say add fresh herbs. Fresh herbs had well freshness. Bright and liven the whole dish up. And this to me makes the meal feel lighter. For pot roast I like Italian parsley. Just chop it up and add it right at the table.

Moroccan Pot Roast Recipe

My all time favorite non-tradition, light pot roast recipe is my Moroccan Inspired Pot Roast. It follows all the rules I already laid out. It also contains chickpeas (garbanzo beans). The chickpeas bring a nice creamy flavor to the party as well as an added nutritionally punch, particularly protein. With adding them I can keep my actual serving of beef down, which strengths the meat further and keeps me from over consuming. Learn more about how to cook dried chickpeas in my original post with Moroccan Pot Roast recipe.

Spice It Up

My Moroccan pot roast also contain some spices inspired by Moroccan cuisine – cumin, paprika, and cinnamon. Yes I said cinnamon. Don’t worry the pot roast won’t taste like cinnamon rolls, however it will still make your house smell nice while giving the beef a richer flavor.

Moroccan Pot Roast

Learn how to make a lighter form of pot roast with chickpeas, served over a bed of fluffy couscous.

Author Eric Samuelson

Ingredients

3 to 4 lb chuck roast
2 cups beef stock or broth
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
cooking oil
3 medium carrots peeled and cut on the bias
chopped parsley
2 cups of cooked couscous
8 ounces of cooked chickpeas

Instructions

Preparing the beef

Heat up a skillet over medium high heat with about a tablespoon of oil. Liberally salt the beef on both sides. Add to the pan.
Cook until the meat is brown on one side, flip and do the next side.
Remove the pan from the heat. Place the beef in a slow cooker. Immediately take about 1/3 cup of the beef broth and add it the pan. Gently scrap all the brown bites that are sticking to the bottom of the pan. Then dump the liquid into the slow cooker.
Add the spices and garlic.
Cook for 4 to 6 hours or until the meat is falling apart.
Add the carrots during the final hour of cooking.

Finishing the dish

When the beef is tender. Add in 8 ounces of cooked chickpeas. Serve the pot roast over a bed of couscous. Add chopped fresh parsley on top and serve.

Another unique pot roast recipe, check out my Greek Inspired Pot Roast that contains feta and orzo.

Costco Thanksgiving Dinner Checklist 2017

November 18, 2016 by Eric Samuelson Leave a Comment

If your looking to put together your entire meal from items at Costco, this shopping list has everything on it, you need to pick up at Costco for the meal. I list the prices as well as give some helpful tips.

This list is geared at those who want to cook their meal from scratch. If you are hear looking for prices on already cooked food, I don’t have those here. Your best bet is to give your local Costco a call and see what they have and can do for you.

What buying this guide will get YOU.

A printable shopping list with room to check off as each item as you find it
A department by department list of what you need for the meal – you won’t miss anything in the produce section
Prices across the entire store, so you can find the best deal on potatoes for your mashed potatoes.
BONUS! All of my most frequently asked Costco turkeys questions are answered.
Don’t want to make a pumpkin pie this year? Find out what are the best frozen fruits that will make for an amazing pie.
How about a salad to lighten up the meal? Find out how much organic salad greens cost.
How about bread for your mom’s stuffing recipe? I have a great recommendation.
I didn’t miss the seasonings for the meal. I have salt, pepper, and spice recommendations as well.

Here are a few of the products I talk about in the shopping list.

A unique blend of cherries from Michigan. Perfect for a pie.

Are you tired of pumpkin pie? Do you want to try something different this season? Head to the frozen food department. I found this bag of Michigan cherries. My home state is the number 1 producer of tart cherries in the United States. What I love about these cherries is that you are getting a mix of tart, sweet, and Balaton cherries. Balaton are most tart cherry with great flavor and a hint of sweetness. A cherry pie for Thanksgiving? Why not!

Organic sweet corn in the frozen department.

Fresh corn is out of season by the time Thanksgiving rolls around. You may find some prepackaged stuff here and there but it’s not worth your time. It’s not going to be very sweet. Your better off picking up some sweet frozen corn. Costco offers an organic option that won’t break your budget.

When you get your potatoes home make sure to keep them in a dark place to keep them from turning green.

Potatoes are must have at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Costco has all the bases covered. The prices of each type of potatoes is in my shopping list. For a recipe idea, pick up some Russet potatoes and try my No Peeling Necessary Mashed Potatoes.

Saigon cinnamon is the fragrant of all cinnamons.

I am very wary of buying spices in bulk at Costco. They may be a good deal but the containers are usually so big that they will lost their potency long before you use it all up, especially with something like cinnamon. But I think if you are ever going to need a lot of cinnamon this is the time of year. I use it all the time pairing it with apple and pumpkin desserts. The price is cheap enough that it actually beats the price of smaller containers at other stores. Costco carries Saigon cinnamon – a special type of cinnamon that is really fragrant. It is the best cinnamon.

This year my Costco is carrying the Farm to Family Butterball turkeys that are certified organic.

I didn’t forget the turkey. As a bonus, I included my most frequently asked questions about Costco turkeys.

The Essential Tool for Cooking the Best Meat

October 5, 2016 by Eric Samuelson 2 Comments

When it comes to challenges in the kitchen cooking meat to perfection is right up there at top. Unless your a vegetarian or vegan I am sure you have all have had the dreaded experience of serving up overcooked meat. I am sure a good percentage of us have also had the horror of slicing our meat just to see that is under cooked and not ready for human consumption – anyone ever cut up chicken to see that it was still raw? You would think this should be something easy, but I think from time to time we all struggle to consistently meet this culinary challenge. For me, I have found one tool that has given me great success. It’s what I swear by to produce the perfectly cooked turkey every single Thanksgiving. It’s one tool in my kitchen that I can’t live without. I am talking about my probe thermometer.

How I Meet the Probe Thermometer?

I have to thank Alton Brown for introducing me to this wonderful gadget. I remember the first time I say it employed. During the early years of his show Good Eats, he released an episode right around Thanksgiving time that has now become a cult classic (at least in my mind). Romancing the Bird is the most influential piece of food television that I have ever watched. I learn so many things from that show. The biggest takeaway has been the probe thermometer. I believe it is the sole reason why I have never cooked a dry turkey – that and never cooking a turkey before I saw this show. It wasn’t long after this show that I got my first probe.

What is a Probe Thermometer?

It is a thermometer that comes with a probe attached to it. You stick the probe into the piece of meat. Put it in the oven and attach it via a cord to the base. You shut the oven door with the cord in it (don’t worry it’s made for that). The base has a digital unit you can program. A good one will have a switch to turn off and on an alarm. You set the alarm to your final cooking temperature and it goes off when it is done. There will also be a readout that tells you the current temperature.

Any Drawbacks?

The probe thermometer does have it’s limits. It’s really only meant for roasting meat in the oven. It would be hard to use it within anything your going to flip – say a burger. So it’s not going to meet all your meat cooking needs. It is still the most useful tool and a good starting point, especially if you are frustrated that your protein of the night doesn’t come out right.

Why I Think People Don’t Use Them?

I never, ever roast any meat in the oven without them. So how come more people don’t use them? Whenever I do a recipe mentioning the use of one I usually get people asking how much time because they don’t own one. They aren’t that expensive, possibly even cheaper or the same price as the vessel you are using to cook your meat. Besides Alton Brown I don’t see it on Food Network much or mentioned in many recipes. I think some people see it as a shortcut or “cheating”. That you should be able to cook without it or your not a real chef/cook. I say why not use a tool that helps you. I don’t feel like I am less of a cook because I use a thermometer.

Tips On Using a Probe Thermometer

The key thing is you need to insert the probe into the deepest part of the meat without heating a bone. If you hit a bone you will get a false reading, typically it will be higher than the surrounding meat, so you could undercook your meat. If you don’t get in the center, you also risk having the meat undercooked in the center. It may take a little practice. I also make sure to check the meat after ten minutes or so to see how the temperature is doing. If it going up too fast, you probably are hitting a bone so re-adjust. You need to be careful not to move the probe to a different spot once you insert you. You don’t have any extra holes for liquid to drain out.

Top 5 Reasons to Use a Probe Thermometer

1. Don’t have to worry about something being under cooked or overcooked

2. Most have an alarm to alert you when the meat is done

3. You can feel safe that your meat is cooked to the proper temperature to ward off any potential bacteria, etc that could make you sick

4. Can be used with any size piece of meat.

5. You don’t to try and calculate the time it takes to cook something. It’s done when it hits the right temperature.

3 Things To Look For When Shopping for a Probe Thermometer

1. It must have a digital readout that you can program to the degree. I once was once given one that you could only set it to the government standard doneness of each cut of meat. I don’t need any preset temperatures, I want to be able to enter in whatever I want to enter in. Sometimes you may want to cook a roast to a certain lower temperature and then turn up the heat to promote the outside (this is what I do for a bottom round roast).

2. They do sell “wireless models”. They still have a probe with a wire that runs to a transmitter and your digital unit, so that you can take it without you. But the ones I have seen like that seem to only have the preset temperatures. Typically unless you are outdoors, the alarms are loud enough, you should be able to hear it.

3. Magnet on the back of unit. While a nice feature, so that you can stick it right to the oven, you can easily do without it.

How Much Do Probe Thermometers Cost?

You can get them for under $20. No problem. I have a Pyrex one that a friend gave me. I haven’t seen any online to buy. I would recommend either a Taylor or Polder. The Taylor in particular looks a lot like mine and functions the same.

How to Clean a Probe Thermometer

Never put your probe in the dishwasher. That is way too harsh environment. I also would not soak it. Simply use a soapy dish towel as soon as your done using the probe to wipe it off. Use a dry towel to dry it, then store for later use.

Have you ever used a probe thermometer or any type of thermometer in your cooking? What do you like about them? Why don’t you like about them? Leave a comment below, I would love to hear from ya!

Whole Foods & A Slower-Growing Chicken

April 8, 2016 by Eric Samuelson Leave a Comment

Whole Foods Laguna Beach

How many times have you heard someone say “it tastes like chicken”? Particularly when referring to unique types of meat. What does frog taste like? Chicken. What does alligator taste like? Chicken. What does a T-Rex dinosaur taste like? Probably chicken. You know why people say that? Because chicken doesn’t have much flavor, it is extremely mild. At least the chicken that most of us eat. If you cooked up a piece of chicken breast and put no salt on it, you probably are eating of the most bland things you can find. Why is this? Is this the way it has always been?

I have been thinking about this recently after reading an article in NPR’s The Salt. Whole Foods Market has announced that they will only allow slower growing types of chicken by 2024. What does the speed a chicken grow have to do with anything?

Over the years people have been breeding chickens that grow faster and produce more breast meat. It’s the lean meat that health conscious people are clamoring for. This process has been going on for years so that now we have chickens that grow to twice the size at half the time. Saves time and money for the producers. Problem is this is not something that would happen naturally without our interference. We have selected breeding our chickens to the point where they can barely move – after generation after generation of breeding together the largest birds. In the natural environment they would surely die. They wouldn’t be able to move properly to eat and drink, plus they would be easy prey for predators. I am not a huge animal rights person, but I do not think it’s respectful to knowingly watch an animal struggle to survive in order to be more profitable. I don’t believe this was the intended result it is what has happened and it’s time to stop and reverse directions.

In terms of flavor, these newer, fast growing chickens do not have it. They are grown and harvest so fast and eat a diet that doesn’t result in flavorful meat. It’s quite bland. If you can ever find a chicken of an older variety that is raised and processed the traditional way, you would be shocked at the difference in flavor. The closet thing I have had is a stewing hen, which is an older bird that has to be cooked low and slow but produces a much, richer, tastier meal. As often with cooking, flavor cannot be rushed.

Air Chilled Chicken Drumsticks from Whole Foods Market

Another option would be to try an air chilled chicken. Most commercials chickens are dumped in water in order to get their temperature within range fast after slaughtering. Air chilled chicken are blasted with cold air. Both do the job of stopping bacterial growth. The water method adds water weight to the chicken, diluting the flavor. Air chilling takes longer and is more costly but will result in a more flavorful end product. A lot of grocery stores sell air chilled now, including Whole Foods.

Check out my recipe for Roasted Chicken Drumsticks with Potatoes, Dill, and Kale

whole foods market huntingon

So Whole Foods has decided to not sell the fast growing varieties anymore. But it will take time, not until 2024. Why not just do it right away? They have to give the farms time to change over. If they just pulled them at once, they would have a massive shortage in chicken and a ton of customers would be outraged, probably to the point of not wanting to shop there anymore. As much as people love Whole Foods, it is still a big business and won’t just make this change immediately. The older types of chicken are out there and it will take time for farms to begin raising them instead. It’s possible too that some businesses may choose to not continue to do business with Whole Foods instead, depending on how much their profits are coming from selling to them. There are also stores in many regions of the country that may all carry chickens from different sources, so it takes time to get the entire company up to speed when their sources are from all over.

I applaud them for doing this, for the benefit of the chicken as well as for the consumer who will get a better tasting product in the end.

Dried Fruit to Buy at Costco

February 22, 2016 by Eric Samuelson Leave a Comment

Dried Fruit at Costco

One of the things I really wanted to try out when I got my Costco membership was their selection of dried fruit. The prices were pretty good, but I was curious whether the quality would reflect the cheap price or really be a great value.

Here is the selection I found at Costco during a January 2016 trip in Ann Arbor, Michigan (selection and prices may vary)

Dried Fruit	Cost
Kirkland Dried Blueberries	$7.69 for 20oz bag ($.385/oz)
Kirkland Dried Tart Cheries	$7.99 for 20oz bag ($.40/oz)
Organic Apricots	$13.99 for 48oz bag ($.291/oz)
Kirland Signature Sunsweet Dried Plums	$8.89 for 58oz bag ($.159/oz)
Ocean Spray Craisins	$8.79 for 64oz bag ($.137/oz)
Welch's Dried Honeycrisp Apples	$9.99 for 30oz bag ($.333/oz)
Nature's Finest Dried Mangoes	$12.99 FOR 30oz bag ($.433/oz)
Phililipine Natural Dried Mangoes	$9.99 for 16oz bag ($.624/oz)
Organic Made in Nature Black Mission Figs	$11.99 for 32oz bag ($.375/oz)
Organic Dried Cranberries	$7.89 for 24oz bag ($.329/oz)

Examining these prices show that you can really save some money buying your dried fruit from Costco. Other places I have seen 4 or 5 oz bag of dried fruit going in the $4 to $5 range. As long as you are going to use it all up, then I say go for it. If not you are better off with the smaller bags or buying at a store that sells in bulk.

I am going go through and break down each thing Costco had to offer.

Kirkland Dried Blueberries

The Kirland dried blueberries were equally as good. Not as flavorful as the out of this world amazing Trader Joe’s Wild Dried Blueberries – definitely worth their money. Best price I have seen on dried blueberries.

Kirkland Dried Cherries

The Kirkland brand dried cherries are made from Montmorency cherries. They are a tart cherry variety grow widely here in Michigan, the number 1 tart cherry producing state. Tart cherries have more intense flavor than sweet cherries. These Kirkland brands are pretty flavorful too. Would buy them again.

Craisins Costco

These guys you can find elsewhere. The term Craisins has become the “Kleenex” of the dried cranberry world. Since they are so widely available check for sales at other stores, it’s possible with a sale, maybe a coupon you can save even more money elsewhere. I think there are pretty tasting dried cranberries (see below).

Dried Black Mission Figs

These are organic dried versions of Black Mission figs. In fresh form this is the fig you see the most, along with Brown Turkey. Black Mission has a better flavor I believe than Brown turkey, although I do prefer the green varieties overall for flavor. Since fresh figs have a short season and you can’t find them year around, dried ones give you a chance to have them and use them in recipes no matter what month the calendar says.

Made in Nature Apricots

Another option from Made in Nature, also organic. These apricots are Unsulfured, which means they don’t have added sulfure dioxide as a preservative. The fruit won’t appear bright orange like apricots that have been treated. They will be more dark brown in color. I like this better as you are avoiding preservatives that I have heard some people have any allergy to.

Nature Finest Dried Mango

These mangoes are listed as fat free. Why would I have to worry about fat in mangoes? Well a lot of dried fruit has oil added to it, to keep it from sticking. These mangoes are thus oil free.

Paradise Meadow Cranberries OG

I mentioned earlier than there were better tasting dried cranberries than the Craisins. Well this is them. They also have the advantage of being organic. You are going to pay a lot more money for these ones, over twice the price. Make the choice that is best for you.

A second dried mango option. These are sulfate free and sugar free. You are getting just dried mangoes. These are the most expensive dried fruit at Costco.

Sunsweet Plums

Dried plums, also called prune, are made from a specific style of plum, the sugar or prune plum. They are usually purple on the outside, very sweet on the inside, and the shape of a football. Not my favorite plum in terms of actual taste, but it’s easy to make these into dried fruit without added sugar.

Welchs Dried Honeycrisp

Everyone’s favorite apple nowadays is the Honeycrisp. Well not my favorite, I know people really go for it. With apples available year round, I usually don’t buy much dried apples personally. However if you are a Honeycrisp fanatic you might want to try these, especially when Honeycrisp become unavailable or too expensive during the summer months.

Have you bought dried fruit from Costco? What did you buy and what did you think of it? Leave a comment below.

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The Best Way to Keep Spiral Ham from Drying Out

December 23, 2015 by Eric Samuelson 1 Comment

One of the greatest disappointment in the kitchen has to be dry meat. You spend a lot of your hard earned money on a big hunk of meat and it comes out with less moisture than the Mojave desert.

So so so sad 🙁

That has been my past experience with spiral sliced hams. Every time I have had one cooked for me I have not enjoyed it. The spiral hams of my youth were all dry and stringy. This has keep me from buying one myself.

The question to ask now is why is this? Why does this happen? Is there anything I can do about it? Read on to learn how to prevent a spiral ham or any ham for that matter from drying out.

The standard spiral ham you can pick up at Costco.

Why Is My Spiral Ham Dry?

The reason why anyone buys a spiral ham is that it is easier to carves, since it’s been pre-sliced. The problem with that is it makes it easier for the meat to dry out. Juices can easily run of the meat and into the pan. This is the price for that convenience.

What also is not helping most people cause is that they overcook the ham. Nearly all hams come already cooked, so it’s really just about re-heating and if you are applying a glaze, cooking the glaze so it sticks to the meat.

This is a Boneless Spiral Ham I spotted at Sam’s Club one year. Seems kind of silly to have a boneless ham already sliced for you. Part of the reason for having a boneless ham is for ease of carving.

The Best Way to Keep Spiral Ham from Drying Out

There are two things you can do that will really benefit the juiciness of your spiral ham. First is to cover it with foil to help keep the moisture in. If you are going to apply a glaze do so in about the last 15-20 minutes of cooking with the foil removed.

The second and most important thing to do is take the ham’s temperature using either a probe thermometer (affiliate link) that stays in the meat while it’s in the oven and check using an instant read. A probe would be the easiest. If you don’t have one use the time guide that came with the ham, but it wouldn’t be nearly as accurate. Those guides can’t take into account all the other variables – like size and shape of meat, actual temperature of your oven, how clean your oven is (burned up junk in your oven can effect the cooking time).

Cleaning your oven before cooking any big roast is always a good idea, as the thought if only I had the time goes through head as it does mine!

Dearborn Hams are popular here in the state of Michigan. Gotta represent!

What Temperature Do I Cook a Spiral Ham to?

If you using a probe thermometer place it in the deepest part of the ham without hitting any bone (the bone will throw off your reading). Then set the alarm to go off at 130 degrees (at 120 degrees is when I would apply a glaze). Remove the ham from the oven and cover again with foil – do it very loosely if you have used a glaze. The ham’s temperature will continue to rise (the carryover effect) and should be at 140 degrees in about 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size and shape of your ham.

If you are interested in learning about what the ingredients that are in ham are, check out my post “What’s in Ham“.

What to Put on Ham to Keep It From Getting Dry?

I have gotten this question before, people wanting to put something on the ham to keep it from drying out. Really it’s all about not cooking the ham too long. Besides my recommendation of covering it with foil in the oven, anything else you might put on it is for flavor. A glaze isn’t going to keep the meat moist if you overheat it.

Another way to quickly re-heat your ham is to the re-heating in an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker. Learn more about that process by clicking here or tapping the photo above.

I would love to hear back from you if you gave my tips a try and had better results. Leave a comment below.

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What to Buy at Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market

July 21, 2015 by Eric Samuelson 2 Comments

The grocery business in an ever changing landscape. Stores come and stores go. Recently I had to say a sad farewell to Hiller’s Market in Ann Arbor (the store where I first tasted Cotton Candy grapes), now a member of the Kroger company. But as Hiller’s presence in Michigan fades away, a new store is just beginning to make it’s presence known in the Mitten State. Over the 4th of July weekend, I got to visit my first ever Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market store in East Lansing. Three other locations in Michigan are about to open up this week: Troy, Rochester Hills, and Northville. Plans have been submitted for a store in Ypsilanti.

The purpose of this post is to guide you through some items that are worth buying if you find yourself inside a Fresh Thyme store. This isn’t meant to be an overall critique of the store.

1. Produce Sales
Produce is to me is the heart and soul of every grocery store. Without good selection and good prices including amazing sales, then you won’t find me shopping there much. Fresh Thyme does have those things. They were offering blueberries for 88 cents a pint when I was there, which is a great place only topped when the Michigan crop comes out. This is the kind of sale that brings people into the store to begin with. I easily felt I could grab any vegetable I needed for dinner without “overpaying” for them.

2. Bulk Foods
Every good grocery store should have a bulk foods section – that place where you can buy a small amount of a item to try. I was disappointed years ago when Meijer did a way with their bulk food bins. On this shopping trip my daughter wanted some key lime yogurt pretzels. She has been a big key lime yogurt kick lately. We saw in a 1 pound container but didn’t want to make that big of a commitment. Thanks to the bulk bin I was able to get her a few to try out for a snack. Without a bulk section, I probably wouldn’t have made that purchase at all. Besides yogurt pretzels, they had all the traditional standbys of nuts, dried fruits, granola, flour, oats, etc. And they have some more unique, trendy bulk items like…

3. Honey
Besides just your regular bulk stuff, Fresh Thyme also has honey in bulk. They have local Michigan honey that you can depense yourself so you only buy actually how much you want. Besides honey they also have bulk…

4. Bulk Oil
Add oils to the list of great bulk options at Fresh Thyme. Again buy as much or as little as you want. Only need extra virgin olive oil for one recipe this week, then you can buy a small amount and you don’t need to commit so much of your weekly grocery budget to a big ticket item.

5. Cheese for a Good Price
We are a cheese loving family, so good prices on cheese is a must for us. Fresh Thyme had a lot of basic cheeses that were affordable (in the $2.99 to $5.99 per pound range). The mild cheddar you see in the bottom of the above photo was price at $2.99/pound and made in Michigan!

6. Chicken Breast Sales
Whenever you can get boneless skinless chicken breasts for under $2/lb is a time to rejoice. While this may not be the everyday price, a sale like this gives you a chance to stock up and freeze them. And most grocery store will repeat these kind of sales regularly enough so that when you run out, it will be on sale again soon.

7. Ground Beef Sales
At the same time as the chicken sale, was a time to stock up on ground beef as well as it was going for $3.99/lb for 85% lean. Another thing to stock up on.

8. Ground Game Meat
Like an alternative to beef? Fresh Thyme carries Blackwing ground meats that include venison, antelope, elk, and bison (labeled as buffalo). These kinds of meat can be more difficult to find in the larger supermarket chains, so I am glad to see Fresh Thyme carrying these products. The now departed Hiller’s also sold frozen game meat, so it’s good for local consumers to immediately have a new option in the general area.

9. House Made Sausage
Their meat department isn’t a huge one, yet the selection of sausage is incredible. We tried three different types for our dinner a night later and were very pleased with the taste. We tried both pork and chicken sausages.

10. Michigan Made
Nowadays everyone is getting into carrying local products, even the Meijer and Kroger of the world. So any new store has to feature them and Fresh Thyme does it well with several end caps featuring Michigan made products. So you can get your favorite local jams, jellies, BBQ sauces, coffeees, etc.

11. Local Milk
Each store is going to cater to it’s local region. I am glad to see that the Fresh Thyme in East Lansing is carrying Mooville milk, one of my absolutely favorite dairies in the country. Their chocolate milk may be the best ever. They also carry cream-line milk that has not been homogenized – very to find. People believe this milk is easier to digest.

12. Salt Water Taffy
If you got a sweet tooth, make sure to grap some salt water taffy on the way out the door. They have a nice selection in a very appealing display. They brilliantly marketed a bag full of patriotic colors for Independence Day. It’s fun to let the kids pick out a few flavors of their own for a road trip or to have a bowl of them on your dinner table when welcoming guests.

What to Buy at Sprouts Farmers Market

March 26, 2015 by Eric Samuelson Leave a Comment

I am such a foodie that whenever I go on vacation one of the things I look forward to the most is visiting different grocery stores. Heading to Orange County, California meant that I would have plenty of stores to check out. The one store that I was most looking forward to visiting was Sprouts Farmers Market. The last time I was in California, 4 years ago I visited a Henry’s Farmers Market store in Mission Viejo. I enjoyed the store. During my 4 year absence Henry’s merged with Sprouts and took on the Sprouts name. I was curious to see how the store would change or not change during that time. The interesting thing is that both stores were started by the same family. They sold the Henry’s brand and eventually started up Sprouts. Years later they re-acquired the Henry’s brand and merged the two together. I was delighted the store I enjoyed 4 year previously was still a great place to shop. I visited a Sprouts, 3 times during my 2 week stay in California.

So what did I buy at Sprouts? Here is a photo from my first shopping trip of all the good stuff I got.

I also did my first ever grocery haul to give you a little more detail into what I bought.

What to Buy at Sprouts Farmers Market

1. Produce

The number one reason to go to Sprouts is the produce. A stop in the produce department is a must for all the incredible buys. I mean if you are going used the word “Farmers Market” in your name you better deliver the goods. And they do. I got some amazing deals on some quality produce (asparagus for .88/lb, broccoli crowns for .98/lb, Brussels sprouts for $1.99/lb.). This alone would be enough to bring me into the store each and every week. For me to have an outstanding produce department you have to have something unique – you must have items that not every grocery store carries. I knew already that Sprouts is a big supporter of the country’s premier grape growers – the Grapery, the ones who brought Cotton Candy grapes to the world. I saw first hand when I spotted the Kiwi berries. These are small kiwis that are completely edible, skin and all. You just pop them in your mouth like a kumquat. So not only do they have great sales on quality produce, they have special items to add some excitement to your cart.

2. Organic Produce
If you are looking for organic produce, you can find all your stables here from apples to kale to swiss chard. The every day prices are cheaper than what you find at Whole Foods.

3. Premium Yogurt
If you are a yogurt consseiur who would rather starve than eat cheap store brand yogurt, then Sprouts is a good place for you. They have a good selection of some of the nation’s top premium yogurts including Greek Gods, Brown Cow, and Noosa (they even sell the large containers which is a better value). They had many flavors that I had not seen before. Sales were offered as well.

4. Super Cheap Cheese Sales
$1.99 a pound for mild cheddar! You can’t get any better than that. My kids love their cheese and mild cheddar is definitely the cheese of choice. The way my kids go through a block of cheese this is a really big savings. I would have stocked up on more if I wasn’t on vacation. By the way, the cheddar is pretty good, it doesn’t reflect it’s deeply discounted price (normally it goes for $5.99/lb). I also picked up some Kerrygold cheeses for the family St. Patrick’s Day feast.

5. Bulk Section
I love a good bulk section. I like being able to purchase the amount I want to buy. It saves money and you can try new things you normally would not. Their bulk section has all the nuts, seed, dried fruit and yogurt pretzels you will ever need. I love the look of the barrels that some of the items are in.

6. Bulk Spices
The only good way to buy spices is in bulk. They are usually fresher than jars that usually are overpriced and contain more than you’ll use before they lose their potency. The section wasn’t a huge one, but they had all the basics that you would use on a regularly basis. Back when this store was Henry’s, I bought a bunch of spices and dried herbs to include a gift basket for my sister-in-law’s wedding.

7. Honey
The bees are the only ones who love honey more than me. I don’t dream of touching overprocessed clover honeys that most grocery stores throw out there. Sprouts had enough selection to keep me entertained. The best thing I found was their selection of Sola Bee honey. So many intriguing options – I choose the wild blackberry – it has a berry flavor that you swear they add blackberry flavoring to it. They also sell the most excellent Ambrosia Honey company honey from Colorado that comes in a easy to depense bottle.

8. Deli Meat
I hit up Sprouts right before heading out to the beach for a picnic lunch and tide pool exploration. I picked up several small packs of deli meat, that were already pre-wrapped for easy grab & go. Good price and good quality. I also got a bottle of Dietz & Watson Cranberry Honey Mustard to go on our sandwiches.

All I kept thinking when I was in Sprouts is I wish there was one close to me. It’s the kind of store that I would be in, week in and week out. If it was the only store in the area, I could get by and I don’t say that about most stores. From the fabulous produce deals to the bulk selection to the special treats in the yogurt and honey aisles, Sprouts is the place to shop in Southern California.

Shopping Tip
Go there on Wednesday! They have double ad Wednesday, which makes it’s the last day of one week’s day and the first day of the next week’s ad. You get to shop off two ads on the same day. There will be more on sale and more ways to save. Plus Wednesday is the slowest grocery day of the week, so you can likely get through the checkout much quicker than if you went on a weekend.