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Lucky lady, number4, but how do you just discipline yourself not to end up dipping into your retirement accounts so you can regularly grocery shop there? I was so tempted by their ready-made little plastic lunch, meats and cheeses, appetizers and sushi trays scattered throughout the store for grab and go. Would have been my dinner many a night when I was single. But pricey! I am seriously wondering....

Superesse, that is AWESOME!!! Don't be afraid to try new spices. Pinterest is great for ideas and recipes!
BSR, cocktails 🍸 count too!!!

Pogre, yes, Sumac is highly underrated. I never heard of using it in a tea or beverage. Sound pretty good. I love lima beans. Which is why they never end up in anything because I'll eat them cold out of the can or heated up. I usually eat canned, but occasionally I'll make them from scratch. I love fava beans too. OK, I just love beans, period!

We thought of and referred to it more as juice than tea, which is what it's like. Almost like lemonade or cranberry juice. It's bright, tart, and of course sweetened with sugar. I loved it as a kid.

I use dried lima beans and put them in for the last 2 - 2½ hours or so, so they absorb the juices and spices from the brisket. I'll also add some carrots, onion, garlic and celery. I basically just treat it like ham and bean soup, but leave the brisket whole and slice it once it's cooked.

I'm a lover of beans also. I pretty much like them all.

I live in Mesa! Did you see we're going to be getting into the 90s this week already? Ugh.

number4, but how do you just discipline yourself not to end up dipping into your retirement accounts so you can regularly grocery shop there?

lol! For one, I don't do the majority of the grocery shopping. H does, and Wegman's is not in his usual repertoire. But if there's a certain produce or product that we can only find at Wegman's, then we'll go there, and pick up some other stuff to try. I can almost always count on my produce being the best quality there over any other store. For instance, right now, I know I can find strawberries that aren't white near the top of the stem, rendering half the strawberry tasteless. I also like I can get pre-made half sandwiches since a whole sandwich is often too much for me. They just have a better selection of staples, too. But mostly H shops at Market Basket, and Wegman's is not our primary source for groceries. I know if there's a particular spice or product that I can't find at another grocery store, I can find it at Wegman's. Doesn't mean we have to buy all of our groceries there 🤣.

So that's the secret to success with a nearby Wegmans, eh? Don't make a HABIT of it!? I agree they seem to have figured out a lot of people would like to taste test items but not invest heavily...especially those French cheeses mmmmm. And yet I'm sure some people do make it their regular stop. Funny you mention strawberries, we grabbed a large box of mixed blueberries, blackberries and half-sliced strawberries that were NOT half white as you note, and it was great...but it was also $20.00!!!

StillLivin I used just a pinch of that sumac in what was shaping up to smell and taste more like BBQ after I'd added a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce, despite 7 cloves of chopped garlic and 3 onions, thyme and W'sauce. Stirred it in and it seemed to mellow out the tomato top note imeediately. It seemed to bring forward the meatier taste of lamb and the potatoes which I had cubed and roasted in a pan in Kerry Gold Butter. They were good in their own right! All now in the 'fridge, awaiting assembly. Made some old-fashioned pie dough (flour, water, salt) to have on hand after all the crescent roll prepackaged stuff is used up. I made a lot of filling with all that.

Had an Irish dinner at a local church yesterday and regrettably, they didn't use Irish sausasge for their bangers, just local pork that tasted like brats but not nearly so good. Their corned beef was very lightly spiced. It was pink but that's about all. Their horseradish cream sauce was super mild and their cabbage was just...cooked cabbage. Somebody did a cafeteria pan of "Shepherd's Pie" so blah I couldn't even swallow a second bite. It was mostly senior citizens so maybe they went mild on purpose.

But see where our dreams lift us to? I was disappointed in reality after dreaming of your-all's creations!

Pogre, we hit the 90s here in Tucson just a few days before the rains and "cold" front. Now were back in the 80s but about to hit 90s again. Im not looking forward to the heat. Where can I get the Sumac pistons from? Does it taste similar to hibiscus (we call it jamaica) tea?
Number4, I cant wait to move back to the East coast so I can hit up a Wegmans.
Superesse, Don't be discouraged. Just because some people dont season and cook it to its best potential doesn't mean you wont find a better version. But that is the reason I do most of my own cooking. My friend is Irish and her Grandparents are from Ireland. Her food is amazing. She taught me how to make my mashed potatoes even better. And her fried turkey is to die for. She can make a mean shepherds pie too. She scoffs when she sees it made with beef. I didnt even know we Americans were making it wrong.

StillLiving and all Shepherds Pie Afficionados, ground lamb is the preferred meat or a mix of ground lamb and ground beef if you don't have enough lamb. The ground beef versions we had in grade school and ever after are....poor imitations, per my Irish friends. And after comparison, I have to agree. Just heard more about this tonight: my in-laws would take leftover mutton from their Sunday dinners and cut the meat off the bones, remove some of the fat - it was mutton, after all! - and put it through a meat grinder, perhaps mix in some peas and cut-up onions with a touch of water (a bit of salt, but he can't recall). Put the ground meat in a casserole dish and topped it with mashed potatoes (or even potatoes and parsnips like StillLivin's friend did) and pats of butter. Sounds simple. I'm still trying to match that.