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General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: Frugalbeach on July 17, 2020, 06:53:52 AM

Title: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Frugalbeach on July 17, 2020, 06:53:52 AM
Question...has anyone else noticed an explosion of hoarding behaviors in friends, family, neighbors?  I'm talking crazy stockpiling that would last regular folks years?  For example, 30 to 40 cans of condensed soup in the pantry when you've never seen this person eat soup?
I won't even go to paper towels or toilet paper or Clorox products.
Specific examples would be appreciated (and fun)!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Pigeon on July 17, 2020, 07:05:52 AM
Not at all.  I do think many people, myself included, have significantly larger than normal grocery orders because we shop less frequently and do not want to make extra trips to the store if we are out of something.  But I have not noticed what I would consider hoarding.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: slappy on July 17, 2020, 07:07:39 AM
I haven't noticed anything recently. My area is very low in cases and I haven't seen any empty shelves at the store.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NotJen on July 17, 2020, 07:08:43 AM
Well, I haven't seen any friends, family, or neighbors in 4 months, so I don't know if they're hoarding...

But no, I haven't heard of or witnessed this behavior when I've been out shopping.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on July 17, 2020, 07:09:42 AM
Question...has anyone else noticed an explosion of hoarding behaviors in friends, family, neighbors?  I'm talking crazy stockpiling that would last regular folks years?  For example, 30 to 40 cans of condensed soup in the pantry when you've never seen this person eat soup?
I won't even go to paper towels or toilet paper or Clorox products.
Specific examples would be appreciated (and fun)!

I've only visited two other houses since we went into shutdown in mid-March. People (including us) seem to be stocking up a bit to avoid grocery shopping frequently, but none of it is beyond a few months' supply.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Sibley on July 17, 2020, 07:34:51 AM
Are people stockpiling a bit more? I've seen some of that. I haven't seen anyone who's tipped over the edge into hoarding. However, the stress of the pandemic absolutely could contribute to an existing tendency or problem to make it much more serious. IE, someone who's a bit of a worrywart might be pushed into a full blown anxiety disorder.

Frugalbeach, if you're seeing evidence of mental illness in your friends and family, it would be a kindness to gently encourage them to talk to their doctor.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: dcheesi on July 17, 2020, 08:01:30 AM
Nothing like the early days of the pandemic, no.

Then again, I'm in a region that's not spiking to the degree that others have; I wouldn't be surprised to see a resurgence of panic buying in the hardest hit areas. It's obvious that things are going to get a lot worse in those hot-spots before they get better, and hunkering down with zero outside contact may be warranted (or even mandated) for some period of time.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Christof on July 17, 2020, 08:02:25 AM
In February we added to our pantry to last four weeks instead of two to cater for an unexpected quarantine. But I wouldn‘t call that hoarding. We did have a lack of toilet paper, bread and disinfectant in March and April, but that feels like a distant past now. Many states have less than a dozen new cases per day and the whole country hoovers around 500 at a population that is a quarter of the US. Shopping is totally back to normal levels, at least in grocery stores.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: LaineyAZ on July 17, 2020, 08:10:38 AM
Went to the Costco here in AZ for the first time in 5 months and was pleasantly surprised that the shelves seemed full. However, at the local Safeway, supplies of a variety of items seem definitely thinned out.

For myself, I think it's a good idea to stock up because I expect the fall/winter 2020/2021 to be worse in every way:  increased Covid-19 cases, increased deaths, supply chain issues, more homeless, and more economic fallout.  I'm not at the point of buying the 20 lb. bag of rice at Costco, but I'm close.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: alex753 on July 17, 2020, 08:22:26 AM
I've noticed there is a shortage/hoarding of isopropyl alcohol.  I've uses it to sanitize my electric razor for a long time and it's pretty important to me to keep from getting breakouts from the bacteria buildup when it is not sanitized.  I had to get some online.

At least paper products are readily available now.  That was ridiculous.

But yes.  Peoples' behavior over this has been completely ludicrous and most are erroneously scared and or terrified.  Not how life was intended to be lived.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 17, 2020, 08:32:22 AM
I personally think it is a good idea to stock up. I agree with LaineyAZ that this fall is predicted to begin a second phase of the virus outbreak. At that point, the normal flu season and colds. It makes sense to stock up on things you will eat or essentials like toilet paper and OTC meds. Don't forget the pets needs too. My dogs eat prescription dog food and my Vets office ran out of the food! So I had to order it on line and it was backordered a while. I don't think people should go to the store and buy 10 overflowing carts of supplies, but each week throw in a few extras to stock up.

It doesn't hurt to stock up and you can be generous with your supplies. Prepare a dinner for a person in need or donate some to the food pantry.

We have all been accustomed to full shelves in our stores. Our new reality may be that we may need to get used to empty shelves.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: LaineyAZ on July 17, 2020, 08:52:43 AM
I personally think it is a good idea to stock up. I agree with LaineyAZ that this fall is predicted to begin a second phase of the virus outbreak. At that point, the normal flu season and colds. It makes sense to stock up on things you will eat or essentials like toilet paper and OTC meds. Don't forget the pets needs too. My dogs eat prescription dog food and my Vets office ran out of the food! So I had to order it on line and it was backordered a while. I don't think people should go to the store and buy 10 overflowing carts of supplies, but each week throw in a few extras to stock up.

It doesn't hurt to stock up and you can be generous with your supplies. Prepare a dinner for a person in need or donate some to the food pantry.

We have all been accustomed to full shelves in our stores. Our new reality may be that we may need to get used to empty shelves.

This is the other point I wanted to make.  If we do miraculously get a vaccine this winter and things go back to normal-ish, the worst part of stocking up is that you can then donate to the food bank or someone in need.  So what's the harm? 
and I guess we should define "stocking up" vs. "hoarding" as in, don't be the guy who went out and bought all of the hand sanitizer so he could charge his friends and neighbors a big mark-up when they needed some.  But being prudent and getting some extra of items you already use?  Yes, that's more than reasonable.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on July 17, 2020, 09:19:05 AM
I personally think it is a good idea to stock up. I agree with LaineyAZ that this fall is predicted to begin a second phase of the virus outbreak. At that point, the normal flu season and colds. It makes sense to stock up on things you will eat or essentials like toilet paper and OTC meds. Don't forget the pets needs too. My dogs eat prescription dog food and my Vets office ran out of the food! So I had to order it on line and it was backordered a while. I don't think people should go to the store and buy 10 overflowing carts of supplies, but each week throw in a few extras to stock up.

It doesn't hurt to stock up and you can be generous with your supplies. Prepare a dinner for a person in need or donate some to the food pantry.

We have all been accustomed to full shelves in our stores. Our new reality may be that we may need to get used to empty shelves.

Yes to stocking up on pet food! We had about 2 weeks' worth of rabbit chow left when the shutdown started in March, and the only remaining available bag size was 25 lbs through an online store. So yeah, it may have looked like hoarding to buy a giant bag for 2 rabbits but 1) they needed to eat, and 2) it ended up being way cheaper per pound than the smaller bags. We will keep buying the bulk size and breaking it down into smaller containers to stay fresh, even after the pandemic is over.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 17, 2020, 09:41:01 AM
Yes, agree with OtherJen. I recently bought three 5 lb. bags of rice. I broke the bags down into 15 one lb. bags and vacuum packed them flat. We don't eat rice every day but now I have a nice supply. They are stacked neatly and waiting to be used. The price was pretty cheap too. Very frugal!

I used to do a lot of purchasing at my old job. Mostly food ingredients for the projects we worked on. I have the mentality of never wanting to run out of things. At my job, if we ran out of ingredients, that meant down time. I never allowed us to run out of anything and we never had down time due to running out of ingredients. So, I try to apply that thinking to my pantry at home.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Tyler durden on July 17, 2020, 09:49:49 AM
Put me in the hoarding of pet food as well. That’s a store i only need to go to for pet food. If I can avoid single unnecessary trips all the better.

We have 120 pounds of food for our 40 pound dog.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 17, 2020, 10:11:57 AM
Tyler durden, nice you are taking good care of your dog. My only concern is that the dog might get tired of the food and won't eat it. My dogs are on prescription dog food and the Vet has changed the type a few times which means I end up with food the dogs are no longer eating. So, between the two dogs we ended up having close to 2 cases of canned dog food they were not eating. Each case costs about $38! So, we ended up donating it to the local animal welfare. So much for stocking up! At least the food got donated and some dog who needed it got it. Better than tossing it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on July 17, 2020, 10:20:08 AM
I keep multiple pantries. At the beginning of the pandemic, I thought it would be a good excuse to work them down. Then I got worried about potential food shortages. Four months in, my larders are maybe 10% depleted. I think I'll just keep wwhittling them down slowly.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: slappy on July 17, 2020, 10:22:25 AM
Put me in the hoarding of pet food as well. That’s a store i only need to go to for pet food. If I can avoid single unnecessary trips all the better.

We have 120 pounds of food for our 40 pound dog.

This will be me once I can finally get to Costco.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: kanga1622 on July 17, 2020, 10:33:42 AM
I don't personally know of any. But I am also one that will buy a year's worth of shampoo if I find a good sale. And I just bought a year's worth of conditioner because I didn't want to pay shipping and it can only be purchased online.

We have a higher stockpile than normal of most household items and some grocery items. As in, I will buy/look for more when we have 2 full containers in the closet rather than 1. We have MORE than enough storage space to keep extra laundry soap, peroxide, hand soap, TP, etc. on hand. And we've already run out of some things and been unable to replace. Several items we eat on a regular basis (1-2 times a month) have been out of stock since March. So either our store decided not to carry them or they just are always sold out when I shop every 2 weeks.

My cart always looks nuts when I go to Walmart but I am generally shopping every 2 weeks and it takes a lot to feed a family of 4 for that long.

We solve the pet food issues by ordering online from Chewy. It is delivered to my door in a matter of days. But as soon as we put a 25 lb bag in the "open" canister, I place an order for the next bag. All the while we have a fully unopened bag in the closet.  So we usually have something between 50-75 lbs of food on hand for our 80 lb dog. He eats a 25lb bag in a bit less than a month.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Rosy on July 17, 2020, 10:44:16 AM
I have stocked up for the pandemic as well as for the hurricane season.

That means two entirely different shopping criteria
- hurricane means power outage. How and what to eat when you have no refrigeration (meat will go bad) - no way to cook - and the misery of no AC.
No electricity means candles and batteries and besides that plenty of drinking water and washing water. A bit of comfort food and candy as well as normal emergency supplies.

For the pandemic it means regular food and supplies for two months at least - YMMV

OP as far as the canned soup when they don't normally eat canned soup - yeah, that may be foolish.
Do I want to make fun of hoarding - hardly. If some extra soup in the cupboard makes people feel more in control and keep their sanity - let them.

Right now it is a good idea to have some extra on hand and if you don't need it you can always donate. It is what I normally do when the expiration dates on my hurricane food supplies are imminent.
Admittedly I have some prepper tendencies so yeah, certain things I keep a years supply of - but - two shelves full is all I allow myself of those items.

... and yes, we have a two-three months supply of catfood:).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 17, 2020, 10:58:30 AM
I order a lot of food items on line and other household essentials. I shop at some really weird places at times too. Places that are oddball. I have searched and searched for disinfectant spray and cannot find any place to ship it that is a fair price. You can probably get it on ebay and pay $45 for a can of it. Not going to do that.

I did find Lysol liquid concentrate and mixed it with water and put it in a spray bottle. We use that for incoming shipments but I would prefer the spray because it is not so wet. Anyone have information on where to buy Lysol spray or another brand of disinfectant? Any place I find it on line says it has to be picked up in the store, shipping not available.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Spiffy on July 17, 2020, 11:01:34 AM
Here in central Texas the shelves are empty of toilet paper, lysol wipes, etc. at my HEB. It had gotten back to normal over the last few weeks. Now it is starting again.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Captain Cactus on July 17, 2020, 12:28:55 PM
A work friend in CA was ordering from various bulk purchase places at once back in April... I'm talking 200 rolls of toilet paper, boxed cake mixes, etc... it was because of people like her that there were shortages for everyone else. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on July 17, 2020, 12:52:21 PM
Yes, agree with OtherJen. I recently bought three 5 lb. bags of rice. I broke the bags down into 15 one lb. bags and vacuum packed them flat. We don't eat rice every day but now I have a nice supply. They are stacked neatly and waiting to be used. The price was pretty cheap too. Very frugal!

I used to do a lot of purchasing at my old job. Mostly food ingredients for the projects we worked on. I have the mentality of never wanting to run out of things. At my job, if we ran out of ingredients, that meant down time. I never allowed us to run out of anything and we never had down time due to running out of ingredients. So, I try to apply that thinking to my pantry at home.

I'm the same way. I hate running out of staples, especially now when I go out for supplies once a week at most (rather than running to the neighborhood Aldi whenever the list was 5-10 items long). We bought a 25-lb bag of certified gluten-free oatmeal and a 20-lb bag of rice at the start of the pandemic and broke those down into smaller packages. Even with the shipping cost for the oatmeal (purchased direct from Bob's Red Mill), it was cheaper per lb than buying the 2-lb bags in the grocery store. As long as it's something we can feasibly use up in a year, I prefer to buy bulk.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TikiTime on July 17, 2020, 01:22:59 PM
Words of wisdom from a covid positive household.  That toilet paper is needed.  I had a month's worth of tp for 4 adults when we were quarantined.  Diarrhea is a lovely symptom, the tp was gone in 8 days.  Luckily, a friend picked me up a huge pack from Sam's, enough to normally last half a year.  I am very grateful to now have that on hand.  Double the amount of detergent so you never run out of a month's supply.  Anything you need to disinfect, etc., overcompensate.  You need more than you think! 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 17, 2020, 01:57:07 PM
Here is another thing I am going to stock up on in the next few days is pet friendly salt for our driveway and sidewalks. I buy it in July or August to make sure we have it on hand for winter. We have about six 50# bags in the garage and I am going to buy five more 50# bags so we will have a stockpile of 11 bags. Some winters we only go thru 5 or 6 bags and some twice that amount. Buying it now will cost less before they jack the prices up in the winter and will ensure we have it when we need it. Sometimes they run out of it and you have to buy something you don't want. We want the pet friendly stuff so the dogs feet don't get burned. Plus, avoiding the hardware store with the virus out there.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PDXTabs on July 17, 2020, 02:06:34 PM
Lysol wipes

Lysol wipes are the one thing that I consistently can't get and I'd really like. But I don't think that it is hording, I think that usage is way up.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 17, 2020, 02:44:51 PM
PDXTabs, I also have had a hard time finding Lysol wipes. Don't know if you are interested but what I did was buy baby wipes. I got the Walmart brand. Then I poured rubbing alcohol into the container. Maybe 6 ounces, enough to saturate all the wipes. I use that to wipe down things. Probably not approved by hospital standards but works for me!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on July 17, 2020, 02:50:10 PM
I haven’t inspected anyone else’s pantry, but mine is definitely a lot fuller than usual. I don’t want to worry about going to the store. I don’t want to worry if I can’t get a pickup slot.

I think it is not far fetched to think that this winter might be kind of bad. Let’s just say that I plan to have my thanksgiving turkey in the freezer by Sept. 1.

Minimalism is dead to me!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TheFrenchCat on July 17, 2020, 05:34:46 PM
I'm glad other people are shopping less frequently too.  I've only been shopping once every 2 weeks.  Once I got called a hoarder by some random lady who was buying a single bag of stuff.  Uh,yeah, no.  I didn't even have any toilet paper or sanitizing products, just food.  At least she had a mask.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on July 17, 2020, 06:50:19 PM
What's your definition of hoarding?  I'm keeping a couple months worth of non-perishables now, where I'd rarely have more than a week or two of extra food before.  It's mostly stuff we would eat anyway, but an awful lot more than we would normally keep.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Channel-Z on July 17, 2020, 06:55:21 PM
Lysol and wipes are still difficult to find. One of my co-workers basically goes out every night looking for them.

I had heard people were panic-shopping at places like Walmart in the fringes of my metro area because they didn't want to go shopping with a mask (Walmart mask mandate begins Monday).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MayDay on July 17, 2020, 07:13:12 PM
On one hand you consider us hoarding. We normally keep a very lean pantry. When shortages started happening we suddenly shopped a ton to build up 2-4 weeks worth of supplies.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Buffaloski Boris on July 17, 2020, 07:16:42 PM
Hoarding is such an ugly word. I prefer prudence. Prudent people stock supplies before an entirely predictable time of adversity. Like a winter return of COVID. So I don’t know of any food hoarders. I do know a few people practicing prudence.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SwordGuy on July 17, 2020, 07:30:30 PM
We make sure we have supplies in case we get hammered by a hurricane (again).  We've had 2 or 3 bad ones in the last 5 years. 

We've also increased our stock of key items and some staples.    But more on the let's have several weeks on hand more than usual.

Once we get our old home sold and have time and mental energy to really put some thought into it, I would like to up our supplies to a 3 month level for key items.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: simmias on July 17, 2020, 07:49:04 PM
Hoarding is such an ugly word. I prefer prudence. Prudent people stock supplies before an entirely predictable time of adversity. Like a winter return of COVID. So I don’t know of any food hoarders. I do know a few people practicing prudence.

Found the hoarder!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mountain mustache on July 17, 2020, 09:12:54 PM
After the experience I had trying to buy food in Arizona in March and April, I find myself stocking up more and more this Summer. There were weeks in mid-March/early April where I could get almost no food at the stores. I work really early in the morning, so my only time to shop was in the evenings, when shelves were empty. I would say I never "stock up" in one visit. But each time I go shopping I buy "1 for now, 2 for later" which is a good rule of thumb. I am keeping more rice, dried beans, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, etc on hand...these are staples I use all the time *anyway* not random foods I'm buying just for the sake of it. But literally in Tucson, AZ I could not find rice, beans, pasta, canned tomatoes of any kind, peanut butter, frozen veggies, etc for over 6 weeks at one point...so now I just have a pantry that is stocked for 2-3 months if I absolutely *need* it so I don't have to go through a stressful situation of being unprepared as I was this Spring. Also toilet paper. I last saw toilet paper in a grocery store in early March, and saw it for the first time during Covid in June. 3 months without seeing toilet paper on a store shelf. Ridiculous. Now I will have a years worth all the time just because.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Buffaloski Boris on July 18, 2020, 05:53:28 AM
Hoarding is such an ugly word. I prefer prudence. Prudent people stock supplies before an entirely predictable time of adversity. Like a winter return of COVID. So I don’t know of any food hoarders. I do know a few people practicing prudence.

Found the hoarder!

Wrats! Outted!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on July 18, 2020, 01:06:59 PM
I suppose someone can look at what I did and consider it hoarding.  We had almost zero canned/prepared food, which is stupid when you live where a natural disaster could knock out power and water.  Now the pantry is full.  Did the person at Costco think I was a hoarder when I bought a case of strawberry preserves?  Maybe, but I don't care.  I added to our dried food stores, including buying 50# of popping corn.  I stocked up on several quarts of cooking oil.  I went from having 2 jars of peanut butter to having 8-10.  I decided to stock 6-12 months worth of toiletries and OTC medications.  I also changed our dog food policy, making sure we buy/order a new bag as soon as the previous bag is opened (any more than that and my fussy dog will refuse the food for being rancid).

I call it being prepared and prudent.  At the same time, when a toilet paper order I hadn't expected to ship actually did, we took the box of 80 individually wrapped rolls to the local food bank.  As I started using some of the canned foods I'd stocked up on, I got a better sense of how much we might need, and sent cases of canned milk, canned corn, canned green beans, and more to the food bank as well, including 25# of rice.

One thing I haven't done is stock up on water.  I don't think it's necessary for Covid, but it would be in a natural disaster.  We used to store water, but it's a hassle to manage, especially since we don't typically drink bottled water.  I think I'll buy another set of Berkey filters and plan on using bleach + filtering if we end up without safe water.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: centwise on July 18, 2020, 02:02:48 PM
My friends and family have joined the throngs who have been baking more (so, stocking up on flour and sugar) and cooking at home a lot more (buying more groceries), but I don't think any of them have engaged in panic-buying or hoarder-level of stocking up.

At my house I habitually keep a large stock of pantry staples, I always have some vegetables and meat in the freezer, and I typically buy giant packages of Costco paper products (TP, paper towels and kleenex) that last for 5-6 months.

If someone saw my pantry they might have thought that I was "hoarding" during the pandemic lockdown. But actually I was in great shape when the lockdown started. I already had a large quantity and variety of dried legumes, rice (three kinds), sugar, various flours, etc. So there was no need for panic buying; I simply did not need to buy any of the items that were in short supply. I shopped for freshies and dairy every three weeks, and I didn't buy toilet paper until June. Now the grocery store shelves are pretty full, and if there are any shortages, I haven't noticed them.

So I'm in the camp of those who would call it "prudence and good planning"!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 18, 2020, 03:08:48 PM
It makes perfect sense to stock up. They want us to stay in our homes as much as possible so it makes no sense to go out shopping every single day for food and household items. People can stock up slowly and it doesn't have to cost a fortune. Just starting off with the basics like rice, pasta, pasta sauces, beans, canned tuna, canned chicken, canned beef, canned corned beef. Canned beans and dried beans. I am not a big fan of canned veggies but I buy corn, green beans and would consider peas.

I would encourage people to stock up slowly and build a full pantry.

What unique things have some of you stocked up on?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dave1442397 on July 18, 2020, 03:45:18 PM
25lb bags of rice are completely normal in Asian households :)

I stocked up on cereal, because our local Wegmans ran out of my favorite (Fall Harvest) at one point, so now I have maybe a couple of months worth in the house.

Nothing else, really. We went to Costco a couple of months ago, and next time we go I'll buy more toilet paper and paper towels, but I always do that. We have plenty of room to store paper products, so we usually have a six-month supply sitting around.

One thing I stopped buying is chocolate, and candy in general. I've lost 28lbs in the past twelve weeks, and I need to keep it off!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mountain mustache on July 18, 2020, 03:58:32 PM

What unique things have some of you stocked up on?

I am stocking up on chocolate big time for the Fall/Winter. That was a very random thing that I could not find ANYWHERE for months in the Spring. My mom actually mailed me chocolate chips because she keeps like a dozen bags on hand at any one time. I don't eat a lot of chocolate, but I like to have a piece or two every day...it's like my one treat. So now I will have a dozen of my favorite bars on hand (Alter Eco) and a few bags of chocolate chips as well.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MilesTeg on July 18, 2020, 04:01:09 PM
We've gone from keeping 3-4 weeks of non perishables on hand to 2-3 months. Now that TP and other paper products are available we've been probably 'hording' them. About 8-12 months worth on hand, but we avoid using paper towels as much as possible and there's only 2 if us so it's really not all that much.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Buffaloski Boris on July 18, 2020, 04:33:23 PM
I think we should ask the folks in say Detroit who encountered stripped shelves in their stores for weeks on end how much of a supply of staples at home would be “prudence” versus hoarding.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: centwise on July 18, 2020, 04:44:43 PM
I think we should ask the folks in say Detroit who encountered stripped shelves in their stores for weeks on end how much of a supply of staples at home would be “prudence” versus hoarding.

Well this sort of thing feeds on itself, of course. If people perceive that a shortage is starting, then they all run out and buy as much of that thing as they can, because they are afraid they won't be able to find it later. So fear of the shortage causes a drastic shortage.

But those of us in this thread who prudently ALREADY had well-stocked pantries at the beginning of the crisis neither suffered from, nor contributed to, the shortages. And now that the shortages are a thing of the past in most places, it would be prudent to slowly build up your pantry while availability is good, so that you won't contribute to future panic-buying when the next round of shortages (if any) rolls around.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on July 18, 2020, 04:53:33 PM
A couple weeks sure, but is keeping multiple months of food normally a prudent thing to do?  It has never been necessary in my life prior to covid, so wasn't really something I had ever seriously considered.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on July 18, 2020, 05:06:02 PM
I've gone from keeping no extra non-perishables to keeping a couple weeks' worth.

I still am not sure what the line is between reasonable and hoarding. I did get more toilet paper at costco a few weeks ago even though we weren't completely out yet. But the rising covid cases has me being careful.

I haven't been able to find any wipes or lysol since this thing began. I will definitely buy at least two containers if I ever come across them.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: centwise on July 18, 2020, 05:17:21 PM
A couple weeks sure, but is keeping multiple months of food normally a prudent thing to do?  It has never been necessary in my life prior to covid, so wasn't really something I had ever seriously considered.

Keeping multiple months of basics is completely normal for me. It's much cheaper to buy in bulk and on sale. I have room for it, but to be honest, it doesn't even take up that much space. And more importantly, it simplifies my life enormously if I only have to buy certain items 2-3 times/ year. That would include rice, flour, sugar, dried beans, jam, canned goods, as well as TP and cleaning supplies. If meat is on sale then I stock up on that too.

It means that I don't have to think about those things AT ALL during my regular small shopping trips for fresh items. It makes regular shopping simple and fun. I never have to rack my brain to remember to pick up TP or a jar of jam because I know I already have those things.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on July 18, 2020, 05:31:06 PM
A couple weeks sure, but is keeping multiple months of food normally a prudent thing to do?  It has never been necessary in my life prior to covid, so wasn't really something I had ever seriously considered.

Keeping multiple months of basics is completely normal for me. It's much cheaper to buy in bulk and on sale. I have room for it, but to be honest, it doesn't even take up that much space. And more importantly, it simplifies my life enormously if I only have to buy certain items 2-3 times/ year. That would include rice, flour, sugar, dried beans, jam, canned goods, as well as TP and cleaning supplies. If meat is on sale then I stock up on that too.

It means that I don't have to think about those things AT ALL during my regular small shopping trips for fresh items. It makes regular shopping simple and fun. I never have to rack my brain to remember to pick up TP or a jar of jam because I know I already have those things.

None of that was something I've ever had to spend time thinking about either though.  If we were cooking/eating and saw that something was running low, we just write it down on the grocery list that's on a magnet on the fridge.  Same if TP or any other thing was running out.  I never had to rack my brain for anything, it just went on the list.  When you're keeping vast quantities of perishables, you've got to make sure it's not going bad.  Flour goes bad in a couple years, canned stuff goes bad, oats go off in flavour after 6-8 months, etc.  Seems like much more of a pain in the ass way to have to live.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on July 18, 2020, 05:42:48 PM
I have generally kept a well stocked pantry, because I don’t drive and I had 3 kids. I’ve lived I. Hurricane country and blizzard country. On a tight budget it’s better to stock up when a staple goes on sale.

It’s only been the last few years with no kids at home that I’ve let my pantry shrink, and I deeply regretted it this spring.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: centwise on July 18, 2020, 06:53:38 PM
A couple weeks sure, but is keeping multiple months of food normally a prudent thing to do?  It has never been necessary in my life prior to covid, so wasn't really something I had ever seriously considered.

Keeping multiple months of basics is completely normal for me. It's much cheaper to buy in bulk and on sale. I have room for it, but to be honest, it doesn't even take up that much space. And more importantly, it simplifies my life enormously if I only have to buy certain items 2-3 times/ year. That would include rice, flour, sugar, dried beans, jam, canned goods, as well as TP and cleaning supplies. If meat is on sale then I stock up on that too.

It means that I don't have to think about those things AT ALL during my regular small shopping trips for fresh items. It makes regular shopping simple and fun. I never have to rack my brain to remember to pick up TP or a jar of jam because I know I already have those things.

None of that was something I've ever had to spend time thinking about either though.  If we were cooking/eating and saw that something was running low, we just write it down on the grocery list that's on a magnet on the fridge.  Same if TP or any other thing was running out.  I never had to rack my brain for anything, it just went on the list.  When you're keeping vast quantities of perishables, you've got to make sure it's not going bad.  Flour goes bad in a couple years, canned stuff goes bad, oats go off in flavour after 6-8 months, etc.  Seems like much more of a pain in the ass way to have to live.

You are totally right about the list thing. I'm remembering back to my disorganized past, when I had little kids and was completely frazzled, sick and sleep-deprived. I was always stopping by the grocery store on my way home from work trying to think of what we might need!

I eventually got myself organized -- and part of that was keeping the pantry stocked. It's not vast quantities -- it's a very narrow pantry closet. Things definitely keep for 2-6 months without loss of flavour or quality, and I assure you nothing ever goes bad (or gets thrown out). And I make a lot fewer shopping trips. It's the exact opposite of a "pain in the ass". This works better for me.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 19, 2020, 05:10:34 AM
For me, the hardest thing to keep on hand is dairy products and produce. We have done curbside and have had Peapod delivery and I did go to the store a few times. I also signed up for Imperfect Foods which is a hodge podge every week of choices. They may offer meat, fish, cheese, vegetables but it doesn't seem abundant. Kind of like first come, first served. A year ago I was getting Misfits which is another vegetable delivery service but you had no choice. You got what they sent which is great if you like what you get. I am not a big fan of zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant which was sent in almost every box. I was constantly trying to find recipes to use up the stuff. So,  I finally gave Misfits up. The next spring I bought into a CNA which is a local farm on my street. It was very good but kind of ran into the same issues of too many vegetables that I really didn't want. So, did not sign up this year.

It is just the two of us and we are not big milk drinkers. But we do use it to make some recipes and need milk on hand. I decided to buy a case of the 8 oz. tetra pack boxes of milk. It has worked out fabulously! It is always fresh because I only open what I need and nothing goes bad!

I have a small garden and tomatoes is my favorite thing to grow. I have discovered that next year I need to grow cherry tomatoes so I can have tomatoes for my salads before the larger variety of tomatoes becomes ripe. Cherry tomatoes are usually abundant and come early. I have some lettuce growing but started it late. I need to investigate more about growing lettuce and different varieties.

I wish I could find an online service that mailed out yogurt, cheese, cream cheese and other dairy choices.

It is about time I do another Peapod order and when I do, I do order a lot to keep stocked up and also to avoid too many delivery charges. The drawback of Peapod is that during the first months of the virus they were also short of items. You would place your order and when it arrived you were missing tons of things. You weren't charged of course but it stinks when you thoughtfully shop on line and plan for meals then the items are not available. Some of the missing items were the very reason I ordered from Peapod, dairy, cheese, some produce missing!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on July 19, 2020, 07:11:08 AM
It's probably not hoarding, but opportunism, but a friend of mine is very bitter on the subject of people buying up the kiddie pools at Walmart and Target, and then reselling them at huge markups on ebay.

A good place to go if you're trying to stock up is restaurant supply stores.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on July 19, 2020, 07:19:14 AM
I'm also  somebody who always buys in bulk anyway. So I didn't change my life much. The only annoying thing is we happened to be a little low on TP when the lockdown began, so we were living a square at a time for a while.

We also donate excess to the food pantry, so the food stays fresh.

When our area began to reopen, I had to restock, which meant taking my husband to Costco and doing a couple of two cart runs.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on July 19, 2020, 07:48:03 AM
25lb bags of rice are completely normal in Asian households :)

I stocked up on cereal, because our local Wegmans ran out of my favorite (Fall Harvest) at one point, so now I have maybe a couple of months worth in the house.

Nothing else, really. We went to Costco a couple of months ago, and next time we go I'll buy more toilet paper and paper towels, but I always do that. We have plenty of room to store paper products, so we usually have a six-month supply sitting around.

One thing I stopped buying is chocolate, and candy in general. I've lost 28lbs in the past twelve weeks, and I need to keep it off!
Congratulations!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Sibley on July 19, 2020, 07:55:55 AM
I think we should ask the folks in say Detroit who encountered stripped shelves in their stores for weeks on end how much of a supply of staples at home would be “prudence” versus hoarding.

My parents are in the Detroit area, and they are highest of high risk for covid. They've been doing grocery delivery or pickups for months now. I've advised them to do a couple big orders and build up some stock. The memory of not being able to get basics is very fresh in their minds. I had to ship them cat food in March. They will be visiting me this week, and there's a few things that I've already set aside for them to take home because it's just not available in their stores, pandemic or not.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: partgypsy on July 19, 2020, 08:09:17 AM
For me, other than a few staples (flour, rice, some canned goods) it doesn't work well for me to have a lot of extra food, bc it's hard to keep track of and I don't want to waste food. I did make some larger groc trips at the beginning including shelf stable plant milk because I thought we may have to stay at home up to 4 weeks. And that first month after stocking up maybe went shopping 2 times. Anyways ive been stretching out going yo groc store, no more than once a week. Might mean we run out of fresh produce, bread and or milk, but not a big deal if it's just a couple days. We are eating pretty well actually (doing more cooking/baking). As far as tp I order a box of the more environmentally friendly to every few months from Amazon. I had ordered before covid hit, and the next time I ordered (April) no shortage. Maybe it's not people's favorite or something.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on July 19, 2020, 08:10:42 AM
We were among the luckier people in the Detroit area. No kids (so milk shortages weren't an issue), we don't eat normal bread, and we had access to warehouse clubs and independent stores, plus I have the schedule freedom to shop at off hours. I was never able to get everything on my list (and still can't always), but I was always able to get enough.

Still, it was very sobering to see empty shelves and cases, but often one or two things would be gone at a time: one week, there would be no chicken but a full case of ground turkey, another week the chicken would be stocked but there were no pork products, and then all of the meat would be stocked but there would be no dairy products. Some weeks there were pallets of canned beans, other weeks: nothing. I could only get yogurt, dried beans, and canned tomatoes at a small independent store for several weeks. It was about 5 or 6 weeks before I could get toilet paper of any kind, and by that point we had split our bulk pack with my parents and I needed to restock both houses. So yeah, I'm stocking up on various things because I fully expect another panic and more shortages this fall.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on July 19, 2020, 09:18:38 AM
Milk freezes quite well. Use wide mouth canning jars and don’t fill them all the way up. Cheeses also freezes well. Blocks of cheese are a little crumbly, but bags of shredded cheese are absolutely fine.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on July 19, 2020, 09:33:37 AM
Milk freezes quite well. Use wide mouth canning jars and don’t fill them all the way up. Cheeses also freezes well. Blocks of cheese are a little crumbly, but bags of shredded cheese are absolutely fine.
For milk, plastic is more forgiving. Just pour a little off and freeze in the original container. For cheese, grate, then spread out on a cookie sheet and flash freeze. Once it's frozen, pour into a zippy bag and put it back in the freezer. Easy peasy. No need to defrost before use, just take out what you want.

Oh, and be sure to defrost the frozen milk completely and shake furiously before using.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dave1442397 on July 19, 2020, 09:49:40 AM
Congratulations!

Thanks!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Christof on July 19, 2020, 01:49:10 PM
We stocked dried milk powder. It‘s not the same as fresh, organic milk, but good enough as a backup. Bonus is we can store it for over a year.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on July 19, 2020, 03:58:15 PM
Milk freezes quite well. Use wide mouth canning jars and don’t fill them all the way up. Cheeses also freezes well. Blocks of cheese are a little crumbly, but bags of shredded cheese are absolutely fine.
For milk, plastic is more forgiving. Just pour a little off and freeze in the original container. For cheese, grate, then spread out on a cookie sheet and flash freeze. Once it's frozen, pour into a zippy bag and put it back in the freezer. Easy peasy. No need to defrost before use, just take out what you want.

Oh, and be sure to defrost the frozen milk completely and shake furiously before using.

We don't go through milk very fast - it's cheapest if I buy a gallon and freeze it in two or three cup jars (I have tons of them.)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Trudie on July 19, 2020, 05:42:46 PM
We’re pretty well stocked, but not hoarding.  We live in a Covid hotspot, so I am in no hurry to go out to the stores.  It’s also a university town, so I expect things to get way worse before they get better...especially this fall when students return and we start seeing flu on top of everything else.  So, I’m starting to be strategic with purchases and am getting a few extras here and there.  I need to peruse our drug cabinet and make sure we’re set.  I’ve been able to get everything except lemon ammonia, which I use to deodorize workout clothes.

Part of it for me is that I just find going out way more stressful than I used to.  I prefer to avoid the experience.  I also think it’s more difficult for families with children, so I am happy to stay out of the mix.  I think behavior will get more frantic with the return to school.  There is a lot of planning and anxiety for families.  Oddly enough, I think it may lead to some panic at the stores.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: LaineyAZ on July 19, 2020, 05:50:37 PM
….
What unique things have some of you stocked up on?

Items I'm looking to stock up on now before Fall include
a) over-the-counter medicines for cold and flu.  I think when regular flu season hits it's going to be a panic to figure out whether it's regular flu or Covid-19, so everyone who is even slightly sick will be buying all of the OTC meds; 

b)  some gardening seeds and starter plants.  Here in metro Phoenix that will be our growing season so I'd like to plant a few things like tomatoes and green onions.  Wish I had more space and some decent desert gardening knowledge, but that will be a 2021 goal.

The other aspect we haven't talked about much is job loss.  Tens of millions have lost their jobs, and a well-stocked pantry can at least be a buffer for some of that immediate need. 
What's the expression - our society is 9 missed meals away from chaos?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on July 19, 2020, 07:35:41 PM
Milk freezes quite well. Use wide mouth canning jars and don’t fill them all the way up. Cheeses also freezes well. Blocks of cheese are a little crumbly, but bags of shredded cheese are absolutely fine.
For milk, plastic is more forgiving. Just pour a little off and freeze in the original container. For cheese, grate, then spread out on a cookie sheet and flash freeze. Once it's frozen, pour into a zippy bag and put it back in the freezer. Easy peasy. No need to defrost before use, just take out what you want.

Oh, and be sure to defrost the frozen milk completely and shake furiously before using.

We don't go through milk very fast - it's cheapest if I buy a gallon and freeze it in two or three cup jars (I have tons of them.)
When I was single, it drove me nuts to waste milk, so I used to buy quarts, even though they were more expensive. If I had to leave for a trip, I just tossed the container in the freezer. Now we blow through Costco 2-half gallon packs with ease, and bonus kid doesn't like the taste of powdered milk/won't drink it, even though I am a fan for its shelf stability.

Blah, blah, blah...all of that was preamble to one of my favorite frugal things. I started buying quarts of milk in plastic jugs with handles and screw tops. I wash them thoroughly, refill with water and freeze. I've found four of them fit across the bottom of my travel cooler and will keep food cold for 8-10 hours, which is awesome! I throw a couple of them into lined freezer bags when I do my regular grocery shopping as well. They store really neatly in the freezer. I guess I got my money's worth out of those more expensive quarts of milk after all.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cgbg on July 19, 2020, 08:38:13 PM
I assume that the fall will be bad. I’m all good on shelf stable items for the rest of 2020, including holiday baking.

I created a dinner meal plan for every day of every week between now and January. I went to Costco last week for the last time until 2021. Lunch is always leftovers and we are both pretty set on breakfast rotations and none of that involves cereal. I just made sure my pantry and freezers have enough to carry us through 2020. I’m done going into grocery stores for the year.

Now, to be sure, I don’t have a holiday ham or turkey in my chest freezer but that’s ok because I still intend to have a small curbside order each week to 2 weeks.  It’s just the two of us so we have plenty of storage room. If the college aged kids come home, I think I’ll still have enough since we will be more into soups, stews and chili for the fall and I can never really make a small batch.

Realistically my meal plan will last for longer as we tend to have one to two leftover dinner nights each week. I’m still trying to scale down meals from when we had two teenage boys living here.

I also bought a couple of day old chicks about 10 days ago. They’ll be ready to lay eggs in November so I shouldn’t run out of those either. My excuse was that I had two broody hens so naturally baby chicks made sense. But the bonus is that I’ll have a steady supply of eggs when my older hens and my younger hens take a break.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MyAlterEgoIsTaller on July 20, 2020, 01:22:07 PM
I have a friend who is convinced there will be no food, gasoline, heating fuel, or electricity by winter.  He and his wife bought a giant freezer and filled it full of meat, and bought a generator to keep the freezer going, and solar panels to keep the generator going...  As a mostly-vegetarian I'm not too impressed with this - though I guess if things devolve to the level he's predicting, I know where to find some meat.

I live where there are big snow storms and long power outages, and I'm not close to stores so I was already in the habit of infrequent stock-ups of large-ish quantities.  Back when stay-home started it was winter and I was already prepared with a good 2 to 4 week supply of most everything.  The only thing I went a little crazy on was cat food - I saw it out of stock most places online, so when I found some I bought a couple huge bags.  That was irrational hoarder panic, since half the time my cat turns her nose up at what I offer and catches herself a chipmunk for breakfast.

Now my grocery stores are still out of disinfecting wipes, but I'm a one-person household, working at home, and going virtually nowhere since March, so I have no pressing need to disinfect much. Everything else that disappeared for a time is back now in my usual stores - paper products, baking supplies, rice and beans.  But seeing what happened in the spring has made me want to stockpile just a little more of those things than usual for the fall and winter.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Runrooster on July 20, 2020, 07:36:53 PM
I can't even think about hoarding yet, I'm still using up the supplies I bought during the empty grocery stores in March!
I bought/have left:
1. 6 frozen pizzas/2 left - I thought I'd be needing junk food once a week at least.
2. 4 pints haagen dazs /4 left - I ate 3, was given 3 more.
3. 6 boxes cereal/6 left - My Mom used to eat Cheerios like popcorn, with salt added.  Plus I think 3 were free and 3 were really cheap. Turns out she has a food sensitivity to oatmeal.  I started eating it for dessert yesterday.
4.lots of toilet paper/ lots of toilet paper - I think we have a 6 month supply, assuming no one else in our family needs it.
5. 20 pounds rice/ 15 pounds left - this is just normal shopping for us, usually lasts a year
6. various beans- this one I might could stock up on, as my Mom is only eating 4 of the many beans we have, but the stores didn't run low last time.
7. 15 cans beans/8 can beans - I actually would stock up on these if I saw good prices but I haven't.  Before they would come down to 33 cents a can, now they're 89 cents.  If the worst happens, I'll be out of work and will have time to pressure cook beans anyway.
8. yeast flour plenty- didnt use this as no one felt like baking and found good deals on sourdough bread
9. eggs /4dozen- so these have gotten cheap at times but I have no interest in freezing eggs, guess we'll have to eat the cost
10 various soup, pasta, frozen veg-I didnt buy extra nor did I use more. we eat mostly fresh fruit and veg and there wasnt a shortage yet.
11. ETA 30 granola bars, 3 bags chocolate - have about a 6 month supply at the rate I usually eat them

I probably forgot something but what else should I stockpile?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MonkeyJenga on July 20, 2020, 08:24:17 PM
I usually never keep much food on hand. Anything that's too snacky, I'll eat immediately, and anything too ingredient-y, I may never get around to turning into food. But now I'm stocking up on enough food and hygiene supplies to last through winter, in case fall harvests are interrupted or supply chains fail. The freezer is small, so everything's gotta be shelf-stable. Thankfully most things will keep for at least a year. For things like milk and eggs, I'm looking into vegan alternatives.

I'm not buying out the entire store, but I'm adding extras to my weekly grocery order. Bf and I are also preparing for winter gardening, so we can grow some fresh greens. We're kinda sorta preparing to dehydrate large amounts of gleaned fruit, but ugh it's such a pain... Avoiding scurvy would be real nice, though. Plus, free food!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Missy B on July 20, 2020, 11:58:06 PM
Costco has been vewwy, vewwy quiet lately. Went from lineups all the time to no line at all, even though they haven't increased the numbers allowed in. I assume that people made multiple stocking-up trips and are feeling relaxed at the moment, because our cases are still low.
There's some things on sale I think I'll get this weekend. Cases have started climbing here, and while I'm not personally afraid to grocery shop I'm concerned the numbers may trigger more panic buying from people.

The key new difference in my province, like so many other places, is stupid 20-30 year olds having parties and spreading their COVID all around. Their stupidity and selfishness can easily destroy the livelihoods of millions of people in my province alone.
More taxes for them.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on July 21, 2020, 06:54:32 AM
Costco has been vewwy, vewwy quiet lately. Went from lineups all the time to no line at all, even though they haven't increased the numbers allowed in. I assume that people made multiple stocking-up trips and are feeling relaxed at the moment, because our cases are still low.
There's some things on sale I think I'll get this weekend. Cases have started climbing here, and while I'm not personally afraid to grocery shop I'm concerned the numbers may trigger more panic buying from people.

The key new difference in my province, like so many other places, is stupid 20-30 year olds having parties and spreading their COVID all around. Their stupidity and selfishness can easily destroy the livelihoods of millions of people in my province alone.
More taxes for them.

So much this.  My province (Ontario)  has almost 90% of new cases under 60.  I'm  betting on Canada Day celebrations being a contributor, there were 2 big ones (unauthorized) in Ottawa, plus lots of neighbourhood ones.  And the usual, bars and restaurants.

I'm stockpiling a bit as I shop.  If I see something on sale that I normally eat, something that keeps, I am buying extra.  If nothing else it will cut down on the winter driving.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: I'm a red panda on July 21, 2020, 08:58:37 AM
PDXTabs, I also have had a hard time finding Lysol wipes. Don't know if you are interested but what I did was buy baby wipes. I got the Walmart brand. Then I poured rubbing alcohol into the container. Maybe 6 ounces, enough to saturate all the wipes. I use that to wipe down things. Probably not approved by hospital standards but works for me!

Early on, I had to use cloth wipes with a spray bottle of water on my baby's butt for over a month because baby wipes were so impossible to find, since people were using them like lysol wipes.  I don't cloth diaper, so that was fun to deal with as laundry.

I've never used a sanitizing wipe.  If you are making your own anyway- why not use a rag? Or paper towels?  Why buy baby wipes that people need for babies?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on July 21, 2020, 09:50:09 AM
Count me in the group that has stocked up compared to the past.

Normally we would keep a weeks worth of food in the house, last winter we started batch cooking and vacuum packing portions so we would eat better so we have a good supply of precooked meals

Then late April / early March watching covid start I bought a little bit extra each trip so we would have a good base of 3+ months worth of rice, beans, nuts, oatmeal, coffee and the basics.

As things went on i had a hard time finding some basics that I needed to make our favorite batch meals such as crushed tomatoes or chicken stock and we just about ran out of precooked meals so now that things have simmered down a bit I have purchased extras of those items that we use regularly and we have been making more batch meals.

Isopropyl - we had one bottle, could not find any and ran out so now that it is popping up every once in a while I have bought a few extra bottles.

My laundry detergent ran out and went MIA on the shelves for a while and I breakout in horrible hives from most laundry detergent so when it came back in stock I grabbed a few extra bottles.

My goal is to avoid the store as much as possible and have a little extra of critical items to hold us over if things go out of stock.

Now if you asked the instacart delivery person that delivered my Costco order last month she would probably say I am a hoarder considering she thought she was delivering to a business :)

But hey, it’s once every month 1/2 to two months for my big order
Last month...
6 cases of lacroix (we go through one a week)
6 cases of coke
8 128 oz cans of crushed tomatoes (already half gone 2 weeks later)
60 eggs
2 flats of sunchips
2 cases of chicken stock
15 lbs of potatoes
22 evol breakfast burritos (We eat one for breakfat every other day)
Olive oil
16 lbs of mixed frozen fruit (daily smoothies for lunch)
2 large jars of peanut butter
3 64 oz almond milk
4 lbs of butter
Lots of cheese
Large container of chilli powder
Large container of cumin
Large container of bay leaves
Bag of onions
Bag of garlic
Bale of bounty select a size
Bale of toilet paper
2 whole chickens


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Captain Cactus on July 21, 2020, 10:15:08 AM
I just went onto the Bob's Red Mill website to check out their bulk items (ie oat meal, musli, etc...) and was disappointed to see shipping was over $30+ for any bulk items...items not considered bulk had free shipping if over $50. 

Any recommendations for ordering bulk organic items online?  I don't want to step foot into a Costco/BJs, etc...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 21, 2020, 10:18:51 AM
I just went onto the Bob's Red Mill website to check out their bulk items (ie oat meal, musli, etc...) and was disappointed to see shipping was over $30+ for any bulk items...items not considered bulk had free shipping if over $50. 

Any recommendations for ordering bulk organic items online?  I don't want to step foot into a Costco/BJs, etc...

Try this place:
https://pleasanthillgrain.com/buy-oat-groats-rolled-organic-superpail-sale-bulk
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on July 21, 2020, 12:16:35 PM

I probably forgot something but what else should I stockpile?

I'm new to stockpiling anything other than grains and legumes.  One of our favorite new "stockpile" items is organic strawberry jam from Costco.  You can use it in the normal way on sandwiches and toast, add it to yogurt, make jam tarts (crostata) or homemade pop tarts, make flaky turnovers, put it on ice cream, flavor a smoothie, make thumbprint cookies, and more.  Mostly we add it to homemade yogurt.  I've been topping up the case I bought as we go through it, but on my next Costco trip I'll buy a second case.

We're trying to set ourselves up to need nothing other than perishables by the beginning of September, with 6 - 12 months worth of pantry and freezer foods stored, plus OTC medications, cleaning supplies, etc.  Call it hoarding if people must, but we plan on shopping this way well into the future -- it saves time and money, and we're done with replicating the once a week (or more often) shopping model.  If I can afford to buy a year's worth of jam in one go and have space to store it, why shop for it weekly/monthly?  It doesn't seem all that different from canning it myself for the year (except this jam is less expensive than starting with strawberries).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mountain mustache on July 21, 2020, 12:29:56 PM

I probably forgot something but what else should I stockpile?

 One of our favorite new "stockpile" items is organic strawberry jam from Costco.  You can use it in the normal way on sandwiches and toast, add it to yogurt, make jam tarts (crostata) or homemade pop tarts, make flaky turnovers, put it on ice cream, flavor a smoothie, make thumbprint cookies, and more.  Mostly we add it to homemade yogurt.  I've been topping up the case I bought as we go through it, but on my next Costco trip I'll buy a second case.
.

This jam is so good! And SO affordable, and low(er) in sugar. I always buy two jars at a time. My pandemic "hoarding" list has 3x Costco strawberry jam jars haha.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on July 21, 2020, 01:07:08 PM
You might think we are stockpiling cheese when we go to Costco, but no.  We just eat a lot of cheese.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on July 21, 2020, 01:31:34 PM
I like how this thread turned pro-hoarding. LOL
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on July 21, 2020, 02:27:34 PM
You might think we are stockpiling cheese when we go to Costco, but no.  We just eat a lot of cheese.

Same here.  I did stockpile Tillamook cheese when I finally went to Costco in mid-May after not having been since early March, but that's because most other cheddar cheeses are disappointing.  We like Tillamook so much I shred and freeze it so we have have the convenience of shredded cheese at the block Tillamook price.  But we also buy the sliced Tillamook at Costco.  I need to buy 2-3 of those a month (it seems my youngest is living on cheese these days, he polished off 2.5# of sliced cheese in 13 days earlier this month).  If I hadn't bought so much in May, my monthly cheese from Costco would easily be 12 - 15#.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on July 21, 2020, 02:30:53 PM
You might think we are stockpiling cheese when we go to Costco, but no.  We just eat a lot of cheese.

Same here.  I did stockpile Tillamook cheese when I finally went to Costco in mid-May after not having been since early March, but that's because most other cheddar cheeses are disappointing.  We like Tillamook so much I shred and freeze it so we have have the convenience of shredded cheese at the block Tillamook price.  But we also buy the sliced Tillamook at Costco.  I need to buy 2-3 of those a month (it seems my youngest is living on cheese these days, he polished off 2.5# of sliced cheese in 13 days earlier this month).  If I hadn't bought so much in May, my monthly cheese from Costco would easily be 12 - 15#.
We buy the Costco brand block cheese, but accidentally got Tillamook once when someone put a block there and swapped.  Not that we don't like the good stuff, we just buy the regular. 

Right before we went on quarantine, we bought the shredded colby jack (what, 4 lbs ?  8 lbs?)  The two-pack.  I've lost count of how many we go through in a month now.  Quesadillas, nachos, mac and cheese, scrambled eggs, burritos...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PDXTabs on July 21, 2020, 02:31:05 PM
Same here.  I did stockpile Tillamook cheese when I finally went to Costco in mid-May after not having been since early March, but that's because most other cheddar cheeses are disappointing.

You should try the Kerrygold (from Costco).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on July 21, 2020, 06:36:36 PM
Huh.  I thought American cheeses all came in spreadable jar based form.  :P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Runrooster on July 21, 2020, 07:02:09 PM

I'm new to stockpiling anything other than grains and legumes.  One of our favorite new "stockpile" items is organic strawberry jam from Costco.  You can use it in the normal way on sandwiches and toast, add it to yogurt, make jam tarts (crostata) or homemade pop tarts, make flaky turnovers, put it on ice cream, flavor a smoothie, make thumbprint cookies, and more.  Mostly we add it to homemade yogurt.  I've been topping up the case I bought as we go through it, but on my next Costco trip I'll buy a second case.

Thanks for the idea.  I see it gets rave reviews on the internet too.  Just not big jam eaters.  I buy yogurt pre-made, ditto turnovers.   I also don't eat bread too often and like it savory when I do.  I also eat a lot of fresh strawberries, my favorite fruit, so the jam seems superfluous.  I did buy 2 jars of fig jam 2 years ago; went through one.  Have to remember to pull out the second one for the rare bread eating. 

I did like the salsa idea; not sure if I'll buy some but I may stockpile canned tomatoes if I find the right kind.  I have 5 cans, I can easily go through double that.  Well, not easily - my Mom is allergic to the salt in there, and in canned spaghetti sauce of which I bought 4 bottles after cleaning out the 4 we had lying around.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Steeze on July 21, 2020, 07:05:49 PM
I went to throw the trash out today and someone in my building threw out 4 giant sized cans of marinara sauce - unopened ... it was 100+ degrees out, think they are still good?

Seems like they were throwing out the hoard! Should at least donate it sheesh.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on July 21, 2020, 08:14:58 PM
Did you check the expiration date on the jars? Some people take those seriously.  I personally would eat marinara sauce past the sell by date, but wouldn't donate it because food pantries wouldn't take it and also it doesn't seem right to give old food.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Papa bear on July 21, 2020, 08:35:27 PM
I just went onto the Bob's Red Mill website to check out their bulk items (ie oat meal, musli, etc...) and was disappointed to see shipping was over $30+ for any bulk items...items not considered bulk had free shipping if over $50. 

Any recommendations for ordering bulk organic items online?  I don't want to step foot into a Costco/BJs, etc...

Try this place:
https://pleasanthillgrain.com/buy-oat-groats-rolled-organic-superpail-sale-bulk
Has anyone bought from this place?

https://www.webstaurantstore.com

I’ve been looking at giant bags of oatmeal...


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PDXTabs on July 21, 2020, 08:58:50 PM
I personally would eat marinara sauce past the sell by date, but wouldn't donate it because food pantries wouldn't take it and also it doesn't seem right to give old food.

Some will for sure, Boulder Food Rescue (https://www.boulderfoodrescue.org/) comes to mind.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on July 21, 2020, 09:13:21 PM
I just went onto the Bob's Red Mill website to check out their bulk items (ie oat meal, musli, etc...) and was disappointed to see shipping was over $30+ for any bulk items...items not considered bulk had free shipping if over $50. 

Any recommendations for ordering bulk organic items online?  I don't want to step foot into a Costco/BJs, etc...

Try this place:
https://pleasanthillgrain.com/buy-oat-groats-rolled-organic-superpail-sale-bulk
Has anyone bought from this place?

https://www.webstaurantstore.com

I’ve been looking at giant bags of oatmeal...


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I purchased my vacuum packing machine and bags from them everything arrived in good order and timely.

No idea on food but I am happy with the equipment.


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Nickyd£g on July 22, 2020, 08:02:52 AM
I had been prepping for Brexit for about a year when Covid hit and must say I was bloody delighted I had supplies in and didn't have to brave the screaming crowds or miss out on loo roll. I'm back to prepping for Brexit again, should have about 6 months worth of food, meds, toiletries and household goods by December.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on July 22, 2020, 09:47:24 AM
I like how this thread turned pro-hoarding. LOL

Ha ha, what do you expect! MMM is all about hoarding followed by controlled consumption. We are a group self selected to be pro-hoarding. Even more amusing is how many of us were food and supplies hoarders before the pandemic, so that it involved little change of lifestyle (myself also guilty as charged.)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on July 23, 2020, 08:35:42 AM
I like how this thread turned pro-hoarding. LOL

Ha ha, what do you expect! MMM is all about hoarding followed by controlled consumption. We are a group self selected to be pro-hoarding. Even more amusing is how many of us were food and supplies hoarders before the pandemic, so that it involved little change of lifestyle (myself also guilty as charged.)
Ha! Nailed it. When my family used to tease me, I'd retort that I had what the Mormons would charitably call a "good start". No one's laughing at me now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PoutineLover on July 23, 2020, 08:58:06 AM
I wouldn't say that I hoard, but I do keep a good supply of food on hand at all times. I like to have stuff like meat in the freezer, flour, rice, canned goods and pasta. Generally it's just so that I never NEED to go shopping for any given meal, there's always something in the house to make. Since the pandemic started, it definitely made me want to keep more food available, especially when things are hard to find and I don't want to shop as often. Can't really qualify it as hoarding though, since my apartment is small and I don't have room for a big stash. I'm really annoyed at the people who bought tons of shit that they didn't need/wouldn't eat just because they were panicking.
Early on when shelves were almost empty I saw someone with an entire cart full of chicken that was on sale, leaving none for anyone else. I hope they were cooking for a group home other something, because otherwise it was an unreasonable amount.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on July 23, 2020, 09:50:33 AM
I wouldn't say that I hoard, but I do keep a good supply of food on hand at all times. I like to have stuff like meat in the freezer, flour, rice, canned goods and pasta. Generally it's just so that I never NEED to go shopping for any given meal, there's always something in the house to make.

Yeah, I always kept a wide variety of items for versatility -as soon as I ran out of something, I replaced it- but never kept a deep stock of most food items. The pandemic has definitely changed that.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: kanga1622 on July 23, 2020, 10:56:39 AM
This thread may have turned not pro-hoarding (as most of us would be willing to share with family/friends/neighbors in need) but pro-planning.

I grew up in a tiny town that had a grocery store for a good portion of my childhood. When that closed and it was a 25 mile drive to the nearest grocery store, we learned to keep bookshelves in the basement with our usual food supplies (canned soup, tomato sauce, pasta, baking supplies, etc.) and we had 2 upright freezers full of meat. Pretty normal for people in farm country. Not a lot different from my grandfather that had a prolific garden and would can hundreds of jars of tomato juice, chili starter, pickles, vegetable juice, whole tomatoes, salsa, etc.

I still have that mentality even though I can literally see Walmart from my backyard. I don't want to run to the store for 1-2 items. So we've always kept a decent pantry stock and our upright freezer is full of several ingredients but also leftovers in single serve portions for those nights I don't feel like cooking. The only COVID related switch for me is keeping a higher threshold on my stock level and shopping every 2 weeks rather than once per week.

Honestly, if I felt safe going to Costco right now, we'd probably have a lot more stockpiled. :)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on July 23, 2020, 11:06:21 AM
Honestly, if I felt safe going to Costco right now, we'd probably have a lot more stockpiled. :)

If it eases your mind, Costco has been one of my safest and easiest shopping experiences since this began. They imposed a strict mask requirement at all stores back in April. It's worth a try if you can go at an off hour (I like weekday mornings).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on July 23, 2020, 11:58:55 AM
Honestly, if I felt safe going to Costco right now, we'd probably have a lot more stockpiled. :)

If it eases your mind, Costco has been one of my safest and easiest shopping experiences since this began. They imposed a strict mask requirement at all stores back in April. It's worth a try if you can go at an off hour (I like weekday mornings).

+1
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 23, 2020, 12:35:40 PM
I am stocked up to the moon here but I just found out that I am out of a certain soup that I like. I am like, OMG, how did that happen! I actually ran out of something! So now I have to stock up on that. By the way, have any of you tried buying cans or jarred products at Walmart online? That is a disaster. They will throw glass jars of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the box. No packaging materials, no dividers, no cardboard/bubble wrap to protect the jars. Just all tossed in the bottom and shipped. I have received quite a few shipments of jars broken, lids popped off and a box full of sauce. I do not understand why they do this. I have called repeatedly to get refunds, complained of the condition of the broken jars, etc. They always say they will report it. They just don't care! The cans come extremely dented like they went thru a war zone. GRRRRR!!!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: oldladystache on July 23, 2020, 12:42:54 PM
By the way, have any of you tried buying cans or jarred products at Walmart online? That is a disaster. They will throw glass jars of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the box. No packaging materials, no dividers, no cardboard/bubble wrap to protect the jars. Just all tossed in the bottom and shipped. I have received quite a few shipments of jars broken, lids popped off and a box full of sauce. I do not understand why they do this. I have called repeatedly to get refunds, complained of the condition of the broken jars, etc. They always say they will report it. They just don't care! The cans come extremely dented like they went thru a war zone. GRRRRR!!!
I have had the same experience. Mostly dented cans. How hard can it be to pack things properly?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on July 23, 2020, 12:46:30 PM
Same here.  I did stockpile Tillamook cheese when I finally went to Costco in mid-May after not having been since early March, but that's because most other cheddar cheeses are disappointing.

You should try the Kerrygold (from Costco).

Our Costco has Kerrygold butter, but doesn't often have Kerrygold cheese other than the Dubliner.  We used to splurge on that occasionally.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on July 23, 2020, 01:11:44 PM
I am stocked up to the moon here but I just found out that I am out of a certain soup that I like. I am like, OMG, how did that happen! I actually ran out of something! So now I have to stock up on that. By the way, have any of you tried buying cans or jarred products at Walmart online? That is a disaster. They will throw glass jars of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the box. No packaging materials, no dividers, no cardboard/bubble wrap to protect the jars. Just all tossed in the bottom and shipped. I have received quite a few shipments of jars broken, lids popped off and a box full of sauce. I do not understand why they do this. I have called repeatedly to get refunds, complained of the condition of the broken jars, etc. They always say they will report it. They just don't care! The cans come extremely dented like they went thru a war zone. GRRRRR!!!

I learned my lesson in April -- Target does the same thing.  Everything arrived dented, no packing materials are used, and one huge box was easily 50# with everything jumbled together and much of it destroyed.  This was when there was no way I would go to the store for a refund.  Costco does better with their 2 day grocery program, but it's still not perfect.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: slappy on July 23, 2020, 01:16:54 PM
I haven't had much issue with ordering stuff online. I order from Sams all the time and I don't have dents, broken stuff, etc. We had four jars of spaghetti sauce come from walmart with no issues.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on July 23, 2020, 01:17:36 PM
I have been doing curbside with Walmart and have zero issues maybe try curbside?


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Buffaloski Boris on July 23, 2020, 08:18:41 PM
(https://meme-generator.com/wp-content/uploads/mememe/2020/03/mememe_f41ddaf8fff14b7db372f058dd56716f-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 24, 2020, 06:46:29 AM
The Walmart in my town is small and not a super Walmart and does not offer curbside service. Most of the grocery stores in my area do not offer it either. The one store that does is a small family store and prices are sky high.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on July 24, 2020, 06:59:03 AM
That’s a bummer, pretty much all of the stores including bike shops are doing curbside.

First time during this pandemic that I am glad to be in a city instead of being jelly of my cousin that moved totally off grid up in the mountains a year ago.


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 24, 2020, 09:08:04 AM
I order a lot from Peapod which is a grocery delivery service. They just delivered today. The trouble with them is that sale items are hard to come by. They have sale items but not much stuff. Then, before delivery you get the invoice and then it will tell you what is out of stock in  your order. So you don't know what is out of stock so you can choose something else. It stinks in some ways.

So, I ordered some sauce from Amazon. It said it was a case of 12 jars. I have been having so much bad luck with Walmart and broken jars I thought maybe buying a case from Amazon would be better and it would be in the manufacturer's cardboard box. The box arrived 3 days ago and it was from Walmart! The Amazon person drop shipped it from Walmart! Guess what? They threw all 12 jars in the bottom of the box, no packing materials at all. The jars were not wrapped in paper, bubble...nothing! The box was also too big and with no packaging materials, the glass jars had a bumpy ride. The Hub opened up the box that was dripping all over the driveway and ants were crawling al over it! Most of the jars were broken and the others lids had popped off. The whole box was filled with glass and sauce. Seriously, I would think a 6 years old kid would know better that the stuff would break if it had no packaging materials. I contacted the Amazon person and they begrudgingly said they would refund my money. GRRRRR!!!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: coppertop on July 24, 2020, 09:25:56 AM
We are vegetarian, and right after things began shutting down here (just before St. Patrick's Day), our staple foods totally disappeared from store shelves.  Rice, pasta, tomato products, dried and canned beans, oatmeal, etc. People even reported difficulty in finding tofu.  I said never again, so now I do have a fully stocked pantry, which I inventory, and expect will last me a few months.  Funny how everyone is keto or low carb and telling us we are killing ourselves by eating starches, but when the panic button hits, they have to have cupboards full of pasta and rice.  The two Aldi stores near me are still low or totally out of tomato products, chickpeas are not to be found, and are limiting facial tissue to one box at a time. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on July 24, 2020, 09:50:21 AM
I order a lot from Peapod which is a grocery delivery service. They just delivered today. The trouble with them is that sale items are hard to come by. They have sale items but not much stuff. Then, before delivery you get the invoice and then it will tell you what is out of stock in  your order. So you don't know what is out of stock so you can choose something else. It stinks in some ways.

So, I ordered some sauce from Amazon. It said it was a case of 12 jars. I have been having so much bad luck with Walmart and broken jars I thought maybe buying a case from Amazon would be better and it would be in the manufacturer's cardboard box. The box arrived 3 days ago and it was from Walmart! The Amazon person drop shipped it from Walmart! Guess what? They threw all 12 jars in the bottom of the box, no packing materials at all. The jars were not wrapped in paper, bubble...nothing! The box was also too big and with no packaging materials, the glass jars had a bumpy ride. The Hub opened up the box that was dripping all over the driveway and ants were crawling al over it! Most of the jars were broken and the others lids had popped off. The whole box was filled with glass and sauce. Seriously, I would think a 6 years old kid would know better that the stuff would break if it had no packaging materials. I contacted the Amazon person and they begrudgingly said they would refund my money. GRRRRR!!!
That is just maddening.  OMG.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 24, 2020, 10:05:33 AM
We are vegetarian, and right after things began shutting down here (just before St. Patrick's Day), our staple foods totally disappeared from store shelves.  Rice, pasta, tomato products, dried and canned beans, oatmeal, etc. People even reported difficulty in finding tofu.  I said never again, so now I do have a fully stocked pantry, which I inventory, and expect will last me a few months.  Funny how everyone is keto or low carb and telling us we are killing ourselves by eating starches, but when the panic button hits, they have to have cupboards full of pasta and rice.  The two Aldi stores near me are still low or totally out of tomato products, chickpeas are not to be found, and are limiting facial tissue to one box at a time.

Lots of chickpeas thru Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=chickpeas

Warning, if you buy cans, expect them to be dented upon arrival. If you spend $35 you get free shipping. Easy enough to do!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: reformed spendthrift on July 24, 2020, 10:06:08 AM
If you live in the midwest, having lots of soup is pretty normal. I can't tell you the amount of cream of chicken I use for various recipes. Back in the 70's it was all about cream of mushroom. I try to cook healthier now but some of my old school recipes call for a lot of canned items.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: kanga1622 on July 24, 2020, 11:55:36 AM
Honestly, if I felt safe going to Costco right now, we'd probably have a lot more stockpiled. :)

If it eases your mind, Costco has been one of my safest and easiest shopping experiences since this began. They imposed a strict mask requirement at all stores back in April. It's worth a try if you can go at an off hour (I like weekday mornings).

I wish! Unfortunately we tagged along with my in-laws 1-2 times a year and picked up just a few items. But the store is 65 miles away in a city with a much higher COVID rate than my own locale. So we are hunkering down at home and avoiding the "city" as much as possible. As this is the only Costco store within about 150+ miles, it is a busy place pretty much all the time. We were just about to get our own membership now that we knew what they carried but we put the brakes on this idea now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 24, 2020, 12:07:09 PM
Honestly, if I felt safe going to Costco right now, we'd probably have a lot more stockpiled. :)

If it eases your mind, Costco has been one of my safest and easiest shopping experiences since this began. They imposed a strict mask requirement at all stores back in April. It's worth a try if you can go at an off hour (I like weekday mornings).

I wish! Unfortunately we tagged along with my in-laws 1-2 times a year and picked up just a few items. But the store is 65 miles away in a city with a much higher COVID rate than my own locale. So we are hunkering down at home and avoiding the "city" as much as possible. As this is the only Costco store within about 150+ miles, it is a busy place pretty much all the time. We were just about to get our own membership now that we knew what they carried but we put the brakes on this idea now.

You could still get the membership and shop Costco on line. You will not be able to buy everything you see in the store but you will find a wide range of things. They have meat, fish, they will ship it frozen too. Since the virus, they have had less to offer but slowly they are getting in more stock. I order from them a lot.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: birdie55 on July 24, 2020, 12:13:34 PM
Some Costco stores have delivery, same day or soon.  Check someday.costco.com to see if your local Costco has local delivery.  Instacart does the delivery.   The prices are a little higher than in the store, but I find it worth it to pay extra to get the Costco items I am used to buying.  Delivered to my front porch.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MissPeach on July 24, 2020, 12:56:57 PM
We're not hoarding but with the long line to get in stores around here (about 45 minutes on average) I stopped going to as many stores to save my time and sanity. I used to go to 2 stores weekly and another one or two monthly. Now I rotate the two weekly ones to every other week and go less to the monthly ones. This means I'm buying 2-3 weeks worth of food instead of one. Sadly this means I also have to drive to the store when before I walked and carried things home.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Master of None on July 24, 2020, 01:09:39 PM
Just got an email from Sam's Club that they are having a promotion from 7/24-8/23 to get 5% back on all purchases in club or online if you make the purchase with your Sam's Club Mastercard. We have been planning on stocking up a staples and this seems like the perfect time to get a bit more cash back in the process. I'll be loading up on flour, rice, cereal, pasta noodles, and some meat. Probably will join the hordes in grabbing plenty of TP and paper towels.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: slappy on July 24, 2020, 01:40:52 PM
Just got an email from Sam's Club that they are having a promotion from 7/24-8/23 to get 5% back on all purchases in club or online if you make the purchase with your Sam's Club Mastercard. We have been planning on stocking up a staples and this seems like the perfect time to get a bit more cash back in the process. I'll be loading up on flour, rice, cereal, pasta noodles, and some meat. Probably will join the hordes in grabbing plenty of TP and paper towels.

Of course, because I just stocked up at sams last weekend.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on July 24, 2020, 01:59:06 PM
I wish! Unfortunately we tagged along with my in-laws 1-2 times a year and picked up just a few items. But the store is 65 miles away in a city with a much higher COVID rate than my own locale. So we are hunkering down at home and avoiding the "city" as much as possible. As this is the only Costco store within about 150+ miles, it is a busy place pretty much all the time. We were just about to get our own membership now that we knew what they carried but we put the brakes on this idea now.

We stayed away from Costco from early March through mid-May, but continued to order online using the "2 Day Grocery" program, which of course wasn't only 2 days because of demand.  The prices are higher than in store (to cover picking and packing), but we didn't want to risk going in store and the prices were acceptable compared to non-Costco prices.  Overall they did a decent job of packing things, although the peanut cans did end up dented.

I think Sam's Club also does delivery of non-perishable food.

Last night I mentioned to DH that we were more cautious early on when our county had far fewer cases, and I think it's time we go back to acting how we did the first couple of months.  Unfortunately, our young adult sons went back to work (essential business but they were allowed leave of absence at first), so there's no way to be as careful as we were before.  I do need to make one more in person Costco trip because one OTC med my kid takes has to be gotten from the pharmacist and can't be ordered online at all.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: JoJo on July 25, 2020, 11:53:35 AM
I've seen increased talk about a 2nd big lockdown.  I'm thinking about picking up a little extra stuff on the next trip to the supermarket on the non-parishables.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 25, 2020, 12:21:23 PM
Does anyone know where you can order cases of canned items? Like 28 oz cans of tomatoes or green beans, corn in cans that actually come packed in the original case from the factory?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: birdie55 on July 25, 2020, 12:31:34 PM
I ordered some canned tomatoes through Walmart.com.  Vitacost has canned foods and you can always look on Amazon.com too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 25, 2020, 12:45:32 PM
I have had too many dented cans from Walmart and broken jars. I am looking for a place that ships the stuff in original cases, not just chucked into the bottom of a box like Walmart does.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: birdie55 on July 25, 2020, 01:06:41 PM
I ordered a case of 12 cans of tomatoes from Walmart and they came intact in the original case.  Cardboard bottom and plastic shrink wrapped.  It was the only time I ordered canned goods from Walmart and they came intact. no dents. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SotI on July 25, 2020, 02:05:40 PM
I stocked up beyond our regular prep level in late Feb - early March.
We've bern good since, just replenishing when we run low (i.e. 50% of planned items).
Otherwise, I just add fresh produce every two weeks or so.

I may opportunistically buy discounted or special offers in bulk, though.
Worst case, we would be good for a couple of months without external supplies.
That's not Corona-related, though. We generally plan for some emergencies and like to be as self-sufficient as possible.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on July 25, 2020, 04:09:24 PM
One thing I've definitely noticed myself stocking up on is shelf stable food for a Little Free Pantry that I oversee. We have about 10 families who regularly stock it, but it is running out almost as fast as we can fill it these days.

But basically when food goes on sale for about a dollar (or less) a unit I stock up. This week I bought lots of cereal, granola bars, spaghetti, canned sauce, canned fruit, peanut butter, microwave rice & beans, and tuna pouches.  (I got 5 boxes of cheerios for $1.29, pasta was .69 so it evened out.)

So I spent an extra $50 on those items this week. I restocked the pantry last night and it was empty this morning. People are really hurting right now.

FWIW- because someone always asks this: we actually have our pantry near a security camera and people do not wipe out the pantry. People are really good about taking a few things and leaving the rest for others. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SavinMaven on July 25, 2020, 08:56:09 PM
FWIW- because someone always asks this: we actually have our pantry near a security camera and people do not wipe out the pantry. People are really good about taking a few things and leaving the rest for others.

Is the security camera visible? To what do you attribute the camaraderie you've seen?

I ask because we tried a free pantry in our town in March, and while 99% of people who came only took a few items, once every day or two we would have someone clear it out (some consecutive days, it was the same couple, taking even the plastic tubs items were displayed in) and eventually those stocking it gave up. Would love to find out what makes this successful so we could try to get it going again.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on July 26, 2020, 12:35:08 PM
FWIW- because someone always asks this: we actually have our pantry near a security camera and people do not wipe out the pantry. People are really good about taking a few things and leaving the rest for others.

Is the security camera visible? To what do you attribute the camaraderie you've seen?

I ask because we tried a free pantry in our town in March, and while 99% of people who came only took a few items, once every day or two we would have someone clear it out (some consecutive days, it was the same couple, taking even the plastic tubs items were displayed in) and eventually those stocking it gave up. Would love to find out what makes this successful so we could try to get it going again.

Security cam is visible and it is located at a church and the priest's house is VERY close by.

We also have a couple of signs on it that say something like "if you need extra food help please contact X phone number", and another that posts the regular (three times a week) food pantry hours that is within walking distance of the little free pantry.

I did take a call the other day from a woman who missed the food pantry hours and didn't want to clean out the pantry. I met her at the pantry and brought her some extra groceries. It worked nicely - but also - people are really good at not taking advantage of it. I only meet someone to bring them extra food about once a month.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on July 31, 2020, 07:21:43 AM
We just got a second fridge, and we already have a chest freezer. It sounds a little extreme, but with all these teens and teen-sized tweens around, the food goes pretty fast. My husband's family (3 boys) had three fridges when he was growing up. 

3 gallons of milk usually last us only a week, so the new fridge should help us stay at home for two weeks at a time as needed.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: kanga1622 on July 31, 2020, 12:02:45 PM
We just got a second fridge, and we already have a chest freezer. It sounds a little extreme, but with all these teens and teen-sized tweens around, the food goes pretty fast. My husband's family (3 boys) had three fridges when he was growing up. 

3 gallons of milk usually last us only a week, so the new fridge should help us stay at home for two weeks at a time as needed.

We have a dorm fridge in the basement next to our upright freezer. That extra space is CRITICAL in keeping an extra gallon of milk, lunchmeat, OJ, and yogurt on hand. It is the only way we can stretch grocery shopping to two week rotations. And we only have 1 kid in the house that drinks milk! Even though it is a small fridge, it is just enough to restock those high traffic items that don't necessarily freeze as well.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 31, 2020, 01:03:15 PM
It is just the Hub and I and we have a big upright freezer and a refrigerator with a freezer in the basement. Everything is full and I have been thinking about buying another freezer. I like to buy turkey breast, ham and prime rib when it goes on sale so we have it for the year. I also have some garden produce I need room for.

I have looked for an upright freezer thru various stores and for some reason I can't get one to my zipcode. Constantly out of stock. Is everyone hoarding up on freezers too?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Christof on July 31, 2020, 01:07:51 PM
I have looked for an upright freezer thru various stores and for some reason I can't get one to my zipcode. Constantly out of stock. Is everyone hoarding up on freezers too?

Isn‘t storage in the cloud aka craigslist a thing in the US anymore?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: honeybbq on July 31, 2020, 01:08:53 PM
I probably look a little bit hoardish right now... but it's all due to the pandemic. I didn't "stock up" when the shit hit the fan, and we had to go without a lot of basics (canned tomatoes and beans) that we eat a lot of.

I put in several online orders from various e-tailers (eg costco, etc) with overlapping items because often they wouldn't arrive. Sometimes I would get the things I wanted and sometimes I wouldn't. I think I have enough all purpose flour right now to last through the end of the year because at one point I got 3 orders to go through, each had all purpose flour in them. That's ok- it'll keep. I'd rather have "too much" than "not enough". We also got down to literally our last roll of TP in April... you bet I got a bunch from Costco as soon as they had it in stock!! Again, the alternative... not so pleasant.

Easy enough to keep and use up over time. "Hoarding" has a connotation that implies there is something unreasonable or unneeded about the stock pile. Right now I'm finding it perfectly acceptable (and preferable) to have one.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 31, 2020, 02:02:18 PM
I have looked for an upright freezer thru various stores and for some reason I can't get one to my zipcode. Constantly out of stock. Is everyone hoarding up on freezers too?

Isn‘t storage in the cloud aka craigslist a thing in the US anymore?

Yes, have been looking at Craigs List too and the only one I found was about 9 years old and way over priced. I even looked for restaurant commercial type freezers on CL but nothing used that was affordable.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on July 31, 2020, 02:56:47 PM
I have looked for an upright freezer thru various stores and for some reason I can't get one to my zipcode. Constantly out of stock. Is everyone hoarding up on freezers too?

Isn‘t storage in the cloud aka craigslist a thing in the US anymore?

Yes, have been looking at Craigs List too and the only one I found was about 9 years old and way over priced. I even looked for restaurant commercial type freezers on CL but nothing used that was affordable.

This. Yeah, for those outside of the US, we’ve had shortages on various things since March. Freezers and bicycles in a reasonable price range are difficult to find right now, new or used.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MicroRN on August 01, 2020, 08:54:23 AM
I normally keep a large stockpile of food and buy in bulk so I can't say my routine has changed much.  We have 2 deep freezers. We buy pork & beef by the half animal, and raise and butcher our own chickens.  I regularly buy large amounts of in-season produce to can or freeze.  I just bought 15lbs of locally grown jalapenos to turn into candied jalapeno slices & jalapeno jelly.  I buy basics like rice, flour, sugar, and rolled oats in huge bags and store them in buckets.  I keep powdered milk/butter on hand for baking.  We have our own chickens, so when eggs disappeared from the store we were fine and I had enough to share with people.  Dried beans are a staple in our house & used at least once a week, so I usually have several pounds each of multiple varieties on hand.  We did run a bit low on toilet paper, but I did cloth diapers, so I'm not afraid to use rags as a backup.  I usually stay ahead on things like toiletries and pet food, because I hate having to make unexpected shopping trips for just a couple items.   

I do it for 2 reasons - 1) because it's cheaper to do it that way, if you can afford the initial outlay and 2) I like having everything on hand to cook without having to run out to the store for something.

My line between hoarding vs stockpiling is - will you actually USE what you have stored?  Are you regularly working through & rotating your stocks?  Panic buying is not the same as a considered stockpile.     
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jeninco on August 01, 2020, 08:54:13 PM
^--- I resemble this, although not so much. We buy 1/2 steer each year in the fall (although this year they sold out before we got an order in, alas!), and went into the pandemic with 35 lbs of flour, 20 lbs of oats )(I make our granola), maybe 1-2 dozen pounds of various beans, and 10 lbs of sugar.  However, because we moved to making a lot more of our own bread and pasta (and more regular baking of yummy baked things) we ran through our supply pretty quickly. We have two active adults and two teenaged boys/young men.

I think I just fully re-stocked for at least the second time, perhaps the third: I bought another 10 lbs sugar, 30 lbs flour (20 lbs AP, 10 lbs ww), 20 lbs oats, 15 or so lbs various beans, 4 or 5 kinds of hot sauces in various configurations (chipotles in adobo sauce are very popular around here). But as @MicroRN pointed out, it's really pre-buying: we'll use all this stuff (in fact, probably in the next 6-8 weeks).

And, indeed, the biggest pain of the whole shopping experience was having to take everything out of the pantry so the new stuff could go on the bottom/in the back so the older supply gets used first. FIFO, yo.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on August 01, 2020, 09:33:47 PM
Isn‘t storage in the cloud aka craigslist a thing in the US anymore?

This made me laugh!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on August 02, 2020, 05:55:27 PM
I'm managing my anxiety about a fall second wave by preserving my vegetable harvest. Seeing my shelves and freezer fill up again is soothing. I think that the satisfaction is more from the ability to exercise control over a fear of going without, as opposed to a belief that there'll be a shortage of cabbage in the next year.

Breaking News - The prayers of millions of children have been answered this year by the ongoing cabbage shortage.  Children say they're setting their sights on Lima beans next.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on August 02, 2020, 10:52:07 PM
Jeninco, I don’t know how big your pantry is, but mine is 2 feet deep.  I store everything in lines from front to back and in the same categories, eg, all soups in a line, all beans in a line, etc.  If there’s not enough of a category to make a full line, I leave a break and continue with another category.  When I remove an item, I reach to the back (there’s enough height to get my arm in), then push the rest of the line back, making room at the front for new items.  As long as everyone keeps to the system, it’s really easy.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 03, 2020, 12:14:22 AM
I'm managing my anxiety about a fall second wave by preserving my vegetable harvest. Seeing my shelves and freezer fill up again is soothing. I think that the satisfaction is more from the ability to exercise control over a fear of going without, as opposed to a belief that there'll be a shortage of cabbage in the next year.

Breaking News - The prayers of millions of children have been answered this year by the ongoing cabbage shortage.  Children say they're setting their sights on Lima beans next.
Sufferin' succotash!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 03, 2020, 06:57:13 AM
I am guilty of having beans in the back of my cupboard. However, with the exception of split green peas, I never know how to prepare beans. I know how to make chili with kidney beans (canned). For some reason I had to have these Christmas lima beans. I had a recipe at the time and I guess I made it and it was ho hum. I was gung ho when I bought them and probably have 5 lbs. of them. I think people would eat beans if they knew how to cook them!

I was not brought up in a household that made bean recipes except chili.

My grandparents lived in Kentucky and they always had soup beans, whatever that is! I have never had them, don't know how to cook them either! I was told my grandpa would demand his beans every single day! By the way, he lived to be 113 years old! Maybe there is something to the beans! Grandma lived to age 91!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Moonwaves on August 03, 2020, 07:13:56 AM
My grandparents lived in Kentucky and they always had soup beans, whatever that is! I have never had them, don't know how to cook them either! I was told my grandpa would demand his beans every single day! By the way, he lived to be 113 years old! Maybe there is something to the beans! Grandma lived to age 91!
I had to google it and I would definitely eat soup beans (https://whatscookingamerica.net/soup/appalachian-soupbeans.htm). Sounds sooo good. Looks like pinto beans are the tradtional bean but it can also be made with lima/butter beans. This salad (https://www.mortgagefreeinthree.com/yasmeens-turkish-piyaz-salad/) is also really good. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on August 03, 2020, 07:28:18 AM
I am guilty of having beans in the back of my cupboard. However, with the exception of split green peas, I never know how to prepare beans. I know how to make chili with kidney beans (canned). For some reason I had to have these Christmas lima beans. I had a recipe at the time and I guess I made it and it was ho hum. I was gung ho when I bought them and probably have 5 lbs. of them. I think people would eat beans if they knew how to cook them!

I was not brought up in a household that made bean recipes except chili.

My grandparents lived in Kentucky and they always had soup beans, whatever that is! I have never had them, don't know how to cook them either! I was told my grandpa would demand his beans every single day! By the way, he lived to be 113 years old! Maybe there is something to the beans! Grandma lived to age 91!

I grew up in Indiana (with a Grandma from Kentucky) and we call soup beans "Ham and Beans" and it is legitimately one of my top two comfort foods. We eat it at least once a month starting in the fall.

The recipe I grew up with is the same as the soup beans recipe that Moonwaves linked to except we tend to make ours with white beans instead of pinto beans. When we're feeling fancy we mix in a dab of molasses or brown sugar, a hit of hot sauce and a dash or two of cider vinegar (just to brighten up the flavor). We eat ours with cornbread crumbled in. Heaven!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 03, 2020, 07:42:09 AM
Salad looks good!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on August 03, 2020, 07:52:40 AM
My grandparents lived in Kentucky and they always had soup beans, whatever that is! I have never had them, don't know how to cook them either! I was told my grandpa would demand his beans every single day! By the way, he lived to be 113 years old! Maybe there is something to the beans! Grandma lived to age 91!
I had to google it and I would definitely eat soup beans (https://whatscookingamerica.net/soup/appalachian-soupbeans.htm). Sounds sooo good. Looks like pinto beans are the tradtional bean but it can also be made with lima/butter beans. This salad (https://www.mortgagefreeinthree.com/yasmeens-turkish-piyaz-salad/) is also really good.

We do a version of soup beans regularly. I like some sort of pork, onions, garlic, pepper, cumin, and chili powder in it. We eat ours over rice or with corn tortillas/chips with cheese and salsa.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on August 03, 2020, 08:24:00 AM
I'm managing my anxiety about a fall second wave by preserving my vegetable harvest. Seeing my shelves and freezer fill up again is soothing. I think that the satisfaction is more from the ability to exercise control over a fear of going without, as opposed to a belief that there'll be a shortage of cabbage in the next year.

Breaking News - The prayers of millions of children have been answered this year by the ongoing cabbage shortage.  Children say they're setting their sights on Lima beans next.
Sufferin' succotash!

LOL

I had a brief moment of feeling normal this spring when there was a shortage of dried beans.  I felt as though the rest of the world was finally coming around to seeing the value in the little nuggets of shelf-stable, high protein, high fibre delights. While some people stockpile gold, I prefer my treasure to be edible.

I do worry that those beautiful little marvels will now go neglected and unappreciated in the back of the cupboards of people who won't actually eat them though. I worry about the strangest things.

Worst case scenario they can always end up as new bean bag chairs.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Captain Cactus on August 03, 2020, 09:52:40 AM
I'm still slowly stockpiling extra food.  A small part of me does fear things getting really bad this fall, to the point that the shelves will be bare or we won't want to go to the grocery store. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 03, 2020, 10:21:00 AM
Captain Cactus, I am doing the same thing. I am not buying hundreds of cans of things but 6 here and there. I just bought some rice (10 one pound bags) and we are not big rice eaters. I buy it, put in some bay leaves to help keep bugs out and then vac seal them. I have bought different pasta's, canned tomato products. Some extra meat and froze it. And yes, paper towels, toilet paper and kleenex.

I am also worried about the fall with the Corona Virus and the flu season.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: merlin7676 on August 03, 2020, 12:56:37 PM
We're not doing a sky is falling stockpile, but we are getting extra stuff with our normal grocery shopping. Everytime we go, we grab a few here and there of canned soups and veggies, a few boxes of pasta and sauce, bags of beans, boxes of mac and cheese, bag of rice etc. Best to be safe rather than sorry and if we don't end up "needing" it this fall/winter, then we will have less grocery shopping to do.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: John Galt incarnate! on August 03, 2020, 01:44:05 PM


I just bought some rice (10 one pound bags) and we are not big rice eaters. I buy it, put in some bay leaves to help keep bugs out and then vac seal them.


I bought two 5-gallon plastic bottles that are used for water coolers.

One is for rice and the other for beans.

They  are  "weevilproof."
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: John Galt incarnate! on August 03, 2020, 01:50:11 PM
My grandparents lived in Kentucky and they always had soup beans, whatever that is! I have never had them, don't know how to cook them either! I was told my grandpa would demand his beans every single day! By the way, he lived to be 113 years old! Maybe there is something to the beans! Grandma lived to age 91!
I had to google it and I would definitely eat soup beans (https://whatscookingamerica.net/soup/appalachian-soupbeans.htm). Sounds sooo good. Looks like pinto beans are the tradtional bean but it can also be made with lima/butter beans. This salad (https://www.mortgagefreeinthree.com/yasmeens-turkish-piyaz-salad/) is also really good.

We do a version of soup beans regularly. I like some sort of pork, onions, garlic, pepper, cumin, and chili powder in it. We eat ours over rice or with corn tortillas/chips with cheese and salsa.

I like my homemade bean soup, pea soup, and lentil soup.

Sometimes I have the bean soup w/ rice.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on August 03, 2020, 01:54:21 PM


I just bought some rice (10 one pound bags) and we are not big rice eaters. I buy it, put in some bay leaves to help keep bugs out and then vac seal them.


I bought two 5-gallon plastic bottles that are used for water coolers.

One is for rice and the other for beans.

They  are  "weevilproof."

There were two pirates on a ship, the rest of the crew had starved away when supplies had run out.  In frustration one of them opened the grain barrel and stared at the two bugs running around the bottom in the dust.

"Aha!" Says one pirate, looking pleased with himself, "I'll eat the smaller bug!"

"Why does that please you so much?", says the other pirate.

"'Tis the lesser of two weevils!"
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: John Galt incarnate! on August 03, 2020, 01:55:30 PM


I just bought some rice (10 one pound bags) and we are not big rice eaters. I buy it, put in some bay leaves to help keep bugs out and then vac seal them.


I bought two 5-gallon plastic bottles that are used for water coolers.

One is for rice and the other for beans.

They  are  "weevilproof."

There were two pirates on a ship, the rest of the crew had starved away when supplies had run out.  In frustration one of them opened the grain barrel and stared at the two bugs running around the bottom in the dust.

"Aha!" Says one pirate, looking pleased with himself, "I'll eat the smaller bug!"

"Why does that please you so much?", says the other pirate.

"'Tis the lesser of two weevils!"

Ha ha!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: John Galt incarnate! on August 03, 2020, 01:59:10 PM
Don't let your dried peas stay in storage for too long.

If you do no matter how long you boil them they will stay mostly hard and have an awful, bitter taste.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: KBecks on August 05, 2020, 04:56:17 AM
I went to two big box stores yesterday (yikes) and I noticed that the shelves that are usually full are noticeably less full, esp. in housewares where I was shopping.  Also, cleaning items, of course.  I am trying to think -- do we need anything?  Are we missing anything?  But we are really not.  And there are good alternative places to shop -- the hardware store, online stores, secondhand -- I don't think things will be scarce soon, but it was a little different from what we have grown used to.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on August 06, 2020, 02:02:02 PM


I just bought some rice (10 one pound bags) and we are not big rice eaters. I buy it, put in some bay leaves to help keep bugs out and then vac seal them.


I bought two 5-gallon plastic bottles that are used for water coolers.

One is for rice and the other for beans.

They  are  "weevilproof."

The weevils are already in the beans and rice, my friend. They don't come in from outside so much as....... hatch.....
Stick your rice and beans in the freezer for a week before storing.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mountain mustache on August 06, 2020, 02:14:38 PM


I just bought some rice (10 one pound bags) and we are not big rice eaters. I buy it, put in some bay leaves to help keep bugs out and then vac seal them.


I bought two 5-gallon plastic bottles that are used for water coolers.

One is for rice and the other for beans.

They  are  "weevilproof."

The weevils are already in the beans and rice, my friend. They don't come in from outside so much as....... hatch.....
Stick your rice and beans in the freezer for a week before storing.

Ugh...I *knew* this, but liked to pretend that it's not true, because I don't like thinking about it too much....good reminder to stick things into the freezer for a while.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: nereo on August 06, 2020, 02:18:09 PM


I just bought some rice (10 one pound bags) and we are not big rice eaters. I buy it, put in some bay leaves to help keep bugs out and then vac seal them.


I bought two 5-gallon plastic bottles that are used for water coolers.

One is for rice and the other for beans.

They  are  "weevilproof."

The weevils are already in the beans and rice, my friend. They don't come in from outside so much as....... hatch.....
Stick your rice and beans in the freezer for a week before storing.

Ugh...I *knew* this, but liked to pretend that it's not true, because I don't like thinking about it too much....good reminder to stick things into the freezer for a while.

reminds me... we moved several months ago and our large flour countained (with several lbs of flour still inside) got packed into a box and put into storage and moved 3x until we were able to unpack it about 6 months later.  Less flour but lots more meal-worms inside...

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 06, 2020, 03:09:47 PM
Some people swear bay leaves work for weevils but vac packing removes oxygen so if they should hatch they won't have oxygen. Freezing is supposed to be the best solution to kill them. However, I have no room in my freezer!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: LaineyAZ on August 06, 2020, 06:14:09 PM
Don't let your dried peas stay in storage for too long.

If you do no matter how long you boil them they will stay mostly hard and have an awful, bitter taste.

How long is too long?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on August 06, 2020, 06:32:30 PM
Don't let your dried peas stay in storage for too long.

If you do no matter how long you boil them they will stay mostly hard and have an awful, bitter taste.

How long is too long?

You'll know when you boil them and they stay mostly hard.  :P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on August 06, 2020, 06:50:42 PM


I just bought some rice (10 one pound bags) and we are not big rice eaters. I buy it, put in some bay leaves to help keep bugs out and then vac seal them.


I bought two 5-gallon plastic bottles that are used for water coolers.

One is for rice and the other for beans.

They  are  "weevilproof."

The weevils are already in the beans and rice, my friend. They don't come in from outside so much as....... hatch.....
Stick your rice and beans in the freezer for a week before storing.

Ugh...I *knew* this, but liked to pretend that it's not true, because I don't like thinking about it too much....good reminder to stick things into the freezer for a while.

It's a good sign. It means your produce was grown with a minimum of pesticide, and hasn't been irradiated. Good products come with good little critters.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 06, 2020, 07:13:56 PM


I just bought some rice (10 one pound bags) and we are not big rice eaters. I buy it, put in some bay leaves to help keep bugs out and then vac seal them.


I bought two 5-gallon plastic bottles that are used for water coolers.

One is for rice and the other for beans.

They  are  "weevilproof."

The weevils are already in the beans and rice, my friend. They don't come in from outside so much as....... hatch.....
Stick your rice and beans in the freezer for a week before storing.

Ugh...I *knew* this, but liked to pretend that it's not true, because I don't like thinking about it too much....good reminder to stick things into the freezer for a while.

It's a good sign. It means your produce was grown with a minimum of pesticide, and hasn't been irradiated. Good products come with good little critters.

Eggs = invisible extra protein
Larvae = not so invisible ick factor protein

Freezing is even more important if you are saving seeds for planting.  They just need to be REALLY dry first.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Trudie on August 09, 2020, 08:39:46 PM
We’re not hoarding.  I like to think of it as “cultivating.”  Haha.  I like having a variety of foods on hand so we can experiment at home and try new recipes.  After all, cooking nice meals and sitting down to enjoy them helps pass the time.  We live in a condo, without a deep freeze, so most of our extra provisions are shelf stable.  But I do keep our freezer full of fish, chicken, seafood, pork and beef.  Right now our garden is producing heavily too.  In a couple of weeks I will start canning.

We live in a university town.  Students are just returning now, and I anticipate a very rough fall with COVID on top of the seasonal flu.  Like, maybe like March all over again.  From April-August when classes went online and most students went home things were more manageable.  But  I expect things to start closing down again.  (As I type this I can hear a loud house party down the block.  Our state has no mask mandate, and the university has no way to require tests of students in off campus housing.) I also anticipate more food chain disruptions.  I feel like my trips to the store should be minimal.  I miss the relaxed enjoyment of it, and it’s so stressful that I want to avoid it.  My husband also has an underlying condition so we try to go during the hour reserved for vulnerable people.

Every ten days or so I do a Walmart pick up order.  This helps me keep other household items on hand and avoid the store.  Every 5-6 weeks we go to Costco to stock up. 

I’ve also been clearing my shelves of things I don’t need and sending them to the food pantry.  There are lots of people barely hanging on right now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 09, 2020, 09:21:56 PM
Some people swear bay leaves work for weevils but vac packing removes oxygen so if they should hatch they won't have oxygen. Freezing is supposed to be the best solution to kill them. However, I have no room in my freezer!
I hear you on this. My solution is to make room. Not kidding. You don't have to keep it in the freezer forever, just long enough to kill off any possible vermin. I usually pop a 5# bag or container in the freezer for a week, then move it to the pantry, then stick in another one. Repeat. As I understand, once they've been frozen, they're pretty safe. Well, except, be sure to use airtight containers so new vermin can't move in once it's in your pantry. You could do the same with a pound or two at a time. Pour it into a zip bag if you need to smush it in to some random cranny. I have a vacuum sealer but rarely use it because the bags are so expensive + more plastic waste.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: LaineyAZ on August 10, 2020, 08:19:13 AM
….
I’ve also been clearing my shelves of things I don’t need and sending them to the food pantry.  There are lots of people barely hanging on right now.

Same here, Trudie.  My project today is to clear out my hall pantry and find items to donate.  A local church that gives out food boxes has been running low, so this Saturday they've asked for donations of canned goods and also "shelf stable milk." 
That last one brought back memories of my mom buying dried milk and preparing it for us - it didn't taste the best but it's better than nothing.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jeninco on August 10, 2020, 12:16:10 PM
Some people swear bay leaves work for weevils but vac packing removes oxygen so if they should hatch they won't have oxygen. Freezing is supposed to be the best solution to kill them. However, I have no room in my freezer!
I hear you on this. My solution is to make room. Not kidding. You don't have to keep it in the freezer forever, just long enough to kill off any possible vermin. I usually pop a 5# bag or container in the freezer for a week, then move it to the pantry, then stick in another one. Repeat. As I understand, once they've been frozen, they're pretty safe. Well, except, be sure to use airtight containers so new vermin can't move in once it's in your pantry. You could do the same with a pound or two at a time. Pour it into a zip bag if you need to smush it in to some random cranny. I have a vacuum sealer but rarely use it because the bags are so expensive + more plastic waste.

OK, I am now headed over to stick 20 lbs of flour into the chest freezer. Back in a few, 'Kay?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on August 11, 2020, 09:16:46 PM
Aggggh. We lost power for a week because of Tropical Storm Isaias.  As reported earlier, I have 2 fridges and a chest freezer (just stocked up the new fridge). I just can't.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: adamR18 on August 12, 2020, 12:36:05 AM
This week, when I made my normal run to the discount grocery (Save-a-Lot), they were out of paper towels. AGAIN. This is the second week they haven't had them, after it seemed the supply chain had been fixed through June and July.

So I decided... I am privileged enough to have plenty of money in the bank... enough to stock up a big pantry so that I don't encounter these random shortages anymore. So off to Sams Club I went... only bought non-perishable food products that I would normally eat, and of course the paper products that have been so hard to come by... and now I feel pretty secure that I can eat for a month or so in the event of a quarantine. Also got it all organized and have decided to implement a first in/first out system, replacing all of those items individually as I use them up. Everything in the pantry is now organized in order of expiration date.

This is so different from my previous shopping habit, where I would go to the store on Sunday with a meal plan/list, not buy anything extra, and had a completely empty pantry by Saturday night. (I don't do any fancy cooking.)

It feels prudent to be prepared... and I don't consider it hoarding, as it all fit in my pantry/cabinets. No one would walk in and think I have an excess of items.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on August 12, 2020, 02:07:25 AM
This week, when I made my normal run to the discount grocery (Save-a-Lot), they were out of paper towels. AGAIN. This is the second week they haven't had them, after it seemed the supply chain had been fixed through June and July.

So I decided... I am privileged enough to have plenty of money in the bank... enough to stock up a big pantry so that I don't encounter these random shortages anymore. So off to Sams Club I went... only bought non-perishable food products that I would normally eat, and of course the paper products that have been so hard to come by... and now I feel pretty secure that I can eat for a month or so in the event of a quarantine. Also got it all organized and have decided to implement a first in/first out system, replacing all of those items individually as I use them up. Everything in the pantry is now organized in order of expiration date.

This is so different from my previous shopping habit, where I would go to the store on Sunday with a meal plan/list, not buy anything extra, and had a completely empty pantry by Saturday night. (I don't do any fancy cooking.)

It feels prudent to be prepared... and I don't consider it hoarding, as it all fit in my pantry/cabinets. No one would walk in and think I have an excess of items.

The store cupboard approach is a good one, imo. Not only does it let you not notice any supply chain blips, but you'll also find you pay a lower cost per unit if you buy bulk on good specials.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 12, 2020, 06:58:17 AM
Another relevant article from the always-interesting Johnny S.

https://granolashotgun.com/2020/08/10/lazaretto-dining/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on August 12, 2020, 10:48:23 AM
Aggggh. We lost power for a week because of Tropical Storm Isaias.  As reported earlier, I have 2 fridges and a chest freezer (just stocked up the new fridge). I just can't.
This utterly blows.  I'm so sorry.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on August 12, 2020, 10:48:59 AM
There was an interesting WSJ article in the last week or so that tracked availability of various grocery categories and it’s not just my imagination. There is still less product coming in and more product going out.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: nereo on August 12, 2020, 11:03:10 AM
Aggggh. We lost power for a week because of Tropical Storm Isaias.  As reported earlier, I have 2 fridges and a chest freezer (just stocked up the new fridge). I just can't.
This utterly blows.  I'm so sorry.

This is the one thing pushing us towards buying a small backup generator. 
I can (and have) gone several days without power.  We have a backup heat source should things fail in the winter.  But an extended blackout of just a few days in the summer could cost us several hundred $ in wasted food.

I'm constantly weighing the probability of that happening with the cost of a used generator (roughly $500 from what I've seen).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 12, 2020, 11:48:15 AM
Aggggh. We lost power for a week because of Tropical Storm Isaias.  As reported earlier, I have 2 fridges and a chest freezer (just stocked up the new fridge). I just can't.
This utterly blows.  I'm so sorry.

This is the one thing pushing us towards buying a small backup generator. 
I can (and have) gone several days without power.  We have a backup heat source should things fail in the winter.  But an extended blackout of just a few days in the summer could cost us several hundred $ in wasted food.

I'm constantly weighing the probability of that happening with the cost of a used generator (roughly $500 from what I've seen).

Back up generators are a good idea. Especially for those of us who lived through the 1998 ice storm.  I had one at last-house.  My neighbours had propane heating and installed a Back up generator that was permanently wired to the house.  If there was a power failure it came on automatically.  It also came on for 10 minutes once a week, just to keep everything running and catch any issues.  I also had a backup sump pump on a battery backup.  Very reassuring to hear the sump pump run during a power failure, no flooded basement.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 12, 2020, 12:02:45 PM
Isaias knocked our power out for only 7 hours but I was so thankful for our generator. Our freezers/refrigerators kept humming, we watched tv, had ac and slept with ac on in the bedroom. Decadent when others were out of power for a week but we have had the generator since before the year 2000 when they predicted that everything was going to go haywire and didn't. It is a very loud gas generator and now we are bouncing around the idea of getting a permanent generator that auto switches when power goes out. I suppose it might be a good selling point for a house to have a permanent generator in line.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on August 12, 2020, 02:04:58 PM
Aggggh. We lost power for a week because of Tropical Storm Isaias.  As reported earlier, I have 2 fridges and a chest freezer (just stocked up the new fridge). I just can't.
This utterly blows.  I'm so sorry.

This is the one thing pushing us towards buying a small backup generator. 
I can (and have) gone several days without power.  We have a backup heat source should things fail in the winter.  But an extended blackout of just a few days in the summer could cost us several hundred $ in wasted food.

I'm constantly weighing the probability of that happening with the cost of a used generator (roughly $500 from what I've seen).

Same... every time the power goes out, I think "I must buy a generator, but not now because they are out of stock/too expensive". Then I forget, like everyone else.

It would make sense for us to buy one, since we lose power like this every other year. I hate how polluting the generators are, though.

Thanks for the sympathy, @mm1970. I don't even know how much I lost because I was afraid to look (then went out of town). Now that we finally have power back, it's all refrozen too. But probably more than $500 worth of food, since I usually blow about $400/Costco run... and more than that in time, since there were a lot of precooked meals that I had made.  Not the greatest week!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 12, 2020, 06:26:17 PM
Not a substitute for a back-up generator, but an effective stopgap is to create and keep blocks of ice in the freezer as a matter of course. I like quart milk cartons with screw caps for small spaces and warehouse size plastic containers (salsa, popcorn) where there is more room. They will buy you a few hours, more if you don't open the freezer. Pro Tip: if you use large containers, choose heavy plastic and don't overfill or they will crack.

I use the quart milk jugs to grocery shop. I toss them in a cooler and carry insulated bags. Once I shop, I pop a couple milk jugs on the bottom, then fill the insulated bags. That way I can batch errands without worry. Once home, they go right back in the freezer. They cost me nothing and work all the time.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: JoJo on August 12, 2020, 07:39:32 PM
Not a substitute for a back-up generator, but an effective stopgap is to create and keep blocks of ice in the freezer as a matter of course. I like quart milk cartons with screw caps for small spaces and warehouse size plastic containers (salsa, popcorn) where there is more room. They will buy you a few hours, more if you don't open the freezer. Pro Tip: if you use large containers, choose heavy plastic and don't overfill or they will crack.

I use the quart milk jugs to grocery shop. I toss them in a cooler and carry insulated bags. Once I shop, I pop a couple milk jugs on the bottom, then fill the insulated bags. That way I can batch errands without worry. Once home, they go right back in the freezer. They cost me nothing and work all the time.

Another good alternative to milk jugs is the 2 liter soda bottles... these are super rare to crack and the cap/lid screws on really tight so no leakage.  I've had problems with spiling/cracking on the milk jugs.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Trudie on August 12, 2020, 08:36:11 PM
I live in the Midwest and we were just in the path of a derecho ( inland hurricane).  We lost power for 31 hours, but some people may lose it for a week.  We were pretty well prepared, but it shifted my mindset...I’m definitely going to stay stocked this fall going into winter.  I will never be without matches, candles, excess dry goods...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 13, 2020, 05:02:45 AM
I live in the Midwest and we were just in the path of a derecho ( inland hurricane).  We lost power for 31 hours, but some people may lose it for a week.  We were pretty well prepared, but it shifted my mindset...I’m definitely going to stay stocked this fall going into winter.  I will never be without matches, candles, excess dry goods...

Emergency candle are stinky, my emergency candles are the pretty ones in jars, bought on sale.   Smell nice, very stable and safe, burn for a long time.  Matches are always near candles.

You have a manual can opener, of course.  I have 2, no electric can opener. Using a manual can opener is strength training for my hands.  ;-)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on August 13, 2020, 05:21:16 AM
I live in the Midwest and we were just in the path of a derecho ( inland hurricane).  We lost power for 31 hours, but some people may lose it for a week.  We were pretty well prepared, but it shifted my mindset...I’m definitely going to stay stocked this fall going into winter.  I will never be without matches, candles, excess dry goods...

Oh, wow. That was a bad storm. I was watching it on radar to see if we would get clipped (we didn’t). Glad you’re okay!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 13, 2020, 07:50:28 AM
I have quite a stockpile of food, TP, paper towels I have accumulated over the last 5 months but I am afraid I am forgetting something. I have some medicines, Mucinex liquid for chest congestion, some Coricidin HP cold medicine, Nyquil, Pepto Bismol, rubbing alcohol, aspirin, peroxide, Betadine, bandages. We have batteries. I don't really have candles. I am not a fan of them due to fire hazard. I need to get some kind of battery lanterns. I don't have matches but do have grill lighters.

Anyone have suggestions on stocking up on items?

OMG, one thing I did stock up on was a couple of one lb. canned hams. I made a soup and cut up one ham in chunks to put in the soup. It was disgusting! Like blubber. The texture was disgusting! GAG ME! Glad I only bought two of them. Maybe I can cut the other one up and cook on the grill till it is dry. Or feed it to my dogs but it is probably too salty. What happened to canned hams? My Mom used to bake them in the oven and they were good years and years ago!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: nereo on August 13, 2020, 08:12:04 AM
I have quite a stockpile of food, TP, paper towels I have accumulated over the last 5 months but I am afraid I am forgetting something. I have some medicines, Mucinex liquid for chest congestion, some Coricidin HP cold medicine, Nyquil, Pepto Bismol, rubbing alcohol, aspirin, peroxide, Betadine, bandages. We have batteries. I don't really have candles. I am not a fan of them due to fire hazard. I need to get some kind of battery lanterns. I don't have matches but do have grill lighters.

Anyone have suggestions on stocking up on items?

for battery-powered lanterns there's a ton of LED options now that are fantastic.  I wish they were available when I was a teenager.  We've got a couple of BlackDiamond Moji.... very small, light, and bright enough to read by or illuminate a dinner table. It has its own clip which comes in useful for hanging (e.g. we've clipped it to our light fixture above our kitchen table during blackouts). 13 hours run time on High, 70 hours on low.  We store fresh batteries taped to the side of each lantern (not IN the lantern, which can lead to leaks/destruction if left too long).
There are tons of other great options in the 'compact LED lantern' segment now.
LED headlamps are also preferable to hand-held flashlights.

My other suggestion would be to consider how you might cook your food.  An exterior gas grill can work great, and/or a camping stove -- just make sure you have extra fuel. We also have a propane kitchen stove, so no worries there.  If all your appliances are electric you'll want a cooking surface.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 13, 2020, 08:47:02 AM
Is this the lantern? https://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamond-Color-Lantern-White/dp/B076KRS947/ref=asc_df_B076KRS947/?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=&hvpos=&hvnetw=o&hvrand=&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583863979994220&psc=1

I do have a generator, electric appliances and gas grill and propane tanks full.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: nereo on August 13, 2020, 08:57:49 AM
Is this the lantern? https://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamond-Color-Lantern-White/dp/B076KRS947/ref=asc_df_B076KRS947/?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=&hvpos=&hvnetw=o&hvrand=&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583863979994220&psc=1
]

That's the one.  It's about the size of a baseball and about half the weight.  it won't "light up the whole room" but will give you enough light to eat at the table or go to the bathroom or read in bed.  We take them camping and a single set of batteries will last us all week with moderate use.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on August 13, 2020, 10:27:40 AM
For the freezer/ fridge...I got these freezer gel ice packs once in a package.  They are great, and similar to ones that my stepdad gets with his insulin.  They last forever.  All of those have since cracked and broken, but I found some similar ones on line with Amazon.  They really do work.  We camped in the desert once and they stayed solid for a few days, at least.

This brand is what we have.  So we always have them in the spare freezer.  When our fridge died a year ago, they were super handy.  We were without for a few days.

https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Shock-Freeze-Packs-Screw/dp/B0773FVRZY/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=cooler+shock+ice+packs&qid=1597336005&s=hpc&sr=1-4-catcorr
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: penguintroopers on August 13, 2020, 10:57:54 AM
If you need freezer ice bags just ask a friend that gets a meal/produce delivery box. They have a bunch.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on August 13, 2020, 12:14:51 PM
I spent some time last spring making a spreadsheet of what I wanted to have in stock by September, so I’ve been working on that a little at a time this summer. I’m going to defrost the freezer this weekend and then go to Sams next week.

If your power goes out, your solar yard lights can come in the house.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Trudie on August 14, 2020, 12:06:28 PM
Thanks for all the product stock up tips.  We weren’t caught flat-footed and had enough supplies on hand, but I went to a thrift store this week and bought some cheap bags of random tea candles and stuff.  I definitely need to get an LED lantern and more batteries.

We live in a condo in a 90 year old renovated school.  Our brick walls and Pella Windows stood like a mighty fortress.  I was really proud of the old gal.  We live on the west side of the building and it was coming from that direction, straight at us.  Trees, debris, and lawn furniture were strewn about.

The thing about the derecho was that we had no warning it was coming, until it was right on us.  Our phones didn’t send out messages from the NWS.  Thankfully, local emergency management started sounding the sirens and we went to our basement.  Most of us had never heard the term “derecho” until this week.

Anyway, we don’t have a lot of storage in our freezer, but we’re fortunate that power was restored and the contents of our freezer were saved.  This has definitely changed my view on preparedness.  It was comforting to know that we have a full stash of provisions in our dry, organized storage downstairs. 

We’ve seen so much this last six months that has caused disruptions in food supplies and food chains.  Everything from shut downs in meat processing, to E. coli tainted food, to store shut downs due to weather.  I am definitely thinking about self sufficiency much more, planting my garden, and keeping a few more supplies on hand to minimize trips to the store.  We need to be prepared for the long haul.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 14, 2020, 12:42:06 PM
Is this the lantern? https://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamond-Color-Lantern-White/dp/B076KRS947/ref=asc_df_B076KRS947/?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=&hvpos=&hvnetw=o&hvrand=&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583863979994220&psc=1
]

That's the one.  It's about the size of a baseball and about half the weight.  it won't "light up the whole room" but will give you enough light to eat at the table or go to the bathroom or read in bed.  We take them camping and a single set of batteries will last us all week with moderate use.

Bought 2 August 13th!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on August 14, 2020, 10:27:40 PM
and now... we have pantry moths!  I'm at my limit, I declare! I do have a lot of grains stored in canisters so the damage is probably limited to the dry pasta and maybe a few other items, but this is really disheartening.

I went to the grocery store for the first time since losing/regaining power... it was a very modest purchase as I was too depressed to stock up again.  However, because we had no fresh food, we've been eating takeout every night. What a year, everything is upside down.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 15, 2020, 05:17:23 AM
Poundwise, so sorry to hear of the food losses but forget going to the store. Sit at your computer and order replacements. I buy pasta, rice, canned stuff on line thru Walmart and Target. However, I will tell you, they both pack horribly and I have had dented cans and forget buying stuff in glass. I also buy canned stuff from Costco.

One thing I do is only buy enough to satisfy the minimum amount to get free shipping. With Walmart that is $35. If you place a $100 order they will try to jam it all into one shipment and the box will weigh 75 lbs. Not easy to drag heavy packages into the house. I also try not to order breakable things. I am a slow learner though. I ordered a whole case of sauce from Amazon. They said 'case'. Well the Amazon seller placed my order with Walmart and Walmart put 12 jars of sauce in the bottom of a box with no bubble wrap. Well, I am sure you can imagine a whole box of glass jars clanking around for a few days on a truck. They all were broken or the caps blew off. It was a disaster and it all had to go in the trash. The Amazon person finally refunded me. I was under the impression that drop shipping was not allowed on Amazon. When I mentioned that to the seller, he refunded me promptly.

You can order from many stores and have curbside service or delivery service. I would explore that route to replenish. The less stress the better. In CT we have Peapod and they deliver for a modest fee. They shop, deliver and all you need to do it put it away.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SquashingDebt on August 15, 2020, 05:37:24 AM
@Poundwise, I'm so sorry to hear about your power outage and now pantry moths.  My power was out for 50 hours or so back in April and while I was able to haul some of the contents of my 2 chest freezers to a friend's house for temporary storage, I lost everything in my fridge and about half of what was in my freezers.  It was really frustrating.  Good luck getting everything cleaned up and re-stocked.  One small silver lining for me was being able to defrost and deep clean everything before filling it up again.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 15, 2020, 06:09:36 AM
SquashingDebt, you say you have two chest freezers. How many people in your household. It is just the hub and me and we have an upright freezer (21 CF) a regular refrigerator with a top freezer, both in the garage and I am finding that I am running out of room for stuff I want to buy. I have filled my freezer but now I have no room for sale stuff like turkeys, and other things that are seasonal sales. I kind of feel like a hoarder if I get another freezer but in one way it could be an insurance policy if one unit breaks down as is what happened two years ago to us. We were fantastically lucky and were able to order the freezer from Sears and it was delivered next day. We lost no food at all. Now, Sears must have sold off the Kenmore brand because I can't find anything like what we got and they want $75 delivery fee. I am looking at a freezer thru Home Depot but am on the fence. I want it but feel like I am nuts to buy another one. We are bargain shoppers so I am thinking I am being frugal in an oddball way if I buy it. It is $899 plus tax and free delivery. I have looked on Craigslist and the few that I saw were over priced and old. Seems freezers are a hot commodity these days and I know if I hesitate, they may be hard to come by soon.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on August 15, 2020, 07:58:08 AM
Can you recoup some of the losses by eating the moths?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SquashingDebt on August 15, 2020, 11:04:33 AM
SquashingDebt, you say you have two chest freezers. How many people in your household. It is just the hub and me and we have an upright freezer (21 CF) a regular refrigerator with a top freezer, both in the garage and I am finding that I am running out of room for stuff I want to buy. I have filled my freezer but now I have no room for sale stuff like turkeys, and other things that are seasonal sales. I kind of feel like a hoarder if I get another freezer but in one way it could be an insurance policy if one unit breaks down as is what happened two years ago to us. We were fantastically lucky and were able to order the freezer from Sears and it was delivered next day. We lost no food at all. Now, Sears must have sold off the Kenmore brand because I can't find anything like what we got and they want $75 delivery fee. I am looking at a freezer thru Home Depot but am on the fence. I want it but feel like I am nuts to buy another one. We are bargain shoppers so I am thinking I am being frugal in an oddball way if I buy it. It is $899 plus tax and free delivery. I have looked on Craigslist and the few that I saw were over priced and old. Seems freezers are a hot commodity these days and I know if I hesitate, they may be hard to come by soon.

I'm just one person.  They're both quite small - basically the smallest you can buy.  I get a lot of free vegetables from work and sometimes like to buy meat in bulk, so I fill them up pretty easily.  The problem is actually eating everything in a reasonable amount of time, haha.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on August 15, 2020, 11:06:52 AM
Can you recoup some of the losses by eating the moths?

:D Now THAT is an idea! Maybe it will turn out that they produce a mystery chemical that stops Covid in its tracks! Actually a long time ago we did eat quite a few moth larva by mistake... box of Special K... maybe you didn't want to hear that.

Thank you for the restocking suggestions, @SquashingDebt and @Roadrunner53! I just have to pick myself off the ground and clean out the chest freezer that is full of bad food that thawed then refroze.  The lesson here is to have a generator if you're going to have that many freezers, or a place where you can quickly transfer the food after 2 days. 

@Roadrunner53, have you tried frying slices of the gross canned ham?


Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on August 15, 2020, 11:59:26 AM
Can you recoup some of the losses by eating the moths?

:D Now THAT is an idea! Maybe it will turn out that they produce a mystery chemical that stops Covid in its tracks! Actually a long time ago we did eat quite a few moth larva by mistake... box of Special K... maybe you didn't want to hear that.

Like the old saying goes . . . When life gives you moths, teach 'em who's higher up the food chain!  This was a frugality forum once upon a time, before the emergence of the vitamin blender . . .

:P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 15, 2020, 12:26:51 PM
I only have one gross ham left and it is just one lb. I might try grilling it till it is brown and crispy on the edges. Otherwise BLEH! Never again. I said that about 15 years ago and then I go and buy two of them recently thinking they would be good to add to something like macaroni and cheese or soup. Well, they didn't get any better!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 15, 2020, 01:01:02 PM
I buy the small tins of flakes of ham.  Two uses, mashed with mayo and relish for sandwich filling, or mashed as the base for quiche.  Maybe some quiche is in your future?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Hadilly on August 15, 2020, 01:54:48 PM
Thanks to you fine people, I found myself buying $450 worth of food at Berkeley Bowl the other day. It’s all stuff I will use, but still. The clerk assured me I wasn’t be extravagant because it all fit in the cart!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on August 15, 2020, 01:57:26 PM
I only have one gross ham left and it is just one lb. I might try grilling it till it is brown and crispy on the edges. Otherwise BLEH! Never again. I said that about 15 years ago and then I go and buy two of them recently thinking they would be good to add to something like macaroni and cheese or soup. Well, they didn't get any better!

Cut the ham up into little cubes, freeze it in the freezer, and add a few cubes of ham to baked beans/Hawaiian pizza whenever you make either.  That's what we do.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: moneypitfeeder on August 15, 2020, 06:47:56 PM
@Poundwise , I have had pantry moths and they are a pain. We left birdseed in the house when we went on vacation and came home to a nightmare. If you are still having issues getting rid of them, I got pantry moth traps, basically thin cardboard open-ended boxes with sticky tape and a lure on the inside. They helped tremendously. I got them from Amazon, but they are probably locally available. Best of luck!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 17, 2020, 10:02:14 AM
Okay, this pantry moth thing has got me worried! I went to the garage shelves and discovered I have a ton of different pastas in the regular boxes they come in. So, I vacuum packed about 10 packages of spaghetti and put in some bay leaves. My vac sealer is not one that you lift the lid but slide the bag in and it sucks it into the machine to seal. Well, It sucks in so much that I am wasting too much bag with a two inch seal on each end. I have lots more things to vacuum seal so I ordered another more manual vac machine where you manually lift the lid and align the bag to the seal bar. I can see I have become a bit of a hoarder with all the vac sealing I need to do. I have instant mashed potato flakes too to seal and some flour. I already sealed up my rice. I realized I have split peas I will have to seal too. I will do a little at a time. I keep ordering stuff and the Hub puts it away so I didn't realize I had so much of everything! LOL!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on August 17, 2020, 11:08:48 AM
If my sad tale can prevent 5 other people from making the same mistake, it is good!

I used to prevent moth infestations by pre-freezing bags of flour and other items (especially corn meal and ice cream cones), then sealing in ziplock bags, but the pandemic and other extra burdens have made me more careless this year. Mistake!

My wonderful husband went through the pantry and cleaned it because he saw I was too demoralized to do anything but doomscroll this week.  Unfortunately, I find that some items that he thought were okay, like the corn starch, are infested. 


Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 17, 2020, 11:47:40 AM
Poundwise, chalk it up to a learning experience and move on. Easy for me to say but nothing you can do but chuck the stuff and buy more. You are much wiser now and if anything, you have opened up my eyes to this. I have had those bugs years ago before I started this semi hording thing. The stuff was pasta that was on the shelf for a long, long time like years. It did not infest the house though!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on August 17, 2020, 06:24:58 PM
Okay, this pantry moth thing has got me worried! I went to the garage shelves and discovered I have a ton of different pastas in the regular boxes they come in. So, I vacuum packed about 10 packages of spaghetti and put in some bay leaves. My vac sealer is not one that you lift the lid but slide the bag in and it sucks it into the machine to seal. Well, It sucks in so much that I am wasting too much bag with a two inch seal on each end. I have lots more things to vacuum seal so I ordered another more manual vac machine where you manually lift the lid and align the bag to the seal bar. I can see I have become a bit of a hoarder with all the vac sealing I need to do. I have instant mashed potato flakes too to seal and some flour. I already sealed up my rice. I realized I have split peas I will have to seal too. I will do a little at a time. I keep ordering stuff and the Hub puts it away so I didn't realize I had so much of everything! LOL!

OK, person who has worked in a commercial kitchen for some years back in the day here. You don't need to vacuum seal etc. When you get dry goods in:

- Take it out of the original packaging and into a sealed plastic container! This is key. Packed goods are stored in massive warehouses at various points in the supply chain and there are tiny bugs and vermin all over the place. They're more likely to lay eggs in the packaging than in the food. And any rats and mice crawl over that packaging.

- Use a hot or cold treatment for particularly susceptible items. Flour is susceptible to flour mites and various other things. Stick the plastic container in the freezer for 48 hours. That's all that is needed. Dried beans/peas/lentils are very susceptible to weevils. These lay eggs in the plant when it is growing. Same thing, stick the sealed container in the freezer for 48 hours.

- Manage your pantry. This means rotating food. When you refill a plastic container, make sure any old product is on the top of the container to be used first. Wash empty containers before refilling. Clean up any spills on shelving. A tiny spill of flour on a shelf is food for a month for a weevil.

You should never have ANY open packs or folded over paper packs in a pantry. You don't need to spend any money. My pantry is all old ice cream containers - they stack, they hold a full packet from the supermarket, and you can just write on them with a permanent marker.

If you follow those rules you have waaaaay less chance of getting an infestation, and if you do get one you have waaaaay less chance of it spreading through your pantry.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 17, 2020, 08:05:16 PM
Thanks to you fine people, I found myself buying $450 worth of food at Berkeley Bowl the other day. It’s all stuff I will use, but still. The clerk assured me I wasn’t be extravagant because it all fit in the cart!
Oh, Berkeley Bowl is a heavenly place! Alas, I rarely have need to squeeze through the Caldecott's bores since hitting FIRE nearly eight years ago. I used to have an account just up the street and it was a highlight of my day to stop there on the way home, and on the company's mileage.

It's one of my favorite places to take people from out of town, except we're not doing much of that these days...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Linea_Norway on August 19, 2020, 01:32:48 AM
I only have one gross ham left and it is just one lb. I might try grilling it till it is brown and crispy on the edges. Otherwise BLEH! Never again. I said that about 15 years ago and then I go and buy two of them recently thinking they would be good to add to something like macaroni and cheese or soup. Well, they didn't get any better!

Here in Norway they sell hams cooked with spices around easter and christmas. I always buy a small one. We use it cubed in lots of dishes, one favorite is cubed ham, cubed potatoes, cubed vegetables, all stirfried with herbs. We also use it in thin slices on homemade pizza. It tastes okay, but not too often. And I make sure I buy a small size.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Hadilly on August 19, 2020, 11:39:50 AM
Dicey, I hope you can make it over again one day.  It really is a great place to shop. Have you been to Berkeley Bowl West? Make a day of it and hit The Cheeseboard, Fournee, get some Indian food at Vik’s or Mexican at Casa Latina. You can tell what I like to do in the East Bay!!!

I am pro ham, but I like to freeze it so I can use small amounts. Linea_Norway, that sounds like a yummy dish!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 22, 2020, 09:11:28 AM
No, I haven't. I shopped the original store, in a former bowling alley, hence the name, and then they opened the new store. I think I was aware of the newest location (CA. 2009), but it wasn't on my route. If I ever find myself in Berkeley, I'll plan to check it out. When I was single, I ate out more and threw more down for fancy/exotic ingredients. BB was a handy place to grab something quick and fresh for dinner for one, as was the nearby Whole Foods. Once I was married and feeding a family of four, my shopping and dining habits definitely shifted. Thanks for the recommendations!

I should add that I used to live in Orinda, so BB was closer. I've moved further east and retired, so it's not "on my page" any more. For you young folks, before we had ubiquitous GPS, there was a thing called a Thomas Guide. If something was on your page, it was relatively local.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 13, 2020, 09:40:42 AM
So, how is everyone doing on their stock piles of supplies?

It has been about 1 1/2 months since any updates on this subject.

Have any of you found new resources to buy supplies from or come up with some unique items you have stockpiled?

I have have purchased items from Foodservicedirect.com  They sell food in large quantities.  It could be of interest to some of you. I have purchased from them for a few years and the food is good. Plus, the frozen food is packed really good with dry ice. The shipping can get a little pricy, just be aware of that. They are a supplier for restaurants, deli's but will ship to home addresses.

Still have not found Lysol or Clorox wipes. Bought some generic brand at a drug store. Just one container. Did buy a bottle of concentrated Lysol which I don't like because it is too wet when sprayed and the aroma is YUK. But it is Lysol!

Is everyone still hunkering down or have some of you gone out to the stores and restaurants. Stuff has opened up in most states but no way I am going to eat at a restaurant!

Went out the other day and got a flu shot.

As predicted, the virus ramped up again as soon as school started up. Seems like this virus is never going to go away...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 13, 2020, 11:16:55 AM
I did go out a few weeks ago and got a flu shot, and bought all the stuff that had accumulated on my "drug store" list.

And I went to Sams at the end of August? Beginning of September? and stocked up on coffee, and they had 5 packs of Chlorox Wipes, which really should last me pretty much forever.

I'm glad I made my spreadsheet at the beginning of summer, and I'm glad that I actually stocked up, because it's starting to look like we have another bad round coming. I've been doing things outside (walked the picket line this morning!) but am definitely not going into stores.

The one thing that seems to be out of stock everywhere is toilet bowl cleaner. There's some on Amazon for about $15/bottle. No, thanks. NB - I have plenty of toilet cleaning options, so am not stressed about this, but dh like an easy squirt bottle...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 13, 2020, 11:24:55 AM
I'm not getting a flu shot this year.  Given that we're never near other people (and none in my family have had any sort of cold this entire year), I just don't see flu as being a real concern for us.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 13, 2020, 11:33:55 AM
Winter is coming* so going into squirrel mode is standard.  I've always bought ahead, along the lines of "just started a container of something, time to buy its replacement".

I'm stocking up on some Metro store brand items I like because once I stop going to the community garden I wont be near a Metro very often.

My odds of being exposed to the flu this year are pretty low, but I'll get the shot anyway.  Aging into a higher risk category means more "better safe than sorry" choices.

*seasons: winter is coming, winter is here, winter is still here, winter might be over, oops no it is still here, spring was short this year, everything grow like mad because winter is coming, winter is coming.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NotJen on October 13, 2020, 11:39:08 AM
I'm not getting a flu shot this year.  Given that we're never near other people (and none in my family have had any sort of cold this entire year), I just don't see flu as being a real concern for us.
I had the same thought (why do I need this if I'm taking more precautions than usual this year anyway), but my local grocery store gave me a $10 gift card for getting my shot at their pharmacy, so I gladly got one last month.  I'm still hopeful that I'll get to see my family for Christmas, and I'm working the November election, so it probably does make sense to have the shot after all, just one more layer of protection.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on October 13, 2020, 11:55:46 AM
Still have a good stock of dry foods such as rice, oatmeal, nuts and beans have a decent amount of meat that we have been eating down.

Still doing curbside, insta cart and online shopping where possible. Figure curbside and delivery are good for the employees health as well with less people coming and going so win win.

We have been eating well, having dessert each night and making a point to mix it up so we do not feel deprived since we are not eating out for other reasons.

We have done what we can to hoard good times by getting out to ride the bikes, camp and visit family in a socially distanced way to hold us over for the winter.

As things / products have been more available I have started to slide and use up some of our supplies hope it does not bite me in the rear this winter but we have enough to survive.

FYI, I have been able to get Lysol and Clorox wipes from Office Depot. I have the app on my phone and would check it several times a day and managed to get enough to make it through the winter. Night time seems like the best time to score some...

Some things still seem to be hit or miss, Coke life has been out of stock since spring, daily shower cleaner is hard to come by and other products seem to go away for a week or two but come back.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PoutineLover on October 13, 2020, 11:57:43 AM
I bought a new storage shelf because I had been accumulating more food than usual and it was overflowing my existing spaces. Made a world of difference and now everything is nice and organized. Been batch cooking and freezing, maintaining a good supply of non perishables, and still trying to limit trips to the grocery store and stock up when I see sales. Just wondering whether I should get an extra pack of TP beyond the extra I already have in case there's another shortage..
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mntnmn117 on October 13, 2020, 12:06:46 PM
Word of caution with those chest freezers. You really can go overboard and end up with stuff going bad. Not like getting sick, but that ham from March is pretty unappealing after a while. I recommend doing at least 1 meal out of the freezer a week or go on a freezer meal binge/super low grocery bill month.

I'm currently annoyed with canning lids being completely out of stock everywhere since early September. I've got 10 gallons of apples and no canning lids.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 13, 2020, 12:36:58 PM
Canning lids, try here: https://www.lehmans.com/search?w=canning+lids#

In case you have not seen this article, it is a wake up call! https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-australia-study-idUSKBN26X03F

I have stocked up on canned:
roast beef
chicken
ground beef
pork
pork with BB sauce
tuna
salmon
corned beef
corned beef hash
spam...this is not something I would typically buy but trying to give my dogs pills in it. They don't like it! LOL!
cream of mushroom soup
cream of chicken soup
various types of tomatoes, diced, whole peeled
veggies
jarred, Alfredo sauce
jarred, Spaghetti sauce
Condensed milk


I am thinking of buying canned turkey. Most of the canned meats are on a wait list. I just got the pork in 28 oz cans after a long wait.

I am still getting Imperfect Foods delivered here about once a week. I seem to have a lot of issues with them. My delivery days are supposed to be on Fridays but for some reason, the last few weeks it was delayed to Tuesdays. They use Fedex and we sometimes get late deliveries around 8 pm from them. Who really wants to be playing with a box of veggies at that hour! NOT ME!

Flu shots not only protect you but others. My dad, years ago, had a stroke and was frail from it. His doctor insisted that family members get the flu shot to protect him from it. It takes two weeks for the shot to kick in. Please, all of you think about getting the shot. We already have a pandemic and this is just one more thing to help protect us. It is covered by most health insurance.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/when-to-get-your-flu-shot-in-2020-%E2%80%94-timing-matters/ar-BB194jzT
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: BicycleB on October 13, 2020, 12:56:20 PM
Got my flu shot 2-3 weeks ago.

It's been a couple months since I had trouble finding anything at the locally dominant grocery, HEB.

I do take specific care to be ahead on TP and a little ahead on cleansers. That should get me through a few weeks' shortage if one occurs, or an outbreak that bumps our household usage for a week. I imagine that even if America's COVID debacle keeps ramping up, the reduced surprise factor will allow a relatively steady flow of most goods, including staples. I respect the planning ahead everyone is doing though!!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 13, 2020, 01:00:26 PM
Word of caution with those chest freezers. You really can go overboard and end up with stuff going bad. Not like getting sick, but that ham from March is pretty unappealing after a while. I recommend doing at least 1 meal out of the freezer a week or go on a freezer meal binge/super low grocery bill month.

I'm currently annoyed with canning lids being completely out of stock everywhere since early September. I've got 10 gallons of apples and no canning lids.

I was on youtube and found this video on organizing a small chest freezer. Really great idea!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydbsVS5rbSM
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: LetItGrow on October 13, 2020, 01:13:18 PM
Word of caution with those chest freezers. You really can go overboard and end up with stuff going bad. Not like getting sick, but that ham from March is pretty unappealing after a while. I recommend doing at least 1 meal out of the freezer a week or go on a freezer meal binge/super low grocery bill month.

I'm currently annoyed with canning lids being completely out of stock everywhere since early September. I've got 10 gallons of apples and no canning lids.

I was on youtube and found this video on organizing a small chest freezer. Really great idea!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydbsVS5rbSM

Maybe eats up some storage space, but being able to easily find the food you want far outweighs that.

Definitely struggled in the past sifting through to get last pound of bacon that I know is there somewhere.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 13, 2020, 04:21:58 PM
I'm not getting a flu shot this year.  Given that we're never near other people (and none in my family have had any sort of cold this entire year), I just don't see flu as being a real concern for us.

My dh is teaching one class in person.

Also, there was a gift card.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: nereo on October 13, 2020, 04:51:13 PM
I'm not getting a flu shot this year.  Given that we're never near other people (and none in my family have had any sort of cold this entire year), I just don't see flu as being a real concern for us.

While I agree you are probably extremely low risk for getting the flu, what’s the argument against getting a free (to you) vaccination? 
Time saved? Avoiding the needle prick and resulting soreness? Minute chance of complications?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 13, 2020, 05:10:12 PM
I'm not getting a flu shot this year.  Given that we're never near other people (and none in my family have had any sort of cold this entire year), I just don't see flu as being a real concern for us.

While I agree you are probably extremely low risk for getting the flu, what’s the argument against getting a free (to you) vaccination? 
Time saved? Avoiding the needle prick and resulting soreness? Minute chance of complications?

Typically I go in to my family doctor to get the shot.  I'm trying to stay away from medical places this year, just seems prudent.  I guess I could get the shot elsewhere, it just isn't a burning need.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 14, 2020, 04:29:46 AM
The Hub and I went to a drive thru Flu Shot clinic at the local VNA. We stayed in the car, filled out our paperwork, showed our medical cards, got the shot by one nurse and off we went. Very organized, simple process and quick. The nurse had on protective gear, we had our masks on and she even told us to keep the pens we used that she gave us so she didn't have to touch them.

Our VNA has 3 Friday's scheduled. First one was Oct. 9th, second one, Oct. 16th, third one Oct. 23rd. Check in your local area for VNA Flu shot schedules. Or some other places may have drive thru.

Just like a lot of people have no idea how they got the Covid-19 virus, the same with the flu. You just never know where these things are lurking!

I was really sick in February this year. I held off going to the doctor like I normally do because I hate going and hoped to fight it off. It got worse. The Hub was sick too but not as bad. I chalked it up to bronchitis. I couldn't lay down to sleep due to coughing. I slept sitting up for 4 nights and finally caved and called the doctor. They prescribed medicine and an inhaler prescription. I did get over it but I still wonder if I had Covid-19. At that time it was in the early stages and on the West coast. I am on the east coast. I have heard that there were cases on the east coast but at the time they didn't recognize it. So...who knows what I had but since there is not vaccine for it yet, I will protect myself...hopefully, from the flu!

So, let's all stay healthy so we can enjoy our hoarded supplies!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on October 14, 2020, 07:16:52 AM
I haven’t chimed in here before, so here’s a wall of text to make up for that.

Flu Shot Dilemma:

We got our flu shots last week. I almost posted about it here on the Mustachian People Problems thread, it was a bit of a dilemma. The big chain pharmacy offered a $5 off $20 coupon with flu shot, but we never shop that pharmacy and it’s quite over priced. If we got two coupons we’d have to put quite a bit of work (and time in the store) into spending them on things that we might or might not otherwise buy.  So I decided it would be better to get our vaccines from the locally owned pharmacy. Keep our insurance spending close to home and it’s a much smaller pharmacy with a robust delivery service, so much less foot traffic. Great choice but oh the siren call of “free” money.  I tried to look at it like skipping spending $30-40.

Upgrading some Kitchen Gear:

But on the way home from the pharmacy we stopped at Walmart to buy a bag of dirt so we could transplant the house plants and bring them inside… quick in and out of the store, don’t have to touch anything except the dirt… but if we’re in the store we’d better grab some frozen fruit and the things that were in the bag they clerk forgot on our last grocery order… because this is pandemic, and it’s hard to get by without milk and eggs! One thing lead to another and we bought a clearance Kitchen Aid Mixer marked down from $375 to $190… So I didn’t really save that $30-40 dollars did I? hah.  This all ties to pandemic hoarding I swear. We handmade bread and pasta and baked goods in normal times and have really been looking forward to increasing that with cooler weather…

Keeping track of so much food:

Limiting our grocery shopping due to pandemic has made us pay attention to how much food we eat, how often we need treats and variety. It's hard for us to separate how many of the changes in our food lifestyle this past year have been related to buying a house, growing family or pandemic, but I’m expecting these changes to stick around at least until we have another large lifestyle changing event.

We've always cooked mostly from scratch and didn't eat out often, but now we're getting better at it and we keep so much more food on hand. I counted 25 pounds of dried beans recently. We are down to about a pound of rice, so time to restock that. Previously we’d run out of things for a while and just eat something else, but now we’re keeping everything in stock. We got a large-ish box of dry milk. Hoping we don’t have to use it, but nice to have on hand. We used to buy mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, but now we also buy a variety of frozen to stretch things out.  Same thing with meats.

Meal Planning and recipe organization:

We’ve started meal planning to help make sure we spread variety out between shopping trips and to help alleviate the stress of decision making on long days. I love it. We don’t always follow it, but it’s still invaluable. I do it in three week chunks to match our shopping trips.

I’ve also been working on getting our favorite recipes into a binder. My spouse is getting much more interested in following recipes and creating complex flavors. We even sometimes manage to be in the kitchen together without sniping at each other!

Upgrading Kitchen Gear Continued:

We’ve bought more bulk and leftover storage containers.  It was time, but we might not have, or at least not bought as many as we did if we weren’t keeping so much extra around. I found weevils in a bag of rice and that prompted a bit of a frenzy.

Bulk orders vs Grocery pick up:

We’ve done some online or bulk orders via Target and Amazon, but have stepped that back since starting to do a grocery pick up in a town an hour away about every 3 weeks. No local stores offer pick up. I love grocery pick up. Want to continue it forever. Pairs so nicely with menu planning.

Garden:

We grew a small garden this year and have a little bit of fall greens trying to make it, and we’re hoping to manage some salad greens in a plastic tub over winter.

Balancing Risk:


He WFH full time, pre-pandemic. Due to pandemic I WFH and go in to the office one day a week (or so). We have gotten lax and done more non-urgent in store shopping. We know we need to stop… but there are a lot of excuses.

We did go to two outdoor restaurants in August/September. We’ve had two social events with friend that were outdoors and mostly safe but maybe not, and another two bonfires that were really great and a model for how we’d like to keep up social interaction during winter.

Spouse has also started up his voice lessons again just this week. I have huge reservations about it, but, I’ve decided to just bite my tongue and get more serious about reducing risk in other ways I’ve mentioned that we got more lax. He has made a lot of sacrifices this year and is full time WFH, gave up the gym even though it’s back open… this is his one outlet and it seems necessary even if I do worry about it a lot. They do wear masks the whole time and stay spread apart, but that might be the riskiest activity yet. That and my once a week office time with my boss who thinks it’s all a conspiracy…
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 14, 2020, 07:25:50 AM
For everyone new to using a chest freezer, here's a tip from someone who has had one for many years:

- Get a magnetic whiteboard and dry erase marker.
- Stick the whiteboard on the front of your chest freezer.
- Every time something goes in/out of the freezer your whiteboard gets updated.
- Date the items

This way you never forget what you've got in there, and can plan meals without leaving the lid open for long periods of time shuffling things around.  It also helps you keep track of which items need to be used up.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: nereo on October 14, 2020, 07:43:59 AM
For everyone new to using a chest freezer, here's a tip from someone who has had one for many years:

- Get a magnetic whiteboard and dry erase marker.
- Stick the whiteboard on the front of your chest freezer.
- Every time something goes in/out of the freezer your whiteboard gets updated.
- Date the items

This way you never forget what you've got in there, and can plan meals without leaving the lid open for long periods of time shuffling things around.  It also helps you keep track of which items need to be used up.

I like it!!
We also keep a roll of painter's tape and a marker nearby.  Everything which goes in gets labeled with what it is and the date.  We wind up freezing a lot of things in yogurt containers and mason jars
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 14, 2020, 07:49:38 AM
For everyone new to using a chest freezer, here's a tip from someone who has had one for many years:

- Get a magnetic whiteboard and dry erase marker.
- Stick the whiteboard on the front of your chest freezer.
- Every time something goes in/out of the freezer your whiteboard gets updated.
- Date the items

This way you never forget what you've got in there, and can plan meals without leaving the lid open for long periods of time shuffling things around.  It also helps you keep track of which items need to be used up.

I like it!!
We also keep a roll of painter's tape and a marker nearby.  Everything which goes in gets labeled with what it is and the date.  We wind up freezing a lot of things in yogurt containers and mason jars

Oh yeah.  We do the same.  Masking tape and a sharpie are your friends, otherwise it can be hard to figure out which frosty bag or plastic take out container is full of frozen tomato soup and which one is full of three alarm chili.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Just Joe on October 14, 2020, 08:33:48 AM
Not a substitute for a back-up generator, but an effective stopgap is to create and keep blocks of ice in the freezer as a matter of course. I like quart milk cartons with screw caps for small spaces and warehouse size plastic containers (salsa, popcorn) where there is more room. They will buy you a few hours, more if you don't open the freezer. Pro Tip: if you use large containers, choose heavy plastic and don't overfill or they will crack.

I use the quart milk jugs to grocery shop. I toss them in a cooler and carry insulated bags. Once I shop, I pop a couple milk jugs on the bottom, then fill the insulated bags. That way I can batch errands without worry. Once home, they go right back in the freezer. They cost me nothing and work all the time.

I'm reading to catch up on this thread. Has anyone owned the fancier than usual extra high efficiency refrigerators? I believe one brand is "Sub Zero". How do these fare in a power outage? Are they slower to lose their cool than a typical fridge? I assume they are insulated better than the average fridge?

I grew up in the boonies and most of our power outages were in the winter so my parents could put food outside in coolers, sometimes in the cold garage to prevent thawing. Outages could be a week or more. Never had a genny.

These days DW and I rarely have power outages but our house came with a permanently installed automatic generator (Generac) that powers the HVAC, family room, the master bedroom, and the fridge. Its not a big generator but it gets the job done. We moved a microwave to the family room during the last outage and it really put a load on the motor - so I know that we can't run much more than what is already on those circuits. So no deep freezer additions unless we invest in a larger generator. I might consider a quieter one but really, I don't want to spend the money until this one ages out. 

Most of our outages so far since we've lived here have been less than eight hours. Genny runs on propane. We could go weeks but then we'd need to order more propane at $3 a gallon. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 14, 2020, 08:48:37 AM
If it is summertime and your house has cooled down, can you turn off the breaker to the HVAC and if you had a freezer, flip on the breaker on to the freezer? Freezers usually keep stuff frozen for 48 hours if the door isn't opened. If you cycled it on for maybe 4 hours at a clip, you could keep everything frozen and keep the house cool. Invest in some fans maybe to keep the house cool when the HVAC is turned off.

I have no experience with Sub Zero refrigerators but they are nice!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: LaineyAZ on October 14, 2020, 08:55:36 AM
I've been continuing to stock up on canned goods and paper goods.  We're a small household and don't have a separate freezer.  Also I know that there will be holiday food drives soon, so anything that we can't eat within a reasonable time will be donated.

No flu shot yet - the two places I've tried don't have the senior version.  I didn't realize until this year that if you are age 65 or older that's a different shot.  I still want to get it because having the flu makes you that much more vulnerable to getting a worse outcome if you get Covid-19. 

I've gotten some takeout food but only had one sit-down indoor restaurant meal.  It was a quick breakfast with family. 

I do believe there will be shortages this winter so I'm keeping an eye on store shelves generally when I shop.  And it seems like we all agree that "hoarding" is wrong, but "stocking up" is prudent.

 


Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 14, 2020, 09:11:33 AM
I've been continuing to stock up on canned goods and paper goods.  We're a small household and don't have a separate freezer.  Also I know that there will be holiday food drives soon, so anything that we can't eat within a reasonable time will be donated.

No flu shot yet - the two places I've tried don't have the senior version.  I didn't realize until this year that if you are age 65 or older that's a different shot.  I still want to get it because having the flu makes you that much more vulnerable to getting a worse outcome if you get Covid-19. 

I've gotten some takeout food but only had one sit-down indoor restaurant meal.  It was a quick breakfast with family. 

I do believe there will be shortages this winter so I'm keeping an eye on store shelves generally when I shop.  And it seems like we all agree that "hoarding" is wrong, but "stocking up" is prudent.

Check out The Visiting Nurses Association (VNA). That is where I got the curbside 'Senior flu shots' and they have an abundance they told me. Last year I called all the stores with pharmacies and no one had the senior shot. I found VNA by chance and they were fully stocked with senior flu shots too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Just Joe on October 14, 2020, 10:09:26 AM
We uncharacteristically got flu shots this year - us and the kids. No reason we figure to dodge the flu germs and the COVID germs. Could a person get both at the same time? We went to the local pharmacy and insurance paid for them I think. DW did the reservations.

Starting to stock up on the staples a little more. Aldi was empty stock in a couple aisles. Don't know what that means going forward.

More of the things the discussion participants have detailed.

I know the Republican leadership wants to continue on as if there isn't a COVID threat and the Dems want to be more cautious - but I figure this virus could really be such a problem that everything NEEDs to shut down again regardless of what the politicians want. I'm in a red state/county with perhaps a 50% mask participation rate and our numbers are climbing again.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: dresden on October 14, 2020, 10:12:25 AM
The shortages are due to hoarding, but also due to supply chain disruption.

I think many people didn't keep sufficient back-up supplies and were caught off guard.  The pandemic was a wake-up call.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 14, 2020, 11:52:15 AM
I've been continuing to stock up on canned goods and paper goods.  We're a small household and don't have a separate freezer.  Also I know that there will be holiday food drives soon, so anything that we can't eat within a reasonable time will be donated.

No flu shot yet - the two places I've tried don't have the senior version.  I didn't realize until this year that if you are age 65 or older that's a different shot.  I still want to get it because having the flu makes you that much more vulnerable to getting a worse outcome if you get Covid-19. 

I've gotten some takeout food but only had one sit-down indoor restaurant meal.  It was a quick breakfast with family. 

I do believe there will be shortages this winter so I'm keeping an eye on store shelves generally when I shop.  And it seems like we all agree that "hoarding" is wrong, but "stocking up" is prudent.

How do you know if you're a hoarder?
According to the Mayo Clinic, some key symptoms to watch out for if you believe you or someone you know may be a hoarder are: Cluttered living spaces. Moving items from one pile to another without the ability to throw anything away. Acquiring useless items, including trash, newspapers, and magazines.

Definition of stock up
: to get a large quantity of something for later use —often + on

So, instead of hoarders, we are stocker uppers! Our items are definitely not useless!

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 14, 2020, 11:56:17 AM
Useless is partly a function of use rate.

Stocking up on 150 lbs of flour is useless (at least for our family).  Although flour itself is useful, in large enough quantity it becomes useless.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 14, 2020, 01:41:58 PM
I go through 150 lbs of flour most winters!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 14, 2020, 02:16:57 PM
I go through 150 lbs of flour most winters!

There's got to be a better way to simulate snow in warm areas . . .


:P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 14, 2020, 04:29:49 PM
I hate winter, so I just stay inside and bake. ;-)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 16, 2020, 04:34:01 AM
Canned corn may be scarce.

https://nypost.com/2020/10/15/heres-why-canned-corn-might-be-tough-to-find-in-stores/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 16, 2020, 07:10:28 AM
Canned corn may be scarce.

https://nypost.com/2020/10/15/heres-why-canned-corn-might-be-tough-to-find-in-stores/

Oh no.  What will we do without old bits of corn swimming in a putrid sick sweet gloop?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 16, 2020, 08:20:43 AM
No idea what GuitarStv is getting at "old bits of corn swimming in a putrid sick sweet gloop". Must be some brand I never have seen before.

Canned corn is packed normally in water with salt or sea salt or no salt. Most vegetable manufacturers process the foods directly from the fields to their plants that are typically located on site. The vegetables are picked and processed quickly to retain a good fresh quality.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 16, 2020, 08:33:36 AM
Maybe he is thinking of creamed corn? To me that is the standard canned corn.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 16, 2020, 08:35:38 AM
Haha, to me non creamed corn is the standard!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 16, 2020, 08:38:36 AM
Maybe he is thinking of creamed corn? To me that is the standard canned corn.

Creamed corn is also disgusting, but all canned vegetables I've tasted are ass (corn and peas being the only two I'm familiar with - granted).  They're about 3% of the flavour of fresh or frozen vegetables.  The canning process destroys any 'good fresh quality' that may have once existed and converts the vegetable into a mushy off-colour facsimile of the real thing that tastes markedly different.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: LaineyAZ on October 16, 2020, 08:51:57 AM
Maybe he is thinking of creamed corn? To me that is the standard canned corn.


Creamed corn is also disgusting, but all canned vegetables I've tasted are ass (corn and peas being the only two I'm familiar with - granted).  They're about 3% of the flavour of fresh or frozen vegetables.  The canning process destroys any 'good fresh quality' that may have once existed and converts the vegetable into a mushy off-colour facsimile of the real thing that tastes markedly different.

Agree about the taste, but canned food keeps people alive, which is the goal of getting through any food shortages caused by supply-chain, weather, or other disruptions.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 16, 2020, 08:53:11 AM
I don’t eat much corn that’s not on the cob, but I don’t think canned corn is mushy. It tastes like... cooked corn. It’s nice for casseroles like tamale pie or corn casserole. Some years I have so much fresh corn that I freeze a bunch, but not always.

I like canned green beans, too. They don’t taste like fresh, but they are good in their own way, especially with bacon. ;-) And I think pressure cooked green beans taste pretty much like canned.

Not my first choice, but they have the advantage of being shelf stable and I usually have a can of corn and a can of green beans in the pantry.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 16, 2020, 08:57:37 AM
If you're pressure cooking green beans, peas, corn . . . you're doing it wrong.  That may actually qualify as an international hate crime against vegetable.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 16, 2020, 09:14:40 AM
Maybe he is thinking of creamed corn? To me that is the standard canned corn.

Creamed corn is also disgusting, but all canned vegetables I've tasted are ass (corn and peas being the only two I'm familiar with - granted).  They're about 3% of the flavour of fresh or frozen vegetables.  The canning process destroys any 'good fresh quality' that may have once existed and converts the vegetable into a mushy off-colour facsimile of the real thing that tastes markedly different.

Wow, how do you really feel? No one said you had to buy them. Of course canned vegetables are not equivalent to fresh in texture. Everyone knows that. Sometimes we choose to use other sources of food items during shortages for nutritional reasons. Not all of us find that canned vegetables taste like ass. Some are better than others. A lot of people home can their own vegetables and take a lot of pride in doing so, putting good food away for the harsh winter months.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 16, 2020, 09:37:07 AM
Wow, how do you really feel?

I'm not a fan.

:P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Fiddlestix on October 16, 2020, 10:40:18 AM
Around these parts, this is a staple: John Cope's Toasted Dried Sweet Corn (and yes we made corn pudding for many a Sunday and holiday dinner).

https://lancasteronline.com/features/why-do-so-many-people-insist-on-serving-copes-dried-corn-for-thanksgiving/article_c16b3d2e-751b-11e4-800e-9bebf9d9fd60.html

In fact, I think I'll look for some now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on October 16, 2020, 10:44:42 AM
I'm biased because most vegetables served to me in childhood came out of a can and were then boiled to death (grayish green beans and peas and mushy beets, carrots, and mushrooms are horrid), but I do understand that they are important shelf-stable staples. One of the local food banks just put out a request for donations of various canned veggies.

I tend to prefer frozen vegetables if fresh aren't in season. And I like frozen broccoli in recipes (broccoli rice casserole, broccoli cheese soup) and frozen mixed veggies in soups and cottage pie.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 16, 2020, 12:22:52 PM
I actually just added a can of corn to my grocery order. LOL

What amazes me are canned potatoes.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 16, 2020, 12:39:43 PM
Don't forget to buy canned B&M brown bread in a can. It is very good!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Pigeon on October 16, 2020, 01:44:37 PM
I am grocery shopping once a week.  I need to start building a small stash of  paper products as I do think everything will go back to lockdown.   We have fairly decent supplies in most of the stores.  I haven't seen Lysol wipes, but plenty of other off brands.  We've got toilet bowl cleaners in the stores.  The meat supplies seem to be mostly back to normal.  My freezer is full and I tend to keep stocked up on most things.  We did a CSA this summer and had our last delivery this week.  I used a different one than in prior years because of WFH, and it was a disappointment.

We got flu shots a couple weeks ago.  I haven't gotten them consistently in past years, but figured this was the year not to skip.  I dragged one reluctant adult daughter with me to the local grocery store's pharmacy, as they had signs plastered all over about the ease of getting them, just walk right in.  Not so much, as it turns out.  We got there at 1:30.  We waited ten minutes to be told they close at 2 for half an hour for the pharmacist to take lunch, which is fine, but you'd think they'd have that on their hundreds of signs.  Because there was someone ahead of us, they wouldn't get to us before that, so they told us to come back at 2:30.  We did, but didn't get our shots until nearly 4.  Adult daughter was not amused with me.

I am WFH, and other than the grocery store and outside walks, don't go anywhere.  Dh is a public school teacher, and has to be in classrooms with far too many students and not terribly careful colleagues.  Ugh.  Two adult daughters and one boyfriend live with us.  Oldest one is in nursing school, with some in person clinicals and labs, but most classes are online.  BF is working remotely.  DD2 is in college living at home this semester with minimal outside exposure, except for periodic trips to visit her bf.  I'm not thrilled with our level of outside contact, especially spouse's  public school, and suspect they will have outbreaks.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: birdie55 on October 16, 2020, 03:07:36 PM
Don't forget to buy canned B&M brown bread in a can. It is very good!

I have been trying to find this in multiple stores, no luck yet.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 16, 2020, 03:20:21 PM
Pigeon, Sounds like you have a lot of people around you that are out and about. I hope they are all careful with social distancing, washing hands and all that stuff.

Maybe you could think about doing curbside shopping for most shopping and only go to the store maybe once a month. One of the bigger stores in my town finally started offering curbside service and it is great. Of course, I prefer to pick out my own meats but most everything else is prepackaged except produce. If you shop once a month you could stock up on meats and then do curbside other times. My Hub needed a prescription the other day and I had the pharmacy deliver. I wasn't too happy that they had a delivery fee but less chance of exposure. Curb side had a fee too but only about $2.95 which I thought was fantastic. You could do some vegetable delivery service like Imperfect foods or Misfits. They delivery every week or every two weeks. You can pause delivery too if you need too. I also order a lot of stuff on line thru Walmart, Target, Amazon, Boxed and other odd ball places. Most places have a minimum order amount then you can get free shipping. Stick to smaller orders. Walmart has a $35 minimum for free shipping. If by chance I order a lot, I try to break it into two orders. Otherwise, they will pack the boxes with 100 lbs. of product. Learned that the hard way! Also, avoid buying anything in glass jars thru Walmart or Target. I have had many broken jars.

Also, can you have a pow wow with your family and set down some plans so that all of you are on the same page protecting yourselves. Like maybe having sanitizing wipes at the door when you first enter to wipe hands and anything that might have been exposed to the virus.

It is just the Hub and I and we don't go out much but when we do I cringe. The Hub has pain in his one foot so I had to take him to the doctors office two weeks ago. The office only wants the patient in the waiting room and not the spouse. So, I waited in the car. However, he needed a prescription so I had to go into the pharmacy and I was not thrilled at all! Sick people go to pharmacies! UGH. We all need battle plans to fight this thing. Take care, be careful!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 16, 2020, 03:26:59 PM
Don't forget to buy canned B&M brown bread in a can. It is very good!

I have been trying to find this in multiple stores, no luck yet.

 . . . what fresh hell is this???
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 16, 2020, 03:27:56 PM
Don't forget to buy canned B&M brown bread in a can. It is very good!

I have been trying to find this in multiple stores, no luck yet.

One of my local stores has it and I have also ordered it on line. Maybe Walmart or Amazon. However, you might have to buy a case! Crazy, but that is what I did! It will last a long time and is very good for any meal of the day. Even a dessert!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/B-M-Raisin-Brown-Bread-16-oz/10291606   Pick up only
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 16, 2020, 04:53:28 PM
We've been letting go of some of the food we stockpiled in the first month of the pandemic.  I know we won't eat it all and I want to donate food when it still has time left before the "best by" date.  I hate to think of shortages returning -- maybe I should start buying fresh meat each week now and save what we have in the freezer for potential shortages.

Our kid had surgery this week, which was postponed because of a Covid positive co-worker in late September.  While the other kid is still going to work (great safety protocols in place -- no one tested positive despite the coworker), none of us are going into stores or anywhere we could be exposed, because getting Covid while recovering from surgery would be bad.  And given increasing Covid numbers, we're going to keep it this way.  We did it for 3 months starting last March, and we can do it again.  We'll use curbside pickup or delivery.  I've had mixed feelings about it, but my risk is just too high to make shopping safe.

I had no idea canned corn was getting hard to find.  I have a case I pulled out of the pantry with the intention of donating it.  I think we have 10# frozen corn, so we'll still donate the cans, and hopefully someone will be glad to have it if there is indeed a shortage.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 16, 2020, 05:07:05 PM
Don't forget to buy canned B&M brown bread in a can. It is very good!

I have been trying to find this in multiple stores, no luck yet.

 . . . what fresh hell is this???

Wow, so much negativity. If you never tried it, how can you make comments on it? Lets try to be more positive! We are in a pandemic and we are all trying to find alternatives to things we take for granted. If you have tried it and don't like it so be it but why bash something you have no experience with. Let us all be more positive in our comments. We are all trying to survive this pandemic as best we can!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 16, 2020, 06:19:56 PM
Don't forget to buy canned B&M brown bread in a can. It is very good!

I have been trying to find this in multiple stores, no luck yet.

 . . . what fresh hell is this???

Wow, so much negativity. If you never tried it, how can you make comments on it? Lets try to be more positive! We are in a pandemic and we are all trying to find alternatives to things we take for granted. If you have tried it and don't like it so be it but why bash something you have no experience with. Let us all be more positive in our comments. We are all trying to survive this pandemic as best we can!

These comments are intended to be tongue in cheek.  Also, as a Canadian I'm genetically pre-disposed to whinging.

If you like canned vegetables, more power to you.  My mom was a huge fan of canned peas and corn, and we spent a lot of my childhood living in remote northern communities where fresh veggies were not always available.  Let's just say that the first time I tasted fresh peas and corn was pretty eye opening and resulted in some vows to solemnly stand against the menace of canned vegetables.

Coming from that background . . . I'm sure you can understand a certain recalcitrance to immediately sing praises of canned bread.  :P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on October 16, 2020, 07:08:12 PM
Don't forget to buy canned B&M brown bread in a can. It is very good!

I have been trying to find this in multiple stores, no luck yet.

 . . . what fresh hell is this???

Wow, so much negativity. If you never tried it, how can you make comments on it? Lets try to be more positive! We are in a pandemic and we are all trying to find alternatives to things we take for granted. If you have tried it and don't like it so be it but why bash something you have no experience with. Let us all be more positive in our comments. We are all trying to survive this pandemic as best we can!

These comments are intended to be tongue in cheek.  Also, as a Canadian I'm genetically pre-disposed to whinging.

If you like canned vegetables, more power to you.  My mom was a huge fan of canned peas and corn, and we spent a lot of my childhood living in remote northern communities where fresh veggies were not always available.  Let's just say that the first time I tasted fresh peas and corn was pretty eye opening and resulted in some vows to solemnly stand against the menace of canned vegetables.

Coming from that background . . . I'm sure you can understand a certain recalcitrance to immediately sing praises of canned bread.  :P

I'm not sure anyone would can bread, when you can have the dry ingredients to hand. Even over a fire, a quick bread is very simple and quick to make.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on October 17, 2020, 07:20:30 AM
Don't forget to buy canned B&M brown bread in a can. It is very good!

I have been trying to find this in multiple stores, no luck yet.

 . . . what fresh hell is this???
Maybe GuitarStv reads nutrition labels...

https://www.bmbeans.com/product/brown-bread-plain

My Dad was from Boston.  This bread and Gulden's Mustard were two of his faves. I think I might give one of each to my siblings for Christmas. I think seeing it on the pantry shelf might be a poignant reminder of him. RIP, Pops.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 17, 2020, 07:37:19 AM
Bread in a can:

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Bread-in-a-Can
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 17, 2020, 07:48:50 AM
Bread in a can:

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Bread-in-a-Can

What dark, soul destroying secrets must be lurking in your shady past to have so twisted your perception of acceptable comestibles?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on October 17, 2020, 09:03:32 AM
Bread in a can:

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Bread-in-a-Can

What dark, soul destroying secrets must be lurking in your shady past to have so twisted your perception of acceptable comestibles?
OMG, at my childhood home, our neighbors were Mormon. She used to bake all of her bread in tin cans! The top of the loaf straight out of the oven and slathered with butter, honey, or PB, or jam was so, so yummy! But it wasn't brown bread.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NotJen on October 17, 2020, 01:19:06 PM
Bread in a can:

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Bread-in-a-Can

What dark, soul destroying secrets must be lurking in your shady past to have so twisted your perception of acceptable comestibles?
OMG, at my childhood home, our neighbors were Mormon. She used to bake all of her bread in tin cans! The top of the loaf straight out of the oven and slathered with butter, honey, or PB, or jam was so, so yummy! But it wasn't brown bread.

When I was a kid, my mom made banana bread and pumpkin bread in cans.  They would be special treats for us, or gifts for our teachers.  I don't know why - probably we couldn't afford bread pans.

I have made single-serve cakes in repurposed vegetable/bean cans.  I thought it was a cool way to "reduce-reuse-recycle" instead of buying a new thing. (Though this is completely different from "canning bread").
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on October 17, 2020, 03:50:12 PM
Using an empty can as a bread pan seems very reasonable.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 17, 2020, 04:04:10 PM
Also, they work for baking in the crockpot.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Sibley on October 17, 2020, 04:25:25 PM
I have stocked up on people and cat food, nonfood items, and voted. Covid cases are increasing in my area, and given the number of Trump signs and people with masks on yet I can see their noses just fine plus the people without masks.... I'm staying home. I will have to venture out to the pharmacy this week, as I will need to pick up my new inhaler. Otherwise, plan to limit my trips out to the minimum.

I am also not a fan of canned vegetables. Much prefer to buy frozen. As for those debating hoarding vs stocking - when it comes to food, my definition of hoarding is having more food in the house than you can eat before it goes bad. If you're donating food because it'll expire before you get to it, you hoarded.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 17, 2020, 05:01:11 PM
I have stocked up on people and cat food, nonfood items, and voted. Covid cases are increasing in my area, and given the number of Trump signs and people with masks on yet I can see their noses just fine plus the people without masks.... I'm staying home. I will have to venture out to the pharmacy this week, as I will need to pick up my new inhaler. Otherwise, plan to limit my trips out to the minimum.

I am also not a fan of canned vegetables. Much prefer to buy frozen. As for those debating hoarding vs stocking - when it comes to food, my definition of hoarding is having more food in the house than you can eat before it goes bad. If you're donating food because it'll expire before you get to it, you hoarded.

I too prefer fresh veggies first, frozen second and canned third. As far as canned veggies go, only kernel corn and green beans. But when in survival mode you need green veggies. I hope it never gets so bad that we only have canned veggies to survive on. I certainly am not a farmer and am limited on vegetables I can grow. I did grow lettuce, basil, peppers, tomatoes. Not enough to survive on! I subscribe to Imperfect foods and get fresh veggies thru them.

I am doing a curbside grocery store run tomorrow. Have to go to another store too but not curbside. YUK!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: HBFIRE on October 17, 2020, 05:34:59 PM

I like canned green beans, too. They don’t taste like fresh, but they are good in their own way

Call me weird, but I prefer canned green beans to fresh ones.  In fact, I'm not that fond of the fresh version now that I think about it haha.  I think that's the only case for me.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: fuzzy math on October 17, 2020, 06:45:46 PM

I like canned green beans, too. They don’t taste like fresh, but they are good in their own way

Call me weird, but I prefer canned green beans to fresh ones.  In fact, I'm not that fond of the fresh version now that I think about it haha.  I think that's the only case for me.

I know. I'm tempted to go buy a can because they're so junky and delicious. I don't buy anything in a metal can due to BPA concerns and the horror of having opened some past expiration date cans at my mom's house and seeing what a leeched / disintegrating can looks like.  I'm also oddly hungry for creamed corn now too!

I don't think I'm specifically stocking up on anything now, other than dog food. There was a moment in March where I thought about the horror of my dog having a month straight of diarrhea if they were to stop stocking my warehouse store dog food. It was incredibly difficult to switch her last time. When we move in a couple years we'll be going to an area that only has the other brand of warehouse store so I'm going to have to very slowly switch her food. I also recognize that overall we keep slightly higher stock levels than before February and wonder how I'll ever learn to keep less.

My local FB group has warehouse employees who post daily what they got in. Tons of locals read it and ask daily about this or that. The hot items seem to be TP, paper towels (lots of people are apparently picky about brands of both of these), Lysol, wipes, face shields, bacon, chest freezers and trampolines. I think the trampoline shortage is finally over now that its fall!

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 17, 2020, 08:16:22 PM
My stockpiles are quite full. The only thing that is annoying is that dairy, produce and deli products are not hoardable. You can't buy 20 lbs. of lettuce or any fresh veggies or deli or dairy stuff to last long.

I thought I had a good idea and froze two lbs. of deli roast beef. When I opened the first package, it was totally gross! YUK! It looked gray and wet and gag me gross. It was nice pink roast beef when I froze it. I chucked it. It probably could have been salvaged somehow but, YUK, gag me, no way!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 18, 2020, 04:59:19 AM
Hard salami freezes fine, and luckily that’s also the only lunchmeat I especially like. Milk, butter and cheese freeze well, and eggs freeze well enough to use in baking.

Thinking more about green beans - in the Before Times, I regularly cooked at my church’s soup kitchen. Canned green beans were always a hit. People asked for seconds. Salad, not so much.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 18, 2020, 05:37:30 AM
"Hard salami freezes fine, and luckily that’s also the only lunchmeat I especially like. Milk, butter and cheese freeze well, and eggs freeze well enough to use in baking."

Yes, I have not resorted to freezing eggs yet but have considered it. Have watched some video's on youtube on how to do it. When I shop, I buy about 3 dozen eggs at a time so I have plenty all the time. I have frozen butter in my freezer. Milk is another story, I have been buying the shelf stable 8 oz. boxed milk by the case. It is so perfect for us. We don't use much milk here but when we do, all we need is one or two containers so no waste. As far as cost, I have not analyzed it but I do know when I bought normal milk in the past, I have thrown out so much milk over the years. We just don't go thru milk fast enough and it goes sour. We freeze cheese, sandwich pepperoni, deli ham, deli turkey, and walnuts.

Cranky: "Thinking more about green beans - in the Before Times, I regularly cooked at my church’s soup kitchen. Canned green beans were always a hit. People asked for seconds. Salad, not so much." Did you make the make the green bean casserole that people have during the holidays?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 18, 2020, 08:13:21 AM
We pretty much just use milk for cooking and the occasional bowl of cereal, so the half gallon of ultrapasteurized milk works pretty well for us, but I like to have a backup for winter weather, and I was glad of it last spring when it was so hard to get a pickup slot for groceries. Shelf stable milk doesn’t seem common around here - I’ve only seen the little individual cartons for school lunches.

We don’t even make green bean casserole for the soup kitchen, just the industrial sized can of green beans heated up. But clearly plenty of people love them. Oh, I also often work at a food pantry we operate at a public school, and while nobody wants canned peas (and no wonder) canned corn and canned green beans are snapped up.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 18, 2020, 08:24:59 AM
We pretty much just use milk for cooking and the occasional bowl of cereal, so the half gallon of ultrapasteurized milk works pretty well for us, but I like to have a backup for winter weather, and I was glad of it last spring when it was so hard to get a pickup slot for groceries. Shelf stable milk doesn’t seem common around here - I’ve only seen the little individual cartons for school lunches.

We don’t even make green bean casserole for the soup kitchen, just the industrial sized can of green beans heated up. But clearly plenty of people love them. Oh, I also often work at a food pantry we operate at a public school, and while nobody wants canned peas (and no wonder) canned corn and canned green beans are snapped up.

You can get the individual 8 oz. (18 count) containers of milk thru Costco or Boxed.com. Costco is a few dollars cheaper
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: saguaro on October 18, 2020, 08:47:38 AM
I too prefer fresh veggies first, frozen second and canned third. As far as canned veggies go, only kernel corn and green beans. But when in survival mode you need green veggies. I hope it never gets so bad that we only have canned veggies to survive on. I certainly am not a farmer and am limited on vegetables I can grow. I did grow lettuce, basil, peppers, tomatoes. Not enough to survive on! I subscribe to Imperfect foods and get fresh veggies thru them.

Same here, fresh, then frozen, then canned though I absolutely hate canned peas.

We have a plot in our local community garden and grew peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, cabbage.  I grew lettuce in a pot on my deck during the summer (too many rabbits in the community garden).  Canned and froze what I could but with limited freezer space still not going to last the winter.   Have stocked up on other things though and plan to do a big Costco run next week. 

Also my garage gets cold enough in the winter that's safe to store things like potatoes, carrots, apples in closed containers but not subject them to freezing.   Just have to make sure I use it all before it warms up in there which is like in March.

Covid cases are also spiking in our area so starting to limit the grocery trips again like we did in spring.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: fuzzy math on October 18, 2020, 08:52:50 AM
I have pinto beans soaking and ham thawing this morning for soup beans!! I have unknowingly been making them for the last year. I normally put leftover pasta sauce or some concentrated tomato paste in them and have been calling them "ranch beans".
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on October 18, 2020, 10:01:08 AM
We're in a second lockdown already. We get groceries delivered and I made sure to stockpile this summer. Ever since the second lockdown has been announced shops have been empty again. The first lockdown was a surprise (although I always have a full pantry) but everyone knew the second wave was coming. I also canned this summer and we're growing spinach, kale, beetroot and endive in the garden.

I actually just ate canned peas for dinner (in a Shepherd's pie) and I also eat canned corn fairly often. Both are not often found fresh where I live. I also eat canned beans and lentils quite often - I have dried ones too but I don't always want to plan ahead. I think canned beans taste perfectly fine. I make sure to buy the brands that don't add sugar or salt.

I much prefer fresh green beans over canned but I don't mind canned at all. We used to grow tons of green beans at home and 9 months a year we ate them canned. I won't eat canned potatoes, mushrooms or asparagus though. Those are disgusting.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 18, 2020, 01:30:10 PM
This expert says "the darkest of the pandemic is yet to come".

Batten down the hatches, get your pantries full and stay home as much as possible!

I just did curbside and had to go into one store too. Scary times ahead.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/osterholm-pandemic-forecast_n_5f8c6e02c5b67da85d1f2d67
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 18, 2020, 02:12:35 PM
As for those debating hoarding vs stocking - when it comes to food, my definition of hoarding is having more food in the house than you can eat before it goes bad. If you're donating food because it'll expire before you get to it, you hoarded.

We could certainly eat all of the food we stockpiled before the best by or expiration dates, which are years in the future, but I know a) we don't need to because we solved the fresh produce shortage when we found a produce wholesaler who started selling to the public, b) we don't prefer canned foods in general, and c) we bought canned corn because we couldn't get frozen, and once our preferred frozen option became available we bought that and planned to donate the canned.

When we were stockpiling, we knew all along we would donate some of it. Indeed, when I debated buying a case of canned corn, DH pointed out we could donate it if we didn't use it or frozen became available, which it did several months in. At the same time we were stockpiling we were also buying for the food bank -- in addition to non-perishable food we donated 240 individually wrapped rolls of toiler paper.

We did buy some canned foods we ended up not wanting. I had fond memories of Spam and au gratin potatoes from my childhood -- the taste didn't live up to the memories and meat ended up not being in short supply as long as one was flexible. I have one kid who liked the Spam and would have eaten it, but I decided to donate it anyway.  I kept the cans of corned beef hash (another memory that disappointed) for him. I didn't care for the canned chicken we bought, but we're using it in soup and make chicken salad for the guys to use in sandwiches.

The urgent need for food donations is now, not a couple of years in the future when the cans have a couple of months left before expiring. Our local food bank keeps sending out pleas for donations. When I bought a case of canned pumpkin last week I set aside half of it for the food bank. If I buy a two pack of oil I give one to the food bank.

As for canned vs. frozen or fresh vegetables, we prefer fresh, then frozen, with canned a distant third.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 18, 2020, 02:21:33 PM
This expert says "the darkest of the pandemic is yet to come".

Batten down the hatches, get your pantries full and stay home as much as possible!

I just did curbside and had to go into one store too. Scary times ahead.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/osterholm-pandemic-forecast_n_5f8c6e02c5b67da85d1f2d67

Good advice! If I could have my kids on leave of absence again I would, but at this point they'd lose their jobs.

We're done with going into stores even with masks and hand sanitizer (we started going again in late June, I think). It will be Instacart and curbside pickups from here on out.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 18, 2020, 02:35:52 PM
Curbside grocery service was really good, however, I didn't realize till I got home that the store didn't have certain items that I specifically wanted and needed. I looked at the receipt when I got home and there were things listed that they were out of. Frustrating!

Another frustrating thing is that there were 8 parking spaces dedicated to curbside pick up and people who were not doing curbside were parked and in the store shopping. GRRRRR! I was lucky to get the last space available.

I have not done instacart. How much does it cost and how do you go about doing that?

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 18, 2020, 02:47:04 PM
 Aldi does instacart and so does my local IGA. I think there’s a separate Instacart app, but I haven’t tried it. I understand that the prices are quite a bit higher than in the store.

Aldi, you order for curbside pickup through Instacart, but the people who put your order together are Aldi employees.

Giant Eagle, the big chain in my area, uses their own employees which I prefer. Some of the Instacart shoppers seem pretty clueless about groceries.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 18, 2020, 03:17:52 PM
Curbside grocery service was really good, however, I didn't realize till I got home that the store didn't have certain items that I specifically wanted and needed. I looked at the receipt when I got home and there were things listed that they were out of. Frustrating!

Another frustrating thing is that there were 8 parking spaces dedicated to curbside pick up and people who were not doing curbside were parked and in the store shopping. GRRRRR! I was lucky to get the last space available.

I have not done instacart. How much does it cost and how do you go about doing that?

We tried curbside with Target and it was a disaster -- they tried at first to send us home with half of what we'd ordered and been charged with. Then they brought out what they said was the rest, and it was still missing items.  I didn't order for curbside only to have to do an inventory in my car and repeatedly have to try to fix it.

I'm trying Instacart Express for free for 30 days (worked that out with online customer service). That's $99 per year (or $10 per month) -- it eliminates the delivery fee and lowers the service fee. One thing I learned was Sprouts doesn't have inflated prices on the Instacart website, and they honor their sale prices, so they're my preferred store. Aldi's markups are minimal.  Costco's markups are high, but so are their markups on 2 day non-perishable grocery delivery.  I plan to use Instacart at Costco only for things I can't get elsewhere (my dogs eat their Nature's Domain food).

This week I did two orders through Instacart, and in both cases I had groceries on my doorstop in just under an hour. I expect this to change as more people return to using grocery delivery. The person who picked out my produce and perishables at Sprouts did a fantastic job. I paid for an Instacart Aldi delivery several months ago and that was a disaster in terms of the produce -- I don't think it's going to work well someplace like Aldi where you have to really check the produce to make sure it's fresh.

It's still not frugal.  At Sprouts my food order was $76.18, the service fee was reduced to $1.45, and I ended up tipping $9.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 18, 2020, 03:39:22 PM
I checked my Costco and instacart doesn't deliver to my zipcode. I am located about 15 miles from Costco. We have Stop & Shop either curbside or home delivery (formerly Peapod).

I have ordered some meat from Rastelli's (on line). Not cheap but really good quality. I ordered pork burgers from Red Top Farms, I order some things from Walmart (shelf stable). I have also ordered from QVC some meat products and Schwann's for frozen things. Imperfect foods for vegetable delivery. I have also ordered from a food service company on line too for frozen things. I have a lot of bases covered. Dairy, deli and some produce are the stumbling blocks. Where is the milkman when you need him? I could order from Stop & Shop and have that stuff delivered too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Runrooster on October 18, 2020, 08:05:13 PM
While I share the distaste for canned veg generally, for some reason Im okay with canned tomatoes for cooking only. I like the petite diced as far as size, already peeled and the canning semi-cooks them.  It doesnt taste like fresh, but I dont expect it to.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on October 19, 2020, 04:11:24 AM
As for those debating hoarding vs stocking - when it comes to food, my definition of hoarding is having more food in the house than you can eat before it goes bad. If you're donating food because it'll expire before you get to it, you hoarded.

We could certainly eat all of the food we stockpiled before the best by or expiration dates, which are years in the future, but I know a) we don't need to because we solved the fresh produce shortage when we found a produce wholesaler who started selling to the public, b) we don't prefer canned foods in general, and c) we bought canned corn because we couldn't get frozen, and once our preferred frozen option became available we bought that and planned to donate the canned.

When we were stockpiling, we knew all along we would donate some of it. Indeed, when I debated buying a case of canned corn, DH pointed out we could donate it if we didn't use it or frozen became available, which it did several months in. At the same time we were stockpiling we were also buying for the food bank -- in addition to non-perishable food we donated 240 individually wrapped rolls of toiler paper.

We did buy some canned foods we ended up not wanting. I had fond memories of Spam and au gratin potatoes from my childhood -- the taste didn't live up to the memories and meat ended up not being in short supply as long as one was flexible. I have one kid who liked the Spam and would have eaten it, but I decided to donate it anyway.  I kept the cans of corned beef hash (another memory that disappointed) for him. I didn't care for the canned chicken we bought, but we're using it in soup and make chicken salad for the guys to use in sandwiches.

The urgent need for food donations is now, not a couple of years in the future when the cans have a couple of months left before expiring. Our local food bank keeps sending out pleas for donations. When I bought a case of canned pumpkin last week I set aside half of it for the food bank. If I buy a two pack of oil I give one to the food bank.

As for canned vs. frozen or fresh vegetables, we prefer fresh, then frozen, with canned a distant third.
I used to do the same things for the Food Bank, until I got to take a tour. OMG, they are so efficient! They have such  great connections with manufacturers and growers that they buy food for way less than I can, even with my ninja shopping skills. Now I don't buy food, I give cash instead. I'm grateful that years of mustachianism has allowed me the freedom to give generously.

Earlier this month, my civic group hosted a city-wide Food Drive. We collected more than 19 tons of food and over $16k in cash. Someone from the Food Bank commented that the beauty of community food drives is the variety of food it brings in.  Mostly, it raises awareness, even if it is less efficient.

If you're interested, there is a picture and a video clip on the last two pages of my journal, which is linked below. No need to bother with the rest of my blathering, it's pure drivel.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 19, 2020, 04:42:23 AM
While I share the distaste for canned veg generally, for some reason Im okay with canned tomatoes for cooking only. I like the petite diced as far as size, already peeled and the canning semi-cooks them.  It doesnt taste like fresh, but I dont expect it to.

I absolutely love tomatoes and canned are great too! San Marzano whole, peeled tomatoes are fantastic! Also, look for fire roasted tomatoes.

Here is a simple sauce recipe that is delicious!
https://food52.com/recipes/13722-marcella-hazan-s-tomato-sauce-with-onion-butter
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 19, 2020, 06:55:57 AM
While I share the distaste for canned veg generally, for some reason Im okay with canned tomatoes for cooking only. I like the petite diced as far as size, already peeled and the canning semi-cooks them.  It doesnt taste like fresh, but I dont expect it to.

Agreed.  Canned tomatoes are fine . . . probably because you're always cooking the crap out of the tomatoes to make a sauce anyway.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: I'm a red panda on October 19, 2020, 09:17:41 AM
As for those debating hoarding vs stocking - when it comes to food, my definition of hoarding is having more food in the house than you can eat before it goes bad. If you're donating food because it'll expire before you get to it, you hoarded.

We could certainly eat all of the food we stockpiled before the best by or expiration dates, which are years in the future, but I know a) we don't need to because we solved the fresh produce shortage when we found a produce wholesaler who started selling to the public, b) we don't prefer canned foods in general, and c) we bought canned corn because we couldn't get frozen, and once our preferred frozen option became available we bought that and planned to donate the canned.

When we were stockpiling, we knew all along we would donate some of it. Indeed, when I debated buying a case of canned corn, DH pointed out we could donate it if we didn't use it or frozen became available, which it did several months in. At the same time we were stockpiling we were also buying for the food bank -- in addition to non-perishable food we donated 240 individually wrapped rolls of toiler paper.

We did buy some canned foods we ended up not wanting. I had fond memories of Spam and au gratin potatoes from my childhood -- the taste didn't live up to the memories and meat ended up not being in short supply as long as one was flexible. I have one kid who liked the Spam and would have eaten it, but I decided to donate it anyway.  I kept the cans of corned beef hash (another memory that disappointed) for him. I didn't care for the canned chicken we bought, but we're using it in soup and make chicken salad for the guys to use in sandwiches.

The urgent need for food donations is now, not a couple of years in the future when the cans have a couple of months left before expiring. Our local food bank keeps sending out pleas for donations. When I bought a case of canned pumpkin last week I set aside half of it for the food bank. If I buy a two pack of oil I give one to the food bank.

As for canned vs. frozen or fresh vegetables, we prefer fresh, then frozen, with canned a distant third.
I used to do the same things for the Food Bank, until I got to take a tour. OMG, they are so efficient! They have such  great connections with manufacturers and growers that they buy food for way less than I can, even with my ninja shopping skills. Now I don't buy food, I give cash instead. I'm grateful that years of mustachianism has allowed me the freedom to give generously.

Earlier this month, my civic group hosted a city-wide Food Drive. We collected more than 19 tons of food and over $16k in cash. Someone from the Food Bank commented that the beauty of community food drives is the variety of food it brings in.  Mostly, it raises awareness, even if it is less efficient.

If you're interested, there is a picture and a video clip on the last two pages of my journal, which is linked below. No need to bother with the rest of my blathering, it's pure drivel.

Our food bank has told us that for food, donating money is the best option.
But they have NO connections to get discounted toilet paper. They are in dire need of toilet paper.  Ironically, they did a huge toilet paper drive in February, because the need was so great.  I can't imagine how bad it got in March and April...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 19, 2020, 09:24:21 AM
As for those debating hoarding vs stocking - when it comes to food, my definition of hoarding is having more food in the house than you can eat before it goes bad. If you're donating food because it'll expire before you get to it, you hoarded.

We could certainly eat all of the food we stockpiled before the best by or expiration dates, which are years in the future, but I know a) we don't need to because we solved the fresh produce shortage when we found a produce wholesaler who started selling to the public, b) we don't prefer canned foods in general, and c) we bought canned corn because we couldn't get frozen, and once our preferred frozen option became available we bought that and planned to donate the canned.

When we were stockpiling, we knew all along we would donate some of it. Indeed, when I debated buying a case of canned corn, DH pointed out we could donate it if we didn't use it or frozen became available, which it did several months in. At the same time we were stockpiling we were also buying for the food bank -- in addition to non-perishable food we donated 240 individually wrapped rolls of toiler paper.

We did buy some canned foods we ended up not wanting. I had fond memories of Spam and au gratin potatoes from my childhood -- the taste didn't live up to the memories and meat ended up not being in short supply as long as one was flexible. I have one kid who liked the Spam and would have eaten it, but I decided to donate it anyway.  I kept the cans of corned beef hash (another memory that disappointed) for him. I didn't care for the canned chicken we bought, but we're using it in soup and make chicken salad for the guys to use in sandwiches.

The urgent need for food donations is now, not a couple of years in the future when the cans have a couple of months left before expiring. Our local food bank keeps sending out pleas for donations. When I bought a case of canned pumpkin last week I set aside half of it for the food bank. If I buy a two pack of oil I give one to the food bank.

As for canned vs. frozen or fresh vegetables, we prefer fresh, then frozen, with canned a distant third.
I used to do the same things for the Food Bank, until I got to take a tour. OMG, they are so efficient! They have such  great connections with manufacturers and growers that they buy food for way less than I can, even with my ninja shopping skills. Now I don't buy food, I give cash instead. I'm grateful that years of mustachianism has allowed me the freedom to give generously.

Earlier this month, my civic group hosted a city-wide Food Drive. We collected more than 19 tons of food and over $16k in cash. Someone from the Food Bank commented that the beauty of community food drives is the variety of food it brings in.  Mostly, it raises awareness, even if it is less efficient.

If you're interested, there is a picture and a video clip on the last two pages of my journal, which is linked below. No need to bother with the rest of my blathering, it's pure drivel.

Our food bank has told us that for food, donating money is the best option.
But they have NO connections to get discounted toilet paper. They are in dire need of toilet paper.  Ironically, they did a huge toilet paper drive in February, because the need was so great.  I can't imagine how bad it got in March and April...

Why does a food bank need toilet paper at all?

I went without toilet paper for several months this year.  It's not ideal, but certainly is not a necessity if you have a shower head in the room where you poop.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 19, 2020, 10:06:21 AM
As for those debating hoarding vs stocking - when it comes to food, my definition of hoarding is having more food in the house than you can eat before it goes bad. If you're donating food because it'll expire before you get to it, you hoarded.

We could certainly eat all of the food we stockpiled before the best by or expiration dates, which are years in the future, but I know a) we don't need to because we solved the fresh produce shortage when we found a produce wholesaler who started selling to the public, b) we don't prefer canned foods in general, and c) we bought canned corn because we couldn't get frozen, and once our preferred frozen option became available we bought that and planned to donate the canned.

When we were stockpiling, we knew all along we would donate some of it. Indeed, when I debated buying a case of canned corn, DH pointed out we could donate it if we didn't use it or frozen became available, which it did several months in. At the same time we were stockpiling we were also buying for the food bank -- in addition to non-perishable food we donated 240 individually wrapped rolls of toiler paper.

We did buy some canned foods we ended up not wanting. I had fond memories of Spam and au gratin potatoes from my childhood -- the taste didn't live up to the memories and meat ended up not being in short supply as long as one was flexible. I have one kid who liked the Spam and would have eaten it, but I decided to donate it anyway.  I kept the cans of corned beef hash (another memory that disappointed) for him. I didn't care for the canned chicken we bought, but we're using it in soup and make chicken salad for the guys to use in sandwiches.

The urgent need for food donations is now, not a couple of years in the future when the cans have a couple of months left before expiring. Our local food bank keeps sending out pleas for donations. When I bought a case of canned pumpkin last week I set aside half of it for the food bank. If I buy a two pack of oil I give one to the food bank.

As for canned vs. frozen or fresh vegetables, we prefer fresh, then frozen, with canned a distant third.
I used to do the same things for the Food Bank, until I got to take a tour. OMG, they are so efficient! They have such  great connections with manufacturers and growers that they buy food for way less than I can, even with my ninja shopping skills. Now I don't buy food, I give cash instead. I'm grateful that years of mustachianism has allowed me the freedom to give generously.

Earlier this month, my civic group hosted a city-wide Food Drive. We collected more than 19 tons of food and over $16k in cash. Someone from the Food Bank commented that the beauty of community food drives is the variety of food it brings in.  Mostly, it raises awareness, even if it is less efficient.

If you're interested, there is a picture and a video clip on the last two pages of my journal, which is linked below. No need to bother with the rest of my blathering, it's pure drivel.

Our food bank has told us that for food, donating money is the best option.
But they have NO connections to get discounted toilet paper. They are in dire need of toilet paper.  Ironically, they did a huge toilet paper drive in February, because the need was so great.  I can't imagine how bad it got in March and April...

Toilet paper, diapers, dish soap , laundry detergent, pet food are always in HUGE demand because you can never get those with food stamps.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 19, 2020, 10:07:16 AM
As for those debating hoarding vs stocking - when it comes to food, my definition of hoarding is having more food in the house than you can eat before it goes bad. If you're donating food because it'll expire before you get to it, you hoarded.

We could certainly eat all of the food we stockpiled before the best by or expiration dates, which are years in the future, but I know a) we don't need to because we solved the fresh produce shortage when we found a produce wholesaler who started selling to the public, b) we don't prefer canned foods in general, and c) we bought canned corn because we couldn't get frozen, and once our preferred frozen option became available we bought that and planned to donate the canned.

When we were stockpiling, we knew all along we would donate some of it. Indeed, when I debated buying a case of canned corn, DH pointed out we could donate it if we didn't use it or frozen became available, which it did several months in. At the same time we were stockpiling we were also buying for the food bank -- in addition to non-perishable food we donated 240 individually wrapped rolls of toiler paper.

We did buy some canned foods we ended up not wanting. I had fond memories of Spam and au gratin potatoes from my childhood -- the taste didn't live up to the memories and meat ended up not being in short supply as long as one was flexible. I have one kid who liked the Spam and would have eaten it, but I decided to donate it anyway.  I kept the cans of corned beef hash (another memory that disappointed) for him. I didn't care for the canned chicken we bought, but we're using it in soup and make chicken salad for the guys to use in sandwiches.

The urgent need for food donations is now, not a couple of years in the future when the cans have a couple of months left before expiring. Our local food bank keeps sending out pleas for donations. When I bought a case of canned pumpkin last week I set aside half of it for the food bank. If I buy a two pack of oil I give one to the food bank.

As for canned vs. frozen or fresh vegetables, we prefer fresh, then frozen, with canned a distant third.
I used to do the same things for the Food Bank, until I got to take a tour. OMG, they are so efficient! They have such  great connections with manufacturers and growers that they buy food for way less than I can, even with my ninja shopping skills. Now I don't buy food, I give cash instead. I'm grateful that years of mustachianism has allowed me the freedom to give generously.

Earlier this month, my civic group hosted a city-wide Food Drive. We collected more than 19 tons of food and over $16k in cash. Someone from the Food Bank commented that the beauty of community food drives is the variety of food it brings in.  Mostly, it raises awareness, even if it is less efficient.

If you're interested, there is a picture and a video clip on the last two pages of my journal, which is linked below. No need to bother with the rest of my blathering, it's pure drivel.

Our food bank has told us that for food, donating money is the best option.
But they have NO connections to get discounted toilet paper. They are in dire need of toilet paper.  Ironically, they did a huge toilet paper drive in February, because the need was so great.  I can't imagine how bad it got in March and April...

Why does a food bank need toilet paper at all?

I went without toilet paper for several months this year.  It's not ideal, but certainly is not a necessity if you have a shower head in the room where you poop.

Does everyone in your house take a shower every time they poop??
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: I'm a red panda on October 19, 2020, 10:30:32 AM

Why does a food bank need toilet paper at all?

I went without toilet paper for several months this year.  It's not ideal, but certainly is not a necessity if you have a shower head in the room where you poop.

Most people in the US consider toilet paper a necessity.  Food banks provide it to people to help them have dignity.
(And it's not just poop. Most women typically dry themselves when they pee, including to wipe themselves when dealing with their period. Using a cloth isn't really a good option if you don't have access to inexpensive laundry, and laundrymats are EXPENSIVE to use.)

I am happy to donate toilet paper to our food bank to help those in need of it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 19, 2020, 11:14:48 AM
As for those debating hoarding vs stocking - when it comes to food, my definition of hoarding is having more food in the house than you can eat before it goes bad. If you're donating food because it'll expire before you get to it, you hoarded.

We could certainly eat all of the food we stockpiled before the best by or expiration dates, which are years in the future, but I know a) we don't need to because we solved the fresh produce shortage when we found a produce wholesaler who started selling to the public, b) we don't prefer canned foods in general, and c) we bought canned corn because we couldn't get frozen, and once our preferred frozen option became available we bought that and planned to donate the canned.

When we were stockpiling, we knew all along we would donate some of it. Indeed, when I debated buying a case of canned corn, DH pointed out we could donate it if we didn't use it or frozen became available, which it did several months in. At the same time we were stockpiling we were also buying for the food bank -- in addition to non-perishable food we donated 240 individually wrapped rolls of toiler paper.

We did buy some canned foods we ended up not wanting. I had fond memories of Spam and au gratin potatoes from my childhood -- the taste didn't live up to the memories and meat ended up not being in short supply as long as one was flexible. I have one kid who liked the Spam and would have eaten it, but I decided to donate it anyway.  I kept the cans of corned beef hash (another memory that disappointed) for him. I didn't care for the canned chicken we bought, but we're using it in soup and make chicken salad for the guys to use in sandwiches.

The urgent need for food donations is now, not a couple of years in the future when the cans have a couple of months left before expiring. Our local food bank keeps sending out pleas for donations. When I bought a case of canned pumpkin last week I set aside half of it for the food bank. If I buy a two pack of oil I give one to the food bank.

As for canned vs. frozen or fresh vegetables, we prefer fresh, then frozen, with canned a distant third.
I used to do the same things for the Food Bank, until I got to take a tour. OMG, they are so efficient! They have such  great connections with manufacturers and growers that they buy food for way less than I can, even with my ninja shopping skills. Now I don't buy food, I give cash instead. I'm grateful that years of mustachianism has allowed me the freedom to give generously.

Earlier this month, my civic group hosted a city-wide Food Drive. We collected more than 19 tons of food and over $16k in cash. Someone from the Food Bank commented that the beauty of community food drives is the variety of food it brings in.  Mostly, it raises awareness, even if it is less efficient.

If you're interested, there is a picture and a video clip on the last two pages of my journal, which is linked below. No need to bother with the rest of my blathering, it's pure drivel.

Our food bank has told us that for food, donating money is the best option.
But they have NO connections to get discounted toilet paper. They are in dire need of toilet paper.  Ironically, they did a huge toilet paper drive in February, because the need was so great.  I can't imagine how bad it got in March and April...

Why does a food bank need toilet paper at all?

I went without toilet paper for several months this year.  It's not ideal, but certainly is not a necessity if you have a shower head in the room where you poop.

Does everyone in your house take a shower every time they poop??

When there's no TP available at the stores they do.


2020 - Showing us what is really discretionary spending.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Blue Skies on October 19, 2020, 11:53:47 AM

Why does a food bank need toilet paper at all?

I went without toilet paper for several months this year.  It's not ideal, but certainly is not a necessity if you have a shower head in the room where you poop.

Personally, I would much rather donate toilet paper to the food bank than the cake mix and frosting that our local food bank always has on their most wanted list...

If people can't afford food, is cake really that important?  Apparently around here, it is.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on October 19, 2020, 12:27:31 PM

Why does a food bank need toilet paper at all?

I went without toilet paper for several months this year.  It's not ideal, but certainly is not a necessity if you have a shower head in the room where you poop.

Personally, I would much rather donate toilet paper to the food bank than the cake mix and frosting that our local food bank always has on their most wanted list...

If people can't afford food, is cake really that important?  Apparently around here, it is.
Speaking from personal experience getting a birthday cake made from the food pantry supplies was the only thing I received for my b day at times and made my day.

I know it is not necessary to life as far as nutrition goes (probably has a better nutritional value that the blocks of greasy government cheese we would get) but it sure made my day and sometimes survival is about more than just nutritional sustenance.

I am guessing it also made my mom happy to see a smile on my face and who knows maybe it kept one or both of us going.

Let them eat cake


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 19, 2020, 12:39:02 PM

Why does a food bank need toilet paper at all?

I went without toilet paper for several months this year.  It's not ideal, but certainly is not a necessity if you have a shower head in the room where you poop.

Personally, I would much rather donate toilet paper to the food bank than the cake mix and frosting that our local food bank always has on their most wanted list...

If people can't afford food, is cake really that important?  Apparently around here, it is.

LET THEM EAT CAKE!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Just Joe on October 19, 2020, 03:46:06 PM
Don't forget to buy canned B&M brown bread in a can. It is very good!

I have been trying to find this in multiple stores, no luck yet.

One of my local stores has it and I have also ordered it on line. Maybe Walmart or Amazon. However, you might have to buy a case! Crazy, but that is what I did! It will last a long time and is very good for any meal of the day. Even a dessert!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/B-M-Raisin-Brown-Bread-16-oz/10291606   Pick up only

$20 per can?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 19, 2020, 04:31:59 PM
Our food bank isn't just a food bank, they're a family services association and also work to provide housing, etc.  They do specifically ask for food donations in addition to monetary donations.  Usually they ask for canned goods, peanut butter, cereal, etc.  Mostly basics.  They also need personal hygiene items.  They accept gently used clothing and household goods.

I grew up poor and cake mix cake with canned frosting is what we had for every birthday.  I'll donate whatever they ask for without judgment.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on October 19, 2020, 05:15:16 PM
Our food bank isn't just a food bank, they're a family services association and also work to provide housing, etc.  They do specifically ask for food donations in addition to monetary donations.  Usually they ask for canned goods, peanut butter, cereal, etc.  Mostly basics.  They also need personal hygiene items.  They accept gently used clothing and household goods.

I grew up poor and cake mix cake with canned frosting is what we had for every birthday.  I'll donate whatever they ask for without judgment.

I'm weirdly balanced between applauding your attitude to donating whatever they want, and wondering at what you consider to be poor with your cake mix story!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Runrooster on October 19, 2020, 07:04:21 PM
While I share the distaste for canned veg generally, for some reason Im okay with canned tomatoes for cooking only. I like the petite diced as far as size, already peeled and the canning semi-cooks them.  It doesnt taste like fresh, but I dont expect it to.

Agreed.  Canned tomatoes are fine . . . probably because you're always cooking the crap out of the tomatoes to make a sauce anyway.

Glad to hear I'm not alone.  A month ago my grocery store offered $0.37 cans of 14 oz kidney beans, black beans, green beans, or corn, limit 12 per account, which means 24 for us.  I stocked up thinking it was a 6 month price, making two trips to do so.  Then this week they repeated the offer but with canned tomatoes instead of green beans or peas.  I guess everyone else got their fill, because the store was well stocked even of garbanzo beans which they'd run out of both earlier visits.  I bought 12 more beans, and 12 tomatoes. I usually try to stock 6 cans of the 28 oz tomatoes, and had just bought 3, but I'm sure they'll get used promptly.  The nice thing is that the ad only lists kidney and black beans, which we eat more slowly, but actually includes all beans.

But we are having tomato fights.  My Mom became allergic to table salt (but can eat sea salt) two years ago.  That ruled out canned tomatoes for her meals, but the first summer she had a nice bounty in the garden and I stocked up when they were cheap in the store.  This summer we didnt grow any and the prices never dropped below $.99 a pound if even that.  So its mid October and I resent paying $2/pound for fresh tomatoes with mediocre flavor that will be cooked.  I finally realized that hey, they sell no salt added cans of tomatoes, at either $1/28oz or $0.37/14 oz.  My Mom tried them and so far says they are not bothering her.  But, she still wants to cook with fresh tomatoes.  She offers to use less. Id rather use more and canned.  Id stop buying fresh but I want 2-3 for my daily fresh salads.  Which she will cook with unless I buy her 2-3 pounds extra.  I think maybe canning has gotten better because tomatoes dont have that tinny flavor I remember from decades ago?

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 19, 2020, 07:19:48 PM
My Mom became allergic to table salt (but can eat sea salt) two years ago

?

Is it the iodine that she has a problem with?  That's the only thing I can think of that would be in table salt but not sea salt.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on October 20, 2020, 01:35:46 AM

Why does a food bank need toilet paper at all?

I went without toilet paper for several months this year.  It's not ideal, but certainly is not a necessity if you have a shower head in the room where you poop.

Personally, I would much rather donate toilet paper to the food bank than the cake mix and frosting that our local food bank always has on their most wanted list...

If people can't afford food, is cake really that important?  Apparently around here, it is.
Speaking from personal experience getting a birthday cake made from the food pantry supplies was the only thing I received for my b day at times and made my day.

I know it is not necessary to life as far as nutrition goes (probably has a better nutritional value that the blocks of greasy government cheese we would get) but it sure made my day and sometimes survival is about more than just nutritional sustenance.

I am guessing it also made my mom happy to see a smile on my face and who knows maybe it kept one or both of us going.

Let them eat cake


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know my local foodbank even has party boxes for kids. When it's your kid's birthday you get cake mix, treats that a kid could take to school, something like a bag of crisps and a bottle of soda to celebrate at home, and a small toy. Is it necessary for survival? No. Is it amazing for those kids to grow up like everyone else? Yes. I can't imagine how awful it must be for kids when you're the only one in class who can't afford to bring in a treat for your birthday.

They also hand out summer holiday boxes for families with children that include vouchers donated by businesses and grocery gift cards so families can take a trip to the zoo or the pool and bring their favourite treats from home.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 20, 2020, 03:57:23 AM
Don't forget to buy canned B&M brown bread in a can. It is very good!

I have been trying to find this in multiple stores, no luck yet.

One of my local stores has it and I have also ordered it on line. Maybe Walmart or Amazon. However, you might have to buy a case! Crazy, but that is what I did! It will last a long time and is very good for any meal of the day. Even a dessert!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/B-M-Raisin-Brown-Bread-16-oz/10291606   Pick up only

$20 per can?

It says $2.22 per 16 oz. can.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on October 20, 2020, 04:39:28 AM
My Mom became allergic to table salt (but can eat sea salt) two years ago

?

Is it the iodine that she has a problem with?  That's the only thing I can think of that would be in table salt but not sea salt.

Table salt has free flow agents, maybe?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Runrooster on October 20, 2020, 08:57:52 AM
My Mom became allergic to table salt (but can eat sea salt) two years ago

?

Is it the iodine that she has a problem with?  That's the only thing I can think of that would be in table salt but not sea salt.

Table salt has free flow agents, maybe?

My Mom has mouth sores which makes lemon juice difficult, as well as anything hard or sharp, plus spicy foods.  Grated cheese bothers her but not the expensive block cheese from Costco, but inexpensive cream cheese is great.  She's lost 20 pounds in 6 months despite a lifetime of failing to lose weight. At 145, this is a big deal. 

So, long story, it might be caking agents or iodine or both.  Pink salt seems to be okay only if it's something, I forget what. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on October 20, 2020, 09:55:48 AM
As for those debating hoarding vs stocking - when it comes to food, my definition of hoarding is having more food in the house than you can eat before it goes bad.

This is a useful metric for me. We'd rather keep less food around, it's so much work to be shuffling things around and bursting at the seams. But this is what we need to do right now, and we are so fortunate to be able to. My guesstimate is that if we did not buy anything new we'd completely empty our cupboards in 3 months. We'd be very tired of beans, but we'd have enough spices to still have a little flavor through to the end. It's a continual dilemma whether to use things up or to just keep restocking things as we use them. As is we'll just keep adding and taking away and someday we'll get back to scheduling that around sales more than security.

One silly thing I am hoarding (in the sense that I am intentionally not using it up.) is some quinoa that I bought about 18 months ago. One brand was changing it's packaging so they had everything marked down to $1.50 - 1.99 a pound IIRC.  Great price. I stopped at several different stores and bought them out. I guess we've eaten 20 pounds of it, now we're finally down to the last package of that quinoa and I know I'm going to have to pay regular price again.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: BicycleB on October 20, 2020, 03:14:54 PM

Speaking from personal experience getting a birthday cake made from the food pantry supplies was the only thing I received for my b day at times and made my day.

I know it is not necessary to life as far as nutrition goes (probably has a better nutritional value that the blocks of greasy government cheese we would get) but it sure made my day and sometimes survival is about more than just nutritional sustenance.

I am guessing it also made my mom happy to see a smile on my face and who knows maybe it kept one or both of us going.

Let them eat cake


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Our food bank isn't just a food bank, they're a family services association and also work to provide housing, etc.  They do specifically ask for food donations in addition to monetary donations.  Usually they ask for canned goods, peanut butter, cereal, etc.  Mostly basics.  They also need personal hygiene items.  They accept gently used clothing and household goods.

I grew up poor and cake mix cake with canned frosting is what we had for every birthday.  I'll donate whatever they ask for without judgment.

@the_fixer, @K_in_the_kitchen - thank you for posting (and standing up for the dignity of kids in the same situation today. It may not be same as starving in some distant African desert, but the feeling of poor in our judgmental society can last forever. Sometimes a symbol of being valued makes a big difference).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on October 20, 2020, 04:03:37 PM
Don't forget to buy canned B&M brown bread in a can. It is very good!

I have been trying to find this in multiple stores, no luck yet.

One of my local stores has it and I have also ordered it on line. Maybe Walmart or Amazon. However, you might have to buy a case! Crazy, but that is what I did! It will last a long time and is very good for any meal of the day. Even a dessert!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/B-M-Raisin-Brown-Bread-16-oz/10291606   Pick up only

$20 per can?

It says $2.22 per 16 oz. can.
When I click on it, it says $23.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on October 20, 2020, 04:23:29 PM

Speaking from personal experience getting a birthday cake made from the food pantry supplies was the only thing I received for my b day at times and made my day.

I know it is not necessary to life as far as nutrition goes (probably has a better nutritional value that the blocks of greasy government cheese we would get) but it sure made my day and sometimes survival is about more than just nutritional sustenance.

I am guessing it also made my mom happy to see a smile on my face and who knows maybe it kept one or both of us going.

Let them eat cake


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Our food bank isn't just a food bank, they're a family services association and also work to provide housing, etc.  They do specifically ask for food donations in addition to monetary donations.  Usually they ask for canned goods, peanut butter, cereal, etc.  Mostly basics.  They also need personal hygiene items.  They accept gently used clothing and household goods.

I grew up poor and cake mix cake with canned frosting is what we had for every birthday.  I'll donate whatever they ask for without judgment.

@the_fixer, @K_in_the_kitchen - thank you for posting (and standing up for the dignity of kids in the same situation today. It may not be same as starving in some distant African desert, but the feeling of poor in our judgmental society can last forever. Sometimes a symbol of being valued makes a big difference).

Just FYI, in my post about cake mix, I wasn't referring to that poster's definition of poor in regards to another definition of poor being starving in an african desert. It was totally based on my own childhood, where cake mixes were luxury items! Mums baked birthday cakes from scratch. No one used cake mixes because they were expensive, and ordering a cake was absolutely unheard of. I remember getting some cake mixes as a birthday present once, given in much the same way that you might give a kid a necklace making kit or something - hobbycraft! I don't think I've bought a cake mix as an adult. They're frickin expensive and not even that good!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on October 20, 2020, 04:29:09 PM

Speaking from personal experience getting a birthday cake made from the food pantry supplies was the only thing I received for my b day at times and made my day.

I know it is not necessary to life as far as nutrition goes (probably has a better nutritional value that the blocks of greasy government cheese we would get) but it sure made my day and sometimes survival is about more than just nutritional sustenance.

I am guessing it also made my mom happy to see a smile on my face and who knows maybe it kept one or both of us going.

Let them eat cake


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Our food bank isn't just a food bank, they're a family services association and also work to provide housing, etc.  They do specifically ask for food donations in addition to monetary donations.  Usually they ask for canned goods, peanut butter, cereal, etc.  Mostly basics.  They also need personal hygiene items.  They accept gently used clothing and household goods.

I grew up poor and cake mix cake with canned frosting is what we had for every birthday.  I'll donate whatever they ask for without judgment.

@the_fixer, @K_in_the_kitchen - thank you for posting (and standing up for the dignity of kids in the same situation today. It may not be same as starving in some distant African desert, but the feeling of poor in our judgmental society can last forever. Sometimes a symbol of being valued makes a big difference).
Happy to share my experience. As a country we have such abundance that we (including myself) can forget about the people we do not see or share experiences with day to day.


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Title: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on October 20, 2020, 04:46:53 PM

Speaking from personal experience getting a birthday cake made from the food pantry supplies was the only thing I received for my b day at times and made my day.

I know it is not necessary to life as far as nutrition goes (probably has a better nutritional value that the blocks of greasy government cheese we would get) but it sure made my day and sometimes survival is about more than just nutritional sustenance.

I am guessing it also made my mom happy to see a smile on my face and who knows maybe it kept one or both of us going.

Let them eat cake


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Our food bank isn't just a food bank, they're a family services association and also work to provide housing, etc.  They do specifically ask for food donations in addition to monetary donations.  Usually they ask for canned goods, peanut butter, cereal, etc.  Mostly basics.  They also need personal hygiene items.  They accept gently used clothing and household goods.

I grew up poor and cake mix cake with canned frosting is what we had for every birthday.  I'll donate whatever they ask for without judgment.

@the_fixer, @K_in_the_kitchen - thank you for posting (and standing up for the dignity of kids in the same situation today. It may not be same as starving in some distant African desert, but the feeling of poor in our judgmental society can last forever. Sometimes a symbol of being valued makes a big difference).

Just FYI, in my post about cake mix, I wasn't referring to that poster's definition of poor in regards to another definition of poor being starving in an african desert. It was totally based on my own childhood, where cake mixes were luxury items! Mums baked birthday cakes from scratch. No one used cake mixes because they were expensive, and ordering a cake was absolutely unheard of. I remember getting some cake mixes as a birthday present once, given in much the same way that you might give a kid a necklace making kit or something - hobbycraft! I don't think I've bought a cake mix as an adult. They're frickin expensive and not even that good!
I agree that it is not the most economical and the pantry probably stocks pretty much everything you need to make a cake from scratch but there is also a need for easy to prepare items.

In my case my mom worked 2 full time jobs to support us, she was gone from daybreak until I put myself to bed most nights. To this day she can not cook. From grade school on up I did all of the cooking so boxed food was quick, shelf stable and easy enough for me to cook and few ingredients were needed.

If they gave me flour, rice, beans and ingredients not sure I would have been able to feed myself as my diet pretty much consisted of hamburger helper, noodles with butter, minute rice, dry soup mixes, Mac n cheese, canned food and goober grape PB&J.


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 20, 2020, 05:47:37 PM

I'm weirdly balanced between applauding your attitude to donating whatever they want, and wondering at what you consider to be poor with your cake mix story!

I come from a working class family, but there were times we dropped below the poverty line.  I grew up with utility shutoff notices coming in on a regular basis (and the last minute scramble to pay it off hours before the shut off would occur), bill collectors routinely calling (and we kids had to answer every phone call to screen them out and say our parents weren't home), my parents having to take the sky high interest rate at a shady used car lot because they didn't have decent credit or the cash available to buy something outright, buying clothing at thrift stores and yard sales (I don't have a problem with this, but back then it was a necessity for us, not a frugal and eco-friendly choice), etc.  There was a period of time we were on AFDC, living in a dilapidated house converted into three apartments that were infested with rats and insects, literally stepping over drunks in the gutter on our way to the bus stop, where the neighborhood kids (including us) would run over to the Salvation Army and grab the out of date bread products being dropped off outside for the food bank before the volunteers had a chance to get it into the building.  I've had a Christmas where the only gifts we got were the ones from the people the Salvation Army gave our names to, along with a cat my mom adopted for free on Christmas Eve in the hopes he would take care of the mice and rats.  So I've been poor by just about every standard definition out there.  And as bad as it was, I know many people had and have it worse.

A cake mix and can of frosting is cheap compared to almost any other way of getting a birthday cake, and if bought on sale and made with sale eggs and cheap vegetable oil, is cheaper than making a homemade cake.  I'm not saying only poor people use cake mix -- I'm saying that for us, the cake made with a box mix and can of frosting made our birthdays special, and I'll donate it if the food bank wants me to.

One thing that nags me is how some people think the poor should be able to do certain things because it's never occurred to them how different it is when you truly don't have enough money.  For example, so often the advice is to buy in bulk, but you have to be able to get a little bit ahead with the grocery money before you can do that.  Or they should make a cake and icing from scratch, but you have to buy all the ingredients and if you aren't going to use them all (for example only need 3 cups of flour, half cup of cocoa, a teaspoon of vanilla, etc.), you've spent money on food you don't need.

I won't judge what the food bank asks for.  Right now they want boxed stuffing, canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, boxed mashed potatoes, and canned gravy.  Those aren't the foods I eat at Thanksgiving, but I'm not above buying them for people who will eat them.  The ability to judge others for their food choices speaks of significant privilege.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 20, 2020, 06:00:08 PM

Just FYI, in my post about cake mix, I wasn't referring to that poster's definition of poor in regards to another definition of poor being starving in an african desert. It was totally based on my own childhood, where cake mixes were luxury items! Mums baked birthday cakes from scratch. No one used cake mixes because they were expensive, and ordering a cake was absolutely unheard of. I remember getting some cake mixes as a birthday present once, given in much the same way that you might give a kid a necklace making kit or something - hobbycraft! I don't think I've bought a cake mix as an adult. They're frickin expensive and not even that good!

I suppose it depends where you live.  Even now, cake mix goes on sale for 69¢ a box and frosting can go on sale for 99¢, add 3 cheap eggs and a small amount of cheap vegetable oil, and you can still make a cake for about $2, so I imagine 40+ years ago my parents spent maybe $1 to bake the cake mix cake.  To bake a cake from scratch my mom would have needed to spend grocery money on ingredients in excess of what she would actually need, and that would have cost more than a cake mix.  Growing up we didn't have flour in the house, or vanilla extract, or cocoa powder, or even baking powder.  And we never had money for real butter, just the cheapest margarine spread.

I don't care for cake mix cake now -- I ate gluten free for several years because my son was diagnosed with celiac disease.  When I started eating wheat again, I could taste the chemicals in processed foods.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 20, 2020, 06:04:24 PM
thank you for posting (and standing up for the dignity of kids in the same situation today. It may not be same as starving in some distant African desert, but the feeling of poor in our judgmental society can last forever. Sometimes a symbol of being valued makes a big difference).

So true!  Kids want to fit in, too, and I remember friends talking about their birthdays.  We always had a couple of gifts, too.  I knew my grandmother would send money and tell my mom to buy us a gift from her and my grandfather -- what I didn't know until much later was she sent extra so we would have a gift from our parents, too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 20, 2020, 06:14:15 PM

I agree that it is not the most economical and the pantry probably stocks pretty much everything you need to make a cake from scratch but there is also a need for easy to prepare items.

In my case my mom worked 2 full time jobs to support us, she was gone from daybreak until I put myself to bed most nights. To this day she can not cook. From grade school on up I did all of the cooking so boxed food was quick, shelf stable and easy enough for me to cook and few ingredients were needed.

If they gave me flour, rice, beans and ingredients not sure I would have been able to feed myself as my diet pretty much consisted of hamburger helper, noodles with butter, minute rice, dry soup mixes, Mac n cheese, canned food and goober grape PB&J.

I had to learn to cook food from ingredients after I was an adult.  My mom had a disability that took away the use of her hands, plus she'd been battered in her first marriage every time she made a mistake with cooking, so she wasn't keen on it.  During the divorce she was diagnosed with cancer, which weakened her.  By the time she remarried the cooking in our house was 90% done by my brother and I (he was 12, I was 8).  My dad commuted an hour each way to his blue collar job and worked 12 hour days, so he wasn't the one cooking.  We would rotate through Hamburger Helper, Mac ' n Cheese, TV dinners (bought on sale), hot dogs with canned beans, canned soup, canned hash with instant potatoes, etc.  I never saw raw rice or dried pinto beans before I married.  Sure, they would've been cheaper, but they weren't even the kinds of food we ate, so my mom didn't know how to cook them either.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on October 20, 2020, 06:30:05 PM

Why does a food bank need toilet paper at all?

I went without toilet paper for several months this year.  It's not ideal, but certainly is not a necessity if you have a shower head in the room where you poop.

Personally, I would much rather donate toilet paper to the food bank than the cake mix and frosting that our local food bank always has on their most wanted list...

If people can't afford food, is cake really that important?  Apparently around here, it is.
Speaking from personal experience getting a birthday cake made from the food pantry supplies was the only thing I received for my b day at times and made my day.

I know it is not necessary to life as far as nutrition goes (probably has a better nutritional value that the blocks of greasy government cheese we would get) but it sure made my day and sometimes survival is about more than just nutritional sustenance.

I am guessing it also made my mom happy to see a smile on my face and who knows maybe it kept one or both of us going.

Let them eat cake


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know my local foodbank even has party boxes for kids. When it's your kid's birthday you get cake mix, treats that a kid could take to school, something like a bag of crisps and a bottle of soda to celebrate at home, and a small toy. Is it necessary for survival? No. Is it amazing for those kids to grow up like everyone else? Yes. I can't imagine how awful it must be for kids when you're the only one in class who can't afford to bring in a treat for your birthday.

They also hand out summer holiday boxes for families with children that include vouchers donated by businesses and grocery gift cards so families can take a trip to the zoo or the pool and bring their favourite treats from home.

I love this. Bringing treats to school on your birthday was such a big deal when I was little. Anything that gives a kid a bit of normalcy is a good thing.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on October 20, 2020, 07:07:22 PM

I agree that it is not the most economical and the pantry probably stocks pretty much everything you need to make a cake from scratch but there is also a need for easy to prepare items.

In my case my mom worked 2 full time jobs to support us, she was gone from daybreak until I put myself to bed most nights. To this day she can not cook. From grade school on up I did all of the cooking so boxed food was quick, shelf stable and easy enough for me to cook and few ingredients were needed.

If they gave me flour, rice, beans and ingredients not sure I would have been able to feed myself as my diet pretty much consisted of hamburger helper, noodles with butter, minute rice, dry soup mixes, Mac n cheese, canned food and goober grape PB&J.

I had to learn to cook food from ingredients after I was an adult.  My mom had a disability that took away the use of her hands, plus she'd been battered in her first marriage every time she made a mistake with cooking, so she wasn't keen on it.  During the divorce she was diagnosed with cancer, which weakened her.  By the time she remarried the cooking in our house was 90% done by my brother and I (he was 12, I was 8).  My dad commuted an hour each way to his blue collar job and worked 12 hour days, so he wasn't the one cooking.  We would rotate through Hamburger Helper, Mac ' n Cheese, TV dinners (bought on sale), hot dogs with canned beans, canned soup, canned hash with instant potatoes, etc.  I never saw raw rice or dried pinto beans before I married.  Sure, they would've been cheaper, but they weren't even the kinds of food we ate, so my mom didn't know how to cook them either.
I forgot about TV dinners - my favorite was the Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and apple dessert.

Fortunately I eat better now days but my mom is still helpless when it comes to cooking.

We were on the phone just last week and she turned on the oven for the first time since she move in two years ago because I talked her into cooking her frozen pot pie in the oven instead of the microwave.

She had to take out the doughnuts, chips and other “food” she stores in the oven.


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Just Joe on October 21, 2020, 08:34:27 AM
Home Economics was such a useful class in middle school and high school. Honestly everyone would benefit from taking it. I didn't. It was a girls' class back then.
Also include personal finance and shopping effectively.

Then run everyone through a basic shop class - basic vehicle and home maintenance lessons including changing the car's oil.
Also - all the reasons we do maintenance in the first place.

Its easy to expect parents to do these as a matter of raising their children but it is so easy to overlook families who struggle with even the most basic life lessons.
I would have benefited from being able to cook as a bachelor. I ate so much crap back then.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NotJen on October 21, 2020, 09:40:03 AM
Home Economics was such a useful class in middle school and high school. Honestly everyone would benefit from taking it. I didn't. It was a girls' class back then.
Also include personal finance and shopping effectively.

Then run everyone through a basic shop class - basic vehicle and home maintenance lessons including changing the car's oil.
Also - all the reasons we do maintenance in the first place.

Its easy to expect parents to do these as a matter of raising their children but it is so easy to overlook families who struggle with even the most basic life lessons.
I would have benefited from being able to cook as a bachelor. I ate so much crap back then.

I had Home Economics in 7th and 8th grades, but I don't remember them as being that useful (the classes as they were presented to me - not the concept of studying home ec all together).  I remember that we focused on cooking in 7th and sewing in 8th.  I had access/instruction to both available at home, so maybe that's why I don't remember them being so great - hopefully other kids got more out of it.  I did enjoy the break from academics.

I had shop class both years as well - we did drafting, woodworking, printmaking, and some basic engineering (though not presented as engineering) - I would have loved auto/home maintenance, but that wasn't part of the class.

Boys and girls were in both classes - we had no choice, the classes were just assigned randomly.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on October 21, 2020, 09:48:21 AM
I was one of two boys in a home economics class and I loved that class, we got to cook food and eat it and the following year I made a stuffed animal for my sister.

That along with business math (taught you to balance a check book / budget and useful stuff), shop and a construction class (we built a house) were the best part of school.


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 21, 2020, 10:38:23 AM
My friend Nina was the first girl in Orange County Florida to take shop class in 1969-ish? It was quite the battle to make that happen. I took the required home Ec class and did learn a lot that has proven to be useful, I admit, though I was mad about it at the time.

In my recent history, I ventured down to the IGA this morning. It was a little picked over in several aisles, but I did find toilet cleaner!

I’m going to make a big Aldi trip next week and then lay low for.. a while.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 21, 2020, 11:12:49 AM
I have two elderly dogs and each are on so many medications it would make your head spin. Both can be beyond picky eaters. Both weigh around 15-18 lbs. The younger of the two slipped on the stairs and fell down about 10 days ago and was in unbearable pain. I took him to the vets and they gave me pain and muscle relaxant pills to give to him. Which have worked miraculously however, this is the dog that takes 9 pills a day on top of these new meds. Because he has been hurting so much, he refused to eat and I worry about all these meds without food in his belly. I have tried chicken, roast beef, canned sardines added to the prescription dog food. He decides he doesn't like any of it and walks away. Leaving me tearing my hair out. So my latest addition to their food is cooked chicken livers. They love them and have been eating really good but now I am low on livers and have to make a trip to the grocery store to get more! So here is another food item I need to stock up on...who knew!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 21, 2020, 12:45:11 PM

I forgot about TV dinners - my favorite was the Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and apple dessert.

Our favorite was the Swanson with Salisbury steak/gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, and chocolate cake.  We kids fought over the Salisbury steak every week -- I don't know why my dad bothered to buy any other variety.  We hated to get the sliced turkey in gravy.  Fried chicken was acceptable.

I just googled TV dinners and was reminded of the one that was franks and beans, apple slices, and chocolate cake.  Clearly it was aimed at kids.  We didn't get that one very often, but we liked that it didn't have a frozen vegetable.

For being "TV dinners", we never ate them in the living room on TV trays, in front of the TV.  Once my mom remarried we heated 6 of them in the oven (with a "Hungry Man" version for my dad), set the table with paper napkins, forks, and cups of milk or juice, and ate at the table with the TV off.  And now I recall how much we fought to be able to make TV dinners on our dishes night.  Of course back then the whole tray went into the trash with no rinsing.

I can't imagine liking TV dinners now, but we ate them once a week for years.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 21, 2020, 12:50:08 PM
Home Economics was such a useful class in middle school and high school. Honestly everyone would benefit from taking it. I didn't. It was a girls' class back then.
Also include personal finance and shopping effectively.

Then run everyone through a basic shop class - basic vehicle and home maintenance lessons including changing the car's oil.
Also - all the reasons we do maintenance in the first place.

Its easy to expect parents to do these as a matter of raising their children but it is so easy to overlook families who struggle with even the most basic life lessons.
I would have benefited from being able to cook as a bachelor. I ate so much crap back then.

I took a semester of home ec in middle school -- it was the cooking semester, not the sew and iron semester, because my mom had no desire to help with sewing at home and the cooking class didn't have homework.  But we didn't learn how to cook much of anything.  We made things like juice from frozen concentrate, jello, instant pudding, cherries jubilee, which was ice cream + canned cherry pie filling + whatever we used to set it on fire, likely brandy and I doubt middle schools can do that now, biscuits using Bisquick. etc.  The class was definitely co-ed.  Instead of the sewing semester I took mechanical drawing (precursor to drafting), which had only a few girls.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 21, 2020, 12:53:12 PM
I have two elderly dogs and each are on so many medications it would make your head spin. Both can be beyond picky eaters. Both weigh around 15-18 lbs. The younger of the two slipped on the stairs and fell down about 10 days ago and was in unbearable pain. I took him to the vets and they gave me pain and muscle relaxant pills to give to him. Which have worked miraculously however, this is the dog that takes 9 pills a day on top of these new meds. Because he has been hurting so much, he refused to eat and I worry about all these meds without food in his belly. I have tried chicken, roast beef, canned sardines added to the prescription dog food. He decides he doesn't like any of it and walks away. Leaving me tearing my hair out. So my latest addition to their food is cooked chicken livers. They love them and have been eating really good but now I am low on livers and have to make a trip to the grocery store to get more! So here is another food item I need to stock up on...who knew!

I'm sorry to hear your dog got hurt!  Will he eat his prescription food if you add something like chicken broth?  One of mine gets fussy about his food sometimes and broth usually helps.  I'm guessing maybe you've already tried it since you've tried so many other things.  If chicken livers work, would beef liver?  I would think you could cook it, puree it, and freeze what you don't need right away.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Just Joe on October 21, 2020, 01:08:37 PM
Home Economics was such a useful class in middle school and high school. Honestly everyone would benefit from taking it. I didn't. It was a girls' class back then.
Also include personal finance and shopping effectively.

Then run everyone through a basic shop class - basic vehicle and home maintenance lessons including changing the car's oil.
Also - all the reasons we do maintenance in the first place.

Its easy to expect parents to do these as a matter of raising their children but it is so easy to overlook families who struggle with even the most basic life lessons.
I would have benefited from being able to cook as a bachelor. I ate so much crap back then.

I took a semester of home ec in middle school -- it was the cooking semester, not the sew and iron semester, because my mom had no desire to help with sewing at home and the cooking class didn't have homework.  But we didn't learn how to cook much of anything.  We made things like juice from frozen concentrate, jello, instant pudding, cherries jubilee, which was ice cream + canned cherry pie filling + whatever we used to set it on fire, likely brandy and I doubt middle schools can do that now, biscuits using Bisquick. etc.  The class was definitely co-ed.  Instead of the sewing semester I took mechanical drawing (precursor to drafting), which had only a few girls.

One of the family kids took a class like that - the teacher wasn't very motivated so there was a ton of missed opportunities to learn useful things.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 21, 2020, 01:53:32 PM
I have two elderly dogs and each are on so many medications it would make your head spin. Both can be beyond picky eaters. Both weigh around 15-18 lbs. The younger of the two slipped on the stairs and fell down about 10 days ago and was in unbearable pain. I took him to the vets and they gave me pain and muscle relaxant pills to give to him. Which have worked miraculously however, this is the dog that takes 9 pills a day on top of these new meds. Because he has been hurting so much, he refused to eat and I worry about all these meds without food in his belly. I have tried chicken, roast beef, canned sardines added to the prescription dog food. He decides he doesn't like any of it and walks away. Leaving me tearing my hair out. So my latest addition to their food is cooked chicken livers. They love them and have been eating really good but now I am low on livers and have to make a trip to the grocery store to get more! So here is another food item I need to stock up on...who knew!



I'm sorry to hear your dog got hurt!  Will he eat his prescription food if you add something like chicken broth?  One of mine gets fussy about his food sometimes and broth usually helps.  I'm guessing maybe you've already tried it since you've tried so many other things.  If chicken livers work, would beef liver?  I would think you could cook it, puree it, and freeze what you don't need right away.

Thank you! He was in so much pain I thought it was 'the end' for him. At times he laid on the floor flopping like a fish out of water and like he was having a convulsion. I still don't know what was going on other than he was in horrific pain. The vet and technicians were so nice and concerned about him. They called me on Monday after his emergency Saturday appointment to see how he was doing. K I have tried everything known to man to get these dogs to eat. The one older dog...almost 17 years old has been a fuss pot his whole life. He will go a day without eating and that is normal for him. But the other one that hurt his back, used to be  Mr. Piggy and got pretty fat and had to go on diet dog food. He did lose the weight but then developed other problems. Since then, he has lost his desire to eat. So since chicken liver is the new food that entices them to eat, I have to buy some more. I will buy some beef liver too. Called the local grocery store and they have chicken livers available so tomorrow I will do another curbside pick up. Anything for my 'boyz'!

I have also been mashing chicken livers with cream cheese to make liverwurst balls to put their pill into! YIKES!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 21, 2020, 04:13:03 PM
Home Economics was such a useful class in middle school and high school. Honestly everyone would benefit from taking it. I didn't. It was a girls' class back then.
Also include personal finance and shopping effectively.

Then run everyone through a basic shop class - basic vehicle and home maintenance lessons including changing the car's oil.
Also - all the reasons we do maintenance in the first place.

Its easy to expect parents to do these as a matter of raising their children but it is so easy to overlook families who struggle with even the most basic life lessons.
I would have benefited from being able to cook as a bachelor. I ate so much crap back then.

I took a semester of home ec in middle school -- it was the cooking semester, not the sew and iron semester, because my mom had no desire to help with sewing at home and the cooking class didn't have homework.  But we didn't learn how to cook much of anything.  We made things like juice from frozen concentrate, jello, instant pudding, cherries jubilee, which was ice cream + canned cherry pie filling + whatever we used to set it on fire, likely brandy and I doubt middle schools can do that now, biscuits using Bisquick. etc.  The class was definitely co-ed.  Instead of the sewing semester I took mechanical drawing (precursor to drafting), which had only a few girls.

My home ec was all cooking from scratch. We made pies. We held a tea for our moms. We learned that boys would like us better if we let them win at tennis. ;-) (Any boy who ever played tennis with me won easily because I am terrible at sports, but it did not improve my dating life.) We learned that we were supposed to dry the sink after we did the dinner dishes.

What was really useful was learning to plan how to make a meal with multiple dishes be ready at the same time - we wrote all the steps out.

In sewing we made a skirt and then a project of our choice and I made an elaborate lined cape with a hood, which someone stole when I was in college. I was just telling my dd about that cape last month!

Mind you, in 4H when I was 10yo old we baked bread from scratch and sewed a skirt (with a zipper) and a blouse (with buttonholes).

In Montessori, home ec is Practical Life, and my 7th and 8th traders cooked and sold a lunch every week, alternating between a full spaghetti dinner and pepperoni rolls with a side salad. We paid for our class trip every year with the profits. They also sewed pillowcases and made quilts. I ran into a former student last year and he showed me the leather bag he had sewn in college.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 21, 2020, 04:22:46 PM
So since chicken liver is the new food that entices them to eat, I have to buy some more. I will buy some beef liver too. Called the local grocery store and they have chicken livers available so tomorrow I will do another curbside pick up. Anything for my 'boyz'!

I have also been mashing chicken livers with cream cheese to make liverwurst balls to put their pill into! YIKES!

I know that it's off topic, but I love your dedication to your dogs! Your love shows.

Thank you! I do love my boyz and do all I can for them!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: nessness on October 21, 2020, 05:25:33 PM
While I share the distaste for canned veg generally, for some reason Im okay with canned tomatoes for cooking only. I like the petite diced as far as size, already peeled and the canning semi-cooks them.  It doesnt taste like fresh, but I dont expect it to.
I actually think canned tomatoes are better than store-bought fresh tomatoes for cooking - they are left on the vine longer, since it doesn't matter if they get bruised in transport, so develop more flavor.

Neither compare to homegrown tomatoes, of course.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on October 21, 2020, 08:21:24 PM
Be careful not to give your dogs too much liver because it is high in vitamin A which can cause problems due to being fat soluble and not easily flushed from the body.  (My cats and dog love it too, but only get it once a month or so.  If you can’t get them to eat anything, try throwing food in the blender and syringing it down their throats.  Desperate times call for desperate measures!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 22, 2020, 04:19:23 AM
SunnyDays, Thanks for the information and I did look that up. Seems I am okay because I really only give them a little on their food to entice them to eat their dog food.

https://itsadoggiething.com/can-dogs-eat-chicken-liver/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on October 23, 2020, 09:21:06 AM

Just FYI, in my post about cake mix, I wasn't referring to that poster's definition of poor in regards to another definition of poor being starving in an african desert. It was totally based on my own childhood, where cake mixes were luxury items! Mums baked birthday cakes from scratch. No one used cake mixes because they were expensive, and ordering a cake was absolutely unheard of. I remember getting some cake mixes as a birthday present once, given in much the same way that you might give a kid a necklace making kit or something - hobbycraft! I don't think I've bought a cake mix as an adult. They're frickin expensive and not even that good!

I suppose it depends where you live.  Even now, cake mix goes on sale for 69¢ a box and frosting can go on sale for 99¢, add 3 cheap eggs and a small amount of cheap vegetable oil, and you can still make a cake for about $2, so I imagine 40+ years ago my parents spent maybe $1 to bake the cake mix cake.  To bake a cake from scratch my mom would have needed to spend grocery money on ingredients in excess of what she would actually need, and that would have cost more than a cake mix.  Growing up we didn't have flour in the house, or vanilla extract, or cocoa powder, or even baking powder.  And we never had money for real butter, just the cheapest margarine spread.

I don't care for cake mix cake now -- I ate gluten free for several years because my son was diagnosed with celiac disease.  When I started eating wheat again, I could taste the chemicals in processed foods.

Yeah, they are definitely not that price here. A mid brand cake mix today would cost about $4. When I was a kid, they were three times that. The kind with the little baking trays and the frosting included were way out of the price range of most people except as a very special treat.

Things like flour, sugar, butter have always been standard grocery items here. Even students flatting for the first time would have most of that around. Pantry staples, maybe less so today. And they're cheap - I can get a couple kilos of flour and sugar for the price of a cake mix. It's slowly changing, but baked goods here are still far cheaper made at home.

I think our pricing comes out near opposite to the USA's, because most raw ingredients are made locally (I'm including Australia and the islands in this), but processed stuff is either imported or locally manufactured in fairly small batches (compared to the US). A 750ml bottle of water here is $2, but a 750ml bottle of coke is about $4. A cake mix is $4 but a 1.5 kilo bag of flour is $2. Apples currently are about $4 a kilo, but a can of chinese made apple pie filling is nearly that at $3.20. It's a lot cheaper to make your own.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 23, 2020, 10:59:28 AM
Keep in mind that the NZ dollar is currently .67 US dollars - they’ve got the same name but are t the same currency, of course.

All the same, I haven’t seen cake mix for under $1 in ages, and the price of everything has really gone up this year.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on October 25, 2020, 04:52:22 AM
Keep in mind that the NZ dollar is currently .67 US dollars - they’ve got the same name but are t the same currency, of course.

All the same, I haven’t seen cake mix for under $1 in ages, and the price of everything has really gone up this year.

We're always going to be a lot more expensive than you guys for processed foods. We're a very small market, a very long way away. Coke might be bottled here, but in minute amounts compared to a US bottling plant. The overlords still want the same profit margin.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 27, 2020, 11:00:19 AM
Mega trip to Aldi this morning, because we’re going back to staying home - most things were in stock, but the canned beans were pretty low, there was NO canned pumpkin (not a problem for me because I’m well stocked) and tragically NO bacon.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 27, 2020, 12:57:43 PM
I had to go to my local grocery store yesterday to get a prescription and I have so much stuff, I didn't buy any food! That is not like me at all. But freezers, fridges, shelves are full...screaming full!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Captain Cactus on October 27, 2020, 02:13:41 PM
I've been accumulating a variety of non-perishables over the past few months.  My wife rolls her eyes but I think she's glad we have it on hand.  It basically consists of dried grains, beans, etc... from Bob's Red Mill.  Also a few dozen organic canned beans from Amazon ($.99/each, free shipping), pasta, and some Raman Noodles (for me...love those). 

Still not visiting places frequently... no restaurants for us, with the exception of Chinese once a month or so.  One of us hits the store every 7-10 days for our regular stuff.  I suspect there will always be something in the grocery store, even if it's not our preferred form of sustenance.  Our non-perishable stash is designed to buy us some extra days between grocery store visits.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on October 27, 2020, 02:36:56 PM
I've been accumulating a variety of non-perishables over the past few months.  My wife rolls her eyes but I think she's glad we have it on hand.  It basically consists of dried grains, beans, etc... from Bob's Red Mill.  Also a few dozen organic canned beans from Amazon ($.99/each, free shipping), pasta, and some Raman Noodles (for me...love those). 

Still not visiting places frequently... no restaurants for us, with the exception of Chinese once a month or so.  One of us hits the store every 7-10 days for our regular stuff.  I suspect there will always be something in the grocery store, even if it's not our preferred form of sustenance.  Our non-perishable stash is designed to buy us some extra days between grocery store visits.

My husband teases me about this. I remind him that I do 95% of the grocery shopping, so he was spared the bare dry goods shelves and meat and dairy cases and the complete lack of paper products for weeks on end, and didn't have to wait in lines to get into the stores.

So far, we've stocked up on pet food. Like I said in March, we humans can survive on popcorn if we have to, but we have obligate carnivores and an obligate herbivore in the house. We're still well stocked with things like white rice, oats, flour, masa harina, beans, and canned tomatoes from earlier this year. I'd be happier if we had some more coffee beans, another bottle of olive oil, a few more cans of tuna, and some brown rice (and a freezer of meat and fish), so those are on the shopping list.

We don't eat in restaurants, but I think it's time to grab carryout from a local restaurant. We've done so a couple of times in the last month. It's a nice treat and break from cooking.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 30, 2020, 07:21:14 AM
For those who are getting bored with home made foods, here are some OMGGG, good looking recipes to try! They don't look all that difficult either!

https://www.butterbeready.com/classic-red-wine-braised-short-ribs/

I don't have any short ribs in the freezer but if I did, that would be my first choice!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GoCubsGo on October 30, 2020, 09:11:23 AM
I went to Costco last night and it was packed which isn't unusual.  I wandered over to the paper towel aisle where they haven't had stock 4 out of my last 5 visits.  To my surprise they had 9 packs left on the pallet.  Then I saw something I haven't seen since February.  A half full pallet of Lysol Spray (4 packs). I literally did a double take.  One per customer.  I walked back towards that section 15 minutes later and not only was the Lysol all gone, so was the paper towels.  The Lysol price sign was even taken down.  The Costco worker said they do that so they don't get a thousand questions.   Steak was still in stock but $1 more per pound as it has been the last few months.  I'm guessing we will get another big surge of buying before winter.....
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on October 30, 2020, 11:11:20 AM
No major supply issues at our regular metro Detroit Costco today. Paper towels were available but understocked; toilet paper was well stocked. Organic ground beef and coffee beans were the usual prices; 2-lb blocks of cheddar were $1 cheaper than they were a few months ago. Our freezer is full again.

The store was packed, though. Good mask compliance with no free noses.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on October 30, 2020, 12:59:04 PM
no free noses.

The free nose samples are why most people go though!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on October 30, 2020, 01:19:25 PM
no free noses.

The free nose samples are why most people go though!

Well played. Sadly, no free samples. Happily, no uncovered noses.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: BicycleB on October 31, 2020, 08:21:56 PM
:(  Ya’ll are unfortunately on to something here. Today my favorite grocery featured a suddenly almost empty TP aisle and at least two people with their masks off while shopping.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 01, 2020, 05:29:01 AM
My favourite small grocery store has been low on paper towels but lots of toilet paper.  The only empty spot was the one on sale.

I went in for eggs (totally out) and left with cream (on sale), marmalade (on sale), chicken thighs (on sale), TP (on sale), a gorgeous cauliflower (on sale), old cheddar (on sale), and a steak and mushrooms (not on sale) plus of course the eggs.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 01, 2020, 08:42:22 AM
Boris Johnson is shutting down England starting Thursday for 4 weeks due to Covid-19. The news says we are 3 weeks behind England in how bad it will be for USA. They are worried about the hospitals not being able to handle the incoming sick people. Kind of weird though because they are keeping schools and colleges open. Who knows, that might change.

So that being said, stock up my friends while you can!

I am thinking about putting together a curbside order next week.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 01, 2020, 10:07:13 AM
I can’t imagine there being much of a shutdown here, no matter what, but I’m am keeping things very well stocked because I don’t want to go out in this mess. Plus, the election...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 01, 2020, 11:13:36 AM
Probably no shut downs but the news will scare everyone into running to the stores to wipe out inventory.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: ender on November 01, 2020, 11:17:27 AM
I've slowly stocked up on non-perishables since I like to have some on hand anyways.

I think it's likely people freak the heck out post election, regardless of what happens.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on November 01, 2020, 11:46:25 AM
And so it begins...

Today’s order about 1/2 of it has been canceled due to being out of stock. No snow storms or anything so I assume it has to be stocking up for the new record covid cases.

Things that were canceled
Milk vitamin d whole milk (for a recipe)
English muffins
Coke
Russet potatoes
Isopropyl alcohol (not surprised I have tried for months)
Breakfast sausage patties
Eggs
Ham steak
Whole carrots
Bar soap ( I have to use a certain brand due to allergies)

My wife has been trying to convince me to buy another freezer to stock up for the winter but I pointed out that everything has been in stock and that we could switch to weekly smaller orders for many things and keep the freezer space for meat and pre made meals.

Looks like I might have to eat crow :(

Put in an order with Walmart for the missing items we will see if they are out as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 01, 2020, 01:14:45 PM
I have several on line orders going. One from a grocery store curbside pick up and one from Walmart.

Walmart has rubbing alcohol: https://www.walmart.com/ip/2-Pack-Equate-70-Isopropyl-Alcohol-32-Oz/706238851

Buy $35 in goods and shipping is free.

You can buy shelf stable milk too: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Horizon-Organic-Whole-Shelf-Stable-Milk-8-Oz-12-Count/819219798
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on November 01, 2020, 05:14:11 PM
Thanks for the tip roadrunner, if I do not get ISO in the next month or so I will expand the search.


Went to pickup the order from Kroger, as mentioned above they canceled about 1/2 of it prior to pickup before and when I arrived most of the rest was canceled  so I received $16 worth of a $100 order. I did receive a random tub of mushrooms and 2 zucchini’s so a small win...


Walmart order was a bust as well except I was able to get milk, my soap and English muffins they subbed pumpkin spice for regular English muffins so they will be yummy as a treat but we normally go with plain to make breakfast sandwiches so not really fulfilling that purpose.

The person from Kroger said they were getting hit like at the beginning of the pandemic and the shelves were cleared out.

We are hitting record cases every few days in my state / area so maybe people are anticipating another shutdown or hunkering down fortunately we are pretty well set.


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 02, 2020, 07:07:14 PM
I've been avoiding the news for more than a week now, and plan to continue until after Tuesday at least, perhaps longer, although I will look at election results.  What I see posted here recently probably explains my experiences today.

1) I did a small Instacart order from Sprouts because Sprouts doesn't jack up their prices for Instacart -- you get in store prices and sales with the exception of Friday - Sunday 72 hour sales.  The shopper went soon after opening and sent me a photo of the milk case half empty.  This was a produce + milk run, and the only thing she couldn't find besides my preferred milk (and back up choice) was kabocha squash.  Last Monday morning my preferred milk was also out -- that shopper sent a photo and the rest of the case was full.  I'm thinking Organic Valley Whole Grassmilk might not be restocked by Monday mornings.

2) I went to Costco, because they do jack up prices like crazy on Instacart.  I arrived a few minutes after opening to a parking lot full like a Saturday in December.  I parked where I usually do, second row from the back so I can pull through and avoid backing out when I leave (too many Costco near misses).  Walking to the doors, I realized there was a line to get in, something I haven't seen since June.  I'd already spent the gas to get there, so I stuck it out.  Line moved well, only stopping once, otherwise just moving slow and steady.  Inside was packed, but I didn't see anyone without a mask, and people were mostly trying to be polite in the aisles.  I loaded my cart with all barcodes visible so I could check out quickly.  The lines were long, but I'm sure they got longer since I checked out at 10:38 and most of the people around me didn't have really full carts.  Walking to my car there was a line of cars waiting to turn into the parking lot, and cars were circling and waiting even for the back row parking spots.

So, for the price jacking -- I decided to compare my receipt with what it would have been with Instacart.  My total was 230.10 before tax.  If I had used Instacart, my total before service fee and tip would have been $283.27 before tax -- that's $53.27 in markups (23%)!  With the 1.9% service fee and a 10% tip, it would have been $320.22 -- a difference of $86.99 compared to going by myself.  The trip took me 67 minutes, which included the drive to and from, parking, walking to the line (far from where I parked), waiting in the line, 35 minutes in the store, walking back to my car, loading my groceries, and driving home.  I bought meat (chuck roast, lamb, chicken, and bacon), eggs, lots of vegetables, coffee, mayo, almonds, and dog food (dog food was only item taxed).  In the cold room for eggs I heard someone ask an employee if he knew when they would be receiving TP, so they must have been out, which I haven't encountered at all since we started shopping again in June.  This trip I was in a rush, so I didn't go looking to see what else they were out of.

From reports on this thread last week or so, I decided to use some freezer meat and buy some fresh.  I'd hate to empty the freezer of meat by late December only to find shortages.

(As a reminder, I'm shopping for 4 adults, 2 of whom are active young men who are always hungry.)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 03, 2020, 04:56:59 AM
Did my curbside pick up yesterday. What really irks me is that they have 8 designated curbside parking spots with signs in front of each spot. No one pays attention and parks there anyway. There was only one open spot yesterday and the other times I went, it was pretty much the same issue. I wish they would put the spots in a less primo spot where people don't want to park. Or true curbside where you actually park in front of the store. I guess they can't do that due to it being a fire zone. UGH!

My order was missing a few things, none that were earth shattering. They advertised they had their brand disinfectant spray and I ordered a few cans but they had none when I picked my order up. Have not found Lysol or any brand disinfectant spray since maybe March.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on November 03, 2020, 06:58:10 AM
Spoke to my Costco brother yesterday. He said they're getting TP in every day, and selling out every day. If you need some, go early. I still have most of the last Costco pack i bought a month or so ago, so I'll skip it for now.

Also, as a general rule of thumb, Monday is the least restocked day of the week. Best to shop Tues-Thurs. if your schedule allows it. Another motivation to hit FIRE!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 03, 2020, 07:20:09 AM
Grocery store was all asses and elbows this weekend. I had to got to three for all my items. Luckily I have enough food at home for a few weeks if needed.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: BicycleB on November 03, 2020, 08:52:13 AM
There are moments when I feel like my brain is made of cold, slow moving molasses. This is one of them.

I finally caught up to the fact that the new shortages probably aren't just due to COVID precautions. They're from the same reason as some of ya'll on this thread - people taking precautions about the election aftermath.

Hmm. You know, it probably is better to prepared, even if odds of real problems are low. Having voted previously, I'm going to skip over to the grocery and see if I can pick up a few things.

ETA: Store was pretty well stocked. Notices up limiting paper goods to 2 per shopper per category, otherwise things in full swing. TP aisle 90% full instead of 90% empty.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: LaineyAZ on November 03, 2020, 04:37:27 PM
Went to Costco yesterday (Monday, day before election) in metro Phoenix just after they opened.  Busy, but not crazy.  Pallets of TP and paper towels were right by the entrance, and about 85% of shoppers were buying one or both, including us.  Also they've just installed Self check-out which we used and really liked - we only waited about 5 minutes in line before a machine opened up.

Otherwise looked like there was a normal amount of food and goods on the shelves.   Looking back over the past 9 months I think Costco has been the store that's adjusted the best to the pandemic - mandating masks and limiting the number of shoppers early, and no real big breaks in their supply chain. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 03, 2020, 04:44:35 PM
The news says garbage bags may be in short supply. UGH!

I am going to order some from Costco.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 03, 2020, 05:34:26 PM
The news says garbage bags may be in short supply. UGH!

I am going to order some from Costco.

A few years ago I bought a small waste can for $4 at Target.  It fits a plastic bag like you get from a store.  On the outside I added two adhesive hooks (upside down) I'd picked up at a thrift store (25¢) to hold the bag handles.  We use the same size bags for the dog waste scoop thing.  I actually buy the bags because we use cloth at the grocery store rather than pay 15¢ each for their bags.  My last box was $25 for 500 bags, but since then I've found a way to get them for less.  These are black bags and are a little thicker than the cheapest bags.

I wonder what else might be in short supply?  It seems so random.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on November 03, 2020, 08:31:02 PM
I am down to my last 1/2 cup of dog food. So whether things get bad or not, doggie needs food and I will be heading to PetSmart. I have more food on hand than normal for sure. Prepping or prudence, or hoarding? It’s not spilled out of the cupboard so I say prepping vs hoarding.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Missy B on November 03, 2020, 09:35:02 PM
In August when things were normal I topped up on UHT almond milk and bought a couple of cases of vegan soup from Costco. Mostly that was about not having to go to Costco if its ugly. I already have other staples and can't store anything else unless I want to go for the 'bunker-chic' look in my apt.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on November 03, 2020, 10:50:31 PM
My grocery shopping loop looks like this:

99 Cents Only Store
Grocery Outlet
Costco

Sometimes I skip Costco if I'm well stocked on staples.
If I'm trying to stretch between trips I'll do a quick milk/produce run at Sprouts.

What these three places have in common is that you buy what they have, assuming the price is good. They fill the shelves with whatever they receive. Therefore, I am not used to seeing empty shelves when I shop. Regular grocery stores fill every slot with something specific, therefore, one is more likely to see empty or "sold out" spaces.

Because of the way I shop, I haven't really noticed any significant out of stocks. However, in the last few days, I've been trying to track down a specific med for my MIL. I've been into more CVS, RiteAid, and Walgreen's stores in three days than I've been in in three years. What I see there is scary. Empty slots, empty shelves, empty end caps. Unless a store was going out of business, I've never seen anything like it. I'm finding it to be very eerie.

I've been slowly working through my pantries, but now I'm wondering if that was a mistake.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 04, 2020, 01:58:02 AM
I am down to my last 1/2 cup of dog food. So whether things get bad or not, doggie needs food and I will be heading to PetSmart. I have more food on hand than normal for sure. Prepping or prudence, or hoarding? It’s not spilled out of the cupboard so I say prepping vs hoarding.

Just a thought for you. You can order dog food from Chewy and probably other companies too. I use chewy to get my prescription dog food. Costco sells dog food. Maybe Tractor Supply. Normally Chewy is very quick and I get the dog food in just a few days.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 04, 2020, 04:16:29 AM
In August when things were normal I topped up on UHT almond milk and bought a couple of cases of vegan soup from Costco. Mostly that was about not having to go to Costco if its ugly. I already have other staples and can't store anything else unless I want to go for the 'bunker-chic' look in my apt.

Missy B, have you thought of under the bed storage? There are a lot of rolly type bins that are for under bed storage that you could put non perishable foods into. I have also seen people use over the door cloth shoe organizer for various types of storage. You could put one in your coat closet and store canned items, spaghetti, cracker sleeves, spices, anything that fits! I even saw somebody store canned stuff under the foot rest on a recliner chair! Haha!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 04, 2020, 04:48:21 AM
@Roadrunner53 good suggestions! We use baskets in the space between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling and also the drawers of the dresser in the spare bedroom.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 04, 2020, 08:26:24 AM
I am down to my last 1/2 cup of dog food. So whether things get bad or not, doggie needs food and I will be heading to PetSmart. I have more food on hand than normal for sure. Prepping or prudence, or hoarding? It’s not spilled out of the cupboard so I say prepping vs hoarding.

We figured out we can buy a new bag of dog food when we open the bag already at home, as long as we store the unopened bag in the house (but we have to keep it in a back closet so the dogs don't stand guard over it). Dog doesn't care for kibble stored in the garage, even if the weather is merely warm and not hot -- it must go rancid more quickly even if the garage isn't stifling.

I hope PetsMart isn't busy and has what you need!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mountain mustache on November 04, 2020, 01:10:39 PM
In August when things were normal I topped up on UHT almond milk and bought a couple of cases of vegan soup from Costco. Mostly that was about not having to go to Costco if its ugly. I already have other staples and can't store anything else unless I want to go for the 'bunker-chic' look in my apt.

This made me laugh. I live in a 500sq ft apt, and worry about the "bunker-chic" look in my apt too. I managed to find a hidden corner to put a tall wire shelf in for extra pandemic storage, but I definitely am always wary of the food storage taking over all of my spare space.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 04, 2020, 02:37:28 PM
In August when things were normal I topped up on UHT almond milk and bought a couple of cases of vegan soup from Costco. Mostly that was about not having to go to Costco if its ugly. I already have other staples and can't store anything else unless I want to go for the 'bunker-chic' look in my apt.

This made me laugh. I live in a 500sq ft apt, and worry about the "bunker-chic" look in my apt too. I managed to find a hidden corner to put a tall wire shelf in for extra pandemic storage, but I definitely am always wary of the food storage taking over all of my spare space.

Under the bed, behind the paperbacks on shelves.  Carol Deppe has jars of dried beans on her shelves.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 04, 2020, 02:37:42 PM
In August when things were normal I topped up on UHT almond milk and bought a couple of cases of vegan soup from Costco. Mostly that was about not having to go to Costco if its ugly. I already have other staples and can't store anything else unless I want to go for the 'bunker-chic' look in my apt.

This made me laugh. I live in a 500sq ft apt, and worry about the "bunker-chic" look in my apt too. I managed to find a hidden corner to put a tall wire shelf in for extra pandemic storage, but I definitely am always wary of the food storage taking over all of my spare space.
We had "bunker-chic" going on here in March and April, as I was stocking up before our state locked down and also ordered things that arrived in early lockdown.  In addition to finding space for canned foods (which we had very little of before the pandemic) I was also looking to store an additional 14 5-gallon buckets of food.  As we've eaten through the buckets it's gotten easier, but I still have buckets stashed in my bedroom closet and behind furniture in the living room.  There are also odd spots in the house with stored food, such as the buffet in the dining room.  Finding space for "hoarded" (or what I called being prepared) toiletries and medications also required a declutter and some rearranging.  We don't have an attached garage and our garage gets blazing hot, so we can't store food out there.

Now there's no evidence of the stored food, although we still have far more than we did pre-pandemic.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dictionary Time on November 04, 2020, 02:53:32 PM
Is kitty litter a thing? Or have I just been very unlucky?  I struck out twice at Costco, once on a Walmart order, today at the aldi. It’s getting serious here as running out would be bad news. But I can’t imagine what would be the root cause.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 04, 2020, 03:02:59 PM
Is kitty litter a thing? Or have I just been very unlucky?  I struck out twice at Costco, once on a Walmart order, today at the aldi. It’s getting serious here as running out would be bad news. But I can’t imagine what would be the root cause.

I know nothing about kitty litter but I looked on Walmart.com and it seems there are tons of choices:
https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=kitty%20litter
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on November 04, 2020, 04:17:59 PM
I actually just added a can of corn to my grocery order. LOL

What amazes me are canned potatoes.

I remember having canned vegetables (including potatoes) sometimes when camping. Peel off the label, open the can and place over the fire til it heats.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 04, 2020, 04:36:02 PM
I have stocked up on some things I am not proud of. I had a very sick dog who needed tons of pills every day.  I tried everything under the sun to disguise the pills. He would like certain things for a while and then, bleh, he would get sick of them. I was so desperate I even bought Spam! I have never bought spam in my lifetime. I ate it as a kid because it was the thing in my parents generation. I bought a bunch of cans and YUK but I will hang onto them for a while. I think if you fry it till it is super brown crispy it might taste okay. I may donate them. My poor baby doggie had to be put to sleep a week ago. So no more trying to figure out what he might like. I went thru every deli lunch meat, and too much other stuff to list. He was a sweet heart and I miss him very much. If you have a pet in your life, hug him/her because all they want is a little pat on the head and told how good they are. They are non judgemental, are your constant companions, and your best friend.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 04, 2020, 05:14:35 PM
Sending comfort to you. It’s so hard to lose a pet.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 04, 2020, 05:19:38 PM
Aww, sorry about your dog! That’s hard, and it’s been such a year of hard stuff!

Spam needs to be fried over an open campfire.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 04, 2020, 05:36:06 PM
I am so sorry for the loss of your sweet doggie!  We mourn them as much as we mourn our human family.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: nirodha on November 04, 2020, 06:01:14 PM
Cat litter - https://www.chewy.com/ - I'll never go back to buying in store.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NotJen on November 04, 2020, 06:56:06 PM
Speaking of pets and pills, is there a squeeze cheese shortage?

I once got my cat to take pills using Easy Cheese - and needed some again, but it has not been in stock at my local store my last 3 trips.  She's out of pills (got maybe half of them into her), so I don't need it anymore and haven't tried to find it online.

Seems like an odd thing to be out of.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 05, 2020, 02:53:12 AM
Thanks all for your kind words.

Believe me, I have tried everything to get pills down my sick dog. Cream cheese and chicken blended, sardines and cream cheese, peanutbutter, marshmallows, ham, deli roast beef, deli turkey, many cheeses, liverwurst, bolony and more I can't think of. He used to be a really good eater but I guess his illness just made him feel sick. The pills were very powerful cancer drugs and others added on top of that. So, his stomach was probably churning from it all.

We all do the best for our animals. Now I have one rickety old dog who will be 17 years old next month! UGH, why do they have to get old!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 05, 2020, 02:59:51 AM
Speaking of pets and pills, is there a squeeze cheese shortage?

I once got my cat to take pills using Easy Cheese - and needed some again, but it has not been in stock at my local store my last 3 trips.  She's out of pills (got maybe half of them into her), so I don't need it anymore and haven't tried to find it online.

Seems like an odd thing to be out of.

Amazon has it but some are pricey. Target has it for $3.99 a can if you order on line and $35 worth of products shipping is free.
Scroll about halfway down the page: https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=easy+cheese
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 07, 2020, 04:51:49 PM
So ... I found out today that the Instacart markup for Costco using the Instacart app are twice as high as using the Costco website.  It makes sense, since you do have to have a Costco membership to use the Costco website.  But this doesn't seem to be widely known.  I don't love any markup, but on some items the Costco price with markup is still better than Sprouts without a markup, because of bulk pricing.

Also, I did an Instacart Sprouts order today, going in through the Sprouts website instead of the Instacart app -- and I was allowed to use the current $10 off $75 coupon, plus two other digital coupons, 75¢ off 3 avocados and $1 off Earth Balance (for the dairy allergic kid). I chose curbside pickup and there were no fees at all, and no tipping. Sprouts's in-house shopper did a much better job choosing produce (the order was 90% fresh produce) than any "full service" Instacart shopper has ever done. Unlike Target, nothing was missing. In store shoppers are actual employees, from what I understand, some stores use Instacart employees and some use their own. The text I received said a Sprouts Farmers Market Associate was shopping for me, so maybe it wasn't an Instacart employee.

I didn't buy anything to hoard from Sprouts, lol, but this week I did order TP (we have an old house and need paper that dissolves easily) and our preferred medium grain rice from Walmart. I ordered paper towels from Target. I don't want to hoard, but I also don't want to end up not having what we need. Oh, I also ordered meat from our local--ish grass-fed beef rancher, since he had rump roasts half price. That was a stock up.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on November 11, 2020, 12:27:30 PM
I have a big kitchen.  On the lower cabinets in the "Pre-COVID" times, it held lots of party goods. We're not having a party anytime between now and next Spring, so I moved all the party goods into an upper cabinet that was hard to reach.  I now have so much available pandemic prepping space.  I'm doing a big shop tomorrow. We'll have a load of canned goods to get by with if things get too hairy.  Right now it was more starches and beans along with a big bottle of multivitamins. None of us really like canned fruits and veg though, so once it's back to normal I think we'll make a nice donation to the food pantry.

@Sun Hat that lockdown timing sounds terrible.  Congrats on being ready and prepared.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 11, 2020, 01:33:44 PM
I have a big kitchen.  On the lower cabinets in the "Pre-COVID" times, it held lots of party goods. We're not having a party anytime between now and next Spring, so I moved all the party goods into an upper cabinet that was hard to reach.  I now have so much available pandemic prepping space.  I'm doing a big shop tomorrow. We'll have a load of canned goods to get by with if things get too hairy.  Right now it was more starches and beans along with a big bottle of multivitamins. None of us really like canned fruits and veg though, so once it's back to normal I think we'll make a nice donation to the food pantry.

@Sun Hat that lockdown timing sounds terrible.  Congrats on being ready and prepared.

What kind of canned things are you getting? As far as fruit, I did buy some applesauce, pineapples, mandarin oranges. I am thinking of buying canned peaches. The mandarin oranges I plan to put on salads. Not a huge fan of them but they are Vitamin C. The only vegs in cans that I have on hand are green beans and corn. I could tolerate mixed veg if I put them in a soup or stew but never buy them. One other thing that is good is pickled beets and I got them from Walmart. Anyone else know of anything good in a can as far as fruits and veg? I prefer frozen but if we are stocking up there is only so much room in the freezer.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 11, 2020, 02:22:03 PM
Canned tomatoes for me, mostly. I do have some dehydrated mixed veggies that make good soup.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on November 11, 2020, 02:32:38 PM
Canned tomatoes for me, mostly. I do have some dehydrated mixed veggies that make good soup.

Yeah, the dehydrated veggies are good in soup. Otherwise, we only buy canned tomatoes and maybe beans. I guess salsa and olives would also technically count.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on November 11, 2020, 02:35:05 PM
If you take a daily multivitamin and have powdered fiber mix like Metamucil . . . is there really any reason to eat vegetables/fruit?  Serious question.  I like fruit for the flavour (and vegetables for textural variety), but if you're in a real survival situation is there any reason the above wouldn't work?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SquashingDebt on November 11, 2020, 02:46:24 PM
I went to the store today to finish up my pandemic "hoard".  It consists of an extra 4.5 square feet of shelf space in a pantry area where I used to store only mason jars.  My regular pantry is a bit more full too.  I'm now fully stocked with almost every dry good I can think of to make the sorts of recipes I like.  Now I'll switch to system of just replacing what I use up.  Living alone makes a lot of things about this pandemic harder (I miss hugs!), but it does make it easier to stock up on food.

I also bought the non-perishable food I'll need for my (solo) Thanksgiving dinner.  My first away from my family in my 34 years of life :(  My plan is to make all my favorite side dishes I usually make with my mom, and skip the turkey because that seems like a pain.  My only "fancy" cooking planned for the holiday is an apple pie.

My store was pretty normally stocked, except I saw a sign saying that boxed stuffing mix was limited to 4 per person (along with the sign about 2 cleaning products per person that's been there the whole pandemic).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 11, 2020, 03:10:18 PM
Canadian Tire finally got 500 ml canning jars in, so there are now 3 boxes (12 each) under my bed for next year, just in case.  Under my bed has turned out to be prime storage space.  My poor cat starts to go under, and has to reroute.  I have enough paper towel to get me through the winter, and enough TP to get me to January.  The freezer is nearly full.  I prefer fresh (meat, veg, fruit) but have enough frozen to get me through some bad weather (standard Canadian refrain, winter is coming, on the prairies it has already come) so the only things I really have to hit the grocery store for on a regular basis are eggs and cream, both of which will keep for a few weeks in the fridge.  As cases have gone up here I am really trying to limit being in buildings, so basically at this point it is the library, the grocery store, and the dentist.  There are a few things I need that I am trying to find online before I venture into a store for them.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 11, 2020, 03:29:56 PM
Please tell me what supplier you all use for dehydrated veggies. That is a good idea. I have the boxes of scalloped potatoes which comes in handy as a side dish.

I have been buying 3 dozen eggs each time I am down to the last dozen. Eggs keep a long time. Last week I went to the store and found Jumbo eggs for $1.79 a dozen which I thought was a bargain! Make sure you check the expiration dates. Some stores are sneaky and have old eggs to sell.

As far as not having turkey for Thanksgiving, SquashingDebt, maybe you could get some thick deli slices and warm them up with jarred gravy. It would taste pretty good and you could have a good amount of turkey to enjoy. No real cooking involved. Or buy a roasting chicken and 'pretend' it is turkey! LOL!

Yes, I have canned tomatoes and use them often. They are a must! Full of Vit. C too! I use them in so many things.

Metamucil is great for fiber but not sure if a vitamin pill is enough. But better than nothing I suppose if it was the end of the world and there was no food.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on November 11, 2020, 03:57:39 PM
We’re planning  to roast a couple chicken breasts for thanksgiving dinner. The sides really are what I want to eat but my spouse will want some meat. It seems silly to make soooo many sides for just two people. I’m not sure my spouse has ever had stuffing so I got a pack of stovetop. Got a can of cranberry sauce. That’s enough to make it feel very holiday like for me.

Now for Christmas.  I’m hungry for melt in your mouth smoked ham. But not sure I can find one small enough?!  We just have a small freezer and only need so many leftovers.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on November 11, 2020, 04:22:50 PM
Costco today had no turkeys. I wanted to post a picture of their "out of stock" items. "Turkey" made the list. Costco today had 2 hams left.  We don't love ham, so I didn't get that.  I figure expensive Rib Eye roasts will still be around for xmas, and we might be in IL for that festivity so it doesn't make sense to panic and buy that yet.  It may be a very interesting Christmas ala Scrooge in America if not every house can have a Christmas ham that wants one.

I bought peaches and mixed fruit as well as pineapple.  I have no answer to the Metamucil question, but we have no fiber in the house. There seemed to be plenty of canned goods available at Costco in the regular varieties.  Our cereal bins are almost empty, but no one is eating cold cereal in the winter....so meh. It's all put away and there's still room for more. Chocolate syrup decadence? I got a big pack of Swiss Miss hot cocoa.  I figured it's tasty calories. $2.99 on super sale.  That's cheaper than powdered milk.

We're going to limit the sides to just mashed potatoes, jello salad (kids' favorite part), turkey, and green bean casserole.  I did buy stuffing, but don't know if we'll actually make more than what we put in the bird.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on November 11, 2020, 05:09:10 PM
Costco today had no turkeys. I wanted to post a picture of their "out of stock" items. "Turkey" made the list. Costco today had 2 hams left.  We don't love ham, so I didn't get that.  I figure expensive Rib Eye roasts will still be around for xmas, and we might be in IL for that festivity so it doesn't make sense to panic and buy that yet.  It may be a very interesting Christmas ala Scrooge in America if not every house can have a Christmas ham that wants one.

Well, shoot. I'd better try to get a turkey soon.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on November 11, 2020, 05:20:51 PM
@Roadrunner53 You asked about suppliers for dehydrated veggies:
For dehydrated mixed veg that are good in rice and soups, I buy them at a bulk food chain called Bulk Barn. They're dirt cheap.

For dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, which can be used in place of fresh mushrooms in any cooked recipe, I buy them in big packages in the Chinese / Asian section of Superstore my big supermarket, though they're also available at pretty much any Asian grocery store. FAR cheaper than fresh and have a very long shelf life. I generally use them in either rice dishes or to make lentil mushroom pate.

I ordered dehydrated vegetables, beans, and lentils from North Bay Trading (https://www.northbaytrading.com/) earlier this year. The quality has been very good.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 11, 2020, 07:04:29 PM
If you take a daily multivitamin and have powdered fiber mix like Metamucil . . . is there really any reason to eat vegetables/fruit?  Serious question.  I like fruit for the flavour (and vegetables for textural variety), but if you're in a real survival situation is there any reason the above wouldn't work?

I have beans for fiber. If I was truly desperate for veggies there are many edible plants. Clover is a edible, for instance.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on November 11, 2020, 07:09:19 PM
If you take a daily multivitamin and have powdered fiber mix like Metamucil . . . is there really any reason to eat vegetables/fruit?  Serious question.  I like fruit for the flavour (and vegetables for textural variety), but if you're in a real survival situation is there any reason the above wouldn't work?

I have beans for fiber. If I was truly desperate for veggies there are many edible plants. Clover is a edible, for instance.

I was doing a thought experiment for a long term survival scenario.

Oil lasts forever, protein powder (if vacuum sealed) seems to have a pretty long shelf life, there are plenty of shelf stable carbs.  Vegetables and fruit are a problem though . . . but if you could replace them with multivitamins and fiber then you could live a bland existence for an awful long time with minimal planning.  I don't see why it wouldn't provide you with the correct macro and micronutrients.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 11, 2020, 07:13:54 PM
If you take a daily multivitamin and have powdered fiber mix like Metamucil . . . is there really any reason to eat vegetables/fruit?  Serious question.  I like fruit for the flavour (and vegetables for textural variety), but if you're in a real survival situation is there any reason the above wouldn't work?

I have beans for fiber. If I was truly desperate for veggies there are many edible plants. Clover is a edible, for instance.

I was doing a thought experiment for a long term survival scenario.

Oil lasts forever, protein powder (if vacuum sealed) seems to have a pretty long shelf life, there are plenty of shelf stable carbs.  Vegetables and fruit are a problem though . . . but if you could replace them with multivitamins and fiber then you could live a bland existence for an awful long time with minimal planning.  I don't see why it wouldn't provide you with the correct macro and micronutrients.


Sprouts are good for fresh vegetables. Dry seeds, add water, and you are set.  So are fermented foods.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 11, 2020, 07:18:25 PM
If you take a daily multivitamin and have powdered fiber mix like Metamucil . . . is there really any reason to eat vegetables/fruit?  Serious question.  I like fruit for the flavour (and vegetables for textural variety), but if you're in a real survival situation is there any reason the above wouldn't work?

I have beans for fiber. If I was truly desperate for veggies there are many edible plants. Clover is a edible, for instance.

I was doing a thought experiment for a long term survival scenario.

Oil lasts forever, protein powder (if vacuum sealed) seems to have a pretty long shelf life, there are plenty of shelf stable carbs.  Vegetables and fruit are a problem though . . . but if you could replace them with multivitamins and fiber then you could live a bland existence for an awful long time with minimal planning.  I don't see why it wouldn't provide you with the correct macro and micronutrients.

I mean it would definitely help you evade deficiencies for a while. A valuable function.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: BicycleB on November 11, 2020, 07:26:04 PM
If you take a daily multivitamin and have powdered fiber mix like Metamucil . . . is there really any reason to eat vegetables/fruit?  Serious question.  I like fruit for the flavour (and vegetables for textural variety), but if you're in a real survival situation is there any reason the above wouldn't work?

I have beans for fiber. If I was truly desperate for veggies there are many edible plants. Clover is a edible, for instance.

I was doing a thought experiment for a long term survival scenario.

Oil lasts forever, protein powder (if vacuum sealed) seems to have a pretty long shelf life, there are plenty of shelf stable carbs.  Vegetables and fruit are a problem though . . . but if you could replace them with multivitamins and fiber then you could live a bland existence for an awful long time with minimal planning.  I don't see why it wouldn't provide you with the correct macro and micronutrients.

Maybe it does. But I don't think scientists have really proven that. It's hard to test the effect of generally eating "real foods" vs sets of nutrients.

A lot of people assert that nutrients are metabolized better when they come as part of whole foods. The idea that the various nutrients are really all we need, and that we do process them well their usual food substrates (if you will) is a hypothesis that was trendy for a while. Then it was trendy to point to long lifespans of people who eat lots of vegetables and whole foods instead of food products and isolated nutrients, saying that that "proves" whole foods are better. One variant of this line of thought is that most traditional cuisines have excellent combinations for health, better than "macros plus micros" so to speak.

You call the play. Based on what's available, I guess.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 12, 2020, 03:25:12 AM
@Roadrunner53 You asked about suppliers for dehydrated veggies:
For dehydrated mixed veg that are good in rice and soups, I buy them at a bulk food chain called Bulk Barn. They're dirt cheap.

For dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, which can be used in place of fresh mushrooms in any cooked recipe, I buy them in big packages in the Chinese / Asian section of Superstore my big supermarket, though they're also available at pretty much any Asian grocery store. FAR cheaper than fresh and have a very long shelf life. I generally use them in either rice dishes or to make lentil mushroom pate.

I ordered dehydrated vegetables, beans, and lentils from North Bay Trading (https://www.northbaytrading.com/) earlier this year. The quality has been very good.


Sun Hat looks like Bulk Barn is a Canadian store only. I am here in USA.

OtherJen, That is ironic you sent that link for North Bay Trading! I bought their Christmas Lima Beans and some soup mixes back a while ago and kind of forgot about that company. I just made a Christmas Lima Bean cold salad the other day and it was really good. I have some Spicy Southwestern Soup I might just throw in the crockpot today.

I looked at the dehydrated veggies and the mushrooms look interesting but expensive. I guess a little goes a long way. What veggies do you buy from them and do you recommend anything in particular?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on November 12, 2020, 05:42:45 AM
@Roadrunner53 You asked about suppliers for dehydrated veggies:
For dehydrated mixed veg that are good in rice and soups, I buy them at a bulk food chain called Bulk Barn. They're dirt cheap.

For dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, which can be used in place of fresh mushrooms in any cooked recipe, I buy them in big packages in the Chinese / Asian section of Superstore my big supermarket, though they're also available at pretty much any Asian grocery store. FAR cheaper than fresh and have a very long shelf life. I generally use them in either rice dishes or to make lentil mushroom pate.

I ordered dehydrated vegetables, beans, and lentils from North Bay Trading (https://www.northbaytrading.com/) earlier this year. The quality has been very good.


Sun Hat looks like Bulk Barn is a Canadian store only. I am here in USA.

OtherJen, That is ironic you sent that link for North Bay Trading! I bought their Christmas Lima Beans and some soup mixes back a while ago and kind of forgot about that company. I just made a Christmas Lima Bean cold salad the other day and it was really good. I have some Spicy Southwestern Soup I might just throw in the crockpot today.

I looked at the dehydrated veggies and the mushrooms look interesting but expensive. I guess a little goes a long way. What veggies do you buy from them and do you recommend anything in particular?

I bought the air-dried mixed veggies. They seem a bit pricey, but I have celiac disease and can’t trust that the food in public bulk bins is safe for me (last time I went to one, I watched someone take a flour scoop and go into other bins with it). If you don’t have a food allergy, it would be worth checking out a local bulk food store.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on November 12, 2020, 06:02:29 AM
So if anyone is interested in nutrient replacement powder just for stocking up, I recommend Huel.  I've had Huel once a day for chunks of the last year as a meal replacement and it hasn't hurt me (according to my bloodwork :) ).

They have flavors, but I prefer the unflavored and usually do a dropper or two of vanilla extract and some honey to make it lightly sweet. Stores for about 18 months unopened.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on November 12, 2020, 07:17:33 AM

Oil lasts forever

Most vegetable oils will go rancid after 12-36 months. If you were to try living off of oil, protein powder, fiber supplements and multivitamins, you'd probably go a bit squirrely long before then though. Add some honey to your austere bunker plan so that you can taste something.

Hmm.  I didn't think of the oil going rancid.  It probably does happen at some point.  I'm 100% certain that oils remain perfectly fine to use well past the expiry date listed on the container though.  I've used olive oil more than a year after it 'expired' and it tasted fine.  Same with coconut oil, although it was closer to two years after the expiration date.  Still tasted fine.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 12, 2020, 07:21:13 AM
I bought a frozen turkey breast last month, cuz I saw this coming, so I'm all set for Thanksgiving. I got cranberries last week in my Curbside Pickup order, too.

I'm going back to ordering the vegetable boxes from the co-op. They're a great deal. I bought several last spring and then didn't need to over the summer as I had quite a bit of garden produce over the summer, but I'm down to kale, spinach and peas at this point.

I like vegetables, and I'd rather do winter storage veg than live on vitamins and Metamucil.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on November 12, 2020, 07:30:45 AM

Oil lasts forever

Most vegetable oils will go rancid after 12-36 months. If you were to try living off of oil, protein powder, fiber supplements and multivitamins, you'd probably go a bit squirrely long before then though. Add some honey to your austere bunker plan so that you can taste something.

Hmm.  I didn't think of the oil going rancid.  It probably does happen at some point.  I'm 100% certain that oils remain perfectly fine to use well past the expiry date listed on the container though.  I've used olive oil more than a year after it 'expired' and it tasted fine.  Same with coconut oil, although it was closer to two years after the expiration date.  Still tasted fine.
Storage in a cool, dark place helps.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 12, 2020, 07:57:21 AM

Oil lasts forever

Most vegetable oils will go rancid after 12-36 months. If you were to try living off of oil, protein powder, fiber supplements and multivitamins, you'd probably go a bit squirrely long before then though. Add some honey to your austere bunker plan so that you can taste something.

Hmm.  I didn't think of the oil going rancid.  It probably does happen at some point.  I'm 100% certain that oils remain perfectly fine to use well past the expiry date listed on the container though.  I've used olive oil more than a year after it 'expired' and it tasted fine.  Same with coconut oil, although it was closer to two years after the expiration date.  Still tasted fine.

Instead of drinking oil, vitamins and metamucil, why not make pemmican?

"Pemmican was widely adopted as a high-energy food by Europeans involved in the fur trade and later by Arctic and Antarctic explorers, such as Captain Robert Bartlett, Ernest Shackleton, Richard E. Byrd, Fridtjof Nansen, Robert Falcon Scott, George W. DeLong and Roald Amundsen."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pemmican

Many recipes can be found on the internet. Lots of beef, fat and fruits.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on November 12, 2020, 08:50:10 AM

Oil lasts forever

Most vegetable oils will go rancid after 12-36 months. If you were to try living off of oil, protein powder, fiber supplements and multivitamins, you'd probably go a bit squirrely long before then though. Add some honey to your austere bunker plan so that you can taste something.

Hmm.  I didn't think of the oil going rancid.  It probably does happen at some point.  I'm 100% certain that oils remain perfectly fine to use well past the expiry date listed on the container though.  I've used olive oil more than a year after it 'expired' and it tasted fine.  Same with coconut oil, although it was closer to two years after the expiration date.  Still tasted fine.

Instead of drinking oil, vitamins and metamucil, why not make pemmican?

"Pemmican was widely adopted as a high-energy food by Europeans involved in the fur trade and later by Arctic and Antarctic explorers, such as Captain Robert Bartlett, Ernest Shackleton, Richard E. Byrd, Fridtjof Nansen, Robert Falcon Scott, George W. DeLong and Roald Amundsen."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pemmican

Many recipes can be found on the internet. Lots of beef, fat and fruits.

I grew up in a small northern community next to a rez.  I've got plenty of experience with pemmican in my life . . . which leads me to believe that drinking oil and vitamins with metamuscil will be about as tasty for less work.  :P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 12, 2020, 02:40:47 PM
One of my local grocery stores has turkeys on sale for $0.49 cents a lb. I think there is a limit of 2 turkeys and in the past you had to buy some kind of a dollar amount minus the turkey to get it for that price. They do this every year and last year it was $0.39 a lb. I can't resist!







Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 13, 2020, 07:45:26 AM
I'm always disappointed - turkeys never go on clearance here!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on November 13, 2020, 07:49:12 AM
We buy cheap turkeys after every major holiday that people eat them.  Super versatile food.  It gets made into:

- White turkey chili
- Butter turkey (like butter chicken)
- Turkey stew
- Turkey curry
- Pulled turkey sandwiches (like pulled pork)
- Turkey barley soup
- Turkey pot pie


I mean, you can also just make a traditional turkey, which is fine . . . but there are so many other ways to eat it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on November 13, 2020, 07:50:19 AM
mmmm-butter turkey.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on November 13, 2020, 08:49:40 AM

Oil lasts forever

Most vegetable oils will go rancid after 12-36 months. If you were to try living off of oil, protein powder, fiber supplements and multivitamins, you'd probably go a bit squirrely long before then though. Add some honey to your austere bunker plan so that you can taste something.
I have frozen coconut oil with good results. Never tried freezing any other types of oil.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Runrooster on November 13, 2020, 09:05:57 AM
My grocery store put canned beans and tomatoes on sale for $.34 each for the third time in 2 months, no limit this time.
I already have maybe 30 cans beans plus 12 tomatoes, so my Mom will have a fit if I buy more.
I also stocked up on eggs, remembering the previous shortage.  So they loss leader-ed those as well.

I talked to my supervisors at the tax job, and they said they expect the season to start on time. Our January clients are heavy on EIC, and they'll need the money this year even more.
They usually buy my dinner plus snacks so we have too much (junk) food in tax season.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 13, 2020, 10:35:26 AM
Not sure if I am frugal or foolish but I just bought another freezer. This one is smaller than the big one I have in the garage. It is 15.5 CF self defrosting. My big freezer is full up but I replace what I use up so there is never any extra space. I like to buy some extra turkeys when they are on sale and rib roasts, plus other things. My intent is not to fill the new freezer up but to use it for bargains and seasonal purchases. The other one I can't fit a sheet of paper in it!

I have been fighting the urge to buy a freezer for months thinking eventually my freezer would whittle down but that never happened! My Hub keeps it pretty ship shape and rotates the inventory so we are not tossing anything out due to old age.

I was totally shocked that delivery is tomorrow and free! However, I ordered it on line and automatically it added $49.80 delivery charges. The flyer I had said free local delivery. I live about 15 miles away from the store so wasn't sure if I was in their local delivery area. After I place the order I called them. Sure enough, the lady blamed a computer glitch...I wonder...and removed the shipping charge. So if any of you order an appliance on line and you believe you should get free shipping, call to find out why you are being charged.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on November 13, 2020, 11:05:11 AM
I grew up in a small northern community next to a rez.  I've got plenty of experience with pemmican in my life . . . which leads me to believe that drinking oil and vitamins with metamuscil will be about as tasty for less work.  :P

Metamucil has all sorts of garbage mixed into it. Just get some plain psyllium husk.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on November 13, 2020, 11:30:08 AM
We used to have an extra freezer. Now the in laws have it.  I bought a 60" wide refrigerator/freezer combo.  It works really well (when it works, but that is a different story).  We also have a beverage center for drinks. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 13, 2020, 12:26:03 PM
We used to have an extra freezer. Now the in laws have it.  I bought a 60" wide refrigerator/freezer combo.  It works really well (when it works, but that is a different story).  We also have a beverage center for drinks.

I worked for a large food company for many years and we had walk in freezers and refrigerators galore. They were huge and I would die to have even a small version of a walk in refrigerator/freezer. I envy your 60" wide too! Is it a built in?

My Hub and I cook a lot and I keep a lot of food on hand even before the pandemic. Now, that we are trying stay home I have really added to the coffers. Almost to the point of no return!

I have to slow down on the purchasing. But I do feel good I have full freezers, refrigerators and cabinets full of food. Even my dog is all set!

What is your beverage center like? Not familiar with that.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on November 13, 2020, 01:09:33 PM
We used to have an extra freezer. Now the in laws have it.  I bought a 60" wide refrigerator/freezer combo.  It works really well (when it works, but that is a different story).  We also have a beverage center for drinks.

I worked for a large food company for many years and we had walk in freezers and refrigerators galore. They were huge and I would die to have even a small version of a walk in refrigerator/freezer. I envy your 60" wide too! Is it a built in?

What is your beverage center like? Not familiar with that.
It's a whirlpool - not built in, but looks it. One side is a 30" refrigerator, one side is a 30" freezer.  There is a fake grill kit that goes around it and makes it look built in. The refrigerator sprung a refrigerant leak at the 1 year and 2 month mark. It's been off and on for awhile.  I "think" they finally found the leak and fixed it.  Not what you want during COVID. The "Whirpool" emblems on the front come off with a bit of sticker remover, so everyone thinks it's some super fancy thing.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=h7L6eXUz&id=4173F16E984AA751D4112F925DD98B04FF198927&thid=OIP.h7L6eXUzb-QoY4jMaF64VgHaHa&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2foriginals%2f5a%2f35%2f10%2f5a3510d309e123c78dbec0777c2ddd89.jpg&exph=800&expw=800&q=whirlpool+sidekicks&simid=608030351453130036&ck=2F86A26C1DD660C7EEE9F45E6565777B&selectedIndex=45&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0 (https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=h7L6eXUz&id=4173F16E984AA751D4112F925DD98B04FF198927&thid=OIP.h7L6eXUzb-QoY4jMaF64VgHaHa&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2foriginals%2f5a%2f35%2f10%2f5a3510d309e123c78dbec0777c2ddd89.jpg&exph=800&expw=800&q=whirlpool+sidekicks&simid=608030351453130036&ck=2F86A26C1DD660C7EEE9F45E6565777B&selectedIndex=45&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0)
The beverage center is a fridge that goes under the counter.
https://www.compactappliance.com/avallon-beverage-coolers-beverage-appliances/ABR241GLH.html?source=msn-pa_ABR241SGLH!c53672146!a4729119540!kavalon%20beverage%20center%20images!me!dc!no&source=msn_!c53672146!a4729119540!kavalon%20beverage%20center%20images!me!dc!no!f&cvosrc=pla.bing.ABR241SGLH&cvosrc=ppc.bing.avalon%20beverage%20center%20images&cvo_cid=53672146&cvo_cid=53672146&cvo_crid=11479484405&cvo_crid=11479484405&cvo_adgroup=4729119540&cvo_adgroup=4729119540&matchtype=e&cvo_uniqueid=ABR241SGLH&utm_source=pla&utm_source=ppc&utm_medium=bing&utm_medium=bing&utm_term=ABR241SGLH&utm_term=avalon%20beverage%20center%20images&gclid=385e4fc6103f1bea9da01068f74b4582&gclsrc=3p.ds&k_clickid=_kenshoo_clickid_&msclkid=385e4fc6103f1bea9da01068f74b4582 (https://www.compactappliance.com/avallon-beverage-coolers-beverage-appliances/ABR241GLH.html?source=msn-pa_ABR241SGLH!c53672146!a4729119540!kavalon%20beverage%20center%20images!me!dc!no&source=msn_!c53672146!a4729119540!kavalon%20beverage%20center%20images!me!dc!no!f&cvosrc=pla.bing.ABR241SGLH&cvosrc=ppc.bing.avalon%20beverage%20center%20images&cvo_cid=53672146&cvo_cid=53672146&cvo_crid=11479484405&cvo_crid=11479484405&cvo_adgroup=4729119540&cvo_adgroup=4729119540&matchtype=e&cvo_uniqueid=ABR241SGLH&utm_source=pla&utm_source=ppc&utm_medium=bing&utm_medium=bing&utm_term=ABR241SGLH&utm_term=avalon%20beverage%20center%20images&gclid=385e4fc6103f1bea9da01068f74b4582&gclsrc=3p.ds&k_clickid=_kenshoo_clickid_&msclkid=385e4fc6103f1bea9da01068f74b4582)
When the big fridge broke, we made do with the little fridge and ice filled water bottles in the big fridge for items that didn't need perfect refrigeration (veggies and cans)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on November 13, 2020, 02:16:08 PM
Here we go again, grocery shopping the day after big statewide COVID press conferences. Aldi wasn't too poorly stocked this afternoon, but they were definitely running low on some things and are probably sold out of paper towels by now. The store wasn't as chaotic as it was on March 13 (the day after the statewide school shutdown announcement), but it was way more crowded than it was two weeks ago.

I grabbed canned pumpkin and fresh cranberries so I can at least make some proper Thanksgiving food in case those sell out.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 13, 2020, 02:24:22 PM
We used to have an extra freezer. Now the in laws have it.  I bought a 60" wide refrigerator/freezer combo.  It works really well (when it works, but that is a different story).  We also have a beverage center for drinks.

I worked for a large food company for many years and we had walk in freezers and refrigerators galore. They were huge and I would die to have even a small version of a walk in refrigerator/freezer. I envy your 60" wide too! Is it a built in?

What is your beverage center like? Not familiar with that.
It's a whirlpool - not built in, but looks it. One side is a 30" refrigerator, one side is a 30" freezer.  There is a fake grill kit that goes around it and makes it look built in. The refrigerator sprung a refrigerant leak at the 1 year and 2 month mark. It's been off and on for awhile.  I "think" they finally found the leak and fixed it.  Not what you want during COVID. The "Whirpool" emblems on the front come off with a bit of sticker remover, so everyone thinks it's some super fancy thing.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=h7L6eXUz&id=4173F16E984AA751D4112F925DD98B04FF198927&thid=OIP.h7L6eXUzb-QoY4jMaF64VgHaHa&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2foriginals%2f5a%2f35%2f10%2f5a3510d309e123c78dbec0777c2ddd89.jpg&exph=800&expw=800&q=whirlpool+sidekicks&simid=608030351453130036&ck=2F86A26C1DD660C7EEE9F45E6565777B&selectedIndex=45&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0 (https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=h7L6eXUz&id=4173F16E984AA751D4112F925DD98B04FF198927&thid=OIP.h7L6eXUzb-QoY4jMaF64VgHaHa&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2foriginals%2f5a%2f35%2f10%2f5a3510d309e123c78dbec0777c2ddd89.jpg&exph=800&expw=800&q=whirlpool+sidekicks&simid=608030351453130036&ck=2F86A26C1DD660C7EEE9F45E6565777B&selectedIndex=45&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0)
The beverage center is a fridge that goes under the counter.
https://www.compactappliance.com/avallon-beverage-coolers-beverage-appliances/ABR241GLH.html?source=msn-pa_ABR241SGLH!c53672146!a4729119540!kavalon%20beverage%20center%20images!me!dc!no&source=msn_!c53672146!a4729119540!kavalon%20beverage%20center%20images!me!dc!no!f&cvosrc=pla.bing.ABR241SGLH&cvosrc=ppc.bing.avalon%20beverage%20center%20images&cvo_cid=53672146&cvo_cid=53672146&cvo_crid=11479484405&cvo_crid=11479484405&cvo_adgroup=4729119540&cvo_adgroup=4729119540&matchtype=e&cvo_uniqueid=ABR241SGLH&utm_source=pla&utm_source=ppc&utm_medium=bing&utm_medium=bing&utm_term=ABR241SGLH&utm_term=avalon%20beverage%20center%20images&gclid=385e4fc6103f1bea9da01068f74b4582&gclsrc=3p.ds&k_clickid=_kenshoo_clickid_&msclkid=385e4fc6103f1bea9da01068f74b4582 (https://www.compactappliance.com/avallon-beverage-coolers-beverage-appliances/ABR241GLH.html?source=msn-pa_ABR241SGLH!c53672146!a4729119540!kavalon%20beverage%20center%20images!me!dc!no&source=msn_!c53672146!a4729119540!kavalon%20beverage%20center%20images!me!dc!no!f&cvosrc=pla.bing.ABR241SGLH&cvosrc=ppc.bing.avalon%20beverage%20center%20images&cvo_cid=53672146&cvo_cid=53672146&cvo_crid=11479484405&cvo_crid=11479484405&cvo_adgroup=4729119540&cvo_adgroup=4729119540&matchtype=e&cvo_uniqueid=ABR241SGLH&utm_source=pla&utm_source=ppc&utm_medium=bing&utm_medium=bing&utm_term=ABR241SGLH&utm_term=avalon%20beverage%20center%20images&gclid=385e4fc6103f1bea9da01068f74b4582&gclsrc=3p.ds&k_clickid=_kenshoo_clickid_&msclkid=385e4fc6103f1bea9da01068f74b4582)
When the big fridge broke, we made do with the little fridge and ice filled water bottles in the big fridge for items that didn't need perfect refrigeration (veggies and cans)

OMG, I LOVE the refrig/freezer! Gorgeous! I am jealous! I would need a new kitchen to fit that! My next life...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on November 13, 2020, 02:27:56 PM
We used to have an extra freezer. Now the in laws have it.  I bought a 60" wide refrigerator/freezer combo.  It works really well (when it works, but that is a different story).  We also have a beverage center for drinks.

I worked for a large food company for many years and we had walk in freezers and refrigerators galore. They were huge and I would die to have even a small version of a walk in refrigerator/freezer. I envy your 60" wide too! Is it a built in?

What is your beverage center like? Not familiar with that.
It's a whirlpool - not built in, but looks it. One side is a 30" refrigerator, one side is a 30" freezer.  There is a fake grill kit that goes around it and makes it look built in. The refrigerator sprung a refrigerant leak at the 1 year and 2 month mark. It's been off and on for awhile.  I "think" they finally found the leak and fixed it.  Not what you want during COVID. The "Whirpool" emblems on the front come off with a bit of sticker remover, so everyone thinks it's some super fancy thing.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=h7L6eXUz&id=4173F16E984AA751D4112F925DD98B04FF198927&thid=OIP.h7L6eXUzb-QoY4jMaF64VgHaHa&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2foriginals%2f5a%2f35%2f10%2f5a3510d309e123c78dbec0777c2ddd89.jpg&exph=800&expw=800&q=whirlpool+sidekicks&simid=608030351453130036&ck=2F86A26C1DD660C7EEE9F45E6565777B&selectedIndex=45&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0 (https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=h7L6eXUz&id=4173F16E984AA751D4112F925DD98B04FF198927&thid=OIP.h7L6eXUzb-QoY4jMaF64VgHaHa&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2foriginals%2f5a%2f35%2f10%2f5a3510d309e123c78dbec0777c2ddd89.jpg&exph=800&expw=800&q=whirlpool+sidekicks&simid=608030351453130036&ck=2F86A26C1DD660C7EEE9F45E6565777B&selectedIndex=45&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0)
The beverage center is a fridge that goes under the counter.
https://www.compactappliance.com/avallon-beverage-coolers-beverage-appliances/ABR241GLH.html?source=msn-pa_ABR241SGLH!c53672146!a4729119540!kavalon%20beverage%20center%20images!me!dc!no&source=msn_!c53672146!a4729119540!kavalon%20beverage%20center%20images!me!dc!no!f&cvosrc=pla.bing.ABR241SGLH&cvosrc=ppc.bing.avalon%20beverage%20center%20images&cvo_cid=53672146&cvo_cid=53672146&cvo_crid=11479484405&cvo_crid=11479484405&cvo_adgroup=4729119540&cvo_adgroup=4729119540&matchtype=e&cvo_uniqueid=ABR241SGLH&utm_source=pla&utm_source=ppc&utm_medium=bing&utm_medium=bing&utm_term=ABR241SGLH&utm_term=avalon%20beverage%20center%20images&gclid=385e4fc6103f1bea9da01068f74b4582&gclsrc=3p.ds&k_clickid=_kenshoo_clickid_&msclkid=385e4fc6103f1bea9da01068f74b4582 (https://www.compactappliance.com/avallon-beverage-coolers-beverage-appliances/ABR241GLH.html?source=msn-pa_ABR241SGLH!c53672146!a4729119540!kavalon%20beverage%20center%20images!me!dc!no&source=msn_!c53672146!a4729119540!kavalon%20beverage%20center%20images!me!dc!no!f&cvosrc=pla.bing.ABR241SGLH&cvosrc=ppc.bing.avalon%20beverage%20center%20images&cvo_cid=53672146&cvo_cid=53672146&cvo_crid=11479484405&cvo_crid=11479484405&cvo_adgroup=4729119540&cvo_adgroup=4729119540&matchtype=e&cvo_uniqueid=ABR241SGLH&utm_source=pla&utm_source=ppc&utm_medium=bing&utm_medium=bing&utm_term=ABR241SGLH&utm_term=avalon%20beverage%20center%20images&gclid=385e4fc6103f1bea9da01068f74b4582&gclsrc=3p.ds&k_clickid=_kenshoo_clickid_&msclkid=385e4fc6103f1bea9da01068f74b4582)
When the big fridge broke, we made do with the little fridge and ice filled water bottles in the big fridge for items that didn't need perfect refrigeration (veggies and cans)

OMG, I LOVE the refrig/freezer! Gorgeous! I am jealous! I would need a new kitchen to fit that! My next life...
It's not mustachian, but yes, it required a new kitchen to fit it.  Appliances are cheaper than cabinets....hence we have two dishwashers as well. LOL.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on November 13, 2020, 02:28:47 PM
Here we go again, grocery shopping the day after big statewide COVID press conferences. Aldi wasn't too poorly stocked this afternoon, but they were definitely running low on some things and are probably sold out of paper towels by now. The store wasn't as chaotic as it was on March 13 (the day after the statewide school shutdown announcement), but it was way more crowded than it was two weeks ago.

I grabbed canned pumpkin and fresh cranberries so I can at least make some proper Thanksgiving food in case those sell out.

We live in the same corner of the world. I feel like panic shopping in NW OH and SE MI is like a badge of honor? I was blown away the first time we had a snowstorm. The pandemic has topped that and then some. All my friends are sending me pictures of empty shelves. And I'm sort of like, how did y'all run out of TP since the last round of stocking up?!

We have been using Kroger pick up since March and I'm pretty pleased with. We did stop buying our meat there because it was too hit or miss with curbside. We've been buying meat from a local butcher with curbside pick up and that has worked nicely.

Good idea to buy the thanksgiving stuff though!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on November 13, 2020, 04:01:21 PM
Our pantry and closets are so stuffed that I'd feel bad stocking up more...if I do, I totally will have to hide it from my husband, ha!  He just reorganized everything...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 13, 2020, 04:16:52 PM
We bought 30lbs of TVP because why not
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on November 13, 2020, 04:19:04 PM
What's TVP?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 13, 2020, 04:28:04 PM
Textured vegetable protein
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 13, 2020, 04:57:04 PM
Our pantry and closets are so stuffed that I'd feel bad stocking up more...if I do, I totally will have to hide it from my husband, ha!  He just reorganized everything...

I have stocked up to the moon and have got to stop. I think I am part squirrel gathering nuts for the harsh winter to come!

MudPuppy how do you use your TVP? I bought some a long time ago and never used it and then threw it out. I know it has the texture of ground meat. Do you put it into anything that calls for ground hamburger meat?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 13, 2020, 05:02:38 PM
I bought some ground beef type and some grilled chicken slices type.

The ground beef type I use in shepherds pie, chili, Bulgogi wraps, tacos, added to spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes, stuffed cabbage rolls, cheeseburger macaroni...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on November 14, 2020, 06:36:29 AM
I’ve never tried cooking with TVP, but you all have piqued my interest. It would be nice to cut back further on the amount of ground meat I several favorite dishes, and husband is increasingly willing to reduce meat or go meatless for some meals (last night, we got take-out from the local vegan burger joint at his request).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 14, 2020, 06:40:07 AM
I use mine in a similar way. The trick is to adjust your recipes to add the umami that meat would normally contribute. My mom will use 3/4 TVP and 1/4 ground beef in recipes to ensure that it still has a "beefy" flavour. I just add spices.

I'm not sure what the recommended shelf life is for TVP, but I'm sure that I've used 10 year old TVP that I had left in my mom's cupboard before moving out, and it was as perfectly good.


I am also not really vegetarian, so I add a bit of better than bouillon to it when I rehydrate.  Shelf life on an unopened container is 20 years if I recall correctly. Long shelf life is why I bought it. I don’t have a place for a deep freeze, but I do have underbed storage in the guest room.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: coppertop on November 14, 2020, 08:38:38 AM
Where did you all buy your TVP?  Local stores don't carry it any more, and I did order 1/2 lb. on Amazon but believe I paid too much for it. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 14, 2020, 08:50:51 AM
Here is some https://hoosierhillfarm.com/hoosier-hill-farm-textured-vegetable-protein-tvp-Bulk-Size-25lbs..html
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 14, 2020, 08:53:47 AM
My new freezer arrived about half an hour ago! It is so nice! 15.5 CF! Tomorrow I will get my 49 cent per lb. turkeys and stow them away in the new freezer! YIPPIE!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on November 14, 2020, 09:55:19 AM
My new freezer arrived about half an hour ago! It is so nice! 15.5 CF! Tomorrow I will get my 49 cent per lb. turkeys and stow them away in the new freezer! YIPPIE!

You probably got the last one on the planet!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 14, 2020, 10:46:59 AM
I got it thru PC Richards. It is a Frigidaire and it seems to be a popular model at many stores but I did have a hard time finding it in my area. Sears wanted $75 to deliver and PC Richards delivered for free and in two days time! Was a perfect purchase. They called several times to let me know delivery window. The deliver guy called twice this morning to give me a heads up on delivery time. One of the best purchasing experiences in a long, long time! Price was right, painless shopping and quick delivery.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 14, 2020, 11:34:32 AM
I hope I'm not making a mistake, but I'm resisting stocking up like I did in March. I topped up are meat, rice, and paper towels (and mostly I use paper towels for patting dry meat), but I'm not buying canned goods or other dry staples. I'd like to add more chicken breast and a nice roast for Christmas, but right now I don't have room. Also, the pandemic has taught me how little canned food my family will tolerate. Canned tomatoes are fine (but I can't base meals on the because I'm allergic to tomatoes). Canned beans get a pass in chili or salads, but not by themselves (I already knew this one). Canned pineapple and peaches are fine, as is jarred applesauce. They'd rather not eat vegetables if they come from a can -- even corn. Jarred salsa is fine.

We decided against taking an upright freezer in August. We also emptied our garage fridge/freezer, so all we have out there now is the 8.7 cubic foot manual defrost chest freezer. We still have the refrigerator, so I suppose we could plug it back in and use it.

I saw turkeys at the regional chain earlier this week, but it wasn't a full display like it usually would be. Last time I went to Aldi was more than a month ago (10/10) and I was surprised to see they already had turkeys and hams. We don't want a turkey or ham, so no big deal. I honestly have no idea what I'll be cooking for Thanksgiving. I'm honestly thinking maybe we'll make pizza or tacos.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Channel-Z on November 14, 2020, 06:32:26 PM
Friday morning was busier than usual, but it could also be people buying Thanksgiving-related items. The only re-hoarding I've seen is the paper goods, such as the paper towels, the toilet paper.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TartanTallulah on November 15, 2020, 12:48:31 AM
I managed to run out of coffee capsules last week. The internet obviously realised, and sent a discount code for a retailer I've used before. I also had paper "spend £X and get £Y off your bill" vouchers for a store I don't normally use that stocks good own brand coffee capsules. I now have 550 capsules. I use two a day and my husband uses one or two a week. We're sorted for a long quarantine.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on November 15, 2020, 07:13:19 AM
What is a coffee capsule?  My coffee comes from beans.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 15, 2020, 09:50:02 AM
Just got back from curbside pickup at the grocery store. Got my two turkeys and two spiral hams all on sale! Stocked up on the other usual stuff. Store parking lot at 9:20 am was getting full! Glad I got there early, then picked up a few bottles of wine and rushed home! Now, I am going to hunker down for a few weeks!

My two turkey's and one ham went into the new freezer!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 15, 2020, 10:27:18 AM
The parking lot at my neighborhood IGA was pretty full when we walked by at 8 AM, and it’s not usually.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 15, 2020, 10:32:24 AM
I would suggest that if any of you plan to get any bargain turkeys, shop early. I have a feeling people are going to wipe everything out with this virus. They may have turkeys, but you might not like the size. I got two that were about 15 lbs. each and just what I wanted. But if I had waited too long the only ones left might have been 20# ones or tiny ones.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NotJen on November 15, 2020, 10:51:51 AM
I would suggest that if any of you plan to get any bargain turkeys, shop early. I have a feeling people are going to wipe everything out with this virus. They may have turkeys, but you might not like the size. I got two that were about 15 lbs. each and just what I wanted. But if I had waited too long the only ones left might have been 20# ones or tiny ones.

I was so excited that turkeys were finally on sale again (as expected this time of year, of course).  Yesterday was my normal shopping day - at 8am all they had were 22+ lb turkeys, which was more than I wanted.  They also didn’t have any of the sale ground sirloin, or any spinach (??? what ???).  The problem with shopping so early is they aren’t always fully stocked.  I popped back in today around 9:30, and got a 15lb turkey - they had the full range of sizes (plus lots of ground beef out, and the spinach back).  Whew.

I considered getting another turkey, but I assume they’ll be on sale again in December, so I’m holding off.  I’m just 1 person, so I’m not so focused on stocking up.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 15, 2020, 11:43:50 AM
NotJen, If you shop at Costco, they have these fantastic cooked turkey breasts vacuum sealed. I bought one about a month ago and it is approaching expiration. The Hub cut it in half and we each had a slice of it and it is OMG so good. It is boneless and a nice big breast. A beautiful hunk of meat! We cut it in half, vac sealed it and will freeze the two hunks for later on. This could be a great option for you! You will find this turkey breast in by the packaged meats like (refrigerated) deli meats I think. Not in the fresh meat area.

I was super excited today too getting my bargain turkeys and ham! Now, I will be on the lookout for Prime Rib Roasts! Sometimes they are on sale for $5.99-$6.99 a lb. I usually buy 4 and then squirrel them away in the freezer. Then we have them every couple of months.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Catbert on November 15, 2020, 12:25:55 PM
What is a coffee capsule?  My coffee comes from beans.

I'm guessing for use in a Keurig or similar machine.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 15, 2020, 04:50:02 PM
Sun Hat, so sorry on your bummer grocery experience! Just keep trying. I have been stocking up little by little since March. I have a good amount of things but it took time. We are eating it and replacing as the inventory starts to deplete. They predicted it was going to be really bad this fall and sure enough, it is getting terrible. I just want to stay away from the stores as much as possible. I bring baby wipes saturated with alcohol into the stores and wipe the cart handle, open the freezer doors with the wipes. Get out new wipes when I am back in my car and wipe down my hands. My dog gets groomed every six weeks and after I drop him off, I swing by an IGA store. They are very cautious and take your temp as you enter and squirt hand sanitizer into your hands. I pick up veggies and other things but it is an expensive upscale little store that caters to an upscale clientele. It comes in handy because it is close to my house but not really good to shop there all the time. Limited inventory there. It is a very small store. But, I'd rather play it safe as much as possible! Curbside works for me. I have a friend that is very picky and will not do curbside. She has to pick out her meat and fresh veggies. I am not that fussy. If I get something that is nasty, I will call the store and complain and they will return my money. Most stuff is packaged in plastic bags so, not seeing the problem letting someone shop for me! Wish, when I worked, curbside was available to me! It would have been so wonderful to have an extra hour every week not to shop!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 15, 2020, 05:58:54 PM
Reading what others are writing in this thread, and also checking with the media in terms of Covid cases rising, I'm pretty sure I've decided to plug the garage refrigerator back in. I think we need to go back to the March/April/May strategy of shopping less frequently. I want to have room for the things that last longer, like eggs, carrots, ultra pasteurized milk, etc. I also plan to order 40# of grass-fed ground beef in early December, and don't have freezer space for it currently.

I did a small Aldi order this morning so I could order yogurt for an upset tummy. DH has been wanting sparkling water, so I ordered two packs of their canned plain sparkling water, and my shopper could only find one available. I wonder if it has to do with the aluminum can shortage.

I do prefer to pick out my produce because I'm fussy about it, but I'm making do with what's chosen for me. I just make sure to prep as much of it as I can the day I get it, so I can be aware of soft spots, etc. I also include notes so the shopper knows I want them to check for freshness. It doesn't always work, but it's worth a try.

I think it was here in the MMM forums where I saw the suggestion last year to buy the Kirkland turkey breast for Thanksgiving. It was really good (for turkey). I'm pretty sure we're going to shake things up this year, however. For us, it's not going to feel like Thanksgiving in the same way, so why serve the same foods? I'm leaning heavily toward making pizza.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 16, 2020, 02:45:53 AM
K_in_the_Kitchen, I think you are wise in everything you said. Less trips to the store is my goal. Less exposure to crowds. In reality, there doesn't even have to be crowds. Just one Covid virus hanging around on handles, grocery carts can infect you.
Pizza sounds really good to me for any occasion! Just last week I made a home made dough and made my own pizza. It was a pesto, chicken pizza with mozzarella. I plan to make more pizza's and some calzones.

When I do curbside, there is no way to put in any comments on anything. You choose an item, quantity and that is it. I wish there was, but I am sure it would be too time consuming for them.

Where do you get 40 lbs. of ground meat?

My friend lives in MI and she tells me the stores are limiting things again, here in the north east I am hearing the same.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NotJen on November 16, 2020, 07:51:04 AM
Rancho Gordo finally has more beans in stock this morning (they got wiped out of many varieties early in the pandemic), so I've got 9lbs on the way (to get free shipping).  These beans are so good, I don't mind hoarding them, and potentially having to move with some in tow next year.

NotJen, If you shop at Costco, they have these fantastic cooked turkey breasts vacuum sealed.

I think I prefer the whole turkey - I like having a carcass to make stock out of, and plenty of meat to stick in the freezer for various recipes.  Plus my gravy was quite successful last time (and I'm not a gravy person).  I want to cook it up soon, but I'm going to wait to see how Thanksgiving pans out, in case I'm home (current plans are to visit BF's parents, a 5hr drive away, but I'm kind of hoping he changes his mind).


I've also never been in a Costco. (https://cdn-0.emojis.wiki/emoji-pics-lf/apple/face-with-open-mouth-apple.png)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 16, 2020, 10:05:57 AM
K_in_the_Kitchen, I think you are wise in everything you said. Less trips to the store is my goal. Less exposure to crowds. In reality, there doesn't even have to be crowds. Just one Covid virus hanging around on handles, grocery carts can infect you.
Pizza sounds really good to me for any occasion! Just last week I made a home made dough and made my own pizza. It was a pesto, chicken pizza with mozzarella. I plan to make more pizza's and some calzones.

When I do curbside, there is no way to put in any comments on anything. You choose an item, quantity and that is it. I wish there was, but I am sure it would be too time consuming for them.

Where do you get 40 lbs. of ground meat?

My friend lives in MI and she tells me the stores are limiting things again, here in the north east I am hearing the same.

You are so right that the risk is there even if the crowds aren't! Around here unfortunately, the crowds are usually there, making it even riskier. I know we're fighting pandemic fatigue, along with a fair amount of innumeracy. I've heard more than one person say that they didn't get the virus when they shopped in the spring and that it's just as safe as it was then. But of course, with a much higher infection rate, the number of potentially infected people at any place is now higher.

Pesto chicken pizza sounds delicious! Since I'm allergic to tomatoes and to nuts I can't have basic red sauce or pesto (unless I make it nut and seed free), I make a pizza sauce for myself using kalamata olives and olive oil. I usually keep it simple and top it with mozzarella and veggies. I also like to use olive oil as a base for a pizza topped with thinly sliced potatoes along with some prosciutto.

Well, DH has expressed a preference to not have pizza. He suggested steak.

I do curbside with Sprouts. They use Instacart as their platform, but if I go through the Sprouts website it's better for me. Instacart allows the comments/notes. The downside to going through the Sprouts website is not having direct contact with the shopper. Some notes make sense, like if you want greenish-yellow bananas, but a lot of the notes I feel like I shouldn't have to to make. I shouldn't have to tell a shopper to check for cracked eggs or to check freshness dates.

I order my grass-fed ground beef from a small family ranch several hours from my home. The price has gone up to $7.19 per pound, which is just a little higher than it was in April. Buying grass-fed beef and pasture raised pork is one of the things we prefer, even though it's much more expensive. One motivation I had for us to reach FI was to be able to buy the meat I wanted, within reason -- we don't buy grass-fed steak because it's too expensive, and we mostly stick to ground or roasts. I also watch for sales; I just bought 20 grass-fed rump roasts because they were on sale for $4.39 per pound.

I'm still trying to stay prudent in terms of my hoarding stocking up. I think we need another case of salsa, one of applesauce, and a couple of cases of canned peaches, as those are all items we've gone through at a quick pace. My boys have gone though 30+ jars of applesauce (at 46 ounces each) and at least 4 cases of peaches. I'd like more chicken breast, not because I love it but because it's cheap and easy and we can't eat beef all the time. I was also hoping Progresso lentil soup would go on sale, but I don't think they have any incentive to drop it down to 99¢ this year. My oldest takes a can of the lentil soup for lunch when he works.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 16, 2020, 10:48:45 AM
LOTS of stuff out of stock for my Giant Eagle order today, including milk and eggs.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on November 16, 2020, 10:55:40 AM
I would suggest that if any of you plan to get any bargain turkeys, shop early. I have a feeling people are going to wipe everything out with this virus. They may have turkeys, but you might not like the size. I got two that were about 15 lbs. each and just what I wanted. But if I had waited too long the only ones left might have been 20# ones or tiny ones.
I went yesterday and searched high and low for a 12 lb turkey - we don't need a 22 lb turkey, thanks.  Ended up buying the slightly more expensive butterball.  Cannot fit another turkey in our spare freezer, so that's all we've got.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on November 16, 2020, 10:58:57 AM
Yeah, we are probably going to try and go back to the less frequent shopping also...we never manage to go more than a week and a half.  Lately, I've been shopping weekly.  I go early on Sunday morning (7:30 am), and there are rarely more than 6-10 people in the store at that time.  Downside: not everything is stocked then.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on November 16, 2020, 12:16:54 PM
LOTS of stuff out of stock for my Giant Eagle order today, including milk and eggs.

The scuzzlebutt  on our town FB page yesterday was that the wait for grocery pick up exceeded three hours and folks were only getting about 40% of their orders. Michigan shut down schools (and maybe restaurants?) on Saturday night though which I think panicked our corner of Ohio.

I picked up Saturday morning and got 95% of my order and didn't have to wait at all.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FINate on November 16, 2020, 02:39:32 PM
Last month we built up a stash of TP. Nothing crazy, hopefully just about enough to get us though next summer ... that is, if the kids would stop spinning it like the Wheel of Fortune, lol.

Stocked up on a few staples as well, like bulk active dry yeast, pasta, and rice. Though part of this is just normal shopping so we're not frequently running to the store.

Also have 1/2 pasture raised pig and 1/2 grass fed beef on order, so ~300 lbs of meat for the chest freezer. Though this wasn't prompted by COVID, we've been wanting to source better meat for a while, but didn't because of our pending move. We now live in a place with great small scale local meat producers so we decided to go for it. But I'll admit, it's nice to know we'll have a freezer full of meat just in case.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on November 16, 2020, 04:14:22 PM
Did a curbside @ Kroger today no eggs, no turkey, no turkey legs, no hazelnut coffee the majority of everything else was substituted for a different item or brand.

Going to try again for a turkey, eggs and turkey legs later this week. If not I told the wife I guess we will just have thanksgiving sides and some of the rotisserie chicken thighs we put away this summer.

Guess I need to start paying better attention when we are getting low on stuff again let myself slip a bit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on November 16, 2020, 04:37:10 PM
I just realized I am out of tampons....from March. There better damn well be tampons at Costco tomorrow morning.

Rant over.

Back to other hoarding.  I had good luck at the grocery store today, but I wasn't buying meat or cleaning products.  DH is mostly plant based, so we've been doing a lot more plant-based purchases.  Every single thing I wanted on the list was there except the Cheese Whiz. 

Why Cheese Whiz? I am doing a charcuterie Xmas house tomorrow.  It will have to be habanero pineapple salsa vegan cream cheese for the glue instead.  DH will be able to eat the walls and door. LOL.  The roof of salami and cheese will be for me with Boursin snow will be for me.  Mushroom snowmen will be for him.  :-)  It's give and take in our house.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 16, 2020, 04:38:52 PM
Yeah, we are probably going to try and go back to the less frequent shopping also...we never manage to go more than a week and a half.  Lately, I've been shopping weekly.  I go early on Sunday morning (7:30 am), and there are rarely more than 6-10 people in the store at that time.  Downside: not everything is stocked then.

We managed every 2 - 3 weeks March - June, but it took a lot of planning plus the chest freezer and garage refrigerator. All we were getting was produce, milk, and eggs. Fresh produce was the hardest part in terms of spreading out the shopping.

Checking Instacart, all my stores show delivery slots available today. I had wanted to do a big Costco stockup in person, so I may try to do that tonight (less busy in evening usually), as my last in-person shop. But I might go ahead and order instead. I'd like everything in place pre-Thanksgiving because I expect a major spike after. We're going to hunker down. I know the kids aren't thrilled because they were hoping for some loosening of rules, but we just can't.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 16, 2020, 04:44:54 PM
Just did a curbside Sunday but also realized I am out of a small list of things. I also want to pick up two more turkeys and two turkey breasts for the freezer. How can I resist when the whole turkeys are 49 cents a lb.? The turkey breasts are $1.29 a lb. that is pretty good too! I have a list of other mundane things to add to the list.

I am doing another curbside pick up tomorrow! OMG! Take my car keys away from me! LOL!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on November 16, 2020, 04:59:46 PM
Yeah, we are probably going to try and go back to the less frequent shopping also...we never manage to go more than a week and a half.  Lately, I've been shopping weekly.  I go early on Sunday morning (7:30 am), and there are rarely more than 6-10 people in the store at that time.  Downside: not everything is stocked then.

We managed every 2 - 3 weeks March - June, but it took a lot of planning plus the chest freezer and garage refrigerator. All we were getting was produce, milk, and eggs. Fresh produce was the hardest part in terms of spreading out the shopping.

Checking Instacart, all my stores show delivery slots available today. I had wanted to do a big Costco stockup in person, so I may try to do that tonight (less busy in evening usually), as my last in-person shop. But I might go ahead and order instead. I'd like everything in place pre-Thanksgiving because I expect a major spike after. We're going to hunker down. I know the kids aren't thrilled because they were hoping for some loosening of rules, but we just can't.
The hardest thing for us is always milk and eggs, because we get produce delivery from 2 places each week.  I found that I'd go to the store for milk - we'd need 2 gallons for 2 weeks, but all the milk they had would expire before 2 weeks were up, and we don't have room to freeze it.  The exception is Costco.  So, I'm okay with every 10 days, TBH.

I sort of stocked up on GF pasta this weekend (6 boxes), and got some spare TP.  But 6 boxes of pasta is only 6 weeks.  So I will buy some more this weekend.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 17, 2020, 03:22:32 AM
Try these boxed milks:

https://www.boxed.com/product/4217/horizon-organic-lowfat-milk-18-x-8-oz.-plain

https://www.amazon.com/parmalat-milk/s?k=parmalat+milk

I use the Horizion milk and for us, it is really good! We don't use much milk so this comes in very handy to use in recipes, mashed potatoes. It would be good to use for cereal because the container has 8 ounces and basically no waste.

You might be able to buy fresh milk plus stretch it by using the boxed milk for cooking, cereal.

You can also buy the 32 oz size of other brands. It is shelf stable for a long time.

Check your area to see if there is a farm where you can stop by and buy their eggs. You might find a great resource and help the farmers out too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on November 17, 2020, 05:54:12 AM
I just realized I am out of tampons....from March. There better damn well be tampons at Costco tomorrow morning.

Rant over.

Back to other hoarding.  I had good luck at the grocery store today, but I wasn't buying meat or cleaning products.  DH is mostly plant based, so we've been doing a lot more plant-based purchases.  Every single thing I wanted on the list was there except the Cheese Whiz. 

Why Cheese Whiz? I am doing a charcuterie Xmas house tomorrow.  It will have to be habanero pineapple salsa vegan cream cheese for the glue instead.  DH will be able to eat the walls and door. LOL.  The roof of salami and cheese will be for me with Boursin snow will be for me.  Mushroom snowmen will be for him.  :-)  It's give and take in our house.

Not meaning to hijack a thread here, but if you're not familiar with a Diva Cup (there are lots of brands) it's a life changer. I wish I'd known about them 35 years ago.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on November 17, 2020, 06:25:43 AM
I just realized I am out of tampons....from March. There better damn well be tampons at Costco tomorrow morning.

Rant over.

Back to other hoarding.  I had good luck at the grocery store today, but I wasn't buying meat or cleaning products.  DH is mostly plant based, so we've been doing a lot more plant-based purchases.  Every single thing I wanted on the list was there except the Cheese Whiz. 

Why Cheese Whiz? I am doing a charcuterie Xmas house tomorrow.  It will have to be habanero pineapple salsa vegan cream cheese for the glue instead.  DH will be able to eat the walls and door. LOL.  The roof of salami and cheese will be for me with Boursin snow will be for me.  Mushroom snowmen will be for him.  :-)  It's give and take in our house.

Not meaning to hijack a thread here, but if you're not familiar with a Diva Cup (there are lots of brands) it's a life changer. I wish I'd known about them 35 years ago.
I can't get over the ugh factor.  I know it's the more responsible solution. It's probably also a good pandemic idea.  I'm kind of hoping this is the last box of tampons I will every need....Old age and all!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: honeybbq on November 17, 2020, 09:57:36 AM
I just bought 4 new board games (on sale) from the Amazon sale.

With us moving back to lockdown here in WA, and the crappy rainy weather, I feel like we are going to go through alllll of these quickly.

We have lots of board games already... but gotta keep the kids interested/entertained. At least it's quality family time, right?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on November 17, 2020, 10:19:35 AM
@FINate, if the kids are using too much TP, try flattening the roll before you put it into the dispenser.  It rolls less easily that way.

Case numbers are skyrocketing here, (and we're back into lockdown), so I have stocked up a bit more in my smaller town (there are empty spots on shelves again) and debating about going to Costco in the nearby big city, but getting more and more hesitant about that.  I had read not long ago that in one of their stores, there were very poor Covid compliance measures, so I don't know know that I want to take the chance.  Plus, I don't want to stand outside in a long line at -5C.  Might have to order the dog her favorite bones for delivery.  All else can be substituted.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 17, 2020, 10:23:39 AM
I think I won't actually go inside a store again until I've got my shots, so I'm extremely happy about my "hoarding".

The little neighborhood bar and grill across the street from me is closed today because the employees are in quarantine. Ask me how shocked I am...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 17, 2020, 10:49:21 AM

The hardest thing for us is always milk and eggs, because we get produce delivery from 2 places each week.  I found that I'd go to the store for milk - we'd need 2 gallons for 2 weeks, but all the milk they had would expire before 2 weeks were up, and we don't have room to freeze it.  The exception is Costco.  So, I'm okay with every 10 days, TBH.

I sort of stocked up on GF pasta this weekend (6 boxes), and got some spare TP.  But 6 boxes of pasta is only 6 weeks.  So I will buy some more this weekend.

I've found that eggs last at least a month past the sell by date -- I used to check them with floating, but since then I read that if an egg is bad we'll smell it, so with old eggs I break them one at a a time and sniff for freshness.

For milk, we started buying ultra pasteurized milk during the pandemic. I was freezing a gallon of pasteurized milk here and there, but it takes up so much space. I have room in the garage fridge for enough pasteurized milk to last a month, about 3 gallons stored as 6 ultra pasteurized half gallons.

Thanks for mentioning the pasta! We could use more of the Tinkyada/Pasta Joy white rice spaghetti. The health food store that carries it is rarely busy, as well. But there are no online or curbside orders. Still, it should be safe to do a quick stop in for the rice spaghetti and bacon. We'd given up bacon, but started eating liver regularly and bacon makes it so much better.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FINate on November 17, 2020, 11:00:05 AM
@FINate, if the kids are using too much TP, try flattening the roll before you put it into the dispenser.  It rolls less easily that way.

Good idea. Thanks!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on November 17, 2020, 11:00:57 AM

The hardest thing for us is always milk and eggs, because we get produce delivery from 2 places each week.  I found that I'd go to the store for milk - we'd need 2 gallons for 2 weeks, but all the milk they had would expire before 2 weeks were up, and we don't have room to freeze it.  The exception is Costco.  So, I'm okay with every 10 days, TBH.

I sort of stocked up on GF pasta this weekend (6 boxes), and got some spare TP.  But 6 boxes of pasta is only 6 weeks.  So I will buy some more this weekend.

I've found that eggs last at least a month past the sell by date -- I used to check them with floating, but since then I read that if an egg is bad we'll smell it, so with old eggs I break them one at a a time and sniff for freshness.

You clearly have never smelled a rotten egg before!  Trust me, the floating method is better. Rotten eggs have a disgusting smell and it will linger for a long, long time.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 17, 2020, 11:36:02 AM
Yeah, you won’t have to sniff to see if an egg is bad. LOL

I haven’t had a bad egg in years and years though.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on November 17, 2020, 12:43:12 PM
It's more that we go through so many eggs, it's hard to be able to fit them in the fridge.  For the amount of produce in our fridge each week...we just are space limited.  I could go back to eating oatmeal, but I'm not the biggest egg eater.  I eat one a day.  I found myself counting them this morning...if the kids don't eat eggs, we'll make it until Sunday.  For awhile, I'd added eggs to my weekly Thursday produce box (local farmer's eggs).  But then after COVID, so many people added them to their weekly subscription that they were permanently sold out.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 17, 2020, 12:56:28 PM
Just did another curbside pick up today. Got two more bargain turkeys and 5 chuck roasts on sale. Using one chuck roast for dinner tonight and next week a turkey. I am turkied out now. They do take up a ton of room in the freezer. But I will have turkeys every 3-4 months to use up this stash and next year start over again when Thanksgiving rolls around again. I always use the Reynolds turkey cooking bags and have perfect results every time.

Parking lots were pretty full and I went out around 9:30 am. It is a Tuesday! Where did all those people come from? Are people stocking up for the pandemic or for Thanksgiving?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on November 17, 2020, 01:08:15 PM
It's more that we go through so many eggs, it's hard to be able to fit them in the fridge.  For the amount of produce in our fridge each week...we just are space limited.  I could go back to eating oatmeal, but I'm not the biggest egg eater.  I eat one a day.  I found myself counting them this morning...if the kids don't eat eggs, we'll make it until Sunday.  For awhile, I'd added eggs to my weekly Thursday produce box (local farmer's eggs).  But then after COVID, so many people added them to their weekly subscription that they were permanently sold out.

You don't have to keep eggs in the fridge. They will just last longer if you do, but it seems that's not the issue. You could put half of the eggs you buy in the fridge and keep the ones you're going to eat first in the cupboard.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on November 17, 2020, 01:12:10 PM
Just did another curbside pick up today. Got two more bargain turkeys and 5 chuck roasts on sale. Using one chuck roast for dinner tonight and next week a turkey. I am turkied out now. They do take up a ton of room in the freezer. But I will have turkeys every 3-4 months to use up this stash and next year start over again when Thanksgiving rolls around again. I always use the Reynolds turkey cooking bags and have perfect results every time.

Parking lots were pretty full and I went out around 9:30 am. It is a Tuesday! Where did all those people come from? Are people stocking up for the pandemic or for Thanksgiving?

Both. My grocery shopping time is Friday morning and now I'm hoping I can get a turkey at all.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jrhampt on November 17, 2020, 01:12:40 PM
You do actually have to refrigerate eggs in the US, I believe.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on November 17, 2020, 01:45:14 PM
You do actually have to refrigerate eggs in the US, I believe.

Huh, what makes American eggs different than other eggs? Maybe there are laws that demand eggs are refrigerated while in transport / in the shop? (That's not the case in my country BTW). But you don't have other chickens than we do, right?

Source: grew up on a farm. Any given moment we had at least 100 eggs on the shelf (in the coolest place in the house). We wrote the laying date on the egg. In my country the legal expery date for uncooled eggs is 28 days after laying. If you cool them, they last longer. During hot summers they don't last that long.

I usually put eggs in the fridge because it's a convenient place but whenever the fridge is full it's the first thing I take out.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on November 17, 2020, 01:56:54 PM
You do actually have to refrigerate eggs in the US, I believe.

Huh, what makes American eggs different than other eggs? Maybe there are laws that demand eggs are refrigerated while in transport / in the shop? (That's not the case in my country BTW). But you don't have other chickens than we do, right?

Source: grew up on a farm. Any given moment we had at least 100 eggs on the shelf (in the coolest place in the house). We wrote the laying date on the egg. In my country the legal expery date for uncooled eggs is 28 days after laying. If you cool them, they last longer. During hot summers they don't last that long.

I usually put eggs in the fridge because it's a convenient place but whenever the fridge is full it's the first thing I take out.

They actually are different.

Eggs in the US and Canada are washed with chemicals to prevent salmonella . . . but this washing leaves the egg shell somewhat pourous which allows bacteria to enter the egg if any touches the shell after teh washing.  Other countries don't do this, so it's more difficult for bacteria to enter the egg but they have a marginally higher chance of having salmonella on the outside of the egg.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: ChickenStash on November 17, 2020, 02:00:54 PM
You do actually have to refrigerate eggs in the US, I believe.

Huh, what makes American eggs different than other eggs? Maybe there are laws that demand eggs are refrigerated while in transport / in the shop? (That's not the case in my country BTW). But you don't have other chickens than we do, right?

Source: grew up on a farm. Any given moment we had at least 100 eggs on the shelf (in the coolest place in the house). We wrote the laying date on the egg. In my country the legal expery date for uncooled eggs is 28 days after laying. If you cool them, they last longer. During hot summers they don't last that long.

I usually put eggs in the fridge because it's a convenient place but whenever the fridge is full it's the first thing I take out.

https://www.businessinsider.com/why-europeans-dont-refrigerate-their-eggs-2018-4

Short answer: Different processing methods. In the US, chickens are not required to be vaccinated for salmonella so they wash the eggs, instead, which removes the cuticle that would prevent nasties from growing at room temp. Europeans tend to vaccinate for salmonella and leave the cuticle on to prevent room temp bacterial growths. The cuticle, though, causes issues when refrigerating with condensation so it isn't recommended.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on November 17, 2020, 03:17:41 PM
This is very good to know @ChickenStash and @GuitarStv . I had no idea. Yes, chickens are generally vaccinated against salmonella in the EU. It's been standard practice for as long as I can remember. And I'm pretty sure washing eggs with anything is not legal because it makes the egg porous.

So, don't put American eggs outside of the fridge!!!  Unless they come from your own or your neighbour's backyard.

Getting salmonella from eggs is extremely rare though. And I say this as someone who was hospitalized with a salmonella infection for a week after my idiot ex cut chicken and salad on the same cutting board - I take salmonella very seriously. But salmonella is only present on less than 0,5% of eggs here and you can only get a salmonella infection from an egg when the bacteria is transferred from the outside of the egg to the egg itself, and then the egg is eaten raw. If you want to be on the safe side, put raw eggs in 60C water for a few minutes to kill off salmonella. The egg itself will still be raw.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 17, 2020, 05:14:30 PM
You clearly have never smelled a rotten egg before!  Trust me, the floating method is better. Rotten eggs have a disgusting smell and it will linger for a long, long time.

Actually, I have.  The reason I do it this way is because sometimes eggs float and are still good.  Indeed, I've never had a month old floating egg actually be rotten. Or one a month past the sell by date, which may have been in my house for 6 - 8 weeks.  Honestly, I don't bother to test them for "floatiness" until they're at least a month past the sell by date. Not that eggs are usually in the house that long, but when Aldi puts them on sale at 49¢ a dozen (pre-pandemic, of course) I take the whole family with me and we each buy the limit (usually 4 dozen).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 17, 2020, 05:42:30 PM
Eldest and I went to Costco this afternoon.  The parking lot was crazy, but it wasn't terrible inside.  We're surmising that most people aren't bringing an entire group of people with them.  There wasn't a line to get in, but the person checking memberships cards was using a clicker to keep track of occupancy.

We grabbed two carts and did a stock up.  We got 2 bags of dog food even though we have 1 unopened bag already.  I'm hoping with the much cooler temperatures the big dog won't get fussy about old food.  We bought 2 jugs of All Free and Clear because it's what we use and it was on sale (limit was 2).  We bought some veggies for the week, but they were out of both the organic and artisan bags of romaine.  They were out of baking potatoes (I didn't need them).  No eggplant.  Broccoli looked terrible.  Other than buying pears, we avoided the fruit area since we didn't need any.  We bought two packages of the b/s chicken breasts, two bags of frozen grass-fed beef patties, a bag of frozen wild salmon filets, and canned tuna.  Bought 10 dozen eggs, 3 gallons of almond milk (in the half gallon cartons), 3 gallons of ultra pasteurized whole milk (again, in the half gallon cartons).  We bought salted butter, and unsalted butter to make ghee.  6 containers of Chobani yogurt because it was on sale for $2.99.  Also got olive oil, ketchup, honey, coffee, salt, vanilla extract (price keeps dropping), kalamata olives, corn tortillas, tortilla chips, a jug of Dawn, and deodorant for the men.

At the door Costco indicated they were out of toilet tissue and paper towels, disinfecting wipes, vinegar (which I wanted because we clean the coffee maker with it), bleach, masks, sanitizer, and a few other things.  They were low on stock of chicken, but that may have been in part because they had a case devoted to turkeys.  I only saw organic turkeys, not regular.  From a distance, the beef and pork area looked well stocked, but I don't know if they had all cuts.  Bakery area looked full of all sorts of breads and desserts.

I don't think of it as hoarding, but I do now have 5 unopened jugs of laundry detergent, and 4 of Dawn.

Tomorrow I'm going to the regional grocery chain for two standing rib roasts (Thanksgiving and Christmas -- my pizza idea was rejected), and then that's it, we're planning to stay out of the stores until we're vaccinated.  We'll use Instacart for pickup at Sprouts, and Instacart for delivery from other stores.  I want to go to Aldi to stock up on a few things, but we'll probably place that as an order since the markup at Aldi is low.  Aldi is the one store during this pandemic where I've consistently seen poor Covid measure compliance.  They stopped disinfecting carts early on and rarely have wipes to do it yourself, they don't enforce wearing masks, and they continue to give you the cart handled by the previous customer without disinfecting it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 17, 2020, 07:07:02 PM
I have a minimum spend for welcome reward bonus on a new card. I think I might stuck up on shelf stable items to do so. Accepting all ideas, if you have them!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 17, 2020, 07:48:54 PM
I have a minimum spend for welcome reward bonus on a new cx. I think I might stuck up on shelf stable items to do so. Accepting all ideas, if you have them!

What kinds of foods do you eat?  I learned from the first round of lockdowns that a) shortages never got so desperate that I couldn't get produce, eggs, and milk (although I had to pay more), and b) my family really dislikes canned vegetables.  So this time around I haven't bought any canned vegetables at all.  I bought a lot of sugar when it was hard to get, then found we used almost none of it.  Now that it's cold my son will oatmeal and thus use more brown sugar, but I donated the powdered sugar figuring maybe a family could use it for holiday baking.  I bought far too many old fashioned oats and donated those to the food bank months ago.

The shelf stable items I plan to stock up/already stocked up on this time around are peanut butter, salsa, applesauce, canned peaches, rice, pinto beans, olive oil, honey, coffee, tuna, Honest Earth mashed potatoes, and salt.  I may end up needing quick oats but my son says he has about 75% of a 5 gallon bucket left.  I'd like to stock up on Progresso lentil soup for my son if I can find a good price.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 17, 2020, 08:00:16 PM
Is anyone thinking ahead to holiday shortages?  Today at Costco I bought the big tin of Walker's shortbread for us to have during the 12 days of Christmas, and a bag of caramels for stockings (I have so many food allergies I jump when I find something I can have).

I'd already been thinking I should buy stocking candy now, and any ingredients needed for fudge.  We keep our holiday treats simple -- frosted cut out sugar cookies for Christmas Eve night and Christmas Day, gluten free vegan pumpkin pie for my sons, homemade fantasy fudge, stocking candy (just a few things), candy canes from a local candy maker, the shortbread cookies to have with tea or cocoa throughout the 12 days, and a King's cake on Epiphany (Rosca de Reyes).

For Christmas supper, I'll be buying a standing rib roast this week and freezing it.  If I can get fresh rosemary I will -- maybe I can just get a plant and keep it alive until I need it.  I already have pumpkin and the gluten free pie crusts.  I need marshmallow fluff for the fudge, but have the evaporated milk.  I have everything for the cookies.

I definitely need to get the stocking candy, and soon.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 18, 2020, 02:26:35 AM
K_in_the_kitchen, How much per lb. are you seeing the rib roasts costing? I have not seen any advertised yet. I did a curbside but then popped into another store for about 10 minutes but did not see any rib roasts displayed.

Over the last few months, as far as shelf stable things, I stocked up on various pasta's and jarred sauces. I had multiple jars break when I ordered them from Walmart or Target and had a major disaster thru Amazon. So, now that I do curb service, I will order 6 or 8 jars at a time and no breakage. Glass jars are totally bad news when ordering on line. I do not get why they don't take any caution on packing glass jars safely. I have had a box full of jars with little padding. The jars all smash into each other and half of them break. I have also ordered canned things and that is pretty much a horror show too. The cans are packed the same way and smash into each other. Then I get ugly dented cans that look like they were dug out of a bombed out grocery store.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: rantk81 on November 18, 2020, 06:38:27 AM
I'm soooo over this pandemic shopping "experience".

I ordered TP a couple days ago... now I get a notification that it is "back ordered" with a mid December estimated delivery date.  Paper towels are out of stock.  I haven't been able to buy lysol concentrate since January.  I usually buy one bottle of rubbing alcohol about once every 5 years, for minor cleaning of electronics.  Haven't been able to get that either.

who would have thought that a respiratory virus would cause people to have to shit their brains out repeatedly, to the tune of needing to clear the stores of toilet paper for an entire year.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 18, 2020, 06:44:19 AM
We eat meat quite lightly, and rarely eat pastas or regular bread. I already buy our rice, beans, oats in bulk. I recently bought a triple amount of TVP than we usually buy. I guess all that leaves is canned fruits, canned tomato products, spices/condiments, shelf stable milk, maybe some extra raisins.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Tigerpine on November 18, 2020, 07:39:49 AM
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/reviewedcom/2020/11/17/where-buy-toilet-paper-still-stock-amazon-walmart-and-more/6329228002/

Apparently the great TP run of 2020 has begun again in places.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 18, 2020, 07:40:56 AM
I'm soooo over this pandemic shopping "experience".

I ordered TP a couple days ago... now I get a notification that it is "back ordered" with a mid December estimated delivery date.  Paper towels are out of stock.  I haven't been able to buy lysol concentrate since January.  I usually buy one bottle of rubbing alcohol about once every 5 years, for minor cleaning of electronics.  Haven't been able to get that either.

who would have thought that a respiratory virus would cause people to have to shit their brains out repeatedly, to the tune of needing to clear the stores of toilet paper for an entire year.

You made me laugh but none of this is funny! I went to the Walmart website and see only one brand that they will ship. All the others you have to do a pick up. I also checked Costco and toilet paper has limited choices and none of their brand of paper towels. Here we go again!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 18, 2020, 08:43:47 AM
I think people had gotten back to buying tp in smaller quantities and now the are stocking up because who wants to go into the stores for the next weeks/months. Not me, for sure.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Khaetra on November 18, 2020, 09:04:04 AM
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/reviewedcom/2020/11/17/where-buy-toilet-paper-still-stock-amazon-walmart-and-more/6329228002/

Apparently the great TP run of 2020 has begun again in places.

I had to make a run to Walmart and the entire aisle of paper products was bare.  No tp/paper towels/kleenex/napkins.  I didn't make it to the cleaning supplies but the shelf that usually has bleach was empty as well.  I have plenty of everything (I restocked early) but it does seem we're in for more shortages.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on November 18, 2020, 09:40:53 AM
@K_in_the_kitchen, you make me want to weep with your egg prices.  Here in Canada, I pay 3.29 for a dozen/8.50 for 30, and they are never on sale.  I'm curious what your Costco vanilla costs.  The last time I looked here, a few months ago, it was 30 some dollars for whatever the size was, maybe 1/2 litre.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 18, 2020, 09:58:36 AM
I just bought 2 dozen jumbo eggs and they were $1.69 a dozen. A few week earlier, I bought 3 dozen Jumbo eggs at another store and they were $1.79 a dozen. The expiration dates vary on all the cartons so I will use the ones to expire earliest first and so on. Some are good till January. There are all different prices of eggs in the stores depending on name brands. These are regular grocery stores, not big box stores.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 18, 2020, 10:05:51 AM
@K_in_the_kitchen, you make me want to weep with your egg prices.  Here in Canada, I pay 3.29 for a dozen/8.50 for 30, and they are never on sale.  I'm curious what your Costco vanilla costs.  The last time I looked here, a few months ago, it was 30 some dollars for whatever the size was, maybe 1/2 litre.

That looks pretty typical for Ontario egg prices too (not sure where in Canada you are).  Sometimes eggs are on sale, it is almost always the store brand. And almost never extra large or double yolk.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 18, 2020, 10:19:18 AM
K_in_the_kitchen, How much per lb. are you seeing the rib roasts costing? I have not seen any advertised yet. I did a curbside but then popped into another store for about 10 minutes but did not see any rib roasts displayed.

Over the last few months, as far as shelf stable things, I stocked up on various pasta's and jarred sauces. I had multiple jars break when I ordered them from Walmart or Target and had a major disaster thru Amazon. So, now that I do curb service, I will order 6 or 8 jars at a time and no breakage. Glass jars are totally bad news when ordering on line. I do not get why they don't take any caution on packing glass jars safely. I have had a box full of jars with little padding. The jars all smash into each other and half of them break. I have also ordered canned things and that is pretty much a horror show too. The cans are packed the same way and smash into each other. Then I get ugly dented cans that look like they were dug out of a bombed out grocery store.

They went on sale today for $4.99 per pound for choice grade.  I'v never bought one before, but my dad says it's the lowest price I'm likely to see.  He's been making one each Christmas for the past 13 years (before that it was turkey and we all prefer the switch to the beef roast).

I've had the same experience ordering food in jars and cans online.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 18, 2020, 10:28:24 AM
@K_in_the_kitchen, you make me want to weep with your egg prices.  Here in Canada, I pay 3.29 for a dozen/8.50 for 30, and they are never on sale.  I'm curious what your Costco vanilla costs.  The last time I looked here, a few months ago, it was 30 some dollars for whatever the size was, maybe 1/2 litre.

For the 10 dozen eggs at Costco I paid $1.68 USD per dozen.  I haven't seen 49¢ per dozen eggs since 2018, I think, although last year Aldi had eggs at 59¢ per dozen a couple of times.

The vanilla extract was $21.99 USD for 16 ounces.  A year ago it was $34.99, then we saw it drop to $29.99, and then $24.99 this summer.  I was telling my son that it was $6.99 and $8.99 5- 6 years ago.  In 2012 I paid $22.42 for half a pound of Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans.  Current price on those is $167, but a year ago it was over $200 for 1/4 pound.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 18, 2020, 10:59:16 AM
K_in_the_kitchen, How much per lb. are you seeing the rib roasts costing? I have not seen any advertised yet. I did a curbside but then popped into another store for about 10 minutes but did not see any rib roasts displayed.

Over the last few months, as far as shelf stable things, I stocked up on various pasta's and jarred sauces. I had multiple jars break when I ordered them from Walmart or Target and had a major disaster thru Amazon. So, now that I do curb service, I will order 6 or 8 jars at a time and no breakage. Glass jars are totally bad news when ordering on line. I do not get why they don't take any caution on packing glass jars safely. I have had a box full of jars with little padding. The jars all smash into each other and half of them break. I have also ordered canned things and that is pretty much a horror show too. The cans are packed the same way and smash into each other. Then I get ugly dented cans that look like they were dug out of a bombed out grocery store.

They went on sale today for $4.99 per pound for choice grade.  I'v never bought one before, but my dad says it's the lowest price I'm likely to see.  He's been making one each Christmas for the past 13 years (before that it was turkey and we all prefer the switch to the beef roast).

I've had the same experience ordering food in jars and cans online.

Yes, $4.99 is the lowest price and is fantastic! You should pick up a few for the freezer! I am hoping for $5.99 or $6.99 a lb. If I find $4.99 I will do cartwheels!

Here is the recipe I use and it is a fool proof recipe every time and no matter what size roast I have it seems to work the same. I don't use the seasoning in the recipe. My Hub mixes up a coffee rub, lots of garlic and ties fresh rosemary to it. The cooking method is awesome!

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a18012/paula-deens-famous-foolproof-rib-roast-recipe/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Catbert on November 18, 2020, 11:52:02 AM
Costco trip this morning.  This particular Costco recently started opening at 9:00 rather than 10:00 (not just for seniors).  I think people haven't figured this out so...no line to get in.  Easy parking.  Store not toocrowded.  Short line at checkout.  I didn't need any TP, papertowels or wipes so I don't know if they were in stock.  I was able to get yeast which I haven't seen there since the start of the pandemic. 

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Queen Frugal on November 18, 2020, 12:19:02 PM
I did my grocery shopping today and the store seemed completely normal. Plenty of turkeys. Plenty of toilet paper. Plenty of everything. Our local hospital was featured in the paper today and they are planning on a 500% increase in hospitalizations between now and 12/1 - and they are already at 80% capacity. Cases are skyrocketing. But panic buying is not happening so far.

Since moving into a house with more storage space, and since living through the first round of panic buying, I settled on stocking up on 3 months worth of nonperishable staples that I normally use. I'm set if things get nasty - for 3 months anyway. Meanwhile, I'm planning on decreasing my weekly shopping trip to bi-weekly shopping until it feels safer. I'll miss out on some fresh fruits and veggies but I figure in the short run it's better for my health than catching COVID.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on November 18, 2020, 12:37:12 PM
Might not even miss too much! When I’m doing biweekly, I eat the quick spoil things like lettuce and banana the first week and plan for things like carrots, cabbage, apples, spaghetti squash that last longer the second week.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 18, 2020, 12:56:42 PM
Carrots and cabbage seem a wise investment. I just found a cabbage steak recipe that you roast in the oven and brush it with olive oil salt, pepper, garlic. Roast in 400F oven for 20 minutes then turn and cook for another 20 minutes. I also made a nice chopped cabbage, onion, tomato casserole type thing cooked in a skillet and served with parmesan cheese. Another recipe with maple carrots roasted in the oven. Toss the cut carrot sticks in olive oil, salt, maple syrup, cayenne pepper. Roast in oven 400F around 20 minutes. Carrots and cabbage last a long time in the fridge as MudPuppy said. Good idea on eating fragile veggies first then eat the hardier veggies 2nd week.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 18, 2020, 01:03:13 PM

Yes, $4.99 is the lowest price and is fantastic! You should pick up a few for the freezer! I am hoping for $5.99 or $6.99 a lb. If I find $4.99 I will do cartwheels!

Here is the recipe I use and it is a fool proof recipe every time and no matter what size roast I have it seems to work the same. I don't use the seasoning in the recipe. My Hub mixes up a coffee rub, lots of garlic and ties fresh rosemary to it. The cooking method is awesome!

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a18012/paula-deens-famous-foolproof-rib-roast-recipe/

Thanks for the recipe/cooking directions!  They look similar to what my dad gave me.

I was able to get 4 roasts in the 6 - 9# range.  Limit was supposed to be 25#, but I know from experience they are more about the spirit of the guidelines than any absolute rule.  If I'd tried to buy 8 5# roasts, they might have said something.  I think I ended up with 28# total.

I also bought 3 pork butt roasts because they were 99¢/#, which is the lowest I've seen in more than a year.  Sometimes we buy pastured pork, but in pandemic times I take what I can get, when I can get it (except for ground beef).  Once everything is in the freezer I'll see how much room I have left -- I may have to wait to make the ground beef order.

As for the store, they were stocked on most things except toiler paper, paper towels, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, and Lysol.  What small amount of toilet paper and paper towels they had were limited to one per person.  They did have bleach.  I looked at the turkeys and didn't see anything smaller than 19#.  I bought the last on sale package of tri-tip -- I only wanted one for today.  It's a small one but fine for us.  They did have b/s chicken breast for 99¢/#, which again is the lowest I've seen in more than a year, but I didn't buy any because I don't think I have room -- I have about 30# out in the freezer.  But I'll reconsider once I have the roasts frozen, because we can eat chicken just as easily as we can eat beef.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 18, 2020, 01:06:02 PM
Carrots and cabbage seem a wise investment. I just found a cabbage steak recipe that you roast in the oven and brush it with olive oil salt, pepper, garlic. Roast in 400F oven for 20 minutes then turn and cook for another 20 minutes. I also made a nice chopped cabbage, onion, tomato casserole type thing cooked in a skillet and served with parmesan cheese. Another recipe with maple carrots roasted in the oven. Toss the cut carrot sticks in olive oil, salt, maple syrup, cayenne pepper. Roast in oven 400F around 20 minutes. Carrots and cabbage last a long time in the fridge as MudPuppy said. Good idea on eating fragile veggies first then eat the hardier veggies 2nd week.

The cabbage steak sounds yummy!

I also find that cabbage and carrots last a long time, and even broccoli does, especially if I prep it first and store it with paper towels to absorb any lingering moisture.  If we find really fresh romaine hearts they can last two weeks as well.  Overall most of my produce lasts longer if I prep it and store it well.  I also buy some produce purposely underripe, like pears and avocados, so they are good the second week.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 18, 2020, 01:22:02 PM
K_in_the_kitchen, what part of the country are you in? I am on the east coast. I just looked at the store flyer for one store that is effective tomorrow and I see Rib Roasts at $7.99 a lb. There are a few more stores in my area and sales start tomorrow. I will have to see what their prices are.  You really got yourself some bargains and are very well stocked up! Good for you!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 18, 2020, 02:27:13 PM
K_in_the_kitchen, what part of the country are you in? I am on the east coast. I just looked at the store flyer for one store that is effective tomorrow and I see Rib Roasts at $7.99 a lb. There are a few more stores in my area and sales start tomorrow. I will have to see what their prices are.  You really got yourself some bargains and are very well stocked up! Good for you!

I'm on the west coast.  I was surprised by the good meat prices all around at this store, since usually they only have one really great sale item.  But they had the standing ribeye roasts, the pork butt, the b/s chicken breasts, Butterball turkeys at 99¢/# and Jennie-O turkeys at 49¢/# -- all were advertised as lowest prices of the year.  Another lowest price of the year was wild caught lobster tails at $6.99 each (5 oz.), which is good for our side of the country.  Flap meat at $3.99/#, unseasoned or marinated, is also listed at lowest price of the year, but it has been that price several times this year.  Not false advertising, but not as uncommon as the other prices.  Even the breakfast sausage links my kid likes were at their lowest in a very long time, at 99¢ for the 8 oz. package.  I didn't buy those, since he's old enough to have to buy his own treat foods and the rest of us don't eat them.

I have room to freeze more meat, so I have decide a) if I want to, and b) what to get.  The b/s chicken breast @ 99¢/# is probably a no-brainer.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on November 18, 2020, 03:45:48 PM
@K_in_the_kitchen, you make me want to weep with your egg prices.  Here in Canada, I pay 3.29 for a dozen/8.50 for 30, and they are never on sale.  I'm curious what your Costco vanilla costs.  The last time I looked here, a few months ago, it was 30 some dollars for whatever the size was, maybe 1/2 litre.

For the 10 dozen eggs at Costco I paid $1.68 USD per dozen.  I haven't seen 49¢ per dozen eggs since 2018, I think, although last year Aldi had eggs at 59¢ per dozen a couple of times.

The vanilla extract was $21.99 USD for 16 ounces.  A year ago it was $34.99, then we saw it drop to $29.99, and then $24.99 this summer.  I was telling my son that it was $6.99 and $8.99 5- 6 years ago.  In 2012 I paid $22.42 for half a pound of Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans.  Current price on those is $167, but a year ago it was over $200 for 1/4 pound.

I remember the 8.99 vanilla.  It lasted for years, then when I next needed it and saw the $30 price, my eyes almost popped out of my head.  Now I just use Mexican blend; it’s good enough.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Tris Prior on November 18, 2020, 03:55:24 PM
I'm soooo over this pandemic shopping "experience".

I ordered TP a couple days ago... now I get a notification that it is "back ordered" with a mid December estimated delivery date.  Paper towels are out of stock. 

I'm in Chicago too and was able to order a 24-pack of TP and a 6-pack of paper towels from Target. I was pretty surprised that they had it!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 18, 2020, 04:53:42 PM
Vanilla seems to be something that depends on the crops. Years ago, when I worked in R&D, we used a certain vanilla flavor in a food product and the source was from Madagascar. There were some devastating storm damage to the crops so what was left was primo and the price skyrocketed. Food manufacturers try to use the best ingredients but the cheapest to keep product prices low. We scrambled for about a month or so to try to find a replacement that was similar to the flavor we were using.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: geekette on November 18, 2020, 05:17:25 PM
@K_in_the_kitchen, you make me want to weep with your egg prices.  Here in Canada, I pay 3.29 for a dozen/8.50 for 30, and they are never on sale. 
For the 10 dozen eggs at Costco I paid $1.68 USD per dozen.  I haven't seen 49¢ per dozen eggs since 2018, I think, although last year Aldi had eggs at 59¢ per dozen a couple of times.
I just checked our local Wally World - eggs are .77 for 18.  That's kinda nuts. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 18, 2020, 06:19:44 PM
Vanilla seems to be something that depends on the crops. Years ago, when I worked in R&D, we used a certain vanilla flavor in a food product and the source was from Madagascar. There were some devastating storm damage to the crops so what was left was primo and the price skyrocketed. Food manufacturers try to use the best ingredients but the cheapest to keep product prices low. We scrambled for about a month or so to try to find a replacement that was similar to the flavor we were using.

I read awhile ago that it was a combination of crops destroyed by storms and manufacturers switching from artificial vanilla to real vanilla because of consumer demand.  Plus the high demand had growers picking beans unripe to avoid theft, and I guess those beans then didn't reach high quality.  I think the crop damage was the most important factor, but I also don't see prices going back to where they were before because of consumer demand.

For decades, we would drive to apple country and buy heirloom varieties dirt cheap.  Our favorite was Arkansas Blacks, and each year we'd head up around Halloween and buy them for $15-$20 a bushel.  But heirlooms got popular, some of the apple sheds were profiled in the newspaper and on TV news, and next thing we knew they were selling Arkansas Blacks for $4 per pound minimum.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 18, 2020, 08:59:26 PM
I went to Aldi tonight, which should be my final foray into groceries stores until I'm vaccinated.  It was busy, but since I almost never go in the evening, I would assume it was pretty normal for 5:30 p.m.  It wasn't packed.  I didn't see any obvious shortages, although toilet paper and paper towels were limited to one per person. Any turkeys I could see were huge.  Certain canned items are still limited to 4 per person, but they've been that way since March.

My main reason for going was to pick out stocking candy.  I wanted to do it in person so I could see ingredients (I have a wheat and dairy allergic child and one with celiac disease).  I kind of went all out because it feels right for this year.  I also bought peanut butter applesauce, salsa, canned peaches, canned pineapple, milk, cookies for the Feast of Saint Nicholas, BBQ sauce, white wine vinegar, plain sparkling water, decorations for Christmas cookies, facial tissue, zipper bags for freezing meats, a few other things I can't recall, and I'll admit it -- a puffer coat and two holiday sweaters for one of my dogs.

I decided not to go back to the other grocery store to buy more meat.  We're fine with what we have, and I didn't have time.  I wanted to finish all my shopping today so I can get a Covid test in 14 days and feel clear about it.  Actually, I may get tested tomorrow when I get my flu shot, but it won't tell me anything definitive about my exposure in the past two weeks.  My county just really wants everyone to get tested regularly.

Covid tests in two weeks, isolate until we get results, and then we plan to visit MIL outside, socially distant, with masks on.  It won't be Thanksgiving, and it won't be Christmas, but we really want to see her and this seems the safest way.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 22, 2020, 05:08:33 AM
Okay, one little glitch in my supplies. I have the shelf stable 8 ounce boxes of milk. I think I bought 3 cases of it at different times and now the first batch has only one week left. So, I am in the process of freezing them. I experimented with two of the boxes and  made the box top a 'tent' shape on top to give it some room for expansion. Then put the two boxes into a ziplock and froze them. They froze perfectly and did not explode out of the boxes. So, now I will freeze the others that have a short shelf life. When I plan to use them I will take them out of the freezer and refrigerate the night before and next day shake them to make sure they have not separated.

So, my friends, check some of your expiration dates on your food! Waste not, want not!

I am also not finding any decent prices on rib roasts! Prices are higher this year. I hope they go down soon!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: kite on November 22, 2020, 07:55:17 AM
I can’t bring myself to stock up.  The “use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without” refrain along with Christianity was drilled into me.  Knowing that so many in my community are reliant on food banks just to make it through the week, I’d be deeply ashamed of myself if I had food on hand that we couldn’t possibly be eating for several weeks or even months when others need it now. As a Christian, I feel like this is precisely what Jesus was talking about when he lambasted those of us going around with more than one coat while we see people who have none.  Even for those who are
I don’t mean for this to come across as judging anyone else, it’s only my interpretation of what I’ve been taught.  My very dear friend is a Latter Day Saint and it was instilled into her the importance of maintaining a well stocked pantry.  And I respect what she was taught despite not agreeing or adhering to it myself.  Depending on where you live and your family & transportation situation, it might be entirely reasonable to buy a few months worth of beans or tuna or whatever.
As a mustachian, I again come down on the side of not keeping excesses on hand.  For one, physical inventory costs money to store and maintain and it doesn’t increase in value except on very rare occasions.  Consumables deteriorate. In my view, the money is better left in the market.  My personal experience living through hurricanes & other weather related extended power outages confirms this.
As a typical citizen of the world, dabbling in amateur epidemiology like everyone else, I’m also weighing the risk of exposure to others in the stores & such; mulling over whether the risk is worse right this minute versus how it will be two weeks or two months from now.  It’s really bad right this moment in my county, so I don’t want to set foot into any store unless it is essential. Is it essential to buy food today that we don’t yet need?  Again, it turns out, the answer is “no”.
 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 22, 2020, 10:00:54 AM
I'm doing large infrequent shops.  My main grocery store is in a high density area so I use the priority hour (yes I'm eligible).  I went this morning at 7:15 and am good for 2 weeks plus.  I am fine with eating the most perishable vegetables and fruits first,  it's better to have a slightly boring menu than shop more often.  We are in the lull between Thanksgiving and Christmas, everything was in stock.   Yes, toilet paper, paper towel, and yeast were plentiful.

We are supposed to get 15 cm or so of snow today and tomorrow, I was surprised when the store wasn't busy at 8:30
when I finished my shopping.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: ixtap on November 22, 2020, 10:04:26 AM
I can’t bring myself to stock up.  The “use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without” refrain along with Christianity was drilled into me.  Knowing that so many in my community are reliant on food banks just to make it through the week, I’d be deeply ashamed of myself if I had food on hand that we couldn’t possibly be eating for several weeks or even months when others need it now. As a Christian, I feel like this is precisely what Jesus was talking about when he lambasted those of us going around with more than one coat while we see people who have none.  Even for those who are
I don’t mean for this to come across as judging anyone else, it’s only my interpretation of what I’ve been taught.  My very dear friend is a Latter Day Saint and it was instilled into her the importance of maintaining a well stocked pantry.  And I respect what she was taught despite not agreeing or adhering to it myself.  Depending on where you live and your family & transportation situation, it might be entirely reasonable to buy a few months worth of beans or tuna or whatever.
As a mustachian, I again come down on the side of not keeping excesses on hand.  For one, physical inventory costs money to store and maintain and it doesn’t increase in value except on very rare occasions.  Consumables deteriorate. In my view, the money is better left in the market.  My personal experience living through hurricanes & other weather related extended power outages confirms this.
As a typical citizen of the world, dabbling in amateur epidemiology like everyone else, I’m also weighing the risk of exposure to others in the stores & such; mulling over whether the risk is worse right this minute versus how it will be two weeks or two months from now.  It’s really bad right this moment in my county, so I don’t want to set foot into any store unless it is essential. Is it essential to buy food today that we don’t yet need?  Again, it turns out, the answer is “no”.
 

I have given several months' worth of grocery bills to the local food bank.

On the other hand, my extra stores just mean if something happens at the end of two week restock and I can't get to the store, we can still eat *something*.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on November 22, 2020, 10:05:05 AM
@kite obviously this is something you have thought about quite a bit so a random forum member isn't going to change your mind. But I don't think stocking up is not the Christian thing to do. There are several texts in the Bible that could be interpreted as supportive or non-supportive of stocking up. But there are a few things to keep in mind:

- unlike in the Biblical age, there is no actual shortage of food. There is still more food in the world than people can eat. Just not everyone can afford to buy it. The food in your pantry is not stolen from anyone's mouth. Of course it would be extremely unchristian to keep food in your pantry just for you when there's a food shortage. To make sure other people can have food, too, you can donate food or money to charities like foodbanks and churches that give out food parcels. I do and I'm sure many on this thread do.

- In my country, there's one grocery store for every 3500 people. Say half of them regularly shop. That means every store theoretically has 1750 customers. If they all turn up twice a week like many people did pre-pandemic, that means the traffic in the store is 3500/week. If everyone reduced that to one weekly shop, there'd be only 1750 people per week per store. If people only buy food once every two weeks, there'd be only 875 customers a week! When the store is filled to normal capacity, there's a fair chance of transmission of viruses. When the shops are filled to 25% of capacity, people have way more space to implement social distancing, staff (generally minimum wage workers from underpriviliged groups) can do their work while not coming too close to customers, and staff have more time to properly clean the shop and carts. So every time you don't set foot in the shop you're actually making a massive difference in reducing traffic to the store.

- Of course it makes no financial sense to keep a warehouse full of food. But I don't think most people on this thread keep such insane amounts of food. Personally, I live in an old small house (800 square ft) and it comes with a built-in pantry and that's filled, like it always is. I come from a rural background and was taught to always keep food on hand by my grandparents who lived through WWII. They didn't starve but lived through hard times and one grandparent was completely dependant on produce from a tiny garden and charity. They always kept a small stockpile of non-perishables like coffee, tea, salt and sugar. Part of my pantry is canned food that I grew myself. A reasonable stockpile of food doesn't actually take up that much space. I think my pantry is 20 square ft and at any point in time there's maybe €50-100 worth of food in there. And these days empty shelves aren't exactly unusual, a while back the whole produce, dairy and meat aisles were empty for days. During the first lockdown I was very happy with the flour and yeast in my pantry because they were unavailable for months.

I feel that exactly because I'm in the privileged position of working from home and having enough money, I shouldn't be a burden on society by venturing out more than I need to be. Every time I don't go to a shop, other people there are safer simply because there are fewer people there. Some people will have to go to the store frequently simply because they can't afford to do one big shop in one go, they may rely on that day's tips to get some reduced food at the end of the day. I have most of my groceries delivered and I have started to tip a higher amount than I used to do too. I'm in the vulnerable group as well, but I'd rather avoid the special opening hours. I'm 30 and I don't look disabled. I'm quite private about my health and I don't want to get into an argument in front of the grocery store at 7am.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on November 22, 2020, 10:28:07 AM
Due to current public health orders all stores are now limited to a max of 75 people, even a huge store like Costco. Multiple grocery store have been shut down if they have more than 4 employees test positive, which isn't that much if you're talking about a Walmart Supercenter with a few hundred employees. I got in line at Costco yesterday at 9:45 (they normally open at 10:00). I didn't get inside until  about 11:00 as there was probably 300-350 people in line. They also limited entry to one person per household so a couple shopping together wouldn't take up one of those 75 spots. I bought pretty much our normal every two weeks worth of stuff. We've got six kids so we buy the box of 15 dozen eggs, usually 6-8 gallons of milk, TP, diapers, baby wipes, produce, etc. It was actually quite nice having the store mostly empty. I normally go about twice as fast as everyone else in the grocery store and am usually slowed down by the crowds.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 22, 2020, 10:39:09 AM
Due to current public health orders all stores are now limited to a max of 75 people, even a huge store like Costco. Multiple grocery store have been shut down if they have more than 4 employees test positive, which isn't that much if you're talking about a Walmart Supercenter with a few hundred employees. I got in line at Costco yesterday at 9:45 (they normally open at 10:00). I didn't get inside until  about 11:00 as there was probably 300-350 people in line. They also limited entry to one person per household so a couple shopping together wouldn't take up one of those 75 spots. I bought pretty much our normal every two weeks worth of stuff. We've got six kids so we buy the box of 15 dozen eggs, usually 6-8 gallons of milk, TP, diapers, baby wipes, produce, etc. It was actually quite nice having the store mostly empty. I normally go about twice as fast as everyone else in the grocery store and am usually slowed down by the crowds.

Michael ABQ what state are you in! Don't like what I hear but thank you for sharing the information! That is unbelievable to have this happen in our lifetimes!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 22, 2020, 11:05:58 AM
I believe that New Mexico is requiring stores to shut if they have a certain number of employees who test positive.

I feel like when we stay out of the store because we are stocked up we are leaving spots open for other people and we are lowering to risk of taking up hospital space. We donate to several food programs... it’s kind of our thing!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 22, 2020, 02:35:28 PM
Due to current public health orders all stores are now limited to a max of 75 people, even a huge store like Costco. Multiple grocery store have been shut down if they have more than 4 employees test positive, which isn't that much if you're talking about a Walmart Supercenter with a few hundred employees. I got in line at Costco yesterday at 9:45 (they normally open at 10:00). I didn't get inside until  about 11:00 as there was probably 300-350 people in line. They also limited entry to one person per household so a couple shopping together wouldn't take up one of those 75 spots. I bought pretty much our normal every two weeks worth of stuff. We've got six kids so we buy the box of 15 dozen eggs, usually 6-8 gallons of milk, TP, diapers, baby wipes, produce, etc. It was actually quite nice having the store mostly empty. I normally go about twice as fast as everyone else in the grocery store and am usually slowed down by the crowds.

Michael ABQ what state are you in! Don't like what I hear but thank you for sharing the information! That is unbelievable to have this happen in our lifetimes!

Grocery stores here have maximums.  And lines if you go at a busy time.  Makes perfect sense to lower store density in response to an air-borne virus.  We are all masking.  Ottawa's case numbers are slowly coming down.  And winter is here (it's snowing right now, 15 cm expected).

No limits on anything when I shopped this morning, but right now nothing is sold out.  My one Costco shop this fall had a TP limit, but of course one Costco package is a huge amount of TP!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 22, 2020, 03:13:59 PM
Well, I am glad I am stocked up with nearly everything and don't have to go out for a while!

I have a Misfits vegetable order coming on Tuesday.

When I do a curbside pick up I get enough for several weeks. I have been very pleased with the service.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 22, 2020, 05:04:28 PM
Well, I am glad I am stocked up with nearly everything and don't have to go out for a while!

I have a Misfits vegetable order coming on Tuesday.

When I do a curbside pick up I get enough for several weeks. I have been very pleased with the service.

I'm glad we're stocked and ready to go as well.  I don't plan to do curbside again until early December.  I wish we had more fruit and more lettuce, but we have what we have.  There's only enough lettuce for 3 salads, but we have plenty of tomatoes, avocados, carrots, and cucumber.  Salads don't have to have lettuce.  We have some apples and bananas, but the guys go through apples and bananas like there's no tomorrow.  Still, we have canned peaches, canned pineapple, and jarred applesauce, plus there is some frozen fruit.  We have fresh pears too, but they won't eat those (more for me and DH!).

I do wish I'd picked up a 25# bag of local oranges -- I think I'll send my son tomorrow.  It was decided that if any in person shopping needs to be done, he'll do it.  I'll call to make sure they have them available, and if they do I'll send him with exact change so he can be in and out in under 5 minutes.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 23, 2020, 06:35:24 AM
I was just on the Costco website and looked to see what the situation was with the Kirkland toilet paper and there is a notice that there will be none available till December 31st and then January 1st they will reevaluate the situation. Seems it is being sold at the stores but is probably flying off the shelves. They also had no paper towels on rolls.

I looked at Walmart and very little toilet paper they will ship, mostly in store or pick up only purchases. Same with paper towels.

Here we go again!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on November 23, 2020, 09:43:30 AM
Due to current public health orders all stores are now limited to a max of 75 people, even a huge store like Costco. Multiple grocery store have been shut down if they have more than 4 employees test positive, which isn't that much if you're talking about a Walmart Supercenter with a few hundred employees. I got in line at Costco yesterday at 9:45 (they normally open at 10:00). I didn't get inside until  about 11:00 as there was probably 300-350 people in line. They also limited entry to one person per household so a couple shopping together wouldn't take up one of those 75 spots. I bought pretty much our normal every two weeks worth of stuff. We've got six kids so we buy the box of 15 dozen eggs, usually 6-8 gallons of milk, TP, diapers, baby wipes, produce, etc. It was actually quite nice having the store mostly empty. I normally go about twice as fast as everyone else in the grocery store and am usually slowed down by the crowds.

Michael ABQ what state are you in! Don't like what I hear but thank you for sharing the information! That is unbelievable to have this happen in our lifetimes!

New Mexico. ABQ = Albuquerque.

I didn't see the paper towels at Costco (my wife didn't see any the last time she went to a different one a week or two ago). However there was the normal supply of TP and everything else. No signs about any limits - though I imagine someone with a cart full of TP would probably be asked to put most of it back.

I went to a Walmart Neighborhood Market this morning. I had to wait for about 10 seconds before someone walked out of the store. It felt about as crowded as normal, maybe a bit less. But then again 75 people in a 40,000 SF store vs. 75 people in a Walmart Supercenter or Costco that are typically 150,000+ SF. There was a lot more restocking going on than normal it seemed, but plenty of everything on the shelves.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 23, 2020, 11:09:19 AM
Target still has some paper towel brands they'll ship -- I ordered some last month and again today.  We have an old house with finicky old pipes, and had to switch to rapid dissolving toilet paper, so getting what we need is harder, but we're good for awhile.  I actually use washable cloth wipes most of the time (urine only), which is no big deal to me since we used cloth diapers on my kids.  If for some reason I need to use paper tissue (again, urine only), I put the tissue in a ziplock bag (reused from food) and dispose of it every couple of days.  That's a habit I got into when we had a camper van with a tiny black waste holding tank, as keeping the tissue out let us go twice as long without dumping the black waste.  The cost to take care of these pipes is high (we had to hydro jet last time) and replacement will be costly, so the longer we can make them last, the better.

Kid got oranges and grapefruit yesterday -- $13.50 for 25# of Valencia oranges (too early for navels) and 8# of oro sweet grapefruit.  The oranges were $10 and that price is down from last year.  He said he was the only one in the little store and the cashier was behind huge amounts of plexiglass the entire time he was in there.  Oranges will likely be our go-to fruit for the next several months, since they're local, cheap, and keep longer than a lot of other fruits.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 24, 2020, 07:29:31 AM
Got my first Misfits box yesterday. It came one day early and I am guessing due to the holiday. I ordered the large box and price is $35. All organic veggies. Shipping was $4.50. I added a few extras to the order called 'add ons' which were packages of mushroom. The veggies came nice and cold. Very fresh and as far as being misfits, I didn't really see much of a problem. This actually was not my first Misfits box. I used to subscribe but back then you had no choice in what you received. I am really thrilled with what I got. I have my account set up to receive a box every two weeks. I got so much, I am sure this will last about two weeks. I have to use up the fragile veggies first.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Tigerpine on November 24, 2020, 10:33:43 AM
We went to Costco yesterday, and it looked pretty much normal except for the TP.  All they had was the store brand, and it although there was plenty there, it wasn't as chocked full of the stuff as normal.  Everything else seemed to be fully stocked.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: kite on November 27, 2020, 09:53:47 AM
@Imma 
Thanks for your thoughts.  You are right, I've thought a lot about this. 
The notion that if you buy 2x as much as normal and then have to shop only half as frequently, thus limiting everyone's exposure has some merit.  In reality, it happens a little differently. Perishables perish, so we still need to go out and buy (or get deliveries) week after week.  But the problem turns out to be human nature.
If a store gets 20 items of a given product, and a customer buys all 20, there are 19 customers who will do without. We all recognize the guy who bought 20 as a hoarder and we call him names.  he might even feel a little guilty. If a different store likewise gets 20 and five customers each buy 4, there are 15 customers who do without.  We don't instantly recognize the five as hoarders because the 'normal' amount to purchase was 4. None of the five feel any guilt.  But the net result is nearly the same.  The 19 and the 15 who couldn't get their product will go from store to store (exponentially increasing everyone's exposure) trying to find what they want. The more times they get to a store and don't find it, the more inclined they are to overbuy when they finally land on the thing they want. You can scale this up to understand how those of us who are wealthy manage to wreck the planet and hurt the poor often without realizing it.  Normative cues have reinforced in our minds that it's perfectly acceptable behavior.  We buy more stuff than we need.  We use our power to hoard it and leave the poor folks scrambling and fighting over what is left. A good chunk of our excess just gets wasted and goes in a landfill, all because we overbuy unnecessarily.  I think most of us are like the "five" in my hypothetical story. This is how humans managed to create a toilet paper shortage.  This is how we drove up the price of rubbing alcohol & sanitizing wipes.  None of which does anything to protect a person from Covid as it turns out.  Visiting multiple stores, however, most certainly increases exposure to the virus in our communities.   
Retailers try to stop people from buying all 20 or even buying merely 4, because they want happy customers.  So if 20 people can each buy 1, it's all good, right?  Partly.  Having seen that Costco limited a shopper to only 1 pack of toilet paper, some shoppers who did get their 1 package are going to come back day after day and buy again and again.  Others are going to buy 1 at Costco, and then hit ShopRite, Aldi, IGA & WallMart for more. They go on social media and share either their frustration or news of their 'score' and the frenzy just keeps going, getting amplified.
I'm not judging any one particular family for stockpiling.  Folks may live too far for weekly or bi-weekly shopping trips. They may genuinely be 'off grid' or some such thing.  But for someone like me who lives in a county with 375,000 people and at least a dozen stores, stocking up doesn't help, it hurts.  I'm still heading out to the store to buy milk & spinach and bananas next week and the week after and the week after.  So laying in a few months supply of non-perishables doesn't save me any trips.  It likely would require that someone else take multiple trips.  That someone else is almost certainly much poorer than me. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 27, 2020, 10:18:07 AM
I think it takes better planning on your part, because you don’t actually have to buy perishables every week. The few things that will actually perish in a week can be used quickly, and then you can switch the perishables that have a longer life.

I haven’t been inside a grocery store since the last part of September and I do a grocery pickup every 10 days to 2 weeks. We continue to have fine supply of perishables - dairy products, eggs, fruits and vegetables. I do order larger sizes of things than I bought in the Before Times.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on November 27, 2020, 10:35:42 AM
At the beginning of the pandemic, we did a good job of shopping every 10 to 14 days.  I mentioned that basically, we run out of eggs and milk. What helps us is that we get produce delivery 2x a week.

Eventually things calmed down, and we got into the habit of once a week (Sunday morning), so less stocking up.  Once a month trips to Costco for a few things we only get there.

Now that we are back up there in cases, we are trying to go less often again.  I will have to go again on Sunday, though, because the produce boxes are on vacation this week.

You don't need to necessarily get perishables weekly.  Basically, even when we didn't get the boxes, we start the week eating the things that go bad first.  By the end of the 10 days to 2 weeks - sure, you are eating a lot of apples and oranges, carrots and celery, frozen green beans and broccoli, and lentil soups with onions and canned tomatoes.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NotJen on November 27, 2020, 10:43:46 AM
I can't get greens to last longer than about 9 days, so I go to the store every 9-10 days.

Sure, I could (and would) go without fresh greens for a while if something happened, but right now I'm choosing not to do that.  So, I don't stock up a lot either since I know I'll be going to the store in 9 days.  I am also only 1 person, so certain things last longer, and I can just do without if I find something out of stock - I eat a wide variety, but buy certain things out of habit (to make shopping and planning easier).

I have not noticed any food shortages at my local grocery lately (I haven't walked down the paper goods aisle in several months, so don't know about that).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 27, 2020, 11:21:33 AM
Not everyone is going from store to store to scoop up all the toilet paper and other things in the store. I have been stocking up since March adding a few extras every week.  I now have a nice stockpile of things and do curbside every few weeks and just started getting Misfits vegetables/fruits thru subscription service. I order some food items on line too. We are in the age group that if we get the virus, we may not recover easily or at all. So, staying out of the stores as much as possible is my goal. I have also ordered meat from different places in bulk which is the way they sell it. That includes 12 lbs. of ground beef, 10 lbs. of meatloaf mix, 10 lbs. of hamburgers, 12 lbs. of pork burgers. These all went into the freezer among other things. Some of us plan ahead but are not swarming the stores for this stuff.

I now have a good dough recipe to make my own pizza dough, one less thing to buy, but make at home.

Here is something I do during the winter months when tomatoes are not so great. I buy jarred roasted red peppers and cut them up on the lettuce. It is tasty and nice red color. Doesn't taste like tomatoes but is flavorful and has eye appeal.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Missy B on November 27, 2020, 11:38:30 AM
@Imma 
Thanks for your thoughts.  You are right, I've thought a lot about this. 
The notion that if you buy 2x as much as normal and then have to shop only half as frequently, thus limiting everyone's exposure has some merit.  In reality, it happens a little differently. Perishables perish, so we still need to go out and buy (or get deliveries) week after week.  But the problem turns out to be human nature.
If a store gets 20 items of a given product, and a customer buys all 20, there are 19 customers who will do without. We all recognize the guy who bought 20 as a hoarder and we call him names.  he might even feel a little guilty. If a different store likewise gets 20 and five customers each buy 4, there are 15 customers who do without.  We don't instantly recognize the five as hoarders because the 'normal' amount to purchase was 4. None of the five feel any guilt.  But the net result is nearly the same. The 19 and the 15 who couldn't get their product will go from store to store (exponentially increasing everyone's exposure) trying to find what they want. The more times they get to a store and don't find it, the more inclined they are to overbuy when they finally land on the thing they want. You can scale this up to understand how those of us who are wealthy manage to wreck the planet and hurt the poor often without realizing it.  Normative cues have reinforced in our minds that it's perfectly acceptable behavior.  We buy more stuff than we need.  We use our power to hoard it and leave the poor folks scrambling and fighting over what is left. A good chunk of our excess just gets wasted and goes in a landfill, all because we overbuy unnecessarily.  I think most of us are like the "five" in my hypothetical story. This is how humans managed to create a toilet paper shortage.  This is how we drove up the price of rubbing alcohol & sanitizing wipes.  None of which does anything to protect a person from Covid as it turns out.  Visiting multiple stores, however, most certainly increases exposure to the virus in our communities.   

This. Although I'm less worried about the increased risk of virus exposure, (which is still minimal if you are following protocols) than the damage to people in the community who are less resourced. Basically, they are treated as if they aren't part of the community at all.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: birdie55 on November 27, 2020, 11:43:25 AM
I have done exactly what Roadrunner described. 

I have always kept a stocked pantry but I increased my stock in late February when I saw possible shutdowns coming.

When things got back to normal in the later spring and during the summer, I stocked up again.  Every time I went to Costco, I bought 3 or 4 different meats, cheeses, grains, pasta, canned foods etc. 

I am in my late 60s and live alone, so while I don't need a lot of food, I have plenty to wait out the current virus spike.  I don't plan on going into a store until after the New Year, and maybe later. 

When my fresh vegetables and fruits are gone, I can switch to frozen or canned. 

I do grow lettuce, chard and kale in the winter and many more vegetables in the summer.  I also have mandarins that I will be picking soon. 

It's really just planning ahead, not hoarding. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 27, 2020, 12:00:48 PM
Yes, birdie55 and I are doing many of the same things. We all heard early in the year that the virus was going to get worse in the fall. We all had plenty of time to stock up slowly. Right now Costco is not selling the toilet paper I normally order for about 6 weeks and that also includes the paper towels. I am stocked up. Who knows what else might be hard to come by. It doesn't hurt to stock up. I just tried to order my dogs prescription dog food from the normal pet supply company and they were out! I was able to get it elsewhere but who knows what will happen next time. I also needed to order a prescription for my dog and it seems to be unavailable at all the big pharmacies that sell pet medicines. I had to call the Vet today and have to get the drug made from a compound pharmacy in New Jersey. This drug is made by a large, well known company, but for whatever reason, they have stopped producing it for a period of time. It is a heart med. so not a good idea to just not give it to the dog.

So, we all have to do what makes us comfortable. If you are like me, you stock up. Some people are not worried and will shop 3 times a week if need be.

I also bought eleven 50# bags of driveway salt on top of the 9 bags we had here. I ordered it in late August. I didn't want to face a shortage of that either. Some winters we get a lot of ice, others not so much. Since I am not a psychic I just buy it to be on the safe side. Plus, prices are lower in August!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on November 27, 2020, 02:06:27 PM
Holy crap.

How long is your driveway that you need 550 lbs of salt?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 27, 2020, 02:09:33 PM
Yeah, I’ve already bought ice melt for the winter, too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 27, 2020, 02:26:50 PM
Holy crap.

How long is your driveway that you need 550 lbs of salt?

That is very Torontonian.  ;-)   I can think of years when that would not have lasted the winter.  11 bags = 11 snowfalls, if you have a long walkway to your garage or the street.  I used to buy the bags of sand with just a bit of salt in them, for the sake of my plants.  The township would plow and salt several times during a good storm.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 27, 2020, 02:30:39 PM
Holy crap.

How long is your driveway that you need 550 lbs of salt?

We won't need all the salt with one storm! It will be used over the course of the winter and it isn't just our long driveway, it is sidewalks too. Some winters we have half our stash left over, other winters we have only a few bags left. We mostly salt the top flat portion of our driveway because the incline melts with the sun. We have it plowed but it ices up. It approximately 80 feet long and there is a second smaller driveway that can fit about 3 pick up trucks behind each other. The top of the driveway could fit 5 cars easily. We only have a pick up truck and a car.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on November 27, 2020, 04:42:06 PM
Holy crap.

How long is your driveway that you need 550 lbs of salt?

That is very Torontonian.  ;-)   I can think of years when that would not have lasted the winter.  11 bags = 11 snowfalls, if you have a long walkway to your garage or the street.  I used to buy the bags of sand with just a bit of salt in them, for the sake of my plants.  The township would plow and salt several times during a good storm.

I lived for most of my childhood in a small community about an 8 hr drive north of Timmins.  Ice doesn't work well to melt snow when it's below -30C.  We used these newfangled devices called 'shovels' for the snow and gravel for the ice.  Our driveway was about 100 ft long with a much shorter.

The idea of dumping hundreds of lbs of salt on the ground every year strikes me as pretty hard on the environment.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on November 27, 2020, 04:56:53 PM
Holy crap.

How long is your driveway that you need 550 lbs of salt?

That is very Torontonian.  ;-)   I can think of years when that would not have lasted the winter.  11 bags = 11 snowfalls, if you have a long walkway to your garage or the street.  I used to buy the bags of sand with just a bit of salt in them, for the sake of my plants.  The township would plow and salt several times during a good storm.

I lived for most of my childhood in a small community about an 8 hr drive north of Timmins.  Ice doesn't work well to melt snow when it's below -30C.  We used these newfangled devices called 'shovels' for the snow and gravel for the ice.  Our driveway was about 100 ft long with a much shorter.

The idea of dumping hundreds of lbs of salt on the ground every year strikes me as pretty hard on the environment.

Yeah at -30C sand is definitely the preferred choice.  I guess OP lives in an area that is the right temp for salt.  I know my Canadian Tire near last-house sold more salt than sand, but I prefered sand since it gave so much better traction after clearing snow.  The straight salt was better when we had freezing rain though, since salt on a cm or 2 of solid ice isn't much help.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 27, 2020, 05:32:00 PM
From what I've read, right now most of the so-called shortages aren't shortages because of supply, but rather it is retailers purposely holding stock back.  They say it's in order to help avoid empty shelves, but I can't help but think the practice increases store traffic, which benefits them.  Once we returned to stores in June we never saw a packed store.  Even packed Costco parking lots didn't equal a packed store.  People changed how they are shopping and less foot traffic means fewer impulse purchases.  I also think holding back stock spurs people to buy more because they perceive a shortage.

The way I'm stocking up now is how I've stocked up for decades.  When I find a good price of something we use regularly, I stock up for a certain amount of time -- 3 months is usually good for many items, as the sales cycle around.  For meats I buy what I have room for.  I've purchased toilet paper in bulk from Amazon for years now -- my order history shows my first bulk purchase of TP in 2007.  I always buy grains, flours, and legumes in bulk, mostly using Azure Standard and Costco.  I always buy butter in bulk, and the big jugs of olive oil from Costco.  If anything right now, I'm stocking up more carefully and with far more regard to the shopper who may come after me, since we're still well stocked on most things.

The only thing I've done differently is purchase more canned/jarred food than usual.  Most stores have had limits in place since March, so I'm never wiping a store out.  There are some items I purchase cases of, such as canned peaches, canned pineapple, and jarred salsa, but I would do that anyway, pandemic or not (and I can't even buy cases of peaches or pineapple right now).  This fall I haven't stocked up on any canned food other than applesauce, peanut butter, and salsa, and by stocked up I mean I bought 10 jars of applesauce (of which my son has eaten 4 jars in the past two weeks), 4 jars of peanut butter, and 4 jars of salsa.  I haven't ordered any more TP because we're fine on that.  I did order paper towels (I never used paper towels when we didn't eat meat).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 28, 2020, 03:53:04 AM
The ice melt I bought in August was $17.98 per 50# bag. Right now the same bag is $29.98 per bag. $12.00 more per bag!

This is what the ice melt says:

Product Overview
MELT Environmentally-Friendly Blend Ice Melter ("MELT EB") provides a greener, yet equally effective, deicing alternative to more harmful melting agents. When used as directed, MELT EB will not harm grass, wood, concrete, metals or other vegetation and is safer for pets, children and the environment. MELT EB exhibits the following properties: ANTI-CORROSION FORMULA: Enhanced with CMA (calcium magnesium acetate), an environmentally benign deicing agent, MELT EB ice melter delivers fast and effective results without damaging metal surfaces, such as the exteriors of cars, trucks and other equipment. FAST ACTING: MELT EB goes to work immediately upon contact with snow and ice to accelerate the deicing and melting process. Pre-treating surfaces with MELT EB will also prevent ice and snow from accumulating. LONG LASTING: MELT EB time-relaxed formula stays on the surface area longer for added protection and better control of the freeze/thaw cycle. SAFER TO HANDLE: When used as directed, MELT EB will not dry out or irritate the skin and can be safely and easily dispensed without requiring the use of protective clothing. NON-TRACKING: When properly dispensed, MELT EB will not track onto your home’s floors or carpets, so you can safely tread your footwear onto any treated surface without worry of damage to your shoes or your home.
Eco, pet and kid-friendly
Enhanced with CMA (calcium magnesium acetate) for safe, fast and effective results
Color-coated crystals help to visually measure and dispense the right amount
Convenient re-sealable bag for easy storage and extended shelf-life
Long lasting, time-relaxed formula provides superior traction control, will not harm grass, wood, concrete, metals or other vegetation
Easy to disperse
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on November 28, 2020, 07:24:33 AM
Cool!  I was unaware that there were benign chemical de-icers for sale.  The city of Toronto uses ass tons of salt every winter . . . leading to the streams and rivers in the GTA measuring higher salinity than sea water from most of Dec-Feb.  Does nothing good for my bike, but it's tough thinking what it's doing to the animals that live around and in the water.  :(
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 28, 2020, 07:47:34 AM
From what I've read, right now most of the so-called shortages aren't shortages because of supply, but rather it is retailers purposely holding stock back.  They say it's in order to help avoid empty shelves, but I can't help but think the practice increases store traffic, which benefits them.  Once we returned to stores in June we never saw a packed store.  Even packed Costco parking lots didn't equal a packed store.  People changed how they are shopping and less foot traffic means fewer impulse purchases.  I also think holding back stock spurs people to buy more because they perceive a shortage.

The way I'm stocking up now is how I've stocked up for decades.  When I find a good price of something we use regularly, I stock up for a certain amount of time -- 3 months is usually good for many items, as the sales cycle around.  For meats I buy what I have room for.  I've purchased toilet paper in bulk from Amazon for years now -- my order history shows my first bulk purchase of TP in 2007.  I always buy grains, flours, and legumes in bulk, mostly using Azure Standard and Costco.  I always buy butter in bulk, and the big jugs of olive oil from Costco.  If anything right now, I'm stocking up more carefully and with far more regard to the shopper who may come after me, since we're still well stocked on most things.

The only thing I've done differently is purchase more canned/jarred food than usual.  Most stores have had limits in place since March, so I'm never wiping a store out.  There are some items I purchase cases of, such as canned peaches, canned pineapple, and jarred salsa, but I would do that anyway, pandemic or not (and I can't even buy cases of peaches or pineapple right now).  This fall I haven't stocked up on any canned food other than applesauce, peanut butter, and salsa, and by stocked up I mean I bought 10 jars of applesauce (of which my son has eaten 4 jars in the past two weeks), 4 jars of peanut butter, and 4 jars of salsa.  I haven't ordered any more TP because we're fine on that.  I did order paper towels (I never used paper towels when we didn't eat meat).

K in the kitchen, thanks for that tip on Azure Standard. I just checked them out and it is a great website!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 28, 2020, 08:00:59 AM
Cool!  I was unaware that there were benign chemical de-icers for sale.  The city of Toronto uses ass tons of salt every winter . . . leading to the streams and rivers in the GTA measuring higher salinity than sea water from most of Dec-Feb.  Does nothing good for my bike, but it's tough thinking what it's doing to the animals that live around and in the water.  :(

Correction, I did not buy 11 bags of ice melt, I have a total of 11 bags now with what we had and what I bought. That should last the entire winter...we hope! We have pets so the type of ice melt was important to us.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on November 28, 2020, 08:32:43 AM
To my frustration, the more I stock up, the more my family eats!  We really cannot go more than ten days without a grocery run. I bought 6 gallons of milk a week ago and we are down to 1.5 gallons, which will take us to Monday or Tuesday at the latest.  The eating schedule goes something like this:
- days 1-3, eat all the snack food
- days 4-6, turn up nose at leftovers, eat all frozen entrees
- days 7-9, cereal and milk, bread and Nutella
- day 10: We're out of milk! We're out of bread! There's nothing good to eat-- Moooooooooommm!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 28, 2020, 09:34:37 AM
Hey, I generally order groceries when the wine gets low...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on November 28, 2020, 09:53:06 AM
@Imma 
 This is how humans managed to create a toilet paper shortage. 

No. The primary cause of the TP shortage was the shutdowns/WFH. There was plenty of commercial/industrial TP available because people weren't using bathrooms at work/school/restaurants nearly as much.

Quote
This is how we drove up the price of rubbing alcohol & sanitizing wipes.  None of which does anything to protect a person from Covid as it turns out. 

Fomite transfer seems to be a small chance compared to airborne - but that's WITH all the washing hands and sterilize all the things all the time.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 28, 2020, 10:01:11 AM
To my frustration, the more I stock up, the more my family eats!  We really cannot go more than ten days without a grocery run. I bought 6 gallons of milk a week ago and we are down to 1.5 gallons, which will take us to Monday or Tuesday at the latest.  The eating schedule goes something like this:
- days 1-3, eat all the snack food
- days 4-6, turn up nose at leftovers, eat all frozen entrees
- days 7-9, cereal and milk, bread and Nutella
- day 10: We're out of milk! We're out of bread! There's nothing good to eat-- Moooooooooommm!

How many kids are you feeding! Time to suggest good old water or have a giant container of ice tea on hand. As far as leftovers go, maybe if you could reinvent the use of the leftovers. When I have meatloaf and there are a few slices left, I throw it into spaghetti sauce to make meat chunks or meaty sauce and put over spaghetti. If you have leftover chicken pieces, maybe you could throw together a hodge podge of chicken rice, mixed veggies with some cream of chicken soup and a splash of milk and some cheese to make a casserole. If you have some kind of hamburger meat you could make poor mans beef stroganoff. make a creamy sauce like cream of mushroom soup, the ground beef with some sautéed onions, chopped up carrots then add some sour cream. Add mixture to egg noodles or noodles of your choice.

If you have a bread machine, consider making bread but even if you don't, there are some simple recipes to make great bread. I have made this recipe (without my bread maker) in this video and it is really easy and good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUO4BWNeR_8  You might be able to find a bread machine at a local thrift store, craigslist, ebay.

Maybe you can get your kids to put Nutella on apples, pears, graham crackers or only let them have it as a special treat. I have never eaten it myself but hear it is very delish! One more addiction I don't need!

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on November 28, 2020, 03:12:24 PM
To my frustration, the more I stock up, the more my family eats!  We really cannot go more than ten days without a grocery run. I bought 6 gallons of milk a week ago and we are down to 1.5 gallons, which will take us to Monday or Tuesday at the latest.  The eating schedule goes something like this:
- days 1-3, eat all the snack food
- days 4-6, turn up nose at leftovers, eat all frozen entrees
- days 7-9, cereal and milk, bread and Nutella
- day 10: We're out of milk! We're out of bread! There's nothing good to eat-- Moooooooooommm!
Sigh.  I feel you.

Quote
No. The primary cause of the TP shortage was the shutdowns/WFH. There was plenty of commercial/industrial TP available because people weren't using bathrooms at work/school/restaurants nearly as much.

Yep.  I still have the industrial TP I bought in April.  Also, this gem, purchased for my teenager for his birthday.  I'm saving it.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on November 28, 2020, 05:16:33 PM
To my frustration, the more I stock up, the more my family eats!  We really cannot go more than ten days without a grocery run. I bought 6 gallons of milk a week ago and we are down to 1.5 gallons, which will take us to Monday or Tuesday at the latest.  The eating schedule goes something like this:
- days 1-3, eat all the snack food
- days 4-6, turn up nose at leftovers, eat all frozen entrees
- days 7-9, cereal and milk, bread and Nutella
- day 10: We're out of milk! We're out of bread! There's nothing good to eat-- Moooooooooommm!

How many kids are you feeding! Time to suggest good old water or have a giant container of ice tea on hand. As far as leftovers go, maybe if you could reinvent the use of the leftovers. When I have meatloaf and there are a few slices left, I throw it into spaghetti sauce to make meat chunks or meaty sauce and put over spaghetti. If you have leftover chicken pieces, maybe you could throw together a hodge podge of chicken rice, mixed veggies with some cream of chicken soup and a splash of milk and some cheese to make a casserole. If you have some kind of hamburger meat you could make poor mans beef stroganoff. make a creamy sauce like cream of mushroom soup, the ground beef with some sautéed onions, chopped up carrots then add some sour cream. Add mixture to egg noodles or noodles of your choice.

If you have a bread machine, consider making bread but even if you don't, there are some simple recipes to make great bread. I have made this recipe (without my bread maker) in this video and it is really easy and good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUO4BWNeR_8  You might be able to find a bread machine at a local thrift store, craigslist, ebay.

Maybe you can get your kids to put Nutella on apples, pears, graham crackers or only let them have it as a special treat. I have never eaten it myself but hear it is very delish! One more addiction I don't need!

Thanks for the excellent advice, @Roadrunner53! (as usual)

Just three kids, but they're all big eaters and growing like weeds.  Plus I will admit that Mr. Poundwise and I are not completely blameless either, idly grazing all day.

I actually do try to recycle food a bit... today's dinner is leftover pork loin made into fried rice... but somehow the kids find fault with food that is not at the peak of perfection. I am usually a good cook so they have gotten spoiled. Well, they will just have to get by! Also I did quite a bit of bread baking earlier this year (use my Kitchenaid mixer to knead) but I grew fatigued. Fresh baked bread vanishes even faster than storebought! :D

I will probably encourage more water drinking. Since we aren't sending them to school with packed lunches any more, I can save the single serve milk boxes for morning coffee, which is the only "emergency" which requires a milk run.



Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on November 28, 2020, 05:52:43 PM
Pound wise-I have three too, and it’s the same deal. Amazingly the cucumbers and celery are the last to go. LOL. We have shelf stable milk I pour into the gallons....if I show them the shelf stable box they don’t like it and it tastes funny. In the gallons-it passes. Sometimes presentation counts.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Villanelle on November 28, 2020, 06:13:48 PM
To my frustration, the more I stock up, the more my family eats!  We really cannot go more than ten days without a grocery run. I bought 6 gallons of milk a week ago and we are down to 1.5 gallons, which will take us to Monday or Tuesday at the latest.  The eating schedule goes something like this:
- days 1-3, eat all the snack food
- days 4-6, turn up nose at leftovers, eat all frozen entrees
- days 7-9, cereal and milk, bread and Nutella
- day 10: We're out of milk! We're out of bread! There's nothing good to eat-- Moooooooooommm!

Shelf stable and/or powered milk?  Freeze some bread? 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 29, 2020, 03:49:59 AM
Poundwise, you sound like a good cook and the kids are used to very good foods. I have a few more suggestions. First of all, maybe you could get your kids involved in cooking the original meal and then get them to help you reinvent the leftovers. If they are involved and challenged, they may take an interest in eating 'their' invention. You could make suggestions for them to look up recipes on the internet and maybe keep a 3 ring binder of the 'new' foods. Maybe even make a game of it and have them decide if it was a 1-5 star dinner. Ask them if they would like that meal again and flag it as a winner if they like it. Plus, if they get involved in making a dinner, they may see that it is time consuming and thought has to go into it.

Then there could be a 'kids make dinner night'. Where they could make dinner for the family. I have no idea on what simple meals your kids would be capable of but there must be lots of things they could do with a little supervision. Look for children's cook books, there are lots and lots of them out there.

Another idea as far as reinventing foods, is pizza. Maybe you could save some of the more valuable leftovers such as meat and freeze till you have enough to put on a pizza or calzone. Sauce and cheese 'hide' things and also enhance flavors. Throw in some Italian spices.

Another option is to take a ride sometime to see cars lined up for people receiving donations of food. Seeing how desperate people are, should shame your kids and be glad they have food on the table.

Lastly, in the olden days kids were told they had two choices for dinner. (1) Take it or (2) leave it. An empty growling stomach makes option (1) a winner!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 29, 2020, 04:12:34 AM
I learned to bake bread in 4H when I was 10, so that is not a job that is out of reach for kids.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on November 29, 2020, 09:58:32 AM
I was thinking I was going to need some TP in the next few weeks. Alas, when I did my Thanksgiving shop at Costco, they were completely out.

Yesterday, i was purging some things from the garage and noticed a whole Costco pack of Charmin on the shelf, hooray! It seems June or July Dicey had the same thought. I was pretty sure I had moved that bundle into the indoor storage places and that's what we were currently using. I'm so happy to be wrong. I think we're set until spring! I also love having you guys to share this happy news with, lol!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on November 29, 2020, 10:09:25 AM
I was thinking I was going to need some TP in the next few weeks. Alas, when I did my Thanksgiving shop at Costco, they were completely out.

Yesterday, i was purging some things from the garage and noticed a whole Costco pack of Charmin on the shelf, hooray! It seems June or July Dicey had the same thought. I was pretty sure I had moved that bundle into the indoor storage places and that's what we were currently using. I'm so happy to be wrong. I think we're set until spring! I also love having you guys to share this happy news with, lol!

Like the old saying goes, a roll in the hand is worth ten in the store.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 29, 2020, 11:57:53 AM
To my frustration, the more I stock up, the more my family eats!  We really cannot go more than ten days without a grocery run. I bought 6 gallons of milk a week ago and we are down to 1.5 gallons, which will take us to Monday or Tuesday at the latest.  The eating schedule goes something like this:
- days 1-3, eat all the snack food
- days 4-6, turn up nose at leftovers, eat all frozen entrees
- days 7-9, cereal and milk, bread and Nutella
- day 10: We're out of milk! We're out of bread! There's nothing good to eat-- Moooooooooommm!

Maybe you could show our kids what rationing looked like during WWII?  We watched The 1940s House with our boys years ago, and they really got a sense of how limited food was.  Not that food is limited now, so much as we all need to do our part to prevent the spread of Covid, which means staying away from stores as much as possible.

I suppose I'll come across as a mean mom, but at some point in the past I decided I wasn't going to let the kids control the food situation.  The strategy has served me well during the pandemic, because they're already used to the rules.

I buy very little that would count as snacks.  Pretty much fresh fruit and vegetables, tortilla chips (eaten with Aldi salsa at $1.18 per jar), and granola bars for taking to school or work (back when they could take their classes in person).  I knew from the beginning of the pandemic that we'd need to figure out the fruit situation, since my oldest would easily eat 5+ servings of fresh fruit daily (competitive athlete).  I decided to bring in canned peaches, canned pineapple (for the youngest), and jarred applesauce.  They don't love these things as much as fresh fruit, but they're making do.  The oldest has also had to stop eating raw vegetables as a snack, but we do our best to make sure there is a big salad everyday, which we've managed even when getting produce every 2-3 weeks.  Romaine lettuce is surprisingly hardy, often lasting 2 weeks, and we also make cabbage salads, carrot salads, etc.  I buy a reasonable amount of tortillas chips and when they're gone, they're gone.  The boys can make popcorn if they want, and if they say it's too much work then I figure they aren't really hungry.  In the past, when they were ravenous adolescents, I also used a "fill them with carbs" strategy, which basically meant since I knew I was serving plenty of nutritious food with more than adequate produce and protein, I would offer cheap carbs to fill the constantly hungry bellies.  Most of the time this was as simple as making rice in the rice cooker and keeping it available all day.  My boys douse rice in olive oil and can eat it in huge quantities (which is why I use cheap white rice, since they eat so much rice the arsenic content would be a big concern if it was all brown rice).

We've had to work on the leftovers situation, as my youngest is fussy about them.  Not all leftovers, but he doesn't care for leftover vegetables and he often refuses leftover soup, which makes zero sense since most soups tastes better the next day.  He does fine with leftover meat and leftover rice.  I do reinvent leftovers on a regular basis -- just yesterday I used the leftover sautéed cabbage and bacon to make an egg casserole, adding in plain frozen hashbrowns.  But my youngest wouldn't eat this meal even if it was made fresh, so I saved it for a meal he wasn't home for.  Once or twice a week we have a leftovers night and pretty much indulge him by giving him the leftovers he likes best.  I've never purchased frozen entrees, so that's not an option if they don't like leftovers.  If they really don't want what we're having they have to do the work to make something else, including clean up.  Now that they are young adults, DH has more than once pointed out to them that they're free to pick up fast food, using their own cash and riding their bikes.  Not surprisingly, the've never made that choice.  Food they don't love but which has been paid for and prepared by someone else is preferable to paying for their own food or washing extra dishes.

I don't allow unlimited cereal and milk.  I buy enough to last and that's it.  I had to make a rule they can't have cereal as a snack or for more than one meal.  My youngest can't drink milk as a beverage unless it's clear we have enough to not run out.  Kids who are getting plenty of good food don't need milk as a beverage (or any caloric beverages).  If they run out of cereal, they make do until the next time we get groceries.  There are other breakfast options such as eggs or oatmeal.  As for bread, both boys eat gluten free bread, and there were issues with wasted bread, so I won't buy it anymore.  They can use corn tortillas.  (I bake regular bread when DH and I eat it, but it's rare now.)

For us, being out of certain foods isn't a reason to go shopping.  When my boys were younger I would make sure we could stretch the shopping time.  If we were out of cereal I would make cornmeal mush, bake muffins, make granola, etc. for breakfasts.  A common meal as we approached needing to get groceries was lentil casserole, sweet potatoes, and cabbage salad, because it combined pantry staples like lentils and rice with long lasting produce like onions, sweet potatoes, and cabbage.  I've tried to teach them that there's plenty of food in the house even if it isn't their favorite foods.  We talk about it, too -- they know DH and I eat foods that aren't our favorites, too.

I'm not saying my kids don't have food preferences or get fussy and sulky about food -- they do.  And maybe it's easier for us in that they never got used to seeing other kids with snack foods because they were homeschooled throughout.  I'm not unwilling to make easy accommodations for them (youngest doesn't like tomato sauce on pasta, so I serve them separately, things like that), but I won't cook entirely different meals.  They get the snacks we have and if they can't ration themselves they can make popcorn.  They've never had frozen entrees, so that's not something they default to. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 29, 2020, 12:09:49 PM
When my kids were school aged, I bought one snack food/week and it was divided up in baggies with their names on them. They could eat it all at once or make it last, but woe unto she who dipped into her sister’s share!

There was always popcorn, and I baked an awful lot of muffins.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 29, 2020, 04:47:15 PM
This doesn't have anything to do with food but if any of you are interested in subscribing to Hulu they have a great deal going on and I think it is only for one more day. You can get the basic service, unfortunately with commercials (limited) for $1.99 a month for one year. The commercials irk me to no end but you don't get 75 of them in a row. There are a few and then they return you to the show. For $1.99, it is a pretty good deal. I just signed up. I am a former subscriber and was eligible to get this price as well as newbies. Don't forget, this is only good for maybe one more day. I think it is a Black Friday deal thing.

I am not selling this and not affiliate with Hulu!

Since we are cooped up and winter is upon us, it might be something to enjoy.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on November 29, 2020, 04:49:41 PM
This doesn't have anything to do with food but if any of you are interested in subscribing to Hulu they have a great deal going on and I think it is only for one more day. You can get the basic service, unfortunately with commercials (limited) for $1.99 a month for one year. The commercials irk me to no end but you don't get 75 of them in a row. There are a few and then they return you to the show. For $1.99, it is a pretty good deal. I just signed up. I am a former subscriber and was eligible to get this price as well as newbies. Don't forget, this is only good for maybe one more day. I think it is a Black Friday deal thing.

I am not selling this and not affiliate with Hulu!

Since we are cooped up and winter is upon us, it might be something to enjoy.

Nice! We’re already subscribers, but this is a great deal for someone looking to try it out. We’re happy with the service.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: geekette on November 29, 2020, 04:56:09 PM
What does Hulu offer?  We have an OTA DVR (with auto commercial skip), and Netflix.  Is there a lot on Hulu that's not stuff you can get OTA?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Blue Skies on November 30, 2020, 04:32:50 AM
Ugh, yes.  I don't order a lot of groceries from Target, but there were a few things that I liked to get from there.  Now they are all unavailable for shipping to my zip code.  Irritating.  Some of the things I got from there because they don't carry them in the stores around here either, so it was my only way to get it.  I will survive.  Just not as happily.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 30, 2020, 04:44:30 AM
hooplady, if you are a Costco member you can buy chickpeas on line for $7.49 an 8 pack. They will charge you $3 shipping unless you meet the minimum order. I am not sure, but I think $75 might be the minimum. Walmart has lots of dried garbanzo beans and some canned varieties. Be prepared for dented up cans from Walmart.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on November 30, 2020, 05:53:19 AM
hooplady, if you are a Costco member you can buy chickpeas on line for $7.49 an 8 pack. They will charge you $3 shipping unless you meet the minimum order. I am not sure, but I think $75 might be the minimum. Walmart has lots of dried garbanzo beans and some canned varieties. Be prepared for dented up cans from Walmart.
Ha! Last Costco trip, I grabbed a shrink wrapped 8-pack of black beans on (lazy) impulse. Every damn can is dented. Meh, we'll use them up fast enough and it's a bigger waste of resources to return them, but grrrr.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 30, 2020, 06:07:15 AM
Anytime I order cans from Walmart or Target they come dented. Walmart is number one the worst when it comes to securely packaging items. Target is a close second. Heaven forbid if you order something like spaghetti sauce in a glass jar! I have had total glass shards and goopy sauce at the bottom of the box. I now load up when I do curbside to avoid disaster.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on November 30, 2020, 07:06:03 AM
DH became vegan a couple months ago. I still have a huge amount of meats in my freezer. DS went away to college and did Nutrisystem 2 months ago and lost 23 pounds while away. He ordered another month last night.

I need to get rid of some meat to make room for the frozen Nutrisystem that is coming this month. My neighbors are almost all vegetarians. Upper crust first world pandemic problems for sure.

I’m about ready to post on my local Choose FI group to get rid of the extra meats.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 30, 2020, 07:37:24 AM
couponvan, you may already be aware of this but if not, you can buy Nutrisystem gift cards for $79.99 and the value is $100.

I personally have never bought them but have seen them offered.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: birdie55 on November 30, 2020, 10:40:55 AM
Sunhat,
According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, beets need to be pressure canned.  Bummer about your loss. 

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/beets.html
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on November 30, 2020, 11:12:07 AM
This fall, I tried water-bath canning beets without pickling them when a friend told me that they did it all the time when she was a kid, but unfortunately they've all gone off. Most of the seals are still intact, but they've gone murky and I'm not interested in risking botulism. I'll be throwing out all 30l today.  Pity.

On the plus side, the various vegetables that I dried for the first time have stored very well and have been making a great addition to soups.

You win some, you lose some! I count myself s fortunate to have a full enough pantry and bank account that the loss of the beets is more of an experiment gone wrong than a hardship.

Yeah, for most vegetables you either have to pickle them to bring down the pH or pressure-can them because the natural acid level isn't high enough to prevent microbial growth. That's a sad loss!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on November 30, 2020, 11:54:18 AM
couponvan, you may already be aware of this but if not, you can buy Nutrisystem gift cards for $79.99 and the value is $100.

I personally have never bought them but have seen them offered.
Yes, they come from Costco this way.  It works out to about $300/month, which is cheaper than the college meal plan that was offered, but still more than what a reasonable cost/self control would be.  It was nice he didn't really have to go to the grocery store other than for some minor fresh produce of which they have an open air market to buy from.  It reduced his temptation. 

At home, we have way to many crap snacks around that make it hard to control.  I know I should do better - but we went through the whole if we die from COVID routine.  LOL. Now we're more on the we need to be healthier in case we catch it fence, but we have two really skinny teenagers in the house who don't need low calorie.

OK - back to pandemic hoarding....
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on November 30, 2020, 02:56:42 PM
Quote
I lived for most of my childhood in a small community about an 8 hr drive north of Timmins.

I'm a bit of a map nerd, so I looked that up.  Holy cow, that's...um...north.

Our challenge is the amount the teenaged boy can eat...and the fact that he's the only one who can eat that way.  We noticed a few weeks ago that DS2 was getting a tiny bit chubby.  Didn't really think anything of it, because our kids basically would "chub up" for a week or two right before sprouting up.

Then he didn't sprout up like we expected...we came to realize that every time the teenager wanted a snack, he also wanted a snack.  Our snacks are generally less healthy now than 6 years ago when DS1 was this age...I was a lot stricter and we weren't all stuck together 24-7 in COVID-land.  Neither kid is getting as much exercise as normal (though we do stuff as a family and make them get exercise every day.)  I mean, on a normal school day, DS2 would play before school, morning recess, lunch recess, and after school program.  School lunches and snacks are super healthy.

So, we reverted back a bit to our old ways of ... you know, dessert night is Tuesday and Friday.  Yes, you can have nutella on toast for breakfast, but only 3 days a week.  Thirsty?  Have some water.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Villanelle on November 30, 2020, 05:22:51 PM
Quote
I lived for most of my childhood in a small community about an 8 hr drive north of Timmins.

I'm a bit of a map nerd, so I looked that up.  Holy cow, that's...um...north.

Our challenge is the amount the teenaged boy can eat...and the fact that he's the only one who can eat that way.  We noticed a few weeks ago that DS2 was getting a tiny bit chubby.  Didn't really think anything of it, because our kids basically would "chub up" for a week or two right before sprouting up.

Then he didn't sprout up like we expected...we came to realize that every time the teenager wanted a snack, he also wanted a snack.  Our snacks are generally less healthy now than 6 years ago when DS1 was this age...I was a lot stricter and we weren't all stuck together 24-7 in COVID-land.  Neither kid is getting as much exercise as normal (though we do stuff as a family and make them get exercise every day.)  I mean, on a normal school day, DS2 would play before school, morning recess, lunch recess, and after school program.  School lunches and snacks are super healthy.

So, we reverted back a bit to our old ways of ... you know, dessert night is Tuesday and Friday.  Yes, you can have nutella on toast for breakfast, but only 3 days a week.  Thirsty?  Have some water.

Covid has seen us develop a significat flavored water habit.  I'm okay with this because it's still essentially healthy, though it does cost more than tap water.  But I'm much happier drinking something with flavor.  Might this help satisfy the thirsty kids?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 01, 2020, 02:47:22 AM
Chickpea crisis averted, may have strayed slightly into the realm of hoarding. Target pickup went smoothly, so much so that I needed to kill time and ended up making a quick stop at Aldi (was trying to avoid visiting a store at all but oh well). Four cans at Target for $.59, and since there are currently no limits at Aldi (had been 4 per customer for a while), got a full dozen for $.50 each. Stocked up on garlic too.

Already flush with tahini so my hummus habit should be handled for several weeks.

hooplady, can you post your recipe for hummus? I buy chickpeas with that intention and then just don't. It is a bit out of my element but would like to try because when I buy it, already made, I do like it!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 01, 2020, 02:58:06 AM
@birdie55  , @OtherJen
I knew the guidance but still took a chance when a friend said that her parents just boiled the heck out of them when water-bath canning them plain when she was a kid. I'm normally a fervent rule-follower, but got a nerd's rush trying to see if I could boil my way around the guidelines. I won't be making that mistake again! Fastidious rule-following may not be adventurous, but it would have saved me a really gross afternoon of draining beet sludge!

(That friend is something of a superhero, but I'm not willing to get food poisoning to try to get her botulism-induced superpowers!)

Sun Hat, my Mom was an avid canner and she canned everything you can imagine and never had issues. She had a Ball canning book and followed the instructions to the letter. That was her bible. She would be in the kitchen, in August, with boiling pots of water and would can late into the evening hours. It was her pride and joy. She also won about 10 different ribbons at a local country fair for various canned items one summer. My advice is to pick up a Ball canning book! No shame in what you did because you learned from it...we all learn the hard way it seems! Buy your friend a copy of the Ball book too before she kills someone!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 01, 2020, 09:32:17 AM
Thanks hooplady, I wrote it down and would make it asap but alas, I have no tahini. So, that is on my list to buy! Thank you!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on December 01, 2020, 12:25:21 PM
I make hummus from dried beans regularly.  I haven’t noticed them taking more time than other dried beans. Usually I cook up 1.5-2.5 pounds and process it all in to hummus then I freeze it in 8-16 ounce containers. Easy to pull out the day before a long day and have lunch to go.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on December 01, 2020, 01:30:52 PM
Thanks hooplady, I wrote it down and would make it asap but alas, I have no tahini. So, that is on my list to buy! Thank you!

If you have a food processor and some sesame seeds (or if sesame seeds are easier to get than tahini), toss the sesame seeds into the food processor, blend them till smooth, and now you have tahini! Just like making nut butter. It could take several minutes and some pausing to scrape down the sides, depending on your machine, but it's an easy one-ingredient food!

Bonus: No need to clean the food processor after making sticky, gooey tahini if you're just going to make hummus right away!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on December 01, 2020, 02:25:49 PM
Chickpea crisis averted, may have strayed slightly into the realm of hoarding. Target pickup went smoothly, so much so that I needed to kill time and ended up making a quick stop at Aldi (was trying to avoid visiting a store at all but oh well). Four cans at Target for $.59, and since there are currently no limits at Aldi (had been 4 per customer for a while), got a full dozen for $.50 each. Stocked up on garlic too.

Already flush with tahini so my hummus habit should be handled for several weeks.

hooplady, can you post your recipe for hummus? I buy chickpeas with that intention and then just don't. It is a bit out of my element but would like to try because when I buy it, already made, I do like it!
@Roadrunner53

https://www.food.com/amp/recipe/cooks-illustrated-restaurant-style-hummus-380146

This is my favorite hummus recipe.  Easily can use dried chickpeas that you cook first.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 04, 2020, 01:09:12 PM
Still searching for Prime rib roasts. All I can find is PR roasts that are $12.99 a lb! Last year they were $5.99-$7.99 a lb.

Anyone having any luck finding sales?

The virus is really ramping up, anyone finding empty shelves in the stores? I am planning on a curbside grocery run maybe next week. I could put it off longer though.

I had an eye doc appointment yesterday but I cancelled it a few days before hand. I am just not comfortable to have the doc so close to my face doing the exam. Put it off till February. UGH, who knows how bad the virus will be by then.

Here is a good one! My shelf stable 8 oz. milks were on the verge of expiring so I froze them. Worked out perfectly. Last night I decided I needed two of them to make a sauce. I didn't plan this till the last minute and wanted the milk defrosted. So, I threw them in the microwave and set it for one minute. Well, that was a bad idea! Within a few seconds, the microwave was sparking and the containers were had charred edges then a fire started on the parchment paper I had in the microwave! I am shrieking a little hearing the popping then the fire. I opened the door and took out the milks then the parchment that was on fire and threw it in the sink! DUH to me, the containers are made of layers of some kind of plastic and aluminum material.  I knew this but totally forgot. So, lesson learned! Take it from me, defrost in warm water or take out to thaw earlier! Hahahaha! Thank goodness the microwave didn't conk out and I am even more thankful that I didn't leave the room like I have done a thousand times before when I start the microwave!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on December 04, 2020, 02:30:36 PM
My wife went grocery shopping this morning. She stopped at Costco to get gas (no line for a change). At 8:15 there was already a line of 100ish people lined up for what I believe is their early opening at 9:00 for seniors - regular opening is 10:00.

She went to another grocery store and there were some limits on things like 2 milks (we normally go through 4-5 gallons a week). She noted that almost all the frozen vegetables were sold out. Some of the more expensive organic brands were still in stock and a few less desirable things like collard greens. But regular peans, corn, green beans, etc. were basically all gone.

Our state (New Mexico) has been on a new lockdown for about two weeks as cases and deaths have increased about 5-8x in the last month or so. This despite having some of the most restrictive public health measures in the country since March. Grocery stores, even huge ones like Costco or a Walmart Supercenter, are now limited to 75 people max. And if more than 4 employees test positive for COVID they shut the store down for two weeks. Obviously with hundreds of employees that doesn't take much and in some cities where there are only 4-5 grocery stores to begin with, having 1-2 shut down and limiting the rest to 75 means lines out the door for an hour or more. My last trip to a Costco to stock-up two weeks ago was an hour and 15 minutes in line and they were only allowing one person per household - i.e. no parents with kids, no couples, just one per household so they could get a full 75 paying customers in at a time.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Villanelle on December 04, 2020, 03:11:56 PM
My wife went grocery shopping this morning. She stopped at Costco to get gas (no line for a change). At 8:15 there was already a line of 100ish people lined up for what I believe is their early opening at 9:00 for seniors - regular opening is 10:00.

She went to another grocery store and there were some limits on things like 2 milks (we normally go through 4-5 gallons a week). She noted that almost all the frozen vegetables were sold out. Some of the more expensive organic brands were still in stock and a few less desirable things like collard greens. But regular peans, corn, green beans, etc. were basically all gone.

Our state (New Mexico) has been on a new lockdown for about two weeks as cases and deaths have increased about 5-8x in the last month or so. This despite having some of the most restrictive public health measures in the country since March. Grocery stores, even huge ones like Costco or a Walmart Supercenter, are now limited to 75 people max. And if more than 4 employees test positive for COVID they shut the store down for two weeks. Obviously with hundreds of employees that doesn't take much and in some cities where there are only 4-5 grocery stores to begin with, having 1-2 shut down and limiting the rest to 75 means lines out the door for an hour or more. My last trip to a Costco to stock-up two weeks ago was an hour and 15 minutes in line and they were only allowing one person per household - i.e. no parents with kids, no couples, just one per household so they could get a full 75 paying customers in at a time.


Do you have Amazon Fresh available in your area?  It seems like it would be well worth it to avoid all that.  In my HCOL area, my very unscientific research with a very small sample size showed Fresh is actually cheaper for me than my local grocery store, or probably about the same once I add the tip in Fresh. 

There are very rarely limits on items.  I'm regularly buying produce and meat with no issues.  There were a few weeks in the very early days that meat was hard to come buy (random items, and often the expensive organic varieties were pretty much always available).  Mine even has toilet paper and paper towels currently available, several options. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 04, 2020, 03:24:33 PM
Still searching for Prime rib roasts. All I can find is PR roasts that are $12.99 a lb! Last year they were $5.99-$7.99 a lb.

Anyone having any luck finding sales?

The virus is really ramping up, anyone finding empty shelves in the stores? I am planning on a curbside grocery run maybe next week. I could put it off longer though.

I had an eye doc appointment yesterday but I cancelled it a few days before hand. I am just not comfortable to have the doc so close to my face doing the exam. Put it off till February. UGH, who knows how bad the virus will be by then.

Here is a good one! My shelf stable 8 oz. milks were on the verge of expiring so I froze them. Worked out perfectly. Last night I decided I needed two of them to make a sauce. I didn't plan this till the last minute and wanted the milk defrosted. So, I threw them in the microwave and set it for one minute. Well, that was a bad idea! Within a few seconds, the microwave was sparking and the containers were had charred edges then a fire started on the parchment paper I had in the microwave! I am shrieking a little hearing the popping then the fire. I opened the door and took out the milks then the parchment that was on fire and threw it in the sink! DUH to me, the containers are made of layers of some kind of plastic and aluminum material.  I knew this but totally forgot. So, lesson learned! Take it from me, defrost in warm water or take out to thaw earlier! Hahahaha! Thank goodness the microwave didn't conk out and I am even more thankful that I didn't leave the room like I have done a thousand times before when I start the microwave!

I haven't seen prime rib roasts as low as I found them before Thanksgiving, which was $4.99/#.  I bought 4 but never made it back for more.  Thanks for the tip on the Paula Dean cooking method -- we had a perfectly medium rare roast.  This week our Sprouts has the prime rib roasts for $8.99/#, which is more than I'm willing to pay since I still have 3 in the freezer.

Same grocer who had the $4.99 prime rib roast has choice beef chuck shoulder roasts for $2.99/# this week, another "lowest price of the year" and one I don't see often.  I'd have to go into the store to get that price, however -- it's $5.19/# using Instacart.  And I can't be sure they'll actually have it in stock.

I was planning a curbside pickup for mid-week, but Sprouts sent out a $10 coupon so I might do it Sunday (last day of coupon).  I'd need to place the order soon though -- usually I can get a slot within a couple of hours and already the earliest is middle of the day tomorrow.  I could easily wait though, and see if they send out another coupon.

DH managed to get his eye exam in October.  Mine isn't due until February, but I probably won't go until I've been vaccinated.  Out of the 4 of us, I'm the only one who managed to get to the dentist this year.  My 6 month exam was cancelled in March, and I went sometime this summer (time is lost on me right now).  All 3 guys decided not to go in May, then procrastinated over the summer and now they don't feel safe going.  DH had a coworker exposed at a different dentist last week.  He'd overheard them talking about a potluck, and sure enough this week he got the call that he'd been exposed and needs to quarantine.

I'm glad the microwaved milk fire wasn't any worse!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on December 04, 2020, 03:27:06 PM
I am reaping the benefits of my previous pandemic hoarding. ;-)

I went into Aldi towards the end of October, and I’m not going into the grocery store again until I’ve been vaccinated. We do pick up from Giant Eagle, and a produce box from the local coop.

GE was out of a lot of weird things last week but had reasonable substitutions. Scott tp was on sale and I ordered a 12 pack because we’d just finished one off, and they did have that.

When I buy a rib roast I get it from my neighborhood IGA. Alas, I’m not going in there (or anywhere else - they’ve been very good, really.)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 04, 2020, 04:16:19 PM
I'm battling anxiety regarding locks downs, safety, and food/paper goods shortages.  I keep telling myself we're fine, we have plenty of food, enough toilet paper and paper towels, etc. and I still find myself wanting to stock up.  I guess mostly I want that $2.99/# chuck roast, as I can see a long winter season (not in weather, just in how we feel) and beef stew sounds incredibly comforting.  But we don't have to have it.  Chances are our area of the state will go into a major lockdown Sunday, limiting all retail to 20% capacity, even the "essential businesses" like grocery stores.  I imagine the grocery stores are crazy busy today.

(I think the anxiety will abate some once we do get the order to go into a stay at home order, as I'll know for 3 weeks there's no reason to obsessively doom-scroll about it.)

I did a Costco order Wednesday, and they were still out of heavy cream.  I'm displeased about this, as I use it in our holiday cooking, and they have the Horizon brand which only has added gellan gum instead of polysorbate whatever and carrageenan.  I'd prefer Trader Joe's heavy cream most of all (no additives at all), but that store is far too crowded even with them supposedly adhering to reduced occupancy.  Aldi is also out of cream.

Target just cancelled a paper towel order I made two weeks ago.  I'm hoping they don't cancel my toilet paper order -- we really need to use the septic/sewer safe TP that dissolves easily and won't clog pipes.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 04, 2020, 04:17:33 PM
I am reaping the benefits of my previous pandemic hoarding. ;-)

I went into Aldi towards the end of October, and I’m not going into the grocery store again until I’ve been vaccinated. We do pick up from Giant Eagle, and a produce box from the local coop.

GE was out of a lot of weird things last week but had reasonable substitutions. Scott tp was on sale and I ordered a 12 pack because we’d just finished one off, and they did have that.

When I buy a rib roast I get it from my neighborhood IGA. Alas, I’m not going in there (or anywhere else - they’ve been very good, really.)

It's good to read this, Cranky, because I know I shouldn't go into a grocery store again until I've been vaccinated as well.  No sale is really worth getting Covid for.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on December 04, 2020, 06:49:20 PM
Grocery stores, even huge ones like Costco or a Walmart Supercenter, are now limited to 75 people max. And if more than 4 employees test positive for COVID they shut the store down for two weeks. Obviously with hundreds of employees that doesn't take much and in some cities where there are only 4-5 grocery stores to begin with, having 1-2 shut down and limiting the rest to 75 means lines out the door for an hour or more. My last trip to a Costco to stock-up two weeks ago was an hour and 15 minutes in line and they were only allowing one person per household - i.e. no parents with kids, no couples, just one per household so they could get a full 75 paying customers in at a time.

That sounds awful. The Costcos up here don't have the 75 person limit, and the limit is two people per household (though I have started to do two trips per visit, that is, I fill up one cart, check out, then do it again so that we have only one person exposed.)  I haven't been there for a few weeks because both nearby Costcos are now in areas exceeding 6% positivity rates.

Are there any food deliveries or farm shares in your area?  We get a Misfits box every two weeks, and I'm thinking of getting milk deliveries (which also deliver other fresh goods such as eggs, OJ, sausage, fresh bagels and cream cheese.) Not the cheapest option, but we can afford it for a few months and it will save us trips to the store.

The kids continue to be snacking scourges. At least hybrid school has started up again so they are out of the house a couple of times a weeks (and school lunch is free to every child in New York State for now, it's great).  Ordinarily we don't eat so much frozen or prepared food, but my time is disrupted a lot with remote schooling and volunteer work.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NotJen on December 04, 2020, 08:35:40 PM
The virus is really ramping up, anyone finding empty shelves in the stores? I am planning on a curbside grocery run maybe next week. I could put it off longer though.

I did my usual shop on Thursday morning, and I didn't see any empty shelves, even though things are ramping up in my area.  Meat was full, baking products were full, lots of everything (except cucumbers, shrug -- oh, and the one flavor of wet cat food my cat will eat).  The TP aisle was sparse, but there were still big packs available in several different brands.

I'm still shopping in person because my store is never crowded in the mornings.

I am trying out a Misfits box next week, thanks to a Black Friday 50% discount.  I haven't worked out how much more expensive it is than my normal veggie purchases, but they do seem to have some things right now that my local store doesn't.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 05, 2020, 03:50:22 AM
I don't know about all of you, but many times I buy a bag of potatoes and next thing I know they are soft, wrinkled and growing legs. If they are firm, I will cut off the uglies and use them. Once they are too far gone they go in the trash. I hate throwing them out but never seem to be able to keep on top of the tater situation. I was on Youtube and this woman demonstrated how you can freeze taters. What she did was have a big pot of boiling water on the stovetop. Then, into a basket she could lower into the pot of water she cut up the taters into 1/2 inch squares. She did about 2 lbs. per batch. She dropped the diced taters into the boiling water (in the basket) and waited till the water came back to a boil then timed it for 2 minutes. After that, she dropped the basket into a pot of cold water to quickly cool down the taters. Then after a minute or so, let the basket drain. She would cut up an onion into dices and a pepper into dices and add them to the ziplock with the potatoes. She would remove as much air as possible from the bag then put in the freezer. She said she would make potatoes O'Brian with them. She lets them defrost overnight in the ziplock in the fridge. Boiling the taters stops the enzyme activity which can cause the potatoes to turn brown while frozen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz5Zj2SOMpg

I have some taters that are in need of either eating or freezing so I might give this method a try.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 05, 2020, 04:07:26 AM
Poundwise, I am also getting Misfits. I like it so much more now that I can pick and choose what I want. I am not a big fan of kale or zucchini or many squashes and in the beginning you had no choice but to get the 'mystery box' of veggies and fruits. I tried to think outside the box on the kale and unusual stuff that I never buy but it got old and I still wasn't liking kale or squash all that much. Now that I can choose what goes in the box, it is really great. I get the Madness box every two weeks and I did have to throw one thing out due to not realizing it would go bad so quick. Now I know and will be aware of that. But other than that, I am using it all up and actually, have very little left and my next delivery isn't till next week. So, onto the frozen veggies.

WOW, K_in_the_kitchen $2.99 for chuck roast!!! I would figure out a way to grab up a few of those to stick in the freezer!

Glad the Paula Deen cooking method for prime rib came out for you! We have used it for years and for us, it is the only one we will use. The Hub sometimes puts a coffee rub on the outside and always sticks garlic into it. Now, if I can only find some of these prime ribs without breaking the bank!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NotJen on December 05, 2020, 05:42:57 AM
I have some taters that are in need of either eating or freezing so I might give this method a try.

I used to freeze potatoes when I had a lot from my CSA, or when one was too big for the individual serving I wanted.  Just parboil or even par-cook in the microwave, and freeze  - cut to whatever size you want to use later.  I’ve also frozen a tray of mashed potatoes, which heats up well in the oven.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on December 05, 2020, 07:33:14 AM
I don't know about all of you, but many times I buy a bag of potatoes and next thing I know they are soft, wrinkled and growing legs. If they are firm, I will cut off the uglies and use them. Once they are too far gone they go in the trash. I hate throwing them out but never seem to be able to keep on top of the tater situation.

Do you store onions in the same location as your potatoes? Since I found a separate location, my potatoes last longer (though they still occasionally go bad). Many also say that storing an apple with your potatoes helps a lot; I may have tried it in the past but probably let the apple go bad and stopped.  Has to do with plant hormones.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on December 05, 2020, 07:42:53 AM
Poundwise, I am also getting Misfits. I like it so much more now that I can pick and choose what I want. I am not a big fan of kale or zucchini or many squashes and in the beginning you had no choice but to get the 'mystery box' of veggies and fruits. I tried to think outside the box on the kale and unusual stuff that I never buy but it got old and I still wasn't liking kale or squash all that much. Now that I can choose what goes in the box, it is really great. I get the Madness box every two weeks and I did have to throw one thing out due to not realizing it would go bad so quick. Now I know and will be aware of that. But other than that, I am using it all up and actually, have very little left and my next delivery isn't till next week. So, onto the frozen veggies.

Same!  It was the jicamas that broke me down.  We tried one and didn't like it... I think we ended up throwing out three jicamas which is wasteful. With kale, I do a very good winter greens soup from Annie Somerville's Field of Greens cookbook.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5150aca3e4b0b73e823496d6/t/51c38482e4b09752bb438325/1371767938079/WinterGreensSoup+%281%29.pdf
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 05, 2020, 07:58:18 AM
I don't know about all of you, but many times I buy a bag of potatoes and next thing I know they are soft, wrinkled and growing legs. If they are firm, I will cut off the uglies and use them. Once they are too far gone they go in the trash. I hate throwing them out but never seem to be able to keep on top of the tater situation.

Do you store onions in the same location as your potatoes? Since I found a separate location, my potatoes last longer (though they still occasionally go bad). Many also say that storing an apple with your potatoes helps a lot; I may have tried it in the past but probably let the apple go bad and stopped.  Has to do with plant hormones.

Yes, potatoes and onions are in close proximity. Really have no where else to store them. I will try an apple. My luck it will rot and attract fruit flies!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on December 05, 2020, 08:12:24 AM
@Roadrunner53 Yeah, the onions are ruining your potatoes.  Is it possible you could hang the onions from a hook somewhere farther from the potatoes?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 05, 2020, 08:18:47 AM
@Roadrunner53 Yeah, the onions are ruining your potatoes.  Is it possible you could hang the onions from a hook somewhere farther from the potatoes?

Mmmm, will have to think about that!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on December 05, 2020, 11:35:38 AM
I don't know about all of you, but many times I buy a bag of potatoes and next thing I know they are soft, wrinkled and growing legs. If they are firm, I will cut off the uglies and use them. Once they are too far gone they go in the trash. I hate throwing them out but never seem to be able to keep on top of the tater situation. I was on Youtube and this woman demonstrated how you can freeze taters. What she did was have a big pot of boiling water on the stovetop. Then, into a basket she could lower into the pot of water she cut up the taters into 1/2 inch squares. She did about 2 lbs. per batch. She dropped the diced taters into the boiling water (in the basket) and waited till the water came back to a boil then timed it for 2 minutes. After that, she dropped the basket into a pot of cold water to quickly cool down the taters. Then after a minute or so, let the basket drain. She would cut up an onion into dices and a pepper into dices and add them to the ziplock with the potatoes. She would remove as much air as possible from the bag then put in the freezer. She said she would make potatoes O'Brian with them. She lets them defrost overnight in the ziplock in the fridge. Boiling the taters stops the enzyme activity which can cause the potatoes to turn brown while frozen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz5Zj2SOMpg

I have some taters that are in need of either eating or freezing so I might give this method a try.
That is what we do with potatoes. We use the fresh ones for a while and as they start getting a little older and we think they are nearing the peak we cut them up and thrown them into boiling water for 2 mins, into an ice bath then vacuum pack them and into the freezer they go. (FYI do not vacuum pack with onions the onions and garlic are not able to be vacuum packed unless cooked)

We use them for breakfast skillets or in the oven with EVOO and some spices.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on December 05, 2020, 12:00:07 PM
This weeks theme - the Grocery gods giveth and the grocery gods taketh. Blessed be the grocery gods.

 Kroger curbside has been pretty good most of the time but seems like the grocery stores are getting pummeled in my area probably due to record deaths, record case counts and non essential things getting capacity cut back.

This weeks order I received most of what I ordered (even paper towels) but the quality was horrible.

Celery was soft like rubber and had mold / rot all over it, romaine lettuce was black and rotting and 2 of the 4 cans I ordered had a huge dents in the side like someone had stomped the side of them.

Called the store and they said sorry, we would be happy to replace them or refund but you have to go into the store and to customer service. I thought about it but it was under $4 so it did not seem worth the risk / effort.

Upon reviewing my receipt to see how if it was worth going in I noticed they did not charge me for the ~ $12 worth of  chuck roast.

—- still in need of celery for batch cooking today Kroger was out 2 days and I do not trust that I will get decent celery so placed an order with Walmart.

Was able to get everything I needed and when I got home i noticed there was a 5 lb bag of oranges that I did not order or pay for. Called them and they said I could keep them.

Blessed be the grocery gods


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 05, 2020, 12:33:55 PM
the_fixer I am surprised that they wouldn't refund you over the phone. I have had issues with things delivered to my house thru Peapod division of Stop & Shop and they have always refunded me. You should call again later in the day and get someone else on the phone. Or ask for a manager. It does make you wonder if things are flying off the shelves, how you could get rotten veggies! Seems it would be fresh as could be. The one time I was totally disgusted is when I got ground meat and it was brown and red. It had an old smell to it too. I am totally convinced that they took old meat and mixed it with new and sold it to me. I was not going to eat that meat no way, no how! I called them up and told them exactly what I thought about it and was promptly refunded. I also order veggies from Misfits and have ordered from Imperfect foods. I have had many mishaps with Imperfect foods. Missing items, boxes delivered a day late in the summer and the meat was warm. I called them up, complained and they were so good and refunded me too. They were having growing pains I think. The delivery service is a well known one and for some reason they just didn't care that the package had perishables and just decided to deliver when it suited them. Imperfect foods selects the delivery day and the delivery company is supposed to abide by it. They must have crabbed to them because my packages started arriving on the correct date and no warm stuff. This of course was during the summer when temps went to 90 degrees for days on end. Ice packs only last so long!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 05, 2020, 01:54:08 PM
This weeks theme - the Grocery gods giveth and the grocery gods taketh. Blessed be the grocery gods.

 Kroger curbside has been pretty good most of the time but seems like the grocery stores are getting pummeled in my area probably due to record deaths, record case counts and non essential things getting capacity cut back.

This weeks order I received most of what I ordered (even paper towels) but the quality was horrible.

Celery was soft like rubber and had mold / rot all over it, romaine lettuce was black and rotting and 2 of the 4 cans I ordered had a huge dents in the side like someone had stomped the side of them.

Called the store and they said sorry, we would be happy to replace them or refund but you have to go into the store and to customer service. I thought about it but it was under $4 so it did not seem worth the risk / effort.

Upon reviewing my receipt to see how if it was worth going in I noticed they did not charge me for the ~ $12 worth of  chuck roast.

—- still in need of celery for batch cooking today Kroger was out 2 days and I do not trust that I will get decent celery so placed an order with Walmart.

Was able to get everything I needed and when I got home i noticed there was a 5 lb bag of oranges that I did not order or pay for. Called them and they said I could keep them.

Blessed be the grocery gods


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In the early months of the pandemic we ordered our produce from a local business, which is a combination produce wholesaler / deli sandwich shop / prepped produce and meal kit company.  During the pandemic they added in retail produce (not prepped) and then other perishables and staples.  Without a doubt, the produce was fresher than what we could buy at the grocery store in non-pandemic times.  Once we returned to going to stores I was surprised by the lower quality of produce during the pandemic, which has been even worse when someone else is choosing for us.

The local place is more expensive, but we may very well return to them if produce goes farther downhill this winter.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on December 05, 2020, 01:56:48 PM
the_fixer I am surprised that they wouldn't refund you over the phone. I have had issues with things delivered to my house thru Peapod division of Stop & Shop and they have always refunded me. You should call again later in the day and get someone else on the phone. Or ask for a manager.

I am sure if I persisted or asked to speak to a manager they would have done it over the phone. I know they did it a few years back when I arrived at home to find my steak and salmon did not make it back to the cart while being bagged.

With everything that is going on in the world it just did not seem worth pushing the issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on December 05, 2020, 01:58:12 PM
This weeks theme - the Grocery gods giveth and the grocery gods taketh. Blessed be the grocery gods.

 Kroger curbside has been pretty good most of the time but seems like the grocery stores are getting pummeled in my area probably due to record deaths, record case counts and non essential things getting capacity cut back.

This weeks order I received most of what I ordered (even paper towels) but the quality was horrible.

Celery was soft like rubber and had mold / rot all over it, romaine lettuce was black and rotting and 2 of the 4 cans I ordered had a huge dents in the side like someone had stomped the side of them.

Called the store and they said sorry, we would be happy to replace them or refund but you have to go into the store and to customer service. I thought about it but it was under $4 so it did not seem worth the risk / effort.

Upon reviewing my receipt to see how if it was worth going in I noticed they did not charge me for the ~ $12 worth of  chuck roast.

—- still in need of celery for batch cooking today Kroger was out 2 days and I do not trust that I will get decent celery so placed an order with Walmart.

Was able to get everything I needed and when I got home i noticed there was a 5 lb bag of oranges that I did not order or pay for. Called them and they said I could keep them.

Blessed be the grocery gods


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In the early months of the pandemic we ordered our produce from a local business, which is a combination produce wholesaler / deli sandwich shop / prepped produce and meal kit company.  During the pandemic they added in retail produce (not prepped) and then other perishables and staples.  Without a doubt, the produce was fresher than what we could buy at the grocery store in non-pandemic times.  Once we returned to going to stores I was surprised by the lower quality of produce during the pandemic, which has been even worse when someone else is choosing for us.

The local place is more expensive, but we may very well return to them if produce goes farther downhill this winter.
Good to know, I will have to see if I can find a place like that but not really sure where to look.


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 05, 2020, 04:24:20 PM
Poundwise, I am also getting Misfits. I like it so much more now that I can pick and choose what I want. I am not a big fan of kale or zucchini or many squashes and in the beginning you had no choice but to get the 'mystery box' of veggies and fruits. I tried to think outside the box on the kale and unusual stuff that I never buy but it got old and I still wasn't liking kale or squash all that much. Now that I can choose what goes in the box, it is really great. I get the Madness box every two weeks and I did have to throw one thing out due to not realizing it would go bad so quick. Now I know and will be aware of that. But other than that, I am using it all up and actually, have very little left and my next delivery isn't till next week. So, onto the frozen veggies.

WOW, K_in_the_kitchen $2.99 for chuck roast!!! I would figure out a way to grab up a few of those to stick in the freezer!

Glad the Paula Deen cooking method for prime rib came out for you! We have used it for years and for us, it is the only one we will use. The Hub sometimes puts a coffee rub on the outside and always sticks garlic into it. Now, if I can only find some of these prime ribs without breaking the bank!

We bought 14 roasts, for a total of 32# (they weren't that big) / $94.  After I wrapped and bagged them I realized I could have bought twice as many and still fit them into the freezer.

I wasn't going to go out, but I really wanted these roasts.  So I doubled masked, took my hand sanitizer, and told myself I wouldn't stay if there was a long line to get in or if it was crowded.  DH offered to come with but I didn't see any reason to have two of us go.  No line, and while it wasn't empty, it wasn't Saturday busy, either.  It was easy to stay socially distant, and I was able to get out in under 30 minutes (a threshold I've seen referenced).  There was plenty of meat in the cases, although I didn't look to check varieties.  TP and paper towels were sparse, but not non-existent.  I didn't go down every aisle, but I didn't see any obvious empty spots.  Oh, except for lard -- no lard.  It's tamale making season, so I suppose that's why, but I was a bit bummed.  DH did a Whole30 in November and I was thinking we'd fry our annual New Year's Eve tacos in lard since he isn't eating corn oil.

They even had 91% isopropyl alcohol, which the guys use for bike maintenance and electronics.  I saw hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, but I didn't need any.  They had heavy cream (with polysorbate 80, but at this point I give in).  And I remembered to get mineral oil for the cutting boards so I wouldn't have to pay outrageous online prices.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MustacheExplorer on December 07, 2020, 02:53:31 PM
Anytime I order cans from Walmart or Target they come dented. Walmart is number one the worst when it comes to securely packaging items. Target is a close second. Heaven forbid if you order something like spaghetti sauce in a glass jar! I have had total glass shards and goopy sauce at the bottom of the box. I now load up when I do curbside to avoid disaster.

I think Walmart ships cans that are already dented.  I usually  have to go through a few cans to find an undented one on the shelves inside the store.  I don't understand why that is.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 07, 2020, 02:59:40 PM
MustacheExplorer, In my case, they just throw a bunch of cans in the bottom of the box with one air filled tiny pillow. No cardboard to protect anything, no dividers, no attempt at all to try to protect anything. Just one big box of cans smashing into each other for their long journey. When they arrive it looks like they shoveled them out of a bombed out building. Fortunately, I am stocked up and when I need more stuff, I will get it thru curbside shopping or Costco. Costco sells the cans in six packs or 8 packs bundled together so they are not smashing around in the box.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on December 07, 2020, 03:49:07 PM
Meanwhile, I've ordered pillows from Amazon a couple of times recently, and they came packed in a big box with... air pillows. So that my pillows... don't break on the way here...?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on December 07, 2020, 04:22:41 PM
I was forced to return some broken pillows just the other day.  They bounced around too much in the box.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MyAlterEgoIsTaller on December 07, 2020, 05:08:20 PM
Yesterday I got an Amazon package that had 2 big stickers on the box saying that it could not be shipped by airplane, due to containing lithium batteries. It was my order if yarn and vitamins. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 07, 2020, 07:26:26 PM
My regional chain is doing another "lowest prices of the year" sale on meat.

Beef Rib Rib-Eye Roast Bone-in (Standing Rib Roast) $4.99/#
Whole Trip Tip, Trimmed $3.99/#
Bone-in NY Steak $3.99/#
Pork Shoulder Butt 99¢/#
B/S Chicken Breast 99¢/#

But ... none of these are marked "Choice" in the ad.  Indeed, inside the ad the have Choice Beef Rib Bone-In Rib-Eye Roast for $8.99/#.  So these aren't exactly the lowest prices if they aren't Choice, because we've had these prices for Choice beef in the past year.  It is the lowest price for pork butt and b/s chicken breast.

I don't think it's enough to tempt me into the store.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on December 07, 2020, 07:31:18 PM
MustacheExplorer, In my case, they just throw a bunch of cans in the bottom of the box with one air filled tiny pillow. No cardboard to protect anything, no dividers, no attempt at all to try to protect anything. Just one big box of cans smashing into each other for their long journey. When they arrive it looks like they shoveled them out of a bombed out building. Fortunately, I am stocked up and when I need more stuff, I will get it thru curbside shopping or Costco. Costco sells the cans in six packs or 8 packs bundled together so they are not smashing around in the box.
I think I mentioned upthread that I recently bought an eight-pack of black beans at Costco and every damn can was dented. I just grabbed a random case when I was there and never imagined what horrors the shrink wrap and cardboard were hiding. I could return them, but the waste would be ridiculous. We'll just make a concerted effort to use them up, which is of course, the opposite of why I bought them.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on December 07, 2020, 08:29:48 PM
I learned from volunteering at a food bank that dented cans are okay as long as the dent isn’t so long or deep that it comes to a point at the ends or as long as the sealed area isn’t dented.  These are more likely to cause tiny holes that allow air in and can cause bacteria to grow.  A modest, shallow dent on the side isn’t likely to be harmful.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Sibley on December 07, 2020, 08:52:15 PM
I was curious and checked. Last grocery store trip was mid October. Since then, I've gone to the little corner store type place about every 2 weeks for milk, and once to the local butcher for a turkey. I do need to go to the store before Christmas, because I'm getting chocolate for some gifts. I plan to restock at that point, then hopefully ride it out til February. Or March. We'll see.

I have been going to the pet store regularly, but I have determined that the cat has a problem with fish! Trial and error requires frequent trips. I should be able to stock up now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on December 07, 2020, 11:48:45 PM
I learned from volunteering at a food bank that dented cans are okay as long as the dent isn’t so long or deep that it comes to a point at the ends or as long as the sealed area isn’t dented.  These are more likely to cause tiny holes that allow air in and can cause bacteria to grow.  A modest, shallow dent on the side isn’t likely to be harmful.
The hyperbole was in response to...hyperbole. My intent in purchasing them was to keep them on hand as back up food, not something to be consumed quickly. Also, some of the dents are on the rims, not the sides of the cans, ergo, IMO, more likely to be problematic. Instead of a little convenience food splurge, I have eight dented cans. Well, seven now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on December 08, 2020, 05:39:59 AM
I’ve had a good experience ordering a huge variety of food stuff from target and a little bit from Walmart. I try not to order glass but the couple times I have it came intact. Someone upthread mentioned that quite a few target staples aren’t available for shipping right now. That’s hurting me too!  I’m hoping it’s not a permanent change. We don’t have any pick up options locally and being able to supplement grocery trips with target orders is really helpful. We also find some nice variety there that we can’t buy locally.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 08, 2020, 05:50:34 AM
I’ve had a good experience ordering a huge variety of food stuff from target and a little bit from Walmart. I try not to order glass but the couple times I have it came intact. Someone upthread mentioned that quite a few target staples aren’t available for shipping right now. That’s hurting me too!  I’m hoping it’s not a permanent change. We don’t have any pick up options locally and being able to supplement grocery trips with target orders is really helpful. We also find some nice variety there that we can’t buy locally.

Boxed is a pretty good place to order from too. Mostly bulk type purchases. https://www.boxed.com/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SquashingDebt on December 08, 2020, 06:22:18 AM
I learned from volunteering at a food bank that dented cans are okay as long as the dent isn’t so long or deep that it comes to a point at the ends or as long as the sealed area isn’t dented.  These are more likely to cause tiny holes that allow air in and can cause bacteria to grow.  A modest, shallow dent on the side isn’t likely to be harmful.

That's helpful to know!  What do you mean by "sealed area"?  The edges where the top meets the sides?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on December 08, 2020, 09:40:48 AM
I learned from volunteering at a food bank that dented cans are okay as long as the dent isn’t so long or deep that it comes to a point at the ends or as long as the sealed area isn’t dented.  These are more likely to cause tiny holes that allow air in and can cause bacteria to grow.  A modest, shallow dent on the side isn’t likely to be harmful.



That's helpful to know!  What do you mean by "sealed area"?  The edges where the top meets the sides?

Yes, the rims.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 09, 2020, 04:15:13 PM
So, tomorrow starts a new sale at one of our grocery stores and Prime Rib Roast is on sale for $4.99 a lb! I plan to pick up around 4 of them so we can eat them during the year. They seem to be on sale only once a year so now is the time to get a few to tuck away.

I have a curbside grocery order in at another store and will swing by the other store to pick up the prime ribs and a few other things on sale. Really don't want to go into the store but they don't have curbside. I am going early so there should not be many people in the store. I want to get in and out as fast as possible! I will be armed with my alcohol wipes!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on December 09, 2020, 04:35:01 PM
Rib roasts go on sale here at Easter, too.

Not going in any stores here.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 09, 2020, 06:06:35 PM
So, tomorrow starts a new sale at one of our grocery stores and Prime Rib Roast is on sale for $4.99 a lb! I plan to pick up around 4 of them so we can eat them during the year. They seem to be on sale only once a year so now is the time to get a few to tuck away.

I have a curbside grocery order in at another store and will swing by the other store to pick up the prime ribs and a few other things on sale. Really don't want to go into the store but they don't have curbside. I am going early so there should not be many people in the store. I want to get in and out as fast as possible! I will be armed with my alcohol wipes!

Woohoo! I'm so glad for you that you finally found the roasts at a good price!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 09, 2020, 06:16:08 PM
Rib roasts go on sale here at Easter, too.

Not going in any stores here.

Same here, I do expect them to go on sale at Easter.  But unless I've been fully vaccinated including the necessary waiting periods, I won't be going into the store to buy them.  With a fairly early Easter in 2021 and a huge population, I'm not holding my breath.  While I'm glad I got chuck roast for $2.99 last week, I've decided not to look at the sales ads anymore, except for Sprouts if I'm ordering that week.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 10, 2020, 09:35:28 AM
Got my Prime Rib Roasts. Bought 4 of them. They were nice looking but not as big as I had hoped. They only had 5+ and under. No 6 or 7 lb. ones. Today was the first day of the sale and I was early to the store. They didn't seem in any hurry to fill the meat counter with various sizes. Oh, well, will be some good eating!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on December 10, 2020, 11:57:27 AM
For future reference, I’d ask at the meat department for a larger roast if that’s what you’re looking for. They are used to people wanting a specific size for holidays.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 10, 2020, 12:25:27 PM
For future reference, I’d ask at the meat department for a larger roast if that’s what you’re looking for. They are used to people wanting a specific size for holidays.

Yes, this is true but I wanted to get in and out of there as quickly as possible.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Villanelle on December 10, 2020, 03:13:27 PM
For future reference, I’d ask at the meat department for a larger roast if that’s what you’re looking for. They are used to people wanting a specific size for holidays.

Yes, this is true but I wanted to get in and out of there as quickly as possible.
  Pre-Covid, I've called ahead and asked them if they had a certain size of a certain cut available.  They were willing to set it aside for me for a short while to give me time to come in.  Did this with a large beef tenderloin one year.  It was a size (very large) they didn't usually cut, but they had the larger pieces so they set them aside for me to pick up. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 11, 2020, 01:44:40 PM
hooplady, can you post your recipe for hummus? I buy chickpeas with that intention and then just don't. It is a bit out of my element but would like to try because when I buy it, already made, I do like it!
It's one of those things that I've been making forever so I don't measure most of the ingredients but here's my best guesstimate.

Two 15-oz cans of chickpeas/garbanzos. Drain and reserve the liquid from one can, add back as much as needed to bring to consistency of your liking.
1/4 -1/2 cup tahini
4-5 garlic cloves (note - I like it pretty garlicky!)
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbl olive oil
splash of lemon juice

Whomp it all together. I finally splurged on a Blendtec but in the past I've used a regular blender or a food processor. Heck, when I first started I was taught to make it by hand, smashing the chickpeas with a glass jar; this creates a very lumpy hummus which is how I prefer it, I find most Americanized versions to be too runny. Hope you like it!

Hooplady just made your hummus recipe and it came out very good! Thank you! Finally got the Tahini yesterday. Now my question is does tahini need refrigeration? My can says nothing about refrigeration so I assume it is like peanut butter and doesn't need it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Aegishjalmur on December 11, 2020, 07:04:57 PM
A trick we learned for making really creamy hummus(Either from canned or dried chick peas)- Boil the chick peas until you can remove the skins, then blend them.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on December 11, 2020, 07:18:35 PM
A trick we learned for making really creamy hummus(Either from canned or dried chick peas)- Boil the chick peas until you can remove the skins, then blend them.

Protip:  Blend into hummus while the chickpeas are still boiling hot and you don't need to remove the skins.  Makes very smooth hummus.  If you wait until they cool, the skins kill the smoothness.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on December 12, 2020, 07:23:12 AM
A trick we learned for making really creamy hummus(Either from canned or dried chick peas)- Boil the chick peas until you can remove the skins, then blend them.

Protip:  Blend into hummus while the chickpeas are still boiling hot and you don't need to remove the skins.  Makes very smooth hummus.  If you wait until they cool, the skins kill the smoothness.

Another "creamy hummus" tip I learned from chef Dreena Burton: Add a few ice cubes at the very end of blending. Seems crazy, but it works.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on December 12, 2020, 07:51:00 AM
Yesterday was the first time that I have ever seen a complete absence of paper towels at Costco. Aldi only had a few two-roll packs. Apparently paper towels are the trendy paper product for hoarding this fall.

Food seemed to be in good supply at both stores, though, except for the lack of rotisserie chickens at Costco at 11 am on a weekday.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on December 12, 2020, 07:58:18 AM
A trick we learned for making really creamy hummus(Either from canned or dried chick peas)- Boil the chick peas until you can remove the skins, then blend them.

Protip:  Blend into hummus while the chickpeas are still boiling hot and you don't need to remove the skins.  Makes very smooth hummus.  If you wait until they cool, the skins kill the smoothness.

Another "creamy hummus" tip I learned from chef Dreena Burton: Add a few ice cubes at the very end of blending. Seems crazy, but it works.
That probably works better if you have a really good blender... I'll show myself out.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on December 12, 2020, 08:42:40 AM
A trick we learned for making really creamy hummus(Either from canned or dried chick peas)- Boil the chick peas until you can remove the skins, then blend them.

Protip:  Blend into hummus while the chickpeas are still boiling hot and you don't need to remove the skins.  Makes very smooth hummus.  If you wait until they cool, the skins kill the smoothness.

Another "creamy hummus" tip I learned from chef Dreena Burton: Add a few ice cubes at the very end of blending. Seems crazy, but it works.
That probably works better if you have a really good blender... I'll show myself out.

Maybe I should have said "at the end of processing," since I use a food processor. Even though I have a Vitamix (now I'll be the one showing myself out), I find that hummus just works better for me in the food processor, even in the $25 one I had before the current fancy-pants one (which was a gift... okay, I'm leaving...).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 12, 2020, 09:41:42 AM
I did refrigerate my tahini but will take it out. I can imagine it will be hard to handle.

I used my ninja blender container and used canned chickpeas. I didn't even notice any skins when I poured them out of the cans! They looked very smooth. Once blended, I never saw any skins either.

I may add cayenne pepper next time to jazz it up.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on December 12, 2020, 10:39:04 AM
We are facing a steep increase in Covid cases where I live, combined with empty shelves in stores because of supply chain issues - farmers are blocking distribution centers because they feel they don't get paid enough for their products. I know the farmers are right about that and I support them, it's very painful to see many farmers going under while supermarkets make even bigger profits than they normally do. They have been blocking locations on and off for a year. But with Christmas and Covid coming up I feel this is a big risk. There's talk about a stricter lockdown which in itself already causes an increase in hoarding, and this may increase hoarding even more, and all those people in stores are great for the virus.

We talked about how ethical keeping supplies on hand is. So just for clarity: I don't support panic buying and clearing out shelves. I do believe in keeping at least a couple of weeks of food on hand, bought over a longer period of time during which there are no shortages, and in donating food or money to those who are food insecure. Especially with Christmas coming up. I've been donating money to various charities and my Christmas card to a friend who uses the food bank will include a gift card to a supermarket.  I am staying home myself and not going into any stores.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on December 13, 2020, 05:44:31 AM
They have been blocking locations on and off for a year.

Wow, Imma, I had no idea that farmers were protesting in Europe! Farmers' protests in India are big news here, but I had missed rumblings from Europe.

A local story forecasted a 5-7% increase in vegetable prices here next year, partly because of COVID, and partly because of climate change. The idea makes me shudder, as produce is already quite expensive here. I fear that it's going to put healthy eating even further out of reach of a lot of people. I already grow a vegetable garden at home, but whenever I read about supply chain issues and steep price increases, I get a fear response in my gut that tells me to move to the country so that I can have a bigger garden and grow enough to give to family and food banks. It's not an entirely rational feeling, since I have no experience in agriculture beyond a few years of tending a backyard plot.

Does anyone else have "back to the land" instincts when reading bad news?

The farmers protests have been going on for a while in the Netherlands, even pre-pandemic. They're pissed off at supermarkets because they don't pay enough and abuse their power, and they're angry at the government because of new environmental policy. That policy is necessary and I completely support it but it's unfair to ask farmers to pay the bill.

I'm from a rural background, my family used to farm, so I totally get your back to the land feelings. I've always felt that, but land is extremely expensive here so it's not happening. I already have a veggie patch.

In my country, produce, meat and dairy are all extremely cheap. We are very good at growing lots of food and it's a big export product. But feeding out entire continent is damaging our air and soil, so something needs to be done. In the past, farmers were pressured by the government and banks to expand, expand, expand, which caused lower and lower prices and bigger loans. Many farmers feel backed into a corner by government regulations, banks and supermarkets. My family was lucky to walk away with empty hands instead of debts after farming at that farm for a century.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Queen Frugal on December 13, 2020, 10:04:26 AM

Does anyone else have "back to the land" instincts when reading bad news?

I occasionally yearn to grow my own but I have tried gardening and determined I like the idea of gardening way more than I like actual gardening. Come summer, I want to be out hiking or traveling. Not tending a garden.

Luckily I do like cooking.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I did a lot of stocking up when prices were at a premium and supplies were low. I felt like I was going to waste a lot more money buying food with the pandemic. I bought a deep freeze and some storage buckets so I could buy more things in bulk.

Over the summer, I casually continued to stock up until I had roughly a 3 month supply of non-perishables.

I am pleasantly surprised that now I am saving money and TIME buying food. I am shopping in person but only every two weeks. I have never managed to wait two weeks before grocery store visits as I can't figure out how to make produce last that long. But now that I have done it and become use to it, it's fine. It's comfortable. It's normal.

I am saving money by buying many staples with long shelf life in bulk and also stocking up on items with a long shelf life while they are on sale. In the past, I bought things only as I needed them. Now that I am all stocked up, I am seeing a big difference in my grocery bill. It's great!

We are such creatures of habit when it comes to eating. I love knowing how other people shop, cook, and eat. It helps me think outside of the box. Love this forum for getting a glimpse of all of your food consumption habits.

A few years ago, I was staying in a hostel in Costa Rica. I loved watching what other travelers cooked and ate. The girl who I remember best was maybe 18, all on her own from Germany. She said she didn't have any money but she wanted to see the world so she ate cheap. She only ate once a day. The first night she arrived she was tired and hadn't gone shopping so she ate 1/2 a bag of boiled rice. Just rice. And ate every bite. The next day she boiled 3 potatoes and a head of broccoli. I try to keep her habits in mind when shopping and eating, but changing my own habits has still been hard.

Pandemic has helped with that. A sliver of a silver lining.



Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on December 13, 2020, 10:36:19 AM
@Sun Hat, I understand your fear, but there are a lot easier ways to deal with it than buying a rural property!  With the money you would save from such a purchase alone (actual property cost, transaction fees, survey fees, maintenance costs etc.), you can buy LOTS of food.  Plus, if you buy through CSAs, you're helping already rural folks stay on the land and make an income.  Eating in-season produce goes a long way to saving money too.  Buy meat directly from farmers, same for eggs.  I live in the same area as you, and there are many options out there beyond grocery stores.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 13, 2020, 01:24:42 PM
Sun Hat, maybe you could find room on your current property to put in a green house to grow things in the winter months.

My grandparents had a farm in KY and lived a very rustic life. Outhouse, no running water. They had to pull water out of the well in buckets. To me it was a horrid life but they managed to raise 6 children. One thing I was told by my Mom is that they had a root cellar and stored stuff in there. I have no idea how that works but here is an article I found on alternative root cellar ideas: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2015/10/root-cellar-alternatives.html

If you were to buy a large quantity from a farm, maybe you could use some of the above methods in the article to store the veggies.

There are some people I watch on Youtube that have farm and grow most of their food. They freeze, can foods, dehydrate foods and now they are into freeze drying foods. They bought a small freeze dryer. The shelf life of freeze dried foods is the longest of most methods. These people have a lot of video's and are very interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2Z56JFObqI

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on December 13, 2020, 01:53:23 PM
We are at our “new house” now and will be here for a month, so of course we need a zillion things. I got to try two new Curbside pickups!

Target was very smooth and I will definitely use that again for household items.

HyVee has a great operation where they take the assembled orders to a sort of outbuilding and you drive up there to collect them. There was a steady stream of cars when we went, so they are clearly doing a brisk pickup business.

It was a little different from my usual store, which requires you to approve every substitution. HyVee let me check “any substitution” and then you got the lowest price, which was great. I’ll do that again, too - probably tomorrow. LOL We keep thinking of things we need.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 13, 2020, 02:26:29 PM
Sun Hat, maybe you could find room on your current property to put in a green house to grow things in the winter months.

My grandparents had a farm in KY and lived a very rustic life. Outhouse, no running water. They had to pull water out of the well in buckets. To me it was a horrid life but they managed to raise 6 children. One thing I was told by my Mom is that they had a root cellar and stored stuff in there. I have no idea how that works but here is an article I found on alternative root cellar ideas: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2015/10/root-cellar-alternatives.html

If you were to buy a large quantity from a farm, maybe you could use some of the above methods in the article to store the veggies.

There are some people I watch on Youtube that have farm and grow most of their food. They freeze, can foods, dehydrate foods and now they are into freeze drying foods. They bought a small freeze dryer. The shelf life of freeze dried foods is the longest of most methods. These people have a lot of video's and are very interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2Z56JFObqI

While I disagree with the DeVraes family's attempt to trademark the term "Urban Homestead", I do admire what they've done with their 1/5 acre home lot in Pasadena, CA (1/10 acre as garden plot).  They grow thousands of pounds of produce annually -- in 2010 (the last year they kept meticulous count) they grew 7000 pounds of organic produce (over 400 varieties), collected more than 200 eggs, and collected between 25-50 pounds of honey --  they were eating a vegetarian diet for under $2 per person per day, or $60 per month per person for an organic, whole foods diet (not one made low in cost by purchasing highly processed foods for pennies on the dollar playing the grocery game).  Of course, they were putting major work effort into obtaining their food.

https://urbanhomestead.org/about/

The DeVraes family, and other urban and suburban homesteaders show that growing significant food can happen without owning a farm.  I have a friend who before she moved had made significant progress on making her own .23 acre suburban home plot a food growing powerhouse.  In addition to garden beds to put edible landscaping everywhere she could, following the adage that any plant you water should provide you with something useful (food, herbs, flowers).  She put in a lot of perennial berry bushes, fruit trees, etc.  But she loved to go out and garden every morning.  I'm not able to make myself like gardening.  I would do if it I had to, but I don't have to. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 13, 2020, 03:30:34 PM
Another thing that I discovered this summer is that scallions (green onions) can be regrown by saving the root! I would place the roots in shallow water and eventually when the roots got a little bigger would plant them. I had the most beautiful scallions and I am sure these could be grown inside too. I just don't have the appropriate amount of space or windows to do that but I sure wish I did. I love scallions and they grew tall and strong. I was so annoyed that I had to finally do away with my little container of them. All I used was potting mix and used a small translucent Rubbermaid container that I popped holes in the bottom. They seem to like full sun but when we got some bad storms, I moved the container closer to the house and under the awning where it got very little direct sunlight. But still did fantastic! I had a good size rosemary plant that I couldn't bear to chuck out so I brought it inside. I have it under a fluorescent light in the kitchen and it seems to be doing good so far.

There are other veggies you can grow from the roots but I didn't get into that...yet!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NotJen on December 13, 2020, 03:57:53 PM
Another thing that I discovered this summer is that scallions (green onions) can be regrown by saving the root! I would place the roots in shallow water and eventually when the roots got a little bigger would plant them. I had the most beautiful scallions and I am sure these could be grown inside too.

Yes, I do this whenever I buy green onions - I just keep them on the windowsill.  It worked a lot better with my CSA onions.  The ones from the store don't work out as well for me.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on December 13, 2020, 05:46:02 PM
But really, 75 cents worth of onion sets will keep you in green onions for a year.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 14, 2020, 06:11:43 AM
Hooplady just made your hummus recipe and it came out very good! Thank you! Finally got the Tahini yesterday. Now my question is does tahini need refrigeration? My can says nothing about refrigeration so I assume it is like peanut butter and doesn't need it.
Glad you liked it Roadrunner! I don't refrigerate my tahini, too hard to use when cold.

hooplady, can you tell me the brand of Tahini that you like best? I bought Joyva brand. I know nothing about tahini and what to look for. Also, what do you like to use to dip? Crackers, celery, carrots? I had these sesame crackers from Costco and really delish but might like something healthier like veggies.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on December 14, 2020, 07:11:03 AM
@Queen Frugal, do you follow The Frugal Girl blog? She's a kindred spirit. 

Love the tale of the intrepid young traveler!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 15, 2020, 10:00:09 AM
Now that I've stocked up on flour and yeast (stocked up, not hoarded!) my goal is to learn how to bake pita at home.

Homemade pita is so good!  I hadn't really had much pita until a Mediterranean restaurant opened in a nearby city in the early 1990s.  They had the best mujadarah, but even better, they would bring basket after basket of just baked pita to the table -- we broke young adults would sometimes go and order a bowl of lentil soup just to get the bread.  They aren't in business anymore, which is sad, and since then I've never been to a restaurant that makes its own pita.  Somehow receiving commercially made pita wrapped in plastic wrap just isn't the same.

However, I've been able to recreate pita at home almost as long, thanks to a book I bought in 1993 to go along with a gifted bread machine.  It's called Bread Machine Baking Perfect Every Time, by Laura Brody and her mom Millie, and I have the first edition.  The bread machine is used to make the dough, but you roll the pita by hand and bake it in the oven.  I use a cast iron griddle as a "baking stone".  The pita puff beautifully and split open as expected.  I'm sure there are pita recipes available for free online.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NotJen on December 15, 2020, 10:27:11 AM
Did my usual grocery shop yesterday - no shortages noted.  Cleaning supplies are even back in stock, and there were several brands of Lysol-type wipes available.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on December 15, 2020, 10:33:49 AM
hooplady, can you tell me the brand of Tahini that you like best? I bought Joyva brand. I know nothing about tahini and what to look for. Also, what do you like to use to dip? Crackers, celery, carrots? I had these sesame crackers from Costco and really delish but might like something healthier like veggies.
I use Joyva when it's all I can get; my favorite is Ziyad which is usually available locally. Target had a brand called Pepperwood Organics that was good but I haven't been able to get it lately. Ideally I use fresh pita from a local bakery but since COVID I've been doing plain saltine crackers. When I take it to a group function I often include carrot sticks, red and yellow pepper slices and celery. Now that I've stocked up on flour and yeast (stocked up, not hoarded!) my goal is to learn how to bake pita at home.

I did this video a long time ago (!!!) but the information still stands. Making pita bread by hand is lovely and easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc2B9l_aPuk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc2B9l_aPuk)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 17, 2020, 06:31:35 AM
Making a hodge podge cabbage soup while it snows right now. I used some leftover meatloaf in it. I also added fire roasted Rotel tomatoes, other canned tomatoes, onions, cayenne pepper, chicken broth, sliced peppers, taco seasoning.

The snow is coming down hard and should keep snowing till 11 am the weather people are saying.

Glad I have plenty of supplies!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Queen Frugal on December 17, 2020, 08:52:12 AM
@Queen Frugal, do you follow The Frugal Girl blog? She's a kindred spirit. 

Love the tale of the intrepid young traveler!

Thanks Dicey! I'm checking her blog out now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 17, 2020, 09:10:13 AM
Just had a bowl of my soup and OMG, I was a bit heavy handed on the cayenne! I have turned into a fire breathing dragon!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on December 17, 2020, 10:24:12 AM
Just had a bowl of my soup and OMG, I was a bit heavy handed on the cayenne! I have turned into a fire breathing dragon!

Then you can turn the heat off and save even more!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on December 17, 2020, 11:11:25 AM
Got our first milk delivery this week!! Not very Mustachian ($10/month delivery fee, and the milk is more expensive so I calculate this luxury will cost us $25/month).  But it is pretty cool to get the milk in old fashioned glass bottles. It tastes creamier too-- not homogenized.

But it served its purpose in that we didn't have to go grocery shopping this week. Now we have a better chance of "eating down our pantry".

Of course, since this is the year of food storage failures for us, this week somebody unplugged our garage fridge and all the frozen food thawed, though it didn't spoil...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on December 17, 2020, 12:05:35 PM
Our governor finally lifted the completely arbitrary limit of 75 people in grocery stores and other big box retailers and made it in-line with everything else at 25% capacity. So Costco, Home Depot, or a Walmart Supercenter went from 75 customers to 300-500. The hour-long lines at every grocery store instantly vanished. Maybe the thought of having some elderly person die from standing in the cold to buy a gallon of milk was finally enough to change her mind. Now we can finally make another trip to Costco and not have to stand outside for an hour - or pay the 20% Instacart markup + their fee.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: stoaX on December 17, 2020, 12:15:18 PM
Did my usual grocery shop yesterday - no shortages noted.  Cleaning supplies are even back in stock, and there were several brands of Lysol-type wipes available.

Same here today in the suburbs of Charlotte. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 18, 2020, 04:36:31 AM
So since I have abundant supplies of most everything, my goal is to stay at home for the rest of the month without going anywhere. Today will be day 3. If I make it, it will be 16 days this month and the earliest I plan to go out is January 5th. My dog will be groomed some day the first week of January. If I make it till Jan. 5th, that will be 21 days at home.

I have Misfits veggies that are delivered every two weeks. If need be, I can do a Peapod grocery delivery to my house and we have a liquor store that delivers. Today, I have the Post Office picking up a package so I don't have to go and wait in line. I have also ordered frozen burgers from Costco that are due to arrive today. I am doing everything I can to avoid being around people and getting Covid.

Since the Hub and I don't work anymore, it is easy to stay home. I know people with kids and jobs would finding staying home impossible. Some people just hate staying home but I am the opposite. I don't mind at all. But I don't like having to hunker down due to the virus. It is such a worry to go anywhere.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on December 18, 2020, 03:10:03 PM
Our governor finally lifted the completely arbitrary limit of 75 people in grocery stores and other big box retailers and made it in-line with everything else at 25% capacity. So Costco, Home Depot, or a Walmart Supercenter went from 75 customers to 300-500. The hour-long lines at every grocery store instantly vanished. Maybe the thought of having some elderly person die from standing in the cold to buy a gallon of milk was finally enough to change her mind. Now we can finally make another trip to Costco and not have to stand outside for an hour - or pay the 20% Instacart markup + their fee.

This bogles my mind. Since the beginning, we have had no capacity limits on entering grocery stores and as far as I'm aware, no mass outbreaks as a result. Stores don't seem to be good passers of the virus since close contact is limited generally to seconds as you pass each other in the aisles.

Yes, it was a completely arbitrary and capricious move. Our church was limited to 25% capacity which meant about 175 people sitting or standing in a large open room of perhaps 10,000 SF for about an hour. Yet somehow a 150,000 SF Costco can only have 75 customers plus employees in 15x the space? Made no sense and I'm amazed it took almost a month for her to finally reverse course. Honestly if not for the cold weather I'm not sure if she would have.

There's been a lot of arbitrary limits imposed throughout the pandemic. Some states decided you could have 50 people in a restaurant but only 10 in church. Or that 1,000 people standing outside to protest is ok but 100 people standing outside to watch a musician is not.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Queen Frugal on December 19, 2020, 07:00:21 AM
I did my two week grocery shopping trip yesterday. No shortages. The elderly checker who I see all the time was decked out in a mask, face shield, and gloves, all behind her plexiglass. I had to ask her a question. She couldn't hear me. It was a good reminder of just how rough some people have it right now.

What will our new normal look like when the pandemic is over? The last two times I went grocery shopping I have been quietly annoyed with other customers violating my personal space - which is now 6 feet! Is this feeling going to be hard wired into my brain for years to come? I hope not.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 20, 2020, 05:32:01 AM
Anyone have any good tips on keeping fragile vegetables longer in the fridge without going limp?

Does anyone vacuum pack their lettuce in vac seal containers? I usually wrap my fragile lettuce (not head lettuce) in damp paper towels with mixed results. I try to use it up but sometimes time gets away from me and don't get around to using the lettuce and it gets wimped out. GRRRR!!!

Looking for ways to improve storage of lettuce!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SquashingDebt on December 20, 2020, 05:45:01 AM
Anyone have any good tips on keeping fragile vegetables longer in the fridge without going limp?

Does anyone vacuum pack their lettuce in vac seal containers? I usually wrap my fragile lettuce (not head lettuce) in damp paper towels with mixed results. I try to use it up but sometimes time gets away from me and don't get around to using the lettuce and it gets wimped out. GRRRR!!!

Looking for ways to improve storage of lettuce!

I think the easiest way to improve storage of lettuce is adjusting which types of lettuce you buy (when you intend to store them).  Iceberg and romaine will last quite a long time, of course.  There's also new types of lettuce being sold in the plastic clamshells that's more like those two in texture, as opposed to baby greens.  I've found that it lasts quite a long time too. 

This is the product that's available in my neck of the woods, and I'm specifically talking about the top 2 products on the page:  https://www.littleleaffarms.com/our-products/

If you want to get even more flexible/creative, you could explore sometimes substituting chicory or radicchio for lettuce.  One of the main selling points of them is that they store well in the winter.  There's a nice salad demonstration on YouTube if you search for the video titled "COOKING: Radicchio Salad with Jason Salvo".
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 20, 2020, 06:24:34 AM
I have been getting Misfits vegetables every other week and there are different types of lettuce offered each time. I steer clear of the Romaine due to the frequent problems the stores have had with e-coli. They have not offered head lettuce lately so I have been choosing the red leaf lettuce and some other similarly fragile types of lettuce.

I have been wrapping the lettuce in damp paper towels and I tried putting that into zip lock bags. I have also used mesh bags. Sometimes I think the plastic bags are a bad environment for the lettuce and the mesh bags allow the paper towels to dry out. Have not tried paper towels/lettuce in foil. I have seen people vacuum pack lettuce but not sure of the results.

I did watch the Jason Salvo video. Good information.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on December 20, 2020, 02:21:24 PM
I always buy leaf lettuce and it will keep for weeks with this process:  shake out as much water as possible when you get it home (let it sit upright in the sink for a while for more to drip out), then wrap only the bottom third in one half size paper towel and put into a plastic bag (a dry one).  Change the paper towel every 2 or 3 days.   I’ve kept mine in both the crisper and on a shelf and don’t notice a difference in longevity.  Assuming you are using the lettuce gradually, there shouldn’t be any rot.  If it gets witty, just put it in a bowl of water in the fridge for a few hours and it’s good as new.  But then you have to start the whole process over again once it’s wet.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 20, 2020, 02:35:48 PM
I always buy leaf lettuce and it will keep for weeks with this process:  shake out as much water as possible when you get it home (let it sit upright in the sink for a while for more to drip out), then wrap only the bottom third in one half size paper towel and put into a plastic bag (a dry one).  Change the paper towel every 2 or 3 days.   I’ve kept mine in both the crisper and on a shelf and don’t notice a difference in longevity.  Assuming you are using the lettuce gradually, there shouldn’t be any rot.  If it gets witty, just put it in a bowl of water in the fridge for a few hours and it’s good as new.  But then you have to start the whole process over again once it’s wet.

I have Misfits delivery coming this Tuesday. I will try your method. Thank you!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 20, 2020, 04:43:14 PM
Anyone have any good tips on keeping fragile vegetables longer in the fridge without going limp?

Does anyone vacuum pack their lettuce in vac seal containers? I usually wrap my fragile lettuce (not head lettuce) in damp paper towels with mixed results. I try to use it up but sometimes time gets away from me and don't get around to using the lettuce and it gets wimped out. GRRRR!!!

Looking for ways to improve storage of lettuce!

I do a variety of things.  We find romaine lettuce keeps longest (1-2 weeks), and that it's better to risk to drying out slightly over being too moist, since we can rehydrate limp lettuce leaves but can't do anything if they get slimy.  Any prepped lettuce (washed/spun/chopped or just washed/dried leaves) get put in a container with a dry paper towel or a clean, dry linen napkin.  I use a paper towel or linen napkin in a variety of produce storage situations.  I peel carrots, chopped of the ends, then store them with a paper towel, changed every couple of days as it gets wet.  Same with clean and sliced zucchini, or cut bell pepper strips.  I can get several more usable days from produce if I clean it well (removing any soft spots), dry it, and prep it before storing with a paper towel, and then changing out the paper towel when it can't absorb more moisture.

Mostly I just try to make the more fragile produce first, and save the sturdier lettuces, cabbage, carrots, etc. for the second week.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on December 20, 2020, 05:31:09 PM
I usually wash the lettuce and then wrap it in a clean dish towel and put that into a loose plastic bag. It lasts about two weeks, but we don’t use much lettuce in the winter. I use kale or spinach when I want something green.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on December 20, 2020, 07:51:28 PM
I fail to see the point of peeling carrots. The skin is quite thin and edible.

I also don't peel potatoes. Or sweet potatoes. Washing them? Sure.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on December 21, 2020, 01:52:41 AM
Look for Mrs. Meyer's green bags. They're great for extending the lives of all types of produce.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 21, 2020, 08:25:24 AM
I fail to see the point of peeling carrots. The skin is quite thin and edible.

I also don't peel potatoes. Or sweet potatoes. Washing them? Sure.

I peel carrots depending on their use.  There are some dishes where the carrots look better if they've been peeled.  Peels are saved for stock, os there's no waste.  I also find my carrots last far longer if I peel them and store them with a paper towel.

I peel potatoes on the advice of my doctor, because I form kidney stones easily.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on December 21, 2020, 05:21:18 PM
How long are you storing peeled carrots? Unpeeled mine are usually fine for at least a couple months  (though if they are still around by then I do shave off the little roots they usually sprout by then)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Caoineag on December 22, 2020, 08:50:28 AM
How long are you storing peeled carrots? Unpeeled mine are usually fine for at least a couple months  (though if they are still around by then I do shave off the little roots they usually sprout by then)

Yeah I was wondering that too. Maybe she is somewhere hot and humid? My carrots last longer than potatoes and aren't refrigerated. That's the nice thing about root vegetables, they last forever and prefer cool to cold so no refrigeration required.

Cucumbers are our biggest risk. They bruise easily, they require an exact temperature for optimum shelf life and we usually use them in small quantities. We tend to do the English cucumbers when we want them to last a little longer. My second one I have to keep an eye on is cauliflower. As long as we eat regular veggie trays we are good but otherwise we need to prep and freeze it to extend its shelf life. Cauliflower patties are a tasty way to use up excess cauliflower about to go bad.

Green cabbage is great as a second week vegetable. Mushrooms and bell peppers can be prepped and frozen for recipes so they hold up well too.

I basically meal plan to use up the fragile fresh, freeze what can be frozen if we aren't getting to it in time and then use cabbage, onion and root vegetables in the second week along with what I froze or already have frozen (peas, corn, green beans and broccoli tend to be bought frozen). Kale can make it to the second week if frozen for soups otherwise red and green cabbage are the second week green leafies.

Our biggest problem with 2 week grocery runs is space for all the fresh veggies, not eating them up in time. We actually waste less produce with biweekly grocery runs versus weekly. With weekly you usually have something left and that will get buried and forgotten.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 22, 2020, 10:12:15 AM
How long are you storing peeled carrots? Unpeeled mine are usually fine for at least a couple months  (though if they are still around by then I do shave off the little roots they usually sprout by then)

I find that conventionally grown carrots do keep for months, but organic carrots don't.  I usually buy 6# of organic carrots from Costco.  I don't mind shaving off the roots, but with the organic carrots the roots also get some sort of black moldy stuff, and the ends shrivel and mold.  So I peel the organic carrots to store, and get at least a month that way.  It works for me.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Villanelle on December 22, 2020, 10:35:38 AM
Huh.  I didn't know carrots would do better not refrigerated. My mom kept them in the fridge, so I do to, but that might explain why they get rather... flaccid fairly quickly.  Thanks, all!

I continue to get all of our groceries via Amazon Fresh, which has priced out to be slightly cheaper (but then I add a tip, so probably about the same) as shopping at my local grocery story.  (I live in a very expensive area.)  Initially, I was worried about the produce, fearing I'd get the bruised bananas if I weren't digging through the pile myself, but that hasn't been the case at all.  I typically order once a week. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 22, 2020, 10:37:39 AM
Okay, I am totally blown away! I placed an online order for some very mundane items thru Walmart. Just a tad over $35 and just enough to satisfy the minimum requirement to get free shipping. A short while later, I got a confirmation of the order and it said it would be delivered today! Approx. 2 1/2 hours later I got a text and also an email saying it was delivered. In the email there was a picture of the bags on my front door step. It was FREE delivery thru Door Dash thru Walmart.

Unfortunately, my Walmart is a dinky store and doesn't carry much for grocery items. Mostly shelf stable stuff. If it was a Super Walmart I would be in heaven to have such quick delivery service!

My friend in another state just had the same experience a few days ago on a small kitchen appliance. It wasn't as quick but same day.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on December 22, 2020, 10:46:52 AM
With our numbers going higher and a 28 day lockdown starting on boxing day, I am trying to hit the grocery store even less often.  This morning I bought 3 bags of frozen veg as well as a few fresh.  Lots of eggs, cream, etc.  Meat mostly went into the freezer.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on December 22, 2020, 02:42:50 PM
How long are you storing peeled carrots? Unpeeled mine are usually fine for at least a couple months  (though if they are still around by then I do shave off the little roots they usually sprout by then)

I find that conventionally grown carrots do keep for months, but organic carrots don't.  I usually buy 6# of organic carrots from Costco.  I don't mind shaving off the roots, but with the organic carrots the roots also get some sort of black moldy stuff, and the ends shrivel and mold.  So I peel the organic carrots to store, and get at least a month that way.  It works for me.

I get the organic carrots, either at Costco or HEB.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SquashingDebt on December 22, 2020, 04:38:06 PM
I get organic carrots from a local farm and they last for 6+ months sometimes, although there's sometimes a bit of mold to cut off around the top of the carrot.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 02, 2021, 06:34:49 AM
I have not been out of the house in 18 days to go anywhere! I expect to go out possibly on Thursday which will make it 23 days of staying home.

My supplies are holding up very nicely and I have to say I haven't made too much of dent into my mini warehouse. Since Thanksgiving I have used one turkey and one spiral ham. They are big and took up room. Today we are having a prime rib so that will free up some space too. The paper supplies are hanging in there. Normally I buy TP and paper towels from Costco and they have not had them for at least a month or more (their brand). The notice said they would reevaluate the situation January 2021. Have checked and still nothing on the website.

I am trying Butcher Box subscription. I received my first box a few days ago. Have not tried the meat yet. Can't say it is low cost but staying away from the virus is number one on my list. I also have a Misfits subscription I get every two weeks. This has proved to be the missing link for me as far as fresh veggies. It also is not perfect. I get the box where I choose my items rather than receiving a surprise box. I can't always get what I want but I manage to get enough fresh veggies to fill in the gaps for two weeks. I prefer to pick my own veggies rather than get things I don't really want. I have frozen veggies too.

Soon, I will do a curbside grocery store order. I really don't need much. But this is when I can buy more frozen things and other fresh veggies I can't seem to get thru Misfits. I also need bottled water for my coffee maker. Our water is very hard and ruins every coffee maker we have ever had till we started using bottled water. Does anyone use a Brita water jug/filter for hard water?

That sprial ham gave us a lot of meals! We had ham dinners, pea soup, ham for breakfast, Fettucine Alfredo with ham. Used the bone for the pea soup. Was quite a bargain. Approx 11 lb. ham for $1.99 a lb.

How is eveyone doing on their supplies?

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on January 02, 2021, 06:06:49 PM
I have not been out of the house in 18 days to go anywhere! I expect to go out possibly on Thursday which will make it 23 days of staying home.

My supplies are holding up very nicely and I have to say I haven't made too much of dent into my mini warehouse. Since Thanksgiving I have used one turkey and one spiral ham. They are big and took up room. Today we are having a prime rib so that will free up some space too. The paper supplies are hanging in there. Normally I buy TP and paper towels from Costco and they have not had them for at least a month or more (their brand). The notice said they would reevaluate the situation January 2021. Have checked and still nothing on the website.

I am trying Butcher Box subscription. I received my first box a few days ago. Have not tried the meat yet. Can't say it is low cost but staying away from the virus is number one on my list. I also have a Misfits subscription I get every two weeks. This has proved to be the missing link for me as far as fresh veggies. It also is not perfect. I get the box where I choose my items rather than receiving a surprise box. I can't always get what I want but I manage to get enough fresh veggies to fill in the gaps for two weeks. I prefer to pick my own veggies rather than get things I don't really want. I have frozen veggies too.

Soon, I will do a curbside grocery store order. I really don't need much. But this is when I can buy more frozen things and other fresh veggies I can't seem to get thru Misfits. I also need bottled water for my coffee maker. Our water is very hard and ruins every coffee maker we have ever had till we started using bottled water. Does anyone use a Brita water jug/filter for hard water?

That sprial ham gave us a lot of meals! We had ham dinners, pea soup, ham for breakfast, Fettucine Alfredo with ham. Used the bone for the pea soup. Was quite a bargain. Approx 11 lb. ham for $1.99 a lb.

How is eveyone doing on their supplies?

My last day inside a store was 12/5, and other than walking in the neighborhood and going for a drive with DH earlier this week, I've been home.  In that time, I've gotten Costco once, Aldi once (small order), and Walmart twice.  Walmart was a first for us in terms of using Instacart, and I won't do it again if I don't have to.  But they had vegan ice cream at a good price for my dairy allergic kid, along with the best eggnog we could find (it shouldn't be so hard to avoid artificial flavors).  Even more than that, they had RV rapid dissolving toilet paper and no limits, so my shopper brought me 4 packs of 8.  I'm hoping when we need TP again Walmart will have it available to order like they did last summer.  I didn't use Walmart for produce, so we're going to need either Costco delivery or Sprouts curbside very soon.  Misfits sounds interesting, and I wonder if it would help with things like ordering cucumbers and them arriving a day shy of spoiling.

I'll be interested to hear your Butcher Box review.  I've considered it in the past, but stuck with our in-state 100% grass-fed beef from a rancher I've been a customer of for 12 years now.  He doesn't have the same variety, however.

We have hard water and use a Berkey water filter system.  From what I understand it removes some minerals but not all, specifically it removes sedimentary minerals and chloride, but only reduces high levels of ionic minerals.  We still end up with mineral deposits in the pan we use to boil water for tea, and in the coffee maker.  DH takes care of these every couple of weeks using white vinegar, which we were finally able to get again from Aldi.

I envy you the spiral ham!  We didn't buy one because I have one kid who hates ham, so we didn't have it for a holiday meal.  But with all the meals you listed I feel like we missed out!.

Our freezers are still plenty full, as is the pantry.  Really, other than being low on fresh produce and eggs, we're doing really well.  I used my Vitamix yesterday to grind popcorn for cornmeal mush -- the difference compared to using store cornmeal was amazing.  I have some brown rice in the fridge we aren't going through fast enough, so I'll be grinding it for rice porridge.  I finally put my foot down with the college kids and told them I don't want to buy expensive processed breakfast cereal anymore.  It was an okay concession early in the pandemic, but it went on far too long.  Eliminating the cereal will also bring down the grocery bill by eliminating the need for almond milk and reducing dairy milk expenditures.  I'll make homemade oat milk for smoothies.

Honestly, I think we went through a transition with food and meals during the past almost 10 months and have come out the other side now.  Our diet is more like it was a decade ago, which is both simpler and healthier.  I'm no longer catering to picky eaters -- they can feed themselves and if they don't like what I buy they can buy something else with their own income.  And by "they" I really just mean the one who is surer picky with a penchant for junk food -- kids #1 pretty much eats what I make and one the rare occasion he doesn't care for something he eats the rest of the meal and heats up some baked beans.  I've learned that even in a pandemic we mostly don't love canned foods, but also that canned tomatoes are super handy to have on hand -- I've been making a 30 minute chili for the guys that is just canned beans, canned tomatoes with chiles, and chili powder, and they love it.  We had a pantry moth infestation a couple of months ago and lost the grains and legumes that weren't in gamma sealed buckets, and I was reminded how much simpler it is to have just a few grains and legumes -- a long and medium grain rice, pinto beans, red lentils, quick and old fashioned oats, flour, and popcorn.  I didn't replace any of the other beans or grains, and we had more than a dozen jars of them.  I have plans to simplify even more in 2021.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on January 02, 2021, 06:44:42 PM
I wouldn't count on Misfits not delivering cucumbers the day they need eaten. We've only done a couple boxes but have learned to expect that half of it needs eaten promptly. We're doing one this week after quitting them in March/April. We're hoping they (and shipping services) have been able to adjust to demand and things are slowing down after the holiday rush.  Caveat, we live very rurally so ship time to us is 1-2 days, in metro areas it may be same day or 1 day. Bonus: They had quinoa as an add on for $1.99 a pound which is a pretty good price and we're almost out so I ordered quite a bit.

Target has also started shipping some food items that they had paused over the holidays so I've got an order of dry goods coming from them.  Between the two I hope to delay an in person trip until we need eggs. 

We're also settling in to some good food routines and learning both simple staples and more complex fun things.  We joke (a bit sadly) that the restaurants need us more than we need them.

We also started a cooking club with 4 other households. We are working our way though a regionally famous cookbook and meet bi-monthly to finish cooking and eat together (online). It's been a good balance of challenging and fun to actually do work together with other people!  It's lead to a vibrant ongoing group chat. Definitely a bright part of my winter.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on January 02, 2021, 07:29:04 PM
I, OTOH, have started Phase 1 of a staged move to another state, and feel like I am starting allll over with pantry stocking. Ugh.

The good news is that we have a larger freezer here and I’m more comfortable going into the store because I can rely on everyone to wear a mask. The bad news is that we have more people in the house and it seems like food just evaporates.

It does make me really appreciate the convenience of a well stocked pantry, though. It’s pretty annoying to keep discovering that I don’t have some ingredient. It’s a process, for sure!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 03, 2021, 05:50:47 AM
It is just the Hub and I so the spiral ham did go a long way. It was so extremely good! What kills me is that I bought mine for $1.99 a lb. and right now they are on a further reduced sale for $1.29 a lb. I am sure they are trying to get rid of them. But since I am not shopping or doing curbside for almost a week or more, I am sure that 'bargain' will be long gone. I did buy two spiral hams when they were first offered at Thansgiving. I froze one, so down the road we will pull that out. I still have 3 more bargain turkeys in the freezer. They were either $0.49 or $0.59 per lb.

I also stock up on 3 dozen eggs everytime I do curbside. It is pretty crazy but Jumbo eggs were only $1.69 a dozen compared to other sized eggs being much more! I am like...jumbo is bigger and should be priced higher! However, I read somewhere that jumbo egg are less desired! For me they are super desirable! They are bigger, so more egg, they are cheaper and they last as long as other eggs. Win, win, win!

Placed an order for a vacuum sealer. I currently have a very nice one but it has a quirk I don't like. It requires that you feed the vac bag into the machine and then it sucks about 2 inches in before it will seal. I have no control on the size seal I want. I found a machine on Amazon that might be what I want. I want to seal up my grains and rice, pasta. I started to do it on my current machine but it became an annoying task. This new machine was only $39.99 so will give it a whirl and see how it goes.

Misfits is not exactly 'perfect'. For instance, I have not been able to get head lettuce. The lettuce they typically offer is loose leaf or a fragile red leaf lettuce. Sometimes you don't get a lot of it. Sometimes the package is bigger. You might not be able to get normal cukes. They might offer mini cukes or English cukes. You can only select one. For instance, if you pick mini cukes, you might get six but you cannot choose that twice to get 12. I order the biggest box and get it every two weeks. They allow you to pick 14 items. They can be various fruits and veggies. Then, there are add ons. Such as mushrooms, baby spinach, mixed salad greens. They offer a variety of grains. One week I bought a jar of olives. I usually buy two cartons of mushrooms and saute them and put in the freezer. I do that every two weeks and am building a little stock. With those add ons, you are not restricted on quantity, however, you are charged extra for each item. The prices aren't too bad. I typically add on a few things. I have not been all that pleased with the tomatoes. Sometimes they are a little squishy or split from damage or a little shriviled. What I like to do in the winter anyway is to chop up jarred roasted red bell peppers into the lettuce. They are flavorful and bright red to give the salad eye appeal.

Butcher box is 'interesting'. Right now, I am doing the custom box which is $149 every two months. For first time customers they gave me $10 off. I picked the items I wanted. There are two size boxes and the other one I think is $270. Then there are, what I call, surprise boxes. You choose type of suprise box you want, like a 'beef' box or a 'chicken and pork' box and there are others. These surprise boxes are $139.  With my order, I got 'free bacon for life'. One 10 oz package. Plus, free shipping for life. The surprise boxes can be fun if you are open minded and just figure you will find recipes for what you receive. Nothing is odd ball at all. Ground beef, chicken breasts, ribs, steaks, stew meat, beef roasts, pork roasts, pork chops, whole chickens, chicken thighs, chicken legs, pork ribs, salmon filets. Also, whole turkey and I am guessing mostly at Thanksgiving. I think they have add ons too. So you pick out what you want in the package deal, then move on to adding more things at an additional price if you so choose. The meat came in an insulated box and was frozen hard as a rock. Very pleased with that. You can also alternate on how often you receive delivery. The one thing that I do notice is that the roasts are not huge sized so for some families, that might not be ideal. My Hub and I cook as if there were 4 people in the house because we love leftovers and like the fact that we have another meal we can just warm up. Or, freeze for a later date.

Oh, K-in-the-kitchen, so sorry you didn't buy a spiral ham! Don't deny yourself again! Get something else for that picky kid, pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs and have that ham next time! You never know, picky kid might try it and like it at some point!

Any of you making bread at home? I have tried one bread recipe I found on youtube and it is easy and good. I am interested in making grinder rolls or hoagie rolls depending on where in USA you are. The Hub and I will make some meatballs soon and I am looking for a grinder roll recipe. If anyone has an easy recipe, I would be interested. Here is the youtube demo on the bread recipe. It starts at the 2 min 17 second mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUO4BWNeR_8   This married couple bought a homestead and raise farm animals and grow veggies. They freeze, can, dehydrate and are now freeze drying things. They offer a lot of tips in their videos. I thoroughly enjoy watching them demonstrate their homestead skills.

Had the prime rib last night and if any of you like rare prime rib cooked perfectly every time, use Paula Dean's recipe: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a18012/paula-deens-famous-foolproof-rib-roast-recipe/
We have cooked various sizes 5-10 lbs. and every one has come out perfect! The Hub puts together a coffee rub seasoning and puts it on the outside of the meat and then, with strings, attaches fresh rosemary to the top.

On another note of hunkering down, the Hub and I watched two Sylvestor Stallone movies the last coupld of days. Creed and Creed II. Very entertaining and no one had to wear masks in these movies! We have one more Sylvestor Stallone movie we want to watch and that is Rocky Balboa. I hope today to watch that.

Well, Happy New Year to all!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on January 03, 2021, 08:40:47 AM
Any of you making bread at home? I have tried one bread recipe I found on youtube and it is easy and good. I am interested in making grinder rolls or hoagie rolls depending on where in USA you are. The Hub and I will make some meatballs soon and I am looking for a grinder roll recipe. If anyone has an easy recipe, I would be interested. Here is the youtube demo on the bread recipe. It starts at the 2 min 17 second mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUO4BWNeR_8   This married couple bought a homestead and raise farm animals and grow veggies. They freeze, can, dehydrate and are now freeze drying things. They offer a lot of tips in their videos. I thoroughly enjoy watching them demonstrate their homestead skills.

Had the prime rib last night and if any of you like rare prime rib cooked perfectly every time, use Paula Dean's recipe: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a18012/paula-deens-famous-foolproof-rib-roast-recipe/
We have cooked various sizes 5-10 lbs. and every one has come out perfect! The Hub puts together a coffee rub seasoning and puts it on the outside of the meat and then, with strings, attaches fresh rosemary to the top.

This time of year I bake soft sourdough sandwich loaves as our daily bread (I don't bake it daily).  It's the most perfect soft sourdough loaf recipe I've ever tried. https://beautythatmoves.typepad.com/beauty_that_moves/2018/06/i-worked-in-an-italian-restaurant-for-six-years-in-the-early-2000s-in-that-time-a-grand-total-of-one-person-came-in-with-sp.html (https://beautythatmoves.typepad.com/beauty_that_moves/2018/06/i-worked-in-an-italian-restaurant-for-six-years-in-the-early-2000s-in-that-time-a-grand-total-of-one-person-came-in-with-sp.html)

I've baked no knead bread off and on for years.  It's particularly nice to break off a piece of dough and use it for pizza.  But I also have a nice bread machine pizza dough recipe I like.  And then there's a super fast pizza dough from This Pilgrim Life that's also quite good when I want pizza in a hurry.  You make the dough, prep your sauce and toppings, and then the dough is ready to roll and use.  https://www.thispilgrimlife.com/simple-thin-crust-pizza-dough/ (https://www.thispilgrimlife.com/simple-thin-crust-pizza-dough/)

There are a few really quick yeasted recipes I use sometimes, which I like because they're faster than no knead dough.  One is a "Cuban" bread recipe from the Tightwad Gazette, another is one hour French bread from This Pilgrim Life https://www.thispilgrimlife.com/one-hour-french-bread/ (https://www.thispilgrimlife.com/one-hour-french-bread/), and I adore the one hour soft dinner rolls recipes from my Kitchen Aid mixer book.  Those rolls are perfect!

I used the Paula Dean method again for our Christmas Day prime rib, this time using a 9 pound roast.  Just like before, I checked after 2 hours and my roast was at 120°F already.  I think it's due to have an electric oven and it being rather new, so the seals are good.  I planned for it to possibly be ready sooner, so it was fine for us.  I make a rub with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and dried rosemary.  I whirl all of that together in the blender until the rosemary is powdered with everything else, then I put it into a bowl and add olive oil to make a paste.  We're getting better garlic and rosemary flavors than when I used fresh.  It really is the most foolproof recipe for standing rib roast -- thanks for sharing it!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on January 03, 2021, 11:04:23 AM
The grocery store we’ve been getting curbside pickup here offers an assortment of “meat bundles” that are very reasonably priced. I’m thinking about doing that to stock the freezer.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 03, 2021, 11:30:22 AM
The grocery store we’ve been getting curbside pickup here offers an assortment of “meat bundles” that are very reasonably priced. I’m thinking about doing that to stock the freezer.

One of our smaller grocery stores tried doing that a few years ago in the summer and it must not have been popular at the time because they don't offer it anymore. Now, would be the time with the pandemic to offer bundles! Good idea!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Villanelle on January 03, 2021, 01:36:39 PM
We are, again, facing down a move.  It will likely be in April.  Normally at this point I'm very actively eating down the pantry, but I hesitate to do that.  It's a local move for a change, so we can  dump the contents of the freezer into a cooler and have it back in the freezer at the new home in about an hour, so I suppose that's not so bad.  And if we have to pack up boxes of pasta and canned tomatoes and extra olive oil, I suppose that's not so bad, though it's more to deal with. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on January 03, 2021, 04:50:41 PM
I would totally move my pantry locally.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 03, 2021, 09:19:44 PM
I would totally move my pantry locally.

I moved my pantry semi-locally (about 100 km each way)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 04, 2021, 02:50:33 AM
Thanks, K-in-the-kitchen for the recipes!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 05, 2021, 05:54:30 AM
Rutabaga/turnip story:

In my Misfits box I received 2 huge rutabagas and around 3 medium turnips. I had tossed a bunch of ideas of what to do with them but in the end just decided to make up a mashed tater type recipe.

So, I peeled these suckers and cut into chunks. Boiled them in salted water while trying to watch a movie. I was afraid of boil over so was getting up every so often to check out the situation. Water took forever to get to a boil due to the low temp. I kept jacking up the temp little by little...I think it took me an hour to get them to a point when I could easily put a fork thru them. That done, I put the lid on the pot and let it sit maybe half an hour off the heat just because they were not quite the right texture.

I drained them and proceeded to mash them. Added butter...mash, mash...salt, pepper. Flavor was eh. So, I am thinking now what! So, I added some shredded cheese and stirred it up. Still a bit eh but figured I had done enough damage and to leave it be.

We had it for dinner as a potato substitute. Was okay but nothing I would ever crave. The next day I had a little more and still just ho hum.

Now I still had about 4 cups left. I was on the verge of throwing them out or trying to think of what to do with them. So, what I did was add an egg to it, some brown sugar, cinnamon and a couple cups of bisquick mix. Mixed it all by hand and then plopped 6 blobs onto a baking sheet and baked them up.

I let them cool and cut one in half and put some butter on it. OMG! It was sooo good! Kind of reminded me of spice cake, banana cake, zucchini bread. Mostly the moist texture was what reminded me of those.

Due to the moistness, I refrigerated the rest of them. The Hub loved it! So rather than tossing it, it was reinvented! Yay, no wasted food!

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 05, 2021, 06:07:39 AM
I seem to have over stocked on some items and it is biting me in the butt a little. One of the things I stocked up on was sour cream. Love the stuff but apparently we are not going thru it fast enough and recently had to throw some out that was expired. I would like to know what to do with extra sour cream. Either recipes or someway to keep it frozen.

Mashed potatoes with sour cream and freezing them?





Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 05, 2021, 07:01:52 AM
I would like to know what to do with extra sour cream. Either recipes or someway to keep it frozen.

Mashed potatoes with sour cream and freezing them?

Sour cream is a decadent addition to muffins or quick breads when substituted for the same volume of milk or water. Frozen muffins are a great treat to have on hand.

I bet that you could freeze sour cream into cubes in an ice cube tray to later thaw and incorporate into mashed potatoes or baked goods. Even if it seperates a bit while thawing, it shouldn't impact the taste once mixed in.

@Roadrunner53 Have you tried mashing rutabaga with carrot? The sweetness if the carrot pairs sooooo well with the earthiness of the rutabaga. With some butter, salt and pepper, it's a family favorite!

No, did not use carrots but good idea! I have not given up on rutabagas. They are a new adventure for me. Not sure if the turnips conflicted with the flavor of the rutabagas.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on January 05, 2021, 07:27:40 AM
I don't worry much about the expiration date on sour cream unless it's opened. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 05, 2021, 07:41:17 AM
I don't worry much about the expiration date on sour cream unless it's opened.

I don't worry too much either but my Hub is fanatical on expiration dates. I have told him a million times the stuff doesn't automatically rot on the expiration date but he remains a non believer. I worked at a food company for 18 years and we did shelf life studies on food. Most of the products I worked on exceeded the shelf life and we did determine, over time, the flavors diminished, texture wasn't stellar and sending the samples to be analyzed showed the nutritional aspects were not as good as the freshly made product. We had the products tested in our microbiology department before we would consume these products.

The Hub gets so agitated when these items are expired, I just go along with it and toss the stuff out. UGH! He won't eat the stuff and it makes me feel like I am some kind of a rabid racoon eating out of a dumpster! LOL!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on January 05, 2021, 07:48:04 AM
ooh.. yeah... understand. My eastern european spouse eats sour cream on everything. Pancakes, stir fry, salad, soup... I've made brownies with sour cream baked in, they were rich and delicious.  Sugar cookies. Those would be freezable, too. You could thin it down a bit and use it in place of buttermilk in pancakes or baking.  Or maybe use it in a creamy soup?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 05, 2021, 08:19:25 AM
ooh.. yeah... understand. My eastern european spouse eats sour cream on everything. Pancakes, stir fry, salad, soup... I've made brownies with sour cream baked in, they were rich and delicious.  Sugar cookies. Those would be freezable, too. You could thin it down a bit and use it in place of buttermilk in pancakes or baking.  Or maybe use it in a creamy soup?

Soup is an interesting idea! I have used in beef stroganoff, baked taters, mashed taters, tacos, onion dip, on top of chili. I try to stay away from sweets but those ideas are great too!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on January 05, 2021, 08:37:15 AM
I seem to have over stocked on some items and it is biting me in the butt a little. One of the things I stocked up on was sour cream. Love the stuff but apparently we are not going thru it fast enough and recently had to throw some out that was expired. I would like to know what to do with extra sour cream. Either recipes or someway to keep it frozen.

Mashed potatoes with sour cream and freezing them?
Beef stroganoff?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 05, 2021, 08:44:56 AM
I seem to have over stocked on some items and it is biting me in the butt a little. One of the things I stocked up on was sour cream. Love the stuff but apparently we are not going thru it fast enough and recently had to throw some out that was expired. I would like to know what to do with extra sour cream. Either recipes or someway to keep it frozen.

Mashed potatoes with sour cream and freezing them?
Beef stroganoff?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Poor mans beef stroganoff: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/pasta/poor-mans-beef-stroganoff.html
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 05, 2021, 09:34:39 AM
... I try to stay away from sweets but those ideas are great too!

My grandma always kept a few tins of sweets in her freezer ready for last minute company. Since you're probably not getting a lot of drop-in visits these days, what about dropping off little parcels of sweets to friends on Valentine's day?

@K_in_the_kitchen Thanks for those bread recipes! I made the french bread yesterday and was really impressed with how well it turned out for such a quick recipe. The ease and taste don't bode well for my waistline, which has only been held in check by how long it takes to make bread.

I had to cancel my credit card the other day after some fraudulent activity and will have to wait 7-10 days for a new one to arrive.  I feel lucky to have plenty of everything on hand so that I won't have to go in to a store to shop with my debit card. The fraud was the same day that I gave my credit card number over the phone to a clerk at a small shop for curbside pickup, so I'd suggest learning from my carelessness.

Sun Hat sorry you had fraudlent activity on your card. I have had it happen numerous times. I am questioning why your CC company is making you wait so long to replace yours? I have had replacement in 24 hours time with no delivery charge at all. Oh, I did reread your post and you are using a debit card. If I were you, I would rethink using a debit card and switch to a credit card. This is a quote from the article I will post: The real difference between a debit card and a credit card when it comes to fraud is in how you get your money back. When a fraudulent transaction occurs on your credit card, you have lost no money. You can report the fraud, get a credit on your statement, and the issue will never affect your bank account.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/credit-cards/credit-card-vs-debit-card-safer-online-purchases
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on January 05, 2021, 10:18:50 AM
"....... a rabid racoon eating out of a dumpster."  Thanks for my morning giggle, Roadrunner!  I eat things modestly past the expiry date all the time, even mayo, and no ill effects so far.  I mean sour cream is already sour, right?

I second mashing carrots with rutabagas.  This is the only way I've ever eaten them.  It's best with generous amounts of butter.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 05, 2021, 12:58:24 PM
Expiry dates - i am about to open the last carton of egg nog.  It is theoretically expired, but not opened and consistently refrigerated means I figure it will be fine.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on January 05, 2021, 04:37:06 PM
@Roadrunner53 Thought of you this evening when I made this cornbread casserole recipe (https://www.feastingathome.com/cornbread-casserole/#tasty-recipes-31706) that calls for a cup of sour cream.  I didn't follow the recipe exactly, for example I used some rather sour homemade kefir instead of sour cream, no chiles, and about half the cheese and I was pretty heavy on the veg and light on the meat, and I used leftover Christmas ham from the freezer... (Is it even the same recipe anymore?) but it was pretty tasty. I was worried that my spouse would be unenthused by a casserole but his first words were "OMG, This corn quiche is delicious."
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on January 06, 2021, 07:21:19 PM
Rutabaga/turnip story:

Now I still had about 4 cups left. I was on the verge of throwing them out or trying to think of what to do with them. So, what I did was add an egg to it, some brown sugar, cinnamon and a couple cups of bisquick mix. Mixed it all by hand and then plopped 6 blobs onto a baking sheet and baked them up.

I let them cool and cut one in half and put some butter on it. OMG! It was sooo good! Kind of reminded me of spice cake, banana cake, zucchini bread. Mostly the moist texture was what reminded me of those.

Due to the moistness, I refrigerated the rest of them. The Hub loved it! So rather than tossing it, it was reinvented! Yay, no wasted food!

Thank you!!! I am literally rolling in rutabagas and turnips from the same source! I keep trying to sneak them into stews and soups, and each time my family detects them and picks them out with looks of disgust.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on January 06, 2021, 09:31:24 PM
Rutabaga/turnip story:

Now I still had about 4 cups left. I was on the verge of throwing them out or trying to think of what to do with them. So, what I did was add an egg to it, some brown sugar, cinnamon and a couple cups of bisquick mix. Mixed it all by hand and then plopped 6 blobs onto a baking sheet and baked them up.

I let them cool and cut one in half and put some butter on it. OMG! It was sooo good! Kind of reminded me of spice cake, banana cake, zucchini bread. Mostly the moist texture was what reminded me of those.

Due to the moistness, I refrigerated the rest of them. The Hub loved it! So rather than tossing it, it was reinvented! Yay, no wasted food!

Thank you!!! I am literally rolling in rutabagas and turnips from the same source! I keep trying to sneak them into stews and soups, and each time my family detects them and picks them out with looks of disgust.

Purée them first.  That’ll teach those fussy eaters!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Hadilly on January 06, 2021, 09:34:49 PM
PMG: thank you for the corn casserole link. I made it tonight with a couple of modifications. No cheese, doubled the veggies and also added ham, puréed some of the corn with the liquid for moistness and threw in a bit of buttermilk. Very tasty! 4/5 of us enjoyed it and that is a pretty good result for a new recipe in my household.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on January 07, 2021, 02:25:09 AM
PMG: thank you for the corn casserole link. I made it tonight with a couple of modifications. No cheese, doubled the veggies and also added ham, puréed some of the corn with the liquid for moistness and threw in a bit of buttermilk. Very tasty! 4/5 of us enjoyed it and that is a pretty good result for a new recipe in my household.
You guys crack me up! So many substitutions. So mustachian!  I followed the link. I have everything for that recipe and the Mexican Slaw, except for red pepper. I'm sure I can think of something I can substitute... Thanks!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 07, 2021, 05:29:03 AM
So today I am doing a curbside pickup. I also couldn't resist and selected another spiral ham that was on sale for $1.29 lb. With this ham I am going to have the hub strip off all the meat. We will save the bone for pea soup and freeze that. We will make packages out of the ham and vac seal them. Scraps and other parts will be used for the soup. Slices will be used for various dinners. It is precooked so will make some nice dinners and breakfasts! I seriously cannot believe I am buying this ham but...the whole ham is only $12-ish so how can you beat that?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 07, 2021, 10:57:33 AM
GRRR!!! Picked up my curbside order and they were out of the ham! Oh, well! LOL! Hope whoever got the last of them enjoys them!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on January 07, 2021, 01:50:38 PM
PMG: thank you for the corn casserole link. I made it tonight with a couple of modifications. No cheese, doubled the veggies and also added ham, puréed some of the corn with the liquid for moistness and threw in a bit of buttermilk. Very tasty! 4/5 of us enjoyed it and that is a pretty good result for a new recipe in my household.
You guys crack me up! So many substitutions. So mustachian!  I followed the link. I have everything for that recipe and the Mexican Slaw, except for red pepper. I'm sure I can think of something I can substitute... Thanks!

I hadn't paid attention to that Mexican slaw recipe, but it's on my list now.  We like cabbage salads and they've been a staple this winter when we're not shopping often! We have another favorite one dish "mexican" quinoa recipe coming up on our plan that would also be a good companion for the slaw.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 07, 2021, 02:33:35 PM
PMG: thank you for the corn casserole link. I made it tonight with a couple of modifications. No cheese, doubled the veggies and also added ham, puréed some of the corn with the liquid for moistness and threw in a bit of buttermilk. Very tasty! 4/5 of us enjoyed it and that is a pretty good result for a new recipe in my household.
You guys crack me up! So many substitutions. So mustachian!  I followed the link. I have everything for that recipe and the Mexican Slaw, except for red pepper. I'm sure I can think of something I can substitute... Thanks!

I hadn't paid attention to that Mexican slaw recipe, but it's on my list now.  We like cabbage salads and they've been a staple this winter when we're not shopping often! We have another favorite one dish "mexican" quinoa recipe coming up on our plan that would also be a good companion for the slaw.

Can someone post the mexican slaw recipe? I must have missed it!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on January 07, 2021, 04:36:20 PM
Here ya go!  It was linked somewhere inside the cornbread casserole recipe. https://www.feastingathome.com/mexican-slaw/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 08, 2021, 07:11:33 AM
Thanks!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 08, 2021, 08:04:45 AM
At the beginnng of the pandemic I went a bit overboard with stocking up on things.  I bought a lot of canned pork, canned chicken, canned beef, canned ground beef and of course canned tuna and some other canned fish. I have a friend that is absolutely grossed out by the thought of canned beef or pork and let me know she could hurl at just the thought of it. Kind of made me feel like a cannibal or a person who would eat raw meat from the bottom of a fly infested dumpster. However, we have had the pork several times cooked with sauerkraut and onions and it was very tasty indeed. I haven't really tried the beef yet except the ground beef and it was excellent too. I have beef chunks That I may have sometime with a gravy over top mashed potatoes. The meat I got was more premium and was not loaded with salt. Canned in natural juices. I have a very old, old sickly dog who I spoil terribly and he gets beef from the cans quite often.

I also bought some stuff that I will never eat. My other dog, who is no longer on this earth, had a ton of pills to take every day. I had such a hard time getting the pills down him I resorted to buying all kinds of things to jam the pills into so he would take them. Some things worked for a while then he totally rejected it after a few times. I bought Spam, thinking he would like that, nope.  I made all kinds of beef balls, liverwurst balls, chicken balls. He was so sick I guess nothing appealed to him So, now I have Spam and some other odd ball things I will donate. I ate Spam as a kid but not my favorite.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on March 08, 2021, 08:58:20 AM
Canned beef goes well in beef stew as well.


This recipe for pineapple fried rice is always a hit at our house, if you’re looking for ideas to use up the spam https://www.spam.com/recipes/spam-pineapple-fried-rice
Title: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on March 08, 2021, 09:31:49 AM
As a kid my grandma would make fried Spam and I loved it but as an adult thinking about it turns my stomach.

Most things I get over but for some reason Spam is just a mental thing that seems to stick.

Unlike when I stopped drinking Fresca for like 7 years because i read the label and it had vegetable oil in it or when I refused to eat hotdogs for years after finding out how they were made. Now days I will partake in a Fresca from time to time and will eat hotdogs but only beef and high quality.

I would probably love that Spam fried rice and other things made with Spam as long as I did not know what was in it :)


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on March 08, 2021, 09:35:36 AM
You can just drop all the spam off at my house, then! I have an unhealthy love for it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: bunging on March 08, 2021, 10:15:03 AM
Spam Musubi is the only way I've ever had spam and it is amazing (my husband's family is from Hawaii). Great as a snack or lunch option. I would love some right now...

https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/musubi/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: JoJo on March 08, 2021, 10:20:22 AM
I like a bit of cubed spam in scrambled eggs.  That's about the only way I like it.  Don't need to add any salt.  I like to add some veggies too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 08, 2021, 10:32:26 AM
Seeing this thread revived has been a good opportunity to reflect on this past year of pandemic, which should give me insight into preparing in the future.

I donated most of the canned meat items months ago, when I realized we didn't need them and weren't going to eat them, but even more than that, that they bothered my allergies. I kept the canned tuna for one son, and the corned beef hash for the other, but the Spam and canned chicken went to the food bank. Going forward, even in a pandemic I won't be stocking up on canned meat foods. We had plenty of meat in the freezer, and while certain cuts may have had shortages, meat remained available. I was always able to order grass-fed ground beef from a small in-state rancher.

I stocked up on more canned tomato and canned bean products than I needed, but we are getting through them. In the future, however, I'll keep far less of these on hand. It doesn't make sense to keep so much on hand that I can't eat. Even in the pandemic I found myself making dried beans, and we never had a true shortage -- I just had to change where I get pinto beans and that had been an issue pre-pandemic because my Costco stopped carrying dried beans in October 2019. I'll be going though the pantry again and pulling out the tomato products and bean varieties I don't think we'll eat any time soon -- we'll donate them.

We went through all of the canned fruit and jarred applesauce I stocked up on last March, and then some. It was useful to learn that we can use these items to stretch out grocery shopping. Now that supplies are better I'm able to buy peaches canned in juice, which  I think is better when a kid eats an entire can in one sitting. In terms of overall preparedness I can see it good to keep these on hand. They also keep people happy when I want to wait another week before getting groceries.

I ended up detesting the dried cream powder and dried butter powder I bought. I already knew I liked Peak dried milk, so I'll keep that in rotation.

I unfortunately found that I can't keep bulk grains on hand if I don't have freezer space to put the grain in for a week before putting into buckets. We lost quite a bit due to tiny bugs, which clearly arrived in some Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour, and then again more recently we lost a bucket of rice. This used to happen back in the aughts, before I got wise to freezing the bags in the outside deep freeze for at least a week.

There was so much shifting around and making space for the extra food, and now that we're out the other side I want it gone. I really don't want to keep so much in bulk! The plan is to eat through what we have and then buy in smaller quantities. I've come to see every square foot of our house as valuable, and I need to reclaim the areas overtaken with food, which then pushed some kitchen items into other areas. I also really want things to be more simple.

Like many, we've seen our electricity usage increase, in part because everyone is home now and DH is working from home with a setup that involves a laptop that connects to his office computer remotely as well as two additional monitors. But I think the big increase came from plugging in our extra refrigerator to hold more perishables so we could stretch out the shopping. I finally got that emptied and unplugged again a week ago. We're paying 4-5¢ more per kWh (depending which tier we're in) compared to a year ago -- they changed things up and the people who end up in high usage charge are dinged less but the rest of us pay more. The refrigerator definitely adds to our usage. None of us is thrilled with the fridge gymnastics required to fit everything into the smaller house fridge (previous owners did the kitchen in a manner that limits how wide and how tall a fridge we can fit in the kitchen), but I'm determined.

This Lent I decided we'd do a pantry/freezer challenge. We aren't buying any meat, potatoes, or vegetables other than salad vegetables. We're eating the meat from the freezer, dried rice and frozen squash for our side starches, and frozen vegetables. I'll buy salad vegetables and a moderate amount of fresh fruit, but even that has to be supplement with the frozen fruit we have. Even if meat were to go on a great sale pre-Easter, I just don't have any room to freeze it.

But keeping a chest freezer crammed full of meat isn't my goal, either. I want to simplify how we eat and only use the top freezer in the house -- by the end of the year I hope to have the chest freezer empty (it's a smaller one, 8.7 cubic feet). I won't get rid of it right away, but I hope I can eventually.

Perhaps it's odd, but my experience with food during the pandemic really shifted my thinking. Or maybe it's the experience of the pandemic itself. I'm becoming more of a food minimalist. We've already decided that once we get through the meat in the freezer we're going to simplify our meat purchases, and most of the time we'll eat grass-fed ground beef and organic chicken, with plenty of meatless meals in the week. It feels like a good compromise between eating lots of meat because the boys like it, and being fully plant based which my body doesn't do well with at all. I'm not likely to buy anything in 25# bags any more. My goal is feed all 4 of us for less than the USDA monthly thrifty plan ($735 for us) while buying food that is organic, grass-fed, and not packaged in plastic (as much as possible). My monthly average for the past year (all pandemic) is $1250 per month, but that includes way too much stocking up, dog food, toiletries, cleaners, paper products, and a significant amount of donated food, as well as the price of an Instacart membership, the Instacart markups, and tipping, which I tend to be generous with. Looking at my numbers, I think I can feed us for less than $735 per month, and that goal is for after we get through the excess food -- until then I want to spend less.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on March 08, 2021, 11:18:18 AM
On the subject of hoarding / stock piles.

Most items that I was keeping extra of due to the pandemic I have started to whittle down and moved back to my normal process of ordering when I am down to the last one.  That has worked for the most part during the last few months as supply seems to have normalized.

I managed to finish off my entire 25lb bag of oats as of this morning :) it has been my breakfast for the entire year.

We have some extra disinfecting wipes, mouth wash, a couple of small bottles of iso alcohol and rice but it will all be used up within a year so not too excessive.

Other than that our house is back to the normal levels with grocery orders every other week.

On the flip side my friend went a little overboard, he got vaccinated a week ago and I think the fact set in that he has more than he can use in his lifetime and asked me how he should go about selling it. We are talking cases of 1 gallon jugs of iso alcohol, hundreds of KN95 masks, cases of nitrile gloves.

So are you working through your stock? Still stocked up? Or have you gone full on hoarder?


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 08, 2021, 12:14:21 PM
Don't want to be a Debbie downer, but it isn't 100% certain that these shots are going to be the end of new covid mutant strains. Right now people are thinking the pandemic is over, but is it? Until the majority of people are vacinated, we are still in danger. We still have the mutants to possibly deal with and people from other countries bringing it to USA. On top of all that, there is no proof yet that the vaccines will last 6 months, one year or forever. Only time will tell us that.

I may reduce my stash but going to be cautious till we know more.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on March 08, 2021, 12:16:10 PM
Our family just finished off our second 20kg bag of flour (and 2lbs of yeast) since the pandemic started.  Is it still hoarding if you use it all?

:P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 08, 2021, 12:45:37 PM
Our family just finished off our second 20kg bag of flour (and 2lbs of yeast) since the pandemic started.  Is it still hoarding if you use it all?

:P

It is called stocking up!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 08, 2021, 02:17:58 PM
The changes I plan to make are being done so with the absolute knowledge the pandemic isn't over and could linger with new variants for years.

I've always bought certain things in bulk, like beans, grains, and flour. I never used to stock much canned or jarred food at all. If we're eating meat (we didn't until 2008 and then we took a break again from 2013 - 2016) I have meat in the freezer. I would also stock up on foods like butter, cheese, etc. to last a couple of months.

I'll admit I felt panicked when we realized in February that things were headed in a bad place. It didn't help that I was low on my regular bulk items -- I was almost out of rice, pinto beans, lentils, flour, and sugar. I was low on oil. I had already started simplifying what we eat (one kind of rice, one kind of dried beans, etc.) and had been cutting back on how much I kept stored. The extra refrigerator was empty, and the small chest freezer was only half full at most.

I reacted out of fear and when I had difficulty buying our usual items I stocked up like crazy when I did find them. In February I'd started planning how we could grocery shop no more than once a month, and I went with that plan. It didn't feel imprudent, because we would eat the food eventually. But I did follow advice for stocking up that included buying certain foods we'd never bought before (canned meat). This was based on stocking up not specifically for the pandemic -- we couldn't have foreseen that we'd still be at it a year later -- but rather on earthquake preparedness which puts a focus on foods that don't need water to cook and can be eaten without heating if necessary.

I mentioned to DH that I panicked like a person without money. There's nothing wrong with being poor (I grew up skirting poverty), but I've brought a lot of behaviors with me into our (now) financially secure life that I need to let go of. I realized that I wasn't really afraid that I wouldn't be able to find meat or canned goods -- I was afraid I wouldn't be able to buy them at a good price. So instead I bought way more than we needed so I could rest easy knowing I'd gotten good deals. I know price was the basis of my fear, and not shortages, because I've been sending significant amounts of food to the food bank over and over again. Just today DH took at least $200 worth of food -- I estimate we've donated at least $1000 worth of food and paper goods in the past year. I wouldn't be donating food if I was worried I wouldn't be able to get more.

A year later, I'm going back to what I was trying to do at the beginning of 2020 -- simplifying my life, which includes simplifying the foods we eat and how I cook. I got the buckets out of my closet. I have a goal to create a small studio in our breakfast room, which we don't eat in (pre-pandemic it was set up as a reading area, using the built in benches as seating). To be able to create the studio, I have to get everything out of the storage in the benches so we can tear them out. To find room for those things I need to make room in the pantry. I'm cutting back food storage and doing another declutter or kitchen items.

(Before anyone panics about us tearing out built-ins in our breakfast nook, please know we designed and built the built-ins -- they aren't original to our bungalow, although they are common in bungalows.)

I'm ready for the rest of my life. The pandemic stripped things back and I was able to truly see what I love and what I don't -- I've jettisoned so much that's necessary, both tangible and intangible. I learned major lessons by examining how I responded to the pandemic and why I did the things I did. I'm still incredibly careful, not having seen family or friends for more than year now, and choosing not to shop or dine (even outdoors). But I'm not living in fear anymore.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: hooplady on March 08, 2021, 05:03:11 PM
The only thing I'm overstocked on is bleach because for a long time I was buying it every time I saw it on the shelves. But I'll use it up.

Oh, and canned tomatoes...turns out I don't use these at all! Luckily I have just a couple of cans, they will probably end up donated to a food bank.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: better late on March 08, 2021, 05:08:32 PM
We have so many grocery items that ended up in our trunk where the grocery store "substituted" something for curbside pickup order or where we chose the wrong version of an item sprinting through the store to get out of there quickly. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on March 08, 2021, 05:46:12 PM

Oh, and canned tomatoes...turns out I don't use these at all! Luckily I have just a couple of cans, they will probably end up donated to a food bank.

Make some chili, tortilla soup or you can even put it in 10 bean soup to jazz it up.


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: life_travel on March 08, 2021, 06:02:08 PM
The only thing I'm overstocked on is bleach because for a long time I was buying it every time I saw it on the shelves. But I'll use it up.

Oh, and canned tomatoes...turns out I don't use these at all! Luckily I have just a couple of cans, they will probably end up donated to a food bank.

I use my canned tomatoes for red lentil soups:

https://cookieandkate.com/best-lentil-soup-recipe/

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on March 08, 2021, 06:39:25 PM
I love this sneak peak into others’ habits. Canned tomatoes of various types are our most used canned item.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on March 08, 2021, 07:10:57 PM
Our family just finished off our second 20kg bag of flour (and 2lbs of yeast) since the pandemic started.  Is it still hoarding if you use it all?

:P

Maybe this should go in the MPP thread. Pandemic hoarding problem?

I'm not using my yeast anymore, because I made a great sourdough starter coupled with a low effort breadmaking process. As an example - I only do a single rise overnight. Yeah, the loaf ends up a bit short, but NBD.

10 heaping spoons* of KA whole wheat flour
10 heaping spoons of KA bread flour
3 cranks of the salt grinder
Pour in some of the starter.
Add flour and water** back to starter container.
Mix starter using the same spoon.
Mix the stuff in the dough bowl, adding water as needed to get dough. Leave it a bit dry.
Cover the dough bowl with a plate. Wait 30-60 minutes.
Knead the dough for a few minutes, and adjust moisture level.
Transfer to a lightly oiled second bowl, cover with the plate for the overnight rise.
One sleep later
Make sure pizza stone is in the convection toaster oven.
Crank that up to 450F for 30+ minutes. Probably would be better with 60 minutes, but I'm not that patient.
Start the coffee maker.
Lightly cornmeal the pizza peel (enough area for your loaf, not the whole thing)
Gently detach dough from bowl and place on peel, slash and transfer to pizza stone in the oven.
Turn down to 375F
Check on it after 35 minutes. Might need a bit longer.
Remove using pizza peel, allow to rest for awhile.

Last two batches I have incorporated a handful of rolled oats in the dough. Worked fine.

I am running a bit short of the good King Arthur bread flour, and the local grocery store curbside service NEVER has it available in the app. But it was usually in the store back when I went inside earlier in the pandemic.

* Our silverware set came with two sizes of spoons, I use the larger one
* I eyeball it and try for a pancake batter consistency
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 08, 2021, 07:18:40 PM
I love this sneak peak into others’ habits. Canned tomatoes of various types are our most used canned item.

I pretty much never bought canned/jarred tomato products other than salsa, marinara, and tomato paste (for pizza). I'm allergic to tomatoes, so they are rarely ingredients in our meals. Now I have a large amount of diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. I've been using them along with canned beans to make chili for the two in the family who can/will eat it. I probably have enough to make it every other week for the rest of the year, and that's making large batches they eat for several meals.

But even this was a learning experience! Once I'm no longer stocking so much food I'll still keep a couple cans of tomatoes and beans on hand. Combined with chili powder (the kind with other seasonings too) it makes a good basic chili, and quickly too. I usually add any leftover cooked veggies we have, and leftover ground beef if we have it. It's not easier than opening a can of chili, but I never bought that because it has ingredients we don't care for. I'm easy to feed when we're in a rush because I just don't care that much and can be happy with a cheese and crackers or something equally simple, but the guys are usually way too hungry for that to satisfy them, so I can make the quick chili and everyone's happy.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 08, 2021, 07:22:36 PM


I'm not using my yeast anymore, because I made a great sourdough starter coupled with a low effort breadmaking process. As an example - I only do a single rise overnight. Yeah, the loaf ends up a bit short, but NBD.

I haven't bought yeast during the pandemic because I had plenty to begin with -- and still do. After I woke up my sourdough starter I almost never used yeast for bread. I used the last of the yeast I had in my jar and opened a new bag, which I've barely touched.

Your recipe looks great!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on March 09, 2021, 07:33:38 AM
Hmmm, it's Senior Morning at Grocery Outlet. I'm headed there today for the 10% discount. Who knows what I'll find to stock up on?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 09, 2021, 07:48:41 AM
I just did another stock up...ARG! Schwann's (frozen food  online) is having a one day 20% off sale. Plus, I had $8.70 in rewards to claim. After the 20% off and my rewards, my total bill came to $112. Total discount was $39.22. Got a lot of veggies and some other entrees.

Shipping is only $4.99 if anyone is interested. The sale is only one day, today.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on March 09, 2021, 12:14:46 PM
I just did another stock up...ARG! Schwann's (frozen food  online) is having a one day 20% off sale. Plus, I had $8.70 in rewards to claim. After the 20% off and my rewards, my total bill came to $112. Total discount was $39.22. Got a lot of veggies and some other entrees.

Shipping is only $4.99 if anyone is interested. The sale is only one day, today.
My stepdad loves Schwann's.  I've seen the truck in my neighborhood.

Not a pandemic stock up, per se, but my husband installed a portable bidet to our toilet.  So, less TP !
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mntnmn117 on March 09, 2021, 12:19:48 PM

Mix the stuff in the dough bowl, adding water as needed to get dough. Leave it a bit dry.


I use a kitchen scale and have been enjoying the hydration math.  Two loafs, 1000g flour, 750-780g water, 150g starter, 20g salt, 10g olive oil. At least overnight bulk rise, but sometimes 2-3 days in the fridge really brings out the sour. Roll the loafs in sesame seeds, and I do the dutch oven at 450 method.  I'll have to try the pizza stone option.

Big bummer, we finished out the bacon stash back in December. My wife had picked up 35ea at $1.99 back in May. Frustratingly Spam hasn't gone on sale in our area in a while. We got hooked in Hawaii and on sale it's comparable to on sale bacon at 1.99 but with unlimited shelf life.

We did almost no hoarding but normal family of 6 purchasing can look like it. My wife hates it when checkers act like she's crazy for buying 6 dozen eggs.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 09, 2021, 01:16:51 PM

Mix the stuff in the dough bowl, adding water as needed to get dough. Leave it a bit dry.


I use a kitchen scale and have been enjoying the hydration math.  Two loafs, 1000g flour, 750-780g water, 150g starter, 20g salt, 10g olive oil. At least overnight bulk rise, but sometimes 2-3 days in the fridge really brings out the sour. Roll the loafs in sesame seeds, and I do the dutch oven at 450 method.  I'll have to try the pizza stone option.

Big bummer, we finished out the bacon stash back in December. My wife had picked up 35ea at $1.99 back in May. Frustratingly Spam hasn't gone on sale in our area in a while. We got hooked in Hawaii and on sale it's comparable to on sale bacon at 1.99 but with unlimited shelf life.

We did almost no hoarding but normal family of 6 purchasing can look like it. My wife hates it when checkers act like she's crazy for buying 6 dozen eggs.

I like to use the Lodge multi-cooker for boules.  Using it upside down gives the great initial covered oven spring, but then taking the deeper pot (used as the lid) off allows for great browning.  But I'll admit I failed at successfully using a pizza peel.

We're out of bacon except for the Costco Kirkland Bacon Crumbles I stocked up on last spring.  They're supposed to be shelf stable but I put them in the freezer once I realized we wouldn't eat them before the best by date.  They're good in cabbage stir fry, quiche, egg casseroles, and salad, but don't really take the place of bacon.  We're considering Butcher Box once we run out of meat later this year, and I hope they'll do a free bacon for life offer.  Right now it's free ground beef for life (the life of your subscription).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 09, 2021, 02:28:48 PM

Mix the stuff in the dough bowl, adding water as needed to get dough. Leave it a bit dry.


I use a kitchen scale and have been enjoying the hydration math.  Two loafs, 1000g flour, 750-780g water, 150g starter, 20g salt, 10g olive oil. At least overnight bulk rise, but sometimes 2-3 days in the fridge really brings out the sour. Roll the loafs in sesame seeds, and I do the dutch oven at 450 method.  I'll have to try the pizza stone option.

Big bummer, we finished out the bacon stash back in December. My wife had picked up 35ea at $1.99 back in May. Frustratingly Spam hasn't gone on sale in our area in a while. We got hooked in Hawaii and on sale it's comparable to on sale bacon at 1.99 but with unlimited shelf life.

We did almost no hoarding but normal family of 6 purchasing can look like it. My wife hates it when checkers act like she's crazy for buying 6 dozen eggs.

I like to use the Lodge multi-cooker for boules.  Using it upside down gives the great initial covered oven spring, but then taking the deeper pot (used as the lid) off allows for great browning.  But I'll admit I failed at successfully using a pizza peel.

We're out of bacon except for the Costco Kirkland Bacon Crumbles I stocked up on last spring.  They're supposed to be shelf stable but I put them in the freezer once I realized we wouldn't eat them before the best by date.  They're good in cabbage stir fry, quiche, egg casseroles, and salad, but don't really take the place of bacon.  We're considering Butcher Box once we run out of meat later this year, and I hope they'll do a free bacon for life offer.  Right now it's free ground beef for life (the life of your subscription).

I subscribe to Butcher Box and when I signed up it was free bacon for life, one package each time you order. I just signed up for the free ground beef for life, 2 packages each time you order. I think It costs $49.99 initially. My next order will be the first two packages of ground beef. I was ordering the ground beef anyway.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 09, 2021, 08:35:00 PM

I subscribe to Butcher Box and when I signed up it was free bacon for life, one package each time you order. I just signed up for the free ground beef for life, 2 packages each time you order. I think It costs $49.99 initially. My next order will be the first two packages of ground beef. I was ordering the ground beef anyway.

Which do you think is the better deal, the bacon or the ground beef?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 10, 2021, 05:12:56 AM
Okay, I am not a math genius but this is how I figured out whether bacon or beef is the better deal.

The bacon you get free each month is a 10 oz package. If bought individually, it costs $7.00 per month. If you were to buy one package of bacon for each month for 12 months that would be $84 and you would get a total of 7.5 lbs per year. That equals $11.20 per lb. For me, I got free bacon for life when I first signed up so I would get $84 free bacon a year.

Ground beef costs $15 for 2 lbs per month. If bought every month, for 12 months, the cost would be $180. For free ground beef for life, you have to pay an initial, one time fee of $49.99. That works out to pre-paying for the ground beef for 3.3 months and that would be it. From there on, you would be receiving $15 per month of 'free' ground beef. So, if you were to order one box per month, and got the free ground beef after the paying the $49.99, you would be getting $130 in 'free' ground beef the first year.

I love bacon and could eat it all day long but we typically eat it only occassionally as a treat for breakfast. On the other hand, we use a lot of ground beef per year using it in lots of recipes.

You can also do 'add on's' and a 3 pack of bacon, 10 oz per package, is $18.00. Works out to $6 per package.

For me, free ground beef for life, would be my choice. But, I get both now. They offer these deals every so often. I am waiting to see what the next free for life item might be! Not sure if Butcher Box is very frugal but it is convenient especially during this pandemic and for busy people or elderly people who don't want to go out in bad weather. Recently, I had the fillet mignon and it was beyond tender! I had a piece left over that I ate the next day. I warmed it up in the microwave and over did it a bit but it was still fantastic!

If you have a Costco membership, they also have different frozen ground beef packages. I have bought meatball/meatloaf mix.

One other thing, if you sign up for Rakutan, you should get a $4 cash back bonus when shopping at Butcher Box each month.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 10, 2021, 09:34:11 AM
Okay, I am not a math genius but this is how I figured out whether bacon or beef is the better deal.

The bacon you get free each month is a 10 oz package. If bought individually, it costs $7.00 per month. If you were to buy one package of bacon for each month for 12 months that would be $84 and you would get a total of 7.5 lbs per year. That equals $11.20 per lb. For me, I got free bacon for life when I first signed up so I would get $84 free bacon a year.

Ground beef costs $15 for 2 lbs per month. If bought every month, for 12 months, the cost would be $180. For free ground beef for life, you have to pay an initial, one time fee of $49.99. That works out to pre-paying for the ground beef for 3.3 months and that would be it. From there on, you would be receiving $15 per month of 'free' ground beef. So, if you were to order one box per month, and got the free ground beef after the paying the $49.99, you would be getting $130 in 'free' ground beef the first year.

I love bacon and could eat it all day long but we typically eat it only occassionally as a treat for breakfast. On the other hand, we use a lot of ground beef per year using it in lots of recipes.

You can also do 'add on's' and a 3 pack of bacon, 10 oz per package, is $18.00. Works out to $6 per package.

For me, free ground beef for life, would be my choice. But, I get both now. They offer these deals every so often. I am waiting to see what the next free for life item might be! Not sure if Butcher Box is very frugal but it is convenient especially during this pandemic and for busy people or elderly people who don't want to go out in bad weather. Recently, I had the fillet mignon and it was beyond tender! I had a piece left over that I ate the next day. I warmed it up in the microwave and over did it a bit but it was still fantastic!

If you have a Costco membership, they also have different frozen ground beef packages. I have bought meatball/meatloaf mix.

One other thing, if you sign up for Rakutan, you should get a $4 cash back bonus when shopping at Butcher Box each month.

Thank you so much for doing the math and giving a mini review.  I've been hesitant to do Butcher Box because we do have a rancher within about 200 miles who raises 100% grass-fed beef (and has pastured porks and poultry).  But we're on a path to eat less meat overall and decrease our storage space.

Like you, we have bacon less often and use ground beef frequently.  10 oz. of bacon leaves grumbly young men in my house because they want more. But I'm not required to keep them happy in bacon -- they could buy it themselves if it was that important to them.  The ground beef sounds like the better option, especially since bacon is more of a condiment whereas ground beef is a major component in meals.

My Costco has frozen 100% grass-fed ground beef patties -- which we didn't like compared the the delicious burgers made from the grass-fed ground beef we purchase.

How are you getting both the free bacon and the free ground beef?  A second subscription?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 10, 2021, 09:52:04 AM
Food waste question:  Do you eat food you bought even if it's pretty terrible?

This past month I've been working on using all of the frozen food we've purchased in the past year -- some of it as recently as January.  We've had several less than satisfying meals.

Frozen butternut squash:  I'll admit I'm stumped by this one.  I've purchased the Aldi frozen butternut squash and we enjoyed it -- I toss it in olive oil and roast it.  Doing the same with frozen butternut squash from Costco has been just awful.  It doesn't brown up at all, and the squash taste is strong.

Frozen broccoli:  Same thing as the squash.  Success roasting Aldi frozen broccoli, failure with Costco, although it wasn't inedible.  My family won't eat steamed frozen broccoli.

100% grass-fed beef patties from Costco:  I've now tried grilling these and broiling them, and didn't care for them either way.  We've never bought frozen raw patties before, other than one bag of the Costco sirloin patties, which we also didn't care for, although we got through them.

I'm tempted to consider these a lost cause and bin them to free up room in our overstuffed freezers.  I hate food waste, but I also hate choking down food I don't like.  I could find other ways to use the food, but it adds to my kitchen work.  Well, I won't waste the beef -- I was thinking to defrost all the patties (still have 18) and then cook it as ground beef before refreezing.  But cooking the 7# of remaining squash to puree it and refreeze just takes up space in the freezer.

I guess food is just a little different in terms of sunk costs, because you can eat it even if it isn't delicious, thus getting some value from it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 10, 2021, 10:00:06 AM
Okay, I am not a math genius but this is how I figured out whether bacon or beef is the better deal.

The bacon you get free each month is a 10 oz package. If bought individually, it costs $7.00 per month. If you were to buy one package of bacon for each month for 12 months that would be $84 and you would get a total of 7.5 lbs per year. That equals $11.20 per lb. For me, I got free bacon for life when I first signed up so I would get $84 free bacon a year.

Ground beef costs $15 for 2 lbs per month. If bought every month, for 12 months, the cost would be $180. For free ground beef for life, you have to pay an initial, one time fee of $49.99. That works out to pre-paying for the ground beef for 3.3 months and that would be it. From there on, you would be receiving $15 per month of 'free' ground beef. So, if you were to order one box per month, and got the free ground beef after the paying the $49.99, you would be getting $130 in 'free' ground beef the first year.

I love bacon and could eat it all day long but we typically eat it only occassionally as a treat for breakfast. On the other hand, we use a lot of ground beef per year using it in lots of recipes.

You can also do 'add on's' and a 3 pack of bacon, 10 oz per package, is $18.00. Works out to $6 per package.

For me, free ground beef for life, would be my choice. But, I get both now. They offer these deals every so often. I am waiting to see what the next free for life item might be! Not sure if Butcher Box is very frugal but it is convenient especially during this pandemic and for busy people or elderly people who don't want to go out in bad weather. Recently, I had the fillet mignon and it was beyond tender! I had a piece left over that I ate the next day. I warmed it up in the microwave and over did it a bit but it was still fantastic!

If you have a Costco membership, they also have different frozen ground beef packages. I have bought meatball/meatloaf mix.

One other thing, if you sign up for Rakutan, you should get a $4 cash back bonus when shopping at Butcher Box each month.

Thank you so much for doing the math and giving a mini review.  I've been hesitant to do Butcher Box because we do have a rancher within about 200 miles who raises 100% grass-fed beef (and has pastured porks and poultry).  But we're on a path to eat less meat overall and decrease our storage space.

Like you, we have bacon less often and use ground beef frequently.  10 oz. of bacon leaves grumbly young men in my house because they want more. But I'm not required to keep them happy in bacon -- they could buy it themselves if it was that important to them.  The ground beef sounds like the better option, especially since bacon is more of a condiment whereas ground beef is a major component in meals.

My Costco has frozen 100% grass-fed ground beef patties -- which we didn't like compared the the delicious burgers made from the grass-fed ground beef we purchase.

How are you getting both the free bacon and the free ground beef?  A second subscription?

I have only been with Butcher Box about 3 months. When I first joined, the deal was free bacon for life. Then a few weeks ago they offered free ground beef for life and to get it you pay $49.99. It is one account. I also had that same question. Some guy on Youtube was explaining how he also got free bacon and free ground beef. I thought it was only a carrot on a stick to join. But seems they offer these freebies now and then. Not sure if there will be any more free offerings or not!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Raenia on March 10, 2021, 12:29:59 PM
Food waste question:  Do you eat food you bought even if it's pretty terrible?

This past month I've been working on using all of the frozen food we've purchased in the past year -- some of it as recently as January.  We've had several less than satisfying meals.

Frozen butternut squash:  I'll admit I'm stumped by this one.  I've purchased the Aldi frozen butternut squash and we enjoyed it -- I toss it in olive oil and roast it.  Doing the same with frozen butternut squash from Costco has been just awful.  It doesn't brown up at all, and the squash taste is strong.

Frozen broccoli:  Same thing as the squash.  Success roasting Aldi frozen broccoli, failure with Costco, although it wasn't inedible.  My family won't eat steamed frozen broccoli.

100% grass-fed beef patties from Costco:  I've now tried grilling these and broiling them, and didn't care for them either way.  We've never bought frozen raw patties before, other than one bag of the Costco sirloin patties, which we also didn't care for, although we got through them.

I'm tempted to consider these a lost cause and bin them to free up room in our overstuffed freezers.  I hate food waste, but I also hate choking down food I don't like.  I could find other ways to use the food, but it adds to my kitchen work.  Well, I won't waste the beef -- I was thinking to defrost all the patties (still have 18) and then cook it as ground beef before refreezing.  But cooking the 7# of remaining squash to puree it and refreeze just takes up space in the freezer.

I guess food is just a little different in terms of sunk costs, because you can eat it even if it isn't delicious, thus getting some value from it.

I'd recommend trying a soup before giving up on them.  Butternut squash soup is delicious, and while I haven't made cream of broccoli myself, I would definitely try that before throwing it out.  Texture shouldn't matter if you're pureeing the soup anyway.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on March 10, 2021, 12:37:21 PM
Freezerburned stuff needs to be cooked differently than regular freezer food.  Long simmering in soups and stews, or as a finely diced additive to spicy curries seems to be the best ways we've found to make it palatable.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mntnmn117 on March 10, 2021, 12:38:10 PM
Food waste question:  Do you eat food you bought even if it's pretty terrible?

This past month I've been working on using all of the frozen food we've purchased in the past year -- some of it as recently as January.  We've had several less than satisfying meals.

Frozen butternut squash:  I'll admit I'm stumped by this one.  I've purchased the Aldi frozen butternut squash and we enjoyed it -- I toss it in olive oil and roast it.  Doing the same with frozen butternut squash from Costco has been just awful.  It doesn't brown up at all, and the squash taste is strong.

Frozen broccoli:  Same thing as the squash.  Success roasting Aldi frozen broccoli, failure with Costco, although it wasn't inedible.  My family won't eat steamed frozen broccoli.

100% grass-fed beef patties from Costco:  I've now tried grilling these and broiling them, and didn't care for them either way.  We've never bought frozen raw patties before, other than one bag of the Costco sirloin patties, which we also didn't care for, although we got through them.

I'm tempted to consider these a lost cause and bin them to free up room in our overstuffed freezers.  I hate food waste, but I also hate choking down food I don't like.  I could find other ways to use the food, but it adds to my kitchen work.  Well, I won't waste the beef -- I was thinking to defrost all the patties (still have 18) and then cook it as ground beef before refreezing.  But cooking the 7# of remaining squash to puree it and refreeze just takes up space in the freezer.

I guess food is just a little different in terms of sunk costs, because you can eat it even if it isn't delicious, thus getting some value from it.

Some suggestions:
Squash - Blend up and use in muffins. Any recipe for pumpkin muffins or waffles can work with any old squash.
Broccoli or any other greens. Smoothie is is easiest way to get down.
Costco grass fed patties, agreed we had the same experience. Something was off, maybe too lean. You can always taco meat patties.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 10, 2021, 01:36:23 PM
Freezerburned stuff needs to be cooked differently than regular freezer food.  Long simmering in soups and stews, or as a finely diced additive to spicy curries seems to be the best ways we've found to make it palatable.

This winter squash and broccoli were purchased 2 months ago and stored in our chest freezer.  There were ice crystals in the bags, but no real evidence of freezer burn.

Soups, stews, and curries are all good idea -- thanks!  DH added some to his chili today.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 10, 2021, 01:38:06 PM
Some suggestions:
Squash - Blend up and use in muffins. Any recipe for pumpkin muffins or waffles can work with any old squash.
Broccoli or any other greens. Smoothie is is easiest way to get down.
Costco grass fed patties, agreed we had the same experience. Something was off, maybe too lean. You can always taco meat patties.

Thanks for the ideas!  You're right, they are too lean, and I find them tough, as well.  Without enough fat they just don't taste good no matter what I do to season them.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 10, 2021, 01:52:52 PM
Some suggestions:
Squash - Blend up and use in muffins. Any recipe for pumpkin muffins or waffles can work with any old squash.
Broccoli or any other greens. Smoothie is is easiest way to get down.
Costco grass fed patties, agreed we had the same experience. Something was off, maybe too lean. You can always taco meat patties.

Thanks for the ideas!  You're right, they are too lean, and I find them tough, as well.  Without enough fat they just don't taste good no matter what I do to season them.

Not sure what burgers you bought at Costco but I bought these: Chicago Steak Premium Angus Beef Burger Flight, 14 lbs
Item  1302876
★★★★★
★★★★★4.6 out of 5 stars. Read reviews for Chicago Steak Premium Angus Beef Burger Flight, 14 lbs
4.6
 
Your Price139.99$
Price Per POUND: $10.00


It is 80% lean 20% fat and are very good! At least we liked them!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on March 10, 2021, 01:56:29 PM
Freezerburned stuff needs to be cooked differently than regular freezer food.  Long simmering in soups and stews, or as a finely diced additive to spicy curries seems to be the best ways we've found to make it palatable.

This winter squash and broccoli were purchased 2 months ago and stored in our chest freezer.  There were ice crystals in the bags, but no real evidence of freezer burn.

Soups, stews, and curries are all good idea -- thanks!  DH added some to his chili today.

This is one of my favorite comfort-food soups: https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/09/broccoli-cheddar-soup/ (https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/09/broccoli-cheddar-soup/). It works very well with frozen broccoli.

You mention that your husband added some of the squash to his chili. Black bean and sweet potato chili is one of my favorites; I imagine that squash would work just as well as the sweet potatoes.

Oh, and this recipe actually calls for butternut squash: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2020/03/08/this-lentil-soup-is-so-good-one-nurse-has-eaten-it-for-lunch-every-workday-for-17-years/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2020/03/08/this-lentil-soup-is-so-good-one-nurse-has-eaten-it-for-lunch-every-workday-for-17-years/) (WaPo and may be behind a paywall; I can give you a copy of the recipe if needed). We made it for dinner last night. Husband loved it as is. I recommend upping the salt to taste and adding some smoked paprika.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on March 10, 2021, 02:08:16 PM

 bacon is more of a condiment whereas ground beef is a major component in meals.

How dare you belittle Bacon that way.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 10, 2021, 02:33:42 PM
As far as food waste when you buy something you don't like. Have had that happen many times. One of the last bummer things I purchased was frozen steaks thru some food service company. The steaks were supposed to be marinated and when defrosted they were covered in a brown sauce. We cooked them like normal steaks but UGH, the texture was terrible. Soft and mushy and no firm/tender bite. Well, that didn't go over well but I had about 10 steaks left out of a dozen to eat. What I ended up doing was cooking them in an alfredo mushroom type sauce in my crockpot. Cut them up in slices, cooked two or 3 at a time and served them over egg noodles. It was actually good but, OMG, cooking something like rib eye steaks that way was criminal! We ended up using them all up cooking them that way! I have also repurposed other foods in odd ball ways. However, there are times when something is so awful, it will get trashed.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 10, 2021, 02:42:43 PM

Not sure what burgers you bought at Costco but I bought these: Chicago Steak Premium Angus Beef Burger Flight, 14 lbs
Item  1302876
★★★★★
★★★★★4.6 out of 5 stars. Read reviews for Chicago Steak Premium Angus Beef Burger Flight, 14 lbs
4.6
 
Your Price139.99$
Price Per POUND: $10.00


It is 80% lean 20% fat and are very good! At least we liked them!

Those look good in the photos!  I bought 5# of 100% grass-fed beef patties for $19.99 and they are also 80% lean / 20% fat.  I suspect the quality is far different from what you posted.

What I think is that 100% grass-fed beef doesn't take well to this frozen burger patty format.  When I make burgers I'm careful not to pack the meat too tightly, and of course these frozen pucks are dense.  I find that grass-fed beef typically cooks faster than grain fed beef, and needs to be cooked to a lower temperature, but that's harder to control when starting from frozen.  But what I've read says not to defrost these burger first, and I worry if I did then they would lose even more moisture.  They were slightly better cooked on the grill than in the oven.  I've decided to defrost them and cook them like ground beef to be added to recipes.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 10, 2021, 03:25:23 PM
I always defrost the burgers. When not cooked on the grill, I cook them in a cast iron skillet.

The burgers I posted are way more expensive if you go thru the Chicago Steak website! Costco definitely has some great deals!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on March 10, 2021, 07:47:29 PM
Some suggestions:
Squash - Blend up and use in muffins. Any recipe for pumpkin muffins or waffles can work with any old squash.
Broccoli or any other greens. Smoothie is is easiest way to get down.
Costco grass fed patties, agreed we had the same experience. Something was off, maybe too lean. You can always taco meat patties.

Thanks for the ideas!  You're right, they are too lean, and I find them tough, as well.  Without enough fat they just don't taste good no matter what I do to season them.

If they aren’t past their expiration date take them back to Costco. They guarantee their food to be tasty and will return your $. Yes, they will throw it out, but maybe they compost? I love Costco. I will try new things because of their policies.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on March 10, 2021, 09:03:04 PM
@TomTX
You should write a recipe book in this style!

Ha! I'm glad y'all enjoyed it. Probably should do a new writeup of the breakfast sandwich one too.

Since I'm getting low on the bread flour, the batch last night had the bread flour cut by 2 spoonfuls, and it was two handfuls of rolled oats.

Turned out fabulous.

While we're on the topic of food we're not sure what to do with - I've got nearly a quart of lard and a huge ham bone to figure out what to do with.  How did this happen? I ordered a 3-4lb boneless ham for curbside pickup. What they substituted was a 17-lb bone-in ham with a huge fat cap. I hate to waste food, so I broke it all down, cut the fat/skin into half-cm strips and cooked it down in my deep skillet. Most of the meat went into the deep freeze in meal-sized portions. My goodness the pseudo-cracklins are tasty. They go great in spicy ramen.

Spicy Ramen, Homestyle:

1 packet of Ramen (I'm currently using Shin from Costco)
2C stock or water, plus enough to cover the ramen when it's dropped into the pot.
Combine flavor packet from ramen with the liquids in a medium pot, start it heating.
Remember you have that dried spinach and add some.
In the meantime, cut one medium onion and a quarter of a medium cabbage (or half a small cabbage, whatever) into strips.
Cut up whatever leftover meatlike stuff you have into small cubes.
When the liquid comes to a boil, add the noodles and onion strips. Onion helps keep the noodles submerged.
When there are 3 minutes left on the recommended cook time, add your cabbage and meat.
Stir periodically - make sure that veg gets cooked.
When the noodles are cooked, throw in some frozen corn.
Serve and enjoy, OR:
I usually pour off the liquid and eat the noodles/veg/meat - then go back and drink the liquid. Less splashy.

If you choose something like dry TVP for your meatlike stuff, it needs to go in earlier to rehydrate. I'd probably throw it in at the start with the cold stock/water.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on March 10, 2021, 09:06:54 PM

Mix the stuff in the dough bowl, adding water as needed to get dough. Leave it a bit dry.


I use a kitchen scale and have been enjoying the hydration math.  Two loafs, 1000g flour, 750-780g water, 150g starter, 20g salt, 10g olive oil. At least overnight bulk rise, but sometimes 2-3 days in the fridge really brings out the sour. Roll the loafs in sesame seeds, and I do the dutch oven at 450 method.  I'll have to try the pizza stone option.

Oh, if you enjoy scale measuring - absolutely do it!

Sesame seed sounds like a nice option. I think we still have enough.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 10, 2021, 09:19:53 PM

While we're on the topic of food we're not sure what to do with - I've got nearly a quart of lard and a huge ham bone to figure out what to do with.

Lard is my main cooking fat, perfect for sauteeing things.  Having a quart of lard is an asset, not a problem.  It freezes well too.

Ham bone - soup.  Beans.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on March 11, 2021, 07:46:24 AM
Ham bone - soup.  Beans.

+1

I make split pea or bean soup with ham bones usually.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 11, 2021, 09:47:07 AM

While we're on the topic of food we're not sure what to do with - I've got nearly a quart of lard and a huge ham bone to figure out what to do with.

Lard is my main cooking fat, perfect for sauteeing things.  Having a quart of lard is an asset, not a problem.  It freezes well too.

Ham bone - soup.  Beans.

I cooked 2# of pastured pork "stew meat" in lard just yesterday.  Traditional pork carnitas are cooked in lard, and I wanted to try it on a smaller amount of pork before committing a pork shoulder.  It was delicious, and I know the carnitas will be more tender with pork shoulder -- my stew meat packages were definitely a mix of shoulder and loin.  You need a lot of lard to do this, since the pork is cut into chunks (usually bigger than stew meat), placed in a single layer, and simmers just barely covered in lard.  You can save the lard to cook another batch or to flavor other cooking.

My family doesn't prefer lard as our main cooking fat -- we're olive oil fans.  But there are some applications where lard is great.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on March 11, 2021, 04:49:56 PM
Ham bone - soup.  Beans.

+1

I make split pea or bean soup with ham bones usually.

Yup, definitely pea soup!  Add onions and grated carrots.  So good.

I’ve decided that I have to eat down my freezers and pantry before I can buy new food.  I stocked up a lot before and during the pandemic and now that things are calming down and my vaccination is about a month away, it’s time to whittle my stockpile back to a more manageable level.  I should be able to get about 2 months out of current supplies, so my goal is to buy nothing but fresh veggies and fruit until then.  My grocery budget has taken a hit this past year, so hopefully this will offset some of it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MaybeBecca on March 12, 2021, 12:49:13 PM
Food waste question:  Do you eat food you bought even if it's pretty terrible?

This past month I've been working on using all of the frozen food we've purchased in the past year -- some of it as recently as January.  We've had several less than satisfying meals.

Frozen butternut squash:  I'll admit I'm stumped by this one.  I've purchased the Aldi frozen butternut squash and we enjoyed it -- I toss it in olive oil and roast it.  Doing the same with frozen butternut squash from Costco has been just awful.  It doesn't brown up at all, and the squash taste is strong.

Frozen broccoli:  Same thing as the squash.  Success roasting Aldi frozen broccoli, failure with Costco, although it wasn't inedible.  My family won't eat steamed frozen broccoli.

100% grass-fed beef patties from Costco:  I've now tried grilling these and broiling them, and didn't care for them either way.  We've never bought frozen raw patties before, other than one bag of the Costco sirloin patties, which we also didn't care for, although we got through them.

I'm tempted to consider these a lost cause and bin them to free up room in our overstuffed freezers.  I hate food waste, but I also hate choking down food I don't like.  I could find other ways to use the food, but it adds to my kitchen work.  Well, I won't waste the beef -- I was thinking to defrost all the patties (still have 18) and then cook it as ground beef before refreezing.  But cooking the 7# of remaining squash to puree it and refreeze just takes up space in the freezer.

I guess food is just a little different in terms of sunk costs, because you can eat it even if it isn't delicious, thus getting some value from it.

Do you drink smoothies?  I've added frozen butternut squash myself and been pretty happy with the results. Now that I think about it though, I'm not sure whether it's cooked before being frozen... It didn't give me any issues in the quantities I used, though. Heck, you could probably use small quantities of the broccoli that way, for a different "green" smoothie, if the rest of the ingredients are sweet enough.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 12, 2021, 04:58:19 PM
Okay, I am officially out of control! I ordered freezer stuff this week and the hub has been organizing it in the freezer but is in freak out mode because we no longer have any more room! I am going to have to go cold turkey and NOT order anything else! We  have to start using up the inventory before I even think of ordering or shopping for anything more.

Is there a rehab for pandemic hoarding? LOL! Hahahaha!

I am a bargain maniac and when stuff is on sale, I go nuts! I could operate a small resturant with my inventory!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 13, 2021, 11:49:09 AM
Okay, I am officially out of control! I ordered freezer stuff this week and the hub has been organizing it in the freezer but is in freak out mode because we no longer have any more room! I am going to have to go cold turkey and NOT order anything else! We  have to start using up the inventory before I even think of ordering or shopping for anything more.

Is there a rehab for pandemic hoarding? LOL! Hahahaha!

I am a bargain maniac and when stuff is on sale, I go nuts! I could operate a small resturant with my inventory!
This is where I found myself a few weeks ago when I moved the contents of the garage refrigerator into the house refrigerator and chest freezer.  I was motivated to do it by a planned all day power outage -- the outside refrigerator had a quite full freezer but was at most 10% full in the fridge portion.  Once I moved everything I decided we should eliminate the garage refrigerator if possible.

We've now used enough freezer food to have just a tiny bit of space -- we need it in the top freezer so air can circulate.  I also have enough space in the chest freezer now to freeze a couple of extra loaves of bread, so now I'll bake again.  I hate going through the work of making bread to make only one loaf -- the dishes are the same whether I make 1 or 3, and the time spent is almost the same.

I realized last night that I shouldn't even be considering Butcher Box until we eat the meat we have!  I'm sure they'll have offers throughout the year, and if they don't, we'll wait until they do.

I'd already stopped looking at sale ads because I go nuts when choice beef is on a great sale at the store with high quality meat.  But I do hope to have space for a couple of hams if they go on sale before Easter.  I think I'll divide them up before freezing, which should work better for us.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 13, 2021, 12:32:03 PM
Okay, I am officially out of control! I ordered freezer stuff this week and the hub has been organizing it in the freezer but is in freak out mode because we no longer have any more room! I am going to have to go cold turkey and NOT order anything else! We  have to start using up the inventory before I even think of ordering or shopping for anything more.

Is there a rehab for pandemic hoarding? LOL! Hahahaha!

I am a bargain maniac and when stuff is on sale, I go nuts! I could operate a small resturant with my inventory!
This is where I found myself a few weeks ago when I moved the contents of the garage refrigerator into the house refrigerator and chest freezer.  I was motivated to do it by a planned all day power outage -- the outside refrigerator had a quite full freezer but was at most 10% full in the fridge portion.  Once I moved everything I decided we should eliminate the garage refrigerator if possible.

We've now used enough freezer food to have just a tiny bit of space -- we need it in the top freezer so air can circulate.  I also have enough space in the chest freezer now to freeze a couple of extra loaves of bread, so now I'll bake again.  I hate going through the work of making bread to make only one loaf -- the dishes are the same whether I make 1 or 3, and the time spent is almost the same.

I realized last night that I shouldn't even be considering Butcher Box until we eat the meat we have!  I'm sure they'll have offers throughout the year, and if they don't, we'll wait until they do.

I'd already stopped looking at sale ads because I go nuts when choice beef is on a great sale at the store with high quality meat.  But I do hope to have space for a couple of hams if they go on sale before Easter.  I think I'll divide them up before freezing, which should work better for us.

K_in_the_kitchen, you crack me up and sound a bit like me! My hub was all in a fluster telling me the horrors of the stuffed freezer and how he struggled to find room. Then he tells me he likes having all the choices. Then we are taking about spiral hams in the month to come! We were also taking about cutting them up too in smaller packages! LOL! Right now we are in the process of figuring out what to defrost to lighten the load! I also bought three corned beefs. One for next Wednesday and two for later in the year. Then I bought a 7 lb chicken (fresh) to have a spatchcock chicken tonight! I have a chicken soup recipe I might have gotten on this thread with some of the leftover chicken from tonight.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: lakemom on March 14, 2021, 09:38:30 AM
This has been an amusing thread....Here's my 'hoarder' story....
I've always maintained a stockpile since my children were young (I have 6, 2 left at home 14 & 19) because I would by at food etc. at their cyclical low and buy enough to last until the next sale.  So in our basement we have a small storage room with a full size freezer, a couple of large shelving units, and an extra fridge (which mainly holds beverages and cheeses along with occasional extra produce).  Last fall my husband finally convinced me that with only 2 left at home (1 of which only eats here 1/2 the time) I no longer needed my stash (beyond freezer meat we buy by the 1/2 once per year).  So......

Slowly over the course of the fall and winter I used up my stash.  I was feeling stressed over this but it made the hubs happy.  I was finally down to mostly empty shelves by about Feb.  And first I noticed that our food spending had increased by about 30% ("I" was not surprised...he WAS) so we are 'dialoging' about this fact when BAM! literally out of nowhere we're hit by a PANDEMIC, no food or paper products on the shelves (blessed to have just the week before done a Sam's Club run and had plenty of tp for a while).  SEE I says to him...THIS is why we maintain a stockpile (not to mention living in tornado and blizzard country).  It's taken some time, but my stock pile is slowly coming back and NOW the hubs appreciates it.   

Not all stockpiling is hoarding....there is a difference.  In our case, if we aren't out of an item when its on super sale again I either don't purchase or purchase less but generally have a 6 week supply of most shelf stable products we use regularly.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on March 14, 2021, 10:19:03 AM
This has been an amusing thread....Here's my 'hoarder' story....
I've always maintained a stockpile since my children were young (I have 6, 2 left at home 14 & 19) because I would by at food etc. at their cyclical low and buy enough to last until the next sale.  So in our basement we have a small storage room with a full size freezer, a couple of large shelving units, and an extra fridge (which mainly holds beverages and cheeses along with occasional extra produce).  Last fall my husband finally convinced me that with only 2 left at home (1 of which only eats here 1/2 the time) I no longer needed my stash (beyond freezer meat we buy by the 1/2 once per year).  So......

Slowly over the course of the fall and winter I used up my stash.  I was feeling stressed over this but it made the hubs happy.  I was finally down to mostly empty shelves by about Feb.  And first I noticed that our food spending had increased by about 30% ("I" was not surprised...he WAS) so we are 'dialoging' about this fact when BAM! literally out of nowhere we're hit by a PANDEMIC, no food or paper products on the shelves (blessed to have just the week before done a Sam's Club run and had plenty of tp for a while).  SEE I says to him...THIS is why we maintain a stockpile (not to mention living in tornado and blizzard country).  It's taken some time, but my stock pile is slowly coming back and NOW the hubs appreciates it.   

Not all stockpiling is hoarding....there is a difference.  In our case, if we aren't out of an item when its on super sale again I either don't purchase or purchase less but generally have a 6 week supply of most shelf stable products we use regularly.
I'm sorry it caused you stress, but that was such a valuable lesson on so many levels! I get tired of taking crap from my peeps about my pantry. I did downsize one refrigerator during the pandemic, but I'm not clearing out my pantry (-ies). Nopey, nope, nope, NO!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 14, 2021, 10:44:57 AM
My Sister in Law called last night and we had not talked in a while. She questioned me if we do take out or order out and I told her no. I think she was shocked! She has never been a cook or showed interest in cooking but appreciates good food. Her hub used to cook really nice meals but for whatever reason they just seem to do take out from restaurants. I told her most times restaurant food is disappointing to me, not to mention expensive.

I have such a variety in my freezers, I could open a restaurant! I am almost never limited to make anything that my heart desires. The internet is full of great recipes! Last night we had a spatchcock chicken, tonight we are having roasted tomatoes (from my garden tomatoes) with garlic, olive oil, crushed red pepper, tossed with fresh basil, fresh mozzarrella and spaghetti. Another day will be a pork butt. I use up the leftovers in various dishes or as side dishes or sammies. Nothing goes to waste. I have a bunch of chicken bones from last night's chicken that I will make bone broth with. This is really not pandemic mentality as we always have been well stocked up. The one thing I will do take out is Chinese food and that is rare. I cannot and will not even try to make Chinese food.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on March 14, 2021, 10:51:02 AM
There are SO many things that are cheaper and often just as easy to make at home to the same standards. I will only get certain things if I’ve ordered, though. Any spring/egg/etc rolls are basically beyond the dexterity of my spouse and me. Also things like gyros aren’t really the same when we make them at home.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Frankies Girl on March 14, 2021, 11:20:55 AM
So I grew up with a parent that was dirt poor, and as a result (coupled with other circumstances) became an actual "as seen on tv" hoarder. One of the things he hoarded was food. Canned goods do go bad if they're older than a decade, and they sometimes explode!

I shop bargains/clearance and do stock up on things used regularly but I rotate through my pantry and do cleanouts (I do a complete empty/clean out the fridge/freezer/pantry yearly). And I do throw away anything that is more than 3 years out of date even if it might still be good. I'm not going down that road ever again.

BUT the pandemic stuff really started triggering me and the fear of running out and I had to work HARD to not go down the tinfoil hat variety of hoarding. I think I did moderately well as I just stocked up on things I already knew I would use up (and have used up and have nothing that doesn't fit in my existing shelves/freezer) and only got one extra multipack of TP right before the shelves got wiped out so I felt good about that. And we never ran out of anything that we wanted/needed due to my stockpile.

But the one thing that really really stressed me out was pet stuff. I have too many cats. I am a failed Trap/Neuter/Release caretaker; failed to "release" the little buggers because several got really sick and they were young enough to tame and I kept thinking I could afford to take care of them. Sigh. But I did cut way down on the population in my neighborhood and these are the last #@#!$ cats I'll likely ever adopt because they are HORRIBLY FUSSY and I am so over this.

One of them got diagnosed with diabetes. I got him into complete remission through carefully controlled diet. 3 others had bad UTIs until put on special diets. Another one has weird intestines, and needs - you guessed it - a special diet to keep from getting blocked and requiring expensive AF surgery. And YET ANOTHER ONE gets random high fevers/sick and needs antibiotics when this happens, so attempting to keep him on a supplement and higher quality foods to see if that helps stop that crap.

And there is tons of litter needed as well.

So all this pandemic, scarcity of certain items, reduction in production of specialty items and shipping delays made me very very scared my cats could get sick or even die if I ran out of the things keeping them healthy. SO I now have lots of cat foods, lots of litter. And it still didn't seem like enough, so I risked shopping more than I wanted to make sure I felt okay about their needs.

I mean, I can eat pretty much anything. Even if I ran out of things like TP, I could figure it out. But animals? Nope. Gotta keep them on the same foods and with the same care or they get stressed and could get sick. :(
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on March 14, 2021, 11:30:20 AM
This has been an amusing thread....Here's my 'hoarder' story....
I've always maintained a stockpile since my children were young (I have 6, 2 left at home 14 & 19) because I would by at food etc. at their cyclical low and buy enough to last until the next sale.  So in our basement we have a small storage room with a full size freezer, a couple of large shelving units, and an extra fridge (which mainly holds beverages and cheeses along with occasional extra produce).  Last fall my husband finally convinced me that with only 2 left at home (1 of which only eats here 1/2 the time) I no longer needed my stash (beyond freezer meat we buy by the 1/2 once per year).  So......

Slowly over the course of the fall and winter I used up my stash.  I was feeling stressed over this but it made the hubs happy.  I was finally down to mostly empty shelves by about Feb.  And first I noticed that our food spending had increased by about 30% ("I" was not surprised...he WAS) so we are 'dialoging' about this fact when BAM! literally out of nowhere we're hit by a PANDEMIC, no food or paper products on the shelves (blessed to have just the week before done a Sam's Club run and had plenty of tp for a while).  SEE I says to him...THIS is why we maintain a stockpile (not to mention living in tornado and blizzard country).  It's taken some time, but my stock pile is slowly coming back and NOW the hubs appreciates it.   

Not all stockpiling is hoarding....there is a difference.  In our case, if we aren't out of an item when its on super sale again I either don't purchase or purchase less but generally have a 6 week supply of most shelf stable products we use regularly.
I'm sorry it caused you stress, but that was such a valuable lesson on so many levels! I get tired of taking crap from my peeps about my pantry. I did downsize one refrigerator during the pandemic, but I'm not clearing out my pantry (-ies). Nopey, nope, nope, NO!

I love my pantry! I'm just not a big fan of freezing. We mealprep so there's always a bunch of options in the freezer for Mr. Imma to take to work, but other then the occasional bread (because we can't finish one loaf before it's growing mold). And I guess since we don't eat so much meat, freezing 1/2 a cow or a whole ham or a whole chicken doesn't really occur to me. I was particularly glad this year that I had a good amount of flour and yeast in my pantry. We go through quite a bit and it's still hard to get sometimes. We get rice and pasta in large bags too and I go through tons of canned tomatoes.

Mr Imma only sees the first item on the shelf so I was able to surprise him with cookies today. He'd been looking for a snack and couldn't find anything, but it was just behind something else.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 14, 2021, 11:48:16 AM
My Sister in Law called last night and we had not talked in a while. She questioned me if we do take out or order out and I told her no. I think she was shocked! She has never been a cook or showed interest in cooking but appreciates good food. Her hub used to cook really nice meals but for whatever reason they just seem to do take out from restaurants. I told her most times restaurant food is disappointing to me, not to mention expensive.

I have such a variety in my freezers, I could open a restaurant! I am almost never limited to make anything that my heart desires. The internet is full of great recipes! Last night we had a spatchcock chicken, tonight we are having roasted tomatoes (from my garden tomatoes) with garlic, olive oil, crushed red pepper, tossed with fresh basil, fresh mozzarrella and spaghetti. Another day will be a pork butt. I use up the leftovers in various dishes or as side dishes or sammies. Nothing goes to waste. I have a bunch of chicken bones from last night's chicken that I will make bone broth with. This is really not pandemic mentality as we always have been well stocked up. The one thing I will do take out is Chinese food and that is rare. I cannot and will not even try to make Chinese food.

The chicken sounds delicious!  One sad thing about my freezers being so full is I have no room to freeze broth right now.

There are four meals I'm willing to go to a restaurant for (not during a pandemic, however):

Prime steak from a high quality steakhouse -- this one is partly about the ambiance and not having to clean up, but also about a steak cooked to perfection.  This is our anniversary meal -- I happily cook our other special meals (including Valentine's Day and Mother's Day), but for our anniversary we go out (except 2020).  My usual order is filet, caesar salad, and creme brûlée, but I've been known to share a bigger steak with my husband if he wants to.  Any other steak meal I eat I cook at home.

Sushi/Sashimi -- We do this once a year to celebrate my youngest's birthday.  Since we're all sashimi fans it's worth it to go out for this meal.

Indian -- I can and do cook a variety of Indian-style recipes at home, but sometimes I want a masala dosa and we have a restaurant in the area that does great southern Indian cuisine.  This is an infrequent indulgence, probably not even once a year (although in my 20s I probably had one weekly).

In N Out Burger -- I don't consider them the best burger ever, but they're cheap and the food is good.  This is usually a post-race stop.  I skip the fries unless we're at a location that I know does them right.  Of the two In N Outs we're closest too, one always has fresh, hot, crispy fries, and the other it more hit or miss and I can tell they don't change the oil as often.  As a privately held company you wouldn't expect the difference, but we've eaten at enough outlets to know they do vary.

I would have added Chinese food to my list because I love cream cheese wontons, but that isn't a full meal.  Every couple of years we'll get some for takeout as a special treat.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 14, 2021, 01:13:07 PM
This has been an amusing thread....Here's my 'hoarder' story....
I've always maintained a stockpile since my children were young (I have 6, 2 left at home 14 & 19) because I would by at food etc. at their cyclical low and buy enough to last until the next sale.  So in our basement we have a small storage room with a full size freezer, a couple of large shelving units, and an extra fridge (which mainly holds beverages and cheeses along with occasional extra produce).  Last fall my husband finally convinced me that with only 2 left at home (1 of which only eats here 1/2 the time) I no longer needed my stash (beyond freezer meat we buy by the 1/2 once per year).  So......

Slowly over the course of the fall and winter I used up my stash.  I was feeling stressed over this but it made the hubs happy.  I was finally down to mostly empty shelves by about Feb.  And first I noticed that our food spending had increased by about 30% ("I" was not surprised...he WAS) so we are 'dialoging' about this fact when BAM! literally out of nowhere we're hit by a PANDEMIC, no food or paper products on the shelves (blessed to have just the week before done a Sam's Club run and had plenty of tp for a while).  SEE I says to him...THIS is why we maintain a stockpile (not to mention living in tornado and blizzard country).  It's taken some time, but my stock pile is slowly coming back and NOW the hubs appreciates it.   

Not all stockpiling is hoarding....there is a difference.  In our case, if we aren't out of an item when its on super sale again I either don't purchase or purchase less but generally have a 6 week supply of most shelf stable products we use regularly.
I'm sorry it caused you stress, but that was such a valuable lesson on so many levels! I get tired of taking crap from my peeps about my pantry. I did downsize one refrigerator during the pandemic, but I'm not clearing out my pantry (-ies). Nopey, nope, nope, NO!

I love my pantry! I'm just not a big fan of freezing. We mealprep so there's always a bunch of options in the freezer for Mr. Imma to take to work, but other then the occasional bread (because we can't finish one loaf before it's growing mold). And I guess since we don't eat so much meat, freezing 1/2 a cow or a whole ham or a whole chicken doesn't really occur to me. I was particularly glad this year that I had a good amount of flour and yeast in my pantry. We go through quite a bit and it's still hard to get sometimes. We get rice and pasta in large bags too and I go through tons of canned tomatoes.

Mr Imma only sees the first item on the shelf so I was able to surprise him with cookies today. He'd been looking for a snack and couldn't find anything, but it was just behind something else.

Hahaha, Mr. Roadrunner53 has the same problem but with size of bowls. There can be 20 bowls of various sizes but he will find the easiest bowl to get out of the cupboard which is usually the smallest. 5 lbs of $hit in a 1 lb. bag! Hahaha!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: fuzzy math on March 14, 2021, 01:40:56 PM
We moved and the new house doesn't have a pantry, just cupboards. The cupboards seem to hold a reasonable enough amount of most things and it's not so overwhelming that it's actually easier to see what we have and what needs to be used. My problem is a bunch of packages of gluten free flours and gluten free sauces that I bought on sale. I need to prioritize using them because they're all old, but I just don't somehow. I either subconsciously hoard them for a special time, or I just don't need the stuff in the quantities that I thought I did. It's probably both to be honest. Then I'll tell DH not to buy more teriyaki or something because I have a ton and he goes out to buy it anyway
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 15, 2021, 06:52:27 PM
I couldn't help myself.  We went to the grocery store yesterday to buy a frozen pie for Pi Day, and a quick detour down the baking aisle revealed Betty Crocker gluten free mixes on sale.  I have a kid who must eat gluten free, and most of the time the gluten free flour blends and the less expensive mixes have ingredients I can't have.  The Betty Crocker mixes are really simple, based on rice flour and potato starch -- both safe for me.  I bought 6 cookie mixes and 4 cake mixes.  The rest of us eat gluten, but I hate making two desserts, so I usually alternate.

My son can make the cookie mixes himself.  I'll use two of the cake mixes to make a cake for Easter (they each make one layer) and two to make a cake later in the month for a birthday.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 15, 2021, 08:07:07 PM
I couldn't help myself.  We went to the grocery store yesterday to buy a frozen pie for Pi Day, and a quick detour down the baking aisle revealed Betty Crocker gluten free mixes on sale.  I have a kid who must eat gluten free, and most of the time the gluten free flour blends and the less expensive mixes have ingredients I can't have.  The Betty Crocker mixes are really simple, based on rice flour and potato starch -- both safe for me.  I bought 6 cookie mixes and 4 cake mixes.  The rest of us eat gluten, but I hate making two desserts, so I usually alternate.

My son can make the cookie mixes himself.  I'll use two of the cake mixes to make a cake for Easter (they each make one layer) and two to make a cake later in the month for a birthday.

I never see those on sale, so how great for you!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 26, 2021, 10:46:32 AM
Okay fellow stocker uppers, we may be in for a new toilet paper shortage: https://nypost.com/2021/03/26/suez-canal-crisis-may-unleash-worldwide-toilet-paper-shortage/

You know this article is going to send people to the stores in droves and the toilet paper supply will be depleted in no time!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on March 26, 2021, 11:04:36 AM
We are slowly moving to our new house in another state, so I'm letting my pantry here dwindle down. I did move most of the tp and most of the flour there earlier this month, to the general amusement of my family.

Really, I regret nothing in regards to my stockpile over the last year. The only slightly weird thing I've got is a bunch of little two cup bags of flour I got as a substitute for a 5 lb bag maybe last April? And I just need to sit down and open those bags and dump them into the flour canister.

Got my second shot this week and plan to go to the grocery store in person! Exciting times...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 26, 2021, 12:06:56 PM
My house is totally stocked up and I may never go back to my old ways of grocery shopping. I do think I will go now and then but I kind of like having lots of selection to choose from.

Cranky, don't forget, the second shot takes a couple of weeks to kick in so be careful at the grocery store!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on March 26, 2021, 06:18:53 PM
Okay fellow stocker uppers, we may be in for a new toilet paper shortage: https://nypost.com/2021/03/26/suez-canal-crisis-may-unleash-worldwide-toilet-paper-shortage/

You know this article is going to send people to the stores in droves and the toilet paper supply will be depleted in no time!
I am so glad that I impulsively picked up another package of TP at Costco a couple of months ago, even though we didn't "need" it. It's sitting on a shelf in the garage just waiting for the shit to hit the...uh-oh, I think it just did. Glad we're prepared.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Frankies Girl on March 26, 2021, 11:21:26 PM
I have enough canned cat food and bought up some killer deal clearance bags Meow Mix grain free chicken dry kibble (Target is not going to carry it any more so they want them gone!) to feed the ravenous hoard for about a month. I just keep worrying about running out of their food as they are so damned picky.

I also could not stop myself from buying up 12 cans of organic chunk chicken breast in broth (10 oz cans) for 49¢ each. And breakfast sausage tubes for $1,49.


I still have 5 mega rolls of TP on the shelf and I'm not sure if I even go through a roll a week - maybe two? So anywhere between 5-10 weeks before I either panic or just shrug shoulders and haul out the cut up teeshirt scraps if it's literally a Mad Max situation out there again.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on March 27, 2021, 09:28:47 AM
My house is totally stocked up and I may never go back to my old ways of grocery shopping. I do think I will go now and then but I kind of like having lots of selection to choose from.

Cranky, don't forget, the second shot takes a couple of weeks to kick in so be careful at the grocery store!

Actually, the Pfizer shot shows robust protection 2-3 weeks after the first shot. I'm not going crazy, believe me, but I think that I'll go back to my routine of last fall, masking up and going in one store/week.

Cases are ticking up a little bit here, so I'm cautious.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 27, 2021, 11:50:49 AM
Okay fellow stocker uppers, we may be in for a new toilet paper shortage: https://nypost.com/2021/03/26/suez-canal-crisis-may-unleash-worldwide-toilet-paper-shortage/

You know this article is going to send people to the stores in droves and the toilet paper supply will be depleted in no time!

I read another article that projects shortages and price increases in all areas due to the increased price of shipping, with this Suez blockage just adding more to it.  I hadn't thought about toilet paper, but we're low so I ordered more this morning.  We prefer one brand of RV/septic safe toilet paper, and it's now priced lower than I've seen it since the pandemic started.

My oldest and I braved Costco this Thursday, with our KN95 masks, distancing, and hand sanitizer.  I wanted to use our annual reward coupon.  I have one (adult) kid who eats breakfast cereal almost every morning, and then only likes frosted flakes (brand name or generic).  Costco had the big Frosted Flakes box discounted, so I bought the limit of 7 boxes.  I also bought 4 packages of Teton Ranch grass-fed/finished Polish Sausages because they were also on warehouse savings.  But those are the only foods I stocked up on, and only because they were on sale.  We did buy a 20# bag of basmati rice because we're low on it, but that wasn't a stock up, just replacement.  Costco wasn't too busy, and I didn't notice anyone not wearing a mask (although there were a few chin maskers, and overall I've noticed ill-fitting masks throughout the pandemic).

We've been working through our stocked up food and I have no plans to go back to huge amounts of stored food.  My goal is to get down to 4 large buckets -- rice, beans, flour, and quick oats -- but it's going to take a long time to get to that place.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Channel-Z on March 27, 2021, 06:52:04 PM
I stepped inside Target for the first time in a while today. They actually have two aisles dedicated to toilet paper. Even though I shop for groceries in person every week, I wasn't prepared for the Target crowd, with everyone jammed into the check-out lanes as if no pandemic had occurred.

I've never really calculated how much toilet paper I use in a year, but I live alone and I have 19 rolls, so I should be set for a while.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on March 27, 2021, 07:41:19 PM
I bought two canisters of coffee instead of one today in large part because of this thread
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 28, 2021, 10:09:54 AM
I'm eating down the meat in my freezer and replacing it with newer.  Eating down the frozen vegetables and not replacing them, because they are from last year's garden and will be replenished from this year's garden.

I'm not doing extra TP stocking up from this thread because last spring I swore I would never let my supply get low again.  Instead of replacing when I  open a package, I am replacing when I open a package and have 1 in reserve.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on March 28, 2021, 11:43:05 AM
I'm eating down the meat in my freezer and replacing it with newer.  Eating down the frozen vegetables and not replacing them, because they are from last year's garden and will be replenished from this year's garden.

I'm not doing extra TP stocking up from this thread because last spring I swore I would never let my supply get low again.  Instead of replacing when I  open a package, I am replacing when I open a package and have 1 in reserve.
But how many rolls are in that package? Are we talking 4-packs or warehouse size packages?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on March 28, 2021, 12:20:30 PM
The news is hinting that I should be hoarding stuff because of price increases due to the ship stuck in the panama canal.  I don't really have any knowledge about this.  Is this another thing I need to worry about?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 28, 2021, 02:53:20 PM
For me, I am changing nothing in my 'warehouse' of food and supplies. Covid is spiking in some states (mine is one) and the ship stuck in the Suez Canal is preventing needed supplies world wide. There are animals on the other ships that will probably die and could have been part of some countries food supply.  They are hoping the ship will become dislodged by sometime tomorrow but if not, they are saying the supply chain will be disrupted globally if they can't get it out by then. On top of that, if the ship doesn't dislodge, they are also planning to unload the cargo and the uneven ship weight might cause the ship to contort and possibly split. They are also talking about pulling it with 13 tug boats and who knows if the ship might pull apart. If any of that should happen and the ship falls apart, just think how long it will be to clean up that mess so the other ships can finally pass by. If they do unload the ship, it will take some time because they are planning to use helicopters! According to what I read, there are 20,000 storage containers on the ship! They probably won't unload all of it but they want to lighten the load. What a mess that is!



Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 28, 2021, 04:09:31 PM
I'm eating down the meat in my freezer and replacing it with newer.  Eating down the frozen vegetables and not replacing them, because they are from last year's garden and will be replenished from this year's garden.

I'm not doing extra TP stocking up from this thread because last spring I swore I would never let my supply get low again.  Instead of replacing when I  open a package, I am replacing when I open a package and have 1 in reserve.
But how many rolls are in that package? Are we talking 4-packs or warehouse size packages?

Depends.  12 packs, 18 packs, 24 packs, depending on stock and price.  I'm doing curbside pickup and online ordering which adds a bit of uncertainty.  Last shop I ordered a bag of red onions and a bag of yellow onions and they were out of yellow onions.  But they had fresh tarragon.  Since I  can never be sure I am not waiting until I am really low on anything before I order a replacement.  Since I am also going 2-3 weeks between orders I do need to plan ahead.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 28, 2021, 05:58:38 PM
I stepped inside Target for the first time in a while today. They actually have two aisles dedicated to toilet paper. Even though I shop for groceries in person every week, I wasn't prepared for the Target crowd, with everyone jammed into the check-out lanes as if no pandemic had occurred.

I've never really calculated how much toilet paper I use in a year, but I live alone and I have 19 rolls, so I should be set for a while.

During the pandemic I started ordering online from Target, and now I think I'll be happy to never to back into the store ever.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 28, 2021, 06:09:08 PM
The news is hinting that I should be hoarding stuff because of price increases due to the ship stuck in the panama canal.  I don't really have any knowledge about this.  Is this another thing I need to worry about?
I find it hard to figure out.  We happened to buy two bags of coffee beans at Costco because my kid wanted to try a new one they had.

I know some preppers are talking about skyrocketing food prices -- I hate paying more and more for food.  But I realized that short of stocking up perhaps a year of food, the prices are going to get me at some point, and I don't want to store that much food!  So we'll find other ways to economize on food.

I think of it kind of like how manufacturers decrease product size to keep the price the same.  Over the years I economize more and more to keep spending level.  I know we can reduce our electric usage if I nag the boys more and have the youngest set up a power strip with his new super powerful gaming computer to cut vampire energy loss.  This winter I've brought down our natural gas usage -- I practiced being comfortable in a cooler temperature and it worked.  When it comes to food in 2021, I'll cut the creep in spending on treats and comfort foods due to Covid-19.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: begood on March 29, 2021, 06:48:34 AM
Okay fellow stocker uppers, we may be in for a new toilet paper shortage: https://nypost.com/2021/03/26/suez-canal-crisis-may-unleash-worldwide-toilet-paper-shortage/

You know this article is going to send people to the stores in droves and the toilet paper supply will be depleted in no time!
Blech. I'm literally just working down the last few rolls of pandemic TP, but this was enough to get me to order cat food earlier than I normally would. I can suffer, they can't! :-)

I did place a Costco order for tomorrow after reading that. I still have one full pack and several tissue boxes in my stash, but I'd really hoped never to have to worry about buying toilet paper again. SIGH.

My cat (rescue, clear history of trauma but truly the best company during the pandemic I could have asked for) has the most delicate gut ever. BUT what she tolerates the best is plain old Meow Mix Original Choice. I just got a 16 lb bag from Chewy, so with any luck that will get us through any potential shortages.

I call the stocking up on things "postponing my discomfort". The only thing I overbought last spring was oats from Costco. I still have 10 lbs of them. My kid moved into an apartment and the household oats consumption dropped precipitously!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 29, 2021, 11:00:06 AM
Don't run your pantries down just yet: https://nypost.com/2021/03/29/cdc-director-dr-rochelle-walensky-warns-of-impending-doom/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on March 29, 2021, 12:36:20 PM
Don't run your pantries down just yet: https://nypost.com/2021/03/29/cdc-director-dr-rochelle-walensky-warns-of-impending-doom/

Next to Israel, the US is the country in the world with the most vaccine distributed.  If the US is headed for doom, that doesn't bode well for anybody.  Did she mention why she's feeling that impending doom is coming?  I had been tentatively optimistic about the US situation.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on March 29, 2021, 02:22:20 PM
Well, the ship is unstuck, so that’s something.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on March 29, 2021, 04:44:46 PM
A bittersweet close to this great chapter. Not since Boaty McBoatface has the world been so united in their fascination with seagoing vessels.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: stoaX on March 31, 2021, 05:55:07 AM
Don't run your pantries down just yet: https://nypost.com/2021/03/29/cdc-director-dr-rochelle-walensky-warns-of-impending-doom/

Next to Israel, the US is the country in the world with the most vaccine distributed.  If the US is headed for doom, that doesn't bode well for anybody.  Did she mention why she's feeling that impending doom is coming?  I had been tentatively optimistic about the US situation.

I couldn't find any reason why she said this either.  And then the next day she was more optimistic saying:

 "The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a new interview celebrated data suggesting that those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 largely "do not carry the virus."

CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Monday that "our data from the CDC today suggests that vaccinated people do not carry the virus" or get sick."
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 06, 2021, 12:48:15 PM
I went through the toiletries/medications cupboard I set up at the beginning of the pandemic, and learned some things about what I purchased:

1) DH and I go through far more toothpaste than our young adult sons -- time for a reminder to them to actually use toothpaste when they brush.  Their tubes of toothpaste are bigger than ours, but one son made his tube last a full year and the other son has stretched past that.
2) We didn't use any cold medicine or cough syrup -- luckily the best by dates are in spring 2022.
3) I couldn't get hand sanitizer for months.  When I finally did I bought two (1) gallon bottles plus some smaller bottles.  But the way we isolated we really didn't need hand sanitizer that often.  Expiration dates are mostly far out.  I expect we'll use it more once we're all fully vaccinated and start venturing out more.
4) We did, however, use quite a bit of hand soap.  I was able to buy some right before everything shut down, when hand sanitizer was out of stock but Target brand liquid soap wasn't.  We also went through almost all of the Mrs. Meyers hand soap we had on hand (several bottles of various seasonal scents).  We're down to our last two Target refill bottles and two bottles of Mrs. Meyer's Oregon Pine that I'll set aside for next winter.
5) All three guys have clearly cut back on taking their vitamins.
6) I use a lot of dental floss, and I'm not sorry about it.
7) For not having had any illnesses that required medications, we go through a lot of facial tissues!  I suppose it's due to allergies.  I tried out Aldi brand tissues right before the pandemic and have been completely happy with them.
8) I can't trust the guys when they say we need antiperspirant.  I bought a new box of 6 from Costco because they assured me there were zero in the cupboard, only to find we still had 5!
9) We didn't touch the contact lens cleaning solutions -- the two who were still wearing contacts at the beginning of the pandemic each got a pair of prescription riding sunglasses and stopped wearing contacts.  I'm glad I didn't stock up.

As for cleaning supplies, I didn't stock up other than to buy laundry detergent and dishwasher tablets when they were on sale, I think back in October or November before we hunkered down and stopped going to stores again.  That wasn't pandemic behavior -- I typically will buy those items and the big jug of Dawn when they go on sale.  I did buy a couple of bottles of bleach and we still have plenty.  I should have bought more Barkeeper's Friend, as it's been hard to find, but as a plus DH went through some Ajax we'd bought pre-pandemic when we couldn't find BKF.  I also learned I should keep drain opener on hand.  And we got lucky that the guys had a box of toilet cleaner squirreled away somewhere in the back bathroom or closet, because I couldn't buy any at the start of the pandemic and yet we still haven't run out -- we're low on it though.

As for groceries, I wish I'd known that there would be an aluminum can shortage and that it would be impossible to find caffeine free Coke (not diet).  I totally would have hoarded it!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 06, 2021, 04:59:54 PM
K_in_the_kitchen,

You are really on top of things!

I have found out that soda doesn't last much past the expiration date. I always buy diet cola and used to only buy Cocoa Cola or Pepsi when on sale but I then resorted to buying store brand diet cola. Sometimes I buy 5 or 6 twelve packs to stock up. I have noticed really weird flavors at times and sure enough, if they are expired or close to expiration, the flavor goes off. It might be the diet soda only. That is all I buy, buy YUCK! My hub is really good now. He will stack the expiration dates earliest expiration date first and so forth so hopefully, we can drink them before they go bad! This last curbside pickup I did they substituted Cocoa Cola because they ran out of store brand at the store brand price. Win, win for me!

My stockpile remains consistant. I have to stop buying stuff though! My recent curbside I ordered 2 whole chickens that were on sale for $0.99 a lb. I got two chickens. They were not huge and maybe 4.5 lbs each. Rather than freeze one, we cooked up both. The Hub spatchcocked them both. OMG, so delicious and so moist. There were a lot of bones and skin so it wasn't a ton of meat.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 07, 2021, 03:00:13 AM
What worries me now with this pandemic is that each state is doing their own thing which they have all along but seems so many states want to get back to normal quickly without waiting to see what is going to happen. Some are opening school, theaters, restaurants all at the same time instead of slowly allowing this to happen. Then we have the spring breakers who will or have returned to their own states and who knows what they will bring with them. We just had the Easter holiday and soon it will be Memorial day and the summer holidays, people traveling. One of the airlines is opening up the dreaded middle seats so people will be sitting closer to each other. UGH! I pray Covid and its varient friends go away but only time will tell. I also want to go back to normal but it might be worth doing baby steps till we get there.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: stoaX on April 07, 2021, 05:44:39 AM
I haven't read up on why the CDC predicted doom, but my guess would be the spread of the more contagious variants has epidemiologists worried. In Canada several of the provinces have had significant spikes in cases. The rate of vaccination in the US should shield you somewhat

Yup.  As of yesterday 29% of the population in my state has had at least one dose of the vaccine and over 16% have had both. 

Add to that the numbers of reported and unreported cases and you're over half the population having some level of immunity.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 27, 2021, 04:26:41 AM
I have finally found Lysol spray on line! I placed an order with Walmart and was able to buy two cans. I think I could have bought more but it was a scent I had not purchased before so I kept it at two cans. Then a few days later I needed something I couldn't get at Walmart so went to Target website and found more Lysol in the scent that I normally buy. I clicked on it and it only offered me one can so I took it. Then I ran across a smaller can, same scent and bought one of those too. First time I have been able to buy aerosol Lysol in over a year! So excited! So, this is my latest thing to stock up on with future on line purchases!

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on April 27, 2021, 07:48:27 AM
I haven't read up on why the CDC predicted doom, but my guess would be the spread of the more contagious variants has epidemiologists worried. In Canada several of the provinces have had significant spikes in cases. The rate of vaccination in the US should shield you somewhat

Yup.  As of yesterday 29% of the population in my state has had at least one dose of the vaccine and over 16% have had both. 

Add to that the numbers of reported and unreported cases and you're over half the population having some level of immunity.

Yeah, I'm not sure it's wise to count on 'some level of immunity' from past infections.  I mean, that's what India was doing a month ago . . . and it doesn't seem to have worked out so well for them.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on April 27, 2021, 07:56:15 AM
I have finally found Lysol spray on line! I place an order with Walmart and was able to buy two cans. I think I could have bought more but it was an scent I had not purchased before so I kept it at two cans. Then a few days later I needed something I couldn't get at Walmart so went to Target website and found more Lysol in the scent that I normally buy. I clicked on it and it only offered me one can so I took it. Then I ran across a smaller can, same scent and bought one of those too. First time I have been able to buy aerosol Lysol in over a year! So excited! So, this is my latest thing to stock up on with future on line purchases!

My mom gave me two cans of Lysol for Christmas this year :) what a weird, weird time.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on April 27, 2021, 08:07:14 AM
I am sorting through my various supply cupboards because we are getting ready to move and it's interesting to see what got used up and what didn't. I bought a giant thing of lysol spray at the very beginning - it's not something I usually use, and most of that can is left. When I disinfect, I mostly use bleach and water and a rag. Similarly, we bought Clorox Wipes to keep in the car, and have most of them left because we mostly didn't go anywhere.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 27, 2021, 08:45:49 AM
I am really concerned with what the future holds on this pandemic. In my state we had a lot of rules in place with masks, social distancing, limited amount of people in restaurants. Now things are rapidly changing and a lot of these rules are being relaxed. Then I hear that people are losing interest in getting the covid vaccine. Some people are only taking one dose when they need two doses. This is really messed up.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on April 27, 2021, 09:58:17 AM
We are starting our 3rd wave here, with a lot of cases being variant related.  More restrictions take place tomorrow, going backwards to ones that were in place before they were relaxed a month or so ago.  Yet, in spite of that, I feel renewed hope, because vaccines are steadily occurring.  I have mine scheduled for next week.  So, because I have a lot of food still in the freezer and pantry, I've decided to eat those down so I can avoid going out as much as possible right now (groceries are really my only public excursion) until my immunity kicks in.  I should be good for at least 2 months, then I will replenish as needed, without some panic-induced buys.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on April 27, 2021, 11:37:23 AM
I have finally found Lysol spray on line! I placed an order with Walmart and was able to buy two cans. I think I could have bought more but it was a scent I had not purchased before so I kept it at two cans. Then a few days later I needed something I couldn't get at Walmart so went to Target website and found more Lysol in the scent that I normally buy. I clicked on it and it only offered me one can so I took it. Then I ran across a smaller can, same scent and bought one of those too. First time I have been able to buy aerosol Lysol in over a year! So excited! So, this is my latest thing to stock up on with future on line purchases!
I was in Costco yesterday and they had an entire pallet of the 3 pack cans FYI.


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on April 27, 2021, 12:32:58 PM
What are you guys using all of these aerosol sprays for?  Asking as a person who has never owned a can of the stuff.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 27, 2021, 12:59:14 PM
What are you guys using all of these aerosol sprays for?  Asking as a person who has never owned a can of the stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLE4FKlaQwA

We spray incoming boxes that are delivered to the house, use it in the bathroom, dog beds, air freshner.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on April 27, 2021, 02:23:14 PM
I use it for surfaces in the house if someone is ill.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NumberJohnny5 on April 27, 2021, 02:44:06 PM
https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2013/09/27/the-secret-of-vintage-lysol-douche-ads/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on April 27, 2021, 04:22:52 PM
https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2013/09/27/the-secret-of-vintage-lysol-douche-ads/
Holy shit!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on April 27, 2021, 04:40:31 PM
https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2013/09/27/the-secret-of-vintage-lysol-douche-ads/
Holy shit!

Yeah, that was my response too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on April 27, 2021, 06:06:55 PM
What are you guys using all of these aerosol sprays for?  Asking as a person who has never owned a can of the stuff.
We had to get work done on our house 2x last year and that meant having a couple of random workers in and out of our house.

Wearing my mask I sprayed the inside of the house when they were done and went out for a few hours to let it rest.

Not sure if it did anything but it made us feel better about having strange people in our house especially since they did not have the best mask etiquette taking the masks off and on to talk / work etc.

We have one can and it will last us years as it typically only gets used when someone is sick.


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Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 28, 2021, 08:08:33 AM
Wow, this is interesting on a possible upcoming gas shortage!

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/27/business/summer-gasoline-shortage/index.html
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on April 28, 2021, 08:16:36 AM
Wow, this is interesting on a possible upcoming gas shortage!

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/27/business/summer-gasoline-shortage/index.html

Meanwhile, I used two tanks of gas last year, and was hoping to keep the trend going.  :P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 28, 2021, 09:38:31 AM
My worst fears are coming true: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/10125-pet-food-product-supply-disruptions-persist-as-sales-grow (https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/10125-pet-food-product-supply-disruptions-persist-as-sales-grow)

Luckily since the pandemic started I've been keeping several weeks on hand, but this shortage seems quite a bit worse. I've had trouble ordering the most basic things and the grocery store shelves were practically empty earlier this week.

It may have already started because my elderly dog is on: Hill's Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care with Lamb Canned Dog Food, and it has been out of stock for months at Chewy. There are alternatives to the lamb but the Vet started him on that dog food and I stuck with it till it was out of stock. I buy a chicken alternative now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 28, 2021, 09:47:29 AM
I am sorting through my various supply cupboards because we are getting ready to move and it's interesting to see what got used up and what didn't. I bought a giant thing of lysol spray at the very beginning - it's not something I usually use, and most of that can is left. When I disinfect, I mostly use bleach and water and a rag. Similarly, we bought Clorox Wipes to keep in the car, and have most of them left because we mostly didn't go anywhere.
I happened to buy my first can of aerosol Lysol in February 2020.  My husband came down with the flu right before we were headed out of state for a bicycle race, and I didn't want anyone to get sick so I bought the Lysol and also a container of disinfecting wipes.  The Lysol is still more than half full because in the end I've used it to spray the inside of the garbage can now and then.

(He quickly wondered if he'd had Covid, but I highly doubt it because he was 100% better within 24 hours of taking Tamiflu.)

Having now gone through the pandemic (or I guess still going through it), I'm in the bleach and water camp for disinfecting things at home.  I use disinfecting wipes on cart handles because I've done that for at least a decade -- here in CA we already had free disinfecting wipes available near the carts Costco, Target, and the major grocery stores.  We stopped wiping packages and groceries sometime last summer.

I'm certain some of my behavior has changed permanently.  I usually carried hand sanitizer but rarely used it, and going forward I will use it every time.  Not because Covid is easily transferred by contact with surfaces because it isn't, but because so many other germs are.  I started carrying a small baggy of homemade wipes (70% alcohol on disposable dry wipes).  I intend to wear a mask in public whenever I have symptoms of illness.

As for the pandemic hoarding, we're on our second container of disinfecting wipes (most were used in the first month or two).  All in all I had the container I bought in February and one more container I was able to buy in June.  I never needed the wipes I grabbed from my dad's house when he moved, which were all older and already opened.  I knew they wouldn't be 100% as strong as new wipes but figured they might be better than nothing.  We've used the first 6 bottles of hand sanitizer I ordered, but not the rest, including two full gallons.  Dates are good on everything, but I'm going to take the gallons to my sons' workplace since there's no way we'll go through it before it loses potency.  Oh, we've gone through more liquid hand soap this year than ever before, which is a major plus. I still have one refill bottle, but everything else is gone.

I guess my plan from here on out is as simple as disinfect with bleach and water when necessary, wear a mask in public if I have symptoms of illness, wipe down shopping carts, use hand sanitizer after being inside stores, restaurants, the library, etc., and wash my hands with soap and water every time I come home.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on April 28, 2021, 03:43:26 PM
Wow, this is interesting on a possible upcoming gas shortage!

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/27/business/summer-gasoline-shortage/index.html

Meanwhile, I used two tanks of gas last year, and was hoping to keep the trend going.  :P
I put only 1400 miles on my car last year, and more than that on my legs with walking/running.

This year, and this summer, there will be more.  We have *ONE* vacation planned.  The kids have a handful of summer camps (that are, at the farthest, 5 miles away).  I don't see myself working at the office since the kids will be at home.  Oooh...but maybe if I ever DO go in, I can go back to riding my bike occasionally.  The only reason we stopped was the nutso dropoff/pickup schedules.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 29, 2021, 09:49:21 AM

I put only 1400 miles on my car last year, and more than that on my legs with walking/running.

This year, and this summer, there will be more.  We have *ONE* vacation planned.  The kids have a handful of summer camps (that are, at the farthest, 5 miles away).  I don't see myself working at the office since the kids will be at home.  Oooh...but maybe if I ever DO go in, I can go back to riding my bike occasionally.  The only reason we stopped was the nutso dropoff/pickup schedules.

We put 1800 miles on our car in 2020.  Our usual annual mileage is 4000 - 5000 in the car, with the van varying widely based on whether or not we take a long trip -- in the first 3 months of 2020 we put 2300 miles on the van (almost all race related).  We sold that van early in the pandemic and replaced it last month, so our total milage in 2020 was 4100 miles (3 driving adults).

We've driven 1600 miles so far in 2021 (car + new van).

This summer, however, we'll be driving 3600 miles round trip just to take our sons to university.  I hope this gas shortage thing is hype more than anything else, since companies know that click bait articles about shortages and running out(!) are bound to drive up demand immediately.  But it's going to cost whatever it costs.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 29, 2021, 09:58:19 AM
I'm now actively "de-hoarding".  Any food we didn't really love is being donated.  I stopped buying any extra food and we're working through what we have.

I learned my lesson with butter.  I chose to throw away 8 pounds that we bought last summer and froze because the flavors are just way too off.  It was Costco butter and each 4 pound pack had shrink wrap on it, but it still took on odors.  I did move it to the refrigerator in February (when I emptied the outside fridge/freezer) so that likely accelerated the deterioration.  I've bulk bought butter and stored it frozen before, but never for so long a time period.

I also lost 15# of the gluten free flour blend I bought -- it smells horribly rancid.  I blame this hoarding on the fact that this brand got so hard to find early in the pandemic.  Normally I wouldn't have bought more than one 3# bag at a time.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on April 29, 2021, 10:21:59 AM
My worst fears are coming true: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/10125-pet-food-product-supply-disruptions-persist-as-sales-grow (https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/10125-pet-food-product-supply-disruptions-persist-as-sales-grow)

Luckily since the pandemic started I've been keeping several weeks on hand, but this shortage seems quite a bit worse. I've had trouble ordering the most basic things and the grocery store shelves were practically empty earlier this week.

It's been hit or miss for us. I had trouble finding kitten food locally a few months ago. Fortunately, the kitten is now grown enough to thrive on adult food.

This is what I worried about most last year when the first shortages hit. My husband and I can survive on a wide variety of foodstuffs. Our two obligate carnivores and obligate herbivore cannot.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 27, 2021, 03:52:59 AM
Hello fellow stocker uppers! Now that the Delta Variant is spreading like wildfire what are you all doing? I for one have not stopped stocking up on my favorite foods. Freezers are full, shelves of shelf stable foods are full. Just recently I have been able to buy Lysol spray in a can on line. I have bought a few cans, nothing outrageous. I still have two boxes full of face masks.

Do you think we are going to have lock downs again and people who were just getting ready to go back to the office in September, will they go back now? Are kids going to be home schooled again?

I am still wearing masks when I go out and am fully vaccinated. Don't plan to travel and am pretty much staying home.

What are the rest of you doing?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on July 27, 2021, 05:45:09 AM
The swim club members in my area have a weird penchant for TP-ing each other's houses. Blessedly, that BS stopped during the pandemic. This year, they've started up again, which pisses me off. They are using so much that it's clear they hoarded it and are now using this tactic as a way to get rid of their oversupply. Asshats.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 27, 2021, 06:03:09 AM
Too bad the Asshats don't donate the TP to a food bank where people in need would appreciate it. What a waste!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on July 27, 2021, 06:43:06 AM
Too bad the Asshats don't donate the TP to a food bank where people in need would appreciate it. What a waste!
In our experience, it's the patents who think this shit is funny. We protested vigorously for a few years and got branded as killjoys. What a terrible lesson to pass on to your children while calling it "good, clean fun" and "harmless". Apparently it's an opt-in thing, which makes it even worse, IMO. Argh!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NumberJohnny5 on July 27, 2021, 08:56:42 AM
Wait...so you're an asshat if the worst thing you do is tp someone's house who specifically asked for it?

It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't get permission first?

What the hell am I missing here?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on July 27, 2021, 09:54:53 AM
I think it's worse because adults are volunteering for this massive waste of resources.  Kids could maybe be excused for such foolishness.

I'm not stocking up at all, in fact, I'm trying to eat down everything.  Locally, we aren't expecting much of a 4th wave, and that will mainly be among the unvaccinated, which are currently around 20%, so I'm not really worried.  I massively overstocked last March and it was actually stressful having that much food in the house.  Knowing I had something and not being able to find it, because I wasn't about to empty out half the freezer.  So I ended up mainly eating the stuff that went in last, which means the oldest stuff is still in there, waiting it's turn.  Year old chicken does not have the greatest flavour.  Not going to do that again.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 27, 2021, 10:08:48 AM
SunnyDays, I understand freezer storage problems and finding stuff. Just wanted to say when you get your freezer down to manageable amounts, consider getting bins that fit the shelving and organize your food into the bins. Years ago we had the same issue but during this pandemic I purchased bins from the container store and we put like meats in each bin. Chicken bin, steak bin, ground meat bin, frozen veg bin and so on. It also helps solve the slipping and sliding issue of stacking thing on top of each other.

Just measure your shelves correctly, depth, height and width! These are the bins I bought: https://www.containerstore.com/s/under-the-sink-starter-kit/d?q=under+counter+bins&productId=11006241

There are three sizes and mostly I use the largest and medium ones. I try to make use of every inch of my freezer space. I try to package everything flat so things fit nicely into the bins.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on July 27, 2021, 10:12:22 AM
I might stock up on pet food again after seeing an article yesterday that the drought is hitting hay crops hard, causing ranchers to consider culling their herds. Plus, meatpacking facilities have repeatedly been shut down due to outbreaks throughout the pandemic, and this has trickled down into pet food production (there have been shortages even when human supplies were plentiful). I should stock up on hay for the rabbit and some of the one cat chow flavor that our picky cat will eat.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on July 27, 2021, 11:55:37 AM
Even knowing we might be headed into another fall and winter of staying at home, I still chose to donate most of the pantry food because I wanted the space and to donate the food while it was still within dates, which matters to the food pantry.  I'm going to need a different game plan this time around -- I don't want to fill my pantry with canned foods we'd really rather not eat, like canned beans.  I think the freezer will be even more important than it was during the previous lockdown, but I'll have to be judicious with my space because we donated our extra refrigerator/freezer, so I just have the house fridge and the small chest freezer.  I'm mostly going to need fresh foods, so I'll use Instacart or store pickup programs.

I'm concerned about the Delta variant.  I'll be masking indoors, which I hadn't stopped except for a couple of weeks ago when I forgot to take masks with me to Costco.  We have a celebratory restaurant meal planned for mid-August which I really hope is safe for us to do.  We also have a cross country road trip we can't cancel, so I need to figure out how to do that safely, especially in states with lower vaccination rates and mask intolerance.  I think my plan has to be to be able to feed us from the campervan for every meal.

It's time to buy more toilet paper, paper towels, and facial tissue, along with more hand soap and some of the things that were hard to find during the last year, like drain cleaner.  Not at hoarding levels, but we've been using up what we bought last year and are getting low.  At least now I have a better idea of how much we use in a year, and I'll cut it in half since our sons will be gone.  I'm not going to stock up on pantry food this time.  We have a bucket of hard wheat berries, half a bucket of popping corn (which can be ground), and smaller amounts of other grains, along with some white flour we don't really eat anymore, but can use if needed.  But we've gone back to eating whole and fresh foods predominately, and I don't want to give it up.

I have a feeling this is going to be a permanent situation going forward, with diseases emerging and a vaccine-averse population.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on July 27, 2021, 12:02:27 PM
I think it's worse because adults are volunteering for this massive waste of resources.  Kids could maybe be excused for such foolishness.

I'm not stocking up at all, in fact, I'm trying to eat down everything.  Locally, we aren't expecting much of a 4th wave, and that will mainly be among the unvaccinated, which are currently around 20%, so I'm not really worried.  I massively overstocked last March and it was actually stressful having that much food in the house.  Knowing I had something and not being able to find it, because I wasn't about to empty out half the freezer.  So I ended up mainly eating the stuff that went in last, which means the oldest stuff is still in there, waiting it's turn.  Year old chicken does not have the greatest flavour.  Not going to do that again.

I'm so with you on this -- rather than feeling relaxed at having so much extra food, it was a hassle to manage, and it nagged at me.  Plus we got pantry bugs (twice) because the freezer was so full I couldn't freeze the grains I ordered in bulk.  We've been eating down the freezer and I hope I can have it empty before our sons leave for university.  It needs to be defrosted and can use a good cleaning, and I think I might even paint it to freshen it up.  When I fill it again I'm going to make sure there is always room for incoming grains to be frozen.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on July 27, 2021, 01:28:39 PM
SunnyDays, I understand freezer storage problems and finding stuff. Just wanted to say when you get your freezer down to manageable amounts, consider getting bins that fit the shelving and organize your food into the bins. Years ago we had the same issue but during this pandemic I purchased bins from the container store and we put like meats in each bin. Chicken bin, steak bin, ground meat bin, frozen veg bin and so on. It also helps solve the slipping and sliding issue of stacking thing on top of each other.

Just measure your shelves correctly, depth, height and width! These are the bins I bought: https://www.containerstore.com/s/under-the-sink-starter-kit/d?q=under+counter+bins&productId=11006241

There are three sizes and mostly I use the largest and medium ones. I try to make use of every inch of my freezer space. I try to package everything flat so things fit nicely into the bins.

Thanks for the info.  Those containers look interesting.  I do use plastic bins, but they tend to be about 6" shorter than the shelves, which means that I pile stuff on top to use up the space, then when I pull the bin out, it all slides off.  So, yeah, better/taller bins would help.  I'll have to look around.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on July 27, 2021, 01:57:01 PM
Our freezer is full.  We have kids, so we shop at Costco.  I never stopped masking in stores, but I may return to less frequent shopping and baking bread.

A friend of mine has COVID right now...fully vaxxed, picked it up on a van ride out with friends.  Sigh.

I still think kids will be at school, and I think CA will adjust their recommendations to say masks at all times, not just indoors, before school starts.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on July 27, 2021, 02:38:02 PM

Thanks for the info.  Those containers look interesting.  I do use plastic bins, but they tend to be about 6" shorter than the shelves, which means that I pile stuff on top to use up the space, then when I pull the bin out, it all slides off.  So, yeah, better/taller bins would help.  I'll have to look around.

It sounds like you have an upright freezer?  I had one awhile back and found it really hard to keep it full *and* organized -- it could only be one of the other.  I had to give up space utilized in order to be able to access everything easily.  I eventually went back to the small chest freezer we already had, but that was more because of the energy costs -- it's much less expensive to run the 8 cubic foot manual defrost chest freezer than it was to run the 21 cubic foot automatic defrost upright freezer.

I can cram the chest freezer completely full, but it's a hassle to dig down to the bottom.  My solution has been to use bags and boxes, plus the two baskets it came with.  The bottom is lined with cardboard boxes to divide lower items, and the other categories of food are in reusable bags stacked side-by side on top of the lower layer.  The OEM baskets set on top sort of hanging, and I keep the foods I grab most often in those.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on July 27, 2021, 02:59:30 PM
Our freezer is full.  We have kids, so we shop at Costco.  I never stopped masking in stores, but I may return to less frequent shopping and baking bread.

A friend of mine has COVID right now...fully vaxxed, picked it up on a van ride out with friends.  Sigh.

I still think kids will be at school, and I think CA will adjust their recommendations to say masks at all times, not just indoors, before school starts.

I'm not certain we'll see a mask mandate here in CA.  Suggestions and recommendations (as you said), yes, and certain counties or cities with mandates, but I don't think the governor will risk a mask mandate during a recall election.  Look how quickly they backpedaled on masking required for all schools for the 2021-2022 school year -- I think they announced it and then changed it within 12 hours.

I think it's time to go back to the habits and practices of my great-grandparents (and my maternal grandparents) and eliminate meals out except for the rarest of special occasions.  We did the first 4+ months of the pandemic without so much as getting takeout (and after that getting it rarely), and we can do it again.  It's just hard because as a culture people are now more likely to get together at restaurants than in homes.  Our invitations from friends and family are about 99% to go and eat at a restaurant versus their homes.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: American GenX on July 27, 2021, 04:38:45 PM
What are you guys using all of these aerosol sprays for?  Asking as a person who has never owned a can of the stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLE4FKlaQwA

We spray incoming boxes that are delivered to the house, use it in the bathroom, dog beds, air freshner.

I was kind of wondering the same thing. The last study I saw showed that the risk of getting Covid through touch transmission was less than 1 in 10,000. I've never owned a can of Lysol and probably never will due to other studies showing the adverse affects they have on the respiratory system with long term exposure.

Yeah, I quit disinfecting groceries and such as I brought them home a year or more ago when it came to light there was no evidence of anyone ever getting infected that way.  I'm pretty much back to pre-pandemic mode now, just wearing a mask where it's required.  I'm not even working from home anymore.  I was vaccinated in December and am ready for a booster when it's available.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on July 27, 2021, 05:12:12 PM
We are going on a two week vacay, and our oldest is setting into an apartment and not coming back after the vacay.  We are "eating down the refrigerator and the freezer". Things we don't like include block cheese, brussel sprouts, chopped sweet potatoes, phyllo dough, stir fry veggies, and frozen cherries/berries.  We also have a variety of meats still left, but the freezer is not in any way shape or form packed.

The fridge is even more bare for us, but probably looks packed to a normal human.  Three teenagers/college students, and an unemployed husband home all day equals a LOT of food consumption.

Condiments, pickles, hotel yogurt/canned mixed fruit, hummus, and some cheeses (which will make their way to the freezer while gone-the cheeses that is, not the rest). I can't think of any actual meals that could be created out of the refrigerator except omelets.  Clearly I need to be more creative!  Celery we only eat if I get it into snack size pieces immediately.  There's a large one sitting there no on has touched.  Luckily it was only $.69, and I can load it with peanut butter and cream cheese for our 12 hour drive. We still have milk, carrots, pineapple, strawberries, eggs, and apples to eat up. Apple turnovers? Quiche?

I'm not planning any more pandemic buying trips. I still have too much food staples/random items to use up as it is. Gasp, we are on our last pack of toilet paper, and also on our last roll of paper towels.

What I did want to report was that I've been having trouble with prescription drugs lately, so that has me worried.  I tried to get a steroid eye drop for my son today, and it was all out for 48 hours.  It's a drop needed immediately, every two hours.  We had to substitute an inferior product to get us through the next two days.  Eeps.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on July 27, 2021, 05:54:20 PM

Thanks for the info.  Those containers look interesting.  I do use plastic bins, but they tend to be about 6" shorter than the shelves, which means that I pile stuff on top to use up the space, then when I pull the bin out, it all slides off.  So, yeah, better/taller bins would help.  I'll have to look around.

It sounds like you have an upright freezer?  I had one awhile back and found it really hard to keep it full *and* organized -- it could only be one of the other.  I had to give up space utilized in order to be able to access everything easily.  I eventually went back to the small chest freezer we already had, but that was more because of the energy costs -- it's much less expensive to run the 8 cubic foot manual defrost chest freezer than it was to run the 21 cubic foot automatic defrost upright freezer.

I can cram the chest freezer completely full, but it's a hassle to dig down to the bottom.  My solution has been to use bags and boxes, plus the two baskets it came with.  The bottom is lined with cardboard boxes to divide lower items, and the other categories of food are in reusable bags stacked side-by side on top of the lower layer.  The OEM baskets set on top sort of hanging, and I keep the foods I grab most often in those.

Yes, upright.  I had a small chest freezer many years ago and hated it, but I agree it was easier to pack full.  I’ll just have to settle for less energy efficient but more accessible with the upright.  It’s only about 8 cubic feet, which is sufficient for me along with my side by side freezer.  I just have to rein in my hoarding tendencies.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on July 27, 2021, 06:05:03 PM
What are you guys using all of these aerosol sprays for?  Asking as a person who has never owned a can of the stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLE4FKlaQwA

We spray incoming boxes that are delivered to the house, use it in the bathroom, dog beds, air freshner.

I was kind of wondering the same thing. The last study I saw showed that the risk of getting Covid through touch transmission was less than 1 in 10,000. I've never owned a can of Lysol and probably never will due to other studies showing the adverse affects they have on the respiratory system with long term exposure.

Yeah, I quit disinfecting groceries and such as I brought them home a year or more ago when it came to light there was no evidence of anyone ever getting infected that way.  I'm pretty much back to pre-pandemic mode now, just wearing a mask where it's required.  I'm not even working from home anymore.  I was vaccinated in December and am ready for a booster when it's available.

Yeah, surface contact isn't a major transmission route for this virus. If an infected person coughed right on something right before you picked it up and then you touched your eye or nose, you might get infected. Generally, though, you're fine if you wash your hands after you get home from the store and put away your groceries.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on July 27, 2021, 11:33:44 PM
Wait...so you're an asshat if the worst thing you do is tp someone's house who specifically asked for it?

It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't get permission first?

What the hell am I missing here?
To begin with, it's wasteful as hell. We teach our kids not to litter, but then we encourage them to litter, wtf? The TP ends up all over the damn place, why is that okay?

Couple of summers ago, DH and I were coming home from something in separate vehicles late one evening. We somehow ended up with a minivan driving with no lights on in between us. We both flashed our lights, tapped the brakes, etc. to no avail. The car proceeded to pull up across the street from our house. Next, way more children than seatbelts piled out, intending to ply a neighbor kid's home with TP. DH was so incensed at her unsafe driving that he split a gasket. He is the most chill myob guy in the world, but seeing so many children exiting a car that had been driving with no lights on off set him off. (He did not yell, but he sure did tell her how irresponsible she was being). The mom called us spoilsports and said they weren't hurting anyone, but they left. After they were gone, I found a hospital bracelet where the kids had piled out of the minivan. The kind you get when you need an X-ray or other serious test done. It was dated for that day and it belonged to an eight-year-old girl. Come on! Why was that child out at 10 o'clock at night? And where were the parents of the rest of them? Did they know that "team mom" was driving so foolishly with their precious children?

Two days later, they returned and TP'd the intended house, sigh.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 28, 2021, 05:02:24 AM
I have two upright freezers but almost bought a chest freezer for my second freezer. Here is a video showing an excellent storage idea for a small chest freezer using Ikea pails.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydbsVS5rbSM
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jrhampt on July 28, 2021, 07:24:26 AM
I'm not too worried about it but making sure I'm stocked on prescriptions, cat food, and TP just in case.  We got a small chest freezer for the basement so I'll probably put any extra frozen stuff in that, but I don't plan on stocking up on lots of canned goods and pasta this time around. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on July 28, 2021, 09:19:05 AM
I have more on hand than I typically do, but mostly not “stocking up” extras just for the sake of stocking up. I have double the amount of coffee, TP, and pet food that I keep but otherwise just kind of a general more.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Missy B on July 28, 2021, 09:39:32 AM
Not stocking up anything -- all the shortages last year were from overbuying,not supply chain failure.
Since food supply chains stayed intact last year,  i have confidence there won't be any disruptions this year now that  we  are on track for majority vaccination.
There will still be another wave though. The numbers aren't high enough to prevent that.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: DaMa on August 07, 2021, 09:19:53 AM
Went to Sam's Club this morning (metro Detroit).  They were handing out masks at the door and wiping carts again.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: LaineyAZ on August 07, 2021, 09:28:52 AM
I'm going to review my pantry this week for boxed and canned goods that I can donate.  I did stock up last year so now these items may be close to expiring but perfectly fine for food donations.  A nearby church hands out food 2x/week so I'm hoping they will accept a few bags of food.

On the other hand, I still want to have a full pantry so I'll likely replace some of that with new stock.  In short, I think it's still prudent to have a little more than the usual amount of extra foodstuffs on hand because this pandemic is far from over.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 07, 2021, 10:07:00 AM
Glad to see this thread revived, as I have something to rant about add. In my area, there are many local swim clubs. The one in my neighborhood has a fondness TP-ing each other's houses, which pisses me off on so many levels. Blessedly, it stopped paused during the pandemic, but lately they're at it again. I suppose this is incontrovertible proof the Great Toilet Paper Shortage has ended.

My last pack of Costco Charmin has the odd feature of the rolls not being perforated. Every damn roll is just one continuous sheet, which is weird. Wouldn't those little fuckers love to get their hands on continuous rolls of strong toilet paper?

Instead of selling it to them, I sent an email to P&G. In return, I got an unctious letter full of corporate doublespeak, and the promise of a $10 gift card being mailed to me. We'll see.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 07, 2021, 11:00:10 AM
In case anyone is interested, Costco now ships cold and frozen foods. Recently I bought a bunch of things and they packed both refrigerated and frozen stuff in one box. The inside of the box was kind of divided in half and frozen stuff was frozen hard and the refrigerated foods were in refrigerated condition. Was a perfect packing job and everything arrived in excellent condition. The list of cold and frozen foods is not gigantic but there is a lot to choose from. I am hoping that over time, they add to the list. I have ordered frozen meat before like burgers, steaks, salmon burgers but this list is in addition to those frozen food items and is separate. To get free shipping you have to order $100 worth of products. Easy to do! You cannot combine shelf stable things and the cold and frozen things to bring total up to $100. This is what it says: No separate delivery fee with Cold & Frozen orders of $100 or more ($100 order minimum applies to items marked as Cold & Frozen only, NOT the total order value)

I often order shelf stable things too, toilet paper, Kleenex, paper towels.

Not sure how long this cold and frozen foods shipping thing has been offered. I just stumbled upon it recently.

I try to stay out of the stores as much as possible but I cannot find a good on line source to buy sliced bread, hamburger and hot dog rolls and some fresh products.

Dicey, that is really strange no perforations in the TP! Production machines have issues sometimes. Previously, I worked around machines, and when you least expect it, something can go terribly wrong! I used to work in a department that packaged UHT milk products. More than one time our homogenizer blew a gasket and sounded like an explosion! Needless to say, our sterile product was no longer sterile and product had to be dumped, equipment cleaned, re-sterilized and had to start the whole process over again. Many, many hours lost to this disaster! Good to report bad products to manufacturer. They keep records of it and take it pretty seriously.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on August 07, 2021, 01:44:21 PM
Awesome! Thanks for the heads up on Costco cold/frozen delivery. Seems a good alternative to Instacart, though the selection is somewhat limited.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 07, 2021, 03:16:21 PM
Yes, TomTX, the selection is a bit limited but I have also found that some of the things don't pull up on the main list. If you are looking for something, and you don't see it listed, type in the item name just to 'see' if it might pop up. I found several items that appeared. I love the option of ordering these items. Also, another thing that I do is break the packages down into more manageable sizes and freeze what I can. I bought the pastrami and the package is two lbs. I broke it into two packages and froze one. I also bought the swiss cheese and made two package out of it too.

I do hope as time goes on they will offer more items! Tell your friends! The more of us who order they will see people like it and may add more to the selection.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on August 07, 2021, 05:58:41 PM
during my last visit customers weren't social distancing or wearing masks, even though Florida is now the uber hotspot of the country.

It's almost like the two things are somehow related.  :P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 07, 2021, 05:59:56 PM
I took more out of our pantry today, as the young adults are headed to university and there was food in there they eat but we don't.  This spring we evaluated our eating choices based on FIRE goals, knowing we were heading into a phase of life without our kids here most of the time, making it an ideal time for change.  I am carefully considering what I might want to have on hand going into the fall and winter, but I don't want to stockpile and I don't want to hoard or buy anything we don't eat on a regular basis.  We basically are eating whole foods, unprocessed and minimally processed (and if processed, traditionally so), and avoiding all food additives at home, natural or not.  We've cut our meat consumption but aren't vegetarian or vegan -- really we don't want labels.  It's more of a simplifying to basic foods.  So no matter what happens with C19 in the fall and winter, we're going to need significant amounts of fresh produce (and we don't live in a climate where we can store roots and winter squashes), eggs, fresh dairy, etc.  The idea is to stock about 6 months of our pantry basics (wheat berries, pinto beans, corn for popping and grinding, cooking fats, salt, honey, etc.) and do grocery pick up for the rest every two weeks or so.  I'm not planning to renew my Instacart membership -- I think if we only do pick up from Sprouts we'll be better off paying their fee rather than having the full membership.

As for Costco -- we're thinking of ending our membership.  All we need to do is find a comparable dog food we can have delivered without it costing significantly more.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on August 07, 2021, 06:11:27 PM
@K_in_the_kitchen, if you have a Riplee’s Ranch distributor where’s you live (it’s a Canadian company), it’s great quality and they will deliver to your door.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: bryan995 on August 07, 2021, 09:23:16 PM
We bought a few bulk food items from costco business just prior to the last pandemic heating up. Feb 2020?

Ps the business center is fantastic if you happen to have one nearby.

Recently donated everything. 25lb box of pasta. A few canned veggies and fruits. Plastic bags. Rice. Beans.  Etc. Local church/food drive was very grateful.
May even make a habit of it. Seems more efficient that even donating $??

The pandemic also inspired us to buy a garage chest freezer. Got the smaller one from Costco for $159. Was a great buy. Now use it quite bit.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Catbert on August 08, 2021, 02:29:56 PM
For those looking to donate your excess hoard, consider a local pantry rather than a big food bank.  In my large city the well know food bank (part of Feeding America) has a multi-million dollar budget.  They much prefer cash so they can buy at a discount pallets (or truck loads) of food.  They then break it down in more manageable quantities and give to smaller pantries or direct to people at events.  While they will take your random pantry clear out, honestly it's more trouble than it's worth.  They also pay strict attention to expiration dates and won't use food close to that date.

So give it to your local church or other charity.  Where I am a nearby church has a glass fronted retail store refrigerator, shelving, and judging by the signage an old ice cream treat freezer out front.  Open 24 hours a day to donate or retrieve food.  Hyper-local.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Pigeon on August 08, 2021, 09:41:35 PM
For those looking to donate your excess hoard, consider a local pantry rather than a big food bank.  In my large city the well know food bank (part of Feeding America) has a multi-million dollar budget.  They much prefer cash so they can buy at a discount pallets (or truck loads) of food.  They then break it down in more manageable quantities and give to smaller pantries or direct to people at events.  While they will take your random pantry clear out, honestly it's more trouble than it's worth.  They also pay strict attention to expiration dates and won't use food close to that date.

So give it to your local church or other charity.  Where I am a nearby church has a glass fronted retail store refrigerator, shelving, and judging by the signage an old ice cream treat freezer out front.  Open 24 hours a day to donate or retrieve food.  Hyper-local.

I second this. I volunteer with a regional food bank and it is vastly more efficient to give them cash than to buy food to donate to them.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 10, 2021, 07:29:44 AM
For those looking to donate your excess hoard, consider a local pantry rather than a big food bank.  In my large city the well know food bank (part of Feeding America) has a multi-million dollar budget.  They much prefer cash so they can buy at a discount pallets (or truck loads) of food.  They then break it down in more manageable quantities and give to smaller pantries or direct to people at events.  While they will take your random pantry clear out, honestly it's more trouble than it's worth.  They also pay strict attention to expiration dates and won't use food close to that date.

So give it to your local church or other charity.  Where I am a nearby church has a glass fronted retail store refrigerator, shelving, and judging by the signage an old ice cream treat freezer out front.  Open 24 hours a day to donate or retrieve food.  Hyper-local.

I second this. I volunteer with a regional food bank and it is vastly more efficient to give them cash than to buy food to donate to them.
I run a large annual food drive in my city. We collect food and money.  The FB spends the money on basics and food drives add variety. For example, they do not buy condiments or fancy cereal, like granola. If I find a screaming deal on condiments, I buy and donate. Otherwise, I give cash. The FB can stretch a buck much further than I can, and I'm damn good at it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 10, 2021, 02:00:34 PM
I've noticed our preferred toilet paper has gone up to $55 for 48 rolls vs. the $35 I paid several months ago.  Good thing we still have plenty.  And I was reminded I have another 12 rolls of paper towels stored up by the TP -- we're set for a long time.

My dad helps coordinate his church's food bank, and they now have access to buying pallets, USDA boxes, etc.  Managing community-donated food is difficult from a space perspective and they don't encourage it -- money is better.  But they really love when parishioners donate homegrown garden produce and he says it's the first produce to go.  My local food bank likes both: they ask for money but also regularly ask for donated food and hold food drives.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Pigeon on August 10, 2021, 09:32:07 PM
For those looking to donate your excess hoard, consider a local pantry rather than a big food bank.  In my large city the well know food bank (part of Feeding America) has a multi-million dollar budget.  They much prefer cash so they can buy at a discount pallets (or truck loads) of food.  They then break it down in more manageable quantities and give to smaller pantries or direct to people at events.  While they will take your random pantry clear out, honestly it's more trouble than it's worth.  They also pay strict attention to expiration dates and won't use food close to that date.

So give it to your local church or other charity.  Where I am a nearby church has a glass fronted retail store refrigerator, shelving, and judging by the signage an old ice cream treat freezer out front.  Open 24 hours a day to donate or retrieve food.  Hyper-local.

I second this. I volunteer with a regional food bank and it is vastly more efficient to give them cash than to buy food to donate to them.
I run a large annual food drive in my city. We collect food and money.  The FB spends the money on basics and food drives add variety. For example, they do not buy condiments or fancy cereal, like granola. If I find a screaming deal on condiments, I buy and donate. Otherwise, I give cash. The FB can stretch a buck much further than I can, and I'm damn good at it.
My food bank gets donations of all sorts of things from grocery stores and manufacturers. Yesterday I unpacked boxes of Chik-fil-a sauce, catsup, soy sauce and ranch dressing among many other things from a grocer. It then gets packed appropriately for the food pantries.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 11, 2021, 01:06:05 AM
For those looking to donate your excess hoard, consider a local pantry rather than a big food bank.  In my large city the well know food bank (part of Feeding America) has a multi-million dollar budget.  They much prefer cash so they can buy at a discount pallets (or truck loads) of food.  They then break it down in more manageable quantities and give to smaller pantries or direct to people at events.  While they will take your random pantry clear out, honestly it's more trouble than it's worth.  They also pay strict attention to expiration dates and won't use food close to that date.

So give it to your local church or other charity.  Where I am a nearby church has a glass fronted retail store refrigerator, shelving, and judging by the signage an old ice cream treat freezer out front.  Open 24 hours a day to donate or retrieve food.  Hyper-local.

I second this. I volunteer with a regional food bank and it is vastly more efficient to give them cash than to buy food to donate to them.
I run a large annual food drive in my city. We collect food and money.  The FB spends the money on basics and food drives add variety. For example, they do not buy condiments or fancy cereal, like granola. If I find a screaming deal on condiments, I buy and donate. Otherwise, I give cash. The FB can stretch a buck much further than I can, and I'm damn good at it.
My food bank gets donations of all sorts of things from grocery stores and manufacturers. Yesterday I unpacked boxes of Chik-fil-a sauce, catsup, soy sauce and ranch dressing among many other things from a grocer. It then gets packed appropriately for the food pantries.
That sounds quite similar to my FB. They spend their cash on basics. Anything else comes from donations. Sounds like yours hit the condiment jackpot yesterday.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 13, 2021, 01:37:24 PM
We can only stock up so much but this article is certainly a wake up call that food prices are going up due to climate change and other factors. Very disturbing article: https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/13/business/food-prices-inflation-climate-change/index.html

I buy some of my meat from Butcher Box and just got an email yesterday that they regret having to do it, but prices are going up. The box I buy went up $10.

I also read an article on how manufacturers are trying to fool the consumers with packaging tricks. Everything is getting downsized in weight, but prices remain the same or more. https://abcnews.go.com/WN/shrinking-packages-consumers-paying-price-including-toilet-tissue/story?id=11986191

Just something to keep in mind when shopping!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: geekette on August 14, 2021, 09:39:38 AM
Shrinking packaging is nothing new. I'm old enough to remember when tuna came in 6 1/2 ounce cans.  Then it was 6 1/4.  In the past few years they've gone all the way down to 5 ounces.  The incredible shrinking sandwiches...  And forget about using your mom's old recipes that called for "a can of" whatever.  They won't be the same!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on August 14, 2021, 10:02:10 AM
I just discovered who has been hoarding the TP and paper towels... my brother! We went to visit him and half his spare room was filled with bulk packs of these items.

During the worst of the pandemic in spring 2020, I didn't change our TP/paper towel buying behavior, since we usually buy a Costco bulk pack and then rebuy when we're down to the last 18 rolls. But I was pretty mad when in summer 2020 it was still hard to find TP... fortunately our corner grocer was good enough to stock TP and sell a limit of 4 rolls per customer without price gauging.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 18, 2021, 04:27:05 PM
I buy some of my meat from Butcher Box and just got an email yesterday that they regret having to do it, but prices are going up. The box I buy went up $10.

The grass-fed ground beef I paid $6.99/# for in April 2020 is now $8.68/#.  I was watching BB for months waiting for free ground for life, and didn't see it.  They just switched from some meats and lobster tails (one time premium) to hot dogs, chicken, and burgers (also a one time premium).  I understand BB raising prices if everyone else is, but pastured meats already have a high profit built in.

We've decided to do the old Amy Dacyczyn method of reducing our consumption to the point where it doesn't work for us, and then bumping back to the minimal level that does work.  It's only the two of us for the next 4 months, so it's a perfect time to experiment.  We're starting with a meatless September challenge (not a plant based challenge -- we'll eat eggs and dairy products along with chicken stock from the freezer and animal fats).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: stoaX on August 18, 2021, 05:52:56 PM
I buy some of my meat from Butcher Box and just got an email yesterday that they regret having to do it, but prices are going up. The box I buy went up $10.

The grass-fed ground beef I paid $6.99/# for in April 2020 is now $8.68/#.  I was watching BB for months waiting for free ground for life, and didn't see it.  They just switched from some meats and lobster tails (one time premium) to hot dogs, chicken, and burgers (also a one time premium).  I understand BB raising prices if everyone else is, but pastured meats already have a high profit built in.

We've decided to do the old Amy Dacyczyn method of reducing our consumption to the point where it doesn't work for us, and then bumping back to the minimal level that does work.  It's only the two of us for the next 4 months, so it's a perfect time to experiment.  We're starting with a meatless September challenge (not a plant based challenge -- we'll eat eggs and dairy products along with chicken stock from the freezer and animal fats).

Gotta love a post that mentions Amy Dacyczyn!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 19, 2021, 05:50:54 AM
I was able to get the 'free' ground beef for life (2 one pound packages) and also I got 'free' bacon for life which is one package of bacon and it is small, maybe 10 ounces. These were offered at two separate times. Not sure if it is seasonal when they offer it.

I also buy some frozen meat from Costco and it is shipped to me. I have had good luck with that too!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on August 19, 2021, 05:59:46 AM
I was interested to notice yesterday that my Aldi had no white rice on the shelf, and they had signs up saying they were having trouble with their fresh chicken supplier although there seemed to be plenty of fresh chicken. There are still some ripples in the supply chain, I guess.

We moved to a different state at the beginning of summer, so I’m rebuilding my pantry supplies before winter. I’ve realized how convenient it is to always have a backup item!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 15, 2021, 09:49:23 AM
ButcherBox finally offered "Free Ground Beef For Life" again so I placed my first order Sunday, only to arrive home from our weekend away to a broken refrigerator.  We lost everything other than hard cheeses, butter, bacon grease, condiments, olives/pickles, and some frozen homemade baked goods.  The new refrigerator arrives Friday (fingers crossed!).  Luckily we have a fridge in our van and will be able to put the BB order in that freezer.

I'm telling myself this is an opportunity to simplify.  I'd already "de-hoarded" the pantry down to just two small shelves plus our bulk jars and buckets of grains and legumes.  We ate down most of the meat over the summer so we could unplug our chest freezer knowing it would only be the two of us now that the young adults are living at university.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on September 15, 2021, 10:33:15 AM
ButcherBox finally offered "Free Ground Beef For Life" again so I placed my first order Sunday, only to arrive home from our weekend away to a broken refrigerator.  We lost everything other than hard cheeses, butter, bacon grease, condiments, olives/pickles, and some frozen homemade baked goods.  The new refrigerator arrives Friday (fingers crossed!).  Luckily we have a fridge in our van and will be able to put the BB order in that freezer.

I'm telling myself this is an opportunity to simplify.  I'd already "de-hoarded" the pantry down to just two small shelves plus our bulk jars and buckets of grains and legumes.  We ate down most of the meat over the summer so we could unplug our chest freezer knowing it would only be the two of us now that the young adults are living at university.

You have a fridge in your van????  What?  Tell me more.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 15, 2021, 10:54:18 AM
You have a fridge in your van????  What?  Tell me more.

It's a campervan (I have a medical reason to need to travel with a bathroom available at all times and the campervan is a better solution than trying to carry a portable toilet in a minivan).  The van was our second vehicle when we had three drivers at home, but now it's our "daily driver" because we sent the car to university with our oldest son since he was the main driver of it anyway.  Used car prices are outrageous, and it took 2.5 years to put 10K miles on the car so we were pretty sure we could get by without it.

It's not frugal, per se, but it's the best solution for us, and we're already FI.  I'm RE, DH is working while he still enjoys it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on September 15, 2021, 01:04:42 PM
Ah, a camper van.  That makes all the difference.  Condolences on whatever condition makes you need a bathroom that urgently.  Can't be fun.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Trudie on September 21, 2021, 06:59:08 PM
I have noticed massive food price increases, so am adjusting accordingly.  There have been supply chain issues as well, particularly with turkey products in our region.  I’m not hoarding anything, but am starting to soak and cook more beans, use up my garden bounty, and fix more eggs.

I’m back to using online ordering services for Target, Walmart, Costco, and occasionally my local grocery store.  I just don’t enjoy going into stores and schlepping my cart around.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on September 21, 2021, 08:10:41 PM
I found 8 oz. packages of Danish Creamery European Style Unsalted Butter for 99 cents each, so I bought 24 packages, which is 12 pounds. What I'm most proud of is that I actually had room for it all in the freezer. Bonus points because I only have 2 lbs. left from the last time I scored a major deal.

Oh, and my neighbors moved out and put their house on the market. I may have poached some unwanted sage leaves from their garden. Sauteed in butter until crispy - yum!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on September 21, 2021, 08:28:08 PM
Do it! Do the Herb Crimes!!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SmartyCat on September 21, 2021, 09:38:20 PM
I found 8 oz. packages of Danish Creamery European Style Unsalted Butter for 99 cents each, so I bought 24 packages, which is 12 pounds. What I'm most proud of is that I actually had room for it all in the freezer. Bonus points because I only have 2 lbs. left from the last time I scored a major deal.

Oh, and my neighbors moved out and put their house on the market. I may have poached some unwanted sage leaves from their garden. Sauteed in butter until crispy - yum!
Some compound butter with sage might be nice too. :)

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 22, 2021, 09:15:13 AM
I found 8 oz. packages of Danish Creamery European Style Unsalted Butter for 99 cents each, so I bought 24 packages, which is 12 pounds. What I'm most proud of is that I actually had room for it all in the freezer. Bonus points because I only have 2 lbs. left from the last time I scored a major deal.

Oh, and my neighbors moved out and put their house on the market. I may have poached some unwanted sage leaves from their garden. Sauteed in butter until crispy - yum!
That a great price for quality unsalted butter!

As we head into a second fall/winter season with C19 running rampant I'm trying to be mindful of what I bring in, and how much. So far the only thing I've ordered is another 25# of white wheat berries.  To avoid contact with unvaccinated persons I decided to have Azure Standard ship the wheat to me rather than going to the truck -- it's an extra $17 but well worth it on the rare occasion.  I hadn't planned a large bulk purchase of pinto beans but will probably fill the bucket again.

Food prices are another concern, so I'm tweaking what we eat and making even more of what I can, like tortillas, yogurt, etc..  I'm going to try my hand at pasta, although I don't want to buy durum wheat for it -- plenty of people use regular flour.  There will be fewer breakfasts with smoothies and more with whole wheat toast.  The nice thing about cooler weather is it's so easy to build meals around basic, inexpensive vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, carrots, squash, onions, and potatoes (although potato prices are up).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: kite on September 22, 2021, 09:16:27 AM
ButcherBox finally offered "Free Ground Beef For Life" again so I placed my first order Sunday, only to arrive home from our weekend away to a broken refrigerator.  We lost everything other than hard cheeses, butter, bacon grease, condiments, olives/pickles, and some frozen homemade baked goods.  The new refrigerator arrives Friday (fingers crossed!).  Luckily we have a fridge in our van and will be able to put the BB order in that freezer.

I'm telling myself this is an opportunity to simplify.  I'd already "de-hoarded" the pantry down to just two small shelves plus our bulk jars and buckets of grains and legumes.  We ate down most of the meat over the summer so we could unplug our chest freezer knowing it would only be the two of us now that the young adults are living at university.

I don't bulk-buy for exactly this reason. We've had the power outages, the appliance failures and the once in a lifetime weather events that happen at least once per decade. 
In keeping with MMM's advice to "store your stuff on craigslist in full confidence that it will be there when you need it" I leave everything we can't eat fairly quickly at Aldi, letting them pay to refrigerate or freeze it.  Obviously, someone with a different household size or who can only make infrequent trips to town for provisions has a different need for having plenty on-hand.  But I get anxious if there is more in the house than we need. I feel like I'm being buried under the excess.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on September 22, 2021, 01:51:35 PM
[snip]In keeping with MMM's advice to "store your stuff on craigslist in full confidence that it will be there when you need it" I leave everything we can't eat fairly quickly at Aldi, letting them pay to refrigerate or freeze it.  Obviously, someone with a different household size or who can only make infrequent trips to town for provisions has a different need for having plenty on-hand.  But I get anxious if there is more in the house than we need. I feel like I'm being buried under the excess.
Wow, I totally take that advice for durable goods, but not for food. Having a full larder gives me a sense of security. All of my freezers (Three, if you're counting. Two small and one dedicated) have blocks of ice in them, so they'd automatically be good for several hours if the power went out. Plus, we have a generator. Better still, we're on a power grid that serves essential services, so we don't get the random rolling blackouts that PG&E loves so. I also shop at the kind of stores where you don't pay a premium for finding a specific item in a specific slot every time you go to the store. My stores are the "When you see it at a great price, buy it" places. I recently found 5# bags of flour from a trusted brand for 99 cents. Did I need flour? No. Do I have plenty of flour now? Yup.
Now, if I lived near a Winco or an Aldi, I'd probably be a lot more relaxed about it. But Safeway, Whole Foods or specialty stores are the only options in my vicinity. Oh, we have a Trader Joe's, but I find them too expensive and their parking lot's a bitch. I'm also from a large family, and a huge fan of Amy Dacyczyn's Pantry Principle.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on September 22, 2021, 02:32:40 PM
[snip]In keeping with MMM's advice to "store your stuff on craigslist in full confidence that it will be there when you need it" I leave everything we can't eat fairly quickly at Aldi, letting them pay to refrigerate or freeze it.  Obviously, someone with a different household size or who can only make infrequent trips to town for provisions has a different need for having plenty on-hand.  But I get anxious if there is more in the house than we need. I feel like I'm being buried under the excess.
Wow, I totally take that advice for durable goods, but not for food. Having a full larder gives me a sense of security. All of my freezers (Three, if you're counting. Two small and one dedicated) have blocks of ice in them, so they'd automatically be good for several hours if the power went out. Plus, we have a generator. Better still, we're on a power grid that serves essential services, so we don't get the random rolling blackouts that PG&E loves so. I also shop at the kind of stores where you don't pay a premium for finding a specific item in a specific slot every time you go to the store. My stores are the "When you see it at a great price, buy it" places. I recently found 5# bags of flour from a trusted brand for 99 cents. Did I need flour? No. Do I have plenty of flour now? Yup.
Now, if I lived near a Winco or an Aldi, I'd probably be a lot more relaxed about it. But Safeway, Whole Foods or specialty stores are the only options in my vicinity. Oh, we have a Trader Joe's, but I find them too expensive and their parking lot's a bitch. I'm also from a large family, and a huge fan of Amy Dacyczyn's Pantry Principle.

After the headaches of trying to buy staples like pet food, gluten-free oatmeal, dried beans, peanut butter, and any kind of canned goods 18 months ago, I keep the pantry well-stocked with shelf-stable goods, even though there's an Aldi 1.5 miles from my house (their shelves were as bare as everyone else's in March 2020). This is a great reminder to stock up on those items and scan my pantry for other low stocks before my next Costco trip. Our fridge died during a July heatwave, and 2 weeks later we lost some of the food in our borrowed small fridge due to a power outage, so I'm less trusting of refrigeration units and less likely to hoard fresh/frozen meat deals.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 23, 2021, 04:41:54 AM
[snip]In keeping with MMM's advice to "store your stuff on craigslist in full confidence that it will be there when you need it" I leave everything we can't eat fairly quickly at Aldi, letting them pay to refrigerate or freeze it.  Obviously, someone with a different household size or who can only make infrequent trips to town for provisions has a different need for having plenty on-hand.  But I get anxious if there is more in the house than we need. I feel like I'm being buried under the excess.
Wow, I totally take that advice for durable goods, but not for food. Having a full larder gives me a sense of security. All of my freezers (Three, if you're counting. Two small and one dedicated) have blocks of ice in them, so they'd automatically be good for several hours if the power went out. Plus, we have a generator. Better still, we're on a power grid that serves essential services, so we don't get the random rolling blackouts that PG&E loves so. I also shop at the kind of stores where you don't pay a premium for finding a specific item in a specific slot every time you go to the store. My stores are the "When you see it at a great price, buy it" places. I recently found 5# bags of flour from a trusted brand for 99 cents. Did I need flour? No. Do I have plenty of flour now? Yup.
Now, if I lived near a Winco or an Aldi, I'd probably be a lot more relaxed about it. But Safeway, Whole Foods or specialty stores are the only options in my vicinity. Oh, we have a Trader Joe's, but I find them too expensive and their parking lot's a bitch. I'm also from a large family, and a huge fan of Amy Dacyczyn's Pantry Principle.

Dicey, I am with you! I have two upright freezers in my garage and they are full and cabinets full of canned, jarred and other shelf stable products. At all times I have everything at my finger tips. We rarely eat out and since Covid, we never eat out now. Our treasure trove of various foods allows us to have something different every single night for dinner and never tire of the selections. I buy some things on sale and I also splurge on expensive things at times too. Last fall when rib roasts were on sale I bought around 6 of them and we had one every couple of months. I also found a sale on pot roast and bought around 6 of those too. Right now I am low on some shelf stable items so I need to stock up on that. I will get that from Costco and they will deliver it to my door. I will order enough things to get free shipping!

About two years ago one of the freezers broke down. I was afraid we would lose a lot of food but I found a place that could deliver a new freezer in two days. Perfect timing because everything stayed frozen and when the new one was delivered, we reloaded it and didn't skip a beat.

I guess another option would be to defrost the food and cook it up, eat what you could, or give some away.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: cannotWAIT on September 23, 2021, 10:45:06 AM
I'm an enthusiastic user of the freezer even in normal times. I love tucking away delicious things for future me to eat! The pandemic has only made me feel more justified in my freezer-loving ways.

My freezer is in my unheated, uninsulated garage and I'm only likely to lose power in the winter anyway, so yeah, I just don't worry about it. If the freezer dies a natural death then I can relocate everything to other people's freezers. If for some reason I were to lose everything in it when it was full of the most expensive things, it would be tragic, but probably only on the order of $1,000, and I am very sure I save more than that every year through efficient use of it.

I do run pretty lean in my refrigerator, though, mostly in an effort to avoid waste.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: force majeure on September 23, 2021, 02:34:57 PM
Toilet paper?

That Sh*t is expensive.
I have gone without, last few years.
Think about it... you are flushing paper down the toilet.
Whats wrong with hands, then wash with clean water?
its what half the planet is doing.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: NorthernIkigai on September 24, 2021, 03:09:05 AM
Toilet paper?

That Sh*t is expensive.
I have gone without, last few years.
Think about it... you are flushing paper down the toilet.
Whats wrong with hands, then wash with clean water?
its what half the planet is doing.

Isn't your bottom still wet after that?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 24, 2021, 06:11:10 AM
Toilet paper?

That Sh*t is expensive.
I have gone without, last few years.
Think about it... you are flushing paper down the toilet.
Whats wrong with hands, then wash with clean water?
its what half the planet is doing.

I think modern man has come a long way from using hands which is pretty darn unsanitary. There are other ways to wipe your butt without buying toilet paper. Back before disposable diapers, people used to put the dirty cloth diapers in a pail and wash them in the washer. You could set up a similar thing with clean rags and use a pail to keep the dirty rags in, then wash them. Other way is to buy a bidet. A one time expense.

https://pistachioproject.com/2016/04/why-you-should-switch-to-family-cloth.html

I will stick with expensive toilet paper. One expense I don't mind spending money on.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on September 24, 2021, 01:43:31 PM
[snip]In keeping with MMM's advice to "store your stuff on craigslist in full confidence that it will be there when you need it" I leave everything we can't eat fairly quickly at Aldi, letting them pay to refrigerate or freeze it.  Obviously, someone with a different household size or who can only make infrequent trips to town for provisions has a different need for having plenty on-hand.  But I get anxious if there is more in the house than we need. I feel like I'm being buried under the excess.
Wow, I totally take that advice for durable goods, but not for food. Having a full larder gives me a sense of security. All of my freezers (Three, if you're counting. Two small and one dedicated) have blocks of ice in them, so they'd automatically be good for several hours if the power went out. Plus, we have a generator. Better still, we're on a power grid that serves essential services, so we don't get the random rolling blackouts that PG&E loves so. I also shop at the kind of stores where you don't pay a premium for finding a specific item in a specific slot every time you go to the store. My stores are the "When you see it at a great price, buy it" places. I recently found 5# bags of flour from a trusted brand for 99 cents. Did I need flour? No. Do I have plenty of flour now? Yup.
Now, if I lived near a Winco or an Aldi, I'd probably be a lot more relaxed about it. But Safeway, Whole Foods or specialty stores are the only options in my vicinity. Oh, we have a Trader Joe's, but I find them too expensive and their parking lot's a bitch. I'm also from a large family, and a huge fan of Amy Dacyczyn's Pantry Principle.
Yep.  We have more grocery options - 99 cent only and Sprouts, but they are harder to get to for me, and I am lazy.  I love Trader Joe's, but they are contractually required to pick locations with shitty parking lots (we have 3, and this is true of all of them).

We are fairly lucky that we rarely get rolling blackouts like the rest of town.  My theory is that we must be on the same grid as the hospital, or something.  When my fridge died a couple of years ago or so, I ran to work to grab my mini-fridge.  That, combined with our spare mini-freezer, and coolers worked fine.  The back mini-freezer has large ice packs in it at all time.

I like be stocked up, but with a teenaged boy in the house, it's still not enough.  Our closest store has been having issues staying stocked with dairy.  Today I went, and they were finally stocked and had a sale with the "Just for U" coupon on cheese.  Unfortunately, I had a new phone and wasn't logged into my account.  Then, I couldn't get the login right.  Well, now I have a new account...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on September 25, 2021, 06:44:13 AM
Toilet paper?

That Sh*t is expensive.
I have gone without, last few years.
Think about it... you are flushing paper down the toilet.
Whats wrong with hands, then wash with clean water?
its what half the planet is doing.

I think modern man has come a long way from using hands which is pretty darn unsanitary. There are other ways to wipe your butt without buying toilet paper. Back before disposable diapers, people used to put the dirty cloth diapers in a pail and wash them in the washer. You could set up a similar thing with clean rags and use a pail to keep the dirty rags in, then wash them. Other way is to buy a bidet. A one time expense.

https://pistachioproject.com/2016/04/why-you-should-switch-to-family-cloth.html

I will stick with expensive toilet paper. One expense I don't mind spending money on.

Also, people who don’t use toilet paper tend to be male - most of my tp use is not poop related. ;-)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 28, 2021, 02:40:45 AM
I keep reading about limitations on toilet paper and paper towels at Costco. Sure enough, I went to the website and Kirkland brand toilet paper and paper towels are not even offered! Lots of bamboo TP and paper towels. Not sure how that stuff breaks down in the septic system so I am not taking a chance to screwing up my septic system. NOPE!

I still have a little inventory of paper towels and TP but I was kind of interested in what Costco was offering.

A friend of mine went to a well known grocery chain store to buy some deli meat and they had a sign out that due to lack of employees, the deli was closed! All these stores want the customers to self check out, maybe we will have to learn to cut deli meat too!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on September 28, 2021, 05:49:38 AM
I keep reading about limitations on toilet paper and paper towels at Costco. Sure enough, I went to the website and Kirkland brand toilet paper and paper towels are not even offered! Lots of bamboo TP and paper towels. Not sure how that stuff breaks down in the septic system so I am not taking a chance to screwing up my septic system. NOPE!

I still have a little inventory of paper towels and TP but I was kind of interested in what Costco was offering.

A friend of mine went to a well known grocery chain store to buy some deli meat and they had a sign out that due to lack of employees, the deli was closed! All these stores want the customers to self check out, maybe we will have to learn to cut deli meat too!

There were still good stocks of Kirkland TP and paper towels at the local Costco on Friday (I bought one of each on the normal replenishment schedule), but people were going nuts. One lady had three packs of each piled on her cart, plus several cases of bottled water. I was tempted to point her towards the aisle with tin foil, but she looked a bit frantic and I decided the risk of being attacked wasn't worth the potential personal entertainment.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on September 28, 2021, 07:19:46 AM
That got a chuckle out of me. A chuckle pre-coffee, even!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 28, 2021, 09:45:13 AM
I keep reading about limitations on toilet paper and paper towels at Costco. Sure enough, I went to the website and Kirkland brand toilet paper and paper towels are not even offered! Lots of bamboo TP and paper towels. Not sure how that stuff breaks down in the septic system so I am not taking a chance to screwing up my septic system. NOPE!

I still have a little inventory of paper towels and TP but I was kind of interested in what Costco was offering.

A friend of mine went to a well known grocery chain store to buy some deli meat and they had a sign out that due to lack of employees, the deli was closed! All these stores want the customers to self check out, maybe we will have to learn to cut deli meat too!

For delivery to my zip code Costco has both Kirkland bath tissue (TP) and Kirkland paper towels, limit one of each.

I'm not planning to buy more of either.  I still have 24 rolls of Viva paper towels, bought last November.  And 96 rolls of our preferred toilet paper, plus a bit more in an open box. I got those early in summer when prices when back down.  I also see a box of Scott Professional 2-ply, which I think we didn't really like but we also didn't donate it (like we did with two other huge boxes of individual rolls). We can keep that on hand as our "emergency stash" should prices on the Scott rapid dissolve go up again.

Our Costco has self checkout now.  And I saw it at one of the grocery stores near us, but I can't remember which one.  Target and Walmart have had it for years, as have Home Depot and Lowes.  The more these companies can get us to do for them, the less they have to pay employees.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jim555 on September 28, 2021, 09:59:21 AM
I stopped buying paper towels entirely.  Now I have a stack of face towels that work fine.  Still working on getting rid of the TP.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 28, 2021, 10:07:19 AM
Yes, stores would love to do away with employees. They could save on wages, insurance and any perks people might get. They are slowly integrating these self check out systems to get customers used to it and finally pull the plug. Younger people won't know the difference because they will have grown up with self check outs. What gets me is that there is no discount for checking out your items and bagging them too! I refuse to go to self check outs if I have a choice. There are a lot of elderly people that cannot adapt to it, handicapped people and others. I personally hate it. What is next for us customers to do in the stores? I already mentioned operating the deli slicers, maybe we can stock the shelves, sweep the floors, package meat in the meat department.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jim555 on September 28, 2021, 11:53:17 AM
I like self-checkouts.  Once you get used to it it is so much easier and faster. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on September 28, 2021, 12:38:16 PM
Our freezer got messed up over the weekend. (It started with DH and a late-night ice cream splurge when he didn't actually close the door all the way.)  Due to the freeze/thaw cycle that occurred, we have a BUNCH of freezer meals on the menu over the next few weeks.  I'm hoping to end the hoarding cycle after this.  When I bought my freezer/fridge in the extra-large version, I had visions of them being artfully arranged with the food where you could find it in the front just like they show on the ads.  Yeah right.  I've got a ridiculous hodge-podge of randomness.

I hate self checkouts. Unless its the Amazon Go store.  Then it's kind of fun and makes sense as it scans your groceries as you put them in the cart.  They need massively larger carts though!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Nutty on September 28, 2021, 04:38:41 PM
Y'all's comments about the self check out got me thinking.  It's almost like they expect us to pump our own gas, check the oil, tire pressure and all that.  Eventually, you won't need the gas station attendants.

Anyone else see a correlation? 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on September 28, 2021, 04:58:46 PM
I refuse to use self check out, for the same reason I refuse to pump my own gas.  It puts someone out of work and makes me do their job for free.  Whenever I’m told in a store that a self checkout is free, I make a point of loudly saying that I’m saving someone’s job.  To which I get a blank stare or an uncertain laugh.  I’m happy to wait in line as long as it takes, because I’m retired;)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: JoePublic3.14 on September 29, 2021, 06:22:53 AM
Y'all's comments about the self check out got me thinking.  It's almost like they expect us to pump our own gas, check the oil, tire pressure and all that.  Eventually, you won't need the gas station attendants.

Anyone else see a correlation?

Sure, just so it has limits and I am not doing my own root canals in twenty years. I mean, I am already expected to brush and floss.

I do like the self checkouts, especially when I am popping in for a couple things I forgot.

I have seen more places offer you a scanner to scan as you load the cart. There’s some good possibilities there also.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: reeshau on September 29, 2021, 06:45:37 AM

I hate self checkouts. Unless its the Amazon Go store.  Then it's kind of fun and makes sense as it scans your groceries as you put them in the cart.  They need massively larger carts though!

Sam's Club has scan-and-go.  You have to scan the items, but skip the checkout just as effectively.  And the carts are plenty big.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 29, 2021, 10:14:43 AM
In practice I don't mind a self checkout, especially if I'm buying one or two items and the store only has one cashier open with a line.  But I know that situation comes up exactly because of self checkouts.  In theory, I'm against self checkout because it takes away jobs and we're not to a place yet where self checkout reliably functions as well as a human being -- and I don't think that can happen in grocery stores unless every item is packaged RFID or a similar technology that can be read without scanning items one by one.  To do that would take our choice in the produce and meat departments, etc., which has already happened at many stores.

I'm constantly figuring out how to manage as technology advances and large corporations take over, all while attempting to consider global climate change.  I used to have a farm stand just over a mile away, and now I have to go 5 miles, which isn't walkable (I no longer bike).  The non chain grocery store can't compete price wise with the chains, but more than that, they don't have quality produce and carry very little in the way of organics.  I can choose between a regional chain, several national chains, and the independent grocery store, but Sprouts is the closest in terms of walking at .6 mile.  If I expand my distance to a mile I can walk to Vons and Trader Joes.  The regional chain and Aldi have to be driven to.  This makes Sprouts the best choice overall in terms of distance, quality of produce, and organic options, although they aren't the best in terms of price, and their workers aren't unionized.  There just end up being too many variables!

I do see think offering a human cashier versus a self checkout or other options is likely to end at some point.  Consumers are easily trained and most want the lowest price possible and aren't thinking about the people whose jobs are going away.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on September 29, 2021, 07:59:59 PM
I’m still rebuilding our pantry system after our move.

I’ve noticed a lot more random out of stock items at all the stores, not any one category. The cat food we buy, which is evidently the only “sensitive skin and stomach” formula that is chunky, not pâté, is out of stock everywhere and not expected to be in until sometime next year.

It’s just still weird and I am trying not to run out of anything without a backup or two.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on September 29, 2021, 08:17:49 PM
The beautiful brand-new Aldi in the neighboring suburb had no garlic, no frozen fish, and at least 10% empty shelves and fridge cases.

I think I'm going to put in an order for some bulk dry goods (beans, lentils, rice) and pet food and stock up on some canned goods for the winter. Start filling the chest freezer now that we're past the gross-hot season.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on September 30, 2021, 08:20:51 AM
The beautiful brand-new Aldi in the neighboring suburb had no garlic, no frozen fish, and at least 10% empty shelves and fridge cases.

I think I'm going to put in an order for some bulk dry goods (beans, lentils, rice) and pet food and stock up on some canned goods for the winter. Start filling the chest freezer now that we're past the gross-hot season.

I went shopping in the store last month for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

I was shook by the empty shelves. As an old millennial, empty shelves only happened in the USSR. I have truly never known anything but fully stocked and abundant grocery choices.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Jenny Wren on September 30, 2021, 09:03:01 AM
I haven't noticed empty shelves around here, but I might not shop in the hard hit departments - dairy, produce, and bulk pantry goods seem to be well stocked. The only meat I buy is my son's chicken breasts and turkey bacon, no beef or anything like that. We order our TP from No. 2, and the box comes every 6 months reliably thus far. I have noticed that the cats' wet food selection is spotty, with different flavors/brands out of stock on what almost seems a rotating basis. Fortunately they aren't picky eaters. I am a bit confused about their dry food, though. I may stockpile an extra bag to keep in reserve. They'd definitely eat something else, but this food agrees well with my old man's tummy.

Price increases are severe and across the board, though.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on September 30, 2021, 10:23:32 AM
I haven't noticed empty shelves around here, but I might not shop in the hard hit departments - dairy, produce, and bulk pantry goods seem to be well stocked. The only meat I buy is my son's chicken breasts and turkey bacon, no beef or anything like that. We order our TP from No. 2, and the box comes every 6 months reliably thus far. I have noticed that the cats' wet food selection is spotty, with different flavors/brands out of stock on what almost seems a rotating basis. Fortunately they aren't picky eaters. I am a bit confused about their dry food, though. I may stockpile an extra bag to keep in reserve. They'd definitely eat something else, but this food agrees well with my old man's tummy.

Price increases are severe and across the board, though.

Today I learned there's a toilet paper company called No. 2. Wow!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jim555 on September 30, 2021, 10:28:32 AM
Today I learned there's a toilet paper company called No. 2. Wow!
Who does No. 2 work for?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 30, 2021, 10:42:48 AM
Price increases are severe and across the board, though.

The price increases are definitely significant, and I've started seeing even more shrinkflation in grocery items, especially some of the store brands that had been holding out.  Store brand Rocky Road ice cream for DH is down from 1.75 to 1.5 quarts just since April, and it hasn't been going on sale.  It's still cheaper than any other brand though.

Milk prices have been holding steady, but eggs are higher and I haven't seen good sales like they used to have at Aldi.  Three years ago at Aldi the regular price was 79¢ a dozen and 59¢ on sale was common, with a few big sales at 49¢ (September 2018 I bought 12 dozen eggs at 49¢ a dozen). By the time the pandemic hit 99¢ was an everyday price and 79¢ was the sale.  But now $1.79 is the regular price and I rarely see them go on sale.  I think we mentioned it before, but potato prices seem to be way up.  Apple sale prices look more like Fall 2019's regular prices.

We're eating really simply.  I buy cream and milk to make creme fraiche and yogurt, which is cheaper than buying sour cream and yogurt already made (because I want organic, zero additives, and to know they weren't made with dried milk, which manufacturers don't have to disclose).  I grind wheat and bake our bread, biscuits, tortillas, etc.  Our complex carbs are potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and brown rice, plus the breads I bake.  We eat basic and in season produce.  I buy a chicken every other week and make the carcass into stock for homemade soups.  We eat "red" meat once a week (beef -or- pork -or- lamb), chicken once a week, and that's it other than occasionally using bulk sausage or bacon in sweet potato breakfast bowls.  Beans are twice a week, a meatless soup (using chicken broth, so not vegetarian) is twice a week, and I try to make a more interesting vegetarian meal once a week, like Indian-style potatoes, homemade pizza, etc.  We eat a lot of eggs, usually in an egg casserole with plenty of vegetables.  We're eating fewer smoothies now that fall has arrived, mostly because they cost a lot more than eggs and toast with an apple or a side of sautéed cabbage.  Cutting down on the more expensive meals (meat, smoothies, etc.) is the way I foresee keeping our grocery expenditures down with the rising prices.  I think twice about topping our egg casserole with a $1 avocado -- now I plan one avocado a week instead of four.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 30, 2021, 01:30:01 PM
Costco is hit and miss. The other day no Kirkland TP or Paper towels, then they were in stock the next day so I ordered one of each. I have not really shopped in the stores much since the pandemic started. Once in a while I go but mostly curbside. When I do curbside I order a ton of stuff like eggs, sour cream, yogurt, cream cheese, frozen fries, onion rings. I get sauces in glass jars. I tried to order sauces from Walmart and that was a fiasco. Broken glass and sauce everywhere. Bad news! Will not do that again. So curbside I do anything in glass jars like olives, pickles, roasted red peppers. I still order a lot of stuff from Walmart, Costco and Target. Sometimes Boxed. I order my dogs prescriptions, dog food and other dog supplies from Chewy. They are good and ship quickly.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on September 30, 2021, 05:26:13 PM
Today I learned there's a toilet paper company called No. 2. Wow!
Who does No. 2 work for?

Haha, my little brother was obsessed with that movie, so I've seen it eleventy thousand times. (You know, back in the days when there was one screen in the house for watching movies, so siblings had to, like, get along and stuff.) That popped into my head when I saw the company name, too. :-)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on September 30, 2021, 09:45:41 PM
Walmart has not had bananas in stock for over a month here.  The clerk said “shortage” when asked why, but other stores have had them all along, so don’t know the real issue.  I’ve seen some empty spots every trip, but nothing else as consistent as bananas.

I’m still eating down my stock, but will start building it up a bit in about a month.  One thing the pandemic taught me is how far my groceries go (quite a long way) and what I can cook with a bunch of random ingredients.  So now I’m less concerned about being stocked up.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: debbie does duncan on October 01, 2021, 10:58:14 AM
There was / is a big drought on the west coast.
 Many Christmas tree farms did not get the rain they needed this yr of grow on their trees.
They will not be shipping any trees this yr.
 Wait for it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: abhe8 on October 01, 2021, 11:28:59 AM
me!! I have a large family and plenty of storage space, and I was caught a little off guard last year, so I am definitely stocking up. I have always ordered dry foods twice a year, but now I am making sure I have 2 of each item, as many are still OOS when I go to place my next order. I've also realized how nice it is to never run out of things, but rather just put in a big order every 6 months (dry pantry food) or every 1-2 months (other consumables). We grow/process our own eggs, chickens, rabbits and purchase beef and pork about twice a year, so that leaves just produce for my weekly grocery runs.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 01, 2021, 07:30:26 PM
We're pushing out the grocery shopping another week (last order was Thursday 9/23 and it wasn't a full shop).  Instead of my planned potato cheese soup I made tuna cheddar chowder since we're out of potatoes.  I also made fresh whole wheat rolls, and DH made a salad (the romaine is from the 9/18 shop and has been keeping well).  We'll eat the same meal again tomorrow night.  This afternoon I made some whole wheat tortillas for Sunday, and we'll have quesadillas and half a bowl of soup each, to finish it off.  We have cabbage for salad or slaw.  For breakfasts we have eggs and some stale homemade bread we can toast, along with either sautéed cabbage or sliced apples.  We can also make smoothies.  Monday and Tuesday's dinners will be based on beans and rice, along with some cabbage and salsa (and the rest of the homemade tortillas), and Wednesday I plan to braise a pork butt.  I really enjoy the challenge of coming up with meals when we haven't shopped.  Since we lost everything in the refrigerator/freezer and didn't get a replacement fridge until the 17th, I don't have a fridge and freezer full of all sorts of forgotten things.  Right now the only complex carbs I have for side dishes are wheat berries, popping corn (which can be ground and turned into polenta), and rice.  We're super low on vegetables at this point, with the salad makings, a couple of onions, a shredded large cabbage, a small amount of celery, and some frozen broccoli rice that I usually save for making egg casserole.  We're better off on fruit, with plenty of apples as well as frozen mango, strawberries, and blueberries.  The milk is gone, but we have heavy cream, homemade creme fraiche, homemade yogurt, and some cheese.  Oh, and we have eggs and butter.

I'm currently planning out how to go back to shopping once a month, so pushing out another week is good practice.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on October 01, 2021, 08:41:14 PM
Relative drives a store delivery truck for a large corporation and said their fleet has been dwindling. Apparently they are not having success getting parts to repair the trucks in a timely manner when they break down. Decided today to get a pack of lightbulbs and 4 of my allergy shmuck HVAC filters so I don’t find myself on the wrong end of a supply chain delay there. Might go ahead and get my brakes done a few months early.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 02, 2021, 07:33:58 AM
I don't know if this is helpful to anyone or not but I purchase the UHT milk that comes in 8 oz. size from Costco. It comes in low fat and whole milk in a case of 18. I don't use milk much so these little containers of milk are really great! Just have to keep an eye on the expiration dates but they are usually fairly long. I had some that were expiring and didn't need them so I froze them and made sure to use them first rather than out of the new case. After thawing them out, they were excellent. Over the years I have wasted so much milk, now there is no waste.

Another thing I have just 'discovered' is potatoes in cans. They come in whole, sliced and I think diced. I have only bought whole so far and they are pretty darn good! I run out of potatoes and onions often since I don't go to the store much. Trying to find alternatives.

Does anyone know of a source for sliced dehydrated onion? I don't want the teeny tiny bits. I would like bigger pieces.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on October 02, 2021, 08:14:51 AM
These are large chopped, not sure exactly how large you would like the pieces to be

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATJU5M0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1FVCE7ZJ0E4SR2FSKRCK
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 02, 2021, 09:40:01 AM
These are large chopped, not sure exactly how large you would like the pieces to be

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATJU5M0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1FVCE7ZJ0E4SR2FSKRCK

Will look into it, thanks!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on October 02, 2021, 11:21:53 AM
These are large chopped, not sure exactly how large you would like the pieces to be

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATJU5M0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1FVCE7ZJ0E4SR2FSKRCK

That looks remarkably similar to the one from the Costco spice section, though at a higher price.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on October 02, 2021, 12:19:09 PM
I’ve never been to a Costco before, so I can’t speak to that, but if so and they have access to one, so much the better!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: DesireeD on October 03, 2021, 11:30:37 PM
[snip]In keeping with MMM's advice to "store your stuff on craigslist in full confidence that it will be there when you need it" I leave everything we can't eat fairly quickly at Aldi, letting them pay to refrigerate or freeze it.  Obviously, someone with a different household size or who can only make infrequent trips to town for provisions has a different need for having plenty on-hand.  But I get anxious if there is more in the house than we need. I feel like I'm being buried under the excess.
Wow, I totally take that advice for durable goods, but not for food. Having a full larder gives me a sense of security. All of my freezers (Three, if you're counting. Two small and one dedicated) have blocks of ice in them, so they'd automatically be good for several hours if the power went out. Plus, we have a generator. Better still, we're on a power grid that serves essential services, so we don't get the random rolling blackouts that PG&E loves so. I also shop at the kind of stores where you don't pay a premium for finding a specific item in a specific slot every time you go to the store. My stores are the "When you see it at a great price, buy it" places. I recently found 5# bags of flour from a trusted brand for 99 cents. Did I need flour? No. Do I have plenty of flour now? Yup.
Now, if I lived near a Winco or an Aldi, I'd probably be a lot more relaxed about it. But Safeway, Whole Foods or specialty stores are the only options in my vicinity. Oh, we have a Trader Joe's, but I find them too expensive and their parking lot's a bitch. I'm also from a large family, and a huge fan of Amy Dacyczyn's Pantry Principle.

After the headaches of trying to buy staples like pet food, gluten-free oatmeal, dried beans, peanut butter, and any kind of canned goods 18 months ago, I keep the pantry well-stocked with shelf-stable goods, even though there's an Aldi 1.5 miles from my house (their shelves were as bare as everyone else's in March 2020). This is a great reminder to stock up on those items and scan my pantry for other low stocks before my next Costco trip. Our fridge died during a July heatwave, and 2 weeks later we lost some of the food in our borrowed small fridge due to a power outage, so I'm less trusting of refrigeration units and less likely to hoard fresh/frozen meat deals.

       I keep adequate stock of canning supplies and propane so that I can quickly convert my frozen meats and berries into canned meat and jam, in the event of a power outage. That gives me peace of mind that I won’t lose my stored meat.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 06, 2021, 05:48:54 PM
Another trip to the grocery store, another sense of sticker shock, although looking at my receipt I can see we did rather well considering almost everything is organic and/or grass-fed.  Organic and organic/grass-fed dairy really adds up and we needed milk, cheese, and butter.  I plan on ordering the cheese and butter from Azure next month, which will bring the cost down while improving the quality (they have lovely organic grass-fed Jersey butter and cheese).  Sprouts had organic winter squash at 98¢/# and I bought nearly 18# since they were well stocked with kabocha, red kuri, and honey nut and because we drove which made it easier to cart home so much squash!

Last time I got a whole chicken and had the butcher cut it I was surprised to find out the next day that they'd deleted the back from my package (I still paid for it by weight).  This time I made sure to specify that I also wanted the back, and was told most people don't.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on October 06, 2021, 07:00:33 PM
Another trip to the grocery store, another sense of sticker shock, although looking at my receipt I can see we did rather well considering almost everything is organic and/or grass-fed.  Organic and organic/grass-fed dairy really adds up and we needed milk, cheese, and butter.  I plan on ordering the cheese and butter from Azure next month, which will bring the cost down while improving the quality (they have lovely organic grass-fed Jersey butter and cheese).  Sprouts had organic winter squash at 98¢/# and I bought nearly 18# since they were well stocked with kabocha, red kuri, and honey nut and because we drove which made it easier to cart home so much squash!

Last time I got a whole chicken and had the butcher cut it I was surprised to find out the next day that they'd deleted the back from my package (I still paid for it by weight).  This time I made sure to specify that I also wanted the back, and was told most people don't.

Apparently most people don't make soup. The first time we did Thanksgiving with my in-laws,I was shocked when they just threw out the turkey carcass. My mom and grandma always splitours in half so they could each make a pot of stock.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: calimom on October 06, 2021, 07:08:22 PM
@OtherJen we once went to an Easter dinner at a friends, where a spiral cut ham was served. I was assisting with cleanup, and the host was just about to toss the bone - I told her I wanted it for split pea soup. It's crazy when people toss out such crucial elements of another meal!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on October 06, 2021, 09:39:18 PM
^^^^^^^

I know, it kills me too.  It pains me to see all the chicken bones being discarded at buffets!  Could have made SO MUCH SOUP!!!  I also freeze veggie water for soup - more nutrients than plain water.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Missy B on October 06, 2021, 11:01:39 PM
Another trip to the grocery store, another sense of sticker shock, although looking at my receipt I can see we did rather well considering almost everything is organic and/or grass-fed.  Organic and organic/grass-fed dairy really adds up and we needed milk, cheese, and butter.  I plan on ordering the cheese and butter from Azure next month, which will bring the cost down while improving the quality (they have lovely organic grass-fed Jersey butter and cheese).  Sprouts had organic winter squash at 98¢/# and I bought nearly 18# since they were well stocked with kabocha, red kuri, and honey nut and because we drove which made it easier to cart home so much squash!

Last time I got a whole chicken and had the butcher cut it I was surprised to find out the next day that they'd deleted the back from my package (I still paid for it by weight).  This time I made sure to specify that I also wanted the back, and was told most people don't.

Apparently most people don't make soup. The first time we did Thanksgiving with my in-laws,I was shocked when they just threw out the turkey carcass. My mom and grandma always splitours in half so they could each make a pot of stock.

Blasphemers!
And seriously, that is like the most return for effort of practically anything.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 07, 2021, 04:27:29 AM
The first thing I do when I cook a turkey is to bring out the slow cooker and put in some onion, celery and carrots. When the turkey is carved, the scraps and bones are thrown into the slow cooker. Including the cooking broth from the turkey. I add a little water to it. Then I let is cook all night on slow then wake up to delicious soup aroma in the morning! I sometimes deconstruct the broth and meat and freeze separately until ready for it. This last time there wasn't a lot of turkey meat so I added chicken to it. Made a 9 X 13" casserole (pot pie) with biscuits on top. It was scrumptious!

I also use a ham bone for pea soup and yummo!

I am on the East Coast and as far as I know we don't have Azure Standard out this way. However, I went to the website and they have a drop off service every few weeks all over the USA! Seems they have a tractor trailer and there are volunteers that coordinate the deliveries. They find a place where the truck can pull in and out easily as well as people picking up their orders. I am kind of interested in this! Anyone here done this before? I just contacted the coordinator in my area to see where the drop off place is. For me the town that it is located in is about 15 miles away. It is a nice drive on a two lane road and is scenic. It says the shipping fee is 8.5%. So I assume if you buy $100 in food, the fee would be $8.50. This is all new to me!

K_in_the_kitchen, I have had that happen to me too with chickens. I think it is a conspiracy with the stores. I have had the organ meat taken out too without asking for them to do that. You figure if every day they remove the organ meat, they can repackage it to be sold. Things that used to be scrap, can be sold to make money!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on October 07, 2021, 05:37:43 AM
Another trip to the grocery store, another sense of sticker shock, although looking at my receipt I can see we did rather well considering almost everything is organic and/or grass-fed.  Organic and organic/grass-fed dairy really adds up and we needed milk, cheese, and butter.  I plan on ordering the cheese and butter from Azure next month, which will bring the cost down while improving the quality (they have lovely organic grass-fed Jersey butter and cheese).  Sprouts had organic winter squash at 98¢/# and I bought nearly 18# since they were well stocked with kabocha, red kuri, and honey nut and because we drove which made it easier to cart home so much squash!

Last time I got a whole chicken and had the butcher cut it I was surprised to find out the next day that they'd deleted the back from my package (I still paid for it by weight).  This time I made sure to specify that I also wanted the back, and was told most people don't.

Apparently most people don't make soup. The first time we did Thanksgiving with my in-laws,I was shocked when they just threw out the turkey carcass. My mom and grandma always splitours in half so they could each make a pot of stock.

Blasphemers!
And seriously, that is like the most return for effort of practically anything.

Right?! I even make stock from rotisserie chickens. I remove the meat and throw all of the stock ingredients in my pressure cooker. An hour later, I have 2 quarts of stock with very little effort.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on October 07, 2021, 10:19:12 AM
Haha, my SIL is Chinese. She left China as an adult. She laughs at what Americans discard. In China, she says, every part of every animal is used, not just boiling carcasses for stock, lol.

Lately, DH has been deep frying the Thanksgiving turkey. He brines it first. I've been told the process makes the carcass bad for soup, so.I haven't tried. Anybody know for sure?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jrhampt on October 07, 2021, 10:52:29 AM
Haha, my SIL is Chinese. She left China as an adult. She laughs at what Americans discard. In China, she says, every part of every animal is used, not just boiling carcasses for stock, lol.


This is true, but I've never been particularly interested in eating chicken feet for an appetizer like they do :-P  Apparently we ship a lot of our chicken feet over there.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on October 07, 2021, 11:09:30 AM
Apparently most people don't make soup. The first time we did Thanksgiving with my in-laws,I was shocked when they just threw out the turkey carcass. My mom and grandma always splitours in half so they could each make a pot of stock.
Picking up the first turkey of the season in a few hours. Always make stock with the turkey carcass or chicken bones.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 07, 2021, 11:46:05 AM

Apparently most people don't make soup. The first time we did Thanksgiving with my in-laws,I was shocked when they just threw out the turkey carcass. My mom and grandma always splitours in half so they could each make a pot of stock.

My parents made a turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas every year, and never once saved the carcass and made broth.  Never once in my entire childhood did someone make broth in our kitchen.  Soup came from a can.  At some point my mom tried the "Soup Starter" product, but she quickly decided canned soup was easier.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 07, 2021, 11:51:31 AM
Honestly, I’m not crazy about homemade stock. I find the way it gels up kinda creepy.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on October 07, 2021, 11:52:35 AM
Honestly, I’m not crazy about homemade stock. I find the way it gels up kinda creepy.

Do you like Jello?  Much the same.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 07, 2021, 12:00:53 PM
The first thing I do when I cook a turkey is to bring out the slow cooker and put in some onion, celery and carrots. When the turkey is carved, the scraps and bones are thrown into the slow cooker. Including the cooking broth from the turkey. I add a little water to it. Then I let is cook all night on slow then wake up to delicious soup aroma in the morning! I sometimes deconstruct the broth and meat and freeze separately until ready for it. This last time there wasn't a lot of turkey meat so I added chicken to it. Made a 9 X 13" casserole (pot pie) with biscuits on top. It was scrumptious!

I also use a ham bone for pea soup and yummo!

I am on the East Coast and as far as I know we don't have Azure Standard out this way. However, I went to the website and they have a drop off service every few weeks all over the USA! Seems they have a tractor trailer and there are volunteers that coordinate the deliveries. They find a place where the truck can pull in and out easily as well as people picking up their orders. I am kind of interested in this! Anyone here done this before? I just contacted the coordinator in my area to see where the drop off place is. For me the town that it is located in is about 15 miles away. It is a nice drive on a two lane road and is scenic. It says the shipping fee is 8.5%. So I assume if you buy $100 in food, the fee would be $8.50. This is all new to me!

K_in_the_kitchen, I have had that happen to me too with chickens. I think it is a conspiracy with the stores. I have had the organ meat taken out too without asking for them to do that. You figure if every day they remove the organ meat, they can repackage it to be sold. Things that used to be scrap, can be sold to make money!

Azure Standard doesn't have co-op stores, just the trucks.  I've been participating in a "drop" for 15 years now.  I've never been charged a separate fee for shipping -- it looks like that's because my state is close enough to Oregon to avoid the fee.  The 8.5% is probably still a good deal.  The whole business is them picking up from suppliers and making drops to customers, along a predetermined route.  More of the suppliers and customers are in the west, so it probably costs them more to go farther out.  Anyway, I love Azure Standard.  The one thing you should probably know is meeting the truck isn't at a set in stone day and time -- you have to be flexible.  The driver might encounter traffic, road closures, or severe weather, which could slow them down as much as a full day.  Occasionally everything is going great and they're a little early.

The way this butcher cut my chicken the back was huge -- I would have been mad not to get it.  I like to make my broth with the cooked bones and the raw back.  Organic whole chickens at Sprouts come prepackaged and don't have the organs.  I have to choose a chicken, then take it to the butcher counter and ask them to cut it for me.  I suppose I could do it myself, but it doesn't cost anything for them to do it and saves me the mess.  Sometimes if I have freezer room I'll have them cut 3 or 4 chickens, then come home and divide it for the freezer, putting all the thighs together, etc.

I wonder what they do with the backs if they don't give them to the customers?  Maybe there's a butcher taking them all home and making great stock.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Rusted Rose on October 07, 2021, 12:11:20 PM
Honestly, I’m not crazy about homemade stock. I find the way it gels up kinda creepy.

Do you like Jello?  Much the same.

I've never liked Jello much at all. But that's because of the sugar, not the gel.

The gelatin from stock is supposed to be full of collagen and good things for skin and hair and anti-aging and whatnot. Besides, when the stock is reheated, all that just melts again to liquid.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 07, 2021, 12:18:45 PM
Another trip to the grocery store, another sense of sticker shock, although looking at my receipt I can see we did rather well considering almost everything is organic and/or grass-fed.  Organic and organic/grass-fed dairy really adds up and we needed milk, cheese, and butter.  I plan on ordering the cheese and butter from Azure next month, which will bring the cost down while improving the quality (they have lovely organic grass-fed Jersey butter and cheese).  Sprouts had organic winter squash at 98¢/# and I bought nearly 18# since they were well stocked with kabocha, red kuri, and honey nut and because we drove which made it easier to cart home so much squash!

Last time I got a whole chicken and had the butcher cut it I was surprised to find out the next day that they'd deleted the back from my package (I still paid for it by weight).  This time I made sure to specify that I also wanted the back, and was told most people don't.

Apparently most people don't make soup. The first time we did Thanksgiving with my in-laws,I was shocked when they just threw out the turkey carcass. My mom and grandma always splitours in half so they could each make a pot of stock.

Blasphemers!
And seriously, that is like the most return for effort of practically anything.

Right?! I even make stock from rotisserie chickens. I remove the meat and throw all of the stock ingredients in my pressure cooker. An hour later, I have 2 quarts of stock with very little effort.

Small amounts of stock/broth from leftover bones are so awesome!  Even leftover bones from lamb chops can be turned into a pint of stock perfect for cooking rice.

I realize now that growing up we ate very little meat that come with a bone -- not because we were rich, but because we were a bad combination of poor with parents who'd never learned to cook much other than convenience foods and burgers.  Chicken was expensive then, so my mom cooked it once a year and that was bone-in thighs, but she didn't keep the bones.  Other than that we had hot dogs, meals made with ground beef (burgers, tacos, burritos, Hamburger Helper), hot dogs, and the "meat" that would be in TV dinners.  We would eat a cheap beef roast at most once a month and steak once a summer.  Once every 3 or 4 years my mom would make liver and onions, or pork chops (to her making pork chops meant frying them in cast iron pans and then making a milk gravy, so it was far more work than she wanted most of the time).  They bought the "Sizzlean" processed bacon product (pork free variety) and never saved fat from cooking, either.

I can still remember the weekly menu, repeated for years. 1 Hamburger Helper meal, 1 hot dogs meal, 1 TV dinners meal, 1 boxed mac and cheese meal, 1 burgers meal, 1 other processed foods meal (examples being frozen pot pies, dehydrated potatoes with spam, frozen fish sticks with frozen fries, canned soup), and 1 Sunday supper which would rotate through tacos, burritos (exact same meal with different tortillas), a beef roast, and another "fancy dish" like canned corn beef hash wrapped in Bisquick dough or beef stew made with frozen vegetables.  And it was always the same.  Hot dogs or hamburgers were served with canned pork 'n beans and canned corn. Mac and cheese was served with canned peas.  Au gratin potatoes and Spam were served with green beans.  Canned soup was served with grilled cheese sandwiches made from Weber bread and Kraft cheese slices.  I could make any of our meals by the time I was 10 -- and by that point 95% of dinners were made by me or my 14YO brother because my mom became disabled.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on October 07, 2021, 12:35:27 PM
Honestly, I’m not crazy about homemade stock. I find the way it gels up kinda creepy.


The gel is from having actual protein in there. If you don't like the gel, just increase the amount of water. It melts when you make soup (or use it to cook rice) anyway.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 07, 2021, 01:04:52 PM
I wish the butchers would sell bags of chicken bones! I would buy them often!

As far as the Azure pick up point, the coordinator emailed me and it is at a church. She told me the same thing that the trucks do not run on a specific schedule and are delayed often. She said the people come early in case the driver arrives early but the driver will keep in contact. Sound pretty good!  I didn't realize that Azure Standard was a trucking only thing. I thought the trucking was in conjunction with the store(s). Interesting concept.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 07, 2021, 01:51:47 PM
I wish the butchers would sell bags of chicken bones! I would buy them often!

As far as the Azure pick up point, the coordinator emailed me and it is at a church. She told me the same thing that the trucks do not run on a specific schedule and are delayed often. She said the people come early in case the driver arrives early but the driver will keep in contact. Sound pretty good!  I didn't realize that Azure Standard was a trucking only thing. I thought the trucking was in conjunction with the store(s). Interesting concept.

I try not to order every month from Azure.  It works best for me to order enough for a few months at a time.  I basically have to plan to be available all day of the drop day and potentially the next day.  There was one drop a couple of months before Covid hit that was delayed two days because of the weather.  It's understandable.  Most of the time if the driver is late they still come the usual day.  As for being early, the new coordinator for my drop is a little rigid and she gets mad if the truck is 15 minutes early and we aren't all there, even if she didn't notify us until it arrived.  For our last drop I planned to be 15 minutes early, got a text when we were driving that the truck was there, and when I arrived 8 minutes later she was huffing and puffing about us being late.  The pick up was supposed to be 9:45, I left home at 9:20 to arrive at 9:30.  The truck must have arrived at 9:20 without her expecting it to be early.  Our past coordinator was a little more understanding, both of the trucks irregularities and our inability to get there immediately if it was unexpectedly early.  She would just unload it with whoever was there and wait (a reasonable amount of time) until everyone arrived.  The new coordinator puts the stuff back on the truck if a person isn't there.  My ability to get there in 10 minutes is unusual -- a lot of our drop's customers come down from the mountains.  And I never huffed and puffed when I arrived 15 minutes early only to find out the truck is running late and I have an hour to kill.

My favorite things to order are organic grains and legumes -- I think this is where the best value lies.  I also like the organic grass-fed Jersey butter and the organic grass-fed cheese.  We also like the organic fair trade chocolate chips, Sucanat sugar, organic whole milk mozzarella, raw honey, etc.  If they have a sale on Bubbies pickles I'll order them, otherwise they are less expensive locally.  They have organic tomato paste in glass jars, which is nice if you don't use an entire can at once.  I usually buy the Equal Exchange mini chocolate bars this time of year (so Santa can put them in stockings).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 07, 2021, 03:52:02 PM
Honestly, I’m not crazy about homemade stock. I find the way it gels up kinda creepy.

Do you like Jello?  Much the same.

Well, I also find aspic kinda creepy.

I’m not opposed to jello, but I probably haven’t eaten it in a decade.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 07, 2021, 03:55:31 PM
Honestly, I’m not crazy about homemade stock. I find the way it gels up kinda creepy.


The gel is from having actual protein in there. If you don't like the gel, just increase the amount of water. It melts when you make soup (or use it to cook rice) anyway.

I actually know all of this - I’ve been cooking from scratch for 50 years. I’m not opposed to other people making stock, it just grosses me out.

I’m kind of grossed out by eggs now that we have chickens, too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on October 07, 2021, 04:44:26 PM
I’m kind of grossed out by eggs now that we have chickens, too.

Cloaca.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on October 07, 2021, 09:18:47 PM
Wow, @K_in_the_kitchen, that was a spectacularly bad diet you had.  It’s a wonder you weren’t malnourished.  You’ve obviously learned a few things in the kitchen since then!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 08, 2021, 07:35:42 AM
Wow, @K_in_the_kitchen, that was a spectacularly bad diet you had.  It’s a wonder you weren’t malnourished.  You’ve obviously learned a few things in the kitchen since then!

I eat extremely well now, but my whole family has dental and health issues.

That was just the dinners.  Breakfast was sweetened cereal the vast majority of the time, with oatmeal and cream of wheat packets in winter (which we were allowed to add huge amounts of sugar to).  Pop Tarts too, later on, because my mom loved them -- she didn't like cereal much because the milk wasn't sweet, so if she ate cereal she added sugar.  I'm talking adding sugar to Frosted Flakes and Sugar Smacks.  Lunches were sandwiches made on Weber white bread, with choices of peanut butter, Kraft cheese slices, or bologna.  Lunch bags would also include a bag of chips, a Hostess type treat, and a piece of fruit, which was a mealy Red Delicious apple most of the time and got thrown out.  I think I finally stopped taking the apple in middle school.  Later as an adult I was amazed at the many varieties of apples and how much better they were than those small Red Delicious apples sold in a bag.  Our main beverage was Koolaid, with the occasional can of Hi-C.  My dad bought cookies and ice cream/popsicles on a regular basis.

I think being a child in the 70s and 80s was a nutritional crapshoot.  Many of us ate terrible processed foods because it was a period of time between when people had fewer convenience food options and when people realized how bad the processed foods were.  Even though processed foods are still with us, over time the ingredients have gotten somewhat better.

To be fair, I didn't make things much easier for myself in my early adult years.  DH and I became vegetarian and spent more than a decade eating processed fake meats.  But we did eat copious amounts of produce and improved our choices in bread, etc.  DH grew up eating fresh salads, homemade soups, and beans cooked from scratch, so we did that too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on October 08, 2021, 10:29:10 AM
Wow, @K_in_the_kitchen, that was a spectacularly bad diet you had.  It’s a wonder you weren’t malnourished.  You’ve obviously learned a few things in the kitchen since then!

I eat extremely well now, but my whole family has dental and health issues.

That was just the dinners.  Breakfast was sweetened cereal the vast majority of the time, with oatmeal and cream of wheat packets in winter (which we were allowed to add huge amounts of sugar to).  Pop Tarts too, later on, because my mom loved them -- she didn't like cereal much because the milk wasn't sweet, so if she ate cereal she added sugar.  I'm talking adding sugar to Frosted Flakes and Sugar Smacks.  Lunches were sandwiches made on Weber white bread, with choices of peanut butter, Kraft cheese slices, or bologna.  Lunch bags would also include a bag of chips, a Hostess type treat, and a piece of fruit, which was a mealy Red Delicious apple most of the time and got thrown out.  I think I finally stopped taking the apple in middle school.  Later as an adult I was amazed at the many varieties of apples and how much better they were than those small Red Delicious apples sold in a bag.  Our main beverage was Koolaid, with the occasional can of Hi-C.  My dad bought cookies and ice cream/popsicles on a regular basis.

I think being a child in the 70s and 80s was a nutritional crapshoot.  Many of us ate terrible processed foods because it was a period of time between when people had fewer convenience food options and when people realized how bad the processed foods were.  Even though processed foods are still with us, over time the ingredients have gotten somewhat better.

To be fair, I didn't make things much easier for myself in my early adult years.  DH and I became vegetarian and spent more than a decade eating processed fake meats.  But we did eat copious amounts of produce and improved our choices in bread, etc.  DH grew up eating fresh salads, homemade soups, and beans cooked from scratch, so we did that too.

Funny how people take different paths.  I was a kid in the 60s, born to parents on the lower SES scale (my mom grew up very poor with 5 siblings), but everything was home-grown, made from scratch in her home of origin, because that's all they could afford.  There was no money for anything fancy or for any excess of food.  When she married my dad and suddenly there was breathing room in the budget, everything was still made from scratch, because that's what she knew.  The only thing I ever ate that was "fast food" was the occasional TV dinner and A&W burgers, maybe twice a year.  Although I did (and still) have a sweet tooth, so allowance went for penny candy.  Now, as an adult, I probably eat worse than I ever did, but still mostly home cooked food.  It just doesn't occur to me to get take out, except for the odd pizza and Chinese food.  Which reminds me, gotta take something out of the freezer for supper!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: mm1970 on October 08, 2021, 12:15:07 PM
Wow, @K_in_the_kitchen, that was a spectacularly bad diet you had.  It’s a wonder you weren’t malnourished.  You’ve obviously learned a few things in the kitchen since then!

I eat extremely well now, but my whole family has dental and health issues.

That was just the dinners.  Breakfast was sweetened cereal the vast majority of the time, with oatmeal and cream of wheat packets in winter (which we were allowed to add huge amounts of sugar to).  Pop Tarts too, later on, because my mom loved them -- she didn't like cereal much because the milk wasn't sweet, so if she ate cereal she added sugar.  I'm talking adding sugar to Frosted Flakes and Sugar Smacks.  Lunches were sandwiches made on Weber white bread, with choices of peanut butter, Kraft cheese slices, or bologna.  Lunch bags would also include a bag of chips, a Hostess type treat, and a piece of fruit, which was a mealy Red Delicious apple most of the time and got thrown out.  I think I finally stopped taking the apple in middle school.  Later as an adult I was amazed at the many varieties of apples and how much better they were than those small Red Delicious apples sold in a bag.  Our main beverage was Koolaid, with the occasional can of Hi-C.  My dad bought cookies and ice cream/popsicles on a regular basis.

I think being a child in the 70s and 80s was a nutritional crapshoot.  Many of us ate terrible processed foods because it was a period of time between when people had fewer convenience food options and when people realized how bad the processed foods were.  Even though processed foods are still with us, over time the ingredients have gotten somewhat better.

To be fair, I didn't make things much easier for myself in my early adult years.  DH and I became vegetarian and spent more than a decade eating processed fake meats.  But we did eat copious amounts of produce and improved our choices in bread, etc.  DH grew up eating fresh salads, homemade soups, and beans cooked from scratch, so we did that too.
This was pretty fascinating to read, honestly.  I was a kid in the 70s and 80s, and that diet you described is probably about half of what we ate.  My mom cooked from scratch a lot but:
- Breakfast: cereal, and never the sugary kind.
- Lunches (packed) were bologna or PB&J sandwiches on cheap bread. I remember being MAD when she started baking (white) bread because it was obviously homemade and cheaper and we were poor.  Usually with an apple or orange.
- She cooked dinner - spaghetti with meat sauce, occasionally tacos.  Corned beef and cabbage.  Cabbage rolls (I barfed once after these, and that was the end).  Chicken and potatoes.  Sometimes salads.  Pork chops.  Canned corn, canned beans.  Cole slaw.  I hated that cole slaw with sweet mayo dressing.  I remember being pissed that in the summer we'd get wilted endive salads with bacon dressing. I'd kill for that now.  And home canned tomatoes.  Ugh.
- Pork and sauerkraut.
- Also pizza.  It was Chef Boy Ardee I think.  Pork chops with canned baked beans.  Fish on Fridays.  Tuna casserole.
- She grew a garden every year and we canned green beans, jam, pickles, spaghetti sauce, salsa.
WE NEVER ONCE ATE THE GREEN BEANS FRESH.  WE CANNED THEM ALL.  I was in my 20's before I had fresh green beans.

Typical midwestern food, I'd say.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 08, 2021, 12:23:53 PM
Has anyone used powdered sour cream or powdered yogurt that you reconstitute? I was looking on Amazon and they have it but the reviews seem sketchy. Some people like it and some don't. Just wondering if anyone here has tried these, and if so, do you have a favorite brand?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jrhampt on October 08, 2021, 12:44:57 PM
Wow, @K_in_the_kitchen, that was a spectacularly bad diet you had.  It’s a wonder you weren’t malnourished.  You’ve obviously learned a few things in the kitchen since then!

I eat extremely well now, but my whole family has dental and health issues.

That was just the dinners.  Breakfast was sweetened cereal the vast majority of the time, with oatmeal and cream of wheat packets in winter (which we were allowed to add huge amounts of sugar to).  Pop Tarts too, later on, because my mom loved them -- she didn't like cereal much because the milk wasn't sweet, so if she ate cereal she added sugar.  I'm talking adding sugar to Frosted Flakes and Sugar Smacks.  Lunches were sandwiches made on Weber white bread, with choices of peanut butter, Kraft cheese slices, or bologna.  Lunch bags would also include a bag of chips, a Hostess type treat, and a piece of fruit, which was a mealy Red Delicious apple most of the time and got thrown out.  I think I finally stopped taking the apple in middle school.  Later as an adult I was amazed at the many varieties of apples and how much better they were than those small Red Delicious apples sold in a bag.  Our main beverage was Koolaid, with the occasional can of Hi-C.  My dad bought cookies and ice cream/popsicles on a regular basis.

I think being a child in the 70s and 80s was a nutritional crapshoot.  Many of us ate terrible processed foods because it was a period of time between when people had fewer convenience food options and when people realized how bad the processed foods were.  Even though processed foods are still with us, over time the ingredients have gotten somewhat better.

To be fair, I didn't make things much easier for myself in my early adult years.  DH and I became vegetarian and spent more than a decade eating processed fake meats.  But we did eat copious amounts of produce and improved our choices in bread, etc.  DH grew up eating fresh salads, homemade soups, and beans cooked from scratch, so we did that too.
This was pretty fascinating to read, honestly.  I was a kid in the 70s and 80s, and that diet you described is probably about half of what we ate.  My mom cooked from scratch a lot but:
- Breakfast: cereal, and never the sugary kind.
- Lunches (packed) were bologna or PB&J sandwiches on cheap bread. I remember being MAD when she started baking (white) bread because it was obviously homemade and cheaper and we were poor.  Usually with an apple or orange.
- She cooked dinner - spaghetti with meat sauce, occasionally tacos.  Corned beef and cabbage.  Cabbage rolls (I barfed once after these, and that was the end).  Chicken and potatoes.  Sometimes salads.  Pork chops.  Canned corn, canned beans.  Cole slaw.  I hated that cole slaw with sweet mayo dressing.  I remember being pissed that in the summer we'd get wilted endive salads with bacon dressing. I'd kill for that now.  And home canned tomatoes.  Ugh.
- Pork and sauerkraut.
- Also pizza.  It was Chef Boy Ardee I think.  Pork chops with canned baked beans.  Fish on Fridays.  Tuna casserole.
- She grew a garden every year and we canned green beans, jam, pickles, spaghetti sauce, salsa.
WE NEVER ONCE ATE THE GREEN BEANS FRESH.  WE CANNED THEM ALL.  I was in my 20's before I had fresh green beans.

Typical midwestern food, I'd say.

Yeah, this seems pretty standard 70s/80s diet to me, pop tarts, fish sticks, and all. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 08, 2021, 01:55:35 PM
Wow, @K_in_the_kitchen, that was a spectacularly bad diet you had.  It’s a wonder you weren’t malnourished.  You’ve obviously learned a few things in the kitchen since then!

I eat extremely well now, but my whole family has dental and health issues.

That was just the dinners.  Breakfast was sweetened cereal the vast majority of the time, with oatmeal and cream of wheat packets in winter (which we were allowed to add huge amounts of sugar to).  Pop Tarts too, later on, because my mom loved them -- she didn't like cereal much because the milk wasn't sweet, so if she ate cereal she added sugar.  I'm talking adding sugar to Frosted Flakes and Sugar Smacks.  Lunches were sandwiches made on Weber white bread, with choices of peanut butter, Kraft cheese slices, or bologna.  Lunch bags would also include a bag of chips, a Hostess type treat, and a piece of fruit, which was a mealy Red Delicious apple most of the time and got thrown out.  I think I finally stopped taking the apple in middle school.  Later as an adult I was amazed at the many varieties of apples and how much better they were than those small Red Delicious apples sold in a bag.  Our main beverage was Koolaid, with the occasional can of Hi-C.  My dad bought cookies and ice cream/popsicles on a regular basis.

I think being a child in the 70s and 80s was a nutritional crapshoot.  Many of us ate terrible processed foods because it was a period of time between when people had fewer convenience food options and when people realized how bad the processed foods were.  Even though processed foods are still with us, over time the ingredients have gotten somewhat better.

To be fair, I didn't make things much easier for myself in my early adult years.  DH and I became vegetarian and spent more than a decade eating processed fake meats.  But we did eat copious amounts of produce and improved our choices in bread, etc.  DH grew up eating fresh salads, homemade soups, and beans cooked from scratch, so we did that too.

Funny how people take different paths.  I was a kid in the 60s, born to parents on the lower SES scale (my mom grew up very poor with 5 siblings), but everything was home-grown, made from scratch in her home of origin, because that's all they could afford.  There was no money for anything fancy or for any excess of food.  When she married my dad and suddenly there was breathing room in the budget, everything was still made from scratch, because that's what she knew.  The only thing I ever ate that was "fast food" was the occasional TV dinner and A&W burgers, maybe twice a year.  Although I did (and still) have a sweet tooth, so allowance went for penny candy.  Now, as an adult, I probably eat worse than I ever did, but still mostly home cooked food.  It just doesn't occur to me to get take out, except for the odd pizza and Chinese food.  Which reminds me, gotta take something out of the freezer for supper!

I think part of it comes from the fact that my grandmother eagerly embraced canned soup casserole culture, my mom not knowing how to cook when she got married, an abusive first marriage, and disability.  Add in not understanding a thing about nutrition.  Then factor in buying the least expensive proceessed foods they could get

- My mom describes my grandmother as making casseroles almost nightly, as she had worked hard with cooking when she was younger and saw comercially canned goods as major timesavers.  So there wasn't an example of a lot of homemade food.
- My mom didn't learn how to cook from my grandmother because she wasnt interested and my grandmother didn't like mess.
- My mom did learn to cook in her first marriage, learning from both my biological father and her mother-in-law.  Interestingly, this is where my mom learned to cook anything homemade or mostly homemade.  But this is also where she would get the crap beat out of her for breaking a fried egg when serving it.  Once we got out she decided cooking wasn't something she really wanted to do.
- Then she got cancer. And after that suffered multiple disabilities.  Cooking had to be delegated to us children.

These aren't excuses, they were just her reality.  My FIL grew up poorer than I did by far, and his reality was going hungry unless they could hunt, and not just big game, but his dad going out to shoot rabbits and squirrels.  They had a garden outside the trailer they lived in, and would also forage.  My MIL also grew up poorer than I did, but living near the Mexican border and being of Mexican descent they ate a traditional Mexican diet with lots of beans, rice, and vegetables.  So DH was raised by parents who knew how to cook out of necessity, plus his mother learned about nutrition.  He almost never at the kinds of food that I ate everyday.

My parents would have been less poor if they'd known how to shop for and cook with basic, inexpensive, healthy foods.  My dad was raised middle class and was the only son, so he had zero kitchen experience.  His mom could afford convenience foods and he had a taste for them.

My own kids may go 180 degrees and eat junk for awhile, but at least they'll have a background in preparing and eating healthy foods.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 08, 2021, 02:06:26 PM
This was pretty fascinating to read, honestly.  I was a kid in the 70s and 80s, and that diet you described is probably about half of what we ate.  My mom cooked from scratch a lot but:
- Breakfast: cereal, and never the sugary kind.
- Lunches (packed) were bologna or PB&J sandwiches on cheap bread. I remember being MAD when she started baking (white) bread because it was obviously homemade and cheaper and we were poor.  Usually with an apple or orange.
- She cooked dinner - spaghetti with meat sauce, occasionally tacos.  Corned beef and cabbage.  Cabbage rolls (I barfed once after these, and that was the end).  Chicken and potatoes.  Sometimes salads.  Pork chops.  Canned corn, canned beans.  Cole slaw.  I hated that cole slaw with sweet mayo dressing.  I remember being pissed that in the summer we'd get wilted endive salads with bacon dressing. I'd kill for that now.  And home canned tomatoes.  Ugh.
- Pork and sauerkraut.
- Also pizza.  It was Chef Boy Ardee I think.  Pork chops with canned baked beans.  Fish on Fridays.  Tuna casserole.
- She grew a garden every year and we canned green beans, jam, pickles, spaghetti sauce, salsa.
WE NEVER ONCE ATE THE GREEN BEANS FRESH.  WE CANNED THEM ALL.  I was in my 20's before I had fresh green beans.

Typical midwestern food, I'd say.

I do think my grandmother made more than casseroles, as there were some other meals my mom cooked occasionally that seem entirely midwestern to me: kielbasa and sauerkraut, creamed eggs on toast, tuna casserole (tetrazini), calves liver and onions with the liver soaked in milk.  She learned to cook them out here but was going off what she remembered eating and she probably asked her mom for recipes (via snail mail).

I never had a fresh green bean growing up, just canned (commerically), not even frozen green beans.  Same with peas and corn.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on October 08, 2021, 02:30:35 PM
Wow, @K_in_the_kitchen, that was a spectacularly bad diet you had.  It’s a wonder you weren’t malnourished.  You’ve obviously learned a few things in the kitchen since then!

I eat extremely well now, but my whole family has dental and health issues.

That was just the dinners.  Breakfast was sweetened cereal the vast majority of the time, with oatmeal and cream of wheat packets in winter (which we were allowed to add huge amounts of sugar to).  Pop Tarts too, later on, because my mom loved them -- she didn't like cereal much because the milk wasn't sweet, so if she ate cereal she added sugar.  I'm talking adding sugar to Frosted Flakes and Sugar Smacks.  Lunches were sandwiches made on Weber white bread, with choices of peanut butter, Kraft cheese slices, or bologna.  Lunch bags would also include a bag of chips, a Hostess type treat, and a piece of fruit, which was a mealy Red Delicious apple most of the time and got thrown out.  I think I finally stopped taking the apple in middle school.  Later as an adult I was amazed at the many varieties of apples and how much better they were than those small Red Delicious apples sold in a bag.  Our main beverage was Koolaid, with the occasional can of Hi-C.  My dad bought cookies and ice cream/popsicles on a regular basis.

I think being a child in the 70s and 80s was a nutritional crapshoot.  Many of us ate terrible processed foods because it was a period of time between when people had fewer convenience food options and when people realized how bad the processed foods were.  Even though processed foods are still with us, over time the ingredients have gotten somewhat better.

To be fair, I didn't make things much easier for myself in my early adult years.  DH and I became vegetarian and spent more than a decade eating processed fake meats.  But we did eat copious amounts of produce and improved our choices in bread, etc.  DH grew up eating fresh salads, homemade soups, and beans cooked from scratch, so we did that too.

I was born in 1978. I'm still amazed that my intestines aren't dyed red or day-glo green from all of the black cherry Koolaid, Hawaiian Punch, and Hi-C Ecto Cooler that I drank as a child. My breakfasts and lunches were exactly as you have described, with the occasional addition of frozen waffles (with as much syrup as would fit in the little indentations) or toaster strudel. Both of my parents have a sweet tooth, so we always had packaged cookies, cake mixes, Entenmann's coffee cakes or donuts, Little Debbie snacks, etc. Both parents have significant dental problems. I must have a recessive strong-tooth gene because I had my first cavity filled 2 years ago, and none since. Or maybe it's that once I moved out in my early 20s, I realized that I didn't actually have much of a sweet tooth and rarely bought the stuff.

Our dinners were a mix of homemade and packaged things: baked chicken breasts with a side of Rice-a-Roni and canned green beans, Prego spaghetti sauce with ground beef over pasta, pork chops with canned peas and boxed au gratin potatoes, etc. Sometimes on weekends, we'd have pot roast with vegetables, meatloaf with real mashed potatoes, beans and rice, or homemade soup.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 08, 2021, 02:48:20 PM
I grew up on TV dinners, pot pies, spam but my Mom did make a lot of really good food too. She was amazing! She was a southern belle and married at the age of 18 and Dad was 28. She grew up on a farm that was like living in the 1800's and he grew up a city boy. She was the baby of the family and never cooked. After she married, she basically learned to cook foods my Dad was accustomed to. Prior to getting married, she never ate any Italian foods, no spaghetti, no pasta, no pizza. Her farm family never had beef but mostly chicken that they killed the same day and ham. Mom never really developed a taste for beef, but did like ground beef. She said the first time she ate pizza it was the freakiest food ever for her! Years later she loved it and Italian foods. She made the greatest lasagna, meatloaf, pot roast, turkey at Thanksgiving! We ate the tv dinners occasionally and that was when she worked. That was when tv dinners were somewhat newly introduced. As a kid, she and I made homemade pizza's from scratch and they were so good! We usually made them on Saturday nights and then would watch Elvira and Creature Feature movies! Those were the days! We were not rich but I never went hungry!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 08, 2021, 03:29:59 PM
Wow, @K_in_the_kitchen, that was a spectacularly bad diet you had.  It’s a wonder you weren’t malnourished.  You’ve obviously learned a few things in the kitchen since then!

I eat extremely well now, but my whole family has dental and health issues.

That was just the dinners.  Breakfast was sweetened cereal the vast majority of the time, with oatmeal and cream of wheat packets in winter (which we were allowed to add huge amounts of sugar to).  Pop Tarts too, later on, because my mom loved them -- she didn't like cereal much because the milk wasn't sweet, so if she ate cereal she added sugar.  I'm talking adding sugar to Frosted Flakes and Sugar Smacks.  Lunches were sandwiches made on Weber white bread, with choices of peanut butter, Kraft cheese slices, or bologna.  Lunch bags would also include a bag of chips, a Hostess type treat, and a piece of fruit, which was a mealy Red Delicious apple most of the time and got thrown out.  I think I finally stopped taking the apple in middle school.  Later as an adult I was amazed at the many varieties of apples and how much better they were than those small Red Delicious apples sold in a bag.  Our main beverage was Koolaid, with the occasional can of Hi-C.  My dad bought cookies and ice cream/popsicles on a regular basis.

I think being a child in the 70s and 80s was a nutritional crapshoot.  Many of us ate terrible processed foods because it was a period of time between when people had fewer convenience food options and when people realized how bad the processed foods were.  Even though processed foods are still with us, over time the ingredients have gotten somewhat better.

To be fair, I didn't make things much easier for myself in my early adult years.  DH and I became vegetarian and spent more than a decade eating processed fake meats.  But we did eat copious amounts of produce and improved our choices in bread, etc.  DH grew up eating fresh salads, homemade soups, and beans cooked from scratch, so we did that too.

I was born in 1978. I'm still amazed that my intestines aren't dyed red or day-glo green from all of the black cherry Koolaid, Hawaiian Punch, and Hi-C Ecto Cooler that I drank as a child. My breakfasts and lunches were exactly as you have described, with the occasional addition of frozen waffles (with as much syrup as would fit in the little indentations) or toaster strudel. Both of my parents have a sweet tooth, so we always had packaged cookies, cake mixes, Entenmann's coffee cakes or donuts, Little Debbie snacks, etc. Both parents have significant dental problems. I must have a recessive strong-tooth gene because I had my first cavity filled 2 years ago, and none since. Or maybe it's that once I moved out in my early 20s, I realized that I didn't actually have much of a sweet tooth and rarely bought the stuff.

Our dinners were a mix of homemade and packaged things: baked chicken breasts with a side of Rice-a-Roni and canned green beans, Prego spaghetti sauce with ground beef over pasta, pork chops with canned peas and boxed au gratin potatoes, etc. Sometimes on weekends, we'd have pot roast with vegetables, meatloaf with real mashed potatoes, beans and rice, or homemade soup.

We do seem to have been eating many of the same foods!  I was allowed to mix my Koolaid (they bought the presweetened kind to make it "easier" for us kids) in my cup and make it as strong as I wanted, so it was syrupy sweet.  I could also add as much sugar as I wanted to iced tea, oatmeal (already sweetened packets, lol), etc.  We did have frozen waffles now and then -- and yep, doused in syrup which was Golden Griddle, I think, and usually peanut butter.  We would also have HI-C and Hawaiian Punch (it came in a glass jar of conentrate and also the premixed cans like Hi-C).

My mom did make meat loaf about once a year!  Always with baked potatoes and canned corn.  She had to chop onion for it so she didn't make it often.  My mom hated to peel potatoes so we had mashed potatoes at Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and every few years with pork chops, which required mashed potatoes.  My poor dad grew up having mashed potatoes far more often and didn't like that my mom made baked potatoes with roast beef.  I remember her telling me if he wanted mashed potatoes he could make them and do the dishes.  But in my memory we kids always did the peeling at the holidays.

We loved the "Danish Rings" toaster pastries but they were probably discontinued before you were old enough to have them.  Mostly we didn't get to have them though, just my mom.

We could make Jello and Jello instant pudding, but my dad also had a thing for pudding cups so those were around often.  The freezer often had Big Sticks and Fudgcicles in addition to regular twin popsicles, along with creamsicles which we kids weren't supposed to eat.

Like I said, my parents wouldn't have been so bad off financially if they hadn't been buying this food.  I think it's just as true today -- people are busy and don't have the skills or knowledge to cook the healthy food that would cost less.  Of course, back then our parents were bombarded with advertising telling them breakfast cereals and Hi-C were nutritious.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 08, 2021, 03:37:15 PM
I grew up on TV dinners, pot pies, spam but my Mom did make a lot of really good food too. She was amazing! She was a southern belle and married at the age of 18 and Dad was 28. She grew up on a farm that was like living in the 1800's and he grew up a city boy. She was the baby of the family and never cooked. After she married, she basically learned to cook foods my Dad was accustomed to. Prior to getting married, she never ate any Italian foods, no spaghetti, no pasta, no pizza. Her farm family never had beef but mostly chicken that they killed the same day and ham. Mom never really developed a taste for beef, but did like ground beef. She said the first time she ate pizza it was the freakiest food ever for her! Years later she loved it and Italian foods. She made the greatest lasagna, meatloaf, pot roast, turkey at Thanksgiving! We ate the tv dinners occasionally and that was when she worked. That was when tv dinners were somewhat newly introduced. As a kid, she and I made homemade pizza's from scratch and they were so good! We usually made them on Saturday nights and then would watch Elvira and Creature Feature movies! Those were the days! We were not rich but I never went hungry!

That sounds so awesome!  I can tell you have wonderful memories surrounding your mom and food.

I grew up making and eating "gringo" Mexican food, where we used Rosarita refried beans for everything and cut our guacamole with mayo.  Marrying a man with a Mexican heritage, I learned to cook much more authentic Mexican food.

I think some of the frozen foods like TV dinners that people used to eat were eaten when people were busy, like your mom working, and now they just get takeout.  We ate them every week because a child could turn on the oven and put them in, and another child could clear the table and wash the few dishes.

I will say one thing about all the processed convenience food -- come a pandemic my parents would have been well stocked!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on October 08, 2021, 06:58:41 PM
Has anyone ever seen the movie Julie & Julia?  I loved it, made me so hungry.  Now that woman knew how to cook!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Runrooster on October 08, 2021, 07:51:46 PM
Reading these stories of terrible childhood diets from the 70-80's reminds me of my own.  My Mom is a decent cook, and made homemade dinners but I ate a lot of ramen, chef boy ar dee, cereal, and of course lentils. My Mom worked long hours and so we'd eat the same lentils, chickpeas, red beans every week.

I have an Indian coworker (lived in India to age 24 or so) who always says our tastes are formed by our childhood foods.  I'm like, what planet do you live on?  I do like lentils now, but I wouldn't eat them for years.  And I see them as boring, healthy, filler food rather than something I crave or think of as a treat dinner.  Of course I eat more meat now (Mom would make chicken every other week) and fish and variety of vegetables. My Mom made a lot of potatoes, like green beans were always half potatoes.  I remember calling home from college asking for the green peas recipe, a dish I haven't made in decades.

My older sister, too, said something about how she didn't particularly enjoy food so much as eat for sustenance, until after she left home.  I wouldn't go that far, I liked pizza, nachos, chips, lemonade, watermelon, apples all of which I eat only on occasion now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on October 09, 2021, 06:01:15 AM
Has anyone used powdered sour cream or powdered yogurt that you reconstitute? I was looking on Amazon and they have it but the reviews seem sketchy. Some people like it and some don't. Just wondering if anyone here has tried these, and if so, do you have a favorite brand?

No, but I’ve used powdered buttermilk for baking, and I guess it would be in the same range.

I have recently noticed the existence of giant cans of powdered butter.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PoutineLover on October 09, 2021, 06:37:03 AM
Wow it's crazy to see the vast differences in how people ate growing up. My mom learned how to cook from her mom, who grew up making everything from scratch in Europe.

I grew up in the nineties and we pretty much always had homemade food for dinner. Sometimes it included a can of soup in a casserole but for the most part it was meat, fresh vegetables, salads, dairy, etc. We were allowed to have treats in our lunch only on Fridays.

My dad wasn't really good at cooking so when he was in charge of dinner we'd have kraft dinner and hot dogs.
Sugary cereal was an occasional treat.

At the time I was so jealous of the kids who got to eat junk food all the time but I'm so happy now that my family ate well and I was able to learn how to plan and cook balanced, healthy meals.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on October 09, 2021, 07:57:50 AM
Wow it's crazy to see the vast differences in how people ate growing up. My mom learned how to cook from her mom, who grew up making everything from scratch in Europe.

I grew up in the nineties and we pretty much always had homemade food for dinner. Sometimes it included a can of soup in a casserole but for the most part it was meat, fresh vegetables, salads, dairy, etc. We were allowed to have treats in our lunch only on Fridays.

My dad wasn't really good at cooking so when he was in charge of dinner we'd have kraft dinner and hot dogs.
Sugary cereal was an occasional treat.

At the time I was so jealous of the kids who got to eat junk food all the time but I'm so happy now that my family ate well and I was able to learn how to plan and cook balanced, healthy meals.

It really is fascinating. My dad’s parents were Mexican immigrants and poor, so he grew up eating everything cooked from scratch and going to the farmers’ market with his parents because it was cheaper. His dad turned their entire back yard into a fruit and vegetable garden. Mom was the youngest of 5 girls (and kid 6 of 7) and was a teenager when her dad retired suddenly due to medical disability and my grandma had to work full time. At that point, Mom had to teach herself to cook and feed her dad and brothers. Grandma was a depression-era baby and daughter of a professional baker, and she cooked mostly from scratch. However, I don’t think she had much time to pass her cooking skills to my mom, who left home at 19 to marry my dad.

To be fair to my mom, she was a great baker when I was little and she was at home with me. She had learned a lot from her grandfather, and we used to bake bread and cookies every week. I’ve always been grateful to have those skills and experiences. She was also a decent cook when she had time (weekends and holidays).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 09, 2021, 09:26:39 AM
Has anyone ever seen the movie Julie & Julia?  I loved it, made me so hungry.  Now that woman knew how to cook!

I read Julie and Julia, read Julia Child's My Life in France, saw the movie, and then watched the movie again with my kids a couple of years ago.  And -- dare I admit it -- I even had the big red handbag Julie carries in the movie for awhile, although I bought it used and sold it for what I paid.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on October 09, 2021, 10:14:04 AM
My Mom made a lot of potatoes, like green beans were always half potatoes. 

(canned) Green Beans, Potatoes, and leftover ham (or smoked sausage) all cooked in one pot was on our family menu at least once a month!

So good with Jiffy cornbread crumbled on top.

If someone says they are bringing green beans to a holiday meal in my family, then 9 times out of 10 they are bringing the above.

Also grew up 80/90s and the all prepped food as mentioned above made up 70% of our meals. My mom always made a big homecooked meal on Sundays though and we'd eat that interspersed w/ Hamburger Helper or Mac and Cheese w/ hot dogs throughout the week.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: coppertop on October 10, 2021, 07:34:38 AM
My Mom made a lot of potatoes, like green beans were always half potatoes. 

(canned) Green Beans, Potatoes, and leftover ham (or smoked sausage) all cooked in one pot was on our family menu at least once a month!

My mom was Pennsylvania German and that dish was a staple...she bought what she called "ham butt" (may be the shoulder???), sliced it and put it into a pot with green beans and potato chunks.  We loved it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on October 10, 2021, 09:54:19 AM
Canned green beans.  I just cannot.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on October 10, 2021, 10:41:21 AM
Canned green beans.  I just cannot.

I cannot either. Most canned vegetables are a hard pass, now that I buy my own groceries.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 10, 2021, 05:53:39 PM
Canned green beans.  I just cannot.
Nope, I cannot either.  Not even canned corn.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on October 10, 2021, 06:00:39 PM
My spouse hated green beans until they tried canned green beans cooked with ham hock until they were practically mush (the way my father’s wife makes them). Ironically, they grew up in a completely vegetarian home.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on October 10, 2021, 06:14:34 PM
Canned green beans.  I just cannot.
Nope, I cannot either.  Not even canned corn.

I actually prefer canned corn to frozen and I’ll eat other veggies canned, even peas, which most people hate.  But beans?  Nooooo.  I do love garden beans though.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Runrooster on October 12, 2021, 05:08:38 PM
My spouse hated green beans until they tried canned green beans cooked with ham hock until they were practically mush (the way my father’s wife makes them). Ironically, they grew up in a completely vegetarian home.

Aren't they practically mush fresh out of the can?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on October 12, 2021, 05:55:08 PM
You would think, but you’ve not yet seen the mush.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: hooplady on October 12, 2021, 07:03:43 PM
I confess I've fallen victim to slight fits of hoarding, or at least ordering more than I need when I find something available. Recent examples are certain types of canned cat food, meat baby food, and nitrile exam gloves. At the same time I'm trying to cut down on deliveries to curb the excess of cardboard boxes accumulating, but I've had to get things delivered when that's the only alternative I can find. Frustrating.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on October 12, 2021, 07:17:15 PM
I have been doing fly lady again the past few weeks. I really purged the kitchen and bathrooms. I was actually surprised we went through an entire 500 masks this year (5-7 people in the house at any time). So I bought 100 more for the 3 remaining people in the house.

My cupboards look amazing! Model home worthy almost-LOL. I hope we don’t starve because I cleaned up.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on October 13, 2021, 05:08:31 PM
After thinking about how nearly bare my pantry shelves are (except for what's in food storage buckets), I'm now carefully and mindfully considering what I should purchase as we potentially go into another Covid winter and as food costs increase and food availability remains uncertain.  This is more of a seasonal stock up than something specifically related to the pandemic -- the pandemic showed me that I was going to various grocery stores far more often than I needed to.

I ordered a 1 gallon bucket of my preferred honey from Amazon, and ordered baking powder, some spices I was low on, and organic whole sugar (panela/rapadura/sucanat) from Essential Organics. We went to Costco and bought brown rice, maple syrup, kalamata olives, olive oil, and ghee (as well as some perishable items).  I checked my buckets and we are fine on wheat berries and legumes.

I'm not planning to buy canned goods this time around because we rarely eat canned foods.  We're still fully stocked on paper goods and cleaning products.

I figure I need to be able to bake bread and other baked items, make tortillas and pasta, cook grains and legumes, make pizza, etc.  I'm not going to stock up on any meat at all this time.  We have some from the Butcher Box I received (I tried it and ended up canceling).  But mostly we're going to cut the meat out of the budget since it's just the two of us now and we more naturally gravitate toward meatless meals.  We can get perishables as needed and just be flexible with what they have.

I cancelled my Instacart Express.  I was almost never happy with the produce chosen.  The plan is to order non-perishables/dog food from Costco as needed.  Then we'll shop at Sprouts early in the morning a couple of times a month.  Now that it's just the two of us I've given up Aldi because they don't have everything I want and we've decided it's easier to just go to one grocery store.  Without a doubt changing this up will cost us more in terms of how much the food costs since I won't be chasing loss leaders, but at least I won't be giving money away to Instacart anymore, in fees or markups.

Part of the change is spurred by sending the small car to university with our son, leaving us only our campervan.  We're committed to doing most of our errands on foot.  Sprouts is our closest grocery store.  Aldi has to be driven to; I'm no longer comfortable riding a bicycle.

I feel good this time, not like March and April 2020 when I panicked.  We easily donated more than $1000 worth of food to our local food pantry over the course of the first year or so of the pandemic, most of it things I overbought or thought were a good idea when they weren't.  I realize now there's no way to be 100% prepared, especially not with how we eat, which depends on fresh produce, eggs, and dairy.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 13, 2022, 05:43:00 AM
How is everyone? I am still stocking up my food supply and it feels good to have so much in stock and like a grocery store, I can 'shop' for ingredients I want or need without the hassle of making a trip to the store.

Recently, I have taken advantage of Costco, Instacart. That has worked out fantastic! I can order early in the morning and set a time for delivery. Within a two-hour window, I am getting delivery! My Costco is about 15 miles away which isn't a long distance, but it saves me tons of time for the round trip and shopping. So worth it! Costco doesn't have everything the regular grocery store does but the regular grocery stores don't have what Costo offers either! The produce is awesome!

I have been watching a lot of Youtube videos on homesteading and self-sufficiency. This one young woman in particular, like me, hates to run out of anything! She makes sure her pantry is full of everyday things so when she is ready to make recipes, she has everything she needs. She has a large garden and cans everything she can get her hands on. She makes up at times, 21 freezer meals in one afternoon. The chickens she has provide lots of eggs. When possible, she buys organic meat and sometimes half a cow for the freezer. every so often she finds milk on sale and freezes the whole gallons without any issues.

Personally, I don't know how she does it all making dinners, breads, desserts from scratch, tending to a giant garden, chickens, making tutorial Youtube vids, and working a full time job outside the home.

Oh, and I learned a new resource that she uses and many other homestead people use too. It is called Azure Standard. It is a pretty amazing thing. You shop online for mostly organic food items and the items are trucked to a drop off point in your area on a certain date. You meet at the spot with others waiting for their delivery too. People buy just about everything from this place. You can buy flour in 50lb sacks, chicken food, dog food, jams, beans, veggies, fruits, cleaning products, meats (frozen), spices, sugar, baking soda. You name it they probably have it. I think most of the items are organic and the people who demonstrate their 'Azure Standard Hauls' on Youtube are extremely happy with the prices. No one seems to mind driving to the drop off spot. It seems very organized and is in a safe place. One mentioned a church parking lot. Not all items are in 50 lb sacks, you may have size choices and can buy a few items or a case at a time. I may buy some stuff from Azure but don't plan on getting carried away. I don't cook many bean meals so that is kind of out for me. There is so much offered though I could spend a lot!

Mr. Roadrunner is the inventory control manager when we stock up. He has done a great job organizing the freezers and the cabinets in the garage. Much better than me and is very aware of expiration dates. To the point that I have to remind him that stuff doesn't automatically rot the minute the expiration or best date occurs!

Oh, and one of my most recent purchases is a French fry maker! It is really a little beast and works great! It is metal and the size FF it makes is 1/4 inch. There is a smaller size cutter like fast food size but I prefer the size a little bigger. I can also buy an attachment for the machine to cut wedge style potatoes which I am thinking of buying. The machine with the 1/4" cutter was around $57 and to buy the wedge style cutter is around $30 and fits on the machine. The machine is all manual with a long lever to push the taters thru the cutter. It supposedly can be wall mounted but mine has suction cups for using on the counter. I guess the suction cups can be removed for wall mount usage. I am excited about this purchase because I can get super nice taters from Costco at a low price and make a boat load of FF in no time. The one drawback is that you have to blanch the cut taters for about 2 minutes in boiling water. So, it is a bit of a job to cut, blanch, dry the FF then freeze in freezer bags. But it really doesn't take a lot of time and is kind of fun! In no time I will make my money back on the machine by making my own FF and not buying store bought frozen ones. The only other thing that I can say negative about the FF machine is that I like crinkle cut FF and this machine doesn't have that capability. I will live with it!

32 oz bag of Frozen FF at the store is $4.19 (times 5 bags = 10 lbs) = $20.95
10 lb bag of Gold taters at Costco $6.19
$14.76 savings per 10 lbs using Costco Gold taters

FF Machine $57.99 (new) on ebay. Free shipping.

I thought maybe I could cut diced onions in the FF maker. That did not work out at all. Tried to push a whole onion thru and it kind of got stuck. Didn't want to ruin the cutter so stopped doing that. I may try carrots and celery sometime but also it seems sweet potatoes might not work either due to them being kind of hard. Someone mentioned microwaving them a little. Not sure if I will go there. I don't eat that many sweet taters anyway.

If anyone is interested in buying a FF machine, do your homework. There are some plastic ones out there and those people whom I saw demo some of them were not all that pleased. I kept going back and forth asking myself did I really need this machine. One day yes, the next day no. Well, I finally bought one and love it!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jnw on February 13, 2022, 05:51:37 AM
At one point sometime last year, I can't remember when, there was some talk on the news about there being shortages of food at the stores, so we bought 40 (or was it 50) pound bags of dry pinto beans and white rice.   They weren't too expensive.  My BF has pecking away at the rice & beans here and there, and all of it will eventually get used.  Actually we will save money over time on beans on rice because they were discounted due to qty -- purchased from Sams.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on February 13, 2022, 06:18:06 AM
@Roadrunner53 Have fun with your French fry maker! (never heard that word, I've only ever heard it being referred to as a potato chipper in English).  I inherited a metal one, but it doesn't get used much. We don't own a deep-fat fryer and I'm not really a fan of frying on the stovetop or oven-baked fries. Mr Imma is convinced that we'll only ever eat deep-fried food if we get a deep-fat fryer, but I don't think that would be the case at all. I'm still lobbying for one, since it's so much safer than stovetop frying and deep-fat fryers are so cheap. I remember when I was a kid we'd make them homemade from scratch almost every week and they're so extremely delicious.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 13, 2022, 06:43:27 AM
What I do with the frozen french fries is coat them with a little peanut oil and put them in the air frier. They come out crispy without much oil and little to no mess.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Catbert on February 13, 2022, 10:19:12 AM
I'm back to a normal level of food stock.  I never went too overboard bc it's just the two of us and we are relatively flexible with what we eat.  If we still had a cat I'd have hoarded cat food.

What I'm struggling with now is Covid supplies.  We have 8 Covid test kits (4 2-pks) which I guess seems like an ok number to have.  I bought 100 N95 hard shell masks at Costco when they were on sale and Omicron was heating up.  I actually sold 4 of the 5 20-pks because people were really frantic for them and I didn't think we really needed 100.  I sold them for cost and they were gone in a day.  I've since bought another 20-pk at a local store that sells a lot of Costco returns.  (Each pk of 20 was in a separate box and sealed in plastic).  We've now each picked up our 3 free-from-the-government N95 masks.  I guess we're good?  I don't want to hoard but also don't want to run out.  We're retired and don't need to wear a mask all day so a mask lasts awhile.   
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: slackmax on February 13, 2022, 11:01:07 AM
I was into a chicken divan obsession (home made) during the beginning of the pandemic, and I have several cans of cream of chicken soup still in the cupboard, from 2020.

Also a few cans of beans for making chili from the same time.

Waiting for a renewed craving for chicken divan, or chili. Hasn't happened yet.

Not worried about them expiring. May have expired already, lol.

 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on February 13, 2022, 12:14:53 PM
It’s a good time for make your own French fries, because goodness knows the frozen kind seem pretty scarce today.

I continue to maintain my pantry. I wish I could get the rest of my household to write what they use on the shopping list.

Our chickens are coming back on line, so we’re good for eggs.

And I’m enjoying planning this year’s giant garden! We’ve added raised beds and we’re also getting a plot at the community garden down the street.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 13, 2022, 01:41:05 PM
Cranky, Nice to hear you are anticipating your garden. My garden is pretty small and I just plant 6 tomato plants but have been lucky that they have been very productive. They are grown in galvanized cattle troughs (raised beds) I got at tractor supply. I have bags of tomatoes from 2021 still in the freezer. This coming week I am making a mouthwatering tomato dish that I just love. It is a lot of cut up tomatoes, gobs of minced garlic with about 1 1/2 cups of olive oil then roasted in the oven. Later on, I add cooked spaghetti, gobs of fresh mozzarella, Italian spices and fresh basil. OMG, mouthwatering!

I also grow herbs, a few cucumber plants which I never have much luck at.

I have lots of other tomatoes in my freezer that need cooking and I will make a big pot of red sauce for spaghetti soon. Love my tomatoes! Just the two of us and we ate tomatoes every day from August till October!

Have had good luck growing green beans in a 5 gallon pail on my deck too. However, not sure if it is really worth it for the little amount of beans I get. I kind of decided to just buy fresh when they are in season.

My Mom had a green thumb and I swear could grow anything, anywhere!

As far as your family goes, can you put up a notepad on the refrigerator with a pen and tell your family members to write down what has been used. Maybe offer them a reward of some sort to encourage it. A special cake or dinner?

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on February 13, 2022, 03:06:53 PM
The notepad is in place! But we have multiple adult cooks in our house, and some of them are better planners than others.

We had pole beans this summer, and they were incredibly productive. I still have some in the freezer.

My dh is planning a plot with heirloom corn, beans, and squash, so I think we’ll have dried beans this year, too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 13, 2022, 04:23:38 PM
Cranky, I just went thru the missing in action ingredients I needed for tonight's dinner! Mr. Roadrunner has been good at telling me what we need but he goofed up and I was pretty irritated tonight! I needed one can of refried beans. I swear we had at least six in our grocery store. He couldn't find any! GRRRR, so I took a can of kidney beans and made refried beans out of them. They came out pretty good. Then, we always have had a big container of Taco seasoning. Well, all of a sudden, we have NONE! Mr. RR said it was old and he wasn't eating old stuff and had thrown it out! OMG! It is dried and isn't rotten and could have lasted till I got a new container. However, I had some packets of taco seasoning in the grocery store so that wasn't a real issue in the end. OMG! Seems any time I go to prepare something we rarely have; we are missing the ingredients I swear we have on hand. Not a disaster but a bit of irritation! He knows I go bat s_ _t when we run out of stuff! Guess he forgot! So, Mrs. Roadrunner, the purchasing agent, will be ordering some new taco seasoning!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on February 13, 2022, 05:00:02 PM
On refried beans:
If you want awesome tasting commercial ones, I've discovered Amy's and they are way better than other brands IMO.

But homemade are the best. Saute chopped onions and garlic (maybe a jalopeno or two), throw in a bunch of cumin. I use 2-3 TBS of olive oil for the sauteeing oil. Meanwhile, zip 2-3 cans of  drained/rinsed kidney or pinto or black beans (or a mix) in the food processor until smooth - you'll have to add in a half cup of water or so to get them smooth. Stir those into the skillet, then stir in chopped cilantro (if you like it) and the juice from a lime. Let it "simmer" (it more burps than simmers) stirring a bit until you get lacy bits around the edges of the skillet. Salt and pepper, tabasco to taste.

And the ultimate breakfast? A crisped up corn tortilla with a generous smear of these with a fried egg and salsa on top. OMG. We call it a mouth party, and it's why I usually don't make less than 4 cans worth of beans at a shot.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 14, 2022, 03:01:10 AM
SailingOnASmallSailboat, thanks for that recipe for refried beans! I am not well versed in making Mexican type foods. Never ate it as a kid and as an adult like different dishes but rarely try my hand at it. Have to remember Amy's too!

Another thing I bought 'to save money' is a 5 lb block of cheddar cheese. I have seen videos of frugal homemakers running hunks of it thru their food processor then freezing in individual bags. My food processor is rarely used but a really good one. I think it is up for the challenge!

Mr. Roadrunner and I made 20 breakfast sammies to put in the freezer as a grab and go. I bought a giant package of Canadian Bacon from Costco, cheese slices, eggs and English muffins. Very quick and easy to do. The Canadian Bacon is already cooked so, I just laid the CB on a sheet pan, put a cooked egg on top, laid a slice of cheese on the hot egg. Then on another sheet pan, toasted the English muffins under the broiler. Once cooled, assembled, bagged and froze. I have a giant nonstick electric skillet. That made cooking the eggs a breeze. They can be warmed up from frozen by wrapping in a paper towel and heating in microwave for a little over a minute.

I also wanted to mention, do any of you buy jumbo eggs? I do and always try to get them! One of my local stores sells them for about $1.49-$1.69 a dozen and large eggs are somewhere around $2.99 a dozen. Many times, the jumbo's have double yolks too! You get a bigger egg for less money! I have heard that jumbo eggs are not as popular, so they are sold for less! I can understand if you are baking and need a more standardized size egg but if you are buying them to make breakfast eggs, why not go for jumbo!



Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Moonwaves on February 14, 2022, 03:34:06 AM
@Roadrunner53 Have fun with your French fry maker! (never heard that word, I've only ever heard it being referred to as a potato chipper in English).  I inherited a metal one, but it doesn't get used much. We don't own a deep-fat fryer and I'm not really a fan of frying on the stovetop or oven-baked fries. Mr Imma is convinced that we'll only ever eat deep-fried food if we get a deep-fat fryer, but I don't think that would be the case at all. I'm still lobbying for one, since it's so much safer than stovetop frying and deep-fat fryers are so cheap. I remember when I was a kid we'd make them homemade from scratch almost every week and they're so extremely delicious.
You could try doing what one of my sisters does, which is to only use the deep-fat fryer outside. They don't like having the smell hanging around in the house, so on the days they want to deep-fry something, they set the deep-fat fryer up on an old picnic table outside the kitchen or sitting room window, and use an extension lead through the window to plug it in. If it's raining, they just put up the garden umbrella over it. I have no idea if this is a French thing or a this particular family thing (I suspect the latter), but it works for them. When the oil has cooled down the deep-fat fryer goes back into the cellar. They wouldn't have room in the kitchen to have it out all the time anyway. They treat it the same way they treat the raclette or fondue or toasted sandwich maker.

Of course the other alternative is to get an air-fryer rather than a deep-fat fryer. My younger sister got one a couple of months ago and says it is so versatile she has basically used it almost every day since she got it. And my oldest sister got inspired by that and decided to get the fancy version that's also an instant pot. I don't think I speak to either of them anymore without hearing about their air-fryers. LOL
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on February 14, 2022, 02:17:25 PM
I've been using Azure Standard since around 2005, I think -- it might have been earlier.  Over the years the drop coordinators and drop locations have changed, but I always have access to one no more than 15 minutes from the house by car.

Back in September both our in house refrigerator and our in garage chest freezer stopped working.  We replaced the refrigerator right away, and last month I gave up and got a new chest freezer.  Since we bought the old one they've started selling "garage ready" models and we can see how much more insulated it is.  I bought some extra sliding baskets for it since I had a lot of trouble with organizing the old freezer -- this model has a second layer of sliding baskets and I love them.  I'll admit that I hate our new refrigerator, and I'm pretty sure it will end up being a garage refrigerator soon.  Stainless steel was my only option for a replacement that could be delivered within the month, and I really miss having a white refrigerator that isn't so hard to keep nice looking.  I guess I grouse about it on the regular, because DH told me to just get something I want, especially since one of the college kids changed their plans and is back at home.  If I do that I'll have space for more eggs, milk, fresh produce, etc.  And I do love having an extra fridge when watermelons are their least expensive and I buy 4 at a time.

We're well stocked on meats, mostly from ButcherBox (loved the sales right after Thanksgiving and Christmas), but I also bought b/s chicken breast for $1 per pound knowing that my oldest and their friend will be here for spring break -- athletes do love their lean protein.  I also grabbed a couple of pork butts for spring break as well.

My pantry isn't all that full, but I do have beans, rice, flour, wheat berries, popcorn, etc.  I'm keeping fewer canned and jarred goods on hand, really only keeping 1-2 extras of the things we use regularly, except for canned pineapple which I buy a case at a time.  I've also stopped trying to think like someone who lives in colder areas -- I have access to local fresh produce year round and there's really no reason for me to go crazy stocking large amounts of canned or frozen produce.  In the new freezer I have 10# mango, 8# strawberries, 10# corn, 5# peas (for Indian dishes), and a Costco bag of edamame -- I don't know how much that weighs.  I buy frozen fire roasted sweet potatoes and frozen organic shredded potatoes regularly, as the major convenience foods I allow myself.  I still make almost everything from scratch, but those two items in particular are making life a little easier right now.

I use my food processor to grate cheese.  We really like Tillamook medium cheddar and I can buy blocks of it at Costco and grate it before freezing.  I also use the food processor to "grate" real parmagiano-reggiano cheese into the size you find in the green cans, since we use it in meatloaf instead of bread crumbs, for binding and flavor.

The young adult kid at home would love for us to have a french fry cutter!  And the idea to use a deep fryer outside is a good one.  Both of those items could be a good birthday gift and maybe they will be the one to learn to make fries -- and to clean up the mess!  I know someone else who makes their own frozen fries and swears by them.  I like fries but DH and I don't eat them often.  I'm not fond of the air fryer mess, but I'm thinking the air fryer lid for the Instant Pot would create an easier to clean up air fryer, since you can immerse the Instant Pot inner pot to clean it.  We've been using the "sous vide" mode on the Instant Pot for tri-tip and sirloin cap steak, with fantastic results.  My old Instant Pot didn't have sous vide, but I gave that one to my BIL when he moved and am using a $50 Black Friday special.

I guess I'd say we've found a good balance.  Our lives are different than they were at the beginning of the pandemic, with one fewer young adult living at home.  With the gluten free young adult at home we naturally eat less gluten, which simplifies things -- our carbohydrate is usually potatoes, rice, or corn.  DH and I eat two meals per day which also simplified things.  Meal #1 is slightly more breakfast-y and is based on eggs or bulk sausage (and sometimes bacon if we got it free), either sweet potatoes or white potatoes, and then vegetables.  Meal #2 is usually meat or fish, a side carb (I don't always eat this since the kid eats so much rice that I make white rice to lower the arsenic content), and lots of vegetables.  I make a couple of meatless main meals each week as well, but not as many as before the kid came back home.  I'm not baking much bread at all anymore, which feels odd but it's just where we are in life right now.

This means my at home "grocery store" needs to have plenty of meat and fish in the freezer, some frozen produce (they eat smoothies before practices and we eat corn with steaks instead of potatoes), rice, beans, and wheat berries/flour in the bulk buckets, basics like salsa and peanut butter, cooking fats (usually ghee and EVOO), things to add flavor like herbs, spices, and vinegar, dairy products including butter, yogurt, sour cream, and milk (the kid drinks it and that's a major improvement over the soda habit they picked up while away at university).

We buy plenty of fresh produce every week or two, along with any other needed perishables, although I prefer not to need to shop for eggs and dairy weekly.  I buy less perishable produce like potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbages, broccoli, etc. and then I know I have produce options.  On any given day I can make our meals without worrying about not having what we need.  I definitely use the "pantry principle" rather than planning meals on grocery ads.

I'm starting to let up on the grocery delivery now that we know Omicron isn't highly deadly for those who are vaccinated and boosted.  We still mask up in indoor settings, but we aren't just staying home anymore.  I have a few more months of a free Instacart trial offered by our credit card, and then we'll let it go unless things get bad again.  I plan my trips for when the stores should be the least crowded -- weekdays at opening are great for Sprouts, whereas Costco is better just before closing on Tuesday or Wednesday.  I've only been back to Costco twice since last summer, as it made me the most nervous because it's the most crowded.

We're considering a garden for this year, or maybe just a few tomato and zucchini plants.  We're planning to put in a couple of avocado trees, which we should have done years ago, really.  Come fall I'll try my hand at cabbage and a few other winter crops.  I always say I'm going to put in a lemon tree, but so many neighbors have lemon trees that I always have what I need -- some neighbors put them out front in baskets for anyone to take, and some tell us to pick a few anytime we need them.

Oh, for refried beans, I just cook pinto beans with garlic, salt them after cooking, and then puree with a hand blender, adding cooing liquid if needed and fat if we want to.  My Mexican MIL adds a little milk to make them creamy, but my oldest is dairy allergic so I don't do that.  We don't add any other seasonings, and they're perfect.  When I was first married I would cook the beans with onion, added cumin, etc. and my husband just didn't think they tasted authentic to what he ate growing up.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 14, 2022, 02:39:41 PM
  I'm not fond of the air fryer mess, but I'm thinking the air fryer lid for the Instant Pot would create an easier to clean up air fryer, since you can immerse the Instant Pot inner pot to clean it.  We've been using the "sous vide" mode on the Instant Pot for tri-tip and sirloin cap steak, with fantastic results.  My old Instant Pot didn't have sous vide, but I gave that one to my BIL when he moved and am using a $50 Black Friday special.

I have seen the YOuTube videos about the InstantPot air fryer lid and am so tempted - but I am in an apartment and space* is always the issue.  Which model has sous vide?  I am guessing still a 6L since it takes the air fryer lid?

*Hmm, if I got rid of the big stock pot that only gets used a few times a year, I could rearrange things and have space, sort of, maybe.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 14, 2022, 03:20:09 PM
Today I splurged and bought the wedge cutters for my French fry cutter. I was torn between the 8 wedge and the 6 wedge cutter. So I bought both! The price was so excellent. Shipping was costly but even with that added to the cutters, it was still very cheap. I do hope they are the right cutters! They look the same, fingers crossed! I am going to buy more taters from Costco to do wedge taters and freeze them too.

I do not have an Instant pot air fryer cooker. I have a counter top air fryer and there is rarely any mess at all. Mostly crumbs fall to the bottom and I clean that out like a toaster every so often. It is square and has a door in the front and 3 shelves inside. This is my third air fryer. The other two were basket type and it just didn't work for me. I actually had an instant pot and really didn't like it! I know I am probably the only person on earth that doesn't like Instant pot but I found it just took too long with the time of pressure build up, cook time and natural release of pressure. There were a few things I liked about it but it took up too much space so I decided to get rid of it. I am a Slow Cooker enthusiast and use it a lot. I even have an old fashion pressure cooker that I have not used in ages but did love it in the day. I had a lot of success with it and food always came out awesome. Going to have to dust it off and start using it again.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on February 14, 2022, 03:29:31 PM
Oh God, you Americans are killing me!  $1.49 for jumbo (extra large here) eggs???  I just bought a dozen last week and paid $3.99.

No effin wonder you guys are all retired early, lol!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on February 14, 2022, 03:43:36 PM
The healthcare situation is a bit of a trade off, to be fair!

We have the ninja pressure cooker/air fryer and it’s my second favorite appliance.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 14, 2022, 04:14:56 PM
Oh God, you Americans are killing me!  $1.49 for jumbo (extra large here) eggs???  I just bought a dozen last week and paid $3.99.

No effin wonder you guys are all retired early, lol!

Prices are going up pretty fast here in the USA. Just looked up Jumbo eggs and here is the information:
 Stop & Shop White Eggs Grade A Jumbo1 doz | $2.39 / doz

Prices do go up and down so you never know what to expect. This is the same price I paid for 3 dozen eggs last week of January. But they do go on sale quite often.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on February 14, 2022, 05:29:44 PM
No sales on eggs here, ever.  Or milk ($5.00/4 litres, a little less than a gallon).  Or butter (also $5.00/pound).  Apparently they're run by cartels.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on February 14, 2022, 05:53:06 PM
I buy cage-free organic eggs, the ones with orange yolks and thick shells. Those usually cost about $3.50-4.00 per dozen. Worth it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on February 14, 2022, 07:52:55 PM
No sales on eggs here, ever.  Or milk ($5.00/4 litres, a little less than a gallon).  Or butter (also $5.00/pound).  Apparently they're run by cartels.

FYI, 4 litres is more than a US gallon, less than a UK gallon. Given the relative populations, I'd go with 4L being a bit more than a gallon (3.89L US, IIRC)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Moonwaves on February 15, 2022, 12:09:03 AM
No sales on eggs here, ever.  Or milk ($5.00/4 litres, a little less than a gallon).  Or butter (also $5.00/pound).  Apparently they're run by cartels.

FYI, 4 litres is more than a US gallon, less than a UK gallon. Given the relative populations, I'd go with 4L being a bit more than a gallon (3.89L US, IIRC)
I had 3.87 litres in 1 US gallon so I had to go and check it. Wikipedia says 3.78*.

An Irish gallon is 4.54 - have that fixed firmly in my head because I used to work in my dad's garage and the pumps were metric but older people would still come in and ask for a gallon of petrol. Ah, the good old days.



*Actually 3.785411784 L
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: slackmax on February 15, 2022, 09:17:43 AM
SailingOnASmallSailboat, thanks for that recipe for refried beans! I am not well versed in making Mexican type foods. Never ate it as a kid and as an adult like different dishes but rarely try my hand at it. Have to remember Amy's too!

 

 ...snip...

I also wanted to mention, do any of you buy jumbo eggs? I do and always try to get them! One of my local stores sells them for about $1.49-$1.69 a dozen and large eggs are somewhere around $2.99 a dozen. Many times, the jumbo's have double yolks too! You get a bigger egg for less money! I have heard that jumbo eggs are not as popular, so they are sold for less! I can understand if you are baking and need a more standardized size egg but if you are buying them to make breakfast eggs, why not go for jumbo!

I haven't even seen any Jumbo eggs for sale lately. Maybe I'm just not looking for them. I would buy them if they were cheaper than the smaller ones, of course. All I ever see is Grade A large, and sometimes extra large. Occasionally a medium.

Large eggs are now $1.60 a dozen.  Just six months ago, they were $1.19 a dozen.   The price fluctuates a lot, and I expect it to come back down in a few months.

 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on February 15, 2022, 11:18:19 AM
No sales on eggs here, ever.  Or milk ($5.00/4 litres, a little less than a gallon).  Or butter (also $5.00/pound).  Apparently they're run by cartels.

FYI, 4 litres is more than a US gallon, less than a UK gallon. Given the relative populations, I'd go with 4L being a bit more than a gallon (3.89L US, IIRC)
I had 3.87 litres in 1 US gallon so I had to go and check it. Wikipedia says 3.78*.

An Irish gallon is 4.54 - have that fixed firmly in my head because I used to work in my dad's garage and the pumps were metric but older people would still come in and ask for a gallon of petrol. Ah, the good old days.



*Actually 3.785411784 L

You’re both right.  Being Canadian, I was referring to the Imperial gallon, not the Standard gallon the US uses.  We got shafted in the ‘70’s when we switched to metric and everything shrunk.  Our gas has always been more expensive than in the States, but at least we could say that our gallons were bigger up until that point.

Our bacon is no longer a pound (500 grams) per package either, but only 375 grams, although that is due to shrinkflation, not metric.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 15, 2022, 11:49:39 AM
SunnyDays,

We here in the USA are also seeing smaller packaging for everything. Just bought a container of grapefruit juice and they used to be 64 ounces. I examined the container, and it is only 52 ounces now. Some bacon packages are now 10 ounces rather than 16 ounces. It goes on and on with products. What is really annoying is that they reduce the size of the container to look almost like the bigger one. So you really don't notice at first glance. Some of the plastic jugs filled with liquid have a deep impression on the bottom of the bottle so less liquid fits in the bottle. The food companies don't want to charge more for their products so they reduce the size of the package and still charge the same amount but you get less for the money. It is very sneaky how they change the packaging. The container may be the same exact height, but they have pared down the sides a bit.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on February 15, 2022, 12:13:33 PM
SunnyDays,

We here in the USA are also seeing smaller packaging for everything. Just bought a container of grapefruit juice and they used to be 64 ounces. I examined the container, and it is only 52 ounces now. Some bacon packages are now 10 ounces rather than 16 ounces. It goes on and on with products. What is really annoying is that they reduce the size of the container to look almost like the bigger one. So you really don't notice at first glance. Some of the plastic jugs filled with liquid have a deep impression on the bottom of the bottle so less liquid fits in the bottle. The food companies don't want to charge more for their products so they reduce the size of the package and still charge the same amount but you get less for the money. It is very sneaky how they change the packaging. The container may be the same exact height, but they have pared down the sides a bit.

Yes, same thing here.  It's so dishonest.  At least reduce the package size accordingly, so the customer knows they're getting less.  It means you have to buy more, but saves another trip to the store sooner than you otherwise would have gone.  Plus, anything packaged twice, like cookies, has the same size outer box but the plastic tray inside has more unusable space in it (plus smaller cookies).  And extra resources used to keep the box at the same size.  Pretty soon everything is going to be "fun size."  The companies rely on people being oblivious and only buying based on price.  Very frustrating.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on February 15, 2022, 12:22:49 PM
SunnyDays,

We here in the USA are also seeing smaller packaging for everything. Just bought a container of grapefruit juice and they used to be 64 ounces. I examined the container, and it is only 52 ounces now. Some bacon packages are now 10 ounces rather than 16 ounces. It goes on and on with products. What is really annoying is that they reduce the size of the container to look almost like the bigger one. So you really don't notice at first glance. Some of the plastic jugs filled with liquid have a deep impression on the bottom of the bottle so less liquid fits in the bottle. The food companies don't want to charge more for their products so they reduce the size of the package and still charge the same amount but you get less for the money. It is very sneaky how they change the packaging. The container may be the same exact height, but they have pared down the sides a bit.

Yes, same thing here.  It's so dishonest.  At least reduce the package size accordingly, so the customer knows they're getting less.  It means you have to buy more, but saves another trip to the store sooner than you otherwise would have gone.  Plus, anything packaged twice, like cookies, has the same size outer box but the plastic tray inside has more unusable space in it (plus smaller cookies).  And extra resources used to keep the box at the same size.  Pretty soon everything is going to be "fun size."  The companies rely on people being oblivious and only buying based on price.  Very frustrating.

So much this.  The only saving grace is that stores have to post $/weight on the shelf. In tiny print that I have to be 15cm close to read, but still.  And I no longer have to carry a little calculator to calculate sale prices $/wt, my phone has one built in.   :-)

I never see"jumbo" eggs but instead we have a size that guarantees at least 50% double-yolked eggs.  They are larger than extra large, they are super long to make room for the 2nd yolk.  They are also more expensive than extra-large, and almost never on sale.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: DaMa on February 15, 2022, 12:46:44 PM
This is one of my crazy pet peeves, and I read recently that it is called "skimpflation."  I first noticed this years ago in cook ng.  14oz cream soup or 14oz tomato sauce changes a dish.  I would much rather they stay the same size and charge more!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 15, 2022, 01:29:16 PM
Agree DaMa, keep the same size and charge more.

Our only salvation is that they HAVE to print on the label how much the contents are. However, so many people don't pay attention to that.

They also figure that in a few years, the next generation will have no memory of the 'real/original' sizes so people will be more accepting of the smaller sizes. They will only have childhood memories of the smaller footprints.

Another thing I really despise is that you might buy a package of 10 hot dogs and most of the packages of hot dog rolls only contain 8 rolls. GRRR!! I know it is scam so we have to buy two packages of rolls. Then you have 6 rolls that might never get used...bread crumbs comes to mind!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on February 15, 2022, 01:46:25 PM
Cowboy Junkies (Canadian band) - A Horse in the Country:  “The money would be pretty good if a quart of milk was still a dollar, or even if a quart of milk was still a quart.”
                   
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on February 15, 2022, 04:30:03 PM

I have seen the YOuTube videos about the InstantPot air fryer lid and am so tempted - but I am in an apartment and space* is always the issue.  Which model has sous vide?  I am guessing still a 6L since it takes the air fryer lid?

*Hmm, if I got rid of the big stock pot that only gets used a few times a year, I could rearrange things and have space, sort of, maybe.

The model I have is 6 quart, and is officially referred to as a black friday model rather than having a regular name.  But I think most of the newer Instant Pots have the sous vide setting.  I know it isn't as perfect as using a circulator, but it works incredibly well and I already use an Instant Pot regularly, so this way there's nothing more to store.

An IP blogger I follow prefers the Mealthy air fryer lid to the Instant Pot one, and I think the specs look better as well.  But I haven't jumped.  Our oven technically has an "air fry" setting, which it's really just convection.  We rarely use it.  For us, I suppose the air fryer lid for the IP would be most useful for browning cooked meats.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on February 15, 2022, 05:00:33 PM
I'm in California and egg prices have been up for me for quite some time.  My kid in the midwest gets them cheaper -- the Aldi regular price there is better than the Aldi sale price here.

The whole inflation and shrinkflation situation has made feeding the family more expensive, for sure.  One thing I don't do is actually buy bacon.  If ButcherBox has a deal where something comes with "free" bacon, we get it that way.  So a 20 ounce tri-tip for $16 and then free bacon, or back in November 1# of tenderloin tips for $18 + two free packages of bacon.  It's cheaper to buy the bulk breakfast sausage for our breakfast bowls (currently at $5.20 per pound).  For the "box" portion of the order I don't get anything I know they sell cheaper in the deals or add-ons sections.  Sirloin cap steak has been a real favorite around here, done sous vide in the Instant Pot and then seared in cast iron.  I don't get chicken in the box; we'd rather eat grass-fed beef than organic chicken and it doesn't price out well compared to buying organic chicken locally.  Honestly, since we don't eat chicken that often I'm fine getting a Costco rotisserie chicken every now and then, and buying conventional chicken for when our oldest is home.

Everything else is more expensive too, but it's easier to manage by sticking to sale and loss leader produce.  I don't really care if the family prefers Honey Crisp apples to Granny Smith; if Granny Smith are 99¢/# and Honey Crisp are $2.49/#, they can eat Granny Smith.  I cut the butter costs when I stopped baking bread, since we mostly toasted it.  We drink water, and happily picked up a SodaStream Power at the Goodwill for $7, so we can have sparkling water.  We did have to buy a couple of the bottles, but the unit did already have a canister in it so we only have to pay for the exchange (I'm encouraging DH to look into hacking the SodaStream to take the larger CO2 canisters).  I'm using less oil/fat in our cooking, while also saving all fats from cooked meats.  I told the at home kid to make popcorn because I don't want to buy potato chips.

Simplifying has been a big help.  I buy one type of potatoes (the large russets from Costco).  I buy one type of beans (pinto).  I buy three types of cheese -- medium cheddar for most things, mozzarella if we want to make pizza, and parmigiana for meatloaf and pasta.  We used to enjoy trying different kinds of cheese but simplifying means we can buy in bulk.  The kid prefers white basmati and it also works best for Mexican and Indian dishes, so I stopped buying sushi rice, even though I like it better with Japanese food.  I even downgraded our butter and stopped buying unsalted butter.  We like Kerrygold, but Costco butter is good enough and the kid is the one who eats the most of it anyway.  I just adjust the salt in recipes when I use the salted butter.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on February 16, 2022, 04:02:07 AM
@K_in_the_kitchen - SodaStream hacks here:

https://www.frugalwoods.com/2019/01/25/hacked-sodastream-seltzer-reload-and-other-december-2018-expenditures/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on February 16, 2022, 05:21:16 AM
I have heard that the newest models can’t be modified this way?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on February 21, 2022, 09:47:08 AM
@Roadrunner53 Have fun with your French fry maker! (never heard that word, I've only ever heard it being referred to as a potato chipper in English).  I inherited a metal one, but it doesn't get used much. We don't own a deep-fat fryer and I'm not really a fan of frying on the stovetop or oven-baked fries. Mr Imma is convinced that we'll only ever eat deep-fried food if we get a deep-fat fryer, but I don't think that would be the case at all. I'm still lobbying for one, since it's so much safer than stovetop frying and deep-fat fryers are so cheap. I remember when I was a kid we'd make them homemade from scratch almost every week and they're so extremely delicious.
You could try doing what one of my sisters does, which is to only use the deep-fat fryer outside. They don't like having the smell hanging around in the house, so on the days they want to deep-fry something, they set the deep-fat fryer up on an old picnic table outside the kitchen or sitting room window, and use an extension lead through the window to plug it in. If it's raining, they just put up the garden umbrella over it. I have no idea if this is a French thing or a this particular family thing (I suspect the latter), but it works for them. When the oil has cooled down the deep-fat fryer goes back into the cellar. They wouldn't have room in the kitchen to have it out all the time anyway. They treat it the same way they treat the raclette or fondue or toasted sandwich maker.

Of course the other alternative is to get an air-fryer rather than a deep-fat fryer. My younger sister got one a couple of months ago and says it is so versatile she has basically used it almost every day since she got it. And my oldest sister got inspired by that and decided to get the fancy version that's also an instant pot. I don't think I speak to either of them anymore without hearing about their air-fryers. LOL

Funny, I've never heard of frying outside!!! In the Netherlands most people use the deep-fat fryer in the shed or garage, both for safety and for smell reasons. And it's convenient since people often have a second freezer full of frozen snacks in there too.

The reason Mr. Imma doesn't want one is because he's afraid we're going to use it way too often. It's not because of lack of space. Lack of counter space is an issue, we try not to buy useless appliances, but I'd be happy to make room in the cellar for a deep-fat fryer. We have this multipurpose grill/toasted sandwich maker thingie that we dig out of the cupboard before every use as well (and we use it most days!).

Most of my friends with kids have airfryers, they seem to use them a lot to serve their picky eaters "healthy chips" instead of potatoes which they don't want to eat. I know there are tons of things you can do with an airfryer but most people don't seem very adventurous with them.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on February 21, 2022, 09:52:35 AM
I have heard that the newest models can’t be modified this way?
Dunno, but I volunteer at a thrift shop and see them come through periodically. If that's really the case, just look for an older model?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: fuzzy math on February 22, 2022, 07:56:45 AM
Got lazy and didn't keep a bag ahead on dog food. Went to sams club and they were out of the flavor we usually buy. Bought same brand different flavor and hoping the dog does not get digestive upset
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on February 22, 2022, 12:15:58 PM
May the odds be ever in your favor.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on February 22, 2022, 03:26:22 PM
Got lazy and didn't keep a bag ahead on dog food. Went to sams club and they were out of the flavor we usually buy. Bought same brand different flavor and hoping the dog does not get digestive upset

Fingers crossed!  If you have any canned pumpkin you can add that to their diet to help the transition to the new flavor.  Or just use it if you notice loose stools.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 23, 2022, 12:22:40 PM
Just had a giant haul of things from Costco delivered by Instacart. Going to make homemade steak fries with the taters I bought, will make caramalized onions in the slow cooker, slice up raw some for the freezer. Have tons of produce. Bought 3 rotisserie chickens. One we will eat tonight and have leftovers. The other two will be frozen for a later date. Bought a fresh chicken 7 lb. too and that will also go in the freezer. Bought some ham steaks and will make a 16 bean soup with them down the road. No need to go to the stores for weeks! Love it!

What a great service Instacart is! They keep you updated on when they arrive at the store to start shopping and will contact you if there is a problem. They let you know when checkout has occurred and give you an estimated time for delivery. They keep you in the loop during the whole process. I highly recommend!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 23, 2022, 02:52:46 PM
Hooplady, caramalized onions are a total no brainer! The worst part is cutting up the onions so I have Mr. Roadrunner do that! I put some butter in the bottom of the slow cooker then add the cut up onions, then another big gob of butter on top. I put it on high sometimes to speed up the cooking and then put it on low to continue cooking. Sometimes I put it on low overnight and wake up to the amazing aroma of onions in the morning! They are like gold! You can make French onion soup with them, put them on hamburgers. We mixed them with some hamburger meat the other night. SO GOOD! I would suggest you fill the slow cooker up to the top because they will shrink down to 1/3rd probably. My last suggestion is if you have not used Reynolds slow cooker liners, buy some! They make clean up a breeze! I use my slow cooker a lot and use the liners every time! Love them!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on February 23, 2022, 04:40:43 PM
Making caramelized onions in the slow cooker is my favorite way, unless I'm making them for mujadara and want them with charred edges.  I started using the liners when I was cooking for a local charity for homeless teens -- my church supplied the ingredients for whatever we were asked to make and they always provided a liner.  I really like them!  But my husband does the dishes and would rather I not use them and make trash when he doesn't mind scrubbing a slow cooker.

Based on rising inflation and the current situation with Russia, I am intentionally adding to our food supplies.  I ordered 50# of wheat berries from Azure Standard, and 30# of Nishiki rice from Amazon (it's our favorite medium grain and was at a great price), along with a case of white rice spaghetti noodles, also from Amazon.  I also ordered diced frozen sweet potatoes and frozen Southern style hash browns from Azure -- it's so nice to have freezer space again.  The sweet potatoes are used for making breakfast bowls and the hash browns get used in egg casserole.

DH mentioned the wheat to me, and it reminded me of the 2008 global rice crisis (which was also somewhat connected to wheat).  Now that I once again have a freezer, it makes sense to stock up on wheat berries and rice, since we definitely will eat them.  The US doesn't import Russian wheat, but if Europe can't get wheat from Russia and the Ukraine, prices will go up here as we start exporting more wheat to Europe.  I considered buying white flour as well, but since we don't use it often I think we can absorb any potential price increases.  I'm wavering on ordering popping corn, since corn prices are up as well -- I might order 25#.  In addition to popping it, I grind it for cornmeal and polenta (and now I'm hungry for cornbread).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 24, 2022, 06:07:41 AM
K_in_the_kitchen,
Do you pick up your Azure order from a drop off spot or do you have it shipped to you?

I just placed a tiny order for the first-time thru Azure and shipping was around $15. I think the items are coming tomorrow or Saturday.

What do you do with wheat berries?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 24, 2022, 07:49:59 AM
Does anyone think the food supply chain will be interrupted with the Putin invasion of Ukraine? If so, what might be affected? If not food, what about other items?

They have mentioned gas prices going up and food prices going up in general. One of my friends that lives in the mid-west has mentioned to me that everything at the stores are higher in price.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SquashingDebt on February 24, 2022, 07:59:03 AM
We've been thinking about whether we need to stock up related to the Ukraine invasion, and if so, what/how much.  We have all of our food storage pretty much full in our little apartment, though.  So far we've defaulted to knowing that we're flexible in our eating habits and so we can adapt to any specific shortages.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on February 24, 2022, 08:17:03 AM
Does anyone think the food supply chain will be interrupted with the Putin invasion of Ukraine? If so, what might be affected? If not food, what about other items?

They have mentioned gas prices going up and food prices going up in general. One of my friends that lives in the mid-west has mentioned to me that everything at the stores are higher in price.

I  feel like the general knowledge is that rising prices are more about corporate profits than any real shortages so far.

I'm in the midwest and I help stock a community pantry and keep receipts. I can tell you that soups like campbells and progresso have almost doubled in price from last winter, I'm paying 60% more for granola bars at the best sales price, and store brand tuna is up 25% a can, and tuna helper is up 60%.

Meat is insane: bacon and chicken have also almost doubled here from the start of the pandemic.

But- https://www.npr.org/2022/02/13/1080494838/economist-explains-record-corporate-profits-despite-rising-inflation

Related to the invasion of Ukraine, we filled up our cars last week and also filled up a couple of gas cans for our lawn mower, generator, etc. I had a kroger discount of .50 a gallon.

On the super paranoid side of things, we requested paper statements from our biggest investment accounts because of potential cyber shenanigans. I want a balance statement on company letterhead. But I also know a person who got hacked a couple of years ago and it took two years to get their money back because they didn't keep track of paperwork. I fully admit that that is leaning into prepper territory, but it took 20 seconds for each account, and it has been a sh*tty two years and I'm allowing myself this small prepping luxury :)   
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Turtle on February 24, 2022, 08:23:20 AM
Does anyone think the food supply chain will be interrupted with the Putin invasion of Ukraine? If so, what might be affected? If not food, what about other items?

They have mentioned gas prices going up and food prices going up in general. One of my friends that lives in the mid-west has mentioned to me that everything at the stores are higher in price.

I  feel like the general knowledge is that rising prices are more about corporate profits than any real shortages so far.

I'm in the midwest and I help stock a community pantry and keep receipts. I can tell you that soups like campbells and progresso have almost doubled in price from last winter, I'm paying 60% more for granola bars at the best sales price, and store brand tuna is up 25% a can, and tuna helper is up 60%.

Meat is insane: bacon and chicken have also almost doubled here from the start of the pandemic.

But- https://www.npr.org/2022/02/13/1080494838/economist-explains-record-corporate-profits-despite-rising-inflation

Related to the invasion of Ukraine, we filled up our cars last week and also filled up a couple of gas cans for our lawn mower, generator, etc. I had a kroger discount of .50 a gallon.

On the super paranoid side of things, we requested paper statements from our biggest investment accounts because of potential cyber shenanigans. I want a balance statement on company letterhead. But I also know a person who got hacked a couple of years ago and it took two years to get their money back because they didn't keep track of paperwork. I fully admit that that is leaning into prepper territory, but it took 20 seconds for each account, and it has been a sh*tty two years and I'm allowing myself this small prepping luxury :)

Not super paranoid.  That type of shenaigans are likely to escalate.

I'd also recommend checking that all electronic devices which are connected to the internet are completely up to date as far as security patches and anti virus / anti malware software.

And make sure you have good backups for any files that you care about.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on February 24, 2022, 08:32:09 AM
Has anyone else noticed stores limiting purchase quantities again? The last couple of times I've shopped at the local Meijer, there have been signs on various canned goods (seafood, beans) limiting purchase to 4 per customer.

Otherwise, yes, prices are going up, and I'm starting to see fully empty shelves. Earlier this week, the local BJ's warehouse had several freezer cases that were mostly empty. Highly processed foods seem to be the most affected (the chip aisle looked half-bare), and we've been okay so far because we tend to cook from scratch or use less processed foods (canned tomatoes). I don't know how long that will last.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on February 24, 2022, 10:08:57 AM
Here in Canada, Frito-Lay products are no longer being sold by the Loblaws chain due to conflict with them around pricing.  Most crunchy snack items are made by them, so those shelves will soon be pretty bare.  Yay, popcorn!

I was at Walmart again yesterday, and lots of shelves are still bare, as they have been for a long time.  But at least they have bananas again, which they didn't for months, even though other stores did.  I haven't really noticed that anything is scarce enough to impact my usual buying habits though.

Prices for non-meat items have gone up a lot recently, just as meat did a while back.  There's just no way around paying more in general, unless you can produce all your own food.

I haven't seen limits on anything, more the opposite, where you have to buy a certain quantity to get a lower price, but that's nothing new here.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on February 24, 2022, 10:21:55 AM
K_in_the_kitchen,
Do you pick up your Azure order from a drop off spot or do you have it shipped to you?

I just placed a tiny order for the first-time thru Azure and shipping was around $15. I think the items are coming tomorrow or Saturday.

What do you do with wheat berries?

I'll go pick up this order from a drop point -- in more than 15 years of ordering from Azure I've used the shipping option exactly once, when I needed more wheat berries last September but wasn't going to be able to get to the drop.  I have 7 drops within 30 miles of my house, although some are on the same route so choosing one of them is just driving farther than I need to.  My closest drop is 10 minutes from home.

I grind wheat berries to make whole wheat flour, rather than buying processed and then recombined whole wheat flour -- the whole wheat flour in stores in never just wheat berries that have been ground and bagged.  The components are separated out and then put back together into an "ideal".  I like freshly ground flour for its fresh, sweet flavor -- there's no bitter rancidness.  I use hard white wheat berries to make flour for bread, pizza, etc.  Sometimes I'll make a wheat berry pilaf or wheat berry porridge.  I have lower protein heirloom wheat berries (White Sonora) that I use for tortillas and biscuits, pastry crust, and even some cookies.  I'll use either one for muffins and other quick breads.

I did decide to order 25# of popping corn.  We aren't out of what we have, but it keeps incredibly well and I want to hedge against shortage or sky high prices.  I think popping corn is a great long term storage food -- we can pop it for a snack, but we can also grind it and use the cornmeal.  We eat cornmeal mush for some breakfasts, make cornbread and corn muffins, make polenta, add cornmeal to pancake recipes, etc.  It's 100% whole grain when you grind it yourself.  And now, like I wrote yesterday, I really want to eat cornbread!  I should make some for dinner.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on February 24, 2022, 10:28:22 AM
We've been thinking about whether we need to stock up related to the Ukraine invasion, and if so, what/how much.  We have all of our food storage pretty much full in our little apartment, though.  So far we've defaulted to knowing that we're flexible in our eating habits and so we can adapt to any specific shortages.

I think having full food storage will serve you well, whatever happens.  We have meat in the freezer, plus grains and legumes in the pantry.  It seems likely that fresh produce will always be available, and like you we are flexible in our eating habits and can work around any specific shortages.  Thinking about it though, we probably don't have enough cooking fats on hand -- we mostly use EVOO and don't want it to go rancid on us before we use it.  And I should buy more salt.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 24, 2022, 11:11:26 AM
K_in_the_kitchen, Wow! You are beyond ambitious making all those baked items! I make a lot of from scratch things but nothing like you are doing!

Very impressed!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: trollwithamustache on February 24, 2022, 11:45:01 AM
I have heard that the newest models can’t be modified this way?
Dunno, but I volunteer at a thrift shop and see them come through periodically. If that's really the case, just look for an older model?

The new soda stream CO2 bottles are harder to fill. There is some goofy internal spring mechanism.

 The result is they are more sensitive to pressure change. So, you may have to open the tank valve super slow, and have your fill dongle bleed valve slightly cracked open. Then close the bleed valve before opening the tank valve more. The Sodastream bottles also like to be cold, so put them in the freezer for a bit first.

Be careful with old soda stream bottles.. some of them leak.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on February 24, 2022, 01:42:17 PM
Does anyone think the food supply chain will be interrupted with the Putin invasion of Ukraine? If so, what might be affected? If not food, what about other items?

They have mentioned gas prices going up and food prices going up in general. One of my friends that lives in the mid-west has mentioned to me that everything at the stores are higher in price.

I feel like the general knowledge is that rising prices are more about corporate profits than any real shortages so far.

The shortages are real, as are the supply chain disruptions. All our suppliers are raising prices, shipping is more expensive - especially overseas shipping. Our suppliers get a lot of products from Europe and Asia and when a container goes from $3-5k to $15-25k it's a big difference. Even our US-based suppliers/manufacturers will often source raw materials from China or elsewhere overseas. It's a chain reaction and every input along the way (labor, materials, shipping, etc.) is going up. We're constantly dealing with backordered products and its usually months before it will be available again.

Plus, there's the whole "let's print trillions of dollars and give it to everyone". You can't just add that much cash into the economy without repercussions - i.e. inflation. Our family got close to $20k between the various rounds of stimulus and increased child tax credits. That was a 15-20% increase in our household income. Other households (without 6 kids) may not have received quite that much, but almost everybody got something and those dollars are chasing the same or fewer goods and services.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 25, 2022, 04:45:38 AM
We are having a bad storm here in New England today. Woke up to about 1 inch of snow and freezing rain. The rain is coming down pretty hard. The temps are 23 degrees and is going to be a skating rink out there. Very dangerous! I am thinking of putting together a 16-bean soup today. I have the bags of beans, some ham, garden tomatoes I can take out of the freezer, onions, peppers and maybe some fresh spinach and some zippy spices. I have some left-over rice too I could add. Would be a good day to smell all that goodness cooking. All of this stuff is in my stash, so no need to 'shop' for anything! Yippie!

Just to mention, I bought some more jumbo eggs the other day from Stop & Shop and they were $2.39 a dozen.

Mr. Roadrunner is my 'warehouse' manager and 'receives' in all our shipments and keeps all the inventory organized. This is a new endeavor for him, and he has done an excellent job at it! I found these bins at the Container Store that work really well in the freezer and shelves in the cabinets. He has had me order them several times. He has managed to use every inch of freezer space and kept 'like' items together to avoid hunting for this and that. Half the battle with freezers is to keep them organized so you know where stuff is.

There is a lady I follow on YouTube, and she has two chest freezers. On one of her video's, she showed how she organized her freezers. It was as simple as using these cloth tote bags with handles that she can stack on top of the other. Each bag would be filled with 'like' items. When she needed something in the bottom of the freezer it was as simple as pulling out a bag or two, to get to what she wanted. Great idea! I happen to have two upright freezers so bags could work I suppose, but my bins are plastic and can slide out as needed.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 25, 2022, 04:56:52 AM
Here is something I saw today and would be perfect when you are low in ingredients! This website is called Hungry Girl. They have come up with some simple recipes to use with cake mix. Just using two ingredients! Would be easy to stock up on a few cake mixes and use these ideas!

https://www.hungry-girl.com/weekly-recipes/two-ingredient-cake
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: LaineyAZ on February 25, 2022, 08:29:58 AM
Here is something I saw today and would be perfect when you are low in ingredients! This website is called Hungry Girl. They have come up with some simple recipes to use with cake mix. Just using two ingredients! Would be easy to stock up on a few cake mixes and use these ideas!

https://www.hungry-girl.com/weekly-recipes/two-ingredient-cake

Thanks for posting.  I had heard of using cake mix and applesauce, but not the other versions - she's really resourceful.  Will try some of these!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on February 25, 2022, 08:44:29 AM
Does anyone think the food supply chain will be interrupted with the Putin invasion of Ukraine? If so, what might be affected? If not food, what about other items?

They have mentioned gas prices going up and food prices going up in general. One of my friends that lives in the mid-west has mentioned to me that everything at the stores are higher in price.

I feel like the general knowledge is that rising prices are more about corporate profits than any real shortages so far.

The shortages are real, as are the supply chain disruptions. All our suppliers are raising prices, shipping is more expensive - especially overseas shipping. Our suppliers get a lot of products from Europe and Asia and when a container goes from $3-5k to $15-25k it's a big difference. Even our US-based suppliers/manufacturers will often source raw materials from China or elsewhere overseas. It's a chain reaction and every input along the way (labor, materials, shipping, etc.) is going up. We're constantly dealing with backordered products and its usually months before it will be available again.

snip . . .

Not denying that that there are shortages or supply chain disruptions. But if corporations were only raising prices enough to cover those costs then would they be recording profits right now?

So the amount of inflation we are seeing in consumer prices at the grocery store seems likely to be supply chain/shortages plus extra for profit.

For example, a couple of weeks ago Tyson reported double digit profit margins for the quarter. My understanding is that this has only happened for a few quarters in my entire lifetime.

Now I am not an economist, or a finance person with experience in Fortune 500 level corps, so if someone here is please absolutely correct me and point me in the right direction, but doesn't this imply raising prices substantially more than just the pass along of inflation? And if it does, then are we really seeing inflation, or are we seeing straight-up price gouging by corporations that have de facto monopolies?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on February 25, 2022, 10:43:19 AM
Not denying that that there are shortages or supply chain disruptions. But if corporations were only raising prices enough to cover those costs then would they be recording profits right now?

No, they would not. US corporate profits were up 50% in 2021. The corporations decided to use the pandemic/supply chain issues as cover to scalp extra profits - certainly adding significantly to inflation.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on February 26, 2022, 11:02:28 AM
We're seeing inflation due to increased money supply and rising producer prices (costs). Those costs start at the raw material and labor level and flow through the supply chain until they reach the end consumer. But ultimately, it is the increased money supply from the government that is the root cause. Companies raising prices is the symptom of inflation, not the cause.


Most retailers operate on a model where the wholesale price is around half the retail price. Buy for 1, sell for 2. If my Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) goes from $10 to $11 (10% increase) I'm not going to raise my price from $20 to $21, I'm going to raise it to $22 - thus keeping a 50% margin. For the consumer it's still a 10% increase even though my costs went up $1 and I'm raising my price by $2. So yes, my profit increased by $1 from 10 to $11. However, when I go to buy another unit to sell, it costs me $11 instead of $10. Leaving me in the exact same place as before, even if on paper it looks like I'm more profitable. Because of inflation, any dollar of profit is going to buy less goods and services.

So just because companies are posting higher revenue and profits, if you adjust those for inflation, it wipes out most if not all of that increase. A company making a $100 million profit today is getting the same purchasing power as making a $90 million profit just a year or two ago.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on February 26, 2022, 02:57:15 PM

So just because companies are posting higher revenue and profits, if you adjust those for inflation, it wipes out most if not all of that increase.

Bullshit. US corporate profits were up 50% in 2021. Inflation was 6-7%.

"Supply chain" "costs" "pandemic" - all being used as cover to justify rapacious price increases.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on February 26, 2022, 05:18:29 PM

So just because companies are posting higher revenue and profits, if you adjust those for inflation, it wipes out most if not all of that increase.

Bullshit. US corporate profits were up 50% in 2021. Inflation was 6-7%.

"Supply chain" "costs" "pandemic" - all being used as cover to justify rapacious price increases.

What is the source for US corporate profits rising 50% in 2021? Is that 50% increase from 2020? If so, that's frankly a meaningless number due to the pandemic and lockdowns.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on February 26, 2022, 05:40:33 PM

So just because companies are posting higher revenue and profits, if you adjust those for inflation, it wipes out most if not all of that increase.

Bullshit. US corporate profits were up 50% in 2021. Inflation was 6-7%.

"Supply chain" "costs" "pandemic" - all being used as cover to justify rapacious price increases.

What is the source for US corporate profits rising 50% in 2021? Is that 50% increase from 2020? If so, that's frankly a meaningless number due to the pandemic and lockdowns.

Corporate profits were only down a few percent in 2020. Effectively irrelevant to the point being made.

Would you prefer "Up 45+% compared to 2019"?

The point is the same. Inflation caused by rapacious corporate profiteering under the guise of "supply chain" etc. woes.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/13/profits-for-sp-500-companies-rose-22percent-in-the-fourth-quarter-and-nearly-50percent-in-2021-estimates-show.html

https://www.statista.com/statistics/222130/annual-corporate-profits-in-the-us/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on February 27, 2022, 11:50:34 AM
Well, I ordered 25# of organic popcorn from Azure but even though it was "in stock" when I placed the order, it didn't ship -- I guess quite a few other people had the same idea I did.  Since it isn't a major need I'm going to let it go and not try to source it elsewhere.

We didn't receive a single penny of stimulus money.  Everything is more expensive, but our income is the same.  I'm not complaining, just pointing out that not everyone got money.

I honestly don't care about the whys of inflation and price hikes -- companies are going to do what they do and I have no control over it.  Even my not buying certain categories of food from the big producers doesn't change anything for anyone else.  And now that I've been a grocery purchasing adult for 30+ years, I understand "shrink-flation" much better.  I feel like certain prices become etched into our brains as normal or acceptable, and as prices rise they don't make sense to us.  Consumers are very price driven.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on February 28, 2022, 08:06:47 AM
I shop a lot on Walmart online. I have noticed more and more there are third party sellers selling things for outrageous prices! For example, I was looking up spray foam carpet cleaner and it was a well-known name brand. The can is 22 ounces and the seller, which is not Walmart, is selling it for $16.84 for one can. This really irks me! I ended up buying this from a grocery store for $6.59 for the same exact can. Why is Walmart allowing this? This is just one of many items I have shopped for and found grossly overpriced!

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on February 28, 2022, 12:35:36 PM
I bought 20 lbs of flour this morning.

Every time I think “Oh, I can let the pantry thin out a little!” something else comes along…
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on February 28, 2022, 02:06:19 PM
I shop a lot on Walmart online. I have noticed more and more there are third party sellers selling things for outrageous prices! For example, I was looking up spray foam carpet cleaner and it was a well-known name brand. The can is 22 ounces and the seller, which is not Walmart, is selling it for $16.84 for one can. This really irks me! I ended up buying this from a grocery store for $6.59 for the same exact can. Why is Walmart allowing this? This is just one of many items I have shopped for and found grossly overpriced!

Most of the people doing this are drop-shipping - often from Amazon. They go scrape thousands of products from Amazon and list them on Walmart at marked up prices. If they get an order, they just order it on Amazon (or some other source) and have it shipped to the customer. They aren't actually carrying any inventory so they can do this from their basement with an almost infinite number of products. It just takes one desperate or ignorant person for them to make a few bucks.


I sell some grocery products on Amazon and have an exclusive relationship with the manufacturer. I sell one product for about $11, and it was listed on Walmart for close to $20. They stole images from my Amazon listing, so I reported it to Walmart as copyright infringement and they took down the listing. The sellers doing this on multiple products had lots of terrible reviews about slow shipping or stale/damaged products, but Walmart doesn't have the same infrastructure in place that Amazon has spent years building out to identify and weed out bad sellers. Not that Amazon does a great job, they make a lot of mistakes but usually err on the side of guilty until proven innocent.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on February 28, 2022, 02:29:25 PM
I shop a lot on Walmart online. I have noticed more and more there are third party sellers selling things for outrageous prices! For example, I was looking up spray foam carpet cleaner and it was a well-known name brand. The can is 22 ounces and the seller, which is not Walmart, is selling it for $16.84 for one can. This really irks me! I ended up buying this from a grocery store for $6.59 for the same exact can. Why is Walmart allowing this? This is just one of many items I have shopped for and found grossly overpriced!

I think Walmart is running their business model this way because Amazon does.  Plenty of grocery, cleaning, and toiletry products on Amazon are also sold well over retail by third party sellers.  If Walmart were to limit themselves to what they sell as a company, any time something was out of stock the customer would jump over to Amazon and order there.  This way they keep a piece of the pie.

That doesn't mean I don't hate it!  I especially detest having to change the retailer to Walmart with every single search.  And now Target has all sorts of afflicted sellers as well, so I have to filter those out too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on February 28, 2022, 02:44:36 PM
I bought 20 lbs of flour this morning.

Every time I think “Oh, I can let the pantry thin out a little!” something else comes along…

I think we're past the point of not keeping full pantries in our homes.  I don't want to be a prepper, and I don't live where I can pretend any kind of local interdependence within my community, but I do think I need to be stocking enough pantry goods for at least a year.  It will always be imperfect because we mostly don't like canned food (as the first part of the pandemic clearly showed us).

I don't use white flour regularly, but I do have about 30# all-purpose and 10# bread flour.  Should we end up without electricity due to earthquake or rolling blackouts, I won't be able to grind wheat.  I will be able to cook with propane (for a couple of weeks anyway), so I either need white flour or a hand-cranked grinder, and I think in that situation I'll be glad to have flour ready to go.  Of course, if I were to lose electricity for a couple of weeks we'd have to start by cooking and eating everything in the freezer.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on February 28, 2022, 02:47:47 PM
I've got a 20 kg (44ish lbs) bag of flour, thirty packs of guitar strings, and spare tubes for my amps.  Ready to go!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 01, 2022, 06:20:12 AM
Anyone here use barley? Seems to be a great grain to eat that contains protein and fiber. Would be a good item to stock up on. I just bought a very small bag of it and may cook it in my crockpot. Maybe a breakfast type meal with nuts, fruit, cinnamon, maple syrup or peanutbutter. I was also thinking of using it as a side dish using chicken broth to cook it in and adding things like green peppers, garlic, onions, cracked pepper and diced tomatoes.

Some people claim barley has many health benefits. The only thing I can remember eating it in is beef and barley soup. Was not brought up eating grains.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on March 01, 2022, 06:27:43 AM
We eat barley as a grain base for a lot of things. Just cook and use similar to rice.  One of our favorites is barley with mushroom gravy over it. Just sauté a lot of mushrooms in butter and make a gravy with beef broth.  Of course you could actually add meat, but we usually don’t.  So delicious. Quick and easy. We also add it to soups and so forth and so on. Or just “pilaf it” and have it as a side like you describe. We don’t use as much barley as rice simply because rice is much easier to buy where we live but I do like to keep a couple pounds in the cupboard.

Sweet dishes with barley sound good as well, I just haven’t done it.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on March 01, 2022, 07:51:58 AM
Anyone here use barley? Seems to be a great grain to eat that contains protein and fiber. Would be a good item to stock up on. I just bought a very small bag of it and may cook it in my crockpot. Maybe a breakfast type meal with nuts, fruit, cinnamon, maple syrup or peanutbutter. I was also thinking of using it as a side dish using chicken broth to cook it in and adding things like green peppers, garlic, onions, cracked pepper and diced tomatoes.

Some people claim barley has many health benefits. The only thing I can remember eating it in is beef and barley soup. Was not brought up eating grains.

I wish I could, but I can no longer eat it due to celiac disease (gluten-containing grain). I used to love barley in soup (and beer). It would be delicious in either of the dishes you've described.

I recently bought a bag of buckwheat groats and need to start playing with those. It's been ages since we've had them in the house. We mostly eat brown rice, quinoa, and oats from the whole grain category, so buckwheat should be a fun change. I also should track down a bag of millet. We used to like that, but again, I haven't bought it in ages.

Based on our pantry, it's time to buy another big sack of brown rice, split that into vacuum sealed bags, and toss them in the deep freeze for a few days to kill any bugs. I just stocked us up on certified gluten-free oats. I might also need to restock dried black beans—we eat a lot of those.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on March 01, 2022, 11:28:37 AM
We love pearl barley but it's not easy to find here anymore. It used to be easy to find it in supermarkets but these days you need to go to a health food store.

One of our favourite low-budget recipes actually includes a lot of pantry staples and barley, so I'll just post it here.

Sautee a diced onion and a few cloves of garlic.
Add a bit of smoked paprika powder (or another spice if you're not a fan of smoked paprika, this will be one of the main flavours of the dish).
Add a 400 gram can of diced tomatoes and two cans of water.
Add two stock cubes (for one liter of stock).
Add a 400 gram can of chickpeas (drained).
Bring to the boil.
Add 150 grams of pearl barley, let boil until the pearl barley is done. Cooking time depends on the barley, we usually get fast cook pearl barley. Regular pearl barley takes longer.

400 gram is a little bit over 14 oz and that's the standard size can here. If your cans are bigger, the recipe will still work as long as you just use twice as much water as tomatoes and adjust the amount of onions, peas and barley. This recipe is two portions if we're hungry and three on a regular day.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 01, 2022, 12:18:58 PM
Imma, have you tried purchasing it online? I can get it at the grocery store but I can get it thru numerous other online stores. I don't usually shop on Amazon but there are a lot of barley choices there.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on March 01, 2022, 12:58:07 PM
I bought some more jars and canning lids. They were like hen’s teeth last year.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: deborah on March 01, 2022, 01:42:01 PM
Barley can also be roasted slightly before being used to give it a more nutty flavour.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on March 01, 2022, 03:33:54 PM
Barley can also be roasted slightly before being used to give it a more nutty flavour.

I do that with buckwheat, when I make cabbage rolls.  I add brown rice, onions and ground beef also.  You can also just cook big batches of it and then shave and fry cabbage.  Easier than actually rolling it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on March 01, 2022, 03:38:02 PM
This is my favorite buckwheat recipe. I just skip the bee pollen and use vanilla extract instead of an entire bean.

https://www.mynewroots.org/site/2014/07/raspberry-ripple-buckwheat-porridge/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on March 01, 2022, 04:22:44 PM
This is my favorite buckwheat recipe. I just skip the bee pollen and use vanilla extract instead of an entire bean.

https://www.mynewroots.org/site/2014/07/raspberry-ripple-buckwheat-porridge/

Hmm. I think that recipe is for raw buckwheat? Not roasted? She doesn’t say. We enjoy both but I haven’t been able to find raw easily in the States.

Here’s an article on the difference:  https://www.mashed.com/382199/heres-how-buckwheat-groats-and-kasha-are-different/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 01, 2022, 04:53:09 PM
nuts.com has raw buckwheat.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on March 01, 2022, 04:58:32 PM
I bought some more jars and canning lids. They were like hen’s teeth last year.

I am finally seeing some lids in stock, even the name brand ones!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on March 01, 2022, 05:04:33 PM
@Cranky i’m glad I was able to snag some for spouse before spring gets here and people remember that the produce they are planting needs something done with it!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on March 01, 2022, 06:20:44 PM
This is my favorite buckwheat recipe. I just skip the bee pollen and use vanilla extract instead of an entire bean.

https://www.mynewroots.org/site/2014/07/raspberry-ripple-buckwheat-porridge/

Hmm. I think that recipe is for raw buckwheat? Not roasted? She doesn’t say. We enjoy both but I haven’t been able to find raw easily in the States.

Here’s an article on the difference:  https://www.mashed.com/382199/heres-how-buckwheat-groats-and-kasha-are-different/

I always use raw, and I've been getting it on Amazon for years.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on March 01, 2022, 06:52:57 PM
nuts.com has raw buckwheat.

Thanks @rockstache and @GreenSheep apparently I haven’t been looking very hard!  Back when we lived in Europe we bought raw by accident then ended up really enjoying them once we figured out how to eat them!  My spouse grew up on roasted buckwheat so that’s a staple but I may have to buy some raw again.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on March 02, 2022, 05:13:19 AM
nuts.com has raw buckwheat.

Thanks @rockstache and @GreenSheep apparently I haven’t been looking very hard!  Back when we lived in Europe we bought raw by accident then ended up really enjoying them once we figured out how to eat them!  My spouse grew up on roasted buckwheat so that’s a staple but I may have to buy some raw again.

Oops, wrong tag. Sounds interesting though! I don't think I have ever had cooked buckwheat, never mind raw. XD

Oops! I meant to tag @Roadrunner53
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on March 02, 2022, 09:41:17 AM
Imma, have you tried purchasing it online? I can get it at the grocery store but I can get it thru numerous other online stores. I don't usually shop on Amazon but there are a lot of barley choices there.

I'm in Europe, so my online choices are different here. I can certainly find it online but with the costs of shipping it only makes sense if you're buying a huge amount. It's just the two of us in a small house with a tiny pantry, so I'm not stocking up to feed an orphanage for a year. In my case it makes more sense to give myself a little kick in the backside and ride my bike for 15 minutes to the nearest health food shop and buy a few bags.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 02, 2022, 10:08:24 AM
I just bought some canned meats. Pork, beef chunks and chicken. The meat is very good and the only ingredient added is some sea salt. The broth is all natural. I have used the pork in my slow cooker with onions and sauerkraut. It is very good. Mostly all it needs is warming up because it is fully cooked in the can. The beef I plan to use for a beef stroganoff type meal. The chicken is used for my poor old dog as a treat on top of his food. He is 18 years old and at this point, at his age, he deserves to be treated like royalty! The good thing about these meats is that there is a 5 year shelf life. The size of the cans are 28 ounces. I think this is a very good product to have in stock. There is no end to recipes you can make with these meats.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on March 02, 2022, 10:39:56 AM
I just bought some canned meats. Pork, beef chunks and chicken. The meat is very good and the only ingredient added is some sea salt. The broth is all natural. I have used the pork in my slow cooker with onions and sauerkraut. It is very good. Mostly all it needs is warming up because it is fully cooked in the can. The beef I plan to use for a beef stroganoff type meal. The chicken is used for my poor old dog as a treat on top of his food. He is 18 years old and at this point, at his age, he deserves to be treated like royalty! The good thing about these meats is that there is a 5 year shelf life. The size of the cans are 28 ounces. I think this is a very good product to have in stock. There is no end to recipes you can make with these meats.

That's a product I don't even know!! We have canned meatballs, canned sausages, spam, but canned meat that's not turned into "something" yet is not something I've ever seen before. The canned meat products we can buy here are all terrible. The worst meatballs you can imagine.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FIRE Artist on March 02, 2022, 10:47:23 AM
I just bought some canned meats. Pork, beef chunks and chicken. The meat is very good and the only ingredient added is some sea salt. The broth is all natural. I have used the pork in my slow cooker with onions and sauerkraut. It is very good. Mostly all it needs is warming up because it is fully cooked in the can. The beef I plan to use for a beef stroganoff type meal. The chicken is used for my poor old dog as a treat on top of his food. He is 18 years old and at this point, at his age, he deserves to be treated like royalty! The good thing about these meats is that there is a 5 year shelf life. The size of the cans are 28 ounces. I think this is a very good product to have in stock. There is no end to recipes you can make with these meats.

That's a product I don't even know!! We have canned meatballs, canned sausages, spam, but canned meat that's not turned into "something" yet is not something I've ever seen before. The canned meat products we can buy here are all terrible. The worst meatballs you can imagine.

I only know of canned chicken, and flakes of ham.  When I was a kid one of friend's family would always have the chicken in the cupboard.  It was all white meat, and compressed in a can like chunk tuna.  It was actually really decent for chicken salad sandwiches and it was great for making chicken fried rice which my friend and I would cook up along with some egg rolls.  My mother used to buy the canned ham, a couple of my brothers really liked it for sandwiches to take to school, I never ate it myself, i didn't like ham until well into adulthood. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on March 02, 2022, 10:53:56 AM
I just bought some canned meats. Pork, beef chunks and chicken. The meat is very good and the only ingredient added is some sea salt. The broth is all natural. I have used the pork in my slow cooker with onions and sauerkraut. It is very good. Mostly all it needs is warming up because it is fully cooked in the can. The beef I plan to use for a beef stroganoff type meal. The chicken is used for my poor old dog as a treat on top of his food. He is 18 years old and at this point, at his age, he deserves to be treated like royalty! The good thing about these meats is that there is a 5 year shelf life. The size of the cans are 28 ounces. I think this is a very good product to have in stock. There is no end to recipes you can make with these meats.

Where did you get them? Mail order? We're always on the lookout for such stuff because of living on the boat. I need to get some canning jars and can my own so I can control the salt amounts, but sometimes it's helpful to have fall back.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on March 02, 2022, 11:21:19 AM
Trader Joe's sell canned chicken but it's kind of tasteless; would need a lot of sauce to make it palatable.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 02, 2022, 12:08:46 PM
Walmart sells canned meat, but it looks out of stock right now. I would prefer to get it from Walmart because shipping is free if you buy $35 worth of product. The Keystone website has a video you can watch to see how they prepare the meat for canning. Very impressive. Shipping is pretty expensive thru this company though. Lehman's is another source. Lehman's is more expensive. I also see you can buy it at Meijer stores. None of those stores in my area. I see Amazon sells it, but I am not even posting a link because it is way overpriced. A big rip off!

You can also buy canned turkey and ground beef and there are smaller cans you can purchase. I think they are 14 or 15 oz cans.

With Walmart you can buy it by the can, thru Keystone, I believe you have to buy it by the case.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Keystone-All-Natural-Pork-28-oz-Can/10317620

https://www.keystonemeats.com/

https://www.keystonemeats.com/pages/about-us   This is the video

https://www.lehmans.com/search?w=canned+meat

https://www.meijer.com/shopping/product/keystone-all-natural-ground-beef--28-oz/79685310024.html?cmpid=SEM_LIA_All_Meijer_Products:General:all%5Cother:BING&msclkid=b47134b3d68811690eb056ac690e98c7
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on March 02, 2022, 01:01:07 PM
Trader Joe's sell canned chicken but it's kind of tasteless; would need a lot of sauce to make it palatable.

The canned chicken at Costco (Kirkland) is pretty good, although a bit salty.  Good for chicken salad sandwiches, or to add to soups etc.

I’ve never seen canned pork or beef in Canada either.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on March 02, 2022, 02:03:18 PM
@Roadrunner we keep cases of waterpacked tuna for our foster dogs. The protein and healthy fats help them recover wonderfully.  For the humans of the household, we keep some canned corned beef for reuben casserole a few times a year, though. Also spam for making spam fried rice.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on March 02, 2022, 02:48:18 PM
Walmart sells canned meat, but it looks out of stock right now. I would prefer to get it from Walmart because shipping is free if you buy $35 worth of product. The Keystone website has a video you can watch to see how they prepare the meat for canning. Very impressive. Shipping is pretty expensive thru this company though. Lehman's is another source. Lehman's is more expensive. I also see you can buy it at Meijer stores. None of those stores in my area. I see Amazon sells it, but I am not even posting a link because it is way overpriced. A big rip off!

You can also buy canned turkey and ground beef and there are smaller cans you can purchase. I think they are 14 or 15 oz cans.

With Walmart you can buy it by the can, thru Keystone, I believe you have to buy it by the case.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Keystone-All-Natural-Pork-28-oz-Can/10317620

https://www.keystonemeats.com/

https://www.keystonemeats.com/pages/about-us   This is the video

https://www.lehmans.com/search?w=canned+meat

https://www.meijer.com/shopping/product/keystone-all-natural-ground-beef--28-oz/79685310024.html?cmpid=SEM_LIA_All_Meijer_Products:General:all%5Cother:BING&msclkid=b47134b3d68811690eb056ac690e98c7

FYI Meijer is imposing 4-can limits on many products right now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 02, 2022, 03:42:26 PM
MudPuppy, Interesting feeding dogs tuna! I am sure my dog would eat it too.

I buy the canned chicken from Costco too. It is really a nice product!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 02, 2022, 03:48:20 PM
So, a while back I was reading about sardines and how they are really good for you and low in mercury. I decided I was going to go gung ho on sardines and bought a ton of tins of them. Shortly after eating a few cans, I kind of got tired of them! Now, I have about 30 cans of sardines! Anyone have any good ideas to prepare these things!

I do like them but eating them out of the can got old quick. Seems most people eat them with mustard. I might mix them with mayo and make a dip.

But how much dip can anyone eat! I think one time I made a grill cheese sandwich with sardines on it once.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: DaMa on March 02, 2022, 04:02:32 PM
So, a while back I was reading about sardines and how they are really good for you and low in mercury. I decided I was going to go gung ho on sardines and bought a ton of tins of them. Shortly after eating a few cans, I kind of got tired of them! Now, I have about 30 cans of sardines! Anyone have any good ideas to prepare these things!

I do like them but eating them our of the can got old quick. Seems most people eat them with mustard. I might mix them with mayo and make a dip.

But how much dip can anyone eat! I think one time I made a grill cheese sandwich with sardines on it once.

I like them on sandwiches with toasted bread and sliced boiled eggs.  Really good with horseradish mayo for a change from mustard.  I also make a sandwich spread like tuna salad with mayo, sweet relish, and a little diced celery and onion.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FIRE Artist on March 02, 2022, 04:47:29 PM
So, a while back I was reading about sardines and how they are really good for you and low in mercury. I decided I was going to go gung ho on sardines and bought a ton of tins of them. Shortly after eating a few cans, I kind of got tired of them! Now, I have about 30 cans of sardines! Anyone have any good ideas to prepare these things!

I do like them but eating them out of the can got old quick. Seems most people eat them with mustard. I might mix them with mayo and make a dip.

But how much dip can anyone eat! I think one time I made a grill cheese sandwich with sardines on it once.

I bet they would be great on avocado toast.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FIRE Artist on March 02, 2022, 04:54:27 PM
I buy the canned chicken from Costco too. It is really a nice product!

That’s good to know, I might pick some up next time I am in.  See how canned chicken tastes to my adult palate.

So I am missing the plot a bit here, are people hoarding food again, and why?  I haven’t noticed any issues at my regular stores.  I am actively trying to do the opposite, eat down all the protein in my freezer and clear out the pantry. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SquashingDebt on March 02, 2022, 05:58:07 PM
@Roadrunner53 , I make a delicious pasta dish using sardines.  Basically, you sauté onions, then add sardines (kind of mash them up), lemon zest, and capers.  Add cooked pasta and top with seasoned bread crumbs toasted in olive oil.


https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013094-pasta-with-sardines-bread-crumbs-and-capers
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on March 02, 2022, 06:16:26 PM
I buy the canned chicken from Costco too. It is really a nice product!

That’s good to know, I might pick some up next time I am in.  See how canned chicken tastes to my adult palate.

So I am missing the plot a bit here, are people hoarding food again, and why?  I haven’t noticed any issues at my regular stores.  I am actively trying to do the opposite, eat down all the protein in my freezer and clear out the pantry.

Inflation and a war that will potentially screw up the supply chain again.

The stores are still out of weird things. Aldi finally had whole chickens again, after weeks and weeks without them, so I bought a couple for the freezer. But nobody seems to have the cream cheese spread dh likes with bagels, and I’ve looked at several stores.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FIRE Artist on March 02, 2022, 07:26:47 PM
I buy the canned chicken from Costco too. It is really a nice product!

That’s good to know, I might pick some up next time I am in.  See how canned chicken tastes to my adult palate.

So I am missing the plot a bit here, are people hoarding food again, and why?  I haven’t noticed any issues at my regular stores.  I am actively trying to do the opposite, eat down all the protein in my freezer and clear out the pantry.

Inflation and a war that will potentially screw up the supply chain again.

The stores are still out of weird things. Aldi finally had whole chickens again, after weeks and weeks without them, so I bought a couple for the freezer. But nobody seems to have the cream cheese spread dh likes with bagels, and I’ve looked at several stores.

Weird.  I am not seeing any of this where I am in Canada. Inflation, yes, but shortages, no.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on March 02, 2022, 07:34:29 PM
I’m in rural “kind of south” US and not noticing shortages really. A few weeks ago one store was out of the big cheap bags of potatoes. A usually large display was empty. It looked shocking to my potato loving spouse! But it was the weekend of a big snowstorm and the store had been hit pretty hard. A second store had plenty of potatoes.  One store had asparagus on sale but was sold out when they filled our order. Being an off season sale item I didn’t find that unusual. We aren’t very brand loyal either so perhaps we’re just substituting without noticing something isn’t in stock? But is that really a shortage in that case?

Interesting stuff.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 03, 2022, 06:25:47 AM
In USA there are some empty shelves in stores. Sometimes friends have told me they have to go to two or three stores to get everything they want.

I don't consider what I do hoarding. I have a giant variety of frozen and shelf stable foods. I call it stocking up and being prepared. I grew a lot of tomatoes last summer and I froze them for future use. I buy the ingredients for egg McMuffins, make up the sandwich's and freeze them. I do not go to fast food restaurants, save money and know what I am eating.

There is a woman I admire on YouTube. She grows tons of vegetables and freezes a lot. She also dehydrates many things. She has a fairly fancy dehydrator to do that. She has chickens and always has eggs and finds ways to use them up. She will do batch cooking and makes casseroles for the freezer. She does huge grocery hauls from Azure Standard and other grocery sources. She has videos on how she does different things. One that was interesting is that she made sour cream and it was very easy. She makes homemade pies, pizza. She is a real inspiration to me! On top of all she does, she works full time!

When I have full refrigerators, cupboards, freezers and cabinets, it makes me happy!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on March 03, 2022, 07:58:11 AM
I agree that there's a difference between hoarding and having enough in your home that you wouldn't go hungry if you had to stay home for a couple of weeks or if the supply chain failed for a while, etc. To me, hoarding is having a bunch of stuff you wouldn't eat unless you were starving, or having so much of something that you can't finish it before it goes bad.

I think it's just easier to have a good supply of all the staples, so i don't have to buy rice, beans, pasta, flour, etc. every week at the grocery store. It's also cheaper to get a lot of those things in bulk if you have the space to store them. Making my grocery list is much easier when I don't have to consider whether I have enough of the pantry staples, and even though I do meal plan for each week, if I happen to spontaneously decide to make something, I often already have the ingredients to do so.

I haven't had trouble getting what I want/need all at one grocery store, although like someone said above, I'm not particularly brand-loyal, and most of what I buy comes from the produce section, which no one seems to be hoarding! It also helps to have enough cooking experience to know what you can substitute -- if they don't have zucchini, I'll get yellow squash, etc.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on March 04, 2022, 07:00:41 AM
This weekend, I'm planning to do a thorough inventory of our pantry. With a war going on in our continent, we are aiming to have at least enough emergency supplies as recommend by the government for ourselves and (depending on how much space we have left) maybe one or two additional people.

I'm not scared, and I don't want to hoard, but I do want to follow the government's recommendations especially now my country could potentially get involved with soon. I think the main thing we'll need is water. I know we have a 6-pack of 1,5 liter bottles right now (it's recommended to have enough water for 3 days, so technically that would be enough) but I want to get a bit more. We don't have juice or soda in our pantry so if there would be issues with the water supply, it's all we'd have to drink. I think there are a few shelf-stable liters of milk somewhere, too, but I want to get organized so I know exactly what we have and where it is.  We have canned beans and veggies in the pantry, that's food that can be consumed without cooking. I'm looking to add canned fish too. We'd need enough to get us through a week (but that wouldn't be so difficult, since we have crackers, granola bars and fresh produce we can eat as well)

On top of that, we are cooking on natural gas. Most of our natural gas comes from Russia. I'm thinking of getting something that would allow us to cook electrically in case price or availability of natural gas became an issue, like a portable electric stove or a slowcooker. And with this uncertainty, I'm getting my garden in soon too! So far it's a lovely warm spring here.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 04, 2022, 07:42:38 AM
Imma, I would not cut it close with the water! I would stock up on that. Find places in your home to store the water. Under your bed, under your sofa, chairs. You can put them on some slide out trays if you have smaller bottles. If you have empty suitcases, you could fill them up with jugs of water. You can live without food for a while, but water is most necessary! If your water supply is shut down for a week or two, you are going to need a lot of water.

I have extremely hard water and I always have at least 12 gallons of water on hand and mostly for my coffeemaker. I have gone thru many, many coffeemakers until one day a light went off in my head that we needed to buy bottled water for the coffeemaker. Since then, we have had no problems.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on March 04, 2022, 08:09:12 AM
This weekend, I'm planning to do a thorough inventory of our pantry. With a war going on in our continent, we are aiming to have at least enough emergency supplies as recommend by the government for ourselves and (depending on how much space we have left) maybe one or two additional people.

I'm not scared, and I don't want to hoard, but I do want to follow the government's recommendations especially now my country could potentially get involved with soon. I think the main thing we'll need is water. I know we have a 6-pack of 1,5 liter bottles right now (it's recommended to have enough water for 3 days, so technically that would be enough) but I want to get a bit more. We don't have juice or soda in our pantry so if there would be issues with the water supply, it's all we'd have to drink. I think there are a few shelf-stable liters of milk somewhere, too, but I want to get organized so I know exactly what we have and where it is.  We have canned beans and veggies in the pantry, that's food that can be consumed without cooking. I'm looking to add canned fish too. We'd need enough to get us through a week (but that wouldn't be so difficult, since we have crackers, granola bars and fresh produce we can eat as well)

On top of that, we are cooking on natural gas. Most of our natural gas comes from Russia. I'm thinking of getting something that would allow us to cook electrically in case price or availability of natural gas became an issue, like a portable electric stove or a slowcooker. And with this uncertainty, I'm getting my garden in soon too! So far it's a lovely warm spring here.

My electric pressure cooker doubles as a slowcooker and rice cooker, and it has a sauté function. That plus an electric stove would take care of many of your cooking needs.

I sincerely hope that it won't come to full European war, but I understand why you want to prepare. Prices are likely to go up just due to the refugee crisis and supply chain issues.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on March 04, 2022, 09:18:40 AM
This weekend, I'm planning to do a thorough inventory of our pantry. With a war going on in our continent, we are aiming to have at least enough emergency supplies as recommend by the government for ourselves and (depending on how much space we have left) maybe one or two additional people.

I'm not scared, and I don't want to hoard, but I do want to follow the government's recommendations especially now my country could potentially get involved with soon. I think the main thing we'll need is water. I know we have a 6-pack of 1,5 liter bottles right now (it's recommended to have enough water for 3 days, so technically that would be enough) but I want to get a bit more. We don't have juice or soda in our pantry so if there would be issues with the water supply, it's all we'd have to drink. I think there are a few shelf-stable liters of milk somewhere, too, but I want to get organized so I know exactly what we have and where it is.  We have canned beans and veggies in the pantry, that's food that can be consumed without cooking. I'm looking to add canned fish too. We'd need enough to get us through a week (but that wouldn't be so difficult, since we have crackers, granola bars and fresh produce we can eat as well)

On top of that, we are cooking on natural gas. Most of our natural gas comes from Russia. I'm thinking of getting something that would allow us to cook electrically in case price or availability of natural gas became an issue, like a portable electric stove or a slowcooker. And with this uncertainty, I'm getting my garden in soon too! So far it's a lovely warm spring here.

My electric pressure cooker doubles as a slowcooker and rice cooker, and it has a sauté function. That plus an electric stove would take care of many of your cooking needs.

I sincerely hope that it won't come to full European war, but I understand why you want to prepare. Prices are likely to go up just due to the refugee crisis and supply chain issues.

I have also read some news articles claiming that because a lot of food that's produced in Europe is now not sold on the Russian market (this article specifically mentioned meat, dairy and poultry) there might be an excess of that available on the European markets and prices could crash. But who knows. Right now prices are only going up. We also import a lot of food (grain and vegetable oils) from the Ukraine and I don't expect many farmers to be able to farm in Ukraine this year. Those who do manage to grow a bit won't export it. So that could lead to higher prices for flour and bread.


@Roadrunner53 I'm not sure what the right amount of water is, but two weeks seems like quite a lot. The kind of disaster that would cause us to be without water for two weeks would probably be the type of emergency that we wouldn't really be able to survive anyway. My city was heavily bombed in WWII and even then the water supply was never a serious issue - the occupying nazi's of course also wanted clean drinking water for themselves and the water supply buildings are located in remote areas so they wouldn't get bombed accidentally by allied bombings. If the water supply was disrupted it was usually in a few streets at the same time and even in the middle of WWII emergency water supplies were arranged quickly. My grandparents didn't remember ever being worried about lack of drinking water during those days, even though they went without nearly everything else.

I also sincerely hope it doesn't come to a full European war, but I also know I'm near the NATO supply lines - close to two military airports frequently used by NATO, close to some large factories that make stuff that could be used in the war effort, and not too far from the harbours of Rotterdam and Antwerp. I'm not sure how likely a full war would be, but if I were in the Russian military, those locations would be on my radar. There's a reason my city was bombed heavily in WWII too (by both nazi's and allies).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on March 04, 2022, 09:19:24 AM
This weekend, I'm planning to do a thorough inventory of our pantry. With a war going on in our continent, we are aiming to have at least enough emergency supplies as recommend by the government for ourselves and (depending on how much space we have left) maybe one or two additional people.

I'm not scared, and I don't want to hoard, but I do want to follow the government's recommendations especially now my country could potentially get involved with soon. I think the main thing we'll need is water. I know we have a 6-pack of 1,5 liter bottles right now (it's recommended to have enough water for 3 days, so technically that would be enough) but I want to get a bit more. We don't have juice or soda in our pantry so if there would be issues with the water supply, it's all we'd have to drink. I think there are a few shelf-stable liters of milk somewhere, too, but I want to get organized so I know exactly what we have and where it is.  We have canned beans and veggies in the pantry, that's food that can be consumed without cooking. I'm looking to add canned fish too. We'd need enough to get us through a week (but that wouldn't be so difficult, since we have crackers, granola bars and fresh produce we can eat as well)

On top of that, we are cooking on natural gas. Most of our natural gas comes from Russia. I'm thinking of getting something that would allow us to cook electrically in case price or availability of natural gas became an issue, like a portable electric stove or a slowcooker. And with this uncertainty, I'm getting my garden in soon too! So far it's a lovely warm spring here.

My electric pressure cooker doubles as a slowcooker and rice cooker, and it has a sauté function. That plus an electric stove would take care of many of your cooking needs.

I sincerely hope that it won't come to full European war, but I understand why you want to prepare. Prices are likely to go up just due to the refugee crisis and supply chain issues.

I have also read some news articles claiming that because a lot of food that's produced in Europe is now not sold on the Russian market (this article specifically mentioned meat, dairy and poultry) there might be an excess of that available on the European markets and prices could crash. But who knows. Right now prices are only going up. We also import a lot of food (grain and vegetable oils) from the Ukraine and I don't expect many farmers to be able to farm in Ukraine this year. Those who do manage to grow a bit won't export it. So that could lead to higher prices for flour and bread.


@Roadrunner53 I'm not sure what the right amount of water is, but two weeks seems like quite a lot. The kind of disaster that would cause us to be without water for two weeks would probably be the type of emergency that we wouldn't really be able to survive anyway. My city was heavily bombed in WWII and even then the water supply was never a serious issue - the occupying nazi's of course also wanted clean drinking water for themselves and the water supply buildings are located in remote areas so they wouldn't get bombed accidentally by allied bombings. If the water supply was disrupted it was usually in a few streets at the same time and even in the middle of WWII emergency water supplies were arranged quickly. My grandparents didn't remember ever being worried about lack of drinking water during those days, even though they went without nearly everything else.

I also sincerely hope it doesn't come to a full European war, but I also know I'm near the NATO supply lines - close to two military airports frequently used by NATO, close to some large factories that make stuff that could be used in the war effort, and not too far from the harbours of Rotterdam and Antwerp. I'm not sure how likely a full war would be, but if I were in the Russian military, those locations would be on my radar. There's a reason my city was bombed heavily in WWII too (by both nazi's and allies).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 04, 2022, 09:49:55 AM
Imma, in my case, I don't have city water. I have a well and if we lose electricity, the pump in our well will not pump water. With winter storms, tornadoes or hurricanes, many parts of USA have been without water for long periods of time.

I do have a generator that can be used in a pinch but that also needs gasoline to make it run so we have to stock up on that too. But if electricity goes out in my area, the gas stations can't pump gas. So, we do try to keep some gas on hand to use for the generator. You can only do so much but it is best to do all you can. Expect the worst and if it doesn't happen, wonderful!

Here is an article that might help determine water needs. Also, within the article is another link to good food ideas to keep on hand.

https://www.primalsurvivor.net/how-much-water-emergencies/

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on March 04, 2022, 10:56:10 AM
Imma, in my case, I don't have city water. I have a well and if we lose electricity, the pump in our well will not pump water. With winter storms, tornadoes or hurricanes, many parts of USA have been without water for long periods of time.

I do have a generator that can be used in a pinch but that also needs gasoline to make it run so we have to stock up on that too. But if electricity goes out in my area, the gas stations can't pump gas. So, we do try to keep some gas on hand to use for the generator. You can only do so much but it is best to do all you can. Expect the worst and if it doesn't happen, wonderful!

Here is an article that might help determine water needs. Also, within the article is another link to good food ideas to keep on hand.

https://www.primalsurvivor.net/how-much-water-emergencies/

Thanks, that's a good resource!

I guess I'm spoiled, living in a small country. Everyone is connected to the public water system here, even in rural locations. I suppose in a large country like the USA that's simply impossible.

Thankfully, the Netherlands is a rainy place. We have a rain barrel for the garden and we could absolutely get water from it for flushing. It's not really

Maybe this is a very stupid idea, but don't you have a hand pump on your well? I suppose that doesn't generate enough water to really run a household, but it could help with basic needs in case of an emergency. I know my family's farm was connected to the public water system even before WWII but they always kept a well because it was cheaper to pump their own water for the animals. It was connected to an electric pump but there was a hand pump too. We had a 1000 gallon diesel tank too (for farm equipment). Farm is no longer in the family, unfortunately. In an urbanized country like the Netherlands land is extremely expensive, so for most people, including my family, farming doesn't make sense financially anymore. At times like this I wish I still had a farm!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 04, 2022, 11:57:37 AM
Imma, I think most cities in USA have public water but in the rural areas not so much. In my town, they seem to expand the water system as large scale projects are built. Such as a shopping center, condo complex. If the water line passes your house, whether you want to hook up or not, you have to pay for the lines to come to your property. We have lived in our house for years and years and no new lines have ever come to our area.

As far as putting a hand pump on our well, I am sure anything can be done but our well is 420 feet deep, and the pump is down 200 feet. I wouldn't have a clue how you would put a hand pump in place. I have actually been on a survival website and did see a pump that can be used in emergencies but never looked into it.

My grandparents also owned a farm and hand pumped water from a well. They did it for survival, not for emergencies. What a hard life.

We are all spoiled! I can remember using a dial phone. Then later on we had a phone on the wall (so modern) with a short cord. I think of kids today with cell phones and if they ever had to go back to corded phones! They would lose their minds!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on March 04, 2022, 01:33:22 PM
I *think* that water treatment and pumping has gotten more complex? I know that I’ve read that there is concern about that being a target of cyberattacks. So I really don’t know how vulnerable the water supply is in a prolonged power outage, but having grown up in a hurricane vulnerable area, I always stash some water away if it seems like an emergency is imminent, though for me, I’d fill up all the canning jars and pitchers and buckets we’ve got.

Also, in a water emergency, you want to have a gallon of bleach handy for disinfecting.

How much of Europes electricity comes from generator plants that use natural gas? That makes the electric grid a bit more vulnerable, too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on March 04, 2022, 10:20:12 PM
@Imma, have you considered getting a solar pasteurizer or cooker?  I have had a SunOven for several years, and though I don't cook with it regularly, it certainly would be a way to save on fuel, and as a backup if the grid goes down.  And, solar cookers can be constructed inexpensively. 

Low tech water pasteurizers and filters might also be a good investment.

https://solarcooking.fandom.com/wiki/Introduction_to_solar_cooking

https://solarcooking.fandom.com/wiki/Water_Pasteurization_Indicator
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on March 05, 2022, 01:17:08 AM
I *think* that water treatment and pumping has gotten more complex? I know that I’ve read that there is concern about that being a target of cyberattacks. So I really don’t know how vulnerable the water supply is in a prolonged power outage, but having grown up in a hurricane vulnerable area, I always stash some water away if it seems like an emergency is imminent, though for me, I’d fill up all the canning jars and pitchers and buckets we’ve got.

Also, in a water emergency, you want to have a gallon of bleach handy for disinfecting.

How much of Europes electricity comes from generator plants that use natural gas? That makes the electric grid a bit more vulnerable, too.

I've done some googling and it's true that water treatment plants are a known target of cyberattacks. They are doing a lot to try and prevent it but it's never impossible, of course.  I did find an article online about a man who succesfully hacked into a water treatment plant in Florida and had tried (and failed) to poison the water, so it's definitely something that could potentially happen. But honestly, if we're talking about cyberattacks, most of the Netherlands is below sealevel, if I was planning a cyberattack I'd go for the systems that keep seawater out and flood the country.

The sources of energy vary massively from country to country - I believe in Scandinavia they're almost 100% renewable, some countries like France still have a lot of nuclear plants. For the Netherlands I've only found figures from 2019: 45% of electricity comes from plants running on natural gas, 32% comes from plants running on coal, 13% renewable, 2% nuclear. According to the news, in 2022, 20% of our energy is supposed to come from renewable sources now but I can't find official statistics. We are working on getting solar panels but they've been hard to get since the pandemic. We have a contractor lined up but I'm afraid they won't be installed until next year.

The Netherlands is actually pretty rich in natural gas, but we've recently stopped drilling for it, since the process of drilling for it is so extremely damaging for the environment on the surface. We've been getting a lot of earthquakes on the surface above the gas field.  We'd rather import gas from Russia so other people are stuck with the earthquakes. In case of emergency, I do expect our government to start extracting more gas again, although it's probably not going to be cheaper (since the people living on top of the gas field need to be compensated for the damage).

@Poundwise those look really cool! But are probably not a real solution in a country where it's always rainy and overcast. For many people in the world this looks like a very good solution though. I remember my grandma telling us she used to do something a bit similar, she'd bring a pot to the boil on the coal stove, then she'd take it off the stove and wrap it in blankets and that would keep the temperature high enough to cook the food. It would just take a bit longer so they had the start the process as soon as they got up in the morning.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 06, 2022, 05:39:01 AM
Here is an interesting list of foods to 'stockpile'. Not suggesting you fill up your basement with this stuff, just an interesting read.

https://happypreppers.com/37-food-storage.html
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on March 06, 2022, 05:47:24 AM
An unexpected shortage - the lunches at the little boy’s school have not been sticking to the prepublished menus. There’s only a few things that he likes, so he’s been upset he’s 5!) So his mom contacted the school, and they said - it’s supply chain issues!

It’s all prepackaged stuff from a central kitchen, but they aren’t getting what they order, so they are having to improvise.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 06, 2022, 12:07:50 PM
Brain weasels after shortages are a thing.  My favourite TP was on sale last time I shopped, and it took major will power not to buy any.  Because I have plenty already.  But the urge was strong.   ;-)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on March 06, 2022, 03:41:05 PM
Here is an interesting list of foods to 'stockpile'. Not suggesting you fill up your basement with this stuff, just an interesting read.

https://happypreppers.com/37-food-storage.html

That was... interesting. Aside from the atrocious writing, I wonder if whoever wrote that has ever been camping or spoken with a dietician. Also... the smell of curry might attract human predators? Wow... way to offend an entire subcontinent all at once. (I know, I know, curry is a British invention, but it was created to try to mimic the flavors of Indian food.) And yet somehow all those other spices they list won't attract anything...

(Also wondering... does "human predators" mean "predators who are human" or "predators who prey on humans"?)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Just Joe on March 08, 2022, 01:08:40 PM
Bought half a cow. Grocery stores here are stocked a little thin. Fewer choices in some cases.

Our purchase was intended to get a better quality of beef into our home but also avoid inflation this year.

We know the farmer and how he raises his animals.

Cost is normally a little more than grocery store prices but this week the cost is nearly the same.

We'll ignore the cost of the freezer and electricity. ;)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on March 08, 2022, 01:21:55 PM
Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on March 08, 2022, 03:08:11 PM
Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve been thinking the same thing.  I’d be more worried if I lived in Europe, but with supply chains, we could be affected somewhat too.

I had eaten down my freezer and pantry throughout Covid and had been planning to keep things on the lighter side, but I’m reconsidering now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 08, 2022, 03:22:59 PM
I buy a lot of meat from Butcher Box and the meat isn't low cost but I kind of compare it to if I ate at a restaurant what would a dinner cost me with a certain piece of meat. Restaurants have to charge more for overhead with their operation. I can get excellent meat and have no overhead. With the covid outbreak I do not eat out at all. So, I have no problem buying superior meat, at a somewhat higher price because it is still far less expensive to eat at home than go to a restaurant. Mr. Roadrunner and I feel we eat restaurant quality at most meals. There are enough recipes online and YouTube to find great upscale recipes and you don't have to be a professional chef to do so.

GuitarStv I am guessing you are trying to be funny but we all should be aware that certain supplies might not be available during trying times. We all should keep some basic supplies on hand. Doesn't hurt to have some canned proteins, beans, peanut butter and bottled water on hand. Even if we don't have a war going on, we all have experienced tornado's, hurricanes, snowstorms and other weather-related events. Tell your friend to stock up a little.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on March 08, 2022, 05:09:27 PM
Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve taken a good look at our emergency supplies, stocked up on cat food and chicken feed.

Dd has ordered potassium iodine tablets, which seems a bit extreme …
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FIRE Artist on March 08, 2022, 05:32:04 PM
Brain weasels after shortages are a thing.  My favourite TP was on sale last time I shopped, and it took major will power not to buy any.  Because I have plenty already.  But the urge was strong.   ;-)

I think I mentioned this in very early days.  Hoarding of resources, once started is a really hard habit to break.  I lived in the jungle in Sumatra for a few years and there were constantly shortages of staples (like randomly not able to purchase salt), so I would start taking stock up trips to Singapore and stocking up on stuff when it was available locally.  Add to that things like buying shoes in bulk when back in Canada because you couldn’t buy women’s shoes for my size 10 feet in Asia, the hoarding bug got deeply instilled.  I think it was about 5 years into moving back to Canada that I finally stopped buying everything in bulk.  I finally wore out my last pair of sandals from the period just last summer.  For the pandemic, I made certain to not stock up on anything beyond what I could use in 6 months…except art supplies, one must always have enough art supplies on hand to survive the apocalypse!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on March 08, 2022, 06:11:19 PM
I think that’s why the “prepper” movement had gotten a fair following. It’s so easy to get started innocently because it seems so practical.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on March 08, 2022, 06:52:14 PM
Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve taken a good look at our emergency supplies, stocked up on cat food and chicken feed.

Dd has ordered potassium iodine tablets, which seems a bit extreme …

A source of clean iodine is essential for babies and young children if there is a nuclear leak.  We were lucky in North America with Chernobyl, we didn't get much.  I remember because I knew someone who had just had a baby and she and the pediatrician were monitoring Strontium 90 levels very closely. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Abe on March 08, 2022, 08:56:37 PM
Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

If it's a nuclear war: you are unlikely to survive, and if you do, you may wish you didn't. So probably not. Maybe hoard liquor to handle the pain from the fallout and/or burns.

If it's a conventional war: not really, unless you really like electronic gadgets? Those microchips are all going to be diverted to military use. No iphones for anyone. In all seriousness, food and gas prices will go up but nothing that would break a Mustachian's bank.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on March 09, 2022, 07:37:20 AM
Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve taken a good look at our emergency supplies, stocked up on cat food and chicken feed.

Dd has ordered potassium iodine tablets, which seems a bit extreme …

A source of clean iodine is essential for babies and young children if there is a nuclear leak.  We were lucky in North America with Chernobyl, we didn't get much.  I remember because I knew someone who had just had a baby and she and the pediatrician were monitoring Strontium 90 levels very closely.

I live near enough to the Pickering nuclear plant that they sent everyone in our area potassium iodine tablets in case of a nuclear problem . . . so we've actually already got a couple boxes in our medicine cabinet.  :P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on March 09, 2022, 07:56:21 AM
Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve taken a good look at our emergency supplies, stocked up on cat food and chicken feed.

Dd has ordered potassium iodine tablets, which seems a bit extreme …

A source of clean iodine is essential for babies and young children if there is a nuclear leak.  We were lucky in North America with Chernobyl, we didn't get much.  I remember because I knew someone who had just had a baby and she and the pediatrician were monitoring Strontium 90 levels very closely.

I live near enough to the Pickering nuclear plant that they sent everyone in our area potassium iodine tablets in case of a nuclear problem . . . so we've actually already got a couple boxes in our medicine cabinet.  :P

Oh I'm jealous!! We live near a nuclear plant as well but local government has only sent the free tabets to minors! We are supposed to be able to buy them but I've never been able to find them since shops didn't stock it. And when they started to do so a few weeks ago they were immediately sold out.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on March 09, 2022, 08:05:25 AM
Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve taken a good look at our emergency supplies, stocked up on cat food and chicken feed.

Dd has ordered potassium iodine tablets, which seems a bit extreme …

A source of clean iodine is essential for babies and young children if there is a nuclear leak.  We were lucky in North America with Chernobyl, we didn't get much.  I remember because I knew someone who had just had a baby and she and the pediatrician were monitoring Strontium 90 levels very closely.

I live near enough to the Pickering nuclear plant that they sent everyone in our area potassium iodine tablets in case of a nuclear problem . . . so we've actually already got a couple boxes in our medicine cabinet.  :P

Oh I'm jealous!! We live near a nuclear plant as well but local government has only sent the free tabets to minors! We are supposed to be able to buy them but I've never been able to find them since shops didn't stock it. And when they started to do so a few weeks ago they were immediately sold out.

This is interesting. Some of my cousins live near the nuclear power plant in the next county. I should ask whether they've been given those tablets.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Polaria on March 13, 2022, 12:11:40 AM
Well, I’m living 8 km away from NATO headquarters. What could possibly go wrong? s/

Semi-joke aside, I have plenty of food and beverages everywhere in my flat under the sofa-bed, in the closets, in boxes in my living room (I’ve been trying very hard to eat up their content, but here I am refilling them), might get some water bottles though.

The Belgian authorities are saying absolutely nothing about prepping, but it is well known they are always over optimistic and under prepared… Just see wtf they’re doing about energy price hikes and welcoming the Ukrainian refugees.

Really from one clusterf*ck to another, the current one making the former one look like a picnic in the park.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 13, 2022, 06:37:50 AM
I had home delivery by Instacart from Costco recently. I am stocking up on potatoes. Bought two 10 lb bags of Yukon Gold potatoes and so far have made about 6 lbs of French Fries wedge potatoes. This is a work in process as I have not gotten the final cook down (after frozen) yet. Seems these potatoes need higher temps than I am cooking them at. I see 450F for about 30 minutes seems to be what is suggested. I will try that next. I used the air fryer and it only goes up to 400 degrees. Next time will be the oven. I also made some great mashed potatoes we had for dinner two nights. There is a little still left. Now I have the other 10 lbs of taters to cook. I have found a scalloped potato recipe that looks good. I might make some regular French fries too. I have my French Fry cutter machine to do that. The only drawback is that these potatoes are pretty small and the fries will be 'shorties'. We shall see. I plan to save about 5 potatoes for my corned beef this coming Thursday. If I don't make the shortie French fries maybe more French fry chunk wedges.

Then I have two 5 lb bags of onions. Will use one for another batch of caramelized onions in crockpot and the other will probably get chopped up and put into the freezer. Last time I flash froze them on a sheet pan in the freezer and that worked out great so they are not all stuck together. Just bagged them up and froze.

Too many times over the years, I have bought onions and potatoes and they go bad before I use them. I really hate that! So now I am trying to find ways to use them so I have them when needed. I have also baked Idaho potatoes, cooled and frozen them too.

Mr. Roadrunner made meatballs and meatloaf the other day! So good! I will be pulling out some of my garden tomato sauce from last year's garden and make spaghetti sauce. Will have some of the meatballs and will throw some of the leftover meatloaf into the pasta sauce. He made 24 meatballs and I froze them in packs of 4 or 5 per bag.

I also had two packages of mushrooms I threw into my crockpot with some butter and cooked them up this week and froze.

Mr. Roadrunner also cooked up 5 lbs of ground beef with onions. I let that cool and made 5 packages for the freezer. They come in so handy! I add them to chili, spaghetti sauce, poor man's stroganoff, stuffed peppers and other stuff.

Polaria, yes, it is better to be prepared. Do the best you can. Worst case, you will have extra food/water you can use up eventually or donate to a food bank, shelter or a goody bag for elderly neighbors.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: sonofsven on March 13, 2022, 08:17:27 AM
I had home delivery by Instacart from Costco recently. I am stocking up on potatoes. Bought two 10 lb bags of Yukon Gold potatoes and so far have made about 6 lbs of French Fries wedge potatoes. This is a work in process as I have not gotten the final cook down (after frozen) yet. Seems these potatoes need higher temps than I am cooking them at. I see 450F for about 30 minutes seems to be what is suggested. I will try that next. I used the air fryer and it only goes up to 400 degrees. Next time will be the oven. I also made some great mashed potatoes we had for dinner two nights. There is a little still left. Now I have the other 10 lbs of taters to cook. I have found a scalloped potato recipe that looks good. I might make some regular French fries too. I have my French Fry cutter machine to do that. The only drawback is that these potatoes are pretty small and the fries will be 'shorties'. We shall see. I plan to save about 5 potatoes for my corned beef this coming Thursday. If I don't make the shortie French fries maybe more French fry chunk wedges.

Then I have two 5 lb bags of onions. Will use one for another batch of caramelized onions in crockpot and the other will probably get chopped up and put into the freezer. Last time I flash froze them on a sheet pan in the freezer and that worked out great so they are not all stuck together. Just bagged them up and froze.

Too many times over the years, I have bought onions and potatoes and they go bad before I use them. I really hate that! So now I am trying to find ways to use them so I have them when needed. I have also baked Idaho potatoes, cooled and frozen them too.

Mr. Roadrunner made meatballs and meatloaf the other day! So good! I will be pulling out some of my garden tomato sauce from last year's garden and make spaghetti sauce. Will have some of the meatballs and will throw some of the leftover meatloaf into the pasta sauce. He made 24 meatballs and I froze them in packs of 4 or 5 per bag.

I also had two packages of mushrooms I threw into my crockpot with some butter and cooked them up this week and froze.

Mr. Roadrunner also cooked up 5 lbs of ground beef with onions. I let that cool and made 5 packages for the freezer. They come in so handy! I add them to chili, spaghetti sauce, poor man's stroganoff, stuffed peppers and other stuff.

Polaria, yes, it is better to be prepared. Do the best you can. Worst case, you will have extra food/water you can use up eventually or donate to a food bank, shelter or a goody bag for elderly neighbors.

I roast potatoes by cutting them lengthwise into 1/8ths (halve them, quarter them, then halve the quarters), tossing them in a mix of spices and olive oil, then into the oven on a baking tray @ 400* for 20 min, then flip them over and back in for another 15-20 min.
I've never tried freezing potatoes though. I grew them last year but the harvest only lasted two months. Of course fresh from the garden tasted much better than bagged from the store.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FIRE Artist on March 13, 2022, 08:28:36 AM
I had home delivery by Instacart from Costco recently. I am stocking up on potatoes. Bought two 10 lb bags of Yukon Gold potatoes and so far have made about 6 lbs of French Fries wedge potatoes. This is a work in process as I have not gotten the final cook down (after frozen) yet. Seems these potatoes need higher temps than I am cooking them at. I see 450F for about 30 minutes seems to be what is suggested. I will try that next. I used the air fryer and it only goes up to 400 degrees. Next time will be the oven. I also made some great mashed potatoes we had for dinner two nights. There is a little still left. Now I have the other 10 lbs of taters to cook. I have found a scalloped potato recipe that looks good. I might make some regular French fries too. I have my French Fry cutter machine to do that. The only drawback is that these potatoes are pretty small and the fries will be 'shorties'. We shall see. I plan to save about 5 potatoes for my corned beef this coming Thursday. If I don't make the shortie French fries maybe more French fry chunk wedges.

Then I have two 5 lb bags of onions. Will use one for another batch of caramelized onions in crockpot and the other will probably get chopped up and put into the freezer. Last time I flash froze them on a sheet pan in the freezer and that worked out great so they are not all stuck together. Just bagged them up and froze.

Too many times over the years, I have bought onions and potatoes and they go bad before I use them. I really hate that! So now I am trying to find ways to use them so I have them when needed. I have also baked Idaho potatoes, cooled and frozen them too.

Mr. Roadrunner made meatballs and meatloaf the other day! So good! I will be pulling out some of my garden tomato sauce from last year's garden and make spaghetti sauce. Will have some of the meatballs and will throw some of the leftover meatloaf into the pasta sauce. He made 24 meatballs and I froze them in packs of 4 or 5 per bag.

I also had two packages of mushrooms I threw into my crockpot with some butter and cooked them up this week and froze.

Mr. Roadrunner also cooked up 5 lbs of ground beef with onions. I let that cool and made 5 packages for the freezer. They come in so handy! I add them to chili, spaghetti sauce, poor man's stroganoff, stuffed peppers and other stuff.

Polaria, yes, it is better to be prepared. Do the best you can. Worst case, you will have extra food/water you can use up eventually or donate to a food bank, shelter or a goody bag for elderly neighbors.

For small potatoes I like to make cornmeal bbq roast potatoes, I make a big batch on the weekend and have them through the week.  I assume they would freeze beautifully.  Preheat the oven to 450, and line a sheet pan with parchment.  Wash and chunk up the potatoes into bite size pieces, size doesn’t matter too much but you want them to cook evenly so keep them more or less the same size.  Put the potatoes in a big bowl and drizzle with some olive oil, very little is needed here, don’t drown them.  Toss the potatoes to coat them with the oil, then add a good amount of BBQ spice (I use Clubhouse brand mixes, pretty much any spice mix can be used to change it up), and a good amount of corn meal (basically you want as much spice and corn meal as will stick to the potatoes).  Toss to coat the potatoes then dump them onto the pan in a single layer.  Roast for 20-25 minutes for potatoes up to 1” size.  Stir half way through. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FIRE Artist on March 13, 2022, 08:34:16 AM
For the onions you could try the slow cooker caramelized method mentioned somewhere earlier in this thread, or you can also dice them up and freeze them uncooked.  Frozen diced onions is actually how I purchase onions for cooking now. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 13, 2022, 08:46:38 AM
I have tried growing potatoes before and it just wasn't worth it for the amount of potatoes I got out of it. I bought a special bag that was a potato grow bag and had to fill it with potting mix. In the end, I only got a small amount of potatoes. I give up! So, I buy my Yukon gold potatoes from Costco for $6.42 for 10 lbs. and $9.75 for a 15 lbs. of beautiful Idaho potatoes.

Thanks sonofsven for the tips and also FIRE Artist.

Does the cornmeal make the taters crispy?

Yes, I will dice up onions this time. Last time they were kind of like strips and worked out well. Still have a bunch in the freezer!

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FIRE Artist on March 13, 2022, 09:18:12 AM
I have tried growing potatoes before and it just wasn't worth it for the amount of potatoes I got out of it. I bought a special bag that was a potato grow bag and had to fill it with potting mix. In the end, I only got a small amount of potatoes. I give up! So, I buy my Yukon gold potatoes from Costco for $6.42 for 10 lbs. and $9.75 for a 15 lbs. of beautiful Idaho potatoes.

Thanks sonofsven for the tips and also FIRE Artist.

Does the cornmeal make the taters crispy?

Yes, I will dice up onions this time. Last time they were kind of like strips and worked out well. Still have a bunch in the freezer!

With the bit of oil the potatoes will get crispy no matter what, but I find the cornmeal dusting adds a different texture and a bit of flavour.  Try a small batch and see how you like it.  I rarely make roast potatoes any other way now, and never bother with fries at all.  I like to make a simple aioli to go along with them, add the same spice mixture to some mayo with a bit of lime juice and some lime zest. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: sonofsven on March 13, 2022, 09:26:47 AM
I have tried growing potatoes before and it just wasn't worth it for the amount of potatoes I got out of it. I bought a special bag that was a potato grow bag and had to fill it with potting mix. In the end, I only got a small amount of potatoes. I give up! So, I buy my Yukon gold potatoes from Costco for $6.42 for 10 lbs. and $9.75 for a 15 lbs. of beautiful Idaho potatoes.

Thanks sonofsven for the tips and also FIRE Artist.

Does the cornmeal make the taters crispy?

Yes, I will dice up onions this time. Last time they were kind of like strips and worked out well. Still have a bunch in the freezer!

With the bit of oil the potatoes will get crispy no matter what, but I find the cornmeal dusting adds a different texture and a bit of flavour.  Try a small batch and see how you like it.  I rarely make roast potatoes any other way now, and never bother with fries at all.  I like to make a simple aioli to go along with them, add the same spice mixture to some mayo with a bit of lime juice and some lime zest.

I'll try the corn meal. I use a mix of salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic powder, with a little olive oil. I'm basically trying to recreate gas station jo jo's, which are a "thing" on the west coast, at least.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FIRE Artist on March 13, 2022, 09:32:37 AM
I have tried growing potatoes before and it just wasn't worth it for the amount of potatoes I got out of it. I bought a special bag that was a potato grow bag and had to fill it with potting mix. In the end, I only got a small amount of potatoes. I give up! So, I buy my Yukon gold potatoes from Costco for $6.42 for 10 lbs. and $9.75 for a 15 lbs. of beautiful Idaho potatoes.

Thanks sonofsven for the tips and also FIRE Artist.

Does the cornmeal make the taters crispy?

Yes, I will dice up onions this time. Last time they were kind of like strips and worked out well. Still have a bunch in the freezer!

With the bit of oil the potatoes will get crispy no matter what, but I find the cornmeal dusting adds a different texture and a bit of flavour.  Try a small batch and see how you like it.  I rarely make roast potatoes any other way now, and never bother with fries at all.  I like to make a simple aioli to go along with them, add the same spice mixture to some mayo with a bit of lime juice and some lime zest.

I'll try the corn meal. I use a mix of salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic powder, with a little olive oil. I'm basically trying to recreate gas station jo jo's, which are a "thing" on the west coast, at least.

I think those have a seasoned flour or corn starch dusting on them which really needs to be deep fried to taste good.  The corn meal might be the oven crisp alternative you are looking for. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 13, 2022, 10:00:35 AM
sonofsven, I am going to try your combo with corn meal.

I am also thinking peanut oil might make the potatoes crispier. I will try PO too. I don't have BBQ spice as FIRE Artist mentioned.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on March 13, 2022, 10:54:18 AM
I never knew you could freeze raw onions, so I'm going to try that.

Mashed potatoes can be frozen pretty successfully too, just don't add too much milk because they thaw out a bit watery.  Keep them on the dry side and they'll be just right.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 13, 2022, 11:39:37 AM
Freezing onions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6kJWtyrliQ
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 13, 2022, 01:51:27 PM
I never knew you could freeze raw onions, so I'm going to try that.

Mashed potatoes can be frozen pretty successfully too, just don't add too much milk because they thaw out a bit watery.  Keep them on the dry side and they'll be just right.

Using cream cheese (if you can find it) works great for making mashed potatoes for the freezer!  It's starting to warm up and soon we won't be able to get through 15# of Costco potatoes, so we'll switch to eating more rice.

My new freezer is full -- too full to move the baskets around easily -- so I can't really add more to it.  I can take out the 50# of wheat berries and move those to bucket storage, but I should keep the space in the freezer available for continuing to freeze grain as it comes in, as in our climate this is the best defense against weevils.  I'm trying again for popping corn from Azure, and I might order more wheat berries.  Making cornmeal mush (or mealie pap as our house guest calls it) this week reminded me of how versatile corn is.

I've decided not to cancel ButcherBox, but I'm not planning to order more than the small custom box and then to get my free ground beef and NY steaks.  We have plenty of meat in the freezer and I'm finding the "deals" aren't nearly as good as they were on Black Friday/Cyber Monday or right after Christmas.  With the current economic, political, and pandemic situations, we'll cut back on how often we eat meat.  I considered buying either a full or half beef before the rancher we use starts charging for shipping, but I would have to buy another freezer too, and I don't think we really need that much meat.

But more than that, I think we need to start cutting back in all areas, to prepare for what might come our way.  We've gotten a little soft lately, probably because we wanted to soothe ourselves during the pandemic.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 13, 2022, 03:36:06 PM
K_in_the_kitchen, have you ever bought pork butt from Butcher box? I bought a few and they were really good. Then I bought one that was like total blubber and we were lucky to get enough meat off it for two people for one dinner. I contacted them and they were good and gave me another one for free. Well, we tried it and it was just as horrible. I am not ordering any more. Don't understand what happened there! Then for the New Year, we decided to buy two really big Rib eyes and they were super expensive. I didn't mind because we have not eaten out for probably two years and just wanted to celebrate the New Year with a super nice meal. Well, instead of getting two huge rib eyes, they sent 4 rib eyes. There are the normal ones you can get any week. I was pretty furious. I emailed them and they said I got the same amount of weight of the 4 steaks as the two steaks I had ordered. I said yes that might be true but what I got was like apples and bananas. Not what I wanted and would not have agreed to what they sent if they had contacted me. They grumbled a bit but refunded me the cost. I have been pleased other than these issues. What also gets me is that they offer something and they seem to run out. I got in on the large rib eyes and then they ran out. So, let's say they had 200 of them and I put in for them before they sold out, what happened to my steaks? They let me choose it, charged me for it and then substituted something else.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: sonofsven on March 13, 2022, 03:49:01 PM
sonofsven, I am going to try your combo with corn meal.

I am also thinking peanut oil might make the potatoes crispier. I will try PO too. I don't have BBQ spice as FIRE Artist mentioned.

I hope you enjoy them; I just dip in sour cream.
I'm going to try a little corn meal next time, but I think I'll stick with olive oil. I don't add much, like FIRE Artist, just enough to make the spices stick.
I buy big jugs of OO at costco so I use it for everything oil related.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 13, 2022, 04:21:50 PM
K_in_the_kitchen, have you ever bought pork butt from Butcher box? I bought a few and they were really good. Then I bought one that was like total blubber and we were lucky to get enough meat off it for two people for one dinner. I contacted them and they were good and gave me another one for free. Well, we tried it and it was just as horrible. I am not ordering any more. Don't understand what happened there! Then for the New Year, we decided to buy two really big Rib eyes and they were super expensive. I didn't mind because we have not eaten out for probably two years and just wanted to celebrate the New Year with a super nice meal. Well, instead of getting two huge rib eyes, they sent 4 rib eyes. There are the normal ones you can get any week. I was pretty furious. I emailed them and they said I got the same amount of weight of the 4 steaks as the two steaks I had ordered. I said yes that might be true but what I got was like apples and bananas. Not what I wanted and would not have agreed to what they sent if they had contacted me. They grumbled a bit but refunded me the cost. I have been pleased other than these issues. What also gets me is that they offer something and they seem to run out. I got in on the large rib eyes and then they ran out. So, let's say they had 200 of them and I put in for them before they sold out, what happened to my steaks? They let me choose it, charged me for it and then substituted something else.

I got one pork butt from ButcherBox, but it wasn't great so I decided not to try that again.  You're right -- it was very fatty and I didn't get nearly as much meat from it as I expected.

I did buy two of the thick ribeyes, but we haven't eaten them yet.  I also got 20 of the regular ribeyes; I ordered a big box in January and that was the first time I'd seen ribeyes, and I have a ribeye lover.  But they're just okay, not fantastic -- we like the NY steaks better.  But you are so right -- cooking method is so different for the thick steaks vs. the thin ones.  The thin ones cook to medium rare in 8 minutes on my grills straight from the fridge.  I bought the thick ones because I want to try them with sous vide.

I also bought cod (6# for $40) and it has been a slog to get through.  No matter how I cook it we don't like it.  The salmon is fine and the halibut was quite good.  I think there are 6 pieces of cod left and I'm going to cook it for the dogs.

First couple of tri-tips we ate were good, next couple were only okay.  Sirloin cap (culotte) has been better.  Top sirloins weren't worth it.

Oh, and I bought 6 packages of the thick cut bacon back when they were on the Black Friday sale, and they weren't good either.  Their regular bacon is better.  They only sent 5 packages of the thick cut bacon, but I called and they credited me $9 for the missing package, saying they had run out and didn't have anymore to send.  That was a weird box, which arrived open, and was also missing a 2# bag of salmon.  The customer service rep was really great and had me check everything over, and when I found a small puncture in a pack of NY steaks they added a package to my next order at no charge, and also sent the missing salmon.

I will say this though: I've ordered grass-fed beef for 14 years now, and the quality is always hit or miss.  I think ranchers don't have as much control when the animals have to feed themselves, lol.  They're at the mercy of the weather and other factors affecting the pasture.  The best pastured pork I've gotten is from Stemple Creek, and the bone in chops were amazing.

I've gotten better at figuring out the true cost of what they offer as choices in the custom box, and now I won't choose the meats I know they sell for a lot less.  They sell whole chickens for $15 (or less), but the "value" of each item in the custom box is $26.50, so chicken isn't a good choice.  Or they'll offer 1# of breakfast sausage as a choice, when it costs $4.20 per pound when on sale (5# at $21).

We have a few things new to try this month: the breakfast sausage and the apple gouda sausage (Niman Ranch).  We tried the grilled chicken breast and it's quite good although very peppery.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SquashingDebt on March 13, 2022, 04:30:24 PM
We inadvertently did some pandemic hoarding today.  Our local warehouse store had a deal for buy $100 of P&G products, get a $20 coupon.  But - the only products we actually buy off the eligible list were toilet paper and paper towels.  So good thing we just got a new shelving unit for our garage because now we have 3 giant packs of toilet paper and one of paper towels.  My partner did the shopping and felt pretty awkward!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 13, 2022, 06:19:09 PM
We inadvertently did some pandemic hoarding today.  Our local warehouse store had a deal for buy $100 of P&G products, get a $20 coupon.  But - the only products we actually buy off the eligible list were toilet paper and paper towels.  So good thing we just got a new shelving unit for our garage because now we have 3 giant packs of toilet paper and one of paper towels.  My partner did the shopping and felt pretty awkward!

I kind of want to stock up on toilet paper but it does seem like it will feel awkward.  I'm not worried about shortages so much as not wanting to have to think about it for a year or more.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on March 13, 2022, 06:57:34 PM
Dog fanatic chiming in here to say... don't forget about your pets. We usually keep one open/in-use bag of dog food and one as a backup, but these days we're keeping 2-3 backups just in case of a delay in shipping, a supply problem, etc. Most dogs don't do well if you just suddenly switch them to a new food.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Abe on March 13, 2022, 08:27:27 PM
Stockpiled more beans of various types, and canned vegetables to prevent scurvy. My ancestors ate beans, vegetables and rice for millennia, so I can probably get us through a nuclear winter or two with them.

I assume that’s what we are talking about? Or price arbitrage for short-term? It’s hard to tell.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jnw on March 13, 2022, 08:30:54 PM
Stockpiled more beans of various types, and canned vegetables to prevent scurvy. My ancestors ate beans, vegetables and rice for millennia, so I can probably get us through a nuclear winter or two with them.

I assume that’s what we are talking about? Or price arbitrage for short-term? It’s hard to tell.

We got a 40lb bag of beans here lol.  About a year old.  We better start going through this bag.. Soak and cook and freeze.   I am not sure how logn they last.  I guess when we get half way through it we'll buy another bag.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on March 13, 2022, 08:38:02 PM
Stockpiled more beans of various types, and canned vegetables to prevent scurvy. My ancestors ate beans, vegetables and rice for millennia, so I can probably get us through a nuclear winter or two with them.

I assume that’s what we are talking about? Or price arbitrage for short-term? It’s hard to tell.

We got a 40lb bag of beans here lol.  About a year old.  We better start going through this bag.. Soak and cook and freeze.   I am not sure how logn they last.  I guess when we get half way through it we'll buy another bag.

Instant Pot works well for cooking beans.

On the fatty pig parts issue: The last ham I got had a fair amount of fat - so I trimmed it as we worked through the ham and saved it. At the end I rendered it down and got close to a quart of lard.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on March 13, 2022, 08:52:24 PM
Dog fanatic chiming in here to say... don't forget about your pets. We usually keep one open/in-use bag of dog food and one as a backup, but these days we're keeping 2-3 backups just in case of a delay in shipping, a supply problem, etc. Most dogs don't do well if you just suddenly switch them to a new food.

I have been feeding my dog a mix of two different kibbles for a while now plus some canned with each meal.  This provides her with a good combination of flavours and nutrients and has the added benefit of being easier to add in other brands or kinds if the need arises without it being a drastic change.
I do the same for my cats.  Of course, none of them are terribly picky eaters.  That’s the benefit of adopting strays - they’re just happy to get any meal at all!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 13, 2022, 08:54:31 PM
Dog fanatic chiming in here to say... don't forget about your pets. We usually keep one open/in-use bag of dog food and one as a backup, but these days we're keeping 2-3 backups just in case of a delay in shipping, a supply problem, etc. Most dogs don't do well if you just suddenly switch them to a new food.
I really wish I could do this, but my picky German Shepherd balks at eating food that isn't very fresh -- I suspect he is hypersensitive to rancidity.  We've taken to keeping one extra bag and he's quite fussy about it because now his food is always one month less fresh than it used to be.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 13, 2022, 09:00:25 PM
Stockpiled more beans of various types, and canned vegetables to prevent scurvy. My ancestors ate beans, vegetables and rice for millennia, so I can probably get us through a nuclear winter or two with them.

I assume that’s what we are talking about? Or price arbitrage for short-term? It’s hard to tell.

We got a 40lb bag of beans here lol.  About a year old.  We better start going through this bag.. Soak and cook and freeze.   I am not sure how logn they last.  I guess when we get half way through it we'll buy another bag.

Instant Pot works well for cooking beans.

On the fatty pig parts issue: The last ham I got had a fair amount of fat - so I trimmed it as we worked through the ham and saved it. At the end I rendered it down and got close to a quart of lard.

That's a good amount of lard!

I bought a pork butt at Aldi last month and trimmed off so much fat  -- a full pound -- that I decided to grind and freeze it, and I'll render it into lard once I trim the fat from the second pork butt I bought.

I save all of our cooking fats to use in other ways, like using chicken or beef fat for potatoes, bacon grease for eggs, lard in pastry, etc.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FIRE Artist on March 13, 2022, 09:11:40 PM
Dog fanatic chiming in here to say... don't forget about your pets. We usually keep one open/in-use bag of dog food and one as a backup, but these days we're keeping 2-3 backups just in case of a delay in shipping, a supply problem, etc. Most dogs don't do well if you just suddenly switch them to a new food.

I have been feeding my dog a mix of two different kibbles for a while now plus some canned with each meal.  This provides her with a good combination of flavours and nutrients and has the added benefit of being easier to add in other brands or kinds if the need arises without it being a drastic change.
I do the same for my cats.  Of course, none of them are terribly picky eaters.  That’s the benefit of adopting strays - they’re just happy to get any meal at all!

I do the same for my cat since there started to be supply chain issues with her foods.  The cat seems to like the variety just fine and it doesn’t upset her stomach so I might keep it up even if things settle down on that front. This is what I get for buying her an Australian food brand in Canada.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on March 13, 2022, 09:33:21 PM
Stockpiled more beans of various types, and canned vegetables to prevent scurvy. My ancestors ate beans, vegetables and rice for millennia, so I can probably get us through a nuclear winter or two with them.

I assume that’s what we are talking about? Or price arbitrage for short-term? It’s hard to tell.

We got a 40lb bag of beans here lol.  About a year old.  We better start going through this bag.. Soak and cook and freeze.   I am not sure how logn they last.  I guess when we get half way through it we'll buy another bag.

Instant Pot works well for cooking beans.

On the fatty pig parts issue: The last ham I got had a fair amount of fat - so I trimmed it as we worked through the ham and saved it. At the end I rendered it down and got close to a quart of lard.

That's a good amount of lard!

I bought a pork butt at Aldi last month and trimmed off so much fat  -- a full pound -- that I decided to grind and freeze it, and I'll render it into lard once I trim the fat from the second pork butt I bought.

I save all of our cooking fats to use in other ways, like using chicken or beef fat for potatoes, bacon grease for eggs, lard in pastry, etc.

Interesting. Does the grinding make rendering faster or something? I just put the random-sized fatty chunks into a skillet and heated til they rendered/crisped up. Cracklins! :D
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on March 13, 2022, 11:25:16 PM
We inadvertently did some pandemic hoarding today.  Our local warehouse store had a deal for buy $100 of P&G products, get a $20 coupon.  But - the only products we actually buy off the eligible list were toilet paper and paper towels.  So good thing we just got a new shelving unit for our garage because now we have 3 giant packs of toilet paper and one of paper towels.  My partner did the shopping and felt pretty awkward!
We did that deal at Costco last year. I'm about teady to stock up again. Who has the deal working now?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jnw on March 13, 2022, 11:28:06 PM
A couple weeks sure, but is keeping multiple months of food normally a prudent thing to do?  It has never been necessary in my life prior to covid, so wasn't really something I had ever seriously considered.

Forty pound bags of rice and beans for $20 a piece, which will last for years in pantry.. cheap peace of mind in case something bad happens.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jnw on March 13, 2022, 11:31:25 PM
Regarding our dog, she gets about 2 scrambled eggs per day for breakfast and a few nibbles of bacon.  We eat eggs and bacon just about every day.   In the evening she eats dry food.   We have 3 dog bowls.  One for water, one for kibble and one for eggs/etc.

Was a great deal when eggs were 10 cents a piece for years.. but now they are 20 cents each bleh.. still giving them to her though.  They keep the yeast smell down between her toes down and she gets all the real nutrition of real food.. an egg is a complete animal packed with everything she needs.

At 8.5 years old she is relatively thin compared to most dogs I've seen this age which were fed only dog food which is loaded with grains/carbs.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 14, 2022, 03:50:23 AM
I am putting together a grocery delivery from Peapod (division of Stop & Shop). We buy bottled water in gallon sized jugs that are Stop & Shop brand, not a fancy name brand. We use this water for our coffeemaker due to hard, hard water. Hard water has killed many coffee makers in my house. Anyway, just maybe 4 months ago the jug of water was 99 cents and now that same jug is $1.49!

The prices of everything are going up very quickly! You can only stockpile so much of anything, so we just have to deal with it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 14, 2022, 04:31:50 AM
K_in_the_kitchen, have you ever bought pork butt from Butcher box? I bought a few and they were really good. Then I bought one that was like total blubber and we were lucky to get enough meat off it for two people for one dinner. I contacted them and they were good and gave me another one for free. Well, we tried it and it was just as horrible. I am not ordering any more. Don't understand what happened there! Then for the New Year, we decided to buy two really big Rib eyes and they were super expensive. I didn't mind because we have not eaten out for probably two years and just wanted to celebrate the New Year with a super nice meal. Well, instead of getting two huge rib eyes, they sent 4 rib eyes. There are the normal ones you can get any week. I was pretty furious. I emailed them and they said I got the same amount of weight of the 4 steaks as the two steaks I had ordered. I said yes that might be true but what I got was like apples and bananas. Not what I wanted and would not have agreed to what they sent if they had contacted me. They grumbled a bit but refunded me the cost. I have been pleased other than these issues. What also gets me is that they offer something and they seem to run out. I got in on the large rib eyes and then they ran out. So, let's say they had 200 of them and I put in for them before they sold out, what happened to my steaks? They let me choose it, charged me for it and then substituted something else.

I got one pork butt from ButcherBox, but it wasn't great so I decided not to try that again.  You're right -- it was very fatty and I didn't get nearly as much meat from it as I expected.

I did buy two of the thick ribeyes, but we haven't eaten them yet.  I also got 20 of the regular ribeyes; I ordered a big box in January and that was the first time I'd seen ribeyes, and I have a ribeye lover.  But they're just okay, not fantastic -- we like the NY steaks better.  But you are so right -- cooking method is so different for the thick steaks vs. the thin ones.  The thin ones cook to medium rare in 8 minutes on my grills straight from the fridge.  I bought the thick ones because I want to try them with sous vide.

I also bought cod (6# for $40) and it has been a slog to get through.  No matter how I cook it we don't like it.  The salmon is fine and the halibut was quite good.  I think there are 6 pieces of cod left and I'm going to cook it for the dogs.

First couple of tri-tips we ate were good, next couple were only okay.  Sirloin cap (culotte) has been better.  Top sirloins weren't worth it.

Oh, and I bought 6 packages of the thick cut bacon back when they were on the Black Friday sale, and they weren't good either.  Their regular bacon is better.  They only sent 5 packages of the thick cut bacon, but I called and they credited me $9 for the missing package, saying they had run out and didn't have anymore to send.  That was a weird box, which arrived open, and was also missing a 2# bag of salmon.  The customer service rep was really great and had me check everything over, and when I found a small puncture in a pack of NY steaks they added a package to my next order at no charge, and also sent the missing salmon.

I will say this though: I've ordered grass-fed beef for 14 years now, and the quality is always hit or miss.  I think ranchers don't have as much control when the animals have to feed themselves, lol.  They're at the mercy of the weather and other factors affecting the pasture.  The best pastured pork I've gotten is from Stemple Creek, and the bone in chops were amazing.

I've gotten better at figuring out the true cost of what they offer as choices in the custom box, and now I won't choose the meats I know they sell for a lot less.  They sell whole chickens for $15 (or less), but the "value" of each item in the custom box is $26.50, so chicken isn't a good choice.  Or they'll offer 1# of breakfast sausage as a choice, when it costs $4.20 per pound when on sale (5# at $21).

We have a few things new to try this month: the breakfast sausage and the apple gouda sausage (Niman Ranch).  We tried the grilled chicken breast and it's quite good although very peppery.

K_in_the_kitchen, we were buying strip steaks from Butcher Box for a while and they were good. Mr. Roadrunner mostly eats them. Recently he had them two different times and he said they were as tough as shoe leather. We are not going to buy them anymore. I am sticking to rib eye, flat iron, fillet mignon which is my favorite, chuck roast and salmon. This month I am splurging on the special of 10 lbs of ground beef and another special of 10 lbs of ground pork. I get one bacon free each time and two pounds of ground meat free. I have bought the shrimp and it is good. Mr. Roadrunner can't eat shellfish due to gout. I have also bought the lobster tails and they are not worth it to me because I am a big lobster fan, and they are small and nothing more than appetizers and too expensive to be an appetizer! In the past I read that you get your bacon 'free' by buying something that offers bacon with it. What in particular did you buy with bacon? We have also purchased the apple gouda sausage, brats and ribs. They have been winners. I did buy a chicken once and agree that it is not worth the money but it was very good!

When you bought 20 of the rib eyes, was that a special? I don't recall that being offered.

On another side note, I made a scalloped potato recipe yesterday and it came out really good. I used this recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/120425/supreme-scalloped-potatoes/
However, I used my food processor and sliced my potatoes and did not boil them as recipe says. I cooked them with the sauce. If you try this recipe, it seems to take longer to cook than what they have suggested. I used a 9" x 11" casserole pan and is enough for a small army. I probably used more than 8 potatoes that they have on the recipe. My taters were so small I just kept slicing till the food processor bowl was full, maybe 12 potatoes. I probably used more cheese than listed too!

I have half a bag of taters left now. Maybe cornmeal French fries next!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Moonwaves on March 14, 2022, 05:48:11 AM
@Roadrunner53 If you like curry, I can recommend this curry-in-a-hurry paste recipe (https://www.mortgagefreeinthree.com/curry-in-a-hurry/) as a good way to use up lots of onions and stock up the freezer.

I did an online cooking course yesterday with three Ukrainian recipes. Varenyky/potato dumplings (the filling is made using potatoes), deruny/potato pancakes (can be frozen once cooked) and paprika onions. It seems like checking out some Ukrainian recipes would probably be a good way to find ways to use up potatoes and onions. So far, I am a fan.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on March 14, 2022, 05:49:19 AM
Dog fanatic chiming in here to say... don't forget about your pets. We usually keep one open/in-use bag of dog food and one as a backup, but these days we're keeping 2-3 backups just in case of a delay in shipping, a supply problem, etc. Most dogs don't do well if you just suddenly switch them to a new food.
I really wish I could do this, but my picky German Shepherd balks at eating food that isn't very fresh -- I suspect he is hypersensitive to rancidity.  We've taken to keeping one extra bag and he's quite fussy about it because now his food is always one month less fresh than it used to be.

I hear you. Our dog was picky when we had two bags open at the same time (gradually switching from puppy to adult food), and now so it took twice as long to finish them both. She seems to be fine now that we're only opening one bag at a time, but now you've got me wondering how things will go when we get to the second or third of the backup bags!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on March 14, 2022, 05:56:00 AM
At 8.5 years old she is relatively thin compared to most dogs I've seen this age which were fed only dog food which is loaded with grains/carbs.

I'm not sure grains/carbs are the problem:
https://www.ellevetsciences.com/pet-care/should-my-dog-be-eating-grain-free-food/

I think in most cases it's too much (of any) food, too many treats (and not the healthy, real food kind), and not enough exercise.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SquashingDebt on March 14, 2022, 07:13:26 AM
@Dicey This was at BJ's.  I think they're only on the east coast. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Just Joe on March 14, 2022, 07:43:48 AM
I buy a lot of meat from Butcher Box and the meat isn't low cost but I kind of compare it to if I ate at a restaurant what would a dinner cost me with a certain piece of meat.

We just bought half a cow. Partly for the higher quality meat (we know the farmer) and partly as a hedge against inflation. I recommend it if you can find a source and have a deep freeze. I intend to do this each year.

We had T-bone steak last night. In our 50+ years I don't think DW and I had ever had a T-bone steak. It was excellent. We're more of occasional meat eaters and don't plan on increasing out intake though. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Just Joe on March 14, 2022, 07:49:37 AM
My new freezer is full -- too full to move the baskets around easily -- so I can't really add more to it.

Which baskets did you buy? Thanks...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 14, 2022, 08:10:49 AM
My new freezer is full -- too full to move the baskets around easily -- so I can't really add more to it.

Which baskets did you buy? Thanks...

Just Joe, these are the containers Mr. Roadrunner is using in our freezers. We have bought all 3 sizes and a LOT of them. If these interest you at all, I would suggest that you measure the containers and the inside of your freezers to see how many containers you can fit on a shelf. Also, think about what you will put in each container. For us, these work really good! I also have some in my kitchen refrigerator freezer. It has really organized my stuff!

https://www.containerstore.com/s/under-the-sink-starter-kit/d?q=under%20sink&productId=11006241
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Poundwise on March 14, 2022, 08:52:29 AM
My new freezer is full -- too full to move the baskets around easily -- so I can't really add more to it.

Which baskets did you buy? Thanks...

Just Joe, these are the containers Mr. Roadrunner is using in our freezers. We have bought all 3 sizes and a LOT of them. If these interest you at all, I would suggest that you measure the containers and the inside of your freezers to see how many containers you can fit on a shelf. Also, think about what you will put in each container. For us, these work really good! I also have some in my kitchen refrigerator freezer. It has really organized my stuff!

What's your feeling baskets vs reusable shopping bags for organization (if this hasn't been discussed here already)? I had plastic baskets for a while, but they took up too much space and eventually cracked.  So now I use reusable bags, which pack down well.The downside is if I have something that needs to be level to freeze, the bags present a lumpier surface.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 14, 2022, 09:08:37 AM
Freezer containers: https://www.containerstore.com/s/under-the-sink-starter-kit/d?q=under%20sink&productId=11006241
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on March 14, 2022, 10:41:01 AM
If you have room in a fridge or freezer, keep the extra dog food in there.  Or outside, if you live in a cold climate.  It will delay the stale/rancid time.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on March 14, 2022, 11:49:59 AM
If you have room in a fridge or freezer, keep the extra dog food in there.  Or outside, if you live in a cold climate.  It will delay the stale/rancid time.
Probably goes without saying, but only put it outside if it's in a critter-proof container.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 14, 2022, 12:25:05 PM
My new freezer is full -- too full to move the baskets around easily -- so I can't really add more to it.

Which baskets did you buy? Thanks...

I bought a GE garage ready freezer that came with four baskets, and then I found a parts supplier to sell me four more baskets.  I have four upper baskets and four lower baskets, so I can slide them around to find what I want.  Then I have the entire lower portion of the freezer for items not in baskets.  I've used various bags, boxes, etc. over the past 25+ years of having freezers, and I decided to splurge this time and make it easier on myself now that I'm getting older.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 14, 2022, 12:27:40 PM

On the fatty pig parts issue: The last ham I got had a fair amount of fat - so I trimmed it as we worked through the ham and saved it. At the end I rendered it down and got close to a quart of lard.

That's a good amount of lard!

I bought a pork butt at Aldi last month and trimmed off so much fat  -- a full pound -- that I decided to grind and freeze it, and I'll render it into lard once I trim the fat from the second pork butt I bought.

I save all of our cooking fats to use in other ways, like using chicken or beef fat for potatoes, bacon grease for eggs, lard in pastry, etc.
[/quote]

Interesting. Does the grinding make rendering faster or something? I just put the random-sized fatty chunks into a skillet and heated til they rendered/crisped up. Cracklins! :D
[/quote]

It does help the lard render more quickly and evenly.  We'll still get cracklins, they'll just be really small.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 14, 2022, 12:31:30 PM
Dog fanatic chiming in here to say... don't forget about your pets. We usually keep one open/in-use bag of dog food and one as a backup, but these days we're keeping 2-3 backups just in case of a delay in shipping, a supply problem, etc. Most dogs don't do well if you just suddenly switch them to a new food.
I really wish I could do this, but my picky German Shepherd balks at eating food that isn't very fresh -- I suspect he is hypersensitive to rancidity.  We've taken to keeping one extra bag and he's quite fussy about it because now his food is always one month less fresh than it used to be.

I hear you. Our dog was picky when we had two bags open at the same time (gradually switching from puppy to adult food), and now so it took twice as long to finish them both. She seems to be fine now that we're only opening one bag at a time, but now you've got me wondering how things will go when we get to the second or third of the backup bags!

Yes, this is the problem.  I typically was keeping one bag on hand anyway, purchased after we'd opened a new bag.  And even with this plan he is picky, so we think he can tell when the food has been at Costco too long, lol.  When I had 2-3 extra bags on hand, which we did when the pandemic started, he started getting impossible.  He's not a great eater anyway, and if we didn't have a little dog that loves food, the GSD would be an ideal candidate for free feeding because there's no way he'll overeat.  When he refuses the kibble we have to do all sorts of things to entice him, which only makes him pickier.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 14, 2022, 01:16:21 PM

K_in_the_kitchen, we were buying strip steaks from Butcher Box for a while and they were good. Mr. Roadrunner mostly eats them. Recently he had them two different times and he said they were as tough as shoe leather. We are not going to buy them anymore. I am sticking to rib eye, flat iron, fillet mignon which is my favorite, chuck roast and salmon. This month I am splurging on the special of 10 lbs of ground beef and another special of 10 lbs of ground pork. I get one bacon free each time and two pounds of ground meat free. I have bought the shrimp and it is good. Mr. Roadrunner can't eat shellfish due to gout. I have also bought the lobster tails and they are not worth it to me because I am a big lobster fan, and they are small and nothing more than appetizers and too expensive to be an appetizer! In the past I read that you get your bacon 'free' by buying something that offers bacon with it. What in particular did you buy with bacon? We have also purchased the apple gouda sausage, brats and ribs. They have been winners. I did buy a chicken once and agree that it is not worth the money but it was very good!

When you bought 20 of the rib eyes, was that a special? I don't recall that being offered.


I bought 20 ribeyes by choosing 10 of the two packs when I ordered a big custom box in January, which has a choice of 12 items.  The ribeyes quickly disappeared as a selection, so they probably sold out.  Do you order a custom box?

We've had really good NY steaks, and acceptable NY steaks.  The NY steaks do take well to sous vide, which is helpful for the times they might not be as tender.  But the ribeyes didn't sous vide as well.

Twice I've gotten in on a free bacon with tri-tips offer -- you buy a 20 oz. tri-tip for $15 and get a free package of bacon, and I bought 4 tri-tips each time.  I also once got in on a buy 1# tenderloin tips for $18, get two free packages of bacon, but I only bought one of those.

Right now I have the free 2# ground beef for life offer, and free NY steaks for a year.  But I might just go back to buying a half or full beef from the rancher we like.  A full beef is 400# and right now costs $3879 (free shipping in CA), so it's under $10 per pound ($9.70).  But it comes with 160# of ground beef, and it would take us a long time to get through that.  The breakdown is about 100# steaks, 100# roasts, 20# stew meat, 20# fajita strips, and the 160# of ground beef.  The half beef is half those amounts; it costs $2150 so it is a higher per pound price ($10.75), but might be worth it so we don't have meat sitting in the freezer for several years.  I can't do anything like this though until we eat down what is a very full freezer.

We aren't going to buy fish from ButcherBox, at least not on a regular basis.  The cod was awful.  The halibut was good, but pricey.  The salmon is okay.    With one young adult back at home full time, and the other soon to be home for the summer, we'll eat less fish because they don't love it.  And after having started splurging on fresh fish at the harbor when we go for day trips, no other fish we can buy frozen even remotely compares.  We've had the most incredible California halibut, and gorgeous tuna, including the toro (belly) which I ate raw.

I think as ButcherBox gets more popular the company may be having growing pains sourcing the beef, which would account for the variable quality.  I do like the packaging they use for shipping, and I like being able to choose what I want and to skew to the pricier cuts if I want to.  They seemed like a great choice when I wasn't planning to replace the broken freezer, but now that I have it probably makes more sense to buy in bulk again.

I also find ButcherBox to be all over the place with pricing.  This month the 10# ground beef blast is $67.  Last month I got it for $60.  This month the 10# ground pork blast is $55, I got it for $35 in December.  I know prices are going up, but that is a big change for the pork.  I guess like any other store you have to know your prices and be aware of when they do the best deals.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on March 14, 2022, 02:49:40 PM
Right now I have the free 2# ground beef for life offer, and free NY steaks for a year.  But I might just go back to buying a half or full beef from the rancher we like.  A full beef is 400# and right now costs $3879 (free shipping in CA), so it's under $10 per pound ($9.70).  But it comes with 160# of ground beef, and it would take us a long time to get through that.  The breakdown is about 100# steaks, 100# roasts, 20# stew meat, 20# fajita strips, and the 160# of ground beef.  The half beef is half those amounts; it costs $2150 so it is a higher per pound price ($10.75), but might be worth it so we don't have meat sitting in the freezer for several years.  I can't do anything like this though until we eat down what is a very full freezer.

I also find ButcherBox to be all over the place with pricing.  This month the 10# ground beef blast is $67.  Last month I got it for $60.  This month the 10# ground pork blast is $55, I got it for $35 in December.  I know prices are going up, but that is a big change for the pork.  I guess like any other store you have to know your prices and be aware of when they do the best deals.

I guess I'm spoiled by the price of meat at the commissary on base. 93% lean ground beef is $4.22/lb (was around $3.50 a few months ago) and 80% lean is $2.93. Most choice steaks are in the $7-10/lb range (T-Bone, NY Strip, flank, ribeye, etc.)

I just looked up some local options for half a beef and the prices were from $5-7/lb.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 14, 2022, 03:39:47 PM

K_in_the_kitchen, we were buying strip steaks from Butcher Box for a while and they were good. Mr. Roadrunner mostly eats them. Recently he had them two different times and he said they were as tough as shoe leather. We are not going to buy them anymore. I am sticking to rib eye, flat iron, fillet mignon which is my favorite, chuck roast and salmon. This month I am splurging on the special of 10 lbs of ground beef and another special of 10 lbs of ground pork. I get one bacon free each time and two pounds of ground meat free. I have bought the shrimp and it is good. Mr. Roadrunner can't eat shellfish due to gout. I have also bought the lobster tails and they are not worth it to me because I am a big lobster fan, and they are small and nothing more than appetizers and too expensive to be an appetizer! In the past I read that you get your bacon 'free' by buying something that offers bacon with it. What in particular did you buy with bacon? We have also purchased the apple gouda sausage, brats and ribs. They have been winners. I did buy a chicken once and agree that it is not worth the money but it was very good!

When you bought 20 of the rib eyes, was that a special? I don't recall that being offered.


I bought 20 ribeyes by choosing 10 of the two packs when I ordered a big custom box in January, which has a choice of 12 items.  The ribeyes quickly disappeared as a selection, so they probably sold out.  Do you order a custom box?

We've had really good NY steaks, and acceptable NY steaks.  The NY steaks do take well to sous vide, which is helpful for the times they might not be as tender.  But the ribeyes didn't sous vide as well.

Twice I've gotten in on a free bacon with tri-tips offer -- you buy a 20 oz. tri-tip for $15 and get a free package of bacon, and I bought 4 tri-tips each time.  I also once got in on a buy 1# tenderloin tips for $18, get two free packages of bacon, but I only bought one of those.

Right now I have the free 2# ground beef for life offer, and free NY steaks for a year.  But I might just go back to buying a half or full beef from the rancher we like.  A full beef is 400# and right now costs $3879 (free shipping in CA), so it's under $10 per pound ($9.70).  But it comes with 160# of ground beef, and it would take us a long time to get through that.  The breakdown is about 100# steaks, 100# roasts, 20# stew meat, 20# fajita strips, and the 160# of ground beef.  The half beef is half those amounts; it costs $2150 so it is a higher per pound price ($10.75), but might be worth it so we don't have meat sitting in the freezer for several years.  I can't do anything like this though until we eat down what is a very full freezer.

We aren't going to buy fish from ButcherBox, at least not on a regular basis.  The cod was awful.  The halibut was good, but pricey.  The salmon is okay.    With one young adult back at home full time, and the other soon to be home for the summer, we'll eat less fish because they don't love it.  And after having started splurging on fresh fish at the harbor when we go for day trips, no other fish we can buy frozen even remotely compares.  We've had the most incredible California halibut, and gorgeous tuna, including the toro (belly) which I ate raw.

I think as ButcherBox gets more popular the company may be having growing pains sourcing the beef, which would account for the variable quality.  I do like the packaging they use for shipping, and I like being able to choose what I want and to skew to the pricier cuts if I want to.  They seemed like a great choice when I wasn't planning to replace the broken freezer, but now that I have it probably makes more sense to buy in bulk again.

I also find ButcherBox to be all over the place with pricing.  This month the 10# ground beef blast is $67.  Last month I got it for $60.  This month the 10# ground pork blast is $55, I got it for $35 in December.  I know prices are going up, but that is a big change for the pork.  I guess like any other store you have to know your prices and be aware of when they do the best deals.

I must have gotten the last of the $60 ten-pound ground beef blast. My closing date is this week but I see it went up to $67. I also bought the pork blast for $55. I buy the small box which allows me 6 items. I did that on purpose so I can do the add ons and the specials. This month I chose 3/2 packs of the fillet mignons, rib eye, pot roast and flat iron steak. Then the pork and beef blast. I get carried away and put a lot of stuff in my cart and then I have to weed out what I don't really need.

That is a really good idea to buy all those rib eyes with the bigger box! I may have to rethink switching between boxes now and then! May do that next month. My freezers are full too and now another delivery! YIKES!

You have really analyzed Butcher Box. Thanks for your input!

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 14, 2022, 03:45:27 PM
Right now I have the free 2# ground beef for life offer, and free NY steaks for a year.  But I might just go back to buying a half or full beef from the rancher we like.  A full beef is 400# and right now costs $3879 (free shipping in CA), so it's under $10 per pound ($9.70).  But it comes with 160# of ground beef, and it would take us a long time to get through that.  The breakdown is about 100# steaks, 100# roasts, 20# stew meat, 20# fajita strips, and the 160# of ground beef.  The half beef is half those amounts; it costs $2150 so it is a higher per pound price ($10.75), but might be worth it so we don't have meat sitting in the freezer for several years.  I can't do anything like this though until we eat down what is a very full freezer.

I also find ButcherBox to be all over the place with pricing.  This month the 10# ground beef blast is $67.  Last month I got it for $60.  This month the 10# ground pork blast is $55, I got it for $35 in December.  I know prices are going up, but that is a big change for the pork.  I guess like any other store you have to know your prices and be aware of when they do the best deals.

I guess I'm spoiled by the price of meat at the commissary on base. 93% lean ground beef is $4.22/lb (was around $3.50 a few months ago) and 80% lean is $2.93. Most choice steaks are in the $7-10/lb range (T-Bone, NY Strip, flank, ribeye, etc.)

I just looked up some local options for half a beef and the prices were from $5-7/lb.

I should clarify, the prices I mentioned for a full or half beef are for 100% grass-fed, 100% grass-finished, pastured-raised beef grown by a small family rancher.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 14, 2022, 04:03:25 PM

I must have gotten the last of the $60 ten-pound ground beef blast. My closing date is this week but I see it went up to $67. I also bought the pork blast for $55. I buy the small box which allows me 6 items. I did that on purpose so I can do the add ons and the specials. This month I chose 3/2 packs of the fillet mignons, rib eye, pot roast and flat iron steak. Then the pork and beef blast. I get carried away and put a lot of stuff in my cart and then I have to weed out what I don't really need.

That is a really good idea to buy all those rib eyes with the bigger box! I may have to rethink switching between boxes now and then! May do that next month. My freezers are full too and now another delivery! YIKES!

You have really analyzed Butcher Box. Thanks for your input!

I check deals almost daily and add the good ones to my order, then go through right before the cutoff date and take out anything I don't really need or want.

I usually get the 6 item box as well, except for when I switched to the 12 item big box in January to stock up on those rib eyes.  I'm tentatively set up for another 12 item box this month, to be able to get the maximum of 10 2-packs of the filet (the maximum with the 6 item box is 4 2-packs).  Then I'm getting 2 2-packs of the NY steak for my final items, which along with the free 2-pack will give us 6 NY steaks, or 2 meals for 2 people.  The filet is really a pricey choice, but we haven't tried it yet and I've heard good things -- filet is probably my favorite steak, along with a good Porterhouse.  Since the big box is $288, it brings the price per pound down a little bit.

Quality meat is the one place we splurge.  I'm super careful with the rest of the budget, choosing on-sale and budget produce and most serving rice or potatoes as a side dish, with plenty of cheap vegetables.  We don't buy soda or juice, I bake our whole grain baked goods to save money (milling the flour at home which saves even more money).  I don't buy canned beans (did during the pandemic -- that was a mistake) for convenience, or packaged stock, or many other convenience foods.  I don't even buy packaged cereal unless the college kid is at home on break, and this summer he'll find less of that and will have to make toast or eat cornmeal mush.  I'm also weaning him off commercial almond milk and will go back to making rice or oat milk.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on March 14, 2022, 08:04:58 PM
Right now I have the free 2# ground beef for life offer, and free NY steaks for a year.  But I might just go back to buying a half or full beef from the rancher we like.  A full beef is 400# and right now costs $3879 (free shipping in CA), so it's under $10 per pound ($9.70).  But it comes with 160# of ground beef, and it would take us a long time to get through that.  The breakdown is about 100# steaks, 100# roasts, 20# stew meat, 20# fajita strips, and the 160# of ground beef.  The half beef is half those amounts; it costs $2150 so it is a higher per pound price ($10.75), but might be worth it so we don't have meat sitting in the freezer for several years.  I can't do anything like this though until we eat down what is a very full freezer.

I also find ButcherBox to be all over the place with pricing.  This month the 10# ground beef blast is $67.  Last month I got it for $60.  This month the 10# ground pork blast is $55, I got it for $35 in December.  I know prices are going up, but that is a big change for the pork.  I guess like any other store you have to know your prices and be aware of when they do the best deals.

I guess I'm spoiled by the price of meat at the commissary on base. 93% lean ground beef is $4.22/lb (was around $3.50 a few months ago) and 80% lean is $2.93. Most choice steaks are in the $7-10/lb range (T-Bone, NY Strip, flank, ribeye, etc.)

I just looked up some local options for half a beef and the prices were from $5-7/lb.

I should clarify, the prices I mentioned for a full or half beef are for 100% grass-fed, 100% grass-finished, pastured-raised beef grown by a small family rancher.

Same as I'm looking at here in Albuquerque. Just goes to show the difference in cost of living in California.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 15, 2022, 03:32:29 AM
Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve taken a good look at our emergency supplies, stocked up on cat food and chicken feed.

Dd has ordered potassium iodine tablets, which seems a bit extreme …

A source of clean iodine is essential for babies and young children if there is a nuclear leak.  We were lucky in North America with Chernobyl, we didn't get much.  I remember because I knew someone who had just had a baby and she and the pediatrician were monitoring Strontium 90 levels very closely.

Looks like there is a shortage of these tablets:  https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/business/potassium-iodide-pills-demand-surge/index.html
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 20, 2022, 07:04:16 PM
K_in_the_kitchen, have you ever bought pork butt from Butcher box? I bought a few and they were really good. Then I bought one that was like total blubber and we were lucky to get enough meat off it for two people for one dinner. I contacted them and they were good and gave me another one for free. Well, we tried it and it was just as horrible. I am not ordering any more. Don't understand what happened there! Then for the New Year, we decided to buy two really big Rib eyes and they were super expensive. I didn't mind because we have not eaten out for probably two years and just wanted to celebrate the New Year with a super nice meal. Well, instead of getting two huge rib eyes, they sent 4 rib eyes. There are the normal ones you can get any week. I was pretty furious. I emailed them and they said I got the same amount of weight of the 4 steaks as the two steaks I had ordered. I said yes that might be true but what I got was like apples and bananas. Not what I wanted and would not have agreed to what they sent if they had contacted me. They grumbled a bit but refunded me the cost. I have been pleased other than these issues. What also gets me is that they offer something and they seem to run out. I got in on the large rib eyes and then they ran out. So, let's say they had 200 of them and I put in for them before they sold out, what happened to my steaks? They let me choose it, charged me for it and then substituted something else.

@Roadrunner53 I wanted to come back to this because I finally defrosted and cooked two of those "thick" ribeye steaks from ButcherBox. Not only are they still not all that thick, but upon defrosting one of them was pretty much in pieces.  I used my Instant Pot to cook them sous vide before searing; I do the sous vide at 131°F for medium rare, then sear in cast iron using mayo to create the brown crust (works like a charm and doesn't taste like mayo).

They were okay.  Instead of being nicely marbled ribeye steaks, they had large globs of fat, especially the one that was in pieces.  With the sous vide they come out incredibly tender, but they were really too fatty for me.  My youngest loved them, however.  I'm glad I only paid $20 each, since the next month they were selling them for $30.  Still, this is another ButcherBox disappointment.

I saw that organic whole chickens are B2G1, so $30 for 3 chickens.  This is a better price than Sprouts, so I put an order into my next box and will make a final decision before it ships.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: sonofsven on March 20, 2022, 08:22:28 PM
I have tried growing potatoes before and it just wasn't worth it for the amount of potatoes I got out of it. I bought a special bag that was a potato grow bag and had to fill it with potting mix. In the end, I only got a small amount of potatoes. I give up! So, I buy my Yukon gold potatoes from Costco for $6.42 for 10 lbs. and $9.75 for a 15 lbs. of beautiful Idaho potatoes.

Thanks sonofsven for the tips and also FIRE Artist.

Does the cornmeal make the taters crispy?

Yes, I will dice up onions this time. Last time they were kind of like strips and worked out well. Still have a bunch in the freezer!

With the bit of oil the potatoes will get crispy no matter what, but I find the cornmeal dusting adds a different texture and a bit of flavour.  Try a small batch and see how you like it.  I rarely make roast potatoes any other way now, and never bother with fries at all.  I like to make a simple aioli to go along with them, add the same spice mixture to some mayo with a bit of lime juice and some lime zest.

I'll try the corn meal. I use a mix of salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic powder, with a little olive oil. I'm basically trying to recreate gas station jo jo's, which are a "thing" on the west coast, at least.

I think those have a seasoned flour or corn starch dusting on them which really needs to be deep fried to taste good.  The corn meal might be the oven crisp alternative you are looking for.
I did put a little dusting of corn meal and and they did improve the crispness. Thanks, this is a keeper!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 21, 2022, 04:10:29 AM
K_in_the_kitchen Good to know your results of the big Rib Eye steaks but too bad they were so fatty!

Well, I had another issue with Butcher Box too. Not pleased that they sent the package to arrive on Saturday. It came Laser Ship and we have had some issues with them in the past. The box arrived about 7:30 pm. Mr. Roadrunner was not a happy camper to be juggling meat to the freezer at that hour. He discovered that the ribs we ordered, 2 packages, were thawed/cold as well as one package of bacon and one package of ground beef was getting a little soft around the edges. It was still mostly frozen, so it went into the freezer. The ribs and bacon went to the fridge. I was not happy to be forced to eat the ribs unplanned for. Don't get me wrong, the ribs were delicious but arrived not frozen! If there was dry ice it was long gone and no evidence of it remained. I emailed them and they offered to replace, refund or credit my account. I took the offer of replacing in my next box. My biggest concern is now summer is approaching and hotter temps. I voiced my concern, but they didn't have much to say but if I have problems, let them know. I hate to complain but this stuff is not cheap! Mr. Roadrunner has always complimented their good packing and everything in the past being frozen like a rock.

Speaking of Chicken, I also belong to Misfits Market and get a box weekly of veggies and other things. This week they also had chicken at about $10 each and I have one coming. The last time I did a Costco Insta Cart, I bought three of the rotisserie chickens and threw them in the freezer (as is). We have defrosted and eaten them and they are so good!

Last week, I cooked up around 5 good size chicken breasts in my slow cooker. I was making chicken and rice. The recipe I used said to cook on high for 3 hours. I checked the internal temp of the chicken and it was 165 F and done so I removed them. The rice was far from done so I left it to cook more. I think another hour on high. The chicken was so good! Moist and perfectly cooked. Chicken breasts are notoriously known for getting dried out. Internal temps are the key. I just got lucky I took the temp at the right time and pulled them out.

Oh, and I also bought a corned beef from Butcher Box. It was $36 if I recall. It looked really nice but shrunk up considerably. We got two dinners and two sandwiches out of it. Not a lot for $36! A month or so previously, I had cooked a corned beef from the grocery store and it had been frozen a long time. The price was much, much less and just as good as BB and maybe even better. I see now they have reduced the price to $30. Not sure I will spend the money on a BB corned beef again.

After about a year or so with BB I am now seeing what things that are worth the money and not worth the money. I am following in your footsteps and next month I am ordering the big box of 12 items. In my box I have already filled it with steaks and chuck roasts. This month I got the ground pork and ground beef blast so I am stocked up on that.

I don't have sous vide option here but I will use that mayo tip on the steaks next time!

Oh, and I have one more somewhat minor complaint about BB. I have noticed that when I thaw out ground beef, steaks, chicken the blood leaks out of the packaging. Lucky I have been around the block too many times to count so I always put the stuff defrosting in plastic ziplocks to catch the blood if it leaks. However, it irks me to waste my plastic bags! I reuse them when possible but blood is where I usually draw the line.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 21, 2022, 10:04:06 AM
K_in_the_kitchen Good to know your results of the big Rib Eye steaks but too bad they were so fatty!

Well, I had another issue with Butcher Box too. Not pleased that they sent the package to arrive on Saturday. It came Laser Ship and we have had some issues with them in the past. The box arrived about 7:30 pm. Mr. Roadrunner was not a happy camper to be juggling meat to the freezer at that hour. He discovered that the ribs we ordered, 2 packages, were thawed/cold as well as one package of bacon and one package of ground beef was getting a little soft around the edges. It was still mostly frozen, so it went into the freezer. The ribs and bacon went to the fridge. I was not happy to be forced to eat the ribs unplanned for. Don't get me wrong, the ribs were delicious but arrived not frozen! If there was dry ice it was long gone and no evidence of it remained. I emailed them and they offered to replace, refund or credit my account. I took the offer of replacing in my next box. My biggest concern is now summer is approaching and hotter temps. I voiced my concern, but they didn't have much to say but if I have problems, let them know. I hate to complain but this stuff is not cheap! Mr. Roadrunner has always complimented their good packing and everything in the past being frozen like a rock.

Speaking of Chicken, I also belong to Misfits Market and get a box weekly of veggies and other things. This week they also had chicken at about $10 each and I have one coming. The last time I did a Costco Insta Cart, I bought three of the rotisserie chickens and threw them in the freezer (as is). We have defrosted and eaten them and they are so good!

Last week, I cooked up around 5 good size chicken breasts in my slow cooker. I was making chicken and rice. The recipe I used said to cook on high for 3 hours. I checked the internal temp of the chicken and it was 165 F and done so I removed them. The rice was far from done so I left it to cook more. I think another hour on high. The chicken was so good! Moist and perfectly cooked. Chicken breasts are notoriously known for getting dried out. Internal temps are the key. I just got lucky I took the temp at the right time and pulled them out.

Oh, and I also bought a corned beef from Butcher Box. It was $36 if I recall. It looked really nice but shrunk up considerably. We got two dinners and two sandwiches out of it. Not a lot for $36! A month or so previously, I had cooked a corned beef from the grocery store and it had been frozen a long time. The price was much, much less and just as good as BB and maybe even better. I see now they have reduced the price to $30. Not sure I will spend the money on a BB corned beef again.

After about a year or so with BB I am now seeing what things that are worth the money and not worth the money. I am following in your footsteps and next month I am ordering the big box of 12 items. In my box I have already filled it with steaks and chuck roasts. This month I got the ground pork and ground beef blast so I am stocked up on that.

I don't have sous vide option here but I will use that mayo tip on the steaks next time!

Oh, and I have one more somewhat minor complaint about BB. I have noticed that when I thaw out ground beef, steaks, chicken the blood leaks out of the packaging. Lucky I have been around the block too many times to count so I always put the stuff defrosting in plastic ziplocks to catch the blood if it leaks. However, it irks me to waste my plastic bags! I reuse them when possible but blood is where I usually draw the line.

Thanks for giving more intel on BB!  I'll keep their corned beef OFF the menu.

Sometimes I go in and change my box date by a couple of days.  If I make my box date a Sunday, it usually arrives on Monday, which usually works for me.  This month I didn't have to change it, but I will for April.

I had one box that arrived with things slightly defrosted.  I'm worried about the heat too, and will keep a close eye on it and complain if necessary.  Only once has my box arrived with any of the dry ice intact, but luckily it's usually fewer than 24 hours from shipping to arrival.

I see that the BB chicken deal is already gone.  I cook chicken by temperature as well, but I've never tried cooking it with rice in the slow cooker.

We're working on eating through the refrigerator this week (started last week).  My family doesn't love when I do this, but they'll live.  We're now out of fresh fruit, but we still have frozen fruit, canned pineapple, and jarred applesauce.  I prepped all of the refrigerated vegetables last Thursday, and we still have carrots and cabbage to eat.  Today we'll be eating leftover cabbage and ground beef from St. Patrick's Day.  Tomorrow I'll do a sheet pan supper with the last of the potatoes, which are a little soft but will roast in chunks just fine, as well as carrots, and we'll have a cabbage salad with both meals.  I'll sauté the last of the cabbage to eat with eggs on Wednesday. The plan is for groceries Wednesday, as our last full shop was 3/3 (the young adults did a perishables run on 3/11 but that has all been eaten).

When I get groceries I'm going to start stocking the pantry foods I know we'll eat, like canned pineapple, jarred applesauce, pasta and sauce, and peanut butter.  Well, I eat very little of that, but the rest of them do.

Our neighbor gave us another 20 or so avocados and they're beginning to ripen, so all meals will have avocado for the next week.  The neighbor doesn't like avocados!  These are very thinned skin and the skin doesn't separate from the flesh easily, but since they are a windfall and she gives us more than we can eat, I just don't worry about getting every single bit from each avocado.

I bought a new rice cooker.  We had donated our large 10 cup rice cooker because we thought we'd never need it again.  It wasn't even that huge, but made far more rice than we need for a family of four, and we didn't like it compared to our smaller Zojirushi.  Our small three cup Zo didn't make enough rice to feed five adults over spring break (not with two of them being competitive athletes who eat hug amounts of food), so I spent more hands-on time cooking for us versus the young adults taking responsibility.  A 5 cup Zo would have sufficed, but I bought a 10 cup so we can make porridge again.  (I spent several mornings constantly stirring a pot of cornmeal mush for everyone.)  Since rice and other grains are inexpensive, having an easy way to cook them will be nice.  Count me as one of the people who don't love how the Instant Pot cooks grains.  DH will also take the new large rice cooker to races to cook rice for his team.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Catbert on March 21, 2022, 10:38:27 AM
Roadrunner - I do re-use ziplock bags that meat has been stored in.  I give it a quick rinse and then store it in the freezer until next time.  The rinse assures me that there aren't holes in the bag.  Whether I reuse in part depends on how I defrosted the last meat.  Defrost in the refrigerator overnight is better than something I left on the counter.  Might be a bridge too far for many.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 21, 2022, 10:56:31 AM
K_in_the_kitchen Good to know your results of the big Rib Eye steaks but too bad they were so fatty!

Well, I had another issue with Butcher Box too. Not pleased that they sent the package to arrive on Saturday. It came Laser Ship and we have had some issues with them in the past. The box arrived about 7:30 pm. Mr. Roadrunner was not a happy camper to be juggling meat to the freezer at that hour. He discovered that the ribs we ordered, 2 packages, were thawed/cold as well as one package of bacon and one package of ground beef was getting a little soft around the edges. It was still mostly frozen, so it went into the freezer. The ribs and bacon went to the fridge. I was not happy to be forced to eat the ribs unplanned for. Don't get me wrong, the ribs were delicious but arrived not frozen! If there was dry ice it was long gone and no evidence of it remained. I emailed them and they offered to replace, refund or credit my account. I took the offer of replacing in my next box. My biggest concern is now summer is approaching and hotter temps. I voiced my concern, but they didn't have much to say but if I have problems, let them know. I hate to complain but this stuff is not cheap! Mr. Roadrunner has always complimented their good packing and everything in the past being frozen like a rock.

Speaking of Chicken, I also belong to Misfits Market and get a box weekly of veggies and other things. This week they also had chicken at about $10 each and I have one coming. The last time I did a Costco Insta Cart, I bought three of the rotisserie chickens and threw them in the freezer (as is). We have defrosted and eaten them and they are so good!

Last week, I cooked up around 5 good size chicken breasts in my slow cooker. I was making chicken and rice. The recipe I used said to cook on high for 3 hours. I checked the internal temp of the chicken and it was 165 F and done so I removed them. The rice was far from done so I left it to cook more. I think another hour on high. The chicken was so good! Moist and perfectly cooked. Chicken breasts are notoriously known for getting dried out. Internal temps are the key. I just got lucky I took the temp at the right time and pulled them out.

Oh, and I also bought a corned beef from Butcher Box. It was $36 if I recall. It looked really nice but shrunk up considerably. We got two dinners and two sandwiches out of it. Not a lot for $36! A month or so previously, I had cooked a corned beef from the grocery store and it had been frozen a long time. The price was much, much less and just as good as BB and maybe even better. I see now they have reduced the price to $30. Not sure I will spend the money on a BB corned beef again.

After about a year or so with BB I am now seeing what things that are worth the money and not worth the money. I am following in your footsteps and next month I am ordering the big box of 12 items. In my box I have already filled it with steaks and chuck roasts. This month I got the ground pork and ground beef blast so I am stocked up on that.

I don't have sous vide option here but I will use that mayo tip on the steaks next time!

Oh, and I have one more somewhat minor complaint about BB. I have noticed that when I thaw out ground beef, steaks, chicken the blood leaks out of the packaging. Lucky I have been around the block too many times to count so I always put the stuff defrosting in plastic ziplocks to catch the blood if it leaks. However, it irks me to waste my plastic bags! I reuse them when possible but blood is where I usually draw the line.

Thanks for giving more intel on BB!  I'll keep their corned beef OFF the menu.

Sometimes I go in and change my box date by a couple of days.  If I make my box date a Sunday, it usually arrives on Monday, which usually works for me.  This month I didn't have to change it, but I will for April.

I had one box that arrived with things slightly defrosted.  I'm worried about the heat too, and will keep a close eye on it and complain if necessary.  Only once has my box arrived with any of the dry ice intact, but luckily it's usually fewer than 24 hours from shipping to arrival.

I see that the BB chicken deal is already gone.  I cook chicken by temperature as well, but I've never tried cooking it with rice in the slow cooker.

We're working on eating through the refrigerator this week (started last week).  My family doesn't love when I do this, but they'll live.  We're now out of fresh fruit, but we still have frozen fruit, canned pineapple, and jarred applesauce.  I prepped all of the refrigerated vegetables last Thursday, and we still have carrots and cabbage to eat.  Today we'll be eating leftover cabbage and ground beef from St. Patrick's Day.  Tomorrow I'll do a sheet pan supper with the last of the potatoes, which are a little soft but will roast in chunks just fine, as well as carrots, and we'll have a cabbage salad with both meals.  I'll sauté the last of the cabbage to eat with eggs on Wednesday. The plan is for groceries Wednesday, as our last full shop was 3/3 (the young adults did a perishables run on 3/11 but that has all been eaten).

When I get groceries I'm going to start stocking the pantry foods I know we'll eat, like canned pineapple, jarred applesauce, pasta and sauce, and peanut butter.  Well, I eat very little of that, but the rest of them do.

Our neighbor gave us another 20 or so avocados and they're beginning to ripen, so all meals will have avocado for the next week.  The neighbor doesn't like avocados!  These are very thinned skin and the skin doesn't separate from the flesh easily, but since they are a windfall and she gives us more than we can eat, I just don't worry about getting every single bit from each avocado.

I bought a new rice cooker.  We had donated our large 10 cup rice cooker because we thought we'd never need it again.  It wasn't even that huge, but made far more rice than we need for a family of four, and we didn't like it compared to our smaller Zojirushi.  Our small three cup Zo didn't make enough rice to feed five adults over spring break (not with two of them being competitive athletes who eat hug amounts of food), so I spent more hands-on time cooking for us versus the young adults taking responsibility.  A 5 cup Zo would have sufficed, but I bought a 10 cup so we can make porridge again.  (I spent several mornings constantly stirring a pot of cornmeal mush for everyone.)  Since rice and other grains are inexpensive, having an easy way to cook them will be nice.  Count me as one of the people who don't love how the Instant Pot cooks grains.  DH will also take the new large rice cooker to races to cook rice for his team.

K_in_the_Kitchen I read your comment earlier on the good deal at BB and I decided to go in and look. I scooped up the B2G1 chicken deal. I have a question for you. I am buying the large custom box (12 items) and then the chickens and the free stuff and then the replacement stuff. My question is when you ordered the 12 item box did your order come in two boxes or one. If I get one box it is going to be HUGE and pretty heavy.

I also never thought about moving my day of delivery. I will do that because I am also afraid the box will get hung up over the weekend somewhere on a truck.

As far as my chicken and rice, it was just okay. The chicken was great but the rice was kind of mushy. I wonder if anyone can suggest a rice that is more firm when finished cooking in Crockpot.

I used to have a Instant pot but I just couldn't get into it. I bought a 10 quart one. I used it quite a few times and kind of prefer cooking in the slow cooker better. I know I am in the minority here. The only one thing that I really liked it for was making yogurt but it is just the two of us and Mr. Roadrunner isn't a big yogurt eater unless I prepare a bowl of it with fruit for him. He would probably never hunt down the yogurt in the fridge. So, I ended up donating the Instantpot to Goodwill. I have three crockpots. A big one, small one and rectangular one. I also have an old pressure cooker that I used to love to use.

Since I almost never go to the store I have been trying to figure out ways to extend the life of my veggies. Lettuce it the biggest problem. I have started to buy these prebagged kale salads thru Misfits Market. The kale really holds up a pretty long time and the expiration dates on the bags are quite long. Then the last time I got Insta cart from Costco, I bought Romaine lettuce. I think it was 5 heads. They are still in the fridge and in good shape after weeks now. What I did was take a clean white dish towel and wrap the romaine with it then bag it in ziplocks. Making sure to get all the air out of the bag. Then I bought butter lettuce I put them in a reusable vacuum sealer bag. That lettuce has lasted a long time too. With spinach, I pour the spinach out onto a paper towel or dishcloth and roll it up and bag it in a ziplock removing air. This has worked out really good too. Mushrooms are another critter. They do not like plastic and I put them in a paper lunch bag and secure with a clip. That helps them survive for a long time too. Right now I have a bunch of peppers to cut up and onions too. The chopped onions in the freezer has worked out really great and it is nice to pull them out to cook with.

I bought some Kraft macaroni and cheese boxes and they are expiring. Mr. Roadrunner throws out anything expired and it kind of makes me crazy. Got any ideas what I can do with about 10 boxes of macaroni and cheese. It is pretty cheap but still, I hate to throw out food!

I believe May14th is the Stamp out Hunger collection day that the mail carriers pick up donations at our homes. The macaroni and cheese will be expired by then so that is a no go.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 21, 2022, 11:12:53 AM
I've also had several ButcherBox packages leak upon defrosting.  What I really hate about it is knowing that the vacuum-sealed meats weren't fully protected in the freezer :(   I did learn to inspect packaging carefully upon arrival, looking for any obvious punctures, which BB will make right.  But most of the time the package that leaks is one that didn't show any signs of not being airtight.

I've received 4 BB boxes with my offer of free ground beef for life and free NY steaks for a year.  I doubt we'll make it through the full year of the NY steak offer, especially if they can't get the meat here safely when it's hot (we have temps around 100°F late June through September).  Honestly, I resubscribed when I thought it would just be DH and I here at home, but with one young adult child home full time again it's really too expensive to be feeding everyone BB.  We'd be better off buying half a beef after we eat down the freezer, or even a full beef if there's room.  A full beef would definitely last 18 months and come in at just over $200 per month. It pushes a lot of the beef eating to ground, however.

I do a few things when defrosting meat in the refrigerator.  One is saving bags from other food items, like the plastic zipper bags that frozen produce comes in.  Or I use other food packaging bags and a twist tie, making sure to put the meats in the fridge in a way that it won't leak.  But mostly I just defrost meats on a tray or in a bowl, and then wash the tray or bowl.

I do use ziplock bags for whole chickens, and I do throw them away -- there's no point in risking salmonella poisoning.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 21, 2022, 11:35:04 AM

K_in_the_Kitchen I read your comment earlier on the good deal at BB and I decided to go in and look. I scooped up the B2G1 chicken deal. I have a question for you. I am buying the large custom box (12 items) and then the chickens and the free stuff and then the replacement stuff. My question is when you ordered the 12 item box did your order come in two boxes or one. If I get one box it is going to be HUGE and pretty heavy.

I also never thought about moving my day of delivery. I will do that because I am also afraid the box will get hung up over the weekend somewhere on a truck.

As far as my chicken and rice, it was just okay. The chicken was great but the rice was kind of mushy. I wonder if anyone can suggest a rice that is more firm when finished cooking in Crockpot.

I used to have a Instant pot but I just couldn't get into it. I bought a 10 quart one. I used it quite a few times and kind of prefer cooking in the slow cooker better. I know I am in the minority here. The only one thing that I really liked it for was making yogurt but it is just the two of us and Mr. Roadrunner isn't a big yogurt eater unless I prepare a bowl of it with fruit for him. He would probably never hunt down the yogurt in the fridge. So, I ended up donating the Instantpot to Goodwill. I have three crockpots. A big one, small one and rectangular one. I also have an old pressure cooker that I used to love to use.

Since I almost never go to the store I have been trying to figure out ways to extend the life of my veggies. Lettuce it the biggest problem. I have started to buy these prebagged kale salads thru Misfits Market. The kale really holds up a pretty long time and the expiration dates on the bags are quite long. Then the last time I got Insta cart from Costco, I bought Romaine lettuce. I think it was 5 heads. They are still in the fridge and in good shape after weeks now. What I did was take a clean white dish towel and wrap the romaine with it then bag it in ziplocks. Making sure to get all the air out of the bag. Then I bought butter lettuce I put them in a reusable vacuum sealer bag. That lettuce has lasted a long time too. With spinach, I pour the spinach out onto a paper towel or dishcloth and roll it up and bag it in a ziplock removing air. This has worked out really good too. Mushrooms are another critter. They do not like plastic and I put them in a paper lunch bag and secure with a clip. That helps them survive for a long time too. Right now I have a bunch of peppers to cut up and onions too. The chopped onions in the freezer has worked out really great and it is nice to pull them out to cook with.

I bought some Kraft macaroni and cheese boxes and they are expiring. Mr. Roadrunner throws out anything expired and it kind of makes me crazy. Got any ideas what I can do with about 10 boxes of macaroni and cheese. It is pretty cheap but still, I hate to throw out food!

I believe May14th is the Stamp out Hunger collection day that the mail carriers pick up donations at our homes. The macaroni and cheese will be expired by then so that is a no go.

The time I got the 12 item box everything still came in one large box, but with another large order I got two boxes, so it probably depends on total weight and volume.

I always set my box to close on a Sunday, so they have all week to get it to me.  For my box they ship from the S.F. bay area, so it doesn't have really far to go.

I use the Instant Pot mostly for pinto beans and other basics rather than full meals.  It's great for cooking sweet potatoes, hard-cooked eggs, etc.  It does do a decent whole chicken if I'm pressed for time, but I'd rather use a slow cooker (which I no longer have) or just the stove top.  I no longer think of the Instant Pot as a must have, however, whereas I used it almost daily when we ate plant-based and were feeding the whole family.  I do like that I can use it for sous vide without needing all of the separate sous vide cooker tools, but it's definitely limited in how much it can hold.  I never used it for yogurt since my yogurt method is dead simple using ultra-pasteurized milk and an Excalibur dehydrator.

As for the macaroni and cheese, if I were you I would decant all of the pasta into a bulk container and toss the packets if your DH won't eat expired food.  I'm sure it's the cheese packets that force the expiration, not the pasta.  Then I would use the pasta in soups or casseroles.  We aren't macaroni and cheese people, since one kid can't have gluten and the other is allergic to dairy.

We do really well with not letting produce spoil.  Like you, DH has found that Costco romaine hearts last several weeks if stored well.  We've also bought their kale salad as a long lasting option.  If we buy baby carrots we drain them, then store with paper towels (regular carrots last a long time without help).  Non-staining produce gets wrapped in flour sacks towels set aside for that purpose (kept out of the general cleaning towels).  It's amazing what a help it is to get produce out of the plastic packaging they sell it in!

With the warm and hot weather arriving, we won't be able to keep potatoes even a week, so we switch to eating more rice.  I store potatoes in a canvas bag hanging in the pantry, which usually gives us a month or more, but once it's hot all bets are off.  Sweet potatoes and onions also won't last as long.  I'm really happy with the frozen diced sweet potatoes I bought from Azure, and the frozen diced potatoes as well.  I plan to experiment with making an Indian potato dish with the frozen potatoes and canned chiles, just to see if we like it enough to have as another option when we haven't been gotten groceries.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 21, 2022, 12:09:39 PM
The time I got the 12 item box everything still came in one large box, but with another large order I got two boxes, so it probably depends on total weight and volume.

I always set my box to close on a Sunday, so they have all week to get it to me.  For my box they ship from the S.F. bay area, so it doesn't have really far to go.

I use the Instant Pot mostly for pinto beans and other basics rather than full meals.  It's great for cooking sweet potatoes, hard-cooked eggs, etc.  It does do a decent whole chicken if I'm pressed for time, but I'd rather use a slow cooker (which I no longer have) or just the stove top.  I no longer think of the Instant Pot as a must have, however, whereas I used it almost daily when we ate plant-based and were feeding the whole family.  I do like that I can use it for sous vide without needing all of the separate sous vide cooker tools, but it's definitely limited in how much it can hold.  I never used it for yogurt since my yogurt method is dead simple using ultra-pasteurized milk and an Excalibur dehydrator.

As for the macaroni and cheese, if I were you I would decant all of the pasta into a bulk container and toss the packets if your DH won't eat expired food.  I'm sure it's the cheese packets that force the expiration, not the pasta.  Then I would use the pasta in soups or casseroles.  We aren't macaroni and cheese people, since one kid can't have gluten and the other is allergic to dairy.

We do really well with not letting produce spoil.  Like you, DH has found that Costco romaine hearts last several weeks if stored well.  We've also bought their kale salad as a long lasting option.  If we buy baby carrots we drain them, then store with paper towels (regular carrots last a long time without help).  Non-staining produce gets wrapped in flour sacks towels set aside for that purpose (kept out of the general cleaning towels).  It's amazing what a help it is to get produce out of the plastic packaging they sell it in!

With the warm and hot weather arriving, we won't be able to keep potatoes even a week, so we switch to eating more rice.  I store potatoes in a canvas bag hanging in the pantry, which usually gives us a month or more, but once it's hot all bets are off.  Sweet potatoes and onions also won't last as long.  I'm really happy with the frozen diced sweet potatoes I bought from Azure, and the frozen diced potatoes as well.  I plan to experiment with making an Indian potato dish with the frozen potatoes and canned chiles, just to see if we like it enough to have as another option when we haven't been gotten groceries.
[/quote]

I did just that on my closing date a little while ago. Closing date Sunday and delivery Mon-Thurs. That should work out much better! Thanks for the tip! If the delivery people would come at a normal time, that would be great too!

Good idea on the macaroni. I will tell Mr. Roadrunner to do that! He is the inventory manager of the food warehouse! I cannot convince him stuff doesn't automatically rot by the use by date. I worked in the food industry for 18 years and did shelf life studies to determine how long products last. The worst that usually happens is that the nutritional value is depleted or the flavor is a bit diminished. Doubtful macaroni and cheese powder will go to hell in a few weeks time. I have to laugh but he is skeptical and won't eat it. UGH! (Tearing my hair out!) The food products I worked on were refrigerated products, not dehydrated. Refrigerated would go bad sooner than any dried product. Oh well!

Sometimes I have bread for a while in the fridge. Mr. Roadrunner will ask me if it is still good. I tell him if it isn't green, it is still good. He seems to deal with it! Mostly I keep my bread in the freezer so it stays okay.

I also cannot keep onions or potatoes long before the onions get soft and the potatoes sprout legs. I baked up Costco Idaho potatoes and froze them whole. I have found that I can either use them baked or cut them up and use them. Plus, I have been making French Fries which have not been quite perfected yet. Still a work in progress. As far as potatoes go, I have also bought canned whole and sliced potatoes to have on hand when I am out of potatoes. Have not used them much but on youtube some people thought they were excellent. Gotta think outside the box sometimes!

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Tick-Tock on March 21, 2022, 01:39:14 PM
The food bank I volunteer for doesn’t seem to care about expiration dates. The only things we are instructed to toss because they are expired or are about to expire are baby food products.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 21, 2022, 01:53:04 PM

I did just that on my closing date a little while ago. Closing date Sunday and delivery Mon-Thurs. That should work out much better! Thanks for the tip! If the delivery people would come at a normal time, that would be great too!

Good idea on the macaroni. I will tell Mr. Roadrunner to do that! He is the inventory manager of the food warehouse! I cannot convince him stuff doesn't automatically rot by the use by date. I worked in the food industry for 18 years and did shelf life studies to determine how long products last. The worst that usually happens is that the nutritional value is depleted or the flavor is a bit diminished. Doubtful macaroni and cheese powder will go to hell in a few weeks time. I have to laugh but he is skeptical and won't eat it. UGH! (Tearing my hair out!) The food products I worked on were refrigerated products, not dehydrated. Refrigerated would go bad sooner than any dried product. Oh well!

Sometimes I have bread for a while in the fridge. Mr. Roadrunner will ask me if it is still good. I tell him if it isn't green, it is still good. He seems to deal with it! Mostly I keep my bread in the freezer so it stays okay.

I also cannot keep onions or potatoes long before the onions get soft and the potatoes sprout legs. I baked up Costco Idaho potatoes and froze them whole. I have found that I can either use them baked or cut them up and use them. Plus, I have been making French Fries which have not been quite perfected yet. Still a work in progress. As far as potatoes go, I have also bought canned whole and sliced potatoes to have on hand when I am out of potatoes. Have not used them much but on youtube some people thought they were excellent. Gotta think outside the box sometimes!

I doubt the cheese powder will go bad, but I figure that's the part he might worry about.

For us, the inability to store potatoes longer term occurs just as we find ourselves not wanting to heat up the kitchen to bake potatoes anyway.  Right now, with warm weather, we get about one week of life from a bag of potatoes. By July I don't expect more than a few days -- potatoes seems to really not like the heat.  Although maybe it has to do with how far past harvest the potatoes are too?  This year I have a toaster oven, so I plan to move that outside if I buy potatoes to bake.

How do you keep your chopped onions from causing odors in the freezer?  I do okay if I cook them first, but when I did raw onions the smell was quite strong, even double bagged, or wrapped in cling wrap and then bagged.

Our main meal today ended up being an egg casserole made with the leftover cabbage and ground beef.  I mixed it with frozen shredded potatoes and grated cheese before topping it with the egg mixture.  We're out of milk, so I used water and sour cream with the eggs, along with salt and onion powder.  There are now leftovers of the casserole, so we'll eat it for breakfast and again at supper time Wednesday.

I actually love the weeks when I stretch the food we have -- I have to be creative and there is a satisfaction is feeding everyone well without them feeling deprived.  If it wasn't for being out of fresh fruit they wouldn't even know I'd skipped shopping for groceries -- I'm really glad I got our youngest to give up drinking milk.  I'm planning to settle us into getting groceries twice a month, or maybe every two weeks.  I know it saves money.  To me this is one of the main reasons for being stocked up (or as our thread title puts it, "hoarding").  I could even go to once a month, but they all love fresh fruit and we're coming into the time of year when it's abundant and cheap, cheaper than frozen fruit.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 21, 2022, 02:24:12 PM
I am sure the cheese powder is fine but can't convince him. We will keep the pasta and toss the packets like you suggested. I actually have some cheese powder I got from Amazon that is supposed to be the same stuff so I will just use that. Haha, I wonder if it is expired? I won't tell him if it is!

The onions do sometimes smell and other times don't. Maybe it is the type of onions.

I just cut up 4 giant onions and froze them and cut up 4 more and put in crockpot to caramelize. Will let them cook all night on low. The onions are huge so I cut each one up and put each in a quart ziplock. They are the freezer bags so they are thicker I guess maybe the smell is harder to get thru them.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 22, 2022, 04:58:24 PM
K_in_the_kitchen Just thought I would critique my latest Butcher Box meat. Right now, I am cooking a chuck roast . It was only 36 ounces. Very small to begin with! I have been cooking it in my crockpot and it is done after about 6 hours on high. Just tasted a piece of the meat and it is very good. But, OMG, do not plan to feed more than two people! The hunk of meat shrunk a lot. I know chuck roasts shrink and normally when I buy one, I would buy a much bigger one. I don't know why BB doesn't have bigger cuts for these cuts of meat! If you plan to feed a family, I suggest at least two if not three of these roasts! Mr. Roadrunner and I will have dinner on it and very little left over.

Chuck roast is one of my most favorite meats to cook so as good as it tastes, the amount is a disappointment. Oh well, lesson learned!

Well, here is an amendment, once we cut the meat, it was more meat than we expected. It would have fed 4 people, but still was a very small roast and not what I am used to. Flavor was very good. If I were to have guests, this meat was cutting it very close.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 23, 2022, 02:45:31 AM
Expiration dates: https://www.hungry-girl.com/ask-hg-q-and-a/sell-by-use-by-dates-on-food
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SailingOnASmallSailboat on March 23, 2022, 06:21:32 AM
Expiration dates, take 2: https://www.nytimes.com/article/expiration-dates-coronavirus.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20220323&instance_id=56454&nl=the-morning&regi_id=51069051&segment_id=86269&te=1&user_id=f32ab5c5aa3a800def3de91c87c2e747 (https://www.nytimes.com/article/expiration-dates-coronavirus.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20220323&instance_id=56454&nl=the-morning&regi_id=51069051&segment_id=86269&te=1&user_id=f32ab5c5aa3a800def3de91c87c2e747)

If it's behind a paywall, the summary is:
1) expiration dates "act solely as the manufacturer’s best guess as to when its product will no longer be at peak quality, whatever that means."
2) "unrefined grains contain fats, and fats are the first thing to go off when it comes to dry pantry staples" (white rice lasts longer than brown. Grits and steel cut oats go off faster than their instant counterparts. White flour lasts longer than WW. You get the idea.)
3) Use your eyes and nose and ears when opening stuff. If it looks off, smells off, or sounds off (open the jar and it hisses at you, for example) don't use it.

Now if only I could get my son to realize all this! He's like another poster's SO - if the date is past, the item is bad, no questions asked and straight into the trash.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 23, 2022, 06:39:48 AM
Expiration dates, take 2: https://www.nytimes.com/article/expiration-dates-coronavirus.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20220323&instance_id=56454&nl=the-morning&regi_id=51069051&segment_id=86269&te=1&user_id=f32ab5c5aa3a800def3de91c87c2e747 (https://www.nytimes.com/article/expiration-dates-coronavirus.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20220323&instance_id=56454&nl=the-morning&regi_id=51069051&segment_id=86269&te=1&user_id=f32ab5c5aa3a800def3de91c87c2e747)

If it's behind a paywall, the summary is:
1) expiration dates "act solely as the manufacturer’s best guess as to when its product will no longer be at peak quality, whatever that means."
2) "unrefined grains contain fats, and fats are the first thing to go off when it comes to dry pantry staples" (white rice lasts longer than brown. Grits and steel cut oats go off faster than their instant counterparts. White flour lasts longer than WW. You get the idea.)
3) Use your eyes and nose and ears when opening stuff. If it looks off, smells off, or sounds off (open the jar and it hisses at you, for example) don't use it.

Now if only I could get my son to realize all this! He's like another poster's SO - if the date is past, the item is bad, no questions asked and straight into the trash.

Peak quality is when all nutritional values and flavors are still intact. If a manufacturer says there is so much Vit. C, for example, in the product it has to be in a certain range to be considered in compliance. That is what storage studies establish. Products are stored at various temperatures. Frozen would be basically the gold standard and nothing really changes. Regular refrigerator temperatures, elevated temperatures for a certain period of time to see how much abuse the product can take and still be in compliance. At certain periods of time the samples are pulled from the storage chambers and sent for microscopic and chemical analysis to see if the nutritional's are falling off and if the products remain safe for consumption. Once they are cleared usually trained sensory panels taste these products and can determine rancidity or off flavors or if the product remains fresh tasting.

I cannot convince Mr. Roadrunner that the expiration date isn't the date of death for a product. When he sees me eating expired product, I know he thinks I am part neanderthal. Oh well!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on March 23, 2022, 07:19:11 AM
I cannot convince Mr. Roadrunner that the expiration date isn't the date of death for a product. When he sees me eating expired product, I know he thinks I am part neanderthal. Oh well!

It's a valid concern, I've died several times eating yogurt past it's expiry date.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on March 23, 2022, 11:38:31 AM
Before expiration dates were a thing, people ate old food all the time.  No one gave it a thought.  We're too easily led these days, and are soft on critical thinking skills.

As I said in a long-ago post, I once called up Maple Leaf foods, because they had a code on the canned ham rather than a date, and I was told what the date was, but that the product is actually good for 2 years past that.  Well, it was something like 4 years old, so I gave it to the dog who seemed to enjoy it.  So I don't take dates too seriously.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on March 23, 2022, 01:03:23 PM
Well, it was something like 4 years old, so I gave it to the dog who seemed to enjoy it.

To be fair . . . my Beagle heartily enjoyed eating poop.  Not sure that canine happiness is a ringing endorsement of suitability/quality for food.

:P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on March 23, 2022, 02:22:38 PM
Well, it was something like 4 years old, so I gave it to the dog who seemed to enjoy it.

To be fair . . . my Beagle heartily enjoyed eating poop.  Not sure that canine happiness is a ringing endorsement of suitability/quality for food.

:P

Ha! True.  Although my dog has been known to turn up her nose at some things, so it couldn't have been all that bad.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 23, 2022, 04:34:19 PM
K_in_the_kitchen Just thought I would critique my latest Butcher Box meat. Right now, I am cooking a chuck roast . It was only 36 ounces. Very small to begin with! I have been cooking it in my crockpot and it is done after about 6 hours on high. Just tasted a piece of the meat and it is very good. But, OMG, do not plan to feed more than two people! The hunk of meat shrunk a lot. I know chuck roasts shrink and normally when I buy one, I would buy a much bigger one. I don't know why BB doesn't have bigger cuts for these cuts of meat! If you plan to feed a family, I suggest at least two if not three of these roasts! Mr. Roadrunner and I will have dinner on it and very little left over.

Chuck roast is one of my most favorite meats to cook so as good as it tastes, the amount is a disappointment. Oh well, lesson learned!

Well, here is an amendment, once we cut the meat, it was more meat than we expected. It would have fed 4 people, but still was a very small roast and not what I am used to. Flavor was very good. If I were to have guests, this meat was cutting it very close.

We tried the chuck roast a few months ago.  It was tiny, and barely fed the four of us.  It's rather sad, because I love a good pot roast made with chuck.

I cooked up some of the BB breakfast sausage today, and it was a disappointment.  We usually buy Beeler's pork sausage at the health food store, and it's far superior to this.  I cooked 3# today and I hope my kid likes it enough to eat it.  I'm now of the opinion that BB isn't sourcing very good pork, not for the sausage or the thick cut bacon.

We did try the apple gouda sausage last night, and it was good, but it's technically from Niman Ranch, BB just sells it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 23, 2022, 05:08:28 PM
K_in_the_kitchen Just thought I would critique my latest Butcher Box meat. Right now, I am cooking a chuck roast . It was only 36 ounces. Very small to begin with! I have been cooking it in my crockpot and it is done after about 6 hours on high. Just tasted a piece of the meat and it is very good. But, OMG, do not plan to feed more than two people! The hunk of meat shrunk a lot. I know chuck roasts shrink and normally when I buy one, I would buy a much bigger one. I don't know why BB doesn't have bigger cuts for these cuts of meat! If you plan to feed a family, I suggest at least two if not three of these roasts! Mr. Roadrunner and I will have dinner on it and very little left over.

Chuck roast is one of my most favorite meats to cook so as good as it tastes, the amount is a disappointment. Oh well, lesson learned!

Well, here is an amendment, once we cut the meat, it was more meat than we expected. It would have fed 4 people, but still was a very small roast and not what I am used to. Flavor was very good. If I were to have guests, this meat was cutting it very close.

We tried the chuck roast a few months ago.  It was tiny, and barely fed the four of us.  It's rather sad, because I love a good pot roast made with chuck.

I cooked up some of the BB breakfast sausage today, and it was a disappointment.  We usually buy Beeler's pork sausage at the health food store, and it's far superior to this.  I cooked 3# today and I hope my kid likes it enough to eat it.  I'm now of the opinion that BB isn't sourcing very good pork, not for the sausage or the thick cut bacon.

We did try the apple gouda sausage last night, and it was good, but it's technically from Niman Ranch, BB just sells it.

Yes, the apple gouda sausage is good.

I learned my lesson long ago on corned beef shrinking up. If I ever have guests, I would have probably 2 roasts. I would rather have a ton left over than have not enough to feed my guests!

As far as BB goes for pork, don't forget the pork butt. It is a big piece of blubber.

I like the ribs and especially the precooked ones. However, as usual, they are small and only feed two people. We are people that like leftovers so most of the meat doesn't allow for it. So you have to cook double!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 27, 2022, 10:35:56 AM
 K_in_the_kitchen

I am sure you got the email from Butcher Box in regard to prices going up.

Custom Classic is $169 (up $10), Custom Big is $306 (up $18).

I ran across another place called Farm Foods. I only looked quickly but I think it said there were no memberships. You just order what you want and shipping is free. If you get a chance, check it out and let us know what you think.

https://www.farmfoodsmarket.com/?c=grassfed&msclkid=5c39605bf17d1662e841021b633d5947&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search%20-%20Grass%20Fed%20Beef&utm_term=grass%20fed%20animals&utm_content=Grass%20Fed%20Beef

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 27, 2022, 06:20:06 PM
K_in_the_kitchen

I am sure you got the email from Butcher Box in regard to prices going up.

Custom Classic is $169 (up $10), Custom Big is $306 (up $18).

I ran across another place called Farm Foods. I only looked quickly but I think it said there were no memberships. You just order what you want and shipping is free. If you get a chance, check it out and let us know what you think.

https://www.farmfoodsmarket.com/?c=grassfed&msclkid=5c39605bf17d1662e841021b633d5947&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search%20-%20Grass%20Fed%20Beef&utm_term=grass%20fed%20animals&utm_content=Grass%20Fed%20Beef

I just saw the email and came here to see if anyone was talking about it.  I'm not really surprised about the cost increase, although it seems there was another $10 increase not that long ago.

FarmFoods looks pretty good.  I'll probably go with Mariposa Ranch if I order bulk or do a subscription.  Since they're based in California my shipping is free, and I've met the owner (several times, actually, as in his early days he used to deliver my beef himself).

We had the most delicious prime filet last night.  The meat came from Costco, so it wasn't grass-fed or finished, but it was very good.  I did sous vide at 125°F for about an hour, and then browned the steaks in a cast iron skillet using the mayo hack for browning.  They were seriously better than what we've had at various prime steakhouses.  I think they were about $20 per pound, which is significantly less expensive than ButcherBox.  With BB and the new prices, 12 ounces of filet is 1 choice, which comes out to  just over $37 per pound.  (This doesn't have the freebies figured in.)  And the Costco steaks were nearly 2" thick!

It's time to talk to the family about food prices and making adjustments.  I'm sure they would prefer a great steak meal like last night to anything I've received from BB.  I know it's not quite apples to apples since Costco beef isn't grass-fed and finished, but in the past we've made the choice to eat less meat overall and then give ourselves a pass on where we source it.  No one can be perfect, and there are environmental concerns about sourcing grass-fed and finished beef from Argentina, which BB does.

We don't have to give up pastured meats completely.  Costco carries Tejon Ranch grass-fed Polish sausages -- they're under $10 per pound they often go on sale for less than that.  Sprouts sometimes has grass-fed roasts on sale, and their grass-fed ground beef is reasonably priced.

I suppose it's just the Mustachian way to make changes during economically difficult times.  We'll make more vegetarian meals, and eat eggs for protein more often than meat.  Our goal is a nutritionally dense diet made up of unprocessed and minimally processed foods.  During the Great Recession we gave up pastured meats, and we can do it again.

(The Costco steak was intended as an absolute splurge to celebrate a feast on Friday, but then I fell and we had to move the meal a day.  Even my kid knew that it was more money than we normally spend on one meal.  But BB for three people has been pushing up the cost of meat for us anyway -- it's not as reasonable when feeding hungry young adults.)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MissNancyPryor on March 27, 2022, 06:58:28 PM
I was shopping for online meats and ordered 10x 1-lb units of chicken skin at 3.99 per pound plus $20 flat fee shipping.  They sent me 10x 3-lb units for that price. 

I thought I must have screwed up but I see that all they offer now is 3-lb units for $9 each and my order for 10 units its still sitting there, priced at 39.90 total plus $20 shipping, filled and completed.  I have a sense of guilt but there is no way I can return the excess obviously since it is a food product.  All I can figure is that I must have hit the cusp of a product size packaging changeover at the plant, and ten units is ten units as far as the order pickers were concerned. 

I have inadvertently hoarded 30 pounds of chicken skins at $2 per pound all in, brought to my door.  They are really tasty fried in their own schmaltz and my freezer is very full.     
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on March 27, 2022, 06:59:58 PM
I have inadvertently hoarded 30 pounds of chicken skins at $2 per pound all in, brought to my door.  They are really tasty fried in their own schmaltz and my freezer is very full.     
Good for you!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jrhampt on March 28, 2022, 11:07:57 AM
I'm just here to say that Costco steaks are delicious.  We never go out for steak anymore because why bother when we have Costco and a grill.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 28, 2022, 11:31:21 AM
I'm just here to say that Costco steaks are delicious.  We never go out for steak anymore because why bother when we have Costco and a grill.

What are your favorite steaks?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jrhampt on March 28, 2022, 11:39:55 AM
I'm just here to say that Costco steaks are delicious.  We never go out for steak anymore because why bother when we have Costco and a grill.

What are your favorite steaks?

I like the top sirloin cap.  It's not very expensive relative to some other cuts and it's nice and tender.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 28, 2022, 01:41:38 PM
I'm just here to say that Costco steaks are delicious.  We never go out for steak anymore because why bother when we have Costco and a grill.
Yep, I don't think we've ever had a bad Costco steak.  The grocery store is far more hit-or-miss, even with "choice" beef.  I think because more than half of all beef is graded "choice" there's a wide variability in the quality.  Grass-fed and grass finished beef typically isn't graded, but if you look at examples and the BB steaks you can see that they would probably be graded select or choice based on marbling.  Of course, marbling isn't the only factor in how beef tastes

My Costco never has the sirloin cap -- maybe I need to go at opening?  We've had the ButcherBox sirloin cap and it's quite good.  I cook it sous vide and then sear it in cast iron.  Actually, that's pretty much how I cook any thick steaks now -- I use the grill for thinner steaks.

I'm trying to simplify our groceries without spending too much money.  I'm not at a place in life anymore where I want to shop at 3-5 different stores.  We may go back to shopping at Costco 1-2x per month and then fill in with loss leader produce as needed.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jrhampt on March 29, 2022, 05:37:23 AM
^^  Yes, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Costco steaks.  We shop at Costco a couple times a month as well and supplement with stop and shop for smaller produce quantities when needed, fresh herbs and other miscellaneous stuff.  Costco also has excellent wine and cheese at great prices.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on March 29, 2022, 06:22:54 AM
Here is a pretty good resource on companies selling meat online.


https://www.smokedbbqsource.com/best-mail-order-steaks/


Tri tails beef   https://tritailsbeef.com/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on March 29, 2022, 04:26:24 PM
^^  Yes, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Costco steaks.  We shop at Costco a couple times a month as well and supplement with stop and shop for smaller produce quantities when needed, fresh herbs and other miscellaneous stuff.  Costco also has excellent wine and cheese at great prices.

My ButcherBox order arrived today.  The filets are slightly undersized, which is probably why they threw in an extra.  That works well for us, as 9 is perfectly visible by 3.  But considering the quality issues and doing the math, I don't we will keep ordering BB.  If I include the 2# of ground beef, our box contained 7 meals for 3 people, with the filet meals being a bit stingy for the young adult.  That comes out to almost $23 per meal, but is majorly skewed by the ground beef, since no one is going to pay $23 for a pound of ground beef.  Leaving out the ground beef freebie, but keeping the NY steak freebie, the meals are just under $32 each.  Without the NY steak freebie (which isn't available now and I think it was a glitch that let me have both freebies when I reactivated my account), we received 4.33 meals, which comes in at almost $37 per meal.  For meat that is at times quite good and at times quite bad.  Also, I'm not adjusting for weight.  When we eat the NY steaks we eat 3 of the 10 oz. steaks, and for the filet we'll eat 3 of the not-quite 6 oz. steaks.  Last night 3 of us shared a 20 oz. sirloin cap steak.  I just figure out how much we need to feed all three of us.

We definitely think Costco has great cheese at good prices!  Surprisingly, so does Aldi, although the selection is more hit-or-miss.  We could probably get by with Costco 1-2x a month and Aldi the rest of the time, as the young adult will eat Aldi gluten free bread.  But Sprouts is the store I can walk to, so there's that.

Edited to add:  Once again, my Costco didn't have the sirloin cap steak.  But they did have lamb chops, which I haven't seen in several months.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 03, 2022, 04:55:29 PM
I am sure you all have heard the price of meat is going up a lot! Chicken is going up, I read, 70%! That is insane! They say the reason is the feed that they give the animals. Not sure if it is because of the feed price going up or a shortage.

This is even more strange! My friend in Michigan went to Meijer grocery store today and happened to be in the aisle that has condiments. The pickle area was totally wiped out! PICKLES???

I also wanted to buy canned meat thru Keystone meats and when I went to their website yesterday the only meat that had was chicken in 28 ounce cans. They normally have turkey, beef chunks, ground beef and chicken. I ended up buying a case of chicken. Shipping is expensive!

I also heard that Costco is limiting one bag of dog food per day. I think cat food too. I don't think you can buy it, bring it to your car, then go back and buy another one. I don't buy my dog food there so no concern to me.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on April 03, 2022, 05:39:59 PM
The price of chicken (and eggs) will continue to go up because of the avian flu that is causing flocks to be culled.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Missy B on April 03, 2022, 05:55:26 PM
I am sure you all have heard the price of meat is going up a lot! Chicken is going up, I read, 70%! That is insane! They say the reason is the feed that they give the animals. Not sure if it is because of the feed price going up or a shortage.

This is even more strange! My friend in Michigan went to Meijer grocery store today and happened to be in the aisle that has condiments. The pickle area was totally wiped out! PICKLES???

I also wanted to buy canned meat thru Keystone meats and when I went to their website yesterday the only meat that had was chicken in 28 ounce cans. They normally have turkey, beef chunks, ground beef and chicken. I ended up buying a case of chicken. Shipping is expensive!

I also heard that Costco is limiting one bag of dog food per day. I think cat food too. I don't think you can buy it, bring it to your car, then go back and buy another one. I don't buy my dog food there so no concern to me.
Well, now. Back in the deep lockdown when I was shopping in the condiments aisle, I took note that near everything was gone. But pickles. Every kind of pickle was in stock. Big, small, dill, extra garlic, no garlic sweet sandwich... all were there. But nothing else.

And I thought,  You fools. Loading up on extra-chunky Djon mustard and green-tea mayonnaise and pickled fava beans and passing by the Bickles.
I knew they would realize to their sorrow how much they want the comfort of a nice, crunchy, savory pickle when there are no jars left.
The pickles have come home to roost now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 03, 2022, 06:19:33 PM
I am sure you all have heard the price of meat is going up a lot! Chicken is going up, I read, 70%! That is insane! They say the reason is the feed that they give the animals. Not sure if it is because of the feed price going up or a shortage.

This is even more strange! My friend in Michigan went to Meijer grocery store today and happened to be in the aisle that has condiments. The pickle area was totally wiped out! PICKLES???

I also wanted to buy canned meat thru Keystone meats and when I went to their website yesterday the only meat that had was chicken in 28 ounce cans. They normally have turkey, beef chunks, ground beef and chicken. I ended up buying a case of chicken. Shipping is expensive!

I also heard that Costco is limiting one bag of dog food per day. I think cat food too. I don't think you can buy it, bring it to your car, then go back and buy another one. I don't buy my dog food there so no concern to me.

I read that chicken and ground beef prices are going up, but steaks prices are leveling off and could even drop in price as consumers choose less expensive meats in order to afford basic groceries.  Plus as @Cranky mentioned, there's an avian flu thing affecting chicken and egg prices as well.

We have some boneless/skinless chicken breast in the freezer.  Instead of buying more, I'm happy to stick with Costco's loss leader rotisserie chicken if we want chicken -- the end up cheaper per pound cooked than b/s breasts or even whole chicken.  I have two on order and will make stock with the carcasses.

I cooked one of the extra thick ButcherBox NY steaks, and it had so much gristle!  I'm putting the BB order on pause for now.  I don't really care if we eat a lot of meat or not, and can stretch what we have in the freezer to last through the end of 2022, easily.  I ordered more of the grass-fed Polish sausages from Costco -- I realized that on sale they are $6 per pound even with the same day markup and a 10% tip. But since we only eat 4 at a time, the are $4.49 per meal.  Not bad for grass-fed and finished beef.  So we have plenty of those in the freezer too.

I really hope we don't end up with dog food shortages.  We've decided the GSD is just way too picky to buy more than one bag at a time.  It's not worth it to fight to get him to eat.  We have one bag unopened in the house that we bought in late February, and we aren't buying more until that bag is nearly gone.  As it is, we should already be through the bag that's open, but he isn't eating as much as he should and the chihuahua barely makes a dent in it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 03, 2022, 06:24:03 PM

Well, now. Back in the deep lockdown when I was shopping in the condiments aisle, I took note that near everything was gone. But pickles. Every kind of pickle was in stock. Big, small, dill, extra garlic, no garlic sweet sandwich... all were there. But nothing else.

And I thought,  You fools. Loading up on extra-chunky Djon mustard and green-tea mayonnaise and pickled fava beans and passing by the Bickles.
I knew they would realize to their sorrow how much they want the comfort of a nice, crunchy, savory pickle when there are no jars left.
The pickles have come home to roost now.

LOL!
I wonder if the pickle shortage is related to a cucumber or vinegar shortage?  Ah -- did a little sleuthing and it's a cucumber shortage.  We have six nice jars of Bubbies dill pickles in the fridge, and now I'm glad I told my husband to go easy on them.  He usually acts like a jar of pickles has a one week life once opened, and I'm like, they're pickles.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on April 03, 2022, 07:06:43 PM
Our cats’ preferred canned food, a specific Royal Canin variety, has never reappeared. It’s been over 6 months, I think.

I’m just hoping that the phenomenally expensive prescription dry food the Very Old Cat is eating now doesn’t disappear.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on April 03, 2022, 08:52:39 PM
If there is a great pickle shortage my husband will freak. That man goes though a huge quantity of pickles every week. So far the shortage of pickles and chicken is not in Virginia.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on April 04, 2022, 09:18:14 AM
Our cats’ preferred canned food, a specific Royal Canin variety, has never reappeared. It’s been over 6 months, I think.

I’m just hoping that the phenomenally expensive prescription dry food the Very Old Cat is eating now doesn’t disappear.

I went to buy a months worth of cat food this morning and there are even MORE out of stocks. I checked Amazon and they are out too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 04, 2022, 09:58:30 AM
Cranky, if you post what kind of food your cat eats, I will help you search for it.

My dog who is 18+ years old is on prescription dog food that I get from Chewy. He has minor kidney issues and is on Hills K/D canned dog food. They also make dry food for his condition, but he doesn't like it. When he first started on this food, the Vet tried him out on the lamb version. But Hills has not produced that variety in about two years. Or at least I can't find it. He seems to like the chicken varieties.

I also want to mention I went to Schwan's online. I sometimes buy a few frozen dinner items and like the frozen vegetables. So many things are out of stock there too. I decided not to order anything there today.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on April 04, 2022, 10:05:18 AM
I've had to get creative to find my dogs' food, too. Usually if you go to the website of the maker of the food, they'll have a "where to buy" section, both for online and in-person stores. I started using k9cuisine.com and have been happy with it, FWIW. Chewy stopped carrying one dog's food, and both Chewy and Amazon are out of stock of the other dog's food. (I know this sounds crazy, but when you have a 6 pound dog and a 64 pound dog, they have different nutrition needs! :-) )

I did try to get the food locally from a family-owned, independent farm and ranch supply store, but when I went back to get it on the day they said it would be in... they had piles of food from the brand we use, but not the particular type of food I'd asked for, without any explanation or apology. So if you try this, make sure you have a backup and/or don't wait till the last minute! As much as I'd like to support a local family, I won't be shopping there again.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PoutineLover on April 04, 2022, 12:48:27 PM
My cat's prescription diet food has been out of stock in the size that I usually buy, but I was able to get a bigger bag. I hope this doesn't become a recurring issue, already the new bag will last twice as long and I don't really want to buy so much that it goes bad.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on April 04, 2022, 01:51:48 PM
The Very Old Cat has just started on the Hills K/D dry food, which we’ve gotten from the vet. It would be more convenient to get it from Chewy, but this practice (which is the actual vet school) is hard to navigate and I feel like connecting them with Chewy is going to take more patience than I can muster. My hopeful theory is that they are more likely to get whatever limited supply of prescription food is available, ahead of any retail outlet.

The other cats eat Hills Sensitive Skin and Stomach dry food, which so far has not been in short supply, but they also get canned food. The big problem is that they will not touch paté no matter what I do to moisten it up, and while they would gobble up Fancy Feast, it produces very unpleasant results from at least two of them.

The canned foods that they *will* eat have just disappeared. The store says that they aren’t even available to order now. I’ve tried an assortment of other “grain free” kinda stuff, and it seems like every time I find one that works, “poof” it’s gone. I went to two different stores and there really isn’t much cat food out there.

They won’t starve as long as the kibble holds out, but I am not letting that run low!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on April 04, 2022, 02:27:52 PM
I had to switch my dog's food during this.  I'd been on the Blue Buffalo the whole time.  Surprise surprise, the dog actually likes and didn't react to the cheaper dog food.  Win. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 04, 2022, 03:26:03 PM
Cranky, Iti s easy to buy the prescription food from Chewy. You just select it and they ask the name of the Vet and practice. They have two options to get the prescription. You either select you will get the prescription or select you would prefer that Chewy contact the Vet office. I think they just send over an email with your name, pet's name, prescription name and the Vet's office will send the prescription over to them. It is a very smooth transaction. I always choose to have them contact the Vet office. Never had a glitch.

Just wanted to say. Back in the beginning of the pandemic, my Vets office was out of all prescription foods!  I was buying it from them. I was forced to find another supplier which was Chewy and never had issues since that time.

Also, I have found that Ebay has these prescription foods for sale. I don't get it how sellers can sell it when I need a prescription for the food thru Chewy. I complained to Ebay but last time I looked they were still selling it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on April 04, 2022, 03:32:11 PM
If I had a regular vets office, I think it would be pretty easy. However, we’re using the small animal practice at the university vet school, and it’s very, very complicated because different things are in different buildings and don’t seem to talk to each other all that well. LOL The specialized care is outstanding, though.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: kenner on April 04, 2022, 05:04:06 PM
If I had a regular vets office, I think it would be pretty easy. However, we’re using the small animal practice at the university vet school, and it’s very, very complicated because different things are in different buildings and don’t seem to talk to each other all that well. LOL The specialized care is outstanding, though.

I'm pretty sure the first time I ordered from Chewy the 'prescription' I uploaded was an email from my vet that said my cat should go on a kidney diet, so I don't think they're really all that picky.  If you can get one of your vets to write something like that, at least you'd have it available.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on April 07, 2022, 11:42:34 AM
Frozen turkeys were 25 cents a pound for some unknown reason, so my spouse bought three. I guess we’ll be good on meat and stick for a few months.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 07, 2022, 12:13:38 PM
MudPuppy, That is a fantastic price! What part of the country do you live in?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 07, 2022, 04:06:09 PM
Frozen turkeys were 25 cents a pound for some unknown reason, so my spouse bought three. I guess we’ll be good on meat and stick for a few months.

That is a great price!  Was this an advertised special?  I've seen some Easter specials on spiral hams and standing rib roasts, but not on turkey.

We're working on reducing food waste again -- it's always harder when we have young adults at home.  Today I turned three very ripe bananas into muffins to have for breakfast with eggs.  Usually I'll bake muffins as a snack, so it was a change of mindset to make them part of breakfast.

I did a little produce inventory to see if we need anything.  Much to child #2's dismay, we are out of white potatoes and I decided not to buy more until we eat the 9 pounds of sweet potatoes we have, since I expect the hot weather to reduce their longevity. Child #2 doesn't like sweet potatoes, but we have rice. I also heard complaints about the last bag of apples we purchased, but ignored them.  DH is working through the large box of tomatoes we bought by making tomato and cucumber salads, tomato and cheese sandwiches, etc.  I'll be cooking bell peppers tonight, along with zucchini -- cooking is the best way to make sure they don't go bad before we get to them.

This afternoon I had the young adult eat a cooked chicken breast we defrosted for last weekend but didn't get to because DH had leftover fried fish he ate instead.  And I pointed out that we still have half a loaf of gluten free bread, which DH and I don't eat.

I've been trying to stretch shopping out to two weeks, and while I don't care if the young adult complains, I do try to keep it unnoticed by DH.  Going shopping less often definitely helps us reduce food waste.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on April 07, 2022, 04:20:35 PM

We're working on reducing food waste again -- it's always harder when we have young adults at home.  Today I turned three very ripe bananas into muffins to have for breakfast with eggs.  Usually I'll bake muffins as a snack, so it was a change of mindset to make them part of breakfast.


Just in case you run into the "too many ripe bananas" issue again, if you have room in your freezer, you can peel them and toss them in there. Then you can defrost them to use in muffins, etc., or if you break or cut them into chunks (while still frozen) and throw them into your food processor, they turn into an ice-cream-like substance that's good on its own if you really like bananas, or even better if you add cocoa powder and/or peanut butter and/or frozen berries. And of course, they're good for smoothies, too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 07, 2022, 05:11:10 PM
This is kind of new to me, but I am pretty excited about it!

I have recently purchased canned whole potatoes. In the million years I have been alive, I have never purchased them! So, the other day, I had a dozen eggs that were getting close to expiration and as I have mentioned before, Mr. Roadrunner freaks whenever anything approaches the dreaded date. So, I boiled a dozen eggs and ate some as egg salad sammies. Then I took three cans of whole canned potatoes and rinsed them several times. I cut them up in wedges and made a potato salad with them, celery, onion, chopped up boiled eggs, mayo. It was darn good! I think freshly boiled potatoes would have been a few notches better, but it was really decent! So, canned taters will be on my shelf from now on. I know there are more recipes I could use them in but so far, the tater salad is my first experiment!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 07, 2022, 05:16:16 PM

Just in case you run into the "too many ripe bananas" issue again, if you have room in your freezer, you can peel them and toss them in there. Then you can defrost them to use in muffins, etc., or if you break or cut them into chunks (while still frozen) and throw them into your food processor, they turn into an ice-cream-like substance that's good on its own if you really like bananas, or even better if you add cocoa powder and/or peanut butter and/or frozen berries. And of course, they're good for smoothies, too.

We're definitely fans of freezing bananas and making non-dairy ice cream or smoothies with them.  I first did this in 1989 as a new bride, and having found it so successful I did it intentionally to make banana ice cream for my family when they visited our apartment. Only, I froze bananas that weren't overripe, and my family hated it.  Lesson learned!

I have a kid who adores making peanut butter chocolate frozen banana shakes.  I used to buy 5 bunches of bananas at a time (Costco) so I could let them get ripe and freeze them.  But the kid living at home hates bananas, so I leave them out of our smoothies (when we make them, which isn't that often).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 07, 2022, 05:18:12 PM
This is kind of new to me, but I am pretty excited about it!

I have recently purchased canned whole potatoes. In the million years I have been alive, I have never purchased them! So, the other day, I had a dozen eggs that were getting close to expiration and as I have mentioned before, Mr. Roadrunner freaks whenever anything approaches the dreaded date. So, I boiled a dozen eggs and ate some as egg salad sammies. Then I took three cans of whole canned potatoes and rinsed them several times. I cut them up in wedges and made a potato salad with them, celery, onion, chopped up boiled eggs, mayo. It was darn good! I think freshly boiled potatoes would have been a few notches better, but it was really decent! So, canned taters will be on my shelf from now on. I know there are more recipes I could use them in but so far, the tater salad is my first experiment!

@Roadrunner53 Which brand of canned potatoes did you buy?  I tried this with canned potatoes from Aldi and we were less than impressed.  It doesn't help that there were so many dark spots all through the potatoes.  I learned about canned potatoes from a friend and thought they would be good for camping, but struck out with Aldi.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: MudPuppy on April 07, 2022, 05:27:34 PM
Frozen turkeys were 25 cents a pound for some unknown reason, so my spouse bought three. I guess we’ll be good on meat and stick for a few months.

That is a great price!  Was this an advertised special?  I've seen some Easter specials on spiral hams and standing rib roasts, but not on turkey.


No. And honestly? I don’t know what the department manager is thinking doing this so close to Easter. Their department  is going to take a big loss on these.

MudPuppy, That is a fantastic price! What part of the country do you live in?

Southeastern US
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on April 07, 2022, 06:06:32 PM
Frozen turkeys were 25 cents a pound for some unknown reason, so my spouse bought three. I guess we’ll be good on meat and stick for a few months.

That is a great price!  Was this an advertised special?  I've seen some Easter specials on spiral hams and standing rib roasts, but not on turkey.


No. And honestly? I don’t know what the department manager is thinking doing this so close to Easter. Their department  is going to take a big loss on these.

MudPuppy, That is a fantastic price! What part of the country do you live in?

Southeastern US

Maybe a previously delayed order suddenly turned up?

I’ve noticed seasonal specials at Aldi suddenly appear weeks late and almost immediately get marked down.

On that note, Aldi had a gazillion fancy jar candles marked down to under $1 this week. I stocked up, but I’d certainly like a bargain turkey, too!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 08, 2022, 04:05:05 AM
This is kind of new to me, but I am pretty excited about it!

I have recently purchased canned whole potatoes. In the million years I have been alive, I have never purchased them! So, the other day, I had a dozen eggs that were getting close to expiration and as I have mentioned before, Mr. Roadrunner freaks whenever anything approaches the dreaded date. So, I boiled a dozen eggs and ate some as egg salad sammies. Then I took three cans of whole canned potatoes and rinsed them several times. I cut them up in wedges and made a potato salad with them, celery, onion, chopped up boiled eggs, mayo. It was darn good! I think freshly boiled potatoes would have been a few notches better, but it was really decent! So, canned taters will be on my shelf from now on. I know there are more recipes I could use them in but so far, the tater salad is my first experiment!

@Roadrunner53 Which brand of canned potatoes did you buy?  I tried this with canned potatoes from Aldi and we were less than impressed.  It doesn't help that there were so many dark spots all through the potatoes.  I learned about canned potatoes from a friend and thought they would be good for camping, but struck out with Aldi.

I bought Delmonte canned whole potatoes and did buy some sliced also. Have not used the sliced yet. Plus, I just bought some Libbey's brand whole canned potatoes I have not tried yet. None of the potatoes had imperfections. Out of 3 cans I used, I may have cut off one tiny spot. They were firm and not mushy. Like I said before, I made sure to rinse, rinse, rinse the potatoes till the water ran clear. I probably would have bought a cheaper brand canned potato if they were available. Walmart brand sells the cans for something like $0.78 a can but for online ordering, were not available. However, it isn't a bargain if the potatoes are full of spots. I can see how the canned potatoes will be a nice fill in when I run out of fresh potatoes. I may roast some with other veggies to try that soon.

Not that long ago I bought these baby carrots from Costco. Their baby carrots are much larger than what you get in the grocery store. I think it was a two pack and each pack was about 2 lbs! I was like wow, this is a lot of carrots for two people! I managed to use them up for various meals and my last use for them was to roast them with mini peppers and mushrooms! The carrots were so sweet cooked that way! I also had a half a head of cabbage from St. Patrick's day that I cut into 'steaks' and roasted the too. Good way to use up a bunch of veggies that are getting a bit old. Right now I still have the last of the baby carrots to use up and this is going to be a first too. I have some romaine lettuce I am going to roast with the carrots, peppers, mushrooms. Never roasted romaine lettuce but have read it is a 'thing'.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on April 08, 2022, 05:19:24 AM
Not that long ago I bought these baby carrots from Costco. Their baby carrots are much larger than what you get in the grocery store. I think it was a two pack and each pack was about 2 lbs! I was like wow, this is a lot of carrots for two people! I managed to use them up for various meals and my last use for them was to roast them with mini peppers and mushrooms! The carrots were so sweet cooked that way! I also had a half a head of cabbage from St. Patrick's day that I cut into 'steaks' and roasted the too. Good way to use up a bunch of veggies that are getting a bit old. Right now I still have the last of the baby carrots to use up and this is going to be a first too. I have some romaine lettuce I am going to roast with the carrots, peppers, mushrooms. Never roasted romaine lettuce but have read it is a 'thing'.

Totally agree! Roasting makes veggies SO good! I like them with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. I've never tried roasting romaine, but now I'll have to keep that in mind!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 08, 2022, 07:19:44 AM
Not that long ago I bought these baby carrots from Costco. Their baby carrots are much larger than what you get in the grocery store. I think it was a two pack and each pack was about 2 lbs! I was like wow, this is a lot of carrots for two people! I managed to use them up for various meals and my last use for them was to roast them with mini peppers and mushrooms! The carrots were so sweet cooked that way! I also had a half a head of cabbage from St. Patrick's day that I cut into 'steaks' and roasted the too. Good way to use up a bunch of veggies that are getting a bit old. Right now I still have the last of the baby carrots to use up and this is going to be a first too. I have some romaine lettuce I am going to roast with the carrots, peppers, mushrooms. Never roasted romaine lettuce but have read it is a 'thing'.


Totally agree! Roasting makes veggies SO good! I like them with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. I've never tried roasting romaine, but now I'll have to keep that in mind!

Mmmm... balsamic vinegar! I will have to keep that in mind! Love balsamic vinegar!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: DaMa on April 13, 2022, 09:51:12 AM
My parents fry canned sliced potatoes for breakfast.  Drain them, and blot dry.  Fried in bacon grease is best (of course).  The taste is different from fresh potato, but we love them.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 13, 2022, 04:56:51 PM
Making some canned sliced taters in the crockpot with cheese, cream of mushroom soup, a dollop of sour cream, onion powder and garlic powder, black pepper. It is very tasty!

Put an order into Peapod which is division of Stop & Shop for home delivery of groceries. Eggs are really going up in price along with everything else. I am all stocked up but needed to get some stuff to replenish some of the stock. They had a good sale on their brands so I ordered some pasta at like $1.00 for 16 oz packages. I spent a lot because I only order from them every 6 weeks or so.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jrhampt on April 14, 2022, 06:37:47 AM
I'll have to try canned potatoes now!  I love potato salad but it's a bit of work, so I'm excited to try doing it with canned potatoes, and also try the roasted potatoes.  I wonder how they would be as mashed potatoes...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 14, 2022, 08:16:58 AM
Forgot to mention that I added onion too. I think next time I might put the cheese, soup, onion and sour cream in the crockpot first and let the onions soften. Then when the sauce is very hot, add the canned taters. They were a little soft but still tasted very good! Make sure to rinse, rinse, rinse the taters before using them and drain well.

Today I got a grocery delivery and purchased some more canned taters. I also bought a few cans of the store brand canned taters. the price difference was significant. Del Monte was $1.59 for a 14.5 oz can and the store brand was $0.89 for a 15 oz can. I want to see the quality difference and if the quality is as good as Del Monte, store brand may become my go to canned taters.

I have not made mashed taters from the canned ones yet but one day I might try. I think they would be fine!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 14, 2022, 05:14:11 PM
I went to delay my ButcherBox order and they immediately offered me the $1 bacon "for life" offer, which I haven't been offered before.  Currently my offers are 2# ground beef for life, $1 bacon for life, and 20 oz. NY Steak in each box of 2021. With the steak offer, when ordering NY steak (which is mostly what I do), it comes to $19.31 per pound for the steak (slightly cheaper than Sprouts), with the ground beef and the bacon an $21 bonus based on local prices (ground @ $7 per pound and bacon at $8 per 10 oz., minus the $1 I'll pay for the bacon). While I strongly considered eating down the freezer to make room for a bulk beef order, we decided to just stick with BB for now, as the NY steaks are perfectly fine for grass-fed and I shouldn't really compare them to prime cornfed CAFO beef.

We've started giving the small dog canned no-salt green beans with each meal, so I need to find a place to stock up on those cheaply.  So far I think Walmart has the best prices at 54¢ per can. He eats two cans per week so it's an inexpensive add-on.  We're adding the green beans so he'll feel full -- he needs to be under 15# or I get scolded at the vet, and he was up to 15.7#.  But just cutting his food makes him hangry and he starts tearing up paper and other items, so he gets the green beans.  His weight is already coming down nicely.



Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 15, 2022, 05:11:30 AM
K_in_the _Kitchen, canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) is supposed to be good for dogs too. Lots of fiber and you only need to use a tablespoon or two in the dog food. Previously, when we had our beloved Pomeranian who loved to eat, he got a bit chubby. The vet recommended a prescription dog food that did help him lose weight. But it was pretty expensive. Maybe you could switch between green beans and pumpkin. I see Target has pure pumpkin, their brand, for $0.99 a 15 oz can. You might be able to use frozen carrots too! You don't want a 'hangry' dog! LOL!

I am going to have to pause my Butcher Box for a few months...I think! We are running out of room in the freezer and we need to eat some of it down. We do pretty good eating it down and then another delivery fills it up again! I have a huge order coming in May and after that, I will have to see. I am loading up on steaks and some chuck roasts.

We lost power 2 days ago for a few hours. A critter got up on the lines and knocked the power out. Later on, Mr. Roadrunner noticed the freezer was back on and okay. Next day, the temp had dropped down a bit in the freezer. He reset it but was freaking out that the freezer might be shot. It is about 5 years old. The freezer is full and would be a nightmare if it broke down. UGH! So far so good!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 15, 2022, 02:09:13 PM
K_in_the _Kitchen, canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) is supposed to be good for dogs too. Lots of fiber and you only need to use a tablespoon or two in the dog food. Previously, when we had our beloved Pomeranian who loved to eat, he got a bit chubby. The vet recommended a prescription dog food that did help him lose weight. But it was pretty expensive. Maybe you could switch between green beans and pumpkin. I see Target has pure pumpkin, their brand, for $0.99 a 15 oz can. You might be able to use frozen carrots too! You don't want a 'hangry' dog! LOL!

I am going to have to pause my Butcher Box for a few months...I think! We are running out of room in the freezer and we need to eat some of it down. We do pretty good eating it down and then another delivery fills it up again! I have a huge order coming in May and after that, I will have to see. I am loading up on steaks and some chuck roasts.

We lost power 2 days ago for a few hours. A critter got up on the lines and knocked the power out. Later on, Mr. Roadrunner noticed the freezer was back on and okay. Next day, the temp had dropped down a bit in the freezer. He reset it but was freaking out that the freezer might be shot. It is about 5 years old. The freezer is full and would be a nightmare if it broke down. UGH! So far so good!
@Roadrunner53 I keep pumpkin on hand at all times for the dogs, just in case we run into stomach upset.  I also make sure we travel with it if we have the dogs with us. But pumpkin is actually too high calorie to add to the chihuahua's diet without shorting him of the nutrients in his kibble.  With the green beans he gets 1/4 cup at each meal, which adds plenty of bulk (to feel full) but only 8-10 calories. In addition to his kibble we also have to calculate in the calories from the digestive supplements he takes (No Scoot chews and Perfect Poop powder, lol) and the 3 calorie cookies he gets as training rewards several times a day.

Losing power to the freezer is always a fear!  I'm thankful that we only lost the refrigerator/freezer last September (not due to power failure), and that when we found out the chest freezer was also dead it was at least empty and off.  With a new freezer I hope we have quite some years before we have to worry about it.

My oldest is home for 11 days and we'll make a nice dent in the freezer meat during that time, I think.

We need bread and I don't feel like going to the store on the Friday before Easter, so I think I'll make a loaf.  And it will be white bread, as I'm working my way through 50# of white flour I bought almost two years ago.  It's still good but white flour doesn't last forever, so I've been using it more often.  That's the flip side of pandemic hoarding -- using what we've stored.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 16, 2022, 12:39:00 PM
I have not been going to the grocery store because I get home delivery most of the time, so I can't say this is true, but I have been reading that people are reporting that there are empty shelves again in the stores. Meat is at a minimum on the shelves and egg prices have gone up a lot. I just got a home delivery on Thursday and no items were missing from the order. Many times, my receipt will say items I ordered are out of stock. However, one thing I buy which is gallon jugs of water, has gone up a LOT! Just a couple of months ago, the store brand was $0.99 a gallon. The last two times I ordered it the price was $1.49 a gallon! I wouldn't buy it, but we have extremely hard water and this water I order is for the coffeemaker. If I don't use this water, my coffeemaker will die an early death. Had too many coffeemakers kick the bucket for years and never knew why. Using the bottled water makes all the difference.

So, on my potato experiment. Earlier I reported that I ordered Del Monte canned taters and I was going to order some store brand canned potatoes that were about half price to see if they were equivalent to Del Monte. I can report that they are excellent! Last night I had a pot roast and added a can towards the end of the cooking to just warm up the taters and they were really nice looking and as a matter of fact, they were even whiter than the Del Monte that have a slight tan hue. So, in the future, I will buy the store brand and save about $0.70 a can! That makes me very happy!

Oh, and last night we had some Pillsbury biscuits that were expired...heaven forbid. Mr. Roadrunner was very aware that the sell by date had gone by. Maybe 5 days! So, I cooked them in the air fryer and they rose perfectly. I asked Mr. Roadrunner if he wanted to eat a rotten biscuit. LOL! He did and didn't keel over from it! I have to laugh at his anxiety of eating something that is 1 hour past use by date! He really would have fainted if he used the stale bread I used to make a grilled cheese sandwich! The rest of the bread I will make croutons. Hahaha, rotten croutons!

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on April 17, 2022, 09:31:04 AM
Yesterday, I sliced and grilled some polenta that's been in the fridge for a couple of years. I didn't look, but I'm sure it's at least a year past expiration. It was the kind that's in a plastic sleeve, with crimped ends, like sausage. It was delicious and we're fine today.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: sonofsven on April 17, 2022, 04:22:07 PM
Yesterday, I sliced and grilled some polenta that's been in the fridge for a couple of years. I didn't look, but I'm sure it's at least a year past expiration. It was the kind that's in a plastic sleeve, with crimped ends, like sausage. It was delicious and we're fine today.

This sounds like a great new thread: "Brag on your post dated food consumption", with dead and not dead sub categories.
I spent years buying can food and snacks at a place that only sold past the due date food, the trick was to stay within a year. All the cans were dented. Chips were generally a no-go as they were smashed into little bits.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on April 17, 2022, 04:28:31 PM
Yesterday, I sliced and grilled some polenta that's been in the fridge for a couple of years. I didn't look, but I'm sure it's at least a year past expiration. It was the kind that's in a plastic sleeve, with crimped ends, like sausage. It was delicious and we're fine today.

This sounds like a great new thread: "Brag on your post dated food consumption", with dead and not dead sub categories.
I spent years buying can food and snacks at a place that only sold past the due date food, the trick was to stay within a year. All the cans were dented. Chips were generally a no-go as they were smashed into little bits.

Here's a starter: The guy on YouTube who eats old-to-ancient MREs. This one is ~120 years old: https://youtu.be/jZoHuMwZwTk
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on April 17, 2022, 11:16:09 PM
Yesterday, I sliced and grilled some polenta that's been in the fridge for a couple of years. I didn't look, but I'm sure it's at least a year past expiration. It was the kind that's in a plastic sleeve, with crimped ends, like sausage. It was delicious and we're fine today.

This sounds like a great new thread: "Brag on your post dated food consumption", with dead and not dead sub categories.
I spent years buying can food and snacks at a place that only sold past the due date food, the trick was to stay within a year. All the cans were dented. Chips were generally a no-go as they were smashed into little bits.

Here's a starter: The guy on YouTube who eats old-to-ancient MREs. This one is ~120 years old: https://youtu.be/jZoHuMwZwTk
OMG, I'm not trying to derail this thread!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 19, 2022, 05:25:39 PM
I went to Costco yesterday. I decided to get 50# of calrose rice, and 25# of Mayacoba (Peruano) beans. We're sitting on about 40 - 50# of rice already, but I'm starting to think about shortages and such as the grain situation gets worse. When all of us are home we go through as much as 5# of rice per week.  The beans weren't as cheap as pinto beans from Walmart, but these are the first dried beans Costco has had in over two years -- I distinctly recall them not having dried beans in November 2019, and haven't seen them since.  The Costco beans are triple washed, which is always nice.  I don't stress out over paying $1 per pound for dried beans because they're still a great value, and it's nice to have some variety now and then.

I suspended ButcherBox for 6 weeks.  I was so disappointed with the NY steaks I cooked for Easter!  And we just don't need any more meat right now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on April 19, 2022, 07:24:51 PM
Yesterday, I sliced and grilled some polenta that's been in the fridge for a couple of years. I didn't look, but I'm sure it's at least a year past expiration. It was the kind that's in a plastic sleeve, with crimped ends, like sausage. It was delicious and we're fine today.

This sounds like a great new thread: "Brag on your post dated food consumption", with dead and not dead sub categories.
I spent years buying can food and snacks at a place that only sold past the due date food, the trick was to stay within a year. All the cans were dented. Chips were generally a no-go as they were smashed into little bits.
There's a reason the apocalyptic flicks always feature stashes of pre-collapse canned goods. If the can itself is intact, & doesn't rust through (which can create pinholes in the metal), the main risk is that it may just not taste very nice. Things don't rot without bacteria to break them down & they're generally protected from rancidity (oxidation) because there's little air present. Eat fearlessly (but maybe test ahead of adding it to a recipe with lots of other ingredients.)

However I'm usually happier keeping bulk goods dry - less expense, less water transport. Cans are good for fruits that don't dry well, like tomato paste. We parboil & freeze potatoes in big batches just because it's easy & saves on cooking heat in the hot months.

MOST foods are basically imperishable in the freezer. The back of my fridges always freeze so I have been able to keep cultured stuff like yogurt - even open - for half a year. Preserving in alcohol or vinegar also works indefinitely at the back of the fridge. The bonus with anything that stays in the fridge or freezer is it displaces air that would otherwise rush out, forcing the cooling unit to turn on every time you open the door.

As long as you have the luxuries of working eyes & nose you can usually tell if something's off, though.

We finally ran through all our flour, rice, & beans from early in the pandemic, so replaced them with another couple dozen pounds of each. Accessing greens has been the most frustrating thing throughout, as frozen never taste right & I've been unlucky in gardening.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 20, 2022, 04:03:05 AM
I went to Costco yesterday. I decided to get 50# of calrose rice, and 25# of Mayacoba (Peruano) beans. We're sitting on about 40 - 50# of rice already, but I'm starting to think about shortages and such as the grain situation gets worse. When all of us are home we go through as much as 5# of rice per week.  The beans weren't as cheap as pinto beans from Walmart, but these are the first dried beans Costco has had in over two years -- I distinctly recall them not having dried beans in November 2019, and haven't seen them since.  The Costco beans are triple washed, which is always nice.  I don't stress out over paying $1 per pound for dried beans because they're still a great value, and it's nice to have some variety now and then.

I suspended ButcherBox for 6 weeks.  I was so disappointed with the NY steaks I cooked for Easter!  And we just don't need any more meat right now.

I have stopped buying the NY strip steaks from Butcher Box. The last ones we had were like shoe leather. My hub normally eats any steak but this one type he said was terrible. I mostly eat fillet mignon which is always tender. I am sticking with fillet mignon, rib eye and flat iron steaks. I also won't buy their pork butt as I mentioned previously due to it being like a blubber ball and very little meat. I do like their ground meat and some of their deals offered.

By the way, for those of you who order from Azure Standard, I received an email that said their headquarters in Oregon burned down! They expect some delays on orders as would be expected.

Not sure if any of you buy from Misfits (online) but they offer produce, meat, pantry items. I was buying from Imperfect foods for a long time and one day I got an email and it told me they no longer would ship my items. They are going for a more local delivery option where I believe they deliver themselves and I am not in their delivery area! I was not happy and had been a long time customer. Personally, I think they should have grandfathered me and just not taken on any more new customers that needed shipping. So, I hooked up with Misfits and they are very good and shipping is very reasonable. Misfits does offer 'some' organic items but it is hit and miss. Misfits items, in general, are completely hit and miss and what they have could change weekly. I personally think that the veggies are fresher, expiration dates longer and better looking produce than Imperfect foods. So, now I am pretty glad Imperfect foods dumped me. Oh, and Misfits gives you a window of time to shop. My window is typically late Saturday afternoon till Monday around midnight. I receive my order on Thursday.

Eyesonthehorizon, how long do you parboil your potatoes? Do you cut them into chunks? Do you leave the skins on? What type of potatoes do you use?

My Mother could grow anything in the garden and I don't even remember her having any special potting mix, or fertilizer or anything. She would dig a hole and put some seeds in and would have beautiful plants. She had giant tomatoes. She also canned everything in sight! I get the urge to plant a few things but try to keep it 'controllable'. I have learned that there are bush tomatoes that will grow at a reasonable height. They say 24-36 inches but grow about 5-6 feet high. They still need to have cages or tied up so they don't fall over with the weight of the tomatoes. I plant 6 plants in two above ground planters.  I also plant marigolds in the above ground planters around the tomatoes to crowd out the weeds and read somewhere some bugs don't like the smell of marigolds. I grow some veggies on my deck like lettuce, scallions, basil and this year some bush beans that also only grow maybe 3 feet tall. The bean seeds will go into food safe 5 gallon pails. To me, it is so much fun to go on my deck and cut off lettuce leaves for dinner! I have an awning and last year I kept the planters mostly under the awning so the plants didn't burn up and the lettuce and basil loved it. They got just enough sun but not too much and the lettuce lasted all summer! This year for the first time I am planting dragon's tongue wax beans. I have read people love them! They are streaked with purple but when you cook them, unfortunately, the purple goes away! It is fun to try new things!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on April 20, 2022, 05:42:27 AM
I'm really starting to notice shortages in here again (NL). We've been out of sunflower oil for a while due to the war, which wasn't an issue for me as I don't buy that. But obviously now sunflower oil, the most popular oil, is gone it means people are going for any other type of oil, which means that it's hard to get olive oil or peanut oil, both of which I use quite often. I still have two bottles of oil in the pantry but I've run out of oil for stir frying. It still comes into the shop but it just disappears just as fast. And other random items tend to disappear from the shelves for a few days too. That's more a  logistical issue rather than shortages but still annoying. It's always a bit of a surprise what we can find in the shop for dinner.

I have started my garden, so far I've started bok choy, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, spinach and I already had onions, garlic and strawberries. There will be more but I don't have a lot of time to garden. But usually once I've gotten the weeds out and the seeds in, Mother Nature does the rest!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on April 26, 2022, 12:02:31 PM
I'm really starting to notice shortages in here again (NL). We've been out of sunflower oil for a while due to the war, which wasn't an issue for me as I don't buy that. But obviously now sunflower oil, the most popular oil, is gone it means people are going for any other type of oil, which means that it's hard to get olive oil or peanut oil, both of which I use quite often. I still have two bottles of oil in the pantry but I've run out of oil for stir frying. It still comes into the shop but it just disappears just as fast. And other random items tend to disappear from the shelves for a few days too. That's more a  logistical issue rather than shortages but still annoying. It's always a bit of a surprise what we can find in the shop for dinner.

I have started my garden, so far I've started bok choy, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, spinach and I already had onions, garlic and strawberries. There will be more but I don't have a lot of time to garden. But usually once I've gotten the weeds out and the seeds in, Mother Nature does the rest!

Is canola oil common in Europe? That's a pretty common vegetable oil in the US whereas I can't recall seeing sunflower oil. A lot of vegetable oil is a blend which may include soybean, corn, canola, or other oils.

It looks like soybean oil is by far the most popular in the US by sales, with sunflower oil pretty far down the list - https://www.statista.com/statistics/301044/edible-oils-consumption-united-states-by-type/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on April 26, 2022, 02:17:11 PM
I'm really starting to notice shortages in here again (NL). We've been out of sunflower oil for a while due to the war, which wasn't an issue for me as I don't buy that. But obviously now sunflower oil, the most popular oil, is gone it means people are going for any other type of oil, which means that it's hard to get olive oil or peanut oil, both of which I use quite often. I still have two bottles of oil in the pantry but I've run out of oil for stir frying. It still comes into the shop but it just disappears just as fast. And other random items tend to disappear from the shelves for a few days too. That's more a  logistical issue rather than shortages but still annoying. It's always a bit of a surprise what we can find in the shop for dinner.

I have started my garden, so far I've started bok choy, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, spinach and I already had onions, garlic and strawberries. There will be more but I don't have a lot of time to garden. But usually once I've gotten the weeds out and the seeds in, Mother Nature does the rest!

Is canola oil common in Europe? That's a pretty common vegetable oil in the US whereas I can't recall seeing sunflower oil. A lot of vegetable oil is a blend which may include soybean, corn, canola, or other oils.

It looks like soybean oil is by far the most popular in the US by sales, with sunflower oil pretty far down the list - https://www.statista.com/statistics/301044/edible-oils-consumption-united-states-by-type/

I had honestly never even heard of canola oil and I've never seen it in my country (I don't think we even have a word for it) it seems to be some sort of processed rapeseed oil? We have rapeseed oil but it's a bit more expensive and not really suitable for frying and stir frying because the smoke point is low.

I think the most used types of oil in my country are sunflower, olive and peanut oil (for stir frying). The average grocery store has a wide selection of brands and different sizes of bottles for those types of oil. And then there's usually one shelf with expensive small bottles of niche oils like rapeseed, avocado, lineseed, grapeseed, rice, sesame seed oil etc. Mixed oils are uncommon here and I've never seen soy bean or corn oil either.

Judging by the signs put up in the grocery stores, notifying people that nutritional information on the packaging of processed foods may not be correct due to the sunflower oil shortage, it seems that the food industry also mainly uses sunflower oil for things like crisps, cookies, cakes etc.

I have about a liter of olive oil left and we're switching to butter for some dishes. We haven't found an alternative suitable for stir frying yet.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: the_fixer on April 26, 2022, 03:38:12 PM
Yesterday, I sliced and grilled some polenta that's been in the fridge for a couple of years. I didn't look, but I'm sure it's at least a year past expiration. It was the kind that's in a plastic sleeve, with crimped ends, like sausage. It was delicious and we're fine today.

This sounds like a great new thread: "Brag on your post dated food consumption", with dead and not dead sub categories.
I spent years buying can food and snacks at a place that only sold past the due date food, the trick was to stay within a year. All the cans were dented. Chips were generally a no-go as they were smashed into little bits.

Here's a starter: The guy on YouTube who eats old-to-ancient MREs. This one is ~120 years old: https://youtu.be/jZoHuMwZwTk
Ohhh hell no!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on April 26, 2022, 04:15:45 PM
Eyesonthehorizon, how long do you parboil your potatoes? Do you cut them into chunks? Do you leave the skins on? What type of potatoes do you use?
Sorry to miss this -- in reverse order, we grab whatever's cheapest at Aldi, scrub & cut them into approximately 1.5-2" chunks, never bother to skin them, & parboil for a very hand-wavey, "ish" 20 minutes (to be totally frank that part usually ends up being SO's job, I'd probably steam them instead.) Then onto a baking tray in the freezer to be packed up after frozen & defrosted in servings as needed - a few cubes for breakfast tacos or curry or dump a whole pack out for fries or mashed potatoes. The thing about freezers is they're basically dehumidifers, so the partially cooked potatoes behave more like fresh than getting to the mushy texture they would if they were frozen raw. I've always done this in such large batches we haven't really workshopped it for best results, that said, so I'm sure there are obvious improvements I could make.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on April 26, 2022, 04:22:48 PM
I had honestly never even heard of canola oil and I've never seen it in my country (I don't think we even have a word for it) it seems to be some sort of processed rapeseed oil? We have rapeseed oil but it's a bit more expensive and not really suitable for frying and stir frying because the smoke point is low.

Canola is rapeseed oil with some limitations on specific fatty acids.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 26, 2022, 07:40:35 PM
I had honestly never even heard of canola oil and I've never seen it in my country (I don't think we even have a word for it) it seems to be some sort of processed rapeseed oil? We have rapeseed oil but it's a bit more expensive and not really suitable for frying and stir frying because the smoke point is low.

Canola is rapeseed oil with some limitations on specific fatty acids.

Canola oil is popular because it has a light flavour and a high smoke point.  They bred out the 2 toxic components from rapeseed it (is in the mustard family, btw) - By definition, if a seed is labeled “canola” it has to have less than 30 micromoles of glucosinolates and less than 2% of erucic acid.   The "Can" in Canola is for Canada, the breeding was done here in the 70s (i.e. traditional breeding, not GMO).  Canola is a big crop on the prairies.  Plus canola is a major nectar source for honeybees - the downside is that the honey crystallizes easily.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on April 26, 2022, 08:19:56 PM
I had honestly never even heard of canola oil and I've never seen it in my country (I don't think we even have a word for it) it seems to be some sort of processed rapeseed oil? We have rapeseed oil but it's a bit more expensive and not really suitable for frying and stir frying because the smoke point is low.

Canola is rapeseed oil with some limitations on specific fatty acids.

Canola oil is popular because it has a light flavour and a high smoke point.  They bred out the 2 toxic components from rapeseed it (is in the mustard family, btw) - By definition, if a seed is labeled “canola” it has to have less than 30 micromoles of glucosinolates and less than 2% of erucic acid.   The "Can" in Canola is for Canada, the breeding was done here in the 70s (i.e. traditional breeding, not GMO).  Canola is a big crop on the prairies.  Plus canola is a major nectar source for honeybees - the downside is that the honey crystallizes easily.
Wow, that's interesting, particularly the bit in bold. If I can't get honey on glass jars (looking at you, Costco), I use it until it begins to show signs of slight crystallization, then I transfer it to glass canning jars. Much easier warm, which solves the problem.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 27, 2022, 05:19:24 AM
Thanks eyesonthehorizon on the tater instructions. I have a small bag of taters coming in my Misfits delivery tomorrow. I plan to use your instructions and freeze them. I also read recently...can't remember where...that duck fat is really good to put on taters to make crispy fries. I bought a jar of it and will try it too.

Here is an article on more cooking oil problems:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/26/business/palm-oil-indonesia-export-ban-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on April 27, 2022, 05:38:57 AM
I have a good friend who is an anthropologist, and knows more about primate habitat encroachment than I ever will. In her opinion there is no such thing as “sustainable palm oil.” It’s incredibly ubiquitous, though. Finding stuff made without it is pretty challenging.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on April 27, 2022, 09:41:21 AM
I had honestly never even heard of canola oil and I've never seen it in my country (I don't think we even have a word for it) it seems to be some sort of processed rapeseed oil? We have rapeseed oil but it's a bit more expensive and not really suitable for frying and stir frying because the smoke point is low.

Canola is rapeseed oil with some limitations on specific fatty acids.

Canola oil is popular because it has a light flavour and a high smoke point.  They bred out the 2 toxic components from rapeseed it (is in the mustard family, btw) - By definition, if a seed is labeled “canola” it has to have less than 30 micromoles of glucosinolates and less than 2% of erucic acid.   The "Can" in Canola is for Canada, the breeding was done here in the 70s (i.e. traditional breeding, not GMO).  Canola is a big crop on the prairies.  Plus canola is a major nectar source for honeybees - the downside is that the honey crystallizes easily.

I've googled around a bit and it seems the canola cultivar isn't really grown here in Europe. We do grow the traditional rapeseed plants in my country, I love how pretty those fields look. But the oil isn't super popular for cooking.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 27, 2022, 10:22:15 AM
I had honestly never even heard of canola oil and I've never seen it in my country (I don't think we even have a word for it) it seems to be some sort of processed rapeseed oil? We have rapeseed oil but it's a bit more expensive and not really suitable for frying and stir frying because the smoke point is low.

Canola is rapeseed oil with some limitations on specific fatty acids.

Canola oil is popular because it has a light flavour and a high smoke point.  They bred out the 2 toxic components from rapeseed it (is in the mustard family, btw) - By definition, if a seed is labeled “canola” it has to have less than 30 micromoles of glucosinolates and less than 2% of erucic acid.   The "Can" in Canola is for Canada, the breeding was done here in the 70s (i.e. traditional breeding, not GMO).  Canola is a big crop on the prairies.  Plus canola is a major nectar source for honeybees - the downside is that the honey crystallizes easily.

I've googled around a bit and it seems the canola cultivar isn't really grown here in Europe. We do grow the traditional rapeseed plants in my country, I love how pretty those fields look. But the oil isn't super popular for cooking.

They are in the mustard family so both have those pretty yellow flowers.

I wouldn't use rapeseed oil, it is not that nice.  Canola is fine.  It is a big agricultural product here.  Canada is the top producing country of canola oil dand it is exported all over the world.  It is also used in the automotive and chemical industries, where the original rapeseed is as useful as the modified canola.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on April 27, 2022, 10:26:34 AM
I live in "canola country" and the fields are so beautiful in July.  Except for sunflower oil when I was a kid, I've only ever had canola oil for cooking.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on April 27, 2022, 03:10:52 PM
I live in "canola country" and the fields are so beautiful in July.  Except for sunflower oil when I was a kid, I've only ever had canola oil for cooking.

My mother and grandmother basically used butter and lard.  I have branched out a bit to olive oil and avocado oil.  I would use canola and sunflower as well, but cooking for one with 4 different oils in the kitchen means something would go rancid before it was used it, so I limit my choices.

I've had wild mustard as a weed and it is really pretty.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 27, 2022, 09:13:15 PM
I have a good friend who is an anthropologist, and knows more about primate habitat encroachment than I ever will. In her opinion there is no such thing as “sustainable palm oil.” It’s incredibly ubiquitous, though. Finding stuff made without it is pretty challenging.

This is one reason I make so much of what we eat at home from scratch. I'm willing to cook with EVOO, butter, ghee, lard from pastured animals, the grease from cooking bacon, other animal fats rendered at home through cooking, and very occasionally, canola oil (basically for birthday treats since I have a kid who's allergic to dairy and can't use butter if he's going to eat something).  I've bought and used avocado oil before (mostly to make mayo), but we don't go through it fast enough to make it worth the cost. Oils just go rancid too quickly to keep too many on hand, or to stock up on ahead of time.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on April 27, 2022, 09:18:26 PM
I live in "canola country" and the fields are so beautiful in July.  Except for sunflower oil when I was a kid, I've only ever had canola oil for cooking.

My mother and grandmother basically used butter and lard.  I have branched out a bit to olive oil and avocado oil.  I would use canola and sunflower as well, but cooking for one with 4 different oils in the kitchen means something would go rancid before it was used it, so I limit my choices.

I've had wild mustard as a weed and it is really pretty.

Oh yeah, my parents grew up eating lard, as did everybody they knew.

I keep my oil in the fridge so it stays fresh longer.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Freedomin5 on April 27, 2022, 10:28:53 PM
I had honestly never even heard of canola oil and I've never seen it in my country (I don't think we even have a word for it) it seems to be some sort of processed rapeseed oil? We have rapeseed oil but it's a bit more expensive and not really suitable for frying and stir frying because the smoke point is low.

Canola is rapeseed oil with some limitations on specific fatty acids.

Canola oil is popular because it has a light flavour and a high smoke point.  They bred out the 2 toxic components from rapeseed it (is in the mustard family, btw) - By definition, if a seed is labeled “canola” it has to have less than 30 micromoles of glucosinolates and less than 2% of erucic acid.   The "Can" in Canola is for Canada, the breeding was done here in the 70s (i.e. traditional breeding, not GMO).  Canola is a big crop on the prairies.  Plus canola is a major nectar source for honeybees - the downside is that the honey crystallizes easily.

I've googled around a bit and it seems the canola cultivar isn't really grown here in Europe. We do grow the traditional rapeseed plants in my country, I love how pretty those fields look. But the oil isn't super popular for cooking.

They are in the mustard family so both have those pretty yellow flowers.

I wouldn't use rapeseed oil, it is not that nice.  Canola is fine.  It is a big agricultural product here.  Canada is the top producing country of canola oil dand it is exported all over the world.  It is also used in the automotive and chemical industries, where the original rapeseed is as useful as the modified canola.

I was Very Excited to find Canadian-imported canola oil in one of our lockdown group buys this morning. Bought 12L. Cost me about Cdn$100.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 28, 2022, 05:15:32 AM
My grandparents had a farm and lived a very pioneer life. They raised hogs, chickens, milking cows, a one-acre garden just for the family to eat from and the good old outhouse. They mostly ate what they grew on the farm and they cooked with lard, bacon fat, butter, drank raw unpasteurized milk. My grandfather lived to 110 and grandmother to age 90. I guess good old fashioned fats weren't all that bad! They also grew tobacco and my grandfather was famous for chewing it and spitting it (YUK) but never got sick from it. He and his oldest son plowed the fields with mules, no tractors! Oldest Uncle lived to be 91 years old and lived the same lifestyle as the grandparents.

Sometimes I wonder if these new oils are really that great for our health. Crisco fooled consumers of it being a healthy alternative to lard...see article:

https://news.yahoo.com/crisco-toppled-lard-made-americans-154832350.html?msclkid=47c37ed4c6e311ec87fdbb2783ebc13c
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Catbert on April 28, 2022, 01:39:08 PM
Costco trip this morning.  DH was excited that they had cereal that he likes.  We got 2 large boxes of Special K with Red Berries which has been hit-or-miss for the past 2 years.  They also had Grape Nuts which I don't think I've ever seen before at Costco.  That's his all time  favorite. 

With regard to fats, I use EVOO and grapeseed oil primarily.  I save fat from cooking such as bacon (yum!) and pork or beef.   
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: stoaX on April 28, 2022, 07:05:48 PM
My grandparents had a farm and lived a very pioneer life. They raised hogs, chickens, milking cows, a one-acre garden just for the family to eat from and the good old outhouse. They mostly ate what they grew on the farm and they cooked with lard, bacon fat, butter, drank raw unpasteurized milk. My grandfather lived to 110 and grandmother to age 90. I guess good old fashioned fats weren't all that bad! They also grew tobacco and my grandfather was famous for chewing it and spitting it (YUK) but never got sick from it. He and his oldest son plowed the fields with mules, no tractors! Oldest Uncle lived to be 91 years old and lived the same lifestyle as the grandparents.

Sometimes I wonder if these new oils are really that great for our health. Crisco fooled consumers of it being a healthy alternative to lard...see article:

https://news.yahoo.com/crisco-toppled-lard-made-americans-154832350.html?msclkid=47c37ed4c6e311ec87fdbb2783ebc13c

"The big fat surprise" by Nicole Teicholz argues in favor of the old time fats as opposed to the vegetable oils that are so new to the human diet.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 29, 2022, 03:52:50 PM
My free Instacart 5 month trial ends tomorrow, and I have to decide if I want to renew or not.  I had previously paid $99 for a full year, then after that ended I received a free offer connected to a credit card, so we've been using that.  I can renew at $79 for a year as a Costco customer.  Part of me would rather not keep the service, but I feel like we still have no idea if Covid cases are going to spike again.

I inventoried the freezers today (chest in garage and upper freezer in the house), and gave them a little reorganization.  There's no point in "hoarding" and then not using what we've bought.

I've started looking at sale ads again, but I feel like I have no idea what is a good price or not.  I saw b/s chicken breast for $3 per pound, which seems incredibly high to me, but for all I know it's a great price.

I'm wondering if anyone has ideas for cooking some truly terrible cod we got from ButcherBox?  No matter how long I cook it it stays tough, and on top of that it's as if there is still cartridge in the backbone area.  I have six pieces.  Even my husband has refused to eat it, which is saying a lot since he is the one who eats all of the things other people in the house won't -- the leftovers, the meals that didn't turn out well, etc.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on April 29, 2022, 07:24:31 PM
Fish cakes? Fish tacos?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on April 29, 2022, 08:21:16 PM
Fish cakes? Fish tacos?

This. If you can crumble it, you should be able to turn it into cakes or patties, at least.

That’s really disappointing about Butcher Box. I’ve never tried it, but I assumed that it would be high quality.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: sonofsven on April 29, 2022, 09:42:28 PM
My free Instacart 5 month trial ends tomorrow, and I have to decide if I want to renew or not.  I had previously paid $99 for a full year, then after that ended I received a free offer connected to a credit card, so we've been using that.  I can renew at $79 for a year as a Costco customer.  Part of me would rather not keep the service, but I feel like we still have no idea if Covid cases are going to spike again.

I inventoried the freezers today (chest in garage and upper freezer in the house), and gave them a little reorganization.  There's no point in "hoarding" and then not using what we've bought.

I've started looking at sale ads again, but I feel like I have no idea what is a good price or not.  I saw b/s chicken breast for $3 per pound, which seems incredibly high to me, but for all I know it's a great price.

I'm wondering if anyone has ideas for cooking some truly terrible cod we got from ButcherBox?  No matter how long I cook it it stays tough, and on top of that it's as if there is still cartridge in the backbone area.  I have six pieces.  Even my husband has refused to eat it, which is saying a lot since he is the one who eats all of the things other people in the house won't -- the leftovers, the meals that didn't turn out well, etc.

Here's an idea for the cod (I do this with salmon tail sections that are not as fatty and oily as the other parts): cut into smaller pieces (remove the skin for salmon), roll in seasoned flour, dip in egg, roll in panko, fry in 1/4" + oil for 1.5- 2 minutes per side, set in paper towels.
Serve with lemon and tartar sauce.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on April 30, 2022, 12:24:50 AM
I have a good friend who is an anthropologist, and knows more about primate habitat encroachment than I ever will. In her opinion there is no such thing as “sustainable palm oil.” It’s incredibly ubiquitous, though. Finding stuff made without it is pretty challenging.

This is one reason I make so much of what we eat at home from scratch. I'm willing to cook with EVOO, butter, ghee, lard from pastured animals, the grease from cooking bacon, other animal fats rendered at home through cooking, and very occasionally, canola oil (basically for birthday treats since I have a kid who's allergic to dairy and can't use butter if he's going to eat something).  I've bought and used avocado oil before (mostly to make mayo), but we don't go through it fast enough to make it worth the cost. Oils just go rancid too quickly to keep too many on hand, or to stock up on ahead of time.

I've never had oils go rancid, and didn't do anything special to prevent that. Most bottles of oil have an expiry date 12-18 months into the future. We're just buying regular bottles, not restaurant size 10 liter cans, of course. Under normal circumstances, when our regular brands are available, we go through about 1 bottle (1/2 liter) of olive oil a month and 1 bottle (also 1/2 liter) of peanut oil ever 3 months. I usually keep 1 extra bottle of each in the pantry.

Right now I have managed to get my hands on 3 bottles of oil. All of them have expiry dates in 2023 so I don't expect them to go rancid in the pantry before they get used.

I bought rapeseed oil yesterday for the first time ever. It was also the last bottle in the store. According to the bottle it will be good for stir frying so that's what I'm going to use it for. We stir fry quite a lot and that has been an issue - you can't just use plain olive oil or butter. The internet tells me I could use ghee as well but that's not an easy to find thing either.

The oil section in my grocery store has three equal sized displays. One filled with fancy expensive olive oils in small bottles. This one is still full. Then another one with all sorts of unusual oils - grapeseed, rapeseed, sesame oil, etc etc. This one display had just one bottle of rapeseed left, which I bought. The third display contains the every day oils - cheap olive oil, sunflower oil, family sized containers, deep frying fats (oils and solid animal fats). This third display has been empty ever since the war in the Ukraine started and the middle display is often empty but at least it's restocked every now and then.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on April 30, 2022, 05:21:37 AM
We mostly use olive oil, but I do buy canola/rapeseed for frying.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 30, 2022, 08:37:35 AM
K_in_the_kitchen I would contact Butcher Box and tell them you are dissatisfied with the fish, and they will refund you or replace it. As mentioned before, I have complained about their pork butt and they replaced it. However, I still found the same problem with the replacement. I didn't complain about that one but I will never buy that cut of meat again from them. Live and learn.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on April 30, 2022, 10:04:12 AM
Y’all have completely convinced me to never try butcher box.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Catbert on April 30, 2022, 10:26:19 AM
Imma - Next time you need oil, try grapeseed oil if available.  It's my go-to neutral oil.  High smoke point and neutral taste.  Where I am (US) I get from the middle eastern grocery where it is cheaper and more available than the regular chain grocery store. 

Good luck with the rapeseed oil.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on April 30, 2022, 11:34:08 AM
Y’all have completely convinced me to never try butcher box.

PMG if you shop at one place a lot you will have issues one time or another. Nothing in this world is perfect.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on April 30, 2022, 11:38:03 AM
Y’all have completely convinced me to never try butcher box.

PMG if you shop at one place a lot you will have issues one time or another. Nothing in this world is perfect.

Yes, but if I physically go to the butcher shop or grocery store, I can see what I'm getting before I pay for it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on April 30, 2022, 12:07:06 PM
Y’all have completely convinced me to never try butcher box.

PMG if you shop at one place a lot you will have issues one time or another. Nothing in this world is perfect.

Yes, but if I physically go to the butcher shop or grocery store, I can see what I'm getting before I pay for it.

It seems so expensive! I feel like I could get local meat for that price.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on April 30, 2022, 01:37:26 PM
Thanks eyesonthehorizon on the tater instructions. I have a small bag of taters coming in my Misfits delivery tomorrow. I plan to use your instructions and freeze them. I also read recently...can't remember where...that duck fat is really good to put on taters to make crispy fries. I bought a jar of it and will try it too.

Here is an article on more cooking oil problems:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/26/business/palm-oil-indonesia-export-ban-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html
Duck fat is exquisite, especially for frying potatoes (or sweet potatoes - fry some sage, rosemary, or thyme in it to crumble over the top with some flake salt, then serve with the best beer you keep.) If you like the results with the jarred duck fat I'd price compare against just getting whole duck, since the meat is delicious, & the fat very easy to render & store frozen.

I do wish palm oil would go out of style. It's nearly tailor-made for shelf-stable processed food applications, though, hence its ubiquity in the absence of any meaningful legal pressure for habitat preservation & crop diversity; the good news, is if you do most your own cooking, it's also not at all difficult to avoid. Most the foods made with it are unnecessary snack foods, best when consumed infrequently, & inferior to their homemade versions - maybe we need a palm oil food upgrade thread....
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on April 30, 2022, 03:56:56 PM
Y’all have completely convinced me to never try butcher box.

PMG if you shop at one place a lot you will have issues one time or another. Nothing in this world is perfect.

I don't think I've ever had bad meat from Costco, be it beef, lamb, pork, chicken, or fish.  But with the exception of the first couple of whole beeves we bought, which were grass-fed and finished Murray Greys, there have been inconsistencies with any bulk order of grass-fed beef we've purchased, including from ButcherBox.  I do wish it wasn't so cost prohibitive to ship down the Murray Grey beef, as we really loved the rancher and her way of doing things.  Each time, all of our meat was from one beef, and back then the operation was so small that she would load the packaged meat into a chest freezer and drive it down to use herself (700 miles) without charging extra, since selling a whole beef wasn't that common for her in 2008-2010 before grass-fed took off with the masses.  But the business can't absorb those costs anymore.

I'm not sure I would recommend ButcherBox to anyone anymore.  Or at least I would be upfront about the issues I've had.  Yes, they will fix things, but it's a hassle.  And the cod was purchased back in December so I don't know if they will refund me.  We've gagged most of it down, but the last time (in March) my DH finally said it's just too bad to eat.

I will also say this: I think ButcherBox counts on consumers not knowing prices and wanting convenience more than anything else.  Each item in a custom 6 item box costs $28.17.  You can include a 3.5# chicken in your box, which is listed as organic and "free range", a term that has no legal meaning.  We can be sure it doesn't mean these chickens were pastured raised, as there are no large scale operations raising chickens that way.  An organic chicken from Sprouts is $3.49 per pound, so the same chicken would be $12.22 (and it would be an air chilled chicken which means the weight isn't inflated by a brine solution).  But most people don't realize what they are getting or how much it would cost elsewhere.  Another item choice is 2# of ground beef, which is $12.99 at Sprouts for 2# 85/15 ground beef.  With the increase in ButcherBox prices, even the grass-fed, grass finished steaks cost more than at Sprouts.  BB NY steaks come in at $22.54 per pound, and are grass-fed and finished NY steaks are $17.99 per pound at Sprouts.

I use Sprouts as an example because even if you use Instacart for convenience, they charge in-store prices, and you don't need to tip on a pickup order (you do need to tip if you do Instacart delivery because those are gig workers).  I know some of us turned to BB during the pandemic as a source of high quality meat.  But I think they grew too fast and can't source the quality as consistently anymore.


Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on May 08, 2022, 05:07:43 PM
[about the cod]
... We've gagged most of it down, but the last time (in March) my DH finally said it's just too bad to eat.

I will also say this: I think ButcherBox counts on consumers not knowing prices and wanting convenience more than anything else.
If you can't bear to eat it heavily seasoned in broken bits in a fish cake (like a crab cake), do you or friends/ neighbors have cats or dogs? Anything but tossing it out.

You could also see if that tough texture becomes an asset if you want to experiment with cod jerky. As long as you aren't spicing it the pets won't mind snapping up any leftovers.

In my experience every subscription box grocery service is priced at or above the luxury grocery chains, & is billing for the convenience of delivery/ "curation" (when that curation is obviously hit-or-miss at least with some.) I'd have to double my budget to use any of them, which is more than I want to pay for convenience. It might be different if the price of local groceries were closer, though. I have wondered if the prices are the same across the country - since they're sort of tech companies with a distribution arm, it would make sense if the prices were set by coastal expectations.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on May 09, 2022, 12:56:59 AM
I finally found a place that still stocks all types of cooking oil!

It's the plastic-free bulk grocery store. The type where only hippies shop and where all products come in re-usable glass bottles and jars that you pay a mandatory deposit for. They are a true no-single use packaging bulk store in the sense that they only work with supplies who will sell them the products in re-usable bulk containers. It's not like they get bulk plastic bags of oats and sell them in trendy glass jars. They also make this information available to the consumer, so for example I know that the cheese they get straight from a family-owned dairy comes in large plastic crates but that those crates are re-usable and that they themselves pay a deposit for them.

We usually get one bulk order every month. The first couple of months it was expensive because you had to pay up front for all those reusable jars, but now we usually return as many jars as we receive so the net cost is 0. And the best is that for environmental reasons you are not supposed to clean the jars before returning them! They are obviously all industrially washed before they are re-used, so if people clean them at home as well that's twice the environmental impact. Turns out if you have to go to the bulk store and pay a deposit per half liter bottle then panic buying doesn't happen.

If you exclude the bottle deposits, the products are also priced fairly and most of them are organic or otherwise sustainably and locally sourced. They're more expensive than the value range at the supermarket but certainly cheaper than many name brands. The snack products especially are much healthier choices than what you'd find at a regular store -  the cookies we had the other week had an ingredient list that actually resembled my own recipe, instead of a whole lot of overprocessed ingredients you've never heard of.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on May 09, 2022, 06:04:07 AM
@Imma - that sounds incredible. Closer to speculative fiction than a possibility here in the US, with our litigiousness & obsession with convenience-guised-as-sanitation. I'm glad for you on so many levels, not least of which that they still had cooking oil.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on May 09, 2022, 09:04:38 AM
@Imma - that sounds incredible. Closer to speculative fiction than a possibility here in the US, with our litigiousness & obsession with convenience-guised-as-sanitation. I'm glad for you on so many levels, not least of which that they still had cooking oil.

Well, shopping at a plastic-free bulk store is quite a niche thing here, as well. But at least it does exist and it's legal and all that.

What makes this particular store expensive for those on a small budget is that they pre-fill their own brand jars, and you pay a €1 deposit for each. It makes the whole process very hygienic - jars are industrially washed and filled again in what I assume are circumstances similar to any food factory. But at any given moment there are probably 30 or more jars or bottles in my house that are worth €1 each.

I'm a rich but frugal person, so I don't mind, but if I was poor I'd rather buy a one pound plastic bag of value range oats for €0,60 in the supermarket than €1,25 + €1 deposit for a a 500 gr jar of GMO-free certified organic oats. We go through two jars a month, for me that extra cost is just a rounding error. (For comparison: brand name is €2,21 for a pound and that's non-organic).

I've also heard of bulk stores where you can take your own containers and fill them on the shop floor but that's bound to be more messy and wasteful and less hygienic. It will be more affordable for those on a tight budget though.

Paying deposits on reusable bottles for beverages is mandatory here, it's the most normal thing in the world for us and has been around for as long as anyone can remember. It's been around since the age of the milkman and just never disappeared. Almost all beer comes in reusable glass bottles. You buy them in plastic crates and you return the crate filled with the empty bottles to the grocery store. The bottles are cleaned and filled again. Soft drinks usually come in reusable plastic bottles.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on May 09, 2022, 02:58:48 PM
... I've also heard of bulk stores where you can take your own containers and fill them on the shop floor but that's bound to be more messy and wasteful and less hygienic. It will be more affordable for those on a tight budget though.
This is the only kind I've ever seen in the states, though rarely. Much less hygenic than your sort because people bypass tongs or scoops to put their unwashed hands into bulk bins, grab a piece of something to snack on or occupy their child's drooly mouth, etc. I generally tended to buy only goods I'd subsequently cook thoroughly. When containers are returnable (for limited goods, most often soaps or cosmetics) there's usually no deposit return.

Most "bulk" stores won't actually allow you to use your own containers either & instead you have to grab their plastic bag to fill & write the product code on to be weighed at the register, though this became less common with covid - now they have bins full of pre-bagged amounts, or prepacked tubs.

I don't think the registers most places even have a tare function to reduce the weight by the weight of the vessel even if they did allow you to bring your own. I was shocked to notice a tare weight on a silicone ziptop bag the other day - what a notion.

Either way, prices aren't usually significantly cheaper than prepackaged branded goods, so it's really not much single-use plastic reduction if any, although the bags are somewhat more reusable than the kinds of packaging that comes from factories ... because there's slack plastic where it's tied off.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on May 09, 2022, 04:23:48 PM
... I've also heard of bulk stores where you can take your own containers and fill them on the shop floor but that's bound to be more messy and wasteful and less hygienic. It will be more affordable for those on a tight budget though.
This is the only kind I've ever seen in the states, though rarely. Much less hygenic than your sort because people bypass tongs or scoops to put their unwashed hands into bulk bins, grab a piece of something to snack on or occupy their child's drooly mouth, etc. I generally tended to buy only goods I'd subsequently cook thoroughly. When containers are returnable (for limited goods, most often soaps or cosmetics) there's usually no deposit return.

Most "bulk" stores won't actually allow you to use your own containers either & instead you have to grab their plastic bag to fill & write the product code on to be weighed at the register, though this became less common with covid - now they have bins full of pre-bagged amounts, or prepacked tubs.

I don't think the registers most places even have a tare function to reduce the weight by the weight of the vessel even if they did allow you to bring your own. I was shocked to notice a tare weight on a silicone ziptop bag the other day - what a notion.

Either way, prices aren't usually significantly cheaper than prepackaged branded goods, so it's really not much single-use plastic reduction if any, although the bags are somewhat more reusable than the kinds of packaging that comes from factories ... because there's slack plastic where it's tied off.

Bulk buying is difficult in the United States, even in crunchy California.  I've only been in a couple of natural foods stores where you can bring your own containers -- they tend to be co-ops and they aren't where I live.  People's Co-op in Ocean Beach springs to mind, although I don't know what they are doing in a Covid world.  At these kinds of stores you can usually have your container weighed and have the tare weight marked on the glass.

But mostly we see bulk bins places like Sprouts.  Employees dump dry goods from large plastic bags into the bins.  Customers scoop items from the bins into single use plastic bags.  Our Sprouts did away with this during the early days and height of the pandemic, but you can scoop items out again.  Even with the single use plastic bags, these are usually far less plastic than regular packaging.  Sprouts and other natural food stores do sell milk in glass bottles, which are returnable and reusable and do have a $2 deposit.  But when I was using my own produce bags (with tare weight marked on tags) the employees just didn't know how to manage them.

The hands in the bins access bothers me, especially since some of the bins have dried fruits, candies, granola, etc. and children do seem to flock to them.  My local health food store does it a little better for some items.  The grains and beans bins are operated by placing a bag under a spout and then you pull the lever to dispense what you want.

I don't know anywhere near me where I can go in with a container (my own or one from the store obtained with a deposit) and buy cooking oils, peanut butter, honey, shampoo, etc.  But I can order from Azure Standard and buy such foods in bulk amounts, packaged in gallon jugs, large pails, large glass jars, etc.  It helps some.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 09, 2022, 05:56:54 PM
Here it is Bulk Barn - you can buy as much or as little as you need (great for herbs/spices).  They have plastic bags for dry goods, plastic containers for wettish goods/liquid (i.e. candied fruit that can be a bit wet, honey), and some things pre-packaged.  They will happily tare containers you bring in - you just can't do that with a heavier plastic bag, or with their own containers, health regulations.  Where I find the best value is things that are a bit unusual (and high priced) in regular grocery stores, like quinoa or gluten-free flour.

Prices are as good as or better than my discount grocery store.  People are good about using the scoops.  During the height of lockdown we each went around with our own personal shopper who had a supply of scoops and the shopper did the actual scooping.  we are back to normal now.

Bulk Barn has also dropped their plastic bags (which were good solid bags that could be reused for a long time, the only plastic bags I would actually ask for when I shopped) and gone back to paper.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on May 10, 2022, 07:50:51 AM
... I've also heard of bulk stores where you can take your own containers and fill them on the shop floor but that's bound to be more messy and wasteful and less hygienic. It will be more affordable for those on a tight budget though.
This is the only kind I've ever seen in the states, though rarely. Much less hygenic than your sort because people bypass tongs or scoops to put their unwashed hands into bulk bins, grab a piece of something to snack on or occupy their child's drooly mouth, etc. I generally tended to buy only goods I'd subsequently cook thoroughly. When containers are returnable (for limited goods, most often soaps or cosmetics) there's usually no deposit return.

Most "bulk" stores won't actually allow you to use your own containers either & instead you have to grab their plastic bag to fill & write the product code on to be weighed at the register, though this became less common with covid - now they have bins full of pre-bagged amounts, or prepacked tubs.

I don't think the registers most places even have a tare function to reduce the weight by the weight of the vessel even if they did allow you to bring your own. I was shocked to notice a tare weight on a silicone ziptop bag the other day - what a notion.

Either way, prices aren't usually significantly cheaper than prepackaged branded goods, so it's really not much single-use plastic reduction if any, although the bags are somewhat more reusable than the kinds of packaging that comes from factories ... because there's slack plastic where it's tied off.

This is a good description of the bulk stores near my house. I also haven't seen evidence that care is taken to avoid contamination of things like gluten-free flour or grains with regular flour or barley (e.g., I've seen customers use the same scoop in several bins). The bins are thus a bit too risky for me.

I'd happily purchase bulk goods from a store that sold already filled, returnable containers. We already pay a $0.10 deposit on carbonated beverage containers (pop/soda and beer bottles and cans) in our state, so people are used to it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on May 10, 2022, 08:46:24 AM
If you're on the West Coast, employee-owned Winco is the bomb for bulk foods. You can't bring your own jars, but you can bring your own plastic bags.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 10, 2022, 10:19:44 AM
May 14th is the Stamp Out Hunger drive thru the post office. You can weed out some of your extra shelf stable items that are not expired and are not glass and set out by your mailbox in a bag or box. Post Office employees will pick up when they deliver your mail.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on May 10, 2022, 10:50:10 AM
May 14th is the Stamp Out Hunger drive thru the post office. You can weed out some of your extra shelf stable items that are not expired and are not glass and set out by your mailbox in a bag or box. Post Office employees will pick up when they deliver your mail.

Yes! I help run a local Food Pantry that is a beneficiary of Stamp Out Hunger and it is our major source of food for the summer.  Thank you so much for bringing it up!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on May 10, 2022, 12:38:52 PM
If you're on the West Coast, employee-owned Winco is the bomb for bulk foods. You can't bring your own jars, but you can bring your own plastic bags.

The food co-op here suspended the bulk bins during the first year of the pandemic, but they’re back now. You can bring your own jar or use their plastic or paper bags. It’s not really cheap because the co-op is more like Whole Foods than Aldi, but it’s nice if you just want a small amount of something.

They don’t have bulk herbs, though, which our old co-op did and that was really cheap.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on May 12, 2022, 08:07:46 AM
...Sprouts and other natural food stores do sell milk in glass bottles, which are returnable and reusable and do have a $2 deposit. ...
We have Sprouts in Texas but I've never seen a single returnable container of any sort in them, so that must be a regional thing.

As for the May 14th Stamp Out Hunger drive, I guess this is something of an MPP: Anytime there's a shelf-stable food drive I have to donate money. My hoarding is preplanned & optimized, & skepticism of consumer behavioral suggestions reveals best-by dates do not delimit edibility.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: OtherJen on May 12, 2022, 10:09:45 AM
...Sprouts and other natural food stores do sell milk in glass bottles, which are returnable and reusable and do have a $2 deposit. ...
We have Sprouts in Texas but I've never seen a single returnable container of any sort in them, so that must be a regional thing.

I think it is regional. In my area, Whole Foods and some of the fancier independent markets sell milk in returnable glass bottles from a local dairy, which also has its own dairy store in a nearby suburb.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on May 12, 2022, 11:29:13 AM
...Sprouts and other natural food stores do sell milk in glass bottles, which are returnable and reusable and do have a $2 deposit. ...
We have Sprouts in Texas but I've never seen a single returnable container of any sort in them, so that must be a regional thing.

As for the May 14th Stamp Out Hunger drive, I guess this is something of an MPP: Anytime there's a shelf-stable food drive I have to donate money. My hoarding is preplanned & optimized, & skepticism of consumer behavioral suggestions reveals best-by dates do not delimit edibility.
I organize a huge annual food drive. I also think I'm a good shopper. The Food Banks can stretch a buck like nobody's business. They buy produce from the growers for twelve cents a pound! Believe me, giving cash is the best option.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on May 12, 2022, 12:42:06 PM
...Sprouts and other natural food stores do sell milk in glass bottles, which are returnable and reusable and do have a $2 deposit. ...
We have Sprouts in Texas but I've never seen a single returnable container of any sort in them, so that must be a regional thing.

I think it is regional. In my area, Whole Foods and some of the fancier independent markets sell milk in returnable glass bottles from a local dairy, which also has its own dairy store in a nearby suburb.

The two dairy brands we have in glass bottles are Strauss and Top O' the Morn, both of which are based here in California.  We can buy milk, half and half, and whipping cream in glass bottles.  The deposit is $2, regardless of size.

That said, I don't buy dairy products in glass bottles anymore.  I buy half and half from Costco in the 2 quart size, and I use it in cooking any where I would use milk, which isn't everyday.  Today I used it in cornmeal mush.  I use it in soups and quiche, as well.  Kid stays away from it since it isn't "milk".  And since it's ultra pasteurized it lasts far longer than the dairy in glass does.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on May 12, 2022, 01:17:40 PM
The two dairy brands we have in glass bottles are Strauss and Top O' the Morn, both of which are based here in California.  We can buy milk, half and half, and whipping cream in glass bottles.  The deposit is $2, regardless of size.

That said, I don't buy dairy products in glass bottles anymore.  I buy half and half from Costco in the 2 quart size, and I use it in cooking any where I would use milk, which isn't everyday.  Today I used it in cornmeal mush.  I use it in soups and quiche, as well.  Kid stays away from it since it isn't "milk".  And since it's ultra pasteurized it lasts far longer than the dairy in glass does.
That's really clever - not only the ultrapasteurization, but the fat would act as a preservative too. I have taken to freezing some milk whenever we buy it, though, which spreads out the need to buy/ lets us sort of DCA purchases, plus helps keep the freezer efficient, since it displaces airflow when it's opened.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: pressure9pa on May 12, 2022, 02:54:53 PM

I don't think the registers most places even have a tare function to reduce the weight by the weight of the vessel even if they did allow you to bring your own. I was shocked to notice a tare weight on a silicone ziptop bag the other day - what a notion.


In a regular grocery, I never use the twist tie when bagging produce.  I always tie the bag in a knot to avoid being charged for the weight of the tie as if it was food.  I've been doing this for 25 years, and I'll bet I've saved $.15 !!

(But on this forum, I'm sure the action and the rationale are perfectly normal.)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 12, 2022, 03:17:42 PM
Mr. Roadrunner and I don't use much milk, so we buy the small milks (8 oz) UHT in cardboard boxes. When they get to the tail end of their shelf life, I freeze them. I buy the 18 count cases thru Costco. Works out great for us. We used to waste so much milk in the past. I recently found some grapefruit juice in cartons on sale and froze the containers. That works out really good too. We mostly use the milk in recipes and mashed potatoes. Not drinking it. I am sure it is fine to drink but we just don't drink milk.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: FIRE Artist on May 12, 2022, 04:55:10 PM
Mr. Roadrunner and I don't use much milk, so we buy the small milks (8 oz) UHT in cardboard boxes. When they get to the tail end of their shelf life, I freeze them. I buy the 18 count cases thru Costco. Works out great for us. We used to waste so much milk in the past. I recently found some grapefruit juice in cartons on sale and froze the containers. That works out really good too. We mostly use the milk in recipes and mashed potatoes. Not drinking it. I am sure it is fine to drink but we just don't drink milk.

i don’t drink milk so I keep milk powder on hand for cooking.  It works fine.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on May 13, 2022, 06:55:42 AM
We have two kinds of milk available in glass bottles (Oberweis and Lamers) and pretty much all the regular grocery stores carry them though they are sometimes out of stock. Since the little boy has been getting free milk at school this year, he doesn't drink too much at home. I can tell a big difference!

Strangely, frozen peas have been out of stock many places the last few weeks. I haven't driven around looking for them, but I do check each time I'm in the store.

But bacon was on sale for $2.99!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: LaineyAZ on May 13, 2022, 08:40:28 AM
I would like to buy milk in glass bottles but unfortunately they've become a favorite of shoplifters because of the $2 deposit.  So anyone wanting to buy it must first hunt down an employee for them to retrieve it from a cooler in the back.  I'm sure that hassle has put a big dent in their sales.

The other reason is I don't want to have glass milk bottles while I'm watching pre-schoolers in the house - they like to be "helpful" and I can easily see one slipping from their little hands and shattering all over the tile.  Don't want to take that chance.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 13, 2022, 04:13:10 PM
We have two kinds of milk available in glass bottles (Oberweis and Lamers) and pretty much all the regular grocery stores carry them though they are sometimes out of stock. Since the little boy has been getting free milk at school this year, he doesn't drink too much at home. I can tell a big difference!

Strangely, frozen peas have been out of stock many places the last few weeks. I haven't driven around looking for them, but I do check each time I'm in the store.

But bacon was on sale for $2.99!

I just bought frozen peas.  There was plenty of stock (one name brand, one small bag store brand, one huge bag store brand).  I'm sure it is regional.

The bacon on sale was about 90% fat 10% meat so a pass.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on May 14, 2022, 05:34:35 PM

I just bought frozen peas.  There was plenty of stock (one name brand, one small bag store brand, one huge bag store brand).  I'm sure it is regional.

The bacon on sale was about 90% fat 10% meat so a pass.

I wouldn't mind this at all, as long as it is good tasting bacon.  I prefer bacon grease for cooking eggs and actually like it when a package of bacon yields a lot of grease.

I use ghee when we're out of bacon grease, but found out this week that DH used lard because that's what he could find.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on May 14, 2022, 08:22:27 PM

I just bought frozen peas.  There was plenty of stock (one name brand, one small bag store brand, one huge bag store brand).  I'm sure it is regional.

The bacon on sale was about 90% fat 10% meat so a pass.

I wouldn't mind this at all, as long as it is good tasting bacon.  I prefer bacon grease for cooking eggs and actually like it when a package of bacon yields a lot of grease.

I use ghee when we're out of bacon grease, but found out this week that DH used lard because that's what he could find.

I agree about the bacon grease for eggs - I cook my bacon and pour off most of the grease (I have a grease can for it in the fridge so it doesn't spoil, doesn't everyone?) and then while the bacon is draining I cook my eggs in the bacon pan.

I really like lard for sauteing, it is my main cooking fat.  Usually I just buy it (Tenderflake is fine) but occasionally I get energetic and melt the bacon grease in a pot with lots of water.  Most of the solids separate out into the water and when it cools I have lovely bacon fat (i.e lard) with a bit of flavour.

Do you make your own ghee?  I priced it out and wow is it expensive.  I'm fine with the milk solids in butter so ghee isn't really advantageous for when I don't want lard (or avocado/olive oil).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Catbert on May 15, 2022, 12:11:50 PM
I finally found distilled water after casually looking for months.  I'm supposed to use distilled water in my CPAP (to avoid both microbes and minerals) although purified water works in a pinch.  I'm not sure why the supply chain for distilled water is interrupted but I bought two gallon bottles.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on May 15, 2022, 04:27:47 PM
We have two kinds of milk available in glass bottles (Oberweis and Lamers) and pretty much all the regular grocery stores carry them though they are sometimes out of stock. Since the little boy has been getting free milk at school this year, he doesn't drink too much at home. I can tell a big difference!

Strangely, frozen peas have been out of stock many places the last few weeks. I haven't driven around looking for them, but I do check each time I'm in the store.

But bacon was on sale for $2.99!

Target had frozen peas! I bought 2 big bags and won't worry about it for a while now. We do use those in cooking quite a bit.

I just bought frozen peas.  There was plenty of stock (one name brand, one small bag store brand, one huge bag store brand).  I'm sure it is regional.

The bacon on sale was about 90% fat 10% meat so a pass.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on May 19, 2022, 02:51:27 PM

Do you make your own ghee?  I priced it out and wow is it expensive.  I'm fine with the milk solids in butter so ghee isn't really advantageous for when I don't want lard (or avocado/olive oil).

Sometimes I make ghee, but lately I've been using the Ancient Organics grass-fed ghee from Costco.  I think it's $24 for 32 ounces, which is a good price considering it's 100% grass-fed, pastured, and it's organic.  If I want those parameters, I just don't really save enough money making it myself for it to be worth it. Using unsalted Kerrygold would come close if I bought it at Costco, but it wouldn't be organic and Kerrygold isn't 100% grass-fed.  Using standard unsalted butter from Costco it's definitely a cost savings to make it myself.



I prefer ghee to straight butter in cast iron, since milk solids sometimes stick or burn.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 19, 2022, 03:45:16 PM
Never used ghee, can you educate me on using it?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on May 20, 2022, 06:53:36 AM
I wanted to share this with all of you. I like egg salad but I usually have trouble peeling the eggs. I found this new to me technique that is fantastic! 

This is what I did. I took a cake pan and buttered the inside of it. Cracked 8 eggs into the pan leaving the yolks intact. Put two cups of water in my 7 quart crockpot. Put foil over the cake pan and lowered it into the crockpot. Set crockpot to high and cooked for two hours. Removed cake pan, removed foil and let eggs cool. I chopped up the eggs and made a perfect egg salad! To me, no taste difference whatsoever! Next time I may line bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper. The eggs still stuck a little bit to the bottom of the pan but not terribly.

The only trick to the whole thing is finding a cake pan or oven safe bowl to fit into the crockpot.

Good way to use up a bunch of eggs!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on May 20, 2022, 08:49:40 AM
Never used ghee, can you educate me on using it?

I've always used it as a shelf stable butter.  Not quiet the same flavour as butter . . . but close enough if you're frying something in it (much higher smoke point than butter so you can use higher temps too).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on May 20, 2022, 05:03:25 PM
We had a tenant move out. She's gone across the country to be closer to her children, as she has congestive heart failure. I told her to pack her bags, take whatever was important to her and leave everything else behind. We expected to rent the house out as of June 1, but we got someone who wanted to move in today (5/20), so we rushed down to do a frantic clean out/clean up.

I was able to pull together a solid starter kitchen for Bonus Kid's new place, including a nice assortment of spices. I was also very pleased to discover a lot of good pantry staples, none of which are expired! (That would certainly not be true in my own pantry.) I've used up some of it this week and the rest is packed up to come home with us. Yippee for free groceries and zero food waste!

Oh, and lots and lots of cleaning supplies.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GreenSheep on May 21, 2022, 05:29:09 AM
Oh, and lots and lots of cleaning supplies.

Sounds like a good tenant! :-)

And yay for free groceries!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on May 22, 2022, 03:10:47 PM
Instant pot makes easy-peel boiled eggs super easy to make.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: kina on May 22, 2022, 05:41:56 PM
Instant pot makes easy-peel boiled eggs super easy to make.
I second that!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on May 23, 2022, 10:04:36 AM
I wanted to share this with all of you. I like egg salad but I usually have trouble peeling the eggs. I found this new to me technique that is fantastic! 

This is what I did. I took a cake pan and buttered the inside of it. Cracked 8 eggs into the pan leaving the yolks intact. Put two cups of water in my 7 quart crockpot. Put foil over the cake pan and lowered it into the crockpot. Set crockpot to high and cooked for two hours. Removed cake pan, removed foil and let eggs cool. I chopped up the eggs and made a perfect egg salad! To me, no taste difference whatsoever! Next time I may line bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper. The eggs still stuck a little bit to the bottom of the pan but not terribly.

The only trick to the whole thing is finding a cake pan or oven safe bowl to fit into the crockpot.

Good way to use up a bunch of eggs!

I've done this with an 8" round cake pan and the instant pot.  Super easy!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on May 23, 2022, 10:06:49 AM
Instant pot makes easy-peel boiled eggs super easy to make.
I second that!

Seriously the best way ever for hard cooked eggs!  I do the 5-5-5 method, although I sometimes leave them in the ice water longer if I'm busy.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on May 23, 2022, 11:09:08 AM
Instant pot makes easy-peel boiled eggs super easy to make.
I second that!

Seriously the best way ever for hard cooked eggs!  I do the 5-5-5 method, although I sometimes leave them in the ice water longer if I'm busy.

I don't even use the icewater. Never had problems peeling
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: kina on May 24, 2022, 09:32:50 AM
Instant pot makes easy-peel boiled eggs super easy to make.
I second that!

Seriously the best way ever for hard cooked eggs!  I do the 5-5-5 method, although I sometimes leave them in the ice water longer if I'm busy.

I don't even use the icewater. Never had problems peeling
I think the ice water is more to keep the eggs from overcooking.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on June 08, 2022, 02:00:55 PM
Well, I finally tried a ButcherBox filet, and it was incredible.  I did a quick thaw in hot water, then cooked it for a total of 4 minutes in a hot cast iron skillet.  Expensive, but so good.  And I didn't make it for the whole family, just for myself.

In addition, the rest of our NY steaks have been fine.  So -- I'm getting another box of meat this month (first time since March).  Cutting back on eating meat resulted in me being covered in bruises again.  I don't tolerate taking iron supplements, non-heme iron sources don't do much for me, and clearly not eating much red meat isn't good for my health.

I noticed the spiral ham and boneless leg of lamb are both on good sale now that Easter has passed.  The lamb is cheaper than Costco.  I'll cook one and grind the other.  The ham is Niman Ranch and is a great price for that brand, coming in at $4 per pound.

I ordered more whole grain this month, 25# of heirloom white wheat and 25# of einkorn.  While the price of whole grains has gone up, I don't think it quite enters the realm of the increase of grocery store products made with whole grains, or even whole wheat flour.

If someone is looking for good quality frozen vegetables, we recently tried the Pura Vida Fajita vegetables from Costco, and they're really good.  I keep frozen vegetables as part of my "pandemic hoard" in case we need to stretch out shopping trips during a surge in cases.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 08, 2022, 03:57:30 PM
K_in_the_K

I am still sticking with Butcher Box and last month I bought the big box for the first time. I loaded up on steaks. Rib eye, filet mignon and flat iron steaks. I also bought chuck roasts. I LOVE the filet mignon and that is my go to steak. Mr. Roadrunner thinks they are small so would rather have a rib eye but if I have a bite or two left of my filet mignon, he gobbles it up and tells me how fantastic it is! This month, I went back to the smaller box but have added a bacon blast to it and a corned beef, a pulled pork blast and some precooked ribs. I am due to get my next box next week. I will have to think what size box for next month. I think I might do the small box again and then hope for a ground beef blast to add to it. I am trying to stock up on things when they have a 'blast' offer.

I recently ordered from Wild Fork and they have some interesting stuff there. First order gets free shipping. They have an offer where you pay a fee and get unlimited shipping for a year. I think it might be $29. I have not done it yet. I think it is a decent deal because shipping is expensive!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on June 08, 2022, 05:43:13 PM
@Roadrunner53

I weighed my BB filets when they arrived and most were not the stated 6 oz., but they did toss in an extra.  5-6 oz. is a tiny snack for my young adult children, so I won't cook filet for them.  Heck, they find the 10 oz. steaks "small", but they do enjoy them.

I'm getting a big box this time around, with my selections being filet, NY, and the sirloin cap, which we all enjoy immensely (I cook it sous vide in the Instant Pot before searing).  I saw the bacon blast yesterday, didn't jump on it, and it was gone today.  I added on 4 spiral hams, 2 boneless legs of lamb, 2 5.5# pork butts (with free bacon), and 2 pork tenderloins (with free bacon).  I'm also going to try the sweet and smoky salmon bites (for a fancy van date with DH), and the gluten free chicken nuggets (for my youngest).

I went to Aldi today (masked up).  I needed a lot of fruits and vegetables and the Instacart shoppers aren't great at selecting produce.  I did a mini stock up on some pantry items, as well.  I also like their frozen pie crusts for a quick quiche, and surprisingly those hadn't gone up in price.  They were out of facial tissue, and still don't have canned pineapple back in stock.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 09, 2022, 03:42:04 AM
K_in_the_K

You are such a good shopper and analyze things! That spiral ham deal is good. I am tempted to add that on, but I have to back off. I have a lot of stuff coming and Mr. Roadrunner will blow a head gasket trying to find room in our freezers!

I also never gave too much thought to buying something when they offer a 'free' bacon with it. I will have to keep an eye on that.

Glad to hear you are still masking up too! I also mask up! Was watching a little of the Jubilee in UK and no one appeared to be wearing a mask and there were thousands and thousands of people cheek to cheek. My first thought was how soon before their covid numbers go up!

By any chance do you know of any good website that sells various rolls like grinder/hoagie rolls, hard rolls? Most places won't ship perishables. I have not even had good luck thru the grocery stores. It is so hit and miss on grinder rolls especially. I have visited a few websites that sell loaves of bread but they don't have the grinder rolls either! Once in a while I do an Instacart from Costco and they have grinder rolls but not really the type I like. I make do but would like to find a reliable source. I would buy them in bulk and then freeze.

So, this was cringeworthy. We heat our house with oil. Last year the price per gallon was $2.75 a gallon. We lock in every year and go on a budget plan so our payments are the same each month. My year is up end of this month and they posted the new price to lock in at and it is $4.99 a gallon! You can lock in or not but I locked in...UGH! There is a chance the oil prices could go down but I will be stuck at this lock in price for a year. On the other hand, the price could go up and I am protected from rising prices. People are screaming about gasoline prices but I am not hearing anyone screaming about home heating costs. I wonder if people are not using heat now and just not thinking about it. My house is a modest size home. I cannot imagine some of the giant homes that have been built in my area the last few years! YIKES! We use in the vicinity of 800+/- gallons a year to heat the house and heat our water. I am not super frugal on that. I like my house around 72 degrees.

Everything is going up, up, up!

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on June 09, 2022, 10:17:42 AM
K_in_the_K

You are such a good shopper and analyze things! That spiral ham deal is good. I am tempted to add that on, but I have to back off. I have a lot of stuff coming and Mr. Roadrunner will blow a head gasket trying to find room in our freezers!

I also never gave too much thought to buying something when they offer a 'free' bacon with it. I will have to keep an eye on that.

Glad to hear you are still masking up too! I also mask up! Was watching a little of the Jubilee in UK and no one appeared to be wearing a mask and there were thousands and thousands of people cheek to cheek. My first thought was how soon before their covid numbers go up!

By any chance do you know of any good website that sells various rolls like grinder/hoagie rolls, hard rolls? Most places won't ship perishables. I have not even had good luck thru the grocery stores. It is so hit and miss on grinder rolls especially. I have visited a few websites that sell loaves of bread but they don't have the grinder rolls either! Once in a while I do an Instacart from Costco and they have grinder rolls but not really the type I like. I make do but would like to find a reliable source. I would buy them in bulk and then freeze.

So, this was cringeworthy. We heat our house with oil. Last year the price per gallon was $2.75 a gallon. We lock in every year and go on a budget plan so our payments are the same each month. My year is up end of this month and they posted the new price to lock in at and it is $4.99 a gallon! You can lock in or not but I locked in...UGH! There is a chance the oil prices could go down but I will be stuck at this lock in price for a year. On the other hand, the price could go up and I am protected from rising prices. People are screaming about gasoline prices but I am not hearing anyone screaming about home heating costs. I wonder if people are not using heat now and just not thinking about it. My house is a modest size home. I cannot imagine some of the giant homes that have been built in my area the last few years! YIKES! We use in the vicinity of 800+/- gallons a year to heat the house and heat our water. I am not super frugal on that. I like my house around 72 degrees.

Everything is going up, up, up!

Most of the time I ignore the item + free bacon sales, unless they are really good.  The 14 ounce pork tenderloin for $14 is more than I would pay for the pork tenderloin alone, but with the bacon added I find the price agreeable.  The BB pork butt isn't my favorite, but my favorite pasture raised pork butt is over $20 per pound now, and I also don't want to be feeding my family mega-corp CAFO pork.  So BB is a good compromise and the free bacon helps add value.

I may very well blow a head gasket trying to fit everything into the freezer!  Although now that my oldest is home from university for the summer -and- I feel like I need to eat more meat meals, we are going through the meat faster.

I've never ordered rolls online, but maybe someone else will have a good idea?

That's crazy for your heating oil!  Granted, I live where's it's warm, so the bulk of my energy use for home comfort is for air conditioning, not heating, but still!  Even with more price increases and keeping the house much cooler in the summer than we used to, we're at about $2700 per year for both our electricity and our natural gas (we use gas for the furnace, our hot water, and our dryer).  And we have really high electricity rates -- between generation and delivery we pay 28¢ per kWh in our first tier baseline and 36¢ per kWh in our second tier (which we always go into if we have to run the A/C).  We have more than 100 days per year where the temperature is over 90°F and have enough days over 100°F that our average high for July and August is 95°F.  Of course it's only getting hotter, and over the past decade or more, it's getting more humid as well.  But your oil prices seem unaffordable!  My dad had told me oil was higher this year than last year, but he doesn't have a long history with it.

I'm vaccinated and double boosted, but I still wear a mask.  I had stopped for a little while when cases in our county were super low, but they started climbing and I realized it just isn't worth it for me.  I also caught a cold (all of us were negative for Covid) and realized I much preferred when I didn't pick up random bugs at the grocery store.  So for me, masking is the new normal.  I just hate the small acne bumps I get when I wear one, which happened far less with cloth masks, but these days cloth masks just don't do enough.  My new strategy is to completely wash my face when I get home after wearing a mask, but that's a hassle.  I'm not prone to acne at all, except when I wear a mask.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 09, 2022, 11:34:31 AM
K_in_the_k

When you get a chance, check out Wild Fork. What I am doing is filling in the cracks for things I can't get or don't want to buy from BB. Like I said, only placed one order so far. Mr. Roadrunner developed gout in the last year or so and can't eat shellfish which is something we both love. I have it now and then, but it is no fun to eat it in front of him. I bought some swordfish that we both love from WF and something he can enjoy if I should have shellfish. They also have some exotic meats that I will probably not buy but some people love it. I also love cube steak which is made from round steak. I don't think BB has ever offered it. WF has round steak so all I have to do it pound it out. They have a lot to offer.

Our neighbor went to CA a couple of months ago to see his daughter. He is fully vaccinated, got covid and had to stay an extra two weeks to get over it. Sometimes I think I am being over cautious when I see no one wearing a mask. Then it makes me wonder why people think they won't get covid when they don't wear a mask. My eye doctor insists his patients wear a mask in his office, they take your temp and you must wear disposable gloves.

Yes, everyone is feeling the pinch on everything with costs going up and up. Regular gas in CT is approaching $5 a gallon but I heard CA has much higher prices. We have no choice on heating our house. We have hot water baseboard heat. During frigid weather you can't turn off the heat or you take a chance your pipes will freeze. My old boss went to FL one year in February. He shut off his heat and his pipes froze. Which means the pipes busted and water was everywhere. He had thousands and thousands of dollars in damage.

My highest electric bill is in August. We run the ac like mad here. August is typically in the 90's, hot and humid. We have at least 3 super high electric bills in the summer months. LOL, off the charts!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on June 14, 2022, 07:30:54 PM
And ... ButcherBox failed to deliver 80% of my order based on dollar amounts -- in terms of number of items + my free items, I'm missing more than that.  Of course it's the shipping company's fault, but this is the same shipping company that delivered my second order open and missing items, so you would think BB would get it fixed.

BB can't do anything about it today.  My undelivered box is sitting at a "delivery depot" in Fresno, which isn't my delivery depot.  Dry ice was calculated based on packing the shipment last night and delivering it today.  Today it was 95°F, tomorrow is forecast to be loser to 100°F.  Once the box arrives -- if it arrives -- it's my responsibility to check and see if everything is still frozen enough.  Doing so requires taking the internal temperature of every item that has partially defrosted, which ruins the vacuum sealed packaging.  For anything that is over 40°F internally, the solution is to reship, which would be okay but of course most of the deals I added to my order are now sold out.

In other pandemic/inflation hoarding news, I stocked up on maple syrup and some whole grains this month, and put in an Azure order.  I'm ordering popcorn, flour, honey, and butter, and I'm going to try more of their frozen diced vegetables, since the diced potatoes and diced sweet potatoes are really good.  This time around I'm also ordering diced beets, diced butternut squash, diced onion, diced celery, and diced carrots.  I'd never really thought about stocking up so much frozen veg, but I'm starting to think like some of the people who grow and preserve their veg.  Depending on how we like what we're trying out, I'll order in larger quantities and be prepared to go back to infrequent grocery shopping (or orders) should we have yet another bad Covid winter.  For fruit I need to stock up on more frozen Costco fruit, and continue to add to my canned pineapple stash.

I've also finally gotten the young adults off of breakfast cereal!  My youngest was persuaded to give up milk to see if doing so would clear up acne, and it has helped a lot.  My oldest is dairy allergic so for him it was oat and almond "milks", but he injured himself in a crash and I'm having to prepare his breakfast each day, so the cereal is out.  It's so nice not to need to constantly be stocking up on milk and milk alternative.  A half gallon of oat milk lasts a couple of weeks now, with him having it in tea and occasionally in a smoothie.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on June 15, 2022, 02:01:55 AM
Ouch! Hope your oldest makes a full recovery. Chiming in to mention that The Frugal Girl's Clumpalicious Granola has totally replaced cereal in our household.  I make a double batch, but don't double the sugars. I make up the difference with water. It doesn't clump quite as much, but it's still pretty delicious and very filling.

https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/no-stir-clumpalicious-granola/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 15, 2022, 06:10:27 AM
K_in_the_kitchen

That stinks on your shipment. I had that happen with another company and the whole box was warm. They didn't use dry ice but used blue ice which was ridiculous! I suggested they use dry ice and they just said they don't use it, period. Okay...
They sent out a new shipment, but I am sure they were not happy! Not my fault!

My Butcher Box came yesterday. However, I do not like the shipping method they use. They use some company called Laser Ship and they deliver late in the evening when no one wants to deal with frozen food. Mr. Roadrunner winged the food in the freezer last night and will reorg it today. He keeps a tidy freezer but has to find spots for all of it to fit nicely. He was not in the mood to play musical chairs with the frozen food in the evening. He was pleased that all the meat was frozen solid. The last two times, there were some pieces of meat that were partially thawed. I contacted BB and they gave me a credit. We were able to eat the meat but it was an inconvenience because we had not planned on eating them so soon. I noticed that they did not add much extra dry ice because by the time the box arrived, it had all disappeared. Plus it was just one day shipping so they definitely cut it very close on the dry ice. They obviously do not allow for shipping delays.

I am taking advantage of the ham 'special' for my next box. I had considered getting a small box of only filet mignons but found out they do not allow more than a quantity of two packages (4 filet mignons) per small box. I didn't know they limited quantities. I checked the big box and they also limit it to four packages (8 filet mignons). I am more inclined to take advantage of the blasts they offer.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on June 15, 2022, 03:39:15 PM
 @Roadrunner53  That is inconvenient to get your box late in the evening; mine is usually here by noon.

My delayed box arrived and it fared better than expected.  I think it helped that there were two large pork butts and two large legs of lamb helping keep things frozen.  I had defrosting issues with the bacon, hamburger patties, gluten free chicken nuggets, one package of filet (it was up top -- the ones on the bottom did fine), and the skinny half of each pork tenderloin.  ButcherBox will be sending a box replacing each of these items.  I also got a credit for the next box because each sirloin cap was under weight -- they are supposed to be 1.5# each and they were 1.01#, 1.06#, and 1.08#.  Now I have to decide what to do about the defrosted and partially defrosted items.  I feel comfortable eating the filet, and my guess is the chicken nuggets won't cook up as well but probably aren't unsafe.  But pork and ground meat make me a little nervous.  What would you do?  Should I assume it was all around 40°F (refrigerator temp) and cook it up ASAP?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 16, 2022, 05:09:15 AM
K_in_the_K

If you didn't take the temp of the meat, I would be a little nervous using it too. Like the old saying goes: When in doubt, throw it out. Contact BB and get a credit. If they keep getting complaints, they will have to analyze the situation and correct it. They are in a tricky business with shipping frozen foods and can't cut corners. It is most important the customer get the meat frozen. This time of year, is the worst time too with heat waves all over the country.

If by chance you still had ice crystals in the meat, then I wouldn't be too concerned and would cook it up.

Mr. Roadrunner hates when we run into issues like this. I sometimes feel half thawed meat at 40 degrees is okay, but to ease his mind, I will agree to toss it out and get a credit. Plus, we are paying primo for this meat and it is supposed to come fully frozen.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on June 16, 2022, 07:16:54 AM
In general, I'd say that your senses are a pretty good indicator of acceptability for eating something.  I'd cook the things up if they smelled OK, looked OK, and (after cooking) tasted OK.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on June 16, 2022, 08:07:35 AM
In general, I'd say that your senses are a pretty good indicator of acceptability for eating something.  I'd cook the things up if they smelled OK, looked OK, and (after cooking) tasted OK.
I'm a vegetarian, but my family are carnivores. If I wasn't sure of something, I'd check with the cat. If she wouldn't touch it, out it went. I miss her for that and many other warm, fuzzy reasons.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on June 16, 2022, 08:54:50 AM
In general, I'd say that your senses are a pretty good indicator of acceptability for eating something.  I'd cook the things up if they smelled OK, looked OK, and (after cooking) tasted OK.
I'm a vegetarian, but my family are carnivores. If I wasn't sure of something, I'd check with the cat. If she wouldn't touch it, out it went. I miss her for that and many other warm, fuzzy reasons.

Don't try this with a dog.  My dog would happily eat her own poop and have no stomach upsets.  :P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on June 16, 2022, 09:13:26 AM
In general, I'd say that your senses are a pretty good indicator of acceptability for eating something.  I'd cook the things up if they smelled OK, looked OK, and (after cooking) tasted OK.
I'm a vegetarian, but my family are carnivores. If I wasn't sure of something, I'd check with the cat. If she wouldn't touch it, out it went. I miss her for that and many other warm, fuzzy reasons.

Don't try this with a dog.  My dog would happily eat her own poop and have no stomach upsets.  :P
Lol, notice I didn't mention anything about dogs, though we have(had) two of them. They are useless for detecting off food, but great at cleaning up spills.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on June 16, 2022, 10:55:40 AM
In general, I'd say that your senses are a pretty good indicator of acceptability for eating something.  I'd cook the things up if they smelled OK, looked OK, and (after cooking) tasted OK.
I'm a vegetarian, but my family are carnivores. If I wasn't sure of something, I'd check with the cat. If she wouldn't touch it, out it went. I miss her for that and many other warm, fuzzy reasons.

Don't try this with a dog.  My dog would happily eat her own poop and have no stomach upsets.  :P
Lol, notice I didn't mention anything about dogs, though we have(had) two of them. They are useless for detecting off food, but great at cleaning up spills.

I wholeheartedly recommend having a dog if you also have a toddler learning to eat.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: ATtiny85 on June 16, 2022, 12:32:51 PM
In general, I'd say that your senses are a pretty good indicator of acceptability for eating something.  I'd cook the things up if they smelled OK, looked OK, and (after cooking) tasted OK.
I'm a vegetarian, but my family are carnivores. If I wasn't sure of something, I'd check with the cat. If she wouldn't touch it, out it went. I miss her for that and many other warm, fuzzy reasons.

Don't try this with a dog.  My dog would happily eat her own poop and have no stomach upsets.  :P
Lol, notice I didn't mention anything about dogs, though we have(had) two of them. They are useless for detecting off food, but great at cleaning up spills.

I wholeheartedly recommend having a dog if you also have a toddler learning to eat.

I’d like to have some smart person develop a flooring that dog licks would polish. Would be quite useful.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on June 16, 2022, 03:09:08 PM
In general, I'd say that your senses are a pretty good indicator of acceptability for eating something.  I'd cook the things up if they smelled OK, looked OK, and (after cooking) tasted OK.
I'm a vegetarian, but my family are carnivores. If I wasn't sure of something, I'd check with the cat. If she wouldn't touch it, out it went. I miss her for that and many other warm, fuzzy reasons.

Don't try this with a dog.  My dog would happily eat her own poop and have no stomach upsets.  :P
Lol, notice I didn't mention anything about dogs, though we have(had) two of them. They are useless for detecting off food, but great at cleaning up spills.

I wholeheartedly recommend having a dog if you also have a toddler learning to eat.

I’d like to have some smart person develop a flooring that dog licks would polish. Would be quite useful.

That's what fuzzy onesies are for.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-f3pWk6sRm7Y/UHOeBHkG18I/AAAAAAABMvM/8GMN7T3Urkc/s640/blogger-image-80069794.jpg)(https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/ba54df5d-937d-4619-977a-a2aa7318fa3f.e71b433ee8f954afc6fc765d7c67087a.jpeg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=ffffff)

Dogs drool and lick, babies polish.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 12, 2022, 11:45:16 AM
How's everyone doing?

Cooking oil is available again in my country but the price has gone up significantly. So have the prices for dairy, meat, certain vegetables (the ones that grow in greenhouses rather than outside) and for some reason also laundry detergent.

Personally I haven't had to buy laundry detergent for years but that was something supermarkets used to have great deals on and now they don't. I keep an eye out on those deals for speciality laundry detergent like wool laundry detergent. I always buy those large cardboard boxes of washing powder, you know, the ones that say "100 loads" but  in reality last us several years for our family of 2. Right before the pandemic I bought two of those as a buy one, get one free deal for €20 and I'm maybe 2/3 through the first box now.  A while back I bought sheets that were thrifted and they were slightly yellowish. I wanted to buy a box of whitening laundry detergent (I don't know what that stuff if called in English, the type of detergent that my grandmother used to wash her white lace curtains with) . That stuff has really gotten very expensive! And the box is much, much smaller now. Still, I bought it, washed the sheets with them, then let them dry outside in the sun and they're completely like new now.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on August 12, 2022, 02:19:35 PM
We get most of our groceries at the military commissary on base nearby. They used to be mandated to price everything at their wholesale cost +5%. That changed a few years ago and now they're supposed to be 23.7% below a market basket of goods from competing grocery stores. Either way, they tend to be quite a bit cheaper than any other local grocery stores.

The downside is that they also tend to be out of stock more often than a Walmart or competing grocer. Lately it seems like they never have chicken breasts. Yesterday I went inside, and they had lots of packages of wings, drumsticks, and a few thighs but no breasts. We normally get a couple of the 5-6 lb containers with 6-8 breasts for about $10 which lasts us for about two weeks.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 12, 2022, 03:30:40 PM
I'm seeing low stock on cold remedies and pain killers (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc.) - all the children's stuff especially.  I think there is a lot of mild Covid going around that is not being reported, plus now that people are not isolating they are also catching more of everything else.

Meat and veg and fruits are available, but prices are definitely higher and I almost never see specials.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on August 12, 2022, 03:33:36 PM
The price of cooking oil has certainly gone up here, too! Yikes. And the price of butter has probably doubled. I see occasional deals and it is certainly worth stopping into the store to just pick those up since prices are overall so high.

We planted a big garden with an eye to what would store well. This morning I canned the first round of tomatoes and froze three quarts of green beans.

I hate that everything still feels very uncertain.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Freedomin5 on August 12, 2022, 03:41:33 PM
Imported stuff like cheese has gotten more expensive. Veggies are also a bit more expensive, but not significantly noticeable. The government here controls prices to some extent. We've really reduced our meat consumption, and actually, we've reduced our overall food consumption, so our budget hasn't taken a huge hit.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 12, 2022, 05:29:38 PM
The price of cooking oil has certainly gone up here, too! Yikes. And the price of butter has probably doubled. I see occasional deals and it is certainly worth stopping into the store to just pick those up since prices are overall so high.

We planted a big garden with an eye to what would store well. This morning I canned the first round of tomatoes and froze three quarts of green beans.

I hate that everything still feels very uncertain.
I still have 20# of very cheaply sourced butter in the freezer. I have been working through my pantries very gradually during the pandemic. It makes me a bit nervous to do so, but it also insulates me against inflation. I no longer grocery shop weekly, but when I do, it's a shock. I cannot fathom how people of limited means are coping.

I spoke to my friend who runs community outreach for our region's food bank last week. He says they're getting slammed in two major ways: more people need help than ever, and fuel prices for their vehicles are through the roof. If anyone has a few bucks to spare, your local food bank can surely use an assist. Also, food banks are MOFO's when it comes to sourcing food. No matter how good a shopper you are, they can turn your hard-earned dollars into more food than anyone else can. I am a damn good shopper. I now personally support them with cold, hard cash. I still help run a city-wide drive, but mostly to raise awareness of the ongoing need.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on August 12, 2022, 06:05:59 PM
Absolutely the best donation for a food pantry is cash! I’m amazed at how far they can stretch it! There are a lot of neighborhood pantries here that rely more on donations of goods.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 13, 2022, 01:16:58 AM
My friend knows someone at the local foodbank and they are stuck with certain foods that no one wants to take anymore. They have mountains of potatoes  but with the prices of natural gas right now, no one poor enough to go to the foodbank can afford to boil potatoes anymore. After taxes we pay more than €3 for a cubic meter of gas right now. More and more people are starting to cook on electricity, but especially for those on lower incomes that's not affordable. Induction cooktops itself aren't expensive at all but they need to be installed by an electrician, you usually need some new wiring for it, and you have to buy new pots and pans that work for induction. All in all it costs at least €1000. Same with insulation. Great if you're a homeowner with a few thousand in a savings account, not great if you're in a rental. If you're lucky enough that your landlord does any kind of insulation at all, he'll just raise the rent afterwards so you're still not better off. I'm very worried how many people I know will get through winter.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on August 13, 2022, 10:15:38 AM
Our biggest food bank in the province can buy $20 worth of food, for every dollar donated, so cash is definitely the way to go.  But when I see a screaming deal on something, I'll still buy it and drop it in the donation bin.

@Imma, aren't microwaves common where you live?  They cook potatoes in very little time, using electricity rather than natural gas.  I almost never boil potatoes.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: kite on August 13, 2022, 11:00:02 AM

@Imma, aren't microwaves common where you live?  They cook potatoes in very little time, using electricity rather than natural gas.  I almost never boil potatoes.

Yeah, this didn't make sense to me.
There are a few kinds of poverty.  If you're too poor to cook a potato, you probably lack the facility to cook anything, and would gravitate toward ready-to-eat foods.
 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on August 13, 2022, 12:02:48 PM
Induction cooktops itself aren't expensive at all but they need to be installed by an electrician, you usually need some new wiring for it, and you have to buy new pots and pans that work for induction. All in all it costs at least €1000.

I'm puzzled here. I bought a quite functional induction hotplate from IKEA for under $50 a few years back - it just plugs into the wall and works great, even on our anemic 120V circuit. You can get an entire set of induction-ready cookware from Amazon (or Walmart or Target) also for under $50. Or use an old cast iron skillet. Or buy used.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 13, 2022, 03:53:05 PM
I literally have never heard of boiling potatoes in the microwave. Yes, people have microwaves in this country but I have never met a person who boils potatoes in the microwave. How does that work? This is absolutely new information for me. Do you just put the potatoes in a microwavable container and then blast them until done? Do they taste the same?

Many people in this country already pay more than 25% of their income on their gas and electricity bill, and gas is the biggest part of that bill. What food banks like to receive is stuff like microwavable rice and canned vegetables because that's cheap to prepare (in the microwave or on the stove for a very short period of time). Many people on lower income avoid foods that need to cook for a long time, like dried beans, root vegetables, potatoes, kale and the like.

@TomTX I don't know what the regulations are like over there, but here you're not supposed to just plug an induction cooktop into the wall. You are supposed to use a seperate circuit for just the induction cooktop, otherwise it's considered a fire hazard. I don't think saving €500 to pay for an electrician to add a new circuit is worth it if your house burns down and insurance doesn't cover it because they consider it to be your own fault. Add in the cost of the cooktop itself, some materials to fix the kitchen wall after the new wiring has been added and a few pots and pans and you're easily spending €1000+.

Also, keep in mind that things are way cheaper in the US than they are in many other countries around the world. Our grocery stores sell groceries, not stuff, of course we have dollar (euro) stores and the like, but many things are simply more expensive here. I checked Ikea's website and they do have some sort of portable, one-pot sized induction plate for €40, the kind of thing that you would take on a camping trip, but the cheapest regular-sized induction cooktop is €250.

Obviously you can save a little money by getting the new cookware used, and that's what I would certainly do if/when we're making the switch to induction, but keep in mind on the used market, if someone's selling a whole set, it's usually because it's not working on induction. Cast iron is an expensive, new fangled hipster thing here, you're not really going to find that used or cheap. I see Ikea has a very, very basic induction-ready set for €10 so at least that's something (looks like a loss leader since all their other sets are over €50).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on August 13, 2022, 04:01:12 PM
You stick a potato in the microwave and cook it for maybe two minutes, turn it over and cook it for another two minutes. It’s like a baked potato but the skin doesn’t get crispy.

My (adult) kids spent a month in Italy and Greece this summer and came home with a deep hatred of induction stoves, so I guess we won’t be getting one!

The power situation in Europe really is frightening.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on August 13, 2022, 07:00:54 PM
I bake the potatoes in the microwave.  Poke a few holes in them with a knife first so they don't explode.  I guess you could mash them afterward, never tried it, so don't know how they'd turn out.  I see no reason you couldn't also boil them in a pyrex bowl - just peel and chop them into small pieces.  Neither of these methods will give you the dry, fluffy texture of an oven baked potato, but if it's a choice between no potatoes (especially free ones) and microwaved ones, I'll take the latter.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on August 14, 2022, 01:32:07 AM
...I don't know what the regulations are like over there, but here you're not supposed to just plug an induction cooktop into the wall. You are supposed to use a seperate circuit for just the induction cooktop, otherwise it's considered a fire hazard. I don't think saving €500 to pay for an electrician to add a new circuit is worth it if your house burns down and insurance doesn't cover it because they consider it to be your own fault. Add in the cost of the cooktop itself, some materials to fix the kitchen wall after the new wiring has been added and a few pots and pans and you're easily spending €1000+.

Also, keep in mind that things are way cheaper in the US than they are in many other countries around the world. Our grocery stores sell groceries, not stuff, of course we have dollar (euro) stores and the like, but many things are simply more expensive here. I checked Ikea's website and they do have some sort of portable, one-pot sized induction plate for €40, the kind of thing that you would take on a camping trip, but the cheapest regular-sized induction cooktop is €250.

Obviously you can save a little money by getting the new cookware used, and that's what I would certainly do if/when we're making the switch to induction, but keep in mind on the used market, if someone's selling a whole set, it's usually because it's not working on induction. Cast iron is an expensive, new fangled hipster thing here, you're not really going to find that used or cheap. I see Ikea has a very, very basic induction-ready set for €10 so at least that's something (looks like a loss leader since all their other sets are over €50).
Tom & I are in the same approximate region & bought (presumably) the same model of single-burner portable induction hotplate from the same retailer at the same price - if it runs on our wimpy American power supply it will not require any fancy attention to install (that is, plug in) on heftier Euro circuits. I love mine, it's the fastest cooktop I've ever used. If I only need to run one pot it's very convenient & I'll use it over my ceramic induction stove.

I don't think the suggestion there was for a poor family to revamp their whole stove, but to give them electric cooking options at a price point that would be in reach in a few months of saving. Microwaves are fine for potatoes but sometimes you want to be able to brown things! You also don't need anything terribly fancy for induction - just anything that a magnet will stick to, which is to say not copper or aluminum without a layer of steel somewhere. I'd be very surprised if most households didn't have at least one steel vessel at hand, if they have more than one pot at all, which is enough when you're only using the one hob - did everyone there just go over to aluminum & not look back?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 14, 2022, 02:14:30 AM
We don't eat baked potatoes here, so I think that's maybe why I haven't heard of anyone doing this. Still, worth a try!  We aren't huge fans of potatoes, but I've had baked potatoes in other countries.

This is the traditional Dutch way of eating potatoes: https://static.ah.nl/static/recepten/img_RAM_PRD143846_890x594_JPG.jpg

@eyesonthehorizon I'm pretty sure it would all work here, too, I'm just not sure if it's legal. A lot of people around us are making the switch to induction right now and I've heard lots of complaints about the cost of the necessary electric work. That's the biggest part of the cost. I think it's either a legal or insurance requirement that an induction cooktop runs on it's own circuit, so you have pretty much no choice but to comply (or take a really big risk). 

A friend of mine on a lower income has recently bought a plug-in electric hotplate.  You can just plug these into the wall, that's all legal, but they use much more electricity than induction. With the current high gas prices it might be slightly cheaper than cooking on gas but probably not a lot. And n=1 but I had a thing like that in my room when I was a student and it was terrible. Your food was either cold or burned.

I would indeed guess that aluminium cookware is by far the most popular form of cookware here. Other than the enamel cast iron Dutch oven that people used to have, and that you can still find in thrift stores (although the vintage ones are way too big for modern households without 8 kids), I would say that almost all pots and pans are aluminium and have been for at least half a century? Most people have been cooking on gas for most of the 20th century. You can certainly find expensive things like copper and steel and cast iron here but you'd have to go to a specialist cookware shop. Anyone who's buying their things from a department store is using aluminium. I asked a cast iron frying pan for my birthday and my relative had to go to a specialist shop to find it. And I still got a carbon steel frying pan instead, because I don't think my relative knows the difference. And they're a great cook, watch cooking shows etc. That's how unknown cast iron is here.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on August 14, 2022, 05:46:29 AM
Do people have crockpots? Instapots? Both of those are supposedly frugal on the electricity and do a nice job of cooking potatoes.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 14, 2022, 08:24:37 AM
Do people have crockpots? Instapots? Both of those are supposedly frugal on the electricity and do a nice job of cooking potatoes.

I've been wanting one after reading about them on the internet.  They are definitely available here, but they aren't common. We are renovating our house next year and one of the things we're going to do is install solar panels, so once we have free electricity during daylight hours we're getting a crockpot to cook while we're working. Everyone's grandmother used to have those pressure cookers that you can put on the stovetop. In those days they all boiled their vegetables until they were mushy. They are considered old fashioned and "frugal freak" level frugality now but those are probably easier to find, used as well as new, than crockpots.

We are of course mustachians so we know about all of these things. But many people grew up with a parent who could only cook basic meals, they only know of one way to prepare things, and somehow they don't think of googling this. So they refuse potatoes at the foodbank because they only know how to boil potatoes in pot of boiling water. My friend took home a few buckets of potatoes that would otherwise have gone into the thrash.

Most women born before 1980-ish know the basics of cooking here, because back in those days, most women would attend special highschools for girls, focused on homemaking, not academic subjects. It's good that they all learned basic cooking skills, and they generally passed them on to their children, today's young parents. The downside is the methods these school taught were very rigid, there was only one way of doing things the Right Way. Back in those days the NL was also extremely culturally homogenous so there were no outside influences, no foreign cuisine etc. Honestly I feel those schools were designed to teach inefficient homemaking methods to keep women at home. The result is that many people can and do cook but we're not a nation of adventurous cooks, to say the least.

I think if the foodbank would hand out recipe cards to show people baked potatoes are a thing and are extremely easy to prepare in a microwave, people would be interested. Especially since all the toppings are cheap and potatoes are filling.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 14, 2022, 08:42:03 AM
Yes, I have cooked 'baked' potatoes in my slow cooker (crockpot).  I also saw a lady on Youtube who cooked about 8 large baking potatoes in her crockpot and when they were done and cooled, she wrapped them in foil and froze them. She said when her husband grilled, they would pull them out of the freezer to heat up the potatoes. When I cook them in the crockpot, I add the potatoes, drizzle olive oil on them and then sprinkle salt over them. No water in the bottom of the pot, no liquid at all. Cook till you can slide a sharp knife into the potato with ease.

I have never done it but if water was added to the slow cooker and cut up potatoes were added, I believe they would turn out like boiled potatoes. I have added cut up potatoes to a stew in the slow cooker and they came out tender.

Have made 'baked' potatoes in the microwave but never poke holes in them. Never had one explode. They are definitely not as good a potato baked in the oven due to the soft skin. But if you are in a hurry, works for me!

I love my slow cooker! I use it all the time and actually had an instant pot but didn't care for it so got rid of it. I have 3 slow cookers. One is very large, around 7 quarts. One is small around 3 quarts and a rectangular one. The rectangular one I almost never use because it isn't quite deep enough if you are doing something like lasagna. It is my newest acquisition and not my favorite slow cooker.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on August 14, 2022, 09:30:34 AM
My church ran a monthly food pantry at a low income school, and we always had samples and recipes. People were really interested, and I was fascinated by how many people had never tasted hummus.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on August 14, 2022, 09:53:20 AM
My church ran a monthly food pantry at a low income school, and we always had samples and recipes. People were really interested, and I was fascinated by how many people had never tasted hummus.

It is great to know that there was interest for this! Our food pantry gets large donations of ingredients that people don't seem to know how to use (lentils, dates, figs) - and we've toyed around with doing samples and recipes. A lot of board members for my pantry feel like it would be wasted effort.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 14, 2022, 10:08:05 AM
I too am rather gobsmacked by the price of groceries. Although some things haven't gone up, and that's nice.  The everyday price of 5# of potatoes is still $2.99 at the regional chain.  If I can't find them on sale I find this acceptable (I can't buy the large bags at Costco until it cools down here, hopefully in November).

The regional chain had USDA Choice chuck roast for $3.99 per pound, which is a good price now.  I looked back through this thread and saw that I paid $2.99 per pound in December 2020, which was a screaming good deal.  I bought 6 last Wednesday and might go back for more if I can find freezer space.  They are about 2.5 - 3# each, which should be two meals from each roast for the three of us.

For fresh produce we've mostly just moved down to the inexpensive basics.  Potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, green cabbage, zucchini, broccoli, bananas, and then whatever fruit is cheapest and any other vegetables on a good sale.  I have a freezer full of Pura Vida fajita veggie blend from Costco (probably 12 bags, I need to inventory again soon), purchased when they were on sale and then when Costco started clearing them out.  $2.50 per pound might sound expensive at first but it's a blend of red and yellow bell peppers, poblano peppers, and red onion, with avocado oil and seasonings, all prepped and ready to heat.  I can't do much better than that buying and prepping the produce myself.  And it does make things much simpler -- I cook the fajita veggies every time I make rice and beans.

We've had some unexpected major expenses lately, and while the money was there to cover them, I do need to replenish what we spent out of savings.  Food is usually the easiest place for me to cut in the budget, and even with inflation I know I can reduce the spending.  Our last BB box billed 7/9 and I have the next one set for 9/24 -- BB is still really expensive, even with the freebies, but I did decide to keep it and just get it less often, so that I can take advantage of their sales on certain items.  But one part of the strategy is to go ahead and eat down some of the pantry and freezer food.  I don't really expect food prices to fall all that much, except some of the highly perishable foods like meats, eggs, dairy, and produce, and some commodities like grains.  Even then, I think they will stay higher.  And then I think over time as inflation cools we won't see a lot of price increases on food for awhile.  So I'm telling myself to get used to these prices.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on August 14, 2022, 10:29:28 AM
A friend of mine on a lower income has recently bought a plug-in electric hotplate.  You can just plug these into the wall, that's all legal, but they use much more electricity than induction.

Which is why you buy an induction hotplate.

If you want a standalone device like a crock pot, I highly recommend getting the Instant Pot. Because of the pressurization, you can cook things much faster with lower total electricity usage than a crock pot (and if you have a recipe that must be slow cooked, the Instant Pot can do that too).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 14, 2022, 11:01:40 AM
Speaking of bagged potatoes. I sometimes get a big bag of potatoes and make my own French fries and other things. I bought this commercial type FF maker to cut the potatoes into FF shape. The machine was about $75. A bit of an extravagance but I do love it. I found a way to make the FF process a bit quicker. Once the FF are cut they are put in a bowl of water. Then dried on a big clean towel. Then I put them in a two-gallon ziplock with some oil, pepper and salt. Last time I also used corn starch to coat them. I baked them in the oven till they were a bit soft. Took them out and let them cool. Then I bagged them for the freezer. The corn starch helps crisp them up when you cook them up to eat. From the same bag of potatoes, I made hassleback potatoes. I didn't freeze them. For the rest of the potatoes, I made mashed and froze them too.

I also buy the big bag of onions and chop a lot of them up, ziplock them and freeze. So handy when you need a cup or two for cooking.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on August 14, 2022, 11:18:45 AM
@Imma, potatoes can also be baked in toaster ovens and of course, in regular ovens.  You get a nice crispy skin that way, just wash them thoroughly first.

Maybe you could do up a few recipe cards for the foodbank to copy and hand out with potatoes.  It's a shame for them to go to waste.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 14, 2022, 11:41:09 AM
Here is another idea to cook the potatoes. It is using a rice cooker. It basically steams them.

I don't think rice cookers cost much at all in electricity to use.

Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PemCE_hVTg
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on August 14, 2022, 11:58:32 AM
@eyesonthehorizon I'm pretty sure it would all work here, too, I'm just not sure if it's legal. A lot of people around us are making the switch to induction right now and I've heard lots of complaints about the cost of the necessary electric work. That's the biggest part of the cost. I think it's either a legal or insurance requirement that an induction cooktop runs on it's own circuit, so you have pretty much no choice but to comply (or take a really big risk). 

A friend of mine on a lower income has recently bought a plug-in electric hotplate.  You can just plug these into the wall, that's all legal, but they use much more electricity than induction. With the current high gas prices it might be slightly cheaper than cooking on gas but probably not a lot. And n=1 but I had a thing like that in my room when I was a student and it was terrible. Your food was either cold or burned.
I don't think I was clear, Tom & I are both talking about the plug-in, single-hob, induction hotplate. It goes on your countertop, needing no special circuit; usually costs $/€ 50-60 as of the present, making it a cheap & accessible option. They can't even be compared to the old electrics, because their power output can be digitally controlled with instant response as you turn the power up & down; since all the heat happens as resistance right in the pan bottom & walls, the glass doesn't really get hot except where the metal touches it, & there can't really be hotspots if the pan is made of uniform material as all machined pans are. They are wonderful to use though they make some odd buzzing sounds as they come to temperature. I'm pretty sure mine is this for example: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/tillreda-portable-induction-cooktop-1-zone-white-10493520/ (https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/tillreda-portable-induction-cooktop-1-zone-white-10493520/)

For cookware all you have to have is one pot or pan with at least one layer of steel or iron across the bottom. It helps if you have a way to lid it, too, but that's not strictly necessary for most things, even a cabbage leaf over the top makes steaming possible. I'm not sure how much it would cost to get a cheap steel pan but as stated, since hot spots aren't a concern, it doesn't have to be a "nice" steel pan with a thick bottom layer or anything.

I can vouch for those "oversize" cast iron dutch ovens, even if they seem too big - it's like a frying pan with walls, plus they're great for whole loaves of bread. I inherited one which I often wish were bigger. (Of course that's as an American with "leftover" culture, which I hear is less of a thing there; in my book it's a time- & energy-saver, rather than cook every night, to just cook a whole chicken at once & then refrigerate or freeze most of it, or make a week's worth of soup to do the same... but then our fridges are about twice the size in part because grocery stores usually require a trip miles away from home, usually by car, so people buy a lot at once.)

I still love the idea of recipe cards for the foodbank to hand out. Would people try adventurous recipes if they had them laid out - do you think the still-homogenous food is a matter of people feeling safer when they have had instructions to follow without needing to improvise, or is it just not wanting to try anything unfamiliar? It is hard to imagine people turning down free fresh potatoes as they're such a filling easy meal. Any combination of potatoes, oil, & spices or herbs is pretty comforting.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 14, 2022, 12:54:31 PM
My church ran a monthly food pantry at a low income school, and we always had samples and recipes. People were really interested, and I was fascinated by how many people had never tasted hummus.

It is great to know that there was interest for this! Our food pantry gets large donations of ingredients that people don't seem to know how to use (lentils, dates, figs) - and we've toyed around with doing samples and recipes. A lot of board members for my pantry feel like it would be wasted effort.

I don't think it would be a wasted effort at all! I do think people need some help figuring things out. If you're on a low budget, you can't just risk trying things that don't work out because that's a waste of money, and you might not have certain things on hand that we frugal but rich mustachians have, like all sorts of spices.

I think if you made some samples that people could try first, make a short TikTok or Youtube video showing the process, and make sure all the necessary ingredients are either extremely cheap or available at the food bank, it would absolutely help people try new things with new ingredients. It could be a wasted effort if your community is very resistant to change, but you won't know until you've tried it. Little things can help people a lot - every time people tell me spices are expensive I tell them to go to ethnic grocery stores where they are dirt cheap, and people are like "wow, I'm not of that ethnicity, and I can just go in there and buy stuff?" Yes you can!!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 14, 2022, 01:47:50 PM
@eyesonthehorizon I'm pretty sure it would all work here, too, I'm just not sure if it's legal. A lot of people around us are making the switch to induction right now and I've heard lots of complaints about the cost of the necessary electric work. That's the biggest part of the cost. I think it's either a legal or insurance requirement that an induction cooktop runs on it's own circuit, so you have pretty much no choice but to comply (or take a really big risk). 

A friend of mine on a lower income has recently bought a plug-in electric hotplate.  You can just plug these into the wall, that's all legal, but they use much more electricity than induction. With the current high gas prices it might be slightly cheaper than cooking on gas but probably not a lot. And n=1 but I had a thing like that in my room when I was a student and it was terrible. Your food was either cold or burned.
I don't think I was clear, Tom & I are both talking about the plug-in, single-hob, induction hotplate. It goes on your countertop, needing no special circuit; usually costs $/€ 50-60 as of the present, making it a cheap & accessible option. They can't even be compared to the old electrics, because their power output can be digitally controlled with instant response as you turn the power up & down; since all the heat happens as resistance right in the pan bottom & walls, the glass doesn't really get hot except where the metal touches it, & there can't really be hotspots if the pan is made of uniform material as all machined pans are. They are wonderful to use though they make some odd buzzing sounds as they come to temperature. I'm pretty sure mine is this for example: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/tillreda-portable-induction-cooktop-1-zone-white-10493520/ (https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/tillreda-portable-induction-cooktop-1-zone-white-10493520/)

For cookware all you have to have is one pot or pan with at least one layer of steel or iron across the bottom. It helps if you have a way to lid it, too, but that's not strictly necessary for most things, even a cabbage leaf over the top makes steaming possible. I'm not sure how much it would cost to get a cheap steel pan but as stated, since hot spots aren't a concern, it doesn't have to be a "nice" steel pan with a thick bottom layer or anything.

I can vouch for those "oversize" cast iron dutch ovens, even if they seem too big - it's like a frying pan with walls, plus they're great for whole loaves of bread. I inherited one which I often wish were bigger. (Of course that's as an American with "leftover" culture, which I hear is less of a thing there; in my book it's a time- & energy-saver, rather than cook every night, to just cook a whole chicken at once & then refrigerate or freeze most of it, or make a week's worth of soup to do the same... but then our fridges are about twice the size in part because grocery stores usually require a trip miles away from home, usually by car, so people buy a lot at once.)


Yes, I figured out that's the one you guys meant, our Ikea also sells it. I know you technically can plug it in  - it's 10A x 230V = 2300 W, a circuit is 3680 W and our whole house is 35A x 230V = 8050W. So as long as you don't turn on your coffeemaker or vacuum while you're running the Tillreda, and you don't have something like a heatpump running on a different circuit, it's going to work. That doesn't mean it's strictly legal, that's a whole different question. It can't find anywhere whether this particular one would be legal to run on a circuit with more than one appliance, but it uses the same amount of energy as the smallest induction cooktop that is permanently installed, so I would guess it's probably against code - so should something go wrong, your insurance is probably invalid since you're doing something against code. I know they don't get hot, I mean more something like accidentally causing an electrical fire.

I think one major difference is indeed the size of the fridges and freezers there. In this thread I read all the time about great deals that people throw in their freezer but unless you live on a farm or something, most people here don't have that kind of space. Or they have to make odd choices - I used to have an extra freezer in my living room when I was on a low income (and most importantly my electricity bill was included in the rent!). We have the biggest fridge/freezer out of anyone we know and it's this one https://www.coolblue.nl/en/product/869348/samsung-rb36t602csa.html   . We live in a 68m2 house (730 sq ft) and that's by no means unusual. Most homes here are probably smaller than 1000 sq. ft. That also means that people generally have much fewer small appliances, fewer freezer space, but on the plus size it also means people on a low income generally don't need to drive. Everyone has gorcery stores within walking distance.

The thing with "too big" Dutch ovens is that they were designed for an old fashioned potbelly gas/coal stove with a flat surface on top,  they're too big to fit on a normal hob. In those days people cooked for an army. My great-gran had 10 kids so imagine the amount of food she had to cook every day. The potbelly stove would be burning anyway to keep the house warm, so energy-wise it wouldn't matter if you were also making a stew that needed to sit there for hours. It's all a bit different now with central heating. I remember we didn't have central heating until the mid-90s and my mum would put the leftovers on the gas heater until my dad came home from work.

@Roadrunner53 I also have a potato chipper! Thrift stores are full of them here, mine's inherited. In the 70s and 80s that was a very popular wedding gift. I think homemade fries are the absolute best. My friend's parents are on a farm and they have a huge freezer, once a year they sit down and peel and chip and fry together and fill a whole freezer with pre-made fries for a whole year. It's a pretty traditional thing here to eat chips with the whole family on Saturdays or Sundays, homemade or take-out. It's a bit of work but definitely worth it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 14, 2022, 05:29:38 PM
After all of this talk about potatoes I decided to get 10# of russets from Aldi and some cream cheese so I can make "make ahead" freezer mashed potatoes.  My oldest can't have dairy (and doesn't like mashed potatoes), so when he's here I don't make them, but he's back to university.  I tend to forget this is a great way to make sure the potatoes don't spoil.  The last time I made them I adapted the recipe to the Instant Pot, so they're fast and easy.  I have a pot roast braising and there's nothing I love more with pot roast than mashed potatoes!

I splurged on local fresh strawberries today -- it's the very end of the season.  We've had so few strawberries this year.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 14, 2022, 07:21:19 PM
After all of this talk about potatoes I decided to get 10# of russets from Aldi and some cream cheese so I can make "make ahead" freezer mashed potatoes.  My oldest can't have dairy (and doesn't like mashed potatoes), so when he's here I don't make them, but he's back to university.  I tend to forget this is a great way to make sure the potatoes don't spoil.  The last time I made them I adapted the recipe to the Instant Pot, so they're fast and easy.  I have a pot roast braising and there's nothing I love more with pot roast than mashed potatoes!

I splurged on local fresh strawberries today -- it's the very end of the season.  We've had so few strawberries this year.

I've never put cream cheese in mashed potatoes*, and never frozen cooked potatoes, except maybe as part of a stew.  Recipe please?

*My favourite mashed potatoes are potatoes cooked with whole cloves of garlic, drained, lightly mashed, a bit of cream and butter added plus salt and pepper, and then mashed a bit more.  I like them on the dry side, still with little chunks.  My MiL used to whip them with a lot of milk and they were so soft and squishy.  I know lots of people prefer them that way.  They were very good for making a depression in the middle to hold gravy.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 14, 2022, 08:23:58 PM

I've never put cream cheese in mashed potatoes*, and never frozen cooked potatoes, except maybe as part of a stew.  Recipe please?

*My favourite mashed potatoes are potatoes cooked with whole cloves of garlic, drained, lightly mashed, a bit of cream and butter added plus salt and pepper, and then mashed a bit more.  I like them on the dry side, still with little chunks.  My MiL used to whip them with a lot of milk and they were so soft and squishy.  I know lots of people prefer them that way.  They were very good for making a depression in the middle to hold gravy.

My preference is probably for mashed potatoes made with butter and cream, but I do really like the cream cheese mashed potatoes.  They are drier/thicker than the "whipped" kind of mashed potatoes.  As a side note, I grew up with mashed potatoes being made with margarine and 2% milk, and never knew really great mashed potatoes until I was an adult.

The make ahead recipe comes from the book "The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet : A Month of Meals Made Easy".  When you defrost the potatoes they will absolutely look like they aren't going to be good, but they do reheat beautifully.  I often just use the microwave to heat them, or a pan, but the original recipe calls for freezing them in casserole dishes and reheating in the oven.

The recipe is given for various numbers of servings: 7 C., 14 C., 21 C., 28 C., 35 C., and 42C.  I will give the recipe for 14 C., because you can double it for 28 C. and triple it for 42C, or half it for 7 C.  These days I just do 5# of potatoes.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

10 lbs. potatoes
2 eggs
1 t. garlic powder
2 t. salt
16 oz. cream cheese

Peel and quarter potatoes.  Place in saucepan, completely cover with water.  Bring to a boil and gently cook until tender.  Drain well.  In a large bowl combine potatoes, cream cheese, eggs, garlic powder and salt.  Mash well by hand or with an electric mixer.  Spoon potatoes into spray treated casseroles dishes (use whatever size you need).   You can also freeze in Ziploc freezer bags or containers.

(The recipe also calls for topping the potatoes with melted butter and sliced almonds, plus paprika for color.  I skip all of that.)

To serve, thaw completely and bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until top is golden.  If you want them last minute, defrost them in the microwave, then increase power and heat through.

Here is the recipe written out for 5# potatoes and cooked in the Instant Pot:

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Adapted for Instant Pot
from The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30-Day Gourmet:  A Month of Meals Made Easy by Tara Wohlenhaus and Nanci Slagle


Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

5# potatoes
1.5 C. water
1/2 t. garlic powder
2 t. salt
8 oz. cream cheese
1 egg

Scrub potatoes well, the cut into large chunks (peel if you want)
Place into Instant Pot inner pot along with 1.5 C. water.
Place lid, check for sealing, and pressure cook for 10 minutes
Do a quick release of pressure (can allow to come down naturally)
Drain any remaining water
Add cream cheese, garlic powder, and salt
Use a hand mixer to mash potatoes
When partially mashed, add in egg and finish mixing until smooth
Taste for seasoning and add more if desired

For storage, spoon mashed potatoes into buttered oven/freezer safe storage container.  Cover and allow to cool completely in refrigerator before transferring to freezer.

To serve, thaw completely, remove cover if plastic, and bake at 375°F for 30-40 minutes or until top is golden.  Or you can defrost them in the microwave, then increase power and heat through.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on August 14, 2022, 08:41:17 PM
Yes, I figured out that's the one you guys meant, our Ikea also sells it. I know you technically can plug it in  - it's 10A x 230V = 2300 W, a circuit is 3680 W and our whole house is 35A x 230V = 8050W. So as long as you don't turn on your coffeemaker or vacuum while you're running the Tillreda, and you don't have something like a heatpump running on a different circuit, it's going to work. That doesn't mean it's strictly legal, that's a whole different question. It can't find anywhere whether this particular one would be legal to run on a circuit with more than one appliance, but it uses the same amount of energy as the smallest induction cooktop that is permanently installed, so I would guess it's probably against code - so should something go wrong, your insurance is probably invalid since you're doing something against code. I know they don't get hot, I mean more something like accidentally causing an electrical fire.

Do you not have something like the UL listing (underwriter's laboratories) which tests and validates electrical appliances and such? A single plugin appliance (working properly) should not be able to cause a fire. If it did pull too much power for some reason, it should trip the circuit breaker.

35A/230V single phase seems awfully low capacity for a house. My house is on the small side for this area, and it has 200A@240V at the main. Older houses in the USA would commonly have at least 100A@240V - anything lower than that would be very rare for a standalone house (not sure on the apartment/condo side)

Individual circuits for lower power devices like this hob are 20A@120V. I don't use the hob on a dedicated circuit and have had no issues.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 15, 2022, 02:44:48 AM
Yes, I figured out that's the one you guys meant, our Ikea also sells it. I know you technically can plug it in  - it's 10A x 230V = 2300 W, a circuit is 3680 W and our whole house is 35A x 230V = 8050W. So as long as you don't turn on your coffeemaker or vacuum while you're running the Tillreda, and you don't have something like a heatpump running on a different circuit, it's going to work. That doesn't mean it's strictly legal, that's a whole different question. It can't find anywhere whether this particular one would be legal to run on a circuit with more than one appliance, but it uses the same amount of energy as the smallest induction cooktop that is permanently installed, so I would guess it's probably against code - so should something go wrong, your insurance is probably invalid since you're doing something against code. I know they don't get hot, I mean more something like accidentally causing an electrical fire.

Do you not have something like the UL listing (underwriter's laboratories) which tests and validates electrical appliances and such? A single plugin appliance (working properly) should not be able to cause a fire. If it did pull too much power for some reason, it should trip the circuit breaker.

35A/230V single phase seems awfully low capacity for a house. My house is on the small side for this area, and it has 200A@240V at the main. Older houses in the USA would commonly have at least 100A@240V - anything lower than that would be very rare for a standalone house (not sure on the apartment/condo side)

Individual circuits for lower power devices like this hob are 20A@120V. I don't use the hob on a dedicated circuit and have had no issues.

1x35A is the standard here for older, smaller houses. These days, code requires 3 x 25A for an new build and when we're ripping out the electricity we're upgrading to that as well. That should be enough for all regular appliances, a heat pump, solar panels, an electric car (which we don't even have). The biggest capacity a regular house can get is 3 x 63A. That's less than 200 but I suppose since our homes are smaller on average, we have fewer appliances, smaller freezers, people don't typically have a/c here, people don't usually have pools, so this is sufficient for almost all houses. If not, they'd have to apply for a small business connection.

I honestly have no idea if we have something like the UL listing? I know it's mandatory for vendors to include that kind of information at the point of sale but I have no idea where it comes from. A single plugin appliance should theoretically not be able to cause any kind of issues but of course the lab doesn't know what else is plugged in in that circuit. If you go over the capacity it should trip the circuit breaker, but it's also very risky to stay "just under" capacity. It doesn't trip the circuit breaker but the wiring isn't designed for it.

This is how I actually caused an electric fire in my own home a few years back. Our house is older so before we moved in we had the electrical installiation checked and certified, it met all the requirements in the code at that point. We have four circuits in total, one for the heating system, one for the washing machine, one for all the outlets upstairs and one for all the outlets downstairs. We had some nice audio equipment in the living room and some kitchen appliances, all plugged in in the downstairs circuit, apparantly that used about 75% of the capacity on that ciruit and in the long-term that damaged the wiring so much it caused an electrical fire. Thankfully it was contained and didn't spread through the whole house, but after that we were advised that you're not supposed to structurally use more than 50% of capacity on one ciruit. You can incidentally go right up to capacity but not all the time.

Back in the days when the house was last rewired, it was mandatory for a washing machine to have it's own circuit and that's no longer mandatory, so maybe in the future that will change for induction cooktops as well.  We fixed our issue by plugging in some kitchen appliances to the washing machine circuit.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 15, 2022, 07:28:05 AM
K_in_the_kitchen

I jotted down the mashed potato recipe and look forward to making it with Costco potatoes. How do you like: The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet: A Month of Meals Made Easy" recipes? I looked up the book on eBay, but it seems there are several versions. One is with Nanci Slagle, Tara Wohlenhaus and another with just Nanci Slagle. Which version do you have?

I have some freezer meal books but eh, not thrilled with them.

On another note, chuck roast is one of my favorite meats and the price of $3.99 you quoted was so great. I just looked online at our grocery stores and the prices here are about double that! Stock up while you can!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 15, 2022, 12:11:01 PM
K_in_the_kitchen

I jotted down the mashed potato recipe and look forward to making it with Costco potatoes. How do you like: The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet: A Month of Meals Made Easy" recipes? I looked up the book on eBay, but it seems there are several versions. One is with Nanci Slagle, Tara Wohlenhaus and another with just Nanci Slagle. Which version do you have?

I have some freezer meal books but eh, not thrilled with them.

On another note, chuck roast is one of my favorite meats and the price of $3.99 you quoted was so great. I just looked online at our grocery stores and the prices here are about double that! Stock up while you can!

I don't have the book anymore, but it was the 1999 edition with both authors.  I wonder what happened that one of the actors got dropped from the newer edition?  I never really used the book that much, except for the mashed potatoes.  Not only were we vegetarian at the time, but so much make ahead food has tomatoes, and I'm allergic.  I'll do the make ahead mashed potatoes and double batch baked goods to freeze, but other than that I don't purposely cook for the freezer.  I freeze all sorts of leftovers, and some meals I know will have extra to freeze, but mostly we eat what I cook and leave the freezer for meats and produce.

I do have room to freeze a few more chuck roasts, if I find time to get back to the store.  But I'm also planning a ButcherBox order in late September and need room for that.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jrhampt on August 15, 2022, 12:33:29 PM
Why is there egg in the recipe for mashed potatoes, do you think?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on August 15, 2022, 12:37:27 PM
Why is there egg in the recipe for mashed potatoes, do you think?

Yes, that surprised me too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 15, 2022, 12:40:56 PM
K_in_the_kitchen

I jotted down the mashed potato recipe and look forward to making it with Costco potatoes. How do you like: The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet: A Month of Meals Made Easy" recipes? I looked up the book on eBay, but it seems there are several versions. One is with Nanci Slagle, Tara Wohlenhaus and another with just Nanci Slagle. Which version do you have?

I have some freezer meal books but eh, not thrilled with them.

On another note, chuck roast is one of my favorite meats and the price of $3.99 you quoted was so great. I just looked online at our grocery stores and the prices here are about double that! Stock up while you can!

I don't have the book anymore, but it was the 1999 edition with both authors.  I wonder what happened that one of the actors got dropped from the newer edition?  I never really used the book that much, except for the mashed potatoes.  Not only were we vegetarian at the time, but so much make ahead food has tomatoes, and I'm allergic.  I'll do the make ahead mashed potatoes and double batch baked goods to freeze, but other than that I don't purposely cook for the freezer.  I freeze all sorts of leftovers, and some meals I know will have extra to freeze, but mostly we eat what I cook and leave the freezer for meats and produce.

I do have room to freeze a few more chuck roasts, if I find time to get back to the store.  But I'm also planning a ButcherBox order in late September and need room for that.

Thanks on the book information. I don't have much room in my freezers either, so freezer cooking isn't probably a good idea for me. I also have a Butcher Box order coming in early September. I get tempted with too many 'specials' but add them to my cart and then before I get billed, I kick some out of my cart. You probably have had it happen to you where you procrastinate and then when you decide to buy something on special, it is gone. So now, I just put it in the cart and decide later on.

As far as the mashed potatoes, I am definitely going to make them and freeze them. I have been buying the premade ones at the grocery store and I know that is way expensive. This way, it will be more cost effective. I have never made mashed potatoes with eggs. Why do you suppose that is added to the recipe?

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 15, 2022, 01:05:47 PM
K_in_the_kitchen

I jotted down the mashed potato recipe and look forward to making it with Costco potatoes. How do you like: The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet: A Month of Meals Made Easy" recipes? I looked up the book on eBay, but it seems there are several versions. One is with Nanci Slagle, Tara Wohlenhaus and another with just Nanci Slagle. Which version do you have?

I have some freezer meal books but eh, not thrilled with them.

On another note, chuck roast is one of my favorite meats and the price of $3.99 you quoted was so great. I just looked online at our grocery stores and the prices here are about double that! Stock up while you can!

I don't have the book anymore, but it was the 1999 edition with both authors.  I wonder what happened that one of the actors got dropped from the newer edition?  I never really used the book that much, except for the mashed potatoes.  Not only were we vegetarian at the time, but so much make ahead food has tomatoes, and I'm allergic.  I'll do the make ahead mashed potatoes and double batch baked goods to freeze, but other than that I don't purposely cook for the freezer.  I freeze all sorts of leftovers, and some meals I know will have extra to freeze, but mostly we eat what I cook and leave the freezer for meats and produce.

I do have room to freeze a few more chuck roasts, if I find time to get back to the store.  But I'm also planning a ButcherBox order in late September and need room for that.

Thanks on the book information. I don't have much room in my freezers either, so freezer cooking isn't probably a good idea for me. I also have a Butcher Box order coming in early September. I get tempted with too many 'specials' but add them to my cart and then before I get billed, I kick some out of my cart. You probably have had it happen to you where you procrastinate and then when you decide to buy something on special, it is gone. So now, I just put it in the cart and decide later on.

As far as the mashed potatoes, I am definitely going to make them and freeze them. I have been buying the premade ones at the grocery store and I know that is way expensive. This way, it will be more cost effective. I have never made mashed potatoes with eggs. Why do you suppose that is added to the recipe?

I suppose it does make the mashed potatoes more creamy??

I got a large box of eggs (15 eggs) at a big discount the other day so I'm looking for recipes with eggs. Today is the first cooler day after a heatwave here, so I can finally cook again instead of making sandwiches and salads. I also bought some cheap green beans and vegan burgers so that would be a filling and cheap meal.

On the upside, we ate quite a bit of bread during the heatwave so I finally have some freezer space again. Bread always takes up so much space but I always try to have a spare bread for work lunches.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on August 15, 2022, 02:41:18 PM
Tortillas are a great substitute for bread.  You can freeze lots of them in very little space and they come in different flavours.  Just fill them and roll them, and you can slice them into little rolls too.

I've never tried cream cheese in potatoes, but do put in regular cheddar.  When frozen, the cheese helps it not get so watery after thawing.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 15, 2022, 05:57:02 PM
Why is there egg in the recipe for mashed potatoes, do you think?

I'm not entirely sure -- I always assumed it was part of what makes them freeze well.  Many recipes add egg yolks to make mashed potatoes creamier, but I'm thinking that using the whole egg(s) has more to do with binding the mashed potatoes together so they reheat nicely.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 15, 2022, 05:59:41 PM
Tortillas are a great substitute for bread.  You can freeze lots of them in very little space and they come in different flavours.  Just fill them and roll them, and you can slice them into little rolls too.

I've never tried cream cheese in potatoes, but do put in regular cheddar.  When frozen, the cheese helps it not get so watery after thawing.

Since the cream cheese is used in place of milk and butter, I think it must be there for the same reason, to help the potatoes not go watery after defrosting.  These are definitely thicker, richer mashed potatoes than the whipped type.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 15, 2022, 06:17:24 PM

Thanks on the book information. I don't have much room in my freezers either, so freezer cooking isn't probably a good idea for me. I also have a Butcher Box order coming in early September. I get tempted with too many 'specials' but add them to my cart and then before I get billed, I kick some out of my cart. You probably have had it happen to you where you procrastinate and then when you decide to buy something on special, it is gone. So now, I just put it in the cart and decide later on.

As far as the mashed potatoes, I am definitely going to make them and freeze them. I have been buying the premade ones at the grocery store and I know that is way expensive. This way, it will be more cost effective. I have never made mashed potatoes with eggs. Why do you suppose that is added to the recipe?

Yes, I learned to jump on the specials when I see them, or see they are gone.  I hadn't been looking but started again recently.  Right now I have a bacon blast (10 of the BB bacon packages for $65), some bags of the hamburgers (2# for $12), a boneless pork chop blast (10#/20 chops for $68), and several bags of the gluten free chicken nuggets for $10 each (my at home college kid eats -- and pays for -- these and gets about 6 servings per bag).  Like you I go through before the box processes and unload anything I've changed my mind on or won't have room for.

I've decided I want to freeze the mashed potatoes in small covered casserole pans, so I can heat them in the toaster oven.  I've never done it that way before, but I use our new(ish) toaster oven often now.  Heating them up in the microwave works well, but I do have to stop and stir them several times so they heat evenly.

My guess is that the egg helps bind the potatoes together so they defrost nicely.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on August 15, 2022, 07:53:41 PM
I got a large box of eggs (15 eggs) at a big discount the other day so I'm looking for recipes with eggs. Today is the first cooler day after a heatwave here, so I can finally cook again instead of making sandwiches and salads. I also bought some cheap green beans and vegan burgers so that would be a filling and cheap meal.

It's hard for me to consider 15 eggs a lot. That's about what we'll use to make scrambled eggs for breakfast for the whole family. We buy 15 dozen eggs at a time from Costco these days. It lasts about a month. However, that's a family of 8, not two people.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 15, 2022, 09:57:34 PM
After reading this Yahoo article:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/dented-dated-discontinued-salvage-grocery-181110289.html

I went down this rabbit hole. I think I have a new hero!

https://www.javaholdings.com/faqs.html

Oh, I also followed the path to "Buy Salvage Food". Unsurprisingly, the three in my region are all Grocery Outlets stores I know well. Funny, I know of a couple outlets they don't mention. Y'all know I was hoping to find another source, right?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 16, 2022, 02:31:23 AM
I got a large box of eggs (15 eggs) at a big discount the other day so I'm looking for recipes with eggs. Today is the first cooler day after a heatwave here, so I can finally cook again instead of making sandwiches and salads. I also bought some cheap green beans and vegan burgers so that would be a filling and cheap meal.

It's hard for me to consider 15 eggs a lot. That's about what we'll use to make scrambled eggs for breakfast for the whole family. We buy 15 dozen eggs at a time from Costco these days. It lasts about a month. However, that's a family of 8, not two people.

Eggs come in boxes of 10 here, and 10 is the regular size. 15 is an "XL" sized box. We use 4 eggs for scrambled eggs, and we only eat it during the weekend. Now we have lots of eggs I'm planning to make egg salad this week, for sandwiches to take to work. We have a big fridge by European standards but I'm afraid 180 eggs wouldn't leave space for anything else.

I can't imagine the amount of food you guys go through in a week. I assume our half a dozen eggs and one bread a week isn't even enough for one day for your family! I grew up cooking for six and when I first moved out it took me some time to adjust to cooking for one. I only had a mini fridge in my apartment in those days so I couldn't really store any leftovers.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on August 16, 2022, 12:25:48 PM
I got a large box of eggs (15 eggs) at a big discount the other day so I'm looking for recipes with eggs. Today is the first cooler day after a heatwave here, so I can finally cook again instead of making sandwiches and salads. I also bought some cheap green beans and vegan burgers so that would be a filling and cheap meal.

It's hard for me to consider 15 eggs a lot. That's about what we'll use to make scrambled eggs for breakfast for the whole family. We buy 15 dozen eggs at a time from Costco these days. It lasts about a month. However, that's a family of 8, not two people.

Eggs come in boxes of 10 here, and 10 is the regular size. 15 is an "XL" sized box. We use 4 eggs for scrambled eggs, and we only eat it during the weekend. Now we have lots of eggs I'm planning to make egg salad this week, for sandwiches to take to work. We have a big fridge by European standards but I'm afraid 180 eggs wouldn't leave space for anything else.

I can't imagine the amount of food you guys go through in a week. I assume our half a dozen eggs and one bread a week isn't even enough for one day for your family! I grew up cooking for six and when I first moved out it took me some time to adjust to cooking for one. I only had a mini fridge in my apartment in those days so I couldn't really store any leftovers.

We go to Costco every two weeks and typically buy 8 gallons of milk and sometimes have to stock up in between (and that's with one kid not drinking milk). A loaf of bread can be gone in a single meal. Our monthly grocery spend is about $1,400. That includes gluten free products for my wife which tend to be 50-200% more expensive. She has her own gluten free bread, but we usually make gluten free pancakes or waffles for everyone as otherwise we'd have to have two waffle makers to prevent cross-contamination. We have a second full size refrigerator in our garage to store the box of eggs, extra milk, extra fruit and vegetables, multiple loaves of frozen bread, etc. We've optimized to only going grocery shopping once a week. Costco every other week, and an online pickup order from the commissary on base every other week (staggered). It's rare for either bill to be under $250.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 16, 2022, 12:29:39 PM
I got a large box of eggs (15 eggs) at a big discount the other day so I'm looking for recipes with eggs. Today is the first cooler day after a heatwave here, so I can finally cook again instead of making sandwiches and salads. I also bought some cheap green beans and vegan burgers so that would be a filling and cheap meal.

It's hard for me to consider 15 eggs a lot. That's about what we'll use to make scrambled eggs for breakfast for the whole family. We buy 15 dozen eggs at a time from Costco these days. It lasts about a month. However, that's a family of 8, not two people.

Eggs come in boxes of 10 here, and 10 is the regular size. 15 is an "XL" sized box. We use 4 eggs for scrambled eggs, and we only eat it during the weekend. Now we have lots of eggs I'm planning to make egg salad this week, for sandwiches to take to work. We have a big fridge by European standards but I'm afraid 180 eggs wouldn't leave space for anything else.

I can't imagine the amount of food you guys go through in a week. I assume our half a dozen eggs and one bread a week isn't even enough for one day for your family! I grew up cooking for six and when I first moved out it took me some time to adjust to cooking for one. I only had a mini fridge in my apartment in those days so I couldn't really store any leftovers.

We go to Costco every two weeks and typically buy 8 gallons of milk and sometimes have to stock up in between (and that's with one kid not drinking milk). A loaf of bread can be gone in a single meal. Our monthly grocery spend is about $1,400. That includes gluten free products for my wife which tend to be 50-200% more expensive. She has her own gluten free bread, but we usually make gluten free pancakes or waffles for everyone as otherwise we'd have to have two waffle makers to prevent cross-contamination. We have a second full size refrigerator in our garage to store the box of eggs, extra milk, extra fruit and vegetables, multiple loaves of frozen bread, etc. We've optimized to only going grocery shopping once a week. Costco every other week, and an online pickup order from the commissary on base every other week (staggered). It's rare for either bill to be under $250.
@Michael in ABQ, that brought back a memory. I'm from a family of eight. Our refrigerator had a pull-out tray for milk. It held exactly nine half-gallons. We also had a drive through dairy in the area, long before Costco existed. Going with Dad on a milk run was a favorite mini-excursion.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on August 20, 2022, 09:06:55 AM
This is how I actually caused an electric fire in my own home a few years back. Our house is older so before we moved in we had the electrical installiation checked and certified, it met all the requirements in the code at that point. We have four circuits in total, one for the heating system, one for the washing machine, one for all the outlets upstairs and one for all the outlets downstairs. We had some nice audio equipment in the living room and some kitchen appliances, all plugged in in the downstairs circuit, apparantly that used about 75% of the capacity on that ciruit and in the long-term that damaged the wiring so much it caused an electrical fire. Thankfully it was contained and didn't spread through the whole house, but after that we were advised that you're not supposed to structurally use more than 50% of capacity on one ciruit. You can incidentally go right up to capacity but not all the time.

Interesting and unfortunate for you. US (residential) electrical codes are based around the idea that you should limit a continuous, long-term draw (3+ hours) to 80% of the rated capacity of the circuit. 100% of rated capacity draw is  fine if under 3 hours - but brief spikes (such as starting a motor) can go well over without issue.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 20, 2022, 09:46:28 AM
I was doing so well on working down my pantry...yesterday, Grocery Outlet had 28 oz. cans of Muir Glen Organic tomatoes for 99 cents. Whole, Diced, and Crushed. Some fire roasted, some with basil. I bought 30 cans. They also had half gallons of whole organic milk for 1.99. I bought three and will freeze them. Score!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Hadilly on August 20, 2022, 02:34:47 PM
@Dicey, thank you for the heads up! I stopped in at my Grocery Outlet and bought 12 cans of the fire roasted whole tomatoes. Excellent price!


Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 20, 2022, 02:45:51 PM
I was doing so well on working down my pantry...yesterday, Grocery Outlet had 28 oz. cans of Muir Glen Organic tomatoes for 99 cents. Whole, Diced, and Crushed. Some fire roasted, some with basil. I bought 30 cans. They also had half gallons of whole organic milk for 1.99. I bought three and will freeze them. Score!

Those are some excellent scores!  I used our last can of diced tomatoes yesterday, but we aren't stocking up on them anymore.  I can't eat tomatoes (allergy since childhood) and my youngest detests tomatoes in any form.  With my oldest away at university, we just don't use them often, so I decided we should devote the pantry space to other foods.  But organic 28 oz. cans at that price would have tempted me to get a few.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 20, 2022, 03:12:55 PM
@Dicey, thank you for the heads up! I stopped in at my Grocery Outlet and bought 12 cans of the fire roasted whole tomatoes. Excellent price!
Hooray! I usually shop at GO on Senior Mornings, for the additional 10% discount. At that price, I was pretty sure they weren't going to last, so I happily paid the "premium".
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 21, 2022, 09:22:28 AM
We don't have GO stores here but I would have gone hog wild on those tomatoes for that price! I LOVE tomatoes! What a great find!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Rosy on August 21, 2022, 09:42:32 AM
My church ran a monthly food pantry at a low income school, and we always had samples and recipes. People were really interested, and I was fascinated by how many people had never tasted hummus.

It is great to know that there was interest for this! Our food pantry gets large donations of ingredients that people don't seem to know how to use (lentils, dates, figs) - and we've toyed around with doing samples and recipes. A lot of board members for my pantry feel like it would be wasted effort.

I don't think it would be a wasted effort at all! I do think people need some help figuring things out. If you're on a low budget, you can't just risk trying things that don't work out because that's a waste of money, and you might not have certain things on hand that we frugal but rich mustachians have, like all sorts of spices.

I think if you made some samples that people could try first, make a short TikTok or Youtube video showing the process, and make sure all the necessary ingredients are either extremely cheap or available at the food bank, it would absolutely help people try new things with new ingredients. It could be a wasted effort if your community is very resistant to change, but you won't know until you've tried it. Little things can help people a lot - every time people tell me spices are expensive I tell them to go to ethnic grocery stores where they are dirt cheap, and people are like "wow, I'm not of that ethnicity, and I can just go in there and buy stuff?" Yes you can!!

100% yes to everything that Imma said:).

I've never been to a food pantry but in the past, I lived in an apartment complex and had several neighbors who would get free food from a nearby church charity program. They simply handed out a box of food of whatever they had.
Quite often people were stumped as to what to do with some items or an old lady ended up with more butter than she could use in a year and didn't even know she could freeze it.
But we became a group of friends and would simply share the bounty, me and a young man next door would come up with recipes for "odd" items and make a big batch to share.
One time they got huge bags of frozen dried apricots - they would have ended up in the trash if not for us. Those were some of the best apricots, made great desserts.   
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on August 21, 2022, 01:15:08 PM
My church ran a monthly food pantry at a low income school, and we always had samples and recipes. People were really interested, and I was fascinated by how many people had never tasted hummus.

It is great to know that there was interest for this! Our food pantry gets large donations of ingredients that people don't seem to know how to use (lentils, dates, figs) - and we've toyed around with doing samples and recipes. A lot of board members for my pantry feel like it would be wasted effort.

I don't think it would be a wasted effort at all! I do think people need some help figuring things out. If you're on a low budget, you can't just risk trying things that don't work out because that's a waste of money, and you might not have certain things on hand that we frugal but rich mustachians have, like all sorts of spices.

I think if you made some samples that people could try first, make a short TikTok or Youtube video showing the process, and make sure all the necessary ingredients are either extremely cheap or available at the food bank, it would absolutely help people try new things with new ingredients. It could be a wasted effort if your community is very resistant to change, but you won't know until you've tried it. Little things can help people a lot - every time people tell me spices are expensive I tell them to go to ethnic grocery stores where they are dirt cheap, and people are like "wow, I'm not of that ethnicity, and I can just go in there and buy stuff?" Yes you can!!

100% yes to everything that Imma said:).

I've never been to a food pantry but in the past, I lived in an apartment complex and had several neighbors who would get free food from a nearby church charity program. They simply handed out a box of food of whatever they had.
Quite often people were stumped as to what to do with some items or an old lady ended up with more butter than she could use in a year and didn't even know she could freeze it.
But we became a group of friends and would simply share the bounty, me and a young man next door would come up with recipes for "odd" items and make a big batch to share.
One time they got huge bags of frozen dried apricots - they would have ended up in the trash if not for us. Those were some of the best apricots, made great desserts.   
❤️
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 26, 2022, 09:53:36 AM
So ButcherBox has been holding their "Member Specials" week and what I've observed is the prices mostly aren't better than any other offers.  Today they have a ground beef blast (10#) for $65, which is the same price it was when I put it into my box a few weeks ago.  The burgers blast comes in more expensive than the price for burgers a few weeks ago.  I still think the best prices of the year that I've seen were for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

We're doing a combination of conventional and pastured meats.  I can't bring myself to buy regular ground beef, and at $5 per pound it isn't that much less expensive than the grass-fed and finished ground beef from Sprouts or ButcherBox.  But we've gone to conventional chicken because there is a major price difference for what is a minimal difference.

I'm also serving smaller meat portions, and reminding everyone why.  I cooked a 1# pork tenderloin this week, wrapped in 10 ounces of bacon, so 26 ounces of meat pre-cooking. The 3 of us ate it for 2 meals, even though that meant hardly more than 4 ounces per serving.  I just think they have to get used to it.  We've been spoiled over the years with enough income to serve hearty portions of meat (when we've eaten meat). The one kid can easily eat 3-4 chicken thighs or 2 burger patties (1/3# each).  Due to various allergies and preferences, we don't eat a lot of the kinds of meals that naturally stretch the meat, like chili, spaghetti with meat sauce, etc.

I'm continuing to mix in a pound of BB breakfast sausage each time I make a batch of ground meat for tacos and burrito bowls.  We didn't like it as breakfast sausage, but it tastes okay mixed with the ground beef.

We got a Sam's Club membership for my son at college, and I'm the other family member on it so I can use it too.  It was $45 and then we got $45 off our first purchase.  I've found items at Sam's that they don't have at Costco, like the big bag of coleslaw (which I usually cook), and milk chocolate chips.  They also have the 50 pack of plain Lay's potato chips, which I know the Costco Business Center has, but I don't live near one and they don't deliver to my address either.  My kid is taking these to school in a packed lunch twice a week.

On the "stocking up" front (other than meat), I grabbed 6 cans of corned beef hash at Aldi this week, since they had it back in stock.  The price is 24¢ more per can than it was at the beginning of the pandemic.  It's high in sodium and rather unhealthy in my book, but my kid eats it and I've decided it's not a battle I want to fight with someone who is now a young adult.  I might have sprung for a case, but my Aldi has gotten really strict on not allowing customers to buy cases of canned goods without putting the order in with the manager ahead of time.

And on the use the pantry items and cook to save money side of things, I've been working some white bread and rolls into our meals, as I have white flour stored in buckets that needs to be rotated through.  I'm using a recipe attributed to the Amish, and the dough is versatile enough to use for several kinds of baked goods: sandwich and toasting bread, dinner rolls for soup, cinnamon rolls, New England style hot dog buns, etc.  I alternate cooking with whole wheat so we aren't only eating white flour products.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 30, 2022, 12:46:16 AM
Well, the company that delivers my groceries just let me know they will stop delivering frozen food from Sept. 1 since apparantly you can't get dry ice anywhere. I had no idea but dry ice is basically a leftover product from making artificial fertilizer, and with the current gas prices many plants making artificial fertilizer have significantly scaled back production.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 30, 2022, 12:05:15 PM
K_in_the_Kitchen can you post the recipe for the bread, rolls, etc.?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on August 30, 2022, 08:08:41 PM
K_in_the_Kitchen can you post the recipe for the bread, rolls, etc.?

This recipe was originally from a big called "Scratch It With Sandy" that appears to no longer be a valid website.  I've added my notes :)  Also, I have big bread tins, so I double the recipe, and then I can bake three items, usually two loaves of bread and one of the following: pan of dinner rolls, pan of cinnamon rolls, or pan of New England style hot dog buns.

INGREDIENTS:

2 C warm water about 110-120 degrees
⅔ C white sugar (this is a lot, and it makes the bread delicious, but you can cut it down)
1½ T yeast (I use SAF Instant, and the time I used regular yeast it took a long time to rise)
1½ t salt
¼ C vegetable oil (I use avocado oil or a stick of butter, melted)
6 C flour (I use all purpose unbleached and it works beautifully)

INSTRUCTIONS (as written by recipe author):

Place sugar and water in bowl
Sprinkle with yeast and let dissolve 5-15 minutes
Add salt, oil and half the flour mix together.
Add remaining flour. Change to dough hook and mix till its pulling away from the sides.
Pull out onto lightly floured surface and knead shortly
Place in greased bowl flipping to cover both sides.
Top with saran wrap or damp warm towel
Set aside in draft free area and let rise till doubles in size. About 1 hour
Remove cover and punch down.
Lay out on lightly floured surface and cut in half.
Flaten out into rectangle and "jelly" roll into a loaf.
Pinch ends together and place in greased 9x5 bread pans.
Repeat with other half.
Cover and let rise till double in size about 30-50 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Once double in size bake for 25-30 minutes.
Pull out and brush top with butter.
Let rest 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack

I find these instructions inadequate and use my own method, adapted for my mixer which is an Ankarsrum. For my mixer I add water, oil, salt, sugar, and half the flour, mix briefly, add instant yeast, and then quickly add the rest of the flour.  Once it's incorporated and the dough is slightly tacky but not sticky at all, I mix for about 5 minutes on a medium low speed using the roller and scraper, not the dough hook.  I'm going to assume you know the rest of the process for baking bread, lol.  A few tricks I use are rising the dough in a container marked with quarts so I can clearly see the doubling, doing a 10 minute bench rest after dividing dough but before forming rolls or loaves, forming rolls and loaves on a silicone mat and never adding flour at that stage, and using plastic hair processing caps to cover my items as they do the final rise.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 31, 2022, 07:25:50 AM
K_in_the_kitchen

Thanks for the recipe!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on August 31, 2022, 11:11:24 AM
Well, the company that delivers my groceries just let me know they will stop delivering frozen food from Sept. 1 since apparantly you can't get dry ice anywhere. I had no idea but dry ice is basically a leftover product from making artificial fertilizer, and with the current gas prices many plants making artificial fertilizer have significantly scaled back production.
Yes, nitrogen fertilizer is produced from natural gas (methane) with CO2 for a substantial waste product.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 31, 2022, 12:34:41 PM
Well, the company that delivers my groceries just let me know they will stop delivering frozen food from Sept. 1 since apparantly you can't get dry ice anywhere. I had no idea but dry ice is basically a leftover product from making artificial fertilizer, and with the current gas prices many plants making artificial fertilizer have significantly scaled back production.
Yes, nitrogen fertilizer is produced from natural gas (methane) with CO2 for a substantial waste product.

I knew about how nitrogen fertilizer was made but I had no idea dry ice was a byproduct of nitrogen fertilizer. My grocery supplier is now figuring out how to deliver frozen food in the future, if at all. Dry ice was a sustainable choice because it's a byproduct that otherwise would have been thrown away. The other option is to build freezers in all of their vans and that's going to have a certain environmental impact. Their vans are all electric, so I assume a freezer would absolutely drain the battery.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: dandarc on August 31, 2022, 01:02:38 PM
Well, the company that delivers my groceries just let me know they will stop delivering frozen food from Sept. 1 since apparantly you can't get dry ice anywhere. I had no idea but dry ice is basically a leftover product from making artificial fertilizer, and with the current gas prices many plants making artificial fertilizer have significantly scaled back production.
Yes, nitrogen fertilizer is produced from natural gas (methane) with CO2 for a substantial waste product.

I knew about how nitrogen fertilizer was made but I had no idea dry ice was a byproduct of nitrogen fertilizer. My grocery supplier is now figuring out how to deliver frozen food in the future, if at all. Dry ice was a sustainable choice because it's a byproduct that otherwise would have been thrown away. The other option is to build freezers in all of their vans and that's going to have a certain environmental impact. Their vans are all electric, so I assume a freezer would absolutely drain the battery.
I don't know, for $300 on Amazon you can get a small freezer that runs off the cigarette lighter. Not sure it would necessarily be a substantial draw vs. energy needed to move the van.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on August 31, 2022, 01:09:58 PM
Well, the company that delivers my groceries just let me know they will stop delivering frozen food from Sept. 1 since apparantly you can't get dry ice anywhere. I had no idea but dry ice is basically a leftover product from making artificial fertilizer, and with the current gas prices many plants making artificial fertilizer have significantly scaled back production.
Yes, nitrogen fertilizer is produced from natural gas (methane) with CO2 for a substantial waste product.

I knew about how nitrogen fertilizer was made but I had no idea dry ice was a byproduct of nitrogen fertilizer. My grocery supplier is now figuring out how to deliver frozen food in the future, if at all. Dry ice was a sustainable choice because it's a byproduct that otherwise would have been thrown away. The other option is to build freezers in all of their vans and that's going to have a certain environmental impact. Their vans are all electric, so I assume a freezer would absolutely drain the battery.

Are they shipping these, or driving them from the store to your house?

Meal kits are shipped in boxes with insulation and freezer packs (not dry ice) and they are cold for several days.

Groceries are delivered in thermal bags with a regular ice pack, too - I've never had any dry ice involved in food delivery, unless you get something like ice cream shipped across the country.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on August 31, 2022, 11:58:05 PM
Well, the company that delivers my groceries just let me know they will stop delivering frozen food from Sept. 1 since apparantly you can't get dry ice anywhere. I had no idea but dry ice is basically a leftover product from making artificial fertilizer, and with the current gas prices many plants making artificial fertilizer have significantly scaled back production.
Yes, nitrogen fertilizer is produced from natural gas (methane) with CO2 for a substantial waste product.

I knew about how nitrogen fertilizer was made but I had no idea dry ice was a byproduct of nitrogen fertilizer. My grocery supplier is now figuring out how to deliver frozen food in the future, if at all. Dry ice was a sustainable choice because it's a byproduct that otherwise would have been thrown away. The other option is to build freezers in all of their vans and that's going to have a certain environmental impact. Their vans are all electric, so I assume a freezer would absolutely drain the battery.

Are they shipping these, or driving them from the store to your house?

Meal kits are shipped in boxes with insulation and freezer packs (not dry ice) and they are cold for several days.

Groceries are delivered in thermal bags with a regular ice pack, too - I've never had any dry ice involved in food delivery, unless you get something like ice cream shipped across the country.

I get my groceries from a nationwide grocery delivery company, they are driving them in specially designed vehicles to my house but they don't have stores. Their whole thing is that not having stores is more sustainable because it creates much fewer waste  - they only order from their supplies what their customers have ordered from them, so no leftovers get thrown out. Their electric vehicles have doors that slide open to the side and there are crates filled with the groceries for every customer (they are put in reusable bags in the crates). I know the frozen stuff comes from the black crates to the left but I had no idea how those were kept cold untill I read their press release. Picnic vans: https://picnic.app/nl/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/11/runnerbijepv.jpg I just get my bag of freezer items from the black crates.  I imagine that if they take the decision to put freezers in those vans, that's going to cost a ton of money.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 09, 2022, 10:35:33 AM
If you see the price of olive oil up significantly, this article explains how they have had a terrible drought and crops are not producing as they should. The pictures in this article are quite impressive.

https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2022/09/business/olive-oil-shortage-drought-cnnphotos/
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on September 09, 2022, 12:30:31 PM
If you see the price of olive oil up significantly, this article explains how they have had a terrible drought and crops are not producing as they should. The pictures in this article are quite impressive.

https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2022/09/business/olive-oil-shortage-drought-cnnphotos/
Well, I wasn't planning a Costco run, but I guess I'll work a trip in. Sir Google says that properly stored, EVOO can last 2-4 years. Okay then, right on topic.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 09, 2022, 02:59:44 PM
Dicey, good to know the shelf life of olive oil. It is best to keep it in a dark place too.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Bartlebooth on September 09, 2022, 03:49:11 PM
Well, the company that delivers my groceries just let me know they will stop delivering frozen food from Sept. 1 since apparantly you can't get dry ice anywhere. I had no idea but dry ice is basically a leftover product from making artificial fertilizer, and with the current gas prices many plants making artificial fertilizer have significantly scaled back production.
Yes, nitrogen fertilizer is produced from natural gas (methane) with CO2 for a substantial waste product.

I knew about how nitrogen fertilizer was made but I had no idea dry ice was a byproduct of nitrogen fertilizer. My grocery supplier is now figuring out how to deliver frozen food in the future, if at all. Dry ice was a sustainable choice because it's a byproduct that otherwise would have been thrown away. The other option is to build freezers in all of their vans and that's going to have a certain environmental impact. Their vans are all electric, so I assume a freezer would absolutely drain the battery.
I don't know, for $300 on Amazon you can get a small freezer that runs off the cigarette lighter. Not sure it would necessarily be a substantial draw vs. energy needed to move the van.

Typical electric car is somewhere around 300 watt-hours consumed per mile.  Typical home refrigerator uses 2 kWh per day, figure about the same for a smaller yet less efficient fridge with various loadings/unloadings.  So it would use about 7 miles of range to run a refrigerator.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 09, 2022, 05:42:32 PM
If you see the price of olive oil up significantly, this article explains how they have had a terrible drought and crops are not producing as they should. The pictures in this article are quite impressive.

https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2022/09/business/olive-oil-shortage-drought-cnnphotos/

Thanks for the info -- I guess it's time to stock a little more than I have right now!  We have a friend who produces premium olive oil (award winning), and he really opened my eyes to what's going on in the olive oil world, even among products that are 100% extra virgin.  I buy the California EVOO from Costco, and he told me it's a premium producer who sells their entire production to Costco.  Our friend's EVOOs are amazing, but not Mustachian.  I also buy the Costco organic EVOO, mostly because our young adult kids pour it out on rice, potatoes, bread, etc.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on September 09, 2022, 07:38:08 PM
Dicey, good to know the shelf life of olive oil. It is best to keep it in a dark place too.
Hehe, I went to Costco today.

PSA #1: A 2 liter of Organic EVOO was 11.99, while the non-organic was 14.99. Huh? Different origin, perhaps? I didn't look that hard,  I just grabbed 4 of the cheaper one. Here's the best part: our clown house came with a fancy-pants wine fridge. We don't drink, so I'm going to store it in there at 60 degrees F, which Sir G says should make it last for four years. I'll use it up faster than that, but at least it won't turn rancid and that damn fridge will be doing something useful.

PSA #2: If you like Costco's yummy but ever more expensive Pesto, it's $2.00 off until 9/11/22, i.e. soon.  I bought 5 and stuck them in the freezer. I assure you, they freeze and defrost just fine. Paging @lhamo, because I owe her one.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Hadilly on September 11, 2022, 07:50:50 AM
Dicey, I appreciate your PSAs! I have to go to Costco today and will follow in your footsteps! I already bought canned tomatoes copying you.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Catbert on September 11, 2022, 12:22:31 PM
Dicey, I appreciate your PSAs! I have to go to Costco today and will follow in your footsteps! I already bought canned tomatoes copying you.

Me too.  Already got the GO tomatoes and stopped this morning at Costco for the EVOO.  BTW more expensive non-organic EVOO is made from Italian olives and the organic version from a host of European countries not including italy.  Like Dicey I opted for the cheaper organic bottles.

So my tip is that Costco had real vanilla for $12.  I think I paid $22 a while back (6 months? a year? who knows) after waiting as long as I could.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on September 12, 2022, 03:16:53 AM
Well, the company that delivers my groceries just let me know they will stop delivering frozen food from Sept. 1 since apparantly you can't get dry ice anywhere. I had no idea but dry ice is basically a leftover product from making artificial fertilizer, and with the current gas prices many plants making artificial fertilizer have significantly scaled back production.
Yes, nitrogen fertilizer is produced from natural gas (methane) with CO2 for a substantial waste product.

I knew about how nitrogen fertilizer was made but I had no idea dry ice was a byproduct of nitrogen fertilizer. My grocery supplier is now figuring out how to deliver frozen food in the future, if at all. Dry ice was a sustainable choice because it's a byproduct that otherwise would have been thrown away. The other option is to build freezers in all of their vans and that's going to have a certain environmental impact. Their vans are all electric, so I assume a freezer would absolutely drain the battery.
I don't know, for $300 on Amazon you can get a small freezer that runs off the cigarette lighter. Not sure it would necessarily be a substantial draw vs. energy needed to move the van.

Typical electric car is somewhere around 300 watt-hours consumed per mile.  Typical home refrigerator uses 2 kWh per day, figure about the same for a smaller yet less efficient fridge with various loadings/unloadings.  So it would use about 7 miles of range to run a refrigerator.

I'm sure that's true for a small freezer that runs off the cigarette lighter, but obviously the costs are very different for a business. First of all, their freezer is going to have to be much bigger than a mini freezer off Amazon. Say half of their customers on a typical run (so maybe half of 25 customers?) order frozen food. Secondly they need to be built into all of their vans, or at least into all the vans that work from the same distribution center, at the same time, otherwise their warehouse people will go crazy. And then thirdly the freezer needs to somehow be built into their custom designed van that works with their warehousing system, so that probably requires a custom designed freezer as well. The costs associated with that all of that are gigantic, versus working with a waste product that's almost free and is integrated with the current warehouse system.

For a large company, a tiny little switch like that is absolutely massive, so I totally understand why they're just not delivering freezer products, while they are pricing out the different options. I would not be surprised if not delivering freezer products again would be the cheapest option. Most frozen food that people order probably has a low profit margin (stuff like ice cream, cheap frozen veggies and frozen pizza) and never delivering those again probably won't annoy people enough to permanently switch to the competitor. Their main competitor uses regular vans with a freezer compartment but is much more expensive.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 12, 2022, 10:45:34 AM
Well, the company that delivers my groceries just let me know they will stop delivering frozen food from Sept. 1 since apparantly you can't get dry ice anywhere. I had no idea but dry ice is basically a leftover product from making artificial fertilizer, and with the current gas prices many plants making artificial fertilizer have significantly scaled back production.
Yes, nitrogen fertilizer is produced from natural gas (methane) with CO2 for a substantial waste product.

I knew about how nitrogen fertilizer was made but I had no idea dry ice was a byproduct of nitrogen fertilizer. My grocery supplier is now figuring out how to deliver frozen food in the future, if at all. Dry ice was a sustainable choice because it's a byproduct that otherwise would have been thrown away. The other option is to build freezers in all of their vans and that's going to have a certain environmental impact. Their vans are all electric, so I assume a freezer would absolutely drain the battery.
I don't know, for $300 on Amazon you can get a small freezer that runs off the cigarette lighter. Not sure it would necessarily be a substantial draw vs. energy needed to move the van.

Typical electric car is somewhere around 300 watt-hours consumed per mile.  Typical home refrigerator uses 2 kWh per day, figure about the same for a smaller yet less efficient fridge with various loadings/unloadings.  So it would use about 7 miles of range to run a refrigerator.

I'm sure that's true for a small freezer that runs off the cigarette lighter, but obviously the costs are very different for a business. First of all, their freezer is going to have to be much bigger than a mini freezer off Amazon. Say half of their customers on a typical run (so maybe half of 25 customers?) order frozen food. Secondly they need to be built into all of their vans, or at least into all the vans that work from the same distribution center, at the same time, otherwise their warehouse people will go crazy. And then thirdly the freezer needs to somehow be built into their custom designed van that works with their warehousing system, so that probably requires a custom designed freezer as well. The costs associated with that all of that are gigantic, versus working with a waste product that's almost free and is integrated with the current warehouse system.

For a large company, a tiny little switch like that is absolutely massive, so I totally understand why they're just not delivering freezer products, while they are pricing out the different options. I would not be surprised if not delivering freezer products again would be the cheapest option. Most frozen food that people order probably has a low profit margin (stuff like ice cream, cheap frozen veggies and frozen pizza) and never delivering those again probably won't annoy people enough to permanently switch to the competitor. Their main competitor uses regular vans with a freezer compartment but is much more expensive.

It occurs to me that the other issue here is what happens where the groceries are delivered.  Many people are not at home when grocery deliveries arrive -- the kind that have dry ice, like ButcherBox, not the Instacart type of delivery.  Dry ice helps keep the order cold until the person comes home.

I think the reality is that it's not sustainable to have groceries being driven around and delivered.  It becomes ridiculous to be outfitting vans with refrigeration and freezers to provide grocery delivery for the masses.  Getting groceries from the store -- either by going inside or doing a pick up order where they bring it to your car -- makes the most sense.  This is the model we have returned to, we're cancelling ButcherBox and only using Instacart for delivery in emergency type situation.  For example, my college kid is super sick -- waiting for Covid and flu test results -- and needed fresh groceries because he'd been out of town for week for an athletic competition.  I placed an Instacart delivery order for him.  But as we return to cooler weather this fall and winter (fingers crossed anyway), we have two options in place for grocery pick up without markups or tips -- Sprouts (using Instacart) and Sam's Club (using Plus membership).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 13, 2022, 10:48:26 AM
Made it to Costco last night and bought two bottle of the organic EVOO, plus two of the fancy California EVOOs.  We were using our executive rebate check to stock up and also bought toilet paper, All laundry detergent, Dawn dish soap, Mr. Clean erasers, avocado oil, a bag of frozen mango, 10# organic sugar, 8# butter, a jar of pickles, and 8 jars of peaches (2 sets of 4).  This trip will help keep the grocery bill lower for several months.

I also got my refund for the "local" honey they sold that ended up not being as advertised.  According to the clerk helping me she could find that I had bought 6 bottles in the past, and I got $63 refunded.  Yes, we used the honey, but it was the principle of the matter -- I was irked to have paid $10 per bottle of honey and not have gotten what I paid for.  I specifically chose local honey to avoid getting imported China honey.  They sent a card out alerting us to the situation and offering the refund.  Anyway, if anyone else bought the "local" honey from Costco (where it was from varied by state), you can go in and get a refund even if you bought it in the past and aren't returning the product.

Is anyone else encountering egg shortages?  Costco didn't have anything but the organic eggs, and Sam's Club doesn't have the 5 dozen package of regular eggs, just 2 dozen regular eggs priced higher than the organic eggs.  I need to get back to Aldi ASAP and see if they still have eggs at $2.37 per dozen like they did last week, which astoundingly is the best price I can find.  I should have stocked up.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Josiecat22222 on September 13, 2022, 10:57:07 AM
@K_in_the_kitchen, I don't know where you are located, but at my local Kroger I paid 9.62 for 60 eggs today...so about 2$ per dozen.  It's a far cry from the prepandemic price, but the best I've seen for a while
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Imma on September 13, 2022, 12:05:45 PM
Well, the company that delivers my groceries just let me know they will stop delivering frozen food from Sept. 1 since apparantly you can't get dry ice anywhere. I had no idea but dry ice is basically a leftover product from making artificial fertilizer, and with the current gas prices many plants making artificial fertilizer have significantly scaled back production.
Yes, nitrogen fertilizer is produced from natural gas (methane) with CO2 for a substantial waste product.

I knew about how nitrogen fertilizer was made but I had no idea dry ice was a byproduct of nitrogen fertilizer. My grocery supplier is now figuring out how to deliver frozen food in the future, if at all. Dry ice was a sustainable choice because it's a byproduct that otherwise would have been thrown away. The other option is to build freezers in all of their vans and that's going to have a certain environmental impact. Their vans are all electric, so I assume a freezer would absolutely drain the battery.
I don't know, for $300 on Amazon you can get a small freezer that runs off the cigarette lighter. Not sure it would necessarily be a substantial draw vs. energy needed to move the van.

Typical electric car is somewhere around 300 watt-hours consumed per mile.  Typical home refrigerator uses 2 kWh per day, figure about the same for a smaller yet less efficient fridge with various loadings/unloadings.  So it would use about 7 miles of range to run a refrigerator.

I'm sure that's true for a small freezer that runs off the cigarette lighter, but obviously the costs are very different for a business. First of all, their freezer is going to have to be much bigger than a mini freezer off Amazon. Say half of their customers on a typical run (so maybe half of 25 customers?) order frozen food. Secondly they need to be built into all of their vans, or at least into all the vans that work from the same distribution center, at the same time, otherwise their warehouse people will go crazy. And then thirdly the freezer needs to somehow be built into their custom designed van that works with their warehousing system, so that probably requires a custom designed freezer as well. The costs associated with that all of that are gigantic, versus working with a waste product that's almost free and is integrated with the current warehouse system.

For a large company, a tiny little switch like that is absolutely massive, so I totally understand why they're just not delivering freezer products, while they are pricing out the different options. I would not be surprised if not delivering freezer products again would be the cheapest option. Most frozen food that people order probably has a low profit margin (stuff like ice cream, cheap frozen veggies and frozen pizza) and never delivering those again probably won't annoy people enough to permanently switch to the competitor. Their main competitor uses regular vans with a freezer compartment but is much more expensive.

It occurs to me that the other issue here is what happens where the groceries are delivered.  Many people are not at home when grocery deliveries arrive -- the kind that have dry ice, like ButcherBox, not the Instacart type of delivery.  Dry ice helps keep the order cold until the person comes home.

I think the reality is that it's not sustainable to have groceries being driven around and delivered.  It becomes ridiculous to be outfitting vans with refrigeration and freezers to provide grocery delivery for the masses.  Getting groceries from the store -- either by going inside or doing a pick up order where they bring it to your car -- makes the most sense.  This is the model we have returned to, we're cancelling ButcherBox and only using Instacart for delivery in emergency type situation.  For example, my college kid is super sick -- waiting for Covid and flu test results -- and needed fresh groceries because he'd been out of town for week for an athletic competition.  I placed an Instacart delivery order for him.  But as we return to cooler weather this fall and winter (fingers crossed anyway), we have two options in place for grocery pick up without markups or tips -- Sprouts (using Instacart) and Sam's Club (using Plus membership).

I'm not actually sure it's more efficient to have everyone buy a car and congest all the streets with parked cars, just so people can all get in their cars once a week to buy groceries. It's much more efficient to have one person driving around delivering everything. I'm in a very urban city in Europe where half of the people don't even have a car and those who do typically only use it for the weekly grocery shop and occasional outings. Parking on your own property is not an option for homes under a million and our grocery store only has like 25 parking spaces. So there's a lot of infrastructure needed just to allow people to drive their cars to the grocery store once a week, that we could do many more useful things with, and the weekly shop is still a huge hassle - driving through the neighbourhood five times before you can even park your car anywhere near the store. We don't have a car so if we didn't get things delivered we'd be walking to the grocery store every day. I also have a disability which would make it difficult for me to get any heavy items home on foot at all.

And it's not actually a new thing. Back in the days all groceries were delivered. When I was a kid groceries, vegetables and milk were still sold by a guy in a van who went from house to house. Those services stopped when women started to get jobs but now so many people are back at home it makes sense that these kind of services start again.

Leaving deliveries in front of someone's house is also a thing people seem to do in the US but not here. My grocery supplier takes your order back and charges a fee if you're not home. Mail also can't be left in front of your house, it's taken back to the post office.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: slappy on September 13, 2022, 01:50:07 PM
@K_in_the_kitchen, I don't know where you are located, but at my local Kroger I paid 9.62 for 60 eggs today...so about 2$ per dozen.  It's a far cry from the prepandemic price, but the best I've seen for a while

In my area, eggs are $3 a dozen.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: dandarc on September 13, 2022, 01:56:46 PM
I paid $5 yesterday, but I have to get "pasture raised" level eggs or better for household harmony reasons.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: coppertop on September 15, 2022, 08:19:28 AM
Conventional eggs at Aldi were $2.09 here yesterday in the Baltimore suburbs; I paid more to get the cage-free eggs.  I can't remember the price, but they were certainly less than $4 for the dozen.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 16, 2022, 10:31:37 AM
I went to order my go-to olive oil from Costco, the Kirkland extra virgin olive oil and it is out of stock. The other jugs of olive oil are kind of too big and I didn't want to open a giant jug and have it sit and get rancid. So, I am buying: Napa Valley Naturals USDA Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 25.4 oz, 6-count. Never bought that before and not sure if it is a good deal or not. It was $59.99 for 6 bottles. It is more convenient for me to have smaller amounts open at a time. It comes in bottles like wine bottles. There is another Kirkland olive oil I would have bought but it was a 2 liter bottle and the limit was one. So, I think we may see a shortage of OO in due time.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 16, 2022, 11:05:15 AM
I went to order my go-to olive oil from Costco, the Kirkland extra virgin olive oil and it is out of stock. The other jugs of olive oil are kind of too big and I didn't want to open a giant jug and have it sit and get rancid. So, I am buying: Napa Valley Naturals USDA Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 25.4 oz, 6-count. Never bought that before and not sure if it is a good deal or not. It was $59.99 for 6 bottles. It is more convenient for me to have smaller amounts open at a time. It comes in bottles like wine bottles. There is another Kirkland olive oil I would have bought but it was a 2 liter bottle and the limit was one. So, I think we may see a shortage of OO in due time.

I totally understand this -- if my kid wasn't living here I wouldn't buy the 2 liter bottle of EVOO.  We use EVOO for dressing salads, cooking fried eggs (best to prevent sticking in cast iron), in homemade whole wheat bread, and for sautéing some vegetables.  My preference is the for the 1 liter California EVOO but I don't see it online (I can buy it in warehouse and via sameday, but my guess is that's a regional offering).

I think that's a good price for the Napa Valley Naturals, especially considering it's delivered.  The 25.4 oz. bottle is on sale for $11.74 through Azure Standard (10% off regular price), and that's not delivered -- you have to meet the delivery truck.  You'll have to let us know what you think about the quality.

EVOO isn't something I will store a year's worth of because it goes bad in 12-18 months for EVOO unopened and stored in a dark, cool place, meaning in my house it would go rancid more quickly (house is between 78 - 80°F for 6 months of the year).  Plus there is also subtle rancidity and I'm a super taster with a sensitive nose.  So I have to think about what I might do if we can't get EVOO in 2023.  I could plan on paying a premium, and/or just use less of it.  With my oldest away at university I could use melted butter in the bread recipe for now (but butter is pricey right now).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 16, 2022, 11:39:45 AM
When I bought the olive oil I didn't think to buy elsewhere because I always but it at Costco. But today, I took a look at Walmart online and see they have different brands of olive oil if anyone is interested.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 16, 2022, 04:23:46 PM
When I bought the olive oil I didn't think to buy elsewhere because I always but it at Costco. But today, I took a look at Walmart online and see they have different brands of olive oil if anyone is interested.

In particular I trust the Costco Kirkland brand to honestly be 100% EVOO, not diluted with other oils.  Same for Costco honey (despite the recent issue of the local honey not being 100% local, it was still 100% honey).  It's a shame that some many places we can't count on what we buy being truly what they say it is.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 16, 2022, 05:24:49 PM
K_in_the_kitchen I saw you mentioned you were not going to continue with Butcher Box. Is there a particular reason. I have had some really good experiences but a few bad ones too. When I report that the meat is not good, they always seem to refund me. We are just two people and I think if I was trying to feed a family, I would find it too expensive. For two, it works out pretty good. I have to say, I do not mind paying the price of the meat all that much. I watched a tv show on these people who travel around the country and find interesting places to eat at. They featured this restaurant in Michigan. They didn't talk prices on the show so afterwards, I looked up the menu. One hamburger was $20 and if you wanted cheese, it was $2 extra! I am not sure if it came with French fries or not but that is pretty expensive! Then I look at the prices of Butcher Box and calculate prices and nowhere near as bad as restaurant prices! I know they have overhead, but I would rather eat at home anyway! This particular restaurant was super expensive. A rib eye was around $36, and a fillet mignon was around $42! Most items on the menu were ala cart. So, you had to buy your salad, meat and sides separately. By the time you had your meal, an appetizer, dessert, a couple of cocktails and tip, you are probably talking a $300 dinner for two! The cocktails were super expensive too. Who are these people who can afford this! I feel like I eat like a king buying my meat thru Butcher box. However, i also buy some hamburgers thru QVC and it is the Rastelli brand which is very upscale. QVC offers free shipping too. I have bought meat, online, thru Costco too. I am very happy with my purchases. There are other places that I have bought meat too and have been very good.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on September 17, 2022, 01:14:20 AM
When I bought the olive oil I didn't think to buy elsewhere because I always but it at Costco. But today, I took a look at Walmart online and see they have different brands of olive oil if anyone is interested.

In particular I trust the Costco Kirkland brand to honestly be 100% EVOO, not diluted with other oils.  Same for Costco honey (despite the recent issue of the local honey not being 100% local, it was still 100% honey).  It's a shame that some many places we can't count on what we buy being truly what they say it is.
This is as good quote as any to jump back in. I have three smaller bottles I decant my EVOO into. Two are 8-10 oz. bottles with drippers. I leave one plain and add a couple drops of organic lemon extract to the other. The third is a fancy, tall bottle with a screw top. They sit in a brass container on my counter where they get constant use. The rest of the bottle goes into the deep recesses of the pantry for future refills. The unopened bottles, as you know, now live in the wine fridge.

I got the honey notice. I chose to ignore it. My brother works for the Costco. Also, I worked for Nordstron for a decade. I took back so much stuff for so many ridiculous reasons that I tend to avoid shades-of-grey returns. I don't disagree with your logic, I'm just not that upset about it.

Recently, I had the second bag of a twin pack of shredded cheese get moldy. I returned it, expecting credit for a single bag, but they readily offered a full refund, which I accepted. I consider myself more than square with them.

Re:Vanilla. Apparently the vanilla bean farms in Madagascar were hit by devastating storms a few years ago, driving prices way up. Costco sells house brand 1.75 liters of Vodka and vanilla beans. I can make a lot of vanilla with very little effort and not much money. I always have one 1.75 liter aging and one I'm actively using.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 17, 2022, 03:28:23 AM
Dicey I have made vanilla as you described years ago, and it was really good! I don't bake much so vanilla isn't something I need much of, but it was fun making my own and it was wonderful. Maybe you could post your recipe for those who might be inclined to make it.

I also worked for a R&D company that made food products and we bought our vanilla that came from Madagascar. It was probably back in the middle 1990's there was also some storm that wiped out vanilla bean crops and we had to find a replacement. That was not fun! We had to make a million recipes to find 'the one'. For industry, it is important to have a backup plan. Of course, with industry, cost is always a determining factor. If they can save a penny, they will choose and ingredient that costs less and is probably not as good as an ingredient they would like to use.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on September 17, 2022, 09:47:27 AM
Dicey I have made vanilla as you described years ago, and it was really good! I don't bake much so vanilla isn't something I need much of, but it was fun making my own and it was wonderful. Maybe you could post your recipe for those who might be inclined to make it.

I also worked for a R&D company that made food products and we bought our vanilla that came from Madagascar. It was probably back in the middle 1990's there was also some storm that wiped out vanilla bean crops and we had to find a replacement. That was not fun! We had to make a million recipes to find 'the one'. For industry, it is important to have a backup plan. Of course, with industry, cost is always a determining factor. If they can save a penny, they will choose and ingredient that costs less and is probably not as good as an ingredient they would like to use.
I don't really have a recipe. Slit beans lengthwise, drop into good vodka*, shake, let steep in a cool, dark place, turn occasionally. Three months later, voila!

I use it in oatmeal, and lots of other things. It also makes nice gifts.

*The basic Costco vodka, is good enough for me and costs about $15 for 1.75 liters. PSA, Costco Vanilla has dropped from 32.99 to 12.00. Used to be 7.99, but still a huge improvement.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SotI on September 17, 2022, 12:51:23 PM
As a cultural pessimist, I do expect further supply chain issues in the EU due to the energy cost issue. So, we are stocked up to cover 6-8 months on food, pet stuff and other basics (incl fuel). Not quite pandemic hoarding, but as we don't expect inflation to weaken for another year or two, we decided to cover our bases. This means we pulled both some renovations forward that we had planned a couple of years down the line, and we also ensure we are properly stocked up for any further supply chain issue.

I am talking from central European perspective, not US, but seriously shops are starting to look here at times like I remember from communist times: limited options, emptying shelves, prices rising.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 17, 2022, 06:45:16 PM
K_in_the_kitchen I saw you mentioned you were not going to continue with Butcher Box. Is there a particular reason. I have had some really good experiences but a few bad ones too. When I report that the meat is not good, they always seem to refund me. We are just two people and I think if I was trying to feed a family, I would find it too expensive. For two, it works out pretty good. I have to say, I do not mind paying the price of the meat all that much. I watched a tv show on these people who travel around the country and find interesting places to eat at. They featured this restaurant in Michigan. They didn't talk prices on the show so afterwards, I looked up the menu. One hamburger was $20 and if you wanted cheese, it was $2 extra! I am not sure if it came with French fries or not but that is pretty expensive! Then I look at the prices of Butcher Box and calculate prices and nowhere near as bad as restaurant prices! I know they have overhead, but I would rather eat at home anyway! This particular restaurant was super expensive. A rib eye was around $36, and a fillet mignon was around $42! Most items on the menu were ala cart. So, you had to buy your salad, meat and sides separately. By the time you had your meal, an appetizer, dessert, a couple of cocktails and tip, you are probably talking a $300 dinner for two! The cocktails were super expensive too. Who are these people who can afford this! I feel like I eat like a king buying my meat thru Butcher box. However, i also buy some hamburgers thru QVC and it is the Rastelli brand which is very upscale. QVC offers free shipping too. I have bought meat, online, thru Costco too. I am very happy with my purchases. There are other places that I have bought meat too and have been very good.

We've decided that ButcherBox is just too expensive for what it is, and that our dollars are better used elsewhere.  Our youngest transferring to the state school and living at home again is certainly part of it -- we probably use twice as much meat despite having only one extra person here.  With that being the case, I'm cooking more ground meat and pot roasts, and less steak.  I'm also just tired of having to get with them for all of the issues.  I expect a 20 ounce or 24 ounce roast to weigh close to 20 or 24 ounces, not 16, or at least to have the meat equal out in weight with a heavier one to balance out the light one.  I've received several sirloin cap roasts, which are supposed to weight 24 ounces, come in barely over a pound, and the weight is right there on the package.  I bulk bought their pork breakfast sausage and there isn't a package I cook that we aren't pulling pieces of cartilage/bone out of our mouths.  Some steaks are great, some aren't, and it's disappointing to cook the tough, grisly steaks when we have company over.

Our regional chain has great meat.  It isn't grass-fed, but I've stopped prioritizing that for now.  I'm working on keeping a food budget that will be sustainable once DH stops working, and I want to have money to donate to hunger causes.  At the regional chain, I've recently bought USDA Choice chuck roasts for $3.99 per pound, and USDA Choice top sirloin steaks for $4.99 per pound.  Another supermarket had USDA Choice sirloin cap (picahna/coulotte) for $4.99 per pound, and it was much better than the ButcherBox sirloin cap.  This week they have $4.99 tri-tip, but I'm going to pass since the freezer is full.

If/when we go back to grass-fed beef we'll buy from a rancher in the region, so that the money goes directly to the family producing the meat and not a big company.  It will be raised here in CA, as well.  But I don't think that will be while I'm feeding young adults.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 17, 2022, 06:58:17 PM
This is as good quote as any to jump back in. I have three smaller bottles I decant my EVOO into. Two are 8-10 oz. bottles with drippers. I leave one plain and add a couple drops of organic lemon extract to the other. The third is a fancy, tall bottle with a screw top. They sit in a brass container on my counter where they get constant use. The rest of the bottle goes into the deep recesses of the pantry for future refills. The unopened bottles, as you know, now live in the wine fridge.

I got the honey notice. I chose to ignore it. My brother works for the Costco. Also, I worked for Nordstron for a decade. I took back so much stuff for so many ridiculous reasons that I tend to avoid shades-of-grey returns. I don't disagree with your logic, I'm just not that upset about it.

Recently, I had the second bag of a twin pack of shredded cheese get moldy. I returned it, expecting credit for a single bag, but they readily offered a full refund, which I accepted. I consider myself more than square with them.

Re:Vanilla. Apparently the vanilla bean farms in Madagascar were hit by devastating storms a few years ago, driving prices way up. Costco sells house brand 1.75 liters of Vodka and vanilla beans. I can make a lot of vanilla with very little effort and not much money. I always have one 1.75 liter aging and one I'm actively using.

Decanting out a small amount of olive oil and storing the rest away makes a lot of sense!  My kid goes through so much EVOO that I won't do it now, but I'll keep it in mind for if/when it's ever just two of us again.

At first I was going to ignore the honey notice, but then I thought maybe it's important for Costco to know that people do care about them being honest with their products.

I've had a second bag of cheese be moldy and it never occurred to me that they would issue a refund!

The last two bottles of vanilla I bought at Costco were $8.99 each, and I only just opened the first one.  I always say I'm going to make it, but even though vanilla beans have come down in price they are still pricey.  That makes me sad, because back in late 2010 I paid $27 for half a pound of grade A Madagascar vanilla beans.  I would put an entire bean's worth of vanilla seeds into hot chocolate for the four of us -- I could be completely extravagant with the beans!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Bartlebooth on September 19, 2022, 08:57:21 AM
I have to say, I do not mind paying the price of the meat all that much. I watched a tv show on these people who travel around the country and find interesting places to eat at. They featured this restaurant in Michigan. They didn't talk prices on the show so afterwards, I looked up the menu. One hamburger was $20 and if you wanted cheese, it was $2 extra! I am not sure if it came with French fries or not but that is pretty expensive! Then I look at the prices of Butcher Box and calculate prices and nowhere near as bad as restaurant prices!

Comparing prices of meat you cook at home with the price of a prepared meal at a restaurant seems to be of little value.  And to compare to a restaurant that is glitzy enough to be featured on TV--even worse.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 29, 2022, 02:44:17 AM
Looks like turkeys are in short supply this Thanksgiving.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/thanksgiving-2022-turkey-prices-rise-report_n_6333f8c7e4b0e376dbf0fa25
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 29, 2022, 10:03:36 AM
Looks like turkeys are in short supply this Thanksgiving.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/thanksgiving-2022-turkey-prices-rise-report_n_6333f8c7e4b0e376dbf0fa25

It will be interesting to see what Aldi does.  With all of the reports of shortages and higher prices last year, Aldi still sold their turkeys cheap.  This certainly does help explain the difficulty in getting high quality turkey deli meat -- Costco is sold out on a regular basis, or maybe they aren't even getting it in.

Turkey isn't on the Thanksgiving menu for us, despite both DH and I having been raised with it as a tradition.  It turns out that other than DH, we don't really like turkey and DH doesn't care if we don't have it.  We've had beef the past two Thanksgivings since it was just the four of us.  This year we'll likely gather with family again (depending on what Covid is doing), and several family members are vegetarian.  It might be easier to do a fancy pasta dish.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on September 29, 2022, 10:07:34 AM
Looks like turkeys are in short supply this Thanksgiving.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/thanksgiving-2022-turkey-prices-rise-report_n_6333f8c7e4b0e376dbf0fa25

Thanksgiving in October wins again!  We always get first pick of the available birds.  :P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on September 29, 2022, 10:48:49 AM
We had chicken legs for dinner last night because that was the only chicken Aldi had out, and there was NO ground beef.

I've been wondering about ham - I haven't seen hams out anyplace for ages, and I'd buy one if I did because I like to put the leftovers in soup.

OTOH, those cabinets everyone likes at Aldi are marked down to the $20 range...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 29, 2022, 01:41:59 PM
We had chicken legs for dinner last night because that was the only chicken Aldi had out, and there was NO ground beef.

I've been wondering about ham - I haven't seen hams out anyplace for ages, and I'd buy one if I did because I like to put the leftovers in soup.

OTOH, those cabinets everyone likes at Aldi are marked down to the $20 range...

Wow, I went to my Aldi yesterday and the meat section was completely stocked, but it was 10 a.m. on the first day of the weekly ad.  I haven't seen a lot of shortages at Aldi lately, although the corned beef hash has been out of stock more than it has been in stock.  Wouldn't matter to me except my youngest loves it.  Oh, and they didn't have any tortellini, either.  Eggs were $2.53 per dozen.

Have any of you heard of this woman Jordan Page, who claims to have invented "shelf cooking", which we all know as pantry cooking (or a similar name), and clearly she isn't the first person to come up with the idea 🙄.  She has two websites, Shelf Cooking, and Fun, Cheap, or Free.  She runs an annual challenge called "Shelftember".  While her ideas are absolutely not new, I have to commend her for encouraging families to spend between $25 - $50 per week on groceries in September, no matter the family size.  It's a nice reset and shows people that they have more food in their homes than they think.  I decided to stay under her budget for perishables and things we ran out of, but not to give up buying things that are on good sale for stocking up just because of an arbitrary number.  The sales on USDA Choice chuck roasts have continued, and I'm buying them as I have room in the freezer.  There's no way I would put that off, hoping they are on sale again in November.  This year my goal is plan ahead, and get enough chuck roasts for eating through fall and winter, as well as some to cook and then freeze as beef stew for easy reheat meals.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on September 29, 2022, 02:48:59 PM
RIP Coolio - Who knew he could cook on a budget?

"Five Star Meals at a One Star Price"

https://www.amazon.com/Cookin-Coolio-Star-Meals-Price/dp/1439117616?asc_source=yahoo-all-posts&asc_campaign=yahoo-all-posts&asc_refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fstylecaster.com%2Fhow-coolio-die%2F&tag=scyahoo-20
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: coppertop on September 30, 2022, 08:04:44 AM
The Aldi closest to us has had a lot of empty shelves lately; notably the vegan "meat substitute" items, such as tofu, meatless meatballs, and veggie burgers; almond milk; and frozen potatoes (shredded hash browns).  Those are all staple items for us.  I have no idea about their meat selection, because I don't buy it.  They're also often short on canned beans, especially chickpeas and cannellini beans. That particular Aldi has also not had many of the Aldi Finds featured in their ads. I've gone to Lidl instead the last two shopping trips and have found almost everything on my list.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on September 30, 2022, 08:15:20 AM
My Aldi has been bare of pasta - pretty much any pasta - for a couple of months. I stock up when it goes on sale elsewhere.

We have millions of grocery stores here, so it's just a mild inconvenience, but it's interesting to see how the supply chain is still in flux.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 30, 2022, 09:20:05 AM
For those of you who don't mind store brands, Target has 1 lb. boxes of their brand pasta for $0.95 cents. I stocked up on it a while back. I have probably a years' worth of various pastas. If you buy the 32 oz packages of certain pasta's I think they are $1.59 a box.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on October 01, 2022, 12:35:35 PM
Looks like turkeys are in short supply this Thanksgiving.
Well, that will encourage me to dig one out from the bottom of the deep freeze...

I like hot turkey. I like cold turkey. I like turkey on sandwiches. I like to take the bones, skin, neck, etc and make quarts of a great stock.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 01, 2022, 04:29:52 PM
I like what TomTX likes too!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on October 01, 2022, 04:58:39 PM
I like what TomTX likes too!
I feel honored! Enjoy your many direct and indirect turkey consumption methods!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Money Saver 1 on October 25, 2022, 04:10:41 AM
Question...has anyone else noticed an explosion of hoarding behaviors in friends, family, neighbors?  I'm talking crazy stockpiling that would last regular folks years?  For example, 30 to 40 cans of condensed soup in the pantry when you've never seen this person eat soup?
I won't even go to paper towels or toilet paper or Clorox products.
Specific examples would be appreciated (and fun)!

I'm about to start stockpiling dry store foods such as 50 lb bags of rice and beans, but I call it inflation hoarding.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on October 25, 2022, 07:57:23 AM
My Aldi has been bare of pasta - pretty much any pasta - for a couple of months. I stock up when it goes on sale elsewhere.

We have millions of grocery stores here, so it's just a mild inconvenience, but it's interesting to see how the supply chain is still in flux.

I talked about this recently in a food pantry thread - but the supply chain is definitely a mess right now. And apparently a bad year for avian flu has really messed up the egg/poultry supply in addition to the packaged goods weirdness.

The only thing we've personally stocked up on is toilet paper again. I hope we don't have a bad winter, but watching hospitalization numbers in the UK, Germany, and now NYC had me buying a pack of TP from Costco.

In addition to my regular food pantry, some friends and I always keep a little free pantry stocked, so I regularly buy soup, tuna, oatmeal, granola bars etc when they go on sale for around a dollar a unit.  If sh*t hits the fan I have a few weeks worth of those packaged good in my basement.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on October 25, 2022, 09:02:24 AM
I buy a lot of stuff online to fill my pantry and I have found Walmart has totally changed. They have third party sellers that way over charge for products. Such as tomato paste: Product of Hunt's Tomato Paste Sauce 12 Pk. 6 oz. $25.89 That is $2.16 a can for something that normally sells for $0.69 to $0.89 per can.

In the past I rarely ordered stuff from Amazon but am finding more reasonable prices there. I try to order from Costco, but they don't have everything I want either.

I am still stocking up within reason. Will also do the TP/Paper Towel thing from Costco.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Just Joe on October 25, 2022, 09:19:13 AM
Well, the company that delivers my groceries just let me know they will stop delivering frozen food from Sept. 1 since apparantly you can't get dry ice anywhere. I had no idea but dry ice is basically a leftover product from making artificial fertilizer, and with the current gas prices many plants making artificial fertilizer have significantly scaled back production.
Yes, nitrogen fertilizer is produced from natural gas (methane) with CO2 for a substantial waste product.

I knew about how nitrogen fertilizer was made but I had no idea dry ice was a byproduct of nitrogen fertilizer. My grocery supplier is now figuring out how to deliver frozen food in the future, if at all. Dry ice was a sustainable choice because it's a byproduct that otherwise would have been thrown away. The other option is to build freezers in all of their vans and that's going to have a certain environmental impact. Their vans are all electric, so I assume a freezer would absolutely drain the battery.
I don't know, for $300 on Amazon you can get a small freezer that runs off the cigarette lighter. Not sure it would necessarily be a substantial draw vs. energy needed to move the van.

Typical electric car is somewhere around 300 watt-hours consumed per mile.  Typical home refrigerator uses 2 kWh per day, figure about the same for a smaller yet less efficient fridge with various loadings/unloadings.  So it would use about 7 miles of range to run a refrigerator.

I'm sure that's true for a small freezer that runs off the cigarette lighter, but obviously the costs are very different for a business. First of all, their freezer is going to have to be much bigger than a mini freezer off Amazon. Say half of their customers on a typical run (so maybe half of 25 customers?) order frozen food. Secondly they need to be built into all of their vans, or at least into all the vans that work from the same distribution center, at the same time, otherwise their warehouse people will go crazy. And then thirdly the freezer needs to somehow be built into their custom designed van that works with their warehousing system, so that probably requires a custom designed freezer as well. The costs associated with that all of that are gigantic, versus working with a waste product that's almost free and is integrated with the current warehouse system.

For a large company, a tiny little switch like that is absolutely massive, so I totally understand why they're just not delivering freezer products, while they are pricing out the different options. I would not be surprised if not delivering freezer products again would be the cheapest option. Most frozen food that people order probably has a low profit margin (stuff like ice cream, cheap frozen veggies and frozen pizza) and never delivering those again probably won't annoy people enough to permanently switch to the competitor. Their main competitor uses regular vans with a freezer compartment but is much more expensive.

A typical electric car consumes about 3500 watt-hours per mile (3.5 kwh).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: dandarc on October 25, 2022, 09:27:00 AM
Well, the company that delivers my groceries just let me know they will stop delivering frozen food from Sept. 1 since apparantly you can't get dry ice anywhere. I had no idea but dry ice is basically a leftover product from making artificial fertilizer, and with the current gas prices many plants making artificial fertilizer have significantly scaled back production.
Yes, nitrogen fertilizer is produced from natural gas (methane) with CO2 for a substantial waste product.

I knew about how nitrogen fertilizer was made but I had no idea dry ice was a byproduct of nitrogen fertilizer. My grocery supplier is now figuring out how to deliver frozen food in the future, if at all. Dry ice was a sustainable choice because it's a byproduct that otherwise would have been thrown away. The other option is to build freezers in all of their vans and that's going to have a certain environmental impact. Their vans are all electric, so I assume a freezer would absolutely drain the battery.
I don't know, for $300 on Amazon you can get a small freezer that runs off the cigarette lighter. Not sure it would necessarily be a substantial draw vs. energy needed to move the van.

Typical electric car is somewhere around 300 watt-hours consumed per mile.  Typical home refrigerator uses 2 kWh per day, figure about the same for a smaller yet less efficient fridge with various loadings/unloadings.  So it would use about 7 miles of range to run a refrigerator.

I'm sure that's true for a small freezer that runs off the cigarette lighter, but obviously the costs are very different for a business. First of all, their freezer is going to have to be much bigger than a mini freezer off Amazon. Say half of their customers on a typical run (so maybe half of 25 customers?) order frozen food. Secondly they need to be built into all of their vans, or at least into all the vans that work from the same distribution center, at the same time, otherwise their warehouse people will go crazy. And then thirdly the freezer needs to somehow be built into their custom designed van that works with their warehousing system, so that probably requires a custom designed freezer as well. The costs associated with that all of that are gigantic, versus working with a waste product that's almost free and is integrated with the current warehouse system.

For a large company, a tiny little switch like that is absolutely massive, so I totally understand why they're just not delivering freezer products, while they are pricing out the different options. I would not be surprised if not delivering freezer products again would be the cheapest option. Most frozen food that people order probably has a low profit margin (stuff like ice cream, cheap frozen veggies and frozen pizza) and never delivering those again probably won't annoy people enough to permanently switch to the competitor. Their main competitor uses regular vans with a freezer compartment but is much more expensive.

A typical electric car consumes about 3500 watt-hours per mile (3.5 kwh).
? Varies, but more like 350 watt-hours per mile. Typical electric cars are more in the 2 to 5 miles per kwh range (our Leaf reports 4.3 miles per kwh currently). The pictured vans upthread don't look nearly large enough to be blowing out the scale that much on efficiency - semi-truck can be there, but that's not close to what would be doing door to door grocery delivery.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on October 25, 2022, 10:59:02 AM
A typical electric car consumes about 3500 watt-hours per mile (3.5 kwh).
I believe you have flipped the labels. An average EV gets around 3.5 miles per kWh (not kWh per mile).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Catbert on November 25, 2022, 11:05:17 AM
Start hoarding sugar if you're in the US.  I read yesterday that the largest exporter of sugar from the Dominican Republic is now barred from exporting to the US due to egregious labor violations. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: dandarc on November 25, 2022, 11:22:13 AM
Start hoarding sugar if you're in the US.  I read yesterday that the largest exporter of sugar from the Dominican Republic is now barred from exporting to the US due to egregious labor violations.
Might finally actually start eating right . . .
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on November 25, 2022, 11:27:09 AM
Start hoarding sugar if you're in the US.  I read yesterday that the largest exporter of sugar from the Dominican Republic is now barred from exporting to the US due to egregious labor violations.
Thanks for this. I think I have 10# of white and 4# of brown sugar in the outer pantry, so I'll wander off now to check...

ETA: suspicions confirmed. Quantities quoted do not include what's on the shelves in the kitchen pantry. I think we're set. Fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on November 27, 2022, 05:48:47 PM
Start hoarding sugar if you're in the US.  I read yesterday that the largest exporter of sugar from the Dominican Republic is now barred from exporting to the US due to egregious labor violations.

Thanks for the heads up!  I think I have 30# of granulated cane sugar and about 15-20# of unrefined Sucanat, but I'm out of regular brown sugar and low on confectioner's sugar (which I don't use that often).  I'm setting up a pick up grocery order so I can stock up now and be set for a couple of years.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Josiecat22222 on November 29, 2022, 05:25:32 AM
@K_in_the_kitchen, if you have a high powered blender (like a Ninja) you can put granulated sugar in it and blend it down to confectioners.  It seems to work well for me because I use it so seldom it's one less thing I have to keep in stock.  Hope this helps!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 29, 2022, 07:38:26 AM
I live in New England and they are talking about rolling blackouts this winter. Means when the power grid is overloaded when the temperatures drop to freezing, more people are using electricity. They have to keep Hospitals running and other municipal things open so they will turn power off for possibly 3 hours at a time.  Here is an article about it:
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/11/17/the-latest-winter-worry-rolling-blackouts/

A guy on Youtube suggested buying a wood stove or other types of heating sources. ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hsFvxaP9Ak

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: SunnyDays on November 29, 2022, 09:03:43 AM
If you run out of brown sugar, it can be made by blending molasses into white sugar.  It's actually much tastier than the store-bought.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jrhampt on November 29, 2022, 12:16:40 PM
I live in New England and they are talking about rolling blackouts this winter. Means when the power grid is overloaded when the temperatures drop to freezing, more people are using electricity. They have to keep Hospitals running and other municipal things open so they will turn power off for possibly 3 hours at a time.  Here is an article about it:
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/11/17/the-latest-winter-worry-rolling-blackouts/

A guy on Youtube suggested buying a wood stove or other types of heating sources. ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hsFvxaP9Ak

!!!!  This is the first I've heard about this, thanks.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on December 01, 2022, 10:43:49 AM
I live in New England and they are talking about rolling blackouts this winter. Means when the power grid is overloaded when the temperatures drop to freezing, more people are using electricity. They have to keep Hospitals running and other municipal things open so they will turn power off for possibly 3 hours at a time.  Here is an article about it:
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/11/17/the-latest-winter-worry-rolling-blackouts/

A guy on Youtube suggested buying a wood stove or other types of heating sources. ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hsFvxaP9Ak
If a 3 hour outage is a concern beyond "put on a sweater" - you seriously need better insulation.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 01, 2022, 12:49:08 PM
The one bad thing for a lot of us in New England is that many people have hot water baseboard heat. Our boilers need electricity to run and wicked  freezing weather with winds can freeze up the pipes. Not sure if 3 hours would be a problem but 6-8 hours could be a problem in some cases. With no insulation it would take less time to freeze.

I knew a guy who went to Florida with his family around February and thought he would 'save money' by turning off his boiler while out of state. He came back home and his pipes froze and broke the pipes. He had water all over the entire house! He needed major renovations to fix floors, walls, ceilings, replace copper pipes. It had to be a disaster! No idea if the insurance paid because he was negligent in turning off the heat!

Three hours without electricity in my house would not be that uncomfortable! However, some people keep their thermostats very low, in the high 50's. People in New England are paying high prices for heating oil. I locked in at $4.99 a gallon but some people are paying much, much higher per gallon. Many senior citizens are suffering. Heating oil has doubled since last heating season.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jrhampt on December 01, 2022, 01:46:04 PM
I live in New England and they are talking about rolling blackouts this winter. Means when the power grid is overloaded when the temperatures drop to freezing, more people are using electricity. They have to keep Hospitals running and other municipal things open so they will turn power off for possibly 3 hours at a time.  Here is an article about it:
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/11/17/the-latest-winter-worry-rolling-blackouts/

A guy on Youtube suggested buying a wood stove or other types of heating sources. ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hsFvxaP9Ak
If a 3 hour outage is a concern beyond "put on a sweater" - you seriously need better insulation.

Says the guy from Texas...lots of our housing up here is older than your newly built mcmansions.  We have lots of houses from the 1600s - 1800s and yeah, our pipes can freeze.  Not necessarily in a 3 hour outage, but then again our winters are also colder than yours, so depends on how cold it gets and how old the house is and the location of the pipes.

And we also keep our thermostat fairly low at night, in the upper 50s is not unusual.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on December 01, 2022, 01:51:55 PM
I live in New England and they are talking about rolling blackouts this winter. Means when the power grid is overloaded when the temperatures drop to freezing, more people are using electricity. They have to keep Hospitals running and other municipal things open so they will turn power off for possibly 3 hours at a time.  Here is an article about it:
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/11/17/the-latest-winter-worry-rolling-blackouts/

A guy on Youtube suggested buying a wood stove or other types of heating sources. ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hsFvxaP9Ak
If a 3 hour outage is a concern beyond "put on a sweater" - you seriously need better insulation.

How is the sweater going to power my guitar amp?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on December 01, 2022, 07:09:05 PM
Says the guy from Texas...lots of our housing up here is older than your newly built mcmansions.  We have lots of houses from the 1600s - 1800s and yeah, our pipes can freeze.  Not necessarily in a 3 hour outage, but then again our winters are also colder than yours, so depends on how cold it gets and how old the house is and the location of the pipes.

And we also keep our thermostat fairly low at night, in the upper 50s is not unusual.
You seem rather... stressed out today. What's going on?

Back on topic: It is quite possible to add insulation to houses from the 1600s-1800s. Might mean replacing the exterior cladding and wrapping with foam board before you reclad, or spray foam or pack cellulose into wall cavities or a variety of other options - but you are likely to need an ERV if you do it right since you will be making it a lot tighter. If you want some more professional insight: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/

I grew up much further North and East than I am now - someplace it snows regularly. At one point I lived in a house so old it was put together with pegs rather than nails (easily visible in the attic.) It had a dry stack stone foundation and the basement floor was dirt. I was told it was originally built in the 1700s, but didn't really dig into whether that was accurate. It's quite possible, as the town was chartered in the mid 1700s, and existed as a settlement well before that.

Anyway, the house was comfortable and relatively inexpensive to heat because someone had insulated it properly.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on December 01, 2022, 07:09:59 PM
I live in New England and they are talking about rolling blackouts this winter. Means when the power grid is overloaded when the temperatures drop to freezing, more people are using electricity. They have to keep Hospitals running and other municipal things open so they will turn power off for possibly 3 hours at a time.  Here is an article about it:
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/11/17/the-latest-winter-worry-rolling-blackouts/

A guy on Youtube suggested buying a wood stove or other types of heating sources. ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hsFvxaP9Ak
If a 3 hour outage is a concern beyond "put on a sweater" - you seriously need better insulation.

How is the sweater going to power my guitar amp?
How is a wood stove going to power your guitar amp?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: jeninco on December 01, 2022, 07:26:00 PM
I live in New England and they are talking about rolling blackouts this winter. Means when the power grid is overloaded when the temperatures drop to freezing, more people are using electricity. They have to keep Hospitals running and other municipal things open so they will turn power off for possibly 3 hours at a time.  Here is an article about it:
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/11/17/the-latest-winter-worry-rolling-blackouts/

A guy on Youtube suggested buying a wood stove or other types of heating sources. ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hsFvxaP9Ak
If a 3 hour outage is a concern beyond "put on a sweater" - you seriously need better insulation.

I'm not in New England, but our power went out last late December when the temps never got above the high 20s (and they were in the single digits in the evening) Our house is much better insulated then those in our neighborhood, and it was still mid- to upper-40's by the time the power came back on, 2 1/2 days later. (The furnace is gas, but the electronics and the air handler need electricity...)

We're actually meeting with an architect now, partly to make some long-avoided improvements to the house design, but partly to see what we can do to make the structure more resilient. The power is going to go out again, obviously. It may flood again (in our case, the water percolated into the crawl spaces from below). We'd like the house to be both better designed for passive temperature regulation, and we're also going to install solar PV (at least -- I'd like to also put in solar hot water, but not sure anyone bothers to do that anymore...)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on December 02, 2022, 03:45:47 PM
I live in New England and they are talking about rolling blackouts this winter. Means when the power grid is overloaded when the temperatures drop to freezing, more people are using electricity. They have to keep Hospitals running and other municipal things open so they will turn power off for possibly 3 hours at a time.  Here is an article about it:
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/11/17/the-latest-winter-worry-rolling-blackouts/

A guy on Youtube suggested buying a wood stove or other types of heating sources. ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hsFvxaP9Ak
If a 3 hour outage is a concern beyond "put on a sweater" - you seriously need better insulation.

I'm not in New England, but our power went out last late December when the temps never got above the high 20s (and they were in the single digits in the evening) Our house is much better insulated then those in our neighborhood, and it was still mid- to upper-40's by the time the power came back on, 2 1/2 days later. (The furnace is gas, but the electronics and the air handler need electricity...)

We're actually meeting with an architect now, partly to make some long-avoided improvements to the house design, but partly to see what we can do to make the structure more resilient. The power is going to go out again, obviously. It may flood again (in our case, the water percolated into the crawl spaces from below). We'd like the house to be both better designed for passive temperature regulation, and we're also going to install solar PV (at least -- I'd like to also put in solar hot water, but not sure anyone bothers to do that anymore...)

There is a way to use a small battery backup to power the gas furnace and electronics that you can install fairly affordably.  Also, if you have a gas log system with blower, there's also a battery pack you can install into that to allow it to operate during outages.  We have instant hot water via gas and used our Tesla (also have a generator, but the Tesla was easier) to power the electric needed to start the water heater.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 13, 2022, 06:52:36 PM
I've been buying meat for the freezer this week.  The regional chain had pork butt for 99¢ per pound, which I haven't seen since years ago.  I bought one roast Saturday night, cooked it Sunday, and then made room in the freezer so I could buy more.  I bought 6 today and froze 5 of them -- I'll cook one Saturday.  I also bought 4 choice top round "London Broil" steaks (not sure I agree with that designation) at $3.99/# on Saturday, and today I bought 3 choice chuck cross rib roasts at $3.99/#.  One of the London Broil cuts is in the sous vide bath (Instant Pot) for tonight's supper, 3 are in the freezer (already salted to make sous vide easier).  I set aside one of the chuck roasts and froze the other two.

So far the ads for ribeye roasts this month have been for the Select grade.  They don't state that in the ad, but I know if they don't advertise it as Choice then when I get to the store I'll see Select on the label.  The regional chain does have the choice bone-in ribeye roasts for $9.99/# starting tomorrow, but that's a little steep compared to paying $4.99/# for the same roasts two years ago.  But I did see the pork butt will be 99¢/# for a second week, so if I can make room, I'll buy more.

Oops, checked the Aldi ad and they are charging $6.89/# for choice bone-in ribeye roasts, but the limit is 1.  Does anyone have experience with Aldi beef?  I know that the regional chain has great meat, and that the Albertson's affiliate is more hit-or-miss.  I'm not sure I'm willing to pay $6.89/#, and I would really hate to do it if they don't have good fresh meat.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on December 14, 2022, 01:26:17 PM
My Aldi has the rib roasts for $7.99, and they look nice. I might pop in tomorrow and see if there are any left.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on December 14, 2022, 09:45:23 PM
Puff pastry was out at three stores today. I also felt like there were noticeable gaps again. It felt weird. Oh, and NyQuil was only in the liquid combo pack or children’s version when I felt stuffy/headache yesterday. Bah humbug….
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on December 14, 2022, 10:07:34 PM
Puff pastry was out at three stores today. I also felt like there were noticeable gaps again. It felt weird. Oh, and NyQuil was only in the liquid combo pack or children’s version when I felt stuffy/headache yesterday. Bah humbug….
Are you a Costco shopper? Last week, our Target was as you described, but a trip to Costco the same afternoon did the trick. They had plenty of Nyquill and Robitussin, at much lower prices than the [empty] Target shelf tags indicated.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: couponvan on December 14, 2022, 10:23:59 PM
Puff pastry was out at three stores today. I also felt like there were noticeable gaps again. It felt weird. Oh, and NyQuil was only in the liquid combo pack or children’s version when I felt stuffy/headache yesterday. Bah humbug….
Are you a Costco shopper? Last week, our Target was as you described, but a trip to Costco the same afternoon did the trick. They had plenty of Nyquill and Robitussin, at much lower prices than the [empty] Target shelf tags indicated.
I am-but at that point I wasn’t feeling great, and was just grabbing my flu “insurance”. Costco does a good job of hiding what they are out of. All their medicine area was reorganized two days ago. I did find the collagen and ashwaganda my DH wanted. Plus a knockoff Kirkland Signature Bailey’s for $12 a 1.5L!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on December 15, 2022, 06:18:30 AM
Puff pastry was out at three stores today. I also felt like there were noticeable gaps again. It felt weird. Oh, and NyQuil was only in the liquid combo pack or children’s version when I felt stuffy/headache yesterday. Bah humbug….
Are you a Costco shopper? Last week, our Target was as you described, but a trip to Costco the same afternoon did the trick. They had plenty of Nyquill and Robitussin, at much lower prices than the [empty] Target shelf tags indicated.
I am-but at that point I wasn’t feeling great, and was just grabbing my flu “insurance”. Costco does a good job of hiding what they are out of. All their medicine area was reorganized two days ago. I did find the collagen and ashwaganda my DH wanted. Plus a knockoff Kirkland Signature Bailey’s for $12 a 1.5L!
Hmmm, KS Bailey's as a substitute for cough medicine sounds interesting...
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 15, 2022, 11:33:54 AM
We went shopping yesterday.  Costco was completely out of eggs.  I've seen limits before, but never had them be out.  They had closed the gaps in the cold room with other items, so I suspect it didn't just happen yesterday.  Sam's was also out of eggs.  Aldi had eggs, but at $4.13 per dozen, which was still cheaper than the regional chain.  I bought 3 dozen, choking on the price, but everyone is home right now and they need to eat.

This morning Sam's Club apparently has eggs again, so I'm doing a curbside. The limit will be 2x2 dozen, but at $3 per dozen.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on December 16, 2022, 12:45:17 AM
We went shopping yesterday.  Costco was completely out of eggs.  I've seen limits before, but never had them be out.  They had closed the gaps in the cold room with other items, so I suspect it didn't just happen yesterday.  Sam's was also out of eggs.  Aldi had eggs, but at $4.13 per dozen, which was still cheaper than the regional chain.  I bought 3 dozen, choking on the price, but everyone is home right now and they need to eat.

This morning Sam's Club apparently has eggs again, so I'm doing a curbside. The limit will be 2x2 dozen, but at $3 per dozen.
It was a problem at our Costco for several weeks before Thanksgiving. All they had was super expensive organic eggs, limit 2. Then they literally had no eggs. I was able to get some on my last trip, albeit at a somewhat higher price than usual.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: innkeeper77 on December 16, 2022, 07:37:27 AM
I live in New England and they are talking about rolling blackouts this winter. Means when the power grid is overloaded when the temperatures drop to freezing, more people are using electricity. They have to keep Hospitals running and other municipal things open so they will turn power off for possibly 3 hours at a time.  Here is an article about it:
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/11/17/the-latest-winter-worry-rolling-blackouts/

A guy on Youtube suggested buying a wood stove or other types of heating sources. ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hsFvxaP9Ak
If a 3 hour outage is a concern beyond "put on a sweater" - you seriously need better insulation.

How is the sweater going to power my guitar amp?
How is a wood stove going to power your guitar amp?

You jest, but I googled it- guitar amps range from 10 watts (super quiet practice ones) up to $100- and the first result I saw for “Woodstove thermoelectric generator” ranged from $300 ish for the 15-30 watt range, and $1200 for a whole water cooled 100 watt system.

Clearly the answer is thermoelectric generators or a bank of stirling engines powering a generator.
Title: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 16, 2022, 08:16:19 AM
Went to Costco yesterday to cash in my Costco/Visa bonus check from earlier this year. I have not been to Costco for a long time and needed to get the money before years end. I order a lot of frozen stuff from them and regular stuff from them. Yesterday was a total madhouse in the store and in the parking lot. Our car almost was hit 3 times by totally careless drivers. The people pushing carts were oblivious to the traffic too and would just step out into the driving lane with their carts and not even look. I was only in the store for under 10 minutes and was so glad to get out of there! I was there about 45 minutes after the store opened and not a parking place to be found. Mr. Roadrunner dropped me off and circled till I got out of the store. I needed a few things, but no way was I going to shop there! I wore my mask and so glad I did with flu and Covid rates rising. I saw some people with masks and was surprised I wasn't the only one. My cousin in KY and her hub got Covid for the first time in October and it kicked their asses for a month (they never left the house) and even then, they were weak and could hardly do a few errands. They were on a Covid drug (Molnupiravir-8 pills a day for 5 days) and had taken all the Covid shots and boosters including flu shots. After hearing what she went thru, I choose to wear a mask doing Costco and other quick errands.

Next year I will make it a point to cash my check much earlier in the year! Not at the end of the year when stores are like hornet's nests!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 16, 2022, 02:34:20 PM
Went to Costco yesterday to cash in my Costco/Visa bonus check from earlier this year. I have not been to Costco for a long time and needed to get the money before years end. I order a lot of frozen stuff from them and regular stuff from them. Yesterday was a total madhouse in the store and in the parking lot. Our car almost was hit 3 times by totally careless drivers. The people pushing carts were oblivious to the traffic too and would just step out into the driving lane with their carts and not even look. I was only in the store for under 10 minutes and was so glad to get out of there! I was there about 45 minutes after the store opened and not a parking place to be found. Mr. Roadrunner dropped me off and circled till I got out of the store. I needed a few things, but no way was I going to shop there! I wore my mask and so glad I did with flu and Covid rates rising. I saw some people with masks and was surprised I wasn't the only one. My cousin in KY and her hub got Covid for the first time in October and it kicked their asses for a month (they never left the house) and even then, they were weak and could hardly do a few errands. They were on a Covid drug (Molnupiravir-8 pills a day for 5 days) and had taken all the Covid shots and boosters including flu shots. After hearing what she went thru, I choose to wear a mask doing Costco and other quick errands.

Next year I will make it a point to cash my check much earlier in the year! Not at the end of the year when stores are like hornet's nests!

When we went to Costco Wednesday it wasn't terrible.  If I want to go in the morning I've learned not to arrive after 10AM -- by 10:15 there won't be any parking places.  I was aiming for 9:45 but my kid wasn't ready.  I was able to park in the last aisle and even better, pulled through from the second to last aisle so I didn't have to reverse out of my spot when we left.  I almost always park in that area, since it is close to the exit and I avoid the careless drivers.  But I don't plan to go to Costco again before the end of the year.  Anything else we need we'll get from Sam's Club with curbside pickup.

We are masking indoors also, for the most part, especially at all stores.  We only don't mask inside church, but may change that because like you I'm hearing of completely vaccinated and boosted individuals getting Covid and having a hard time of it.  My youngest was lucky to not to have too severe a case (fully vaccinated and boosted), but then got the flu a week after Covid isolation ended and that was rougher.  We picked up my oldest at the airport Monday night and I was the only one inside waiting who was masked.  The weak link in my plan to not get ill is my DH, who doesn't mask at work.  I understand not likely to be in a mask all day.  But for decades now, most of our illnesses have come into the house from DH catching something at work that a coworker got from their kid who goes to school.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 16, 2022, 02:57:11 PM
Eggs have been acquired!  I just wish I didn't have to be so jubilant over getting eggs for $3 per dozen.  I got 4 dozen eggs in my pickup order, and went inside Sam's Club for a few other things, including another 4 dozen eggs.  My kids are thrilled that I won't be limiting them.

I finally decided to stock up on sugar, but not too much.  I got 25# of granulated cane sugar and 7# of brown sugar.  I've been working on my food bucket storage and have an extra bucket to put the granulated sugar in.

I did notice that Sam's Club was out of butter, except Kerrygold.  I bought 8# at Costco, so we are good there.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on December 16, 2022, 03:07:20 PM
Went to Costco yesterday to cash in my Costco/Visa bonus check from earlier this year. I have not been to Costco for a long time and needed to get the money before years end. I order a lot of frozen stuff from them and regular stuff from them. Yesterday was a total madhouse in the store and in the parking lot. Our car almost was hit 3 times by totally careless drivers. The people pushing carts were oblivious to the traffic too and would just step out into the driving lane with their carts and not even look. I was only in the store for under 10 minutes and was so glad to get out of there! I was there about 45 minutes after the store opened and not a parking place to be found. Mr. Roadrunner dropped me off and circled till I got out of the store. I needed a few things, but no way was I going to shop there! I wore my mask and so glad I did with flu and Covid rates rising. I saw some people with masks and was surprised I wasn't the only one. My cousin in KY and her hub got Covid for the first time in October and it kicked their asses for a month (they never left the house) and even then, they were weak and could hardly do a few errands. They were on a Covid drug (Molnupiravir-8 pills a day for 5 days) and had taken all the Covid shots and boosters including flu shots. After hearing what she went thru, I choose to wear a mask doing Costco and other quick errands.

Next year I will make it a point to cash my check much earlier in the year! Not at the end of the year when stores are like hornet's nests!
Lucky you. My Costco is a Top 10 warehouse and is always, always a madhouse. When we're traveling and go to other Costco warehouses, we revel in their quietude.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 16, 2022, 05:03:36 PM
As stupid as it might sound, I feel like I have a form of PTSD from going to Costco yesterday. Mr. Roadrunner was ready for a shot of whiskey at 11 am yesterday! LOL!

I placed an order online today from Costco and it will be delivered tomorrow. A less painful shopping experience! UGH! I also placed an order with a local grocery store to be delivered tomorrow. We will be all stocked up and not have to endure the insanity of the holiday rush!

With these groceries, we will be all stocked up for at least a month or more. I still order produce from Misfits and get delivery every Wednesday.

Life is good being a hermit!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on December 16, 2022, 05:28:51 PM
Y’all talked me into buying a pork butt. I did grocery pick up and the store sent a massive 8 pound one that is too big for my crockpot even cut in pieces, so I’ve got it in the oven roasting away. The plan is to shred it and freeze meal size portions for tacos and the like.

Question. Can I use the bone in it to make soup??
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 16, 2022, 05:58:51 PM
Y’all talked me into buying a pork butt. I did grocery pick up and the store sent a massive 8 pound one that is too big for my crockpot even cut in pieces, so I’ve got it in the oven roasting away. The plan is to shred it and freeze meal size portions for tacos and the like.

Question. Can I use the bone in it to make soup??

I suppose that you can use the bone for soup, but for me, by the time the pork is tender and ready to pull, the bone is completely clean of any meat.  So I think maybe it would be good to save several of the bones and then make bone broth, or maybe add it to another pot of broth with mixed bones.  It does have the advantage of having already been roasted, which is good for pork and beef bones.

A 6# pork butt is about as big as I can get into my slow cooker (Instant Dutch Oven).  When I end up with one that is too big I'll cut it and grind a couple pounds of pork for the freezer and then cook the smaller roast in my dutch oven.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 17, 2022, 04:59:40 PM
Well, today was over the top with food deliveries. I ordered a bunch of stuff from Stop & Shop and today was the first day for their rib roast sale. They were $5.99 a lb. so I bought two of them. We have extremely hard water so we got 12 gallons of water for the coffee maker. The rest was some dairy products, canned stuff, spaghetti sauce, refrigerated stuff, cold cuts, frozen fruit. Then a few hours later I had a Costco delivery which included grinder rolls, and 4 dozen large eggs, frozen lasagna, shredded cheese and a variety of other things. Plus, they included a container of raspberries I didn't order! It was a busy expensive day, but I won't be shopping for a long time. Between the two stores I spent over $400+ today!

Now I don't care what the weather does, I am all set and can hunker down. Mr. Roadrunner is about to tear his hair out trying to fit all the stuff in the freezers! LOL! He has organized them pretty well and we utilize every inch of space. He always finds a way to find space by taking stuff out for future meals.

I worked in food Research and Development, and I learned that shelf space in grocery stores is a real battle. There is only so much room in the grocery stores and big-name companies pay premium to be at eye level shelving. One of the products I worked on was refrigerated and somewhat seasonal so they would swap the product out depending on the time of the year. Sometimes a product would be a bomb and they wanted to discontinue it but no way they wanted to lose shelf space so they would keep the dud product on the shelf that wasn't selling well till they got a new product ready to replace it. If they were to prematurely pull product off the shelf, they could lose the space. They say if you are looking for bargains, look at the lower shelves or the higher up shelves in the stores.

That pork butt you all are talking about sounds so good!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: PMG on December 17, 2022, 05:34:07 PM
@K in the kitchen. That makes sense. Thank you. This bone came clean easily.  I may just buy a ham hock. I’m hungry for split pea soup.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on December 17, 2022, 08:59:45 PM
Y’all talked me into buying a pork butt. I did grocery pick up and the store sent a massive 8 pound one that is too big for my crockpot even cut in pieces, so I’ve got it in the oven roasting away. The plan is to shred it and freeze meal size portions for tacos and the like.

Question. Can I use the bone in it to make soup??
Well... stock/bone broth? Yes. take that broth and use it as a basis for soup? Absolutely.

Or toss it into your next big batch of beans (from dried).
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on December 17, 2022, 11:32:16 PM
No bone should ever go unboiled. Collagen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, don't waste that nutrition!

We finally used our Costco certificate, picked up some sugar for the first time in years (the bag was beginning to rattle instead of hiss) & bought flour again for what I think the first time this year. We've got probably a dozen pounds each of lentils & black beans right now, half that over again of chickpeas, plus an unopened 40lb bag of white basmati. Butter was even on comparative sale, so we picked up a dozen blocks & stacked them at the back of the fridge where everything freezes for long-term storage; we've just opened a new 2L bottle of olive oil. Squash & onions, potatoes & sweet potatoes set aside, bunches of carrots & celery. A gallon of milk frozen in case. As long as the power stays on this year & the water keeps running we'd be covered for some while. I'd like to find better ways to supplement leafy greens in the cold months, though. Frozen spinach is so sad.

It's funny, & sad, how many years can pass after you gain food security, how much your life can change for the better, & you'll still find yourself at least 20% calmer at the thought of a full larder....
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on December 18, 2022, 06:40:33 AM
We went shopping yesterday.  Costco was completely out of eggs.  I've seen limits before, but never had them be out.  They had closed the gaps in the cold room with other items, so I suspect it didn't just happen yesterday.  Sam's was also out of eggs.  Aldi had eggs, but at $4.13 per dozen, which was still cheaper than the regional chain.  I bought 3 dozen, choking on the price, but everyone is home right now and they need to eat.

This morning Sam's Club apparently has eggs again, so I'm doing a curbside. The limit will be 2x2 dozen, but at $3 per dozen.
It was a problem at our Costco for several weeks before Thanksgiving. All they had was super expensive organic eggs, limit 2. Then they literally had no eggs. I was able to get some on my last trip, albeit at a somewhat higher price than usual.

We hit Costco this week for the first time in a while - the two dozen organic eggs were actually a deal compared to our Aldi's regular eggs! Costco organic was 7.99 for two dozen, Aldi regular was 4.29 a dozen. Whoo!  What a weird year for food prices. 

Other than eggs and salad mix we are keeping our grocery budget pretty flat. But we bought a portion of a cow and pig from local folks earlier this year, and while that used to be THE MOST expensive, they haven't raised their prices so with some adjustments to the rest of our grocery list, and paying more attention to what is on sale we keeping our spend about the same.

I used to allocate $10 a week to stock our church's little free pantry, and I have noticed that does not go as far. Thing I used to get for a dollar are now $1.25 when on sale.  Instead of $10 a week, I now pick those items up whenever I can get them at their best sale price. This week oatmeal, progresso soups, pasta sauce, pasta, and microwave rice were all on their best sales, so my donation shelf reached hoarder status.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 18, 2022, 03:16:35 PM
No bone should ever go unboiled. Collagen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, don't waste that nutrition!

We finally used our Costco certificate, picked up some sugar for the first time in years (the bag was beginning to rattle instead of hiss) & bought flour again for what I think the first time this year. We've got probably a dozen pounds each of lentils & black beans right now, half that over again of chickpeas, plus an unopened 40lb bag of white basmati. Butter was even on comparative sale, so we picked up a dozen blocks & stacked them at the back of the fridge where everything freezes for long-term storage; we've just opened a new 2L bottle of olive oil. Squash & onions, potatoes & sweet potatoes set aside, bunches of carrots & celery. A gallon of milk frozen in case. As long as the power stays on this year & the water keeps running we'd be covered for some while. I'd like to find better ways to supplement leafy greens in the cold months, though. Frozen spinach is so sad.

It's funny, & sad, how many years can pass after you gain food security, how much your life can change for the better, & you'll still find yourself at least 20% calmer at the thought of a full larder....

We shop a lot alike!  Mostly just unprocessed and minimally processed foods.  Although my oldest is home on break and the last Trader Joe's trip was a sugar fest of holiday items for him.

My body doesn't love leafy greens (I have a systemic nickel allergy).  But I do know people who steam and freeze kale in "pucks" to eat throughout the winter, and say it is much better than frozen spinach.  I can eat cabbage and broccoli, so we eat a lot of those two green vegetables in winter.  And we choose roots and winter squashes as our complex carbs for the most part, along with some whole grains.  Although we usually eat white rice because of arsenic levels, I reduce the frequency of white rice as a side dish during the cooler months to make sure we are taking in enough micronutrients.  In summer we can do a big stir fry of fresh, in-season vegetables and eat that with rice.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on December 18, 2022, 03:23:33 PM
We hit Costco this week for the first time in a while - the two dozen organic eggs were actually a deal compared to our Aldi's regular eggs! Costco organic was 7.99 for two dozen, Aldi regular was 4.29 a dozen. Whoo!  What a weird year for food prices. 

Other than eggs and salad mix we are keeping our grocery budget pretty flat. But we bought a portion of a cow and pig from local folks earlier this year, and while that used to be THE MOST expensive, they haven't raised their prices so with some adjustments to the rest of our grocery list, and paying more attention to what is on sale we keeping our spend about the same.

I used to allocate $10 a week to stock our church's little free pantry, and I have noticed that does not go as far. Thing I used to get for a dollar are now $1.25 when on sale.  Instead of $10 a week, I now pick those items up whenever I can get them at their best sale price. This week oatmeal, progresso soups, pasta sauce, pasta, and microwave rice were all on their best sales, so my donation shelf reached hoarder status.

I was buying organic eggs when it was just DH and I at home, but now with the young adults home again (one of them home full time, the other home on breaks and back full time next May) I'm buying regular cage-free eggs.  Between the two of them there are some weeks when they go through 3-4 dozen eggs by themselves.  And organic eggs have been incredibly hard to find.

We've been able to keep our grocery spending flat, but we did that by going from ButcherBox to supermarket meat and also from organic eggs and grass fed dairy to conventional eggs and dairy.  I wish we could get local meat, but this isn't an area that has the land available or the climate for pasture.  I can get meat from central California, but it's just as expensive as ButcherBox.  I'd love to have room for it in the budget, but cash flowing two university educations takes a big bite our of our available funds.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on December 22, 2022, 07:40:14 AM
My Aldi looked like a bomb had gone off yesterday. Between the approaching holiday and the approaching blizzard, the stores are just nuts. Aldi has been really, really spotty on dairy products lately but I suppose that's just not having enough people to get stuff onto the shelves.

Anyway, between that and a trip to the nearby HyVee, I got everything on my list except shredded frozen hash browns (for a casserole) and frozen lima beans, and I suppose those can both wait. I'm glad my pantry is full, though.

Every time I look at the price of eggs at Aldi, I think of JenniferW!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: coppertop on December 22, 2022, 07:44:11 AM
I went to Aldi on Monday, and I'm so glad I did!  I can just imagine the chaos that exists there today.  Their inventory has been spotty anyway, but they did have the basics.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: StarBright on December 22, 2022, 10:13:16 AM
No bone should ever go unboiled. Collagen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, don't waste that nutrition!


I don't usually mess with stock other than after I roast a chicken, and occasionally from the Christmas prime rib - but this post inspired me to make a stock with my ham bone.

Will use it for cooking my new years day Hoppin' John recipe.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on December 22, 2022, 11:45:37 AM
No bone should ever go unboiled. Collagen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, don't waste that nutrition!


I don't usually mess with stock other than after I roast a chicken, and occasionally from the Christmas prime rib - but this post inspired me to make a stock with my ham bone.

Will use it for cooking my new years day Hoppin' John recipe.
Prime rib bones are awesome for stock.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on December 23, 2022, 09:20:38 PM
I do know people who steam and freeze kale in "pucks" to eat throughout the winter, and say it is much better than frozen spinach.
This is a great idea, I'll try it next time I pick up a round of kale! I find it's substantially cheaper for me to order it in a food box than buy locally, so I wait until I can do a single big order of lightweight bulky leaves from them at a time - being able to preserve those greens would go a long way. I actually wonder if it even needs to be cooked first since ice crystals from freezing break leaves down a lot but it'd certainly be easier to pack densely.

I don't usually mess with stock other than after I roast a chicken, and occasionally from the Christmas prime rib - but this post inspired me to make a stock with my ham bone.

Will use it for cooking my new years day Hoppin' John recipe.
I'm glad it moved you to try it! Aside from nutrients it also provides a lot of flavor & a textural richness hard to replace. I used to get up early to drop a bone in the pot then return to bed with the pot on low (on a glasstop range, I'd not risk it on gas), then get around to placing a cut of meat in the broth at lunch, to pull out at dinnertime - the broth being already full of collagen & flavor, it doesn't reduce the meat to sad gray blandness, it just braises it. Tendon becomes gelatine, cartilage dissolves, even the bones break down given enough time. Very little goes to waste. It always amazes me the prices people will pay for collagen products that don't even taste like good soup!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 10, 2023, 04:49:25 AM
So, I mentioned around 3 weeks ago I ordered food from Costco. That included eggs that were two dozen for around $5.50. I just looked and now the same eggs (two dozen) are $7.10 and limit of two (4 dozen). Out of curiosity, I checked my local Stop & Shop, and their eggs are thru the roof! One dozen $4.79 to $8.49 depend on brand. The cheaper eggs are out of stock of course.

I had a spiral ham over the holidays and made a pea soup with the bone. After the soup was made, I saved the bone, rinsed it off and froze it. I am going to make a white bean soup in the future and going to reuse the bone to make the soup. I have no idea if the bone is going to give me any flavor but will see what happens! Never reused a ham bone before!

Something I have been doing is buying sweet potatoes, washing them, throwing them in my crockpot with skins on. I add no water. Cook them on high or low until a knife goes in easily into potatoes. Let cool and remove skins. Then mash, adding a dollop of butter. I have been freezing the mashed sweet potatoes in small ziplocks to pull out for a quick side dish for dinner. They taste very good; the skins pull off easy and mashing is a breeze!

I bought these beautiful long rainbow peppers from Costco. Yesterday, I cut them vertically, removed the seeds and roasted them in the oven. I covered them with olive oil to roast. They came out so good. I also froze them for a later date when we have burgers or sandwiches.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: slappy on January 10, 2023, 06:53:58 AM
So, I mentioned around 3 weeks ago I ordered food from Costco. That included eggs that were two dozen for around $5.50. I just looked and now the same eggs (two dozen) are $7.10 and limit of two (4 dozen). Out of curiosity, I checked my local Stop & Shop, and their eggs are thru the roof! One dozen $4.79 to $8.49 depend on brand. The cheaper eggs are out of stock of course.

I had a spiral ham over the holidays and made a pea soup with the bone. After the soup was made, I saved the bone, rinsed it off and froze it. I am going to make a white bean soup in the future and going to reuse the bone to make the soup. I have no idea if the bone is going to give me any flavor but will see what happens! Never reused a ham bone before!

Something I have been doing is buying sweet potatoes, washing them, throwing them in my crockpot with skins on. I add no water. Cook them on high or low until a knife goes in easily into potatoes. Let cool and remove skins. Then mash, adding a dollop of butter. I have been freezing the mashed sweet potatoes in small ziplocks to pull out for a quick side dish for dinner. They taste very good; the skins pull off easy and mashing is a breeze!

I bought these beautiful long rainbow peppers from Costco. Yesterday, I cut them vertically, removed the seeds and roasted them in the oven. I covered them with olive oil to roast. They came out so good. I also froze them for a later date when we have burgers or sandwiches.

I'm having trouble getting eggs when I order from BJs. The price now is 5 doz for $22. It used to $15. Now I put in an order and they say the eggs are out of stock. Egg prices elsewhere are crazy high too. We were eating several eggs a day each, but have decided to focus on other protein sources for now. Ironically, chicken breast is on sale for almost as low as I've ever seen it.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on January 10, 2023, 08:43:57 AM
I bought 5 dozen conventional eggs at Costco yesterday for $15.99. I figure that will keep us going until our chickens are laying more regularly again - we're about 8 eggs/week now, and we're a lot of people.

There was a limit of 2 boxes/membership, so people must be snapping them up. (And indeed, most carts seemed to have a box of eggs in them.)
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: eyesonthehorizon on January 10, 2023, 09:02:59 AM
... I had a spiral ham over the holidays and made a pea soup with the bone. After the soup was made, I saved the bone, rinsed it off and froze it. I am going to make a white bean soup in the future and going to reuse the bone to make the soup. I have no idea if the bone is going to give me any flavor but will see what happens! Never reused a ham bone before!

Something I have been doing is buying sweet potatoes, washing them, throwing them in my crockpot with skins on. I add no water. Cook them on high or low until a knife goes in easily into potatoes. Let cool and remove skins. Then mash, adding a dollop of butter. I have been freezing the mashed sweet potatoes in small ziplocks to pull out for a quick side dish for dinner. They taste very good; the skins pull off easy and mashing is a breeze! ...
Reusing the bone will be more effective if you add some acid to the water while the level is still low enough to be concentrated - usually I use vinegar, let it go for a while, then add the rest of the water & whatever I'm cooking afterward. That pulls more calcium from the bone into the liquid. I don't know for sure if degrading the bones that way also unlocks other nutrients but it wouldn't surprise me because it makes the bone structure visibly more porous.

What are you doing with the sweet potato skins after? Tons of fiber, as well as a lot of the sugar, & for the latter reason they taste FANTASTIC if you dry them into crisps in the oven.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 10, 2023, 12:58:08 PM
... I had a spiral ham over the holidays and made a pea soup with the bone. After the soup was made, I saved the bone, rinsed it off and froze it. I am going to make a white bean soup in the future and going to reuse the bone to make the soup. I have no idea if the bone is going to give me any flavor but will see what happens! Never reused a ham bone before!

Something I have been doing is buying sweet potatoes, washing them, throwing them in my crockpot with skins on. I add no water. Cook them on high or low until a knife goes in easily into potatoes. Let cool and remove skins. Then mash, adding a dollop of butter. I have been freezing the mashed sweet potatoes in small ziplocks to pull out for a quick side dish for dinner. They taste very good; the skins pull off easy and mashing is a breeze! ...
Reusing the bone will be more effective if you add some acid to the water while the level is still low enough to be concentrated - usually I use vinegar, let it go for a while, then add the rest of the water & whatever I'm cooking afterward. That pulls more calcium from the bone into the liquid. I don't know for sure if degrading the bones that way also unlocks other nutrients but it wouldn't surprise me because it makes the bone structure visibly more porous.

What are you doing with the sweet potato skins after? Tons of fiber, as well as a lot of the sugar, & for the latter reason they taste FANTASTIC if you dry them into crisps in the oven.

Thanks for the information on the vinegar and water with the bone! I will do that when I use it. Do you think roasting the bone in the oven might help too? I didn't roast it originally the first time.

Sorry to say I have been tossing the sweet potato skins! OH NO! I will have to remember next time to keep them and dry them out! GRRRR, wish I had known!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on January 10, 2023, 04:01:44 PM
I was able to get 8 dozen eggs from Sam's Club back in December -- after watching for them to be back in stock I placed a pick up order for my allowed 2 cartons, and then when I went for my pick up order we decided to go inside and they had eggs in stock even though the app said out of stock again.  I got 2 more cartons, as allowed.  Sam's still sells 2 dozen eggs for $6 here in So Cal, but they are incredibly hard to find in stock.  An L.A. times article this week indicated the average price for a dozen large eggs in CA is $7.27, up from $4.83 at the beginning of December, and $2.35 a year ago.  California hasn't lost laying hens to bird flu yet, but doesn't have enough chickens to meet demand, and all of the eggs sold in CA from other states must be cage free.

Right now I'm nursing us through the rest of the eggs, and checking Sam's Club several times a day to see eggs are back in stock.  By checking other area stores, I can see that the various stores are getting them different days, and I know my store sometimes has them and sometimes doesn't, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

@Roadrunner53 My kid eats the sweet potato skins, and recently I saw a guest at our home do the same thing.  It turns out they are completely edible.  I guess I'll give it a try, but if I don't like them I think I'll save them to add to broth.  From what I understand sweet potato skins don't add much flavor, but do release vitamins and minerals into the broth.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 10, 2023, 05:11:31 PM
Normally when I eat baked sweet potatoes, I eat the skins but for mashed, I never gave it a thought to save them. I guess I could put them in the air fryer to crisp them up too.

I did read that the bird flu is subsiding, and the price of eggs will start to go down soon. The article said the prices would not go down to the low prices of the past but would be easier to swallow.

The article said that the cost of grain for the chickens has gone up plus the shipping of the grain. So, the price for eggs is increasing for sure.

On another note, I tried ordering some things from Costco and they wouldn't ship them at this time. The items were 33 gallon size garbage bags, Kirkland tuna fish, Kleenex 10 pack that was on sale and I think a few more items. I did a Costco Instacart and was able to get the Kleenex along with the fresh veggies and other things I ordered. Nothing is easy!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 10, 2023, 07:29:14 PM
Eggs have always been more expensive here (all groceries are more expensive here) but I just did my on-line pickup order and eggs seem to be plentiful and priced as usual.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on January 16, 2023, 11:26:45 AM
Thanks for the information on the vinegar and water with the bone! I will do that when I use it. Do you think roasting the bone in the oven might help too? I didn't roast it originally the first time.
As an aside, I also always add some cider vinegar when I'm making stock/broth from bones. I usually don't bother with a separate roasting cycle.

Quote
Sorry to say I have been tossing the sweet potato skins! OH NO! I will have to remember next time to keep them and dry them out! GRRRR, wish I had known!
OH NO is right! I use the Instant Pot instead of a crockpot, but I just mash up the whole sweet potato, skin and all.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 25, 2023, 01:33:34 AM
I am going to be cooking a pork butt soon in my crockpot I guess. Have not cooked one in a long time. What method do you all use?

Another thing I am curious about is does anyone know if there is a slow cooker out there that offers a fast heat up cycle then can be reset to a high or low temp after an initial fast heat up? For instance, I started a pasta sauce in my slow cooker kind of late in the day and you know how long it takes to get the temperature up so it is bubbling. I was wondering if any slow cooker had a program where you could get the contents heated up quickly then it switches to a low temp for the rest of the duration. Maybe I need to invent one!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Ladychips on January 25, 2023, 05:25:43 AM
I am going to be cooking a pork butt soon in my crockpot I guess. Have not cooked one in a long time. What method do you all use?

Rub with cavendars Greek seasoning and wrap in foil. Put a little water in the bottom. Delish!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on January 25, 2023, 06:45:25 AM
I am going to be cooking a pork butt soon in my crockpot I guess. Have not cooked one in a long time. What method do you all use?

Another thing I am curious about is does anyone know if there is a slow cooker out there that offers a fast heat up cycle then can be reset to a high or low temp after an initial fast heat up? For instance, I started a pasta sauce in my slow cooker kind of late in the day and you know how long it takes to get the temperature up so it is bubbling. I was wondering if any slow cooker had a program where you could get the contents heated up quickly then it switches to a low temp for the rest of the duration. Maybe I need to invent one!
Instant Pot has a saute feature. It's handy for browning before slow cooking. I think their space on the counter is being eclipsed by air fryers, so used ones are starting to pop up. Be careful buying used though, there was a period where some were defective. We bought 2 on a Black Friday deal via Amazon. They crapped out and Amazon replaced them. Not sure if it was a full blown recall, but Google will know. Perhaps you could borrow one to see if you like it well enough to buy new.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: daverobev on January 25, 2023, 07:01:05 AM
Eggs have always been more expensive here (all groceries are more expensive here) but I just did my on-line pickup order and eggs seem to be plentiful and priced as usual.

It's greed, pure greed.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/high-egg-prices-should-be-investigated-us-farm-group-says-2023-01-20/

Quote
Cal-Maine Foods (CALM.O), which controls 20% of the retail egg market, reported quarterly sales up 110% and gross profits up more than 600% over the same quarter in the prior fiscal year, according to a late December filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on January 25, 2023, 07:57:03 AM
Eggs have always been more expensive here (all groceries are more expensive here) but I just did my on-line pickup order and eggs seem to be plentiful and priced as usual.

It's greed, pure greed.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/high-egg-prices-should-be-investigated-us-farm-group-says-2023-01-20/

Quote
Cal-Maine Foods (CALM.O), which controls 20% of the retail egg market, reported quarterly sales up 110% and gross profits up more than 600% over the same quarter in the prior fiscal year, according to a late December filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

So why haven't the other 80% of the market lowered prices to capture market share? Cal-Maine has definitely become more profitable as egg prices have shot up in the last year or so (3-10% EBITDA margin to 27%), but 20% of the market is hardly a monopoly. If Cal-Maine's farms haven't been affected by avian flu, then they're in a position to benefit from the rising prices while not facing the same supply constraints as their competitors.

As usual with statements like this, the timeframe they pick is important. A year ago Cal-Maine's Normalized EBITDA was $11 million on revenue of $390 million - a whopping 2.7% profit margin. The latest quarter it was $277 million on revenue of $802 million - a 35% profit margin.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: slappy on January 25, 2023, 08:18:45 AM
Eggs have always been more expensive here (all groceries are more expensive here) but I just did my on-line pickup order and eggs seem to be plentiful and priced as usual.

It's greed, pure greed.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/high-egg-prices-should-be-investigated-us-farm-group-says-2023-01-20/

Quote
Cal-Maine Foods (CALM.O), which controls 20% of the retail egg market, reported quarterly sales up 110% and gross profits up more than 600% over the same quarter in the prior fiscal year, according to a late December filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

So why haven't the other 80% of the market lowered prices to capture market share? Cal-Maine has definitely become more profitable as egg prices have shot up in the last year or so (3-10% EBITDA margin to 27%), but 20% of the market is hardly a monopoly. If Cal-Maine's farms haven't been affected by avian flu, then they're in a position to benefit from the rising prices while not facing the same supply constraints as their competitors.

As usual with statements like this, the timeframe they pick is important. A year ago Cal-Maine's Normalized EBITDA was $11 million on revenue of $390 million - a whopping 2.7% profit margin. The latest quarter it was $277 million on revenue of $802 million - a 35% profit margin.

I have a stupid question...if there is an issue with supply with eggs, is this not affecting chicken meat as well? In my area, there is a one store that has run chicken breast on sale for 1.99 a pound for weeks now. The cheapest I've ever seen it was 1.69 a pound and that was a few years ago, so 1.99 seems pretty cheap. For reference, at Sam's/Bjs, it's currently 2.69/pound and that was the best price for awhile. So I have been wondering why it has been so cheap lately, if we are losing a lot of bird to the avian flu.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Bartlebooth on January 25, 2023, 11:01:21 AM
Another thing I am curious about is does anyone know if there is a slow cooker out there that offers a fast heat up cycle then can be reset to a high or low temp after an initial fast heat up? For instance, I started a pasta sauce in my slow cooker kind of late in the day and you know how long it takes to get the temperature up so it is bubbling.

Typical slow cooker just applies continuous low wattage or high wattage.  Look for one with an actual temperature control.  Then in theory it would continuously apply max wattage until it reaches specified temperature and pulse power from there.  May vary depending on implementation.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: TomTX on January 25, 2023, 11:08:52 AM
I have a stupid question...if there is an issue with supply with eggs, is this not affecting chicken meat as well? In my area, there is a one store that has run chicken breast on sale for 1.99 a pound for weeks now. The cheapest I've ever seen it was 1.69 a pound and that was a few years ago, so 1.99 seems pretty cheap. For reference, at Sam's/Bjs, it's currently 2.69/pound and that was the best price for awhile. So I have been wondering why it has been so cheap lately, if we are losing a lot of bird to the avian flu.
There is no issue with the supply of eggs. There is an issue with egg suppliers gouging customers using the "avian flu" as an excuse to rake in rapacious profits. Egg production hasn't really changed much at all.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: dandarc on January 25, 2023, 11:18:23 AM
I have a stupid question...if there is an issue with supply with eggs, is this not affecting chicken meat as well? In my area, there is a one store that has run chicken breast on sale for 1.99 a pound for weeks now. The cheapest I've ever seen it was 1.69 a pound and that was a few years ago, so 1.99 seems pretty cheap. For reference, at Sam's/Bjs, it's currently 2.69/pound and that was the best price for awhile. So I have been wondering why it has been so cheap lately, if we are losing a lot of bird to the avian flu.
There is no issue with the supply of eggs. There is an issue with egg suppliers gouging customers using the "avian flu" as an excuse to rake in rapacious profits. Egg production hasn't really changed much at all.
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Regional_Office/Southern/includes/Publications/Livestock_Releases/Chicken_and_Eggs/2022/

and

https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Regional_Office/Southern/includes/Publications/Livestock_Releases/Chicken_and_Eggs/2023/ckpress0123.pdf

eggs have been under produced nationwide vs. 2021 by roughly 5% for about the last 6 months. Not sure whether this runs for or against your point.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: partgypsy on January 25, 2023, 11:23:12 AM
I am agog at the number of eggs y'all are buying. I go shopping once a week and buy a dozen eggs a week or every other week. Is it a scarcity mentality or are you all eating multiple dozen eggs every week?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: slappy on January 25, 2023, 11:33:17 AM
I am agog at the number of eggs y'all are buying. I go shopping once a week and buy a dozen eggs a week or every other week. Is it a scarcity mentality or are you all eating multiple dozen eggs every week?

I eat 2-3 a day and my husband also eats the same.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 25, 2023, 12:31:25 PM

Another thing I am curious about is does anyone know if there is a slow cooker out there that offers a fast heat up cycle then can be reset to a high or low temp after an initial fast heat up? For instance, I started a pasta sauce in my slow cooker kind of late in the day and you know how long it takes to get the temperature up so it is bubbling.

Typical slow cooker just applies continuous low wattage or high wattage.  Look for one with an actual temperature control.  Then in theory it would continuously apply max wattage until it reaches specified temperature and pulse power from there.  May vary depending on implementation.

The only one I found so far is a Hamilton Beach 6 QT set and forget and has a temperature probe to cook to a precise temperature. Plus, it has a defrost feature! Here it is: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08X1NWN33/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00EZI26GO&linkCode=as2&tag=homecookingtech-20&linkId=58543a748edd55ee69f2c926495e2c74&th=1

I was actually looking for one with a knob or something you could turn up to get liquid up to a boil quickly. This has some nice features. Like the defrost feature and the fact that it cooks to a set temperature with the probe. I don't want an Instant Pot. Had one and didn't like it. I know, I am the only one on earth who feels that way!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on January 25, 2023, 12:32:54 PM
I am agog at the number of eggs y'all are buying. I go shopping once a week and buy a dozen eggs a week or every other week. Is it a scarcity mentality or are you all eating multiple dozen eggs every week?

We have a family of 8 and buy 15-dozen eggs from Costco every month or so.

If I make scrambled eggs for breakfast, it's a dozen. If we make omelets, it's about 20 or so. Even making pancakes or waffles it's 4-6 eggs to make our number double batch.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: beekayworld on January 25, 2023, 01:17:05 PM

Another thing I am curious about is does anyone know if there is a slow cooker out there that offers a fast heat up cycle then can be reset to a high or low temp after an initial fast heat up? For instance, I started a pasta sauce in my slow cooker kind of late in the day and you know how long it takes to get the temperature up so it is bubbling. I was wondering if any slow cooker had a program where you could get the contents heated up quickly then it switches to a low temp for the rest of the duration. Maybe I need to invent one!

You could put the food inside the ceramic insert, then heat the ceramic insert in a 400 degree oven (or in the microwave) while beginning to heat the electric part of the crockpot.  When the ceramic is hot and the contents are boiling, pull it from the oven and put in the crockpot and carry on.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: beekayworld on January 25, 2023, 01:18:27 PM

Another thing I am curious about is does anyone know if there is a slow cooker out there that offers a fast heat up cycle then can be reset to a high or low temp after an initial fast heat up? For instance, I started a pasta sauce in my slow cooker kind of late in the day and you know how long it takes to get the temperature up so it is bubbling. I was wondering if any slow cooker had a program where you could get the contents heated up quickly then it switches to a low temp for the rest of the duration. Maybe I need to invent one!

You could put the food inside the ceramic insert, then heat the ceramic insert in a 400 degree oven (or in the microwave) while beginning to heat the electric part of the crockpot.  When the ceramic is hot and the contents are boiling, pull it from the oven and put in the crockpot and carry on.

Here's a link indicating it's ok to put in the oven and microwave:
https://www.crock-pot.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-crockpot-Site/default/Support-Show?cfid=help-and-how-to-use-oven-and-microwave-safety-faq#:~:text=All%20Crockpot%E2%84%A2%20Slow%20Cooker,up%20to%20400%C2%B0F.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on January 25, 2023, 01:36:59 PM

Another thing I am curious about is does anyone know if there is a slow cooker out there that offers a fast heat up cycle then can be reset to a high or low temp after an initial fast heat up? For instance, I started a pasta sauce in my slow cooker kind of late in the day and you know how long it takes to get the temperature up so it is bubbling. I was wondering if any slow cooker had a program where you could get the contents heated up quickly then it switches to a low temp for the rest of the duration. Maybe I need to invent one!

You could put the food inside the ceramic insert, then heat the ceramic insert in a 400 degree oven (or in the microwave) while beginning to heat the electric part of the crockpot.  When the ceramic is hot and the contents are boiling, pull it from the oven and put in the crockpot and carry on.

Here's a link indicating it's ok to put in the oven and microwave:
https://www.crock-pot.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-crockpot-Site/default/Support-Show?cfid=help-and-how-to-use-oven-and-microwave-safety-faq#:~:text=All%20Crockpot%E2%84%A2%20Slow%20Cooker,up%20to%20400%C2%B0F.

My even lazier way of doing stuff . . . boil the kettle, dump the contents into your crock pot at let it sit for about 5 minutes and then dump it out.  This will pre-heat it.  Then make sure that any liquids you add to the whole mess are boiling when you put them in.  Stuff cooks much faster this way in the crock pot because it's already hot when it starts.  No fussing around with the microwave or oven.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 25, 2023, 02:23:29 PM

Another thing I am curious about is does anyone know if there is a slow cooker out there that offers a fast heat up cycle then can be reset to a high or low temp after an initial fast heat up? For instance, I started a pasta sauce in my slow cooker kind of late in the day and you know how long it takes to get the temperature up so it is bubbling. I was wondering if any slow cooker had a program where you could get the contents heated up quickly then it switches to a low temp for the rest of the duration. Maybe I need to invent one!

You could put the food inside the ceramic insert, then heat the ceramic insert in a 400 degree oven (or in the microwave) while beginning to heat the electric part of the crockpot.  When the ceramic is hot and the contents are boiling, pull it from the oven and put in the crockpot and carry on.

Here's a link indicating it's ok to put in the oven and microwave:
https://www.crock-pot.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-crockpot-Site/default/Support-Show?cfid=help-and-how-to-use-oven-and-microwave-safety-faq#:~:text=All%20Crockpot%E2%84%A2%20Slow%20Cooker,up%20to%20400%C2%B0F.

My even lazier way of doing stuff . . . boil the kettle, dump the contents into your crock pot at let it sit for about 5 minutes and then dump it out.  This will pre-heat it.  Then make sure that any liquids you add to the whole mess are boiling when you put them in.  Stuff cooks much faster this way in the crock pot because it's already hot when it starts.  No fussing around with the microwave or oven.

That is an interesting idea and I never thought to do that. I will try that next time I am rushed for time and still want to use the crockpot! Thanks!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on January 25, 2023, 05:20:54 PM
I am going to be cooking a pork butt soon in my crockpot I guess. Have not cooked one in a long time. What method do you all use?

Another thing I am curious about is does anyone know if there is a slow cooker out there that offers a fast heat up cycle then can be reset to a high or low temp after an initial fast heat up? For instance, I started a pasta sauce in my slow cooker kind of late in the day and you know how long it takes to get the temperature up so it is bubbling. I was wondering if any slow cooker had a program where you could get the contents heated up quickly then it switches to a low temp for the rest of the duration. Maybe I need to invent one!
I have a spendypants Instant Precision Dutch Oven.  Yes, it's made by the Instant Pot people, but it isn't an Instant pot.  It's an enameled cast iron dutch oven slow cooker that can also be set to sear/sauté (400°F), braise (starts with high temperature to brown food and then lowers), etc.  There is one slow cooker setting (203°F), but the temperature can actually be set anywhere from 77°F to 400°F (lower temperatures for proofing dough, sous vide, incubating yogurt), although oddly I think the manual 1 setting only goes to 203°F and the manual 2 starts at 212°F, so they miss a small range in there.  But you can absolutely set it to a temperature that gets your food up to boiling quickly, and then turn it down.  The braise setting does it automatically.

I don't use it for sous vide or anything other than slow cooking, braising, and making stock.  It's fantastic to sear at 400°F and then turn it down to slow cook.  I can braise at a slightly higher temperature if I want food cooked faster.

I have a systemic nickel allergy, and the regular Instant Pot insert is 18/10 stainless steel, and I can't eat any food cooked at length in nickel-containing stainless steel.  I use the regular Instant Pot for sous vide, steaming potatoes and sweet potatoes, hard cooking eggs, etc. and to cook food for my family, but I can't eat food that has simmered in it all day.  Before I was diagnosed with the nickel allergy (finally -- answering years of health issues) I gave away my slow cooker to someone who needed one, so I was in the market for a slow cooker and wanted something that did more than the basic ceramic insert model -- in particular I wanted to be able to sear and slow cook in the same vessel, but it couldn't be 18/10 stainless.

Costco sells the Instant Precision dutch oven for $169, which as I said, is spendypants.  But it does exactly what I want it to do.  And while I figure the controls will give out one day, the dutch oven itself can be used without the appliance portion, so it won't be useless.

Most recently I cooked a pork butt in mine.  I salted and seared it, sprinkled garlic and onion powder all over it (after searing so the seasonings wouldn't scorch), and then put it on slow cook and let it go for 7 hours.  It didn't need any added liquid, and turned our beautifully.  I kept the seasonings simple because a pork butt is large for the three of us currently at home, so I wanted to be able to use it in various dishes.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on January 25, 2023, 05:31:50 PM
I am agog at the number of eggs y'all are buying. I go shopping once a week and buy a dozen eggs a week or every other week. Is it a scarcity mentality or are you all eating multiple dozen eggs every week?

We go back and forth.  Some weeks college kid #2 cooks 2-3 eggs for breakfast every morning, some weeks not at all, or just a few in fried rice.  Some weeks DH makes eggs and toast most days, or I do.  With the shortages and price hikes, I try to buy a month's worth of eggs so I don't have to think about it.  The week I bought 9 dozen eggs when I already had 3 dozen was a fluke, but I already gave 2 dozen to a friend.  Right now I have just under 6 dozen eggs.  We pushed out our final January shop and will go next week, with a challenge to not grocery shop at all in February (and also to stay under the $200 we have budgeted for perishables in January, of which I still have $125).  I'm not planning to buy eggs, but if we're down to under 4 dozen on Monday and they have eggs in stock, I'll probably buy 2 dozen just to make sure we get through February.

I'm not sure I believe all of the hype about shortages raising prices, because Sam's Club has consistently sold eggs for $3 per dozen these past few months, whereas Walmart is $6 per dozen.  Same company, different prices.  I mean $3 per dozen is still high, but it isn't the $9 my neighbor paid for a dozen regular eggs at the national chain supermarket.  All of these grade A large white cage free (California requirement) eggs are the same, so the price differences between retailers don't make a lot of sense other than it being about profit.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on January 27, 2023, 10:54:38 AM
I am agog at the number of eggs y'all are buying. I go shopping once a week and buy a dozen eggs a week or every other week. Is it a scarcity mentality or are you all eating multiple dozen eggs every week?

We're a family of 6. We eat all meals at home, and bake a lot.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 28, 2023, 10:46:27 AM
I am going to be cooking a pork butt soon in my crockpot I guess. Have not cooked one in a long time. What method do you all use?

Another thing I am curious about is does anyone know if there is a slow cooker out there that offers a fast heat up cycle then can be reset to a high or low temp after an initial fast heat up? For instance, I started a pasta sauce in my slow cooker kind of late in the day and you know how long it takes to get the temperature up so it is bubbling. I was wondering if any slow cooker had a program where you could get the contents heated up quickly then it switches to a low temp for the rest of the duration. Maybe I need to invent one!
I have a spendypants Instant Precision Dutch Oven.  Yes, it's made by the Instant Pot people, but it isn't an Instant pot.  It's an enameled cast iron dutch oven slow cooker that can also be set to sear/sauté (400°F), braise (starts with high temperature to brown food and then lowers), etc.  There is one slow cooker setting (203°F), but the temperature can actually be set anywhere from 77°F to 400°F (lower temperatures for proofing dough, sous vide, incubating yogurt), although oddly I think the manual 1 setting only goes to 203°F and the manual 2 starts at 212°F, so they miss a small range in there.  But you can absolutely set it to a temperature that gets your food up to boiling quickly, and then turn it down.  The braise setting does it automatically.

I don't use it for sous vide or anything other than slow cooking, braising, and making stock.  It's fantastic to sear at 400°F and then turn it down to slow cook.  I can braise at a slightly higher temperature if I want food cooked faster.

I have a systemic nickel allergy, and the regular Instant Pot insert is 18/10 stainless steel, and I can't eat any food cooked at length in nickel-containing stainless steel.  I use the regular Instant Pot for sous vide, steaming potatoes and sweet potatoes, hard cooking eggs, etc. and to cook food for my family, but I can't eat food that has simmered in it all day.  Before I was diagnosed with the nickel allergy (finally -- answering years of health issues) I gave away my slow cooker to someone who needed one, so I was in the market for a slow cooker and wanted something that did more than the basic ceramic insert model -- in particular I wanted to be able to sear and slow cook in the same vessel, but it couldn't be 18/10 stainless.

Costco sells the Instant Precision dutch oven for $169, which as I said, is spendypants.  But it does exactly what I want it to do.  And while I figure the controls will give out one day, the dutch oven itself can be used without the appliance portion, so it won't be useless.

Most recently I cooked a pork butt in mine.  I salted and seared it, sprinkled garlic and onion powder all over it (after searing so the seasonings wouldn't scorch), and then put it on slow cook and let it go for 7 hours.  It didn't need any added liquid, and turned our beautifully.  I kept the seasonings simple because a pork butt is large for the three of us currently at home, so I wanted to be able to use it in various dishes.

I will have to look into the Instant Precision Dutch Oven. I have found an even MORE spendy pants multi cooker at $209.99 that I am very interested in. It has a stainless steel pot and is similar to an Instant Pot with no pressure cooker feature. It also does not have a concave bottom so the pot is the same shape from top to bottom giving you more space. It is dishwasher safe. I am sure I could put my crock in the dishwasher but I never do. This one sears meat which is a plus. You can control the temp which is what I am looking for.

https://www.amazon.com/HOUSNAT-Programmable-Stainless-Steaming-Adjustable/dp/B09J95V2DG?crid=3Q921AANAIUMV&keywords=housnat+slow+cooker&qid=1660148309&sprefix=housnat+,aps,63&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=amyleatocoo09-20&linkId=c551aa5e3da8524f4f471b4a6a56d850&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X96UBUk7ENM
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on January 28, 2023, 11:35:51 AM
Went to Sam's Club at 9:30 am on Wednesday. No eggs, boo.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 28, 2023, 01:31:04 PM
I had home delivery by Instacart from Costco recently. I am stocking up on potatoes. Bought two 10 lb bags of Yukon Gold potatoes and so far have made about 6 lbs of French Fries wedge potatoes. This is a work in process as I have not gotten the final cook down (after frozen) yet. Seems these potatoes need higher temps than I am cooking them at. I see 450F for about 30 minutes seems to be what is suggested. I will try that next. I used the air fryer and it only goes up to 400 degrees. Next time will be the oven. I also made some great mashed potatoes we had for dinner two nights. There is a little still left. Now I have the other 10 lbs of taters to cook. I have found a scalloped potato recipe that looks good. I might make some regular French fries too. I have my French Fry cutter machine to do that. The only drawback is that these potatoes are pretty small and the fries will be 'shorties'. We shall see. I plan to save about 5 potatoes for my corned beef this coming Thursday. If I don't make the shortie French fries maybe more French fry chunk wedges.

Then I have two 5 lb bags of onions. Will use one for another batch of caramelized onions in crockpot and the other will probably get chopped up and put into the freezer. Last time I flash froze them on a sheet pan in the freezer and that worked out great so they are not all stuck together. Just bagged them up and froze.

Too many times over the years, I have bought onions and potatoes and they go bad before I use them. I really hate that! So now I am trying to find ways to use them so I have them when needed. I have also baked Idaho potatoes, cooled and frozen them too.

Mr. Roadrunner made meatballs and meatloaf the other day! So good! I will be pulling out some of my garden tomato sauce from last year's garden and make spaghetti sauce. Will have some of the meatballs and will throw some of the leftover meatloaf into the pasta sauce. He made 24 meatballs and I froze them in packs of 4 or 5 per bag.

I also had two packages of mushrooms I threw into my crockpot with some butter and cooked them up this week and froze.

Mr. Roadrunner also cooked up 5 lbs of ground beef with onions. I let that cool and made 5 packages for the freezer. They come in so handy! I add them to chili, spaghetti sauce, poor man's stroganoff, stuffed peppers and other stuff.

Polaria, yes, it is better to be prepared. Do the best you can. Worst case, you will have extra food/water you can use up eventually or donate to a food bank, shelter or a goody bag for elderly neighbors.

For small potatoes I like to make cornmeal bbq roast potatoes, I make a big batch on the weekend and have them through the week.  I assume they would freeze beautifully.  Preheat the oven to 450, and line a sheet pan with parchment.  Wash and chunk up the potatoes into bite size pieces, size doesn’t matter too much but you want them to cook evenly so keep them more or less the same size.  Put the potatoes in a big bowl and drizzle with some olive oil, very little is needed here, don’t drown them.  Toss the potatoes to coat them with the oil, then add a good amount of BBQ spice (I use Clubhouse brand mixes, pretty much any spice mix can be used to change it up), and a good amount of corn meal (basically you want as much spice and corn meal as will stick to the potatoes).  Toss to coat the potatoes then dump them onto the pan in a single layer.  Roast for 20-25 minutes for potatoes up to 1” size.  Stir half way through.

Well, I guess you could say I am a little SLOW but I finally made these cornmeal coated chunked potatoes last night and they were fantastic! I used cayenne pepper instead of BBQ spice but we like stuff hot and it was pleasantly spicy! My oven was in desparate need of cleaning so didn't dare cook in it but used the air fryer. It only goes up to 400 degrees but they came out nice and crunchy-ish from the cornmeal. This is going to be something I will be cooking often. Thank you! My oven in in auto clean mode now so the next batch of taters can be cooked at a higher temp next time! When you rewarm for weeknight meals what is your method? I was thinking air fryer.

Not sure if this was mentioned but have you cooked and frozen these then warmed up at a later date? If so, how did you do it? Would be nice to have a stash in the freezer!
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on January 29, 2023, 05:25:29 PM
I made my pork butt today and it came out awesome! Found a recipe for the crockpot and followed it precisely. My pork butt cooked on low for 8 hours, 40 minutes and was the perfect temp as the recipe suggests. If you follow the instructions exactly, I think you will have success like I did. This is definitely a keeper recipe!

The pictures are fantastic to see exactly how the recipe is put together.

If you are interested in it, here it is:
https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/crock-pot-pulled-pork-butt-right-way/comment-page-4/?unapproved=105592&moderation-hash=2d4185b7e20e1f22e5c888d4ecc4d656#comment-105592
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Michael in ABQ on February 08, 2023, 07:56:01 AM
Went to Sam's Club at 9:30 am on Wednesday. No eggs, boo.

Costco two weeks ago only had a handful of 5-dozen organic cage free eggs left. Last week they had a sign up saying no eggs. Went to a different Costco yesterday and same thing - no eggs.

We can still get them at Walmart or the commissary, but I miss our box of 15-dozen eggs.


I wonder if it's because the distributors and wholesalers can get a better deal selling them in 12-18 packs to other grocery stores than in larger discounted packs to Costco and Sam's Club.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: slappy on February 08, 2023, 08:05:40 AM
I get my eggs at BJs. Had some supply issues in the past few weeks. However, they were 21.99 for 5 dozen two weeks ago and now they are 19.99 per 5 dozen.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on February 08, 2023, 08:48:12 AM
Went to Sam's Club at 9:30 am on Wednesday. No eggs, boo.
We've escaped to our Desert Hideaway. On the way in last Friday afternoon, we stopped at Sam's Club for a few provisions. They had a pallet of  5.99/24 eggs. Our getaway place has limited cooking options and a small under-counter refrigerator,  but I bought them anyway. I had always heard you can hard boil eggs in an electric kettle and now I know it works. Depending on when we leave, I may try to grab more on the way out.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 12, 2023, 10:59:18 AM
Howdy folks! Just thought I would pass this along to all of those who use olive oil. This is the second year in a row heat waves have hurt crops and prices are going up again. I checked Costco and it seems the prices are higher. As usual, I will stock up some. Here is the article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/a-new-threat-could-send-the-price-of-this-popular-cooking-staple-soaring-the-industry-is-in-crisis/ar-AA1hNZgv?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=4b550791a779402fa6b8277fe4b447a1&ei=28

Oh and the good news this year is that turkeys are real deals! My local Stop & Shop has them in all sizes for $0.49 a lb!

K_in_the_Kitchen previously you shopped at Butcher Box and so did I. I recently stopped buying meat from them. Have been getting very bad cuts of meat with gristle, fat and very tough. Started shopping at Wild Fork and love it. I love that everything I buy is al a carte and not locked into buying a box. Meat has been excellent so far. If you want, you can buy a membership which covers the shipping fees. It is $29 a year and shipping heavy frozen meat is very costly. It pays for itself in no time. The stuff comes hard as a rock and on schedule. I guess in some areas if there is a Wild Fork store they send a vehicle out to deliver to your home. I do not live in an area close to a store so it comes UPS to me.

Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Catbert on November 14, 2023, 01:13:26 PM
Roadrunner 53 - Thanks for resurrecting this post.  I sampled a few of the pages and it brought back memories of the pandemic.  Funny how quickly we I forget. 
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Cranky on November 15, 2023, 09:43:04 AM
I was not sorry to have a good pantry in 2020, and I was not sorry to STILL have a good pantry last month when we finally got Covid. Lol
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on November 15, 2023, 10:01:52 AM
Lol, I heard the price of EVOO was going to jump about a year ago. I bought four bottles at Costco and I've been storing them in the wine fridge. We don't drink, but it came with the house. Last week, I had guests, so I dug out a gifted bottle of wine to serve. As I did, I mentally kicked myself for buying so much EVOO. Thanks to you @Roadrunner53, I can put my foot back on the floor and use my hand to pat myself on the back, lol. Thanks for the link.

BTW, I've noticed that Vanilla prices are finally coming way down. I still have two 1.75 liters of Kirkland Vodka/Vanilla steeping in my pantry, so I guess it doesn't matter.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: dandarc on January 31, 2024, 02:31:06 PM
3.5 liters of vanilla extract!?
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: GuitarStv on January 31, 2024, 05:49:54 PM
3.5 liters of vanilla extract!?

It's an expensive way to hide your alcoholism.  :P
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: RetiredAt63 on January 31, 2024, 07:08:43 PM
3.5 liters of vanilla extract!?

It's an expensive way to hide your alcoholism.  :P

Or have home-made Christmas presents that are really appreciated.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: Dicey on February 02, 2024, 10:44:55 AM
3.5 liters of vanilla extract!?

It's an expensive way to hide your alcoholism.  :P

Or have home-made Christmas presents that are really appreciated.
Bingo! We don't really drink, so it mostly gets used for baked goods and gifts. The longer it steeps, the better it gets.
Title: Re: Pandemic hoarding
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on February 02, 2024, 01:19:45 PM
Oh, it’s fun to see this thread again!  So much has changed for us since the beginning of the pandemic.  Two kids went away to university in 2021, one came home a semester later and is now in their senior year at the local land grant university, the other graduated last May and is also back home.  We’ve added another young adult to the household, which means I feed five adults now.  We added a puppy (now nearly an adult dog) and lost our senior dog.

One big change is a return to whole food plant based eating for myself, my husband, and my oldest.  The other two young adults eat what I cook, but are also working through the rest of the meat/fish/cheese in the house (I would have had us transition more slowly to not waste those foods, but I didn’t have to since the other two are happy to eat them, knowing that animal proteins will have to come from their own budgets in the future).

I’m doing the February pantry challenge (happening in Throw Down the Gauntlet) in part to help me figure out what we are cooking and eating regularly now, so I can have a stocked pantry but with foods that we’ll eat and rotate through without it being extra work.

@Roadrunner53 Thanks for the heads up on olive oil!  I do wish I had a cool place to store it — I’m going to keep an eye out for a wine fridge in my Buy Nothing group.   I’m halfway through my final bottle of early pandemic vanilla extract.  I’ve noticed the prices have gone back up a little.