Grocery Run(s) and Vietnamese Food

On Wednesday I headed to the store for the first time in 10 days.  TEN days.  I don't think I have ever gone that long since having kids.  For sure no more than 2 or 3 days since living here. I was pretty proud of myself for lasting that long.

My meal planning and dinner ideas had hit a rut just after Easter when I was really out of ideas for what to make.  I love cooking, I really do.  Thank God, really since I do it ALL. THE.TIME.

Especially now since we are all home for allmeals and snacks.  But I sometimes have trouble getting inspired about what to make.  On a walk with Marty when we were both particularly hungry we dreamt up some ideas.  This week I was going to branch out and try my hand (first time ever) at Vietnamese food and even though I've tried to make Middle Eastern food before I've never had much success.  With these dinner ideas in mind I made a long list before heading out on Wednesday morning and my grocery run this time would have to include Mitte Meer (a Mediterranean/Mexican store) and the Asian

Market along with my normal, local grocery store.
I used a scarf for a mask - highly uncomfortable and hot- and had thin gloves.  Marty and I rode together first to the Mediterranean store.  He waited outside while I shopped and then took my first full grocery bag home on his bike.  I continued on to the

Asia Market and then headed home with my Asian Store purchases. I went in our house via the back door and unloaded everything on to our large table and then we both left again with our empty bags

to the normal, local grocery store.  The first two stores did not have a lot of people or lines.  This time at my local little store it was more crowded and people were giving each other a lot of space so it took extra long.  But this time, for the first time since it all began I saw no empty shelves or freezers.  Everything seemed very well stocked.  They even had yeast!  The final thing that I had not been able to find in my previous trips.

I had a FULL cart.  They don't really allow you time to bag your stuff.  The checkers go SOO fast (they have become slower during Corona and for the most part a bit kinder) but still the Germans just quickly load everything back in their cart and then roll their cart to a TEENY tiny shelf for bagging or

outside.  I rolled my cart outside and Marty and I bagged.  We each had a large, heavy bag for our bike baskets.  We each loaded a backpack and then we each had a light bag (mostly bread) that we could put over our handle bars and ride home that way.  Again, I went through the back door and put everything on the table.  Then I tried to spray everything that had packaging down with disinfecting spray and wipes.  And then put away in the fridge and cupboards.  It is a process.  Especially with that much food.  The entire trip to 3 stores cost 165€ and should last us 7-10 days!  That is pretty amazing considering each of the specialty stores was roughly 38 € each store.  At Mitte Meer I bought dry garbanzo beans (6 euro) stocked up on salsa (3.75 € per jar) and refried beans (3 € per can)

Refried beans are a new family favorite since finding them here.  I had thoughts of making salmon as Mitte Meer has a nice little fresh fish section.  It would be our first time here... somehow eating/cooking salmon outside of Seattle where it is so fresh seemed off putting to me but then realized we are pretty close to the icy cold waters off of Norway and Sweden.  It was SO expensive.  50 € per Kilo making it roughly 25 $ per pound.  I decided against it and instead picked up some TASTY Italian olives - my favorite.  4 € per jar.  A few other things and a couple bags of these yummy corn nuts.  They taste nearly the same as the American corn nuts just much smaller.  I also picked up a bag for a friend who loves them and was having a down day the other day.  I had originally thought of bringing her a bright thing of flowers but know in this day and age getting something at a specialty shop is much more appreciated.

At the Asian store I had a long list and am not as familiar with their products.  The store was nearly empty which was nice.  Normally this is where I buy peanut butter, brown sugar, edamame and seaweed snacks for Benjamin's lunch.  This time I had real ingredients on my list: fish sauce, sesame oil, vermicelli noodles, fried onions, lemongrass, I also stocked up on plain, canned black beans and a large bag of jasmine rice.
At the regular grocery store I got everything else, including dog food.  Phew!!
The Asian bowls turned out with great flavor but the noodles were undercooked and still a bit stiff and not totally soft the way they should be.  They were also cold because the directions said to run cold water over them to stop the cooking but next time I will serve with warm noodles.  SO disappointing about the undercooked noodles. But we all ate the same thing for once (normally either Josie or Benjamin has a special meal because they won't like what the rest of us are having) and everyone actually liked it.  Small tweaks for the leftovers later in the week.  I did chicken and tofu and both were super tasty.  I only bought enough chicken for one night so leftovers will be just tofu - which works well because we all enjoy tofu.

He has transitioned into using my Kindle because we
just can't keep enough books in his hands.  Still
he is finishing a book every 1-3 days. 

The day was sunny but a bit colder than it had been so we all went outside and sat around the fire and roasted marshmallows and made s'mores.  The news broke that Germany will start re-opening by May 4th.  It is unclear yet which grades will go back then but nearly 99% it will not be the grades that Josie and Benjamin are in.  They will begin with students in a transitional year.  For Germany or at least our school in particular that means grades 10th and 12th first and then 6th graders the week after.  We will have to wait and see what happens after that.