Gary - "Ignorance is bliss?" Really? on this blog? Out with it! I LOVE information, that's why I've been living on this blog for two weeks, even though I left a family behind somewhere. And yes, the Electrolux Icon IS beautiful, but they only come in 30" wall ovens, not 27". Why did they have to change the styling on the Wave Touch? I love everything about it, the blue interior, the glide out racks, the door that closes like a Mercedes, but the styling is too much for me, like an Escalade, maybe. I can't get the 30" because of layout restraints in the kitchen, I like the idea of two smaller ovens for when I'm just baking a pie, and I don't want to buy two single ovens because it's too expensive. Thusly decisions get made. Eventually. I hope. I'm going back to the showroom today with DH (funny - those happen to be my DH's real initials), and will look at the Bosch one more time. Some people on GW say "Never!" about Bosch ovens. I have their washer and dryer. Don't love them. They look boss, but the rubber seal on the front loader gets black mold no matter how much I wipe it down and the dryer, if I dry a bed sheet with clothes, wraps everything into a parcel with damp clothes inside. Rob - I love the styling on the KA ovens, but like the Bosch, they don't get great reviews. The new ones, that is. Thanks to all for posting! Will let you know, I'm making my decisions and moving on to the Kitchen blog for countertops... Anyone here want to weigh in before I go? I'm not a granite girl, but I do like slate... And recycled glass...

When I leave my house I usually announce to my renter that I am going to (name of store). If I say market it means the farmer's market. I say the name of the store because if I go to Byerly's there are things he wants from there - like green tea sushi rice. Or if I go to the Wedge there are certain things I can only get there - like black, green or lavander quinoa. In general, I think most Minnesotans use the term grocery store more often than supermarket.

Hard question. There was a time I was a fan of Meijer's which is a superstore here in Michigan. They have every thing from Tofu to shells for my .30-06. Much of their advantage is simply turn over... the produce is fresh because they just recently put it out. In college I had 3 of them within a 30 minute drive... Okemos, Lake Lansing, and the old Lansing store. Recently prices have been rather steep on basic things like beans and rice. Walmart is my favorite because they are the only place open at 3am. I won't buy meat at Walmart... I used to buy the uncut round roasts but those went away. For awhile I could get decent lamb chops but I think I was the only person in the store buying them (Tuna loved lamb). We have a meat market in town that does nice pork. A 30 minute drive and I can get short loins for under $7/lb so they get most of my steak business. My "hamburger" I buy from a local dairy farmer which is currently $3/lb in one pound frozen packages... also get free hearts, tounges, and oxtails with my hamburger. Simply love oxtail soup. Local market had a baker that worked there for many years. When she retired the baked goods section just faded to nothing. The third time in my life a baker has retired and it changed my life. Growing up there was a wonderful bakery in the middle of town... cinnamon twists to die for. Then they closed and we had Stanley's. Then they closed so it is store bought bread or bake your own. Unions are not perfect but they can do good. Much of what is wrong with Unions is the direct planned actions of Management. A common stunt is to pick a Union worker and allow them to get away with anything... being late, poor work, being drunk, sitting around doing nothing. The idea is to make the normal workers angry at the Union for "protecting that guy". On the other side my non-Union employer has sent me for drug testing twice this year because I wear a respirator. I been sent for "medical" examinations and had blood draw 5 times this year by direction of the company. No I don't think people should be high at work and don't object to genuine concern about my health but things are getting a bit sadistic. Even after the company's comp Doc advised me to continue wearing the respirator the Plant Manager informed me the company does not think I need it. I now have written orders from my MD and if there is more trouble over this the next "doctor" will be a JD. Either God or the Devil loves me because my lawyers has been working for free... as the regulars here know I've a running battle over Safety issues (yes, I am the Safety person). : ) lyra

My mother separates mixed frozen veggies she gets on sale. Dad does not like the 'blends'. She has a table next to the freezer in the breezeway shed and takes a bowl with her and takes out a bowl full of frozen and takes what she wants...they don't eat much because they eat small snack meals. He likes his roasted sweet potatoes with cauliflower rice. Broccoli with a small steak. The rest in soups. In their late 80's now they don't garden much but i gave them seeds for a compact variety of zucchini and some mixed micro salad greens they have planted and are very happy with that. I did not see anything trite, self-centered or food snobby discussing frozen peas...many on a cooking food forum are just putting out there what they do and hope for some ideas for their pantry/freezer. Initially i did not see a mention of poverty or the elderly. Just a sharing of a good basic freezer stock. I stock baby peas and baby limas in the winter. Frozen spinach is just a good bargain any time of the year. Other veg frozen are from my garden. Or the farm stand like corn i cut off the cob, then freeze. I have a big freezer because of my garden and over 100 tomato plants. I keep forgetting about nutmeg! Such a special flavor and i need to try it with beans. Artichoke hearts frozen i forget as well. We have one great dish and artichokes in season are 2 for 5 dollars so it is a seasonal treat. Not very often. Frozen is often a better option for out-of-season veggies. Or those that do not grow well as Annie mentioned. I had great years for broccoli and cauliflower and nothing the past five or so with so much heat...basil was destroyed once again...bunnies maybe. No fruit on the trees from a late frost but tomatoes are gorgeous. Beets gone from a critter but radishes and garlic are beauty. Early peas are now leathery but inside are good shelled. Hoping string beans will be good this year. I plant sooo much as seeds are cheap and always get something great.... Leeks are expensive here so i grow a big bed of them and freeze. I spent high school frozen cold with a kerosene heater in a small kitchen/tv room and grandparents that layed out paper towels on the counter to dry and recycle and Pop pounded on the bathroom door to remind not to flush and only use a sprinkle of water to wash hands...with a sign that read "drips dribble dimes down the drain". I've worked very hard to not have a food budget as an adult but got up this morning at 5am and made stock from smoked organic chickens from the weekend and made salad for DH lunch and three meals and froze 4 pints for future soups not because we are food poor but because it just tastes so much better. And i just enjoy it. (then worked a 14hr day). Like every day. I bet my food budget if i cared to keep track is so much lower than most by not buying processed foods.