Recession Me

From iTunes, you can buy Let’s Go to School by LeapFrog for $9.99 or rent it for $2.99. But, Costco is selling LeapFrog DVDs for much less–$5.99 for the same title.

I was using a Calphalon 12-inch non-stick pan that I had purchased from Target for about 40+ dollars. As with all non-stick pans, the nonstick interior started to degrade over time. Since Calphalon has a lifetime guarantee, I thought about returning the pan for a replacement. But, a quick trip to the UPS store gave me second thoughts since postage was going to run about $15, not to mention another $5 for the shipping box.

At Costco, I was evaluating the alternatives. The Tramontina Sauté Pan Set ran $23.99 for 8, 10 and 12-inch pans. I only wanted a 12-inch pan, since I already had relatively new 8-inch and 10-inch pans. But, the $23.99 price was compelling.

For a tad bit less, the Tramontina 12-inch covered everyday pan was selling for $21.99. I already had a 12-inch lid. However, I would have preferred a long handle instead of the shorter side handles. The difference is that you can control the pan with one hand with a long handle, but need two hands when gripping both side handles.

So, the Tramontina 3-pack ended up in the shopping cart. Let’s see how long this set will last.

Costco was selling a 12 piece Pedrini clip set for $9.99. The clips work great for the various bags of cereal I have in the pantry. But, what really caught my attention was that photo in the bottom right-hand corner of the box.

The clip set includes eight magnetic clips. Is that a magnetic clip on a stainless steel refrigerator door? I love the clips, but unfortunately these magnetic clips did not work on my stainless steel refrigerator door.

I have never been a fan of mandolines. Pushing food across a sharp blade seems a bit too treacherous for me. When I heard about the OXO Good Grips Julienne Peeler, I wanted to give this kitchen tool a try.

I love the OXO Good Grips Vegetable Peeler because it sits so comfortably in my hand. The Julienne Peeler is about the same size, but shorter.

Step 1. Peel a carrot with the Vegetable Peeler.

Step 2. Run the Julienne Peeler over the carrot. I used a fork to anchor one end of the carrot to the cutting board. The Julienne Peeler handled the carrot with ease, but as I reached the end of the carrot, the Peeler had a tendency to clog. The Julienne Peeler worked great on long objects, like carrots. For a short nub of ginger, I found it difficult to produce enough julienne ginger to make it worthwhile before the jamming problem cropped up.

Last weekend, I spotted All-Clad cookware for sale at Costco. Costco was selling a 1.5 qt All-Clad D5 brushed stainless steel saucepan for $49.99. The same product on Amazon is currently selling for $72.99.

Costco has the Snapware Glasslock 18 piece set in stock again for $29.99. If you have any concerns about reheating food in plastic, the Glasslock is an option. However, if you only want a lunch box, consider whether the set contains the right mix of containers in the sizes that you want.

LED lights have finally come to Costco…for a price. I have been testing a different LED bulb for the past few months courtesy of a generous discount from the local electric company. If you think that fluorescent lights have an unattractive glow, the LED will certainly disappoint. In fact, next to the LED, the fluorescent bulb looks downright warm.

But, if you don’t like the inconvenience of properly disposing of CFL bulbs, and you want to save energy, LEDs are certainly an option. But, you will have to pay a pretty penny upfront in exchange for the promised savings that may or may not materialize.

This week, the ranunculus showed up in force. I had purchased two bags of ranunculus bulbs from Costco last fall, and finally managed to get them planted at the tail end of winter. Now, we have a nice row of red, yellow, white and pink ranunculus flowers in the garden.

Feels like Spring.

Two weeks ago, I struck gold during a Costco treasure hunt. Costco was selling 8 16-ounce Verka mango lassi yogurt drinks for $9.89. Sometimes, I need a decent tasting floor sample to convince me to spring for a new item, considering that if you make a mistake a Costco, it ends up being a BIG mistake. Don’t want an unwanted item in bulk hogging the refrigerator.

The mango lassi drink was the real deal. Loved it. Although it does take up quite some space in the refrigerator, it was all gone in a couple of days. So, last week, I was determined to resupply the fridge. Unfortunately, Costco was OUT! The only downside of shopping at Costco is that some items are not always in stock. I thought that the mango lassi might have been a one time test item. However, when I returned tonight, Costco had a refrigerator stocked full of mango lassi. No government shutdown and two cases of mango lassi in the fridge. More than anyone should ask for in one night.