Danggit...Sidetracked.

Sidetracked. I was really just gonna get a few ingredients to do a wonton soup video. Then I looked at the paper and saw "Large Tomatoes 3lbs/$1 - limit 6 lbs"

Then I looked at a recipe on pickyourown.org and I thought why shouldn't I make my own ketchup...My youtube buddies have really been pointing out how sinister and poisonous it is to eat out of plastic. So I ran my little sister to the eye doctor (can't have her driving around town with dilated eyes right), then we stopped by Food City and hit them up for the 3lbs/$1 deal. Of course it is limit 6lbs so we were planning on walking out and walking back in. But my little sister told me let's just bag up another 12 lbs and then we'll just walk around and get back in line. LOL. Well the cashier just laughed at us and said I'll just ring them separately for you!

AWESOME.

I had also picked up 6lbs before getting home. So I had about 28-29 lbs of tomatoes. for under 10 bucks. Terrific right. Truth be told it would actually be cheaper to buy it. According to this recipe - 25 lbs of tomatoes will only make 7 pints of ketchup. We'll see.
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We also stopped by Costco today. The swiffer stuff was all $3 off. The foodsaver box of bags was 12 bucks off ($8 coupon +$4 manufacturer instant rebate), organic diced tomato buy one case get one free, log cabin syrup (no HFCS) 2 for $6. They also have these fabulous nordicware made in US sheet pans for less than 20 bucks.

I tell you what the general feeling in the air is one of anger, irritation and fear. I don't know how else to put it. I just get that feeling when I'm in the stores and people look absolutely stunned at prices and how little their money is purchasing. We Americans have been very spoiled for many many decades and most of us for all of our lives. There has always been incredible availability - and people come here from all over the world and MARVEL at how easily and inexpensively we buy food. The ratio of income to food has always been really low here - meaning regardless of how little you made you could always eat on some level and treat yourself to good steaks occasionally. The rest of the world has always had a high ratio income to high ratio food cost which means that even people who make good money can't always buy the volume or quality of food they want it just means they don't go hungry.

In the last few years and especially during the last year people have really felt the punch of food prices. The crazy thing about food prices is that once the prices go up - they STAY up. There is no way that I will see a pound of butter for $1.79 again. Not as a regular price without a coupon. American Greed will not let the teeter totter. I look at people and really ask myself - how could they NOT be stunned into action, into putting something away, into cutting back on stupid habits like fast food and starbucks. It's a personal choice of course and they can run butt naked holding chopsticks in their ass cleavage --- but unfortunately such recklessness affects us all.

And don't even get me started on how toxic all that shit in plastic is ANYWAY...

Nonetheless, I will keep on keepin' on.

School is going really well. I think I may be a little smarter than I thought because I am grasping things in a reflexive manner. I am actually sometimes surprised at how I grasp things because the answers fly out of my mouth or I can throw out a 1 page paper in under 10 minutes and move onto other assignments. I try to stay humble and just be quiet.

There is a girl in my math class who was also in my math class last semester. Well this girl and I were always "competing" on test days. When I got 100 she got a 96. When she got a 100 I would have a 94 and we went on like that back and forth all semester. So I never did see her after the final. So I asked her What did you get on your final in that last class? She said Oh I didn't do so well. I said how could you not do well - you never scored lower than a 92 on the tests? She said that she cheated. CHEATED!!! I said how could you possibly cheat? She said she had taken the same teacher 2x before and he let everyone keep their tests - and after failing twice she finally just started memorizing the formulas and answers. I WAS HORRIFIED. I will not lie but I do not look at her the same as when I thought she studied like I did. Well when this class started she sat in the back right corner. I sit in the front of hard classes because I will pay maximum attention and not waste my time. She did not sit by me - a crazy serial killer looking lady sat by me. The next time we came to class the crazy lady was gone, and 2 pretty girls sat by me and the cheater (someone had taken her seat)...I feel so bad for her everyday - to watch her struggle. The other 2 girls have a real grasp of math or strive to grasp it - the cheater girl is just dog-paddling in water full of sharks. It's sad.

Oh yeah, 2 days ago I was trying to sell 2 of my group mates on coming over so I could teach them to can and make bread. I told them i make .... and .... and ... All they heard was salsa - well the professor heard and she said I would like some salsa. So i brought her some. She is from Poland and as a European understands that food is better from glass than plastic. I tell you what she was so happy she gave me a hug and said OH my kids and I are going to enjoy this tonight and we talked about how when we leave the country we find ourselves gorging on fruits and veggies. LOL. I told her in the Philippines the peanut butter is still put in glass jars and the biggest one you can buy is 6 oz.

Sigh. It is horrifying that I am relieved to have preps!