I just went to the store because I was out of cooking oil

[Horse with no Name]

$4.49.
That is for the 48 ounce size.
I last bought some about 3 months ago and it cost me $1.99. Unreal. How long before people just cannot afford to eat?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I think the line you're looking for is

"Let them eat cake."

[soothsayer]

25. supposedly she really said "let them eat brioche" (not really interchangeable, imho)

[Sabriel]

42. Doesn't matter: flour prices are way up, too.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/10/43548/3353/533/473391

So cake and brioche are out.

[cali]

83. You can buy 25 pounds of King Arthur Flour for 15 bucks at Costco

You can also buy 16 ounces of Vanilla for 5.99 there. 25 lbs of flour can make a lot of bread.

[melody]

43. Rolls versus bread, I think it fits n/t

[Octafish]

74. In Paraguay, they can't hear you scream.

We wouldn't want the starving billions to waste their beautiful minds.

[Quantess]

2. was it corn oil?

[Horse with no Name]

5. No. It was vegetable oil.

The corn oil was almost $6.

[aquart]

And you first read the circular to make sure it was on sale...

And then used your carefully cut and saved coupon to buy it, right?

[Horse with no Name]

52. In my dreams

I live in a rural community with one grocery store--no Walmart.
Pretty much a captive audience unless I want to drive 60 miles.:)

[aquart]

75. Yikes! ONE store.

My nightmares.

[Hayduke Lives]

67. Ethanol is part of the problem

Does anyone know what percentage of the rise in grain prices is a function of ethanol production? It's not just corn. It's affecting the whole food supply because production of soybeans and other corps is being reduced as acreage is converted to corn production.

I feel for the midwest farmer as much as the next guy. But we're all being punished for a terrible policy of agribusiness welfare. Corn based bio-fuel production is a sham in my opinion.

[Chemical Bill]

93. Hayduke would be ashamed....

Most (80%) of the cooking oil in this country is soy oil. We have an oversupply of soy oil because cattle is fed soy meal, with the oil separated. This oil has been discarded in the past, or dumped cheaply overseas (which puts local farmers there out of business). Now soy oil is being used for biodiesel, but as far as I know we haven't reached the point where more soy needs to be grown for my car (well, I can buy recycled cooking oil biodiesel locally), as cattle feed is still the biggest use for soy (and corn).

Bill

[NightWatcher]

3. eating/ cooking is expensive. just go to McD's and eat from the dollar menu

that's what we are going to be reduced to soon

[gateley]

13. You're right --

As one poster said -- you can buy an orange for $1, or your can have a cheeseburger at McD's.

And I'm the one behind you in the drive-thru, worrying about if it's better gas-wise to park and go inside to order....

[bullwinkle428]

34. On the second question, yes, it's much better to park and go inside!

I always cringe when I see 8, 10, maybe even 12 vehicles lined up in the drive-through lane, waiting for all of the previous orders to get processed. So much fuel being burned just sitting there at idle!

I've noticed on more than one occasion when I want to pick up the one McDonald's menu item I enjoy, the Egg McMuffin, that the last car waiting in the drive through lane (when I park) is still there when I'm walking out to my car with the food!

[gateley]

35. Thanks -- I've always wondered.

I've heard that the amount of gas used to start up the car is more than is needed to idle, so I never knew for sure. :hi:

[Tesha]

85. Not true if the car is "warmed up"; no extra gas is used in that case.

The troublesome time is when the car is "warming up".
The engine runs on a "rich" gas/air mixture during
that time and burns noticeably more gas per mile as
a result.

So don't take extra trips that require warming up a
cold engine. But whenever possible, feel free to shut
down an already-warm engine.

Tesha

[gateley]

91. Thanks for the clarification.

In Seattle, we often had to wait for a drawbridge in the area I lived. This was always a topic on which no one could agree. As usual, I see it's not all either/or --

makes sense! :hi:

[kath]

72. I cringe too. Research shows that idling for more than 10 seconds uses more gas than turning off

the engine and restarting.

http://www.idle-freevt.com/idlingfacts.index.html

Drive-thrus are an abomination in this regard -- so much gas wasted and so much extra pollution. And fat-assed overweight and/or sedentary Murkins can sure use the exercise involved in getting off their asses and WALKING into the restaurant or Starbucks or whatever.


It chaps my ass, though, that many fast-food places seem to give *much* faster service to the drive-thru window than to the people waiting in line inside. GGGRRRRRRRRRR!

[taught_me_patience]

73. As soon as you turn the car off

the oil pump stops running because it's driven off the crankshaft. Oil pressure starts falling and oil drains to the bottom of the oil pan. When you restart the car, the piston walls are not adequately lubricated with oil. Starting the car is actually the most damaging thing that you can to do to your cylinder walls. The $100 you may possibly save in gas by doing this over the lifetime of the car is offset by a possible $3k engine rebuild. Do not turn the car off when idling!!!!

[Tesha]

86. Bullshit. Scare tactics. How do you suppose hybrid cars ever survive?

They cycle their engines off-and-on frequently. The reason
this works is that modern motor oil actually forms a pretty-
effective surface film on steel, so even without the oil
pump running, there's a pretty good coating of lubricant
on all those rubbing surfaces. The principal purpose of
powered oil circulation is to keep the oil film cool.

Tesha

[Tesha]

87. Your observation is correct. Answer: Walk up to the drive-through (where it's permitted).

[Kitty Herder]

17. And die young of a massive coronary. nt

[gateley]

38. But some people don't really have an option.

That's where the obesity epidemic stems from. What's cheaper -- buy your family fresh fruits, veggies, lean meats, or mac 'n cheese? How many more meals can you get from a packet of spaghetti than a couple of bananas and an apple? :scared:

[Lorien]

61. You have to eat more for less nutrition

that's the whole fallacy of "cheap" food. And believe me; having a chronic condition caused by poor nutrition can be very, VERY expensive indeed! The supplements I take each month just to function cost over $125. Fresh fruits, veggies, brown rice, eggs...they are all a bargain by comparison.

[Kitty Herder]

69. That was actually my point. They're leaving many of us with no option but to

eat in a way that will cause disease.

(edited for a stupid spelling mistake. Do you ever find yourself making the same mistakes that drive you crazy when you see others make them? Ugghhh!)

[Jane Austin]

23. Thank goodness oatmeal

is still cheapish. Even the steel-cut kind.

[Kitty Herder]

70. And beans. And rice. I like to use cheap, but healthy, bulk foods as basics, which leaves me more

money for vegetables and fruits. But it's getting harder to afford the fruits and vegetables. I'm pretty broke.

[Jane Austin]

76. I hear ya -

And herdin' those cats burns a lot of calories!

[Kitty Herder]

77. LOL Yep, it's a great aerobic workout. nt

[Lorien]

60. Makes you fat, make you sick

there simply isn't enough nutrition in a cheap McD's meal to adequately sustain a life for any significant amount of time. And people like me (I have fibromyalgia-once a rare condition, now an epidemic) can't eat any foods with additives, preservatives, or artificial anything. Brown rice, beans, bananas, potatoes, spinach, eggs...all of these can be purchased cheaply and can be used for many meals. It's worth the extra effort NOT to be burdened with illness and obesity.

[gateley]

65. I'm in total agreement with your

views on nutrition. I have never felt better than when I was eating similarly - organic, no additives, sugar, ANYTHING. Probably like our grandparents or great grandparents ate. The healing power of good food beats it all. And I believe that fibromyalgia --for one -- is a result of our depleted nutrition and assault from the chemical additives in food.

But you're a mom, you have $5, you have three kids to feed -- McDonald's seems like a god-send.

[YDogg]

4. You haven't heard about rising oil prices? Geez.

:hi:

[Canuckistanian]

28. Them O-Peckers controls ALL the oil

Wake up and smell the coffee (which is also up an average of 7%).

[asjr]

6. I noticed the same thing. Makes me wonder

what the price of a barrel of crude cooking oil costs.

[Selatius]

7. I know that the number of people applying for food stamps has gone up.

Expect more of that to happen as well as longer soup kitchen lines.

[Horse with no Name]

8. I read that the other day

How long before they start cutting off the food stamps?

[Selatius]

12. Well, with Bush, he's already tried cutting it last time I heard.

I think he wanted to cut it by 400 million or so.

[Kitty Herder]

21. I think the Bush administration and their neo-con cronies actively hate the poor.

And the middle class, too. Their behavior goes beyond being blind to the plight of ordinary Americans. It's like they're actively trying to destroy us. Don't they realize you can't get rich selling things to consumers with no money?

[Selatius]

29. If consumers have no more money, it usually means the rich have it all at that point.

At that point, I call it feudalism, and money is passed on through family members like the aristocracy of old. Your country would then resemble a third world hell hole with a minority rich and majority poor, and the landed gentry would spend their days trying to keep the peasants from rebelling against their rule.

[Kitty Herder]

58. We;re getting closer and closer to that being our reality. nt

[SpiralHawk]

84. "Cut off food stamps? Great idea!" - republicon homelanders

[crim son]

11. Yep. I spoke with a woman today who was talking about having to eat from the food pantry.

It's new to her, and she's glad she can do it, even though it's mostly bread and day-or-two-old pastries, etc. It shocked me: it was clear from looking at her that she hadn't lived in poverty all her life.

[gateley]

39. I read somewhere

(maybe in the NYT article that reported 1/8 people in MI are on food stamps, 1/10 in Ohio?) that Food Stamps are the bread lines of 2008.

[gateley]

40. DUPE DELETE

[fight4my3sons]

48. my husband works at least 20 hrs overtime every week

and we still qualify for food stamps.

[gateley]

9. I was worried, too,

until a poster here on DU set me straight (not naming names):

"Well you're going over board

Edited on Sun Apr-06-08 03:57 AM xxxxxxx
The U.S. remains the most productive nation in the world, has the highest ranked universities in the world, and has the most powerful military in the world. The U.S. exports over 1.1 trillions dollars worth of goods and we import 1.9 trillion dollars worth. The U.S. economic situation is going to cause bumps and bruises and changes need to be made and the U.S. is in a position (for reason posted above) in which it can sustain such bruising and survive an adjustment period without falling into the commune setting stated by the poster above and one you believe will occur. It reminds me of the whole Y2K doom and gloom talk, it's just silly."


Whew! I feel so much better now, don't you? :eyes:

[flor de jasmim]

14. And don't forget all the food farmers are PAID to destroy ...

[Warpy]

22. I don't think that's happening now

because poor harvests in the rest of the world combined with the falling value of the dollar have made US foodstuffs look very attractive overseas.

Expect to see ourselves priced out of the food market for a lot of items as we not only have to compete with people paid in cheaper currencies, we have to compete with prices paid by people with stronger currencies plus pay for the extra fuel costs.

The good old days of paying only a sixth of the monthly budget for food are just about over. The days of dumping surplus products to keep the prices above a set floor are over.

[Two Americas]

54. that is accurate

When prices on a crop fall below a certain level, it is a money losing proposition to invest in harvesting and packing and shipping it. The USDA has what is called a "set aside" program - that withholds a percentage of the crop from the marketplace. Sometimes that means it is simply not harvested - but that is not "waste" it is composted back in and/or eaten by animals, just as wild fruits are. At one time much of that went into poverty programs and school programs, but those have been under serious assault by the Republicans.

Exported food is exempt from the "set aside" regulations, as you point out.

The purpose of the various programs - that right wingers have always attacked, and that in the last few years are now coming under attack from "progressives" and "liberals" as well - is to protect the public welfare, with the goals being sustainable farming (such as leaving fields fallow so the soil can recover, called by right wingers "paying farmers to not grow crops",) healthy cooperative farm communities (protecting small farmers from the ravages of the "free market" and from being whipsawed by corporate food buyers, called by the right wingers "paying farmers to destroy food",) providing safe food to consumers through safety inspection programs (called "government interference with the free market" by right wingers,) low prices to consumers through subsidy payments (called "government waste" and "welfare" by right wingers) and a host of other programs, some of which go back to the Lincoln administration, such as land grant agricultural colleges, and many from the New Deal era.

[Two Americas]

27. not so

The cost of food is the cost of delivering it to the public. It has no intrinsic vale. Billions of tons of wild food goes to "waste" every year, in the sense that it is not harvested and delivered to consumers.

As part of a public agricultural system, designed and operated for the public benefit, the amount of any particular crop allowed onto the open market is controlled, to stabilize prices for consumers and for farmers. Crops that are not harvested are not "destroyed" nor "wasted." The concept of "waste" is a suburban idea. Nothing is wasted on the farm.

If 90% of our population had not left the farm and moved into the suburbs to shuffle paper and trade dollars for the sake of glamor, thrills, and status, it would be much easier and less expensive to get food to them. Farm land being destroyed is what we should be concerned about, as well as our public agencies being destroyed.

Farmers are not paid to destroy food, and that is part of a right wing attack on our public agricultural infrastructure - the only alternative we have to total corporate privatization of our food supply - to say that.

[earthboundmisfit]

41. Yup. A lot of farmland in my area is being rezoned to developers -

because we need more McMansions(not!)- it always gives me a sick feeling when I see the obvious tree-clearing, chopping into lots. etc. on what has always been good farming land or pasture land...

[Two Americas]

55. yes

Ironically, most of the things that farmers are attacked for is projection on the part of suburbanites - rather than turning farmland into subdivisions, or burning crops as fuel to support the suburban lifestyle, I advocate burning the suburbs and converting them to farm land. (kidding of course.)

Also ironically, most of the lifestyle improvements people yearn for - exercise, fresh air, meaning and purpose in their lives, more natural beauty, a good place to raise children, strong communities - are the very things they lost when they left the farm to become stock brokers, or whatever it is they do in the suburbs.

[Selatius]

15. Can you tell us this particular person's post count, per chance? nt

[gateley]

19. Yeah - my thoughts, too --

139, joined in Feb.

But just received a response that s/he makes $18k year -

How can someone make $18K a year and believe all this crap? S/he's got to be feeling the pinch, too. :shrug:

That post just burned me up - no real understanding of how people are hurting, which makes the $18K and this attitude so puzzling.

[Selatius]

26. I study economics part-time. His/her argument is a gigantic bag of crap.

Most productive nation in the world? True, but if you downsize or outsource and maintain production levels with fewer staff, you end up with "displaced" workers. We only need to look at Michigan and the "rust belt" states to see all the hollowed-out manufacturing plants left to rot.

Highest ranked universities in the world? Yeah, the private ones like Harvard. In the industrialized world? They probably are highest ranked...in tuition costs. If you're among the "displaced," have a fun time taking on interest-bearing loans to pay for college.

Gee, uh, our exports really are less than our imports? That might not be something to boast about depending on what you export. If you import more than you export, you can only sustain that through foreign investment in the markets, but if investors get spooked, such as a war with Iran, you're gonna find your economy at the bottom of the ocean.

Try sustaining those imports when your dollar is depreciating in value. Suddenly, cheap products made with foreign labor might not be so cheap anymore with each dollar not going as far as it used to.

This person should blow it out his ass.

[gateley]

30. Agree --

What is this person doing on DU? Does s/he agree with Bush that working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet is the American way?

80,000 jobs cut in March. Every single industry is being affected. People, like me, who made a good living and are now unemployed, are sincerely frightened that we may become homeless. Something that would have been unthinkable not too many years ago.

And yeah, I didn't get the export/import thing, either.

[Selatius]

31. 63000 jobs were lost in February. 17000 lost in January. Correction: 84000 for January.

This entire quarter has been a net loss in jobs.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/04/MN3P1005OK.DTL

[gateley]

37. I was trying to paint a rosy picture on the number of jobs lost in March!

:7

I was just going to PM you.

SInce you dabble in economics, I was going to ask you to watch this video:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=115235&mesg_id=115241

The posts on YouTube are both in agreement and disagreement with the message. I, as always, kind of see both sides, but don't really GET it.

As to the jobs, the projections I hear lead me to believe that next quarter is going to be far worse.

[elehhhhna]

44. " the most powerful military in the world" can't keep a lid on a third-world country the size of --

--what/California maybe? Oh yeah, don't forget Afghanistan.

We ain't no big fat superpower anymore, dudes.

[gateley]

53. Yeah -

I was wondering out of which Republican handbook this poster was getting his/her info....

[fight4my3sons]

10. I was excited when my store had 3 for $5 loaves of bread

this week.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

16. Greased up, ready to go for the new economy.

Congratulations.

:party:

[Rosemary2205]

18. Food in the US is still relatively cheap and plentiful

20 years ago the local groceries had calculators bolted to the handle of the grocery carts because so many of their customers were walking around using them to decide what could or couldn't afford this week.

When walmart invests in handheld scanners that allow customers to track their purchases and then check themselves out at the end, we will know prices for the basics have gone beyond what the middle class can spend.

[earth mom]

59. Why do you keep posting rethuglican b.s. in these threads about the economy?!

First you post b.s. in the thread that has like 17K views.

Then you start a hit and run thread about the economy and don't post in it again because NO ONE agrees with you.

Now you are here in this thread hours later posting the same crap.

So how rich are YOU that the price of food and gas has no bearing in your world?

NO-on second thought, never mind, because given your lack of compassion, I already know the an$wer! :puke:

[Rosemary2205]

92. LOL - A fan club!! Woohoo!!

you know, I could post a long long post about where I'm coming from and how you totally twisted your own pile of bullshit into my post and how you should probably do a search on all my posts to figure out what I'm about before talking smack - but really, what's the point. If you really cared who or what I am then you'd have done all that already.

But hey, enjoy the outrage. And thank you for the honor of having it directed at lil' ol' me.

:hi:

[TomInTib]

20. That's why I have basically stopped cooking.

I get my calories from gin and wine, fiber from the ash that I suck through my pipe.

[Fireweed247]

32. whoa I had no idea ash was fiber

:rofl:


The scary thing is...there is no end in sight? Is there??

[TomInTib]

36. I don't know it for a fact, but I have pretty much convinced myself.

"Yeah, let's smoke a few more. Don't wanta wake up hungry in the middle of the night, you know."


Yep, it is scary, all right. And I think it has gone past the critical point. It will take a miracle to turn it around.

[Tesha]

88. Ash is fiber? That's a lye! (NT)

[Balbus]

24. Should've gone to the same store you went to last time...

[coriolis]

33. That's a bargain. I grabbed a bottle of olive oil the other day without looking at the price

just about had a heart attack (thank god for the olive oil) at checkout when they rang it up!
It was like 9 bucks for a pint size bottle.

[gateley]

45. It's been a LONG time

since I didn't check prices at the store. And now I'm figuring out the per-serving price. Never EVER in my wildest dreams...

[coriolis]

47. Hey I know what you mean but there are a few things I refuse to give up.

I drive way less and turn off electrical stuff that isn't being used and scrimp a lot of ways (that olive oil was store brand not even one of the fancy ones!)

I also turn down the brightness on my monitor to save power!

[gateley]

51. I'm with you -

I still would have bought it regardless of the price (like my $8 pound of coffee) but I'd have to juggle the remaining purchases so I could swing it. And olive oil is a GOOD purchase.

[coriolis]

56. Something is rotten in Denmark when the most UNhealthy foods are the cheapest!

And it doesn't even make sense...how can a highly processed box of macaroni and cheese be worth less than a goddamn apple? grrrrrrrr

[Liberal_in_LA]

49. I've been in that position... split second decision! Do I tell the cashier to remove the item?

[Liberal_in_LA]

50. I've been in that position... split second decision! Do I tell the cashier to remove the item?

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

68. That's because it's imported. The dollar is garbage. My A&P hasn't had imported parmigiano reggiano

cheese in weeks. Last time thry had it, it was priced at $16.95 a pound.

[kath]

90. Tip on buying olive oil:

Get thee to a Greek or Middle Eastern grocery store - WAY cheaper there. I have a gallon of extra virgin olive oil in my pantry that cost $28. Your profile says you live in U.City -- When we lived in St. Louis there was a great little Greek market at the corner of Big Bend and Clayton Rd. - it might still be there. We loved that place - they had a few warm food items to go, and a table or two inside. Best moussaka ever! Also, the Italian groceries on the Hill would be a good bet, too.

This advice is good for any specialty food item, spice, etc -- if you can find an ethnic grocery store for a cuisine that uses said ingredient a lot, it will be MUCH cheaper there. For example, a tiny bottle of sesame seeds costs a bundle if you buy it in a regular supermarket. But go to a Middle-Eastern or Asian market and you can get a *huge* bag for the same price as that tiny bottle.
Middle Eastern grocery for pine nuts; Indian grocery for cardamom, cumin, mustard seeds, other spices, Basmati rice; Asian grocery for those hot little dried peppers, jasmine rice, Thai curry pastes (WAY cheaper than in the supermarket), hoisin sauce, coconut milk, etc, etc.

I've also heard that Trader Joe's has good prices on things like balsamic vinegar and olive oil (but I don't think they carry the gallon containers). Sadly, we don't have Trader Joe's in OK :-(

[calico1]

95. The tip on ethnic stores is a good one.

Also ethnic sections in a supermarket if you have such sections. Example: I like Uncle Ben's long grain converted (parboiled) rice but it is over $6 for the 5 lb bag. Carolina Gold is less and just as good. But if you go to the Spanish section of the store they sell Vitarroz, Canilla, Goya or other brands and they are even cheaper. I got a bag the other day for $2.69 and it is just as good as the Uncle Ben's.

[Rex]

46. If I walk over to the gas station (next door) and buy a gallon of milk it

will cost me $5.99! No shit. Granted it is a gas station...but last year at this time it was $2.89.

Numbers don't lie.

[eilen]

57. Bacon grease

is what we will end up saving and using for frying/saute'ing fat. Like my grandma used to. I don't think she ever purchased a bottle of olive oil but she did buy vegetable oil, shortening and margarine. She would use bacon fat for breakfast eggs, a little with the greens/green beans and to rub on the outside of the potato when making baked potatoes. She may have used it more often, that is just what I remember.

She would fry up the bacon and then once the pan/fat cooled a bit she would strain it into a metal container-- I think it was an old tin or a cleaned can. She would put the top or foil on it an set it in the refrigerator.

She also bought "bug juice" -- fruit punch, never soda. It was store brand (A&P). We had to drink a glass of milk with dinner. They (my grandparents) drank Sanka instant coffee (shudder) and split a saccharine pill to sweeten it. She saved everything-- twist ties, margarine containers, jelly jars, twizzle sticks (plastic). I remember she used to make her own coleslaw, chopping everything fine, I helped and boy, your hand would get tired. It was a big deal when she received a food processor--she was so excited. She made beach plum jam every summer after collecting the beach plums with her sister. I used to go strawberry picking with her and then we'd freeze them. There were summer days we'd put out the crab traps and have a crab picking party where she would cook them all up and then we'd pick all the meat from them and put them in the little margarine tubs and freeze them. She was called "coupon Gertie" for good reason, she was very frugal and could pinch a penny. My grandparents had 4 boys to feed through the Depression and beyond that, a change of life baby.

When the coal company stopped delivery because of nonpayment, my father and uncles would haunt the sides of the railroad tracks looking for coal that fell off the cars. They put newspaper between their coats and shirts for insulation. I think it really sucked. In the summers we would stay there and every night have to take a tub bath... in like 3 inches of water. I could never understand why as we had swimming lessons before dawn and would most likely spend a good part of the day in the bay.

Gram and Gramps also drank Scotch whiskey (scotch & water on the rocks) every evening and smoked Winstons. He died in his late 80's and she in her 90's. I have to think it was the strict portion control.

[FirstLight]

62. My southern grandma was also into that...

And my mom, as a product of the depression, has also a good bit of information from those days to share. She may not have been as frugal as your grandparents, but I know she has witnessed it and would know what to do in a pinch. My dad is your typical "Don't buy it, I can Build it!" kind of guy... it's annoying sometimes, because he tends to be a little senile about saving things now..like useless stuff. But he was really a good example of it in our family.

What's really funny - I have recently taken to saving jars & bottles. I plan to use the bottles for emergency water supply... My mom was over at my house and asked "what are these things?" I told her and she put them in a bag next to the trash! I think she was afraid I was turning into my dad! lol

~~~

In regards to original post..I have noticed that even the staples in the Grocery Outlet store are going up to the prices I saw at the major chain a couple months ago. I can still get great deals on all kinds of "crap food" (of course, ugh!
but milk, flour, oil, rice, etc are all very pricey still. I am stocking up by buying a bag of flour here and an extra bag of rice there... other than that and growing food in the backyard, I don't know what else to do to feel safe with my food suply. I live in a rural area that would be very badly affected by a transport breakdown of any sort.... :scared:

I guess it's good we know how to fish! (just don't tell me about the mercury poisioning...)

edit-typo, sorry!

[Robb]

66. There are important lessons here

Nothing wrong with thinking about this stuff. I've taken to bacon grease lately as well -- although mostly because it imparts something special to baked goods, which in my kitchen used to frankly suck. Not much of a baker, me. :)

[coriolis]

71. It definitely adds an interesting flavor to a pan of brownies.

:-)

[KoKo]

97. Did you know you can replace the "oil" in all Brownie Mixes with

the 1/4 or 1/2 cup of either "low fat sour cream" or the best..."low fat yoghurt" and it turns out GREAT...You never miss the oil.

I have to do it because one of us has a cholesterol problem...but the substitute of both in "boxed goods" and even in many recipes replaces the oil we used to use. Like for Zuchinni Nut Bread from scratch...replace all that oil with low fat yoghurt. I don't know how or why it works...but it does...and it's moist and good..

[KoKo]

96. That's a Good Read...thanks for sharing...Your Grandma was what we'd call "A Pistol" here

in the South!

:yourock:

[davidinalameda]

63. people could blame this on the increased use of corn for ethanol

I'm guessing that they use corn oil as part of the vegetable oil

I'm confused as to why farmers just don't replace low paying crops with corn if they can

[Nutmegger]

64. R&K

It's absolutely horrid.

[Tinksrival]

78. I did a double take today too!

24 slices of Kraft American cheese------$5.29 OMG!! Jewel foods ---Chicago suburbs

[msedano]

79. poaching, steaming, roasting...

microwaving. boil a chicken. cool. take the chicken fat off the top. use that if fry you must. or beef, or bacon.

or was it for a crisco party?

[napi21]

80. I've made plans to have quite a garden this year. Usually we have

1 or 2 tomato plants, a little lettuce, and 2 papper plants, but I've done a lot of research on growing potatoes in large trash bags I10# of potatoes was $6 at the store yesterday!) green beans, yellow beans zuchini $ yellow squash have also been added to my list. We've already planted lettuce and it should be ready to pick in 2 weeks. Fortunately we have a lot of choices of different grocery stores here, and I check all the ads each week, and clip coupons. I would raise a few chickens but I can't do that here.

[dgibby]

89. gardening

lots of good ideas on both the DU gardening and rural/farm forums. good luck. I'm moving to Va next month and can't wait to get my garden going. am soooooooo looking forward to home grown veggies, fruit. would like to have a couple of chickens, but will have to check out the zoning laws since I will be living in town.

[lib2DaBone]

81. new math

a pound of Coffee is 10oz. A pound of Bacon is 10 oz. A 10 pound bag of Charcoal is 128oz.

[OneBlueSky]

82. have you looked at a half gallon of ice cream lately? . . .

it keeps shrinking . . . and the price keeps going up . . . that's called a double whammy . . .

[spanone]

94. gas at the drive-by went up 8 cents over the weekend...cooking oil probably went up too

there are oil men running our country to their benefit...i believe that is illegal...but hey, what do i know?