Shopping spree

My title is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, as I didn't really buy that much this weekend. It started out on Saturday, with Aki & me spending 2 hours at Whole Foods. Although we each bought only $5 worth of groceries, we got to sample many tasty tidbits, including guacamole, mango & red onion salsa, various cheeses (jack, swiss, & goat cheese w/cracked pepper), truffled walnuts, veggie chips, choc chip cookies, buffalo wings, mushroom pizza, Thai-flavored pork sausage, another Thai-inspired salmon stir-fry, Italian bread, and a frangipan pear tart which was by far the most delicious thing I have eaten in recent memory. Yay for free samples!

I was thinking of checking out a new church in Hillsborough this morning, but I woke up at 11 am. So instead, I decided to hit the mall. :/ I was looking for a black turtleneck and some camel-colored corduroy pants. Didn't find either, but did pick up a white long-sleeved T-shirt...and that was the result of a few hours of shopping. Yes, I know, I am a very inefficient shopper because I'm really picky. If I don't love an item, I'm reluctant to shell out the $ for it, even if it's like less than $10. Thus, I end up wearing the same things season after season & they get old & worn out as a result. I'm beginning to learn from my mistakes by buying 2 of the same thing (maybe in different colors) if I find something I like, but that was not the case today. Besides, there weren't very many sales going on. Finally, I headed to Kohl's for their lowest-prices-of-the-season sale and bought a pair of 14K white gold hoops (orig. $50, now $17). I actually have a pair of round hoops that I wear all the time, but the new ones are more oval-shaped and hammered so they reflect light better. Ooooh, shiny...

I also stopped at Wegmans to pick up lettuce, Edy's slow-churned vanilla ice cream (on sale for $1.99) and Wegmans brand frosted mini-wheats. I'm trying to incorporate more fiber into my diet since I found out the recommended daily intake is 25 g and I only get half of that. The cereal has 6 g per serving and not too much sugar, at 11 g per serving. I love cereal. I hear they have cafes that serve cereal in Asia (is this true, Jois?). I think that's such a neat idea, although I'm not sure I would pay to be served something that's so easy to make yourself. Anyway, Wegmans has the best prices I've seen so far for its store-brand cereal--better than Target and Superfresh. Maybe Shoprite still manages to outdo them, but Wegmans even makes a generic brand of Honey Bunches of Oats.

Okay, in case anyone (cough, cough) needs a reminder on how to boil an egg, I'll put it down here. From The Joy of Cooking:

Eggs should never be boiled--they should be cooked gently at no more than a bare simmer (bubbles rise & pop at the surface of the water). Higher heat overcooks the proteins, leaving the egg white tough and rubbery. In addition, the vigorous action of boiling water bashes the eggs around, often cracking the shells and causing them to leak. We recommend cooking eggs by lowering them into already simmering water--enough to cover them by at least an inch. It is important to have a saucepan large enough to accommodate all the eggs in a single layer and enough water so that the temperature is not dramatically lowered when the eggs are added. ... After the eggs have been added to the pot, start the timer once the water returns to a simmer. ... Hard-boiled eggs take 12 to 15 minutes to become firm throughout, with a yolk that remains bright yellow and moist. An overcooked hard-boiled egg will have a rubbery white and a pale, dry, chalky yolk. Overcooking may also cause a greenish black rim to form between the yolk and the white. Quickly cool hard-boiled eggs by plunging them into cold water to arrest the cooking and help prevent this discoloration.