One Simple Change: Fruit and Nuts for Breakfast

A whole grapefruit with one tablespoon of whole almonds, one cup of coffee.  This is my breakfast almost every day (while grapefruits are in season).  No sugar needed. I sometimes add a couple of slices of bacon on the days I do water aerobics.  I got these ruby reds from Aldi and they are so juicy and delicious.

Keep it simple, keep it clean.

Aldi Product Review and Sale

Three great products on sale at Aldi this week.

$2.49 I only see these every 4-6 months or so and stock up when they're on sale.
Usually  $6-8 in the grocery store.

Aldi Steel Cut Oats

$1.99 UNfrosted!
They regularly carry frosted which don't eat.

Aldi shredded wheat

99 cents
I've never seen these at Aldi before.

Aldi multi-grain rolls

Aldi: Product Review Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix

With the craze for anything pumpkin these days, I found a wonderful cookie mix at Aldi a few weeks ago.  Our family has really enjoyed these simple-to-make cookies.  Just add water, butter and an egg.  Each package makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.  $1.49 per package.  My son made a batch last week and sprinkled fresh ground cinnamon on top while they were warm.  Yum!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies Aldi

Aldi Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Aldi Product Review : Q Tips Cotton Swabs

I try something new at Aldi just about every week and have posted many product reviews from there.   We were just about out of Q-Tips and I had seen them there on a previous shopping trip.  Bought this package for about $1.29.  The Q-Tip brand is about $3.00+.    These are exactly like them.  I don't like the flexible blue kind and there is usually not enough cotton on the ends on other brands.  These have flexible, sturdier white sticks with plenty of cotton.  375 per package.   These are just what I wanted and at a cheaper price.

Aldi Product Review: Plastic Wrap

This Boulder plastic wrap from Aldi's is excellent.

It's a little hard to tear across but it seals and stretches for a really tight fit.  Check out the tight fit on this plate of leftovers.  About $1.59 a box for 200 s.f.

Just a tip:  If you've never noticed the little press 'n lock  tabs on the end of all rolls similar to this (i.e. foil, other wraps, press n seal, etc), you punch them in and it holds the roll in place more easily.  Believe it or not, until last year I had NEVER noticed or used them!  The directions are on the sides of all "rolls" of whatever you have purchased.

Check out my other Aldi product reviews by searching  ALDI in the search window.

Aldi Product Review : Sour Cream + Recipe: Beef Stroganoff

I continue to shop at Aldi's... each week nowadays.  I tried their sour cream which comes in a light and regular variety.  Tastes just like Breakstone or Daisy.

I made some beef stroganoff recently and used it in the recipe on the back of a box of stroganoff mix.  I think I bought  the mix  at Wal-Mart when I had my last oil change. That's about the only time I ever go in the store.

First I cooked 1 lb. of ground beef and set aside. [You can also use any beef already cooked.  I've used leftover pot roast, stir-fried beef and brisket in this recipe.  The layering of the flavors always adds extra taste.]

I sauté onions until they are caramelized then mix with the beef.   This time around, I was out of mushrooms, but adding those makes it even tastier.

The box always says to add 2 cups of milk to the mix.  I always use one cup of milk and one cup of sour cream.  Let it all simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.  I had time to play a word or two ...

The sour cream and additions, thickens the beef stroganoff nicely.  I served it with corn on the cob, fresh collard greens and  red strawberries/oranges.  A fairly quick and easy meal and if I recall correctly, everything except the boxed stroganoff mix came from Aldi's.  :)

More products I've tried from Aldi's can be read HERE.

Aldi Product Review : Fresh Pineapple / How to Cut a Fresh Pineapple

This pineapple was bought at Aldi's... I believe it was $1.98 but the price fluctuates on this item.  We love fresh pineapple at our house.  The canned is OK and we certainly do eat it, but if I can buy fresh, it is far superior in taste to the canned.  

If you have never cut up a pineapple, it's very easy.  From the time I thought about cutting this one up, to the time I put the knives and cutting board away, it probably took me about 15 minutes.  The first time may take a little longer...

First, cut off the bottom and the top.  I've never been successful at getting a pineapple tree to grow from the top but I've heard this can be done. Let your kids give it a try.

Since you cut off the bottom,  you now have a flat bottom on the pineapple to set it on the cutting board and make it safer for you when slicing. Start cutting around the pineapple from top to bottom, rotating the sides as you cut.

I discard the prickly sides, but you can certainly compost them or even gnaw at the pineapple left in them.  You can't get all the pineapple out with a knife, but your teeth can enjoy a little "snack" while you work.  :)


Once the sides are removed, start slicing vertically all the way around the pineapple until you are left with the hard center core.

I slice up the center core, too, (be careful, it is harder than the rest was) and freeze it for smoothies another time.

I then slice up the long, vertical pieces into smaller bite-size ones.  You are left with a beautiful, large bowl of fresh and really delicious pineapple.  We eat it plain, mixed with other fruit, stir-fried with chicken or beef, on salads... lots of ways to use it.   Enjoy!

Aldi Product Review: Orange Pekoe Black Tea Bags 100 Count

My husband has given up coffee for the most part and switched to hot tea in the mornings.  He still sweetens it with Stevia and uses half & half so I'm not sure exactly what the difference is.  I like tea as well, but some days I've GOT to have my coffee.  :)

Anyway, I found this box of 100 tea bags at Aldi.  $1.89.  SO much less expensive than Lipton or Luzianne. The box says 100% all natural with antioxidants.  It is a regularly stocked item in our store.

Tastes exactly the same to me.

For more Aldi product reviews, click HERE.

Aldi Product Review: Butternut Squash Soup

I recently tried this product [Butternut Squash Soup] from Aldi and it was delicious!  $1.39 for a 32-oz. box of  specialty soup [that's four cups of soup].   This is the kind of soup that you do not add water to and need to refrigerate after opening.  I had never tasted Butternut Squash Soup but was very impressed with the flavor.  Serve it with some crackers and fruit and you have nice light meal; or serve as a side / appetizer with your main course.  I had it as a light lunch one  day and served it with salmon salad a day or two later.  My husband said he liked it, too.  :)

The soup is 110 calories per cup.  Homemade soup, I'm sure, is delicious but it is 397 calories a cup AND is a lot of work to cut up the hard butternut squash.

HERE is the nutrition info.

Try it.  You'll love it.

Remember, Aldi offers a double guarantee with their products.

Aldi Product Review: Raisins and Crispy Oats (Cheerios)

These are two of our favorite products from Aldi's.   Cheerios is my favorite cereal and now my husband is also hooked on it.  He likes it as an evening snack rather than breakfast.  I am a "connoisseur" of sorts of it and can immediately tell if a generic brand is not measuring up. This brand tastes exactly like Cheerios to me.  $1.59 a box.  I think  Cheerios in the grocery store are about $3.79.  I've seen them on sale and with coupons, have paid $2.00 at Winn Dixie, Wal-Mart and Publix.

These seedless raisins taste just like Sun-Maid.  $1.79 a box.  I buy them and refill a Sun-Maid container every couple of weeks with them.  I cannot tell the difference between the two products.

Two good, healthy products at discount all-the-time prices with no need for coupons.

Aldi Product Review: Brown & Serve Rolls

Just a quick post... These are on sale for 4 /$1.00 right now. The cheapest I usually see these is 99 cents each and that is during a holiday season. They store great in the freezer until you need them.

Hurry, while supplies last!

Aldi Product Review : Fresh Navel Oranges

These navel oranges from Aldi are delicious!  My rotation shopping between Sam's Club and Aldi for this product continues and Aldi wins out on this one.  These oranges (10 in the bag) were $1.99.

They are about the size of a tennis ball but compared to the ones I bought at Sam's for $7.98 which were larger but with THICK rinds, these were a better bargain.  

They are juicier, easy to peel and just the right size for a snack or to add as an edible garnish or additional to a fruit side  for your meal.  Enjoy!

Recipe : Fresh Summer Squash with Onions

I love fresh summer squash.  I purchased a package of squash and a bag of onions at Aldi last week so I could make it for dinner.  This is one of my mother's recipes and I think it's delicious.  Very light and easy to prepare, only using four ingredients plus seasonings--4-5 yellow squash, one large onion, one egg, butter.

Slice the onion and squash.  Boil for 45 minutes, then drain.

Add one egg, the butter and the salt and pepper.

 Stir well. The stirring "cooks" the egg, so don't worry about eating a raw egg.

This makes a great side dish or just eat it by itself for a light lunch  (which I like to do).    Here's how I served it most recently at home.     Menu:  fresh broiled salmon, rice pilaf, fresh green beans, fresh fruit salad and wine.

Sam's Club : Fresh Broiled Salmon

I shop at Sam's Club once a week.  As you may know, Sam's and Aldi's are my main grocery stores these days and thankfully, both are very convenient to our home and only two minutes from each other.

This week fresh salmon was finally a reasonable price. I've been craving it but refuse to ruin our food budget for it.  This large piece of salmon was about $14.00. At a restaurant, that would be less than one meal!

This is my husband's recipe and is the easiest and tastiest way to prepare salmon for baking or grilling.  We took a family trip to Washington State and Canada several years ago and my husband was "on the hunt" for the best tasting salmon there.  Honestly, this was better than any we had out west.

You only need three ingredients:  cinnamon, olive oil and honey.  Sprinkle / pour these on BOTH sides of the salmon.  

Rub it in with your hands really well.  

Let it sit for an hour or so.  BROIL one side on the low setting (this may vary depending on your oven)  for 7 minutes, then broil on the other side for 10 minutes.

Cut it in good size sections to serve.  You will LOVE this.    I served it with summer squash, rice pilaf, green beans,  fresh fruit salad and wine. [Everything on our plates and glasses came from either Aldi or Sam's Club.]

This one fish made enough for three meals and I made salmon salad from the two leftover pieces the next day.  Recipe forthcoming.

Aldi Product Review: Fresh Lemons

Lemons are outrageously expensive right now. In the grocery last week they were 79 cents apiece. Just got back from Aldi... 99 cents for a bag of 8! USA / California grown, not South America (stay away from their products).

Aldi Product Review: Spinach & Artichoke Appetizers

These little spinach & artichoke bread bowl appetizers were delicious.  $1.99 for eight / that's 25 cents apiece.  I could probably make them pretty easily from scratch but at that price, they were a special hors d'oeuvres for Valentines home dinner.  :)

I also tried these little bacon -wrapped filets... $1.89 for 5 oz.  They would probably have been better on the grill.  A little tough but very tasty.

Valentines Menu

Spinach / Artichoke Hors d'oeuvres*

Bacon Wrapped Filet*

Fresh corn on the cob*

Fresh broccoli*

Seasoned fries*

Fresh strawberries and cream

White Zinfandel wine

Cappuccino Bambinos (chocolates)

*Purchased at Aldi's

Aldi Product Review: Artisan Lettuce

I love this relatively new Aldi product:  Artisan Lettuce.  It is just the right size for singles, a  small family or a couple.  I used to buy this at Sam's Club but often about 1/4 or more of it would go back before we could use it all.  I really dislike throwing food away. 

There are 3 kinds of lettuce inside and it makes a colorful, delicious and healthy salad.  

Price:  $1.99  (on sale this week for $1.29)  and most importantly, it is a  Product of the USA.