Grocery shopping tips during Coronavirus quarantine #2

[Knitty]

That article wants me to install an app to view it.nope.

I will say that if we just buy our normal groceries there would be few shortages. Hoarders are the problem for most shortages and make it hard on the rest of us.

The article said: face masks, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, paper towels, household cleaners. I was able to force close the pop-over that wanted me to install the app.

 

[155etta]

I wouldn't worry too much if stores don't have canned pumpkin right now. Mine usually don't carry canned pumpkin until the Fall. This year's pumpkins probably haven't even been harvested yet. And if there is a shortage of canned pumpkin, then this is a good year to learn how to roast fresh pumpkin to make your own puree. It's really easy and so delicious: How to Roast Pumpkin (& Make Purée) | Minimalist Baker Recipes

I'm growing my own sweet potatoes and pumpkins, so I'm not too concerned about shortages of those items. I always make a bunch of puree in the fall and freeze it until Thanksgiving. The thing I worry about finding this year is an organic/free range turkey. But if I can't find one then I'll do something different like duck or goose or little cornish game hens or ham or beef brisket. Maybe we will make a new tradition.

MOO

The best homemade pumpkin pie I ever baked was made from Sweet Meat squash.

 

[ilovewings]

Experts say more grocery hoarding is coming - here's what you should stock up on while you can — BGR

This link was very helpful- I ordered a boat load of stuff from Amazon: No Purrell but i got another brand- it should be ok- toilet and towel paper, alcohol-- no chlorox wipes available. I believe there will be hoarding in the fall (which is almost upon us) when flu and Covid hits at the same time. it won't be pretty. i also bought some canned food though i will have to buy more:soups, Dinty moore, sweet potatoes--- some of the canned food will be only for times of desperation. Thanks again for the link.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

Have you ever cooked stew inside a pumpkin? You prepare the stewing beef (or chicken) as usual with potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, etc. and put it inside a cleaned, seasoned pumpkin. The stew finishes cooking inside the pumpkin. When it's done, you gently stir the softened pumpkin flesh into the stew. It's a show-stopper and delicious! Pumpkin Stew

Are you sure you don’t have a tv show called Michigan Magic? Food. Travel. Mackinac Island. Sweet corn. I know all about the raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. Winter skiing in secret places. Cadillac comes to mind. Summer in Holland. Or Doing the Dunes.
But off topic a bit, Michigan relics. I’ll find the link. All about burial mounds. Secret writings. I was so fascinated that I put it into my phone in favorites.
I miss the seasons. Too bad heavy industry made a mess out of nature. Maybe covid is helping Mother Nature show off her babies.
Down here, those squirrels are stripping my trees of green husked pecans. They’re not even ready to harvest!

 

[Midwestmom2019]

http://michigansotherside.com/the-mysterious-michigan-relics
Really off the wall stuff.

 

[JrzyGirl70]

And this is now happening here in New Jersey and why I go to the Grocery store at 7:00am when there is hardly anyone there. Please stay safe and be careful. People were always a little bit crazy but I think Covid has definitely brought out the worst in some.

A 54-year-old New Jersey woman was hospitalized after a violent confrontation in Staples over a face mask

As an update to this post, there has been an arrest made in this assault. Good job Hackensack PD!
Woman charged with assault after mask dispute at Staples leaves customer with broken leg

 

[PayrollNerd]

SWFL update:
I had to do a Publix grocery run today. They didn’t have anyone to clean the carts anymore. They have a sign that says to sanitize before use and they provide the wipes. I also had my own just in case.

Everyone was wearing a mask. At 3:00pm it wasn’t very busy. Everyone did pretty good standing 6’ apart. I noticed more sale items today. No limits on anything. I did notice many signs clipped to the shelves stating the manufacturer was having difficulty providing product.

Extra things I bought were: 2 bags of sugar, 1 package of butter flavored Crisco sticks, 4 cans of black beans, 1 pack of toilet paper, 2 boxes of tissues, 2 cartons of little juice/veggie drink boxes, laundry detergent and a bottle of bleach.

I couldn’t find gluten free flour that didn’t have any nuts (like almond flour). I will have to make a trip to the bulk store. This is a critical item for us due to food allergies.

I couldn’t find toilet bowl cleaner that doesn’t have a strong fragrance. I really don’t want a headache! A few weeks ago, I put one of those little round bleach things in the tank. I thought that would be a good preemptive strike.

 

[Suglo]

SWFL update:
I had to do a Publix grocery run today. They didn’t have anyone to clean the carts anymore. They have a sign that says to sanitize before use and they provide the wipes. I also had my own just in case.

Everyone was wearing a mask. At 3:00pm it wasn’t very busy. Everyone did pretty good standing 6’ apart. I noticed more sale items today. No limits on anything. I did notice many signs clipped to the shelves stating the manufacturer was having difficulty providing product.

Extra things I bought were: 2 bags of sugar, 1 package of butter flavored Crisco sticks, 4 cans of black beans, 1 pack of toilet paper, 2 boxes of tissues, 2 cartons of little juice/veggie drink boxes, laundry detergent and a bottle of bleach.

I couldn’t find gluten free flour that didn’t have any nuts (like almond flour). I will have to make a trip to the bulk store. This is a critical item for us due to food allergies.

I couldn’t find toilet bowl cleaner that doesn’t have a strong fragrance. I really don’t want a headache! A few weeks ago, I put one of those little round bleach things in the tank. I thought that would be a good preemptive strike.

Be careful with those round bleach things in the tank. I find they tend to dissolve the rubber seal at the bottom of the tank. It doesn’t happen quickly but over time you end up with a constantly running toilet

 

[155etta]

My local Walmart had a whole shelf of Lysol spray cans today. Limit one. Yay!

 

[PayrollNerd]

Be careful with those round bleach things in the tank. I find they tend to dissolve the rubber seal at the bottom of the tank. It doesn’t happen quickly but over time you end up with a constantly running toilet

Yeah, I’ve heard that before. I noticed the packaging said it would last 3-4 months. I’m hoping to find a cleaning product that works for us before then.

Unbeknownst to me, I bought a “class 5” toilet when I had the bathroom updated. My plumber was impressed because most people buy the most inexpensive one. I only have one bathroom and I wanted a decent one as I’m disabled. (Blood cancer ate a hole in my hip.) I bought a Kohler brand Class 5 at Home Depot and it was about $175 on sale in 2018.

 

[PayrollNerd]

At 7:00pm I remembered that our local Mennonite farm store sold a lot of gluten free products. I popped over there and found the Bob’s Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour, 44 oz bag for $8.67. It was a better price than the King Arthur brand that was 24 oz for $7.29. What a relief!

The store closed at 8pm so it was not busy at all. I didn’t see a lot of face masks on the customers. All the staff was wearing one. They were out of cart wipes but I didn’t need a cart.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I haven't been out of the house for almost two weeks and will go to Nino's today with DH. There are many specials this week that appeal to us, so it will be a quick trip as we don't really need much. Fresh produce, mostly, and we always get fresh fish or seafood for a couple of weekly meals. Jumbo sea scallops are featured, and those are good on the grill.

I haven't done any baking this summer but asked DH to get 5# bags of flour and sugar on one of his Meijer trips last week. I won't do any hoarding but would like to have products that I use on hand in case of possible shortages. The only canned foods that I use regularly are various tomato products, beans, and olives. I usually buy a few cans of pumpkin puree in the fall and an occasional can of dark cherries in syrup for Brandied Cherry Sauce that I serve over my pound cake for a special dessert. Cases of V-8 that we get at Costco. No other canned fruits and never canned veggies. No canned fish or soup/chili. Frozen peas and some frozen fruit, and I always have butter in the freezer for baking, but we seldom use it. I buy nuts for baking a couple times a year and store them in the freezer. We always have frozen shrimp (cooked and raw), ground round, pork chops, chicken breasts.

Other pantry staples that I always replenish when necessary are: Kitchen Basics stocks, Rice Select rice and rice/grain combinations, couscous, quinoa, etc., jars of pasta sauce (I buy several when they are featured at Nino's - their own brand, Rao's, or Silver Palate), and several different varieties of pasta. We always have a couple boxes of cereal and oatmeal. We tend to enjoy the same foods and probably don't have as much variety in our weekly menus as others. Boring? Probably. But, we are healthy and eat well

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Nino's was a little too crowded for a quick trip, and we skipped some of the items that we thought we'd get simply because there were too many people crowding aisles. Scallops didn't look good, so we didn't get them. Early Michigan corn is 5 for 1.99. DH only got three ears but will get more if it's good. We're having corn on the cob with Delmonico's tonight. Splurged on a Bell & Evans whole chicken for Tuscan Lemon Chicken that I haven't made yet this summer. The butterflied chicken is marinated with lemons, olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs then grilled with a brick wrapped in foil to keep it flat. Absolutely delicious! Tuscan Lemon Chicken | Barefoot Contessa

We got enough fresh veggies and fruits for about a week. Dairy aisle was crowded, so we didn't get Eggland's Best eggs that are on special. Couldn't get to the Rao's pasta sauces, either, but eggs and pasta sauce aren't urgent. The specials run for a week, so one of us might go again to get some of the featured items that we didn't get today.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Why you're still paying higher prices for your groceries

While the average price of ground beef was down by over 9 percent last month, shoppers are still paying nearly 13 percent more than they did in January.

Shoppers are stuck paying elevated prices at the supermarket even though the supply restrictions that drove them up have dissipated, exclusive Nielsen data shows.

This “up like a rocket, down like a feather” grocery pricing phenomenon is slamming American families’ budgets at the same time they’re battling historic joblessness and the disappearances of federal unemployment benefits...

 

[mickey2942]

Noticed a few higher prices at Costco, but all in all, fairly low prices for produce at Winco.

Off to prep veggies.

 

[Knitty]

SWFL update:
I had to do a Publix grocery run today. They didn’t have anyone to clean the carts anymore. They have a sign that says to sanitize before use and they provide the wipes. I also had my own just in case.

Everyone was wearing a mask. At 3:00pm it wasn’t very busy. Everyone did pretty good standing 6’ apart. I noticed more sale items today. No limits on anything. I did notice many signs clipped to the shelves stating the manufacturer was having difficulty providing product.

Extra things I bought were: 2 bags of sugar, 1 package of butter flavored Crisco sticks, 4 cans of black beans, 1 pack of toilet paper, 2 boxes of tissues, 2 cartons of little juice/veggie drink boxes, laundry detergent and a bottle of bleach.

I couldn’t find gluten free flour that didn’t have any nuts (like almond flour). I will have to make a trip to the bulk store. This is a critical item for us due to food allergies.

I couldn’t find toilet bowl cleaner that doesn’t have a strong fragrance. I really don’t want a headache! A few weeks ago, I put one of those little round bleach things in the tank. I thought that would be a good preemptive strike.

I did my Publix run this morning - these days I go at 8:00 a.m. even though I am NOT a morning person, but I like that there are few people in the store with me. It's weird that they weren't cleaning carts at your store, because they still were at mine. I didn't notice empty shelves except for paper towels - they only had one kind and it was an enormous roll, the brand was the one with the man on it. And cleaning supplies were still low or missing. There wasn't a lot of choice of flour but there was at least all-purpose and bread flour, which wasn't true back when. I spent way too much money this time but I stocked up on wine and meat, which I hadn't in a long time so I was getting low.

 

[LadyL]

getting grocery pickup tomorrow
had to get all new baking flour as I cleaned out the bakers rack and almost all of it was expired!
I want to make some banana bread and some regular bread to have with vegi stew this week
I'll find out tomorrow or late tonight if anything is out of stock or substituted

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Recalled onions linked to Salmonella outbreak; 36 cases in Michigan

640 cases reported in U.S.

U.S. health officials are warning consumers to throw away onions linked to a Salmonella outbreak reported in more than 40 states.

Do not eat, serve, or sell recalled onions from Thomson International, Inc., or food made with these onions. Onion types include red, white, yellow, and sweet yellow varieties. Other companies have also issued recalls of foods, like chicken salads, made with recalled onions...

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Oh dear, I eat during the summer a caprese salad everyday (and add red onions, green and black olives, Aunt Nellies red cabbage and pepperoni to the standard mozzarella, tomato, moderna balsamic glaze with fresh basil)

I have always purchased Kumato brand tomatoes for such as they have such great flavor (imported from @Bravo 's Canada!)....

Just now tried to put in my Kroger *trunk order*... they no longer carry! Oh no!

I cannot find now... pooh!

 

[JDG]

Be careful with those round bleach things in the tank. I find they tend to dissolve the rubber seal at the bottom of the tank. It doesn’t happen quickly but over time you end up with a constantly running toilet

The round rubber thing is a flapper and they eventually wear out and need replacing. Might/might not have to do with the bleach inserts.

Its an easy fix, watch some YouTube videos and purchase the new flapper from Home Depot or hardware store and DIY.

If I can do it, anyone can. Thank Heavens for YouTube!