Groceries

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Thats funny!

I remember some movie that takes place in the future, forget which one. The main characters were having a chat and in the background you can hear the news reporter on the tv saying "a major breakthrough in weight loss has just been made. Scientists have proven that eating more healthy foods in smaller quantities and working out moderately is proven to help you lose weight and feel better. More at 11..."

You folks looking at buying large hunks of cow should consider those 'tougher' cuts. Not only are they cheaper, I prefer them on the occasions I eat meat. Chuck is probably the most underrated cut of meat, just dont overcook it. A chuck eye steak (if you can find it) has the appearance of a small rib eye. Rubbed with garlic, salt and pepper and grilled rare to medium rare has one of the best beef flavors. Even a regular chuck steak (and I get them at 2.28/lb here) treated the same way is pretty tasty.

Braised as a pot roast, chili, beef stew the forequarter is pretty good. If you can get short ribs, rub them with horseradish and braise them for several hours...the horseradish mellows out sweet like garlic...or look up a recipe for korean short ribs. Day before yesterday I pounded out some flank and made braciole...stuffed with italian bread crumbs, garlic, eggs and parmesan, then braised in a homemade tomato sauce. Slip a brisket into a mix of barbecue sauce, beef stock and whiskey and simmer until fork tender...shred and make sandwiches.

Shoot, now I have to go buy a brisket. Somebody got me going on chicken wings last week.

 

[Bob_Smith]

Even a regular chuck steak (and I get them at 2.28/lb here) treated the same way is pretty tasty.

We like chuck steak too. Also consider buying a whole boneless pork loin. We have it cut to order (we prefer 1" thick) and grill it. Brush on some italian salad dressing the last few minutes on the grill. It goes on sale here every month or two for $1.99/lb - cheaper than hamburger and far better.

Speaking of grills, am I the only one who just learned they no longer use briquettes with gas grills? These new gas grills are a huge improvement. They use a metal plate over the burner instead of briquettes, and there are almost none of the flare-ups there used to be. I just bought a "Little Aussie" grill which is small and uses about half the gas as my old one, yet still has plenty of room for our needs. This grill is very well constructed and I bought it for $89 plus tax at Menards. This one is coated in porcelain. It's the best gas grill I've ever owned.

 

[Jane]

All this talk about food...making me hungry.

You guys are worse than chinese water torture!



Btw, I have realized why my fad diet has never taken off. It's name is too long!

Ever noticed how the fad that got popular only has 1 - 2 words name?

Atkins. Beverly Hills. Cabbage Soup.

I gotta think of a shorter name.



Jane

 

[BigMoneyJim]

I gotta think of a shorter name.

Heh, reminds me of a sitcom (3rd Rock From the Sun, I think) where they had a weight loss group called "Fat Losers". You could have the Fat Loser diet.

(If anyone is feeling offended, it's a pun, it's a pun. And I'm overweight.)

 

[John Galt]

It's not really a pun, but still somewhat amusing.
Of course, "Fat Losers" is about as non-PC as you
can get, but then I'm about as non-PC as you can get,
so...........................

John Galt

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

How about the "blueberry muffin" diet?

You stop eating so much so you can stop looking like a blueberry muffin, overflowing its tin.

Which reminds me. I need to buy some bigger 'tins'...

 

[wabmester]

It's not really a pun, but still somewhat amusing.

John Galt, master of the pun, please explain why "Fat Losers" is not a pun. It looks like a pun to me. I even looked up pun to confirm:

the usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings

Is there some nuance I'm missing that makes this other than a pun, and if so, what the heck is it? I feel like such a fat loser having to ask this question.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

You know what word I'm not comfortable with? Nuance. It's not a real word. Like "gesture." Gesture's a real word. With gesture you know where you stand. But nuance? I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[John Galt]

I detect some nuance of ambivalence from TH. He should stick with the ER genre lest his posts lose their cogency.
(Hemingway is rolling over in his grave)

John Galt

 

[John Galt]

I agree with wabmester's definition of a pun, and I stand corrected. "Fat Losers" is definitely a pun.
Believe it or not, although amused by the name, I missed that.
I humbly beg your pardon................

John Galt

 

[BUM]

So when you're on the Fat Loser Diet who monitors your progress?


Get ready!









Are you ready?




Chubby Checkers!



With apologies to Dom Deluise,


BUM

 

[John Galt]

I would vote for Refrigerator "Parry". Now that's a pun

John Galt

 

[Sheryl]

Do you know if that price includes cutting and wrapping? If so, it is a great bargain. BTW- the guy I bought from has passed over, and I would like to get some again. You live in Puget Sound, don't you? Would you share your source with me- either on the forum or in a message?

Beyond saving money, I would like to get back to this because I believe it is nutritionally better.

Thanks, Mikey

Hi Mikey, I am told it does include cutting and wrapping. I don't have any info on the guy myself, just an agreement with the co-worker who's been doing it, but I'll ask him on Monday. We are "up north" almost to Canada, but it's a nice drive.

I agree about the nutirtional value too. Besides, with the lastest "low carb" craze, we should be right back in fashion, eh?

 

[Sheryl]

Rubbed with garlic, salt and pepper and grilled rare to medium rare has one of the best beef flavors.  Even a regular chuck steak (and I get them at 2.28/lb here) treated the same way is pretty tasty.

Braised as a pot roast, chili, beef stew the forequarter is pretty good.  If you can get short ribs, rub them with horseradish and braise them for several hours...the horseradish mellows out sweet like garlic...or look up a recipe for korean short ribs.  Day before yesterday I pounded out some flank and made braciole...stuffed with italian bread crumbs, garlic, eggs and parmesan, then braised in a homemade tomato sauce.  Slip a brisket into a mix of barbecue sauce, beef stock and whiskey and simmer until fork tender...shred and make sandwiches.

Shoot, now I have to go buy a brisket.  Somebody got me going on chicken wings last week.

Oh, man, TH, now I have drooled all over the keyboard.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Brush that keyboard with soy sauce and sprinkle liberally with salt and black pepper. Grill for 5 minutes on the bottom and for 2 minutes on the key side, until the keys are tender and "falling off the membrane"...

 

[trumpeting_angel]

TH, if you ever run short of $$, don't go back to that stultifying corporate world. Write a cookbook!

Maybe this group should write a cookbook. Collected wisdom. Frugal Gourmet (oh, did someone already take that name?)

I'm drooling, too, in spite of strict intentions to drop some pounds after sampling a few too many San Francisco restaurants!

Anne

 

[bongo2]

I am beginning to think this is a very big factor. When apples cost $1.50 a pound, which they do here, you eat one normal sized apple and that is pretty close to $1.50. I bunch of greens is no less than $1.29. I usually eat a bunch as a serving. Maybe I can get two servings. Even cabbage, the sustainer of poor people all over the temperate world costs $.79 a pound, and a cabbage might weigh 4 pounds, and give two servings. A bunch of green onions, $0.69. For me, a bunch is one to two servings, depending on how I am using it. So before I get to the meat, I am close to or over $5 per day. Add $1.50 minimum for beverages-wine, iced tea, coffee, and I have only about $3.50 left for meat, spices, condiments, etc. Pretty easy if I have hamburger or wings that day, but a halibut steak sure knocks it out.

I remember a while ago you posted some prices like this. Last night I was in the grocery store (Rainbow Foods in a suburb of Minneapolis) and compared. Apples were $1.30-$1.50 a pound (depending on type) -- which is completely outrageous! I've never paid more than $1 a pound, and typically pay more like $0.5-$0.7. The cabbage, though, was only $0.39 a pound (and you eat two pounds of cabbage at a sitting!), green onions were $0.79 a pound which comes out to about $0.59 a bunch. I'm not sure what you mean by "greens." If you mean something like romaine or green lettuce, then our price is $0.79-$1.39 (depending on type), but we have five people in our household that eat a salad every day, and we don't go through more than two bunches a week. I'm pretty astonshed that you can manage to eat an entire bunch in one shot.

I've noticed that salad vegetables have been expensive lately for some reason.

This weeks deals: peaches $0.79 a pound, blueberries $1 a pint, grapes $1 a pound, eggs $0.79 a dozen, frozen pizzas $2 each.

 

[JOhn Galt]

My wife handles and pays for all groceries/household supplies. She is a careful shopper generally, but
then will splurge on stuff. I do not "advise" as she is
spending her own money (we have totally sep. finances,second marriage for both - grown kids from
both ). Anyway, this part of our sytem works well.
We eat good and I keep my mouth shut as it's her baby.
I do go along to push the cart, load and unload.
Otherwise, I comment only if asked. I do think there is
a lot of room to save though. In the summer, we eat
fish we have caught and the results of wife's garden,
and we almost always buy generic. When I used to hunt, that helped a little if you count the costs
elsewhere (entertainment budget). Still, there is
obvious fat between where we are and true "thrift".

John Galt

 

[Cut-Throat]

We eat good and I keep my mouth shut as it's her baby.
I do go along to push the cart, load and unload.
Otherwise, I comment only if asked.

I would not have guessed that you had this kind of self-restraint.

 

[JOhn Galt]

My wife has opined that I have no "self restraint".
I must have some however, and a lot more than she thinks. It is necessary to employ whatever you can muster in order to have a chance to stay married.
I've been married for most of my adult life, which proves
my point I guess.

John Galt