DRIED LENTILS OR SOUP MIXES

[bargainqueen]

My sister is following the Slimming World diet and would like to continue with it whilst we are out in Florida in two weeks time.

She normally makes a home made soup to eat at lunchtime and bulks it out with lentils or pulses.

Does anyone know if they sell them in the stores, the only thing we normally search for when we're over is tins of tuna.

If they don't sell anything like it, are we allowed to take some out with us?

Strange request I know but she is doing so well and I also could do with losing a few pounds. It may even start me off on a new eating regime.

[Susan J]

You can take them with you - but I seem to remember seeing pulses in publix -and there are plenty of tins of all kinds of veg and pulses, or fresh veg to make soup from.

[bargainqueen]

Thanks for the reply, we don't normally cook whilst there and the only thing we buy is bananas for my husband to eat whilst he's out golfing. We have the occasional salad and I had noticed the veg when heading for the salad section.

Might pop a couple of packs of lentils and soup mix in the case until we track down others to use.

My husband makes a great carrot and corriander soup so maybe we can talk him into making that whilst we're there.

Seems strange to be eating soup in 80 d weather but if it's going to help shift these unwanted lbs then it's worth it.

Then again whenever I go to Olive Garden I have the spicy soup so maybe it isn't so strange after all. Only trouble is I have too many garlic rolls [msnembarrased]

[caroline]

Just a little heads up in case you don't know.... coriander is called cilantro - I was making a thai curry a few trips ago and once I knew what I was looking for it was easy but trying to describe it to the lady in Walmart was 'interesting'!!!!

[fiona]

I am sure they do have them in Publix but they certainly do in Walmart - this is the one on the 27 at Cagans Crossing which is the nearest one to us:

http://www.walmart.com/search/search...straint=976759

You can take over tins or dried vegetables with you, but I think you will need to declare them to customs on your way in.

I am doing SW - one of my daughters is a consulant now, and I made fritattas for lunch fairly often, and as long as I am careful I can maintain my weight or even lose some!

Forgot to say I also make lots of salads and make one with plenty of beans - kidney etc with onions, peppers etc.

[bargainqueen]

Caroline and Fiona - Thank you for the information

I'm sure we'll find everything we need in the supermarket, only thing I worry about is the size of the packaging!

I looked on the internet and Cilantro is the name for the leaves but the seeds should be called Coriander. I have a place in Spain and I'm sure it's called Cilantro there as well. I have a laminated card which gives the Spanish/English food names, will have to search to see if I brought it home with me.

I'm going to take a jar of coriander seeds with me as well as the pulses and declare it to customs. No doubt the customs officer will have the same expression as my husband. It'll give them something to laugh about after I've gone [clap]

I made a lamb stew last night and put some of the dried soup mix in as it also contains pearl barley. Husband thought it was great so perhaps he won't mind me taking some with me. Then again I think he will.

[Andrena]

As we stay for a long time while there I do cook and so far I have only found the dark lentils, not the red ones, so I usually take some with me. The dark ones look awful in soup and take so much longer to cook down. Other than that I usually find most things that I need. I don't spend a lot of time cooking, I do a big 'cook in' as soon as we arrive and freeze it and then anyone who needs food can help themselves and just get on with it.

Andrena

[bargainqueen]

So I won't be the first person to take pulses to USA. Do you have to declare them?

If my husband cooks a soup, as a chef he only does large amounts. I'm going to take some soup/liquid bags with me for storing items in freezer.
My sister is used to cooking for one so her quantities only cover 2 days.

I suppose really it will depend of the equipment left in the villa. Normally we use a stick blender but I doubt there'll be one there.

[Susan J]

They aren't very expensive to buy [stick blender] from Walmart or somewhere-so you could always buy one. I leave an actual blender out, so you may find the home has one of these available, which you could use for batches.

[autumnc]

Not quite the same as lentils, but Walmart and Publix also sell a bag of mixed beans that contains several types. It's a nice mix and comes with a soup powder, but I usually bin that (due to high salt content) and make a spicy bean soup with it.
As Susan says, you can pick up a cheap hand blender from Walmart if the villa you are in hasn't got one.