Monday, October 27, 2008

American food in the UK

I decided to try to find some American food things here in the UK this afternoon, and searched the internet. Just for your amusement, I have made a list of some of the stuff you have been writing about....check this out:

Yellow Cake mix - £3.25

Chocolate Chip cookie mix - £3.25

Cream cheese frosting - £3.00

Reeses Peanut Butter baking chips - £4.75

Graham Crackers- £4.79

Kraft Macaroni and cheese - £3.35

Velveeta shells - £3.99

Velveeta (16oz)- £5.85

Crisco - £4.40

Tin of pumpkin - £2.10

Tin creamed corn - £1.99

Tin Rotel tomato and chilli - £2.25

A1 steak sauce - £5.49

Candy Corn - £2.65

The £:$ rate is in your favour at the moment - it has been as much as 2:1 but is now about £1=$1.65.

Hmmmm. If I were an American and missing home, I would have a problem. This is unbelievably expensive! But then, we are a long way from America. I also discovered why we don't get Canola Oil here, by the way - it is apparently genetically modified. Monterey Jack Cheese can be substituted with block mozzarella or gouda.

I was actually looking for the equivalent of your biscuit cans. That is a problem. We can get croissants in a can in the refrigerated section of our supermarkets, but I have not seen any other kind. Maybe I will go and hunt.

18 comments:

Jeana said...

Ouch! Ritz crackers were my friend when I was there. They're not a particular favorite, but they were one of the few things that tasted "right" to me.

You have sunflower oil, so much better and healthier than Canola, and it's fairly affordable there. It's expensive here.

Did you know that England is in the Canola business? In the country side we visited on the Stonehenge/Bath tour we passed rapeseed fields, which is what Canola oil is made of.

Mozzerella and gouda are not the pretty different from Monterey Jack--there's not really a good substitute. I would probably use cheddar or Loucester instead. They don't taste like it, but to me Jack cheese is for Mexican food and mozerella is for Italian. But that's probably more my cultural preferences than what really tastes good.

I REALLY missed canned biscuits. They're not that great, but they're easy to make if you're pressed for time.

Vee said...

Interesting...I use Canola oil...guess I hadn't thought of what it's made from or how. Hmmm...

Food prices are outrageous everywhere. Every item has skyrocketed up. That is probably true for your food items, too, yes?
I hate shopping for food and try to go as long as I possibly can without heading back to Wal*Mart where I do most of my food shopping except for meats, which I buy at my local grocery.

Mary said...

Canola oil - is now officially off the list. Ta. I think I already knew but had forgotten.

Is food on your mind, my dear?

someone else said...

Ouch! Those things are very expensive over there! When we were there in May, we were paying about $2.00 for 1 GBP. That's the highest it's been on any of our trips over.

Olson Family said...

Well - it's a little cheaper than Switzerland but not much. I think the only items on that list I'd still pay big $$ for is the Yellow cake mix, Crisco and the Candy Corn.
And as a Calif. girl homesick for some good Mexican food, have found that either the Asiago or Edamer cheese can be grated and make a terrific substitute for the Monterey Jack in your Mexican dishes. Asiago being 1st choice.

Susie said...

Very pricey! The only thing I've bought from your list lately was yellow cake mix on sale for 79¢! It's close to $2.00 if I don't get it on sale.
I just try to stock up when the things I often use go on sale.
xo

Pam said...

Yes, it's all very foreign, isn't it? What are all those things? Two countries divided by food...

Needled Mom said...

WOW!!!! Our British friends who were just here were crazy about our canned biscuits for monkey bread but could not find them when they returned home.

I remember craving maple syrup for our pancakes when we lived there. Isn't it amazing in this world where everything is so accessible to be turned away by the price?

Carole Burant said...

Believe it or not, even here in Canada, there are a lot of foods available to the United States that we can't get here. When Steve & I cross the border into NY every time we go to Niagara Falls, we always make a stop at one of their supermarkets to buy some of those foods! Gosh, you sure would have to pay a lot according to the prices you found...what a shame you can't get the canned biscuits there, they're soooo delish! hehe xoxo

Linda said...

My daughter found the same thing living in Versailles this past summer. Some things she absolutley couldn't find and others were way too expensive to bother with.
You'll just have to come for a visit and we'll treat you to all those culinary marvels!

Crystal said...

I was feeling glum about our rising food prices but it's even crazier where you are. I don't buy mixes, except for angel food cake, so I can save there. Seems silly to buy them when I have flour, sugar, and seasonings already in the cupboard. When I was working, I liked canned biscuits for their convenience but now I make regular baking powder biscuits - and they don't have all those preservatives.

What is the price of fruits and vegetables and dairy products? We pay huge transportation costs for fresh things, especially in the winter. I think we are going to be exempt from salads this winter!

Barb said...

Oh my word, Linds. I can't believe those prices. I'll tell you one thing. If I lived there, on the same income I have here in Colorado, I'd be on a starvation diet.

I simply cannot believe the difference in prices. I may have to stop complaining about food prices here, but I tell you, it's gone up so much in just the last three months, it's starting to scare me.

And you can bet, I'd be making cakes from scratch! No more cake mixes in a box!

Joyful Days said...

You can keep the creamed corn. Blehhh... :0)

We used the canned biscuits a lot--and I am assuming you mean the bread kind of biscuit!! We use them for mini-pizzas and breakfast sandwiches and with sausage gravy.

Food is really getting costly. I need to find a way to have a garden next year.

grammy said...

Strange to see the difference. My daughter has lived overseas before and I know it is sooo different. She lived in Kabual...imagine the difference there.

Theresa said...

Those are some huge prices. When we have the kids I tend to make a lot of prepared foods (they are used to that) which get expensive and when they are not with us I make healthier, less expensive foods.

Lori said...

After seeing this I too should stop complaining. But, I can't! Going to the grocery store is making us go broke!!

heidi @ ggip said...

When my mom lived in the UK she made a thanksgiving dinner for her friends and said it was so hard to find canned pumpkin.

I can't believe those prices! Graham crackers are so cheap here!

smithsan said...

Most visitors to Washington visit the monuments, museums and Georgetown, but they almost always miss Adams Morgan just northeast of Dupont Circle. It's one of the most vibrant parts of the city, with 18th Street lined with bars and restaurants including several brilliant Ethiopian restaurants like Fasika's and Meskerem.
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smithsan
smm