purplewiz

I took the list, put it into an Excel spreadsheet, and printed it out for my weekly or so trip to the grocery store today. These are prices today at the Safeway at Powers and Constitution, in case anyone in the area wondered. <p> The Current Price is the price you'd pay today with their club card - sale price if it's on sale, regular price if not. I've included the regular price if things are on sale, and short notes on quantity. I have more notes at the bottom of the page. <p> <hr> <table> <tr> <td>Item</td> <td>Current Price</td> <td>Regular Price</td> <td>Notes </tr> <tr> <td>beef (chuck)</td> <td>$1.69/lb </td> <td>$3.29/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>bacon </td> <td>$2.50/lb </td> <td>$3.69/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>chicken, whole </td> <td>$0.99/lb </td> <td>$1.49/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>salmon </td> <td>$5.99/lb</td> <td> </td> <td>Atlantic farmed</td> </tr> <tr> <td>shrimp </td> <td>$4.99/lb</td> <td> </td> <td>51/60 count</td> </tr> <tr> </tr> <tr> <td>cabbage </td> <td>$0.25/lb </td> <td>$0.69/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>carrots </td> <td>$0.66/lb </td> <td> </td> <td>$1.99/3 lb bag</td> </tr> <tr> <td>chiles (jalapenos) </td> <td>$1.99/ln</td> </tr> <tr> <td>corn (frozen) </td> <td>$1.25/lb </td> <td>$2.79/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>mushrooms </td> <td>$4.38/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>onions </td> <td>$0.99/lb </td> <td>$1.49/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>potatoes </td> <td>$0.46/lb</td> <td> </td> <td>$2.29/5 lb bag</td> </tr> <tr> <td>squash (hard) </td> <td>$0.99/lb</td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> </tr> <tr> <td>apples (gala) </td> <td>$1.00/lb </td> <td>$1.49/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>bananas</td> <td>$0.49/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>coconuts</td> <td>$1.79/ea</td> </tr> <tr> <td>lemons</td> <td>$0.79/ea</td> </tr> <tr> <td>limes</td> <td>$0.69/ea</td> </tr> <tr> <td>mangoes</td> <td>$1.00/ea</td> <td>$1.79/ea</td> </tr> <tr> <td>oranges (navel)</td> <td>$0.79/lb</td> <td>$0.99/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>tomatoes (on vine)</td> <td>$1.99/lb</td> <td>$3.29/lb</td> </tr> <tr> </tr> <tr> <td>flour (Gold Medal)</td> <td>$0.20/lb</td> <td>$0.48/lb</td> <td>On sale $1.00/5 lb bag</td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td>pasta/noodles (dried)</td> <td>$1.33/lb</td> <td>$1.79/lb</td> <td>24 oz bag </td> </tr> <tr> <td>rice</td> <td>$0.70/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>sugar</td> <td>$0.36/lb</td> <td>$0.40/lb</td> <td>On sale $1.79/5 lb bag</td> <td></td> </tr> <tr></tr> <tr> <td>cooking oil</td> <td>$1.25/qt</td> <td>$1.50/qt</td> </tr> <tr> <td>olive oil</td> <td>$5.39/qt</td></td> <td>$8.18/qt</td> </tr> <tr> <td>sesame oil</td> <td>$24.43/qt</td> <td></td> <td>$5.09/5 oz</td> </tr> <tr> <td>soy sauce</td> <td>$3.05/qt</td> </tr> <tr> <td>vinegar</td> <td>$1.04/qt</td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> </tr> <tr> <td>butter</td> <td>$3.99/lb</td> <td>$4.29/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>cream</td> <td>$6.98/qt</td> </tr> <tr> <td>eggs</td> <td>$0.66/doz</td> <td>$1.32/doz</td> <td>18ct BOGO</td> </tr> <tr> <td>yogurt</td> <td>$0.40/ea</td> <td>$0.50/ea</td> <td>Lucerne 8 oz</td> </tr> <tr> <td>milk</td> <td>$2.50/gal</td> <td>$3.29/gal</td> </tr> <tr> </tr> <tr> <td>cinnamon</td> <td>$2.79/4.12 oz</td> <td>$3.49/4.12 oz</td> </tr> <tr> <td>paprika</td> <td>$3.79/5 oz</td> <td></td> <td>Pride of Szeged</td> </tr> <tr> <td>pepper</td> <td>$3.03/4.25 oz</td> <td>$3.79/4.25 oz</td> </tr> <tr> <td>saffron</td> <td>$11.99/.046 oz</td> <td>$14.99/.046 oz</td> <td>$4170.00/lb</td> </tr> <tr> <td>vanilla</td> <td>$4.59/1 oz</td> </tr> <tr> </tr> <tr> <td>bread</td> <td>$1/lb</td> <td>$1.33/lb</td> <td>$1.50/24 oz loaf</td> </tr> <tr> <td>coffee</td> <td>$2.86/lb</td> <td>$3.27/lb</td> <td>Folgers</td> </table> <hr> <p> My notes: <p> When there were multiple brands, I chose either the one I would buy were I buying it, or the most popular brand I knew of (e.g. Folgers for coffee). <p> I was amazed at how many things on this "staple" list were on sale. Most of them were at a reduced price, which made more work for me. <p> I wasn't surprised that out of everything on this list, I only bought beef (chuck), cabbage, tomatoes, cream, eggs, bananas, and bread (100% Whole Wheat). Many of the things I usually buy I already had, but a lot of these aren't my staples. Some things that are my staples that aren't on this list are bagged salad, greens, frozen broccoli, cheese, cold cuts, cottage cheese, peanut butter, canned tuna, Splenda. <p> I admit that I mail order my coffee from Rio Grande Roasters (now part of Victor Allens') because I'm addicted to their Thunderbolt blend, which is about $10.53/lb before shipping. I had no idea what grocery store coffees cost before this - and after drinking Folgers at my parents' house, I am not surprised. <p> And it was a lot of fun calculating the price per pound for saffron . <p> Marcia.

Maybe they thought the whole sex shop/food thing would make good TV, but frankly, I thought they spent entirely too much time on what they thought were provocative shots of the party guests and nowhere near enough on the food. I ended up walking away from the program for awhile and just coming back to see how it ended. It seems to me that part of the problem inherent in this show is that with so many contestants and so many multi-part dishes it's darned hard to keep straight who made what, let alone what it all tasted like. Unlike Project Runway, it's obvious the producers don't trust their contestants, their personalities, and their skills to carry the show, so they're going for cheap "thrills". And Katie Lee Joel is still painfully to watch. Marcia.

I watched a rerun today (I knew I couldn't get into a new show after the Project Runway finale left me drained and elated at the same time), and frankly, I found it less than compelling. The format is interesting, but because I can't judge the food other than on looks, I feel like me, as part of the audience, is being held at arm's length. It's the same kind of detachment I feel when watching Iron Chef. I'll probably watch anyway because there's not much else on Wednesday nights, but I'm not going to clear the schedule. And I'm not going to pretend it's anything more than a game show that requires some specific skills, because that's what it is. Oh, and if Katie Lee Joel were any more wooden, she'd be a junior high school shop project. Marcia.

All I can think of is squishing that donut up against the hot burger with my fingers and getting grease and melted sugar running down my arms. And how greasy it would be. And my stomach turns. Is that b or d? Marcia.

Wow, I had no idea there were so many other people who have more or less the same reaction to bell peppers that I do! I always ask if there are bell peppers in dishes, and as long as there is stuff to eat without bell peppers in it, I'll be fine. I have a real problem with "fooled you" cooking. Allergies like mine won't kill me (although if you're around me shortly after I partake I'm going to wish it had, and so are you), but who knows if those of others will. I don't have any respect for those who turn dislikes into allergies, but it's not my position to make that determination or shake them out of their food ruts. If they just want to be left alone with their limited food likes, then I think they should be. I just don't invite picky eaters to dinner very much. Marcia.

That's what my cookbook says - you draw in the line (about 1" deep) to get the "top hat" effect. Frankly, it all tastes the same to me . Marcia.

Whether I eat or not while driving depends a lot on where I'm driving. If I'm playing dodge 'em on the crowded twisty roads of the east coast, forget the food. I'm too busy trying to avoid being hit to be hungry anyway. But when I'm on the interstate between Casper and Sheridan, Wyoming, where once I'm out of town I can set the cruise control, sit back, and not touch the brake or the gas pedal for an hour or more, where you watch the road mainly to avoid any deer and antelope playing and the only time you change lanes is to move left to pass slow moving trucks, then move right again, eating while driving isn't a problem. It's something to relieve the monotony. And there may not be a place to pull over and buy food for an hour or more if you're hungry. Like most things, it all depends on the circumstances. But even then, sheesh, tacos? Tacos are not road food. Neither is barbecue or chili or anything you can't eat with one hand only, no utensils. I've done hamburgers ok, but they weren't loaded with sauce. And sodas are quite doable if you take small sips, same with coffee. And always keep Kleenex within easy reach. Marcia.

I grew up with margarine ("reduced fat"), so it doesn't taste too bad to me, but we switched to butter a couple years ago and haven't looked back. I've found I need to use less butter on things because it tastes so much better, so it's probably a wash calorie-wise. Best compound butter to date: purple chive flowers, white thyme flowers, salt, pepper. Cut coins and let melt over grilled steak. Tasty and pretty. Marcia.

I have a recipe for an oats pilaf made with Quaker Oats. They don't get mushy because they are first coated with egg and sauteed before liquid is added, which makes for a very interesting texture. Marcia.

I agree that you need to let them know the menu beforehand. I've found that many people "forget" to tell me about allergies even if I ask until the food is set in front of them - whether the allergy is real or not, it makes for a very awkward moment. Then there's the multitude of diets that people are on. Again, I ask ahead of time if there are any "dietary restrictions" I should know about - you never know when people will do a 180 on their diet, but they will indeed let you know when you put a plate of something now unacceptable in front of them. Nothing stops the flow of conversation and conviviality like "Oh, no, I can't eat that!" Since I usually have an idea of what I want to make when I have folks over for dinner, I'll usually phrase the invitation as something like "Would you like to come over for dinner next Saturday? I'm planning on making chicken curry and a chocolate torte for dessert." For beginners, I really would suggest sticking with something you're comfortable making. There are ALWAYS last minute glitches, which can throw people off. If you know what to expect from your main course, it's one less thing to worry about. Don't worry too much about table decorations. Real dishes and silverware, tablecloth or placemats depending on the dinner/your table, and something of interest in the center of the table is all you need. People don't remember the details, they remember "the table looked nice". My secret to making just about anything into a centerpiece: go to Home Depot, buy a 12" x 12" floor tile (ceramic or marble), buy some self-stick rubberized feet. Stick one rubber foot on the back side of the tile at each corner. Place it in the center of the table, place your thingummie on top of it, instant centerpiece. Finally, something I learned along the way: the dish that took you the least amount of time to make, or uses the cheapest ingredients, or is just some chopped something or others mixed together will be the ONE dish that gets all the compliments. The one you spent hours slaving over will be ignored. Roll with it and remember the goal is to have a good time with your guests. Marcia.

Very successful souffles indeed! They look gorgeous! Marcia.

I've already told my doctor in as many words that if it's a choice between dying and chocolate, well, it's been a nice life . It's one of the things I have brought up every time we alter meds. Grapefruit I could live without, chocolate, never. Marcia.

I'll add to the chorus of "ask your doctor". I'm on a different medication that interacts with grapefruit, and there are warnings all over the bottle "don't even think about grapefruit while taking this drug!". The upshot of my conversation with my doctor was that yes, while there is an interaction, and if I was eating grapefruit every day there might be a problem. However, at my current rate of grapefruit consumption (about four per year), it really isn't a problem for me. The warnings are so severe because there are a lot of stupid people out there who if they're not beaten over the head won't listen and can't differentiate between occasional and constant, and as CYA for the pharmacy. So check with your doctor about your own situation. There may be a compromise in there somewhere. Marcia.

I have two "general purpose" kitchen drawers - one for long, skinny things (spatulas, stirring spoons, pancake flippers, etc.), and one for short, round things (measuring cups, bag clips, etc.). The examples mentioned above are the easy ones to sort. The problem comes with the stuff that falls in between, especially since my husband empties the dishwasher and puts things away. Measuring spoons are short rounds - they're too short for the other drawer. But the can opener is a long skinny, even though it's kind of squat. So are whisks, even the short little whisk. It all makes logical sense to me, but not to anyone else. And I'm firmly in the teakettle on the stove camp. I not only use it for tea, but it's a quick source of water when I need to add some to a pot that's drying out too quickly - something that happens a lot up here where it's dry! Marcia.

I have my dream tables. I guess I don't dream big enough . The dining room set is Queen Anne in cherry. I fell in love with it at a now out of business furniture store long before we had any place to put it. I told my husband at the time when we bought our house, we were coming back and buying the set. Fast forward six months later, we bought a house a lot sooner than expected, and the first furniture we bought for it was this dining set - table, chairs, and china cabinet. Almost ten years later it is still my favorite furniture in the house. I know, if you've seen one Queen Anne you've seen 'em all, but it's exactly to my taste. Coming in second is the kitchen set. It's maple, sturdy, takes all kind of abuse, and sits there looking good all the time. The chairs have that rounded country back, but the set doesn't look particularly country, just comfortable. I expect I'm going to have these two tables (and their accompanying chairs) for the rest of my life, or at least as long as I have space to put them. And I'm not unhappy about that at all. Marcia.

Have you seen any of the white types around lately? I realized about a week ago that I hadn't seen any regular old white Swiss Chard around anywhere and wondered if there was a crop failure. Plenty of red chard, though. And it just occurred to me that I haven't seen any rainbow chard, either. I'd love to grow it here, but as I found out last year, deer prefer it even over lettuces . One of my favorite preparations for chard of any color is "alfredo": separate stems from leaves, chop the stems, steam the stems until almost tender, slice the leaves, add them and steam until tender. Drain well. Add a couple tbsp of cream, bring to a simmer, remove from heat, add parmesan. It's like stained glass when you do it with rainbow chard. Marcia.

I really don't enjoy eating during a movie - I find it distracting. If I do get something to eat, I either wolf it down in the first 10 minutes of the movie to get it out of the way, or end up with it unopened by the end of the film. I'd rather eat before or afterwards. But I have to admit I liked the coffee bar at the last theater we went to - they had a wonderful selection of sugar free syrups, and for some reason I really enjoyed sipping the coffee where I wouldn't have enjoyed snacking. Marcia.

I've had rainbow chard before, and like red chard, the color gets somewhat less intense after cooking, but it was easy to tell the yellow from the white from the red from the pink. But that photograph looks color enhanced to me. Marcia.

The dark path to my first Spam souffle was the result of not feeling like cooking combined with a somewhat twisted sense of humor. Surprisingly, that one turned out well, but I'd wanted to tweak a few things. This cook-off was the perfect excuse to do so and to document the process. The problems before were that the Spam cubes were too large, they all sank to the bottom, and the souffle needed a flavor boost. So this time I diced the Spam much smaller, and added some more seasonings. Basic mise en place. I figure Kraft cheese is the perfect accompaniment to Spam - Velveeta might have been better, but I didn't have any. Not pictured are a dash of cayenne pepper, half a tsp of dry mustard, and the milk. I should mention that one of the eggs pictured above had to be replaced with a stunt double because I broke the yolk while separating them. The injured egg will be held for observation overnight, and is expected to have a successful future career as breakfast. Mmmmmm. Spammy goodness. Half the can of Spam, diced, being browned off. (The other half was cut into larger cubes and shoved in the freezer for some future use.) I've found that browning off the Spam adds a lot of flavor and a nice texture. Bechamel with cheese. 3 tbsp flour, 3 tbsp butter, 1 cup milk, 1 handful shredded cheese (it's about a cup, more or less). Seasoned with a dash of cayenne, half a tsp of powdered mustard, salt, and a dash of ground pepper. Egg yolks were beaten with the homegrown dried chives (which is why they are not of uniform size), tempered in. I didn't take pictures of the tempering because I thought it was in the best interests of dinner to temper well rather than document it. Egg whites before.... ...and after. Stiff peaks, still glossy. Cheese egg mixture, Spam cubes, and green onions folded into the egg whites, then poured in the 1.5 quart souffle dish. A circular dent drawn in the top for that top hat effect - at least that's what the cookbook claims, and I figure it's not a lot of extra work. Forty minutes later. Started it at 350F, turned it down to about 300F for the last 10 minutes because it was getting awfully brown. Yes, of course I peek at my souffles while they're cooking! Dinner is served. Alongside is a wilted spinach salad with bacon and shallots. All in all, a most satisfactory souffle. The Spam stayed nicely distributed throughout, the flavor was markedly better (my dining companion, otherwise known as my husband, asked what I did differently because this souffle had so much more flavor), and it has the added benefit of horrifying several of my foodie friends (a SPAM souffle?!?!). Marcia.

One of the Japanese restaurants here has an item called a Monkey Brain on its sushi list - it's half an avocado stuffed with spicy tuna mixture, cut in half, then lightly breaded and deep fried. It was very, very good - expensive, but good. Marcia. no actual monkeys were harmed in the making of that item

I do...although my experience with Costco was 10 years ago, because that's when we moved to an area with plenty of Sam's Clubs: the nearest Costco is about 75 miles away. I'm not sure BJs is even in the state. Overall, I miss Costco. I remember the products being of higher quality, that there was a larger selection, and the checkout lines were not the nightmare of Sam's Club. Both stores have a similar feel to them - you've been in one warehouse, you've been in them all. I'm still a member of Sam's Club for two reasons: the frozen chicken breasts and the canned nuts. I tried very hard to find a substitute for both of these this spring, since I planned to let the membership lapse, and basically found nothing I liked anywhere near as much. There is a longstanding rumor that we're going to get a Costco, and if we ever do I plan to switch over. I still have my 10 year old card in my wallet and hope they'll let me back in! Marcia.

I just did a little research, and this one may be on the cusp. Going through my collection of Bisquick cookbooks and pamphlets, in "So Quick With Bisquick" cookbook (1967), impossible pies were unknown. There are quite a few recipes in "Bisquick Family Favorites" (1991), and by 1993, "Bisquick Classic Recipes" has an entire section dedicated to them. The category has apparently more recently been renamed, and is now called Impossibly Easy Pie. The basic mixture calls for 1/4 cup of Bisquick (or baking mix) to one egg, with most recipes calling for 3 to 4 eggs. This gives a remarkably quiche-like texture, and some of it browns to form a "crust" on the bottom, which gave rise to the impossible name. I believe that the amount of Bisquick in the standard recipe is still less than the amount of flour in a quiche crust. I have to admit that before looking this up I had completely forgotten that the official ratio of egg to Bisquick was so high, since I tend to use 1/2 - 1/3 cup Bisquick to three eggs - not only because I like the texture, but I tend to use the Bisquick as more of a stabilizing agent (high altitude, you know). Anyway, I submit to the judge the following classic recipes for evaluation and judgement: Impossibly Easy Bacon Pie Impossibly Easy Ham and Swiss Pie Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie, the perennial classic And getting back on to the subject of eggs, beaten, and stuff, the spam souffle was planned for tomorrow but unfortunately it looks like we're going to have a long visit with Lowe's, as one of our bathroom sinks unexpectedly rusted through this evening. So it's dinner out, but since eggs are on sale at 50 cents/dozen at Safeway Friday - Sunday, the souffle WILL get made! Marcia.

There is very, very little that my husband won't eat. That includes leftovers - if I want them later, I have to explicitly tell him NOT to eat them. So when he's away, I eat whatever I like, and revel in the fact that I have it all to myself - I don't have to make him any, or worry if there will be any left if I decide I want more later. Favorites include tuna salad, grilled egg/ham/cheese sandwiches, and microwave quesadillas. Marcia.

I'm guessing that Impossible Pie counts, which is how I used up the last of the flavored mostly egg white egg substitute I had laying around (coupons + curiosity = some weird purchases). It made the best Impossible Pie to date - the egg whites gave it a far lighter and fluffier texture than real eggs, which we both agreed was very good indeed. Marcia.

Thanks - I'm not sure I've ever seen that before. Definitely interesting looking! Marcia.