Grocery shopping

[wenchsenior]

@mm1970, yogurt lasts way beyond its expiration date. Like, months. The main difference is that it gets slightly less sweet with time, but the tanginess is not unpleasant. One trick is to turn the container upside down between uses, which forces the air out. Only do this if the lid has a good seal, obvs. I buy the Costco tubs two at a time and store them upside down in the back of the fridge until I'm ready to use them. Once they're opened, I never bother to turn them because we go through it, but I turn over all my sour cream, cottage cheese, etc. in the fridge and it really helps extend the shelf life.

This is super helpful.  I used to use this tip with cottage cheese, I don't know why I didn't remember it?  In any event, it's a large Greek Yogurt container, which I will (mostly) be using for baking my gluten free cornbread.

Yup, I just made Greek yogurt/cucumber sauce with yogurt that has been open for about 3 months past 'expiration'.  It's fine.

[Cranky]

My BIG excitement for the week was finding an open slot for grocery pickup this coming Friday! I have checked every single day for over two weeks without finding a single open slot. I swear, it was better than hitting the lottery. As soon as I got my order through, I emailed two friends who had also been trying to get orders in. Whew!

We've always eaten almost all of our meals at home. My kids took packed lunches to school. Dh takes leftovers to work. I was aware that some people ate out a lot, but Lordy! The number of people who don't really know how to heat up food is astonishing. No wonder so many people didn't have anything in savings.

[lhamo]

I had another Fred Meyer pickup order this morning -- scheduled it a week ago and then kept updating my list as we were eating things down.  They were out of frozen chicken wings, unsweetened greek yogurt, and whole wheat flour.  Had reasonable substitutes for a few other items -- smaller package of hersheys miniatures (a treat for DD) and gold medal all purpose flour instead of bobs red mill.  Finally got unscented laundry detergent, which had been out the past two orders.  Did not try for any paper products as we are still good on those.

Started a new cart as soon as I got home -- they had slots all day a week out, and a few on Monday afternoon. 

I got to the store about 10 minutes before my scheduled slot and was the only car there. 

[Metalcat]

I went to Costco on Monday, the line wasn't too bad around 4:30 pm and by the time we left it was much longer. They had tons of toilet paper, but even better, they had mega bags of flour. I haven't seen any anywhere else lately, or it's been small expensive bags. I got a 20kg bag, which seems enormous but I've finished the 10kg bag from Christmas and then some, so I think I'll get through it. I've been making bread, gnocchi, pierogi and tortillas from scratch, so it will be put to good use. Tortillas it was actually the first time, and they turned out so good, I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to store bought. The one upside of the pandemic is that I've had lots more time to cook, so we are eating really well these days.

Are you making flour or corn tortillas? Any advice?  We have a press my to my shame I haven't used it yet.

I wanted to come back to this after a bit of reading. It looks like it's not ideal to use a press for flour tortillas, which I'm pretty bummed about because rolling them takes some damn time.

So if you end up trying them with the press, please report back.

[Halfsees]

I went to Costco on Monday, the line wasn't too bad around 4:30 pm and by the time we left it was much longer. They had tons of toilet paper, but even better, they had mega bags of flour. I haven't seen any anywhere else lately, or it's been small expensive bags. I got a 20kg bag, which seems enormous but I've finished the 10kg bag from Christmas and then some, so I think I'll get through it. I've been making bread, gnocchi, pierogi and tortillas from scratch, so it will be put to good use. Tortillas it was actually the first time, and they turned out so good, I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to store bought. The one upside of the pandemic is that I've had lots more time to cook, so we are eating really well these days.

Are you making flour or corn tortillas? Any advice?  We have a press my to my shame I haven't used it yet.

I made flour tortillas, and I rolled them out cause I didn't have a press, but that might make it easier.
Here's the recipe I used. I let them rest over an hour and was able to roll them really thin, and they still held together perfectly. Good luck!
https://thecafesucrefarine.com/best-ever-homemade-flour-tortillas

Thank you! I will be sure to try it! I batch cook frozen breakfast burritos and I know I will run out when I do that the next time.

[wenchsenior]

So, updating the local grocery store situation.  About 2 weeks ago was the last time I went to the store, and that time I went to our standard midscale chain store and was unimpressed with the seriousness with which either store or customers were taking the disease risk.  Today, 2 weeks later (and with cases in our city roughly double what they were 2 weeks ago), I went to a different store (more downscale chain) b/c it is within walking distance. I got a few produce items and scoped things out. 

The situation at this store was just as bad as the last one, if not worse.  Tons more people crowding the aisles, maybe a third of customers wearing masks but almost no one making any effort to social distance.  Only about a third of the store employees were wearing masks and the registers had a small barrier up, but it didn't look to be very effective.  At least most employees were handling gloves, and they were making half assed attempts to clean the carts when I turned one in.  No toilet paper, flour, or yeast.  I didn't check the dairy/meat/eggs section. Produce was ok.

To sum up, situation at downscale chain very bad currently in terms of disease management.  Situation at midscale chain 2 weeks ago barely better.  Situation at upscale Whole Foods knock-off store 1 week ago quite good (also lots more people wearing masks, according to my husband).  Guess I know where we'll be shopping the most. 

[OtherJen]

I went to Costco yesterday morning in search of toilet paper for my parents and a few other items. At 15 minutes before the store opened, the line was already wrapped around the side of the building. People were being decent and keeping their distance. Most were wearing masks. I got into the store with the first wave of shoppers and got everything on my list except a tub of spinach for salads, but they had tubs of very fresh mixed salad greens (which was fine). There were “limit 1 per customer” signs on the toilet paper and paper towels, and only two brands of each. I didn’t check the dairy case but it looked like they were well stocked on meat and most other things.

There were employees all over the store directing traffic and lots of tape on the floor indicating aisle directions and line spacing. It was the least stressful grocery shopping experience I’ve had in more than a month.

[RetiredAt63]

I had my first grocery shopping experience this morning, since a friend did my shopping while I was in isolation.  I am in the higher risk group so was there for 7:30 (store opened at 7, first hour is for those of us who are more vulnerable).

Mostly favourable impression, staff had gloves but not masks, one way aisles were marked, lineup for checkout was spaced out, staff to limit entry and keep people spaced, alcohol spray and paper towels for carts and hand sanitizer for us, in and out were totally separated, lots of stock (limits on sugar and eggs), good barrier for the cashier, no cash payment.  Most shoppers wore masks, most respected the one way arrows, most kept their distance.

If you are having trouble finding items, I would recommend going for right after the priority hour if at all possible.  I even got TP, there were cartons and cartons of it at the end of an aisle.

[Metalcat]

Grocery shopping continues to be quite civilized here.
We've now switched to the big, expensive store across the street as they've got very strict systems in place for infection control.

Minimal lineup to get in (maybe 10 minutes), ample stock of everything except for frozen vegetables for some odd reaso, plenty of toilet paper, which is good since Amazon has finally stopped my monthly delivery.

The flow of customers was controlled, and people followed the rules. Some had masks, no one had gloves except staff, and the line up to get out was very short unlike the last time I went there and it took almost an hour, but that was weeks ago on the first day that they started implementing distancing rules.

It was tremendously expensive compared to our regular ethnic grocer, but I'm okay with the temporary added cost for a significant measure of security.

[mm1970]

Grocery shopping continues to be quite civilized here.
We've now switched to the big, expensive store across the street as they've got very strict systems in place for infection control.

Minimal lineup to get in (maybe 10 minutes), ample stock of everything except for frozen vegetables for some odd reaso, plenty of toilet paper, which is good since Amazon has finally stopped my monthly delivery.

The flow of customers was controlled, and people followed the rules. Some had masks, no one had gloves except staff, and the line up to get out was very short unlike the last time I went there and it took almost an hour, but that was weeks ago on the first day that they started implementing distancing rules.

It was tremendously expensive compared to our regular ethnic grocer, but I'm okay with the temporary added cost for a significant measure of security.

Our local store (which is also more expensive than how we normally shop) has done a good job of crowd control.  All aisles are one way, there are lines on the floor.

My husband shopped on Tues and came home with K-cups of English breakfast tea.  We don't have a Keurig.  In that aisle, there was a guy behind him in a cart who was basically pushing him from behind.  He grabbed a box and didn't realize it wasn't teabags.

[chaskavitch]

We just got our own order, as well as someone else's, at our King Soopers pickup.  My husband obviously didn't notice until he got home, but do we call?  Can they even re-stock anything?  What about those poor people who don't get groceries now?

Lactaid milk, LOTS of cheese, bacon, hot dogs, creamer...  We'd use all of it eventually, aside from the creamer, but I feel bad :(

[Dicey]

We just got our own order, as well as someone else's, at our King Soopers pickup.  My husband obviously didn't notice until he got home, but do we call?  Can they even re-stock anything?  What about those poor people who don't get groceries now?

Lactaid milk, LOTS of cheese, bacon, hot dogs, creamer...  We'd use all of it eventually, aside from the creamer, but I feel bad :(

Did you pay for it? There is no way I wouldn't let the store know immediately. What if they have a lactose intolerant kid and they're out of milk? Actually, there shouldn't even be a "What if" question in any replies to your post. The best way to stop feeling bad is to do the right thing. Call the damn store. I hope by the time you read this, you will have already done that.

[SunnyDays]

Can’t you just notify the store?  I’m sure they will be hearing from the people who didn’t get their groceries.  If you’re willing to have the store give them your address, they could pick up the order.  It wouldn’t be any more “contaminated” than otherwise.

[Metalcat]

Grocery shopping continues to be quite civilized here.
We've now switched to the big, expensive store across the street as they've got very strict systems in place for infection control.

Minimal lineup to get in (maybe 10 minutes), ample stock of everything except for frozen vegetables for some odd reaso, plenty of toilet paper, which is good since Amazon has finally stopped my monthly delivery.

The flow of customers was controlled, and people followed the rules. Some had masks, no one had gloves except staff, and the line up to get out was very short unlike the last time I went there and it took almost an hour, but that was weeks ago on the first day that they started implementing distancing rules.

It was tremendously expensive compared to our regular ethnic grocer, but I'm okay with the temporary added cost for a significant measure of security.

Our local store (which is also more expensive than how we normally shop) has done a good job of crowd control.  All aisles are one way, there are lines on the floor.

My husband shopped on Tues and came home with K-cups of English breakfast tea.  We don't have a Keurig.  In that aisle, there was a guy behind him in a cart who was basically pushing him from behind.  He grabbed a box and didn't realize it wasn't teabags.

That's a big part of why we are willing to spend more at the big store. They have the unidirectional aisles, but they're more than wide enough to pass someone without getting too close to them. It's very comfortable to maintain social distancing, they've really got it well organized.

[mm1970]

We just got our own order, as well as someone else's, at our King Soopers pickup.  My husband obviously didn't notice until he got home, but do we call?  Can they even re-stock anything?  What about those poor people who don't get groceries now?

Lactaid milk, LOTS of cheese, bacon, hot dogs, creamer...  We'd use all of it eventually, aside from the creamer, but I feel bad :(

Did you pay for it? There is no way I wouldn't let the store know immediately. What if they have a lactose intolerant kid and they're out of milk? Actually, there shouldn't even be a "What if" question in any replies to your post. The best way to stop feeling bad is to do the right thing. Call the damn store. I hope by the time you read this, you will have already done that.

Definitely call the store, but I understand the hesitation. Most stores won't take returns of any kind right now, and I'm unsure if the original recipient would actually want the stuff.

That's up to the store and the original recipient.

We always have the opposite problem when getting takeout.  Typically, once/month but lately, once/week to help the local restaurants.  4/5 times, they forget my food.  My burger is missing, or we are short a side of something.  It's always my thing that's missing.  I've been cursed that way forever.  I remember being pregnant and going out to my Friday lunch with friends.  The place was packed, and their cash register system was down, so they were writing everything down.  All 7 people I was with got their food, and they forgot me.  They comped my meal, but man, don't screw over the lady who is 6 months pregnant, I'm hungry!!

[GreenSheep]

I just finished making tortillas for the first time ever, using the recipe mentioned upthread. So thank you both for mentioning it!! I cook a ton and make almost everything from scratch, but somehow I had never tried tortillas before. I don't eat white flour or oil, but my husband practically lives on tortillas. I think I could wrap a cat turd in a tortilla and he'd declare it delicious. I did taste one of these (quality control, you know...), and I thought it was excellent.

I do eat corn tortillas, because they don't require oil. So does anyone have a good recipe for those? And do you absolutely need a tortilla press? (Well, I guess not, because people have been making them for centuries without them, but is it a giant pain in the ass to make them without one?) I don't have one but would be willing to look into buying one if you think it's worthwhile.

Also, what is it that makes some corn tortillas taste infinitely better than others? They taste more like roasted corn, I think. They tend to be more expensive and harder to find. If I could make those at home, I might end up eating tortillas just as much as my husband!

[chaskavitch]

We just got our own order, as well as someone else's, at our King Soopers pickup.  My husband obviously didn't notice until he got home, but do we call?  Can they even re-stock anything?  What about those poor people who don't get groceries now?

Lactaid milk, LOTS of cheese, bacon, hot dogs, creamer...  We'd use all of it eventually, aside from the creamer, but I feel bad :(

I did call the store, but the pickup department is so busy.  I was on hold for a while, then they took my name and number to call back.  That was 4 or 5 hours ago, so I guess I'll see what happens. 

[Metalcat]

I just finished making tortillas for the first time ever, using the recipe mentioned upthread. So thank you both for mentioning it!! I cook a ton and make almost everything from scratch, but somehow I had never tried tortillas before. I don't eat white flour or oil, but my husband practically lives on tortillas. I think I could wrap a cat turd in a tortilla and he'd declare it delicious. I did taste one of these (quality control, you know...), and I thought it was excellent.

I do eat corn tortillas, because they don't require oil. So does anyone have a good recipe for those? And do you absolutely need a tortilla press? (Well, I guess not, because people have been making them for centuries without them, but is it a giant pain in the ass to make them without one?) I don't have one but would be willing to look into buying one if you think it's worthwhile.

Also, what is it that makes some corn tortillas taste infinitely better than others? They taste more like roasted corn, I think. They tend to be more expensive and harder to find. If I could make those at home, I might end up eating tortillas just as much as my husband!

I'm trying to imagine not being able to eat oil...that must be incredibly challenging!

[OtherJen]

I just finished making tortillas for the first time ever, using the recipe mentioned upthread. So thank you both for mentioning it!! I cook a ton and make almost everything from scratch, but somehow I had never tried tortillas before. I don't eat white flour or oil, but my husband practically lives on tortillas. I think I could wrap a cat turd in a tortilla and he'd declare it delicious. I did taste one of these (quality control, you know...), and I thought it was excellent.

I do eat corn tortillas, because they don't require oil. So does anyone have a good recipe for those? And do you absolutely need a tortilla press? (Well, I guess not, because people have been making them for centuries without them, but is it a giant pain in the ass to make them without one?) I don't have one but would be willing to look into buying one if you think it's worthwhile.

Also, what is it that makes some corn tortillas taste infinitely better than others? They taste more like roasted corn, I think. They tend to be more expensive and harder to find. If I could make those at home, I might end up eating tortillas just as much as my husband!

This is the recipe I use for corn tortillas: https://www.isabeleats.com/3-ingredient-authentic-mexican-corn-tortillas/

Without a tortilla press, I would recommend placing the dough balls in between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper and flattening them with a pie pan or similar flat-bottomed pan. It is a giant pain in the ass to do the hand-flattening (my Mexican grandmother is probably turning over in her grave as I type that).

The really good ones are most likely made with freshly ground masa, which is much harder to find and would definitely be more expensive. You might try a Mexican grocer or tortilleria, if you have access to one. Even with masa harina from the paper grocery store sacks, though, fresh tortillas are so much better than anything you would buy in a supermarket.

[GreenSheep]

I just finished making tortillas for the first time ever, using the recipe mentioned upthread. So thank you both for mentioning it!! I cook a ton and make almost everything from scratch, but somehow I had never tried tortillas before. I don't eat white flour or oil, but my husband practically lives on tortillas. I think I could wrap a cat turd in a tortilla and he'd declare it delicious. I did taste one of these (quality control, you know...), and I thought it was excellent.

I do eat corn tortillas, because they don't require oil. So does anyone have a good recipe for those? And do you absolutely need a tortilla press? (Well, I guess not, because people have been making them for centuries without them, but is it a giant pain in the ass to make them without one?) I don't have one but would be willing to look into buying one if you think it's worthwhile.

Also, what is it that makes some corn tortillas taste infinitely better than others? They taste more like roasted corn, I think. They tend to be more expensive and harder to find. If I could make those at home, I might end up eating tortillas just as much as my husband!

I'm trying to imagine not being able to eat oil...that must be incredibly challenging!

It's actually not hard at all, and I prefer eating this way now. I feel like I taste the food instead of just the oil. I saute things in water instead of oil, and for baking, I use things like apple sauce, pumpkin, nut butters, etc. Parchment paper or silicone keep things from sticking to pans. There are tons of oil-free recipes all over the internet. I made the switch when I changed to a fully plant-based diet, so I was already overhauling my cooking habits anyway. It does make restaurant eating difficult, since they like to dump oil on everything, but we hardly ever eat out anyway.

[GreenSheep]

I just finished making tortillas for the first time ever, using the recipe mentioned upthread. So thank you both for mentioning it!! I cook a ton and make almost everything from scratch, but somehow I had never tried tortillas before. I don't eat white flour or oil, but my husband practically lives on tortillas. I think I could wrap a cat turd in a tortilla and he'd declare it delicious. I did taste one of these (quality control, you know...), and I thought it was excellent.

I do eat corn tortillas, because they don't require oil. So does anyone have a good recipe for those? And do you absolutely need a tortilla press? (Well, I guess not, because people have been making them for centuries without them, but is it a giant pain in the ass to make them without one?) I don't have one but would be willing to look into buying one if you think it's worthwhile.

Also, what is it that makes some corn tortillas taste infinitely better than others? They taste more like roasted corn, I think. They tend to be more expensive and harder to find. If I could make those at home, I might end up eating tortillas just as much as my husband!

This is the recipe I use for corn tortillas: https://www.isabeleats.com/3-ingredient-authentic-mexican-corn-tortillas/

Without a tortilla press, I would recommend placing the dough balls in between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper and flattening them with a pie pan or similar flat-bottomed pan. It is a giant pain in the ass to do the hand-flattening (my Mexican grandmother is probably turning over in her grave as I type that).

The really good ones are most likely made with freshly ground masa, which is much harder to find and would definitely be more expensive. You might try a Mexican grocer or tortilleria, if you have access to one. Even with masa harina from the paper grocery store sacks, though, fresh tortillas are so much better than anything you would buy in a supermarket.

Thanks so much! I'll definitely give it a try! Maybe this is taking the whole "from scratch" thing too far, but with a Vitamix, would it be possible to make your own freshly ground masa at home?

Edit: An internet rabbit hole has helped me find the answer to my own question. No Vitamix needed -- just a food processor. Definitely must look into trying this!
https://www.mexicanplease.com/homemade-masa-dough-using-yellow-field-corn/

[Channel-Z]

Grocery shopping continues to be quite civilized here.
We've now switched to the big, expensive store across the street as they've got very strict systems in place for infection control.

Minimal lineup to get in (maybe 10 minutes), ample stock of everything except for frozen vegetables for some odd reaso, plenty of toilet paper, which is good since Amazon has finally stopped my monthly delivery.

The flow of customers was controlled, and people followed the rules. Some had masks, no one had gloves except staff, and the line up to get out was very short unlike the last time I went there and it took almost an hour, but that was weeks ago on the first day that they started implementing distancing rules.

It was tremendously expensive compared to our regular ethnic grocer, but I'm okay with the temporary added cost for a significant measure of security.

Our local store (which is also more expensive than how we normally shop) has done a good job of crowd control.  All aisles are one way, there are lines on the floor.

My husband shopped on Tues and came home with K-cups of English breakfast tea.  We don't have a Keurig.  In that aisle, there was a guy behind him in a cart who was basically pushing him from behind.  He grabbed a box and didn't realize it wasn't teabags.

This might not be ideal, and I don't know if it would work for tea, but...

1. Open k-cup, pour grounds into empty cup #1
2. Fill cup #1 with hot water and steep for a few minutes.
3. Slice off the bottom of the k-cup.
4. Pour the steeped liquid from cup #1, through the k-cup, into empty cup #2. Hopefully the k-cup acts as a filter and catches the grounds/tea leaves.

[OtherJen]

I just finished making tortillas for the first time ever, using the recipe mentioned upthread. So thank you both for mentioning it!! I cook a ton and make almost everything from scratch, but somehow I had never tried tortillas before. I don't eat white flour or oil, but my husband practically lives on tortillas. I think I could wrap a cat turd in a tortilla and he'd declare it delicious. I did taste one of these (quality control, you know...), and I thought it was excellent.

I do eat corn tortillas, because they don't require oil. So does anyone have a good recipe for those? And do you absolutely need a tortilla press? (Well, I guess not, because people have been making them for centuries without them, but is it a giant pain in the ass to make them without one?) I don't have one but would be willing to look into buying one if you think it's worthwhile.

Also, what is it that makes some corn tortillas taste infinitely better than others? They taste more like roasted corn, I think. They tend to be more expensive and harder to find. If I could make those at home, I might end up eating tortillas just as much as my husband!

This is the recipe I use for corn tortillas: https://www.isabeleats.com/3-ingredient-authentic-mexican-corn-tortillas/

Without a tortilla press, I would recommend placing the dough balls in between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper and flattening them with a pie pan or similar flat-bottomed pan. It is a giant pain in the ass to do the hand-flattening (my Mexican grandmother is probably turning over in her grave as I type that).

The really good ones are most likely made with freshly ground masa, which is much harder to find and would definitely be more expensive. You might try a Mexican grocer or tortilleria, if you have access to one. Even with masa harina from the paper grocery store sacks, though, fresh tortillas are so much better than anything you would buy in a supermarket.

Thanks so much! I'll definitely give it a try! Maybe this is taking the whole "from scratch" thing too far, but with a Vitamix, would it be possible to make your own freshly ground masa at home?

Edit: An internet rabbit hole has helped me find the answer to my own question. No Vitamix needed -- just a food processor. Definitely must look into trying this!
https://www.mexicanplease.com/homemade-masa-dough-using-yellow-field-corn/

You’re welcome! I just realized that she’s updated the recipe since I last looked at it; it didn’t used to include olive oil. I’ve never added oil to my corn tortilla dough, and they always turn out fine.

[Metalcat]

This might not be ideal, and I don't know if it would work for tea, but...

1. Open k-cup, pour grounds into empty cup #1
2. Fill cup #1 with hot water and steep for a few minutes.
3. Slice off the bottom of the k-cup.
4. Pour the steeped liquid from cup #1, through the k-cup, into empty cup #2. Hopefully the k-cup acts as a filter and catches the grounds/tea leaves.

Sounds pretty involved.
I would just make tea with the loose leaf and leave it at that.

[Trudie]

I have not shopped in person at a full service grocery store in about a month.  For most items, I have been using WalMart or HyVee (regional chain) pickup.  I am partial to Wal Mart because they can get me such a wide range of products and their produce is better.  I have been going to our smaller, very clean and uncomplicated Target once per week for cleaning items and TP.  It’s usually picked over, but I can usually get something.  We have a meat market near our house where I can call in an order over the phone and just walk in and pick up.  There was only one other customer there today when I arrived.

Next week we’re doing the mother of all Costco trips after we eat down a bunch of our fridge and freezer.  We’re going to get there so we can shop at the special early hour (my husband has an autoimmune disorder.). I hope it’s not a three ring shit show.  I wouldn’t be shocked if we spend over $500 for two people.  I think each of us is going to need a cart.

Luckily, in FIRE we live close to my sister and parents.  My sister and I can shop for my folks and keep them out of the stores.  Plus, we can tap into my parents’ strategic toilet paper reserve if we need to.

I’m always exhausted these days after I get home from shopping.  Dealing with the wait times and shortages is tiring.  I’m constantly thinking about whether I have “enough.”  I try not to hoard, but damn if the process isn’t so harrowing that I don’t want to do it much.  I keep thinking more restrictions are coming soon, which also makes me think I should make that Costco run soon.

[GreenSheep]

I just finished making tortillas for the first time ever, using the recipe mentioned upthread. So thank you both for mentioning it!! I cook a ton and make almost everything from scratch, but somehow I had never tried tortillas before. I don't eat white flour or oil, but my husband practically lives on tortillas. I think I could wrap a cat turd in a tortilla and he'd declare it delicious. I did taste one of these (quality control, you know...), and I thought it was excellent.

I do eat corn tortillas, because they don't require oil. So does anyone have a good recipe for those? And do you absolutely need a tortilla press? (Well, I guess not, because people have been making them for centuries without them, but is it a giant pain in the ass to make them without one?) I don't have one but would be willing to look into buying one if you think it's worthwhile.

Also, what is it that makes some corn tortillas taste infinitely better than others? They taste more like roasted corn, I think. They tend to be more expensive and harder to find. If I could make those at home, I might end up eating tortillas just as much as my husband!

This is the recipe I use for corn tortillas: https://www.isabeleats.com/3-ingredient-authentic-mexican-corn-tortillas/

Without a tortilla press, I would recommend placing the dough balls in between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper and flattening them with a pie pan or similar flat-bottomed pan. It is a giant pain in the ass to do the hand-flattening (my Mexican grandmother is probably turning over in her grave as I type that).

The really good ones are most likely made with freshly ground masa, which is much harder to find and would definitely be more expensive. You might try a Mexican grocer or tortilleria, if you have access to one. Even with masa harina from the paper grocery store sacks, though, fresh tortillas are so much better than anything you would buy in a supermarket.

Thanks so much! I'll definitely give it a try! Maybe this is taking the whole "from scratch" thing too far, but with a Vitamix, would it be possible to make your own freshly ground masa at home?

Edit: An internet rabbit hole has helped me find the answer to my own question. No Vitamix needed -- just a food processor. Definitely must look into trying this!
https://www.mexicanplease.com/homemade-masa-dough-using-yellow-field-corn/

You’re welcome! I just realized that she’s updated the recipe since I last looked at it; it didn’t used to include olive oil. I’ve never added oil to my corn tortilla dough, and they always turn out fine.

Oh, no problem -- I assumed that's what happened. She does have a note at the bottom saying exactly that. She updated it with the oil to make it more pliable, but she says it works just fine without it.

[mm1970]

This might not be ideal, and I don't know if it would work for tea, but...

1. Open k-cup, pour grounds into empty cup #1
2. Fill cup #1 with hot water and steep for a few minutes.
3. Slice off the bottom of the k-cup.
4. Pour the steeped liquid from cup #1, through the k-cup, into empty cup #2. Hopefully the k-cup acts as a filter and catches the grounds/tea leaves.

Sounds pretty involved.
I would just make tea with the loose leaf and leave it at that.

This is our plan.  I do also use looseleaf tea also, so it's just the extra step of cutting open the k-cups.

[PMG]

This might not be ideal, and I don't know if it would work for tea, but...

1. Open k-cup, pour grounds into empty cup #1
2. Fill cup #1 with hot water and steep for a few minutes.
3. Slice off the bottom of the k-cup.
4. Pour the steeped liquid from cup #1, through the k-cup, into empty cup #2. Hopefully the k-cup acts as a filter and catches the grounds/tea leaves.

Sounds pretty involved.
I would just make tea with the loose leaf and leave it at that.

This is our plan.  I do also use looseleaf tea also, so it's just the extra step of cutting open the k-cups.

Curious. Do those k cups contain loose tea? Or is it a powder mix like Lipton mix?  They don’t have much brew time if it’s loose, though I imagine it’s a fine fine loose.

Just curious if you’re willing to share your findings.

[mm1970]

This might not be ideal, and I don't know if it would work for tea, but...

1. Open k-cup, pour grounds into empty cup #1
2. Fill cup #1 with hot water and steep for a few minutes.
3. Slice off the bottom of the k-cup.
4. Pour the steeped liquid from cup #1, through the k-cup, into empty cup #2. Hopefully the k-cup acts as a filter and catches the grounds/tea leaves.

Sounds pretty involved.
I would just make tea with the loose leaf and leave it at that.

This is our plan.  I do also use looseleaf tea also, so it's just the extra step of cutting open the k-cups.

Curious. Do those k cups contain loose tea? Or is it a powder mix like Lipton mix?  They don’t have much brew time if it’s loose, though I imagine it’s a fine fine loose.

Just curious if you’re willing to share your findings.

might have to make my own cloth teabag. A little too powdery for my normal method. maybe

[PMG]

Hmm yeah. Too fine for mesh.  Interesting. Thanks for indulging my curiosity.

[Cranky]

My grocery pickup today had many random subsitutions, but I got some form of most of what I ordered, except a lot of produce was not available and no whole chicken.

Now I'm trying to set up a new order for next week. They have "improved" the ordering site, and it does seem better, but there are still no slots open for pickup.

I see that in some areas - Pittsburgh and Cleveland - Giant Eagle is dedicating one store to curbside orders only, which seems better to me. That way it will just be employees in the store, not random customers. I hope they do that here.

[Rural]

The groceries available at Walmart have improved very slightly. It's now possible to get some kinds of meat – usually either chicken thighs or drumsticks are available frozen, never both, never any other cut. But that's something.


Sometimes I can get some ground turkey.


Frozen vegetables are hard to come by, but usually there's something or other.


No flour, no corn meal, no oats, but there is some bread In stock now. Meanwhile, I ordered 50 pounds of flour which just arrived at the post office this morning. It came through Manhattan, so I may let it sit there for a day or two. Can't pick it up until Monday anyway, come to think of it, Because we have to get it from a person.


There's a little bit of white rice back in stock, still no dried beans. No paper goods of any sort except for paper plates. I haven't seen toilet paper for sale since the first week of March.


Walmart has revamped their grocery order site  and added more pick up times. We qualify for the priority hour from 7 to 8 AM, so I may do that.

[Runrooster]

I did my weekly shop at 4:30 this afternoon and there was tp , 3-4 brands.  I did see them putting some of it out so it was new but there was no mad rush to buy it all.  Eggs also seem to have leveled off; no limits on them and the price is only twice what it would have been 6 weeks ago.  Even saw tortillas.  None of these 3 were on my list so I left them for others.  Frozen spinach, on my list, was not to be found. 

[Channel-Z]

I can confirm toilet paper was more plentiful tonight, although the smallest denomination was a six-pack.

The nation's diet of Rice-a-Roni and ramen continues unabated. There wasn't much in the way of meat tonight, and I expect that will be the case for months given the situations at various food factories here in the central U.S..

The checkout lines were really slow tonight because the cashiers were wiping down the conveyor belt after each customer.

[Trudie]

Any Costco shoppers here?  How has that experience been?

[OtherJen]

Any Costco shoppers here?  How has that experience been?

My Costco trip last Tuesday was the least stressful grocery run I’ve made since the shutdowns began 5 weeks ago, even with the line outside the store to get in. The store was very strict about the number of shoppers allowed in at a time, and workers were cleaning regularly. There was tape on the floor to mark directions in higher traffic areas and for proper spacing in line. Both toilet paper and paper towels were available (1 each per customer), and I was able to get some form of everything on my list (which admittedly didn’t include meat or dairy, although the meat cases looked well stocked).

[happyfeet]

Thanks Other Jen - My first in person trip for groceries will be Costco - I am in Metro Detroit - over 60 so I plan on going the beginning of May.  I appreciate your update.  So far I have done a few curbside pickups but I really would like to select my own groceries -

[OtherJen]

Thanks Other Jen - My first in person trip for groceries will be Costco - I am in Metro Detroit - over 60 so I plan on going the beginning of May.  I appreciate your update.  So far I have done a few curbside pickups but I really would like to select my own groceries -

You’re welcome. This was the store in Livonia at Middlebelt and I-96. I assume that other local stores are set up similarly. I recommend going early on a weekday for the best selection and shorter outdoor line. @frugalnacho , how’s the store in Madison Heights?

[skp]

We are big salad/ fruit/ fresh vegie  eaters and pre coronavirus would go to the store 3 times a week.  Now I've been going to the store once every 2 weeks and have had to adapt to running out of fresh produce.  I saw a sign in a local Trader Joes window to be nice to other shoppers and limit yourself to one cart full of groceries and only 2 of a certain item.  I can limit myself to one cart of groceries for 2 weeks- it's only 2 of us. But sometimes I need more than 2 items.  We eat a lot of canned tomatoes.   And  if it was a family, depending on the size, this really makes no sense to me.  Which is kinder- shopping more frequently and buying one cart per trip, or  shopping less frequently in order to limit yourself to one cart.  Either way you are buying the same amount of groceries.  Just because you are buying more than one cart of groceries or more than 2 of one item doesn't mean you are a hoarder.

[GreenSheep]

The nation's diet of Rice-a-Roni and ramen continues unabated.

I'm dying to know what will be the overall effect of this pandemic on Americans' nutrition-related health. Will we be less healthy overall because so many people are saying, "Screw it, this is a pandemic; let's eat all the comfort food"? Or more healthy because people are trying to improve their immune systems? Or more healthy because even Rice-a-Roni and ramen are probably healthier than the restaurant meals people were eating before? Or less healthy because everyone's passing the time baking, and I'm guessing that baking is resulting in more cookies and cakes than whole wheat bread?

I also suspect there eventually will be a lot of food bank donations of rice, beans, etc. from people who gathered them up as an insurance policy but didn't actually eat them because things never got that bad. (Nothing against rice and beans -- I love them! But I think a lot of people don't love them or don't know how to make them taste good at home.)

[frugalnacho]

I have not been to Costco since early March. The Costco by me is unreasonably busy even before the pandemic.  When I drove by it looked like you couldn't even get a parking space so I've been avoiding it.

I don't know about other people, but I don't have any extra time due to the pandemic. I still have to work full time, and do my normal household stuff.  My schedule is largely unchanged except we aren't visiting family or anything during the weekends, but that time is being substituted with virtual video calls.

I'm definitely stress eating though and will probably gain weight during this ordeal.  Not only the stress of having to work and deal with the pandemic, but the home life has been less than ideal as well.  My wife is stuck in the house and can't get out to parks or the library so she is stressed out and definitely taking it out on me. 

[ixtap]

I have been home six weeks and it has been a nutritional roller coaster. Some days are perfect, some days I eat too much naan while I am making it, including a couple of cinnamon sugar naans.

I will be going to Costco on Monday. I am still trying to figure out what time to go. I am thinking nice and early, then get in line as soon as they it starts forming.

It the two week planning that stresses me out. What if I forget something? Is DH going to accept this substitute to his routine? The funny thing is, when we travel on our sailboat, I easily shop for weeks at a time. But then, he isn't stressed with work, and so is more open to trying things.

[Serendip]

I don't know about other people, but I don't have any extra time due to the pandemic. I still have to work full time, and do my normal household stuff.  My schedule is largely unchanged except we aren't visiting family or anything during the weekends, but that time is being substituted with virtual video calls.

I'm definitely stress eating though and will probably gain weight during this ordeal.  Not only the stress of having to work and deal with the pandemic, but the home life has been less than ideal as well.  My wife is stuck in the house and can't get out to parks or the library so she is stressed out and definitely taking it out on me.

Ay, yikes. I have to be careful of this--my guy and I tend to get along well but I can get snippy if he offers 'too much advice'. I just was upset with him because of a recommendation that I should have roasted different peppers than the ones that I had in the oven *sigh*.
 It's tough..we are also being generous with each other too but funny things will set us off.

 I've lost my job so am home full-time, he is working from home. We are both here 24/7 unless it's for a walk. I'm comfort cooking  a lot and we will likely both gain weight due to the relative inactivity. Not going to stress it too much as we are healthy but inactivity likely contributes to the snippiness. Time to increase yoga & jump-rope.  I find running or biking stressful, too many people out huffing and puffing.

As for groceries, we are on the other end of the spectrum--quite good. We shop once a week or every 10 days at our community grocery store (small, locally owned, go early in the morning) and for some reason they are still fully stocked with pretty much everything.  We do Saturday pickups of sourdough or pizza crusts from a small bakery (and they even sell flour if needed).

[GuitarStv]

I have not been to Costco since early March. The Costco by me is unreasonably busy even before the pandemic.  When I drove by it looked like you couldn't even get a parking space so I've been avoiding it.

I don't know about other people, but I don't have any extra time due to the pandemic. I still have to work full time, and do my normal household stuff.  My schedule is largely unchanged except we aren't visiting family or anything during the weekends, but that time is being substituted with virtual video calls.

I'm definitely stress eating though and will probably gain weight during this ordeal.  Not only the stress of having to work and deal with the pandemic, but the home life has been less than ideal as well.  My wife is stuck in the house and can't get out to parks or the library so she is stressed out and definitely taking it out on me.

My wife and I have set up offices.  Mine is in the basement, hers in the upstairs spare bedroom.  We both work 9 fridays remotely, and spend about 3 hrs a day each switching off between us for doing the distance ed stuff with our son.  This leaves us very busy, but we really see each other about the same amount of time as normal so there's not much cabin fever crankiness from too much familiarity going on.  Maybe try a setup like that?

It helps a lot to regularly take breaks and get out of the house.  Even just 10 minutes wandering around the back yard tidying things up, taking the dog for a walk, or checking the mail makes a big difference in your mood and stress levels.

[TomTX]

I just finished making tortillas for the first time ever, using the recipe mentioned upthread. So thank you both for mentioning it!! I cook a ton and make almost everything from scratch, but somehow I had never tried tortillas before. I don't eat white flour or oil, but my husband practically lives on tortillas. I think I could wrap a cat turd in a tortilla and he'd declare it delicious. I did taste one of these (quality control, you know...), and I thought it was excellent.

I made a batch of whole wheat tortillas that was pretty good - better upon reheating directly on the burner. Doesn't help with your no-oil issue, but at least it's not white flour ;)

Whole Wheat Tortillas (dozen)

2.5C WW Flour
0.25C Avocado oil (or whatever oil/fat)
1t Salt
0.75C H2O (warm)

Mix flour, oil and salt, knead til it’s doughy.
Mix in water gradually
Knead
Split into 12, form balls, cover (I put the balls on a plate and inverted another plate for a cover)
Rest 30-60 minutes
roll out using flour, cook.

[frugalnacho]

I have not been to Costco since early March. The Costco by me is unreasonably busy even before the pandemic.  When I drove by it looked like you couldn't even get a parking space so I've been avoiding it.

I don't know about other people, but I don't have any extra time due to the pandemic. I still have to work full time, and do my normal household stuff.  My schedule is largely unchanged except we aren't visiting family or anything during the weekends, but that time is being substituted with virtual video calls.

I'm definitely stress eating though and will probably gain weight during this ordeal.  Not only the stress of having to work and deal with the pandemic, but the home life has been less than ideal as well.  My wife is stuck in the house and can't get out to parks or the library so she is stressed out and definitely taking it out on me.

My wife and I have set up offices.  Mine is in the basement, hers in the upstairs spare bedroom.  We both work 9 fridays remotely, and spend about 3 hrs a day each switching off between us for doing the distance ed stuff with our son.  This leaves us very busy, but we really see each other about the same amount of time as normal so there's not much cabin fever crankiness from too much familiarity going on.  Maybe try a setup like that?

It helps a lot to regularly take breaks and get out of the house.  Even just 10 minutes wandering around the back yard tidying things up, taking the dog for a walk, or checking the mail makes a big difference in your mood and stress levels.

I still have to report to the office so I get to get out of here every weekday.  We are seeing less of each other though as I'm finding ways to spend time at home on my own after the kid is in bed.  Lots of solitary garden prep and guitar time. 

[Fomerly known as something]

We are big salad/ fruit/ fresh vegie  eaters and pre coronavirus would go to the store 3 times a week.  Now I've been going to the store once every 2 weeks and have had to adapt to running out of fresh produce.  I saw a sign in a local Trader Joes window to be nice to other shoppers and limit yourself to one cart full of groceries and only 2 of a certain item.  I can limit myself to one cart of groceries for 2 weeks- it's only 2 of us. But sometimes I need more than 2 items.  We eat a lot of canned tomatoes.   And  if it was a family, depending on the size, this really makes no sense to me.  Which is kinder- shopping more frequently and buying one cart per trip, or  shopping less frequently in order to limit yourself to one cart.  Either way you are buying the same amount of groceries.  Just because you are buying more than one cart of groceries or more than 2 of one item doesn't mean you are a hoarder.

My mom use to shop every two weeks when I was growing up.  She filled regularly 2 carts for our family of 4.

[wenchsenior]

I have been home six weeks and it has been a nutritional roller coaster. Some days are perfect, some days I eat too much naan while I am making it, including a couple of cinnamon sugar naans.

I will be going to Costco on Monday. I am still trying to figure out what time to go. I am thinking nice and early, then get in line as soon as they it starts forming.

It the two week planning that stresses me out. What if I forget something? Is DH going to accept this substitute to his routine? The funny thing is, when we travel on our sailboat, I easily shop for weeks at a time. But then, he isn't stressed with work, and so is more open to trying things.

This made me guffaw so loudly that my husband asked me what was up. 

Naan is already almost impossible to resist eating, and then you go and add sugar and cinnamon? That's just active self-torture.  Pro tip: Only make naan for very special occasions.  Not as an everyday food.  Jesus, I'd weigh 1000 lbs if I had fresh-baked simple carbs on hand all the time.  My husband recently learned to make sourdough bread (formerly only I knew how to) and now wants to bake a loaf every damn week, which I am not going to allow (he has even less power to resist carbs than I do). 

[GuitarStv]

Our family of three is eating seven or eight lads of bread a day since the lockdown and I've lost six lbs so far.  :P


Carbs don't make you fat.

[wenchsenior]

Our family of three is eating seven or eight lads of bread a day since the lockdown and I've lost six lbs so far.  :P


Carbs don't make you fat.

"Lad"? Is that a loaf?  Carbs might not make YOU fat.  Simple carbs are definitely one of the only food groups that help me gain weight (which I frequently need to do) or make me gain weight (on the rare occasions I don't need to).  But I was referring more to the enticing nature of fresh baked carbs.  I mean, eating the equivalent of 7 or 8 'lads' of Ben and Jerry's per week would make fat, no doubt.  But I can leave ice cream alone for weeks.  White carbs straight from cooking? Not so much.