SNACKS SNACKS SNACKS SNACKS SNACKS!
Some salty, some sweet, & all good to eat--a list of treats I highly recommend ðŸ¤
I hope you read the title to the tune of the 2009 hit song by LMFAO featuring Lil’ Jon titled Shots but if not, no worries, now you are up to speed and know what I was going for hahaha.
Anyways, welcome to this latest edition of my newsletter that is dedicated entirely to SNACKS! I’m excited to share with you all some of my favorite treats I love to eat.
ADD THESE TO YOUR COSTCO LIST!!
The dip selection at Costco is full of bangers! The brand La Terra Fina has yet to disappoint me and I highly recommend the Spinach & Artichoke dip with tortilla chips or the Jalapeño Cranberry dip with pretzel thins and pita chips. Their website is advertising a new flavor—Jalapeño Pepper-Jelly—and I’m hoping I cross paths with it because YUM!
I picked up Good Foods Bacon Date Goat Cheese dip when the aforementioned dips were unavailable at my local Costco recently. While it isn’t quite as addicting as the La Terra Fina dips, it is still very delicious. Plus with no added sugar or artificial ingredients, it is the healthier option. I’d love to try it on a burger sometime!
When I visited my dear friends Elle & Bert in Colorado this past summer, they pulled a bag of Golden Island Korean Barbecue jerky from their fridge. Not to be dramatic, but it changed my life. One of the first things I did when I landed back in Minnesota was hit up Costco and buy two bags of jerky, one for Ben and one for me. His and her jerky, how cute. At ~$12/bag it is on the spendy side, but trust me—it’s worth the price. Occasionally it does go on sale so keep your eyes peeled!
I love Kirkland’s mini-chocolate chip cookies. We try to avoid having an excess amount of sweet treats in the house because sugar inflames Ben’s back so I’m patiently waiting for any excuse to come up that allows me reason to buy a box of these cookies so I can snack on their delightfully crispy deliciousness.
If I had more self-control, I’d keep a box of these in my car and enjoy one pack a day. But alas, I do not, and the box would likely be gone in 48 hours. If you are like me and love Trader Joe’s Grainless Granola but live hours away from the nearest TJ’s, I have a recommendation for you! Innofoods Almond & Pecan Clusters is a good dupe. It’s sweet, it’s crunchy, it’s a fave.
10/10 do recommend, could easily eat a whole bag in one sitting.
All-di snacks I love at Aldi 😉
I love charcuterie boards. I can do without the olives and veggies and all the other bullshit that it is taking up space that should be used for the real star of the show—cheese!!! When I am planning to make a charcuterie board (aka a plate with meat & cheese & crackers), I hit up Aldi for supplies. Aldi has a surprisingly good selection of cheese at a really affordable price. This cranberry white cheddar is one of my faves. They have fancier meat options like prosciutto as well as salami slices and summer sausage rounds. They offer a variety of crackers to choose from and their version of Ritz is just as good.
One of my favorite summertime treats is Aldi’s street corn dip with tortilla chips and a nice lil’ Corona with lime. 🤌 The saltiness pairs so well with a cold beer and as the combo slaps, as the youths say.
I try to keep a snack in my backpack for when hunger strikes while I’m at work. I try to make it a healthier snack, one that I won’t be tempted to dig into when I’m home and the munchies creep in. Enter: coconut cashews! They aren’t too coconut-y and a handful is filling enough to keep me fueled between meals. Ben doesn’t like cashews OR coconut, and somehow he likes these LOL.
Move over, honey roasted almonds! There’s a new nut in town. 💅
& the one item I add to every Walmart order!
Bless Walmart’s curb side grocery pick up! It fits my budget, is very convenient, and the store I go to allows me to use my own reusable bags. It’s a win-win-win situation! I generally just order the things that I can’t find at Aldi or Costco including my favorite candy bar! The Sam’s Choice Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Caramel is a smooth chocolate bar with bits of crunchy caramel pieces. It’s salty, it’ sweet, I love it so much!!
I love eating snacks and I love talking about snacks! If you enjoyed this newsletter and would like to support me further, may I suggest sharing Parallel Charts with a friend or a distant relative with the recommendation to subscribe. 😎
This newsletter is free to read, but it takes a lot of time and energy to make. If you’d like to financially support the sustainability of this little endeavor AKA buy me a lil’ snack, I graciously accept funds via Venmo (username: JoVanna-Balquier).
I can’t end this newsletter without urging you to continue to take action to make this world a better place. Pick up your phone and call your state representatives, boycott companies who continue to fund Israel’s ongoing bombings and military attacks on innocent civilians, read books/listen to podcasts/watch videos to learn about the history of the Palestinian people, organize and to attend protests, be brave and speak up about the genocide in Palestine & beyond that is being live-streamed to us. Our struggles are connected. There is power when we band together to fight for what’s best for humanity
Love this!!! Bring on the snacks.