Simulated Bacon Bits

There are some foods that seem to last forever; those that could survive a nuclear holocaust. Simulated bacon bits is one of those "foods" (though food seems to be a bit of a generous title for it). 

Caesar Salad with Bacon Bits

5 1/2 years ago David and I were finally able to move into an apartment after spending the first 3 months of marriage as migrants doing summer ministry, etc. We were SOO thrilled to finally have a place to call our own and settle into. Part of the process of setting up a home includes getting the "basics" of food...aside from the fresh products. When you start out with nothing you realize how many things are needed to stock a kitchen - dry goods, spices, condiments, canned goods etc. There was this place called "National Grocers" in Huntsville that sold food sort of in bulk but for really, really, really good prices. So naturally for our first stock-up grocery trip we went there. All of their spices came in these giant containers and so we tried to determine what we would use in such a large quantity. Simulated Bacon Bits was one we decided on (the other was parsley.) Ever since then we have been slowly working our way through them. There was no expiry date so we determined not to waste them. 

Last night we reached a monumental moment. We finally finished the Bacon Bits container! It's kind of creepy because the bacon bits didn't really seem all the different now then they were to begin with.

 It only seemed fitting that I put a little bit of dry rice in it and make it into a temporary toy for Nathan to celebrate. It's amazing how time flies by as it certainly doesn't seem like we've been married nearly 6 fantastic years. Or that when we bought the bacon bits it would take 5 1/2 years to finish them and our first child would be a baby playing with the container. Somethings you just enjoy the moment when it arrives because you could never anticipate it years in advance.

"Hey Mom, this is the coolest toy ever!"

*Sadly, National Grocers closed just a couple months after we arrived. However, grocery shopping slowly became an easier process for me as I finally got to shop in stores that were closer to those I was us to in the U.S.. Trying to figure out what was a good price for something was a considerable stress in those days as I had to try to convert between the U.S. and Canadian dollar...which really didn't work. Everything seemed insanely expensive at the regular grocery stores but at least I was no longer trying to figure out if it was really cheaper to buy 6 cans of something to get the discount at National Grocers. =] 5 1/2 years later I think I could finally say that I have a good handle on what are good prices for most grocery items.