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5 hours ago, popmom said:

One of my twins is living here this semester while she interns. She loves the iced green tea with peach syrup at Starbucks. She asked me to order some sugar free peach syrup, and it was delivered today. We are going to try to recreate the Starbucks drink, so she's not tempted to spend all the $$$. Green tea does have a little caffeine, but it's not much. 

Oooh, sugar free is good! I am diabetic. I have been wanting to make my own sf vanilla syrup, but haven’t gotten around to trying it yet.

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1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

 

I keep the Idahoan pouches on hand, too. Mashed potatoes are DH's comfort food. I'm totally not into lots of work to make mashed potatoes for one, and he loves them. Plus they're great for thickening a lot of soups.

My DH has had an enormous amount of dental surgery in the past year and I've made him a lot of instant mashed potatoes!  They've been a lifesaver.  Five minutes and he has some solid food to eat.  

 

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I finally got my new vacuum in last night.  🙌🏽

third times the charm, I guess.  It works awesome.    I should’ve just stuck with what I know.    
I got a shark and an oreck and sent both back and got a dyson.   I had a dyson and liked it.  I should’ve known.  🤷🏻‍♀️

 

ds still waiting to hear about that job.  

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On 2/13/2023 at 2:35 PM, Loesje22000 said:

You know youtube? It is FULL of videos with people showing how to crochet, you can replay  a video 30 times and they are still happy to see you and willing to show how to crochet… The only teachers who are never tired to show it one-more-time 😉

Yes, I admit, youtube taught me crocheting…

 

I learned how to knit from YouTube.  I make hats and gloves and sweaters.  I’m currently working on my 6th sweater.  I love it!  

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1 hour ago, Indigo Blue said:

Harriet, which red fruits do you put in your rooibos tea? How much? Thanks!!

I usually buy a loose-leaf mix that includes dried, mixed berries. I've also seen strawberry rooibos or blueberries included, but I think the bolder flavors of raspberries and cherries pairs best with rooibos. 

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Jumping in to this fun thread!

Tea - I have been trying to find a good nighttime tea. I've gone through and rejected so many. Chamomile makes me a little ill. Valerian gave me insane dreams. Rooibos simply tastes terrible to me. Mint of any kind gives me heartburn. I love the taste of spearmint tea but nope!

Anyway, now when I am browsing teas I check the list of herbs in them, and almost always there is one that doesn't work.

Last night I tried Lemon Balm. It was good! And no weirdness in the night. 

 

Different topic: When I was a kid in western NY, we had a red currant bush in our yard. When we moved to CA, we had no currants and I did not have any for years. Once in a blue moon I would see some in a high-end produce market. Then we moved to OR and never saw them. 

Yesterday walking into Wegmans (large and wonderful regional (?) grocery chain) I saw a little basket! They were kind of expensive but I snatched them up. My family sampled them and didn't like them - too tart - so I luxuriously ate the whole basket myself. It transported me back to my long-ago back yard, sitting by that bush plucking currants. Dreamy!

And now I'm wondering why I have not explored planting a currant bush in our yard. Maybe this year... 😄

 

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4 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

 

I keep the Idahoan pouches on hand, too. Mashed potatoes are DH's comfort food. I'm totally not into lots of work to make mashed potatoes for one, and he loves them. Plus they're great for thickening a lot of soups.

I just saw these for the first time ever at the grocery this morning! I don't generally like mashed potatoes but DH does and I was tempted to buy some because of this thread. Some of the flavors sounded really yum. I bought a couple years worth of frozen at trader Joes around the holidays, but if we ever go through them I might switch methods! 

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4 hours ago, stephanier.1765 said:

My mother, who has always been a cook from scratch kind of person, always has Bob Evans on hand. She evens uses them for holidays now.

They are pretty good! Bob Evans restaurants used to be my favorite road-trip place, back when I was young. Great b’fast any time of day. 

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13 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

Oooh, sugar free is good! I am diabetic. I have been wanting to make my own sf vanilla syrup, but haven’t gotten around to trying it yet.

I tried it today in regular iced tea, and it was really good! I was worried it would taste fake. It's not very sweet, but that's how I prefer it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P664XG?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

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I've spent two weeks at my mother's with the original intention of helping her sort, purge, and maybe move to a retirement community - that didn't happen!  But I feel quite happy with the decluttering, filing, and cleaning that I've done for her to stay in this house, it's really nice.

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On 2/14/2023 at 6:32 AM, WildflowerMom said:

Ahhh, now see I hadn't considered using leftover mashed potatoes.   Dh & I decided we won't cook it again and we'll just go to the restaurant and get it.  However, with the mashed potatoes done another night, it would relieve a little bit of the burden.   
and yes, it was really tasty.   But not exactly a meal I'd make if I was trying to get something on the table quickly.  

 

I make a simple shepherd's pie (cottage pie to non Americans) but I use refrigerated mashed potatoes. They're actually quite good and nothing like those boxed flakes some of us remember from childhood. 

 

As for eating food out rather than cooking it, some foods are just not worth making at home. I made coconut shrimp once. While it was delicious it was also messy, time consuming, and labor intensive. After that one time I decided coconut shrimp is something I'll order out but never make at home again.

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On 2/15/2023 at 9:46 PM, ScoutTN said:

 

I need new tea (to drink!) Suggestions? Herbal or caffeine free, mostly. 

 

 

On 2/16/2023 at 12:52 AM, Harriet Vane said:

Rooibos is a deep, malty, complex tea, and plus you can imagine yourself drinking it in the company of Mma Ramotswe of the Number One Ladies Detective Agency.

 

I love Rooibos tea. I never heard of it until I read that first book for a book club about 10 years ago. I think at that time I could only find it online but now it's readily available at all my grocery stores. Dh isn't a tea drinker but ds loves it. I always keep it on hand and even now at 25, ds will offer it to friends when they're here.

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42 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

 

I make a simple shepherd's pie (cottage pie to non Americans) but I use refrigerated mashed potatoes. They're actually quite good and nothing like those boxed flakes some of us remember from childhood. 

 

As for eating food out rather than cooking it, some foods are just not worth making at home. I made coconut shrimp once. While it was delicious it was also messy, time consuming, and labor intensive. After that one time I decided coconut shrimp is something I'll order out but never make at home again.

When we eat out, I specifically order something with this thought in mind: can I easily cook this myself or not.  If I can’t, I’ll order it.  

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47 minutes ago, WildflowerMom said:

When we eat out, I specifically order something with this thought in mind: can I easily cook this myself or not.  If I can’t, I’ll order it.  

My sons complain about the expense of eating at Italian restaurants for this reason. They think about how cheap pasta is to cook at home and then how expensive it is to eat out and they don't like it. They definitely prefer eating at places where the food is very different than what they would make at home.

 

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I finished my blanket!  After I posted, news came out that one of my kid's teammates may not get a chance to return before the end of the season due to injury. I managed to knit nearly 3 feet in 4 days, put a back on it yesterday, and today it'll go off to its new home along with some toys and puzzles from the rest of the team.

I would post a picture but it's one of those "do I really want to put out such specific info in the internet?" situations because it's the team logo on the blanket.  Hopefully it makes him feel connected still while he's healing. ❤️

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May I get opinions on Kirkland/Costco toilet paper and paper towels? I'm brand loyal to Charmin and Bounty (which I know I can get  there, too). Is the Kirkland brand good enough to justify saving a few pennies or should I stick with my favs?

(We recently joined Costco because there was a big ticket item we wanted and the amount we saved by getting it there way more than covered a year's membership. So now we're trying to figure out what else we might want to buy there.)

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36 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

May I get opinions on Kirkland/Costco toilet paper and paper towels? I'm brand loyal to Charmin and Bounty (which I know I can get  there, too). Is the Kirkland brand good enough to justify saving a few pennies or should I stick with my favs?

(We recently joined Costco because there was a big ticket item we wanted and the amount we saved by getting it there way more than covered a year's membership. So now we're trying to figure out what else we might want to buy there.)

 

We tried their toilet paper and didn't care for it. I'm brand loyal to the same brands as you and will stick with them. I also tried their paper napkins and tissues but didn't like either. The paper napkins feel rough, not quite sandpapery but close imo. As for tissues, dh bought them without consulting me. He doesn't have allergies and therefore only needs a tissue occasionally. As someone with seasonal allergies ("seasonal" in Florida is actually year round, just different pollens each season) I use tissues multiple times a day even when taking allergy meds. I need the softness that no other brand but Kleenex provides.

 

Bottom line - I like a number of Kirkland products but their paper goods are not among those products.

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3 minutes ago, WildflowerMom said:

Ds21 got a new job and I think it's going to be a good fit!   More pay, bonuses, benefits, and second shift which I think might be the sweet spot for him.   Plus it's 5 minutes away!  

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Congrats to him.  Sounds like an awesome job in everyway.

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It's been a long time since I was ten. 

 

I had a younger brother, raised a stepson, a bio son, and have two grandsons. I've met their friends. I know boys. I know how much energy they have.

 

My cousin is currently keeping her granddaughter while her daughter is away doing manager training. They came to visit us Saturday and we went to the local zoo. 

 

I had no idea about the boundless energy a 10 year old girl can have! 🤣🤣🤣

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4 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

 

We tried their toilet paper and didn't care for it. I'm brand loyal to the same brands as you and will stick with them. I also tried their paper napkins and tissues but didn't like either. The paper napkins feel rough, not quite sandpapery but close imo. As for tissues, dh bought them without consulting me. He doesn't have allergies and therefore only needs a tissue occasionally. As someone with seasonal allergies ("seasonal" in Florida is actually year round, just different pollens each season) I use tissues multiple times a day even when taking allergy meds. I need the softness that no other brand but Kleenex provides.

 

Bottom line - I like a number of Kirkland products but their paper goods are not among those products.

Agreed. I much prefer Bounty and Charmin as well compared to the Kirkland brand. I don't know if it's because I was already brand loyal to the products before I was a Costco member but I really don't like the way their products feel.

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6 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

May I get opinions on Kirkland/Costco toilet paper and paper towels? I'm brand loyal to Charmin and Bounty (which I know I can get  there, too). Is the Kirkland brand good enough to justify saving a few pennies or should I stick with my favs?

(We recently joined Costco because there was a big ticket item we wanted and the amount we saved by getting it there way more than covered a year's membership. So now we're trying to figure out what else we might want to buy there.)

I was happy with the Kirkland TP until I discovered that it makes me itch. Like, badly. So it's always Charmin for me now.

We are happy with the Kirkland paper towels. I should say my husband is happy with them, because he's the bigger user. 

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23 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

May I get opinions on Kirkland/Costco toilet paper and paper towels? I'm brand loyal to Charmin and Bounty (which I know I can get  there, too). Is the Kirkland brand good enough to justify saving a few pennies or should I stick with my favs?

(We recently joined Costco because there was a big ticket item we wanted and the amount we saved by getting it there way more than covered a year's membership. So now we're trying to figure out what else we might want to buy there.)

I greatly prefer Charmin to Costco TP. I used to prefer Bounty for paper towels just because of the select-a-size thing, but now Kirkland does that too. I usually just stock up on Bounty when Costco has it on sale, but I'm OK with the Kirkland brand. For tissues, I usually buy Kirkland because the difference in quality between those and Kleenex seems negligible to me and not worth the extra cost for Kleenex. TP is the only paper product where I think there is a really big difference in quality between Kirkland and Charmin, and I can usually get Charmin on sale there for close to the price of Kirkland anyway.

The other things I usually get at Costco are detergent/cleaning products, ziploc and trash bags, foil & clingfilm (huge boxes that last forever), large bags of frozen organic fruit and veg, and pantry staples like olive & avocado oil, organic sugar, organic quinoa, nuts & seeds, and some fresh fruit & veg (for example, they sell large bags of Power Greens, which is a mix of organic baby kale, chard, and spinach, for much less than Trader Joe's or Whole Foods).  Their bagged salads are good, too. 

If you eat meat, their rotisserie chickens are still $4.99 and they're generally larger and better cooked than the ones from WalMart and most grocery stores. Their other meats are not cheap but they're high quality. Their cheeses are very good, especially the Coastal Cheddar, and they have good prices on parmesan and manchego. You can get a huge tub of marinated fresh mozzarella for less than the price of a small block from Whole Foods.

Bedding is often a good deal, and believe it or not, they often have really nice clothes at crazy cheap prices. I bought a pair of joggers a few months ago on sale for $12 and they are literally  the softest, lightest, most comfortable pants I've ever owned. As soon as I tried them on at home, I went straight back to Costco and bought 4 more pairs, and I wear them every day. DD has bought leggings, sweaters, and socks there, and I buy most of DS's socks and underwear there.

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If you are ever curious what it is like living with a 13yo, let me give you a glimpse into our day:

7am: wake up.  Child is grumpy.  He begins an hour long complaint about how tired he is, how he doesn't want to have to choose how his eggs are cooked, how he's missing a sock, how his legs hurt, how he doesn't want to go...

8am: gentle reminder to get his rear end in the car begins a new hour of sulking, sometimes being silent, sometimes telling me that it's vacation and he should get to sleep in.

8:40am: he doesn't see why he has to put his street clothes in his bag, how hard it is to get on his skate, how this is going to suck.

9am: on ice.  He decides to absolutely soar.

10am: back in the car.  I get 40 minutes of nonstop talk: how great that was, how excited he is to go back tomorrow, did I see him do xyz? These coaches are awesome.

 

I'll let you know what Wednesday morning brings, but if you guess it is going to be exactly like today, you have a 99% chance of being right. 😂

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The Holderness Family has a new song my family is, uh, enjoying.  At least the first 30 seconds or so. I'm not going to link it, but it's Alanis Morrisette narrating your day.  Every time I walk past the kitchen now I pop it on my phone. 😂  And guess what?  My kids' dishes are making it not just into the sink but the actual dishwasher!  The table is cleaner!  They're rolling their eyes but coming back to take care of their messes.

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52 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

The Holderness Family has a new song my family is, uh, enjoying.  At least the first 30 seconds or so. I'm not going to link it, but it's Alanis Morrisette narrating your day.  Every time I walk past the kitchen now I pop it on my phone. 😂  And guess what?  My kids' dishes are making it not just into the sink but the actual dishwasher!  The table is cleaner!  They're rolling their eyes but coming back to take care of their messes.

I just watched it. That was great!

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