FauxPas

This one has some food and drink associations. 🙂

Absolutely! I wasn't implying that this was an Amazon thing. The above examples are due to choices in manufacturing and packaging made by the Campbell Soup Company, Barilla Group, etc. In general, I think shipping costs to ship to Canada or even within Canada are very high, some of it valid and some questionable. 🙂 When gas prices went way up, it was a good excuse for raising some shipping costs but even though oil/gas prices have fallen a lot, the fuel surcharges stay on some goods and services.

This is more about shady marketing and pricing than sale prices, but I think it's pretty closely related. It's not new, but it seems to be picking up steam lately - shrinkflation, or reducing the amount of goods or quality in a product yet still charging the same price or near that. Campbell's soup did this recently in a pretty obvious way - their can size shrunk. Barelli Pasta packaging is sneakier - the same size but now only contains 410 g instead of 454 g. I thought it very interesting that Brazil requires manufacturers to show these changes on the packaging. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-shrinkflation-1.6654780

Here's another Amazon pricing study. I'm assuming it's based on the US site. I haven't time to go through it in detail today or look for more studies. But: As it turns out, some of those impressive discounts we saw during the hottest sales seasons aren’t that real: some vendors artificially spike the original price quoted, just to show a more staggering discount. And: The biggest sales seasons—Black Friday and Christmas—actually don’t come with significant price drops.

@lemniscate and this study (I believe) were referring to Amazon US. I'm not confident about talking about consumer law in the US, but I do see that Canada has this: From: https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/competition-bureau-canada/en/deceptive-marketing-practices/types-deceptive-marketing-practices/ordinary-selling-price

It shouldn't be legal! Well, the "list price" is really a made up number. The actual selling price is a different thing. Does the "list price" stuff come into play in UK?

There was a study done a few years ago that showed that Amazon was hiking up the "list prices" of items so that a percentage discount seemed like a deal, when in fact the item's final price might even be higher than the original regular price. Does that make sense? Study summary linked above but here's the gist of it: I suspect Amazon may do the same thing for Black Friday sales.

You've already got a lovely menu there, but if you wanted to use the delicata, you could possibly use it in a kale salad. I had that once and it was quite good. Someone else made it but it was roasted slices of squash on top of kale with some dried cranberries, goat cheese and some kind of nuts (might have been pepitas but I think walnuts or pecans or sunflower would also work). Not sure what kind of vinaigrette but I think it was citrus, maybe some orange in it? Or make some chips with the squash, like this, which I am definitely going to try some day. https://food52.com/recipes/19485-delicata-squash-chips

I'm interested in "The Menu", a new film which is billed as "black comedy horror". The horrors of rich-people food. 🙂 Also, review here along with review of "Fresh" which really sounds like a horror film!

Looks like a fun store, though the candy canes don't really appeal to me. (Mac 'n cheese, for example, ha) But as they say, "We make weird." 🙂

California had drought and a spot virus in the crop. Bad combination. We're just starting to see some of the AZ lettuce growers coming online now and I hope that means the prices will drop. I see one of our local stores is offering both CA and AZ lettuce. Right now, both are still $5 Cdn but I hope that will change soon! I am kicking myself for not planting some in my raised bed which has a greenhouse cover. I did hear that it would be a bad year for lettuce. Some of our local farms are still offering various greens but I wonder if they are trying to charge what the market will bear, not what their real costs are. Sigh. Edited to add: It may still be too soon for the AZ lettuce. I just noticed that product listing said CA/AZ lettuce. So could be either. But I do believe prices will come down here in BC once AZ production ramps up. Hoping they don't have any big issues! 🙂

Aw, sounds like a lovely time with your daughters and the food looks lovely. What breads did they serve? The bisque sounds dreamy.

Like others here, I don't think it's tacky if you are discreet. And I'd love to see your pics! Sounds like a lovely evening. 🙂

@Shelbyand @Katie Meadow, thank you both! I will do some digging around and see what I can find. Appreciate your help! 🙂

This looks so tasty! Are the red chilis hot and the green ones sweet? How hot/spicy is the finished dish overall? Edited to add: Do you have any idea of how much longer you will stay in hospital? Whatever the underlying issues, I hope you are getting answers and some good news.

I read those words and had an awful premonition that it would pour down while you were away and you would return to a flooded tent and soaking wet gear. I was so pleased to follow along and find that was NOT the case! 🙂 🙂

@Shelby, can you tell me more about these little casserole dishes? At least, I assume they are little because I think you used them in the CSO. I'd certainly be interested in something similar. 🙂

OMG. I saw it before, but forgot about it. It's VERY impressive. 🙂

Can you remove jello with a glass or mold or knife so it keeps its shape? Then layer it on cake with whipped cream on top? Mind you that means making a cake and whipped cream and then dealing with those leftovers, ha. But if you can layer the elements in a glass, I think it's quite pretty.

You probably could have made use of a pair of these. 🙂 Free CAD file from: https://grabcad.com/library/wiper-glasses-1

Thanks for mentioning the company name! I sometimes send gift baskets/food gifts to friends and relatives in Ottawa area and I'm always looking for something new. Good that they didn't include chocolate in your gift, "coals to Newcastle", etc. 😄

We used to grow them in Arizona, but I don't think we ever had any real fruit on them. I guess even there the weather could get too chilly for the fruit to form? We used to buy them in Hawaii now and again, but I was always keen to make SOMETHING BIG with them, maybe? I was probably an idiot and should have just done as you suggest - enjoy them as a snack directly! 🙂

Oh yes, the flowers are so beautifully complex and the fruit seems like so much work. I learned to love lilikoi products in Hawaii, but it sure seemed like a labour of love to make those lovely edible products. Pricey, too, but I understand that it takes a lot of passion fruit to make a pie or whatever.

My husband had an elderly relative who loved Turkish Delight. When we lived in Victoria, we used to go to the English Sweet Shop or similar stores to pick some up for her. It seemed fairly easy to find in Victoria. I hadn't had the stuff in years and I was only mildly impressed with the taste at best. I did look into making some for her, but never got around to it. One of my childhood disappointments, and probably a common one, was sneaking a taste of baking chocolate. 🙂 And eggplants, we grew them in our garden when I was young. The flowers were so pretty, the fruit was gorgeous and I don't know what I thought they should taste like, but I was SO disappointed. Can't remember how they were cooked, but I avoided them after that. I'm still trying to get over that aversion.

I'm not Annie, but I've been using Mumm's Sprouting Seeds in Canada and Sprout People in the US for my seeds and supplies. They have quite a lot of info on their sites also. Lots of other sites and sources, of course, but these ones have served me well. Mostly I just grow sprouts using an Easy Sprouter (or here in the US) but I also grow pea shoots. I just grow my pea shoots in water (no soil or growing medium), using a SproutMaster tray, which unfortunately doesn't seem to be available anymore at my usual sites. I didn't want to fiddle around with soil, but there are several options for growing shoots and microgreens. I'm sure @Annie_Hwill have more to add.