The Lean Green Bean: Groceries Galore

As you all know from a previous post, I haven't been to the grocery store in a while. Not because I don't enjoy it ( I love it!), I just haven't had time. As a general rule, I can last a long time without going to the store if necessary. I usually have enough in the pantry and freezer to get by for a while. There are two exceptions to this rule. I must go to the grocery store ASAP if:

1) I run out of cereal
or
2) I run out of milk for my cereal

Last night I ran out of both...so bright and early this morning I was at the store. Sidenote: I resisted the urge to go to the store at midnight, even though it irritates me greatly if I wake up and I can't immediately eat my cereal. Sometimes I will settle for pancakes or eggs on the weekend...however, we were also out of eggs, so that eliminated my three breakfast options: cereal, scrambled eggs and pancakes. NOT ACCEPTABLE. I settled for an English muffin with peanut butter...and off I went.

MOST IMPORTANTLY- my veggie drawer has been re-stocked!

It's a beautiful sight isnt' it?!

Anyways, as you also many know from a previous post, I get somewhat ridiculously excited when I find new things at the grocery store. I thought I'd share a few with you from my trip this morning:

Let's take a closer look shall we?

First up: Crushed Tomatoes
I've spent A LOT amount of time during my past several grocery trips looking at spaghetti sauce. I've read the label of pretty much every can and jar in the aisle. I'm on a quest to find one with a low sodium content. Easier said than done. Most have anywhere from 500-900 mg in 1/4 or 1/2 cup servings. That can add up quickly, especially since most people like a lot of sauce on the pasta. So when I found these delightful cans, I thought I'd give them a whirl. The can contains crushed tomatoes..and that's pretty much it! There's only 20 mg of sodium in a 1/4 c serving and if you add in some garlic and Italian herbs, it should be very similar to the jars of pasta sauce I usually buy. At least I'm hoping so! I'll keep you posted :)

Up next: Canned pumpkin!
This is not a new product, but I've been unable to get any the last three times I've been to the store. So when I saw a whole endcap, I stocked up. It's great to have some on hand all year and it's hard to find when it's not Fall- so take advantage if you see some. Just make sure you get 100% pumpkin...not pumpkin pie filling that's already loaded with sugar and salt.

Third: Fire-roasted, no-salt added diced tomatoes

I don't really have a good reason for buying these other than I thought the can was pretty. I only really use canned tomatoes in the winter when the "fresh" ones don't taste as good because they are out of season. Since we're coming up on winter, I thought I'd give them a try. They should have a nice roasted taste to add a little more flavor to whatever I use them in. And no added salt is ALWAYS a bonus!

This next one is the one I'm most excited about! I saw an add in a magazine and promptly tore it out and put it on my fridge so I wouldn't forget to buy it. As you know, I'm a huge can of McCormick seasoning. I use it a lot. But I try not to use too much of each time because the second ingredient is salt. Now they have a similar product that is SALT-FREE!!! HOORAY!!! The convenience of having the spices already mixed together for you and the added benefit of having no salt. I can't wait to try it.

Fifth, small cans of evaporated milk.

Again, not really a new thing. The only time I use this stuff is occasionally when I bake, but it's good to have in your pantry. The problem is, rarely does a recipe I use call for a whole can. So I always end up throwing some away. SO EXCITED to find a smaller can!

Next, Ground Flaxseed. I'm going to make an effort to start mixing this in to more of the things I make for some added health benefits!

And finally: Crockpot Liners

Again, not a new product but I try not to buy them all the time because I feel like I'm quite capable of cleaning my own crockpot. But they're only $1.79 for 4 liners so I think it's ok to treat myself to them occasionally :)