CRACKER SHORTAGE? MAKE YOUR OWN!

Of all the crazy shortages we’re having during this pandemic, it’s with plain old saltine crackers. You can get other crackers. Triscuits, Townhouse, Ritz. But boxes of Nabisco Saltines are scarce as hens teeth. Even the cheaper copycats from Kroger and Meijer are sold out. I’ve tried to figure it out. They say it has to do with “supply chain issues” and other such things. But I have a feeling there’s just an overwhelming demand. We’re eating more meals at home, and crackers fill a lot of needs. Bread replacement. Soup Accompaniment. Between meal snacks. The list goes on and on. What to do during a cracker shortage? Make your own!

I went online to see if there were any recipes for cracker making. It turns out there are lots. All of them call for flour, which could be a problem in the future. Did you know that wheat is going to be in short supply? Seems we used to buy 30% of it from Russia and the Ukraine, and it looks like that ship has sailed. Our own farmers are struggling with droughts, flooding, and the skyrocketing cost of fertilizer, so American wheat is going to be expensive.

Personally, I’m stocking up on flour and yeast–just in case. As I’ve mentioned before, I lived through the rationing of many staple food items during the WW2 years in the 40’s. If the Ukraine war with Russia continues, there could be days when we have to make our own bread or crackers. Actually, the cracker shortage began before the war, so it may go on for a long time.

Yesterday, I decided to make my very first batch of saltines. The recipes online called for different ingredients. All started with flour, but the similarities ended there. The leavening agents varied –yeast, baking powder, baking soda.

I decided to start with the simplest recipe of all, which had few ingredients. The important thing I learned is that you must roll the dough out as thin as possible. Roll it too thick, and you end up with something more like hard tack than crackers. Thinner is better, and produces more crackers. . Try this recipe, and if you don’t like it, there are lots of others available online.

SALTINE CRACKERS

Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ cup butter or margarine

1 1/3 cups milk

Salt for sprinkling

1 egg white mixed with 1 Tablespoon water in separate bowl

Directions:

Mix together flour and baking powder. Cut butter into flour mixture until it forms coarse crumbs. Add milk, and knead to form a ball. Divide dough in 4 parts and roll out paper thin on a floured surface. Cut the dough into squares. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and prick all with a fork. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 325 about 15 or 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Once the crackers have cooled, store them in airtight containers to keep them fresh.

Saltine cracker shortage? Make your own!

February 4, 2022February 4, 2022

GETTING USED TO POOR SERVICE

Remember the olden days when good customer service was the norm? You weren’t expected to put up with bad service. And no one blamed you for complaining to the higher ups. The funny thing is, they didn’t have follow-up surveys for everything you bought or every service you used. Didn’t need them, because it wasn’t a very big issue. However, there’s really no point in taking a survey or making a formal complaint these days, because there’s nothing can be done about the labor shortage that is hitting stores, hospitals, plumbers, doctor’s offices and even locksmiths. We may as well start getting used to poor service, because it’s not going to get any better.

Since the holidays began, we’ve encountered lackluster service almost every where we go. Which , at our age, is far less than the average family of four.

It started with our hearing aids specialist. When we purchased them three years ago, we were assured that there would always be someone in the office to help us with any problems we might encounter. That went well for a couple of years. Clogged up? Twisted? No problem. Stop by this afternoon for a quick fix by the audiologist. Except, now, the audiologist is only available one day per week. He’s moved somewhere else, and they haven’t found a replacement. So, you might have to go full week with poor hearing.

If you need your locks changed, it’s probably for a reason. You want to keep someone out who may have gotten hold of the key to your home, or office. In the old days, your trusty locksmith would be out by the end of the day. Trouble is, there aren’t many experienced locksmiths available now. It may be several days before they can come to the rescue. You’ll just have to put a chair up to your door, and hope for no uninvited visitors.

Bought a new dishwasher last week when our old one gave out. They delivered it promptly, and the installer quickly explained which buttons to push, before rushing to another job. I was confused , because the instruction sheet did not include a control panel diagram. Called the dealership, and was promised the service man would give me a call-back to answer any questions. That was four days ago, and I still haven’t heard from him. Thank heaven for YOU TUBE, where I finally learned how to operate the dishwasher

It’s an epidemic. School bus drivers are working double shifts. Consequently kids are late to school. Restaurants are short of help so it may take an hour to get served. Grocery stores have empty shelves (crackers, especially), because there aren’t enough truck drivers. I’m not sure what’s causing the shortage of workers, but I suspect it’s not going to get any better. We may as well start getting used to poor service, and it won’t help one bit to answer that follow up survey. Remember: patience is a virtue.