I’m going to steal a page from Kmkat’s book* and offer a Ten On Tuesday this week. And since I just crawled back from the grocery store with like a million things to unpack and put away (but which I’m ignoring because It’s Important To Blog Right This Second), I offer you:
(What could be more thrilling!?)
1. 2% milk
It goes in coffee, and a splash of it goes in my oatmeal every morning. THIS IS INARGUABLE.
2. Quick oatmeal, whichever’s cheapest.
Oatmeal’s one of those things that’s so cheap, about half the time I can get the store brand on sale for less than the bulk price.
I eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning. I win at oatmeal. 1/2c oats, 1 c water, microwave for 2 minutes. Add a generous dose of cinnamon (good for the blood or something), a splash of 2% milk, a scoop of chopped walnuts (omega 6 fatty acids), and a scoop of Craisins or frozen blueberries (antioxidants, and a serving of fruit for the day), plus a bit of brown sugar (a surprising amount of sweetness for relatively few calories, and all-natural).
Fast, delicious, nutritious, and cheap! About 20 cents a bowl, more or less.
3. Coffee
Have you tried Millstone’s “Mayan Black Onyx”? It’s surprisingly good for the price, and organic/shade grown to boot. Millstone’s Italian and French roasts are also quite good. All the rest of their coffee varieties are… less good.
4. Wheat Thins
Some time in the last few years, Wheat Thins dropped the HFCS and became roughly 3,000 times more delicious. Like, problematically delicious. I have to dispense a handful, then walk across the room and put the rest of the box on the shelf far away from my desk.
5. OH GOD WHAT DO I BUY AT THE STORE THIS WAS A STUPID IDEA I’M TOO TIRED FOR THIS. No, wait, I thought of something! A head of lettuce.
I’ve gotten pretty good about having a big salad (with lots of stuff on it) every afternoon. And the locally-grown lettuce out here is SO DELICIOUS.
6. Coke Zero, or – given the price of soda these days – Safeway’s in house brand Refreshe’ knock-off.
Which is surprisingly accurate! I’m honestly not sure if I could tell the difference in a blind taste test.
7. Apples
I really like apples. I have deeply-held opinions about various apple varieties. I try not to talk about apples too much, because I understand it’s one of those things that I care about way more than normal people.
I try to limit myself to only one apple a day. I usually eat them sliced, either sprinkled with salt or with slices of cheddar.
8. A giant brick of Tillamook cheddar cheese
This is one of the joys of living in the Pacific Northwest. Tillamook cheese is THE BEST. And you can buy a two-pound brick for, like, seven bucks! Such affordable protein, and so delicious!
The orange Tillamook Baby Loaf is one of those things I never take for granted. Every time I pick one up at the store I think, “Yay!”
9. Nature Valley Granola Bars
I have heard there are people who don’t eat, never buy, and don’t like Nature Valley Granola Bars. This confuses me. I understand it but I don’t, like, get it. They’re the perfect food!
10. Canned tropical fruit medley
This is just a super-fancy version of fruit cocktail, but not slimy and gross and over-sweetened.
I discovered this stuff way back when I was experimenting with Ambrosia (something my Sims enjoy eating). It has chunks of pineapple, mango, guava, and I don’t know what else. Good stuff. Packed in fruit juice, not sugar syrup. Lots of fiber, and over three servings of fruit per 15-ounce can!
It’s totally delicious, but apparently I’m the only person who eats it, because the cans are always on sale no matter where you go.
* Speaking of stealing books from Kmkat, I need to send you a check for Shear Spirit!
I noticed you don’t buy eggs…
I like old fashioned oatmeal but other than that, right there with you!
On apples, down here, I only eat either pippen or granny smith apples that pass the grip test. If however, you can get Amy to send you apples, they’re all incredibly delicious.
Deeply held opinions on apples are a very NW thing. They could probably do an insurance commercial based on apple opinions. Right up there with ‘Blue Tarp Camping’ and ‘Socks ‘n Sandals Guy.’
You can actually thank Carole (caroleknits.net) for the Ten on Tuesday thing; I’m just following the herd.
Sometimes I make up a big ol’ batch of real oatmeal with chunks of apple and cinnamon and nutmeg and brown sugar and maybe some pecans and have it in the fridge. I’ll get 4 or 5 breakfasts out of it. Mostly though, I buy Quaker’s Instant Oatmeal and have that. Yeah, I know. Maybe I should try your quick oats thingy — sounds like it doesn’t take any more time or effort, and it would be cheaper and probably better.
Honeycrisp are the apples of choice around here. They were developed at the University of Minnesota about ten years ago but have only become available nationally within the past couple years. Crisp and sweet, yum. But they are not good keepers; by January they are not available.
I found your check JUST THIS VERY AFTERNOON! So no need to send another.
ROYAL GALA ALL THE WAY.
See, there are more of us with deeply held opinions about apples.
Oh awesome, I’m glad you found the check! I had one all ready to go in the mail, but hey!
The 2-minute oatmeal is way better for you – cheaper, more fiber, more nutrition, less sugar. (Which I compensate for by adding brown sugar! But I figure my sugar is better than whatever Quaker adds.)
I have had some great Honeycrisp apples, but the ones I’ve had recently have not been so good. Too big, and not enough flavor. I think some mad scientist figured out a way to make them cheap but crappy to fill demand. Sad!
I’m still working on getting the crock pot steel cut oatmeal right. It’s a little too thick for me, even using Alton Brown’s recipe. But I shall persevere, because I like oatmeal.
I adore me some Gala apples for regular eating, usually with a bit of cheddar too. (You’re also making me miss the Super Mix ice cream I ate back in the mid-90s in Oregon, and found only in the actual Tillamook Creamery stores). This coming fall I want to go apple picking at a U-Pick and find some other varieties. This is probably fueled by a friend absolutely swooning over, of all things, a Golden Delicious *right off the tree*. She was over in Yakima, and swears it was better than anything she’s had in the store, especially the fancy pants designer apples. Color me intrigued!
I know I’m late to this post, but surprisingly I need to talk about your grocery list. It’s probably because it is so close to mine. Forgive me if this gets long, I’m procrastinating.
1. Do not under any circumstances take the availability of Tillamook cheese (particularly medium cheddar) blocks for granted!!!! I’m stuck in the Southeast where my normal grocery store cheese choices range from Kraft – Cracker Barrel – to something called Hellava Good ________. If I want Tillamook, I can go to our version of Safeway, or Haggens, and get a tiny package of Sharp Cheddar, for you know $7.00 Or, I can pay $40. for a Costco membership to get a big packaged of pre-sliced. It is just not the same as the Tillamook Block.
2. Oatmeal seems to get very personal. I loathe and despise instant oatmeal with abandon, so I’ve learned to make my own. It’s very similar to yours, but I used Quaker Old Fashion Oats. I pack all the dry ingredients in a ziploc to take to work. Then I pour boiling water over it, put a lid on the bowl and let it sit for 3 -4 minutes. The part I think you will really like is that in addition to all the stuff you put in, I add chopped up dried apples.
****I cannot find specific varieties of dried apple here because, well, it’s the south. However, the combination of craisins, dried Granny Smith apples, walnuts, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Perfection.
3. For regular eating I adore Pink Lady apples.