Sticker Shock Update

We have been here nearly a year.  The shocking price has mostly worn off, but a few things still stick in my mind:

Natural gas, which is an Alaskan product, has increased in price over 33% in the last ten years.  I am still going to have the gas stove installed as I burn most everything I cook on the electric.

Kerosene is $10.00 per gallon, more than three times the price than VT.  We have a lovely kerosene heater that we have not used up here yet.  The Irish lad has decided he will install it anyway this year, so maybe his sticker shock has worn off.  (I know he is sorry he doesn't have any snow blowers anymore, but people up here just let the snow lie where it falls, mostly.) I hate the forced air heating.  When it goes off, the heat stops immediately.  I have been campaigning for a woodstove but the Irish is adamant that we will not have one as "the wood is no good up here".  It is mostly birch.

Gasoline, by the way, is $3.85 here.

Red peppers are usually sold by the each in markets.  I have seen them as high as $6.00 each in winter and sale prices are 2/$4.  At Costco, they are usually a little more than a $1 a piece.

I have the Fred Meyer flier here.  This week here are some sample sale prices:

Boneless Beef Cross Rib Roast  2.99/lb               Red, Green, or Black Grapes     1.48/lb
18 large, white Eggs                   2/4.00                Kellogg's cereal, regular size      2/6.00
Hunt's tomatoes 14 oz               4/5.00                 Silver salmon, whole                  6.00/lb
Organic milk, 1/2 gl.                  3.29                    Organic avocado                       2/5.00
Roma tomatoes                         1.48/lb                Ocean Spray Juice                    4.00
Ribeye steak                             9.00/lb                 Ben and Jerry's                          2/6.00

The lad has been buying lots of fruit which I have been craving all summer.  This week was Honeycrisps, mandarin oranges, white peaches, bananas, and raspberries.   We are receiving Western sources now, which seems a bit funny to him.  VT Honeycrisps are better than WA's.  The maple syrup is mostly Canadian and we have not seen an Cabot (VT) cheese anywhere which is shameful!  Every place else though.

I went in to an Italian market yesterday to check it out.  The pasta was $30.00 a pound and it was a regular dry box, sold by the pound.  Imported from Italy of course, but still...They had black truffles and probably wonderful olive oil and grana padana cheese.

I still like Costco.  The part of me that prepares in advance for harsh weather likes to buy large quantities to stock up.  We are just now finishing staple goods brought up from VT, all carefully packed in the trailer.

So, back to the red peppers.  I love them and we used to purchase them at White's market in Lyndonville for $1.88/lb regularly, to eat raw or to roast.  We have only seen small jars of roasted peppers here and not at all at Costco, which is weird as they carry pepperoncini, capers, marinated olives, and other similar items.  Finally, recently at New Sagaya, we found a big jar for $12.00 and promptly purchased them.  I have been enjoying red peppers mixed with Roma tomatoes and fresh mozzarella with balsamic vinegar and olive oil; red pepper sandwiches with  garden arugula and salami; and red peppers on an hors d'oeuvres tray with kalamata olives, pepperoncini, and capers.  And that jar is half gone!  Life is good.