"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
...

> That being said, I
> have a hard time accepting that the Kraft version of anything would be the
> superior product.


Why?

"Dave Smith" > wrote

> "Dee.Dee" wrote:

>> I buy Philadelphia cream cheese, because it's always there when I want
>> some,
>> and I've read that it is actually better, but I don't know that. Most of
>> the time it tastes metallic. I use it seldom and add honey to it when I
>> do,
>> so it really doesn't make a lot of difference.
>
> One thing to consider about store brands is that the stores don't make the
> stuff. They get it from the major suppliers who just take a run of the
> product and package it with the store brand label. There is a good chance
> that the store brand cream cheese and the Philadelphia cream cheese were
> made in the same place with the same recipe and process.

That's the problem I have with store brands. What you said ... there is
a good chance. Because there is a good chance their supplier will be
a different brand next month. You never know, and I like consistency.

nancy

In article >,
"Gregory Morrow" > wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> > This was an integral part of my Christmas gift baskets this year (as
> > usual)
> >
> > Herb Cheese Spread
> >
> > Recipe By: Barb Schaller, posted to r.f.cooking 12-22-2007; based on a
> > post to r.f.r. in 1998 by M. Lowe.

> Thanx, luv, I will be serving this on Christmas day, I just bought a bunch
> of cream cheese for spreads 'n dips 'n stuff...

It's good. I've also experimented some with the same cream
cheese/butter combination but with some TJ tapenade mixed in. Could be
worse. The one I just put together is the CC (lower fat) & butter with
TJ Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade mixed in -- about 2/3 of a
jar of it. Needs something but I can't decide what. I'd add a little
salt but somehow that seems wrong to do. I added some of the Bouquet
Garni mix but haven't tasted it yet. Didn't add much. Am using some
kind of pita chip for it -- consistency is soft for a spread and thick
for a dip. Go figure. Probably be best on pasta and that could happen
by nightfall. :-)
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Notes about our meals in Tuscany have been posted to
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; 10-16-2007

In article >,
Goomba38 > wrote:

> Sheldon wrote:
> Today
> > the Philly brand is on sale; $1 each if you buy ten... I don't need
> > ten of something so perishable so to me it's not a very good sale....
> > my local market runs a lot of $1ea 10-4 sales, but rarely will I buy
> > 10 of what they put on sale.
> >
>
> At my market even though something may be marked 10/$10 one can still
> buy fewer and get the $1/each price. I think they just use the 10/$10 as
> an advertising gimmick to encourage you to buy more.

Sometimes around here it will be all or none for the special price, but
it's always marked clearly. I hate when they do the "10/$10 or $1.19
each" thing.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Notes about our meals in Tuscany have been posted to
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; 10-16-2007

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
...

> That's the problem I have with store brands. What you said ... there is
> a good chance. Because there is a good chance their supplier will be
> a different brand next month.


No, not really. Not for packaged foods like cream cheese. It's expensive to
switch suppliers for packaged foods.

In article
>,
Sheldon > wrote:

> On Dec 22, 1:06?pm, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> > "Sheldon" > wrote
> >
> > >is about a buck, the normal Philly price is like 30 cents more. ?Today
> > >the Philly brand is on sale; $1 each if you buy ten... I don't need
> > >ten of something so perishable so to me it's not a very good sale....
> > >my local market runs a lot of $1ea 10-4 sales, but rarely will I buy
> > >10 of what they put on sale.
> >
> > Check to be sure, usually the 10 for $10 sales don't mean
> > you have to buy 10, just a marketing thing meaning $1 each.
>
> The few times I tried to buy just one the register charged me the full
> regular price... but this is a small Grand Union where I really don't
> like to shop but I do use it for fill ins because it's close. I've
> already had arguments with the manager, once over them selling stale
> bread (they actually magic marker over the sell-by date), and I got so
> fed up with their warm meat display fridge that one day I brought my
> fridge thermometer and left it in there while I did some other
> shopping. When I returned it registered only 42 degF. I called the
> store manager over and tried to explain, all he did was rant. I don't
> buy any perishables there, not anymore.

Jeez, sounds like a dump, Sheldon. Shame on them.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Notes about our meals in Tuscany have been posted to
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; 10-16-2007

Janet Wilder wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
>
> > The few times I tried to buy just one the register charged me the full
> > regular price... but this is a small Grand Union
>
> I thought Grand Union had gone out of business.

Even so some still operate under the Grand Union name... there are
quite a few in the upstate NY area where I live. I don't know who
actually owns the one in my town (I hear rumors it's now privately
owned, but I don't get involved in local politics or I could probably
find out more details, but ask me if I give a rat's b-hind). But the
store still has all the Grand Union signs and logos inside and out,
even the shopping carts are plainly marked Grand Union. It's a rather
small stupidmarket by today's standards and everything about it is old/
dated, but it's very convenient when one lives in a small rural burg
with the next store some 20 miles away. Even though they have higher
prices they still do quite well as many of the town folk still do all
their food shopping there, the seniors (of which there are a good
percentage of the town population) don't want to travel and they don't
buy all that much anyhow, and of the young people with young kids the
typical mother around here is a housewife, most do not work outside
the home as they do in larger cities... I see those fill up a cart to
overflowing all the time. This is still essentially a farming
community, people remain close to home... I haven't been more than 50
miles from my front door since moving here 5 years ago... and those
longer trips are like 2-3 times a year, the majority of my travels are
the 7 mile round trip into town, like twice a month... the vast
majority of time I never set foot off my property... I traveled all
over the world for most of my life, I'm totally tired of it. I just
recently remembered to have my car inspected (was two months late), in
fourteen months I drove like 1,018 miles... I do more driving on my
tractor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Union_(stores)

SHELDON

"JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote

> "Nancy Young" > wrote
....
>> That's the problem I have with store brands. What you said ... there is
>> a good chance. Because there is a good chance their supplier will be
>> a different brand next month.

> No, not really. Not for packaged foods like cream cheese. It's expensive
> to switch suppliers for packaged foods.

That hasn't been my experience at all. I don't buy store brands all
that often and I've found changes in the product regularly. That's why
I'm cautious to bother trying.

nancy

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote
>
>> "Nancy Young" > wrote
> ...
>>> That's the problem I have with store brands. What you said ... there is
>>> a good chance. Because there is a good chance their supplier will be
>>> a different brand next month.
>
>> No, not really. Not for packaged foods like cream cheese. It's expensive
>> to switch suppliers for packaged foods.
>
> That hasn't been my experience at all. I don't buy store brands all
> that often and I've found changes in the product regularly. That's why
> I'm cautious to bother trying.
>
> nancy
>
>


A change in the product doesn't necessarily mean they changed suppliers.
It's often due to inconsistencies in the supplier's manufacturing processes.

"JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote

> "Nancy Young" > wrote...
>>
>> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote
>>
>>> "Nancy Young" > wrote
>> ...
>>>> That's the problem I have with store brands. What you said ... there
>>>> is
>>>> a good chance. Because there is a good chance their supplier will be
>>>> a different brand next month.
>>
>>> No, not really. Not for packaged foods like cream cheese. It's expensive
>>> to switch suppliers for packaged foods.
>>
>> That hasn't been my experience at all. I don't buy store brands all
>> that often and I've found changes in the product regularly. That's why
>> I'm cautious to bother trying.

> A change in the product doesn't necessarily mean they changed suppliers.
> It's often due to inconsistencies in the supplier's manufacturing
> processes.

Usually my first indication is the packaging has changed, too.
Besides, different is different. I want consistancy. Not what
the store brand has negotiated from wherever that contract period.

nancy

Julia Altshuler wrote:
>
> I suppose if I COULD tell the difference between Philadelphia brand
> cream cheese and the store brand, then I'd ask myself which I liked
> better and consider if the difference in quality was worth the
> difference in price. At this point in my life, I usually think paying
> more for the better product is worth it.

That may be a good rule to follow, but now that I am on a pension I am a
little more careful about prices. Some of the stores where I shop have good
store brands. We go through a lot of cream cheese so I tried their cream
cheese and I could not detect a difference.

jay wrote:
>
> On the subject of cheese..yesterday I got a gift of Maytag blue, white
> cheddar and edam. It looks like great stuff but haven't tried it yet.
>
> http://www.maytagdairyfarms.com/aspx/welcome.aspx


Ah, Maytag. Maytag Blue won't convince you to like blue cheese if you
never have before, but if you're inclined towards blue in the first
place, Maytag has a wonderfully smooth creamy one. In comparison, the
European blues seem sharp, harsh, or salty. When I worked in the wine
and cheese shop, I could almost tell what people would think of the
Maytag by their accents. Americans loved the domestic product. French
people would shake their head and ask for the Roquefort or Stilton.


We were all saying a moment ago that we prefer our cream cheese plain,
that if we want to mix something in it, we'll do it at home. For that
Maytag Blue, if you want to crumble it as-is on a salad, it's a good
choice. If you want it for breakfast (a breakfast that doesn't include
orange juice), mix it in equal parts with cream cheese and offer it as a
spread. For a finger food at a cocktail party, roll grapes in the blue
cheese-cream cheese mix, then roll them in chopped nuts and refrigerate
until very cold before serving.


--Lia

On Sat, 22 Dec 2007 19:07:34 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
> wrote:

>"Lou Decruss" > wrote in message
.. .
>
>> This would have been a good survey.
>
>
>Why? The same 8 or 10 participants would've responded to the survey, which
>provides numbers, but no explanations. Then, the same participants would've
>ALSO posted messages. Surveys are redundant and stupid for this newsgroup.
>

Surveys are fun and often generate a thread as a result. Other times
a thread generates a survey. Since you find them redundant, just
ignore them.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smiley face first

"Lou Decruss" wrote

> We use a lot of cream cheese here. Philadelphia brand is often on
> sale, but the average retail is about $2.39 at the big markets. Last

Yup, a little cheaper at the commisary but that's a decent average price for
it when not on sale out in town.

> $10 purchase. But the times it's not on sale other brands are on sale
> for between $.79 and $.99 all the time. The ingredient lists and
> nutritional facts are almost identical. We can't tell the difference
> so we buy whatever is cheapest. One of our friends claims there is a

I tend to the reduced fat or no-fat versions. I have cholestrol problems
and this is one of my foods I adapted to the lower-fat versions of.

> big difference in the taste and she only buys Philadelphia. Are my
> taste buds fooling me? Can you tell the difference? What kind do you
> buy? Curious minds need to know these things!!

Your taste buds arent really fooling you. Some of us cant tell the
difference really in the lower-fat versions so find them acceptable but that
ranges. For example, I can not get used to lower-fat milk below 2%. I find
fat-free sour cream in some of the brands, quite fine but other brands are
awful. Othr friends say the same thing but like the brands I hate and hate
my brands <g>. Tastebuds are not all the same.

What Charlotte doesnt like, is the 1/3rd less fat philly origional version.
She happy though with the 'newschafel' (sorry, cant spell it) 'fat-free'.

Best bet is get the less expensive stuff if it tastes good to you and do not
worry about others who don't like that version. You'll probably find out if
they are honest, that they've never tried any other version, or tried just
*one* of the others and didnt like it so say they are all bad. There's a
good chance the ones you are getting that you like and taste the same to
you, are a local store brand that is the same except for packaging, in how
it's made <grin>.

Here's a different item I fell in love with. Dollar Store here has a brand
of diced canned tomatoes we just found. 'So Natural' is the brand. I was
getting some other stuff when we'd just moved here (Dollar Store is very
near and right perfect on the path home) and a stand up fan they had
advertized. I perused the rest of the offerings and got a few simple canned
stock items, among them this can of diced tomatoes. I languished in the
kitchen as I used the contadina up then one day I needed 2 cans and had one
of this and one contadina. I put the 'So Natural' in and tasted the recipe.
WOW. Much better and even lower sodium than the Contadina! I was sorry to
have only 1 can and had to water the flavor down with the second can of
contadina.

"Goomba38" wrote

>> has to be the real stuff not the low fat. Low fat cream
>> cheese is not very good.
>
> I disagree. I find in some uses lower fat products serve their purpose
> just as well as the full fat version and I save a few calories to boot!

Yup, but not all take well to that particular lower-fat product. Also,
there are many brands of the same sort of lower-fat 'philly' knockoff and
some taste better to us than others.

If all our tastebuds were identical, there would be but one version of every
recipe. As we all are not the same, multiples exist <g>.

"Sqwertz" wrote

> Yep. HEB brand. Don't let the $.88 fool you into thinking it
> was from Walmart ($.88 is a popular Walmart price tag).

Back when I lived in San Antonio Tx, we had an HEB across the street. I do
not know if it is the same now, but back then their store brands were all
pretty good. It seemed they took more care to taste test the product before
allowing their name to be used on it as a store brand.

I wonder if they are still like that? That was in 1983-1986.

"Sheldon" wrote

>> >the Philly brand is on sale; $1 each if you buy ten...

>> Check to be sure, usually the 10 for $10 sales don't mean
>> you have to buy 10, just a marketing thing meaning $1 each.

>The few times I tried to buy just one the register charged me the full
>regular price... but this is a small Grand Union where I really don't
>like to shop but I do use it for fill ins because it's close. I've

You are right, some places do that. Some dont. Your local 'Grand Union'
seems not a very good place to me but I can understand when it gets used due
to proximity.

Nancy Young wrote:
> "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote

>
>> A change in the product doesn't necessarily mean they changed suppliers.
>> It's often due to inconsistencies in the supplier's manufacturing
>> processes.
>
> Usually my first indication is the packaging has changed, too.
> Besides, different is different. I want consistancy. Not what
> the store brand has negotiated from wherever that contract period.

What I am finding is the package size, not so much as the contents,
keeps changing. The size shrinks and the prices rise.

Some of my older recipes call for a certain size package or can and the
stuff no longer comes in a package or can that size.

It's a test of my creativity to get the recipe to work :-)

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

Sqwertz wrote:

> I highly reccomend the HEB bacon and "Texas Originals" Hot Dogs
> (jalapeno, cheese, or mesquite).
>
> -sw

My mother always swore by Rath Blackhawk bacon, which I can't get here
(or haven't noticed?) but she bought routinely in Texas.
I'll have to ask a friend who works for H-E-B about the bacon.

>"Sqwertz" wrote
>>cshenk wrote:

>> Back when I lived in San Antonio Tx, we had an HEB across the street. I
>> do
>> not know if it is the same now, but back then their store brands were all
>> pretty good. It seemed they took more care to taste test the product
>> before
>> allowing their name to be used on it as a store brand.

> They have two store brands, "HEB" and "Hill Country Fare". The
> HEB branded items are comparable to the name brands, sometimes
> better. The HCF brand isn't so good, but still a big step above
> the "Great Value" brands and their relatives.

OK! Nice to know that they are still good. I find the Kroger brand is also
pretty good most of the time. Oddly for an upscale yuppie market, Harris
Teeter home store brands of canned and such goods arent so great though
their deli things are ok. They make a nice salmon spread we get from time
to time at HT.

> I highly reccomend the HEB bacon and "Texas Originals" Hot Dogs
> (jalapeno, cheese, or mesquite).

Sounds good! BJ's has a sodium reduced bacon we find quite acceptable.
Then again, we have to get sodium reduced bacons or go without due to Don's
diet restrictions. We've tried the turky bacons and such and not found them
workable for us.

cshenk wrote:
> "Sqwertz" wrote
>
>> Yep. HEB brand. Don't let the $.88 fool you into thinking it
>> was from Walmart ($.88 is a popular Walmart price tag).
>
> Back when I lived in San Antonio Tx, we had an HEB across the street. I do
> not know if it is the same now, but back then their store brands were all
> pretty good. It seemed they took more care to taste test the product before
> allowing their name to be used on it as a store brand.
>
> I wonder if they are still like that? That was in 1983-1986.
>
>
AFAIK, they are still like that. DH's cousin's son was one of their exec
VPs for several years. He traveled all over the world visiting other
supermarkets and checking out products. HEB, at one time had their own
canning plants down here in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. They have
direct contracts with commercial farmers for their produce and they show
a genuine concern for the consumer which is reflected in the quality of
the product they market under their name.

Each store is individually tailored to the demographics of its
customers. We have three in Harlingen and each one has a few products
that the others don't, reflecting the neighborhood where the store is
located. They are such a committed chain that they kicked Albertson's
out of South Texas. Their only competition is Super WalMart (where I
won't shop because of the lack of freshness and the injection of their
meat)and small, local chains that are committed to the Latino market.

One of the best parts of living here in way-the-heck-south Texas is
shopping at HEB.

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

Goomba38 wrote:

> Sheldon wrote:
> Today
> > the Philly brand is on sale; $1 each if you buy ten... I don't need
> > ten of something so perishable so to me it's not a very good sale....
> > my local market runs a lot of $1ea 10-4 sales, but rarely will I buy
> > 10 of what they put on sale.
> >
>
> At my market even though something may be marked 10/$10 one can still
> buy fewer and get the $1/each price. I think they just use the 10/$10 as
> an advertising gimmick to encourage you to buy more.


The Jewel chain here in Chicago uses the "10 for $10.00" ad gimmick...more
often than not at another store I can get that particular item for "10 for
$7.60" or whatever, e.g. it's cheaper...

I've had to explain this to several people that should have known better,
that "10/10" is a sales gimmick to make folks think they are getting a Big
Bargain when the exact opposite is usually the case...

Jewel has done this with fruit, e.g. "10 navel oranges/apples/whatever for
$10.00!", them's some pretty expensive apples. But people fall for it...

--
Best
Greg

"Janet Wilder" wrote
> cshenk wrote:

>> pretty good. It seemed they took more care to taste test the product
>> before allowing their name to be used on it as a store brand.

>> I wonder if they are still like that? That was in 1983-1986.
>>
> AFAIK, they are still like that. DH's cousin's son was one of their exec
> VPs for several years. He traveled all over the world visiting other
> supermarkets and checking out products. HEB, at one time had their own

> One of the best parts of living here in way-the-heck-south Texas is
> shopping at HEB.

Much snipped but that's good to know! I wish we had them here but we do
have some good chains here too.
If a time comes when it is appropriate, let them know we think well of them
still after 20 years away.

I also think very highly of the local Kroger store but the best all time
store, was the Sasebo Japan commisary.
For all the hardships they had to deal with, they were *fantastic*.

Lets start that they are the size of about 3 7-11's abutted together. No
room for a deli or any of that nice stuff like a bakery etc. Limited shelf
space and a hugely varied set of ethnic groups to satisfy with that small
space and a problem with getting products in. Often you just had one line
of a product, if you had it at all, but that line would be the best of the
best. Often you'd have a special food item that would only be on the
shelves for a week or so then you had to wait 2-3 months for it to show up
again (as some other special item would rotate in that spot). Some stuff
was oddly very expensive such as idaho potatoes were almost never there
because they had to charge so much (try 4.99lb which I recall seeing once),
so you'd find a rather odd occurance where they were cheaper to get the
pre-roasted frozen ones (about 1.99lb). Want pigs blood? We had it there
at least once a month. Chitlins frozen in big tubs, fresh sasuages from the
Philippenes, all sorts of other products you cant find stateside outside
specialty stores like real hams from holland and germany or bransweiger
(sp?) from germany. I mean the real thing, not USA knockoffs. If you
wanted something, you just told the manager and he'd do his damdest to get
it in and if it sold well, it would join the list of things stocked as often
as he could get it and be displayed as often as the rotation of stocks
allowed.

Grin, we'd all keep one another's cell phone numbers and when shopping you'd
see us all calling buddies to tell them what new or old favorite was out
this week then grabbing up stuff for each other or making a run down to get
some. If the prices were very high compared to stateside, thats to be
understood. They do not make a profit, just pass on the costs.

They quite rightfully took the worldwide award for smallest commisary with
the highest customer satisfaction for several years while I was there. They
definately earned it. They even made a big point of making careful checks of
customer diet needs to ensure you could get a low sodium or low-fat version
of just about everything and had only the most *best* they could find of
each of those lines. You could even walk up to any worker there and ask
which brand of (insert your product) was lowest (insert your need) and they
either knew right off the bat, or had a list to check, or would find someone
who did know, or at last gasp, knew how to read the labels and would
cheerfully help you and teach you how to read them too. That came in really
handy for us when I was at sea and Charlotte had to help Don get low-sodium
things. She was only 11 and he (just after a mini-stroke, mind a little
blurry for a bit) wasnt real saavy on such so Charlotte would go with him
and check to make sure the stuff in the cart was ok for him to eat. Now
THATS service!

Grin, sorry to wax-poetic but those guys are the best.

Sheldon wrote:
> Lou Decruss wrote:
>> We use a lot of cream cheese here. �Philadelphia brand is often on
>> sale, but the average retail is about $2.39 at the big markets. �Last
>> week it was on sale for $.68 (limit 2) �Last night it was free with a
>> $10 purchase. �But the times it's not on sale other brands are on sale
>> for between $.79 and $.99 all the time. �The ingredient lists and
>> nutritional facts are almost identical. �We can't tell the difference
>> so we buy whatever is cheapest. �One of our friends claims there is a
>> big difference in the taste and she only buys Philadelphia. �Are my
>> taste buds fooling me? �Can you tell the difference? �What kind do you
>> buy? �Curious minds need to know these things!!
>>
>> Lou
>
> The Kraft Philadelphia brand tastes better to me... but still I often
> buy the store brand when it's on sale, but I find it's wetter and not
> as fresh tasting. The thing I question is that I've never seen such a
> huge price disparity as you claim. The normal price for store brand
> is about a buck, the normal Philly price is like 30 cents more. Today
> the Philly brand is on sale; $1 each if you buy ten... I don't need
> ten of something so perishable so to me it's not a very good sale....
> my local market runs a lot of $1ea 10-4 sales, but rarely will I buy
> 10 of what they put on sale.
>


So you are so financially strapped that you pass on a brand you like for
something that's "wetter and not as fresh tasting" for 30¢ less? Sucks
to be you, Shelly.

Get rid of a cat, or two, or three, and maybe you can even afford to
turn your lights on once in a while to brighten your spirit and make you
less of an asshole.

-dk

Nancy Young wrote:
>
> So, here's the thing. Your post is timely for me. I bought 2
> packages at Thanksgiving and didn't wind up using them. I
> wanted to make cream cheese pies, the kind with sour cream
> topping. Anyone have a favorite recipe for something like that?
> A graham cracker crust type of thing?


I'm guessing you're looking for a classic New York cheesecake. I don't
have a favorite recipe for that, but you did make me think of this
recipe for cheesecake squares from the Tasajara Bread Book. --Lia


Ingredients for the crust:


1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1/4 cup honey


Mix together with pastry cutter until crumbly. Reserve half cup for
topping. Press into greased 9" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees.


Ingredients for the cheesy part:


8 ounces cream cheese
1 egg
2 Tablespoons milk
grated peel of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch nutmeg


Mix all together. Pour over crust. Sprinkle reserve over cream cheese
mixture. Bake at 350 degress for another 25 minutes.


Cool before slicing.

In article >,
Janet Wilder > wrote:

> Both are brands of the Amana Amish Colony in Iowa. I think they sold the
> washing machine business, but they still make the best bleu cheese in
> the US, IMHO.

I think that would be Point Reyes blue cheese. Really yummy stuff.

marcella

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Sun, 23 Dec 2007 06:36:27 +0900, cshenk wrote:
>
>> "Sqwertz" wrote
>>
>>> Yep. HEB brand. Don't let the $.88 fool you into thinking it
>>> was from Walmart ($.88 is a popular Walmart price tag).
>> Back when I lived in San Antonio Tx, we had an HEB across the street. I do
>> not know if it is the same now, but back then their store brands were all
>> pretty good. It seemed they took more care to taste test the product before
>> allowing their name to be used on it as a store brand.
>>
>> I wonder if they are still like that? That was in 1983-1986.
>
> They have two store brands, "HEB" and "Hill Country Fare". The
> HEB branded items are comparable to the name brands, sometimes
> better. The HCF brand isn't so good, but still a big step above
> the "Great Value" brands and their relatives.
>
> I highly reccomend the HEB bacon and "Texas Originals" Hot Dogs
> (jalapeno, cheese, or mesquite).
>
> -sw

We love their pre-smoked brisket. It's almost as good as great Texas
barbecue joint stuff. When you buy it you get tons of other food for
free. We went to a hot dog roast and campfire last night and I brought
along a 3 pound package of Ball Park hot dogs that I'd gotten for free
while buying a small pre-sliced smoked brisket on one of their Meal
Deals. Most of the stuff one gets for free isn't eaten in our house so I
give it to the food pantry.

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

cshenk wrote:
>> "Sqwertz" wrote
>>> cshenk wrote:
>
>>> Back when I lived in San Antonio Tx, we had an HEB across the street. I
>>> do
>>> not know if it is the same now, but back then their store brands were all
>>> pretty good. It seemed they took more care to taste test the product
>>> before
>>> allowing their name to be used on it as a store brand.
>
>> They have two store brands, "HEB" and "Hill Country Fare". The
>> HEB branded items are comparable to the name brands, sometimes
>> better. The HCF brand isn't so good, but still a big step above
>> the "Great Value" brands and their relatives.
>
> OK! Nice to know that they are still good. I find the Kroger brand is also
> pretty good most of the time. Oddly for an upscale yuppie market, Harris
> Teeter home store brands of canned and such goods arent so great though
> their deli things are ok. They make a nice salmon spread we get from time
> to time at HT.
>
>> I highly reccomend the HEB bacon and "Texas Originals" Hot Dogs
>> (jalapeno, cheese, or mesquite).
>
> Sounds good! BJ's has a sodium reduced bacon we find quite acceptable.
> Then again, we have to get sodium reduced bacons or go without due to Don's
> diet restrictions. We've tried the turky bacons and such and not found them
> workable for us.
>
>

HEB's low sodium bacon is good. Since we don't use a whole lot at a
time, I repackage it into smaller packages and freeze what we are not
using. It's surprising how quickly it can go bad with less salt.

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

writes:
>We use a lot of cream cheese here. Philadelphia brand is often on
>sale, but the average retail is about $2.39 at the big markets. Last
>week it was on sale for $.68 (limit 2) Last night it was free with a
>$10 purchase. But the times it's not on sale other brands are on sale
>for between $.79 and $.99 all the time. The ingredient lists and
>nutritional facts are almost identical. We can't tell the difference
>so we buy whatever is cheapest. One of our friends claims there is a
>big difference in the taste and she only buys Philadelphia. Are my
>taste buds fooling me? Can you tell the difference? What kind do you
>buy? Curious minds need to know these things!!
>
>Lou

I have a related question --

when did they start putting xanthan and/or carob bean and/or guar gum
in all of them?

Lou Decruss > wrote:

> What kind do you buy?

Philadelphia brand is available here, but if I want some sort of creamy
cheese, I usually buy chèvre frais, quark, or fromage blanc. I'd also
gladly buy Boursin, flavoured or not with herbs or garlic, which is much
closer to Philadelphia in taste and texture. Given a choice,
Philadelphia brand or similar would not even be on the list - I'd rather
do without.

Victor

CHEESECAKE SQUARES
>
> Ingredients for the crust:
>
>
> 1/3 cup butter
> 1/3 cup brown sugar
> 1 cup whole wheat flour
> 1/2 cup ground walnuts
> 1/4 cup honey
>
>
> Mix together with pastry cutter until crumbly. Reserve half cup for
> topping. Press into greased 9" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees FOR 15 MINUTES.
>
>
> Ingredients for the cheesy part:
>
>
> 8 ounces cream cheese
> 1 egg
> 2 Tablespoons milk
> grated peel of one lemon
> 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
> pinch nutmeg
>
>
> Mix all together. Pour over crust. Sprinkle reserve over cream cheese
> mixture. Bake at 350 degress for another 25 minutes.
>
>
> Cool before slicing.

"Sheldon" > wrote in message
...
On Dec 22, 1:06?pm, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> "Sheldon" > wrote
>
> >is about a buck, the normal Philly price is like 30 cents more. ?Today
> >the Philly brand is on sale; $1 each if you buy ten... I don't need
> >ten of something so perishable so to me it's not a very good sale....
> >my local market runs a lot of $1ea 10-4 sales, but rarely will I buy
> >10 of what they put on sale.
>
> Check to be sure, usually the 10 for $10 sales don't mean
> you have to buy 10, just a marketing thing meaning $1 each.

The few times I tried to buy just one the register charged me the full
regular price... but this is a small Grand Union

<Snip> Don't you mean Stewart's? Grand Union went bankrupt several years
ago.

"Sheldon" > wrote in message
...
On Dec 22, 1:06?pm, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> "Sheldon" > wrote
>
> >is about a buck, the normal Philly price is like 30 cents more. ?Today
> >the Philly brand is on sale; $1 each if you buy ten... I don't need
> >ten of something so perishable so to me it's not a very good sale....
> >my local market runs a lot of $1ea 10-4 sales, but rarely will I buy
> >10 of what they put on sale.
>
> Check to be sure, usually the 10 for $10 sales don't mean
> you have to buy 10, just a marketing thing meaning $1 each.

The few times I tried to buy just one the register charged me the full
regular price... but this is a small Grand Union

disregard. question answered.

Victor Sack wrote:

> Philadelphia brand is available here, but if I want some sort of creamy
> cheese, I usually buy chèvre frais, quark, or fromage blanc. I'd also
> gladly buy Boursin, flavoured or not with herbs or garlic, which is much
> closer to Philadelphia in taste and texture. Given a choice,
> Philadelphia brand or similar would not even be on the list - I'd rather
> do without.


True. Delice do Bourgogne or a fresh chevre would be my first choice
for something creamy and mild to spread on bread. But real, full-fat,
cream cheese that's just creamy and with no extra flavor, like
Philadelphia brand or the supermarket brand, is my choice for using in
New York style cheese cake or for baking with in cookie and cake recipes.


--Lia

margaret suran > wrote:

> What happened to Gervais? Is it still available?

Gervais is just a brand of quark, originally full-fat, but now low-fat
versions are available. Full-fat (40% or so) quark, labelled Gervais or
not, is still available here.

Bubba

tert in seattle wrote:

> writes:
> >We use a lot of cream cheese here. Philadelphia brand is often on
> >sale, but the average retail is about $2.39 at the big markets. Last
> >week it was on sale for $.68 (limit 2) Last night it was free with a
> >$10 purchase. But the times it's not on sale other brands are on sale
> >for between $.79 and $.99 all the time. The ingredient lists and
> >nutritional facts are almost identical. We can't tell the difference
> >so we buy whatever is cheapest. One of our friends claims there is a
> >big difference in the taste and she only buys Philadelphia. Are my
> >taste buds fooling me? Can you tell the difference? What kind do you
> >buy? Curious minds need to know these things!!
> >
> >Lou
>
> I have a related question --
>
> when did they start putting xanthan and/or carob bean and/or guar gum
> in all of them?


1943, it was done as a prophylactic preservative measure for shipping the
product overseas to our troops and allies during The Big One...


--
Best
Greg

writes:
>
>
>
>tert in seattle wrote:
>
>> writes:
>> >We use a lot of cream cheese here. Philadelphia brand is often on
>> >sale, but the average retail is about $2.39 at the big markets. Last
>> >week it was on sale for $.68 (limit 2) Last night it was free with a
>> >$10 purchase. But the times it's not on sale other brands are on sale
>> >for between $.79 and $.99 all the time. The ingredient lists and
>> >nutritional facts are almost identical. We can't tell the difference
>> >so we buy whatever is cheapest. One of our friends claims there is a
>> >big difference in the taste and she only buys Philadelphia. Are my
>> >taste buds fooling me? Can you tell the difference? What kind do you
>> >buy? Curious minds need to know these things!!
>> >
>> >Lou
>>
>> I have a related question --
>>
>> when did they start putting xanthan and/or carob bean and/or guar gum
>> in all of them?
>
>
>1943, it was done as a prophylactic preservative measure for shipping the
>product overseas to our troops and allies during The Big One...

everything happened in 1943 according to you, "Morron"...!!!

tert in brno escribe:

> writes:
> >
> >
> >
> >tert in seattle wrote:
> >
> >> writes:
> >> >We use a lot of cream cheese here. Philadelphia brand is often on
> >> >sale, but the average retail is about $2.39 at the big markets. Last
> >> >week it was on sale for $.68 (limit 2) Last night it was free with a
> >> >$10 purchase. But the times it's not on sale other brands are on sale
> >> >for between $.79 and $.99 all the time. The ingredient lists and
> >> >nutritional facts are almost identical. We can't tell the difference
> >> >so we buy whatever is cheapest. One of our friends claims there is a
> >> >big difference in the taste and she only buys Philadelphia. Are my
> >> >taste buds fooling me? Can you tell the difference? What kind do you
> >> >buy? Curious minds need to know these things!!
> >> >
> >> >Lou
> >>
> >> I have a related question --
> >>
> >> when did they start putting xanthan and/or carob bean and/or guar gum
> >> in all of them?
> >
> >
> >1943, it was done as a prophylactic preservative measure for shipping the
> >product overseas to our troops and allies during The Big One...
>
> everything happened in 1943 according to you, "Morron"...!!!
>


BWAHAHAHAAAAAA.......!!!!!

Merry xmas, TART...

;-p


--
Best
Greg

" I find Greg Morrow lowbrow, witless, and obnoxious. For him to claim that
we are some
kind of comedy team turns my stomach."
- "cybercat" to me on rec.food.cooking

On Sat, 22 Dec 2007 11:53:32 -0500, Goomba38 >
wrote:

There's too many posts for me to reply to them all. I figured I'd get
a few but not so many and I've got to get back to the real kitchen for
Christmas. Many thanks to you and all that responded. It was
interesting.

>Why not do a blind taste test and see if your friend can tell the
>difference? I buy name brand usually as that is what the commissary
>sells though I bought the Philadelphia brand reduced fat cream cheese
>yesterday to make Formaggio al Borsini with because even reduced fat
>cream cheese will taste great for that.
>I wonder if your friend would notice the difference between a name brand
>and no-name brand in something like that?

I don't think she can tell the difference. She shops at Aldi and gets
frozen chicken breasts from Market day. She's just silly. She's a
great friend though. They were over last night and we spent hours
laughing about things. We lost our bamboo steamer when we moved and
she got me a new one. How good can it get? LOL

>* Exported from MasterCook *
>
> Formaggio al Borsini

<Snip recipe>

Looks like you and the Jam Lady are on the same page. Thanks to both
of you. I'll follow the lead and make it for tomorrow. I've got
12-8oz. blocks to play with. Gonna make a NY style cheesecake.

Add this to your list of dining possibilities when you come to Chicago
The duck and rabbit are awesome.

http://www.emiliostapas.com/

http://chicago.citysearch.com/profil...estaurant.html

Lou