Snickerdoodle Crispy Treats & Shopping The ALDI Way!

I've been a loyal ALDI customer for over 10 years. When I lived in Mesquite, TX I frequently shopped my local store, but 6 years ago we moved to a new town and the nearest ALDI was so far out of my way. I was a little disappointed because ALDI is the perfect supermarket for families on a budget.  

Well, 4 years ago a new ALDI opened in the town next to me (Rockwall, TX) and I was beyond excited to be shopping at ALDI again!!!! Since the bulk of my shopping is done at their store, I was very happy when ALDI reached out and offered to send me an ALDI Delivered Box filled with samples to try.  

When my ALDI box arrived at my doorstep it was filled with a variety of items. They sent me four holiday recipe cards from their ALDI Test Kitchen, an insulated grocery tote, information on new available products, and a quarter for my shopping cart. 

I also received a variety of non-perishable ALDI brand products and a shopping list of the remaining ingredients to assist me in making each of the recipes. Before I dive into which of the holiday recipes I made, I want to share some helpful information about ALDI. 

If you're not familiar with ALDI here's a bit of a break down, so you too can start saving money with their affordable prices. ALDI is a small format supermarket that saves shoppers money and offers high quality foods. 

They carry fresh meat, pantry staples, dairy, produce, household, baby and seasonal items. You won't find many brand names at ALDI because about 90% of ALDI products are private label brands. They do have a few national brands mixed in, but for the most part ALDI stocks their own high quality exclusive brands to save shoppers money.

ALDI uses a shopping cart rental system, so make sure to bring a quarter if you plan on using a shopping cart. When you arrive at the store all the shopping carts are kept in one convenient place. ALDI uses this system to prevent grocery cart clutter in the parking lot or the need for employee's to retrieve carts. This saves time and money because the staff can focus on serving customers inside the store. It's a genius idea if you ask me!

To use the shopping carts you will need to deposit a quarter into the cart slot to release the cart. No worries because once you're done shopping, simply return the grocery cart back with the others and you'll get your quarter back. I always keep a quarter in my reuseable shopping bags so I have one on hand. 

Sometimes I return my cart and just leave the quarter in the slot for the next shopper. I myself have been stuck a time or two without a quarter and a nice "quarter fairy" has left one in the cart for my benefit, so I try to pay it forward from time to time. 

You will also need to bring your own grocery bags or you can purchase bags at checkout. I usually just leave my reuseable bags in the trunk of my car because I never know when I'm going to pop in for a visit. 

Once I had my shopping cart and grocery bags I was ready to shop for all my ingredients. I have to admit I did get a bit side tracked as I always do when I grocery shop, so I definitely came home with way more than I planned on getting. 

When you first walk in to an ALDI store you will notice a few things right off the bat. The store has a smaller layout, wide aisles and each row is packed with bargains. You'll find the current weekly ad flyer at the entrance of the door and when you leave you can pick up an ALDI ad flyer for the following weeks sales.  

ALDI also doesn't have any fancy shelving and keeps products right in their display boxes. This frees up workers from having to constantly stock the shelves, saving time and money. Pricing is always clearly visible above or below the available products. ALDI also has smart packaging to get you in and out the door in no time. Each of their products have multiple bar codes so scanning is super fast at checkout. 

Their produce section is one of my favorite areas of the store. ALDI carries a wide variety of the freshest in season fruits and vegetables, including some organic produce at the lowest prices. Seriously folks their produce prices are extremely hard to beat. 

A few of my favorites are, in season berries and strawberries ($o.99 for 16 oz package), whole pineapples for $0 .99 each, asparagus, broccoli, squash, and sweet mini peppers. Their produce signage and prices are clearly listed above each of the produce bins, so I never have an issue finding a price for any of their produce.  

You will also find great deals on various baking products like, Simple Nature All Purpose Organic Flour, Bakers Corner Granulated Sugar, Simple Nature Cane Sugar, Simple Nature Cake Mixes, Bakers Corner Chocolate Morsels, Stonemill Extracts, Bakers Corner 100% pure canned pumpkin and more. Their Baker's Corner brand is one of my favorite baking brands and one I used on a regular basis.  

ALDI carries a variety of nuts, but their Southern Grove Pecans are one of my favorite finds!!! Each 10 oz package is priced at $3.99 per bag and definitely the cheapest in town. Other retailers offer the same item for $2-$3 more for the same size bag. I always grab at least two packages on any given grocery trip. 

Stonemill Spices are also a great steal starting at $0.99 for your basic spices and a bit more for specialty spices. Still lower than other retailers.   

ALDI carries a variety of  wine at great pieces. Just look at all the choices. They have seasonal wines, red, white, sparkling, specialty wines and even wines of the month. Check with your local ALDI because not all stores carry alcohol. 

ALDI offers a good variety of lean cuts of  beef, chicken, pork and sausage at very affordable prices. 

They also offer SimplyNature 100% Organic Grass Fed  Ground Beef in convenient vacuum sealed packages. The SimplyNature Grass Fed Ground Beef has no added antibiotics, no growth hormones, no artificial ingredients and it's minimally processed. 

If you're looking for Organic products ALDI offers their SimplyNature line. Besides the many organic products they carry a full line of gluten free products in the liveGfree line. I have just started to dabble into organic products, so I was pleasantly surprised at the various organic products and how affordable they were. A few of my favorites are, SimpleNature Organic All Purpose Flour, Simple Nature Organic Cake and Fudge Brownie Mix and SimpleNature Organic Cane and Brown Sugars.  

They have Friendly Farms Organic Whole and 2% Milk offered for $2.95 and also carry a variety of lactose free, soy and almond milk varieties.    

Friendly Farms Italian Sweet Cream Creamer is my absolute favorite, so I usually grab at least two bottles on any given grocery trip. All of their creamers are delicious and affordably priced at $2.19 for a 32 oz bottle. The same creamers are $3.99 at other retailers, so the ALDI creamers are a steal and they freeze well, so stock up. 

If you have a baby you seriously need to be shopping at ALDI, because they offers a wide variety of affordable Little Journey baby products. They have diapers, wipes, formulas, bath products, organic foods and snacks at the lowest prices. My kids are older, but I sure would have loved an ALDI near me when my kids were babies. ALDI prices on baby products are so low that you can easily stock up on several items.  

Now onto the holiday recipe I chose to  make. First on the list are these Snickerdoodle Crispy Treats. These snicker doodle bars are a soft, gooey, cinnamon crunch filled variation on the classic rice crispy treat made with Millville marshmallow and your favorite Cinnamon Crunch Square Cereal. 

I added holiday sprinkles to give them more of a festive look. 

You can also stay up-to- date on ALDI's latest offers and weekly ad with their Mobile App. The ALDI App is available for iPhone or Android. Download the ALDI Mobile App here. 

For more recipes and information, visit the ALDI Website and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest & Twitter 

Do you shop at ALDI? If not make your next grocery trip an ALDI Experience!!

As part of my partnership with ALDI, I received an ALDI Delivered box as a fun way to sample and review products and recipes. This is not a new delivery service.