Grrr...

[Chicken_Little 0]

Okay, so I'm down visiting my husband. I go home in February. But it should be okay because I SHOULD get a March interview, so I'm trying not to think about those weeks between me going home and him coming up for the interview, cuz if I do I'll be sad.

Sooo...as part of my "trying not to think about the fact that I have to leave soon" plan, I'm keeping busy while he's at work. So today, I decided to make him a cake as a surprise. Wanted a healthy-sort of cake, since we're both trying to eat right as part of New Years Resolutions.

So I found a recipe for a low fat cake with a nice, light, low-cal, creamery frosting. It called for "Dream Whip". The whipped topping mix that comes dry in little envelopes. Commen stuff, right? I get it all the time at home. Well, after spending about an hour (seriously!) searching the local Stop n' Shop, I caved and asked one of the people who worked there. She stared blankly at me. So I described it. She said she had never heard of it and that as a stock girl, she'd know if they carried it. Figuring she was just on crack, I went to another grocery store. Same result.

So apparently even SIMPLE "commen" things are different. I'm now kinda scared it's gonna be more of a culture shock then I thought when I move down here. I know for sure I'll be having to bring down loads of Timmy's coffee and tea when I move, but I figured that things like baking goods would be the same here as they are in Canada.

*sigh*

Don't get me wrong, I can't WAIT to move, and wish I didn't even have to go home in a few weeks, but it just sucks that I won't be able to use some of my recipes since products which are commen in Canada apparently don't exist down here.

[Neja 0]

I completely understand! At Christmas time I went looking for ordinary simple sugar sprinkles to put on shortbread cookies and couldn't find any!! As a matter of fact I couldn't find any kind of sprinkles in the grocery store we shop at. It really made me miss Safeway. Grocery shopping here is a different experience.

Mmmm...dream whip is yummy.

[Mr&Mrs2859 0]

I thinking that the only dream whip ive seen is in the container like the cool whip in the refrigerated section. The only thing so far hubby cant seem to find is cheese curds. And friends sent us some Passion Flakies I just got thru eating one

Found this for you..... http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm.../Dream_Whip.htm

[ceriserose 1]

Unsweetened coconut, mint chocolate chips, Magic baking powder and anything of UK origin that we get in Canada. All unfound here.

Oh, and Shreddies are non-existant here too.

Stock up before you leave! I'm having my care package brought down in the spring.

(Oh, we have dream whip here. Cool Whip is also a substitute if you can find it.)

edit: Also be prepared for a difference in using flour. Apparently Canadian flour is harder milled than US...meaning if you make something like bread, you have to use bread flour in the US (whereas in Canada you can get away with just using all-purpose).

Nothing I've baked here from scratch has turned out since I got here last July. I use mixes for most things now.

Edited January 31, 2006 by ceriserose

[Marilyn. 340]

The bigger markets might have it... I just checked Albertsons and they carry it

https://www.albertsons.com/brand_default.asp you can see if you have a Albertson's nearby

Edited January 31, 2006 by MarilynP

[I'm Gone 60]

Just smear some Cool Whip on it and stop whining.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,186,157170-243205,00.html

QUICK COOL WHIP FROSTING

1 med. pkg. Cool Whip

1 box instant vanilla pudding

1 c. low fat milk

Combine pudding and milk by whipping together. Fold in Cool Whip and beat until fluffy. Frosting is great on chocolate cakes or cupcakes. Must refrigerate when cake is frosted!

[Marilyn. 340]

dream whip is a little different then cool whip..... personally I like the taste of dream whip better then cool whip but Cool whip is okay if you have to mix it in something....

Edited January 31, 2006 by MarilynP

[meddykomp 0]

I dont know where in the US you are, but most of what is available in Canada is available where I live though sometimes there is a different name ... such as Kraft Dinner is Kraft Macaroni and Cheese etc... maybe its proximity to Canada as I am not all that far away.

[Peggy 1]

I find there is lots of stuff I cant find here either, that we sell at home.

I can not find summer savory anywhere's down here(i might have spelled that wrong)

I can not find white potatoes here. They are either buttered, or russet, or sweet potatoes.

I miss gravestein apples. Cant find them here.

I did find the flour here to be different. I have tried making bisquits and cookies and they just dont turn out.

I can not find the honey garlic sauce in the bottle here, that you would put on ribs.

I find even the cheese whiz bottles look different then at home. It tastes different too.

Ok I better stop now.........

[daisy16 0]

edit: Also be prepared for a difference in using flour. Apparently Canadian flour is harder milled than US...meaning if you make something like bread, you have to use bread flour in the US (whereas in Canada you can get away with just using all-purpose)

The flour is different? That's why my muffins are weird. I don't make cakes so hadn't put the 2 together.

The differences are subtle but annoying.

Dare I say Ketchup chips?

[Dusy 0]

Anyone know where I can find some Yoplait "Source" yogurt. It's the only yogurt I like. I am not in the States yet, but can't seem to find it when I go down.

[Chicken_Little 0]

Just smear some Cool Whip on it and stop whining.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,186,157170-243205,00.html

QUICK COOL WHIP FROSTING

1 med. pkg. Cool Whip

1 box instant vanilla pudding

1 c. low fat milk

Combine pudding and milk by whipping together. Fold in Cool Whip and beat until fluffy. Frosting is great on chocolate cakes or cupcakes. Must refrigerate when cake is frosted!

First of all, I wasn't "whining", but merely looking for some fellow Canadians going through the same thing. Second of all, as other people have mentioned, there are differences between cool whip and dream whip. If there were no differences, there wouldn't be a problem. I'm not really sure why you felt the need to be rude here...*shrugs*.

Thanks everyone for the links and suggestions of where to look. I'll see if we have an Albertson's nearby.

[morocco4ever 63]

I remember my childhood, we had dream whip then! I can't imagine that it isn't here somewhere!

When I was in Morocco I wanted to bake my husband an pineapple upside down cake. They have no idea what brown sugar is! Its strange how we take our little comfort foods for granted until we can't have it anymore...lol

Good luck on your interview!

[zyggy 9]

I thinking that the only dream whip ive seen is in the container like the cool whip in the refrigerated section. The only thing so far hubby cant seem to find is cheese curds. And friends sent us some Passion Flakies I just got thru eating one

Found this for you..... http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm.../Dream_Whip.htm

Cheese Curds are illegal in the US by health code because all cheese must be pasteurized and you can't get cheese curds if the milk has been pasteurized..

[geally 0]

I have seen dream whip all over the place in the US (while living in different parts of New England and in northern CA) Good luck finding a source near you...or have someone send you some in the post...it is light enough!

I have had so many problems like this while living in the UK. On one hand it is no big deal in the grand scheme of things, but when you're missing home etc. it becomes overwhelming at times!