Essentials ?

That's what I figured!  I knew I couldn't keep missing it.  I'm not a huge donut fan, but their coffee is a favorite.    Krispy Kreme is all over the place here, I noticed.  Haven't tried their coffee yet. 

Everything else I've pretty much found substitutes for, though.  Found stores that have sizes that fit me relatively well, and I have to say Boots beats Duane Reade any day of the week and twice on Sunday.    I mean, I do love some Diet Snapple Raspberry Iced Tea, but I can dig that it wouldn't be a thing here. 

I've seen some diet Snapple iced teas here.  I know Nadia's in Cambridge do a wide range.  Not sure about Raspberry though. 

The used to be three DD in Glasgow, but at the time I didn't drink coffee all that much and I can't recall if they even did the iced coffees. 

I mean, I do love some Diet Snapple Raspberry Iced Tea, but I can dig that it wouldn't be a thing here. 

I missed Arizona iced teas, then I found the pomegranate green tea at a health food store here and was so excited. I was disappointed to discover it tasted so nasty to me, I nearly gagged. I guess my tastes have changed for some things that I thought I missed. I expect a few more disappointments when I go back later this year for a visit (though I doubt Chick-Fil-A or a Coke slurpee could ever disappoint!)

If you like the Snapple tea, my tip would be to make some regular, unsweetened iced tea (I brought a few boxes of Lipton tea with me when I moved and it's lasted a long time since I am the only one who ever drinks it!) and add a bit of Robinson's no sugar added black currant concentrated juice (or whatever flavour suits your fancy - the peach is nice, too!) You could also use the lemon concentrate to make Arnold Palmers, etc. The possibilities are limitless for making your own tea cocktails!  Oddly enough, though, they do have that horrible sickly sweet lemon tea stuff in the bottle here - Brisk, or whatever it is. That really took me by surprise, as I love iced tea and wouldn't touch that stuff with a yardstick. 

Thanks for the tip!  I will try that.  I don't need it often, but sometimes just get a taste for iced tea when it's warmer out.  (like this weekend, it would have been great).  Sadly, I just had to make due with wine. 

Most other things (Aleve aside) I have found decent substitutes.    And there are always trips home to take for things like bagels and pizza from my favorite home restaurants. 

Bagels?  I still cry when people think they can't get good bagels in England!


Vicky

I swear, I will take a bagel hunt one of these days!  I know the ones immediately around me aren't that great but I will keep an open mind.

I will say that I'm sure part of my standards for bagels are just built upon the fact that we've been getting bagels from the same place since I was a kid, so I assume part of it is just the comfort of having a childhood favorite, you know? 

Where do you get your bagels, though?  I know where I currently live (Fulham), I haven't found a good place, but I imagine there's gotta be an authentic jewish deli somewhere in London, right? 

Where do you get your bagels, though?  I know where I currently live (Fulham), I haven't found a good place, but I imagine there's gotta be an authentic jewish deli somewhere in London, right? 

The top of Brick Lane has a couple of good bagel places.

http://www.qype.co.uk/place/329778-Hendon-Bagel-Bakery-London

Vicky

I'm not sure you can find good bagels outside of London. When I was in the UK, I baked my own!

(though I doubt Chick-Fil-A or a Coke slurpee could ever disappoint!)

Chick-Fil-A could never -- WILL NEVER -- disappoint.   

There's a little corner market right near me that stocks a lot of Snapple. 

Coming from Boston, I definitely miss Dunkin Donuts for my morning coffee stop.  Although eliminating the "donut" part of that stop hasn't been a bad thing.

I wouldn't mind having Twizzlers available, though.   

I wouldn't mind having Twizzlers available, though.   

Ahh, twizzlers. I brought some over on the plane to snack on, and as soon as my husband tried them, I lost them. He ate the whole pack, except for a few that I got. I do miss my regular sweets. Starburst Jellybeans for example. There are chocolates that I know and love, but other sweets I just haven't seen around here. And they are so darn heavy, I feel too guilty asking for them to be shipped over.

Although, my mom did send me a bottle of Welch's Grape Jelly. I'd been eating the blackcurrant, but I just really wanted grape and couldn't find it anywhere. Now I'm serving it out like it's the last I'll ever have. Only let myself have it every couple of days. Cost $15 to send it, so total that's a $18 bottle of jelly. It's off limits to the children!

For the most part, I love trying the new candy around here (as my ever expanding waistline will prove) but man, do I miss me some Flipz.  Not enough to ask for a shipment to be sent, but enough to ask people to bring them if they are already flying over.

Chick-Fil-A could never -- WILL NEVER -- disappoint.   

Exactamundo

Sorry, as a New Yorker, you can't get a bagel thats anywhere as good as a NY bagel in the UK...no way jose. The bagels here (even on Brick lane etc) can not compare to a NY bagel. Its the water that makes them so good...

I will fight you for that!



Or, better idea, one day have a taste test!  Sunday morning Hendon Bagel Bakery still hot from the oven....I cannot believe they can be beaten!


Vicky