How to spot the crazy American in Aldi....

[Rebel Yell]

ALDI's GIANT marshmallows, spotted in Pittsburgh, PA!

 

And I'd love to have those swirly ketchp mix tubes- my kids would love them. I hate ketchup and mustabnrd, and the tubes reminds me of Aim toothpaste- or is it Aquafresh that is stripey?

 

And my kids never ate these- they just looked horrible, but think of them as the cocktail weiners of the jarred hotdog world: http://www.gerber.co...ken_sticks.aspx

 

editing to add: We've actually grown to like the Aldi smooth peanut butter in the giant economy jar. I always buy it to make peanut butter cookies for crowds... and then one day we ran out of food and money (temporary thing- we're OK enough, but have to be extra-careful with the budget) and got used to the Aldi PB on sandwiches. The best part is, when we DO get the really good peanut better, it tatses even more heavenly!

[SarahW]

Ds had one of those too - you didn't happen to be in Lom?

 

 

No, I think it was Odda. In Lom my dear aunt made the mistake to ask where the "restrooms" were, and then was miffed that she was given directions to the hotel. Lol, we still joke about that one.

 

 

Picture the look on the dc's faces when they were served a HUGE bowl of vanilla ice cream and jello at their first birthday party here. They still want to know what happens to all the cakes....candles get blown out and the cake disappears.

 

 

In the Netherlands you have to ask for an "American" cake to get a decorated sheet cake, and people usually only bother with that for kid's b-day parties. Otherwise it's a collection of "tarts." I suspect that some Europeans actually don't like the sheet cake, they just have it because they see it in TV shows and movies.

[LaCEmom]

You can buy "popcorn" shrimp and fully put together frozen cheeseburgers at my local grocery store and Walmart. Those are really sold in the US and have been around for years. The cheeseburgers have like a million grams of saturated fat. Ick! And the the popcorn shrimp are awful too. I remember my brother eating them in years past. Can't say I've ever seen hot dogs in a jar though!

 

Here's the popcorn shrimp:

http://www.seapak.com/products/popcorn-shrimp-12oz

 

And 1 brand of Mini Cheeseburgers:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Mini-Cheeseburgers-Twin-Packs-4ct/16504557

 

 

We don't eat this stuff but somebody must because they sell it....

 

 

[Um_2_4]

What is up with the corn?

I was in Lebanon for a while and one of my friends said "let's go to lunch, I know a place that makes mexican food!". Sounds great, I was looking forward to a change. Got there we ordered 2 "Mexican" sandwiches (OK, I wasn't expecting tortillas, I mean really) and what do I get? A Shwarma sandwich (spiced roasted meat, NOT mexican flavored, usually served with pickles, sauce on pita bread, they are everywhere there) served as usual EXCEPT they added corn to the sandwich LOL (oh and removed the pickles and added some hot peppers, kinda like pepperonicni (sp?) , those italian yellow peppers).

 

I have also seen the "corn bread" that was just regular bread with corn added in. That was in Austria I think.

[Mom in High Heels]

 

 

And I'd love to have those swirly ketchp mix tubes- my kids would love them. I hate ketchup and mustabnrd, and the tubes reminds me of Aim toothpaste- or is it Aquafresh that is stripey?

 

 

 

 

They are smart. I've seen them every year for the past several years during American week and always thought they looked like Aquafresh. Of course the mustard in them is brown mustard (ice). I don't think I've ever seen yellow mustard in the stores. Weird.

 

The only tomato paste I've ever seen in Germany has come in a tube as well, which I think is genius, because you just squeeze out as much as you need, instead of having to open an entire can.

 

I do realize that some of those foods we do have in America, but I've never seen a fully put together hotdog, including the bun and toppings (with crispy onions?), that could go in the microwave. I didn't get a photo of it, but they also had a tub of the fried onions that had a picture of them on top of hotdogs.

 

I know we have popcorn shrimp in the US, but like I said, outside of Asian week, I've never prebattered, precooked fried shrimp sold in the grocery stores here.

 

Our Aldi had 2 different sizes of marshmallows. One was small and the other HUGE and labeled "Barbecue" style. There's a picture of a smiling marshmallow on a stick being held over the fire on the front.

 

The cranberry and blueberry juice come in cartons that look like milk cartons and the juice is very, very thick and pulpy. I can't recall every seeing blueberry juice in the US.

 

The pancakes are NOTHING like pancakes IMO. They're more of a semi-sweet bread and very heavy and chewy.

 

The sweet popcorn is NOT kettle corn. It's literally popcorn with sugar on it and it is awful.

 

I bought one of the ribeye steaks and cooked it for James Bond tonight (I don't eat red meat). It was labeled as "Barbecue" and had this weird gelatinous marinade all over it that turned very, very oily in the pan and popped everywhere. I thought it smelled gross, but then again, I don't eat it, so I guess that doesn't count. JB said it was really good though and told me to buy some more before they run out (once it's gone, it doesn't come back until the following year!). Indy is away at Scout camp, so he missed it, but Han Solo put it away! He's usually not big on meat, so that was a surprise. Every time he'd pick up a piece, he'd say "Mmmm...cookie!" I'm not sure how steak=cookie, but as he's only had cookies once or twice, I'm guessing he doesn't know what they are. ;)

 

When I go back (probably tomorrow), I'll try to snap some photos of some of the other items. Oh, they sell "American Sandwich Bread" (sliced white bread, but it's quite doughy and not soft) and "American Style Cookies" (chocolate chips cookies) year round. I'm glad too, because their cookies are amazing. They are better than any brand of packaged chocolate chip cookies I've ever had. Plus, no HFCS!

[Mom in High Heels]

My thread is marked "HOT!" I've never had a HOT thread before. I feel kind of special.

[mumto2]

My kids want to know where the donut cheeseburgers are being sold. I do too! We have Krispy Kreme but just a small one where they don't make the donuts onsite. Different special flavors then US normally.

[Matryoshka]

My kids want to know where the donut cheeseburgers are being sold. I do too! We have Krispy Kreme but just a small one where they don't make the donuts onsite. Different special flavors then US normally.

 

Apparently at baseball parks and state fairs.

 

Looky, there's a Wikipedia page that credits its invention to Luther Vandross!

[MrsMommy]

Yep, our local Frontier League team made the Krispy Kreme donut-burger famous. DH had one, and said it was OK. I refused to even try it.

[Starr]

My thread is marked "HOT!" I've never had a HOT thread before. I feel kind of special.

 

 

We all know you're Hot and in High Heels. :lol:

[Starr]

I was in a steak house in Germany where they served the bread as a food course. We had a laugh. It's the little things that can be off. I'm sure most of our ethnic restaurants are not like the ones in the home country.

[Mrs Mungo]

What is up with the corn?

I was in Lebanon for a while and one of my friends said "let's go to lunch, I know a place that makes mexican food!". Sounds great, I was looking forward to a change. Got there we ordered 2 "Mexican" sandwiches (OK, I wasn't expecting tortillas, I mean really) and what do I get? A Shwarma sandwich (spiced roasted meat, NOT mexican flavored, usually served with pickles, sauce on pita bread, they are everywhere there) served as usual EXCEPT they added corn to the sandwich LOL (oh and removed the pickles and added some hot peppers, kinda like pepperonicni (sp?) , those italian yellow peppers).

 

I have also seen the "corn bread" that was just regular bread with corn added in. That was in Austria I think.

 

Our local pizza place in Germany had a "Mexican pizza" that had Navy beans, corn and cheese on it. ICK!

 

In Egypt we ordered lunch poolside one day. We ordered the "American burger." It was two *teeny tiny* burger patties with fried eggs on them, no bun. LOL

[KungFuPanda]

This thread reminds me that I need to stock up on my July 4th jelly beans!

 

It also reminds me of this clip; the only pace I've ever seen or heard of a doughnut burger:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Unicorn.]

I take offense at the peanuts and flakes. We don't ruin our chocolate covered peanuts by adding corn flakes! :lol: And that swirled sauce...hmmm, it could be useful actually. :D

[Melissa in Australia]

Before I met and married DH, I had only ever had sweet popcorn. My mother would make it for desert. She would pop some corn and sprinkle icing sugar all over it. I think Icing sugar is called confection sugar over there, It is very finely ground, like flour.

[Um_2_4]

 

 

Our local pizza place in Germany had a "Mexican pizza" that had Navy beans, corn and cheese on it. ICK!

 

In Egypt we ordered lunch poolside one day. We ordered the "American burger." It was two *teeny tiny* burger patties with fried eggs on them, no bun. LOL

 

Navy beans on pizza ?? Ugh....

 

That burger actually sounds more like a lebanese burger, we serve them with fried eggs on them (but with a bun and fries). Man are they messy. It's called a "roché" burger. It's DH's favorite.

[Slartibartfast]

Grits, biscuits and gravy, and anything like that is a no-go to. Why would ....ugh...its just gross.

 

 

 

 

 

**GASP** Those are the best things!!

 

 

What is wrong with grits? It is actually very similar to polenta.

 

 

I serve grits with poached eggs on top and fried ham or bacon. It's good. I can go to some fancy foodie brunch place and get the same thing only with fancier words instead of the regular ones. I sometimes put different grilled veggies on it as well.

[Slartibartfast]

I can't recall every seeing blueberry juice in the US.

 

The pancakes are NOTHING like pancakes IMO. They're more of a semi-sweet bread and very heavy and chewy.

 

 

 

 

You can buy blueberry juice at natural food stores here, I haven't seen it in a regular grocery.

[Mrs Mungo]

**GASP** Those are the best things!!

 

 

What is wrong with grits? It is actually very similar to polenta.

 

 

To be fair, if you haven't had those things made correctly, then they are gross. We met some of dh's extended family at a breakfast place in Oregon. The gravy was *awful*, I'm not even sure how they made it. It was so weird.

[Matryoshka]

 

You can buy blueberry juice at natural food stores here, I haven't seen it in a regular grocery.

 

Yes, I've seen blueberry juice here, but yeah, that's probably because I shop in natural foods stores. Cranberry juice, however, is pretty much ubiquitous - takes up at least as much space as apple juice on grocery store shelves. However, neither are thick or pulpy - yuk.

[Slartibartfast]

To be fair, if you haven't had those things made correctly, then they are gross. We met some of dh's extended family at a breakfast place in Oregon. The gravy was *awful*, I'm not even sure how they made it. It was so weird.

 

That is a terrible tragedy.

 

I am sorry Jen, my heart is full of unicorns weeping real marshmallows for your terrible experience.

[Slartibartfast]

Yes, I've seen blueberry juice here, but yeah, that's probably because I shop in natural foods stores. Cranberry juice, however, is pretty much ubiquitous - takes up at least as much space as apple juice on grocery store shelves. However, neither are thick or pulpy - yuk.

 

If it was thick or pulpy it would not be quite as delicious with vodka.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I was in a steak house in Germany where they served the bread as a food course. We had a laugh. It's the little things that can be off. I'm sure most of our ethnic restaurants are not like the ones in the home country.

 

I don't know about all ethnic restaurants but the Japanese restaurants are like the ones in the home country - even though most Japanese restaurants around here anyway are actually run by Koreans! So are the Filipino restaurants here (authentic, I mean, not run by Koreans). When it comes to other ethnic restaurants we tend to choose restaurants that are patronized mostly by people who know that cuisine really well. So we go to the Chinese restaurants in China town that are popular with the Chinese and not the ones that cater to tourists and are American approximations of Chinese food.

[KungFuPanda]

 

Grits, biscuits and gravy, and anything like that is a no-go to. Why would ....ugh...its just gross.

 

Here's what I think of this statement. To be clear, I'm disagreeing with your wrongness.

 

[8circles]

 

 

Yes, I've seen blueberry juice here, but yeah, that's probably because I shop in natural foods stores. Cranberry juice, however, is pretty much ubiquitous - takes up at least as much space as apple juice on grocery store shelves. However, neither are thick or pulpy - yuk.

 

 

My regular store has blueberry juice, right next to the fancy cherry juice. Every juice i've ever had in europe has been thick and pulpy.

[Cinder]

spam reported

[Ecclecticmum]

Here's what I think of this statement. To be clear, I'm disagreeing with your wrongness.

 

 

You can definitely disagree. Remember, I'm the weirdo who loves ketchup.....but I hate Tomatoes.

 

I would actually love to love tomatoes, but my body can simply not swallow tomatoes unless they are fully pureed and used as a base inside something else (bolognese etc). The slightest lump and my body knows it (even when I don't) and it won't go down. I remember eating a salad sandwich at a party when I was about 7, not realising their was tomatoes in it. My mum had to apologise to many people that day lol. It involuntary.

 

Tomatoes & I are pretty similar to this:

 

[Mom-ninja.]

I miss banana saft. Miss it lots.

[RemsMom]

DD22 came back from England and told me about tomato paste in a tube. We found some at Whole Foods, I still haven't gotten used to it. When DD was in England I sent a huge package of "American Food" for her friends to try. Pop Tarts in "Fudge Sundae" flavor, marshmallows and graham crackers (so everyone could try smores), and sweet tarts, laughy taffy, and tootsie rolls. Her friends loved it when she got a package from home and couldn't believe how wonderful the treats were (DD would tell them it was because Americans know how to make chemicals taste really good). I also sent DD peanut butter and coffee. I ground the coffee just before I mailed the package and when it arrived a number of people saw DD with the package and asked her about the wonderful smell. She even had one friend that would drink coffee with her and remarked about how good American coffee was (another friend stuck to his British roots and refused to try her coffee because the British drink tea).

[Mom in High Heels]

While we're on silly stuff from Aldi, I thought you'd enjoy the label from my very high end bananas.

 

 

Even te fruit is name brand!

[Delirium]

Thanks for the photos! My spouse would love it if we had ketchup/mustard swirls here.

[Serenade]

That's funny. I think of hot dogs in a jar as being German, for sure! Most of that kind available in the states are imported.

[Cinder]

Dolce & Banana--love it! :laugh:

[Mom in High Heels]

Dolce & Banana--love it! :laugh:

 

 

I know! Isn't that funny? Who knew fruit could be so chic?

[Stacia]

Dolce & Banana -- my Chiquitas seem so plain now, lol.

 

As far as the grits debate, you gals are reminding me of My Cousin Vinny. :lol:

 

[Mom in High Heels]

Dolce & Banana -- my Chiquitas seem so plain now, lol.

 

 

Chiquitas! Plebian!

[A home for their hearts]

How interesting. As an American I can honestly say I've never seen hotdogs in a jar in my life; I'd never even heard of such a thing until this post. Someone at Aldis headquarters needs to be checking their facts. ;) I've also never seen the ketchup/mayo, and ketchup/mustard duo. hmmm