Most expensive groceries in the country...

[TomK]

Just as an aside, I watched this earlier - Gordon Ramsay on the Hana side of Maui. I enjoyed it.

 https://youtu.be/OY7IPG29a6E?si=OBr2gQJsOs2jXt-g

[Punatang]

Good stuff Tom.  Hana has some of the most expensive groceries I've ever encountered. They basically have two stores, neither of which is very large and half of the larger one is devoted to general store type merch including an impressive collection of machetes and knives.

As an aside, if someone needs a recipe for bananas and rice, it's easy to Google.

   

[HiloJulie]

As an aside, if someone needs a recipe for bananas and rice, it's easy to Google.

Actually, if one looks outside of right wing echo chambers of denigrating and anti Somali American memes, as well as the results of the link you provided showed me, there are dozens of rice and banana recipes to be found all over the Google of all different variations. 

I found one that has a uses caramelized bananas over a bed of garlic and olive oil fried rice which sounds great as well as a few banana and rice pudding recipes I want to try and even rice and banana ice cream recipes! All of which can be made with very reasonably priced groceries all bought here in Puna.

However, I could not find one recipe for bananas and rice that calls for one to "...performatively spritzed it with Braggs Apple Cider Vingar" [sic] Also, the cost of a small bottle of "Braggs Apple Cider Vingar" [sic] is about 7 bucks, which kind of blows the budget if one is trying to eat as economically as possible. But, the good news is that bottle does qualify to be purchased with SNAP benefits if one were so inclined to make bananas and rice and "...performatively spritzed it with Braggs Apple Cider Vingar" [sic] or use it to physically attack someone.

[leilanidude]

"...performatively spritzed it with Braggs Apple Cider Vingar" [sic] Also, the cost of a small bottle of "Braggs Apple Cider Vingar" [sic] is about 7 bucks, which kind of blows the budget if one is trying to eat as economically as possible
-----------
it is a 16 ounce bottle which, if one is "spritzing" would probably do 200+ "spritzes".

[randomq]

Even struggle food is more expensive here in Hawaii, but I did learn from a dear friend that *anything* can be made into fried rice. Make your white rice, spread it out over a large tray in the fridge to cool and dry (overnight, or at least several few hours), and break it up fine. Melt half a stick of butter in large pan or wok until it is about to brown, then add your rice and keep stirring. Add some garlic or garlic powder, shoyu, oyster sauce (optional but tasty), and a bit of ginger or ginger powder. Once the rice is fried up and not clumpy but also not overcooked, set it aside to not crowd the pan, then fry up your diced onion and spam until it starts to brown, then set it aside. Finally scramble some eggs, could be a couple to keep it cheap, could be a lot if you're making breakfast for your family, and when they are done throw everything in the pan and stir together. Add a dash of sesame oil if you have it, and some pepper.

This can be made cheaper if you have: leftover eggs from breakfast, leftover rice (it gets better for fried rice as it gets dry in the fridge), leftover meat (sub spam with whatever pork/beef/chicken/hot dogs/fishcake, store brand powdered spices from Walmart, half an onion from something else you made, etc. The idea is to use this dish to incorporate all your other leftovers so you don't waste expensive food.

The cheapest struggle food is a bowl of packaged ramen (Thai Chef is cheap) with an egg poached in it. Some local friends use Vienna sausage, but I would rather dice those in fried rice than eat them in soup.

Another good thing to know is how to make "5 minute artisan bread". You can keep the starter going forever by feeding it flour and water, and make bread way cheaper than you can buy it. Can also use the dough to make homemade pizza along with a few tablespoons of sauce from a jar of pasta sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning, any kind of mozzarella, and whatever random toppings you can scrounge up. We often use leftovers of various sorts as a topping: Thai pizza, adobo pizza, cheesesteak pizza, spaghetti and meatballs pizza, leftover sausage/bacon/ham/pineapple/onion/tomato/etc...

But even with all those tricks, we still have expensive groceries and if our Hawaii politicians aren't working on that, what the hell are they working on? Pretending to make affordable housing? Solving homelessness? Establishing new industries here? The ever rising cost of gas? Hawaii doesn't want to eat rice and bananas forever.

[ironyak]

I was onboard with the fried rice, the [sour?]dough, and Thai Chef ramen (the duck flavor, some veggies, and a protein like tofu, spam, or ham Ponyo-style is tasty stuff, no struggle!), but spaghetti and meatball pizza? Like a plate of spaghetti and meatballs on the pizza as a topping before you bake it? Sounds like something one comes with after baking ;)

randomq - But even with all those tricks, we still have expensive groceries and if our Hawaii politicians aren't working on that, what the hell are they working on?
Apparently making available free food, internet, transportation, housing, etc, according to the other threads? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Punatang]

I see some folks on PW have no idea how the free food thing works in Puna and I've been racking my low IQ mind to the extent that my inherent laziness permits.  As often is the case, I woke up with great clarity on the issue. If you speak to your neighbors the way you post on here, and you aren't swimming in abundance, it might be your personality.  There are a ton of free resources at the library that might help you with that.

If you are having trouble affording Apple Cider Vinegar, I have some thoughts for you. We buy things like this in bulk whenever possible.  Sometimes we team up with a neighbor or two (admittedly, they like us and this may not work for everyone) who is headed to Costco or Walmart and we split larger things.  Walmart has Braggs ACV  by the gallon for $21.28.  You can get on their free delivery program for $49/year when it's on sale or anytime if you can prove you receive a govt. subsidy. We use a fine mist spritzer and get over 2000 performative spritzes of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar per gallon, which is just a hair over $.01 per performative spritz.  It's a bargain. Even conspicuously dramatic spritzes are less than $.03 so there is no need to hold back.

Hope that helps

   

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

A lot of complaints again about all the free stuff people get, SNAP groceries, internet, etc.  Was anyone in a grocery store the last two days?  Because they’re usually half empty at the end of the month when the “gravy train” of food assistance runs out.  

I never think about whether I can afford to walk in the doors of KTA.  You of course can argue that recipients don’t budget their funds well enough to last through 30 or 31 days, but if you were an employer would you hire someone who struggled with the challenge of time?  As a former employer my goal was to find people who did their job well enough that I didn’t have to think about what they did, or whether they showed up on time, or showed up at all, or could finish a task on schedule.  Some can’t, for whatever reason.  Of course, we can cosplay with a group of friends, wear some donated clothes from Goodwill for a week and follow an imaginary schedule to prove it can be done.  But the reality isn’t that simple.  Some people struggle, often in multiple areas, such as time, organization, memory, interactions with fellow employees or customers.  It’s hard for them to find a job.

Grumbling about giving them a card for food while supporting a Congressional $79 a day per diem, or free transportation on jets for personal entertainment when those government passengers would have no trouble paying for it themselves seems like, what’s the word I’m looking for?

[Moderator 2]

Again, groceries in a grocery thread.  Since guidelines seem necessary even about food, let it be known that rice + bananas and/or vinegar will be edited or deleted as deemed necessary.  

If it looks like you’re poking the bear rather than providing actual helpful suggestions, or multitasking by poking the bear while simultaneously providing helpful suggestions expect what should be infinitely clear by now.

[Punatang]

Good save M2.