to be p***ed off with myself (and sainsbury's) for wasting money on unnecessary poncetastic food?

[GetOrfMoiCockroachCluster]

I blame the luxe foods aisle in Sainsbury's.

Last night I went there and wasted money on the following.

Rose Harissa paste - why? It sounds nice. But the last time I cooked anything 'rose' scented it tasted like those dodgy perfumes I used to make when I was 9.
Grissini. I spent £4 on breadsticks. I have never bought breadsticks in my life. Why did I buy these? Because the box looks pretty.
De Cecco pasta. Why I pay £1.50 for pasta as opposed to the Sainsbp's own for £75, god only knows. It is solely because the pasta is a prettier shape and the box will look nice in my cupboard.
A £8 bottle of balsamic vinegar. What has happened to my life when I spend the best part of a tenner on bloody vinegar but resent spending over a fiver on a bottle of wine.

I am an idiot.

YANBU to be annoyed with yourself, but not sure you can blame sainsbury's for your sudden interest in all things expensive

£4 for breadsticks

Resisted urge to point out that £75 is a lot for pasta....but couldn't hold it in.

weeeeeel, sometimes you just need pretty things to go in the cupboards

can I interest you in candle making?

De Cecco pasta is lovely. You can definitely taste the difference. Eat with a subtle sauce rather than an overpowering one so you really enjoy it.
The balsamic vinegar will last you for ages.

Can't account for the rose harissa though.

De Cecco pasta is fab. They often have a 2 of £2 so I stock up when they do this. It really does taste nicer.

I just stock up on the special offer stuff and try to get the 2 for 3 offers on fresh fruit and veg or cupboard basics.

I don't buy mich processed foods. I remember my old mum saying that you should buy food as close to nature as possible (ie processed as little as possible).

£8 on vinegar... must be bloody good, although I don't mind spending a lot on really good olive oil (for salads and dipping nice srusty bread into). Or fancy tomatoes - they are my weakness!

Rose harissa is lovely, and much nicer than the usual harissa. I marinade some chicken breasts (skin on) in it with a splash of olive oil and some seasoning and roast in the oven for 25 mins

Lol - yes I meant 75p for pasta.

Mind you, it can't be long before someone makes pasta that expensive, of course it will be in a nice beribboned box and I will snap it up immediately.

Thank you Kathy for helping with the justification. The De Cecco pasta is nice and the boxes are pretty it does taste better.

What the hell do I do with the breadsticks though? I can see my dd nicking them to dip in Dairylea.

As for the rose harissa

think about the vinegar in terms of price per use, like the magazines try to get you to do with overpriced clothes.

tbh I never bought normal harissa.

It says on the box that it is nice mixed up with houmous (oh there is a use for the grissini) but that seems a bit of a waste, tbh.

Oh and I can blame Sainsbury's! They have a whole section of the shop for this crap. It is a deliberate and cynical marketing ploy to suck in the vulnerable.

The clever thing about Sainsbury's having a section for this crap is that you can avoid that aisle and wander down the aisles full of ugly boxes cheaper food. But who am I to talk, I bought Seeds of Change choccy yesterday because it has a pretty packet...£1.75 for the smallest amount of choccy ever

What to do with breadsticks?
My girl, you have not lived!
Dunk them in Nutella. It's like a home made choc dip.
mmmm.

Oh what a fantastic idea!

It will be like those choc and dips things in the blue container which had about 4 tiny breadtsicks and a microscopic container of chocolate.

This will be a gurt big box of foot long grissini and a whole pot of nutella - no comparison.

Welcome to my world.

rose harrisa is the only kind i buy, it's lovely. I do a nice tomato and prawn thing with couscous & feta with it. yum.

Get yourself online, woman! They can't seduce you so easily with the fancy names and pretty boxes.

Or go to Aldi - it all looks and tastes like shit

Rose harissa is lovely. Mix with yoghurt and lemon juice, coat chicken pieces and roast them in the oven. You can't taste the rose, really.

I love breadsticks. DD and I get through at least a packet a week, mainly dipped in hoummous.

YANBU but I am salivating at your shopping...

yanbu! Would recommend avoiding waitrose as well!

It all sounds yummy. I'm a sucker for anything that looks pretty is expensive. Just got bollocked by DP for spending a ludicrous amount on food.

LOL at the giant foot-long choc dippers

I'm a sucker for packaging too. You're not pregnant are you?

You need to seek guidance from the masters of the poncetastic, waitrose; this or this maybe.

Have always liked the sound of rose harissa, but strongly suspected it'll be one of those things i use a spoonful of, then leave cluttering up my fridge till it grows mould a year later...

I'm so glad we don't have a Waitrose round here. I'd be buying all sorts of daft stuff.

O I love Waitrose. I go there once a month for a treat. Have lunch in the cafe and then treat myself to lovely smellies, little treats for the kitchen, and all the lovely hams, pates and wines.

Oh what a twat I am. I have just admitted that I go to a supermarket as a monthly treat.

Cosmosis - that rose harrisa, feta and couscous thing sounds lurvely. I have got into a bit of a rut cooking wise - I tend to eat pasta dishes, or make assorted indian dishes. Must try Moroccan (wonder if Waitrose sells nice tagines...)

Heathen - thanks so much for those links, those recipes look great, and I have all those spices already. Must try.

Must admit also - the reason for this thread is that DP rang me up at work this morning (he is at home suffering from the dreaded flu and was raiding the supboards looking for something nice to eat) to ask why we had breadsticks, another bottle of balsamic and what the hell was rose harissa when it was at home