It’s over.
In some ways I’m sad, and in many ways I’m glad to change my routine after 25 years.
This isn’t about dissolving a marriage, but about ending the penning of “Supermarket Sampler“ — one of my syndicated columns with Universal/Uclick — after 25 years, 3900 reviews.
Here’s a list of 25 products that have won my fancy during the testing of what’s new on the supermarket shelf. How many have made it into your kitchen?
These are listed alphabetical order.
1. A Taste of Thai Pad Thai Sauce
2. Birds Eye Steamfresh long grain brown rice and plain unadulterated vegetables sans sauce
3. Cabot’s Private Stock, Cloth Cheddar…actually any Cabot Cheddar
4. Ocean Spray Craisins
5. Dr. Kracker Klassic 3 Seed Flatbread
6. Eagle Mills All Purpose Flour with Ultragrain
7. Earthbound Farm Organic Baby Arugula
8. Haagen-Dazs Five Mint Ice Cream
9. Island Way Sorbets in Natural Fruit Shells
10. Jarlsberg Original and Lite cheese
11. Kerrygold butter
12. Mary’s Gone Crackers Original
13. McCann’s Quick & Easy Steel Cut Oatmeal
14. McCormick Black Peppercorn and Sea Salt Grinders ; smoked paprika
15. Melissa’s Ojai Pixie Tangerines, Peeled Baby Beets
16. Near East Original Plain Whole Grain Couscous
17. Pace Picante
18. Perrier or San Pellegrino bottled sparkling water
19. Pretzel Crisps Everything and Dark Chocolate & Peppermint
20. Sabra hummus
21. Saco Dried Buttermilk and Chocolate Chunks
22. Santa Cruz Dark Roasted Peanut Butter
23. Swanson Organic Chicken Broth
24. Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice
25. Wholly Guacamole fresherized guacamole
As I close this chapter, I’m looking forward to turning off my full-size freezer that’s been stuffed with highly processed foods waiting to be tested and eating only real food again. And to the ability to take a long month (or longer) trip, without scurrying to write my weekly column ahead.
In the quarter century that this column has been syndicated, we never missed our weekly deadline and never re-purposed old columns. We did the writing through births, family deaths, divorce, surgeries, vacations, moves… life.
It’s time for a rest.
It was always a treat to read your views each week, on the good and not so good, of the new culinary offerings at our disposal.
We’ll miss you ,but on to many more wonderful & satisfying endeavors
A job well done, and still so much more to do! We’ll be looking forward to all your future projects
Thanks for the kinds words!
I have read Supermarket Sampler faithfully since it appeared in the Salt Lake Deseret News.
I have tried to incorporate into my diet products you have endorsed and those you have frowened on I have avoided. In fact, I still have the artile in which you talked about hight fructose corn syrup and I quit buying as many things as possible which contained it. (In reading lables, it was in everything.)
I really feel your artiles have aided in causing changes in the food industry.
I don’t think you realize how many people you have helped to choose food more carefully. You have certainly helped me.
Please don’t end Supermarket Sampler and leave us at the mercy of all these additives which we can’t pronounce and don’t know what they are.
Sincerely,
Marge Sowby