I was at a dear friend's house last weekend and we were discussing our favorite Costco (insert Sam's Club here if need be) products. JF fixed several meals using different items she purchased at Costco--items I had never noticed before. Of course, the day after I returned from her house, I rushed to my local warehouse and scooped up both the deli sliced turkey and the fresh ravioli. As I waited in the check out line, I do what I usually do: peruse other customer's carts (nosy, huh?), wondering why they buy what they buy. My bi-monthly cart at Costco usually contains, but is not limited to, the following items: Cibo Pesto ($7 a jar, but lasts for at least three different pasta meals), rotisserie chicken (I'll devote a whole entry to that later), Barilla pasta, Annie's Mac & Cheese, fresh mozzarella balls, bananas, spring salad mix, Peppridge Farm 5 grain bread, canned albacore tuna, and some other "fun" product to fulfill my need to buy impulsively. So, what about you? What do you buy at Costco? What is your must have there? What key ingredients have you discovered at Costco that make great meals?
(And for all you high brow friends out there, we'll devote another entry to Trader Joe's at a later date.)
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Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus, Izze sparkling juices, Gruyere (I dare you to find a better deal elsewhere), organic ground beef, and Nutella (almost the sole reason for my membership!)
Organic ground beef, Nature's Own whole wheat bread, Tropicana orange juice, Manchego cheese (fabulous in pasta salad), tri-color peppers (really great deal), baby wipes, and one of the ever-tempting well-priced paperbacks or cookbooks. I snoop at other people's carts too.
I must admit that one of the things I buy there is pre-cooked bacon. If I'm going to have bacon, pre-cooked is the way that I love it now.
I also go for the cheese - any kind is good at our house, but we especially go through cheddar like crazy(cheese sandwiches are a must at lunchtime for my boy).
I'm going to have to check out the ground beef. We've been going without because I haven't seen organic anywhere here. I never thought to look at Costco. I'm glad I have a trip scheduled for this week...so many new things to try!
Note to readers of "tortillas and oranges" blog: I am not an organic/whole foods type eater. I attempt to cook healthy foods, but I am only one step removed from my hillbilly past with ketchup and white bread sandwiches. Take everything that I say with a grain of salt.
The three pack of Dole peaches in a jar are a must for us. I realize that they probably have lots of things added to them that I don't want to think about, but man they are good and they are a nice fruit side item with our dinner when we are all out of fresh produce. Also on my list, the fresh guacamole which I add chili powder and cumen to. My kids eat it like crazy. The pork tenderloin, butter in a four pound pack, string cheese, the sliced apples in the chilled section are great for lunches and they are organic. :) My favorite Costco find are the uncooked tortillas, which I recognize are not available everywhere.
Jenny...you can get Izze soda at your Costco!! I'm so stinkin' jealous right now. And they totally cut out the gruyere at mine last year (and now the Emmentaler too and have reduced the parmasean to some Kirkland "parma" or whatever) so I'm actually even doubly jealous now. Thank goodness there's still TJoes.
As for my "boring" staples: cashews, almonds, mixed dried fruit, cheerios, heavy cream, string cheese, pellegrino, and Hebrew National hotdogs.
Well I don't buy smiley face toast there, but I definitely go for the mexican french toast and diet coke after I shop, especially if its early in the day and I need a healthy breakfast. My loaded cart usually has bread, butter, milk, fruit crisps, paper products, guac, two pack of salad, almonds and fruit snacks.
I don't really check out other people's carts at Costco but definitely do it at Trader Joe's and think, "That looks good! How come I didn't see that as I perused the aisles?"
My Costco cart most often contains: Country Hearth 100% Whole Wheat breat - the only kind of sandwich bread my son will eat, skim milk, Tillamook pre-sliced chedder cheese (for sandwiches), baby wipes, cereal (Cheerios, Frosted Mini-Wheats, or Honey Bunches of Oats), Classico pasta sauce - sometimes organic (I know Karen is gagging right now), Ravioli stuffed with spinach & cheese by Monterey Pasta Co., Hillshire Farms deli select variety pack (2 kinds of turkey and ham), and if we are having anyone over for Sunday dinner that week maybe flank steak or salmon.
By the way, Jenny and Karen, the Organic ground beef at my Costco is given organic feed (like organic corn) as far as I can tell from the label. It's not purely grass fed - don't know if that's what you are going for, but just thought I'd mention it.
8-pack fresh Ciabatta rolls (I cut in half and freeze to make a caprese sandwich anytime), fresh mozz balls, roma tomatoes on the vine - they stay fresh for 2 weeks!, sea salt & pepper grinders, pre-cooked bacon, Odwalla juice, milk (can't get cheaper anywhere), Crazy Cuizine Orange Chicken (for those - what are we having for dinner in 15 minutes?!? nights), avocados (I can't pick them out myself, but Costco always gives me good ones), sliced Muenster cheese, string cheese, beef brisket, any berries they might have; actually anything and everything possible.
A World Without CHOCOLATE is a world of darkness and chaos. -George Bernard Shaw
(From Becca's sister....I buy anything chocolate that I have not tried before.)
Hey Becca! I love their pork roasts. I can buy 3 pork roasts for around 12 bucks which is a screaming deal. I LOVE the marinated ones. But sometimes they aren't marinated, so I'll roast it in the crock pot and shred it to make BBQ sandwiches. I have received so many great ideas from all these comments! My favorite Costco find: their tortillas that you take home and bake yourself- YUMMM! I just made some for my boys, with honey and butter, rolled it up- they loved it. I love sharing snacks with my kids that I ate as a child. Thanks for all the great ideas everyone!
This is a great post conversation! I like to get dairy--cheddar, feta, eggs, milk and then my 3 bags of frozen fruits--triple berry, plain blueberry and mixed tropical (I esp. love the blueberries for my requried Anti-Alzheimers breakfasts) My Costco recently stopped carrying the whole wheat Einsteins Bagels and this is not good! Frankly, I've been so in love with TJ's as of late that I've jilted Costco for food and go there for diapers and cleaning supplies. I look forward to your TJ's post soon!!
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