If you like Giorgio, you'll love Primo

Remember that? Some of y'all might be too young to remember that in it's heyday. I had a best friend that really believed that Primo (by Pafums de Couer) was an acceptable substitute - not for Lysol, but for Giorgio. It got to where my mom didn't really want her to spend the night or come over for that matter because it just stunk up the house to the nth degree.

Some things just can't be substituted and that's a discovery I made when I served up a little ramekin of ranch dressing to TK with his dinner. He dipped, ate, poked his toungue back out to wipe off the offensive flavor and said "Plaah! What did you make that with?!?" Hmmmm, the same thing I always use, with one possible exception. I looked to make sure Todd had indeed gotten the buttermilk recipe mix and he had. So that only leaves the actual buttermilk and the mayonaise and come on - that's pretty much the same from one to the next, right? I tasted it and Pleh was right. It was gross. I then realized the problem. I used generic mayonaise. It was called generic REAL mayo, but it was not my normal brand. Who would have thought generic real mayo could ruin home-mixed ranch? I mean, I can see substituting Miracle Whip or Hellman's since those have a flavor all their own, but I specifically chose the real mayo - just the store brand. Suffice it to say, we dumped that and started over the next night. Funny thing is I will eat other ranch dressing at restaurants, etc., and so will Tiki, but I guess we were both expecting a certain flavor to come out of that beat-up blue and white cruet.

That got me thinking about what other things just can't be substituted. I'm not normally a brand snob - especially in this current world of almost between jobs and gas taking up most of the money we actually bring home, but there are just certain things that I think are brand superior in no particular order...

Heinz Ketchup
Kraft Real Mayo
Mrs. Baird's Large White Bread and Nature's Own Whole Grain Wheat
Um, COKE - and nothing else to be said about that one
Tia Rosa tortillas (unless we buy the fresh made from the tortilleria)
Dannon Yogurt
Daisy Sour Cream
Cajun Chef Jalapenos
Kraft Real American Singles
Claussen Kosher Dill Spears (the ones that are sold in the deli case - cold!)
and lastly Boar's Head deli meat

In looking at the list, perhaps it more of a dairy issue, but I will buy store brand shredded cheese or store brand milk, etc.

I have some non-grocery items that I'm pretty specific about such as dental floss, toothpaste and bath and hand soap, but everyone has that...

Do you have favorites that you just won't substitute no matter what?? Leave a comment - let me know - because I'm 100% sure I'm not the only one with grocery neuroses. TTFN.