"cshenk" > wrote in message
...
> Julie Bove wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>> Bryan wrote:
>> > On Oct 17, 7:20 pm, (Judy Haffner) wrote:
>> > >
>> > > 1 can ( or jar) chicken gravy
>> > >
>> > The only even marginally legitimate use for jarred "gravy" is an
>> > extender for real gravy. At least you only had one inappropriate
>> > ingredient.
>> >
>> > > Judy
>> >
>> > --Bryan
>>
>> You are probably one of the snootiest people I have run across! I
>> would also venture to guess that most people in the US also use a
>> canned, jarred or pouched gravy. Most of that stuff has things in it
>> that we don't eat but I do buy a boxed, gluten free gravy and it is
>> perfectly fine. I have had some people's made from scratch gravy and
>> it left a lot to be desired. Lumpy and not seasoned well.
>
> No problem, Gravy is one of the things I do not do all that well
> because i didnt grow up with it as a normal side. I can manage but
> mine is not better than jarred types. My only claim to fame is it isnt
> worse (grin) and it;s cheaper to make my own plus fun to do.

We didn't grow up with it either. I was forced to learn how to make it when
my daughter was first diagnosed with food intolerances. Mine has always
come out fine. In those days there were no gluten free products available
that didn't also contain dairy or soy. Now there are.

And I still might make my own, depending on what I am doing. If I want
hamburger gravy or chicken gravy with bits of chicken in it or the same with
turkey, I'll make my own. But if I want it to moisten a casserole, I'll buy
the purchased. Oh and...I did get several of the boxed gravies for free
after I wrote to the company and said that I couldn't figure out how to open
their product. They sent me a lot of high value coupons. That was very
nice.

I will almost always get a product for free if it is something I can use or
if it is something I can pass on to the food bank. I do not as a general
rule get junk foods like that or things that some of those extreme couponers
stockpile like Frank's Red Hot Sauce or Yakisoba noodles. Nobody here eats
that stuff. And I'd be willing to bet that the folks who use the food bank
won't have much use for a hot sauce and probably already have enough of
those free noodles. But at times I get coupons for free products that not a
lot of other people get and I will get those and either find a way to use
them or pass them on to someone who can use them.

Right now we are making an effort to use up the plethora in our cupboards.
Because we didn't know when my husband would be getting his next paycheck,
we immediately began searching for deals and stocking up on non-perishable
things. Thankfully he does have a job now and he is currently making the
same wage as before, save for the amount he has to pay for his apartment in
NY. But I feel that we should still use up some of what we have now for a
few weeks and that will allow me to save for Christmas. I did have the
canned chicken, the pasta and the peas. I did buy the soup but it was on
sale for a good price. It really would have cost me more money had I made
it from scratch because I didn't have all of the ingredients. I would have
had to buy cream and I would have no other use for the leftover cream.
That's just not something we use.