Food in the time of a pandemic

[heidih]

46 minutes ago, JeanneCake said:

@heidih yes. This weekend i have 21 wedding cakes, and 4 events with just petite pastries or a plated dessert.  It's always busy the week after July 4th due to vacations that people plan around resort wedding destinations. 

 

Yes, I am more tired than I can  remember being and I haven't forgotten those %$#& hot cocoa bombs last December to give you an indication of just how busy this week is.  And people still call to see if there is a chance they can get something for the next day.....nit to mention the bride who called Friday afternoon to say she wanted to check in about her cake. 

Of course, can you remind me of the date again? 

Sunday.

The 18th? I ask

No. This Sunday. The 11th. 

 

WTF?!

 

Because doesn't everyone think a cake will magically appear when it hasnt been ordered or paid for? 

(Yes, we are making it happen and yes she paid.  A lot.)

Oh my! Yu are admirable and we are your cheerleaders.  Take care of yourself.

[kayb]

@JeanneCake, you are a better person than I.

[haresfur]

Just when I think food supplies are back to normal, it seems everyone is out of Schweppes Bitter Lemon Soda. Tragic.

 

We are into a period of on-again and-off again lockdowns (currently out of lockdown) with a 5 km travel radius allowed for essential services unless they are not available within that distance. That doesn't get me to a big chain supermarket but I do have a closer Aldi and IGA. Don't tell anyone but I have a few legitimate excuses to go into the CBD and have been known to buy groceries or takeaway coffee while I'm there (of course I would never just sneak in, shh!).

 

I can get drinkable coffee nearby from Skip's Skateboard Shop. Heck of a nice guy who supports the community and skateboarders of all ages.

[MetsFan5]

I’m having issues with instacart. The app claims to deliver within in 2 hours or so but when I check out forget it. It’s at minimum best a days wait. I’m wondering if this is a result of the Delta variant. 

[Shelby]

8 hours ago, haresfur said:

Just when I think food supplies are back to normal, it seems everyone is out of Schweppes Bitter Lemon Soda. Tragic.

 

It's funny you mention this.  We have a houseguest right now that drinks Schweppes diet tonic water and vodka.  I started a month ago trying to find it.  Online it was ridiculously expensive.  I ordered some--again a month ago--and it still isn't here.  Anyway, I went to the big city grocery store and they didn't have any either.  He had to settle for Canada Dry diet tonic water.

[BeeZee]

They have imposed rationing of certain liquor at the State-run stores in Philadelphia. The word is, it is due to a glass bottle shortage for those suppliers. 

[heidih]

39 minutes ago, BeeZee said:

They have imposed rationing of certain liquor at the State-run stores in Philadelphia. The word is, it is due to a glass bottle shortage for those suppliers. 

@Shelby see boxed wine has its place

[MetsFan5]

A bartender last night told me there’s a glass shortage; they’re not getting certain Mexican liquors and beers despite placing orders. It’s always something. 

[gfweb]

5 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

A bartender last night told me there’s a glass shortage; they’re not getting certain Mexican liquors and beers despite placing orders. It’s always something. 

PA LCB is rationing certain liquors due to supply issues

[BeeZee]

oddly enough, there is an issue with sports drinks (Gatorade and Powerade). The shelves have been pretty empty for a couple of weeks - there is a sign about supplier issues. My husband drinks the sugar free version while playing golf, guess we'll switch to diluted coconut water for the rest of the season.

[dtremit]

23 hours ago, BeeZee said:

oddly enough, there is an issue with sports drinks (Gatorade and Powerade). The shelves have been pretty empty for a couple of weeks - there is a sign about supplier issues. My husband drinks the sugar free version while playing golf, guess we'll switch to diluted coconut water for the rest of the season.

 

Those sorts of drinks are go-tos for people with the flu, so I imagine people are stocking up in COVID hot spots.

[ElsieD]

3 minutes ago, dtremit said:

 

Those sorts of drinks are go-tos for people with the flu, so I imagine people are stocking up in COVID hot spots.

 

I'd never heard of drinking these when one has the flu.  Interesting.

[BeeZee]

Supposedly Pedialyte is better if you are recovering from the flu...less sugar. I suspect the issue is more around the plastic bottles. They seemed to have the smaller bottles (6 pack format).

[kayb]

On 9/27/2021 at 10:11 AM, BeeZee said:

oddly enough, there is an issue with sports drinks (Gatorade and Powerade). The shelves have been pretty empty for a couple of weeks - there is a sign about supplier issues. My husband drinks the sugar free version while playing golf, guess we'll switch to diluted coconut water for the rest of the season.

 

Same here, except it's just Gatorade. Powerade has been plentiful. This happened once before during the pandemic, and then, too, it was only gatorade.

 

I've noticed random shortages of different products in the past three months. One grocery trip, it was frozen orange juice concentrate. Another, it was half-and-half. And yesterday, it was plain potato chips (there were plenty of the flavored ones, plenty of tortilla chips, assorted other chips) and ALL varieties of Pringles.

 

[BeeZee]

Random shortages, definitely. Even if I go to the Shop Rite near my office, which is about 30 miles from the one by my house, I'll find different things missing likely due to them being owned by different "buying groups". To some extent, it seems like if there is a product that has different "options"...the most popular one is on the shelf. So for the dairy products, my guess is they put their efforts into distribution of milk rather than cream, to satisfy more customers.

[Kim Shook]

This was at our closest Food Lion:

This is part of the packaged deli/Lunchables section.  I don't buy much from here (I don't think I've ever purchased a Lunchable), but noticed it as I walked by.  Kroger is notorious for bad stocking.  Not sure why they will have whole sections bare in multiple stores and Food Lion, Publix, and Walmart look fine.  This is the first time I've seen this much empty space at Food Lion in months.  

[heidih]

Spoke to a wine rep the other day as she was stocking at Kroger. No issues but they had all been told of possible supply chain related delays. 

[curls]

Haven't seen Philadelphia brand cream cheese at Wegmans all week. Went to Giant tonight and they had tons of Philadelphia brand cream cheese; I bought one pound.  Might try the latest craze, smoked cream cheese.

[haresfur]

Not a totally successful shopping trip. One of the staff told me the truck from Melbourne was 5 hours late, but it looked like more that a single truck being delayed. I would assume the delay is related to covid and the lockdowns. 

[BeeZee]

Produce department was well stocked today, but this is the bottled/boxed juice aisle. There was also a sign in dairy about unavailability of half&half and heavy cream. Gatorade still mostly out of stock, Powerade was stocked, but some flavors missing.

 

 

 

[Shelby]

Sigh.

 

Are things EVER going to get back to normal

[JoNorvelleWalker]

On my way back from the pharmacy I hazarded into Shoprite.  The scrofulous little limes were now in a smaller area.  The price had increased.  Their former location was now a vast display of bottled lime juice.  Potatoes were nice though.  I saw two cans of cranberry sauce on the shelf.  I bought them.

 

The woman in line ahead of me threw a nasty scene.  As she left the cashier explained "We are all a little stressed."  She added:  "I've been working for ten hours."

 

Edited October 16, 2021 by JoNorvelleWalker
punctuation (log)

[Shelby]

9 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

On my way back from the pharmacy I hazarded into Shoprite.  The scrofulous little limes were now in a smaller area.  The price had increased.  Their former location was now a vast display of bottled lime juice.  Potatoes were nice though.  I saw two cans of cranberry sauce on the shelf.  I bought them.

 

The woman in line ahead of me threw a nasty scene.  As she left the cashier explained "We are all a little stressed."  She added:  "I've been working for ten hours."

 

Good move buying the cranberry sauce.  I've been wondering about turkeys this year.  Even though we don't make one for Thanksgiving, we always buy one for later use.

[MetsFan5]

I’ve had a hard time getting zero sugar Gatorade in basic flavors. I’m trying to stock up because I’m nervous my booster will give me a fever since my second shot did. 

[gfweb]

13 minutes ago, MetsFan5 said:

I’ve had a hard time getting zero sugar Gatorade in basic flavors. I’m trying to stock up because I’m nervous my booster will give me a fever since my second shot did. 

Take an alleve as prophylaxis