As much as I love grocery shopping, some trips lately have been more frustrating than fruitful. “No, we have to get that organic,” “No, that could be GMO,” “Added hormones….,” “Nope, contains milk,” “It costs how much?” “It’s organic, but ugh!”  So many rules and guidelines that I never had to follow in my early frugal days. 

Both my husband and I are dedicated to purchasing the best quality food, but Whole Paycheck prices are not in our budget.  Luckily, every few weeks we hit the jackpot with some good sales at our local markets that meet all of our criteria … and today was one of those days. 

Our local natural food store carries a good deal of Italian import products and this week they had several little delicacies on for just 99 cents each!  We selected a few, but I will definitely be going back for more…

The garlic and oil may look creamy, but it is a wonderful blend of garlic, sunflower oil, and wine vinegar that is dairy-free, and from what I could tell, egg-free and vegan.  It was mild yet rich with creamy.  I didn't find the garlic overpowering, yet definitely flavorful.  The olive pate listed black olives as the first ingredient, so I wasn’t expecting too much excitement.  However, these were those “real olives” that I have overheard olive aficienados talking about.  They had that pungent spike of flavor that I (with my unrefined kalamata olive taste buds) would equate with green olives. 

We both felt so cultured dining on our little imported appetizers.  It was a fleeting moment, but it was fun while it lasted.  Anyway, if you can get your hands on these spreads from Valbona for a good price, I highly recommend them!

My Extra Notes & Tips:

• I couldn't spot any of the big eight allergens on the label, but be sure to double check if this is a concern for you.
• The company website is www.valbona.com.

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