Feb 1, 2012

Buying products out of bulk bins has its advantages to be sure. I've made some incredible trail mix by grabbing a bunch of items out of the bulk bins and combining them together at home. It makes a bunch of trail mix that lasts for a long time for a lot cheaper than buying a pre-made bag of the stuff.

But there can be a draw back. First, I'm a bit of a germ freak. I don't really like getting products out of the bins that are dug into, but rather the ones that pour the product out from above. I always feel like people dig in the lower bins with their hands and it doesn't stay all that clean. But most of the items I use can be found in the upper bins that just pour into the bulk bags.

Normally things turn out just fine. This time was a little different. I have been enjoying the most recent batch for about a week before I ran across a little gem. As I was eating a handful I bit into something quite chewy. This was a little disconcerting as the only thing that should have been chewy was the raisins, and what I bit into was not the consistency of a raisin, nor was it sweet. In fact it was quite sour.

It was only after I spit out the offending item that I realized what it was and why I didn't notice it in my hand before popping it in my mouth. It was a yellow, round, skittle. I've got a couple more in my handfuls today, so obviously WinCo's not all that diligent about keeping the chocolatey M&Ms and the chewy Skittles away from each other. But now instead of being repulsed, I think of it as a pleasant surprise!

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