Food, condiments, snacks, candy that you miss the most

I just wanted to start a post where everyone can talk about the food they miss the most from back home! This may help prepare me as to what to bring with me. I will definitely be stocking up on ranch dressing, taco seasoning, and reeses peanut butter cups!

reeses peanut butter cups!

I have seen these in the UK.

I have seen these in the UK.

you can get them here, but they aren't easy to find and seem to be less easy now. Our Asda used to sell them but don't anymore and woolworth's all closed where you could get them from before-- so don't count on reeses pb cups here easily .

I suggest cooking spices that you like just to hold you over until you try the different ones here to find what you like.

As for cooking spices...I have been buying bulk spices at my local vegan co-op and copying spices mixes that I have bought in the past. I grind them in my Magic Bullet Blender and you know what...they taste pretty damn good! And no MSG or chemicals!!!

But I miss Swedish Fish, Twizzlers, Chewy Sweettarts, white/yellow cake mix...I have been here for 10 years already, so I have found my own things from the UK that are good subs! Except for the candy, which is lucky for me, so then I just don't eat it! But its a treat when I do go back to the states twice a year...and when my parents come to visit! They always bring me lots of stuff!

I've found Newman's Own Ranch dressing, but personally I don't like it as much as the plain ol' everyday Hidden Valley or Wishbone ranch I used to buy in the US, so I miss that. There is another ranch you can find here but it's horrible -- called something like Cardini's?

 

Cheez-its
Fritos
Snyders of Hanover pretzels
Old El Paso green enchilada sauce
Half n half - specifically the Land o'Lakes fat free one
Jello pudding snack cups, especially the tapioca
And a few regional things from my hometown...Graeters Ice Cream, Skyline Chili, LaRosa's Pizza
Oh...and a good bagel   

The Newman's Own ranch tastes more like creamy Italian to me.  I've tried the Cardini one, and I think it tastes ok, but it's not ranch!!

it's horrible -- called something like Cardini's?

£1.75 in Tesco.

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco-price-comparison/Mayonnaise_And_Dressings/Cardinis_Ranch_Dressing_250ml.html

Hidden Valley £3.97 online

http://www.americansoda.co.uk/uk/American-Soda/Home/Groceries/Sauces-+-Dressings/Ranch-Dressing.aspx

Described as "Boursin in liquid form".

Swedish Fish (If you mean the jelly fish shaped candy)

Assorted 3.5 oz box £1.99

http://www.cybercandy.co.uk

Take 5 bars.  Yum, or chocolate covered pretzels in general.

Plain yellow-box Cheerios.

From time to time, I miss certain other foods, but I really miss these, as I used to eat them every day. And while you can get them here at certain specialty food shops, or online, they are very expensive, and not a price where daily consumption would be realistic.

My only real gripe is the mayonnaise. It is very slightly different here -- even the familiar brands like Hellman's (so it must be catering to a difference in local taste). It's more vinegar-y and less egg-y. More gray, less white. However, I've missed it less since I discovered Dijonnaise, which I adore.

I also miss Portuguese bolos, which are a sort of flat muffin that makes splendid sammiches and burgers. I'll bet I could find them in London, if there's a Portuguese neighborhood there.

There's a lot in this thread here, but some is out of date:
http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=103.0

For me its:
hot tamales
fruity pebbles
plain cheerios
all types of chex (though shreddies does ok for the multi-grain chex)
near east rice pilaf mixes
goya black beans and rice/red beans and rice/yellow rice
grits
american bacon
really good NH/VT/MA maple syrup (yay my friend brought me lots!!)
cuban bread
yucca
cassava
plantain chips
cuban coffee

big pretzels sold off those carts

triscuits of all sorts

wheat thins

Amy's - anything Amy's

morningstar veggie burgers

all different kinds of Chex so i can make probably TV trash

california pizza kitchen

chipotle

red beans and rice in a packet or box

sun chips or just a big ol' bag of chips and not a big ol' bag of chips and not a big ol' bag with a bunch of lunchbox sized packets of chips.

really good corn tortillas

sloppy joe mix

dunkin' donuts and seattle's best coffees

dunkin' donuts and seattle's best coffees

My husband is obsessed with DD coffee, we must have 10 bags in the house at any time. If we start to run out, I know its either time for my parents to come visit, or for a trip home! We have about 9 lbs now...panic stations.

My mom brought me some Seattles Best for the Tassimo, it was really good!!

My husband is obsessed with DD coffee, we must have 10 bags in the house at any time. If we start to run out, I know its either time for my parents to come visit, or for a trip home! We have about 9 lbs now...panic stations.

My mom brought me some Seattles Best for the Tassimo, it was really good!!

My mom brought 5 bags.  But between us all (Dad, Andrew and I are addicts) we managed to drink it all in less than a fortnight. 

My mom brought 5 bags.  But between us all (Dad, Andrew and I are addicts) we managed to drink it all in less than a fortnight. 

lol, no way! Only he drinks it, and he only has about 2 cups a day. I drink Starbucks House Blend for the Tassimo, and I prefer it iced!