…My Strip District Visit, 10/15/11 Parte Dos – Ingredients and Other Items Purchased

I like saving money.

I was never a coupon clipper until about a year after owning my own house and realizing that saving money as often as possible is essential when you want to spend money on things other than essentials. 

This is also why I work two jobs – one (teaching) pays the bills, the other (Kennywood) allows me to spend money on things other than bills.

My last trip to the Strip District taught me that because I like to buy a lot of fruits and vegetables, since they are “diet-friendly”, buying them there is more cost-efficient than buying them somewhere convenient, like Giant Eagle. 

In addition to necessities, the Strip District also has unique shops for gifts, household items, and otherwise “fun” things.

Here is a rundown of my purchases on this day (not including the taco and Chicken Latino meal)  I marked the ingredients for future recipe posts with an asterisk (*):

Pittsburgh Public Market: Pumpkin butter*, Very Berry jelly, and mango habanero jelly from The Berry Patch; Honeycrisp apples from Morning Dew Orchards

Jelly and Butter from The Berry Patch

Honeycrisp Apples from Morning Dew Orchards

 Firehouse Farmer’s Market: horseradish root

Reyna Foods: mild and spicy chile peppers, roasted outside on the sidewalk as part of their 2^nd Annual Hatch Green Chile Roast; corn tortillas

Chiles Roasting

Chiles, bagged and purchased

 Random table on Penn Ave.: La Toalla Terrible!

Native Inka’s Shop: Handmade hats – one for me, and one for my brother (I’m the best sister EVER)

My awesome new hat - this is my best attempt at trying to look awake at 1:30 AM, when I decided to take this pic

You can tell that my brother loves his new hat!  You're welcome!

 Stan’s Market: bananas, serrano peppers*, jalapeno peppers*, white onions*, yucca root* (THEY HAD IT!  Not moldy!  $.80/lb. cheaper than Giant Eagle!), jicama* (still $0.89/lb., not $3.99 lb.), Granny Smith Apples*, acorn squash, garlic*, tomatillos*

Acorn squash, bananas, jicama

(clockwise, from top) Serrano peppers, jalapeno peppers, tomatillos

Yucca root on display at Stan's Market

Penzey’s Spices: Lemon pepper*, Mexican vanilla extract*, cream of tartar*

 Prestogeorge Fine Foods: Cookies ‘N Cream-flavored coffee (I’m busy, I need caffeine to keep me going)

Wholey’s: Flank steak*, The Laughing Cow Queso Fresco & Chipotle, Nutella, unsalted butter*

Flank steak - $7.99/lb. at Wholey's

The one flavor of Laughing Cow Cheese that they don't carry at Giant Eagle

Besides buying some items in these same stores, my mom also bought items in S & D Polish Deli, Art of Steel, Costume World, and Mancini’s Bakery.  In addition, we visited Collage, Yinzer’s, Penn Avenue Pottery, and the Artisan Market.

I’m exhausted!  4+ hours of shopping is killer before working 5 PM – 1 AM!

Now I can’t wait to share what I’m making with the ingredients that I bought…