This looks to be an interesting thread, which I'll read but never contribute to since anything beyond the simplest cooking imaginable is way beyond my range of interest. I made a fellow worker very angry when I told her how I make a cake. No, I don't use mixes; but neither do I take the time to properly blend ingredients, I just pour them all in a bowl and beat. I'll tell you why I don't bother doing it right: there's a certain taste that all bakery cakes have that cannot be duplicated no matter how carefully the ingredients are blended. I won't call it a secret ingredient, merely an ingredient or blend of ingredients not available to the ordinary consumer in the Spice Aisle of grocery stores. Plus, I've tried innumerable combinations to concoct an icing I like (icing is my favorite part of a cake). I haven't found anything better than butter to use as a base; but since I'm trying very diligently to reduce my cholesterol level, I can't keep using butter - so it's back to the icing drawing board.
Found your notes on "Use By" dates useful. I'll keep almost any non-meat product until it's all used up or until it exhibits clear signs of spoilage. Meat is another matter though - especially chicken, which is about the only meat I ever use. Sometimes even the "Sell By" date is throw-away time. In fact, if it weren't for the dogs, I might stop getting meat altogether. Anyway, hope this thread catches on.
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