ABC- Asian market, Bulk store, Cleveland!

So, while in Erie, I asked my friend Ashley and my Mom to come to this bulk herb store called Grammy's Bulk Store.  I had heard it had some great prices on spices so I wanted to check it out- and boy am I glad that I did! First off, you walk in and the place is filled with little containers of spices, and for my lovely organizational friends- ALL IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER! 

 -Ill take a better picture when I charge my camera and unpack it all, I only had my camera phone at the time-


I had to much fun reading every spice name, I didn't know quite a few which actually really surprised me! In addition to spices, they had pastas, extracts, yeast, sprinkles, etc. I ended up getting a bunch of different spices that I use often, really bright colored sugar for decorating, a big bag of whole cinnamon sticks, a big tub of salt, a bag of yeast (which now I think I might have grabbed the wrong kind, I need to inspect it further...), alphabet soup noodles, whole wheat couscous, regular couscous, quinoa, and emulsified lemon.  It was all for under $30 too! 


It was just really great.  You got just as much of the product that would come in what you would buy in the grocery store but for way cheaper! Those awesomely bright sprinkles only cost just over $1, you would pay way more in a store.  The spices ranged from .50 to $2 but in the store they would have easily started at $2.50!

I wish we had something like this near where we are stationed.  I figure as I use the spices up, I will just keep a running list and when my Mom goes out to the store have her pick me up more and just save it until either my family or my friends come down to visit. 


I was just so amazed at the awesomeness.  Then, my friend Ashley invited me to go to the Asian Market with her and her Mom later that day so I agreed and we road tripped up to Cleveland (about 90 miles away) to go to the market and to see her sister up at Case Western Reserve University. The Asian market was such a new experience, some stuff was really cool and interesting while some was just flat out gross...I asked her Mom (who is originally from Vietnam) a ton of questions about what things are, what would it be used in.  Turns out, some of the things I thought were really gross looking, I had been eating for years at their house and just didn't know it!


Anyway, I really wanted jasmine rice just like they always have at their house but the smallest size they had was 25 pounds! So, guess who is the proud recipient of a 25 pound bag of rice? Yep...this girl! Que, Ashley's Mom bought it as my Christmas gift...I love it! I have a feeling that I will be incorporating rice into nearly all of my recipes for oh, the rest of the year! 


I was so excited about my savings, only a housewife could get excited about stuff like this! Just another example of just how different I am than the average 22 year old!