In search of the perfect blueberry muffin (which fancy grocery chain is the best?)

[Kevin]

in indiana tofu is something we say when we stub our toe at church and have to restrain our language

TOFU!!!

[Meen]

We have a Fresh Market here. Very frou-frou. I can't afford to shop there, but I did go once for some spices that no one else carried.

[Sally, la reina]

I don't know about Trader Joe's other than when I lived in Portland I thought it was a hardware store because of it's bizarre location (in Hollywood, Tawmbo).
If I need fresh fish or fancy meat I might go to Whole Foods, but without fail I get suckered into some underseasoned pasta dish from the deli or whole something sugar free nasty soda and wind up spending 300 dollars on some fancy meat.

[Félix]

That's the Whole Foods secret marketing plan, Sally.

[Kevin]

only time we have fresh fish in indiana is after a flood

[~Sunny~]

I'm on a search for the best cinnamon roll, just being random :D

[RandomAnthony]

That's an excellent question, Sunny. I will say the smell of cinnabon in an airport is vomit-inducing. so not cinnabon.

[~Sunny~]

very true! cinnabons are gross and I've had several bad cinnamon buns at caribou coffee

[Heidi]

Fresh Market has great bulk spice - good quality and the prices are right (spices, everything else... high).

[Heidi]

Cinnamon rolls... hmmm! The best I've ever had are at Boulevard Bread Company here in Little Rock. It's local. I'd share if I could!

[[deleted user]]

I used to like Fresh Market, but I'm annoyed by the snooty customers more than anything. Shoppers there are always peering into your cart, and turning their noses up at you if you're not buying pomegranites or risotto.

That's why I love Trader Joes. All pretenses are checked at the front door. Plus, my daughter loves it there, for the samples.

[RandomAnthony]

Costco has a lot of samples. I swear, some people go there for a dinner out. I hate when they park their carts in front of the sample desks and I have to go around them.

[[deleted user]]

Same with Costco. We can't go to Costco without my daughter sampling everything. She's also learned the fine art of looking all cute and shit, and making those grizzled old hags dishing out some crappy-tasting frozen BBQ ribs samples go all goo-goo and stuff.

Most of Costco's samples suck a fat one.

[Heidi]

H.E.B.'s samples don't suck.

[Félix]

This is very true.

[Sally, la reina]

Larry, I made some blueberry muffins yesterday and ate the entire batch (with the help of Sweeter) before the day was over. They were insanely amazing. One whole cup of sour cream in the batter did the trick.

[Félix]

I am so jealous. Can I get the recipe?

[Heidi]

We should start a fave recipes thread.

[Kevin]

does yours involve deep fried food?

[Jessica]

Kevin: I thought you knew, do NOT mention deep-fried around Heidi!

[Kevin]

yeah, just trying to get a rise out of her. she seems fun when she is perturbed.

[Jessica]

I know :)

[Heidi]

(grrrrrrr...)

[[deleted user]]

I knew you should have let the sleeping dog lay Kevin, run, run for your life!

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

I don't like muffins. The only really good muffins I've ever had were from Mrs. Fields. They had an orange chocolate chip muffin that was phenomenal. Other than that, no.

[Rachel]

I had the best muffin in the world once. It crumbled in my mouth, and it was just the right amount of sweetness, and had just enough icing. It was soft and fluffy, and it didn't get stuck down the pipes, and I will hunt for its brothers and sisters till my dying day. Sadly, I suspect it was sold by a ghost lady.

[Sarah]

The bakery-bookstore a couple of blocks from me makes the world's best muffins, bar none.
Savory: cheddar-spinach (Zu likes the Quiche one, with egg and bacon in it)
Sweet: They have lots, but the pumpkin spice is my favorite. The cranberry-chocolate chip one has a light orange glaze, but not icing of course.

[Sarah]

Trader Joe's big strength as far as I'm concerned is
1) nut and oil prices
2) organic dairy and egg prices when I can't get to the farmer's market
3) organic frozen fruit and veggie prices (winter staples)
4) cereal prices

OK, and some of the packaged foods are really fun. Just don't like something too much or they'll discontinue it.

[Félix]

One should not depend on Joe's for produce, that's for sure.

I think my favorite thing there is the oatmeal raisin cookies.

[Sarah]

BunWat wrote: "Their produce department is pathetic though. At least at the two closest to me it is."

Yes, there is no point in buying their produce.

[[deleted user]]

I made blueberry muffins this week. I was really really happy with the result! Heaps better than any store made muffins. That doesn't often happen.

[evie]

Blueberry muffins are one of my favourite muffins. Did you use fresh blueberries?

[Phil]

I went blueberry picking last week in Oregon with my son and my mom. We paid $1 per pound. At our local store it's closer to $6 per pound, and the berries are nowhere near as tasty.

[[deleted user]]

No Evie I used frozen. Fresh ones are too expensive at the moment.

[[deleted user]]

I have never been blueberry picking only strawberry. The quality difference between freshly pick strawberries and store bought is mind blowing.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

I've never been blueberry picking at an official blueberry picking place, but many times I've hiked in Maine and New York and picked and eaten blueberries while walking.

[Phil]

I used to have five or six blueberry bushes in my backyard. There were three varieties, each with slightly different seasons of production. Yummm!

Then I moved away from the PNW. (sigh)

[Sally, la reina]

I bought blueberry muffin mix at the store this morning because of you people.

[evie]

I ate one, Saturday, during the train ride to visit my dad .
I used to have a blueberry muffin habit. This can't happen again.

[Sally, la reina]

Better than a meth habit.

[Sally, la reina]

Do they have meth in Australia?

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Evie's probably in the middle of cooking up a batch right now.

[evie]

Sally wrote: "Do they have meth in Australia?"

Yes.

[Susan]

Oh man. I am now in need of a giant, crumble-top blueberry muffin packed with large juicy blueberries, a toffee chocolate chip cookie from Whole Foods, some triple ginger snap cookies and a bottle of Two Buck Chuck (cabernet sauvignon).

This is a terrible combination of needs.

[evie]

Shocking!

[[deleted user]]

::Pulls out a bottle of Henschke Henry's Seven from the cellar::

This will make it better Susan.

[Susan]

Thank you, Gail! I feel better all ready. :)