[surepip]

Well, how was your 1st Aldi experience ?

We have shopped them in France before where they are a bit more upscale than their USA offerings.

But, I have to say it was about what I expected.

Oh, and the Kirkwood Farms Chicken is from the Tyson plant in Shelbyville, Tenn.

[ButterflyLion]

surepip, on 10 March 2012 - 04:54 PM, said:

Well, how was your 1st Aldi experience ?

We have shopped them in France before where they are a bit more upscale than their USA offerings.

I haven't been to the one in Hiram yet. I've been to the one in Douglasville a few times and was wondering if they are alike?

The other day I bought some strawberries at the Douglasville store. They looked good but I was hoping they would have more flavor than they do.

Surepip, do you grow strawberries or any other type of fruit?

[surepip]

ButterflyLion, on 10 March 2012 - 05:09 PM, said:

I haven't been to the one in Hiram yet. I've been to the one in Douglasville a few times and was wondering if they are alike?

The other day I bought some strawberries at the Douglasville store. They looked good but I was hoping they would have more flavor than they do.

Surepip, do you grow strawberries or any other type of fruit?

Used to do strawberries but got tired of fighting the birds for them. Now that most of the birds have left, I may grow some again. Got some from Aldi though, for like $0.79, and they were wonderful. Had some last night and again for breakfast.

We have wild blackberries, and have planted raspberries and grapes over the years without much success.

[surepip]

Alot of the Aldi cost savings are pretty valid.

You take your own bags, or buy them. This is really pretty good environmentally. Although we do use our Kroger and Ingles bags for trash.

You return your cart to the corral by the front doors, or forfeit a quarter. The quarters pay for the workers to go and collect the carts.

They contract for large amounts of food, privately labeled, and pass on the savings. I don't know what the details of their contract with Tyson is like. Target gets all their chickens from Gold N Plump in St Cloud Minnesota. Yeah, 30+ killing plants in Georgia and your Target chicken is from 1000 miles away.

I like it for bulk purchases, and certain items, but will still have to do Kroger every 10 days and Buford Highway Farmers Market once every 6 to 8 weeks.

[ButterflyLion]

surepip, on 10 March 2012 - 05:29 PM, said:

Used to do strawberries but got tired of fighting the birds for them. Now that most of the birds have left, I may grow some again. Got some from Aldi though, for like $0.79, and they were wonderful. Had some last night and again for breakfast.

We have wild blackberries, and have planted raspberries and grapes over the years without much success.

The ones I got at Aldi in Douglasville looked very good but only had a little flavor and sweetness. I want to try some ground cherries this year. They store a long time and can be dried.

[jbl]

I love Aldi's, especially the prices, I go to the one in Acworth mainly.

My only problem with them is when I get hooked on a certain product, like the morning time sausage and biscuits, I go back a couple of weeks later, and there gone, no more. Same with the instant grits, gone, no more. After two months still no biscuits or instant grits.

Produce is great, Checkout time is great.

Kroger can keep their loyal peeps and prices, no more Kroger or Publix for me.

[Starr & Dru's Nana]

I was STUNNED at the number of people in there on Thursday. You couldn't stir them with a stick.

BUT, the fact that it was a grand opening and in Hiram was no excuse for the rudeness of some of the customers. If you see that people are trying to get around you, have the courtesy to move your cart and not leave it in the middle of the freakin' aisle while you shop both sides of the aisle!! And you don't have to rudely reach across someone either. OK, vent over. The employees I saw were very, very nice. The cashier was enough to make me want to start using a real live cashier again.

I bought some pork chops that were awesome. Big, meaty pork chops with little fat. Yum, yum. I bought some pickle spears that were as good if not better than the Mt Olive pickle spears I usually buy. The "Slim Jims" they had were IMO BETTER than the brand name ones. Not quite as chewy and had a little more spice to them. Very, very good. I didn't try the jalapeno havarti cheese I got but hubby said it was very good. Instant rice is instant rice. The strawberries were excellent!! I was very pleased with everything I bought, though I didn't buy much and neither did my daughter. There were SOOOOOO many people you couldn't look at the store. I will be back after the crowd thins out a bit and because it is RIGHT on my way on the days I go to Dallas. And the best part is I never have to get on 278 to go there.

It was my first ever trip to Aldi. I was pleased. I will definitely be back!

[mysterious]

Took our first trip after lunch today........big mistake. The place was a madhouse.

The prices were nice but I was unable to really shop much because of the same gang of people who made it their mission to block every isle that I went on.

I did get a few things and will go back during off hours.
My sister was really impressed.

[Riograce]

I rode by on Thursday and decided there was NO WAY I was going to brave the mob while oxygen-deprived. I'll probably give it a week or two, then check 'em out then.

[TabbyCat]

I went this afternoon, and though it was TOO BUSY, I still did really well and am SO PLEASED they have come here! And that store is about 2 miles or so from my house--closer than any other store.

Tonight I made dinner with my Aldi purchases I made today. Let me tell you about it?

I bought the following:

Garlic Alfredo sauce in a jar--don't remember the exact price, but it was less than $2.

3-pack of multi-colored bell peppers.

Wide egg noodles, 16 oz bag for $.99.

Small bag of mixed green salad, $.79.

16 oz jar of Greek salad dressing, $.99.

Bag of medium shrimp, $4.99.


I thawed the shrimp and peeled them. I took 1/2 of each pepper (red, yellow, and orange), and large-diced them. To that veggie mix, I added 1/2 large-dice red onion, 4 diced cloves of garlic, and two large-dice plum tomatoes.

I sauteed the peppers, tomatoes, onion, and garlic in olive oil until they started to get tender, then I tossed in the peeled shrimp. I cooked the shrimp until the were nice and pink, then I dumped in the jar of Alfredo sauce. I turned the heat down to low, and simmered the Alfredo stuff while I cooked 1/2 the package of wide egg noodles.

I dumped the salad mix in a bowl and added thin sliced onions, sliced green olives, finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and Texas toast croutons (I bought all of these other things at Aldi also--all at great prices).

I toasted up some garlic bread slices in the oven.

For dinner, we had the Alfredo shrimp and veggies over the noodles. We had the salad on the side with that YUMMY Greek dressing. And the Texas toast was the finishing touch.

I didn't add the whole meal cost up, but I guarantee you, we had a delicious dinner (with enough left-overs for another meal), and I paid very little for the whole thing.

LOVE me some Aldi!!

This post has been edited by TabbyCat: 10 March 2012 - 08:30 PM

[STRAWMAN]

My grocery shopping time during the week is limited, so I probably wont be going back there. I cant get everything I need there, and the layout doesn't make sense to me. I will be sticking to kroger and ingles

[csmithy]

LOVE it. I went Thursday and today.

[Orwell]

We went by the Hiram store and I did not care for it. The buggy deal was a mess, the store was too crowded and there there is too much mystery about the quality of the food.

[BooRadley]

I went Thursday afternoon and it was a zoo. Part of the problem was that in addition to the aforementioned blocking of the aisles, they were also doing food samplings so there was an absolute HORDE of people gathered around trying to get a smidgen of trail mix and juice.

HOWEVER......I got fresh pineapple for .99, strawberries for .79, and cantaloupes for .99 and all of it was delicious! I went back yesterday and bought a pack of corned beef, some flour tortillas, and more cantaloupe for dinner tomorrow. Both times I went, the buggies were "freebies" in that the quarter was already in the plug and an employee was giving the carts to people as they walked in the store and meeting the customers in the parking lot as they were attempting to return the cart.

We usually shop the one on Powder Springs Rd, so I'm glad we have one closer.

[Riograce]

Orwell, on 10 March 2012 - 10:24 PM, said:

We went by the Hiram store and I did not care for it. The buggy deal was a mess, the store was too crowded and there there is too much mystery about the quality of the food.

I think this remark merits some explanation. In what way was Aldi's food more 'mysterious' than any other store's?

IMO, store brands are a crap shoot - I've gotten some that were excellent and others that were marginal, but I didn't know which would be which until I actually *tried* them.

[Starr & Dru's Nana]

I forgot about the samples! And you're right, it WAS a zoo on Thursday afternoon. BTW, if you saw a little girl who looked to be 4 or so with a lavender sundress and mostly pink multicolor pants on, that was my granddaughter.

I am THRILLED with the new store! I can't wait to go back when it's not so crowded. Unfortunately, considering the lack of choice in places to grocery shop in that area (Walmart yuck and Target too expensive), it may never be less than always packed.

BooRadley, on 10 March 2012 - 10:55 PM, said:

I went Thursday afternoon and it was a zoo. Part of the problem was that in addition to the aforementioned blocking of the aisles, they were also doing food samplings so there was an absolute HORDE of people gathered around trying to get a smidgen of trail mix and juice.

HOWEVER......I got fresh pineapple for .99, strawberries for .79, and cantaloupes for .99 and all of it was delicious! I went back yesterday and bought a pack of corned beef, some flour tortillas, and more cantaloupe for dinner tomorrow. Both times I went, the buggies were "freebies" in that the quarter was already in the plug and an employee was giving the carts to people as they walked in the store and meeting the customers in the parking lot as they were attempting to return the cart.

We usually shop the one on Powder Springs Rd, so I'm glad we have one closer.

[doggies3]

I went when they first opened for the day on Friday. I was able to look around with no problem. Met a lady who has always shopped there...she was so nice and told me all about the products she buys. Even told me of one that she didn't like. I love the fact about the buggys being .25. Maybe that will help with people returning them and not leaving them in the parking lot to hit car!!! I didn't buy anything as I was on the way to a doctor's appt.

[HappyToBe]

I went to Aldis yesterday about 2-3 and it was very crowded. However, I found a parking spot very close to the door, had no problem getting a buggy and very little difficulty maneuvering in the store. I bought a few things - canned milk was $.69, sweetened condensed milk $1.19, strawberries $.69, and onions (don't remember the price but it was better than other places). I believe eggs were $.99 dozen, and oranges were $1.49 for 3 lb bag. Other produce was great prices and canned goods too. I'll be going back.

[Mariposa]

It was crowded today but wouldn't have been so bad if family groups of 4-6 people had not blocked off whole isles and sections while they talked, or one person shopped with no consideration for others. Ugghh. Not much selection, but I knew that in advance. The prices on produce were awesome. I got out with several bags of groceries and paid less than $30.

[NoPickles4Me]

Personally, I love Aldi. I wish there was one closer to where I live. The last time we went there, my buggy was pretty much overflowing. I had about 200 items and the total was $229 (which is much less if I had purchased the equivelant at Walmart or other stores). The only thing that I have purchased and didn't care for was some of the cereal. Some were a tad to sugary. Other than that, I like most of their products.

[Starr & Dru's Nana]

That was the way it was Thursday as well. NO consideration for others. None.

Mariposa, on 11 March 2012 - 02:32 PM, said:

It was crowded today but wouldn't have been so bad if family groups of 4-6 people had not blocked off whole isles and sections while they talked, or one person shopped with no consideration for others. Ugghh. Not much selection, but I knew that in advance. The prices on produce were awesome. I got out with several bags of groceries and paid less than $30.

[retiredteacher]

Where is Aldi exactly?

[gog8tors]

ButterflyLion, on 10 March 2012 - 05:35 PM, said:

The ones I got at Aldi in Douglasville looked very good but only had a little flavor and sweetness. I want to try some ground cherries this year. They store a long time and can be dried.

It's too early for strawberries. I never buy them till late June, then all the way till about last of August. I also only buy Florida strawberries, and citrus. I grew up with citrus trees in my yard, and the U Pick-em farm up the road.

BTW I wasn't that impressed with Aldi in Kennesaw when I went there a while back. I might go to this one if I happen to be in the area, but I won't make a special trip.

[momof 3]

People who have no consideration for others isn't restricted to Aldi, that happens at just about any store you can go to. We're going tomorrow because Thursday it was a crazy house.

[orrby]

my daughter and I went there today. It was so crowed you couldn't walk. I got a 10 pound bag of potatoes for $2.99, strawberry's $.49 a 16oz bushel. cantaloupe's for $.99 each, bananas for $.44 and a few other really nice priced items. Maybe once the new wears off it will be a better shopping exp. the 1.99 milk was nice too.

[ButterflyLion]

gog8tors, on 11 March 2012 - 09:41 PM, said:

It's too early for strawberries. I never buy them till late June, then all the way till about last of August. I also only buy Florida strawberries, and citrus. I grew up with citrus trees in my yard, and the U Pick-em farm up the road.

The ones I bought are from Florida. The label says Astin Farms, Plant City, FL 33567. After I tried them I asked my husband what he thought and he said they had very little flavor, too. They were attractive though.

[Riograce]

orrby, on 11 March 2012 - 10:50 PM, said:

my daughter and I went there today. It was so crowed you couldn't walk. I got a 10 pound bag of potatoes for $2.99, strawberry's $.49 a 16oz bushel. cantaloupe's for $.99 each, bananas for $.44 and a few other really nice priced items. Maybe once the new wears off it will be a better shopping exp. the 1.99 milk was nice too.

I would *definitely* not mind saving money on milk - my husband drinks milk like a calf!

[FixionWriter]

surepip, on 10 March 2012 - 05:29 PM, said:

Used to do strawberries but got tired of fighting the birds for them. Now that most of the birds have left, I may grow some again. Got some from Aldi though, for like $0.79, and they were wonderful. Had some last night and again for breakfast.

We have wild blackberries, and have planted raspberries and grapes over the years without much success.

I have a couple of blueberry bushes, but can't get to them before the birds do...

So I placed some netting over them and to date have found no less than 4 copperheads that have gotten wrapped up in the netting!!!

Got tired of cutting the dead snakes out...so I have decided to let the birds have them, until I get blueberry stains on my pick-up then I will cut them down...

~FW~

[gonefromhere]

FixionWriter, on 11 March 2012 - 11:58 PM, said:

I have a couple of blueberry bushes, but can't get to them before the birds do...

So I placed some netting over them and to date have found no less than 4 copperheads that have gotten wrapped up in the netting!!!

Got tired of cutting the dead snakes out...so I have decided to let the birds have them, until I get blueberry stains on my pick-up then I will cut them down...

~FW~

A dead copperhead is sure better than a live one, you got a great copperhead trap, I'd keep it.....

[All I Hear is Blah Blah Blah]

orrby, on 11 March 2012 - 10:50 PM, said:

my daughter and I went there today. It was so crowed you couldn't walk. I got a 10 pound bag of potatoes for $2.99, strawberry's $.49 a 16oz bushel. cantaloupe's for $.99 each, bananas for $.44 and a few other really nice priced items. Maybe once the new wears off it will be a better shopping exp. the 1.99 milk was nice too.

We went about 11:30 Sunday because I told my wife I wanted to beat the Baptists there...

Apparently it worked because we were in and out in about 30 minutes and while there were people there it wasn't horribly crowded. So far we have been pleased with what we have tried (strawberries, nilla wafers, fig newtons, sub rolls, etc).

[Starr & Dru's Nana]

my daughter bought some pretzels there that were really, really good. Tasted like the Synders of Hanover.

[All I Hear is Blah Blah Blah]

I do have to say that I was surprised to see some name brands, I thought they didn't do that?

[Starr & Dru's Nana]

Here's the deal:

if you REQUIRE all national name brands and some premium brands, don't go to Aldi. They carry a few name brand items but not a tremendous number.

if you INSIST that all of your shopping is done at one place, where you can buy socks as well as your sockeye tuna, don't go to Aldi because they have a smaller inventory.

if you're WILLING to drive 70 miles round trip to buy produce or anything else, don't go to Aldi.

if you equate high prices with high quality, don't go to Aldi.

if you like saving money, are willing to use "store brands" (which in this case might be the national brand in a plain label) and if you're not opposed to bagging your own groceries, by all means GO to Aldi. And if you're like me with limited choices in the area, go to Aldi. I am THRILLED with another store in my area, if for no other reason but now Kroger may feel they have competition.

[All I Hear is Blah Blah Blah]

Starr & Dru, on 12 March 2012 - 09:06 AM, said:

Here's the deal:

if you REQUIRE all national name brands and some premium brands, don't go to Aldi. They carry a few name brand items but not a tremendous number.

if you INSIST that all of your shopping is done at one place, where you can buy socks as well as your sockeye tuna, don't go to Aldi because they have a smaller inventory.

if you're WILLING to drive 70 miles round trip to buy produce or anything else, don't go to Aldi.

if you equate high prices with high quality, don't go to Aldi.

if you like saving money, are willing to use "store brands" (which in this case might be the national brand in a plain label) and if you're not opposed to bagging your own groceries, by all means GO to Aldi. And if you're like me with limited choices in the area, go to Aldi. I am THRILLED with another store in my area, if for no other reason but now Kroger may feel they have competition.

I shop at Kroger, Ingles, Publix, Wally World and now likely Aldi every week. I am not loyal at all to any one store. The only one inconvenient for me is Aldi, but I think I will do a once a week stop by when in Hiram to get the weekly essentials that we are need and are not brand specific on. We spent about $70 there this week because there were a lot of good prices but next week it won't be nearly as much for the essential items.

[krwills]

I buy my Glucosamine chondroitin at Aldi's, and it is the best I have found. I have tried a lot of fancy joint complexes, and none have actually given me the results that the Welby Health brand does.
60 caplets under $10.00 makes me feel even better about it.

This post has been edited by krwills: 12 March 2012 - 02:20 PM

[STRAWMAN]

Starr & Dru, on 12 March 2012 - 09:06 AM, said:

Here's the deal:

if you REQUIRE all national name brands and some premium brands, don't go to Aldi. They carry a few name brand items but not a tremendous number.

if you INSIST that all of your shopping is done at one place, where you can buy socks as well as your sockeye tuna, don't go to Aldi because they have a smaller inventory.

if you're WILLING to drive 70 miles round trip to buy produce or anything else, don't go to Aldi.

if you equate high prices with high quality, don't go to Aldi.

if you like saving money, are willing to use "store brands" (which in this case might be the national brand in a plain label) and if you're not opposed to bagging your own groceries, by all means GO to Aldi. And if you're like me with limited choices in the area, go to Aldi. I am THRILLED with another store in my area, if for no other reason but now Kroger may feel they have competition.

My biggest complaint about Aldi is the layout of the store. It didn't seem to have any rhyme or reason as to why one product was placed next to the other. Which will slow down my shopping considerably, and time is probably my biggest concern when grocery shopping. I don't shop at Walmart for the same reason, it takes to damn long to get in and out of the store. I was really disappointed that the Kroger in Hiram closed, it was by far the most convenient option for me. I will probably go back to Aldi if I need to pick up something quick and I can run in and get it because it would be quicker than driving to Dallas to go to Kroger or Ingles. I will also say that we got pork chops at Aldi for dinner Saturday night and they were good. For me personally I just don't see it as a viable option for a one stop grocery store, and it has nothing to do with the store brands, I buy store brand whenever possible even when going to Kroger.

[gog8tors]

ButterflyLion, on 11 March 2012 - 11:09 PM, said:

The ones I bought are from Florida. The label says Astin Farms, Plant City, FL 33567. After I tried them I asked my husband what he thought and he said they had very little flavor, too. They were attractive though.

To early for Florida strawberries.Oh, and the bigger they are the less sweet. Well at least that's what I have always found to be true.

This post has been edited by gog8tors: 12 March 2012 - 12:16 PM

[ButterflyLion]

gog8tors, on 12 March 2012 - 12:15 PM, said:

To early for Florida strawberries ...

If it's too early then why did they just have a Strawberry Festival?

2012 Florida Strawberry Festival
Dates: March 1st - 11th, 2012
Hours: Daily 10:00am - 10:00pm

http://www.flstrawberryfestival.com/

[gog8tors]

ButterflyLion, on 12 March 2012 - 12:28 PM, said:

If it's too early then why did they just have a Strawberry Festival?

2012 Florida Strawberry Festival
Dates: March 1st - 11th, 2012
Hours: Daily 10:00am - 10:00pm

I don't know. What I do know is that I have never bought, picked strawberries before June. Also could be that some of the growers are forcing the plants to mature. It could be that b/c of fruit being grown in other countries where it is in season Fl. growers could be trying to keep up. IDK.
Where was this festival held?

[ButterflyLion]

gog8tors, on 12 March 2012 - 12:34 PM, said:

I don't know. What I do know is that I have never bought, picked strawberries before June. Also could be that some of the growers are forcing the plants to mature. It could be that b/c of fruit being grown in other countries where it is in season Fl. growers could be trying to keep up. IDK.
Where was this festival held?

Plant City, Florida

From the website:

An Event Steeped in Tradition

Each spring, the Florida Strawberry Festival® rolls out the red carpet to welcome visitors from throughout the Sunshine State and the world. Guests come from near and far to enjoy exhibits of agriculture, commerce, industry, livestock, fine arts, horticulture, and crafts. The fabric of American life is woven into the Festival through social events, contests, youth developmental programs, top-name entertainment, and parades with glorious floats and high-stepping marching bands.

The Florida Strawberry Festival represents a piece of Americana, a time in American history when fairs and festivals brought communities together through celebrations of their harvests. It has continued to grow in popularity year after year through the preservation of this heritage. Central to its focus, the Festival continues to preserve and enhance the agricultural and historical legacy of the Florida strawberry.

Further, steeped in tradition, the Florida Strawberry Festival is alive with volunteer spirit, uniting people from all parts of Plant City, Florida and the surrounding area. The event began back in 1930 when members of the newly organized Plant City Lions Club conceived the idea of an event to celebrate the bountiful harvest of strawberries. In 1948, the American Legion Post #26 helped get the Florida Strawberry Festival reactivated following a six-year hiatus during and immediately following World War II. The Lions Club and other civic organizations have participated in the Festival ever since.

An Independent Event for the Community

Today, the annual event has become one of the best Festivals in the nation, and now ranks among the Top 40 Fairs in North America ...

The Florida Strawberry Festival is a great time to discover the charm and allure of Plant City, and it's the perfect time to enjoy eating ripe, luscious strawberries alongside the local berry farmers that have worked hard to bring to them to market. More than 10,000 acres of strawberries are planted annually in the local area. In fact, there are some 2,800 farms in Hillsborough County that produce fruit and vegetable crops with an annual value of over $360 million.

http://www.flstrawbe...al_history.html