Lifting my spirits at Costco Wholesale

Who knew? A slow cruise down Costco Wholesale's aisles in Hackensack led to the discovery of what is called "the purest salt in the world." Korean-Style Red Pepper Powder, below, is another product that caters to an increasing number of Korean-American shoppers.

More than a foot of snow followed by rain, fog and another sunless day.

I just couldn't get started on Monday, even after a second pot of coffee at mid-afternoon, so I jumped in the car, sure that my brightly lit Costco Warehouse store would lift my spirits.

Bad weather tends to keep Costco customers at home, and there were no lazy shoppers clogging up the entrance to the parking lot as they searched for a spot closest to the door of the Hackensack store.

Bad weather tends to keeps the crowds away.

I didn't have a list, but knew we were out of a few things. I also wanted to pick up fish for dinner. So, I took my time, and walked up and down most of the food aisles.

I've never heard of Himalayan Pink Salt, but liked that the pink, red and white crystals came in their own 13-ounce grinder bottle, great for cooking  ($4.49).

I didn't buy Kirkland Signature Organic Salsa, above, but did pick up fully cooked chickpeas in Asian Indian spices, below. Four, 10-ounce portions were $7.59.

I made sure I picked up a 42-ounce jar of Kirkland Signature Organic Strawberry Spread ($7.49), a pound of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix ($4.99), three half-gallons of Silk Vanilla Soy Milk ($7.39) and 2 pounds of Jarlsberg Light Swiss Cheese ($9.99).

We were out of low-fat organic milk, so I bought three half-gallons for $10.99. 

Two dozen organic brown eggs were $6.99, and Costco is the low-price leader on 3 pounds of bananas for $1.39.

I've never cooked with Kirkland Signature Parchment Paper, but it might be better for the environment than using aluminum foil, which may not be recyclable.

A pound of Kirkland Signature Smoked Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon is still $15.39, perfect for omelets or rolled up with a slice of reduced-fat cheese and dipped in mustard for a snack.

In the fish case, I found baccala -- salted Pacific cod -- for $8.99 a pound.

A few other food purchases brought my total to $109.97, but Costco doesn't require a credit-card signature on purchases under $200, up from $100.