Grocery shopping here

Living abroad, it seems that every little thing is a big accomplishment.  This includes a successful grocery shopping trip or baking a loaf of bread--and getting a decent meal on the table for dinner each night, which doesn't always happen, mind you.

The first few times I went grocery shopping, I felt like an idiot.  It took 4x as long to go, especially with 2 kids, one in the ergo and one in the umbrella stroller because our BOB double stroller doesn't fit through the tiny aisles.

I've taken on grocery shopping and meal planning as my new challenge.  I know it will continue to get easier, and it has already, but I still sit during nap time spending awhile researching translations such as "baking powder" versus "baking soda", flour, vegetable broth, canola oil, vinegar, etc.  You would be surprised at the time it takes to look at a recipe from the States, then try to translate each ingredient, go to the store, try to find said ingredients, then try to cook the recipe with no measuring cups.  Recipes here are measured differently in grams and too difficult to translate (i.e. the back of a muffin mix box in German).  Add into that the witching hour between 5pm and bedtime at 7:30pm when everyone seems grumpy and hungry and nearly intolerable.  We've gotten into a groove now, though, and things are getting much easier all around.

The last couple weeks, we've gone grocery shopping in Germany as an entire family (Daddy duty with the kids while I run around and grab things).  Mainly because we were driving around sight seeing.  Then I go every 2 or 3 days for restocking milk and produce.

Speaking of which, milk comes in 1 liter bottles.  Our fridge is small so we only buy 2 at a time usually and just replenish after a couple days.  Madison drinks quite a bit of milk and with eating cereal in the morning, it goes pretty quick.  Produce goes bad quickly because I think there are much less chemicals and preservatives on/in anything here.  It tastes wonderful but you have to plan wisely to use it all up before it goes bad especially since the price tag is higher, it makes you want to use up every last lettuce leaf because you paid for that leaf!

There are a few different stores that are common here.  I've been trying to check them out.  Migros, Coop, Aldi, and Lidl are a few that I've visited.  Aldi and Lidl are German discount stores.  It's crazy, but Aldi gives me a "home isn't so far away" feeling since they are found in the States.  But it's been 3 times now that I've grocery shopped in Germany.  There's still not a grocery store that I go to regularly and know well.  Don't take for granted going to the same grocery store every trip and knowing where to find the jelly (or anything for that matter)!

There are little things that I have yet to figure out, like sour cream versus cream cheese, versus creme fraiche.  I haven't baked anything yet, but that's my next feat.  I did make pizza crust which was a good first step.  Zucchini bread will be next.

Update: I made zucchini bread and it turned out well!

That's hand shredded zucchini, folks.  She looks disgusted.

Zimt=cinnamon. No vanilla extract, so I used a packet of vanille zucker (vanilla sugar).  Natron=baking soda which comes in 1 teaspoon packets.  Backpulver=baking powder which comes in large packets of maybe a couple tablespoons.

But I don't quite understand the flour yet because there are a bunch of different kinds and they have different "type" numbers which I don't get.  I need to research it.

They DO know how to make bread.  Even the small grocery stores have awesome fresh bread.  Croissants, pretzel rolls, artisan bread, and other baked treats.  It's fun to grab a couple goodies for dinner or breakfast the next day.

The Brot section.  (brot=bread)

I don't have time while in the grocery store to get out a smart phone and look it up because I have to avoid a toddler meltdown so I research before.  I'm telling you, there's a method and strategy to it all.  Parenting requires precise planning.  Speaking of which...

This is the entrance to Migros just a 2 minute walk from our apartment now.  Whoever decided to place this motorized car toy obviously didn't have toddlers who had meltdowns.  Every.  Single.  Time.  I have to use a cookie or the park to bribe her off of it...or just let her get very upset.

The tomatoes here have been delectable and garden fresh even from the grocery store.  The strawberries taste sweeter with more flavor than the ones I used to buy in the States.  I've read that groceries are much more seasonal.  You pay a pretty penny for out of season produce if you can even find it.  Even now, in the summer, strawberries in a small container-not a full pint- are around 6 CHF (almost $7 USD).  At the same time, some things are comparable in price considering the exchange rate.

One interesting thing was having to weigh your produce.  I made the common foreigner mistake of picking a bunch of bananas and then at check out, the cashier had to go back to the produce section, weigh them, the sticker prints out, and then you stick it to your bananas.  Most produce is like that, but some aren't, like lemons and cucumbers.  You can just take those to the check out and they know how much each one costs, regardless of size or weight.

When we went grocery shopping for the first time, it felt like everything cost money.  It cost to park in the parking lot at the grocery store.  It cost to use a cart.  If you don't want to use the super cheap, easily ripped plastic bags, you have to buy or bring your own reusable bags.

You put a franc in the black thing to get a cart.

Meat is pretty expensive, so we only eat it 2 or 3 times a week.  If you buy it in Germany, you can only bring back 1 kg per person over the border.  I don't think they check closely, but we did have to stop at the border and "claim" what we were bringing back in.  (Just get our receipt with a tax form stamped.  The grocery store gave us the form and stapled it to our receipt.)  They also have limits on tobacco and alcohol but that isn't so much a problem for us.

Someone asked me, "well what kind of meals are you making?"  I have been trying to make meals that are easy, quick, economic, with simple ingredients, and enough to have left overs for lunch the next day.  That's a lot of requirements but it's been kind of fun to think about and plan.  Bryce would say, "you call that fun?!" But for me, again, it just feels like a challenge and gives me confidence if I can figure it out and find some mainstays like we had in the States.  I've started with easy things but I'm trying to branch out and try more.

Some meals that I've made so far:  BLTs, stuffed peppers, a big salad, BBQ chicken breasts with a side salad, spaghetti, pizza, soft tacos, hamburgers, pasta with peas and bacon, and veggie stir fry.

[Stuffed peppers: mixture of white rice made with vegetable broth, can of diced tomatoes, pinto beans, salt, pepper, and chopped onion and red pepper.  All cooked and put into a red pepper and baked with gouda cheese on top.]

[BBQ chicken breasts: we found "Stubbs" BBQ sauce at the store!  I couldn't resist.  They actually love to barbecue and grill here.]

[Big salad: we have this once a week.  We love big salads.  Sometimes we get fancy and put things like a hard boiled egg, bacon, or feta on it.]

[Soft tacos: it's hard to find good Mexican food here.  I brought my own Mexican type spice mixture to make tacos and fajitas.  AND I found decently price flour tortillas.  All 3 of us were excited.  Maddie loves tortillas.]

[Hamburgers: It's harder to find actual hamburger buns.  I actually saw some today and we made the hamburgers last night with sandwich buns that were similar to hot dog buns.  Funny, but still American-ly delicious.  Also, I like the potatoes here.  They made some yummy fries, too.]

The beef from Germany is also tasty.  I have no clue if it's 80/20,  90/10, or what.

[Pasta with peas and bacon: Pasta is probably the cheapest base for a meal any where in the world.  I have been really into Jamie Oliver lately.  I found this recipe and it was so good!  Simple, good leftovers, and even a toddler approved.  I didn't have all the ingredients-no mint, no creme fraiche-but it was STILL good.  I'm sure it's even better with those things.]

[Veggie stir fry: White rice. Soy sauce.  Chopped carrots, onion, broccoli.]

Here are some pictures of products that look different here for your humor...

Mustard comes in a weird metal squirt thing that reminds me of a caulk gun from Home Depot.

The closest to Hidden Valley Ranch.  And it comes in a plastic water bottle.

Is it Miracle Whip or MiraCEL whip?

And our small 1 liter bottles of milk.

A small thing of flour.  Oh, and in case you were wondering, it's type 1050.

We found wheat sandwich bread!

Anyone have any go-to meals that meet our criteria?  Please let me know!  I'm getting braver by the day.