So, here’s the answer to the question. Ultra-processed food items — which aren’t perishable like fresh produce — are becoming cheaper. “Junk food is cheap because you can keep it forever. You can buy it in bulk, you can produce it in bulk, you can deliver it when it’s cheap to deliver it.” Think about the supply chain. Fresh produce, fish and meat need to be refrigerated and restocked, unlike shelf stable items. Those transportation and replenishment costs get passed on to th

I keep asking myself why the stuff they tell you is good for you, or at least better for you than the stuff you are already eating costs so much more? There are these apps that you can use to 'rate' your food. One, my doctor told me about, the other I found on my own. The first is called YUKA. I have probably mentioned that one before. The second is called ZOE. I have both on my phone now. So I was eating Cheerios. Supposed to be good for you. Good for cholesterol and ther

I wondered what the price of things might be now that Feast Day has come and gone, for that $40 deal at Aldi's and Walmart. I had to check it out. Turkey is still the same price. (For a whole frozen turkey the same size). The Artisan Macaroni and Cheese is still the same price. The Pumpkin is still the same price. And so forth. So it makes me wonder how much of a deal that whole thing really was? Just another thing for me to puzzle over but still be grateful for at the same

Cravings can sometimes feel like a challenge when trying to maintain a healthy diet. Last week, mashed potatoes were the star of the cravings, and this week, the desire has shifted to fresh salads with a bold, tangy dressing reminiscent of Roquefort cheese. Store-bought salad dressings often contain preservatives, added sugars, and unhealthy fats, which can derail healthy eating goals. I cannot have them especially if they contain "gum-gums". Luckily, there’s a delicious home

Pretty bad. Thanksgiving often means a table full of rich, carb-heavy dishes that can leave you feeling sluggish and guilty afterward. Cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and dinner rolls are staples, but they pack a surprising amount of sugar and refined carbohydrates. If you want to enjoy the holiday feast without the carb overload or sugar crash, it’s worth exploring healthier alternatives that still capture the spirit and flavor of Thanksgiving. This post explains

Well that can of worms I opened spilled out into my entire office, out into my library, out into my living room, and is threatening to crawl into my kitchen. This is a most frustrating affair. Am I a hoarder and not just a pack-rat? Geez. I am trying hard to organize, sort, consolidate, re-box, re-label, donate, toss and make sense of all this stuff. This all in the hope of finding new space in that closet for stuff that needs a home that is not out in sight. Wish me luck. I

I am still thinking I will order that $40 feed 10 deal for thanksgiving. I mean you get a whole turkey and 5lbs of potatoes, that's $15 right there. Then all the other stuff. But Thanksgiving is still weeks away and I plan to eat between now and then. Plus there are other things that will have to be ordered to complete the meal, like eggs for the pie. Still I think it's a good deal. If you make use of the EBT or SNAP or as I have always called them, Food Stamps, then I am ho

I fired the shots. I will no longer employ shots. They are retired involuntarily. I hate shots. So from here forward they will be called by another name, not shots. Shots are tiny little glasses filled with alcohol. No longer are shots a poke in the arm that makes your arm sore for days on end. I have decided to call this ritual 'getting armor'. Yes, cladding myself up in armor against a specific foe that might do me harm. In September I was cloaked in armor against the enem

What is marketed in the United States as “yams” are really a variety of sweet potato, grown in the South. A true yam is a starchy edible root of the Dioscorea genus, and is generally imported to America from the Caribbean. It is rough and scaly and very low in beta carotene. Yams? Sweet Potatoes? Can you tell? “Yams,” as the industry and general public perceives them, are actually sweet potatoes with a vivid orange color and a soft moist consistency when cooked. They tend to

Hey there. It's Wednesday, so today is the day I order the groceries for the coming week and all the items needed to make the goodies on the menus created yesterday, plus all the usual daily stuff. So without further adieu, here are this weeks menus: Chili and Cornbread Tilapia Fish, Air-Fryer Fries and Butter Peas Black Bean Cheeseburgers with Buns, Fixins, and Chips Chicken Fried "Steaks" , Country Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans Sausage & Peppers with Orzo and

I am in a weird state of mind today. I decided (since it's cold weather and I need to do indoor things) that I would get started on my downsizing project. ie: get rid of stuff and organize what's left. I chose to start on my office closet. What a can of worms I opened there. Here I sit looking at the stuff lying on the floor that fell when I tried to remove a box full of heavy stuff. I admit I have trouble getting rid of useable items. I donate lots of stuff but I throw away

My new doctor recommended an app for the smart phone called YUKA which rates various foods (and some cosmetics). It tells you what the ingredients are and for the most part, tells you why it gave that product the rating that it did. For example, it might say that it is too processed so it got a low rating, or that it has too much sodium added to it but that it's still got some good stuff so it got a medium rating. Somehow, we discovered Zoe, I cannot remember exactly how that

Where I live, there are abrupt season changes. Some years we get no Springtime to speak of and some years (like this one) Autumn is elusive shifting from summer to winter without much in between, which would be called Autumn if it were there. This year I am already cold. Indoors. I am already dressing in layers trying to stay warm. I have broken out the long pants and leggings. I have reintroduced the thick, fuzzy socks. I have terminated the use of sandals and gone to sho