Gas Prices

[Alibi Ike]

Allow me to spout off here a moment...gas prices are going up. That means food prices are soon to follow. Heating costs are up already. The price of everything is going up so what is the suggestion of the day? Give guests a gas card to pay for some of their trip. And who pays for the higher food & utility costs? You betcha. Us. Why is it that everyone else gets to raise their prices (try buying a plane ticket today) but we are supposed to shave another $20 or so off the bottom line?

 

[Don Draper]

I am solidly with ya Ike. Just got back from the grocery store and spent $50 just for fruit for the upcoming weekend. We literally cannot afford to run any discounts. It's only going to get worse with the food prices, as they were set to rise steeply even before any of the oil nonsense started up.

 

[Alibi Ike]

I am solidly with ya Ike. Just got back from the grocery store and spent $50 just for fruit for the upcoming weekend. We literally cannot afford to run any discounts. It's only going to get worse with the food prices, as they were set to rise steeply even before any of the oil nonsense started up..

I just ate a pint of raspberries so they wouldn't go bad. I have another pint of blueberries but those will need to wait for tomorrow, I'm stuffed. This time of year is hard because we can go for days with no guests but we can't buy a 'serving for 2' at the grocery store!
I need new recipes that call for 2 pieces of fresh fruit and not something that has to be purchased in pints! And a nice creme brulee torch. Everything looks better caramelized!

 

[Copperhead]

I hear ya, I with ya... just can't say anything else or I will be banned.

 

[MTLLodge]

Freeze blueberries, strawberries and what ever else. Then use when baking, or make a fruit smoothie!

 

[Generic]

I only buy berries if the price is outstanding. Winter is a season for melons, citrus and apples. Baked apples, applesauce, carmelized apples....

 

[Alibi Ike]

I only buy berries if the price is outstanding. Winter is a season for melons, citrus and apples. Baked apples, applesauce, carmelized apples.....

I just serve the stuff, I don't cook it or shop for it or plan the menus. I wish I could tell the cook he can't buy that because it costs too much.

 

[Samster]

I only buy berries if the price is outstanding. Winter is a season for melons, citrus and apples. Baked apples, applesauce, carmelized apples.....

I just serve the stuff, I don't cook it or shop for it or plan the menus. I wish I could tell the cook he can't buy that because it costs too much.
.

If my dh had been the cook here, the guests would probably have gotten dry toast! No seriously, he doesn't have a clue about food costs. Never has.

I don't know if you can gently suggest to your cook that he stick with seasonal fruits.

I also sometimes used canned mandarin oranges in their own juice (bought on sale of course) in the Winter when we just had a couple of rooms and jazzed them up with just a bit of fresh fruit or coconut or a puree made of berries that weren't nice enough to eat sliced. Guests really enjoyed that.
I'm sure that your gasoline prices are much higher than ours here since that's usually the trend - yesterday when I bought gas it was 42 cents higher than the last fill-up.

I heard from a friend today that gas prices are supposed to ease up by June.
I just booked a plane ticket at midnight, that fare is now $100 higher.

 

[gillumhouse]

I am solidly with ya Ike. Just got back from the grocery store and spent $50 just for fruit for the upcoming weekend. We literally cannot afford to run any discounts. It's only going to get worse with the food prices, as they were set to rise steeply even before any of the oil nonsense started up..

I just ate a pint of raspberries so they wouldn't go bad. I have another pint of blueberries but those will need to wait for tomorrow, I'm stuffed. This time of year is hard because we can go for days with no guests but we can't buy a 'serving for 2' at the grocery store!
I need new recipes that call for 2 pieces of fresh fruit and not something that has to be purchased in pints! And a nice creme brulee torch. Everything looks better caramelized!
.

I buy blueberries when they are on sale. I put them DIRECTLY into freezer bags and then to the freezer. I then take out what I need as I need it - and wash them when I use them. Washing before freezing puts extra moisture (bad dog!!) onto the fruit. That was I have blueberries all year. I hit a sale on blackberries and did the same thing. I do NOT have a separate freezer - no room - so they go into the freezer of the refrigerator.
Do you have an ice company in or near town? There is a North Pole Ice 10 miles south of me and if I have a LOT of stuff, it goes into the freezer locker. For $53 per year - come to think of it, it is renewal time - I have the locker for venison, berries, cranberries, pureed pumpkin, whatever. Since I am in that town at least once a week anyway, it is no big deal (other than remembering to go there) to get something out to bring home. I figure the electricity would cost me more per year.

 

[Penelope]

I am solidly with ya Ike. Just got back from the grocery store and spent $50 just for fruit for the upcoming weekend. We literally cannot afford to run any discounts. It's only going to get worse with the food prices, as they were set to rise steeply even before any of the oil nonsense started up..

I just ate a pint of raspberries so they wouldn't go bad. I have another pint of blueberries but those will need to wait for tomorrow, I'm stuffed. This time of year is hard because we can go for days with no guests but we can't buy a 'serving for 2' at the grocery store!
I need new recipes that call for 2 pieces of fresh fruit and not something that has to be purchased in pints! And a nice creme brulee torch. Everything looks better caramelized!
.

I buy blueberries when they are on sale. I put them DIRECTLY into freezer bags and then to the freezer. I then take out what I need as I need it - and wash them when I use them. Washing before freezing puts extra moisture (bad dog!!) onto the fruit. That was I have blueberries all year. I hit a sale on blackberries and did the same thing. I do NOT have a separate freezer - no room - so they go into the freezer of the refrigerator.
Do you have an ice company in or near town? There is a North Pole Ice 10 miles south of me and if I have a LOT of stuff, it goes into the freezer locker. For $53 per year - come to think of it, it is renewal time - I have the locker for venison, berries, cranberries, pureed pumpkin, whatever. Since I am in that town at least once a week anyway, it is no big deal (other than remembering to go there) to get something out to bring home. I figure the electricity would cost me more per year.
.

I buy blueberries when they are on sale. I put them DIRECTLY into freezer bags and then to the freezer. I then take out what I need as I need it - and wash them when I use them. Washing before freezing puts extra moisture (bad dog!!) onto the fruit. That was I have blueberries all year. I hit a sale on blackberries and did the same thing. I do NOT have a separate freezer - no room - so they go into the freezer of the refrigerator.
Do you have an ice company in or near town? There is a North Pole Ice 10 miles south of me and if I have a LOT of stuff, it goes into the freezer locker. For $53 per year - come to think of it, it is renewal time - I have the locker for venison, berries, cranberries, pureed pumpkin, whatever. Since I am in that town at least once a week anyway, it is no big deal (other than remembering to go there) to get something out to bring home. I figure the electricity would cost me more per year.

I find that if I freeze them on a cookie sheet, they don't clump together. After they are frozen, I put them in a bag and take out what I need without having to pry them apart.

 

[gillumhouse]

I am solidly with ya Ike. Just got back from the grocery store and spent $50 just for fruit for the upcoming weekend. We literally cannot afford to run any discounts. It's only going to get worse with the food prices, as they were set to rise steeply even before any of the oil nonsense started up..

I just ate a pint of raspberries so they wouldn't go bad. I have another pint of blueberries but those will need to wait for tomorrow, I'm stuffed. This time of year is hard because we can go for days with no guests but we can't buy a 'serving for 2' at the grocery store!
I need new recipes that call for 2 pieces of fresh fruit and not something that has to be purchased in pints! And a nice creme brulee torch. Everything looks better caramelized!
.

I buy blueberries when they are on sale. I put them DIRECTLY into freezer bags and then to the freezer. I then take out what I need as I need it - and wash them when I use them. Washing before freezing puts extra moisture (bad dog!!) onto the fruit. That was I have blueberries all year. I hit a sale on blackberries and did the same thing. I do NOT have a separate freezer - no room - so they go into the freezer of the refrigerator.
Do you have an ice company in or near town? There is a North Pole Ice 10 miles south of me and if I have a LOT of stuff, it goes into the freezer locker. For $53 per year - come to think of it, it is renewal time - I have the locker for venison, berries, cranberries, pureed pumpkin, whatever. Since I am in that town at least once a week anyway, it is no big deal (other than remembering to go there) to get something out to bring home. I figure the electricity would cost me more per year.
.

I buy blueberries when they are on sale. I put them DIRECTLY into freezer bags and then to the freezer. I then take out what I need as I need it - and wash them when I use them. Washing before freezing puts extra moisture (bad dog!!) onto the fruit. That was I have blueberries all year. I hit a sale on blackberries and did the same thing. I do NOT have a separate freezer - no room - so they go into the freezer of the refrigerator.
Do you have an ice company in or near town? There is a North Pole Ice 10 miles south of me and if I have a LOT of stuff, it goes into the freezer locker. For $53 per year - come to think of it, it is renewal time - I have the locker for venison, berries, cranberries, pureed pumpkin, whatever. Since I am in that town at least once a week anyway, it is no big deal (other than remembering to go there) to get something out to bring home. I figure the electricity would cost me more per year.

I find that if I freeze them on a cookie sheet, they don't clump together. After they are frozen, I put them in a bag and take out what I need without having to pry them apart.
.

Not enough room in the freezer for that. If I do not wash them first, they do not clump. The clump comes - and really not much of that - when I wash them. A few blueberries sprinkled on top of the compote adds a lot.