# Grocery aware of preppers?



## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Just opened the paper to look at the local grocery's sale adds. Here's the list of what's on sale this week: Jello, isopropyl alcohol, 1# bag pintos, 1# bag rice, pasta, vienna sausages, canned beans/peas, cannedo tomatoes - all for 50 cents each. Also on sale, peanut butter, Kraft mac n cheese, paper plates, Kool-aid, spaghetti sauce. Kinda makes me think my family is not the only ones prepping around here & in fact there are many doing the same thing. So many, in fact, that the stores have noticed & know what we want. Just a hunch. Hmmm...


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## joyfulheart (May 7, 2011)

I'm guessing more people are having to cook from scratch and they are advertising to that aspect.

I have neighbors who have called me asking how to cook white rice. LOL

What store?


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

1-lb. bags of pintos for 50 cents? Grab up a bunch! That's a good deal, or is compared to the prices up here. Same with the pasta. I can beat that price on the rice at Costco, but just about everything else you listed would have me in the store stocking up!

I notice the same thing joyful mentioned...people are probably cooking more from scratch and I see less boxed stuff in our local grocery ad. Definitely more people putting in gardens the last couple years.


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

I'm getting the same impression. Don't pass up an opportunity to save where we can.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Krogers has a lot of canned items on sale for .49 this week....


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## GreyWolf (Mar 17, 2010)

tsrwivey said:


> Just opened the paper to look at the local grocery's sale adds. Here's the list of what's on sale this week: Jello, isopropyl alcohol, 1# bag pintos, 1# bag rice, pasta, vienna sausages, canned beans/peas, cannedo tomatoes - all for 50 cents each. Also on sale, peanut butter, Kraft mac n cheese, paper plates, Kool-aid, spaghetti sauce. Kinda makes me think my family is not the only ones prepping around here & in fact there are many doing the same thing. So many, in fact, that the stores have noticed & know what we want. Just a hunch. Hmmm...


Sounds like the ad the local Brookshires grocery chain has. When I was in there were 3 people stocking the can items and people were taking them off the shelves as fast as they put them out.


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## GailP (Nov 5, 2010)

I've come across a few good sales here and have been couponing my little heart out. I am also lucky that I moved to a bigger place and that it doesn't have any good restaurants here. On average I'd been eating out 1 or twice a day. Now it's down to once or twice a week!


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## Kai22 (Apr 30, 2011)

gypsysue said:


> 1-lb. bags of pintos for 50 cents? Grab up a bunch! That's a good deal, or is compared to the prices up here.


Heck yeah - that's a great deal! I looked today what a 1 lb bag of pintos is at my store- $1.79!! Are you kidding me? Part of the problem here is it's the only grocery store for 40 miles. They can do whatever they want.

I agree with what others said here - people are definitely cooking more from scratch, utilizing their crock-pots, etc. A lot of people at work have asked me how to use a crock-pot and if I would give them my recipes. We all share grocery ads and tips for saving money on food. Part of our internal company website is actually dedicated to user submitted tips on saving money on food, cooking, etc.

Hmm as i type this, DH is watching Apocolypse 2012 on TV and it's showing some people's preps. Interesting. I like seeing what other people have going on in this regard.


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

I went to Walmart yesterday and their aisle 7 looks like a costco.......they have doubled at least their space of dehydrated bulk foods. Bulk dehydrated butter, eggs ..etc and on the bottom shelf they have buckets like mres..........interesting.......


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

neldarez said:


> I went to Walmart yesterday and their aisle 7 looks like a costco.......they have doubled at least their space of dehydrated bulk foods. Bulk dehydrated butter, eggs ..etc and on the bottom shelf they have buckets like mres..........interesting.......


In my dreams!! You are sooo lucky! I would go nuts if any of our local stores had stuff like that!!!! I just found powdered whole milk locally a few weeks ago!!!:2thumb: Call me paranoid but buying preps on the internet makes me nervous. It's crazy to feel like you need to buy bulk food like you would crack - cash only & keep it secret. :sssh:

Joyful- that ad was from Super 1. Do ya'll have those in Dallas? I need to learn how to cook beans in the pressure cooker! Learning to use the pressure cooker is on my ever growing to-do list.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

tsrwivey said:


> In my dreams!! You are sooo lucky! I would go nuts if any of our local stores had stuff like that!!!! I just found powdered whole milk locally a few weeks ago!!!:2thumb:


That was my thought, too! I was just shopping at WalMart today, and didn't see anything like that. However, when I was having a hard time getting wheat at WalMart (because they didn't sell it in OH), I ended up in a neighboring state buying it, and the employee told me that WalMart is trying to become standardized across the nation, selling the same things in every store. Sure enough, within a few weeks the OH stores were selling 25lb bags of wheat, too.

So... I'm hopeful that the OH WalMarts will start carrying bulk foods like dehydrated eggs and butter, too! (I know a lot of folks don't like WalMart, but I'm not gonna lie - I sure did appreciate the sale prices I got on groceries today - cause our grocery expenses are killing us.  )


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

goshengirl said:


> That was my thought, too! I was just shopping at WalMart today, and didn't see anything like that. However, when I was having a hard time getting wheat at WalMart (because they didn't sell it in OH), I ended up in a neighboring state buying it, and the employee told me that WalMart is trying to become standardized across the nation, selling the same things in every store. Sure enough, within a few weeks the OH stores were selling 25lb bags of wheat, too.


Goshengirl you are going to have me circling the Walmart like a buzzard waiting for the preps to arrive!!:woohoo:


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

I have not been to WalMart for years but think a trip to at least scope out this particular situation is warranted. Thanks for the tip!!


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

We have Super 1 in Montana but not those kind of deals! And I haven't seen dehydrated food at our Wal-mart yet. I'll have to keep an eye out. We're 60 miles from those stores, so we only go once a month or so, and sometimes less than that. And I usually get what I need and get out! 

A Dollar Tree just opened there last year, and I thought $1 a bag for 1-lb. bags of pinto beans was a good price! The grocery store was $1.39 when I looked a few months ago.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

gypsysue said:


> We have Super 1 in Montana but not those kind of deals! And I haven't seen dehydrated food at our Wal-mart yet. I'll have to keep an eye out. We're 60 miles from those stores, so we only go once a month or so, and sometimes less than that. And I usually get what I need and get out!
> 
> A Dollar Tree just opened there last year, and I thought $1 a bag for 1-lb. bags of pinto beans was a good price! The grocery store was $1.39 when I looked a few months ago.


This relates to two posts I read earlier...
1) the 20 quart dry milk (Chinamart brand) has increased from $12- to $14- to $16- and now $19 here in just 6 months
2) I also have noticed the shelves not full...I bought the only case of lima beans and left 3 cans on the shelf...now what are the odds that lots of comsumers wanted lima beans that day???

I buy lima beans when I can find them--for my veg soup--and usually chinamart doesn't have them.
3) the shelfs are bare in some cases and selective in some cases.

You won't find everything you're looking for at chinamart anymore.:scratch


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*Sigma six*

All grocerys opperate on the Japanise sigma six restocking system now. When you buy a can of beans the computerized register rings it up and automaticlly reorders that can of beans. Two days later it is back on the shelf. If a lot of people start prepping and buy out all the powdered milk, and a request is made for powdered milk , when that is entered in the computer it will automaticlly increase the stock of powdered milk. Therefor an increase of these type items on your grocery shelves , may indicate more preppers shopping there.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Chinamart? Is that Wal-mart, aslo known as "Wallyworld", "the big W" and other local 'affectionate' nicknames? lol

Our Wal-mart has holes up and down all the aisles. Often on a list of about 10 things almost half of those things will be out of stock when we shop. Plus they reduced the variety of what they stock.

One store here recently had sugar on sale and we bought 40 lbs. In 4-lb. bags, and it was somewhat of a chore opening all those bags and pouring it in buckets! Oddly enough I can't remember the per-bag cost, but it was $18.80 for the 40 lbs. I don't feel like doing math right now...


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

Our big box store called meijer is having their 10 for $10 and the 11 free sale again this week and while there is not much I want they do have powdered sugar, brown sugar and ap flour for a buck each. Not the big bag but I think the one pound bags of sugars but the 5 pound of flour(it might only be a two pound bag, I can't remember now, but will check it out tomorrow) and while it is not necessary for survival I do like brown sugar on my oatmeal and powdered sugar is good for my fondant making for the birthday cakes. They also have oatmeal and instant grits(which are okay as I can't really get good grits here) and one pound bags of frozen veggies.
I will check on the sugar tho and make sure that per oz it is better than the big packages tho-they kinda can stiff ya if you're not paying attention. I've seen the little ones on sale and for the amount and price if you buy two for $2 you ended up with the same amount of product that the bigger bag had for the price of $1.89.. Sure it is only a savings of .11¢ but that is still my .11¢. But then I've seen where the smaller bags were still a better buy.
Like the bamboo clothespins- they had a big box of them 95pins for $3.49 but you could buy the small box of 50 for $1.49 each!:scratch Do they not realize that you can buy two boxes of 50 for $2.98 and get 100 pins and it is about .51¢ cheaper :nuts: they are nuts!


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## Butterbean (Apr 2, 2011)

I noticed that The Dollar Tree now has an Emergency Preparedness Section online and at the store. You can buy the stuff in case lots. On the National News tonight I heard them say that 2011 has already beat the record for $ damage caused by natural disasters. With the blizzard up here in January, the tornados, floods, wildfires etc. and we haven't even got to hurricane season. I suppose stores are stocking up on this stuff cause that's what's selling.

Emergency preparedness at DollarTree.com


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

GreyWolf said:


> Sounds like the ad the local Brookshires grocery chain has. When I was in there were 3 people stocking the can items and people were taking them off the shelves as fast as they put them out.


I just get the stockers to bring it to me by the case, they love it because it's less work for them :2thumb:


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

Emerald said:


> I will check on the sugar tho and make sure that per oz it is better than the big packages tho-they kinda can stiff ya if you're not paying attention. I've seen the little ones on sale and for the amount and price if you buy two for $2 you ended up with the same amount of product that the bigger bag had for the price of $1.89.. Sure it is only a savings of .11¢ but that is still my .11¢. But then I've seen where the smaller bags were still a better buy.
> Like the bamboo clothespins- they had a big box of them 95pins for $3.49 but you could buy the small box of 50 for $1.49 each!:scratch Do they not realize that you can buy two boxes of 50 for $2.98 and get 100 pins and it is about .51¢ cheaper :nuts: they are nuts!


also, when you have multiple coupons, you can save a LOT with the smaller sizes... :2thumb:


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Times are changing ... so are the stores...

I have seen bacon greese jars all over the place. The other day I saw a kitchen compost bucket ... just like the one my Grams used to have.  It gave me a little chill ... to be honest. The list goes on ...

Then again I will not be ODD and will be in style. (for once. lol) That on it's own is a scary thought!!!


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## efbjr (Oct 20, 2008)

Kai22 said:


> I agree with what others said here - people are definitely cooking more from scratch, utilizing their crock-pots, etc.


I have been experimenting and have come up with a decent Boston baked bean
recipe for the crockpot. Haven't bought a can of beans in a couple of months!

I also use the bread machine a lot. :2thumb:


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

So, efbjr, can I hope to find your recipe over in the recipe share threads later on? I'd love to give it a try! I'm always looking for recipes to try!


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## efbjr (Oct 20, 2008)

gypsysue said:


> So, efbjr, can I hope to find your recipe over in the recipe share threads later on? I'd love to give it a try! I'm always looking for recipes to try!


Simple enough:

I put a 1 pound bag of navy beans in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and dump in about 1 tablespoon of baking soda (stand back!). This degasses the beans. I rinse the beans and put them into the crock-pot with 1/2 cup of molasses, 1 cup of catsup, salt (sometimes I use a flavor pack from a package of Ramen Noodles), and whatever seasonings that I like (usually 1/2 teaspoon of oregano). Cover with water. Turn on the crock-pot and let 'er go until tender. Experiment until you get a flavor that suits you. I didn't use any oil so that the finished beans can be dehydrated with less chance of spoilage from the oil.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Thanks, efbjr. I've copied and pasted it to my recipe folder and will give it a try this week. It's a bit different from the other recipe I have, so I'm looking forward to trying it.

Never thought of dehydrating it! I've cooked beans and dehydrated them for quick cooking later, but never did things like baked beans. I'll probably add onions to it, since we're onion-aholics! 

That's a good idea to use a flavor packet from Ramens. We also use those little packets for making small pans of gravy. Put one in a pan with some flour, salt, and pepper, add water or milk, stir or whisk while it cooks and thickens. Quick, tasty gravy. 

I can get beef bouillon and chicken, but not pork, and the "pork" flavored ramens have those little packets of pork bouillon, which makes good gravy for putting over biscuits! Has anyone ever seen jars of pork bouillon, either in cubes or powder?


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

gypsysue said:


> Thanks, efbjr. I've copied and pasted it to my recipe folder and will give it a try this week. It's a bit different from the other recipe I have, so I'm looking forward to trying it.
> 
> Never thought of dehydrating it! I've cooked beans and dehydrated them for quick cooking later, but never did things like baked beans. I'll probably add onions to it, since we're onion-aholics!
> 
> ...


I like this brand called "Better than Bullion" and it comes in all kinds of flavors and while a bit more expensive than cube or granular bullion the flavor can not be beat.
I'll go and get a link to the main company cuz I am sure that they have not only pork but ham... Be right back.

ETA: I found a site with them but they are cheaper at our local store but I can't get all the flavors... They are $6 bucks online but only $4.19 at our store.
I have the beef and chicken and like them both.
I'll link it so you can see them and look for them at your local stores.
Better than Bullion


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

They look delicious, Emerald, and I like the variety of flavors. They even had mushroom base! I bet that would make a great gravy! 

The shipping is kind of high, and they have a minimum order $$$ amount that would take 3 jars of base to meet.

However, I'll look for them at the grocery stores and see if I can find them there! Gee, it would probably be cheaper for me to send you the money to buy them at your store and ship them to me, if I can't find them here!


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

I've used the Penzey's bullion mixes but also recently switched to Better Than Bullion. When possible I prefer to make my own stock but when I run out the BTB is a pretty good standby.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

I make a mean turkey and chicken stock but my beef ones always leave something to be desired(probably due to not being able to get good oxtail or beef bones). The one fancy place I used to work in made all their own stocks and they got huge joint bones and oxtail etc and browned them in the oven and then added the veggies and cooked down the stock overnight. A long slow simmer. I may have to go and check out the local butcher and see if I can get a few nice bones to make good stock.
I think the local store had chicken, beef, vegetable and ham, but the ham always seems out of stock... Sometimes if you ask they can order it in.
There was another store on line that you could buy them 6 jars in a bundle(one flavor) for $31. And one blog said something about them finding the chicken flavor at whole foods for $3! Wish we had that here!


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## efbjr (Oct 20, 2008)

The Ramen flavor packets add way too much salt to the noodles,  so we just usually cook the noodles sans the packet. Since I hate to throw anything away, :gaah: I keep the unused packets and use them in place of boullion cubes when making soups and stews. I think that I threw in a shrimp flavored packet when I made the last batch of beans.  The onions are a good idea, too. :2thumb: Experiment until you find a recipe that you like! 


BTW...spray the dryer sheets with Pam, or a similar product, so the beans don't stick to the plastic when dried.


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## Cahri (Feb 18, 2011)

tsrwivey said:


> Just opened the paper to look at the local grocery's sale adds. Here's the list of what's on sale this week: Jello, isopropyl alcohol, 1# bag pintos, 1# bag rice, pasta, vienna sausages, canned beans/peas, cannedo tomatoes - all for 50 cents each. Also on sale, peanut butter, Kraft mac n cheese, paper plates, Kool-aid, spaghetti sauce. Kinda makes me think my family is not the only ones prepping around here & in fact there are many doing the same thing. So many, in fact, that the stores have noticed & know what we want. Just a hunch. Hmmm...


Well I found limes, 20 for only 98 cents.......here's what I made with it LIME MARMALADE
Lime marmalade | Facebook


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

I bought the better than boullion at costco, wish I remembered what it cost.........I do know that after you open it, you are suppose to keep it in the fridge.......sure is good stuff though.......... It even makes some of my cooking taste pretty good!! How would you dehydrate the beans? spread them out on the teflex paper? I need to order some of that paper cuz I only have 2 sheets and lots more shelves. After reading from all of you, I dehydrated my first ground beef last night......I think it's ok, really really hard, like sand or rice!


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## Centraltn (Feb 21, 2011)

GOYA makes a ham boullion. I can occasionally get it locally but can almost always get it online. We live in the country- not at the ends of the earth exactly- but you can see it from here, so I order alot of stuff online, careful to get free shipping and no tax sites when possible. That jarred stuff you're talking about gave us both a miserable bellyache so I gave it all away. The taste was good though, but not at all worth the price and the belly ache LOL


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

This is getting a little weird. Just got an e-mail from a friend that the county extension office is giving food preserving classes now. http://www.jacksonvilletexas.com/content/13/files/2011%20Food%20Preservation%20Flyer.pdf 

These classes, the grocery ads, & the number of folks from around my area make me think there HAS to a decent number of preppers here. Our economy is reasonably strong (at least until Obama gets done jacking up the energy industry) & we havent suffered in the recession near like they have in other places. I dont know what's pushing folks to prep now.


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## sewtnanny (Apr 15, 2011)

I live in middle TN. where most of us older folks grew up using pork seasoning ie bacon drippings to flavor most anything. I have bought the Knorr pork bouillon packets in a box at my local Walmart. It's in the section where the chicken and beef bouillon are. I just paid $8 for a jar of the stuff at a cash and carry (not too cheap, is it? lol) My friend told me she buys it in jars at our local Kroger. I don't like Kroger so I don't go there, but I plan on making a stop and getting at least 2 or 3 jars, same size as what I bought, but she only paid $4. I hope this helps some of you.


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## Centraltn (Feb 21, 2011)

I'm in central Tn too. ;D


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

Centraltn said:


> GOYA makes a ham boullion. I can occasionally get it locally but can almost always get it online. We live in the country- not at the ends of the earth exactly- but you can see it from here, so I order alot of stuff online, careful to get free shipping and no tax sites when possible. That jarred stuff you're talking about gave us both a miserable bellyache so I gave it all away. The taste was good though, but not at all worth the price and the belly ache LOL


I'd watch out for some of the jars of bullion stuff-some brands are loaded with man-made MSG. While many foods have some natural MSG and don't bother me some of the more salty based bullions have tons of MSG that is not natural and it will make me sick as a dog... I have tried the chicken and beef of the Brand name(Better than Bullion) and not had any problems with them. But the Gorden foods brand just about knocks me out.
Now speaking of MSG-I love seaweeds of almost any kind and they are full of MSG but since it is natural I don't seem to have any problems with them. But if you do find that it is the MSG then do a search on it and all the different names it can be labeled as legally. Like Modified Food Starch,


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

MSG is sometimes labeled "modified food starch"? Emerald...I have learned SO much from you! Thanks for that tidbit of information. Sounds like I need to do a search on MSG and find out where else it's being added!


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

Here is a big list of all the hidden stuff that can be in foods.
I do have problems with quite a few things that are food additives/preservatives and so I am a huge label reader. The Doc thought that since I could eat seaweed and sushi without becoming ill that I probably didn't have MSG sensitivity but after doing some tests and some research( I finally got the doctor to study a bit) found that MSG that occurs naturally is far different than what is man made from various foods. 
Also found out just recently that while I knew that shitaki mushrooms that were dried in the sun had huge amounts of vitamin D, they have just found out that drying white and portobella mushrooms in direct sunlight also boosts the vitamin D in them too! And the great thing is that they only need about 5 to 10 minutes of direct sun to do so and you can finish drying them in the dehydrator! I Am So gonna make me a glass topped box just for drying mushrooms for a while before putting them in the big dehydrator.


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## Nadja (Jan 12, 2011)

We use a pressure cooker a heck of a lot. It cuts down cooking time by a great deal, and really terderizes the meat, such as roasts, stews, sketti and things like that. Stock up on ex. long grain white rice and lots of it. Not many people have the area, water and capability to grow their own


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