If you're still needing ideas...

...for inexpensive "neighbor gifts" or the like, you might want to check out this post: http://todaysfabulousfinds.blogspot.com/2010/12/15-gift-ideas-under-2.html. I have no idea why all the options for inserting links are gone as I write this post, but they are, so here's hoping I figure it out (or the options come back) before the I write the next one... Thanks to Fabulous Finds for the ideas!

Giving food, getting food...

Well, that was about the most cohesive title I could think of, given that I am about to relate a bunch of experiences that are semi-related...

--I had the opportunity to prepare a meal for a large family and deliver it--thing is, my typical "go-to" meals wouldn't necessarily work in this circumstance, given I didn't know how much food was actually needed. There were a variety of ages represented, and, well, I wanted to make sure there was enough food taken in. Sooo, I went looking on the internet and found this recipe for a ground beef casserole. Thing is, I used ground turkey, and omitted the green pepper, and made it for my own family the day before I made it for the other family. It went over ok with my family, although it wasn't a huge hit. What I liked about it is that with these ingredients, it's easy to manipulate the measurements to make it larger by doubling, and I'm pretty sure if you wanted to stretch it with a little more pasta, it wouldn't hurt anything, and would be more to serve. Anyway, not strictly a food storage recipe, but it is easy, and readers remember how much I love easy when it comes to recipes. :) Just thought I'd share. I think it would be great to take to a potluck dinner, as well.

--Many thanks to the kind "Christmas Elf" who left the homemade cinnamon bread ring (reminded me of what I have seen called "monkey bread") and ran away before we opened the door. It was still warm, and enjoyed by all!

--And speaking of "getting food", I thought I should share this link about legislation that was recently passed, as I understand it, without the amendment that was suggested at the beginning by Senator Paul. Storing food is particularly mentioned, so I include this link in the interest of spreading more information, and because people need to make informed decisions whenever possible. You may have already seen/heard about this, but wanted to include it here for those who have not.

--Picked up some boxes of potatoes at a local farm for my parents and took them down at Thanksgiving--they were requested so that they could be given as Christmas gifts. Ahh, Idaho potatoes, fresh off the farm. Gotta love food for gifts. Saw on the internet elsewhere a suggestion of giving a case of toilet paper for a "white elephant gift"--I think it may come across as funny, but no question would be useful....

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and is enjoying the Christmas season!

Thank you, Veterans!

Can never say thanks enough to all those who have served our country and protected our freedoms--but the thanks is heartfelt. Thank you!

Some things are worth repeating...

I imagine by now that many if not all of my readers have heard about the peanut butter companies raising their prices in a major way--soon, if they haven't already. I wrote about and posted this article over on my other blog on Monday, and it gives details on when some of the prices are going up with some of the major peanut butter companies. Looks like there is some time left before some companies raise prices, but not much, so you may want to stock up on peanut butter, if it is one of your preferred preparation items. Since time is of the essence in this case, I hope you will pardon the repetition...

And since I am repeating myself, you may want to check out my post here that includes links to a great site that I don't think I have ever mentioned on this blog....

And, speaking of repetition, I can't say thanks too many times for coming back to read... :) Hope all is well with everyone!

Update on the watermelon, etc....

Yes, these watermelon came from our garden--my husband brought them in last night because there was an expected freeze. (The first expected freeze, even though last week we got, from one neighbor's account, 5 inches of heavy, wet snow. I can't verify the five inches (have to say I believe my neighbor) but I can verify the wet, heavy part-- from when the children and I cleaned off the driveway :) Anyway, yay, we grew watermelon in Idaho! Don't know how it will taste, but there is a certain happiness in having seen it get bigger and bigger.

Bigger and bigger, but not exactly huge. When the above picture was sent to relatives, an e-mail was returned asking about size, because it was hard to judge from the picture. So, the following e-mail was sent out:





Yeah, my husband's hand gives you a point of reference. Hope they taste as good as they look, and as to the size, you're always supposed to leave people wanting more, right? :)

We got a lot of carrots, our zucchini thrived, and we got a lot of peas from our garden this year. We had more ears of corn, but we waited too long to pick them. Our pumpkins are still out there, and looking good--how did your garden do this year? Hope everyone had/is having a great harvest...

Grapefruit juice...or the lack thereof

We don't buy grapefruit juice all that often, but recently, since it is one of my children's favorites, I went looking for some. The bottled variety was available, but there was no frozen concentrate. Ok, this didn't happen at the store I shop at the most often, but it does seem to have the best price on cheese that I've seen around, and the butter prices are better than most as a rule, and really good with the occasional coupon. So, I thought, it's a fluke. It's just this store.

Until, out of curiosity, I checked to see the availability of frozen grapefruit concentrate at our local national chainstore. There was none.

Then there is the bag-your-own variety of store that my husband needed to stop by because of something we had forgotten to purchase. When he called to tell me that he would be stopping by, I asked him to check to see if there was any frozen grapefruit concentrate available.

Again, nothing.....

Anyone else notice this in their area? I guess I can't really claim that there is no availability when it comes to grapefruit juice, since the bottled variety is still available, (at a somewhat hefty price) but I was surprised at the lack of the frozen variety, and am wondering--is it too expensive to produce in this form anymore, or have there been weather problems, crop problems, or something else that makes it impossible (at least as far as I have seen) to find now?

Paying attention at the cash register...

Can pay off if you actually are paying attention at the cash register, or really cost you if you aren't. Take today for example--I picked up a package (1.25 lb.) of ground turkey (would have picked up a 3 lb. package, but more on that later) and made my way to the cash register with other purchases. I thought the price on the package was $2.98.

Imagine my surprise, when, as the last product scanned, the turkey rang up at $4.58.

So I asked about it. The poor cashier, who had just put the closed sign on her register, asked me if I wanted her to check it. I did. So off she went. And she was gone quite awhile. When she returned, she said that the turkey at a different fat content level was the one at $2.98, but since there was no sign posted for the package I wanted to purchase, they decided that they would let me have it at the price of the other type. Quite the savings, if the $4.58 was the price it will be when they do find the sign...

I had planned to pick up a 3 lb. package, since I usually brown it and freeze it, and since we had been using our frozen meat, I had not noticed until now that there were no 3 lb. packages available. And no space marked for 3 lb. packages, making me wonder how long this had been going on, and if there were any plans to bring back the more economical package sizes. The turkey available was a different brand. So, I asked someone pulling a stocking shelf out from the back what the deal was--were we ever to see the 3 lb. packages again at this shopping location? The long and short of it was that he didn't know.

And hence, I don't know either. I do have one back up location for buying the 3 lb. packages, so I certainly hope it is stil available, and at a better price than $4.58 for 1.25 lbs...what are prices like where you are at?

And on the first note, makes me wonder how many times I have been overcharged without realizing it--through my own fault (misreading or misattributing signs) or otherwise...