Day 15 - Price differences and hot dogs

Last night when headed back home from the gym, Tom called and asked me to pick up some hot dog buns for our natural hot dogs. Well, I figured I was close to Albertsons and thought they might have some healthy alternatives/organic food. Well, I headed straight to the bread isle and found the bread we just started buying at Winco. It's actually a pretty interesting bread - well the story behind it. I saw Dave's Killer Bread first at Co-op but it was too expensive for me to consider buying it. And then I saw it at Winco for a lot less, and put it instantly in our cart. Our family looooooves this bread. What intrigued me was the odd name - Dave's Killer Bread and the strange picture on the package, namely a long hair guy playing a guitar.

So, I stopped by at Albertsons to pick up some buns or bread and found Dave's Killer Bread on the shelf for $5.84!!!!! WHAT?? The bread at Winco costs $3.80 and a little bit more at Co-op but not more than $5. I am surprised that there can be such staggering price differences for the same bread. I hope that Winco will keep the bread in their assortment. Not only for the price and taste...also for the purpose that Dave has. He has a great mission and a great story. I was just kidding to Tom last night "That Dave guy looks like a guy from jail....hahaha" Tom looks on the label and quotes: "...a former drug dealer, Dave spent more than 15 years in prison." Ha! Now that he is out he is involved in many community projects and supports great institutions. A pretty inspiring story. Check out the website if you are interested. 

 http://www.daveskillerbread.com/

During my hot dog bun search I stumbled upon two things that kept my mind busy. First one, when I want to buy non-organic bread (which will def. be the case one of these days if there is no non-organic available) I will need to know what ingredients in bread are not good for you. I guess I could compare Dave's bread with a regular label and learn from that, but some ingredients just don't sound familiar. My next project is to understand bread ingredients. I will share my experience and knowledge with you in one of my future posts. It surely is misleading to read the package "100% whole wheat", "gluten free", "no msg", "natural"....and then you turn it around and look on the label and baaam...high fructose syrup and some foreign ingredients...and as everyone knows price does not  always mean a better quality (even though organic can be more expensive). Second thought I had...Do we have some organic bakeries here in Boise? I know of Great Harvest Company, a great bakery with bread that melts in your mouth. But I don't know if they are strictly organic. I have to research that or open  a bakery myself. Hahahaha...baking bread and cookies...as you probably read about my hideous baking skills in previous posts - that will probably not happen. I will keep you posted on that topic as well.

Now, let's talk about hot dogs. Yesterday we ate Al Fresco all natural sausages. I didn't read the label for some reason and assumed they were vegetarian when I purchased them, because it stated Sun-dried tomato sausages. Here are the ingredients and the information on the package:

SKINLESS CHICKEN MEAT,WATER,SEASONING(SALT,TURBINADO SUGAR, SPICES,TOMATO POWDER,DEHYDRATED ONION & GARLIC,PAPRIKA,BASIL,NATURAL FLAVOR),DICED TOMATOES,SUNDRIED TOMATOES(UNSULFURED).IN A NATURAL PORK CASING. 

* All al fresco sausages are made with lean, skinless chicken meat.
* No artificial ingredients, MSG, nitrates, preservatives, or nitrites.
* Flavorful, juicy, and fully cooked—just heat, serve, and enjoy.
* Gluten Free

It doesn't really go much into detail therefore I went on their website and emailed them personally to ask about the origin of their chickens and if any growth hormones are used. I am assuming since nothing about that is mentioned on their package, we probably ate some chicken with growth hormones. I am curious to see what their email states. 

WISDOM OF THE DAY

In the past I purchased some kosher hot dogs assuming they might be healthier due to the strict adherence to Kosher Law. I have learned that kosher and organic have almost nothing to do with one another. Kosher refers to food that conforms to Jewish dietary laws. Many kosher rules apply to meat. Certain animals, such as pigs and some types of seafood, are never eaten under kosher law. Other animals, including chickens and cows, must be slaughtered and processed in a certain way in order to be considered kosher. Organic meat comes from animals that are raised without artificial hormones or antibiotics and fed food that has been grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. A chicken can be kosher but not organic and vice versa.