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Muir Glen tomatoes. They cost about twice as much as other brands of canned tomatoes, but oh, are they worth it.

Whenever I give in to a sale on canned tomatoes at my local grocery store, I regret it...

MikeV
DadCooksDinner

Food: Julie's Organic Blackberry Sorbet Bars

Kitchen item: Napa Soap Company's "Serious Chef's Soap"
(removes strong odors like fish or onions from your hands instantly plus it's terrific to use after gardening)

Good coffee!!

Parmigiano-Reggiano

mmm, the muir glen fire-roasted tomatoes are amazing...

i'd probably have to say local milk and eggs from family farms. they cost up to double their "regular" counterparts, and i have to buy them more frequently because we gobble them up so quickly!

Bariani olive oil and canned San Marzano tomatoes. They make every dish taste better.

totally agree with your indulgence - i am currently in love with mrs. meyers scent-free. works well, love the packaging, and i've noticed that the dish sponge doesn't get the funky smell that it used to when i used scented dish soap.
also - organic eggs, milk, and coffee. i've been adding things one by one to this list of *always organic*. i can't splurge on everything, but these i make a priority.

I agree with your soap pick. I love the smell of Caldrea hand soap -- especially after chopping a bunch of onions.

Good coffee beans most of all, but also real cheese (nothing that comes in a can or in individual slices), McCann's steel cut oats (the cheaper Quaker Oats stuff is just not up to par), and real, 100% maple syrup.

Definitely good, fair trade, organic coffee (because I drink so much of it, I figure I owe it to the world to buy the most ethical coffee that I can!). And high quality olive oil for any use where I expect to be able to taste it - such a difference from what the grocery store sells.

Cheese, cheese and more cheese. My local grocery has a great cheesemonger, and I rarely leave her without 2 or 3 new cheeses to try. Nothing relaxes me after a hard day's work like a nice little cheese plate. :)

Quality spices, good cheese and artisanal olive oil. The last two used more sparingly than the first.

I am completely with you when it comes to soap. mrs. meyers soap--geranium hand soap in the bath and hand and dish in lemon verbena in the kitchen.

Mikawaya Mochi all the way. Eating just one seems to mitigate the guilt I feel about its terribly excessive packaging.

I have a great tip for this. My pharmacy sells green dish soap that works great but has no scent. But I'm crazy about the scent of lavender while washing dishes, so I bought a small bottle of essential oil and add a few drops. Cheap and luxurious.

Oooh. I agree about the Meyers Geranium. I've switched to Ecolover Lemongrass and it's very nice, too (and frequently on special)! My one real indulgence? Ronnybrook Farm Dairy skim milk in the glass bottles. I go through two quart bottles a week. That's almost $9.00 in milk, less the bottle deposit. But it's good stuff.

I'm a huge fan of the Method dish soaps-- they sell a ginger one only at Whole Foods that I LOVE.

My indulgence is good organic half&half to go in my morning coffee. Oh, and aged gouda.

I like the fancy detergent, too. I dilute mine 1:3 with water in one of those foam pump things to stretch it.

I've gotten caught up in the whole grass-fed, happy little piggy/moocow/chicken scene and mentally it's just hard to reverse course. I eat way less meat, eggs and dairy than I would at supermarket prices...but enjoy them like the luxuries they are when I do.

I also think about that saying, "buy whatever you want at the grocery store; it's cheaper than eating out," quite a lot these days.