When I lived in the States, I was always aware of food co-ops and 'health food' outlets. Of course, I also always thought they were pretentious. Yes, judgmental me. Mostly, I guess I really didn't appreciate the service they provided the community to get home-grown foods in bulk. Well, now isn't my face red...!
Since I can't find simple things like dried pinto beans, I have had to change my plan of attack on such matters.
Enter the Bin Inn chain of stores. They make shopping fun, at least for me, with the rows of bins of all things cookery, all nicely covered in see-through plastic, each with their very own scoop!
I can get several kinds of beans that I like, but only after having a talk with the clerk and translating from US to NZ.
I think I found corn meal, too, at least if 'corn grits' are the same thing. They look suspiciously alike and I shall see if cornbread turns out with the texture I remember. Making it with cornflour has the same taste, but it's way too smooth.
This marvelous place called Bin Inn also has soaps and cleaners that you can buy by weight, so you can fill your own bottles from home. And I can find things that are not sold in the grocery stores.
So, to all of you that knew the advantages of such buying before I realized it's worth, my apologies for thinking you were snobs. I have now come over to your side.
10 comments:
Hello! I don't know if you remember me or not, but my name's Netoma! I was living with my boyfriend in Christchurch and I think that we first made contact through... flickr, I think! haha
I have since moved back to the states and I'm planning on starting the spring semester at my favorite AZ university!
I just wanted to say that I couldn't find any black beans while I was in New Zealand, but I heard that Bin Inn would have them! lol Never made it, though. Everything about how I lived in New Zealand is so so different than here! And I miss it there! D:
Yes, I recognized your name right away! You were my first follower! Glad to hear from you and hope you get back this way soon!
Glad you've discovered the bin inn! Sound's like a place full of goodies.. I love shopping bulk and have enjoyed co-ops for the quality and savings, although haven't ordered in quite awhile with my children grown.. I'd love to find a bin inn type here in Michigan!
Happy pinto beans!
Robin :)
glad you found something you loved..
healthy food is very imortant and has long term results...
kinda boring though..
shraddha
Hi BettyL. I've bookmarked your blog -- b/c of your lovely comment on mine! Thank you for it.
And, I know you've heard this 97 million times already, but I just got here, so here it goes again: Congratulations on daring to do something new and different and I look forward to reading more of your adventures, and learning more about New Zealand. Thanks for sharing!
Sallie
What a neat store, Betty.... Bin Inn should come to the USA.... Wouldn't you think people would enjoy choosing their dried beans, etc. from BINS--instead of little plastic packages????
Great post. Thanks for sharing...I love hearing about life in other places.
Hugs,
Betsy
Next time, your husband plays scout master to the little boy scouts, do come up to Auckland. I don't know if we have Bin Inns, but we have lots of bulk food stores, and Indian stores. I think you can get almost everything you need here.
Cheers,
Ann
Kia ora betty,
I used to love making an old bean soup recipe from my Wisconsin grandmother. For along time I could find dried haricot beans in the stores but they suddenly stopped. It was not till finding the Bin Inn a few years down the track that my house is once again filled, at times, with the lovely aroma of slow cooked bean soup. Yum!
Cheers,
Robb
Glad to hear you've found the pintos and the cornmeal-I'd be lost without them :) Very neat blog!
Yes Bin Inn is great I used to shop there for my bird seed, I could make up my own mix at that store, its good for small amounts of spices and herbs too, so they are fresh when you need them.
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