You can stop looking
Several times a year, I’ll receive requests for Penrose pickled sausages in glass jars, not individually shrink-wrapped, which are still available. The most recent request comes from Sue Stone in Jonesboro. Readers enjoyed them out of hand, or in recipes like pickled pigs in a blanket. Unfortunately for those readers, Conagra, which owns Penrose, stopped offering the chicken-and-pork sausages packed in artificially colored vinegar several years ago. There isn’t any stock available — not on Amazon, eBay or anywhere else online.
Q: I’m looking for boxed mashed potatoes with very few ingredients. The last time I could find them anywhere was Costco. I think they were called something with “earth” in title. They only contained about three ingredients — no preservatives or chemicals. Thank you for any help, even if it is just an email reply with a website or store. Rose Haven, Tucker
A: Rose, it sounds as if you're looking for Idahoan Honest Earth all natural buttery home style creamy instant mashed potatoes. These are made with real Idaho potatoes, sea salt and butter — no preservatives. You'll find them for $1 per 3.4-ounce pouch in the dried potato section of Kroger, 3959 Lavista Road, Tucker, 770-939-6304.
Q: Years ago, I used to drink a flavored bottled water called Clearly Canadian. I loved all of the fruit flavors, and I didn’t have a favorite. They were all delicious. The company stopped making the water a long time ago, but I heard that they were bringing it back. I haven’t seen it, but would love to buy it again when it’s available. If it’s only available online, I won’t be able to. Can you tell me if Clearly Canadian really is available again, and where I could buy it? Thank you. Bill Clark, email
A: A few decades before LaCroix grabbed a large bite of the sparkling water market share, fruity-flavored Clearly Canadian ruled over the non-soda beverage world. Over the years, I've had many requests from readers seeking out their favorite drink and, now, thanks to a crowdfunding campaign that started a couple of years ago, Clearly Canadian in the soft-blue bottle is back. You'll find the 11-ounce bottles for $2.29 at all Cost Plus World Markets, including the location at 3495 Buckhead Loop, Atlanta, 470-447-5788. I'm pleased to hear that you don't have a favorite flavor because while Clearly Canadian used to offer more than 10 flavors, it now only offers four: wild cherry, orchard peach, mountain blackberry and country raspberry.
Q: I have a recipe calling for double-strength vanilla. I’ve never heard of this, nor has the store manager at my market. Is this something I can purchase locally? G. Williams, email
A: Double-strength vanilla is exactly as its name describes. This vanilla gets its extra flavor punch by twice as many beans used in each gallon of extract — approximately 200 vanilla pods. You can use half as much double-strength vanilla in a recipe, or depending on what you're making, you can use the same amount as the recipe requires. You'll find double-strength vanilla made with Madagascar Bourbon Islands vanilla beans at Penzeys Spices, 6269 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, 404-256-7970. The Penzeys Spices brand double-strength vanilla comes in a variety of sizes from 2-ounce bottles priced at $17.95 up to 16-ounce bottles for $106.95.
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