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!