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Awesome cook!  Ive seen videos of people shopping in Canada and the food prices were crazy high compared to here.  Is that true or is that just certain areas?

It's insane.  And it's everywhere here.

It would be a serious understatement to say that food prices in Canada have been controversial.

Right now, one of the major grocery chains is being boycotted.  It's being debated in the media how widespread the actual boycott is and whether or not it'll be effective.  Every day in the media there are stories about shrinkflation or bad products at high prices, you name it.  The federal government's competition bureau is investigating the big grocery chains again but everyone is skeptical about whether or not there will be any findings of wrongdoing or any meaningful consequences if there are.  Everyone remembers the bread price fixing scandal from a few years ago and how nobody got into real trouble over that.

Food isn't the only inflation problem.  Housing inflation has been astronomical whether you're looking at trying to buy a house or a condo or find an affordable rental.  If you haven't already bought something and established your initial purchase price, you're pretty much screwed.  Between housing and food inflation here, people's paycheques have been decimated since the rate of pay increases has been far less than the rate of inflation and the standard of living has nosedived.  For many people, it isn't really living, it's existing and more and more people here are barely making it from one pay to the next.  Homeless tent encampments are everywhere.  I mean everywhere.  I've never seen anything like it before, not during the early 1990s recession or the 2008 world financial crisis.

For me, personally, I got into barbecue about 11 years ago after I bought my house and moved out of my apartment where it wasn't possible to have a barbecue at all, and had a yard to do it in.  The upshot is I purchased while houses were still affordable in a few places that were commutable to work so I've set my housing costs, thankfully.

As far as food goes, wow.  I used to shop at the local independent places buy whatever was on sale more often than not because I hate paying full retail for anything if I can avoid it, but now it's all on sale or short dated "enjoy tonight" or to at the independent shops or to strategically collect and redeem points at the grocery chain that's the subject of that boycott I mentioned.  Pork and shrimp show up frequently in my cooking now based on specials.  Beef?  That's an incredibly rare treat now.  I never ever thought buying ground beef to make homemade hamburgers would be something I'd classify as a rare treat but there it is.

I did another CI cook today (blackened burgers) and used many of the suggestions here including pre heating the skillet in the oven. The results were fantastic. I had much better control over the skillet temp. The burgers came out great! Many thanks!

https://www.target.com/p/weber-22-34-charcoal-grill-1500573-green-hearth-38-hand-8482-with-magnolia/-/A-89275050

It must be an exclusive to Target.

On a Central Coast road trip last week I stumbled upon a Spruce Green kettle premium in the Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia section of the San Luis Obispo Target. I searched WKC and didn’t find any reference to it. There was no display model, just 2 in boxes.  I could not find a price. Looks like it has the 70th anniversary handles.



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