A Few of my Favorite "Costco" things

Since having Juliana, and discovering her food allergies, we have found a love for all things Costco! Costco offers many organic options, and we love their other household type products as well. So here are a few of my favorite things to buy at Costco!

GOODFOODS tableside chunky guacamole.  One of best features of this item: single servings!  We all know Guac does not save well over night, and using a whole bowl with smaller families may be difficult.  This solves that problem, and they are freaking delicious!  Large chunks of avocado, cilantro, tomato and other REAL food ingredients.  Juliana eats it with a spoon right out of the container.  And I add it to our tacos and other southwest dishes every chance I get.

Salmon is hard to get right - easy to overcook, not enough flavor, too fishy at times.  These marinated salmon filets are our "go to" for nights when have nothing planned, or don't have time to make an elaborate dinner.  They are individually frozen in vacuum sealed packages.  The flavor is also exceptional and not spicy at all.  We usually pan sear them, but you could bake, broil or grill them and serve with a side of steamed veggies.  This is a way to get your kid to eat fish.  Juliana won't eat it any other way.

I am Italian and grew up on homemade "suga".  Pre-made pasta sauces just don't cut it.  But, I also know how long homemade sauce takes to prepare, and how much work goes into getting it just right. I am not saying this compares, but I am saying this sauce is really good.  We add some organic ground beef and extra veggies to make it last a few nights, because a good sauce is even better the next day!

What good is a yummy sauce without a perfect pasta?  Well, don't worry, Garofalo organic pasta is legit.  Made in Italy and only ONE ingredient.  Duram wheat semolina flour.  It cooks perfectly, especially al dente style.  We will eat it plain or with a little butter and cheese as well.  

Funny how as we have a moved away from fake to real stuff, even our oil has changed.  This Avocado Oil has now replaced Canola, grapeseed, vegetable, and even Olive Oil in some cases.  We really like the flavor and the fact that Avocados are such a healthy fat to consume.  It is a little pricier, so we still use Kirkland Olive Oil for some dishes.  But I don't feel so guilty when I add this to recipes now.  

Taking a break from food to talk clothes.  Specifically children's clothes.  Babies and toddlers grow out of things before you can remove the tags.  Costco sells 3 piece play-sets and PJ's by Carter's for a lot less.  They have them all year and change the selection for each season.  We also found some really cute DKNY dresses for the spring, and some nice "workout" gear and swimsuits.  I would recommend you look at Costco for the everyday items your children need.

Okay, back to food.  If you know us, and as you read our blog, you know quinoa is a huge staple in our house.  From sweet potato quinoa patties every morning, to quinoa skillets every week, we use A LOT OF QUINOA.  And why wouldn't you?  A complete protein that cooks like a grain.  Easy to make, fills up recipes, mild flavor, and healthy as can be.  We all 3 love quinoa and Juliana screams when we say the word!  I don't know if one brand is better than others, but I buy their's because we eat it so much, and it has met our needs.

Italian wife, hispanic husband. Good tortillas are not found in the store. Have you ever read the ingredients in your typical store bought tortillas (flour)?  Do it.  Right now.  I was so over all of the additives.  These uncooked tortillas have only 5 ingredients.  They cook up in a skillet and are so good.  It is like having fresh, homemade tortillas whenever you want.  They also make corn, but unfortunately, our Costco does not carry them yet.  We keep checking.

And to wrap this up, because I could go on for DAYS, here a list of all of the other items we like to buy at Costco: organic ground beef, organic chicken breast, organic canned black beans and corn (BPA free cans!), organic frozen broccoli, organic frozen blueberries, organic corn tortilla chips, and they used have an organic pizza kit we loved but they stopped carrying it at ours last month - boo.

We have purchased some other cool stuff - like a nice canopy/tent for the outdoors (and we got married under it!), toys, a microwave, bed sheets, and a nice padded kitchen floor mat.  Their return policy is the best - just keep the receipt (make a photocopy in case it fades), and at any point, you can return the item.  We returned a microwave years later because it quit working and they gave us a replacement.  No hassle.  No questions asked.

What are your favorite things to buy?