Full-timing and Food Surprises - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Jim and Barb · RV-Dreams Family Member

Full-timing and Food Surprises

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

we find a ton of stuff like that.

our biggest east to west move was missing helmans mayonnaise.

el Rojo and Pam · RV-Dreams Family Member

No pinto beans in Canada.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

We're not real picky and we've had a great time discovering new places to shop and new food items to try.

That being said, when we ran out of one of our favorite grilling seasoning, "Jamaica me crazy lemon pepper" I think we looked in every grocery store we went into over a 6 month time frame until we finally, finally found it in our grocery store in the Seattle area when we got back there last summer. It really got to be quite amusing, you know it's not as if there aren't plenty of other grilling seasonings in our pantry.

Alie and Jims Carrilite · RV-Dreams Family Member

This is where Amazon is great. They have most of your food stuffs, usually with free shipping (Prime Members). Its how I get most of my Glutten free dry goods.

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

No Mexican food in Mexico.... they call it Cocina Nativa.... biggrin

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

Many "moons" ago after a trip to middle America I missed Moon Pies. While travelling for several weeks on that trip we kept a box of moon pies handy and used them to take the edge off instead of stopping for a meal. We couldn't find them here in California.

Finally Moon Pies began to show up in California.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

While we aren't really traveling, I miss the Braum's Ice Cream Stores that are all over Oklahoma and parts of Kansas and Texas. To add to that, in the Colorado Springs area, we haven't found regular Chocolate Chip ice cream in any of the stores. They have Mint Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, but no Chocolate Chip.

Also, Colorado doesn't seem to be much of a Dr. Pepper state. I can't find Caffeine Free Diet Dr. Pepper anywhere either. We are currently visiting relatives in Oklahoma City, so I plan on taking back about 10 or 12 2-Liter bottles from here when we return.

Terry

PD CFK · RV-Dreams Family Member

We're in Texas and we have Hellman's, but I don't know what "Western" dressing is

pk

2riker2go · RV-Dreams Family Member

The Junkman wrote:
we find a ton of stuff like that.

our biggest east to west move was missing helmans mayonnaise.

Where are you not able to get Helmans mayonnaise? If I go there, I want to be prepared!! biggrin

Hdrider · RV-Dreams Family Member

Couldn't find good Cottage Cheese out east. Silly thing to miss but we did.

Cowdog353 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Blue Bell ice cream if you get to far from Texas! Oh no!

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Helmann's is called Best Foods in the West for historic reasons. Just like butter "cubes" are a different shape in the East and West, historic reasons.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have learned to not depend on foods that are only in certain parts of the country. An example i we don't buy salmon outside of the West, since farm raised Atlantic salmon is no match for the variety of wild salmon in the West. We are happy to find stuff we do not expect, like uncooked flour tortillas at Costcos in the East. It is all an adventure and you have to be flexible.

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Agree with Bill, I just wait until I get west of the continental divide to even think about salmon, and then I ask if it is Atlantic - if so, I don't eat it. Just like the only decent crab is Dungeness - no east coast crab can compare.

When I was growing up, a leading producer of different canned goods was (and still is) MJB. Their slogan was "Only Enough for the West". And you can't subscribe to Sunset magazine if you have an address east of Colorado.

The fun is to find different things in each area - - just don't expect to find the exact same things everywhere you go. Besides, if it was all the same, then why bother going?

Barb

JackKim · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have a hard time finding raw milk and fresh eggs. We try to find farmer's markets, but can not always. I too like to find what is local and focus on that. Finding grass feed meat at reasonable prices is one of our goals.

Did a lot of Collards in the south this fall.

Spent a lot of time hunting nuts in the east.

And my favorite was PA and finding Amish farms to buy local ingredients from.

One of the joys of our journey's is looking for local sourced food.

And we are usually trying to eat fresh foods in season wherever that is. Looking forward to many more food adventures as we travel.

Kim

ChefMom · RV-Dreams Family Member

For great cottage cheese in the East, try Cabot. Cabot anything is wonderful and fresh and you support local Vermont farmers who are all greatly involved with the company.

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

bjoyce wrote:
Helmann's is called Best Foods in the West for historic reasons. Just like butter "cubes" are a different shape in the East and West, historic reasons.

Something is different.. it does not taste the same.

Found this..

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/09/hellmanns-vs-best-foods-mayo_n_1263492.html

-- Edited by The Junkman on Thursday 4th of December 2014 08:39:08 AM

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

2riker2go wrote:
The Junkman wrote:
we find a ton of stuff like that.

our biggest east to west move was missing helmans mayonnaise.
Where are you not able to get Helmans mayonnaise? If I go there, I want to be prepared!!

Las vegas does not have it.. they have best foods like stated.. Not the same.. not even close..

I assume its the same all over the west.. stock up before going there !!!

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Totally agree with Bill on the Salmon issue, I can't believe that even in AZ we see mostly Atlantic Salmon, even in better quality restaurants. Have been able to find flash frozen, wild caught Pacific Salmon at Sam's. Now, not at all Sam's Clubs because products do tend to vary, but when I find it and we're nowhere close to Seattle I stock up. Satisfies the desire for "real" salmon for a while.

I do love the variety and finding new tastes to enjoy and things that are specific to a region make us look forward to returning. For example, we hadn't been back in AZ very long before we added prickly pear juice back to our pantry, love adding that to our lemonade or margaritas, but I don't really look for it in other areas of the country. Just something we look forward to when we cross the AZ state line. On the other hand, if I'm not in Idaho or Montana, I don't look for good huckleberry products, just not the same anywhere else. Love the variety of fun things to try in different parts of the country.

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Have found Helmsns all over the west. Try Safeway or one of the Kroger stores

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hdrider wrote:
Couldn't find good Cottage Cheese out east. Silly thing to miss but we did.

I thought cottage cheese was cottage cheese (I'm from the East). What brand in particular are you fond of?

For us - we keep kosher (Jewish dietary restrictions) and finding kosher food outside of the NY/NJ area is very challenging.

-- Edited by cherylbrv on Sunday 7th of December 2014 04:46:09 PM

cejones4210 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Barbaraok wrote:
Agree with Bill, I just wait until I get west of the continental divide to even think about salmon, and then I ask if it is Atlantic - if so, I don't eat it. Just like the only decent crab is Dungeness - no east coast crab can compare.

When I was growing up, a leading producer of different canned goods was (and still is) MJB. Their slogan was "Only Enough for the West". And you can't subscribe to Sunset magazine if you have an address east of Colorado.

The fun is to find different things in each area - - just don't expect to find the exact same things everywhere you go. Besides, if it was all the same, then why bother going?

Barb

Barb, sorry but you are wrong on Sunset magazine! I live in Iowa and have subscribed for over four years. And I can pick which edition I receive (Mountain).

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

We found we couldn't find some of our favorites as we traveled but we added new ones, local, regional as much as possible. Lobster Rolls in Maine - sigh! Green Chili Mac & Cheese in NM. We REALLY miss the smaller chain of Market Basket grocery stores that we discovered in the North East. They were the best stocked, cleanest supermarkets we'd ever been in and loved their own brand of prepackaged marinated chicken and beef quick grill recipes and all courteous, happy employees.

Barb I actually subscribed to the Southern California edition of Sunset when I lived in Cleveland, OH. Editors and publishers list their emails - send them one and you get what you want.

Sherry

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Guess Sunset changed their ways. In the 70s and 80s I couldn't get it in the east. Must be because subscriptions are down for print media that they have opened up their revenue stream. I did write and ask why in the 70s - - turns out that their advertisers didn't want to spend money advertising to people who were not in places that they served. But, of course, the internet means that you can serve anyone, any where in the world.

Barb

Ann-Hank · RV-Dreams Family Member

We discovered Boudins in LA. Stopped at a truck stop and went in to get something to snack on, asked what they were and clerk said oh just a rice sausage. They were so good that we tracked down a recipe and now make our own. Loved the smoked turkey legs and greens while in GA last winter. Can't find good smoked turkey legs in the grocery stores out west. Have 2 in the freezer now ready to smoke ourselves.

We too missed the seafood from the Pacific NW. Just had the best fresh oysters from Winchester Bay, OR and the crabbers just started crabbing. Can't wait.

Love the regional surprises.

Jerry8mm · RV-Dreams Community Member

Blue Bell ice cream is available in NC, at least, in the NC mountains.

Jerry8mm · RV-Dreams Community Member

When I was in Costa Rica I couldn't find fig bars or any US brand of cookies except Oreos. Costa Rician cookies are not very sweet.

sirwinston21 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hellmans out west is Best Foods

Mccormicks in the east Shilling in the west

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Best food does not taste the same as Hellmann's.. 2 different recipes. Same company

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Barbaraok wrote:
Have found Helmsns all over the west. Try Safeway or one of the Kroger stores

Not in Las Vegas.. we searched the food chains.. Not safeway, never been in one, I don't think..

Camper Chronicles · RV-Dreams Family Member

Never could find Plochman's mustard in New England or Pennsylvania Dutch mushrooms. Was happy when we headed south and those things are readily available.

Technomadia · RV-Dreams Family Member

One of the ways I gauge where in the country we currently are is the Tillamook/Cabot cheese line. In the middle of the country, shelves have about equal quantity of both. Head west, it become more Tillamook focused. Head east, it's Cabot in the lead.

Mostly though, we love being able to savor what is local, and not get dependent on what isn't in the region we're in. If we really need it that bad, Amazon usually has it for delivery.

Gary · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jerry8mm wrote:
Blue Bell ice cream is available in NC, at least, in the NC mountains.

Can get Blue Bell in Virginia Beach at most Walmart and Kroger stores. Haven't looked elsewhere.

-- Edited by Gary on Thursday 11th of December 2014 06:29:58 AM

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have fulltime friends who have a portion of their freezer reserved for San Francisco sourdough bread and Genoa salami. They haven't found any substitutes that they can stand.

Kountryguy · RV-Dreams Community Member

Being from PA, we are always looking for dried beef. Just can't find it. Taylor Pork Roll is another hard to find item.

phyllen · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm agree with Kountryguy's comments. I never knew Pork Roll was a regional thing. Now when back in NJ/PA we pick up several packages and take it along. Also Scrapple. I wanted to make Tiramasu yesterday. Could not find ladyfingers and muscapone (sp?) cheese in Louisiana. But they do have plenty of Boudin which makes my Cajun hubby happy.

gypsymaus · RV-Dreams Family Member

One of my favorite places to go is the grocery stores as we move around. I love trying things I have never had before. One of my favorites is Anasazi beans we found for the first time in Gunnison CO. Found them again in Granbury Texas at a produce market. Getting recipes from the local people you meet along the way really helps.