That Meal Out

 It used to be a night out at a good restaurant was an affordable occassion. Now it's an expesnive trip out. why? Because a restaurant is a business like any other. They have expenses too and workers that have to be paid. It also costs to produce a steak dinner or a plate of pasta - just like any other business offering products.

Regular contributor Priya Krishna and Lia Syam explored this in today's New York Times Food section. There are many factors , the most importnt being food prices.They've skyrocketed , especially pork and beef. Restaurant owner Bruce Moffett used to charge twelve dollars for his Korean beef with crispy rice back in 2019. Three years later the dish now costs four dollars more. scallops are up 118 per cent, Keep in mind that sunflower oil comes from  war torn.Russia and the Ukraine. production is spotty hence the high price. On the Americna front, fuel and fertilizer have also gone up which factor into the wholesale cost. After food comes labor costs. Many eateries also give their employees health insurance and that can cost. Salaries have also risen. Even a Manhattan dishwasher can make close to a thousand dollars a week. Hiring a top chef can cost thousands a week. A no name executive chef can pull in $1200 a week. However being generous can affect the restaurant. Mr Moffatt has cut his days open to five instead of the usual six. That could mean thousands of dollars not being brought in.

Of course there are the extras. Liquor surprisngly is one of them. Yes a place can be a BYOB however if it has an extensive wine list anf good bartender then it elevates it. A 765 ml bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne is $38  when it was only $39 in 2019. Even wines have gone up.Sauvignons are now going for $50 as opposed to $45.Luckily bourbon and whiskey are not that expensive. The worst is the utiltiies. Again thanks to Russia invading the Ukraine has disrupted gas production, The natural gas that fuels water heaters and ovens has risen eighty-five per cent.The Good Food restaurant is upgrading its' water infrastructure and is passing the cost down to customers. Then there's new equipment and landscaping and the cost of that upkeep. Even though we don't think about it there;s the cost of dinner ware. Dishes and glasses, especially wine glasses ger broken all the times. Forks get lost in the laundry. It costs to replace them, epsecially wine glasses which can be sold for as high as $36  a glass. Takeout also is another rising cost.  To go boxes are about $120 a case. Then there's the utensils and straws (altough many places are forgoing the last).

Consider all this when you're eating out.Is it worth spending estra bucks for a good meal out? the answer is yes if you really feel you really deserve it. You can't put a price on a fun meal out.

What To Do During A Blizzard

 Tomorrow the East Coast will be wallowed by a mega blizzard with some areas in New England getting  slammed with three feet of snow. That means we're stuck inside. What to do? Turn to the kitchen for the answer.

A day in could be time spent rearranging your spice cabinet.It's time to throw away certain ones . Cinnamon is only good for six months. Chili powder has a two to three year shelf life. The same is true for powdered ginger and garlic powder. Most herbs like rosemary, sage and oregano last only three years at best. Nutmeg is one of those spices that lasts three to four years. Another good item to organize is your utensil drawers. Sort out the knives, forks and spoons along with steak knives and measuring spoons. Clean out the kitchen junk drawer. You may find some unexpected treasures there like the odd holiday cookie cutter or corn holders. Sort and pile what you find . Those twist ties you saved will come in handy as will those rubber bands, Clean out under the sink if you have the energy. Arrange those plastic grocery bags into ones you can reuse for shopping or for plastic . See if your cleansers are up to date or if you need any. Check to see if you have enough dish soap or dishwashing detergent. It may be days before you hit the supermarket again.

Two days in is also a good time to try all those recipes you've want to try  but didn't have the time. Just make sure you have the ingredients . Use those gadgets you received for the holidays and have yet to use them. It'll be a good weekend to do a dress rehearsal for those Super Bowl snacks too. Make that new wing recipe. Try your hand at the spinach artichoke dip. Have the family test out those French bread pizzas. You can also have a game night and make snacks and nibbles in advance. attempt making Tater Tots using instant mashed potatoes,eggs flour and bread crumbs. Pigs in blankets are always a fun dinner/snack, perfect for those breaks along with stuffed potato skins and sliders. Homemade cookies won;t go amiss. There's nothing like fresh chocolate chips or oatmeal raisin with a hot cup of tea as you watch the snow fall. You could also get ambitious and bake a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls, complete with cream cheese icing. Homemade candy is also a fun project. Freshly made fudge or peanut brittle is always a treat.

This is a definite weekend in. Turn to the kitchen for something to do. It can be reorganizing or cooking. It could be making treats or cookies and candies. Anything can be your inspiration for activity.

A Quick Fall Remodel

Autumn is the time for any  kind of remodeling. Lord knows my kitchen needed it, with a thirty plus year old microwave table and an old broken dishwasher used as a pantry. It was definitely time for a quick upgrade.

 Thank heavens for Lowe's I was able to buy two cabinets that could be used for either a kitchen or laundry room. Each cost $160 each - not bad.

They were more or  less easy to assemble, with the biggest head ache being the handles.They fit perfectly in my postage stamp sized kitchen and hold most of my junk.

You can see it's roomy and one can hold a lot.

The other side is sheer mess but that will be straightened up. Honest.

What I love is that it can be customized. Right away I had to add matching hooks (that I bought at Target) for my many pot holders.

They are kind of like twins to the door and drawer handles.

Then there is the hook is on the side., again bought at Target.

My extension cord is multipurpose, being used for the microwave and toaster oven.

Sometimes all it takes is just a small addition to make a kitchen bright again. My new cabinets did just that. It's an easy fix - and one that will last a long time.