Wednesday, December 31, 2014

This Week's Hot Grocery Deals (IMHO)

We have new sales starting today at our Boulder Sprouts and Whole Foods, while both are also doing "double ad Wednesday" today, customary for Sprouts but most unusual for Whole Foods, and Vitamin Cottage should be on its previously reported sale hiatus. Here's what's looking good to me in the new sales.

At Sprouts through January 7th, value packs of boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.99 a pound, boneless New York steaks are $8.99 a pound, all fresh chicken sausage is $3.99 a pound, ground turkey breast is also $3.99 a pound, and their very good stuffed chicken breasts are yet again $3.99 a pound. In fish, fresh farmed Atlantic salmon fillets are low at $5.99 a pound, fresh farmed tilapia is $6.99 a pound (same price for trout or catfish), and 31/40 count peeled and deveined raw shrimp are $9.99 a pound.

In organic produce at Sprouts, green curly kale is just 98 cents a bunch, broccoli is $1.48 a pound, Fuji or Gala apples are both $1.48 a pound, grapefruit or Valencia oranges are $2.50 for a four pound bag, and blackberries are $2.50 for a 5.6 ounce container. Elsewhere in the store, all Kashi items are 30% off, plus if you buy four, they'll take an additional $4 off at the register, and the Ezekiel 4:9 bread I like is $3.99 a loaf.

I tried to stop by the Whole Foods on Pearl Street to pick up a few things (most importantly the new sale flyer), but just as it was on Christmas Eve, the parking lot looked impossible. The flyer they have online is still the one ending today, maybe because of the overlapping sales, so I'll do my best looking at the features in limited boxes they also post, much harder for me to work with. In their new sale through January 13th, I'm liking turkey or chicken kale sausage links for $4.99 a pound (not everybody's taste but it's right down my alley), Fonterra New Zealand grass fed cheddar at $6.99 a pound, and for my gluten-free friends, four-packs of Dancing Dear chocolate chunk brownies for $4.99. Once I see the full flyer, I'm sure I'll find much more to like.

Happy New Year's Eve - stay safe and warm in this cold weather!

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

New Year's Eve Ideas

New Year's Eve isn't a crazy time in this house, but if you are looking for some special ideas, Bon Appetit has it covered with New Years Eve, including the scary-sounding How to Drink (and Eat) Like a Russian.

Big Sale At Cured Tomorrow

Cured, our local purveyor of wonderful artisan cheeses, meats, fine wines and other goodies will be doing a fabulous sale of 25% off almost everything in the store tomorrow before they close for a much-deserved time off. Here's the word from them:

We wanted to quickly send out a reminder that December 31st is the very last day of 2014 which means that it is once again time for our annual end of the year sale. From open to close (10:30-5) everything in the shop is 25% off. That means champagne, whiskey, sandwiches saleand caviar alike….anything you can pick up and take out the door with you! The only exceptions are charcuterie platters and holiday catering orders; everything else is yours for the taking.
 
Following this most epic of sales, Cured will be closed for the first week of January, re-opening on Thursday the 8th, just about the time you’ve really started to miss us. We hope this doesn’t cause too much distress or inconvenience for any of you and we thank you in advance for your understanding as our staff recuperates and we get re-organized after the bustling last few weeks.

Double Sales At Whole Foods Tomorrow

We get double ad Wednesdays all the time from Sprouts and Lucky's Market, but never in my memory from Whole Foods. But for New Year's Eve tomorrow, Whole Foods will be joining the double dip frenzy, with a new sale starting while the current one extends one day beyond usual. I just hope I'll be able to check out the new sales tomorrow - Internet connection problems are plaguing me again. Maybe the fact that it's 6 below zero in Boulder right now has something to do with it.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Lucky Foods For The New Year

There are traditions around the world regarding foods said to bring good luck for the New Year, as well as some foods thought to do just the opposite. Here's the link to one of my prior posts regarding lucky foods for the New Year. I've been making a form of Hoppin' John on New Years Day for several years now, so it's probably time to give that one a rest and move on to something else.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

BOGO Pizza At Alfalfa's

So my resolution to take a break from posting lasted only a day. But how can I help it when those delicious housemade pizzas at Alfalfa's are BOGO through today? They are one or two topping pizzas made to order from the hot case, a saving of up to $10.99. Also, Mary's natural turkeys are $1.99 a pound, and antibiotic-free 85 percent lean ground beef is $4.49 a pound.


Friday, December 26, 2014

Six Day Sale At Whole Foods

I said I'd take a holiday break from posting, but couldn't resist this. Instead of the usual three-day weekend sale, for this special holiday weekend, our local Whole Foods stores are offering us six days, today through the 31st, instead. During that time, gifts in the Whole Body department will be 20% off while they last, king crab legs are $16.99 a pound, $5 off, yummy 365 brand chocolate holiday truffles are very tempting at two for $8, $2.99 off, Izze soda four-packs are two for $6, $2.29 off, and Annie's frozen pizzas are 40% off at $5.99 each. Those sales last six days, but there is also a three-day sale at the Pearl Street Whole Foods wine and liquor shop, with all wine bottles $15 or more being 20% off for today through Sunday.

Okay, now I'm really going to take that break from blogging.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas!

Best wishes for a wonderful Christmas and holiday season, with snow expected by this evening! I'm planning to spend my time with friends and family here in Boulder, maybe taking a bit of a break from the blog posting habit. (Although I do wonder what Whole Foods might have up its sleeve for a weekend sale, which after a major holiday tends to be a whopper...)

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

A Cautionary Tale

I'm so glad I got all my grocery shopping done Monday. As I was passing by the Whole Foods on Pearl Street yesterday afternoon, the line to turn left into the parking lot stretched all the way back to 28th Street, and there was even a police presence to keep things in order, with a squad car parked up on the sidewalk at the parking lot entrance. I can't imagine things will be any better there today, but remember there are other options in town, and the Whole Foods in Superior is a very large store too (big enough to have been the flagship of Wild Oats in its previous life) and is usually much calmer than the Pearl Street store during holiday frenzies.

Whole Foods' Feast Of The Seven Fishes

I have my seven fishes already lined up for tonight's Feast of the Seven Fishes, but here's Whole Foods' take on the feast as well.

This Week's Hot Grocery Deals (IMHO)

Good Christmas Eve morning, Boulder! Being a Wednesday, we have a new sale starting today at our local Sprouts stores, while the current one continues until the 31st at Whole Foods, and as previously reported, Vitamin Cottage is on a sale hiatus at the moment. Here's what's looking good to me now.

In Sprouts' new sale through January 1st (yup), there's a Seafood Spectacular of mostly previously frozen fish, with swordfish $5.99 a pound, five ounce lobster tails $5.99 each, cod fillets, ahi tuna steaks or crimson snapper fillets all $6.99 a pound, and Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets or 26/30 count raw shrimp $7.99 a pound. Good prices, but I like my swordfish and lobster tails to be domestic or from Canada, which at those prices is highly unlikely.  Their Presidential Cut standing rib roast remains $7.99 a pound, chicken sausage (pork also) is $2.99 a pound for bulk and $3.99 a pound for links, pork shoulder roasts or country style ribs (bone-in) are $2.99 a pound, pork loin baby back ribs are $2.49 a pound, fresh ground chicken breast or stuffed breasts are both $3.99 a pound, and any size package of boneless skinless chicken breasts (tenders or thighs also) is $2.99 a pound.

In organic produce at Sprouts, eggplant or one pound bags of baby carrots are spectacular at 98 cents each (the eggplant reminds me of a vegetarian ratatouille-like pasta dish that would be a good antidote to all the rib roast we'll be eating this week), grape tomatoes are $1.98 a pint, Braeburn or red delicious apples are just 98 cents a pound, and in conventional produce, avocado fans will be happy to see Hass avocados at 50 cents each. Elsewhere in the store I'm liking Voskos Greek yogurts at $1 each, but it's an abbreviated two page ad this week, so there aren't a whole lot of other specials to pick from.

Enjoy today's fine weather, and a white Christmas by tomorrow evening!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Reminder Re Christmas Ideas

If you are still struggling with your Christmas menu, here's a reminder of the Christmas guides I posted a while ago to help you out.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Game Day At Lucky's

Our Boulder Lucky's Market will be doing Game Day Party Prep today from 10 to 1. Can't say I'm into the football thing myself aside from Super Bowl Sunday, widely viewed as an excuse to eat stuff you'd never touch the rest of the year.

Quick Christmas Appetizers

Food and Wine magazine has assembled a slideshow of quick and delicious Christmas appetizers, but I know of one that's even quicker: smoked salmon spread from Whole Foods. Can't go wrong there or with anything else in its vicinity, like the precooked shrimp. And it's a helpful spot for getting your fish count up to seven for the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Christmas Eve Lasagna From Cured

I'll be working on my Feast of the Seven Fishes for Christmas Eve, but it you'd like an easy and delicious alternative for that busy evening, our wonderful local store Cured is offering a special lasagna by advance order. Here are the details from them:

Christmas Eve Lasagna: It just so happens that Christmas Eve happens to fall on our very favorite night of the week, which means rather than milk and cookies, Santa is lasagna-bolognese
asking for Wednesday Night Pasta this year. Brad is making something special for the 24thLasagna Bolognese.  Ours is made with hand rolled lasagna noodles, house made fresh cream ricotta and a 12-hour simmered Bolognese with Pancetta, Colorado’s Best Beef and Tender Belly Ground Pork. Dinner for two, with leftovers for a certain big-bellied man, costs $24 and is only available through pre-order. It will be ready to pick up Wednesday morning. 

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Vitamin Cottage On Sale Hiatus

I stopped in to see what might be happening with a new sale at Vitamin Cottage (aka Natural Grocers) and learned that they are taking a break from their usual advertised Hotline sales. I was told that the store will still have some unadvertised specials, but the next Hotline sale won't appear for another five or six weeks or so. Smart to give themselves a break over the holidays!

Friday, December 19, 2014

Holiday Tasting At Lucky's

If you are scouting around for new ideas for your holiday table, the Lucky's Market in Boulder will be holding a Holiday Tasting Fair tomorrow, the 20th from 11 to 2.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Weekend Sales At Whole Foods

Our local Whole Foods stores will offer us a sextet of special sales for tomorrow through Sunday, the festive weekend before Christmas. Twin packs of game hens will be $2 off at $3.99 a pound, tamales (a favorite New Mexico Christmas tradition) in the prepared foods section will be 82 cents off at three for $5, Robusto cheese will be $5 off at $13.99 a pound, Kiss My Face continuous spray lotion will be half off at $4.99 each, and since I personally can't stand coconut, I shudder to report that Crazy for Coconuts Ocho bars will be four for $5, and their Harmless Harvest Coconut Water will be two for $7.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

This Week's Hot Grocery Deals (IMHO)

And what a week it is, with the holidays. We have new sales starting today at our Boulder Sprouts and Whole Foods stores, and I need to find out what's happening at Vitamin Cottage since the end of its most recent sale. Here's what's looking good to me now.

At Sprouts through December 24th (and mercifully the flyer says they will be closed on the 25th), their "Presidential Cut" standing rib roast is $7.99 a pound (that's the price for Choice grade - ad says Prime is also available), value packs of boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.99 a pound, fresh turkeys are $1.99 a pound, and all fresh sausage is on sale, $2.99 a pound for bulk, $3.99 for links. In fish, previously frozen Alaskan cod fillets are $6.99 a pound, previously frozen five ounce lobster tails are $5.99 each, and previously frozen Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets are $7.99 a pound.

In organic produce at Sprouts, Braeburn or Gala apples and acorn, butternut or spaghetti squash are all 98 cents a pound, russet potatoes are just 68 cents a pound, five pound bags of carrots are $2.98 each, pints of grape tomatoes are $2.50 each, and four pound bags of Valencia oranges are $2.50 each. I don't buy much conventional produce, but asparagus at $1.98 a pound and whole pineapples just 98 cents each are looking good to me. Elsewhere in the store, bulk coffee looks good at $7.99 a pound, Green Mountain Creamery Greek yogurts (my new fave with so many flavors that are just 110 calories, much lower than most) are $1 each, all Spice Hunter spices are half off, and Near East boxes of pilaf, couscous and the like are all 30% off.

Whole Foods has a new sale through December 31st, but as of 6:15 this morning, the flyer pdf the Pearl Street store has posted is still the old one that ended yesterday. I'll do the best I can off their alternate presentation of features in boxes, which is harder to work with. Through the 31st, American Homestead spiral-sliced hams are $4.99 a pound, $2 off, and a few days ago, the guy in the Tasty Town booth was giving away coupons for $5 off the total, probably still has them. Their very good fresh Icelandic cod is $12.99 a pound, $2 off, domestic jumbo raw shrimp are $15.99 a pound, $2 off, and fans of king salmon fillets might shell out $17.99 a pound, also $2 off. Organic baby broccoli looks good at $2 a bunch, and organic pink lady apples are $1.98 a pound. Parmigiano Reggiano is $3 off at $17.99 a pound, "build your own" entertaining platters in the bulk section are $2 off at $7.99 a pound (now that's an idea!), and my favorite Imagine chicken broths are $2.50 a box.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Feast Of The Seven Fishes

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a lovely Italian tradition for Christmas Eve that I've been getting into ever since having it at I Trulli in New York on Christmas Eve at least two, maybe three years ago. (Leave it to the Italians to turn the deprivation of a meatless "fast" into a sumptuous fish feast.) As a simple home cook, I find it easiest to get most of my numbers from a fish chowder - the two fish often involved, like cod or halibut and scallops, can easily be supplemented with others like shrimp and clams, getting the fish total to four pretty quickly. Starting off with a smoked salmon dip with veggies and crackers easily gets us to five, but incorporating the remaining two can get trickier. Last year I put a bit of cooked crab meat from Whole Foods on top of the salad that went along with the fish chowder to get to six, but I don't remember what I did for the seventh. Guess it's time to start planning. And if you are more ambitious or want to read a bit of the history of the Feast, check out Epicurious' post on Mario Batali's Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Christmas Menu Ideas

Since UPS informed me this afternoon that it's already too late to have delivery by Christmas guaranteed via ground shipping, it must be time to start thinking about Christmas menus, so here are a few guides to help you out: Christmas Unwrapped from Epicurious, Celebrate the Holidays from Cooking Light, and Christmas Recipes from Food and Wine magazine.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Hanukkah Menu Ideas

As the holiday season advances oh so rapidly (at least today's weather is more in sync with the season), Hanukkah is nearly upon us. If you are looking for some festive food ideas, check out Hanukkah from Epicurious and Hanukkah Recipes, a humble title for an expansive set of resources from the ever-authoritative New York Times.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Seasonal Fun At Lucky's

The Lucky's Market in Boulder will host a kid's holiday cookie decorating event today from 3 to 5 pm, and I'm pretty sure the Lucky's in Longmont is doing a holiday tasting from 1 to 3 today. Also, the Boulder Lucky's will be doing game day party prep tomorrow from noon to 3 as part of their "sampling Sundays."

Friday, December 12, 2014

Final Weekend Till Spring For Cure Farm Store

This weekend will be the final one for my favorite Cure Organic Farm farm store at 75th and Valmont until they reopen for the new season next year. Despite crazy temperatures in the 60s in Boulder, it's sounding like it's time to hunker down for winter, and maybe Sunday's snow will put us more in the mood for that. Here's what Cure says:

The farm store is open through this Sunday and then closed until next spring. We're going out with a bang. We've got so much meat in the store, we had to bring in a second freezer! Tons of Berkshire pork available, as well as lamb. Deals on veggies and lots of gift items as well. We're open 11-6 today and Friday. 10-4 this weekend.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Weekend Sales At Whole Foods

Our local Whole Foods stores will offer us a quartet of special sales for tomorrow through Sunday only. First of all, 'tis the season for indulgence, and more than 10 varieties of nog will be on sale. The post says to see the store for details, and I guess since some probably are egg-free, we're no longer calling it eggnog. Also, all toys by Melissa and Doug will be 30% off, Festivus chai will be half off at $2.50 each, and lobster tails will be $1.99 off at two for $20. Size isn't specified on the lobster tails, but I'm thinking it's probably the larger size, as the smaller ones usually go on sale for around $7.99 each.

Heads Up Re Vitamin Cottage Sale

Just a heads up that the current long-running sale at Vitamin Cottage will end this Saturday, the 13th. There were all kinds of good things in this one (you can read my initial post about it here), but remember that stocks do tend to run low at the end of a sale, and there are no rainchecks.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Red Wagon Has Veggies

We so enjoyed our CSA with Red Wagon Organic Farm this summer through fall, and the farm is still offering veggies (they also have other options like meats, eggs and coffee) as we head into winter. If you place your order by 6 this evening, you can pick them up tomorrow from 4 to 7 pm at the farm north of Niwot. Regardless, it's fun to look at their order form to see what veggies are still coming out of the earth at this time of year.

Boulder Vitamin Cottage To Move?

Today's Daily Camera is reporting that Vitamin Cottage (aka Natural Grocers) is eyeing the former Olive Garden site at 2685 Pearl Street for possible relocation of its current store not far from there. That would nearly double the size of the current store, which I find to be pretty darned cramped. You can read the Camera's coverage here.

This Week's Hot Grocery Deals (IMHO)

We have a new sale starting today at our Boulder Sprouts stores, while the current one continues at Whole Foods through December 16th, and at Vitamin Cottage through this Saturday, the 13th. Here's what's looking good to me now.

In addition to its regular sale, Sprouts will be doing a 72 hour sale for this Friday through Sunday. Items in the special sale include jumbo Hass avocados for 98 cents each (not bad if they really are jumbo), R.W. Knudsen Just Cranberry juice $2.99 for a 32 ounce bottle, and 25% off the entire bulk department. In Sprouts' regular sale through December 17th, chicken breast tenders are $1.99 a pound (and the ad doesn't say value pack required), their Presidential Cut standing rib roast is $7.99 a pound, and all chicken sausage (pork also) are $3.99 a pound. In fish, fresh farmed salmon fillets are $8.99 a pound, and previously frozen 30/40 count Peruvian sea scallops look good at $6.99 a pound.

In organic produce at Sprouts, broccoli is $1.48 a pound, Gala, Fuji or Braeburn apples and D'Anjou pears are all also $1.48 a pound, five pound bags of russet potatoes are just $2.50 each, two pound bags of heirloom rainbow carrots are $1.98 each, and three-packs of romaine hearts are $2.50. Elsewhere in the store, I'm liking a line drive of a whopping 50% off all Simply Organics (spices and the like), my favorite Imagine organic broths $2.50 a box (although they had an all time low of $2 a box a couple of weeks ago), some Wolfgang Puck organic soups just $1.50 a 14.5 ounce can, and some Earth Balance organic culinary spreads $3.49 each.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Project Pie To Help Bridge House

This Thursday, the 11th, Boulder's Project Pie, an artisanal pizza place at 1155 13th Street on the Hill will be donating fully half of the day's proceeds to benefit Bridge House, a Boulder charity dedicated to helping the homeless and working poor locally. If you are looking for a meal for yourself that will help others as well, give it a try!

Whole Foods' Wreath Deal

If you are in the market for a Christmas wreath, Whole Foods, at least at the Pearl Street store, is offering quite an exceptional price for a 22 inch one for just $12.99. This is a size that usually retails for $20 or more. I first saw this during a weekend sale over a week ago, and since it's still on the sandwich board, evidently it's an ongoing sale (the board says 24 inch, but in checking with the tree guy, evidently that's a typo). The wreath comes decorated with pine cones and the like, but benefits from the addition of a big red bow if you have one, and those are usually staples in folks' holiday decoration supply boxes.

Monday, December 8, 2014

KBCO Studio C At Whole Foods

Sorry to be so late for something that could certainly sell out (very busy weekend!), but our local Whole Foods stores are the exclusive retailers of the ever-coveted KBCO Studio C annual release. Here are the details from them:

The rumors are true! We are the exclusive retailer bringing you the famed KBCO Studio C this year and we're over the moon.

Starting at 8am this Saturday (12/6), all Colorado Whole Foods Market locations will begin selling this year's CD. We can't wait to offer you their musical masterpiece. But act soon. We will sell out!

Need more details? Want to preview the music? Click here and tap your toes!

La La La,
Your Whole Foods Market Neighbors
 A portion of the proceeds benefit the Boulder County AIDS Project and Food Bank of the Rockies.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

For Francophile Foodies

Many thanks to my friend Ms. B. for introducing my to Chocolate and Zucchini, a very fun set of resources from Clotilde Dusoulier, an amiable Parisian foodie. She's also very bilingual, and although I've linked to the French version of her website, you can easily change it to English with the button at the top right. On the French side, it's a fun way to refresh my rusty skills while keeping up on the Parisian food scene. I've also subscribed to her monthly newsletter, available in French or English, but I definitely went for the French. You can find at the very bottom right, under the title Rester en contact, and wouldn't it be wonderful to be named Clotilde?

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Colorado Gives Day

I love that in the midst of the gift buying frenzy we have Colorado Gives Day, an opportunity to step back and reflect on those wonderful organizations deserving of your support. This year it will be this Tuesday, the 9th, and they make it easy to donate on the Colorado Gives website. If looking for something food-related, they make that even easier with a Food, Agriculture and Nutrition category you can click on if you choose the Search by Cause option. Giving is the best way to get good holiday spirit in return.

Friday, December 5, 2014

Weekend Tastings At Boulder Lucky's

Our Lucky's Market in Boulder will be doing a couple of tastings this weekend, with a Party Planning Tasting Affair tomorrow from 11 to 2, followed by Game Day Party Prep on Sunday from noon to 3. Evidently every Sunday is a Sampling Sunday at the Boulder Lucky's. Too bad I get to north Boulder so infrequently.

Annual Winter Market This Weekend

The Boulder Farmers' Market's annual winter market will be held tomorrow and Sunday out at the fairgrounds in Longmont. Details from them:


Thursday, December 4, 2014

Weekend Sales At Whole Foods

For tomorrow through Sunday, our local Whole Foods stores will offer us a trio of special sales. Big 96 ounce jugs of R.W. Knudsen cider & spice will be BOGO, $7.99 off for the two, while wild king salmon will be $15.99 a pound, $4 off (doesn't specify but I'd assume that has to be previously frozen, but bet it's great), and I don't know Up4 Kids cube probiotics, but they're half off at $14.99.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

This Week's Hot Grocery Deals (IMHO)

We have new sales starting today at our Boulder Sprouts and Whole Foods stores, while the current one continues at Vitamin Cottage through December 13th. Here's what's looking good to me now.

The folks at Sprouts must be tuckered out with all the Thanksgiving sales hoopla, since their new sale through December 10th has only a two page flyer instead of the usual four. From that more minimal environment, I'm liking value packs of boneless skinless chicken breasts at $1.99 a pound, their stuffed chicken breasts $3.99 a pound, and Italian chicken (pork also) sausage also $3.99 a pound, although who needs much poultry when we've been eating turkey most of this week. Bone-in country style pork ribs or shoulder roasts are $2.99 a pound, and previously frozen fish is looking good with Alaskan cod fillets just $4.99 a pound, Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets $10.99 a pound, and raw peeled and deveined 31/40 count shrimp $9.99 a pound.

In organic produce at Sprouts, one pound bags of baby carrots are good at $1.48 each, and red or green leaf lettuce are both $1.48 a bunch, while Gala, Granny Smith and Braeburn apples are all $1.48 a pound. Looks like somebody was on a roll with $1.48. I don't buy much conventional produce, but asparagus is notable at $1.98 a pound. In this smaller ad, not much is hitting me elsewhere in the store.

In Whole Foods' new sale through December 16th, you can get sockeye salmon fillets for $13.99 a pound, more than at Sprouts but it's MSC-certified, and sustainably caught turbot fillets are also $13.99 a pound, while their sustainably farmed fresh shrimp are $12.99 a pound. Their very yummy Market Made beef bracciole are $6.99 a pound - in the past I've found they're often not in the case, but the meat guys are always happy to whip them up on the spot. Organic green kale looks good at $1.50 a bunch, while organic Bosc pears are $1.48 a pound, and organic Pink Lady apples are $1.98 a pound. In presumably conventional produce (since it doesn't say organic), Brussels sprouts are quite good at $1.68 a pound, and Hass avocado fans might like them at $1.25 each, higher than they usually are at Sprouts, but they also tend to be considerably larger. For my gluten-free friends, local Lillabee flour and pancake mix is/are (depending on whether that's one product or two) $9.99 each, $4 off, and Dancing Dear gluten-free brownies are $1 off at $4.99 each.

Happy Wednesday, and they're lighting the tree in Rockefeller Plaza tonight, which to me marks the real start of the holiday season. Now it's time to get gifting and thinking about Christmas dinner!

One-Day Sale At Whole Foods Today

Happy Wednesday. For today only, our local Whole Foods stores will offer us spicy salmon avocado rolls for $4.19 each, half off.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Last Day Of Current Whole Foods Sale

The current sale at Whole Foods has been a particularly long lasting one for them, but today is the last day of it. The fresh Icelandic cod we've already tried at $12.99 a pound ($2 off) was delicious, it's your last chance for all Frontier spices at 25% off, and that Best Ever 6 inch pumpkin cheesecake $4 off at $19.99 each is still calling me.

On another note, I do wish our local Whole Foods stores would return to noting their events on their website calendar. This should be holiday tasting time, but the only thing on the Pearl Street store's calendar is a series of three twitter chats. Guess they want you to just stumble on a tasting, oh well.

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Thanksgiving Leftovers Help

Looking for something innovative to do with all that leftover turkey and other stuff? Check out The Best of What's Left: A Guide to Thanksgiving Leftovers from Bon Appetit, or Thanksgiving Leftovers to Love from Food and Wine magazine. Or send some of that turkey my way. Ours for t-day, followed by turkey enchiladas Friday were both so successful, there's hardly anything left.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Small Business Saturday

It's our first weekend of the season without a Farmers' Market in downtown Boulder, but hey, it's Small Business Saturday today, a chance to support our wonderful local businesses while coming away with unique gifts unlike anything you'll find in a big box store. Details from Downtown Boulder are here.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Whole Foods Black Friday Weekend Sales

Good post-turkey morning. Our local Whole Food stores are offering us a slew of specials for this weekend, this morning through Sunday, if you are still up for grocery shopping. Unfortunately their formatting is making it impossible for me to copy them in below (aside from that nasty black brick that won't go away), and there are just too many of them. Highlights include Christmas trees 30% off (although that's a better deal than the sandwich board outside the Pearl Street store seems to think they will be), made in-house breakfast burritos half off, and Norwegian salmon $9.99 a pound, very good for that. Check the store for several more options.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving

Best wishes for a splendid day filled with family, friends and fabulous food. Hopefully you have everything under control, but if not, here's a reminder of the Thanksgiving guides I posted a while ago.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Grocery Deals Continue

Wednesday is usually our day for new grocery sales, but on this Thanksgiving eve, they are continuing. Sprouts' sale runs through tomorrow, the 27th, at which point you can check for a newly posted one at Sprouts' website (click on Weekly Specials or My Flyer). Previously reported sales at Whole Foods continue through December 2nd and at Vitamin Cottage through December 13th (use the list of posts at the lower left to find those). Good luck with the Thanksgiving prep!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Blackbelly Is Great!

No use trying to keep this a neighborhood secret, it's clear Top Chef champion Hosea Rosenberg has a winner in his new east Boulder restaurant Blackbelly. We only had time to stop in for happy hour yesterday, but we'll be back for dinner as soon as the rush of Thanksgiving week is over. His happy hour charcuterie plate is delectable, and we also ventured to try the "fried thing of the day," which yesterday was a sort of corn fritter with chiles, probably Hatch. Come to think of it, I think Chef Hosea hails from Taos, New Mexico, one of my favorite places on earth. As we left, the chef himself was in the parking lot talking with one of his vendors and asked how everything was. We'll definitely be back for dinner absolutely as soon as we can. I can't wait to try the grits that a vendor (I think from Mississippi) wouldn't sell to him until he convinced her he really planned to do justice to them.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Salmon At Alfalfa's

Apologies that I just saw this, but today is the last day of a weekend sale at Alfalfa's, where they have farmed Scottish salmon for $9.99 a pound. The salmon are raised with non-GMO feed.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Last Downtown Boulder Farmers' Market Today

And with Boulder temperatures expected around 60 and Thanksgiving coming up next week, who could ask for anything better? Here's what the Farmers' Market says:

Don't Miss the Last Boulder Market of the Year!  
With Winter Market following, December 6 & 7

Our rockstar customers and vendors at last weekend's snowy market

Make sure to stop by the last Boulder Farmers' Market of the season this Saturday, rain or shine! Many of our farmers have harvested the last of this year's crops and will have plenty at the market this weekend: potatoes, radishes, apples, turnips, mushrooms, spinach, carrots, onions, garlic, kale, arugula, winter squash and locally raised beef, lamb and chicken eggs. Look forward to grabbing a cozy drink from Forest Coffee or Silver Canyon, a baked good or warm prepared food to keep you going while you're shopping! See below for specials. 

We will be back to the Boulder County Fairgrounds for our 8th Annual Winter Market onDecember 6 and 7 from 9am-3pm

 
Boulder Farmers' Market Saturday 11/22, 8am-2pm
  • Weigh Your Bounty contest: Come weigh your market purchases at the info booth, and compete for wonderful prizes of Market Bucks and merchandise. Try and beat Jim, who had a whopping 126.5 lbs of market food! 
  • Market Specials:
     
    • Oxford Gardens: 5 lb and 10 lb bags of storage carrots for $3 per pound.  
    • Ela Family Farm will have their storage apples at market. Stock up on organic Fuji, Braeburn and Granny Smiths for just $32 a case (20 lbs!). When kept cold, the Granny Smiths and Braeburns will stay crisp and delicious until December 1st. Fujis will be delicious until the new year! Also, 2nds for $20/box. Great for applesauce, apple butter and dried apples. 
    • Rocky Mountain Fresh: Tomatoes are done growing for the season, except if you grow them inside! Rocky Mountain Fresh will have a sale on 15 lb boxes of tomatoes. $20 for red tomatoes and $25 for mixed heirlooms. These are freshly picked, hydroponic, pesticide-free tomatoes. $2.50/lb for reds and $4/lb for heirlooms. 
    • Aspen Moon Farm: Bulk storage sale! $1/lb or 30 lbs for $25 butternut squash, $2.5/ lb or 10 lbs for $20 butterball potatoes, $2.5 /lb or 10 lbs for $20 yellow storage onions, $3/lb or 10 lbs for $25 storage carrots (4 types), $2/lb or 10lbs for $15 rutabaga and/or purple top turnips, $1.5/lb or 10 lbs for $1/ lb
    • Plowshares Community Farm: They will be offering holiday hams for Thanksgiving and Christmastime. Stop by their booth to find out more information, to pick up a Thanksgiving ham, or to reserve yours for next month! 
    • MM Local Foods: MM Local will have their very seasonal jarred pumpkin and butternut squash. They are flash-pasturized with outstanding flavor and color, sourced from Full Circle Farms and Isabelle Farms. 

Friday, November 21, 2014

New Library Spot Will Be Seeds Cafe!

As previously noted, in a really cool move the Boulder Farmers' Market will be operating the new cafe at the Boulder Public Library main location. And the name winning the public naming contest is Seeds Cafe, the one the Farmers' Market was hoping for! It beat out Aesop's Tables, which also had resonance, but I'm so glad the name will be a great match with the actual operators. Here's what the Market says:

Official Library Café Name 

After weeks of nominations and voting, our café space opening in February inside the Boulder Public Library finally has it's name: Seeds Café.

See you at Seeds in a few short months! 

Prosciutto On My Mind

With today's flash sale on prosciutto di Parma at Whole Foods (see a couple of posts below for details), I have prosciutto on my mind for this weekend's dinners. One of my favorite things to do with it is asparagus and leek risotto with prosciutto from Bon Appetit, which is also a good choice since asparagus is also on sale, $2.98 a pound at Whole Foods and $1.48 a pound at Sprouts. strisce all Chiantigiana from Bon Appetit. Yes, technically that one calls for pancetta, but it's great with prosciutto too. There are just so many things you can do with prosciutto - heck even use it with a fine cheese and good bread to make the grilled cheese sandwich from heaven. And the best thing is that none of these ideas even hints at Thanksgiving-type foods. There will be enough of those shortly.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Boulder Natural Turkey Prices, 2014 Edition

At least a minimal view. I posted Vitamin Cottage prices quite a bit ago here, and among all those options, the prime takeaway is that a fine Mary's free range turkey with all the assurances that go with Vitamin Cottage meats would be $2.69 a pound (but reservations and deposit required).

You can see all Whole Foods' turkey offerings here by checking their online shopping then clicking turkeys right up at the top on the left (they know what you want to find now). Quick takeaway is that a very fine fresh Diestal bird, the kind we've gotten for a decade or better, is $2.49 a pound

The intriguing thing to me is that Lucky's Market in both Boulder and Longmont is offering a fresh Plainville turkey with Lucky's "never ever" standards for $1.99 a pound. (In keeping with its tendency to also go lower, the Longmont store also has an "all-natural" turkey from Amish Country fro $1.39 a pound, without the "never ever" standards.)

Sprouts' all-natural fresh turkey is $1.49 a pound, probably similar to the Longmont Lucky's one, and they are also advertising an organic option for $3.99, which the other stores also offer if you have the time to look further.

So after years of Diestals from Whole Foods, this year I'm experimenting with the Plainville from Lucky's. Motivation is at least three- if not four-fold. First, it's 50 cents cheaper per pound than my usual, no big deal although with a large bird that does mount up. Second, while I have no prior experience with Plainville, it's the brand Whole Foods has chosen to do its brined turkeys this year, which unfortunately are only available as frozen (confirmed with conversation with a Pearl Street butcher). So while I'll be buying a fresh one from Lucky's, the brand has also seen a thumbs up from Whole Foods. Third, while I could reserve and pick this Plainville bird up from either Lucky's store, the one in Boulder also has its associated Bakehouse, which advertised a pumpkin pie with gingersnap crisp crumble that in effect made me crumble myself. Turkey reservation went in immediately with order for pie at the Bakehouse next door (something in the area of $17). Sure, I'm also thinking about Whole Foods' special on its pumpkin cheesecakes for $19.99, but how many desserts can we eat? Hmm, maybe two. And I don't have multiple hours to spend in the kitchen doing these dessert things from scratch.

With the nearby opening of Top Chef winner Hosea Rosenberg's Blackbelly restaurant and market, my real hope for this year was to get one of the turkeys he hoped to have pre-brined himself, but when I called about them, was told they weren't able to get the turkeys ordered in time, and they are thinking maybe for Christmas. That won't help me, as two turkeys in the space of four weeks is just a bit much, and we'll be looking towards a rib roast instead.

So good luck in your turkey choice - lots of fine options out there!

Flash Sale At Whole Foods Tomorrow

And this is the only special sale I see them listing for the weekend, which makes sense, with everybody focused on their own Thanksgiving plans. For tomorrow only and only between 4 and 7 pm, you can get genuine prosciutto di Parma for $10 off per pound. The $19.99 a pound price is lower even than that for the very good domestic prosciutto they also carry. Here's what they say (and why always with so much space at the end I can't delete?):

Fri, Nov 21st 4-7pm
FLASH SALE 4-7pm 11/21

Prosciutto Di Parma, $19.99 lb

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

One-Day Sale At Whole Foods

And goodness, it's today. Here's what they say:

Wed, Nov 19th
ONE DAY SALE

Creminelli Bacon Salami, 9.99 ea

This Week's Hot Grocery Deals (IMHO)

And what an important week it is, with the sales that will lead us into Thanksgiving a week from tomorrow. There's a new sale starting today at our Boulder Sprouts stores, while the current one continues at Whole Foods through December 2nd and at Vitamin Cottage through December 13th (use the post list at the lower left to find those previous reports). I also hope to say something about Lucky's shortly too. Here's what's looking good to me now.

I usually start with meat and seafood, but at Sprouts through November 27th, it's some other happenings that are particularly striking to me. First and foremost, my favorite Imagine organic broth is on sale for $1.50 a box, wow! Sales on this always happen around the holidays, but it rarely gets that low, and it's a stock up item to enhance soups, stews, casseroles, rice dishes, etc. for months to come. Also, all Spice Hunter items are half off, bulk coffee is just $5.99 a pound, some Lundberg rice bags are 25% off (I really like their festive blends), and while I don't buy much conventional produce, asparagus is just $1.48 a pound.

Back to meat and seafood at Sprouts, value packs of boneless skinless chicken breasts are just $1.88 a pound, but who is going to be emphasizing chicken just prior to a week of turkey leftovers? Ditto the whole or split chickens for $1.69 a pound, and chicken sausage (pork also) is $3.99 a pound for links, $2.99 a pound for bulk. If you are looking for a holiday turkey alternative, their "presidential cut" standing rib roast is $9.99 a pound. In fish, previously frozen Alaskan cod fillets are $7.99 a pound, and fresh farmed salmon fillets are $6.99 a pound.

Sprouts is always good for organic produce, and this week broccoli or cauliflower are both $1.48 a pound, acorn, butternut or spaghetti squash are all 98 cents a pound, gala, Fuji or Granny Smith apples are all $1.48 a pound, green beans are $2.98 for a one pound package, russet potatoes and yellow onions are both 98 cents a pound, and five pound bags of table carrots are $2.98 each.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Cuisinart Mini-Oven Fun

Good warm, toasty and cozy morning, Boulder. Yesterday's adventure getting the furnace revived was even food-related, as husband's ill-fated upgrading of a kitchen outlet that amazingly knocked out the furnace was inspired by my acquisition of a new countertop appliance, a Cuisinart Oven Central. This little gadget is amazing; it browns, sautes, roasts, steams, bakes, toasts, and who knows what else, all in one little appliance that takes up very little counter space. I've been eyeing quality toaster ovens for years, wanting something that could bake small items like a couple of russet potatoes without heating the whole big oven, but the good toaster ovens all take up too much prime countertop real estate space. This little Cuisinart does more functions than I ever imagined, all with a very small footprint. So its arrival also inadvertently caused a very expensive electrical adventure, oh well. Next time we'll leave outlet upgrades to the professionals.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Thanksgiving Dinner Guides

Am sitting here wrapped in multiple clothing layers and typing through gloves, waiting for a master electrician to try to revive our furnace after husband's handyman project yesterday had the definitely unintended consequence of leaving us without heat. Good thing it's about 30 degrees warmer than a couple of days ago. In any case, the cold means it's more than time to start planning for Thanksgiving dinner, and here are a few guides to help you out: Thanksgiving Menus, Recipes and Cooking Tips from Epicurious, Thanksgiving Recipes from Food and Wine magazine, Thanksgiving from Saveur, and as they did last year, Cooking Light has an all purpose Celebrate the Holidays that can take you right through New Year's.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Let's Bag Hunger Starts Today!

One of my favorite charitable events of the year, Community Food Share's "Let's Bag Hunger" starts today and runs through November 26th. During this time, you can fill however many bags you want at your usual Boulder grocery store (seems like all participate) with non-perishable groceries to drop off right there for Community Food Share. Cash donations are also of course welcome. You can see all the details, including foods most needed or to donate cash, on Community Food Share's website. If you are thankful for having a bountiful Thanksgiving table this year, consider donating to feed those who don't even have the basics.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Catch Nearly Last Farmers' Market This Year

Sure we're back down to super chilly temps after a balmy 40 degrees yesterday, but time is growing short for our last Boulder Farmers' Market season in downtown Boulder, and it sounds like you might catch some wonderful produce harvested in a rush as our crazy deep freeze arrived. With the Colorado Dance Company onstage, I do hope they get to wear some cute little parkas and lots of leg warmers! Here are the details from the Market:

Don't Miss the Final Markets of the Season! 
2 more markets in Boulder plus Winter Market 

We hope you're as excited as we are for the market this weekend!
The snow has arrived, marking the end of the growing season for most outdoor crops on the Front Range. Many of our farmers have harvested the last of their crops and will have plenty at the market this weekend:
 potatoes, radishes, apples, turnips, mushrooms, spinach, carrots, onions, garlic, kale, arugula, winter squash and locally raised beef, lamb and chicken eggs. It's looking like it will be nice and chilly, so look forward to grabbing a chai or hot chocolate from Silver Canyon, baked good or warm prepared food to keep you cozy while you're shopping! See below for specials. 

We still have two weeks left of the market season downtown Boulder on 13th Street. Then we will be back to the Boulder County Fairgrounds for our 8th Annual Winter Market on December 6 and 7 from 9am-3pm

 
Boulder Farmers' Market Saturday 11/15
  • Cornucopia Days: It's that time of year again! Cornucopia Days at the Boulder Farmers' Markets. We're celebrating the season with a Weigh Your Bounty contest each Saturday. Come weigh your market purchases at the info booth, and compete for wonderful prizes of Market Bucks and merchandise. See if you can beat last week's winner, Jim, who had a whopping 126.5 lbs of market food! 
  • On stage: Colorado Dance Company
  • Market Specials:
     
    • Ela Family Farm will have their storage apples at market. Stock up on organic Fuji, Braeburn and Granny Smiths for just $32 a case (20 lbs!). When kept cold, the Granny Smiths and Braeburns will stay crisp and delicious until December 1st. Fujis will be delicious until the new year! Also, 2nds for $20/box. Great for applesauce, apple butter and dried apples. 
    • Rocky Mountain Fresh: Tomatoes are done growing for the season, except if you grow them inside! Rocky Mountain Fresh will have a sale on 15 lb boxes of tomatoes. $20 for red tomatoes and $25 for mixed heirlooms. These are freshly picked, hydroponic, pesticide-free tomatoes. $2.50/lb for reds and $4/lb for heirlooms. 
    • Aspen Moon Farm: Bulk storage sale! $1/lb or 30 lbs for $25 butternut squash, $2.5/ lb or 10 lbs for $20 butterball potatoes, $2.5 /lb or 10 lbs for $20 yellow storage onions, $3/lb or 10 lbs for $25 storage carrots (4 types), $2/lb or 10lbs for $15 rutabaga and/or purple top turnips, $1.5/lb or 10 lbs for $1/ lb
    • Blair's Herbals: Bath salts special-this Saturday only! $2 off large and $1 off medium epson bath salts for your enjoyment on these chilly days. They make great holiday gifts! 
    • MM Local Foods: MM Local will have their very seasonal jarred pumpkin and butternut squash at the next 2 markets. They are flash-pasturized with outstanding flavor and color, sourced from Full Circle Farms and Isabelle Farms. 

Friday, November 14, 2014

First Bite Boulder

Just a reminder that First Bite Boulder, where many of Boulder's finest restaurants are offering three course meals for $27, starts today. You can get all the details and menus here, but remember I warned you weeks ago to make reservations well in advance. And can we possibly actually reach 40 degrees today before more cold and snow moves in tomorrow?

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Vote For Library Cafe Name

We're so fortunate that the Boulder Farmers' Market will be reestablishing a cafe at the Boulder Library, one that other operators closed a year or two ago. The library is doing a poll for the name of the new cafe, and the Farmers' Market is hoping for votes for Seeds Cafe, with obvious reference to their roots (oops, pun). When I just voted using the Farmers' Market link to the poll, Aesop's Tables was winning, with Seeds in second place of four choices. I have to say Aesop's Tables is clever, but my heart is with the origin of the food. Think about it and vote! Update: Voting is now closed, so we'll wait to see what the winner is.

Weekend Sales At Whole Foods

I'm not seeing the usual one-day sale Whole Foods frequently does on Fridays (doesn't mean you won't find one in the store), but our local stores are offering us a duo of special sales for tomorrow through Sunday. Mrs. Meyer's hand soaps, one of my faves, will be nearly half off at $2.99 each, and Cambridge smoked salmon sounds great at $14.99 a pound, $7 off.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Boulder Farmers' Market Fundraiser

The Boulder Farmers' Market will hold its first ever fundraiser this Saturday, and it sounds like quite the event! Lots of local food and drink from the best Boulder has to offer, a silent auction, and even a farmer poetry slam. Here are the details from them, with sincere apologies if it cuts off on the right (my preview shows the whole thing, but that's not always how it posts):

1st Annual BCFM Fundraiser
Farm-to-table menu, beer pairings, silent auction, CSA share raffle, live bluegrass & farmer slam poetry  

Boulder County Farmers' Markets is putting the final touches on the farm-to-table event of the year! We hope you'll join us in celebrating our next step in the community, taking over operations of theBoulder Library cafeWe have a night of amazing farm-to-table dishes, live bluegrass, a local food-themed silent auction, a 2015 CSA share raffle and farmer slam poetry in store for you and can't wait to kick it off!  


Farmer + Chef + Brewery Custom Pairings
 

Cure Organic Farm + The Kitchen Restaurants + Wild Woods
 Oxford Gardens + Cafe Aion + Sanitas Brewing
Toohey & Sons Organic Farm + Riffs + Crystal Springs
Ollin Farms + Niwot Market + Twisted Pine  


And the Best Silent Auction in Town

Wine dinners, Great American Beer Fest tickets, 2015 CSA shares, a custom designed and built backyard garden, farm dinners, private coffee and tequila tastings, a charcuterie and cheese picnic, restaurant dining at Frasca Food & Wine, Salt, The Kitchen, Mountain Sun and more! For a sample of silent auction packages, click the Silent Auction Items tab on the event page. 


Reserve your ticket today! 
Visit our event page for more information
BCFM vendors: email community@bcfm.org for your discount  
 


This Week's Hot Grocery Deals (IMHO)

Good snowy and bitterly cold morning, Boulder! A high of 7 sounds just ducky, doesn't it? Meanwhile, we have new sales starting today at our Boulder Sprouts and Whole Foods stores, while the current one continues through December 13th at Vitamin Cottage (use the list of posts at the bottom left to pop back to that one). Here's what's looking good to me now.

At Sprouts through November 19th, previously frozen wild Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets are $8.99 a pound, while farmed tilapia is $6.99 a pound. (Swordfish is also $6.99 a pound, but I bet it isn't domestic.) I'm pleased to see stew beef at $3.99 a pound (London broil also), since Sprouts has been advertising that at $1 more and even higher in recent months. Three types of chicken sausage are $3.99 a pound, but sale chicken otherwise is dark meat this week. With Thanksgiving coming up, it's probably good to start eating alternatives to poultry before the week of turkey hits. Bone-in ribyeye roasts or steaks are a possibility at $9.99 a pound.

In organic produce at Sprouts, Braeburn and red delicious apples and yellow onions are all 98 cnets a pound, green bell peppers are 98 cents each (very good for organic), some Earthbound Farm organic salads are $1.98 each, curly green kale and green, red or rainbow chard are all $1.50 a bunch, raspberries are $2.99 for a six ounce container, and green or black grapes are $2.99 a pound. Elsewhere in the store, I'm liking some Earth Balance buttery spreads for $3.49 (although they're $2.99 at Vitamin Cottage), and some gluten-free holiday favorites are on sale, including my favorite Crunchmaster crackers at just $2 a bag.

In Whole Foods' new sale through December 2nd, I'm liking Diestel fresh turkeys at $2.49 a pound (usually my go-to turkey, although this year I might look for a pre-brined one), and American Homestead or Wellshire spiral sliced hams for $4.99 a pound (and at Whole Foods you're assured nothing has been added). Fresh Icelandic cod is also tempting at $12.99 a pound, although king salmon makes for a pretty pricey dinner at $17.99 a pound (fresh/frozen not specified, but the fresh salmon season should be over). I mostly buy organic produce, but asparagus, presumably conventional, looks festive at $2.98 a pound, and green beans are pretty cheap at $1.48 a pound. Whole Foods' own organic rosemary sourdough is $3.99 a loaf, Fromage D'Affinois is $4 off at $14.99 a pound, Udi's gluten-free dinner rolls are $2 off at $5.99 for a six-count package, and here's a hot one: all Frontier spices are 25% off. Finally, if you aren't up for spending all day making your own Thanksgiving desserts, six inch pumpkin cheesecakes are $4 off at $19.99 each.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Vitamin Cottage Turkeys

Vitamin Cottage (aka Natural Grocers) is taking reservations, with a $5 deposit, for your Thanksgiving turkey. They offer Mary's turkeys, which are fed a non-GMO vegetarian diet, without antibiotics or preservatives, and are free-range raised. They are air chilled to 26 degrees for freshness, with prices as follows:

Mary's heritage turkeys - $6.99 a pound

Mary's organic turkeys - $3.99 a pound

Mary's free range turkeys - $2.69 a pound

Mary's organic bone-in turkey breasts - $6.99 a pound (these are new)

Mary's free range geese - $7.99 a pound (also new)

P.S. Happy Veterans' Day, with many thanks to all those veterans out there, including in my family.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Blackbelly To Open Tomorrow

Finally, finally, Top Chef winner Hosea Rosenberg will open his Blackbelly restaurant tomorrow just off Arapahoe a little west of 55th Street, significantly increasing the already rising culinary profile of east Boulder. You can read what Eater Denver has to say about it, including a peek at the menu here.

Current Sale At Vitamin Cottage

Enjoy a nice warm morning, Boulder. Sixty one degrees right now before 7 a.m., and it's going to be downhill from here. High of 17 predicted for Wednesday! That means stocking up on food and hunkering down for the duration. The current sale at Vitamin Cottage, lasting through December 13th can help you out. I'm liking five pound bags of organic russet potatoes for just $2.39 a bag, Horizon organic butter $3.69 for a pound, select Earth Balance buttery spreads (no cholesterol) just $2.99 each (usually over $4), some Back to Nature crackers $2.55 a box, and two of my favorite snacks, Blue Diamond Nut Thins or Lundberg rice chips both $1.99 each. Newman's Own Organics cookies are looking good with the Family Recipe ones at $2.25 a bag and Fig Newmans $2.99 for the 10 ounce size. The big 25 ounce size of Westbrae organic canned beans is just $1.99 each, and it's eggnog time already, with Horizon organic eggnog $2.99 for 32 ounces. Looks like it's not only time to stock up for Thanksgiving, we're starting to think Christmas. And now is when I start to look for the best prices on my favorite Imagine organic broth, but it looks like Vitamin Cottage isn't going to help on this round; they have Pacific broth on sale instead (but Imagine soups are on sale if you like a prepared soup). I'm betting that will mean a really good price on Imagine broth as soon as the next sale starts in December.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Boulder Farmers' Market Today

We're down to just the downtown Boulder Farmers' Market on Saturdays at this point, no more Saturdays in Longmont or Wednesdays at either location for the rest of the season (except the special Winter Market in Longmont the first weekend in December), but fortunately we still have a bit more time with the Boulder Saturdays, and today's is looking good!  Enjoy the summer-like temperatures before Arctic air moves in Monday for a few days. We've been sooo lucky this fall. Here's what the Market says:

You Wouldn't Believe It's November! 
The amount of local produce at the market will blow you away

This weekend at the markets you will find an abundance of:
 potatoes, radishes, cabbage, apples, turnips, pears, mushrooms, spinach, carrots, romanesco, cauliflower, onions, garlic, kale, arugula, winter squash and locally raised beef, lamb and chicken eggs. Don't forget about the delicious baked goods, locally-made beverages, artisan cheese and wonderful prepared foods at the market. 

We still have three weeks left of the market season downtown Boulder on 13th Street. Then we will be back to the Boulder County Fairgrounds for our 8th Annual Winter Market on December 6 and 7 from 9am-3pm

 
Boulder Farmers' Market Saturday 11/8
  • On stage: Them Raggidy Bones 
  • Boulder Valley School District locally-sourced food truck breakfast
  • Art activity at BMoCA (all ages): Stop by the front steps of the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (right next to the tea house) for a fun family art activit

Friday, November 7, 2014

Weekend Dinner Plans (Not)

This exemplifies why I've largely stopped posting the menu plans that were the genesis of this blog at the request of friends. As time went on, I found myself always expecting to do links to gourmet recipes instead of the simplicity of my original decent cooking for a busy life, then it was further complicated by the opening of the Lucky's Market in Longmont with some very good specials, in my travel path, unlike the north Boulder Lucky's. So why share menus focusing on specials outside my supposed Boulder coverage, and reverting to simplicity? Case in point is this weekend, when tonight we'll do the easy option of crab cakes from the Longmont Lucky's for just $2.99 each (the Boulder store may also have them but possibly/probably not at that price, no time to check). With beautiful weather still in store for Saturday (Monday and Tuesday look like a wild return to seasonal and/or winter after this warm weather), we'll send the family griller out in the dark to do the New York strip steaks previously reported as a one-day sale at Whole Foods today (look just below). Then for Sunday I'll turn to an old favorite, chicken paprikash from Cooking Light, given that the Longmont Lucky's has natural boneless skinless chicken breasts for just $1.98 a pound through Wednesday. I doubt the Boulder Lucky's has that price, as I've mentioned before, the Boulder store goes with the higher "never ever" standards, while Longmont goes with natural and tested for antibiotics. Anyway, that's the plan, for what it's worth.