Until two weeks ago, I was a raisin snob.  I only ate brand name raisins.  I had tried store brands in the past, but always found them to have a gritty texture and limited sweetness.  However, I was grocery shopping a couple of weeks ago and raisins were on my list.  Sadly, I had been waiting for a few weeks for a sale and/or a coupon with no success.  Since a girl can live only so long with no raisins in her life, I added the item to my shopping list with the intention of buying the smallest size to get me through until the next big raisin sale.  Apparently, I have not paid full price for raisins in a really long time.  I was so stunned by the price, I just couldn’t bring myself to purchase any of the name brand raisins that I have enjoyed in the past.  Kroger happens to be the grocery store where I shop for name brand items that rarely go on sale.  Like most major grocery chains, Kroger has several store brands, ranging from the higher end Private Selection to the cheapest–of-the-cheap Value brand for their customers on a tight budget.  Since the latter describes me to a tee, I opted to give the Kroger Value raisins a whirl since they were about 25% less than the name brand.

My new thinking is, “Down with the raisin snobs!”  These little generic raisins are so incredibly sweet and moist – with absolutely no grittiness.  I actually purchased the raisins with baking in mind.  However, I have been sticking my hand in the box multiple times a day because I can’t get enough of these wrinkled nuggets of sweetness.  They are that good.  Now more than half the box is gone and I haven’t baked a single thing!  Never fear – at such a low price, I bought two boxes.  So I have one for baking and one for snacking.  To make the victory all the sweeter, two days ago I was perusing the weekly sale ads and found my previously favorite raisins on sale.  When I calculated the on-sale price per ounce, it was 11% more than the everyday price of the Kroger Value brand raisin.  To the victor the raisins!!  The lesson?  From time to time, give those store brands another chance.  You never know when you’ll discover a penny-pinching gem.

I saw the first daisy bud in my garden recently!  This made me anxious for the day when there will be enough blooms for me to cut and bring the flowers inside.  Not everybody has the space or the right color thumb to grow their own.  Thankfully, this does not mean that they can’t enjoy the beauty and smell of fresh flowers in their home.  Grocery stores regularly have nice little bundles available.  Since flowers are in season, they are also available at farmer’s markets for reasonable prices.  Some are hesitant to spend the money because they feel that the flowers don’t last long enough to justify the expense.

Bloom life can be extended by following a few easy steps.

• Remove all leaves from the stems that would end up below the water level.
• Fill the vase with a 1 to 1 solution of warm water and clear soda, such as 7Up or Sprite.  Since the flowers don’t care what the soda tastes like, this is a great use of store brand soda.
• Cut the bottom of each stem on an angle before placing the flowers in the vase.
• Every 2-3 days replace (don’t just add more) the water/soda solution.
• Recutting stems before returning flowers to the vase will prolong their life.