Surge in Fuel Prices Significantly Influencing Buying Behaviors and Cooking Habits
I was contacted by a reporter a few days ago to confirm a statistic regarding the number of Americans who use grocery lists. To be honest, I had no idea what the percentage was, and was surprised I hadn't looked it up before. Anyway, I found this FMI study linked below but I honestly don't believe 46% of U.S. shoppers use lists. Do you?

According to 'U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends, 2006,' a study released in May 2006 by the Food Marketing Institute, "rapidly rising fuel prices are driving shoppers to use more economizing behaviors prior to and during their shopping trips... In response, consumers are buying fewer luxury items, cooking more and eating out less. They are also incorporating cost-cutting measures such as: Making a shopping list (46 percent)." Posted at 10:04 AM Central Time

F.D.A. Says Food From Cloned Animals Is Safe
"After years of delay, the Food and Drug Administration tentatively concluded yesterday that milk and meat from some cloned farm animals are safe to eat. That finding could make the United States the first country to allow products from cloned livestock to be sold in grocery stores." Posted at 10:01 AM Central Time

The Systematic Inefficiencies of Grocery Paths
"...researchers visited stores and calculated the 'optimal paths' among products, the most efficient routes necessary to acquire these items and then leave the store. They then studied how 1,000 shoppers adhered to these routes. Even allowing for customers' lack of knowledge about the exact location of specific products, shoppers tended to spend more time in stores than efficient shopping required. And we're not just talking about small amounts: almost 70 percent of grocery shoppers' time was spent not buying things." Posted at 10:34 AM Central Time

Kids, Sufjan, elves and XMAS
It's Christmas morning and here at GLC HQ we're waiting for the kids to wake up, listening to the Sufjan Stevens "Songs For Christmas" box set and wondering what we'd look like if we Elfed ourself. Merry Christmas! Posted at 7:48 AM Central Time

Holiday shopping tips
Too late now, but this advice on holiday shopping from Ken Wayne of Erie, Pennsylvania is the best I've seen all season: "Best time to Christmas shop: lunch time on the Internet." Here are some more tips at CNN, most of which are lame and useless and I don't even know why I'm linking it this late in the game. Oh well. But here's some useful information for shoppers in England: Last minute shoppers warned: don't expect longer trading hours this Sunday. Posted at 11:39 AM Central Time

What's on your holiday shopping list?
"Have you been naughty? Or have you been nice? Inquiring Santas want to know. When it comes to wine-related Christmas gifts, the world is your oyster. Champagne? Check. Burgundy? Check. Wine books? Check. Wine paraphernalia? Check. Where to start? As with a dinner party, let's start with champagne." Posted at 7:15 PM Central Time

Lists, lists, lists, lists, lists!
Despite the fact that we are quite sure we have created The Ultimatest Grocery List (and it's free!) we wanted to let you know that there are many other free, online-based options out there. If you're looking to get your grocery or holiday shopping (or life or business) organized, these sites might be able to help...

→ Listigator | "Listigator is your all purpose on-line list management application or, in other words, the place to manage your personal and shared lists."
→ Listography | "The place to share creative lists of every kind: wishlists, top tens, autobiographical, photo lists, favorites, to-do lists, and more!"
→ Remember The Milk | "Managing tasks is generally not a fun way to spend your time. We created Remember The Milk so that you no longer have to write your to-do lists on sticky notes, whiteboards, random scraps of paper, or the back of your hand. Remember The Milk makes managing tasks an enjoyable experience."
→ Cozi Central | "Cozi Central is a free family-ready software service that helps you easily plan, schedule and manage all the things busy families do."
→ How to make a reusable shopping list | "A reusable shopping list is a shopping list that you can use over and over again. It lists all the foods that you ever use... As you get each item from the shops, you rub the whiteboard marking off the list."
→ Writeboard | "Writeboards are sharable, web-based text documents that let you save every edit, roll back to any version, and easily compare changes. Use Writeboard to write solo or collaborate with others."

Happy Holidays, everyone! Posted at 8:28 AM Central Time

Free books: It's the December GLC giveaway!
UPDATE: The books are gone | It's that time of year: We're cooking frantically, shopping frenziedly and (possibly) acting foolishly. So I have two books to help get you through the holiday season with at least a fraction of your sanity intact. Maybe.

The first person to write in and request one of the books linked below gets it for free. Limit one per person and you must request a specific book and send me your mailing address — although we won't use your email or postal address for anything other than sending you the book. Email me for a free book while they last!

Gone! Claimed by Katherine of Feasterville Trevose, Pensylvania
Saving Dinner for the Holidays: Menus, Recipes, Shopping Lists, and Timelines for Spectacular, Stress-free Holidays and Family Celebrations | "We all know that holidays are meant to be fun. But for the cook planning the feast, the holidays can inspire dread. Feeding the family on a daily basis is hard enough. Making the meal both special and delicious can raise the bar out of sight. In Saving Dinner for the Holidays bona fide Dinner Diva Leanne Ely will show you that festive meals can be as easy and relaxing as they are tasty. She plans the menus, provides comprehensive, itemized shopping lists that are organized by supermarket section, includes heirloom recipes, and even includes the all-important timeline so that your party goes off without a hitch. She also gives you a big helping hand in the kitchen and offers tips on how to make your table sparkle with warmth and beauty. There's a Valentine's Day Chocolate Feast not to be missed, a Mother's Day dinner that can actually be prepared by Dad and the kids, a Fourth of July picnic that lights up the palate, and many other red-letter feasts. There are even recipes that help turn leftovers into delectable dishes." —Amazon.com (List price: $14.95)

Gone! Sent to Alan and Missy of Arden Hills, Minnesota
The Shopping Bags: Tips, Tricks, and Inside Information to Make You a Savvy Shopper | "A hip and thrifty shopping guide that combines the usefulness of Consumer Reports with the fun and flair of the hit TV show The Shopping Bags. Appealing to the people who bought bestsellers like the Lucky Shopping Manual or Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, this witty guide will teach you how to recognize deceptive marketing tactics and shop wisely — be it at the mall, the grocery, the drugstore, or even at an electronics superstore. Whether you are shopping for [food or] lipstick or lawn mowers, you'll learn exactly what to look for before you buy. Including plenty of entertaining sidebars and tips from the likes of Jamie Oliver (on food) and Donatella Versace (on fashion), The Shopping Bags is the perfect accompaniment to any shopping trip." —Amazon.com (List price: $19.95) Posted at 8:10 AM Central Time

A new Top 10: The Best Found Grocery Lists of 2006!
This is the 2006 edition of our sort-of semi-annual, kinda-traditional year-end roundup of great lists that have been added to the collection (and a tiny sample of the hundreds of hilarious lists you'll see in my book, Milk Eggs Vodka: Grocery Lists Lost and Found). So without further ado, we present The Best Found Grocery Lists of 2006! Posted at 1:28 PM Central Time

Amazon.com: Reviews for Tuscan Whole Milk
Having fun with milk and Amazon -- check this out: As of today there are 868 reviews on Amazon.com for Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon, 128 fl oz. Must be the best milk ever! Posted at 10:32 AM Central Time