Sunday, April 24, 2011

Live Small and Prosper: Gord’s Frontier Stew is a winner

[Doug Porter, deputy chief economist for BMO Capital Markets warned consumers will eventually feel the impact of a 40% rise in basic agricultural commodities in the past year. “That will work its way down to the grocery stores but it will take about 10 to 12 months.” April 8, London Free Press]

I spent part of yesterday afternoon in the kitchen, then visited my workshop wearing a big smile.

And why the Cheshire grin? I realized, while peeling spuds, I get paid good money to cook supper in my own house. Really good money.


Already my brain registers delight daily when I brew morning coffee. The $19.38 I paid one week ago for 1.6 pounds of fresh beans has already been repaid (thanks to my 2 - 3 cups per day habit), and most of the coffee has yet to be brewed.

I bet, including the money I save by not driving to a coffee shop on a regular basis, the price of a cup of coffee is under 10 cents. When it goes up in price, say 40%, I’ll still be paying less than 15 cents per mug, for a savings of $1.35. Why, it’s like paying myself almost $5 every time I brew a pot of coffee. Brilliant.


["Better than bacon and eggs any old day": photos GH]

Already I feel I pay myself $20 or more, after the cost of supplies, every time I make a large batch of porridge. Ten servings cost very little compared to one or two restaurant breakfasts. And my heart thanks me for the mix of oatmeal, Red River cereal, bran, flax seed, raisins, currants and dried cranberries.

But what about the cost of my ever-popular Frontier Stew? I never thought about it closely, until yesterday.

Stay tuned.

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Please click here for “I Ask You” and more about the price of coffee.

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