I'll just put in my Le Creuset experience for future searcher/readers. Bought a set 30 years ago; Large Dutch Oven, Small/Med Dutch Oven, Medium soup pan, small soup pan, both with the wooden handles, med and small fry pan. Great stuff, love it and used reliably for many years...fast forward I burnt up the med soup pan (and btw the wooden handles were never a problem since I dont put things in the oven and they stayed fine over the years) making sugar water. The bottom had become a little rough over the years and so could not be salvaged - sent it in and got back one of the new all metal sauce pans. I liked the size and weight and shape and handle of my OLD pan better, plus for a sauce pan this seems to get a ring of hot spot on the bottom (I do cook on higher heat than I should or maybe its my elec stove?) anyway this is heavier, much longer handle, don't like or use it as much just due to the shape/weight issue. Then I do the same thing with the small soup pan. Send it in, replacement comes with the new black phrenolic handle, no big deal but they've changed the shape and size, its narrower at the bottom and taller and weighs more. I liked my old one better. So while I still think Le Creuset is the best enameled cookware, and perhaps just plain the best cookware with the no kidding greatest lifetime guarentee (I put in a letter saying I ruined it and that I'd be happy to buy a discounted replacement), I don't like their revamped shape and style of their soup/saucier pots. I don't know why they just didn't change the handles from wood to the black ovenproof stuff. If I could figure out how to make my old Paypal acct work I think I'd try buying the old style on eBay. (But you never know what people cooked in them and that creeps me out a little:)

A new Aldi's just opened not far from us. There is another one on the other end of town but I had never shopped there. DH and I went in a few days after the madness of the grand opening wore off. It was ok but I would not buy meat there, mainly because I am very picky about where I do buy any meat when I do buy it. I had been told their chocolate is very good. My friend was right. They sell, for $1.99, large bars of very good Austrian and German chocolate. I would go back just for that. But not for much else. Maybe some fruit, and the breads and bakery items looked ok. We typically make only 1-2 grocery stops a week at our favorite regional store (Publix) and occasionally go to Fresh Market or Whole Foods. No Trader Joe's here, sadly.

Well, I went to my first Aldi today! It was the one in Saint Cloud... I have a mail box there from when I used to live there so I stopped because I was in the area anyway doing errands. It was very clean! Of course it is brand new. I was a little overwhelmed and only spent about 15 minutes in there. The problem for me is that if I see junk food, I will buy it. If I buy it, I will eat it! So, at a regular grocery store, I COMPLETELY skip the cookies/crackers/chips aisles... I don't even look down them! At Alidi, junk and convenience food abounds! It is right in your face because the store is so small. It's in colorful packages at cheap prices, and it's very hard to resist buying! I managed to walk out with a ham for half the price I saw them for at Wal-mart and a gallon of moose tracks ice cream. I wanted to make split pea soup, and have been waiting for a better price on hams (20 bucks is jut too much for me to be OK with spending for one ham!). The young lady who checked me out at the register was friendly and fast. She was sitting on a stool... and had blond hair, half of which was spray painted pink! Certainly not your typical supermarket! I told a friend about Aldi, and he said he'd shop there just because they let their cashiers sit down! I caught myself wishing that some dominatrix had been standing at the door ready to apply manacles to me before crossing the threshold so I wouldn't have snagged any junk food during my Aldi endeavor. Alas, my self control was enough... after all, I only bought the ice cream for medicinal purposes. I woke up with a sore throat today (really I did!), and bought the ice cream solely to numb the pain.

For those of you who have a problem with no shopping bags given at Aldi's, are you aware of the fact that you ARE paying for them at the regular grocery stores? I'm not sure about now, but the regular grocery stores used to take of about 5 cents per bag I brought of my own. Since all my tote bags disappeared a few years ago cause they got used for other things and not put back, I got out of the habit of taking my own bags, so I don't know if they will still take off for them. As to the quarter for the shopping cart, I think it's a great idea. I very seldom have a cart in the lot to worry about hitting my car. I don't like the paper products, except for the TP for use in the camper. I find them rather thin. The milk and eggs have been rather high priced lately. As with anywhere else, I have to read labels carefully due to my garlic allergy. (Which reminds me I need to email Vlassic, who doesn't have garlic on the ingredients list, ut has it in the pickles!) DH hasn't complained about the Salmon. I don't eat it, so I don't know. I buy my tomato paste there and canned mushrooms. Legos were a great price a couple of weeks before Christmas, but I didn't get there to get any before they were gone. Darn. Bought a LOT of Legos for DGS for Christmas! I seldom have a problem with thier produce, and it's usually a good price. Tami