Went to the Bent and Dent Grocery for the first time!

**janal14** · 10-07-2011, 06:51 PM

Went to the Amish bent and dent grocery for the first time today. It's about 30 miles from my house, but was on the way to where other places I was already headed.

IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE.

Ok, so it's not like I can do my regular grocery shopping there, since their inventory is random and ever changing, but it was great. They had both dented boxes and cans, and things that were just slightly past (a month or two) the 'best buy' date. With most things, I'm ok with that, knowing that I'll use it up pretty soon. Got some hot wing marinade that I LOVE for 50 cents a bottle, and ranch dressing for 90 cents - the ranch is a big deal to me, I have food allergies and can only have fat free Kraft. Also a couple 9.75 oz cans of chicken for a 1.65. All of that stuff is in the mini crockpot making me dinner right now - buffalo chicken dip.

They had DeCecco pasta (my favorite, imported from Italy) for 89 cents a box...didn't get any though, since I have a pretty extensive pasta stockpile. A large bag of Quaker ranch rice cakes for 69 cents - I love these and rarely buy them because they are so expensive and rarely on sale around here for any significant discount. A jar of garlic spread to make garlic bread...I normally wouldn't try it, but only 39 cents.

I've been wanting to get a nice shelf up in my kitchen to display spices, but have been wanting to have them all in similar bottles first - everyone has their little quirks, this is one of mine. I really like the McCormick glass bottles and was planning on getting them a few at a time when they went on sale at the local grocer. I refill my bottles with bulk spices from the Amish market. Got about ten different McCormick glass bottle spices I've been looking for: some 79 cents, some 98.

Going to visit my younger brother (17) in a week. He really likes international foods, but my mom doesn't have a lot of experience cooking them. He's had a lot of success with Tiger Tiger brand simmer sauces and likes me to bring them to him (he can't get them where my family lives). I can only get them at World Market here for $3-4 a bottle. Found a bottle of his favorite for 49 cents, plus a couple of microwave ready meals with pouches of rice and curry sauce of the same brand for 89 cents. He's going to be so excited.

I'm rambling. But all this stuff and more, and I got out of the door for less than a 20 dollar bill. The Amish gentleman in charge of the store was so nice - asking if it was ok to put my groceries in a box instead of bags, offering to carry the box to my car, and holding the door open for me as I left. I won't say that I have never had such gracious, friendly service, but it is rare.

Planning on going back about every 3 weeks or so to get that I will work into our meal plan - since I can't really count on anything specific being there. Was upset about one dented can that I didn't get - it had a dent at the top that I didn't think my can opener would work around. I didn't realize until 10 miles down the road that I could have just opened the bottom of the can. Oops.

Sorry, still rambling. Just wanted to share my experience with people who I knew would be on board with me.

Going to enjoy my frugal buffalo chicken dip now.

**janal14** · 10-07-2011, 06:58 PM

Addendum: Didn't even share one of the best parts. I have multiple LT food allergies, and have to read all of the labels on foods pretty extensively. But because it was a bent and dent, everyone there was reading the labels pretty thoroughly to check for expiration dates. I was looking for different information, but I looked NORMAL. Didn't have people behind me huffing and puffing for taking too much time to read the label, because everyone else was too.

So, so great.

**Menifeemom** · 10-07-2011, 07:49 PM

Sounds like a wonderful store and one I would visit too. Great find!!

**bonnotsm9** · 10-07-2011, 07:57 PM

We have one in the town near us. It's wonderful. My kids beg to go with me to it.

**annymoll** · 10-07-2011, 09:16 PM

The bent and dent store has brough a ray or two of sunshine my way many ,many times! Enjoy!!!!!!!!!

**Debbie-cat** · 10-07-2011, 10:09 PM

Oooh I wish we had one!! Lucky you!

**pollypurebred39** · 10-07-2011, 10:15 PM

WTG! janal!!!

I found my first scratch and dent about 15 years ago and it was like nirvana. lol. I had to drive over an hour one way so I only went once a month, but I had my small car so packed you couldn't see out the back windows.

My DH had made a pantry for me in the dead space of our apartment bathroom. (huge space) I filled the shelves to overflowing to see us through construction layoffs. I had that same feeling as you did. It changed my life!

**zakity** · 10-07-2011, 11:09 PM

We have one in the town that I live in. I love the place. I go at least twice a month (sometimes three times).

The running joke is that it is my type of gambling. You never know what you will find.

**Spirit Deer** · 10-08-2011, 10:34 PM

We don't have that, but we have close-outs and a freezer. Usually what we get here are warehouse overstocks and stuff that's about to expire. It's great to pick up stuff on the cheap that you can use. Congrats! When we find something useful, we load up on it and usually freeze it, stuff like cereal, snack crackers, nuts, etc, etc. Stuff like that keeps indefinitely in the freezer.

Forgetting about processed foods and cooking more from scratch would make it easier for you to avoid food additives and weird ingredients your body might not be happy with. Once you got used to fresh salad dressing, you'd wonder how you ever could stand the bottled variety. There are loads of recipes all over the internet for things like rice mixes and other foods, which are easy to mix up and then you can easily leave out any ingredient you need to avoid.

**janal14** · 10-09-2011, 09:06 AM

I do cook most of our stuff from scratch, but some things just aren't worth it for me...I'm on doctor's orders to avoid salads because of digestive issues, so making salad dressing from scratch isn't really up there on the important list for me. We keep ranch in the house so that the rest of the family can dip veggies, and I use it in a few recipes, like chicken dip. And I might be able to find one online, but it would probably be pretty hard to find a ranch dressing recipe that was free of both soy protein and eggs, which is why I stick with Kraft.

**thefrug** · 10-09-2011, 11:19 AM

Theres one in Pa thats an hour's drive one way for me. I go when I can. This one also has a refridgerated and freezer section. They have meats that are from Mennonite and Amish farms and it is SO good.( oh man!), and cheeses!! ugh. So many and so good LOL
Last time I went they had gotten a shipment of coffee and they had bags for $ 1.50, the name brand was $4. I bought 16 bags lol
I love going to that store. I just got the email from my regular grocery and they have progresso soups on sale for ...get this...2/$4. I can get it for .75 a can up there.