Ok. So yes. I am a native New Yorker (however living outside of New York, but still close by). And yes, I had never been to The Container Store . . . until today. Oh. My. God. I am such a container junkie (and no, I actually didn’t buy anything due to an unreasonably long line).

Here are some items of interest though that I located and plan to purchase later:

• Salad Blaster Bowl - This AWESOME bowl lets you transport your salad and dressing in the same container without having them mixed (which everyone knows causes wilting). When you are ready, you push in a button on the lid and the dressing falls onto the salad. How cool is that?
• Snack and Dip - Ok. I wasn’t convinced when I saw this, but the more I’ve considered it, the cooler I think it is. Honestly, I do take a lot of dips and dippers to work, and this handy container lets you compactly transport them together. YAY!
• Sandwich Plus Lunch Container - I don’t take many sandwiches to work, but this is such a nifty container with to parts – one for the sandwich and a second with divided portions to store whatever else you bring like (mmmm) pickles, fruit and veggies. Take a look. It’s very cool

I was at Trader Joe’s not too long ago and decided to pick up their Brownie Truffle Baking Mix. I know. Boxed. I don’t do boxed, right?

Well generally no, since boxed mixes tend to have more ingredients than I am comfortable feeding my family. Nonetheless, I decided to have an exception since I had heard many a customer rave about them (and rant when they were out of the mix). And with a glance at the ingredients I saw that it didn’t have any of the ingredients I really avoid – partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup, for instance. So, despite being boxed, they did meet my standards.

Oh. My. God. Am I ever glad I gave them a chance. These brownies were moist and sweet, but not so sweet they leave your mouth aching. Yummmm. I cut them into small squares which was perfect for occasional snacking – easy to grab and go.

So do I recommend this mix? Oh yea! The major brands really pale in comparison . . . maybe pale isn’t a strong enough word. No, they dwarf, faint, wake up, pale, and pass out again in comparison.

Just my two cents.