Ahh, ASDA!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Upon our arrival in Scotland, I ran out to buy diapers, shampoo, etc - basically all the things you buy when you get there instead of packing them in already over loaded suitcases. Janice was running out to pick up dinner, so she dropped me off at the local super market, ASDA. This is where the love affair began...

First, ASDA has an entire aisle labeled "chocolate biscuits" - seriously an ENTIRE aisle! For the Americans, think Pepperidge Farm type vanilla cookies with one side dipped in chocolate. I even took a picture with my iPhone because I couldn't believe it.

And literally everything on this aisle is either a biscuit (think shortbread type cookies, not "biscuits and gravy" type biscuits) or chocolate biscuits. There are other aisles for chocolates, other cookies, cakes, etc. This one is strictly for the biscuits. And as I've learned, no self-respecting Scottish host wouldn't have chocolate biscuits to go with a cup of tea when company comes over. So you can see why they'd need an entire aisle


One of my other favorite aisles was the "savoury snack" aisle. Don't you just love the term "savoury"? Only in the UK.

I didn't take pictures of the rest of the store, but needless to say it's an adventure in and of itself. All different types of yogurts, cheeses, cereals and snacks that you don't really get in America. I could have spent all day up and down the aisles checking things out. Case in point, there was even "cadbury mini-egg yogurt" - yes, you read that right.

Another thing I learned, people in the Scotland love their chocolate as well. And since we were there at Easter it was a bonanza of chocolate eggs! Big hollow chocolate eggs with more chocolate inside. And the key to Easter enjoyment is to get as many as you can and then take a picture of yourself or your kids surrounded by all their chocolate eggs. You kind of have to see it to believe it. Kyla herself got 7 huge eggs and about 10 more bags of chocolate or candy. Pure heaven for our angel! She learned how to enunciate "chocolate" very well by the end of our trip. It was a sad day when she got home and realized we didn't have all the goodies she got at Gran and Papa's house. But hey, that's what Grandparents are for, right?

But I digress, the other thing to love about ASDA is the clothes shopping. Ok, not all of it was quality, but such cute kid's stuff for cheap - EVEN WITH the exchange rate. I got Dylan three darling sleep suits for 4 pounds - that's about $6. And of course for John, the gluten-free options are amazing! He even stopped complaining about the gluten-free bread and actually enjoyed it. And if you know John, that's saying something! (love you honey!)

Two things not to love:

1. The weird tiny packaging of the milk. I mean really small. I'm guessing it's because most people don't have the gigantic refrigerators we have here in America. But regardless, it's weird. You shouldn't have to buy 4 containers of milk, instead of just one.

2. You can't just buy plain, single vegetable baby food - like green beans, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes. They have pureed fruits, but not veg. Instead you can serve your 4 month old (says so right on the label) baby shepherds pie, baby chicken curry or baby lamb stew. Yep. Ewww.

So if you ever get over to Scotland, check out the super markets. It's a whole world of discovery.