There were lots of good things this week at Costco and one thing that we’d recommend against (I think this might be a first for me on this blog). But first the good stuff:
Anderson Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels – You get a whopping 44 ounces in this big jug of pretzel nuggets. These are one of my husband’s favorite snacks, and as long as he doesn’t eat too many they’re relatively low cal too. So, if you’ve never had these before, they are basically a pretzel wrapped around a little ball of peanut butter; the salty and sweet tastes go together really well. 44 oz for $5.99.
Margaritaville Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi - This is one of those things that we bought after trying the demo. It’s amazing how many times they’ve gotten me with just a little taste. This is a great easy solution to whipping up a nice, tasty meal during the week. You really don’t have to do anything since the fish is ready to go when you pull it out of the freezer. Add a vegetable to it and you’ve got a great dinner all ready to go in just 20 minutes or so. You can find this in the freezer section, next to the tortilla crusted talapia (also one of our favorites). 9 fillets for $15.99.
Trident Ultimate Fish Sticks – Ok, since we were on the subject of fish, I will fess up to buying fish sticks. I really never would have done it but they had a demo. And darn if they weren’t really crispy and delicious. The fish sticks are supposed to be better than the usual ones “offering more fish, better fish and less breading” according to the Trident website. They are certainly some of the best fish sticks I’ve ever had, in any case. They’re made with Alaskan Pollock and do cook up nice and crispy, though we did find that we had to cook them about 6 minutes longer (so, 19 minutes total) than the package instructions to get them really crispy. They have suggestions of how you can use them on the Trident website, including fish tacos which I think I’ll try. 3.5 lbs (57 fish sticks) for $11.39.
Kashi TLC Chewy Granola Bars – You get three different varieties in this box of 25 bars. They are all filled with 6 or 7 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber with no trans fats and nothing artificial, all for just 140 calories. My favorite are the honey almond flax but the trail mix and peanut butter are also good. When we go hiking these are my favorite thing to take along. I practically lived on these when we went to Iceland to hike and camp. They make a great pack food because they’re not easily smushed beyond recognition. 25 bars for $9.65.
Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding – This is a great little book! It’s got a list of 60 fast food and chain restaurants and tells which are the best choices on the menu, versus the really bad choices. Plus, it’s got information about holidays, trips to the grocery store, drinks, and even a chapter on information for kids. It’s about 300 pages filled with tips and information helping you to make better choices when you’re eating. Here’s the comparison that they have on the cover of the book that really amazed me – The Big Mac (540 calories and 29 g fat) is a better choice than the Whopper with Cheese (760 calories and 47 g fat)…who knew? It even has the low down on the Big Mac’s secret sauce. $10.89.
Set of 3 Apothecary Jars – I’ve been checking these out for awhile now. I kept thinking they were such a good deal but I didn’t know what I’d do with them. But this last week when we were at Costco I just decided that they were such a good price that I’d buy them and worry about what to do with them later. I know I can use them in my kitchen or my bathroom, so I’m not that undecided about where to put them. So, for a little comparison the same type of jars at Pottery Barn would be $157 for all three jars! I’m feeling pretty good since I saved $127 by buying these at Costco. This was certainly my buy of the week. Set of 3 jars for $29.99.
Ok, now it’s time to give our thumbs down review…
Costco Ribs with Sauce – My husband was wanting some ribs when we were at Costco so he picked these up. He really wishes now that he had just walked away. In his words “they had a texture more like eating fabric than meat.” That is not a ringing endorsement. They were very saucy, unfortunately, the sauce was not spicy or smoky but really just rather bland. Nothing good going on here, folks. I think this is one of the few things we’ve had from the Costco deli area that just completely left us unimpressed. Full rack of ribs for $16.70.
And don’t forget that today starts the April Costco Coupon book! So, be sure to get over there and get all the savings!
1
Dave //
2008.04.05 at 10:38 am
IIRC, the frozen mahi-mahi takes 35 to 40 minutes to heat up. While this is longer than the 20 minues you’re saying, it’s still just time in the oven so the total effort doesn’t go up. You just have to start preparing a little earlier is all.
2 Fish Tacos with 100% Pure Costco Ingredients // 2008.04.08 at 8:59 am
[...] This Week at Costco – March 30 2008 [...]
3
Shantelle //
2008.04.15 at 2:28 am
OK so I bought the last set of apothecary jars today at my Costco. I would love to buy some for my mother for Mother’s Day. I have called around to surrounding Costco’s and no one has anymore. Do you know where I could find some? Or do you know if it’s a seasonal item and they will carry it next year?
Thanks,
Shantelle
4
Kimberly //
2008.04.17 at 11:31 am
Shantelle,
I can’t get a great answer from the folks at Costco about them carrying them again or not. Usually, I know that when they sell out of decorative things they don’t get them back in stock. But this could be a situation where they are making way for their lawn & garden / summery type things and will get the apothecary jars back in when it is fall & closer to the holidays. I’ve noticed that they have done that before with vases & other decorative things I’ve liked.
Sorry I don’t have better information for you.
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Shantelle //
2008.04.17 at 11:53 pm
Thanks for checking for me.
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Leah //
2008.05.08 at 8:51 am
what brand are the apothecary jars? who is the manufacturer?
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Kimberly //
2008.05.08 at 9:01 am
Luckily, I’m a saver and still have the box! The apothecary jars are ‘handmade by skilled artisans’ in Poland and are imported by Costco. Other than that, I can’t see anything on the box or jars that indicates who the manufacturer actually is though. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help. I could give you the sizes if that would be of any help.
8
Anne //
2008.05.19 at 5:39 pm
Oh no! I bought the Margaritaville Mahi Mahi the same weekend as you. My store is now saying it’s discontinued. Is that true at your store as well?? Say it isn’t so!!
9
Kimberly //
2008.05.20 at 1:13 pm
I don’t know if it is officially discontinued but it wasn’t in my store when I was there on Sunday.
If you’re looking for a substitute, you should try the Tortilla Crusted Talapia. I’m going to include it in my This Week At Costco post tomorrow (Wednesday). My husband and I love it & think it actually has a better flavor than the Margaritaville Mahi.
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Kim //
2008.06.18 at 8:48 am
Where can we buy the Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi??? I can’t find it at costco anymore.
11
Kimberly //
2008.06.18 at 9:18 am
It’s gone from the Costco here in Austin too. And unfortunately, I can’t find any information online about where you can now find it. As a replacement, you might try the tortilla crusted tilapia that is still available at Costco. I wrote about it in my post
This Week at Costco – May 18 2008.
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Shelley //
2008.10.14 at 8:34 pm
Does anyone know if the apothecary jars can still be purchased and where?
13
Kimberly //
2008.10.15 at 9:02 am
Shelley,
I haven’t seen the apothecary jars back at Costco yet. I think now they are too consumed with Christmas stuff to have anything in the category of home decor…unless, there’s a Santa or snowman involved. They might make a return in the spring, that’s when I’ve noticed they start getting this type of thing in stock.
14
Kathleen //
2008.10.16 at 11:06 am
I also buy the tortilla Tilapia, but really still want the Macadamia Mahi Mahi!! If anyone knows where I can buy it, please pass it along!
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Marianne Mueller //
2009.08.16 at 9:01 am
I got hooked on the Tortilla crusted talapia, and now they don’t carry it anymore! It is so good, because it’s thin and so tasty. Only takes 15 minutes in the oven.
Does anyone know where I can get it again?
I hate that Costco doesn’t carry the cream of mushroom soup, anymore, or baked beans.
I feel I can’t rely on Costco anymore–changes too quickly.
16
Kimberly //
2009.08.17 at 8:56 am
Marianne – I love that fish too! It’s so delicious and so easy to make. Our Costco still carries it, so maybe your Costco is just temporarily out. However, I know that sometimes they have it and some weeks they don’t. My guess is that this has something to do with the vendor’s ability to provide it in the quantities that Costco needs. I’ve heard enough people say that they love it, that I’m pretty sure it must sell really well.
Are you looking for special baked beans? Like a specific brand? Because that’s something else that I know our Costco has still, I think it’s an 8 or 6 pack of Bush’s Baked Beans but I’m not positive.
17
Marianne Mueller //
2009.08.21 at 12:32 pm
Thanks for your reply! Just checking back! Still haven’t been able to find the tortilla crusted talapia, and have even checked SAMs club. They used to carry it, but maybe it’s jut too popular to keep in stock. Now they were selling a “Parmasean Crusted talapia”. Has anyone tried that?
I did try the Mango Mahi Mahi, and it was good, but also thicker cut, and huge pieces, compared to the Talapia.
How do we cope with the changing markets? I find something I really like, and then it’s so hard to get consistantly. I love that frozen brown rice at Trader Joes. But, it’s rarely in stock. COstco does have a similar “microwave bowls” brown rice. I like quick and easy!!
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Kimberly //
2009.08.24 at 8:23 am
The tortilla crusted talapia was actually being demoed at our Costco this weekend and it looked like they had a lot of it in stock too. I haven’t seen the Parmesan crusted talapia at our store at all though. That sounds like it could be kind of tasty, huh?
19
Erin //
2012.01.23 at 3:19 pm
Since those apothecary jars can’t be purchased any longer, I would like to find some similar. Could you tell me the sizes of these 3 please??
20
Kimberly //
2012.01.23 at 3:56 pm
@Erin – Sorry but they’re in storage right now and I don’t have the sizes in any of my blog info.