What-What?! Week of March 10th

This week hasn’t been good either.  A lot of this week has been nose-to-the-grindstone, just trying to get this external analysis done.  Meanwhile, we’ve had issues with our client, I have had issues with my teammates, I’ve forgotten important projects for my other classes, and so on.

Food:  Cheese Twists via The Frugal Girl

I made these this weekend, using my Kitchenaid mixer.  Delicious!  I actually did not follow this recipe, though I did use the method; I simply used my regular bread recipe, and added cheese.  Next time, I will add cheese at the end of mixing/kneading it, because adding the cheese at the beginning macerated all the cheese into tiny pieces.  I was looking more for chunks of cheese in the bread, which I didn’t get, but it still tasted very strongly of cheddar.

News: #SequesterThis via the Wall Street Journal

This is an article that criticizes the USDA for partially funding the California Small Farm Conference, which occurs this year on March 10-12 in Fresno, despite having to lay off meat inspectors due to the sequester debacle.  I have a few problems with this; everyone knew that there would be a chance for the two percent spending cuts, however when they made the decision to fund this, I’m not sure sequester was even on the table.  Also, although the article paints a picture of the conference as being all about fine dining and frilliness, it does deal with some important subjects, like food safety,  smart water usage, how to choose crops, and information on new WIC requirements for farmers’ markets.

According to the USDA, the number of farmers’ markets in the United States has increased 49 percent from 2009-2012.  With this increase comes a greater amount of consumers buying produce from small farmers; therefore, it makes sense to foster food safety strategies for these farms.  In addition to this, the increase in farmers’ markets and small farmers benefits the economy, brings in revenue to the state, and encourages local entrepreneurship, especially by minorities.  Is it worth laying off meat inspectors for this?  I am not sure.  However, I think it is a mistake to present this conference as nothing more than wasteful government spending.

Wasting Time:  Princess Celestia as The Stig

I was talking with my husband, and somehow this came up.  So then I made it, when I should have been working on my paper.  It made me happy. :)  Though, I would not go to Google and type in "princess celestia as the stig", because there's fanfic.  I was too scared to look at it, because of Rule 34.  I've already had one Rule 34 experience while looking up pictures of the Stig. xP

See you next week!

(images via The Frugal Girl and the California Small Farm Conference)

What-What?! Week of March 3rd

I keep telling myself that, by six weeks into the semester, things would quiet down.  Well, we’re at nearly seven weeks in now, and it’s just as crazy.  This week, I’ve been writing about the language services industry, which has been pretty interesting.  If anyone’s looking for an industry to invest in, this is one that I would recommend; the industry has experienced a 50 percent growth from 2007-2011, and grew by 12 percent last year alone.  This kind of growth is expected to continue, and with the languishing economic recovery, that’s not doing too bad at all.

This week’s post is basically all about grocery industry stuff.  I have been so overloaded with school that I have just needed to do something else that’s interesting.  That something else has been reading about the state of the grocery industry.

Cooking: Bisquick Scones

Yesterday, I did make some scones.  My husband had seen Yvonne and her husband Matt from G:M:Me bakery last week, and they gifted him some of their delicious scones!  After eating those, I had a hankering for more.  Yvonne is out of the markets right now because she is taking care of her baby (who is beautiful!), so I had to do it myself.  I chose this recipe specifically because it included butter, which, in my opinion, is of utmost importance in a scone.  Something interesting I found while I was looking for this recipe is that, in the UK, on the box of Bisquick there is a recipe for scones, while on the U.S. box, it’s a recipe for biscuits.  In this recipe,   I subbed the 1/2 cup blueberries for dried cranberries, because that’s what I had on hand.  It turned out okay; not the best, obviously, but not bad for 20 minutes’ worth of work.  Next time I’m adding more butter, I think.

News: Nob Hill Offerings Sub-Par

On the topic of grocery stores, according to what I’ve read on a few couponing forums, it sounds like shoppers aren’t impressed with Raley’s/Nob Hill; the deals have just been sub-par.  This week I’ll be shopping there to pick up some peanut butter, but otherwise, I haven’t stepped foot into that store in weeks.  It makes me wonder if the recent union issues have eaten away at some of Nob Hill’s ability to compete with Safeway’s loss leaders.

News: Couponing Craze Dying Off

This article discusses some things that I’ve experienced in the last few years of couponing; reduced number and value of coupons that I want to use.   Apparently, there’s been a 6.5 percent reduction in food coupons in the past year, though really the thing to look at is the value of the coupons, which has declined to an average of $0.99 for food products.  Compounding the reduction is an increase in the number of items you have to buy to use a coupon; 45 percent of all food coupons require you to buy two or more items.

My experience reflects this; a year ago, it wasn’t difficult to find a one dollar coupon for one box of cereal.  Now, it’s neigh impossible, as the values have been reduced to one dollar off two, or even a dollar off of three boxes!  The food coupons have been replaced by more coupons for items like lotion, shampoo, and so on, and even those have been reduced in value as well.

I’ve reacted to this by buying less, and buying more private, store brand items.  My family now eats a lot more oatmeal and eggs for breakfast rather than cereal, and we eat a lot more whole foods in general.  As for non-food items, I stock up when I can get them inexpensively.  I no longer coupon over at the drugstores anymore, as the increased prices, shoddy sales, and reduced coupon values have combined to make it no longer worth the effort.  Many other couponers have made the same kind of changes in their shopping habits.  Overall, I think that companies are shooting themselves in the foot by reducing coupon values.

Yep, that's it for this week.  Next week I'll be more interesting, promise. :)
(images from everywhere xP )