Make It Yourself: Almond Milk

I did not grow up drinking milk from cows, so to this day straight up moo milk gives me the creeps.  Stirred in coffee or blended in milkshakes are acceptable methods of downing the white stuff.  Just please don’t make me drink it unadorned.

But almond milk?  Ahh, almond milk, I really do like.  The dark chocolate variety is a guilty pleasure I indulge every time I find myself in the US of A.

And therein lies the rub.  I have not seen almond milk of any kind in Germany yet.  I hear it exists but perhaps only in larger cities.

The only kind of non-dairy “milk” found in nearly every grocery store is soy.  I’m not a fan of the taste, and I’m of the persuasion that it’s not so healthy when consumed in large quantities on a regular basis (as in with my three bowls of knock-off Fruit Loops every morning).

I’ve tried a soy-rice mix that costs the same as plain soy.  That was palatable.. until I got pregnant.  Then I absolutely could not stand the stuff.  I’ve been eating oatmeal for the past four months because I won’t go near soy-rice milk anymore.

Oat and spelt milks can be had for a pretty penny at organic food stores.  The taste is better, but I can’t justify the cost.

I tried making rice milk a couple of months ago.  It tasted like water and went bad before I could use even half of it.  What a waste.

My expectations couldn’t be any lower when I stumbled upon this recipe from Whole Foods Cooking North Raleigh.  But I was desperate to try again.

I just simply cannot eat. any. more. oatmeal.

(I’m not posting the original recipe here – just my experience making it.  For full directions, click here.)

Start with raw, unsalted almonds. The recipe calls for 1 cup, but my almonds come in 200g packages. I thought that was about a cup – wrong! One cup is equal to 125g.

Soak almonds in water at room temperature water overnight. This is how the chubby suckers look in the morning.  Drain the cloudy water, and rinse.  Repeat.

For comparison, the bloated almond on the left has retained more water than a pregnant woman with a bag of pretzels. Mister regular crunchy, shriveled almond is on the right.

Put three cups of water in your blender, and then add the one cup of almonds. If I was following the recipe correctly, I would’ve added almost five cups of water to my 200g of soaked almonds.

Turn the whirly-gig on and let ‘er fly.

In a minute or so, you’ll have some serious froth.

Line a gigantic bowl with cheesecloth. Or if you don’t feel like paying 10 euros for certified real deal cheesecloth, use an old cloth diaper (burp cloth). A clean one. Duh.  Then pour in your frothy almond liquid.

Gather the ends of the cheesecloth together, and twist to squeeze all the almond milk out. Keep twisting and squeezing until the ball of almond guts no longer oozes.

You’ll be left with a bag full of almond pulp. Don’t throw it away! Use it in smoothies or pancakes like I did, or look up some other recipes. I hear the guts keep best in the freezer.

If you use 3 cups of water the recipe calls for, you’ll be left with – surprise – 24 ounces of almond milk. Since I used too many almonds for 3 cups of water, my first batch was extremely creamy (delicious but too intense for breakfast cereal purposes).

Tips:

• Homemade almond milk has no preservatives, and it spoils QUICKLY!  I made my first batch on a Wednesday morning, and it was rank on Saturday afternoon.
• Consider freezing some of the milk in 1 cup portions.  Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, and use in 1-2 days.
• Use less water for thicker, creamier almond milk and more water for thinner milk with weaker flavor.
• I eat enough sweets as it is, so I didn’t add sugar/maple syrup/honey/agave to my almond milk.  See the original recipe for variations involving sweeteners.
• I’ve read that homemade almond milk can separate when added to hot drinks.  If you’d like to make this recipe for that purpose, do some additional research on ways to prevent curdling and separation.

Enjoy!

Shameless Repost: 25 Tips for Travel with Kids

Caz and Craig from y Travel Blog recently posted 25 Tips for Travel with Kids.  If you haven’t visited y Travel yet, you should!  Caz and Craig are also traveling parents with lots of experience.

I thought Craig’s post had some fantastic tips, and I encourage you to head on over and check them out.  Among my favorites..

• Slow Down
• Be Flexible
• Consider Apartment Rental
• Keep Meal Costs Down
• Do the Free Stuff
• Travel with an Open Mind
• and more!

If you have your own tips you’d like to add to this list, add them below.

Make It Yourself: Pure Vanilla Extract

Many moons ago, I lived in Russia.  Many people there are barely eating, so it’s no surprise that there’s not a huge market for luxury food items like vanilla extract.  I learned to live without it.

Living in the US, I could only occasionally force myself to fork over $5 (or more) for a little itty bitty bottle of the real stuff.

The Germans bake with vanille (real) or vanillin (fake) sugar instead of liquid vanilla extract.  The vanille stuff is expensive, and I went back to doing without.

Although it’s over now, the holiday season is big baking time for Germans.  Aldi and Lidl sell ingredients like maple syrup, cocoa powder, and baking chocolate for only a few weeks.  In December, I stumbled upon vanilla beans, two for 99 euro cents.  I wasn’t really sure what to do with them, but I knew I had seen umpteen recipes using said beans on Joy the Baker.

I bought four beans.

And then I googled.

And stumbled upon something that will change my baking habits forever.

You can make your own vanilla extract with vanilla beans and vodka… AND as long as you keep topping off the bottle with more vodka once the beans are exposed, it will last for years.  

Whoa.

I don’t know if I’m going to be able to leave my vanilla in Germany when we move back to the US.  It will be, like, totally vintage.

So, let’s get some homemade pure vanilla extract brewing in your kitchen.  Buy some vanilla beans.  I started with four, but you can start with more if that tickles your fancy.  If you start with less, your extract may not be as potent.

Buy some vodka.  I am not a vodka drinker, but I hear the same rule applies here as it does to wine.  Don’t cook – or bake – with anything you wouldn’t drink (if you did).  I think my bottle cost around 5 euros.

Vanilla beans & vodka.. so simple.

Take each vanilla bean, and split it down the middle, leaving 1/”4 to 1/2″ intact on both ends.  This will infuse all the vanilla-y goodness into the alcohol.

Split beans smell heavenly.

Drop the beans into the vodka.  Seal the top.  Shake a bit.

Vanilla beans meeting vodka for the first time.

Shake every day for the first week.  I lost interest after that, and shook only once a week for the next 6 weeks.

1 week

2 weeks

3 weeks

Once you get to week 3, open up the bottle after shaking and inhale.  Delicious.

4 weeks

5 weeks

6 weeks

After 6 weeks, your pure vanilla extract is ready to use!  You can use it before then, but it won’t be as strong.

When the vodka drops below the beans, top it off.  If you leave the beans exposed, they will dry out.  You can also switch out your beans with fresh ones, and use the old beans to make vanilla sugar.  Just bury the bean in several cups of white sugar, and let it sit for a few weeks.

Amazing!

Simple Pleasures: Sweet Potato Fries

Germans have the potato thing down.  Potato salad, potatoes au gratin, boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, baked potatoes, potato pancakes, fried potatoes, French! fried potatoes, etc.

But one thing they either don’t know about or choose to obviously ignore (or snub?) is the SWEET potato.

It’s a shame really.  Not that there’s anything wrong with potatoes, but why discriminate?  Sweet potatoes have so much going for them.

Luckily, I have found a store that regularly carries sweet potatoes, but they are always imported – often, ironically from the US – with a hefty price tag to boot.

But whatever.  Sometimes you just fork over the euros, go home, and make yourself some sweet potato fries because Alexia just isn’t available.

These are as crunchy as oven-fried sweet potato fries get.  They’re also ridiculously delicious and a smidge sassy.  The way I see it, that’s how fries should be.

Below is my own recipe for homemade sweet potato fries.  Hold onto your hats though fellas and ladies, I must warn you that it’s not at all exact.  I may be OCD in some things, but I have issues following directions or sticking to precise quantities in recipes (for better or for worse).

Sweet Potato Fries

1 large sweet potato

a few tablespoons of olive oil

a few tablespoons of corn meal

a dash or two of seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder

a pinch or two of Cajun seasoning (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425F (or 220C).  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Or don’t, if you happen to be one of those crazy people who love washing dishes.

Wash your sweet potato thoroughly – you will be eating the skin!  Don’t get all skittish on me – it’s full of nutrients, and you won’t taste it through the spicy smoke screen.

Cut the sweet potato into sticks (carefully!) resembling french fries.  The skinnier you make the sweet potato fries, the faster they cook and the crispier they get.  Don’t make them matchstick size though – you’ll end up with a baking sheet of burnt twigs if you’re not careful.

Put the sweet potato fries in a bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the cornmeal, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.   If you like a little heat with your fries, sprinkle in the Cajun seasoning.  (No, you totally cannot buy that in Germany.)

Toss to coat.  For the aforementioned lazy folks, use the same spatula to stir the sweet potato sticks with the seasonings that you will to flip the fries later.  Make sure all sticks have a decent coating, adding a bit more oil if necessary.

Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Flip/stir/shake at 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 25 minutes, always making sure to rearrange fries again in a single layer.

If you feel so inclined, add a tray of chicken nuggets to the oven after your first flip.  Oh and make a salad while you’re waiting to indulge.  Extra healthy is the way to go, right?  After all, that’s why you’re eating sweet potato fries and not just any ol’ run-of-the-mill French fries.

When sufficiently crispy, remove from oven, cool slightly, and serve with ketchup.  YUM!

Favorite Finds

The holidays are here which means money is flying out of my bank account and into the voracious jaws of the grocery giants.  So much for a food budget, eh?

BUT, I’ve come across some finds and some deals lately which have me pretty stoked.  This is what I get excited about when I’m not traveling.  Sad, I know.

First, Kaufland!  I saw the storefront on one of my many training runs around town, but I thought it was a home improvement store.  A friend recently mentioned it, and I found out it was a big box store like Real.

(If you want to know all the ins and outs of your city streets, train for a marathon.  I know where everything is now!)

A few Saturdays ago, I hopped on my bike and cruised past the hospital, cemetery, and the warehouse district to Kaufland.  Pleasant route, right?

My Kaufland haul. Not pictured - tahini!! And the turkey lunch meat at the bottom, well, you can get that at Aldi or Lidl - oops!

It’s two levels (!) with one of those neat-o grocery cart escalators.  Boy was I shocked at what I found at Kaufland!  I could not believe my eyes at all the products I didn’t think existed in German grocery stores (at least not in my small-ish city).   I’ll definitely be adding a Kaufland trip into my grocery store rotation.

Second, the Lidl warehouse sale!  This is a CRAZY sporting event.  Basically, every once in a while the Lidl warehouse will post a sign on the front of the building announcing the next sale (about every 2-3 months or so).

The sales are Friday and Saturday starting at 8am, and the items are overstocks from all of Lidl’s “special” sales (dry goods and non-food items such as furniture, clothing, office supplies, kitchen supplies, electronics, etc.).  I never know what they will have, but I’m always bound to find something interesting (and cheap).

The best things sell out FAST, so I decided I would go this time at 8am on Friday.  I know these sales are nutty, but I was not expecting gobs of people trying to shove their way in the front door.  I was there at 8am, and by the time I got in the front door, all of the “best” things were gone (area rugs, laundry drying racks, Coca Cola, ha!).

Screech went with me, and trying to maneuver a pram was more than frustrating.  People pushed me with their carts, and I tripped up other shoppers more than I want to remember.  At least Mr. Screech was content to sit and shove cheerios in his face in the midst of the madness.

My Lidl warehouse sale (food) haul!

I ended up with a cart (pram) full of Mexican food!  I am not sure what the fajita and burrito seasoning will taste like, but I purchased the kits for less than the tortillas themselves cost.  I also scored five boxes of taco shells for half price, and ten bags of whole-grain spaghetti for 30 cents each.  I found a few other miscellaneous items like a canvas print for the wall, socks for Doc Sci, a luggage strap, and plastic party forks.

Even though I can’t coupon in Germany, I can take advantage of every-once-in-a-while deals and use that money to pay full price for other (rare) things I enjoy.

What deals have you found lately?  Have you ever been to a Lidl warehouse sale?

 

 

Review: Tae Gong Gak Inn and Guesthouse

I wondered if the TripAdvisor reviews for the Tae Gong Gak Inn and Guesthouse were too good to be true.  Everywhere I looked, I only found raving fans of the service and value at TGG.

Make no mistake; Jeju Island is an expensive destination.  We tried to find accommodation within walking distance of the Lotte Hotel (where Doc Sci’s conference was held), but I couldn’t touch a place for less than $200 per night for a standard hotel room.

I stumbled upon TGG while searching for hostels (fyi: most of them are in Jeju City or in the middle of nowhere).  It was located in Seogwipo with decent rates.

I emailed the owner, Sylvia, to find out what she had available during our visit and what the policies regarding children were.  Right then and there, the great service found at TGG began.  Sylvia answered all of my questions and even offered to provide a Korean-style floor mattress for T-Rex, free of charge.

My one beef is that TGG could not provide a travel cot (pack & play) for Screech.  I now know that many Koreans co-sleep, and so travel cots aren’t in high demand.  Plus, as I mentioned yesterday, Jeju is the Korean honeymoon island so children aren’t usually in the picture.

Sylvia confirmed our reservation without charging a deposit and made sure to mention important details such as credit cards are subject to a 10% surcharge, US dollars are accepted, and breakfast is included in the rate.

We followed Sylvia’s instructions on how to reach the TGG from Jeju Airport (about 80 mins by bus) and had no trouble finding the inn.  Sylvia and Peter immediately greeted us, took our picture, and asked how they could help.

Our room wasn’t ready yet (it was barely 9:30am), so Sylvia called a taxi for us to take us to Mt. Halla.  When we arrived back at the ranch later that day, our bags were waiting in our room.

Peter personally showed us around the property and how to use the floor heater and air conditioner.  He also gave us some complimentary bottled water and delivered extra towels for the boys.

Only two rooms were available during the time of our reservation, 205 and 207.  We chose 207 because it was a bit bigger and had a small kitchenette (rate: 105,000W per night, including breakfast – about $94).

View from TGG Room 207. It's possible to see Seogwipo Harbor from this room, but only from the balcony, not from the window.

Room 207 is located directly over the breakfast room, but we never had any problems with noise.  Our room included one double Western-style bed, one Korean floor mattress, a flat-screen TV with a few English channels (mostly news) and tons of Korean channels, a low floor table and two floor chairs for in-room dining, a hair dryer, and two racks for clothing, bags, etc.

Watching Thomas the Train in Korean.

Just fyi… Western-style mattresses in Korea are quite hard, but so are German mattresses.  If you’re used to your American pillow-top, you’ll find the Korean version  akin to sleeping on a slab of granite.

My boys thought the best thing about this room was jumping on the Western bed and the Korean floor bed (the pile of bedding underneath Doc Sci).

The bathroom was clean, but I wasn’t crazy about the Korean-style shower.  It’s basically a normal stand-up shower (no tub), but without a curtain.  A 24-inch piece of glass is supposed to cut it.  Right…

Two boys + shower head - functional curtain = very wet, messy bathroom

The kitchenette is small, but functional.  You’ll find a few dishes, pots, silverware (mostly chopsticks and spoons), and a rice cooker.  Yep.  Standard.

Small kitchenette in Room 207.

Internet is free, but it’s wired in the rooms.  We only brought our iPad, so we had to go to the breakfast room or lobby to use the wireless.  Two computers are available for guest use in the breakfast room.

One night, I miscalculated how much Korean won we had left and since banks were closed, we were forced to find food for the four of us for under 12,000 W (about $10.70).  Sylvia showed us where to find a grocery store, and we fried up some dumplings on on our one-burner stove.  Guten Appetit!

When asking for directions at TGG, Sylvia and Peter always showed us in digital pictures on a computer in the lobby.  They have taken photographs along the routes to many restaurants and attractions so that you can easily find your way without having to read street signs or bring a map.  Genius.

The included breakfast is a Western, continental breakfast.  Items I noticed were toast, bagels, butter, jam, peanut butter (a Costco-sized jar of Skippy chunky!), two kinds of cereal, milk, juice, yogurt, coffee, tea, bananas, oranges, apples, and two kinds of instant ramen.  Okay, so they’ve gotta throw one Asian breakfast option in there, right?

Well, as it turns out, the reviews weren’t too good to be true.  They were spot-on.  And it shows.  The walls of the TGG are slowly being overtaken by thank you notes written by guests from all over the world.  I asked T-Rex if he wanted to make one; he said no.  Next time, I won’t ask!

Our stay at TGG was one of the best in recent memory.  Great service, affordable rates, kind hosts.  Thank you, Sylvia and Peter!

Marvel: American Week

Okay, the real marvel is not the crazy stuff I found at the grocery store this week.  It’s that I could be so wrapped up in another project that I didn’t have one stinkin’ spare minute to post here at Thrifty Travel Mama!  I’m a to-do-lister and BLOG did not make it on the list one too many days in a row if you ask me.  Just sayin’.

Now, on to more bizarre things!

MEAT! Ribeyes for the good ol' boys.

This week is American week at Aldi.  If you’re not familiar with Aldi, it has basic staples (milk, bread, pasta, meat, vegetables, etc.) with something new every week to tempt you to blow your grocery budget.  It could be anything from bikes to bras to bratwurst to books on CD.

And, these Germans are serious about Aldi specials.  If you want something, you better get there on Monday morning (my shopping time) or the gettin’ could be gone.

And what, pray tell, might Aldi offer as “American”?

Junk food!!  Jelly beans, popcorn (sugared), marshmallows, brownies, popcorn shrimp, microwaveable hamburgers, hot dogs in a jar… Wait, hog dogs in a jar?  Apparently, Aldi and Oscar Mayer have never met.

Mmmmmmm, shelf-stable mystery meat!

I can’t say I wasn’t excited about some of the things (tortillas & bagels for starters), but most of it just cracked me up.  Is this what Germans really think Americans eat?!

Hooray for tortillas! If had a place to put them, I would have bought a whole box.

Doc Sci wanted me to buy a bottle of barbecue sauce.  But I just couldn’t bring myself to take up valuable fridge real estate with something that most likely tastes like bacon mixed with tomato paste.  After all, the store was selling ketchup and mustard swirled together in a tube.  Weird.  Gross.  Totally weird & gross.

Swirly ketchup-mustard and ketchup-mayo tubes.

Penny Markt (another discount chain) had an American week about a month ago.  Along with the usual cupcake mixes and bagged mac & cheese knock-offs (which sadly do NOT taste like mac & cheese), they offered Jack Daniels Whiskey Cola.  In a can.  I’m no liquor liker, but I wondered if this “American” stuff would even sell in America!

Glug, glug, Jack & coke in a can?

Once I got to wondering that, I wondered what Mexicans must think of Mexican products sold in the US.  What about Chinese people and the Americanized fake-out takeout?

And that brings us down to a fundamental question.  What exactly IS American food?  Can anything really be American in a melting pot nation?  If you were to decide what to offer during American week, what would you choose?

Marvel: We’re Grillin’ in the Rain

Dinner with a view.

I’m trying to become more German.  I am.  Really.

I’ve stopped using the trams (except on Mondays, my marathon training rest day).  I’ve started riding a bike.  Everywhere.

And, I’m trying to swallow the reality of the German saying, “There’s no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.”

Sheesh.

On Saturday, we put our mettle to the pedal.  Our friends invited us up to “The Lake” for a Saturday evening BBQ.  The forecast predicted light rain starting at 6pm.  Sprinkles started at 2pm and bordered on pouring at 430pm.  For a moment we pondered.  Should we stay?  Should we go?

Awww, shucks.  Living in Germany is all about adventure, right?  Man, up, Mama and get on the train.  After all, we’re just going for a few hours.  Our poor Aussie friends are staying the night!

(And at least we now have decent rain gear.  Movin’ on up!)

Fußball in the rain.

T-Rex dunking rocks in the lake.

I spent most of my afternoon trying to keep Screech from stomping around in icy lake’s waves that gently licked the rocky shore.  (Note to self: buy that kid some RAIN BOOTS!)  T-Rex played mud soccer.  Doc Sci busted out his grill know-how.  And, of course, we all stuffed our faces.

Everyone is drawn to the flame, marveling at the 3 euro grill. Or maybe it was because the grill was under the tarp and out of the rain?

And speaking of grilling, our friends brought a disposable one, purchased from the grocery store for 3 euro.  Crazy!  This thing had enough heat to cook a kilometer of sausage (okay, maybe not that much) and some turkey shishkabobs, warm up a packet of roasted vegetables, AND toast almost an entire package of marshmallows.  Impressive, really.  I see a few of those puppies in my grocery budget’s future.

Mmmmmmm, turkey. Sausage? Eh.

The jaw-dropping moment of the evening belongs to their campsite neighbor.  This guy emerged from his camper van sporting some questionable, extra short trousers.  I still am not quite over the German let-it-all-hang-out mentality.

Howdy, neighbor.

As I marvel at the fact that this guy came to chat it up in his skivvies, Doc Sci points out that this guy isn’t parading around in his underwear.  Nope, that’s a bathing suit.

Come on in; the water's fine.

This bloke is going swimming.  In the lake.  When it’s raining.  And 45 degrees outside.

“It’s good for the circulation,” he says.  And then he invites us all to join him.

Nein, danke!

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Edit August 16, 2011: I’ve explored more stores and online expat forums and become good friends with my German/English dictionary.  I’ve edited the list below to reflect new finds.

I’m approaching meal plan burnout.  I only brought a handful of recipes from my US collection, and I think all boys (big & small) are a little sick of having pizza, spaghetti, lentil soup, and lemon chicken in the rotation. We miss Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burgers and Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato Fries (the onion rings are delish too).

I spent some time this weekend searching for new recipes, especially slow cooker/CrockPot ones.  I was frustrated after only like ten minutes.  I quickly realized my problem: a variety of ingredients and the extreme lack thereof.

I found so many recipes that called for things like a can of this or a can of that, refried beans, baked beans, cheddar cheese, cream-of-something soup, ricotta cheese, a box of cake mix, a box of cornbread mix, a bottle of BBQ sauce, sweet potatoes, a whole chicken, chicken thighs, chicken wings, chicken quarters, chicken brains (just kidding), etc.  This really limits my options.  Like really.  Like totally.

I should also add that we don’t eat pork, sausage, or really any other kind of meat except chicken, beef, and turkey (no weird parts either, please).  That’s about half of Aldi right there.

Since I often get asked by super great friends and family what they can send me that I can’t get here (and for super great readers that are just curious), I thought I’d compile a list.  Then instead of fumbling for ideas off the top of my head (which I am, uh, uh, um, terrible at), I can just politely thank them and refer them here.

Some items I’m going to list below can be obtained in Germany but are included because they are either (1) eye-popping expensive or (2) Sherlock-Holmes-grade difficult to find.  Or the store is on the other side of town nowhere near anywhere I might possibly need or want to go.  Or it tastes so incredibly different from the original that it doesn’t even count as the same (black beans with sugar, anyone?).

(side note: I discovered that Amazon.de has food for sale just like Amazon.com.. have a look around and let your own eyes bug out at the prices!)

And, yes, I am a do-it-yourself-er and often make things on my own.  But, I now have three nights per week where I need something that is fast (as in 20 mins or less, start to finish) or can be made ahead in the CrockPot.  My freezer is hilariously small and cannot hold more than one frozen pizza or one bag of French Fries, but not both.  Edit: I have a new fridge/freezer now!

• Goldfish crackers
• Nature Valley – style crunchy granola bars
• Graham Crackers
• Molasses (I hear it exists but have never seen it)
• BBQ Sauce (expensive; only at certain stores)
• Ranch Dressing (liquid & seasoning packets for things like fries, dips, etc)
• Yellow Mustard (such as French’s)
• Peanut Butter (just peanuts & salt)
• Mac & Cheese (instant) – Rewe carries the boxed stuff for 2,50
• Stuffing Mix
• Whoppers
• Reese’s / any other peanut butter candy
• Jelly Beans / Peeps / other American-style holiday candy
• Refried Beans – Rewe carries Refried Beans for 2,00 per can
• Black Beans (dried or canned – that taste like real black beans) – Found at a Portuguese store
• Jalapenos (raw) – Found jarred jalapenos for salsa at Rewe and an Asian ethnic food store
• Tortillas – Aldi and Lidl carry flour tortillas during American weeks
• Salsa!
• Tortilla Chips that taste like tortilla chips
• Taco / Fajita seasoning – Rewe carries Old El Paso brand but it is almost 2 euro per packet
• Spices (we have salt, pepper, garlic powder, curry, paprika, and cinnamon – everything else is €€€)
• Hominy
• Corn tortillas
• Other Mexican / Tex-Mex ingredients (chiles, cumin, chipotle powder, etc)
• Cheddar Cheese (only at certain stores – from Ireland) – Lidl regularly carries sliced cheddar
• Ricotta Cheese (actually found this today – but only one kind, full-fat)
• Greens (like spinach and kale – I have seen spinach but it is sold in a huuuuge bag, dirty, and rare)
• Sweet Potatoes – Rewe stocks sweet potatoes and I have seen them at Real-
• Brown sugar (the soft kind – we only have the crunchy crystal kind)
• Chocolate Chips / White Chocolate Chips / Peanut Butter Chips
• Vanilla Extract
• Cream of Tartar
• Cool Whip
• Chocolate Syrup
• Pancake Mix
• Canned Pumpkin
• Bagels – Lidl and Aldi offer these during some American weeks
• Breakfast Cereal (we have some kinds of Kelloggs cereals, but that’s about it / definitely nothing high-fiber!) – Found bran flakes at Lidl
• Dr. Pepper / Root Beer / Cream Soda
• Almond Milk (soy is everywhere but anything else is hard to find)
• Gatorade / Powerade
• Unsweetened cranberry juice
• Turkey Bacon
• Salmon (something similar is sold but it’s not the same)
• Edamame
• Frozen French-Style Green Beans
• Vital wheat gluten (for homemade wheat bread)
• Ziploc-style bags (not food but expensive and hard to find)

As you can see, trying to be creative in meal planning without standard staple ingredients you are used to week after week can get older than the annual Christmas fruitcake.  You eat it ‘cuz you have to, not ‘cuz you want to.

Do you have any fresh quick-to-fix dinner ideas?  I would love to hear them!  Even links to great websites with fast, healthy recipes would be greatly appreciated.  Now, go make some chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, and Frenchy green beans and think of me.

Oh and if you happen to stop by this blog, live in Germany, and know where I can find these things – I’d love for you to leave a comment!

Grocery Games

Many moons ago, I told you about getting groceries here in Germany.  But, I haven’t shown you yet.  So, let’s go shopping!

Today’s trip is to Aldi.  I can’t get everything & the kitchen sink there (though I bet at some point during the year Aldi sells kitchen sinks), but almost any product Aldi carries is usually cheaper than other stores.

It’s a good day.  I have found myself the fortunate recipient of an hour to shop sans kiddos.  I have the best husband.  Ever.

I normally walk to Aldi because it’s only about 5-7 mins away and taking the bike can be a hassle with the kids for such a short trip.  Today, I’m toning the glutes and cycling.  Okay, it’s faster to bike and if I’m not hauling almost 70lbs of boys and metal, it’s better to ride.

When riding your bike in Germany, you should sport some serious fashion by rolling your sock over your pant leg hem. Or you can purchase an '80's style neon slap bracelet and put that around the hem. Sooo hot!

Free shopping carts are sooooo USA.  Very few places here have complimentary buggies but baskets or even shopping bags (for use in store only) can be found gratis at some stores.

Pay per shop.

When you enter a grocery store in Germany, you will usually find a pfand station.  It’s basically forced recycling.  If you buy a bottle of coke or water or whatever, you might pay 1 euro for it.  But when you take it up to the register to pay, it will ring up something like 1,25 euro.  The extra ,25 is the pfand, or deposit.  You get this back when you return your bottle to the store.

Insert bottle, press button, receive voucher to get your pfand back. Unless, of course, you forget to give said voucher to the cashier. Sigh.

This is a real pain in the neck for people who just cannot remember to take their bottles with them on their weekly shopping trip.  Yep, that’d be me.  I remembered today though, just for you.

While we're on the subject of bottles, Germans like this thing called cola-mix. It's Coke and orange soda mixed together. Yep, it's as weird as it sounds.

I’m sure I’ve whined many a time about how sales are just not really the thing here.  But, I’ve stumbled upon a whopper today: ten cents off pasta.  Whoop-de-doo.

Though this isn't a great sale, I did buy a bag. In Germany, if you can settle for penne, fusilli, or spaghetti, you only pay 35 cents per 500g bag. Any other shape/size/style of pasta will double, triple, quadruple, etc the price.

More impressive, today Aldi has tortilla chips!!  If you’ve ever shopped at Aldi, you know that in addition to their regular cheap stuff, Aldi has weekly features.  I’ve seen French food, Swiss food, Italian food, holiday food, etc.

Let's hope these taste good - or I might regret buying six bags.

Usually they sell things that go together though.. you know, like chips AND salsa.  Nope.  Just chips today.  Oh well, I will buy six bags anyway because the next time I’m at Aldi, these puppies will be gone.

Yes, you can even buy a bed or a TV from Aldi. Weekly special!

One thing that has always grossed me out and still continues to do so is that eggs are sold at room temperature here.  You can find them next to the shelf-stable milk and the canned goods.  Over time, I’ve gotten used to it and haven’t had any salmonella scares probably because I cook the junk out of them.  And, every time I buy eggs, I remember that in Russia they are sold in a dinky, thin plastic bag, also at room temperature.  I then I swallow my American-ness and put the carton in the basket.

Warm eggs. Gross.

The check-out process is ridiculously stressful here.  Speed is the key.  You should pile everything on the conveyor belt as fast as possible to allow others to do the same.  When it’s your turn, you put your cart on the other side of the sales clerk who rings up your items and throws them at you.  You then try to make sure nothing falls on the floor and shove everything back in your basket before it piles up and you receive the evil, um-you-are-too-slow-and-holding-up-our-efficient-German-checkout-system look.  There are no bag boys here, cute or otherwise.

My unusually big haul today - one hiking backpack and two reusable bags full o' groceries.

You must then figure out how in the WORLD you are going to get all this stuff home.  And, once you get it home, you have a long walk to the elevator or six flights of stairs.  Here’s a tip: call that handsome man who’s watching your kids to come down and carry the goods for you.

Happy Monday – and Happy MLK Day to you Americans!