Boredom, Wal-Mart and Holidays

What do these three things have in common?  ME!
I was so bored on Labor Day - I had all kinds of things accomplished and it was 11:30 AM.  I got to feeling lonely, feeling sorry for myself and just plain bored (goodness knows I have things to do) - so what is a girl to do?
Go to the Wal-Mart Family Market up the road.  It is basically just a grocery store - not a lot of other stuff like the regular Wal-Mart.

My reason was I wanted something to do, it was the closest store, and I forgot orange juice!!!!  LOL
So here I go and I just meander throughout the entire store.  You know I don't really like WM - but it's close by (and I used one of the 2 full service registers).
They have been remodeling the store and of course everything is in a new spot!  SIGH!
They have a method to their madness - you have to walk every aisle to find what you want - therefore you see more and buy more.

IT WORKED!

I get really aggravated when you get used to the stores then they change them up.  Lots of aggravated people were roaming the aisles.
BUT, they did do a few good moves.  Some things now just make more sense where they are.  I never really understood why some things were where they were before.
So yes, I saw a couple things that I didn't KNOW I needed and I bought.

Now comes the holiday part.  I am planning on making several jar recipes for my goody bags this year.  Many will be dry soup mixes.  I always have a supply of ham flavored dry bouillon, as we found an outlet for that years ago.  I however, have a hard time finding chicken and beef in larger container for a reasonable price.  Most I have found are cubes or it is the paste type that needs refrigerated after opening.

The Goya products I have purchased and keep on hand all the time.  It contains small packets of chicken bouillon  which works great for adding just a bit of flavor.  They usually run around a $1 or so a box.

Yesterday I found the Maggi chicken bouillon for $2.74 for a 15.9 ounce jar.  I also got the Knorr beef bouillon for 1.98 per 7.9 ounce jar.  I got 2 of those.  (These are all on the Hispanic food aisle).

With the ham seasoning I have and these two and the homemade tomato powder I have - I am set for flavoring different types of soup mixes.

I generally have tons of rice, different types of dry beans and lots of pasta on hand as well as herbs and other seasonings (dry onion, garlic etc.).  I may need to get a bag or two of dry noodles - but I think I am ready for about any type of soup mix I want to put together.

NOW is the time to start getting prepared for these types of goodies.

I can make them up for gifts for the baskets, for those unexpected folks that might drop by, or just for myself.

I want to be ready ahead of time.

So YES, boredom can lead to shopping and that can lead to being more prepared.  Just don't over do it!

Start thinking ahead of what homemade gifts you might want to do. 

I will slowly be posting recipes for lots of fun jar recipes over the next little while.

PS - I did get the OJ too!