Martin Fisher

One local restaurant, about 1000 feet away, has gone belly-up already! SAD!!!

We're set for 8 months or longer with the garden. I ordered a case of 4 gallons of white distilled vinegar from Walmart for dilly beans, pickled peppers, etc. The vinegar leaked inside the box a bit so I called and they refunded the total — $7.68!!! I always say, the freaky wheel gets the grease! I don't ferment everything, I like the the bright clear pickling of vinegar for some stuff. I should replace the reverse osmosis water filters so I can bank some more filtered water. We have a 6 stage reverse osmosis system with a permeate pump — I sure hope the municipal water stays on!!! I'm poor so I have to squeeze every penny till Lincoln farts! I did buy a butane hot plate so we'd have a way to cook if the electric goes out — other than the outdoor burners.

Wegmans has grocery delivery via Instacart here but I don't see it as being an intelligent choice, in my case anyway, given that the store is just two miles away. Instacart adds a 5% service charge and charges $5.99 for delivery. Curbside pickup makes much more sense. The housemate stopped at Wegmans yesterday to pick-up two of my prescriptions. He passed on the deal because he said 9 folks were bunched-up in a line. I'll try tomorrow, I'm not afraid to swear them straight!!!

The other day I took advantage of Walmart Grocery's curbside pickup discount on a first order. $10 off a $50 order, promo code "WOWFRESH" I placed a minimum order. They were out of 3 products that I ordered, KA bread flour, butter, and something else that I've now forgot. I still received the discount. I didn't permit them to pick substitutions, I went in the store after they loaded the Jeep and picked my own.

Sorry, I can't get excited about delivery, take-out or the like. Strangers, who are potential carriers, coughing on or sneezing on and handling food and packaging — no thank you!!! I'll prepare my own grub!

fda.gov Food and Covid-19

We're lucky to have a good supply of country hams and bacon (safe at room temperature) as we always do. I recommend ordering some if that's the sort of thing you like — it's a great 'prepper' food! No SARS-CoV-2 or Covid 19 cases in my area, so far, but it'll get here—it probably already is here. This is a small county in western NY — Chemung County, population ~85,500. We're about 250 miles from Manhattan but closely connected in that there are two state prisons here, one max, one super-max, there's also a state psychiatric center here — so there's a lot of traffic back and forth to the city.

I try to keep 6 months worth of food on-hand. If we don't happen to use it I can give it to folks who are TRULY in need. I give away food frequently to rotate stock and keep things fresh. I have about 60 lbs. of venison and 50 lbs. of chicken/turkey in the freezer that I plan to can later this week — with the help of the housemate.

Panic buying is easy to understand, most folks see no need for long-term preparedness. Heck, when there's the threat of a snowstorm here there's rush over-buying of milk, bread, eggs, toilet paper, bottled/jugged water, beer, junk food, etc. I remember the gasoline lines and the serious blizzards of the 70s (we were sometimes snowed-in for a couple weeks.) My Grandparents and the like harped about the shortages and struggles of The Great Depression. No panic buying here (meaning my house), I try to stay prepared.

re: meat glue The natural proteins excreted via curing will go a long way to naturally bind — never rinse!!! Here's some "Poor Man's Bacon" that I made — this particular batch some years ago — natural binder only! The job of the butcher twine is done. It's a rolled pork butt crown.

Few things make me shudder like seeing someone put ketchup on a hot dog and then EAT it! LOL I'm glad that they like it but to me it's a serious flavor clash! Yuck! When I was young I liked campfire dogs, in addition to the chili dogs mentioned above—MUSTARD only!

The only hot dogs I favor are chili dogs. Called "Texas Hots" or just "Hots" here. All beef hot dog, spiced finely ground beef sauce, diced fresh onion, and mustard. ETA: Oh, and a lightly steamed bun!

I put breakfast in quotes because I don't eat until after noon. 1 to 2 meals per day is all.

BTW: The dormant evergreen is mountain laurel, Pennsylvania's state flower. The tracks are bobcat.

Here's a video that was uploaded today. It features a couple tiny Pennsylvania brook trout that I mentioned above.

I eat 4 for 'breakfast' every day, plus what I use in recipes.

I eat an average of 3 dozen per week. Rarely less, sometimes more.

Free eggs are the best value!

Using Wegmans current conventional egg price: XL eggs $1.99 per dozen L eggs $1.79 per dozen The price difference, 20¢ [Price Difference] Price of smaller eggs ÷ 8=.22 [Magic Number] Magic Number is larger than Price Difference...larger eggs are a better buy. Egg price per ounce and pound: XL $1.99 ÷ 27=0.0737¢ per ounce...per pound $1.179 L $1.79 ÷ 24=0.0745¢ per ounce...per pound $1.19

The modern American Egg Board price comparison chart...

What size eggs are the best value!? The following egg relative value "magic number" formula disappeared from the American Egg Board website several years ago. Hopefully preserved here for posterity. Egg Image Added—Image Source: https://freesvg.org/

Heck, I'm a redneck and I've never been harassed at any level because of it. I'm also gay and the same applies. Maybe folks are afraid of me.

Yeah, I'd say radicchio. More here: https://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/chicory/radicchio/

Thanks!

OMG! It also makes your eyes water. The housemate is bitchin'! LOL