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If you’re not familiar with the term “Aldi Finds,” allow us to explain: Every Wednesday, the store brings new products into rotation for a limited time. And they’re called, you guessed it, Aldi Finds. These special products can be anything from frozen pizzas with fun toppings, to drawer organizers, and even chainsaws.

The brand has lots of great finds coming up between now and the holidays (for gifting and entertaining!), so we thought we’d start highlighting a few of our favorites each month. We’re more than halfway through October, but there’s still lots of great stuff coming out.

Here’s what we’re most excited about for the month of October.

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The perfect go-to gift — one that’s sure to please just about anyone and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg — is pretty hard to find. But there’s one thing at Trader Joe’s that I buy for everyone I know, and I’ll keep doing it until I die.

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Earlier in the week I had, as ’90s pop diva Monica stated in her effortless debut single, “one of those days.” But unlike the subject of her song, I took it very personally. An emotionally trying day is like having a bowl of vegetables for dessert. (At least, it is to a sweet tooth.)

After an achy back made me feel like the guy on the Doans box, I discovered an account error on a bill, which, of course, meant treasured moments on hold and terse conversations with customer service. As sweet things are my coping mechanism of choice, I thought about all the desserts I would be getting at Trader Joe’s.

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Outside Barrachina in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, a bronze plaque reads: “The house where in 1963 the piña colada was created by Don Ramon Portas Mingot.” In the decades since Don Ramon’s discovery, the drink has exploded in popularity: The restaurant now serves approximately 2,200 piña coladas a day.

I stopped into Barrachina on a recent visit to Puerto Rico. And, while undeniably touristy, the restaurant is the type of place where everyone’s having a good time. Even though a nearby hotel, the Caribe Hilton, also claims it invented the piña colada, none of the patrons surrounding me seemed to care. Probably because Barrachina’s piña coladas are delicious — and, you know, filled with rum.

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Little kids are notoriously picky eaters. Whether it’s because they have delicate taste buds undulled by time, or are just refusing your food out of protest, sometimes it takes a few tricks to get them to eat healthfully. So I’ve done my fair share of cutting things into interesting shapes and separating ingredients to my kids’ specifications. Generally, as long as they eat what’s on their plate, I don’t mind if we take a sort of meandering path to get there.

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On more than one occasion, a friend has come over and seen my Instant Pot on the kitchen counter and asked “What is that?” In response I like to joke, “Oh, it’s my time machine!”

My magical time-saving Instant Pot has been in heavy rotation this fall, making quick work of big-batch staples and weeknight dinners. It’s a pro tool for Power Hour, because you can cook a round of eggs, grains, whole potatoes, and more in the Instant Pot — all while your oven works, too. Then you can put it to use once again during the week to make near-instant dinners.

Also, a quick note on food storage: I used zip-top bags for this plan, but I make sure to wash and reuse them several times to cut down on waste and maximize their use. You can also easily swap in any washable food storage containers — we’ve linked to a few of our favorites below, too.

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Pumpkins and winter squashes like butternut, acorn, and kabocha will keep for months when stored in a cool, dry place, but sometimes it’s helpful to extend their shelf life even more. And the best way to do it is by freezing.

Regardless of the variety, and whether you’re working with raw or cooked winter squash, here are the two best methods for preserving it in the freezer.

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We’ve been thinking, and we decided you deserve to treat yourself to a little something nice. Nothing too expensive, though (the holidays are coming and you’ve got to start saving!). Something around the $25 price point seems good. Don’t you agree?

We thought you might. That’s why we rounded up this list of 10 Etsy finds — they all feel special, don’t count as things you’d usually buy for yourself, have some sort of functional purpose, and cost just $25 or less.

Pick out something and then act surprised when you open it. Yay, you!

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Chili is one of my family’s favorite dinners, and one that we love to eat as the weather cools off. My kids are both kind of spice-averse, which means that I look for recipes where I can control the level of spicy heat and where there are plenty of vegetables to balance out the subtle spices I add.

These 10 recipes all fit the bill. If you’re looking for family-friendly chili recipes, here are some of the very best.

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Once upon a time, if you went to the grocery store for gluten-free flour, you didn’t find much. Then things changed. Now, flour choices for gluten-free bakers can feel overwhelming. One key thing to know: Because no single gluten-free flour or starch behaves just like wheat flour, using a blend gives you the best results when ditching the wheat.

But which blend is best? It depends on what you want to bake. And I should know; I’m the blogger behind Gluten-Free Baking. Here are my five favorite gluten-free flour blends.

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