Tag Archives: grocery shopping

Mar10

Vegetarian Friendly Ramen

Posted on March 10, 2025 by lifewithlilred

Howdy!! I have been a vegetarian for as long as I can remember and I will forever be checking the labels of food at the store/where the food is prepared in restaurants. I refuse to let my streak be broken and that often means not getting the things that I would like to try. Soup is a shining example of this because a majority of what you’re buying in store is made with some type of meat based broth. Another food that has fairly limited options is ramen. There’s a million noodle packs for carnivores and one or two for vegetarians!

I have tried a handful of quick to go vegetarian ramen and none of them have ever done much for me. However, I have had a lot of luck in finding my favorite kind during my past few grocery trips. This specific kind of ramen isn’t always available so I get a ton when it is for a speedy and cheap meal. If you are forever on the hunt for a good vegetarian ramen, I can’t recommend this kind enough:

A little sweet, a little spicy, and a little over a dollar – this Sweet Chili ramen is the bomb.com ! It is bold, flavorful, and filling and I actually just had a cup prior to writing this lol. What can I say, I decided to switch my breakfast up from my recent avocado toast kick! It might not seem like much, but it really is a beautiful thing when you can find a food that you like that adheres to your dietary restrictions. In cases like this, it’s like finding the holy grail and you are in for a treat if you try it too. It is SO. Freaking. Yummy!!

The Chili Lime ramen has become my foolproof option and it is easily the best out of every kind I have tried before. 12/10!

What are some of your favorite vegetarian options at the grocery store? Do you have a favorite meatless brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun3

Snack Attack

Posted on June 3, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! I wouldn’t call myself a big snacker. That’s all my husband’s department lol. Johnny is all about crackers, chips, popcorn, and candy to munch on. I much prefer having a meal and eating actual food until I’m satisfied. That’s not to say that I don’t have my vices, however. I absolutely LOVE tortilla chips and dip. It could be hummus, spinach artichoke dip, salsa, queso, street corn dip – literally anything and I am so there for it. Very much like my darling niece, I am happiest at a Mexican restaurant with a bowl of chips, salsa, and queso! I have never found a grocery store equivalent to queso from a Mexican restaurant. That is, until mine and Johnny’s last grocery shopping trip to Marc’s. Check it out:

In my neck of the woods, Marc’s is a discount grocery store and beloved staple. It is famous for its “closeout aisles” and generally much cheaper prices to its competitors. Every time Johnny and I do grocery shopping, I like to get myself a new container of salsa from their refrigerated section. There are always different variations to what they had previously and it’s nice to have a slight switch up on my favorite snack. During our last trip, the Margaritaville salsa caught my eye. We also decided to throw caution to the wind and get some queso dip from a brand called Gordo’s. Spoiler Alert: The cheese dip was SO good that I made Johnny go back and get more a few days later!

With a kitchen full of fresh groceries, Johnny requested that I make my jalapeno popper quesadillas – one of our favorites. That could be very easily arranged and I was excited to try out our new dips! The chipotle garlic salsa was, hands down, the best grocery store salsa I have ever had. It was spicy, tangy, and each bite was jam packed with zippy pieces of pepper and garlic. The queso took the cake, though! Guys, I kid you not, this queso tastes exactly like what you would get at a Mexican restaurant. If I had a bowl of both queso options, I don’t think I could tell the difference and it is a game changer to snack time. The Gordo’s queso is a true taste alike brand and I can only hope that they continue to carry it at Marc’s. Fingers AND toes crossed. 😀

If you are a salsa and queso fan, I cannot recommend the Margaritaville and Gordo’s brand more highly. RUN, don’t walk to find them because your Snack Attack will never be the same!

What is your favorite snack? Where do you do your grocery shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul23

Cheerio No Go

Posted on July 23, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! My mom has been on a HUGE cereal kick and it has made me crave a big bowl of Cheerios something fierce. I don’t eat cereal too often, but it’s all I can think about when I get a taste for it. When Johnny and I went grocery shopping at Aldi’s a week or so ago, I just had to get a box of their Crispy Oats. We have had so much GREAT SUCCESS since we began shopping at Aldi’s and I figured their version of Cheerios would be just fine. Sadly, I was mistaken…

I have been trying really hard to squeeze in breakfast every day and I thought cereal would be a quick and easy way to go. I prepped myself a bowl of Crispy Oats, sat down at the computer to work, and couldn’t wait to take my first bite. My craving was about to be satisfied and I was really looking forward to it! Unfortunately, I guess I should have waited until I purchased actual Cheerios because the Crispy Oats were just not it.

The first spoonful I had tasted… off. Then I went in for a second and realized that the Crispy Oats tasted exactly what I could imagine pencil shavings would taste like. They were kind of woody and weird and it was definitely not what I pictured my first bowl of cereal in years to be like! Not that Cheerios are the most flavorful cereal on the planet, but I don’t remember them tasting like that lol. I even had a second bowl a few days later to see if I set myself up for disappointment by being too hyped up and my sentiments remained the same. This was a Cheerio No Go, for sure.

With all of the goodies that we have been enjoying from Aldi’s, there were sure to be a few misses. My top three have to be their toilet paper, the Clancy’s tortilla chips, and the Crispy Oats. But, hey, that’s not bad at all. Even with a few duds, you simply can’t beat the prices at Aldi’s and Johnny and I have already saved a bundle. Plus, the Crispy Oats won’t go to waste… Cheerios are our family dog’s favorite treat so hopefully he won’t mind the off brand too much! 😉

Pip pip cheerio to the Crispy Oats because your girl was not a fan. This is one that you can skip if you find yourself at Aldi’s. Keep it posted on lifewithlilred for a date night OOTD tomorrow!

What is your favorite kind of cereal? What do you normally have for breakfast? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun21

DIP ISLAND!!!!!!!

Posted on June 21, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! After being fed the frig up by the sky high prices at Giant Eagle, Johnny taught me the joys of grocery shopping at Aldi’s this past week. It was AWESOME and we saved over one hundred dollars during our shopping trip. We have been enjoying all of the new to us food and drinks and, as lame as it sounds, it is exciting every time I open the refrigerator!

One thing that I was really hoping I would find at Aldi’s was the Pickle De Gallo dip and I was so happy that it was available in mild and medium heat. It is absolutely delicious and a must for any pickle fan! I didn’t have any intentions of buying more dip after that, but I couldn’t say no to a Hummus Quartet and Street Corn dip! Chips, veggies, and dip are mine and Johnny’s favorite snack and these purchases have improved Dip Island a million fold. Check it out:

For those of you who don’t know, Dip Island is how Johnny and I refer to our go to snack. And, yes, all it is is various dips and chips on a table lol. I tried the Street Corn dip when I made cheesy gordita crunches for dinner and it really blew my mind. It was so creamy, cheesy, and flavorful and was amazing on top of the street corn corn chips. Together, it formed a blast of lime and chili spices and I was in heaven. It was also a fantastic deal – I paid three dollars for the chips and three for the dip. At Giant Eagle, a similar purchase would have been close to or beyond ten dollars.

Johnny isn’t a hummus fan at all, but I make up for it for the both of us. I LOVE hummus of any kind and my favorite way to have it is dipped with mini red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. A container of Sabra hummus at Giant Eagle costs around six dollars and the bell peppers are between four and five. At Aldi’s, I only spent seven dollars! I was so excited to have found the Hummus Quartet, which gave the option of alternating flavors with every bite. The Original, Garlic, and Red Pepper ones are all good, but I am especially partial to the Cilantro Jalapeno. I got that flavor of hummus as an appetizer at a restaurant with Johnny and the one from Aldi’s tastes just like it! 😀

Aldi’s has revolutionized Dip Island and I am so grateful. As always, if you are looking for ways to save money on groceries – head to your local Aldi’s. I deeply regret not doing it sooner!

What is your favorite kind of dip? Where do you do your grocery shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun19

Almost All Aldi’s Dinner – 2.0 Veggie Burgers

Posted on June 19, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Almost All Aldi’s Dinner – 2.0 Veggie Burgers

Hello! Last week, I learned the joys of grocery shopping at Aldi’s when Johnny and I decided that we had enough of the high prices at Giant Eagle. We went on our shopping trip after work, which resulted in a cart full of almost everything that we needed for over one hundred dollars less. My mind was blown, my wallet was happy, and I was thrilled to have gotten all of our essentials for a fraction of the price.

I have been making excellent use of our grocery haul and have been cooking dinner every other night. On Thursday, I made doctored up veggie burgers with every ingredient minus the MorningStar patties from Aldi’s. They were a hit! Check it out:

Shopping at Aldi’s was, honestly, so exciting lol. I have always really enjoyed grocery shopping and it was fun to buy so many new to me items like the everything bagel brioche buns and aioli spreads. I was also stoked to find a Southwest salad kit, which I would get at Giant Eagle all of the time until they stopped carrying it. And, can we talk about their resealable cheese packages? I’m amazed that this isn’t the standard because it’s such a simple but revolutionary idea!

Our burgers with all of the fixings turned out wonderfully and took ten minutes to make. You just can’t beat that! The brioche buns were so thick and fluffy and our taste buds went on a spin with the smoky Gouda on top. The Southwest salad was crisp and it was accentuated even more with a dollop of the chipotle aioli for good measure. My 2.0 veggie burgers with Aldi’s ingredients completely blew the ones I was making before out of the water.

Although I love to try new recipes on Pinterest, I still make a lot of standby dishes that Johnny and I will always enjoy. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t a bit bored with it, but simple and quick meals are often the best thing for me to make during the work week. Being able to make our usual dinners with a twist on the ingredients used has been an absolute game changer. Now, if only there were an Aldi’s and Trader Joe’s right down the street from me!

If you are feeling bored with your standard groceries, go to a different store lol. Aldi’s has turned our go to meals into something special again and what we saved is unmatched. A change of scenery for grocery shopping goes a long way!

What are some of your standby meals to make? What toppings do you like on your burgers? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun17

Aldi’s Haul Success: Pickle De Gallo

Posted on June 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! For the past several years, Johnny and I have done our grocery shopping at the Giant Eagle. The convenience of curbside and the fact that it is barely five minutes away from us was hard to beat. However, the prices at GE were simply getting out of hand and the amount we were spending to keep us fed and watered was ridiculous. So, we decided to make a change by shopping at Aldi’s and getting what we couldn’t find there at the GE.

We had our first Aldi’s trip together earlier this week and it was nothing short of a remarkably GREAT SUCCESS. Outside of about six things that weren’t available, we found everything we needed and paid over one hundred dollars less for it. The nearest Aldi’s to us is about twenty minutes away but, needless to say, it was well worth the trip!

I haven’t gone “real” grocery shopping in so long because I freaking LOVE online shopping with curbside. However, I always enjoyed a trip to the grocery store and going to Aldi’s with Johnny was a blast. There were SO many new to us options and we filled our cart with can’t say no finds. One of which being, pickle de gallo. I had seen people posting about it on Facebook before and I told Johnny that I really hoped it was at the Aldi’s we were going to. Lucky for me, it was!

Johnny and I are avid dippers. No, not in the chewing tobacco way! We just love chips and dip and like to make what we call “dip island” AKA a wide variety of dips on a table lol. So, when I heard talk of a pickle based salsa, I NEEDED it. Pickles are one of my favorite things to snack on and pico de gallo is my preferred style of salsa. A combination of both of these things really blew my mind and I couldn’t wait to dig in as soon as we returned home from our shopping trip.

At Aldi’s, there were two different types of pickle de gallo – a mild one and a thick and chunky medium heat one. Obvi, I got them both! I decided to try the mild pickle salsa first and it was everything that I hoped it would be and so much more. The pickles were tangy, the onions were sweet, and the red pepper had the perfect amount of zip to make my taste buds soar. Every bite had an insane amount of crunch and it wasn’t from the tortilla chips I purchased which were kind of a dud. Several chips in, I had to exercise self control because I most definitely could have kept on going!

If you are a pickle fan and looking for a new and exciting way to eat them; RUN to Aldi’s. Also, if you are looking to save money on groceries; RUN to Aldi’s. This shopping trip was a complete game changer and I can’t wait to go back! 😀

What grocery store do you shop at? What is the best thing that you have found at Aldi’s? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May13

Simple Dinner: Homemade French Bread Pizza

Posted on May 13, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Simple Dinner: Homemade French Bread Pizza

Hello! My life is pretty crazy at the moment and it can be hard to find the time and energy to do much of anything once I return home for the day. One thing that always makes me feel good no matter how tired I am, though, is cooking dinner when I can. Earlier in the week, Johnny and I put in a curbside shopping order filled with all of our essentials and ingredients for me to make meals with. As soon as all of our groceries were put away, I got to work making homemade French bread pizzas as I wanted to use the loaf of bread we got at its freshest. They turned out SO good!

The cheese doesn’t look as melted as it actually was in these pictures and I will definitely keep them in the oven longer the next time around. I just didn’t want the pizzas to burn because I accidentally broiled them a bit too long in the first step. That was my bad because I actually should have baked it instead of broiled lol WHOOPS! Check it out:

Ingredients:

1 loaf of French bread

Pizza sauce

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Butter

Garlic powder

Toppings

Step One: When I made jalapeno popper bread, I learned from the recipe to bake the bread with a melted butter and garlic powder spread to keep it from getting too hard. This was very effective and it kept the inside of the French bread soft and the outside nice and crisp. And, I repeat, BAKE not broil lol smh.

Step Two: Once the bread was taken out of the oven, I added pizza sauce, pepperoni for Johnny, and cheese, then put it back in the oven again to bake. Because of the broil catastrophe, I was monitoring my creation pretty closely and made the executive decision to take them out early. The cheese could have melted more, but it was an overall great first try!

Step Three: Enjoy!

This was such an easy and yummy dinner to make and was a fun twist on regular old pizza night. I really enjoyed my cheese French bread pizza and I know that Johnny loved his pepperoni ones because he asked me to make it again as soon as he was done eating. This is the best stamp of approval of all because my sweet husband is a fairly picky eater! I kept things simple in terms of toppings, but next time French bread pizza is on the menu, I will add some green pepper and red onion to mine; My favorite!

What is your favorite pizza topping? What is your go to simple dinner to make? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr15

Curbside Shopping Pro Tips

Posted on April 15, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnny and I have still been using curbside pickup to do our grocery shopping and it is, honestly, the best. I definitely don’t miss squeezing in grocery shopping during my free time, hauling around a big cart, and playing Tetris with all of my purchases to load in the car. I also love any type of online shopping so it’s kind of fun too even if it isn’t scouring the shoe selection on TJMaxx’s website!

Curbside shopping saves time and I know for a fact that I’ve saved money from it too so I thought that I would share some of my pro tips today for the next time you shop curbside:

Plan Your Menu:

Like many, the first thing that I do before I begin my shopping is plan what I would like to cook for dinner. This includes looking over my saved pins on Pinterest, revisiting old favorite recipes, and coming up with new ideas in my head. I make a list of the dinner items that I need and those are usually the last things that I add to my cart because I can just type in what I want into the curbside search bar.

Evaluate What You Already Have:

The beauty of online grocery shopping is that you can consult your fridge, freezer, and pantry while placing your order to see if you already have something that you plan on buying. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve done in store grocery shopping and returned home with something that was hiding in a nook or cranny! When I’m shopping curbside, I am always double checking what I already have so that I don’t have to pay for it twice.

Promotions/E-Coupons:

I buy my groceries at Giant Eagle and their store ad and E-coupons are conveniently located on the same site to shop curbside. You can also see the promotions running on each item while you’re shopping. Before my shopping, I’ll clip any coupons that I might need and check the ad for any good deals. To be honest, the E-coupons tend to leave a lot to be desired because it’s money off of items that I don’t need (baby care, pet care, etc.) but I have saved money from them on occasion.

Like many grocery stores, Giant Eagle has a rewards card where you earn money off of your next purchase or at the gas station when you spend money. If your grocery store has something similar, I can’t recommend signing up for their emails enough. Although emails from stores can be annoying, you will be notified of when you can earn some extra savings.

For example, Giant Eagle will do double points days and sometimes even five times the amount you earn on your next purchase. The last time I went to the store for some odds and ends was on a five times perk day and I ended up getting close to fourteen dollars in free money. My perks total resulted in forty-five dollars off during my last curbside order!

Double Check Your Cart:

When shopping in store, it’s almost impossible to go through a full cart and remove what you decide you don’t need. This is, of course, not the case with curbside and you can go through your cart at any time to add or remove items. After I have shopped through all of the categories, I will go through my cart at least two times and begin to dwindle down my order. It’s so nice to be able to see what you already have right in front of you, be able to look through what you have at home, and add or remove as needed. I never end up buying everything that was originally added into my cart which is a definite money saver.

At Giant Eagle, you can add or remove items into your cart up until your curbside shopper begins working on your order. This is also great because how many times have you returned home from the store to realize you didn’t get something that you needed! Make sure you find out the rules for your store so when you realize you need something at the last minute you can get it.

Remember:

While your curbside shopper is working on your order, you will communicate over text message if an item is unavailable or if there is a suitable replacement. The shopper will typically send you a picture of the replacement item so don’t forget to turn your data on if needed. The first time I shopped curbside with my smartphone, I didn’t realize I wouldn’t receive pictures from a non-iPhone without my data being turned on so I never got the pictures that were being sent. Whoops!

In my opinion, curbside shopping is the way to go when it comes to your groceries. I used to dread my trips to the grocery store but now I always find myself looking forward to my next curbside order!

Do you prefer in store or online grocery shopping? What is on your dinner menu this week? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov18

Thanksgiving Checklist

Posted on November 18, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hi! Thanksgiving is in one short week… Are you ready for it? Today, we’re going to check out a checklist to make sure that everything is in order for the big day. I, myself, have been fantasizing about Thanksgiving food since last Thanksgiving so I am very excited! Let’s get to it so your holiday meal with your loved ones happens without a hitch:

Prepare Your Menu:

Before going grocery shopping, it is important to prepare your menu in accordance to how many people will be at your meal and any dietary needs that they might have. For example, in my family there are three vegetarians so we never skimp on the side dishes! Doing a menu prep will also ensure that you are not cooking way too much or too little. Although, popping in an oven pizza if you haven’t cooked enough food isn’t the worst thing that could happen… I really like oven pizza lol.

Go Grocery Shopping:

Once your menu is in order, it is never too early to hit the grocery store so what you need isn’t sold out. Now would be a great time to get your turkey or ham, stuffing mixes, potatoes, cranberry sauce, beverages, and other cooking essentials like oil, flour, and milk. Veggies like green beans for the much debated green bean casserole (which I freaking LOVE) should be purchased a few days before Thanksgiving for ultimate freshness.

Clean Up:

If you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house, then a deep clean is definitely in order – especially if you’re like my family who puts literally everything on the dining room table! Clean up the dining room, kitchen, bathrooms, and the living room so you have a comfortable space to relax after gorging yourselves. While everyone might be too full to play games after dinner, a movie screening in the living room will be much appreciated while you digest. I, personally, am hoping that my family continues with the tradition of watching Step Brothers after our Thanksgiving meal!

Early Food Prep:

There is plenty of food preparations that can be done before Thanksgiving day to make your cooking extravaganza easier on yourself. It is also an essential task for the perfect turkey. A day or two before Thanksgiving, you can work on cutting veggies and fruits if you’re having pie for dessert, baking rolls if you’re going the homemade route, and measuring all of the spices and seasonings you’ll need for each dish into a zip lock baggie. Anything that you can do beforehand will have you thanking yourself on Thanksgiving day since it will lighten your work load.

Get Your Outfit Ready:

I think it is so funny that people get super dressed up for Thanksgiving even though they are just hanging out at home but it is part of the tradition so a great outfit is in order. Plan out your OOTD ahead of time so you’re not left with the horrible feeling of having “nothing to wear” come Thanksgiving day. I already have a few ideas in mind so be on the lookout for an OOTD post of me straight stunting at the home front! 😀

Ease some of the stress that the Thanksgiving holiday can bring with the check list above so you can fully enjoy your day with family and friends. ❤

What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? Does your family have any Thanksgiving traditions? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar5

Love It: Contact Free Grocery Shopping

Posted on March 5, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hi! As the COVID-19 pandemic continues on, it is always best to find ways to limit whatever exposure you can and contact free grocery shopping is an amazing way to help with that. Johnny tried curbside pickup grocery shopping from our local store, Giant Eagle, earlier in February and loved it so much that he claimed he will never grocery shop any other way. With such praise, I figured I could give it a try too and ended up doing our shopping curbside pickup style at the end of February. I have to say, Johnny was so right – it was great!

Giant Eagle’s curbside pickup program has one of the employees do your shopping through a list created online and then you go to the store and your purchases get loaded into your car for you which allows for a completely contact free experience. It also gave me the thrill of online shopping even if it was just for food, lol! At first, I was having a lot of problems with Giant Eagle’s website running super slowly but once I logged on at a less peak time it was smooth sailing from there.

Online shopping for groceries was kind of weird at first but it actually ended up being really easy and insanely convenient. It was nice to be able to see all of the sales and promotions clearly from the website and apply coupons on the spot. I felt like I was able to take my time browsing the site instead of power shopping to get out of the store quickly which introduced me to options that I didn’t even know existed. Like frozen buffalo cauliflower!

I also was so thankful for the option to edit the cart once my order was placed because, in true Sarah fashion, I forgot a few things that I needed. I swear, I am always forgetting at least one or two things that I needed when I grocery shop which always ends up turning into an extra trip to the store. Online grocery shopping was no exception but, this time, I got to go back to my order and add the items that I forgot. No extra trip necessary. 😀

In my youth, I can remember how much I enjoyed grocery shopping with my mom and, pre-pandemic, I loved my trips to the grocery store. However, it is so important right now to utilize the options that different businesses have available to limit exposure for all parties involved. I am so glad that I gave curbside grocery shopping a try and plan on using it until it is safer. 11/10 would recommend!

What do you like to shop for online? Would you ever try using curbside grocery shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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	Simon on Thxgiving OOTD Bloopers
	lifewithlilred on Thxgiving OOTD Bloopers
	Simon on Thxgiving OOTD Bloopers