Wednesday, October 31, 2012

One-Day Salmon Sale Friday At Whole Foods

We all know Whole Foods' fish carries a pedigree unmatched by other stores, so this sale on farmed salmon for Friday only should be a good one.  Here are the details from them.

Holiday meals are delicious – and they can be heavy. Why not lighten up the table before all those festive dinners… and save some money in the process? On Friday, November 2, fresh Responsibly Farmed™ Atlantic salmon will be on sale for $8.99/lb at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide.

This salmon is raised without antibiotics or added hormones, then harvested and shipped to order directly from farms in Iceland, Norway or the U.K. that are third-party verified to meet Whole Foods Market’s Quality Standards for Farmed Seafood. The Responsibly Farmed™ label assures shoppers that seafood is raised according to the industry’s highest aquaculture standards. Not only are the fish raised without added hormones or antibiotics, but we also prohibit treating our fish with parasiticides and phosphate and sulfite preservatives.

Our Quality Standards also require our farmers to maintain low density pens so fish have room to swim and stay healthy, and to monitor water quality to prevent pollution.

This Week's Hot Natural Grocery Deals (IMHO)

So after spending last week out of state, I finally maybe have a little time to investigate our new grocery sales in Boulder, which involves Sprouts and Whole Foods (Lucky's being unfortunately out of my usual geographic reach).  Meanwhile, Vitamin Cottage's long-running sale will be wrapping up shortly, on November 3rd.

At Sprouts for Friday only, November 2nd, you can buy a $100 gift card (for yourself, obviously, plus maybe for others) for $89.99.  As for the regular sale running through November 7th, boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.99 a pound, boneless top sirloin is $4.99 a pound, fresh Atlantic (read farmed) salmon is $7.99 a pound, previously frozen cod is $6.99 a pound, and their very good stuffed chicken breasts are just $2.99 a pound.  In organic produce, one pound bags of baby carrots fortunately remain $1.25 each ($1.99 elsewhere), butternut squash is still 88 cents a pound, yams are 99 cents a pound, Italian squash (think zucchini) is $1.29 a pound, bulk spinach or spring salad mix is just $3.99 a pound (nearly twice as much elsewhere), and five pound bags of russet potatoes are practically being given away at $2.99 each.  Six ounce boxes of Annie's mac and cheese are just $1 each, great for having in the cupboard for impromptu tuna noodle casserole, an excellent choice for those days when you can't face anything more than opening a can and a box.

Whole Foods' new sale will run through November 13th, and I'm liking American Homestead pork shoulder roast (interestingly enough, both bone-in and boneless) for $2.99 a pound, which is reminding me of a slow cooker comfort food recipe that might have to happen.  Their own country style turkey sausage (pork also) is $3.99 a pound, and organic green kale looks very good at $1.50 a bunch.  Their own Bakehouse rosemary sourdough (so very good) is $2.99 a loaf, and don't forget they're always happy to sell you a half a loaf if a whole's too much to deal with.  My favorite Earth Balance buttery spread (no cholesterol and great for cooking, so you can reserve the special high fat European butters for when you can specifically taste them) is $3 a tub, and my favorite Seventh Generation dish soap is very good at $2.50 each.  Finally, we don't usually do dessert around here, but on Halloween, a six inch pumpkin cheesecake for $9.99 sounds mighty good.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

One-Day Sale At Whole Foods Tomorrow

Our local Whole Foods stores will offer us another one-day sale for tomorrow only, and if you're doing any Halloween entertaining, this should be of interest:

One Day Sale

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 31st only:
Fruit & Vegetable Trays
Small Size
$9.99/ea
(save $3/ea)

Last Two Days For Sprouts Sale

With all the travel last week, I never did have time to do more than post a link to the current Sprouts sale.  With things now settling down at home, here's a two day heads up on a few of its highlights, since it has some good ones.  Foremost, they're doing a Vitamin & Body Care Extravaganza, with everything in that department 25% off.  This is a great time to stock up on those favorites that never otherwise go on sale.  Other items looking particularly good are my favorite bulk coffee (at the original Sprouts location, as the former Sunflower still doesn't have organic Fair Trade decaf, last time I looked) on sale for $7.99 a pound, conventional Hass avocados just three for $1, and fresh wild Pacific salmon fillets $5.99 a pound.

Holiday Tastings In Superior

Gotta love the holiday season.  The Whole Foods in Superior is getting in the mood with a series of tastings on Thursdays, starting this week.  Here are the details from them, and the typos are theirs, not mine.

Holiday Tasting

Thursday, November 1st
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Superior Whole Foods Market, Free

Join us at our Superior Store on Thursday evenings in each department starting in early November from 5:00pm-7:00pm for our Holiday Tastings! Each event is FREE and a great way to sample our Holiday Faire!
•November 1st Appitizers and Beginning Courses

•November 8th Main Dishes and Sides

•November 15th Deserts

Monday, October 29, 2012

Weekday Dinner Ideas

So I get back from California, facing a bare fridge and much unpacking to do, only to find out that good friends from the east coast have made it as close as Taos.  So instead of getting life reorganized here, we piled into the car for a one-nighter in Taos to see them, and it was so good to do that.  Now I'm back, with renewed hopes for unpacking, laundry, and getting some food into the house (have to wonder about the level of my goals in life).  For tonight's dinner, we never got a chance to make (or even shop for) the cod, potato, and fennel casserole from Gourmet magazine that I'd previously planned, so that will be on deck for tonight, taking advantage of the last two days of Whole Foods' fine cod on sale for $9.99 a pound.

With the long distance runner in the family clamoring for pasta, that will be the plan for tomorrow.  My starting point will be pasta with winter squash and tomatoes from the New York Times, and Sprouts has organic butternut for just 88 cents a pound through Wednesday.  But I enjoy tinkering with recipes, and this one strikes me as benefiting from the addition of some fresh organic spinach ($3.99 a pound at Sprouts) and maybe starting with some sauteed ground meat (all sorts 40% off at Sprouts through Wednesday).

We'll make Wednesday easy with our usual reheat of something big, which this week will be tonight's cod, potato, and fennel casserole.

We'll also hit that ground meat sale by Wednesday for the final plan of the week, which will be Thai beef cabbage cups from Cooking Light, although I also like to make it with ground poultry, rather than the beef.

So I guess some sense of normalcy is starting to be restored!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Partial Weekend Dinner Ideas

So I'm back after traveling all week, haven't unpacked, and the family's asking what's for dinner, sheesh.  No time for writing, so this will be super quick.  Miraculously, the empty fridge I've returned to has all the components needed for quick Mexican corn risotto from Bon Appetit, since there's a block of pepper jack that never got opened before I left, fairly fresh cilantro, a bag of corn in the freezer, the usual staples like rice and garlic, and even a bunch of broccoli for the side that my husband bought but never got around to cooking while I was gone.  Truly a miracle that I can pull this together without going out to a store.

The other thing I'm thinking of for this weekend is cod, potato, and fennel casserole, from Gourmet magazine.  I've had enough time to see that Whole Foods has their very fine cod for a good price this week, but unfortunately don't have enough time to seek out the details for you.

So that's all I can offer for now, and the next few days aren't looking any better.  Somehow, coming back from a trip is a whole lot gnarlier than preparing for it.  Sorry if things will be kind of quiet until I can get my life here caught back up.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Fall Harvest Party Saturday

The Whole Foods on Pearl Street will be throwing a big fall harvest party this Saturday, the 27th, from noon to 3.  Here's what they say ("yummy samples throughout the store" always bodes well):

Fall Harvest Party!

Saturday, October 27th
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Whole Foods Market Pearl Street

Stop by Whole Foods Market Pearl Street for a fun day full of fall festivities! We'll have lots of yummy samples throughout the store, kids activities, live music and a special chili lunch.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

This Week's Grocery Sales

We have a new sale starting today at our Boulder Sprouts, while current sales continue at Whole Foods and Vitamin Cottage.  You can click those links for my prior reports on the continuing sales.  With no time today for me to take a good look at the new sale at Sprouts, I'd suggest you peruse their new flyer yourself at Sprouts' website.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Wonderful Farmers' Market In Monterey

I've previously mentioned I'm at a conference in Monterey while my family fends for itself from the Whole Foods deli.  At the end of today's meetings, I had a chance to stroll the weekly market here.  How refreshing to see all that lovely summer produce still abundantly available in this land of year round growing.  I even saw artichoke blossoms - stunning purple flowers bursting out of the opening artichoke (although isn't the artichoke itself the blossom of the artichoke plant?)!  I'll be back to the land of butternut squash soon enough.

One-Day Sale At Whole Foods Tomorrow

Organic honeycrisps for $1.99 a pound, but they've been that price at Sprouts all week, through tomorrow.  Here's what Whole Foods says:

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 24th only:
Organic
Honeycrisp Apples
$1.99/lb
(save $1/lb)
 

Monday, October 22, 2012

Fall Supper Club In Superior

The Whole Foods in Superior will host a Fall Supper Club this Thursday at 6 pm.  It's $10 for a yummy-sounding fall spread, and note that you should sign up and pay at the Customer Desk.  Here's what they say:

Fall Supper Club

Thursday, October 25th
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Superior Cafe, $10.00 per person

Join us in our Cafe on Thursday, October 25th at 6:00pm-7:30pm for our Holiday Supper Club. Bring your friends and enjoy pumpkin soup, salad, bread, eggplant manicotti with cream sauce and raw pumpkin pie. Please sign up and pay at the Customer Desk to reserve your spot today!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Hiatus On Dinner Plans

I usually post something about weekday dinner plans on Sundays, but this week is different, since it's based on real life.  While I'll be at a conference in Monterey (I know, it's tough), the rest of my family will be fending for themselves at home, which usually means dinner from the Whole Foods deli.  And I get a break from cooking!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Food Day Coming Up

This coming Wednesday, October 24th is Food Day, a national celebration in support of healthy, affordable, and sustainable foods.  Check out the national Food Day webpage to read all about it and to put in your location to search for local events.  I'm seeing lots of them, including doings at both the Pearl Street and Baseline Whole Foods stores (and maybe more - I put in a pretty small radius around me), and a Harvest Feast at CU.  And while you're contemplating good food, don't forget about our own fabulous local source, the Boulder Farmers' Market today from 8 to 2.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Weekend Dinner Ideas

With little time available, here's a quick rundown of the plan.  At some point I want to get some fish on the grill, and want to check out both the fresh wild Pacific salmon fillets Sprouts has for $5.99 a pound, and the flash-frozen swordfish steaks they have at $8.99 a pound, to see the country of origin on the swordfish.  I'm hoping we'll hit the grill tonight, but if the winds persist, we'll just swap things around to a calmer weekend day.  With organic yams 99 cents a pound at Sprouts, foil packages of diced yams will also go on the grill.

For tomorrow (or perhaps tonight if the winds dictate), we'll get to that stew from Food and Wine magazine that I was tempted to do last week, kale and white bean stew.  Nothing in particular from the sales is prompting this - call it just the lure of the fall season and my love of kale.

We'll round out the weekend with a simple pasta, and with 41/50 count ez peel raw shrimp just $3.99 a pound at Sprouts, I'm thinking about spicy shrimp and fettuccine from Cooking Light.  It's super easy, but gets five stars from the reviewers.  Too bad we're past the days of my abundant basil plants for some fresh basil, but the recipe calls for dried anyway.

Which quickly gets us through the weekend.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Baby Back Ribs At Sprouts

If you're in the mood for some bbq but not in the mood for doing it yourself, Sprouts will be doing a Backyard BBQ tomorrow and Saturday, the 19th and 20th, with full racks of mesquite-grilled baby back ribs from 11 am to 6 pm for $10.99 each, as long as they last.

One-Day Sale At Whole Foods Tomorrow

Our local Whole Foods stores are likely to have an excellent sale on responsibly farmed cooked white shrimp for tomorrow only, the 19th (note cooked, not raw, so great for cocktails, not so much for further cooking as an ingredient).  It does say to contact your store for details, but I've never seen a national sale that didn't also happen in Boulder.  Here's just part of what they say about these shrimp with a fine pedigree:

If you love shrimp and convenience, make sure you stop by our stores this Friday, October 19! We’ll have ready-to-eat cooked, peeled white shrimp for $6.99 per pound in our US and Canada stores.

Availability and limits may vary by region, so you can contact your store for details. While supplies last. Most of our stores do not provide rain checks for sales like this.

Tender and sweet, these responsibly farmed 31/40 count white shrimp were raised in Thailand according to our Aquaculture Quality Standards with a third-party verification process. So when you stock up on shrimp from this Friday’s sale, you can enjoy delicious shrimp knowing that it’s fully traceable to the source and from the world’s leaders in environmentally responsible aquaculture.

A.M. update - it's for sure at our local stores.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Halloween Frustration

Halloween isn't a big culinary event for me, but I usually like to round up some of the better holiday food guides (IMHO) as each holiday approaches, for those who get into the spirit more than I might do.  It's rather time-consuming, gathering the guides from each site then putting them together in the post, but I was forging away anyway yesterday evening.  I'd gathered guides from several sites and was about to write the post when my laptop completely locked up.  I had no recourse but to shut it down, losing all that work.  I'll try to recreate it for a post if I can find time, but I have a very busy week coming up.  Thanks for letting me vent.

This Week's Hot New Grocery Deals (IMHO)

We have new sales starting today at our Boulder Sprouts and Whole Foods, while the current one continues at Vitamin Cottage (click for prior report).  Here's what's looking best to me.

At Sprouts through October 24th, conventional produce is rarely a highlight of the week for me, but asparagus at $1.99 a pound is a welcome sight in the fall.  The return of their Gluten Free Jubilee, with 25% off over 2,000 gluten-free products is another biggee.  In meat, boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.99 a pound in the value pack and whole, split or cut up chickens are $1.59 a pound (shows you how good last week's deal on air chilled ones at Whole Foods was), but the more interesting action seems to be in fish.  Fresh wild Pacific salmon fillets are just $5.99 a pound (although I wonder how late in the season we can go), ez peel 41/50 count (small but useful as an ingredient) raw shrimp are $3.99 a pound, and I'd take a look at the flash-frozen at sea wild swordfish steaks at $8.99 a pound.  Country of origin should be marked, and I swear I once found a very good piece that came from the USA.

In organic produce, a pint of grape tomatoes remains good at $1.99 each, butternut squash is 88 cents a pound, broccoli remains $1.49 a pound, cauliflower is $1.29 a pound, russet potatoes are still $3.99 for a five pound bag, red or jewel yams are 99 cents a pound, and honeycrisp apples, which have something of a cult following, are $1.99 a pound.  Elsewhere in the store, I'm also interested in Lundberg Family Farms rice products at 25% off.  It says "select varieties," and I hope their bags of rice (stock up time) and addictive rice chips are included, as I suspect they are.  Pamela's cookies (dangerously good and gluten-free) and Seapoint Farms edamame are also 25% off.  Actually, a whole bunch of lines are 25% off select products (partly because of the Gluten Free Jubilee), but those are the ones that catch my eye.

Whole Foods has a new sale through the 30th, but I have to rely on their online posting until I can get my hands on the sale flyer in the store, and so far this morning, they've only posted a few featured sales, instead of the usual full online flyer.  Of the featured ones, Ford Farm smoked seaside cheddar looks very good at $7.99 a pound, but nothing else of the few choices is really getting me enthused.  Organic gala apples are $1.99 a pound, but you can get four pounds of organic gala apples for $5 at Sprouts this week, nearly half the price of the Whole Foods sale.  And Whole Foods has Muir Glen organic canned tomatoes on sale for $3 each (size not specified, but it's probably the larger one, since that would be a terrible price for the small ones), but that bigger 28 ounce size is just $1.79 at Vitamin Cottage through November 3rd.  More later when I get the full flyer in my hands, if I can find time (very busy week ahead).

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

One-Day Sale At Whole Foods Tomorrow

For tomorrow only, the 17th, our local Whole Foods stores will offer us two specials.  Regarding the peppers, I'd presume they are conventional, since nothing is specified, so bear in mind that 10 for $10 obviously means they are $1 apiece.  Compare that to Sprouts' price at least through tomorrow of 50 cents each for green bell peppers, and 33.3 cents (3 for $1) on the reds.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 17th only:
Bell Peppers
Red, Yellow or Orange
10 for $10
(save up to $0.79/ea)
Continental Sausage Co.
NEW Flavor!
Tommy Knocker Beer Brats
12 oz.
$3.99/ea
(save $2/ea)

Dinner And A Movie In Superior

The Whole Foods store in Superior will host dinner ($5) and a showing of Forks Over Knives this Thursday, the 18th.  Here's what they say:

Dinner and a Movie- "Forks over Knives",

Thursday, October 18th
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Superior Cafe, $5.00

Meet in the Cafe at 6:00pm-7:30pm and we will go over to the annex for Dinner and a showing of the movie, "Forks over Knives." Dinner includes Soup and a HSH Bread for $5.00. Movie is no charge. Please sign up and pay at the Customer Service Counter.

Last Call For An Excellent Chicken Deal

Today's the last day of the current sale at our local Whole Foods stores, which means it should be the last day that you can get their excellent air chilled chickens for $1.49 a pound, nearly half off.  These birds are so good, we've had them twice during the sale, once roasted whole (a nice, comfy dish for fall), and once roasted in cut up pieces, as the butchers always seem willing to do.  While this deal is exceptionally good, all is not lost after today, as Vitamin Cottage has Boulder Natural Meats whole fryer chickens (also air chilled and with all the other desirable attributes) at a higher sale price of $1.99 a pound all the way through November 3rd, although if you want that one cut up, you'll have to do it yourself.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Seventh Generation Sale At Target

Our Boulder Target is doing 15% off selected Seventh Generation (Mrs. Meyer's also) products through Saturday, and they also have some of the lowest prices on these to begin with.  The sale includes what has long been my fave laundry detergent, Seventh Gen's big 100 ounce 2x liquid for $11.99.  But Seventh Generation has introduced its own competition on that front, with a new 50 ounce 4x concentrate in a cool bottle that uses 66% less plastic (but you have to remember to use half as much), that's on sale at Vitamin Cottage for $12.99 through November 3rd.  Choices, choices.

Film At Alfalfa's Tomorrow

Alfalfa's is promoting Non-GMO month all through October, including this film tomorrow:

Special Film Screening

What: Genetic Roulette
When: Tuesday, October 16th
6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: Alfalfa's Community Room

In honor of Non-GMO Month, Alfalfa's is proud to present a special screening of Genetic Roulette. Refreshments will be served. The event is free of charge, but donations are suggested. All proceeds benefit GMO-Free Boulder.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Weekday Dinner Ideas

Another super-quick rundown.  For tomorrow, Sprouts' $2.99 a pound sale on chicken sausage is reminding me of a favorite, sausages and polenta.  I just do mine using onion, green bell pepper, and good jarred pasta sauce for the sausages, but if you insist on a recipe, mushroom and sausage ragu with polenta from Cooking Light is a good one.

For Tuesday, our reheat of something big made over the weekend will be tonight's New Mexican chile verde from Cooking Light.

For Wednesday, with ground turkey breast $3.99 a pound at Sprouts through that day, we'll do spicy turkey burgers from Bon Appetit.

We'll want something Asian-influenced and also rice-based by Thursday, and the sale at Sprouts through Wednesday is screaming stir-fried beef, broccoli, and yams from Bon Appetit, served over brown rice.  Through Wednesday, Sprouts has beef stew meat for $3.99 a pound, organic broccoli $1.49 a pound, and organic yams just 99 cents a pound.

Which quickly gets us through to Friday.  Unrelated, but don't forget that today is the last day of this year's fall Open Studios art tour, where artists of all sorts of media (mediums?) open their studios to visitors throughout Boulder.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Boulder Farmers' Market Today

Unlike last weekend's winter preview, today is nothing, and everything should only be clearing up and looking even better as the day goes on, so get thee to the Boulder Farmers' Market, from 8 am to 2 pm today!  Enjoy all the fall produce, without the crush of summer crowds.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Weekender Norwegian Salmon Sale

The Pearl Street Whole Foods store is doing a three-day Weekender Sale that includes several items, but the one that caught my eye is Norwegian salmon on sale through Sunday (the 14th) for $10.99 a pound.  At $5 off per pound, it's better than the regular sale they already had going.  I'm not a particular fan of farmed salmon, but when you're doing it, everything I hear says Norwegian's the best way to go.  Other items on the chalk board outside the Pearl store included an orchid sale and something about organic juice, I think from Knudsen's.  Unfortunately I'm too busy these days to run around taking notes or even snap a photo for reference.  It's also possible that other Whole Foods stores around Boulder might be taking part, but there wasn't an email about it, so I can only say the store on Pearl for sure.

Weekend Dinner Ideas

With little to no time, and not even a firm set of plans, here's a quick whack at our ideas for dinner this weekend.  I'd wanted to try some of that farmed fresh salmon from Sprouts out on the grill, since it's only $3.99 a pound, but with rain threatening, I'm thinking of skipping the grill this weekend.  Instead, for tonight, we'll crank up the oven for sea bass with artichokes, zucchini and tomatoes from Bon Appetit.  No need to use sea bass (and I think it's hard to find any that isn't endangered anyway), so we'll substitute either the haddock that Sprouts has for $5.99 a pound, or cod, if they have it.

Not going out on the grill reminds me that I wanted to get another air chilled whole chicken while Whole Foods still has them at nearly half price, $1.49 a pound, through Tuesday, since the one we had last week was such a hit.  Roasting a chicken tomorrow doesn't need a recipe, and a mix of organic winter veggies roasting along side it doesn't either.

Sunday will be a big stew, and there I'm conflicted.  I'm inclined towards New Mexican chile verde from Cooking Light while we still have freshly roasted chiles in abundance (although my freezer is already well stocked, too).  But there's a kale and white bean stew (no time to go out to get the link) from Food and Wine magazine that's calling me as well at this time of year.  Better to have two competing possibilities than no idea at all.

And that's a quick wrap, so to speak.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Honor Thy Farmer Dinner

Whole Foods will be presenting a slow food harvest dinner at the Lone Hawk Farm next week, a fundraiser for Slow Food Boulder.  Here's what they say:

Honor Thy Farmer Slow Food Boulder Fundraiser

Tuesday, October 16th
5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Lone Hawk Farm
10790 North 49th St.
Longmont, Co. 80503,
$75 or $65

Please join Slow Food Boulder for a beer and wine pairing harvest dinner, presented by Whole Foods Market Pearl Street. Revel in the bounty of Boulder County's fine food and drink purveyors, all while supporting a great cause. Tickets are $75 for non-members, $65 for members and can be purchased here.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Vitamin Cottage Taking Turkey Reservations

Thanksgiving can only be right around the corner when you see that Vitamin Cottage (aka Natural Grocers) is already taking reservations for turkeys.  They are all deep chilled, free range, antibiotic free, no hormones, and a $5 deposit is required.  I'm always torn between Vitamin Cottage and Whole Foods as my store of choice for my Thanksgiving bird.  Here are the prices from Vitamin Cottage, and I'll collect price info at Whole Foods eventually.

Mary's fresh free-range deep chilled 10-24 lb turkeys, $2.29 a pound.

Shelton's fresh free-range deep chilled 10-24 lb turkeys, $3.29 a pound.

Mary's organic fresh free-range deep chilled 10-24 pound turkeys, $3.39 a pound.

Mary's heritage fresh free-range deep chilled 7-20 turkeys, $5.99 a pound.

This Week's Hot Grocery Deals (IMHO)

We have a new sale starting today at our Boulder Sprouts, while the current ones continue at Vitamin Cottage and Whole Foods (click for prior reports).  By the way, the chicken I roasted earlier this week from the Whole Foods sale ($1.49 a pound, nearly half off for a fine air-chilled one) was such a success, I'm glad I have through the 16th to pick up another one.

The big news to me at Sprouts through the 17th is salmon.  I usually don't buy farmed salmon unless it's Norwegian (currently on sale at Whole Foods for $13.99 a pound), but when the price of plain old fresh Atlantic salmon fillets drops to $3.99 a pound at Sprouts, I have to take notice.  Also of interest to me are all types of chicken sausage at $2.99 a pound, turkey tenders, cutlets or ground turkey breast all $3.99 a pound, stew beef $3.99 a pound, ground pork $2.99 a pound, and previously frozen haddock $5.99 a pound.

In organic produce, baby carrots remain good at $1.25 a one pound bag ($1.99 elsewhere), butternut squash is 88 cents a pound, red or jewel yams are 99 cents a pound, russet potatoes are $3.99 for a whole five pound bag, broccoli is $1.49 a pound, grape tomatoes are $1.99 a pint, bulk spring mix or spinach remain very low at $3.99 a pound, and black or red seedless grapes are $2.49 a pound, although I liked it better when we could get them at $1.99 a pound.

Elsewhere in the store, four-year-aged bulk sharp cheddar is $6.99 a pound, and 60% double cream brie is $7.99 a pound.  Select Applegate organic packaged deli meats are $5.99 a pound, not the lowest price we've ever seen, but their meats are really good.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

One-Day Sale At Whole Foods Tomorrow

We have our usual one-day sale at our local Whole Foods stores tomorrow, this one a bit "meh" in my estimation, but everybody has their own preferences (thank goodness), and both offerings are half price.  Here's what they say:

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 10th only:

Creminelli - 5.5oz
Ubriaco Salami
$6.99/ea
(save $7/ea)

Spectrum - 14oz
Ground Organic Flaxseed
$3.99/ea
(save $4/ea)

Monday, October 8, 2012

New Deals At Vitamin Cottage

I've finally had a breather to post something about the new sale at Vitamin Cottage (aka Natural Grocers) that lasts through November 3rd, and as usual, several items are particularly appealing.  I've already mentioned, with great enthusiasm, Imagine organic broths and cooking stocks for $2.49 (they come in a 32 ounce box).  We can hope for a teensy bit lower closer to the holidays, but for those of us who go through lots of it, this is really good news right now.  Other items looking especially good to me are Lundberg two pound organic rice bags (short, medium or long) for $2.49, Food for Life's Ezekiel breads $3.29 each, Amy's pizzas at various, but all significant, discounts, Annie's natural salad dressings (that presumably doesn't include the organics) $2.29, the big 28 ounce size can of Muir Glen organic tomatoes for $1.79 (stock up alert!), the big 25 ounce size of Westbrae organic canned beans for $1.89 (another stock up alert!), Seventh Generation TP 12-packs for $6.79 (which you'll find for $9.99 or higher elsewhere), and a new Seventh Generation laundry liquid product, 50 ounces at 4x concentration for $12.99 each.  If you can resist the urge to keep pouring in the same old amount of product, the cool packaging on this new one says, "This bottle uses 66% less plastic than a typical 100 oz 2x laundry bottle & washes the same number of loads!"  Excellent.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Weekday Dinner Ideas

Super quick rundown for the rest of the week.  I didn't fit it in for a classic Sunday dinner, but I think tomorrow should be just fine for doing a classic roast chicken with roasted winter veggies (or it could be flipped with tonight's pizza).  Whole Foods has excellent air chilled whole chickens nearly half off at $1.49 a pound through the 16th, and they also have organic acorn, butternut, and spaghetti squash at 99 cents a pound through then.  No recipe required.

Tuesday is our usual reheat of something big made over the weekend, which this week is our headlong plunge into fall, black bean chili with butternut squash and Swiss chard from Bon Appetit.  A salad is all it needs, but if you're in an Octoberfest mood, Whole Foods has beautiful Bakehouse pumpernickel on sale for $2.99 a loaf.

Wednesday will be a real cheat day, probably the boneless center-cut pork chops that are just $1.99 a pound through that day at Sprouts.  They also have organic yams for 99 cents a pound for a side, either baked or mashed, preferably with a touch of orange juice.

We'll also capitalize on the boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale through Wednesday at Sprouts for just $1.99 a pound for Thursday's dinner.  Since we'll need something rice-based and preferably Asian by then, I'm thinking about Szechuan chicken stir-fry from Cooking Light.  Or if I'm too tight for time, a simple chicken stir-fry using frozen Oriental mix veggies probably available in Sprouts' 20% off Freezer Frenzy that will be happening through Wednesday, plus garlic, hot red pepper, and ginger to give it a boost.

So ends a quick dinner planning.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Boulder Farmers' Market Today

C'mon, winter-loving Boulderites, today should be a great day to cruise the Boulder Farmers' Market (from 8 to 2 as usual), especially since the hot weather lovers and out of towners should be scarce.  Get out your colder weather gear to snag some wonderful local produce, with lots of organic options, and I bet you'll make the vendors very, very happy.  And remember that as of this week, the Saturday market is the only one, the mid-week one having wrapped up this past Wednesday.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Weekend Dinner Ideas

With snow actually possible for tomorrow morning (good thing I got all my basil plants picked this week), my thinking for this weekend has veered sharply towards comfort and colder weather foods.  For tonight, we'll go for old fashioned spaghetti and meatballs, the meatballs made quickly by forming them from the turkey basil loaf that Sprouts has on sale for $3.79 a pound.

If snow might hit the ground tomorrow, I'm throwing myself headlong into the mood with a favorite vegetarian recipe, black bean chili with butternut squash and Swiss chard from Bon Appetit.  Vitamin Cottage (on which I'm still trying to find time to do a report) has Imagine's wonderful organic broths and stocks for $2.49 all month, and also the large 25 ounce size cans of Westbrae organic beans for just $1.89 each.  My chili isn't actually vegetarian, since I prefer the chicken stock or broth in it, but Imagine also has veggie alternatives as well.

We'll be back to improvising with another comfort food for Sunday, hoping that the "select varieties" of Yves meat alternatives on sale at Sprouts at 25% off includes their pepperoni and/or Canadian bacon, in order to do a homemade pizza hot from the oven.  I love Whole Foods' multigrain fresh dough for a base for whatever I want as toppings, and since a package fills an entire rimmed baking sheet, it makes for tons of leftovers as well.

So stay warm out there.  The 80s and low 90s couldn't last forever, but didn't we spend most of the last few months practically pushing 100?

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Apple Fest In Superior Sunday

The Whole Foods store in Superior will host an Apple Fest this Sunday, the 7th.  Here's what they say, and "samples galore" certainly sounds tempting:

Apple Fest

Sunday, October 7th


11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Superior Whole Foods Market, Free

Welcome Fall with Apple Fest! Join us at the Superior Whole Foods Market on Sunday, October 7th from 11:00am- 3:00pm for a fun packed afternoon. Enjoy a jumpy castle, face painting, balloon animals, music and samples galore.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

This Week's Hot Grocery Deals

We have a new sale starting today at Sprouts (incorporating Sunflower), while the current sale continues at Whole Foods (click the link for my prior report).  Here's what's looking good to me in the new Sprouts sale, and I hope to get to the new one at Vitamin Cottage shortly, too.

At Sprouts through October 10th, both boneless center-cut pork loin chops (also roast) and value packs of boneless skinless chicken breasts look very good at $1.99 a pound, and huge 16/20 count raw shrimp are $6.99 a pound.  Their own very good stuffed chicken breasts are $2.99 a pound, ground pork (so useful in Asian recipes) is $1.99 a pound, fresh wild Alaskan coho salmon fillets are $9.99 a pound, addictive stuffed clams are just 99 cents each, and Sprouts' own turkey basil loaf, which I use to make really good, really quick, meatballs instead of a loaf, is $3.79 a pound.  It's looking like a good week for meat and fish.

In organic produce, pints of grape tomatoes are $1.99 each, gala apples are $1.29 a pound (considerably beating Whole Foods' one-day sale today), red or jewel yams and cauliflower are all 99 cents a pound, baby carrots are $1.25 for a one pound bag, bulk spring or spinach salad mix are just $3.99 a pound, one pound bags of Cello carrots are just 69 cents each, red or green leaf lettuce are $1.29 each, and broccoli is $1.49 a pound.

Elsewhere in the store, Yves meat alternatives are 25% off (I hope their pepperoni or Canadian bacon are among the "select varieties," as either makes a great veggie pizza), and they're having a big Frozen Frenzy, with 20% off everything you can fit in a bag they'll provide at the store.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

One-Day Sale At Whole Foods Tomorrow

Apple fans will enjoy this, but I won't be dashing out of bed to be first in line for this week's one-day sale at Whole Foods tomorrow.  Here's what they say:

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 3rd only:

Organic
Gala Apples
$1.49/lb
(save $1.50/lb)

*Evening update*  Organic gala apples will be $1.29 a pound at Sprouts for a full week starting tomorrow.  You won't find me at the Whole Foods sale.

Craft Food And Beer Thursday

The Whole Foods Wine and Spirits store adjacent to the Pearl Street store will host a free Craft Food and Beer event this Thursday, the 4th.  Here's what they say:

First Thursday Craft Food and Beer
Thursday, October 4th


6:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Whole Foods WIne and Spirits, FREE

Join us at our Wine and Spirits store for this monthly tasting event where we'll showcase the best of the best in food and libations.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Even Better News Re Imagine Broth

Knowing they started a new sale yesterday, I got finally myself to Vitamin Cottage (aka Natural Grocers) and found that, true to form, they have an early sale started on Imagine organic broths and cooking stock, both for $2.49 a box, beating Whole Foods, even with the errant coupon described in the post below.  Although the price should go even lower as the holidays approach, this represents a stock up opportunity for those of us who go through it in quantity now.  More about the new Vitamin Cottage sale (through November 3rd) when time permits.

Imagine Broth For Less

I know I'm not the only Boulderite who's a big fan of Imagine's wonderful organic broths and stocks as cooking staples.  With the lengthy expiration dates on its boxes, we lay in as large a supply as we can during the competitive sales around the holidays, but that stock is long gone.  (Although it's only a few more weeks until this year's round should get started.)  With an everyday price in the mid-$3's ($3.69 at Whole Foods), it's a fairly pricey commodity to be using in quantity (Whole Foods' own brand, while not as good in my estimation, is a fair substitute at $1.99 a box in a pinch).  Whole Foods' current Whole Deal coupon flyer, copies of which you'll find throughout the store, comes to the rescue with a $1 off coupon that's good through November 30th.  It won't help for laying in a large quantity, but I've been picking up a box on every shopping trip recently.  I've also just made a very interesting discovery.  I certainly haven't been trying to scam the system, but I don't wear my reading glasses while shopping, and have been merrily picking up one box per trip and getting $1 off.  Having my reading glasses on to write this blog post, I see that the coupon actually says that it's $1 off any two Imagine products.  In all innocence, I can say that it has been working with just one.