Merrin's Profile
Albertsons changing (back) to Lucky
The Lucky here doesn't seem much different yet, save for the new Lucky logo seats on ratty carts and some slowly deflating red and white balloons in the store. Have only done one short shop there so far, but prices did seem a smidge lower on some things I bought. Improvements? I'm waiting to see those, I guess all they've had time for here so far is slapping the Lucky name on things.
Albertson's got bought by Save Mart. Hopefully they will better manage their stores. Ours smelled like old sweat socks from the time it was Lucky, through the change to Albertson's, up until the last few months when they must've spiffed things up to make the sale.
http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/07/16/daily53.html?surround=lfn
Two Buck Chuck in the news again...
We've had some decent bottles, and for a time mostly used it to add to stews and such because it tasted fine and was, of course, cheap. After getting a bottle that was like grape juice with rotgut added we've steered clear. I suppose I might try another bottle in the future, but only if it's right under my nose and I have $2 in my pocket. Certainly won't seek it out the way we all did when it was first introduced.
I think I remember their merlot never being good, but it's been so long I'd hesitate to say for sure. There are definitley good bottles now and again, it's worth trying.
At the very least it's fun and you can say you had Two Buck Chuck. :D
Most useless kitchen gadget?
"We wondered: is it worth paying $15 to $60 for a contraption that saves the effort of pouring our tea from pot to pitcher and sticking it in the fridge?"
For $5 on an end of aisle sale at Target, my iced tea maker is one of my best gadgets. Load up the brew basket with tea, sugar, lemon peel, whatever flavors you like. Fill the pitcher with ice. Push a button. Voila, perfect iced tea that is already cold and perfectly sweetened and flavored.
"Coming in at a close second (in the "it seemed like a good idea at the time" category) is the 1,000 sheet box of sheet parchment I picked up at a wholesale place, and probably still have 975 sheets of nine months later."
Our Costco opened up close to 10 years ago and I'm still on my first box of aluminum foil. Actually, I've never been happier - I used to run out of foil all the time, and the little boxes were expensive and the foil wasn't as strong as this stuff. I think I will be able to pass this box along to the next generation! XD
Most useless gadget ever? A plastic handheld chopper/whipper/beater that looked like a giant measuring cup with some cheap plastic inserts and a handle that turned like it was held on with rusty bolts, touted to replace expensive food processers and mixers. It's tied in my book with those flimsy egg slicers that you have to replace every few months because the wires break.
