Re: Groceries
 

Came home from grocery store with fennel (don't ask, had a brain-fart, was intending to buy something else, but...).

Any suggestions What to do with it? I don't think I've ever cooked or prepared it before.

Re: Groceries
 

regular part of the diet in our house, always have it around

Wife cuts chunks off it as is & chews on it as you would with celery. She has the sweetest breath ;)

Basic cooking that includes 'Fennel' goes into in soups, stews, casserole, salads.

She also has a container of 'fennel seeds' and to no surprise includes it in most everything.

Worse is her 'fetish' of cinnamon

Turmeric after that, goes in when boiling rice, cooking butternut squash - all sorts of things, that I have no idea that we are including all of the above in most everything we eat

Daughter has a mix together of turmeric & solid honey sandwiches

Re: Groceries
 

Delia has a yum recipe that stuffs bell peppers with tomatoes, herbs, fennel, olive, then bakes. Very nice with dippy bread.

Found it
Fennel Stuffed Roasted Bell Peppers Recipe - Food.com

Re: Groceries
 

There seem to be an awful lot of offers on coffee lately.

My personal choice is the President's (;) Dark of course) from Loblaws/Superstore and between them and Shoppers it's often available at $8 or $9 for a big tin. 875g.

But whereas I used to make do with a Taster's Choice/Nescafe Colombian Instant when I didn't want to make a pot, I now use pods in the Keurig machine.

There have been so many offers for 12 packs, 30 or 40 where the pod price is around 50c. I don't think that's bad, especially as my mother in law gets a second use after I've used one. :nod:

Today, Superstore even had a pick'n'mix selection of single pods for 50c each. There were even plenty of dark ones and it's those that usually go quickly whenever there is a good deal on.

Pork chops 99c lb again. :thumbup: Chickens $1.99lb.

Re: Groceries
 

My major fortnightly shop came in under $100 yesterday, weird because they had pea meal haunches on special plus frozen pork loins and I stocked up on both. $100 is the tap threshold and I always just clear that.

Re: Groceries
 

Is that the tap threshold? We're only on £30 in Blighty, which does not go far...

Re: Groceries
 

$100 was the tap limit when we had RBC accounts. Now with the credit union and they don't offer tap and pay at all.

My US bank card has a $100 limit as well but the tap function doesn't work in Canada only in the US.

Re: Groceries
 

One of my cards doesn't have tap either. Annoying as it's a big bank and main card.

Re: Groceries
 

Tap cards must be a thief's present from heaven

Re: Groceries
 

I suppose. I wonder what the liability is if one is lost. It used to be capped at £50, but you can imagine some pretty high bills if the card went unreported. Maybe, these days, there is some neural net monitoring unusual spending patterns?

Re: Groceries
 

According to the Interac website in Canada for their system the consumer has Zero Liability for unauthorized transactions, which is also what RBC said when I had an account there and asked.

I assume the Zero liability requires the consumer to report the card missing/stolen/lost in a timely fashion and whatever else the bank/credit union requires.

The one and only time my card was compromised and used by a thief, RBC was good, they didn't make it difficult, and the money was back in my account in under 24 hours.

Interact also says $100 max per transactions and $200 max per day for the tap function.

(I suppose some banks could have a lower or higher limit, but dunno.)

http://www.interac.ca/en/interac-flash-security

Re: Groceries
 

I'm not baking the cake thing, but I'd cook and eat the rest of it. A little stew like the new potato, peas, onions and bacon would be easy to make in single serving too. It doesn't look far from the corn chowder I make but not chopped. Next time I'm shopping and see new potatoes...... maybe on Friday. It would be better with fresh peas than frozen, but maybe snow peas would be a good substitute.
http://news.nationalpost.com/life/fo...es-stereotypes

As the flyers land in the mailbox I want to plan out any projects - missed the sale on ribs at Independent but still want an excuse to get the smoker going out back.

Re: Groceries
 

Today was a great example of the bargains to be had from Shoppers Drug Mart.

President's Choice Dark Roast Coffee 875g. $7.99. It's normally $15.99 at Superstore. I say "normally" but more often than not it's on offer, although the offer price is more likely around $10. Current week's offer $11.99.

Eggs routinely $2.29 - the cheapest around here but weekend specials knock it down. $1.77 today.

Butter $3.99. When Superstore has it for less it "sells out" so quickly I'm not sure they actually had any.

Pepsi 6 pack, $2.29 weekend special. The usual price, no matter where it's sold is $4.99 but sometimes $3.49.

Tropicana 1.65l OJ $2.99.

My bill was $40. Full price (no matter where bought) it would have been around $58.

Even better, I only paid $10 thanks to Premium Points paying the rest. And those points really don't take long to accumulate what with the regular 20x the points weekends.

Re: Groceries
 

No Frills vs Save On Foods. (I bought the items at No Frills and used Save On online store to compare what the total would be there for the same* items.)

Items bought:

Water enhancer.
PC Maple Syrup
Tostitos tortilla chips
Tex mex shredded cheese
Milk 2 liters
Chocolate Milk single size
Frozen waffles
Ice Cream Sandwiches
2 turkey pot pies
2 packages stuffed chicken breasts
2 packages of bagles

Total at No Frills $36.84

Total at Save On $ 67.47












* Some items were store brand so a direct comparison isn't possible, where it was a store brand at No Frills the Save On store brand was used.

Re: Groceries
 

Do you get PC Points as well? I don't, (even though I shop at Loblaws more than anywhere else) and now that they don't have the Superbuck coupon from gas purchases anymore I'm considering getting the PC Points thing. I still want to pay cash for groceries and still only want to use my credit union credit card, but I miss getting that 2 - 3 bucks coupon on a fill-up when I'm travelling.

Re: Groceries
 

I give them the card but don't have many points, not sure how the system works, I think we have 1,200 or so last I looked.

Re: Groceries
 

We have around 43,000 points so could redeem $40.

Re: Groceries
 

Do you get a weekly mail from them? If you don't 'load your offers' you will only accumulate points pretty slowly.

Re: Groceries
 

It's probably an equivalent amount of alcohol exclusive shopping.

Looks into the distance with eyes moistening...

Re: Groceries
 

They had it again last Thursday, not in the flyer.

Each of us bought the limit of 12 and all three receipts showed 44c not 50c. That's $5.28 whereas a pack of 12 is close to $10 normally.

PC Sumatra is now my favourite and judging by the space on the shelf when there's an offer on the packs, so is everyone else's.

Re: Groceries
 

My shopping bill today and a photo of the fine quality zucchini. Hah. $1.49 a pound. I didn't buy.

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They look as if they've been fried. You should have asked if they had courgettes instead. :rofl:

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'in store' special, for our son I bought three jars of Sharwoods Madras Indian curry paste 255ml jar for $1.99 each

About |

For the local small discount deli two packs Schneiders 'chicken gill'ems' Buffalo sausage 300g (4 sausage to a pack) 2 for $1 ($0.50 each pack)

salsgrocery.com/flyer

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Do you have courgettes in NB? It always seems daft to me that a French speaking country calls courgettes zucchini. Damn American influence again.

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I'm not sure I've ever seen them labelled as courgettes here. It's just a lifetime of calling them that isn't easy to change.

Even my Quebeccer family says Zucchini.

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At $1.77/lb this will make 3 very affordable pork roasts.
Re-organising the freezing compartment revealed a bunch of little tubs of chicken wing tips, so it's time to make stock; some sea salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, garlic, rosemary, butter..... it smells really good in here. I'm tempted to build a stew with the other piece of my breakfast steak instead of using the bbq. If I got a bell pepper on the way home from the club and the beer and liquor store I could cube and marinate that steak and make kebabs on the bbq. I should always have such choices!

Re: Groceries
 

Some great deals at Superstore.

When Pepsi is 99c a 2l bottle, the saving on that alone pays for the taxi back.

20 cooked wings for $10. 10 minutes in the oven and they're great.

Countless (different brand) packs of coffee pods including the wonderful 12 pack PC Sumatra @ $5.99.

Plumcots - a tad costly @ $3.99 lb but amazingly juicy and tasty. Really messy to eat.

I picked a good day for half price skinless, boneless chicken breasts too.

And something new 'from our chefs' Mexican style pork loin centre cut chops. Packs of two for $6 but half price with tomorrow's date.

We ate them for supper and I'd happily pay the full $6, they were that good.

Re: Groceries
 

Has anyone ever seen a Gherkin in Canada

Re: Groceries
 

Everywhere! I presume you mean the little ones, not the huge things?

https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/mclaren.../6000023804900
https://www.iga.net/en/product/pickl...00005900000754
https://www.maille.ca/en/products/other/index.html
https://www.loblaws.ca/search/149887...~selected/true

Re: Groceries
 

Well I never did. Will check Walmart tomorrow. Would Kill for a packet of Walkers Cheese and Onion with a couple of Gherkins and a pickled egg. thanks for that.

Re: Groceries
 

You're most welcome! You may find you have to order them from their online store as not all branches carry them.

Pickled Eggs...

https://www.loblaws.ca/Food/Pantry/C.../p/20175831_EA
https://www.costcobusinesscentre.ca/...100283640.html

Walkers - but also try local "Brit" shops

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0051C0J6M/...2ACBS0JMDWPR85

:)

Re: Groceries
 

I make far better pickled eggs than you can buy, I have Joyce's original pickled egg recipe from the Craven Motor Inn from the 70's. :lol: Store bought ones lack character, and onions, and peppers.

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Pickled eggs. Why?

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Because it was mentioned, I suspect!

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No, why? In the grand scheme of things why? It's not as if we need to preserve eggs for food so just why?

As you can tell the only food I like pickled is beetroot. The rest is an abomination.

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Once in a while pickled egg is okay but pickled onions are a different kettle of fish.

You can't have a ploughman's lunch without pickled onions.

Scotch eggs are very nice too, but they should make them without the egg as the best bit is the outside. :lol:

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That's called sausage

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I like sausage rolls. :thumbup:

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Oh yes. They were only just invented in the US I read a few days ago but they called them puff dogs.

Re: Groceries
 

We have been doing most of our shopping at Costco lately as they seem to have better prices on most produce, but had to go to No Frills today.

$55.53 in total. Just food to make lunch and snacks for work.

Rice $2.77

Bottle of water $2.17

Plain yogurt $3.47

Shredded cheese $5.47

3lb organges $4.97

2lb carrot $2.97

Grape Tomatoes $5.97

Kiwi fruit 2lb $4.97

1lb strawberries $2.97

5lb bag of apples $5.97

1lb ground turkey $6.97

2 chicken breasts $6.36

GST/PST 0.11, eco fee 0.04, deposit 0.05.


If I was still eating junk food and frozen dinners, probably could have gotten 2 weeks of food for the same price, fruits and veggies are not cheap.