One of the things I love about living in the Chicago suburbs is the diversity of things to do, see, and EAT! If you’re open to new adventures, you’ll never get bored.
Okay, that is the good part.
Here is the annoying part. I live within close proximity to many different grocery stores – ALDI, Garden Fresh and Target (my favorites) as well as Dominick’s, Jewel (avoid if possible) – but sometimes cannot find the things I want to buy. So I have to ask my family to pick them up for me in Iowa.
In frickin’ Iowa!!!
HyVee is a grocery store chain in Iowa and other parts of the midwest, but not Chicagoland. They have a huge “health” selection with more vegan options than I have seen out here in Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s! What gives?! I thought we were supposed to be the progressive big city.
And funny thing, the product I often ask my mom to buy for me isn’t a vegan specialty. It’s Maple and Brown Sugar Malt-O-Meal – my go-to weekend breakfast treat.
We have Malt-O-Meal out here, but I never see that flavor! I found this ALDI imitation (Millville brand above) last weekend.
I made it Sunday morning with high expectations (still have to try the Chocolate).
Blech. It is NOT the same.
I just think it’s ridiculous that I have a plethora of grocery stores around me and cannot find some products. Seriously, we pick up items in Iowa, and sometimes even drive to Woodman’s in Kenosha, WI (which is actually closer to our house than Chicago).
And yes, we have tried talking to the grocers about carrying certain items. That never seems to work for us.
So… this kind of turned out to be a rant. Oops!
I will say, there are definitely many items I buy here that cannot be bought in Iowa. It just seems silly that I cannot find the simple things, like Maple and Brown Sugar Malt-O-Meal, here.
Are there any products you like but cannot buy near your home? What are they and how do you procure them?
We used to love the Nueva Cucina Mexican Rice Mix. When they stopped selling it at Target, we started buying it on Amazon! Since then, we have moved on to other rice mixes (and really, we need to make up our own). When I was at Whole Foods with Jen two weeks ago, I found the mix, but it was not the same. Good thing I only bought one box (when I brought it home, Steven asked why I didn’t buy more, ha ha).
HAHAHHA – I used to eat a TON of Malt-o-meal! YUM! Maple and brown sugar? That sounds like a little bowl of heaven! 🙂
I’ve had to order stuff from Amazon but I prefer to buy at a store. I’ve ordered Pacific Hemp Milk, Honey Stingers, Sun Warrior Protein and Zico Coconut water from Amazon.
I have never had Malt-O-Meal before. Is it similar to cream of wheat? I am not sure I’ve ever tried that either but I’ve heard of it.
The only thing I can think of that I’ve had trouble finding in the past is hot Rotel. I had it in TX and then tried to buy it in MD but couldn’t find it. I eventually found it at Harris Teeter (which was about 15 minutes from my house– which is close, but kinda far for a grocery store when I have 3 within walking distance). Now Target carries it and other flavors I’d never seen before.
I have never had cream of wheat so I am not sure. It’s smooth and a little bit grainy 🙂
What is Hot Rotel?
Didn’t realize you were close to that Woodman’s; I drive down there frequently! We should meet up sometime for lunch around there?
…I don’t know where, though. 😉 They already think I’m strange at the Buffalo Wild Wings my family loves, because I go in and order the chicken flatbreads without, y’know, chicken. 😀 Can’t imagine what they’d do if I told them to leave the cheese off, too. “Just a pita with sauce, please!”
We totally have to meet for lunch in Kenosha. At HuHot!!! Do you like that place?
Love HuHot! Absolutely, then!
Cool! Which days are good for you? I have a lot of traveling in the next two months, but bet I can find a day!
Do my comments show up on your blog? Every time I try to leave one I get weird errors 🙁
One thing I learned about Whole Foods is each branch is in charge of their own ordering. So, different locations may carry different variations. We found this out when Sweets was looking for a certain beer that was carried in our regular store, but not in the store where we were shopping. I’ve found that to be true with bread, too. I wonder if different locations of, say, Aldi, Jewel, etc. might carry Malt-O-Meal? Could be worth a few phone calls to see.
Iowa is pretty awesome. 🙂
Are you a big HyVee fan?
Are you from there originally? I can’t recall!
I LOVE Hy-Vee! That is my go-to place for groceries – unless I am in Iowa City and can sneak in a stop to the New Pioneer Co-Op.
Not originally from Iowa, but have been here 5 years now.
That’s so weird:
-I love Jewel;
-I used to live in rural IL, and Hy-Vee was our only grocery store (and it did NOT have a decent health selection).
I’m sure you’ve tried this, but can you make your own? I much prefer to add my own syrup and brown sugar to my oatmeal.
I have not tried it! I love how creamy and smooth it is, and am not sure I could do that with oatmeal. Maybe I could put it in the food processor!
I went to my future MIL’s house and she had these really good gummies! I don’t know where she got them because I cannot find them in any stores! I may have to resort to buying them on amazon! Also there is this cereal I can only get at my Aunts. She used to give me boxes for christmas!
I grew up eating malt-o-meal….yum! It was always the chocolate though – maple brown sugar sounds so good – it is my go-to cream of wheat flavor…
Well, I can get the Nueva Cucina Rice at my grocery store! : ) I don’t think there is anything I can’t find in my stores that I really enjoy. It would be nice if I could find cheap avocados somewhere.
Oooh you live in Chicago! I’ve never been, how about I come visit. I live in a Jewish community, I’ll bring you lifetime supply of Malt-o-Meal!
Sounds good to me! 🙂
But I live 50 miles from Chicago – fair warning? (and that is still considered a suburb!)
I experienced that when I first moved here, Iw as looking for my brand of canned tomatoes that I used to get in NY and they don’t sell them here. At least you are a lot closer to some pals which sell your Malo O Meals! But try calling some local stores they may be able to order you a whole box.
My mom always says Chicago is the shopping capital of the world but I have to disagree! Produce, especially, is so hit-or-miss at my grocery store. And they discontinue random things! They used to carry these cans of mixed stir fry veggies (water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, baby corn) that Jason loved and then they just went away. Frustrating!
LOL! See, the Dominck’s by my parent’s is so bad! But the Jewel is really nice! I have heard SO much about HyVee, but I want to know, like you, why they’re not in bigger areas?!!
What is Malt-O-Meal? Is it like grits?
I do okay on finding all my groceries now, but I fear that I will move away from CU and not have any good Korean grocery stores nearby.
I am not sure how to describe them. It’s a really creamy and smooth hot cereal. If you don’t stir it while you make it, it makes these little clumps that are chewy (and I like but you are not supposed to make it that way). It is a really fine grain (probably wheat?). I have never had grits. I know some people don’t like Malt-O-Meal, but I think it’s fun.
I bet the next place you move will be more metropolitan, right? Or are you thinking something more rural?
LOVE Malt-o-meal! I like the chocolate one the best. SO yummy.
It’s so nice that your mom will send them to you. She should stock up on them, like one a week so when you come to visit you can just fill your car up!
There’s so much from home that I can’t buy here, but luckily most things that are PA Dutch are made with really simple ‘oh hand’ ingredients, so I can often make them myself. This week I was really missing fastnachts (for Fastnacht Day, our version of Fat Tuesday) and I have been really craving UTZ Crab Chips – which you can see in one of my FB profile pictures even!
As a life long lover of Malt-O-Meal, I’ve tried the various knock offs that have made their way to store shelves. And as you stated above… Blech… not the same. So much better to stick with the brand on this one.
I have NEVER heard of Malt-O-Meal…but you have piqued my interest! I am going to look for it at my store. If they have it in Iowa, maybe Indiana stands a chance?
The thing I get most frustrated with is that Indiana is always the last to get EVERYthing. Like different flavors of Larabars, greek yogurt, etc. Geesh, I sound like a whiney brat, don’t I? 🙂
We have an amazing indie grocery store in town. That’s where I go when I can’t find something anywhere else. There is a similar store in Algonquin that carries a lot of hard-to-find stuff, too. For me that’s usually produce, spices and random things like farro.