Q: I’m trying to locate Stamey’s salty dill pickles. I know I can purchase them from the manufacturer but I would need to buy a dozen for him to ship them to me directly. I’m trying to locate a local retailer who might carry the product. Best pickles I’ve ever tasted. Paul Beiger, email
A: Paul, you're not alone. Stamey's salty dill pickles, which first appeared in North Carolina farmers markets, has legions of fans throughout the South and Northwest who can't stop singing the praises of these briny pickles. Unfortunately, there's a bit of hunting involved to find them locally since, more often than not, they're found at small roadside country produce stands. However, I found two places locally that stock Stamey's pickles. Check out the fairly new Floral Park Market, 775 Trabert Ave., Atlanta, 404-367-0200. Along with freshly prepared meals, assorted flowers and vegetables, the market stocks Stamey's salty dill pickles for $10.99 per quart jar. At David's Produce and Country Store, 3561 Lavista Road, Decatur, 404-325-0709, you'll not only find Stamey's salty dills, but also those punched up with jalapeños, and habaneros. The three versions of Stamey's pickles sell for $10.99 per jar.
Q: Where can I find Bigen permanent hair color? It’s a powder that you mix with water. I’m looking for the color dark chestnut. It’s supposed to be very easy to do yourself. Thank you. S. C. Smith, email
A: You can find Bigen permanent powder hair color, dark chestnut (#48), for $5.99 at CVS, 1544 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, 404-892-0074. The hair color contains no ammonia, and the directions suggest that you use what you need, then store the remaining product for your next application.
Q: My son has celiac disease, and is a huge macaroni-and-cheese eater. Great Value gluten-free elbow pasta is our favorite of all gluten-free noodles. It is a Walmart brand. It is made of corn, not rice. Recently, we are having trouble finding it. I have stopped at various stores in Cherokee and Cobb counties to look. I can’t find anybody in any of the food departments that know anything about it, either. Has it been discontinued? If any stores still have it, I will drive any amount of miles to pick some up. Thank you. Mary Bennett, Woodstock
A: Mary, Great Value — the Walmart house brand — gluten-free elbow macaroni, made with 100 percent corn is on back order; it hasn't been discontinued, according to the representative I spoke with when I called Walmart's customer service department. Although she wasn't sure when it would be back in stores, the rep assured me that the gluten-free pasta was coming back "soon." In the meantime, you can go to walmart.com, look up the item, and click on the "in-stock alert" button to enter your email address, and receive notice when the product returns to stores. If you feel you can't wait, and your son needs some of his favorite mac-and-cheese, pronto, then you'll find a few bags of Great Value gluten-free corn elbow pasta for sale on eBay. The 16-ounce bags sell for $4.31, not including shipping charges.
Q: First, I want to say thank you for your column. For weeks I have not been able to find my kitty’s favorite food: Sheba canned. Currently, only the Perfect Portions packaging seems to be on the shelves. I won’t go into the “cat finicky” story, but you might guess who is in charge of my childless household. We thank you for your help in this matter. Lillian Vardase, email
A: Thank you for reading, Lillian. I just spoke to someone at Mars, Incorporated, which owns Sheba, and was told that the company stopped making the cans this past July due to lack of sales. I understand that the Perfect Portions aren't quite the same, and some consumers are balking at the higher price along with the hard-to-open packaging. The slightly good news is that there's still some stock left on Amazon, but that won't last long once people realize that the cans are actually gone for good. A case of 24 cans costs $14.49. My suggestion would be to order some of the canned Sheba, and wean your finicky kitty off of the food by mixing it with a more available canned variety. That way your pet won't have to quit Sheba cold turkey.
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