Thursday, March 6, 2014

The sort of food-related posts I tend to just put on FB.

While I was at Trader Joe's recently, I picked up another couple of bags of this bizarre product. I'm convinced the company has some crack-like substance they put in all their snack foods. I bought these for the first time on a whim and when I tried a few, I thought, "Ick! Why did I buy these?" Later a few more and I thought, "Meh." And still, I kept going back for more of them. I canNOT stop eating them even though they are basically cheetos made of peas. I need help. According to the ingredients list, they are made up of whole green peas, canola oil, rice, salt, calcium carbonate, and ascorbyl palmitate (vitamin C), so I don't know why they are so addictive. But I know it's not just me. I offered some to my younger son and he looked suspicious and took only one, bit off a small piece and grimaced. Then took another bite. A minute later I looked up and he was staring at me, holding out his hand. I handed over a few more and he ate those. And then he said, "Aren't there any more?"

I got a mad craving for fries the other day, so I went through the drive-through at McDonald's. (Yeah, I know. They're terrible for you. Sue me.) I don't remember suggestive selling being quite this insistent during my teen days of working in fast food:
Drive-through person: "Hi, I'm Danielle. Would you like to try our new strawberry and cream pie?"
Me: "No, thank you. I'd just like a small order of fries."
DTP: "Small fries. And would you like to add on a strawberry and cream pie?"
Me: "No, thank you, just the fries."
DTP: "Did you say no... or YES!?"

Mostly, though, I just grocery-shop and eat at home. I generally keep chocolates out since my son is a grazer with not an ounce of extra fat. I caught him starting to open a bag of chocolates recently and I stopped him, saying I wanted to finish the chocolates in the canister on the kitchen counter first. Smiling, he reached in to grab a handful and said, "Challenge accepted!"

Some days it feels like I've raised locusts instead of humans. And neither of them lets me know we're out of something in a timely way. He complained one morning that he was out of deodorant, so I told him, "Put it on the list."  Later, I saw he'd done this:

36 comments:

  1. I like that, he’s imaginative. If lazy. He made me laugh.
    It’s always the junk food that’s most addictive. That’s why I’ve stopped buying it.
    Now chocolate . . . . .

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    1. It'll be easier for me to stop buying it when I no longer have kids at home.

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  2. he. well it is technically on the list...smiles.
    the veggie straws are addictive too...

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    1. The letter if not the spirit of the law.

      I'll have to try them... I think.

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  3. OMG...you and I are SOOOO much alike!

    "I canNOT stop eating them even though they are basically cheetos made of peas."

    Yes, I've had those same things from Trader Joe's, and like you, once I start eating them I can't stop until I eat the WHOLE bag. And you're right, they're basically Cheetos made of peas. But they're AWESOME, aren't they?

    And another thing, I too love McDonald's fries. I was just talking to my brother about two nights ago on the phone and mentioned that McDonald's fries are my FAVS.

    "I don't remember suggestive selling being quite this insistent during my teen days of working in fast food:"

    THANK YOU! And it's getting to be that way everywhere. Even when you go to Starbucks now, they keep asking you if you want to purchase something else to go with your coffee, like a cookie or pastry.

    LOVE that last photo. HILARIOUS!

    X

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    1. They are way better than real cheetos and at least they have some vegetables in them. That's what I tell myself, anyway. There are no redeeming qualities to fries. Except taste.

      It irritates me, because if I wanted something else, I'd just say so in the beginning.



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  4. Put it on the list - that's funny. Might be a toothpaste tube showing up next.

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  5. The closest Trader Joes to me is 40 mins away and in a very congested area, so I only go about once a year. I will have to look for those crack snacks.

    I like McD fries too, but again, the once a year thing!

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    1. My Trader Joe's is close to an hour away, but I combine it with other errands.

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  6. the deodorant on the list is as clever as it gets. hilarious and clever.

    now i will try this munch from TJ/s. have you had the chocolate covered pretzel bits? that's my current downfall. oh TJ's, your easy peasy foods are ruining my cooking skills…

    love
    kj

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The seaweed snacks are delicious, too. I can't eat chocolate covered-pretzels, though - I don't like salt in my chocolate.

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  7. LOL, love your son's sense of humor. Not sure about those pea cheetos though. I'd have to try one to be convinced. I wonder if they ever sample them at Trader Joes.

    I think they call that "up selling" what happened at McDonald's. Son had a girlfriend who worked fast food and she always hated having to up sell but the manager expected it. I'm not sure how many actually take them up on the offer they try to push.

    Now I want some McDonald fries; they are the best of any fast food ones in my opinion.

    betty

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    1. When I worked at a McDona;d', the training manuals all said "suggestive selling," but hey may have changed the terminology. We were pushed to offer a drink or fries with the order, but only ONCE!

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  8. I suppose locusts tend to like green peas. It does seem strange to make "artificial" processed peas. But then the hippie in me says "Give Peas a Chance!"

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    1. My locusts eat anything in their paths.

      And I often find myself singing that when I'm eating those peas.

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  9. The only thing I'm addicted to is Bombay Mix. Can't get enough of it. Do they have that where you are?

    I hate that up selling business. No, I don't want a side dish or salad or chips or anything else, I just want what I've ordered, okay?

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  10. My daughter gets those black seaweed wraps used for sushi rolls, and the granddaughter wolfs them down. I succumb to 7-11 type snacks in the summer when I go fishing......nothing like pulling a slim jim out and clenching it in my teeth like a cigar when I cast.

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    Replies
    1. Seaweed is, fortunately, good for you. But slim jims I'll pass on.

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  11. Your bag of beans reminds me of yam chips. The first time I tried them I didn't like them at all, but as I went I got more and more addicted.

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  12. I've never come across that product before. Not sure we have them over here. I think that things that get me addicted are cheese and chocolate.
    Seems I can't go too long without eating either of these things!
    Maggie x

    Nuts in May

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    Replies
    1. CHeese and chocolate I've always loved, but this is a little odder an addiction.

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  13. Love how he put it on the list...made me laugh! Okay now I have to go and try those Inner Peas at Trader Joe's. It's okay to have fries every once in awhile :)

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  14. Warning-Just because he moves out doesn't mean that the locusts will disappear. When my adult children return for a weekend, the cupboards and shelves empty out magically. Even when they bring food to share, they tend to "graze" through the fridge and cupboards. I really don't mind, but sometimes is is frustrating when I just bought a bunch of something, and it is all gone when I go to find it. Plus, they are not here to scold!
    Your son's joke made me smile.

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    1. Oh, I know. I already experience that with my older son, who comes home and eats enormous quantities of food. But I welcome them back.

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  15. Love the grocery list add-on. I'm off junk food for a while now. Can never, ever stop once I start and those look far too interesting :)

    XO
    WWW

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    Replies
    1. It's so hard to do with kids in the house. But I'm trying.

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  16. I like those veggie straw things, I'm guessing its good I don't have a Trader Joes near me.

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    1. Probably. Although I think as snacks go, it's not as unhealthy as, say, chips.

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  17. We don't have Trader Joe's here but I always used to love shopping there. I try to avoid snacking now but I'm not very successful to say the least.

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  18. I had said this earlier and would like to repeat. I read all your posts but find it hard to comment . But in this post, you say that you post on facebook. That has got my ears up. I too am but I do not know your fb id to send you a friend request. If you would like to add me as your friend you can send a request to Ramana Rajgopaul, I hope that you will.

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    1. I appreciate the offer, but I try to keep my blog world separate from my FB world to avoid leading folks I know in real life back to my blog, which is secret.

      Delete