Archive for the ‘Spices and Seasonings’ Category
We finally made it to the new Mandeville Trader Joe’s, over a month after it opened. We went to a few other places on this trip, and nearly all food-related. Come take a ride with us.
Hi, Again, Dear Readers:
It’s been a busy couple of weeks around here. I’m working on a post about some tasty things we’ve been doing on repeat, and you might like them. Even if James doesn’t.
It’s fall, and these Red Spider Lilies, also called “Surprise Lilies,” just sprouted on my neighbor’s lawn:
They only bloom in the fall
I managed to get this shot right before she ran the lawn mower over them. (Just like last year.)
Note that today’s post is almost AI Free for your reading pleasure, but many of the pictures came from Google Maps because. . .I forgot.
The Rural Living Experience
So, it’s been ten years since I crossed the Sabine River and shook up James’s world. Rest assured mine keeps getting shook, and not always in a good way. Mother Nature does whatever she wants.
I keep a jar of Sweet ‘N Low on the counter for easy access. I don’t want a product box there, though, so a nice jar does the trick.
Keeps it sealed but handy
My mother used to do the same thing, although the glass jar previously contained an orange powdered drink called Tang. (You can still buy that stuff but not in nice glass jars.)
I had a square jar with a lid. One day the lid broke, so I just used it without the lid. Until last week. . .I was making a cup of afternoon tea and reached in for two packets as usual. Only I felt something rigid. A nanosecond later, it started moving!
It was a baby lizard. It ran away and went behind the toaster oven where, hopefully, it found its way outside, before one of the dogs would. I never saw it again.
Over the weekend I bought that new jar.
Return to Denham Springs
Remember a couple of months ago when we stopped at The Whistle Stop of Denham Springs? Well. . .
That’s them. . .the cookies from heaven
James told me last night that he had to make an early morning run to the machine shop in Denham Springs. I said, “We also need to visit The Whistle Stop.” So we did!
James was up at 6:00 am, cooking breakfast and wrangling dogs. We didn’t have a timetable other than he had to be at work for noon today. Everything went well, despite the slightly lower temps and heavy morning fog. (Episodes of The X-Files start out with that much fog.) We made it to Denham Springs with no problem.
While James and a couple of people there unloaded some motor stuff, I took a short nap in the passenger seat. You see, I didn’t have enough coffee on the way out the door.
But after we left the machine shop, we made that quick left turn into the little parking lot.
This was in the corner.
During our transaction, his phone rang. It was one of his car-guy friends. James told the man he was in a coffee shop and would call him back in a few minutes. Apparently, James no longer has any apprehension about admitting being in a coffee shop.
This time, James bought four of those angelic cookies, which we now know are called Royale, according to the receipt. The cashier boxed them up in Styrofoam boxes, two in each. I bought my coffee, and we headed back to the Casa de Rurale.
Getting on the road home, we ate one each, a single bite at a time. And the angels sang. . . .
Seriously, they were as good as we remembered, and just incredible with a cup of coffee, which quickly woke me up out of my nap-like state.
The remaining cookies were consumed at home before James left for work. We’re still feeling the religious experience, because we heated them in the microwave for 15 seconds this time.
Oh, yes. Thanks again, Whistle Stop. We’ll be back again one day.
Our Wednesday Travels
Two weeks ago, James had a couple of days off, and we finally made the trip to the new Trader Joe’s in Mandeville. We had a full day of it, too.
The store officially opened on August 5, but I didn’t know that until a text message from The E-Man told me. I mentioned it to James, and we decided we’d go visit the place one day. He was off on a Wednesday, so we went after handling a few things first.
The Rude Awakening
Buddy the eldest dog needed to go out at 5:00 am, and it was my turn to handle this task. Sometimes, James sometimes gets up during the night for dog duty, and I sleep right through it. But this time, I was hesitant to open the door because there was someone outside doing something. We weren’t sure exactly what. And if I let Buddy out, he’d start his “get off my lawn” act, complete with barking.
There he is, not a thought in his head.
I went to James, still snoring, and asked him to get up and look outside. Being the guy he is, he just walked outside in his shorts and T-shirt. The visitor suddenly seemed to be in a hurry to leave. It was someone in a utility truck waving a flashlight around in the middle of the road, in the dark, doing something. But we couldn’t tell from the patio.
Our neighbor had door camera video of this visitor, and we couldn’t see the logo on the truck. The next day someone else was outside in the daylight, so I asked a few questions, and we surmised that it was utility related. The local water district is planning some upgrades soon, and they were doing some prep work.
Once the guy fled, the dogs went outside and we were just awake. We got started on our day, dragging our tails behind us. James immediately started cooking breakfast while I made my coffee and fed the cats. But that worked out well because we got started early and got home about noon.
Tractor Supply And The Aisle of Shame
After breakfast and some coffee, we made it to Tractor Supply to buy an inordinate amount of dog food and some extra cans of cat food. James also picked up another dog chew bone for our hounds.
But somehow, in our under-caffeinated state, James left behind the bag with the cans of cat food and the chew bone in the cart. We didn’t realize it until the evening, when I went looking for the bag. I called the store, and Miss Tina said yes, the bag was there. She was kind enough to have it at the register, and I went back to retrieve our stuff.
Next up was Aldi, but it wasn’t open for another 30 minutes. Now that there’s a petrol station next door to Tractor Supply, we were able to fill up before our trip. But we left Tractor Supply with time before Aldi opened. After refueling, we found a place to hang out for 20 minutes.
PJ’s Coffee
The PJ’s is in the parking lot of an adjacent local business right next door.
When Winn Dixie was open, I could get a coffee and then get my shopping done. “Making groceries,” as it’s called colloquially.
Despite James insisting that there is “nothing in a coffee shop” for him, he found a delicious blueberry muffin to go with his morning Coke.
Source: Google Maps
I had a hot coffee, and it was a nice little spot to hang out until Aldi opened at 9:00 am.
Source: Google Maps
Because James was sitting against the wall, he saw something behind me that I missed. Well, we were both still under-caffeinated. He called my attention to what was on the shelf.
Bananas Foster!
There it was–two bags on the shelf!
It’s SO GOOD!! (Source: PJ’s Coffee Website)
It’s a regular item, as it turns out, and you can order it on their website, too. He remembered how much I loved getting a cup of it at PJ’s in Hammond one day, and there it was, in a bag to brew at home! On our way out, he bought one of those two bags for an early birthday present. I’ve opened it, made a few delicious cups, and it’s in the freezer staying fresh.
No, he wouldn’t try this incredible coffee either. It’s a shame, because he’ll never understand why it’s so good.
NOTE: PJ’s Coffee offers 10% discounts for veterans. We requested it for both purchases.
And then Aldi opened at 9:00 am.
A Quick Trip Through the Aisle of Shame
Aldi had some outlet extenders, and I thought we could use at least a couple in the house. But since you never know what will be popular, you need to get there when they open to make sure you can get what you need. Or two.
We bought four, and a few other things, including a package of 50% off ground beef for the freezer. Looking around, we didn’t see anything else we needed or “essential to life” (other than a 12-pack of James’ Cokes.) We checked out, headed back to the house, and quickly unloaded the shopping. Once we put everything away, we went back out on the road and hopped the freeway to the hub of the Northshore.
The Road To Mandeville
It’s been a few years since I took the drive to that area, and it’s just under an hour from the front door. Things have changed since the ‘rona, and I have no reason to go there, especially after Joann Fabrics closed. But now I have a new reason to visit occasionally: Trader Joe’s.
James has been to the Trader Joe’s in Baton Rouge many times, and to the Mandeville area just a handful of times. He kept saying that he didn’t know where we were going. I got us there without a problem because I knew the way. I gave him the directions, but may I should have driven us to Mandeville.
Someone in Aldi told me that TJ’s is across the street from Whole Foods, and I cross-referenced it on Google Maps. It’s actually where K-Mart used to live. Now I knew where that was, so there was no trouble trying to find the place. But crossing traffic on Highway 22 is difficult right there, so I guess we should have approached it a different way. Then we parked.
Walking In
You can’t miss the big, bright, white façade with the red letters that tells you it’s Trader Joe’s.
It’s here!
We looked like a typical suburban couple walking through the front door.
As you walk in. (Source: Google)
Since I’d ingested plenty of coffee by now, you can guess where I went first after we got a basket. Alone for a few minutes, James began walking around like he was lost in a place where nobody spoke English. But it wasn’t long before we were getting what we wanted and looking for more.
Our TJ’s Haul
We came, we saw, we shopped. Oh, did we EVER.
Source: Google
James bought a few new things to try while we also stocked up on their olive oil (in glass bottles):
Gluten-free pasta (the best):
The best tasting GF pasta I’ve found
And the dogs’ favorite peanut butter biscuit treats with a couple of new ones:
They become very attentive when they see this box.
Note that these peanut butter treats are large and should be broken into pieces before feeding them to your doggo. Even though our three hounds are huge monsters that weigh well over 75 pounds, a whole biscuit can lead to choking. (Sam the Felon is a solid 85 pounds.) I’m not doing a Heimlich Maneuver on a 80+ pound Rottweiler that wants to bite me again.
I also picked up another bag of their gluten-free pizza dough for the freezer. We should stock up on this. It’s good and can make a fairly easy quick dinner.
Just thaw, knead, and make your pizza
We also bought a few new things to try, including some gluten free cheese ravioli, which we had with some TJ’s Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce. Just a little twist on our usual “spaghetti night,” and he enjoyed that, too.
Also available now: seasonal gluten free pumpkin ravioli. James will try the regular GF pastas, but you know he wouldn’t go for that.
A couple of packages of Chicken Cheese Tamales for, whenever, and right into the freezer.
The Green Chile and Cheese Tamales are also available and listed on the website but these aren’t.
The Ice Chest
James thought I was a bit bonkers, but I insisted that we take an ice chest with ice packs in the bottom. We have cold bags, but those don’t keep things that cold for a long ride. Once we got back and the frozen stuff was still frozen, he understood. I used to do that in Houston when I was shopping on the west side, or 50 miles north in The Woodlands.
Now I hope he’ll let me use the cooler for future trips when I go by myself.
New Chips!
One item I bought and loved I saw on Instagram courtesy Natasha Fischer of Trader Joe’s List is their new Sweet Chili Black-Eyed Pea Tempeh Chips.
These are also very delicious
Yes, they are good (and spicy), and no, James wouldn’t try them, even though they are made with black-eyed peas.
Yum.
Natasha has a 38-minute video on this haul, but you can jump to her review on the chips here. I actually saw them when she posted a different video on Instagram, about how a snack can quickly become dinner, and these Tempeh chips were perfect. She called it a “snaccident.”
Well, if James isn’t home, and I don’t feel like cooking, why not?
Mushroom Umami Seasoning
Another discovery is the new TJ’s Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend. I think I saw Natasha talk about it, but it may have been from a foodie email. Well, we bought a bottle and love it. The website has a video with three different ways to use this seasoning, and they all look tasty.
Interesting, and another addition to Trader Joe’s spice blends
If you’re not familiar with the term, I wrote about umami a few years ago. It’s the “meaty” flavor in something, not distinct like sweet or savory. This blend is made from mushroom, created to make something taste good. Can’t argue with that.
I sprinkled a little into the marinara sauce that Saturday. It’s not a detectable flavor unless you use a large amount, which isn’t the point. But it added a bit of a deepened flavor to the sauce. Two thumbs up here.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Potatoes And Honey Umami Butter
OK, if you have some of this Umami seasoning, or going to TJ’s soon, you need to make this now.
This is SO GOOD! (I only wear those shoes around the house.)
This Roasted Pork Tenderloin & Potatoes with Honey Umami Butter is easy to prepare and so good anytime. Slicing the potatoes that way makes sure everything is done at the same time.
Also had what I think is the last of my Shishito peppers for the year.
They don’t look like much but they are delicious.
Admittedly, I used honey from the pantry, along with butter from Walmart. The pork and potatoes were from Aldi. But I don’t expect anyone to check up on my ingredients list.
And here, Dear Readers, we have a winner. Not only did I consult with James before I made this, he ate it and liked it–three times! So next trip to TJ’s, I need to stock up on that seasoning blend.
I could probably try the popcorn recipe next, but the Polenta Veggie Stacks would be too much of a stretch around here. I’ll save that for a party, a night when he’s working late, or for my infamous “Drag Week Menu.”
On a side note, Tab E. Cat also likes this pork roast recipe.
There he is, waiting to be fed.
He’s one of our best taste-testers.
The Mini Totes Are Back For Halloween
OK, admittedly, I did *not* go to Trader Joe’s for the sole purpose of getting a Halloween mini-tote. I knew they were coming but didn’t realize they were already in the store. I got ONE, and they cost $2.99 each.
After the last summer-stripe mini tote drop caused near-riots in some places, I wasn’t going near Trader Joe’s, even in Baton Rouge. My friend on the west coast went through the long lines outside her local store four times to get them, because the stores limited everyone to one set of four at a time. But in Mandeville, there they were on a stand. A little old lady standing next to me was buying them for a friend in Florida who asked her to get some because she saw near-riot conditions there, too.
Truth to tell, we also saw unbranded bags of the same style and size over the weekend in Hobby Lobby. They were about the same price, but only two colors.
Trader Joe’s as the Tres Chic Status Symbol
Trader Joe’s bags are a status symbol of sorts, especially for folks who don’t live near one, especially if they’re outside the US. I’d guess that at least a few of the recent World Cup visitors took some home along with fond memories of ranch dressing.
We saw some of these Louisiana branded bags in TJ’s:
I guess they have these in every state.
I still prefer to use the Texas print bags. (I can’t make that picture any bigger, sorry.)
So I had to ask why Trader Joe’s bags are so popular. My BFF (ChatGPT) provided the answer for the only AI part of this blog post. Well, the reason for the bag’s popularity is several things. . .first, social media, particularly TikTok.
While an expensive bag like a Birkin tells the world that you can afford one, an inexpensive Trader Joe’s bag is not only a recognizable logo, but it also tells the world, “I know what this is.” And for the true Trader Joe’s fans, “If you know, you know.” #IYKYK
ChatGPT’s comment on the matter includes:
Trader Joe’s didn’t need to make the bag expensive to make it prestigious. They made it recognizable, desirable, scarce and culturally meaningful.
That’s actually a pretty good lesson in branding: status doesn’t necessarily come from price. It can come from belonging.
I’ll get a regular sized TJ’s canvas bag next time.
My Cali friend buys the minis to use as gift bags. That’s understandable. They’re less expensive than the paper gift bags, more eco-friendly, useful, and the bag is also a great gift by itself. But some buyers resell them for a lot of money online. And apparently, people are also buying them for those inflated prices. I’m not that interested in getting one.
What’s mine for? I bought it to use, not to sell. I’m going to either use it as is or do a little conversion sewing and turn it into a cross-body purse. Sewing bloggers on YouTube and Instagram post instructions on installing a zipper, a pocketed lining, straps, and other embellishments to make it a “luxury item.” Never thought about that before, but now I know I can. Whatever I do, the finishing touch I’ll add is some Scotchgard to make it waterproof and stainproof.
Other Places Near Trader Joe’s
I figured we would investigate one or two other places. But no, we didn’t cross the street to Whole Foods (not after the last incident.) But, that’s another reason to bring the ice chest. You don’t have to race home to get everything into the fridge and freezer. You can stay a little longer and enjoy the trip.
Bodhi Tree Furniture
Located next door, Bodhi Tree Furniture offers solid handmade contemporary furniture, some with reclaimed wood. We only looked on this day, but James took pictures of the pieces he liked. The lady at the front desk was nice, and we got one of their business cards to take home.
Jersey Mike’s Subs For Lunch
When we were walking into Trader Joe’s, James said, “I want to go there for lunch when we’re done here.” So that’s what we did. After we left Bodhi Tree. He likes Jersey Mike’s, and now I do too.
James knows I just don’t eat bread, but I knew that they would probably turn any sandwich into a salad on request. Sure enough, they did, so I got the Chipotle Chicken bowl, and it was delicious. James enjoyed a Philly Cheesesteak sub with some chips.
Jersey Mike’s also offers a veterans’ discount, but we forgot to ask. Next time, we’ll ask, because I think we’ll be doing that again one day.
UR Teas
We were drawn in by this ultra-modern exterior, and the fact that it’s a TEA SHOP.
This unusual place serves some coffee, but their focus is tea with eco-friendly service in non-plastic containers. (Irony: there’s a Starbucks juxtaposed across the parking lot.) UR Teas is at the far right end of the strip mall, and has this cute vehicle parked outside:
Cute, isn’t it? James can tell you more about it than I can. I think he said it was a Moped.
I guess they use it for catering, or maybe deliveries in Mandeville. We didn’t ask, but we both loved seeing it.
Maybe this is just for onsite catering
They offer a variety of teas and a menu of grab-and-go “Light Bites.” But we didn’t get that far. I’ll try some of their coffee and teas next time.
UR Teas also have their own containers and will serve customers who bring in clean containers for re-use. I’ll ask next time if I can bring in my own non-store container, or one of my “hot cups” to get some coffee, too. It’s eco-friendly, right?
Then things took a turn for the tasty.
Coconut Chicken Curry
While we were checking the place out, one of the young ladies working there walked up to us and offered us a cup and spoon with something to sample. James declined and told her I’d try some. She did, and I tried some.
What’s this?
It turns out that there is something new that they’re trying for their menu: Coconut Chicken Curry.
SO good!
I had no idea what to expect, but one taste told me everything: This stuff is DELICIOUS!!
I’ve been told that this is also called “Coconut Corma.” I haven’t checked. I just know I could eat this frequently while James eats a sandwich.
So one of the unique selling propositions (USP) is that it’s made with oat milk. If you didn’t know it was a “curry,” you’d probably call it a stew. I think the word “curry” is what set James off at the outset. At that point, I really didn’t care, because it really is delicious, with a very slight spicy bite.
They also had refrigerated to-go containers of the curry in a fridge case at the register. It’s the takeout curry that was made previously and unsold. (Don’t let that stop you.)
Dinner for two nights for me.
James offered to get me a container to take home, and I said, “thank you.” I figured that since he was working late the next two nights, it would be ideal for dinner without any cooking. I’m definitely looking forward to having some of that again one day.
UR Teas was our last stop before returning to the Casa de Rurale.
He wasn’t impressed
I thanked James and told him both by text and in person how delicious this curry is. But he insisted on not even trying a bite.
James has many car-guy friends with varying experiences. One has worked internationally and developed a taste for curry and other Indian cuisine, despite growing up in Louisiana. Many years ago, this car-guy friend insisted that they go to an Indian restaurant and have some curry and other Indian foods. Three times, the guy has done this, and three times, James told him, “I don’t like curry.” He just eats plenty of rice at that point, because nothing else appeals to his strict Louisiana-developed taste buds. I get plenty of thumbs-downs.
To be honest, I’m not a big curry fan, either. Last time I had some was in Delray Beach, Florida, in 2010, at a British pub that’s now gone. I don’t dislike curry, but I don’t love it either, unlike James’ friend and his wife who regularly enjoy Indian food. I told James not to tell them about this, because then they’ll think I’ll convince James to eat curry. Not happening. It’s just this one thing I discovered that I really liked.
The Road Home
Even with a Yeti-style cooler and ice packs, we still had to get back. There were dogs to feed, of course. James asked me to take the wheel on the trip back, even though he drove us there. He sat in the passenger seat and prayed, I mean, looked at his phone, during the whole drive.
The conversation went like this:
“Are you praying right now?”
“Yes.”
“What are you praying for?”
“Safe trip back to the house”
“OK, keep praying.”
We made it back to the Casa de Rurale just fine, right around noon, and began unpacking and dealing with the shopping.
It was a lovely day for a drive
Our weather was sunny, warm and partly cloudy, and most everything went well. James decided to have his Pizza Parlanno With Sausage for dinner that night, and I had whatever was in the fridge.
One thing I did not get was more of the Brazil Nut Body Butter. After our last trip to the New Orleans store, I have plenty that will last me a while. I considered getting some Pumpkin Body Butter, but passed. I think Brazil Nut smells better, even though they’re mostly the same good formula.
While we spent some money stocking up, it’s not something we do often. Before we had an Aldi locally, I stocked up when I went to the store in McComb, Mississippi, which is closer than Mandeville. Of course, on the occasions that I went up there just for one or two things from the Aisle of Shame, I returned with extra pasta sauce, markdown meats, and other great things unavailable locally. I think James secretly liked it when I went, too, because I came back with tasty things for him.
Maybe I should write TJ’s and ask them to consider a new location in Hammond, near Southeastern Louisiana University. The Baton Rouge store is near LSU, so why not?
More To Come
Both Sur la Table and Willians-Sonoma would like you to know that Thanksgiving is November 26th. I guess it’s never too early to plan for the pre-Christmas speedbump that ushers in the holiday shopping season.
Sur la Table has both its Classic Turkey Brine and an entire Brining Kit, while Williams-Sonoma has this Autumn Fruit and Spice brine along with an entire line of turkey brine and other holiday accoutrements. What are we doing? Might do chicken again this year unless I wanna mess with a whole turkey. Maybe just a turkey breast, if I can find one.
The HeatCageKitchen garden is still green, but just until the temperatures drop later this week. I’ve had plenty of basil, mint and rosemary. The green onions are plentiful and will last through the winter.
The Shishito peppers have been somewhat abundant, and I’ve had a few bowls to cook up. I also harvested a few Anaheim (Hatch) peppers, a couple of Cubanelle sweets, and am just now getting a few Poblanos growing. No tomatoes, unfortunately, and I’m told that many gardeners just didn’t get any tomatoes this year. Well. . .maybe next year, right?
Texas’ famous travel stop Buc-ee’s now has a location in Pass Christian, MS. We’re working up to taking a day trip there one day. Might be a while, since it’s three hours round trip.
I’m still working on the next post about some things we’ve been doing on repeat lately. Remember Salmon Croquettes from a long time ago? I have a gluten-free option that’s delicious and goes perfectly with my favorite white bean and olive salad. Unfortunately, cannellini beans seem to be in very short supply right now, but I’m investigating. Because James won’t eat either one, it’s perfect for dinner when he’s working late.
Until then. . .
Enjoy!
It’s pumpkin spice season! Already! Are you ready?
Hi, again, Dear Readers:
After my last blog on The Whistle Stop coffee shop in Denham Springs, I figured I was done blogging for a few days. And then I looked up and September is staring at me. Oh, well. I did send a note to them later and got a very nice “thank you” email back. We’ll visit them again.
Chances are you’re still running your A/C. But pumpkin spice season is here, whether you want it or not. Let’s talk about the what and why, in a minute.
RIP, Dolly Parton
Last week came the news that Dolly Parton, country music singer/songwriter and celebrity icon, had passed away at the age of 80.
Source: Google Images
I can’t say I was a big Dolly fan, but I liked her. Like many people, I thought she was, indeed, a national treasure. James and I were both saddened to hear the news. It happened quickly, and she was buried last Friday.
These Dolly songs have been stuck in my head since then:
- Theme from the movie 9 to 5, which we watched that night
- Jolene, the Olivia Newton-John version and her duet with Dolly, right before Olivia passed in 2022 as part of her Duets project, Volume 1 and Volume 2. (Jolene is on Volume 1.)
- Here You Come Again, from I don’t even know when
- Potential New Boyfriend, a song I only heard a few times back in the 80’s
- I Will Always Love You, the Whitney Houston version of Dolly’s song used in the film The Bodyguard
Multiple interviews with Dolly have surfaced on social media, both recent and ancient. In one of them, Dolly said the first time she heard the last one on the radio, she didn’t recognize it at first. Unfortunately, she was driving at the time. When Dolly suddenly realized Whitney Houston was singing her song, with that fantastic David Foster arrangement, she nearly crashed her car.
Also watched Steel Magnolias this weekend, because it was available on PlutoTV.
Everyone knew Dolly
Tributes from people everywhere, celebrity and not, are flowing into social media and news outlets. Sting, as in The Police, posted on IG yesterday that Dolly called and asked him to participate in making her final album, Rock Star. When Dolly calls, Sting smiles and says, “you just say, ‘Yes, Ma’am.'” (That CD is on my Amazon wish list now.) Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran was another who worked on that album along with so many others. And of course, her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus.
Another Dolly duet was with Sabrina Carpenter on a cleaned-up version her song from a couple of years ago, Please, Please, Please. Sabrina has also posted on her IG account about working with “Mama Dolly.” Dolly didn’t like the swearing in the song so they removed the more offensive lyrics. (If you want to see the more offensive version, it’s on YouTube as well.) There are so many collaborations and duets that there probably isn’t a comprehensive list.
Like the late Tina Turner, Dolly Parton knew nearly everyone. And Dolly was also inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, the year after Tina was inducted as a solo artist.
Business and Philanthropy
Dolly was also a businesswoman and philanthropist. She donated more money than she kept, prompting her to say that she would have been a billionaire if she hadn’t given all that money away. But she truly used that money for good, and I’m sure her businesses and charitable works will continue.
One example: her reading program for children, the Imagination Library, now sends three million books a month to children in the US and overseas. She created it in her father’s memory, who was illiterate his entire life.
Rest In Peace in the comfy cotton, Miss Dolly. You’re done with the heavy rhinestones.
PSL is back! Yes, already!
So, it’s getting on that time of the year, and Starbucks recently announced the return of the PSL on August 25th.
Source: ChatGPT
I was with James at the VA Medical Center on the 25th. When we left, I told him we had to stop at Starbucks to get our first PSL. Oh, the face he made. Mind you, he doesn’t drink coffee, and after my first and last taste of the PSL in 2015, y’all know I was just being facetious.
Comedienne Carollynn Xavier posted a short video on Instagram a couple of days ago about PSL season: “Without Starbucks, we wouldn’t know that the seasons changed.” It’s not long, and her deadpan delivery makes it highly amusing.
She describes herself as a “recovering Californian” who left The Golden State, kept driving, and found Tennessee. Her IG videos are very quietly funny as she describes discoveries she’s made in the South after leaving California–like butter, which is “legal in Tennessee.” (She’s also become a born-again Christian.)
Now, one question that many are thinking about: is it pumpkin spice season already? Let’s have a convo with my BFF ChatGPT to answer that question.
It’s Still Hot Outside—So Why Are We Already Eating Pumpkin Spice?
Walk into a coffee shop, grocery store, or big-box retailer in late August, and you may notice something a little strange.
It’s 95 degrees outside. The air conditioner is running nonstop. You are still wearing shorts and trying not to melt while walking from the car to the store.
And there it is: Pumpkin spice.
Source: ChatGPT
Pumpkin spice coffee, creamers, cookies, candles, cereal, and this one:
Because you love pumpkin THAT MUCH.
(I couldn’t resist.) And there’s also apple cider and cinnamon everything.
Apparently, fall has arrived.
Wait, When Is Fall?
Never mind that the official first day of autumn is still weeks away. (September 22, if you’re interested.) Never mind that much of the country is still dealing with summer temperatures that make turning on the oven feel like a questionable life decision.
America has collectively decided that if the pumpkin spice products are on the shelves, fall has begun. So why does fall food season seem to start earlier every year?
The answer has a lot to do with marketing, nostalgia, seasonal anticipation, and one coffee drink that somehow became powerful enough to influence America’s unofficial calendar.
Fall Is More Than a Season—It’s a Feeling
Part of the reason fall food arrives so early is that people aren’t necessarily waiting for the actual weather.
They’re waiting for the feeling.
Summer can be fun. But by late August, people are ready for something different. The endless heat starts to get old. School is starting again. Vacations are ending. New fall fashions are showing up in stores, magazines, and online. Stores are beginning to fill with Halloween and other holiday decorations, and football season is approaching. The idea of sweaters, soups, baking, and cooler weather starts sounding pretty appealing.
If you’re one of us who has experienced and lived through menopause, you know exactly what that means and can appreciate autumn.
Fall represents a change, and food is one of the easiest ways to experience that change.
Having it early
You may not be able to make the temperature outside drop, but you can drink something flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin. Bake an apple dessert, just use the countertop oven. Make some chili. Light a candle that smells like someone baked an entire pie in your living room.
In other words, seasonal food allows us to pretend that fall has arrived before Mother Nature gets the memo.
There is also something deeply comforting about fall flavors. Pumpkin, apple, maple, cinnamon, pecans, brown butter, and warm spices all tend to be associated with baking, holidays, family gatherings, and home cooking.
They feel familiar and comfortable.
And after months of salads, grilled food, cold drinks, and trying to find meals that don’t require heating up the kitchen, people are ready for food that feels warmer and more substantial.
Even if they still have to eat it while the air conditioner is running.
The Retail Calendar Keeps Moving Earlier
Of course, consumers aren’t solely responsible for this early start. Retailers have figured out something important: people get excited about seasons long before the calendar says they officially begin.
Christmas decorations often appear before Halloween. (Hello, Hobby Lobby.) Valentine’s Day merchandise shows up shortly after New Year’s, if not right before. Easter candy can arrive when some parts of the country are still dealing with winter weather.
Fall food follows the same pattern. Seasonal products create anticipation, and anticipation creates sales.
Why They Don’t Have It Year-Round
There is also a limited amount of time for companies to sell seasonal products. Pumpkin spice products aren’t meant to stay around forever. The fact that they are temporary is part of their appeal, even though you can buy canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice all year long. (If you don’t believe me, check your grocery. Pumpkin pie spice is easy to make, just find a recipe and shake it up.)
If your favorite pumpkin-flavored coffee creamer were available every day of the year, it probably wouldn’t feel quite as special.
But tell people that it will disappear in a few months? Suddenly, they need three bottles.
Seasonal food creates a sense of urgency that regular products simply don’t have. It gives consumers something new to look forward to, and it gives companies a reliable way to create excitement around products that might otherwise seem fairly ordinary.
After all, “coffee creamer” is not particularly exciting.
“Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer Available Only This Fall”?
Now we’re talking.
Starbucks Didn’t Invent Fall, But It Sure Helped Put a Start Date on It
You can make a pretty good argument that Starbucks helped create the modern phenomenon of starting fall before summer has officially packed its bags.
The company’s Pumpkin Spice Latte debuted in 2003 as a limited test in approximately 100 stores. According to Starbucks, the idea was developed by a team experimenting with flavors that paired well with espresso, eventually settling on a combination inspired by the spices commonly associated with pumpkin pie. The drink rolled out nationally in the United States the following fall.
What started as a seasonal coffee drink became something much bigger. The Pumpkin Spice Latte became a cultural event.
It’s A “Thing” Now
Suddenly, the return of the PSL wasn’t just about ordering coffee. It became an announcement that pumpkin season had arrived, whether the temperature outside agreed or not.
The return of the drink became something people anticipated every year. Social media helped turn the first PSL of the season into an event. Coffee shops, grocery stores, restaurants, and food companies all took notice.
Pumpkin spice wasn’t just a flavor anymore.
It was a season.
And Starbucks is still helping set the unofficial calendar.
And The PSL Is Back!
In 2026, the company brought its fall menu back on August 25—weeks before the official first day of autumn. Starbucks reported that August 25 became its strongest fall-launch day ever across the United States and Canada. (Investors like the sound of that too.) More than two decades after the Pumpkin Spice Latte first appeared, its return still has enough cultural power to make people start talking about sweaters, soup, football, and fall baking while many of us are still running the air conditioner full blast.
The company has also expanded far beyond the original PSL. Its 2026 fall lineup includes multiple pumpkin drinks, pecan-flavored coffee drinks, and other seasonal offerings. Once a company successfully convinces millions of people that a particular flavor signals the beginning of a season, it makes sense to keep giving them more ways to participate. Clearly, they want to.
For better or worse, Starbucks helped establish the idea that fall doesn’t necessarily begin on a specific date. Fall begins when the seasonal menu comes back.
Social Media Made Seasonal Food Even Bigger
There was a time when seasonal food was mostly something you encountered at a restaurant or grocery store.
Now it arrives in your social media feed weeks before it arrives on your table.
Someone posts their first pumpkin coffee. Then someone else shares an apple cider donut. The slow cooker chili shows up next. The fall charcuterie board, soup recipes, and the “cozy dinner” videos follow.
Before long, you may find yourself wondering why you’re suddenly craving cinnamon rolls when it was 98 degrees yesterday.
Social Media as a Catalyst
Social media has accelerated seasonal food trends because people can see what everyone else is eating.
Food has always been social, but now it is also visual entertainment.
The first pumpkin spice drink isn’t just a drink. It’s a photograph.
An apple dessert isn’t simply dessert. It’s content.
And once enough people start sharing the same seasonal foods, those foods become part of a collective ritual.
The calendar might say August.
Instagram says it’s October.
Who are you going to believe?
We Start Thinking About Fall Before We Actually Experience It
There is another reason fall food season begins early: anticipation is often more enjoyable than waiting.
People start looking forward to fall while summer is still happening.
The first appearance of pumpkin products signals that cooler weather is coming eventually. Even if you live somewhere that won’t actually experience anything resembling sweater weather until October or November, you can still participate.
You can buy the candle, make the soup, and drink the PSL.
Fall food gives us a preview of a season before the season actually arrives. And honestly, that may be the entire point.
We’re not necessarily eating pumpkin spice because we’re cold. We’re eating pumpkin spice because we would like to be.
Pumpkin Spice Isn’t the Only Flavor of Fall
As dominant as pumpkin spice has become, fall food is much bigger than pumpkin.
Source: ChatGPT
Apple is having its annual moment, and for good reason. Apples work equally well in desserts, drinks, breakfast dishes, and savory meals. Apple cider, apple butter, apple crisp, apple pie, and roasted apples all bring a different kind of fall flavor to the table.
Then there are pecans, maple, sweet potatoes, brown butter, caramel, cranberries, pears, squash, mushrooms, and every warm spice in the pantry.
Non-Pumpkin Fall Foods
Some of the best fall foods don’t contain pumpkin at all. Apple pie, for instance, as well as other squashes and gourds.
Source: ChatGPT
That might be the most interesting thing about the increasingly early fall food season. It gives us an excuse to revisit ingredients and flavors that don’t always get much attention during the rest of the year.
Summer food tends to be fresh, light, and quick, but fall food is where we slow down.
We bake, simmer, and roast. We make food that fills the kitchen with smells worth lingering around.
That’s probably why people are so eager to start early.
So Is Starting Fall Food Season in August Too Early?
Probably. But also, maybe not. It depends, as any attorney will tell you.
There is something objectively ridiculous about drinking a pumpkin-spiced beverage while sitting in a car hot enough to cook an egg. (Unless it’s iced, of course.)
There is something slightly absurd about seeing Halloween candy next to beach towels.
And yes, some people would prefer that we allow each season to have its turn before rushing into the next one.
Fair enough.
But seasonal food is supposed to be fun. If eating an apple cider donut in August makes someone happy, there are certainly worse things they could be doing.
The real question may not be whether fall food season starts too early. The question may be why we are so eager for it to begin. And the answer probably comes down to comfort.
More Than Just Food
Food helps mark the passage of time. Certain flavors remind us of certain experiences. Seasonal food gives us something to anticipate.
Source: ChatGPT
Pumpkin and cinnamon can remind us of holidays like Thanksgiving in November. Apple cider can remind us of fairs and football games. Chili and soup can remind us that cooler weather is coming.
So if the grocery store wants to put pumpkin spice on the shelves while it’s still summer, that’s fine.
We don’t have to immediately start decorating for Christmas. Let’s not get crazy.
But we can enjoy a pumpkin coffee, bake an apple dessert, and start thinking about soup. Need some recipes? They’re on the recipes page. (I need to update that soup blog with WP Recipe maker.)
And if you’re sitting outside in August heat while holding a Pumpkin Spice Latte, just remember:
- According to the calendar, it’s still summer.
- According to Starbucks? Fall has been here for days.
Enjoy it all.
I Made a PSL Today
Much as I disliked the PSL I got in the store years ago, I do like making the iced one:
My usual favorite recipe for the PSL, with just a few ingredients. (Source: the kitchen and an iPhone 11.)
If you haven’t seen it before, it’s the Iced Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Gimme Some Oven. I first made it in 2023, and have enjoyed it occasionally ever since, much to James’ dislike. He even retched again last night at the mention of making one. But with ready-made iced coffee in the fridge, it comes together quickly and froths up nicely in the blender.
Until Next Time
I’m always looking for and thinking about new topics to bring to the blog. I’ve got a couple in mind but haven’t started them yet. My iPhone is also full of pictures I intended for blog posts. . .but they’re still on my phone. At least I have a BFF that can help me out when I’m lost for ideas. Still need to get back with BFF on making Trello work for me instead of it adding more work.
It’s still summer. . .but that first cold front will be here before you know it, so enjoy what’s left of summer while you can.
Even if you do have a PSL before then.
Happy Dining!
Is spring cleaning on your horizon? Is your pantry looking a bit untidy? Or is it a disaster, like ours was? When was the last time you cleaned your kitchen storage? We did this recently at the Casa de Rurale because it was such a neglected mess. That’s why a pantry cleanout is something you should add to your spring-cleaning list. (TLDR: Time to clean your pantry, and here’s why.)
Hi, again, Dear Readers:
I know, it got away from me again. It’s been six weeks. My apologies. This has been in the draft folder for a while now. It’s long, but with a lot of info. I do that occasionally with a deep subject.
Spring has arrived after a cold winter. After some frigid weather recently, we’ve warmed up for a while. We’re in that transitional period where we may run the heater at night and the AC during the day. Northern folks who have never been this far South do not understand this. Especially if they decide to visit Texas and wonder why there are people in hoodies, shorts, and flip-flops at Whataburger or HEB.
Camped in on one of those cold January Saturdays, I cornered James for some help cleaning out the pantry. It was long overdue and badly needed. It was so bad I didn’t take “before” pictures for the blog—too embarrassing. This job took all day, and we were glad when it was finished. Besides, James needed to get back to his BigFoot videos on YouTube.
Unloading Everything
The pantry in this house is only slightly bigger than the one I had in Houston. When I moved in, there was very little on those four shelves. Suddenly, the shelves were overflowing with all kinds of ingredients James had never seen before. Other non-pantry items were moved elsewhere. James saw that the pantry was “full,” but it really wasn’t. I did an occasional re-org and tidy up, but no major clean-outs for a while.
The pantry was overloaded and dirty from long-term neglect. I asked him for help, but there was always something more urgent. At one point we bought some of those plastic milk crates at Walmart to corral some stuff in the pantry. But then we couldn’t close the door. We also had boxes of dry goods stored under the counter. After The Big Freeze and Hurricane Ida in 2021, we bought extra foods with emergency situations in mind.
What We Tossed
We began removing everything, one shelf at a time, starting with the top shelf. So many things were long ago expired and went directly into a black contractors’ bag. It was a myriad of shelf-stable products.
The top half of the pantry, post-cleanout.
We tossed out so many things bought with the best of intentions. Cranberry sauce and other things from faraway Whole Foods, bought before the ‘Rona. A bag of organic dry milk powder bought on sale for the next hurricane or other emergency. Snack foods and canned goods for future power outages. Other ingredients that were way out of date and completely forgotten over time were unseen and inaccessible.
I did find this Churro Cornbread Mix from Aldi bought more recently and for less than $1:
It’s a seasonal item
It wasn’t outdated, so I made it for James, and he kind of liked it. He had a couple pieces and the rest went to work with him so everyone could enjoy some.
There were also several boxes of unopened HEB cold-brew tea bags that came from Houston, still sealed in plastic. They might have still been OK to use, but we just never used them. Out they went with the rest of the very old pantry stuff.
Oil & Vinegar From The Woodlands
Remember the store I loved, Oil & Vinegar? They are still in The Woodlands, where you can go in and buy bottles of their wonderful gourmet specialty oils and vinegars.
These were so delicious. . .and so old.
My favorites were the Meyer lemon olive oil and the Raspberry Balsamic vinegar:
I just loved this vinegar, especially mixed in with the Meyer Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Since the contents of the bottles were at least ten years old, I poured them out. I didn’t want to get sick if they weren’t safe anymore. Unfortunately. Really, I don’t want to think about how much that would cost to replace now. So, I kept the empty bottles for a possible future visit.
Fortunately, Oil & Vinegar sells these delicious things online, so I can buy smaller quantities, and they’ll come right to the door. I was “saving” these delicious elixirs for those “special occasions” and only using small amounts to mix dressing for the occasional home-grown salad. James wouldn’t touch the stuff, so it was all mine. I should have used it more often.
The French Chestnut Spread
The pantry clean-out also included three jars of this chestnut spread from France I bought at least 15 years ago and never used again.
Source: Amazon
I bought the first jar or two at a shop in Highland Village when I met Nigella Lawson at her book signing for Nigella Christmas in 2010. I think I found the spread again at Central Market in Houston and bought more for use later. Trust me, it’s not a “regular” grocery store item anywhere, much less around these parts.
This is an ingredient to make these Chestnut Chocolate Pots. It’s a delicious recipe, but that was the one thing I had to find elsewhere. The jars were in the pantry waiting, but I never made that dessert again. They were jars, too, not cans like you see here. This French spread currently sells on Amazon for $9.99. Today, those three cans would be $30. The ones I had were about 15 years old, so I tossed them. The spread is now on one of my many Amazon wish lists for the day I make it again.
Goodbye To Hatch Apple Pie
Remember the Hatch Apple Pie cake that Neighbor E and I sampled at the big new HEB? When it became clear that I was moving in with James, I brought a few jars of the pie filling with me for the day we saw each other again. (Awwwwww. . . .)
This was so good.
They were kept for both sentimental value and to make us some of that wonderful dump cake. Well, I did make the cake again—once. Turns out that those last two jars from Houston were still up there, back of the top shelf, and out of sight. They only had sentimental value at this point.
I can’t believe we had to toss it out.
I kept putting off making the cakes for us until “later.”
Eventually, they were forgotten back there and quietly expired in 2018. We discovered this in 2026, eight years afterward.
DARNIT! Should have checked the jar and used it long before then.
Yes, it needed to be tossed. What’s more disheartening is that not only was it wasted, but we missed two delicious cakes or other recipes, too. Don’t do that.
Unfortunately, this wonderful Hatch chili-infused product is no longer made by the manufacturer, and of course, it’s not on eBay for sale, either.
Another recipe
HEB still has a webpage for it, but the product itself is not available. In fact, I can only find recipes, not products. So, if I ever want to try that “dump cake” again, I’ll have use one of the recipes available online for Hatch Apple Pie and make the filling myself.
Why You Need To Clean Your Pantry
If it’s been a while, trust me. After the stuff we found, you probably need to do a little pantry work too if you’ve put it off for a while.
Picture this: You reach into your pantry for that can of beans to whip up a quick chili, only to find it’s expired. . . two years ago. Or worse, you’re digging through a maze of half-empty spice jars, mystery bags of flour, and that impulse-buy quinoa that’s still sealed from 2020.
If it’s been a while since you’ve given your pantry a good clean-out, you’re not alone. Life gets busy, and the pantry often becomes the forgotten corner of the kitchen. Rolling up your sleeves for a deep clean isn’t just about tidiness. It’s a game-changer for your health, wallet, and sanity.
Help From The Secret Boyfriend
So, I asked GROK (my AI “secret boyfriend”) to tell me why we need to clean out the pantry. (I also asked ChatGPT, but I wasn’t happy with “her” answers.) GROK then gave me these ten solid, practical reasons to invest the time in cleaning up, editing (decluttering), and reorganizing the kitchen pantry:
- Save significant money on groceries. You’ll stop buying duplicates of items already buried in the back, and you’ll use up what you already have before it expires. We did this, I don’t know how many times.
- Drastically reduce your food waste. An organized pantry lets you see expiration dates clearly, practice FIFO (first in, first out) by placing older items in front, and avoid discovering forgotten bags of flour or cans that have been sitting there for too many years.
- Cut your meal prep and cooking time. No more digging through chaos or playing “pantry Jenga” to find the cumin, the pasta, or that one can of beans. Everything has a logical, visible home. Ask me how I know this. I have occasionally spent as long as 45 minutes pulling things out of the pantry to find that one thing I know I have and need right now.
- Make grocery shopping faster and smarter. A quick scan shows exactly what’s low or missing, so you create more accurate shopping lists and avoid impulse buys or overbuying.
- Maximize your actual storage space. Editing out expired or unused items and using clear containers, bins, and proper stacking frees up shelves and lets you store more without everything toppling over.
- Keep food fresher longer. Transferring items into airtight, clear containers protects against pantry moths/bugs (which love cardboard packaging glue), moisture, and staleness.
- Create a calmer, less stressful kitchen experience. A tidy pantry reduces daily frustration and creates a sense of control. Especially helpful during busy mornings, rushed dinners, or when kids (or James) are grabbing snacks.
- Improve functionality. Everyone can find what they need quickly and put things back in the right spot, reducing mess, lost time, and arguments. Note: I’m still working on this point with James.
- Boost overall kitchen cleanliness and hygiene. De-cluttering removes crumbs, spills, and expired packages that attract pests, while reorganization makes wiping shelves and spotting problems much easier.
- Enjoy a small but noticeable mood and pride boost. Walking into a clean, logical, visually appealing pantry feels satisfying and sets a positive tone for cooking and home life. Many people describe it as surprisingly motivating for tackling other areas of the house. (I’m hopeful.)
The upfront effort pays off quickly, and most people notice the difference the very next time they cook or shop. If your pantry has been chaotic for a while, the “before vs. after” transformation can be one of the most rewarding small home projects you do all year.
More Reasons For Pantry Cleaning
If the previous list doesn’t convince you, here’s more reasons for taking control of your pantry ASAP:
Food Safety First: Don’t Risk It
Food safety is non-negotiable. Pantries are breeding grounds for expired items that can sneak past us. That jar of pasta sauce from last year’s barbecue? It might look fine, but bacteria like botulism can thrive in canned goods past their prime. The USDA says most canned foods are safe indefinitely if they’re stored properly. But quality dips after a couple of years–flavors that are “off,”, nutrient loss, etc.
Dry goods are sneakier: flour, nuts, and grains go rancid, grow mold, or attract pantry moths. Nuts are especially volatile, and you may not find out until you use them. (Again, ask me how I know this—I now freeze nuts intended for recipes, like walnuts and pine nuts for pesto.) Tiny pests can turn your staples into a nightmare. Cleaning out the pantry prevents food-borne illnesses, especially with kids, elderly folks, or anyone with a weaker immune system in the house. Think of it as a quick health check-up for your kitchen.
Save Money and Cut Waste
A cluttered pantry equals massive food waste. That’s a direct hit to your budget. How many times have you bought duplicates because you couldn’t find the one you already had? A 2023 Natural Resources Defense Council report puts the average American household food waste at about $1,500 a year, much of it from forgotten pantry items. Sort through everything, toss the old, and suddenly you know exactly what you use. No more overbuying.
Pro tip: Group everything in your pantry by categories. Put your grains here, your cans there, and add clear bins or labels. Meal planning gets much easier, you save cash, and you shrink your environmental footprint. Less waste, fewer landfill trips.
Boost Your Health and Cooking Game
The health perks are huge. A neglected pantry often hides outdated treats, such as sugary cereals or processed snacks, that don’t match your current goals. Cleaning out is your reset: ditch the temptations, make room for nutrient-dense things like whole grains, nuts, and fresh spices and herbs.
This is super important if your diet is different now. Have you changed the way you eat? Are you now gluten-free, vegan, or keto? Old cross-contaminated items can trigger reactions if there’s an allergy. Fresh spices will actually taste like something instead of dulling your dishes. A tidy pantry inspires better cooking, healthier meals, and more energy overall.
Unfortunately, along with the healthier food in our pantry exists the god-awful snack foods James likes. No kidding, he’s in a long-term relationship with Little Debbie. If the police ever show up with a search warrant and go into the pantry, they’ll see organics and gluten-free things next to the Ding Dongs, Oatmeal Cream Cakes and packets of instant hot chocolate. Then we’ll need an attorney, ha, ha, ha.
Declutter Your Mind Too
Clutter stresses us out. Princeton research shows visual chaos hampers focus and info processing, and your pantry counts here. Opening the door to a jumbled mess makes cooking feel like a chore. Deep cleaning is almost meditative: sort, wipe, reorganize. You’ll feel that accomplished buzz, and grabbing ingredients becomes quick and frustration-free. In the everyday rush, this small bit of control can be a nice little bright spot.
The Unwelcome Visitors
They get in. You just don’t know until you spot one. By the time you see the first one, they’re already collecting mail at your place.
Old crumbs, spills, and open packages invite ants, weevils, mousies and other rodents, plus other unwanted visitors. If it’s been years since your last pantry clean-out, you might already have company.
This is a big one in the south. I haven’t told you about the day we discovered we had visitors in the pantry. We thought it was just one that came in from outside, but. . .no, it was a whole village of them.
I opened a box of PG Tips tea to get a bag, I found what one of the “visitors” left. That box was trashed quickly. Now all the tea and coffee are locked into containers, along with dried beans and other vulnerable staples. Regular food packaging doesn’t cut it, and I’ve bought quite a few pantry storage containers for these things. I buy them as I find a need and utilize them. Always square and stackable to maximize the space we have.
Get in there and clean the whole thing well. Vacuum the shelves, wipe with vinegar, seal everything in airtight containers, and boom—pest-free zone. I used my Aldi steam cleaner to super-clean the entire pantry and shelves, including the corners, crevices and baseboards.
It was a great buy for $20, and it works great.
THEN we put the remaining supplies back in there with more room to keep them tidy.
Roaches: Max Force
The longer you ignore a pest problem, the worse it gets—exponentially. Especially with these “visitors.” If you find yourself dealing with la cucaracha in your pantry, or anywhere in your home, there is one thing that gets rid of them quickly: Max Force, either in gel form or as bait stations. You can get them in bags of 72 or smaller bags of 24. You may also find smaller quantities on eBay, as I have.
When I first moved to El Dorado Trace, I had a terrible time getting rid of them in the condo. Nothing worked, even the stuff the landlord provided. They were getting into the cat’s food dishes, too (the larger bag was kept in a large, sealed container in the pantry.) I stumbled on Max Force one day and couldn’t believe how fast it got rid of them. About two weeks, if I remember correctly. I replaced them every couple of years if I ever saw one again.
Highly Recommended
I’ve used both the gel and the bait stations here. A couple of years ago, I recommended it to someone in Houston who was having a terrible problem in an apartment building. She tried “everything,” she said, but she didn’t try this one. She bought some and put the gel out in her small kitchen. They were gone in short order.
Because she suspected it was a neighbor who was the reason for the problem, she gave him a tube but didn’t know if he ever used any. Not long after, she moved back to Clear Lake without that problem. But if she hadn’t purged the roaches out of her place and her stuff before she moved, they would have followed her back to Clear Lake. She was happy that was over.
The bait stations are for the smaller roaches and the gel is for both the smaller and larger ones. Make sure that whatever type you use, please keep it away from pets and children.
Four-Footed And Furry: The Mousie Pouches
You’d think with cats we wouldn’t have any, but occasionally they just walk right in and get comfortable. They get set up in a little corner of your place but don’t tell you. They build their little mousie superhighways and strut about unnoticed until one of the cats discovers them. You’ll find evidence when these little rodentia (I made up that word) have chewed through a plastic bag or two and ruined an expensive bag of something. But then a cat detects the presence of one, and the ancient predatory hunter DNA is activated until the little beast is caught and handled.
The Rodent Defense Force
Tab E. Cat was quite the mouser, and caught a total of 8 over the years.
He demands, I mean, loves to share my salmon and other carnivorous delights.
James has gone around the house and sealed up some potential mousie access points. But I guess they just walked in the house one day like they were at an Airbnb. TigerCat here has caught a bird and a mouse in here, but she let both go.
She’s just so darn cute, making herself comfortable.
The Fast And The Furious
A few weeks ago, she was chasing a mousie around in the office but not trying to stop it. The darn thing kept climbing around the place until it got away from her. Both were lightning fast, flying around the room. A couple of days later, the mousie appeared on the floor by my desk, on the plastic desk chair mat, suffering from rigor mortis. Someone, not sure who, caught it and wanted me to know it was gone. This was before I’d had any coffee. After considerable screaming (from me), James “handled” its final affairs, removing it from my desk area.
Later, James put out some of those sticky mouse traps with some dry cat food stuck on the middle. You know what happened? Nothing–the mousies ignored them all while TigerCat padded around, keeping watch on certain spots. One trap became stuck to the chair mat. We guess that our little orange cat flipped it over. The others were untouched.
Then, it happened again a couple of weeks ago—another mousie with rigor mortis appeared on the chair mat. James had gone to work, so I had to handle it myself. Without screaming this time, I procrastinated until after some coffee.
Social Media Steps In To Help
For a few months, I’ve seen animated ads for pouches that contain four ingredients to chase mousies away and let them know they’re not welcome. I’d considered ordering some, but there were more than a few comments and reviews warning others not to order from this company. Money was accepted, but no product arrived, ever, with nonexistent customer service.
Wary, I went to both the Amazon and Walmart websites where I found similar products. Two weeks ago, I went to Walmart here and bought some of these Victor mousie pouches with peppermint and tossed them in the back room in five places.
Well, the room smells good, but it was just until I received these more potent deterrents from Amazon. These large tablets contain four separate ingredients that create a stronger aromatherapy-based eviction notice for mousies. Fingers crossed, because I don’t want them hanging around, putting down roots and starting families in here. They arrived last week, and I’ll put them out soon throughout the house. Note: wear gloves with these. You remove these large pellets from the sealed bags, drop them into the little sachet bags and then toss them around. Fingers crossed.
Going Forward: Setting Yourself Up for the Long Haul
A refreshed pantry encourages seasonal swaps and keeps you efficient—whether you’re moving, downsizing, or just want easier days.
Grab some trash bags, your steam cleaner, (if you have one) some cleaning wipes or rags and carve out an afternoon to put your pantry back in order. Your future self, and your taste buds, will thank you.
A clean pantry isn’t just organized; it’s the foundation for healthier, happier living. And really—being able to find the celery salt when you need it makes cooking much easier, doesn’t it?
Long-Term Food Storage
After hauling all those long-outdated foods out to the garbage can, we’re promising ourselves that we won’t do that again. Just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean it’s a bargain if you throw it away. The total haul to the trash bin was two of those big black contractor bags. My estimate is about $500 of accumulated things bought over time, on sale for the day we needed them, but just never used. We were “saving it for a special occasion,” aka, the emergency that never happened.
Pantry management (if you want to call it that) is a process, not a one-and-done. Sure, it’s great to have a stocked pantry. But if you’re staring at stacks of foodstuffs you haven’t looked at in a long time, you need to find out what’s back there and get rid of the expired goods. You don’t want to find out the hard way that it went bad. (As I always say, I speak from experience.)
What About Emergencies?
Good question—and one I’ll cover in an upcoming blog post.
As a fashion designer I follow on Instagram says, “Summer is always coming.” Here on the Gulf Coast as well as the entire Atlantic coast, that includes Hurricane Season. We watch tropical activity long before it reaches the Gulf and closely once it does.
Sure, stocking up on canned and dried foods is a good idea right before an emergency. But will you be able to get everything you need right before it happens? Pictures of empty shelves and runs on supplies fill up social media feeds in the days before. But buy too early, and you’ll toss things out like we did. That’s where food made for long-term storage comes in.
These are from MaryJane’s Farm, and can be made with hot or cold water. More in the upcoming blog post.
We’ve tried a couple of brands recently and are confident that buying more of them is a good idea. After using a kettle on a generator and cooking on a camping stove, I’m good with it. More on this in the upcoming blog, because summer and hurricanes are indeed always in the future.
It Happened Again
Just a week or so ago, we had another two-day power outage. A big storm brought a late-season cold front, complete with high winds and plenty of rain. All that activity knocked out power all around the Northshore, not just our little rural enclave.
We quickly deployed the camping stove and the generator. James kept the fridge and freezer operating throughout the outage, and I went out for Wi-Fi, coffee, and some tacos when he went to work. We were fine, including the animals, and we had nearly everything we needed to live through it. Fortunately, we didn’t have to take cold showers, because the power returned just in time.
Before I set my laptop back up at home, I cleaned up my desk. It needed a good cleanup, too.
Future State
After eliminating two of the overstuffed milk crates, we can finally close the pantry door.
The bottom half of our pantry, stacked with black plastic milk crates to keep it neat.
Over time, I need to find a more storage containers for several things. For me, they must be square and stackable to optimize the space I have. Much as I prefer glass, I find that glass in the pantry can be problematic. Broken glass is a dangerous mess.
I’ve asked James about remodeling the pantry to something like this:
Source: DecoratedLife.com via Pinterest
Instead of having a few shelves across the entire space, why not put smaller shelves against the three walls and triple the available space? We took measurements while it was empty and put the paper on the fridge for. . .later. He smiles a little when I ask about doing this in the kitchen. I’m sure he’s going to get right on that.
I’m going to show you the top half of the pantry again. Note that there’s an entire foot of space at the top of the pantry above the goods that’s just sitting there unused. It’s wasted space that would be great to fully utilize.
The top half of the pantry, post-cleanout.
This “extra” space would be ideal for extras, larger items, and things we don’t use as often. The above design would make the additional storage feasible. But he’s having a little trouble wrapping his Navy-Seabee-construction brain around shelves along the walls and not across space as it is now. Putting a shelf across that top will make access difficult. That’s why the three-wall shelf design would be a much better option.
Oh, well. Hopefully, in the future.
Until Next Time
Spring cleaning is a good thing. Need some help? Jill Nystul of One Good Thing By Jillee has a printable spring cleaning checklist, as well as a spring cleaning playlist on Spotify to keep you moving while you’re cleaning. You can stream this on your phone or via your streaming device (i.e., Roku) on the Spotify Channel.
How about something a little different–and vegetarian? Here’s an awesome video of The Pointer Sisters singing a song I’ve never heard of called Save the Bones for Henry Jones. It’s an old clip, but the ladies look and sing fabulous here.
Why not keep moving while you’re cleaning?
In addition to a blog on long-term food storage, I’m looking for a few more good topics, a few more good recipes to share, and not waiting so long in between blogs. Let me know if there’s a topic you’d like me to cover. Meantime. . . .
Enjoy!
He liked the leather wallets, but that’s not me standing next to him.
Expert Trends
As with every New Year, “experts” of all descriptions predict what we’ll be doing after January 1. How many of those predictions become trends is anybody’s guess because a “disruptor” comes along that changes things, like Instagram and TikTok (which I’ll talk about later.) Or life changes in some way, like the three-year thing, and we adapt accordingly. So I decided to see what they’re saying about the newest foodie trends that may be coming to us in the New Year.Trends And Predictions For 2024
I thought about doing this after my last blog post. What are the trends we can look forward to seeing in 2024 on the foodie front? Every year, there’s always something new to discover, even if it’s something old that’s just repackaged. TikTok, the short-video social media, seems to be the primary trend influencer. This blogger does not have TikTok on her phone and only knows what she reads about and sees that flows from TikTok onto Instagram. But because TikTok is the thing now, it’s a driver for these “new” food trends, along with the food industry. Remember how high eggs were a year ago? Record inflation for the past three years has also cut into food budgets from teenagers to families with children, so not everyone is on board with, say, the caviar-on-Doritos trend. Trader Joe’s has announced their Customer Choice Awards 2024, and one of my favorites is on it: The Brazil Nut Body Butter. It’s inedible, but one sniff of that incredible fragrance and you’re hooked. Even BF likes it, but only when I’m wearing some. Predicting trends is not an exact science. Frequently, making predictions can be all over the place, as I discovered researching for this blog. So here are some of the anticipated trends predicted for this year.Tamarind
McCormick is betting on its new “Mexican Inspired” Tamarind blend as the preeminent flavor for all things culinary in 2024.
McCormick makes this
Not straight Tamarind, but a blend, with two types of sugar.
“Boba Tea,” aka “Bubble Tea”
Back in the day, the Frappuccino was the trendy new thing to drink. Then chai came along. Then the famous (or infamous) Pumpkin Spice Latte sparked all manner of fall-based trends. Today, we have Bubble Tea, also called Boba Tea, and it’s being called a new trend for 2024.
This is a generic picture of what Bubble Tea, or Boba Tea, looks like.
Because I don’t get out much, apparently there is Boba ParTea and TeaTery Tea & Tapioca in Baton Rouge. Boba ParTea is near one of our favorite places there, The City Café on O’Neal Lane. (I’ve never done a review on it, go figure, but we like it.) A quick search indicates that bubble tea places are popping up all over Houston. (Get it?) My Boba Tea is out on the west side, on Dairy Ashford, and there might be one in Clear Lake, too. (I couldn’t tell from a search.) Like anything in Houston, toss a quarter in any direction, you’ll probably find at least one. If you can get beignets in Houston, you’ll find a place selling bubble tea, too, but probably not in the same place.
Neighbor E is reading this and holding onto his chai latte real tight.
Neighbor E’s favorite
What It Is
So, what is this wacky new stuff that the kids all like? I did find some in our local Walmart this past weekend:
Yup, there it is.
If I were getting some, I’d go with that Vanilla Latte flavor.
That’s how it’s made, and that’s a lot of sugar.
Retro Anything Trend
For some bizarre reason, there is a 90’s nostalgia food trend happening now. It may have something to do with the release of a movie called Mean Girls, a reboot of the 2004 film. This trend sees retro food reimagined for folks who want to return to their youth or something. Also called “newstalgia,” this kind of thing appears during or right after difficult times. Maybe I should find new copies of some old cookbooks and see where that takes me. On the other hand, I have no plans to source and purchase Pop Rocks to add into something. But it might be a fun joke to play on BF one day if he gets on my last nerve.Increased Plant-Based Foods
Even though I stocked up on unsweetened chocolate almond milk during the most recent freeze, I’m not following this trend. However, an increase in demand for plant-based everything is expected to continue into 2024. Especially considering the increased prices of all types of meat. However, the plant-based meat industry has faced obstacles, forcing many to cut back operations. And it’s not cheap, either. Some providers have closed for business entirely. There just isn’t the demand they anticipated, and the problems of the last three years haven’t helped. Furthermore, the ingredients in some of these offerings aren’t always as healthy as touted.
Because it’s impossible to get normal people to eat this stuff. (Source: Google Images)
Source: Google Images
Source: Google Images/Getty Images
Vegan Pepperoni?
I haven’t been to Trader Joe’s in many months, and the last time I visited Aldi was between Christmas and New Year. TJ’s does offer a fair amount of vegan and vegetarian foods for those who like them. They are a California company, after all, up on all the latest food trends. Well, Natasha from Trader Joe’s List posted this new Trader Joe’s product on Instagram the other day:
Source: Trader Joe’s List Instagram page
Source: Trader Joe’s List Instagram page.
Trend: Artificial intelligence (AI)
AI has been rumbling around for years, but in 2022, ChatGPT brought AI into mainstream consciousness. While this blogger does use ChatGPT—like a bookkeeper would use a calculator—I wrote this blog without ChatGPT’s assistance. (And I’m sure it shows too.)
Automation has been in the food industry for decades. In recent years AI has become increasingly sophisticated wherever it’s used. The infusion of technology probably won’t be obvious to consumers and restaurant patrons. Most of it will work in the background, not in full view.
How It Works
For instance, I saw an article recently (but I can’t find it now) about how companies keep their ice cream flavors in stock. It works like this: the ice cream vendor owns the freezer that’s in your local store or a component thereof. The freezer or component is equipped with a sensor device that sends information to the company remotely, letting them know what to restock automatically.
In other words, HEB, or our local Walmart, or Winn-Dixie doesn’t have to tell the vendor they are out of a specific type of ice cream, gelato, or novelty frozen dessert. The vendor already knows the minute the freezer space is low or emptied. Sensors inside the freezer send them a notification automatically, and the supply chain that brings it is (mostly) seamless. The vendor is already working to get that freezer refilled with Cherry Mocha Chocolate Chunk Hazelnut Crème Gelato before someone starts asking questions.
In restaurants, automation and technology are expected to help pick up the load, saving labor and time. Again, customers won’t see this AI automation. McDonald’s has already opened a test of the automated concept in Fort Worth, but there are also humans working there. Increasing automation with AI is expected to help increase efficiency and cut costs in all types of eateries.
AI Trends In Popular Culture
Fans of The X-Files will remember a semi-comedic episode in the eleventh season (2018) with little dialog and revolved around an automated sushi restaurant. There are no humans in the place, and when Mulder’s order is wrong, there is no one to complain to and no way to get the sushi he ordered. Things escalate quickly, and the duo breaks out of the place. Headed home, Scully’s autonomous (and driverless) taxi speeds out of control, and her house is overtaken by electronics. Eventually, the pair is cornered by several robots that hand Mulder his phone, showing that he has not left a tip or a review. He leaves a 10% tip with his phone, the robots back off and go away, and then everything is all over. We’re a long way from that scenario, but don’t be surprised if the automated restaurant trend becomes more common, even in a limited capacity.Speaking of Ice Cream
This article discusses new trends in our favorite frozen dessert. From calorie (and carb) conscious to more sophisticated flavor profiles, ice cream continues to evolve. I still prefer making my own, but it’s nice to know keto and sugar-free ice creams are available. One of those trends is new flavor combinations. Well, I’ve got one I just saw in Walmart the other night:
Little Debbie is “the other woman” in our relationship.
Hot, Sweet & Sour Trends
If you’re one of those people who think the hotter, the better, you’re about to get your sensibilities whacked. By that, I mean that one new trend is to combine hot with sweet or other flavors to temper the heat and bring new layers of flavor. Gen Z has discovered extremely hot condiments like Sriracha and enjoys adding them to different dishes. Fermented food and drinks like kombucha also continue to be a force in food. Admittedly, this blogger does not go near the stuff. I do like pickles on occasion, especially the milder ones like kosher dill. BF, on the other hand, hates anything remotely “pickle-y,” and will let you know about it–loudly.Rethinking The Drink
People like BF, Aunt Ruth, and Aunt Kathy are just not going to be fazed by the trend of Dry January right after the holidays. (Yup, a bit late for that too, but hear me out.) I don’t drink that often, and I can tell you the last occasions where I had alcohol: A wedding last November, (BF drove us) plus Thanksgiving and this past New Year’s Eve at home. But some folks drink a little more regularly and observe Dry January as a month of “reset.” Actress and foodie Valerie Bertinelli takes it seriously and frequently posts videos about her Dry January on Instagram. If you can’t give up the cocktails, there are ways to enjoy a sophisticated libation without the alcohol in January or any other month.Fancy Sodas and Soft Drinks
For BF, Cherry Coke is about as fancy as he gets. I quit drinking soft drinks back in 1997 and have had only one since then. Now, I don’t have a taste for them. But over the years, soft drinks, aka “sodas,” have evolved into nonstandard versions that appeal to more discriminating tastes. The first one I remember seeing was Izze’s, a “fizzy” juice blend with no sugar or artificial flavorings.
This is just one of many flavors
Zevia
Another one I’ve seen is Zevia Zero Sugar Sodas, but I haven’t tried them myself. They offer soda, energy drinks, teas, and drinks for kids.
One of several varieties
The Dry Cocktail Trends
Non-alcoholic wines and other spirits are also an evolving market, especially for Dry January. Something new that has crossed my path is called Ritual Zero Proof, spirits for people who love to drink. No kidding, it’s a series of taste-alike alternatives to tequila, rum, whiskey, aperitif, and gin. The bottles are sold individually as well as in bundles. (NOTE: I have not personally tried these libations.)
Cocktail ready with no alcohol.
Rethinking Your Drink
Do you want a drink? They’re easy to find. There are always recipes for dry cocktails, or “mocktails,” available online at the touch of a button. I have several cocktail recipes in books, too, like Suzanne Somers Cocktails book, one of my favorites. You can make many of these drinks without alcohol, including my favorites:- The Somersize Mojito on page 17
- The Watermelon Mojito on page 21
- The Ruby Red Greyhound on page 27
