Michelle – that’s not a silly question at all! Allspice berries are common enough that yes, you can buy them at Loblaws. Allspice berries are about the size of small peas and they’re a really dark brown (almost black) colour. They look similar to a bayberry, juniper berry, or a large chubby peppercorn although the flavor is richer and more exotic (think spicy but smells a bit like a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves). If you’re shopping at Loblaws, go right past the dried herbs and spices by McCormicks et al because the berries will usually be in the larger packaged baggies where you buy cheap bulk thyme, oregano, etc. If you don’t see them there (although you likely will), there’s one more place to look! Take a peek down on the shelves below where you see those industrial sized plastic containers of jerk seasoning, curried goat flavor, specialty salts, etc (unless they got thrown into the stereotypical “ethnic” aisle). The last time I bought allspice berries it was in a plastic cylinder from there….which is a lot of allspice, because I actually use it quite often. You might want to opt for the smaller dose. And this, also, is making the assumption that your Loblaws is laid out exactly like the ones close to me!!
PS – I shop at Loblaws quite a bit…possibly because sometimes I have an amorphous kind of persnickety rage that needs some direction. Loblaws fills that void swimmingly. “What do you MEAN you don’t have cauliflower?! WHAT KIND OF A GROCERY STORE runs out of CAULIFLOWER?!!” Everyone needs an outlet, right?

Lauren – There’s a spot on the couch with your name on it! I’ll trade you tinis for a few of your chicken littles any day of the week

Please have us over for a girls night in with creamy pumpkin cheesecake-tinis.

Love
Lauren

Applekorn is a sweet tasting and really apple-y liquor. If you’ve ever had the apple Sourz, or Sourpuss, it’s nothing like that. This actually tastes like if you were to take apple cider and turn it into hooch…which is essentially what they’ve done. I’m a huge cider fan myself, but this is a liquor and not a cider. More like a schnapps.

Thanks again for the note – I’ve updated the post!