Subj : Commodity cheese [1]
To : Dave Drum
From : Ruth Haffly
Date : Fri Nov 24 2023 10:33:30
Hi Dave,
RH> (eggs, cheese, milk) give aways so we were informed we were entitled to
RH> get cheese one month. I went for it--turned out to be 15 pounds of an
RH> imitation Velveeta. Couldn't freeze it so we used it up as fast as we
RH> could. We'd bought Velveeta a couple times when we were first married
RH> but hadn't bought it in years and haven't bought any since the give
RH> away stuff was used up. I don't think it was too long after that that
RH> Steve enlisted in the Army.
DD> There are some things that Velveeta works well in.
So I've heard, but not tried. I've stuck with real cheese since then.
DD> deputy Mayor, who was running the give-away, talked Earl and I into
DD> taking a 4X batch. Each. That was 60# of really good mild Cheddar
DD> (American) cheese. As well as 4 big boxes of dried powdered milk and
DD> 4 bags of long grain white rice.
RH> The powdered milk would have been quite useful, as well as the American
RH> cheese. At that point we were using brown rice so I may/may not have
RH> taken the white rice, tho I could have always used as a fill for some
RH> of my sewing projects. (G)
DD> Given the price I used the white rice. I've done brown rice a few
DD> times, but apparently I don't "get it". I don't taste a difference in
DD> the flavour like I can with white vs whole wheat flours.
There is a definate taste difference. Our favorite Chinese take out
place usually has both available but the times he hasn't, and we've
gotten the white rice, the food just isn't the same. If we're eating out
and have no choice but to get white rice, I'll eat a minimal amount of
it but leave most of it behind. Brown rice is lower on the glycemic
index list as I recall, making it better for diabetics.
RH> give away; Steve joined the Army not long afterwards. A PFC
RH> pay/allowances was a good bit more than what he was making at his
RH> civilian job tho we still qualified for the food stamps. I just
RH> tightened the budget again and we did without them. What helped in the
RH> first few months was that his language school was in Monterey, CA. We
RH> lived in Pacific Grove; there were some reasonably priced produce
RH> markets in town. I could fill a grocery sack full of assorted
RH> vegetables and carry a 5# bag of potatoes on the side for well under
RH> $10.--enought to feed us for a couple of weeks or more, depending on
RH> how I used them. The girls were 5 and 3 at the time and enjoyed the
RH> fresh produce.
DD> I only did food stamps once. And it was long enough ago that they
DD> were using real paper "stamps". I used them to buy staples then used
Same with us; we'd used them once before when Steve lost his job thanks
to Carter's raising the taxes on luxury goods. At the time he was
building fiberglass cabin cruisers. Only job he could get was the one
that payed below subsistance level and was 30 miles (vs about 5) away.
DD> the $$$ that I would have spent on that groceries for "off list"
DD> stuff like soda pop and other ineligible things that made life worth
DD> living. Bv)=
At that time cash only went for more basics. Diapers were cloth and
washed; disposables were a luxury for travel. Interestingly when our
girls had their kids, older daughter used disposables, younger used
cloth.
DD> I've been in the body & fender (now rehab) for two weeks. I'm ready to
DD> go home and back to work.
RH> Doesn't sound like fun but at least you're still on this side of the
RH> dirt. (G) We are away from home but will be back in a few days. Later
RH> I've got to get a few things for our contribution to the feast.
DD> I don't know yet what was wrong with me - it may have been nerve
DD> related. I had synapses firing randomly making my body parts twitch
DD> and jump and making it really hard to type and darned near impossible
DD> to text. My head was swollen and my eyes were "bulging". And I've come
DD> through with some vision damage. Going to have to get new
DD> prescriptions for my glasses
But it's good to see you back. I see my eye doctor next week, shouldn't
need a new perscription but want to ask about safety glasses for
shooting.
We got together with Steve's younger sister and family plus his mom and
a niece's boyfriend for dinner yesterday. His older brother & wife
joined us for dessert. Steve made a basic cranberry sauce; I added my
grandmother's German style green beans to the meal (a lot of oranges so
the green was a nice color contrast).
---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28
... If you think you are confused now, wait until I explain it!
--- PPoint 3.01
* Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)
