The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
QUESTION: Have you been able to find all the items you need to live on a daily basis? Have you mostly gone shopping in the store, or stayed at home and ordered online?
Talk about it.
No online. Usually do the Costco shuffle ’bout every 4 – 6 weeks, will be stretching that out to 6 – 8 weeks now that greenhouse is producing and soon garden will be.
Meantime, providing tech support to the cat.
No, I have not been able to buy any paper goods in almost a month and I’m about to run out of everything, stores are sold out within 30 minutes of opening with a long line of people to get in. On-line retailers are not selling paper products or are over-priced with long lead times. If everyone would just shop normal, this wouldn’t be happening.
No I go to four or five different stores and no toilet paper or paper towels. CVS and Countrywood Safeway have let us down.
CVS orders once a week and the orders have not come in. and Countrywood is just lazy and won’t restock after everyone rampages in at opening.. Don’t want to wait in long lines during this Pandemic, so I am out of luck.
Why don’t you try to call Safeway on Willow Pass, I mention they had a limit of one packages of paper towels and toilet paper, I doubt they would post that at the register if they were out. They sign just went up a few days ago, sounds like they got a shipment.
I’m well stocked on both having gone to 99 c Only store, and got 2 12 mega rolls of TP and 1 package of 6 PT, before people started to hoard.
Would like to wipes (still have some left) and hand sanitizer, but have not been able to find anywhere. Looked at Dollar Tree, Grocery Outlet, CVS and Safeway. Have had no problems finding what I need for meals, eggs, cheese, fruit, veggies, milk and meat, and my chardonnay. Dollar Tree had regular cleaning supplies Ajax, dishwashing detergent, liquid hand soap etc.
Let you down? How did they let you down?
If they could get TP and everything else they would LOVE to stock up and sell it all – that’s what they are in business for.
NO, NO & NO!
Absolutely not. No sanitizing anything, No Toilet Paper or cleaning supplies.
It takes planning for toilet paper, and disinfectant supplies but we are just fine. I milled some of my wheat and spelt supply and baked fresh whole grain bread a couple times, so far.
Yep, so far so good. I always like to stay ahead of the game by not letting anything run low, so I already have enough TP and paper towels to last quite a while. Since I don’t know when all the panic buying will stop, I’ve been wiping up spills with a rag to conserve on the paper towels.
I still do my shopping at the store. I need to get out once in a while just to get a dose of vitamin D from the sun, and now that we can’t bring our own bags anymore I like it even better, and I hope it stays that way. It’s too bad that it took a pandemic before they realized reusing your own bag can be nasty.
Lock your doors!
Yes. I’ve got everything I need.
Shop once a week at Safeway.
About everything but powdered milk which I use for baking. I don’t need regular milk and if I did I wouldn’t get my money’s worth before it spoiled. Don’t know why powered milk hasn’t been restocked yet. The thing I hate about going to stores is the psychosis interestingly enough exhibited more by young people than us old folks.
Please share a favorite recipe, and how to incorporate powered milk in lieu of liquid milk. Thanks
I’ve noticed that buttermilk powder and coconut milk powder are still available, although somewhat limited. Flavor will vary a bit. I’ve used the Amish White Bread recipe from Allrecipes which uses only water for years. Halved, the recipe works great in a breadmaker (setting on the breadmaker should be the 3-cup white or sandwich bread setting, find the closest recipe for that breadmaker and use that setting.) I fear we will be using some pretty funky flours before this is all over.
One can replace milk in a recipe following instruction on the powdered milk box which usually gives equivalents for the regular milk amount in the recipe. Here is a cheese zombie recipe for a bread machine I use that uses powdered milk.
http://recipequeens.blogspot.com/2008/10/cheese-zombies.html
I have made these recently without the milk and they turned out okay.
Captain Bebops, milk can be frozen. Use what you need and freeze the rest.
You may still be able to get dry milk from the lds cannery or lds online
Can’t find barbecued Wampums
I was looking for half cooked bats the other day and was disappointed I couldn’t find one. I guess I didn’t go far enough.
Might not even be able to get them in China. One providence (if that;s what it called) in China outlawed their wet market, although it seems they put an preference on dogs and cats, as an animal lover just make me sick to my stomach to think about.
I know China is huge and some area’s are more modern and up to date than others. Panda’s are about my favorite animals, and the Panda research center in Chengdu are doing an incredible job with the Panda’s. I watch some of their video’s on U tube (cuteness overload) and it is apparent everyone that works with the Panda’s love them. It seems very contradicting these 2 opposites are in the same country. Hopefully China will continue to move towards humane treatment of ALL animals.
If there was enough Pandas they would be eating them also.
I know rite? It’s like when your eating your soup and realize whops I forgot my BatGWAR , lol you have to have a seance of humor in times like this; and by the way Hanne Jeppesen its pronounced Gina, I got that from Alec Baldwin, doing his impression of trump. lol
You can order groceries and provisions online at http://www.maverickscatering.com for pick up by appointment. Their attendant will load your car while you stay in it. No contact. No waiting.
They are in Concord at Highway 4 and Port Chicago Highway
And yes they have toilet paper and paper towels.
Interesting! Thanks….
NO! I’m an essential worker so not much time to go to the store at certain hours and wait in long lines. Dying to get N95 masks and disinfectant wipes as we’re not given any at work (I work in a confined, crowded environment). Please, everyone, only buy what you need!
So I’m packing my bags for the Misty Mountains…
And baby, baby, baby do you like it?
Hello, my dearest fellow Claycordians! Due to my mobility issues, it’s difficult for me to shop in person. And now with this virus, I shouldn’t be going out any more than necessary because I am high risk with asthma and diabetes. Really, the best way for me to get what I need is to shop online and have things delivered, but as others have indicated, that’s almost impossible right now; the warehouses are wiped out. However, I have found a way.
Let me share with you the best tip I have received! Credit for this tip goes to my Facebook friend, Anna the Lemon Lady. Shopping online on Walmart’s website. Most likely, if you were to go online and search for paper products, it’ll show that everything’s out of stock. You have to keep an eagle eye on the website. Check often, several times a day, at different times of the day and night. After you search for your desired item, use the drop-down tab “store availability” and click on “Show Online Only” to speed things up. Every once in a while, something will come into stock. You cannot be picky about brand or package size. You do not have the luxury of choice. Don’t just add it to your cart, then browse around for other things to add. While you’re doing that, your item may go out of stock again and disappear from your cart. If you are fortunate enough to be able to add it to your cart, PLACE YOUR ORDER IMMEDIATELY. By doing this, I have been successful in ordering paper towels, toilet paper, and flushable wipes for myself, and paper towels and facial tissue for my parents. My and my parents’ paper towels are supposed to arrive today. For the facial tissue, I sent them a janitorial brand that is normally sold to companies, but it’s still facial tissue.
I hope this helps, especially for those of you that can’t get to the stores in person.
No wipes are flushable. I am glad you getting what you need and hope you the best, but those are very bad for the plumbing and end up costing homeowners and taxpayers millions each year.
I haven’t been able to find any pasta… I have plenty of spaghetti sauce!!!
Last week, I baked by own bread so the next thing to do is make pizzas. Bummer eh?
pasta is really easy to make if you can find some semolina flour. Don’t even need a pasta press just roll it out and cut out strips.
Safeway In pleasant hill by sun valley mall always has lots and lots of pasta. Maybe not exactly the variety you are looking for, but no shortage of pasta for sure.
Maypo is still made…https://youtu.be/La1LLDVQ1e8
Got back/evacuated from Baja on March 21st. Have not encountered a roll of toilet paper in the store yet. Found some on-line. Did score two rolls of paper towels. Made me feel like a lottery winner.
If the East Bay Times delivers another free Sunday paper, I’m going to keep it and recycle the old fashioned way!
haha as borat would say ohahwerynice, waawwaaweeewa king of the castle i have all the tp in the world
I bought a bunch of those pre folded paper towels at SAVEMART. I have enough for a life time.
Covid 19 is a Resperatory virus. Not getting why TP is always out.
Well Steven, The squirts is a sometimes issue with corona…
But more important is the fact than when people are hoarding supplies they are buying and eating too may…. BEANS!
Can’t find yeast or baking powder. Where is it? I’ve tracked down the rest (flour, eggs, sugar, butter). Anyone?
I found yeast on Amazon about a week ago.
Substitute for baking powder that I’ve good luck with. If you already have some baking soda and cream of tartar; mix ½ teaspoon cream of tartar with ¼ teaspoon baking soda for every 1 teaspoon you need of powder. I have found if I mix it with a hand sifter or such and let it set awhile it works pretty well.
Harvest House on Monument had yeast today.
For those who were bashing the folks shopping early and stocking up – viola – this is why.
The problems in a pandemic are pretty straightforward.
1) There are people who will panic buy – very little can really be done for those determined enough – and this has to be accepted. If you don’t accept – well – whatever.
2) The manufacturing sector will be impacted – as we see in China and even once they are reopening the plants – the supply chain is vast and it simply takes time to refill the supply chain and get it all to the stores.
3) We live in a Just In Time economy which is great when things are good but they are, of course, not optimal for a crisis like this.
The supply chains are now in being resupplied but it will simply take time.
The people who were “stocking up” early helped to set the tone of hoarding and panic buying. Yes, people like you were able to fill your pantries, but that came at the cost of other people who showed up to grocery stores and found empty shelves.
The supply chain would have been fine if people shopped normally. There is no shortage of products in warehouses, in silos, and on farm fields.
There are too many people “stocking up”, which is a scenario that the the supply chain cannot keep up with. It’s not the crisis that’s causing the hiccups in the supply chain, it’s how people are responding to the crisis by grabbing as much as possible so they can “stock up”.
Rob,
viola is a musical instrument or a pretty purple delicate flower. Voila is french meaning – look there or there it is . . . but you could certainly shop early and stock up on those pretty flowers for your garden if you wanted!
Amazon sells Maypo.
I can’t find TP, PT, and ingredients for baking. Bread flour, flour, yeast, etc.
I see that Walmart has available for shipping White Lily Self-Rising Flour, a 2-pack of 5 lbs each, for $5.39. I didn’t see any baking yeast there, just wine yeast.
After making numerous types of bread, I saw a comparison video with bread flour and all purpose flour and there wasn’t much difference. So I don’t think I’ll be buying the more expensive bread flour anymore.
The price of White Lily Flour sure went up! I was lucky enough to get some on Amazon before the world went nuts.
If you’ve never tried it White Lily it is made from soft red winter wheat. This type of wheat makes baked goods lighter in texture, creates a higher rise, and results in flaky, fluffy baked goods. It is the perfect flour for making biscuits and is pretty much all they use in the southern states.
It isn’t readily available in CA.
The hoarding, reselling and panic buying is just as bad as it was when this crisis started.
Whole Foods on Newell was well picked over. I got there maybe around 11:30 today. No paper products at all. Plenty of fruit, but the fresh vegetables were getting depleted. Had to settle for sad looking greens, which had to be cooked today because they were going bad and wouldn’t last another day left raw.
They had 5 bags of flour left. I was lucky to get one. I wonder if how many people are actually using their flour, and how many are just buying it out of panic. Personally, I’ve been baking my own bread, and making my own pasta well before this whole thing started. Rarely had I seen other people ever buy flour. But in the past few weeks, so many people are buying flour that stores can’t keep it in stock.
Target in Walnut Creek had a sign at the front door saying they were out of paper products, rubbing alcohol, gloves, and masks.
Rite Aid at the Palos Verdes Mall in Pleasant Hill had no toilet paper, and only had a few dozen bottles of rubbing alcohol left. They were placing the reasonable limit of 1 per customer.
Pretty much have everything needed on a daily bases and most paper items to last about 2 months,….had bought these before the hoarding started, so stay home a lot. Just miss my Farmers Market dearly. We normally don’t eat out much, haven’t order and take out food for 6 weeks. Pretty good about making my own stir-fry meals, but am thinking about making pizza (dough too), to drown my sorrows of No Family Gathering for Easter,…..on second thought, maybe not,….my gut pays the price for eating Pizza,…oh well,… COOKIES!!
On a related note: https://imgur.com/gallery/MhccrZp
Because of this virus thing I went to a grocery store I wasn’t familiar with and I asked the guy “Where are the nuts?”……he said “They’re in the toilet paper aisle!”
I went out yesterday for the first time in 19 days to pick up my car that helpful and prompt AAA had towed at my request to the wonderful Big O at 3572 Clayton Rd, Concord where they removed a nail from my tire that I picked up driving through a freeway construction zone on 3.14. It took them minutes to service the car! I stopped at 99CENTSONLY on the way home and found almost everything anyone would need on well-stocked shelves of cleaning supplies, plus butter, milk, and eggs. They were unloading some lovely-looking artichokes. I didn’t see TP but didn’t need it. Made one more stop for meat and cheese.
Roz, if you like stir fried vegetables and making pizza dough look up how to make Chinese noodles. The noodle are made just like you would make pizza dough. Except you cut into long strips and boil. I am on a Chinese noodle kick.
FPN ~ I’ll check that out,…Thanks a Bunch
Spaghetti or other Italian noodles aren’t exactly the same, but they are a good copycat taste. Soy, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cabbage, onions and other add-ins, you are good to go.
As for pizza, I find proper baking technique is essential. In a frying pan bake for 8-9 minutes in a pre heated oven. Pull out and add sauce, toppings.
Bake another 4 mins then broil til browned. Finish off on stovetop, medhigh until browned underneath. Any cheese that missed the pie is toasted for a burnt delight.