Unusual food items found around town. (COMC)

 mmm-yoso!!! is a blog.  Just an online diary.  Today Cathy is tying up loose ends. Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are being constructive.  Elsewhere.

Hi. I was Cleaning Out my Memory Card (COMC) as one of my Resolutions and decided to put together a post of things I thought I would someday mention.  That day is here.

One day, The Mister and I decided to go to Food 4 Less, (a bag-it-yourself grocery store, same company as Ralphs and Krogers).  Within the cold cuts/hot dog section of the store (I am always looking for skin-on wieners) was this:
A one pound package of bacon wrapped hot dogs, as seen served from many taco trucks. The package was marked down to $1.98, and had an expiration date in ten days. I took this photo in the store and sent it to Kirk.  Immediately. He said it was a post waiting to happen.  

Five of those hot dogs were a pound.  Most of the 'better' hot dogs are packaged seven to a pound.  We needed large bread to hold these dogs.  Costco.  Less than $2.50 for 12 gourmet buns.  (We used the extra ones for sandwiches and turned some into garlic bread). I just cooked the hot dogs in a large teflon coated pan on the stove top, turning until the bacon was crisp.

These are giant dogs (five filled that 12 inch pan) and needed that larger than normal Costco roll.
Topped with mustard and pickles, one was filling and two were too much to eat.  Our good dogs (and cats) got some treats that day. 

I could not figure how to make a whole post about this machine.
We saw it at Parkway Plaza, on the edge of the Food Court, near the Sbarro.  I do sometimes crave spun sugar...
You put in $2 in coins, a stick slides over, then down...
The machine spins the candy floss around the stick.

Viola! A fresh made cotton candy treat!
This machine disperses heated almonds and peanuts.  It was located in the Paddock Bar at the Del Mar Race Track.  I saw it when we were taking a lunch break at the Del Mar Fair. Really brings out the flavor. Now I heat up nuts in the fry pan before we eat them at home.
This past summer, San Diego was a "Test Market" for two Starbucks iced beverages.  Each was made with green coffee- raw- beans. Caffeine was in each beverage, which was juice based, but no taste of coffee (and no tea flavor).  The one on the left was made with lime juice and had fresh mint in it, the one on the right had fresh blackberries and was made with pomegranate juice.  They were refreshing and different and really good on hot days.  I hope the testing went well and we can see these beverages as a regular item in the stores in the future.

Here is a photo of our Christmas Dessert plate...International this year. From 6:00: The apple strudel (German) was an experiment which turned out well. The espresso (Italian) was just perfect that day and the pink item is called Vatkattu Marjapuuro.  It is Finnish. I call it cranberry whip.  Made with fresh cranberries and farina.  It could be a dessert or breakfast.  It ended up being both. Again, it just wasn't enough to do a whole post.

The Costco on Morena Avenue.  Only.  Gelato.

Made daily.  $1.50 for three scoops- mixed berry, pistachio and stracciatella (torn apart/ less chunky chocolate chips in plain (not vanilla flavored) ice cream).  Gelato is more dense than ice cream, is lower in sugar and lower in butterfat.  It is made at this Costco location daily and a quart for $5 is a wonderful deal. I like the pistachio the best...fresh crispy nuts.
The Vons at Liberty Station (not the standard footprint Vons)(when you walk in the center/cart area, go to the building on your left) has a 'make your own nut butter' bar. Between $5 and $7 a pound, these bins were just about to be refilled with fresh nuts. You turn the crank and fill the containers provided. Right next to it were fill your own honey containers, two types of honey. 

So there.  I got another thing off of my "To Do" list!  I hope everyone is taking some time to tie loose ends.   

Comments

[Jimmy M]

Thats funny, I made bacon wrapped hot dogs for lunch today. I prefer mine with cream cheese spread and diced pickled jalapenos.

[Food detective]

Excellent post! I want to try that cotton candy machine and visit that Costco just for the gelato. Do they sell the quarts inside the store?

[Pat]

They've started selling gelato at at least one other costco... the poway one has it now, but not the even bigger hot dogs (bummer!)

[Carol]

Those are some gigantic dogs! Thanks for the tip on the gelato. I'll have to check out the one in Poway next time I'm there. It's a good thing those cotton candy machines aren't near where I live (that I know of) since I love cotton candy!

[Cathy]

That sounds *really* good, Jimmy M! My mom made bacon wrapped dogs, with a slice of cheese in the middle of a sliced dog when I was growing up. Welcome to our blog.

Thanks, FD. The quarts are sold at the walk up window, outside the store. The day we were there, they had two trays of pistachio and one each of the other flavors, all made fresh. (P.S.Congratulations)

Ohhh, thanks for that info, Pat. I know people from Escondido are heading South to use the Costcos off the 15 because their Costco is undergoing renovations for about six months. I hope for gelato to show up in Santee someday...
They were giant, Carol...the Dogs and Cats were happy with leftovers. I do get cravings for cotton candy on a regular basis...

[kirbie]

The cotton candy machine looks so cool!

[caninecologne]

hi cathy - i wish the gelata was at the rancho del rey (chula vista) costco! :(

cool pix! man, those are huge hot dogs! the bacon makes 'em better too!

[Cathy]

The mechanics of the machine are fascinating to watch, kirbie.

I was surprised gelato was sold anywhere other than Morena, cc. I do go to Morena a few times a year, because they sell different items than at the Santee location. The dogs were a bit too large as a serving, I think, but very tasty.

[Food]

The food looks delicious. The hot dog is enormous. The cotton candy looks lovely and the machine is cute. Gelato looks perfect and too cheap. Loved your post. Great work.