Wednesday this week I baked bread. I confess to often taking the easy route and include a couple of loaves of bread in my grocery order every two weeks. But while going over my store receipt two weeks ago I found the price of a loaf of store brand bread had doubled within the last couple of months.
I confess to cheating in that I use my bread machine to stir and knead the dough. When ready, I shape the dough into whatever I am making and bake it in the oven. This time there were three loaves, 2 dozen rolls and a dozen cinnamon rolls.
After doing the math, I found my total cost for the above was less than one loaf of bread from the store.
I have lots of flour stored. If I am baking bread for one or two people, I have enough to last a year or more. But should bad things happen and I need to feed more people, I am up creek - no paddle.
Food prices are rising at an astonishing rate here. A good friend sent me this link to a video that deals with the increases in grain prices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF72G8GsNfU
I do believe I will be going back to square one with stocking the basics. The extras are nice to have for variety in a well stocked pantry, but the basics like flour, rice, beans and oatmeal will keep us alive should it ever get to that point. And it is anybody's guess as to how much longer these items will be available or affordable.
Stack it to the rafters.
You are arguably better-prepared than 99% of the general population, and are an inspiration to all of us.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, Rev. Paul...I just hope more will come to understand why preparing is so important, especially these days.
DeleteAs always, you can be sure that the farmer gets the smallest percentage of the price increases.
ReplyDeleteSeems that is the way things usually work, Gorges.
DeleteIndeed, Vicki; what surprised me at the beginning of The Plague was the scarcity of flour and yeast! Here in the Wild, Wild West, yeast was pure unobtainium! Flour wasn't that far behind. MEAT was easier to find than flour and yeast!
ReplyDeleteYeah; stack it to the rafters. Unfortunately, we're probably going to need it, as God only knows what other royal decrees JoeBama will hand down next...
Pete...I had heard from others who had a hard time finding yeast at the beginning of this particular insanity. A couple of years ago I bought several 2 lb. bricks of it at Sam's and keep it in the freezer. It stays fresh and works well.
DeleteIf you think what has happened this past week is bad, take a look at Congressional Bill H.R.5717. God help us all!
Last I checked (admittedly a couple of weeks ago) Costco has very large bags of bread flour for under $20. I'll bet Sam's does, too, if you have access to either one of them.
ReplyDeletechipmunk...I have both sugar and flour in 25 lb. bags from Sam's. But because I am mostly housebound, it is easier for me to just get flour with my grocery order. It adds up fairly quickly. Sam's has all purpose flour for $8.53 per 25 lb. bag so far and the grocery has 5 lb. bags for under $2. I am guessing those prices will go up along with everything else before too long.
DeleteI checked at Costco today, and a 50 pound bag of bread flour was about $15, so fairly comparable. BTW did you know you can make all purpose flour to bread flour by adding about 1 1/4 tsp of vital wheat gluten to every cup of flour?
Deletechipmunk...Thanks for the information. I didn't know about adding gluten. It seems one is never too old to learn something new.
DeleteThe best analogy on bread machines came from a Patrice Lewis blog, where she compared it to a washing machine and how people don’t look down on others for not washing all their clothes by hand. I never looked back after that!
ReplyDeleteRobin E...I like that analogy! That bread machine is one of the best investments I have made. Somewhere along the line I got old - don't know how that happened - and kneading the dough is not as easy as it once was. The machine makes it possible to continue to do something I love to do. :)
DeleteAnd home baked bread and rolls taste and smell sooo much better than store bought. I better get some bread baked soon! CW
ReplyDeleteCW...I have been told that the smell of baking bread can be detected up and down the hallway of this building. It brought a long, tall son from next door to share in the spoils. :)
DeleteAs the aroma of fresh baked bread fills my mind, I am reminded of the bread making lyrics in the Righteous Brothers song, "Unchained Melody".
ReplyDeleteI'm referring to the part where they sing,
"I knead your loaf,
I knead your loaf,
God speed your loaf to me."
Another line says, "I hunger for your loaf.."
It's all about the bread! :)
You're welcome for the earworm.
John...It isn't often that I laugh myself to tears, but you, my friend, have made that happen!! And now, of course, the rest of my day will be filled with Righteous Brothers music and wonky lyrics. Thank you very much. :)
DeleteCommenters should contribute. Not just, ........loaf along!
DeleteIt may have been your mention of yeast that made me rise to the occasion.
You are very welcome.
Help! Waving the white flag of surrender here!!
DeleteActually, John, you made my day. Thanks. :)
If I didn't comment, I'd feel like a, ....heel. :)
DeleteI must be on a, .....roll!
Glad to help.
I don't actually know where the jokes come from.
But once the humor muse has latched on, I just ride it out to the end.
Thanks, John and Vicki! Y’all made me laugh and I needed that today!
DeleteA well developed sense of humor is a blessing. And when others can join in on the fun, so much the better. Thanks, John
DeleteLTM...The silliness was exactly what I needed today, too!!
...I'm a loafer; not a fighter...
Delete...Even in "these challenging times..." sometimes we knead to laugh. We must move forward, rising to the occasion... Yeasterday is gone...
DeleteDear Lord have mercy - there's two of them now!! And both are funny! Thanks, guys. And Pete - you are right. We 'knead' to laugh. The way things are shaping up, I sometimes think that soon laughter will be all we have left.
Delete