Splenda... or Something just Like It

I was a splenda user before I came to France. After doing a little research I found out that the company had ceased selling retail in France. If you wanted it, you'd have to have to be registered as a business, get a Metro wholesaler card, and drive out way past Vaux-en-Velin to get some. I was planning on it, but never got around to it. So when I was walking through the Simply Market in Gerland the other day and saw yellow when I glanced over at the sweetener section, I couldn't believe my eyes. Canderel has now started selling a sucralose sweetner, which is the same thing as Splenda just under a different brand name. I can't tell you how happy I am, especially since I'm going to need it to make up for the maple doughnuts :)

Dori

Maple Doughnuts!

There is a new doughnut shop in the Croix Rousse, called "Hello Brooklyn". They are fresh, decent, reasonbly priced, and best of all the have maple doughnuts!!! The fact that they have maple doughnuts makes any other possible sin forgivable :) I would still like to see a variety of real american doughnuts, spelled with the "gh" and all. I would love to find a maple persian, a glazed old fashioned, or an apple fritter. Until then, this is my new favorite doughnut shop!

Dori

Fresh Cranberries

From Rung,

I also found fresh cranberries at Cérises & Potiron, imported from Canada , the same package I used to buy in Canada.

Turkey Time

Yes it's turkey time but not in France. I received a tip from my neighbor Daniel Flores, the pastor of Calvary Chapel in Lyon and Chambery. Last year they were able to get turkeys from Auchan for their church thanksgiving dinners. I went to check it out. Auchan at Port des Alpes near Ikea had no turkeys, so I picked up the poultry help line in the meat section and was received by a nice gentleman named Alain. He said they had had turkeys but no one bought them they went bad, and they stopped ordering them. However, he said if someone really wanted one before december they might be able to get one for them. It was disappointing. I walked around for a while looking for my mother in law who'd wandered off. I must of have looked unhappy because he came back over to me and says, hold on, I'm going to call my supervisor and check. He picks up the phone and calls Philip. The final word is that there will be turkeys the week of Thanksgiving! Alain was very happy and very proud to have put the smile back on my face :) A word of caution though, this year Daniel got the Auchan in St Genis Laval to commit to ordering them a turkey but then they got word back that their provider refuses to kill their turkeys before the 1st of December. So whatever you do, if you plan on getting a whole turkey, keep a plan B in mind.

Some other places to check... over a decade ago I was able to order a whole turkey from a nice man at the daily market off the square at the Croix Rousse. I have heard from others that they have also been able to get whole turkeys there over the years. That market is closed on mondays. I've heard you can also get them at Les Halles. You can check your local butcher, or the poultry stands at the markets, particularly the local producers markets, but you need to start looking right away since it takes time once the order is placed for the turkey to be ready for consumption.

And if you find a whole turkey, make sure it fits in your little french oven before you buy it!!!

Pie Plates- Best Deal in Town

I was doing some window shopping at Babou Venissieux when all of the sudden I came upon a real fluted pie plate! As if that weren't great enough already, it was only 2,99€ They came in all different sizes for a medium 1.4 quart to individual sized plates. You should be able to see from the pic that the largest size is slightly smaller than my grandmother's tin pie plate on the bottom. They were a little hard to find. Look in the aisle with all the frying pans, then look on the bottom shelf by the pillar. There were at least five or six when I left.

You can get a lot of good deals at Babou, it's kind of like the walmart of Lyon. They all kinds of birthday candles, like the ones we are use to seeing in the US for really cheap. It's a good store to check out if you need something, don't need something of super high quality and don't want to pay an arm and a leg. If you don't have a car the twelve goes by there.

You can also usually get some nice ceramic pie plates from stores like Alice Delice, which now has a shop downtown, and from stores like BHV in the Part Dieu.

Saltine Crackers.... a low sodium version

It was girl's night in around dinner and chick flics when our friend Marlene pulled them out her bag, the LU Heudebert "Crackers" Nature. They are exactly like saltine crackers but not with much less salt. We've seen them at Simply, at Carrefour, and they should be in all the grocery stores. I'm in the mood to make chili now :)

Auchan, my new best friend

Last spring, just before Cinco de Mayo, I was at the cheese counter at the Porte des Alpes Auchan and they had real cheddar cheese. It was a sharp cheddar cheese, but not the vintage aged cheddar we usually get. The next time I stopped by, thinking I would get some to put on my chili, it was gone, nothing but the vintage cheddar. So I asked the guy at the cheese counter if they would be getting any back in. He proceeded to tell me they had the yellow kind just because they could get any of the "good" cheddar, and wouldn't be having any more of that "other" cheese. I must have left an impression when I very emphatically and repetitively told him that the "other" cheese WAS the good cheddar cheese, because now they have both all of the time. They are calling them cheddar rouge, and cheddar fermier. Not only that, they now have Mole, Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce, Old El Paso Chili con Carne, Cranberry sauce, and Betty Crocker Bisquick.

Fall Vegetables

Sweet Potatoes, Fresh Corn on the Cob, Butternut Squash and Pumpkin

available at Bail Distribution

Mole!!!!!

For those of us who enjoy authentic mexican food, you will be happy to know that Auchan does indeed have Costeña Mole on it's shelves in the tex-mex section. I had mole last night, it was total heaven! I didn't do rice and beans, because it's too hot, and I'm out of sesame seeds. That's why I have to go back and buy some more, so that I can do it again properly once the 90 degree weather is over :)

New Tip from Stephanie:

Auchan St Genis Laval: Real mexican La Costeña products!!!!

About salsas she says: "...they have various types: Arriera, Casera, Taquera, Verde... I think they even have Mole. Anyway, when I first discovered it, it was in the "Produits du Monde" aisle at Auchan and all the products were 50% off! I stocked up on as much as I could because generally, when I find something this good, it doesn't last. To my pleasant surprise, the Auchan at St Genis Laval is fully stocked, but they are normally priced (2€30.. not that bad). Also, instead of buying the Old El Paso tortillas, I try to find the XL ones that are used for Kebabs or Libanais. They are usually cheaper and you can actually roll a burrito with them."

GREAT FIND!!! Get some while it lasts! I totally agree with you Stephanie about the tortillas. I usually make them myself since I can't stand to pay that much for flour tortillas :)