You are currently browsing the monthly archive for April 2009.
It’s spring in Ontario, not that you can tell by the weather we had today.
The snow is back!! It’s been gone for three or four weeks already but I’m sure it’s returned because this past weekend I mentioned to Murray it was time to switch the snowflake-patterned Corelle plates we use in winter with the plain white “rest-of-the-year” plates. (I was talking to myself when I told him this. Apparently the type of dishes we use is of absolutely no interest to him!)
Now yesterday was a beautiful day! We even hauled some of the patio furniture out of hibernation and sat on the front deck for a while enjoying the warm weather.
Then today – snow! Sure it’s not going to last, but c’mon! It’s spring already.
Yes, those are little icicles hanging off the bottom of the chairs!
So, tonight’s spaghetti and meatball supper was appropriately served on the “winter plates” that were still in the cupboard.
The amount of effort one can put into making spaghetti and meatballs can really vary. The general “recipe” is simple. Heat home-made or store-bought spaghetti sauce with home-made or store-bought meatballs. Spoon over cooked multigrain or whole wheat spaghetti. Grate Parmesan cheese over top, if desired.
Serve in any season, and on any plate you choose (or that’s handy)!
Easy Spaghetti Sauce
(Makes 4 cups/1 L)
2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) sliced cremini mushrooms (6 oz/175 g)
1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried basil
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt
1 can (28 oz/796 mL) pureed tomatoes
1/4 cup (60 mL) tomato paste
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat; add onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and salt. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes.
In this economic climate, who doesn’t want to save a little $$$?
A couple weeks ago I bought a box of crackers and one of cookies in a store known for selling discounted merchandise. I don’t remember the price (2 for $?) but I remember thinking at the time it seemed like a good deal for Dare products (a food brand I am quite familiar with).
The sticker at the end of the boxes is obvious in the picture above, but I didn’t notice it until I went to open the box of cookies a few days later.
I don’t know if it’s the law (at least in Canada) that products have to labelled when they might not be up to normal standards, or if this is just something that Dare chose to do, but I thought it prudent on the part of Dare Foods to advise the customer of what they were potentially getting.
Sometimes when the price of a non-food item is reduced because the merchandise is a “second” or “irregular” or it’s being sold “as is”, there is a sign nearby or a sticker on the product advising this. But how often are you warned about foods when the quality may not be what you are paying for?
I suppose baked goods marked “day old”, or obviously dented canned foods, or fruits and vegetables edging past their prime (e.g. bruised bananas) and selling at sale prices would be examples of this.
I like to think I’m a fairly savvy shopper. That may be up for debate as I should have checked the packages for this kind of label considering the store I was in and the price!
All in all – it’s a good lesson learned! While I always check food packages for Best Before dates, I will be more careful with future purchases to give the product a once over for any other important labelling information.
In case you’re wondering – I’ve only opened the box of cookies so far – they look (and taste) perfectly normal.
