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

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.

Weekend Sales At Whole Foods

Our local Whole Foods stores will offer us a trio of sales from tomorrow through the weekend, and this week's selection is a good one, particularly if you like a good steak. For tomorrow only, the 7th, their very fine New York strip steaks will be $10.99 a pound, $8 off. Then for tomorrow through Sunday, Illy coffee (medium and dark roast espresso) will be $9.99 each, $6 off, and Giovanni 2chic shampoo and conditioner will be $5 each, also a significant discount.

One-Day Sale At Whole Foods Today

Ah, the return of the now rare Wednesday one-day sale at Whole Foods. For today only, vegetarian sushi rolls will be half off at $2.99 each (doesn't say what size that gets you).

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 November 11th (see the post just a little below for that). There also should be something new happening at Vitamin Cottage that I need to check out. Here's what's looking good to me now.

At Sprouts, the big news, already posted just below, is that for today only, the 5th, $100 gift cards are $89.99. There will also be a 72 hour sale for this Friday through Sunday, where you'll find 1.5 pound bags of organic French fingerling or Russian banana potatoes for $1.98 each and all full service seafood (both fresh and previously frozen, wild and farmed) at 30% off, among other deals.

In Sprouts' regular sale through November 12th, I'm liking center cut pork loin chops for $2.99 a pound, chicken breast tenders okay also at $2.99 a pound, their own stuffed chicken breasts $3.99 a pound, frozen Cornish game hens $1.99 a pound (how long has it been since we've done those?), very fat-free (99%) ground chicken breast $4.99 a pound, and chicken Italian sausage (pork also) $3.99 a pound.

In organic produce at Sprouts, gala or red delicious apples are practically being given away at 98 cents a pound, ditto green curly kale 98 cents a bunch, red, green or black grapes are $2.50 a pound, rainbow heirloom carrots are $1.98 for a two pound bag, butternut squash is 98 cents a pound, and six ounce containers of raspberries are $2.98 each. Elsewhere in the store, I'm liking Near East rice or couscous mixes $1.50 a box, Wallaby organic yogurts 89 cents each, and Eat Well hummus is BOGO. My favorite Blue Diamond Nut Thins are $2.50 a box, but Whole Foods has those for just $2 this week.

Sprouts Gift Card Deal Today Only

For today only, the 5th, you can buy a $100 gift card at Sprouts for $89.99 (limit of 10 cards per customer), effectively making everything you buy with it an additional 10% off.  Or get started on your holiday shopping for friends and family.

Superior Supports Boulder Humane Society

Cruising along with a cool borrowed mifi after yesterday's lightning knocked out our modem and/or router. Might just stick with this and cut the Comcast cable!  Anyway, Superior Liquor (in Superior, obviously) has a long history of supporting the Boulder Valley Humane Society, and this year it seems they are starting their club points donation program even earlier than usual.  It's kind of like donating free money anyway, and once again they have lined up wonderful sponsors so that your donation actually triples!  Here's what they say:

Current Whole Foods Sale

Good cold and previously snowy morning, Boulder.  There was a clap of thunder right over my house at 5:30 this morning that was loud enough to wake the dead and also strong enough to knock out my Internet connection.  So where does one go for alternate Internet?  To the library, of course!  Meanwhile, it's about time I got things back together. I'll just skip the current sale at Sprouts since we'll have a new one there is just two more days, but the current one at Whole Foods lasts through November 11th, so that's worth a look.

Organic produce is looking good at Whole Foods, with Fuji apples $1.98 a pound, green kale $1.50 a bunch, and Bartlett pears $1.48 a pound (plus there are Whole Foods' relatively new lower everyday prices on things like organic broccoli).  Miller or Pine Manor whole chickens are about a third off at $1.98 a pound, and wild sockeye salmon fillets (doesn't specify but I'd think previously frozen) are $2 off at $12.99 a pound.  For my gluten-free friends prepping for the holidays, all Gluten Free Pantry baking mixes are 25% off.  San Pellegrino sparkling waters are $1.25 a bottle, good to have around for a break from the holiday wine, and my favorite Blue Diamond Nut Thins are very good at $2 a box.  If you can't get enough turkey, turkey breast is $13.99 a pound in both the prepared foods deli and as a cold cut.  Fage Greek yogurts are $1.25 each, and fans of MyChelle skin care will like the entire line at 25% off.

So if Comcast doesn't get its Internet lines back up and running in my neighborhood, maybe tomorrow I'll actually give myself a break with a day off!

First Bite Boulder Coming Up

While I enjoy cooking at home, I also look forward to First Bite, when over 50 great Boulder restaurants offer special three course dinners for a mere $27 each. For most, the third course is dessert, but I like to look for the ones that offer three savory options instead, not being much of a dessert person. This year it runs from November 14th through the 22nd, and being so popular, reservations are a must, preferably done considerably in advance. You can tantalize your tastebuds by perusing the various menus offered on the First Bite Boulder website.

Farmers' Market And Time

As time marches on, tonight will be time to set your clock back an hour (if you still have some needing manual adjustment like I do!) and get an extra hour of sleep for daylight savings time. That also means that today will be the last regular farmers' market of the season out in Longmont, but our one in downtown Boulder will run considerably longer. Enjoy!