Heart Eyes, Vol. 221: Costco Vuori Knockoff Joggers and Brown Sugar Mustard Salmon
Friends! Hello. Happy Friday. Are we ready for Barbie (if we want to be)? I’m all set: I’ve got my ticket, I’ve got my outfit, I’ve got a few friends to go with. I can’t remember the last time we had a collective movie moment like this, and I’m so excited. (I don’t think I’m doing Barbenheimer, but it might be a game-time decision!)
If not that, what are we up to this weekend? Summer things? Staying as cool as we can? I hope you’re eating something perfect and doing something that feels like rest, at home or away. I think you’re doing great.
What to Wear: Kirkland Signature Lightweight Women’s Joggers
Depending on how online you are, you may already know what I’m about to say.
At some point this spring, Costco came out with a $12.99 jogger that people on the Internet are comparing favorably to the popular $90 ones from Vuori. Can I technically weigh in on this discussion? I cannot, never having sprung for the Vuoris myself. But I bought a Costco pair recently, for science, and I can tell you that they are very nice and I love them. So soft! So silky! It’s like wearing a cloud. Truly, WHAT an addition to my soft-pants arsenal.
(They do have a somewhat ugly drawstring in front that doesn’t match the rest of the pants, just to keep them from being too highbrow—I don’t mind, but it does contribute to a real “these are not Vuori” vibe. You may also want to know that although I’ve always considered the terms “joggers” and “sweatpants” interchangeable, these are truly not sweatpants: they’re smooth on the inside, not fleecy, and as their name implies, they are very lightweight…which is why they’re sooooo sofffffft.)
If you go hunting for them, a few pointers: 1) My Costco was selling no fewer than three varieties of women’s joggers when I went; the ones you’re looking for are the Kirkland Signature Lightweight Women’s Jogger. They come in black, a light gray camo print, a heathered blue, and a heathered maroon. 2) After sifting through all the clothes tables hunting for them, I found mine near the checkouts, set apart from the rest of the adult clothes—I suspect a nod to how popular they’ve been. If you can’t find them, keep looking! 3) I’m 5’6” and approximately a size 6 and got the medium, but they go up to size 3X.
What to Cook: Roasted Salmon Glazed with Brown Sugar and Mustard
This recipe is not even a recipe, just a thing Sam Sifton taught me (unlocked NYT link) that has become one of my very favorite things to eat—a truly great kitchen party trick (and by “party” I mostly mean “Wednesday night in my apartment, by myself”).
If you’ve been around here long, you know I cook mostly vegetarian—but another thing that is true is that I love seafood, and when my budget allows it, the big slabs of salmon at Costco (yes, I just went, how could you tell??) are such a treat to me. They’re an investment up front, but they amortize well; I portion them out and freeze them, and what a moment it is when I realize I’m out of every other type of food but the freezer salmon has my back!
Anyway: again, not a recipe, just an encouragement to mix together some Dijon mustard and brown sugar in whatever quantity and ratio seems right in your heart, slather it over the top of some salmon, and bake the whole thing at 400 F for twelve minutes. I think it’s heaven. You might like it, too.