Trying New Things

Over the past month I have been introduced to some new items that are fun:

(1) Tobasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce

(2) Xochitl corn chips

(3) Cactus honey with royal jelly

(4) Goji berries

Ummmm so was anyone going to tell me how AMAZING this pepper sauce is?? I am a huge fan of the BBQ sauce at Trader Joe's, and this pepper sauce has some very similar flavor notes. In a serendipitous moment at Chipotle, I saw this little bottle sitting at the table next to Ian and me, looking rather lonely. I figured I'd give it a shot and poured a tiny bit onto my food. This stuff is beyond fantastic. I'm going to start buying this by the gallon. Seriously.






 Ian and I liked to go to ethnic markets and check out all sorts of fun food items. Asian markets are the best...you have NO idea what you are going to find.This time we came across the honey section. I had never heard of cactus honey before. The honey comes from desert flowers and trees in places like Arizona and New Mexico. It took a while for me to read up on this because the internet mainly kicks back cactus honey powder, not actual honey. It seems to be fairly rare, which is fun. Royal Jelly, the essential nutrient for making queen bees, is known to have high levels of amino acids, proteins, vitamins etc. It is known in the cosmetic world for its anti-aging benefits due to its collagen boosting properties. This stuff tastes so delicious! Instructions say to take a spoonful twice a day. I'm working on every other day or so for now to make it last longer.

I am abnormally obsessed with tortilla chips. I need to have a bag on hand for the random chili dish, nachos or just plain ol' salsa. I have always been a big fan of the Tostidos Simply Natural Corn Chips because they are low sodium (I hate overly salty chips) and have a good crunch to them. Recently, I was introduced to the XOCHiTL brand...and damn, these chips are good. If you have ever been to Uncle Julio's Rio Grande, these chips are very similar. The thinner chips are lightly salted and seem more crispy than crunchy. They are perfect with a hot salsa. Ian noted that these do not work with hummus or other heavy dipping food, so I'd go back with the Tostidos chips with those items.

Last, but not least, are the elusive goji berries at a reasonable price. These puppies can be pretty expensive, but we found this pack of berries under the name Chinese Matrimony  Vine. Goji berries are the American name. They are also called wolfberries. Who knows why they have so many names. The important thing is that they are incredibly high in antioxidants which help to protect your cells against free radicals.