Trip to the Market

Unfortunately, not every one of my blog posts can be glamorous! But I want to still share what I am up to. It gives me something to do, and to look forward to. As well as hopefully giving all of you something to look forward to reading!  We are still living a normal life, we go to bed at 9pm and we sometimes don't do exciting things.. and that is A-OK!

This week I have been really focused on organizing our things and making this apartment our home. Our shipment came yesterday, so I spent the better part of my day putting it away. OH and ironing. I iron Blake's dress shirts for him... and I think it took me 4 hours to do them all yesterday. I learned that I am really bad at it!

Throughout this journey I am learning to appreciate all of my experiences and embrace them, no matter how small or trivial. Like a trip to the market!!! Something that most people do a couple of times a week. A normal part of life. 

Except, what happens when you can't read any of the packaging or you really don't know how much meat your buying because it is in a weight system you aren't used to?! Or what happens when the cashier asks you a question and you BOTH just blankly stare at each other cause you're not sure what's happening?!

Come with me on my first trip to a smaller neighborhood market.



The street I walk down to get to the markets. It is a short 7 min walk from our house!

First up was a trip to Aldi. Aldi is really big in Germany (it's a German company after all, and they own Trader Joe's #facts) and it is more shopped at than in the states. (Honestly, I don't really know if that last part is true, BUT I've never shopped at one in the US. But I've been to one in Germany twice already. And they're all over. SO I think it could be true.)

I set out needing groceries. Like empty kitchen, only have a pizza box in the fridge and a jar of peanut butter in the cupboard empty.

Items on my list included things for dinner (chicken, pork, chicken), stuff to make salads for lunch, snacks, milk, eggs, butter, cheeeeeese and salami, you know typical stuff.

I was SO surprised by how much I found at Aldi. It was fresh, it looked really good, and it was CHEAP! I bought so much food and I spent 22 euro. I kid you not, cleaned that grocery store OUT for a fraction of what I would pay in the states. Now, Aldi doesn't have everything... and it was kind of a cluster inside, but I was pleased with what I found.

In addition to buying food items, I bought trash bags, paper towels, ziplocks, and dish cloths. Yep, and still only spent 22 euro.

 
Marinated chicken!



Soy RICE drink... Missed that part when I bought it! Whoops. I had originally just wanted Soy milk. But it'll do.



I can only find 1.5% milk but hey, it costs .42 euro cents! SO who's complaining.

I also noticed that the Organic milk is only .92 euro cents!



TRADER JOE'S what a find! Blake asked me WHY I would buy BBQ Ketchup and not just BBQ sauce... well it was TJ's so it has to be good. #SuperFanOfTraderJoes *** After tasting it, it has no resemblance of ketchup... it just tastes like BBQ.



This garlic butter bread baguette thing is to die for. And for .40 euro cents can't beat it! It probably isn't the best thing we could eat, but who cares!



Finally, some flowers I picked up. :) They were so cheap I couldn't resist!

I also got some english muffins even though they weren't even remotely close to being called that, as well as some other pantry staples. I picked up a salt grinder... and it was the most expensive thing I bought!

Next to the Aldi there is an Edeka. Edeka is more like a small version of a Kroger. At least the one by me. It was more organized though, had a lot more to offer, and was more like a grocery store I had been in before. I just looked around and picked up a few things that I didn't find at Aldi. It was more expensive than Aldi, but still very cheap compared to my American standards.

One night earlier this week we walked through the park behind our house!







Prinz-Albrecht Park! It was lovely. Lush and green, and the weather was perfect. The paths throughout the park are perfect for jogging, riding your bike, or just taking an evening stroll. I have a feeling that park will become our second home!

I am looking forward to our trip to Amsterdam! We will be meeting up with a friend of mine whom I used to work with back in Rochester. YAY, can't wait to hang out with Ali and her hubby. I am looking forward to celebrating Blake's birthday. :) ALSO looking forward to Oktoberfest. We JUST booked a place to stay and we didn't have to sell our souls. Can't believe we were able to find a place this late that didn't cost a fortune!!

So that is what is happening here. Happy Wednesday...even though it feels like Friday.