Forget about what came first … the chicken or the egg. What about the sticker shock at egg prices?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: One of the last things Red ever thought about when grocery shopping was the price of eggs which, until recently, was always one of the most economical (and versatile) grocery items she bought; while for Black, she might not have noticed the dramatic price increase except for the seemingly endless articles.
It's not that Black’s totally clueless when she goes grocery shopping, but since she lives alone, it’s easier to buy prepared foods, and the biggest part of her grocery bill is fresh flowers. Plus, a dozen fresh eggs last her months since she also buys hard-boiled eggs that have already been shelled. However, Black was amused that the price of eggs resulted in the word “eggflation” and countless memes (her favorite is comparing the purchase of eggs to purchasing a car, although she finds it eggstreme since you can’t test-drive them first.)
She understands the reasons for the increase (inflation coupled with Avian flu) causing some people to find alternatives, whether plant-based or substitutes for cooking. But what she doesn’t understand is people who think they have figured out a way to “beat the system” and have run afoul (pun intended) of the law (border agents have discovered more people trying to smuggle in eggs from Mexico) or common sense,
This is basic grade school math, although I was tempted to call it eggonomics. People are buying chicks so they can raise them to supply eggs. Obviously, they have forgotten to calculate the cost per egg based on the cost of buying the chicks, all the materials needed, and raising them until they produce eggs. Of course, an eggception might be if you are buying them as pets.
Red’s been happy being a mom to labradoodles for years and has no desire to own chickens. And although she hasn’t been happy about the rapid increase in egg prices (but that’s been the case for most of her groceries over the last six months or so), there’s some “good news – bad news” about cholesterol in eggs,
I didn’t eat eggs as much as I might have because I was concerned about the cholesterol, but it turns out that eggs have gotten a bad rap all these years. Yes, egg whites have lots of protein. But let’s face it, the yummy part is the yolk. Now it turns out that the yolks on us since it has lots of nutrients and isn’t nearly as bad as we’ve thought.
So, what’s the bad news about that? Well, as Red’s committed to a healthier lifestyle (including a focus on being heart healthy), she’s now eating more eggs, and have you seen the price of eggs?!
When the news is challenging or life’s stressful, there’s something comforting about Girl Scout cookies. Always has been, which is why we’re rerunning this post from several years ago.
Girl Scouts, though, are about so much more than cookies, as year-round girls learn important life skills, gain confidence, and discover leadership skills. But buying cookies is such a sweet way (sorry, we couldn’t resist) to support the organization. Red’s favorite is the classic shortbread (now known as Trefoils), and Black buys a large assortment and gives them all away.
But hurry! Cookie season ends on March 23.
P.S. - If S’mores and Toast-Yay! are your favorites … make sure you stock up as this is the last year they’ll be available.
Let's play word association. If we say, "Girl Scouts," what's the first word that comes to mind? Ok, what's the second word?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: When Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout meeting – hoping to create an organization that redefined what was possible for girls everywhere – there was no way for her to know the difference it would make in the lives of millions of girls and their communities.
Many people's first (and sometimes only) image of Girl Scouts is as cookie salespeople – either selling door-to-door or at a make-shift table at a grocery or other store (or having their parents hand you an order form). But if you've been a Girl Scout (both of us have) or know someone who has, you know that Girl Scouts are about so much more.
So, as we celebrate the Girls Scouts being around for over 100 years, we should celebrate the years of fun and friendships, and for helping girls learn important qualities such as responsibility, courage, strength, and independence. Qualities that are as important in 2021 as they were in 1912.
And what better way to celebrate than to buy some Girl Scout cookies? Guilt-free as you're helping a good cause.
Today’s turbulent times for Jews may overshadow the celebration of the Jewish New Year, one of the holiest of the Jewish holidays. Yet, ironically, we feel it should strengthen its significance, as the holiday is a time for reflection on the past and hope for the future.
If you think today’s politics are ugly … let’s talk about a man who named himself “dictator for life” of the Roman empire, and is then assassinated by a group of senators, including his best friend. (However, there’s a “pretty” part – Cleopatra was his mistress.) Food trivia and leadership lessons aside, the fact July is named after him is the perfect excuse to rerun one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites …
Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.
Which is what got Red to realize, much to her surprise (shock, if truth be told), that even as a straight-A student with a love of history, that when it came to Julius Caesar, a famous historical figure and possibly one of the greatest generals and statesmen of all time, she couldn't tell you dates or battles or anything "historical" associated with him.
Even as a theater major in college, she never read Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," although she knew just enough about the play to know that it was where the fortune teller warned Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March." Instead, her knowledge of Caesar came from her love of movies.
My first, and probably my most enduring, memory is of a brilliant general who not only commanded armies as he conquered lands far from home but was a great statesman who was also involved with one of the world's most beautiful women. And while he was Julius Caesar and the woman was Cleopatra, to me, they'll always be Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, a movie almost as controversial as the general himself.
And Black? Besides knowing that Caesar Salad was invented by a different Caesar, she appreciates Julius Caesar's leadership skills and way with words,
There is much we can learn about leadership from Julius Caesar, whether on the battlefield, in politics, or in business (start small, take risks, communicate well), including what ultimately led to his death (always consider worst-case scenarios, never get complacent or arrogant). Many of his quotes speak (pun intended) to his powerful way with words, and the ability to not only deliver a message but to inspire (and story tell), with my favorite being, "I came, I saw, I conquered."