These are a few of my favorite things...

I always enjoy when friends share things they are excited about on their blogs...so here's the first edition of "My Favorite Things"

Trader Joe's Salt Scrub

http://www.traderjoes.com/index.html

My friend, Kameron, gave this to me as a birthday present. It has been great on my rough arms and legs and the grapefruit scent is heavenly! I use it all the time.

One problem, Kam what do you use to clean your tub/shower? It does seem to leave a hard-to-clean residue.

FREE Costco Cookbook

http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/2007_recipes/

While shopping at Costco during the holidays, we were given this cookbook for FREE. I have recently started using it, and there are some incredible recipes! It makes me want to cook--and if you know me, that is a big deal. If you missed them in the store, the good news is that they have the whole book online. My favorite recipe so far:

Tilapia Parmesian (p.161). Sooo yummy and really easy!





Fresh and Easy Market
http://www.freshandeasy.com/home.aspx

One of these new stores has come to our area and we have become kind of addicted. If you have one near you, you should check it out. It is a really different concept than traditional grocery stores. It's much smaller, which is a big bonus, for me. It is much less overwhelming to take kids there than it is to a big store like Fry's, or heaven forbid, Wal-mart.

Prices are kind of a mixed bag. Some things are a bit more expensive (usually produce) but the quality always seems to be really high. Some things are less expensive. You can get great deals on things like Olive Oil, Vinegar, spices, etc. The big tip is to ask for the coupons, if you don't have them yet. I don't think this will last much longer, but for now, they have coupons for $5 off of $20, and at our store (at least) they will use multiple coupons per transaction. For example, the last couple of times I have spent $40 and used 2 coupons, so only was charged $30.

Their store brand stuff is really good! Some of our favorites: The cookie dough in disks that you take home to bake (refrigerated section--packaged like ice cream). The chewy texture is so good! All three gelatos (chocolate, roasted banana, and pistachio) are really yummy. One of our favorite things to do is get the refrigerated pizza dough (regular and whole wheat) and pizza sauce (dough and sauce cost about $1/each) and let the kids help us add toppings. We do have to bake things a little longer than instructions say. I don't know if that is because of our oven, or their instructions. I also love the fresh meats (roast beef) and cheeses ready for sandwiches. Another nice feature is the ready-made foods section. There are a lot of foods ready to microwave or cook for easy prep meals. I have found these really helpful in fighting against the Fast food compulsions, and much healthier.

What are your current favorite things?