COOKOUT: It’s summertime, time to enjoy meals outside, going on a picnic, using a grill at a state park.
The American Farm Bureau Federation has released a survey of how much the ingredients for a summer barbecue would cost. They weren’t using coupons, choosing generic brands or shopping around, we’re sure, but the totals they came up with were a record high.
A package of hamburger buns for $2.41, one pound of cheese for $3.57, two pounds of ground beef for $12.77, one package of cookies for $3.99, a half-gallon of ice cream for $5.65, two pints of strawberries at $4.61, 16 ounces of chips at $4.90, two pounds of chicken breast at $7.83 three pounds of pork chops at $15.49, 32 ounces of pork and beans for $2.49, 2.5 quarts lemonade for $4.19 and 2.5 pounds of potato salad for $3.32.
Is all of that for one cookout? It seems like a lot of food and not a lot to drink, in our estimation.
And what about the Heinz ketchup, mustard, onions and mayonnaise? Two pounds of hamburger seems like it would require more buns. And what about macaroni salad, fresh veggie platter, hotdogs and watermelon?
Sure, we understood the concept was to give us a list of how high the prices are, but we had to take a moment to comment on the menu. We remember cookouts having a simpler menu of hamburgers, hotdogs, potato and/or macaroni salad, chips, baked beans, Kool-Aid and maybe some flavored ice freezer pops or popsicles.
And don’t forget the aluminum foil, the paper plates, disposable silverware, napkins, wipes of some sort, a trash bag or two — leave no trace, after all.
