Adventures at Jungle Jim's

Where can you find a fortune telling Einstein?

An Elvis-impersonating monkey/bear? A talking, robotic Robin Hood

and the very hairy comrade, Little John?

How about a giant,794 pound phallic cheese?
The answer? Jungle Jim's of course!
Where to start? Ok, I went on a road trip today with my mom and my brother. We trucked two and a half hours to Ohio for two specific places: IKEA and Jungle Jim's International Market. I got wind of the international market a couple of years ago and have wanted to check it out ever since. This 6.5 acre grocery store heaven did not let down. It is like a foodie's theme park, complete with tours and magic. Below are a few items that I found particularly cool.
Fruit, strange fruit! I wish I could have tried them all.

I'd never seen so many unknown-to-me fruit. I felt like I needed a fruit translator.

Baby pineapple! The cuteness is killing me. So THIS is what a water chestnut looks like outside of a can! They are beautiful.

I especially needed my bud, Natalie in the Asian candy isle. Nat, this one is for you.

Fish paste in a tube, anyone?

This is exactly what I need to be looking at while I'm eating my cereal in the morning: a big, brawny man in a kilt. Look at those Scottish muscles.

There was enough jam here to fill an Olympic swimming pool. There were so many flavors, too.

Here's some of my loot: udon noodles, an artichoke & tomato pasta sauce from Italy, whole wheat gnocchi made with sweet potatoes, a meat seasoning from Germany, a guava soda, a grapefruit soda, a pear infused balsamic vinegar, rye flour, graham flour, and (not pictured) raw, dark agave nectar. Hello food adventures!

I thought my excursion at Jungle Jim's was ending until I stumbled upon the cheese section, all divided by country. I got a smoked Gouda from the Netherlands, a Mexican string cheese, spreadable German-style Quark from Vermont, a muenster from Connecticut, and some crappy cheese curds from Wisconsin. They were pretty crappy. Not the usual squeaky, deliciousness of Wisconsin curds.

White pear, tiny red bananas, and a guava. I haven't eaten a guava since I was 11 or 12. It's going to be a good time.

These are my edible goods I scored from IKEA. Orange and Elderflower marmalade sounded interesting. They also had a gooseberry jam, but how much jam does one person need, really. I hope I can do the bread justice. Bread and I, we have a rocky relationship. I also had a tasty lingonberry frozen yogurt on my way out of the store. I was pleased.

Overall, it was an awesome day of sensory overload, emptying pockets, scoring loot, and lots of walking. I hope to repeat this extravaganza again soon!

Oh Joy! Our KitchenAid Experience

We heard that there was a sale going on in Greenville, Ohio at the KitchenAid store/outlet/museum, so Karli and I took a road trip. Two hours later, we're in a small, middle-American town that hasn't been touched for 50 years.

It was every person for themself in the store, but it was awesome. So many products on SALE SALE SALE. When I say this, I'm talking about the biggest sale I've ever seen. We saved about $780. Oh, yes we did!

The stand mixers were lined up - all colors of the rainbow - on three walls.

Piles and piles of mixers! We went away with two of them: a Pro 600 for our cookie kitchen and an Artisan for my mom. (She just had to have one. It was only $130, so why the hey not!)

Half of the lower level of the store is a museum. Karli checked it out while I was snatching up mixers. This place was like Disneyland for me.

Look at that relic!

I love the ads in the background.

Apparently the style of the mixer hasn't changed much since the Dust Bowl hit in the 1930's. Hey, if it works, don't fix it. I still likey.

And the Queen of them all. Flashbacks of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory flood in my mind when I see this. Golden ticket, golden egg, ... golden mixer?

Happiness is a trunk full of new kitchen equipment. Because we bought stand mixers and the fancy annual sale was going on, we got two ice cream maker attachments (regularly priced at $80), a set of 4 nesting prep bowls, a salad spinner, and a slotted spoon all for FREE! I bought some fancy spatulas and some tea towels too. I could have done more damage. I had to hold myself back. Oh, I almost forgot about the cute little tea pot I couldn't leave without. Adorable.

After shopping like mad women, we were famished and wandered the streets of Greenville for some tasty food. We went in and checked out four other restaurants before choosing the one with the least amount of curb appeal.

The inside was much nicer, and the food looked and smelled fabulous.

We both got pretzel bread sandwiches. Pretzel bread, hello! Get in my belly!

Look at it! It's glorious! We should name it. Hmmm. Any ideas?