What’s has suddenly happened with food and food prices?  It’s been all over the news lately.  Yes, I’ve noticed food prices rising faster than I would like, but things have really gone over overboard when you hear reports of purchase limits on rice in the US.  Usually, not much ruffles me, but this is bothering me so much that I’m dreaming about empty grocery store shelves when I sleep at night.  Granted this is the view from the a spoiled American, nonetheless, for the first time I am feeling a little scared.

It’s sad to say, now, that I haven’t seriously shopped for groceries for months.  The food prices are just too depressing!  It’s rediculous to buy 5 or 6 bags of groceries for two people and the bill totals over $100.  The last time I went into a grocery it was to buy some rice and, much to my shock, a 2-lb bag was $5.  I nearly screamed in the aisle.  Then I went to buy some milk and a half gallon was edging towards $4.  Later that day my husband and I found a taco shop (El Mexicano) within 2-miles of house that sells 3 rolled tacos with guac for $2.20.  I lament to report that my body is now almost entirely maintained by fruit from the company cafeteria and rolled tacos.  This and other dollar menu items from various fast food entities are now cheaper than grocery shopping …  BTW, dollar menus are breaking fast food franchise owners, so I don’t expect that “feast of the senses” to last for too much longer.  My husband and I are also assembling strange meals from the weird stuffs that have collected in our pantry over the years.  Lately I’ve been throwing various soups and canned veggies together into ramen.  With a dash of tadashi (mostly MSG), everything tastes wonderful.   How low have I fallen?!  I ran out of ramen over the weekend, but I’m scared to go to the grocery store to find out that my 10-cent/bag staple is now probably $2/bag.

One bright spot is that my local Sprouts (in San Marcos) is selling food for a lot cheaper than the grocery store.  I imagine the benefits of not having to transport local food very far is helping that along.  They had bell peppers for 25-cents each and asparagus is $.99/lb.  Yippee!  So it looks like I will be going grocery shopping this weekend or sooner.  I wonder if they have locally made ramen.

Here’s a link to the entire article.  Get out there and buy as much rice as you can while you still can!  (We are soooo screwed now that the speculators are spectulating on food.)