Saturday, June 30, 2012
Boulder Farmers' Market Today
You might enjoy an early stroll today at the Boulder Farmers' Market, before things heat up too much in terms of both temperatures and crowds. Here's the list of what the Market says you can expect to find today. The organic salad turnips I picked up at last week's market were fantastic. Such a surprise that a bitter-sounding vegetable like a turnip can be so delicious just sliced and eaten raw.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Get Hula Hooping Tomorrow
Is this ever a blast from the past. The Pearl Street Whole Foods will hold a "Hoopy Hour" tomorrow around lunch time for hula-hoop fans. (Meanwhile, if you're in the neighborhood of the Superior store instead, they'll be sampling a version of Waldorf Salad made with kale.) Here's what the Pearl Street store says:
Saturday, June 30th
Hoopy Hour
11:30am - 1:30 PM
FREE
2905 Pearl Street Boulder, Co. 80301 West Patio
Join our friend Brooke out on the west patio for some hula-hooping fun! Brooke will teach hula-hoop techniques to help you bring out your inner child. All ages and abilities welcome!
Saturday, June 30th
Hoopy Hour
11:30am - 1:30 PM
FREE
2905 Pearl Street Boulder, Co. 80301 West Patio
Join our friend Brooke out on the west patio for some hula-hooping fun! Brooke will teach hula-hoop techniques to help you bring out your inner child. All ages and abilities welcome!
Weekend Dinner Ideas
With an expected return to triple digit heat today after our recent cold snap of upper 90s, I'm throwing in the towel for tonight and going with picnic food, albeit classy picnic food. Mark Bittman's 101 20-minute dishes for inspired picnics from the New York Times is my favorite go-to for easy yet special hot weather food. The very second idea, pesto chicken rolls, will be on deck tonight, as I still have homemade pesto in my freezer from last fall, while my current basil plants are advancing nicely. The rolls can also be done with good quality poultry cold cuts instead of getting out the grill to cook some chicken, eliminating time, mess, and fire danger.
For tomorrow, wanting something big we can reheat later in the week, and certainly not wanting anything coming out of a hot oven, I'm thinking a variant of shrimp and scallop posole from Bon Appetit, using the quite large 16/20 shrimp that are $6.99 a pound at both Sprouts and Sunflower, in the stores' newly merged status. With scallops running at sky high prices, I'll probably make it entirely with shrimp, or perhaps cut in a bit of cod that's also $6.99 at both stores.
We'll stick with the $6.99 seafood sale at both Sprouts and Sunflower for Sunday, turning this time to the swordfish. I usually avoid previously frozen swordfish, but the fish I got recently at Sprouts was surprisingly good. It would normally go out on the grill, but with our super-dry weather conditions, unless one of our afternoon storms actually produces substantial rain in addition to lightning, I might just stick with the grill pan indoors. And I'm even thinking about skipping the grill for the 4th of July next week, heresy!
For tomorrow, wanting something big we can reheat later in the week, and certainly not wanting anything coming out of a hot oven, I'm thinking a variant of shrimp and scallop posole from Bon Appetit, using the quite large 16/20 shrimp that are $6.99 a pound at both Sprouts and Sunflower, in the stores' newly merged status. With scallops running at sky high prices, I'll probably make it entirely with shrimp, or perhaps cut in a bit of cod that's also $6.99 at both stores.
We'll stick with the $6.99 seafood sale at both Sprouts and Sunflower for Sunday, turning this time to the swordfish. I usually avoid previously frozen swordfish, but the fish I got recently at Sprouts was surprisingly good. It would normally go out on the grill, but with our super-dry weather conditions, unless one of our afternoon storms actually produces substantial rain in addition to lightning, I might just stick with the grill pan indoors. And I'm even thinking about skipping the grill for the 4th of July next week, heresy!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
4th Of July Dinner Plan Help
Thinking of something special for your 4th of July celebration next Wednesday? There are lots of guides out there to help, including these from Epicurious, Cooking Light, Food and Wine magazine, and Whole Foods. But so much traditional 4th of July cooking focuses on the grill, so with our high fire danger (even the Folsom Field fireworks have been cancelled), I'm contemplating the radical step of taking it all indoors, maybe with some of the great Qrunch quinoa burgers I discovered last week at Whole Foods, and an experiment with one of the whole grain salads that were featured in an article in this month's Bon Appetit. More on that later. But we'll for sure have some Colorado microbrews on hand, and I'm happy to see how many are now opting for the light protection and convenience of cans instead of bottles.
Weekender Sale At Whole Foods
Our local Whole Foods stores are doing a special weekend sale tomorrow through Sunday, the 29th through July 1st. Let them eat cake at half price, but you'll find organic cluster tomatoes for $2.49 a pound all week at Sunflower.
Special Weekender Sale
Friday - Sunday (6/29 - 7/1)
Rubicon 6" Layer Cakes
Old-Fashioned Layer Cakes perfect for celebrations!
Reg: $10.99/ea
Sale: 2 for $10.99
Organic
Cluster Tomatoes
$2.99/lb
(save $1/lb)
Special Weekender Sale
Friday - Sunday (6/29 - 7/1)
Rubicon 6" Layer Cakes
Old-Fashioned Layer Cakes perfect for celebrations!
Reg: $10.99/ea
Sale: 2 for $10.99
Organic
Cluster Tomatoes
$2.99/lb
(save $1/lb)
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
This Week's Hot New Grocery Deals
It's a welcome view from my house this morning, little to no smoke coming over the mountains, thanks to yesterday's huge firefighting efforts. Let's hope the weather and everything else cooperates today to keep it going in that direction.
That said, it's Wednesday, so it's time for the new sales. I mentioned months ago that Sprouts had acquired Sunflower, and it looks like this week is the first where we're actually seeing the impact. Our Boulder Sunflower will eventually be rebranded as a Sprouts, and while the two stores are still issuing separate sales circulars, this is the first week I'm seeing their sales coordinating, at least among the featured ones. Here's what it looks like in a quick perusal.
At both Sprouts and Sunflower through July 4th, previously frozen seafood seems to be the highlight, with center-cut swordfish steaks, Alaskan cod, 16/20 count really big raw shrimp, and crimson snapper (opakapaka to those of us who've had it as such in Hawaii) all $6.99 a pound. The meat sales between the two stores are 99% identical, with all chicken sausage $2.99 a pound, boneless skiness chicken breasts also $2.99 a pound (not a particularly low price, and we'll miss the competition there), whole or cut-up chickens $1.49 a pound, beef short ribs or stew meat $3.99 a pound, and boneless ribeyes $9.99 a pound. The one odd difference comes in the grass fed ground beef that both are offering at $5.99 a pound; the Sunflower ad says 93% super lean, while the Sprouts ad says theirs is organic. Conventional corn is also a shared price at four for $1 (as are prices on some other conventional produce that I'll only eat in organic).
Differences appear to remain between the two stores in organic produce, at least in terms of what's highlighted. At Sprouts through the 4th, one pound bags of baby carrots are good at $1.25 each, but Sunflower beats that at 99 cents, acorn or butternut squash are both 99 cents a pound (same at Sunflower), grape tomatoes are $2.50 a pint, red potatoes are $3.99 for a five pound bag, and strawberries are $2.99 for a one pound clamshell (whopping Sunflower and also Whole Foods on that one). At Sunflower, baby carrots are just 99 cents a one pound bag, red or green kale is $1.50 a bunch, broccoli or yams are both $1.50 a pound, leaf lettuce or romaine are both $1.50 a head, grape tomatoes are $2.49 for 10 ounces, celery is just 99 cents a bunch, and four types of hard squash are 99 cents a pound.
Whole Foods' new sale runs all the way through July 17th, and organic yellow peaches look good at $1.99 a pound, but the other stores are beating them in the other organic produce that appeals to me. Whole Foods has organic cherries for $4.99 a pound, but they're $3.99 a pound this week at Sprouts, one pound containers of organic strawberries are $3.99 each at Whole Foods but $2.99 at Sprouts, and Whole Foods' $2 a bunch sale on organic celery gets whopped by Sunflower's 99 cent a bunch price. I do love Whole Foods' Bakehouse baby boules, which are great at 99 cents each (although their everyday price is good too), Hatch green chile cheddar sounds intriguing at $9.99 a pound (everybody knows my fetish about all things Hatch green chile), and my favorite in fresh mozzarella, Crave Brothers, has eight ounces of bocconcini for $3.99 each. Since this sale runs all the way through the 17th, we might be able to pair the mozzarella with some local tomatoes by then.
That said, it's Wednesday, so it's time for the new sales. I mentioned months ago that Sprouts had acquired Sunflower, and it looks like this week is the first where we're actually seeing the impact. Our Boulder Sunflower will eventually be rebranded as a Sprouts, and while the two stores are still issuing separate sales circulars, this is the first week I'm seeing their sales coordinating, at least among the featured ones. Here's what it looks like in a quick perusal.
At both Sprouts and Sunflower through July 4th, previously frozen seafood seems to be the highlight, with center-cut swordfish steaks, Alaskan cod, 16/20 count really big raw shrimp, and crimson snapper (opakapaka to those of us who've had it as such in Hawaii) all $6.99 a pound. The meat sales between the two stores are 99% identical, with all chicken sausage $2.99 a pound, boneless skiness chicken breasts also $2.99 a pound (not a particularly low price, and we'll miss the competition there), whole or cut-up chickens $1.49 a pound, beef short ribs or stew meat $3.99 a pound, and boneless ribeyes $9.99 a pound. The one odd difference comes in the grass fed ground beef that both are offering at $5.99 a pound; the Sunflower ad says 93% super lean, while the Sprouts ad says theirs is organic. Conventional corn is also a shared price at four for $1 (as are prices on some other conventional produce that I'll only eat in organic).
Differences appear to remain between the two stores in organic produce, at least in terms of what's highlighted. At Sprouts through the 4th, one pound bags of baby carrots are good at $1.25 each, but Sunflower beats that at 99 cents, acorn or butternut squash are both 99 cents a pound (same at Sunflower), grape tomatoes are $2.50 a pint, red potatoes are $3.99 for a five pound bag, and strawberries are $2.99 for a one pound clamshell (whopping Sunflower and also Whole Foods on that one). At Sunflower, baby carrots are just 99 cents a one pound bag, red or green kale is $1.50 a bunch, broccoli or yams are both $1.50 a pound, leaf lettuce or romaine are both $1.50 a head, grape tomatoes are $2.49 for 10 ounces, celery is just 99 cents a bunch, and four types of hard squash are 99 cents a pound.
Whole Foods' new sale runs all the way through July 17th, and organic yellow peaches look good at $1.99 a pound, but the other stores are beating them in the other organic produce that appeals to me. Whole Foods has organic cherries for $4.99 a pound, but they're $3.99 a pound this week at Sprouts, one pound containers of organic strawberries are $3.99 each at Whole Foods but $2.99 at Sprouts, and Whole Foods' $2 a bunch sale on organic celery gets whopped by Sunflower's 99 cent a bunch price. I do love Whole Foods' Bakehouse baby boules, which are great at 99 cents each (although their everyday price is good too), Hatch green chile cheddar sounds intriguing at $9.99 a pound (everybody knows my fetish about all things Hatch green chile), and my favorite in fresh mozzarella, Crave Brothers, has eight ounces of bocconcini for $3.99 each. Since this sale runs all the way through the 17th, we might be able to pair the mozzarella with some local tomatoes by then.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
One-Day Sale At Whole Foods Tomorrow
It seems a bit warped to be thinking about a one-day sale at our local Whole Foods stores tomorrow while smoke billows over Boulder and our friends to the west are dealing with pre-evacuation notices, but Whole Foods put out news late this afternoon of a sale happening for tomorrow only, the 27th. (I wouldn't recommend grilling on an open fire on those hickory planks right now, and it's illegal in some parts of the county under a fire ban, I'm pretty sure.) Here's what they say:
One Day Sale
On Sale Wednesday, June 27th only:
Norwegian Salmon
Portions
$3.99/ea
(save $2/ea)
Alder
Hickory Planks
$2.99/ea
(save $2/ea
Cakeheads - 5pk
Whoopie Pies
2 for $8
(save $2.99/ea)
One Day Sale
On Sale Wednesday, June 27th only:
Norwegian Salmon
Portions
$3.99/ea
(save $2/ea)
Alder
Hickory Planks
$2.99/ea
(save $2/ea
Cakeheads - 5pk
Whoopie Pies
2 for $8
(save $2.99/ea)
Go, Slurry Bombers
We've had fires around the state for weeks, and now right in front of us, with the one that's being called either the Bison Fire or the Flagstaff Fire. Looks like the slurry bombers are really working it. My best thoughts and energy going to anyone impacted by the pre-evacuation notices, and the Boulder Humane Society has tweeted they're ready to take in evacuated pets. Twitter's always likely to get you the latest (hashtag #FlagstaffFire seems to be winning over #BisonFire), and official word from Boulder's Office of Emergency Management is here.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Bike To Work Day Wednesday
Just a reminder that Wednesday is Bike to Work day, and a very toasty one it is looking to be. Don't forget to plan a free breakfast station along your route. And I've heard a rumor that Longmont's ahead of the People's Republic of Boulder in that they also have some afternoon stations for the bike home, and that a couple a breweries are represented. Yes, yes.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Weekday Dinner Ideas
Good, hot Sunday morning, Boulder. Good grief. So Denver hit a record high of 104 yesterday, with today predicted at 101, tomorrow 100, and back to 101 on Tuesday. This is not the time for serious cooking. But I think I've devised a plan that will get us through this heat and still eating well, without resorting to takeout or dining out. Tonight's dinner as previously mentioned will be done completely outside on the grill. Heading into our weekday dinners tomorrow, I'm going to try an experiment. While I'll gladly sample products at our local stores, I'm rarely tempted to buy them, but there was a notable exception a few days ago at Whole Foods. A vendor was sampling Qrunch burgers, a quinoa-based veggie burger that blew me away with its deliciousness, a total surprise. I tried the spicy Italian version (it also comes in mild, which I haven't tried), and immediately picked up a package. So for tomorrow, we'll keep the cooking to an absolute minimum by having these Qrunch burgers, probably on toast, since we're not into big buns, with lots of salad on the side. All it will take is a quick heating of the burgers in a pan, and the directions say they can even be heated in a toaster. That's minimal.
Tuesday is our usual reheat of something big made over the weekend, which this week is our extra large batch of grilled chicken and ratatouille from Bon Appetit. No cooking needed aside from a quick reheat of the chicken in the microwave.
Which means we've postponed any real cooking until Wednesday, which I also see as low key. Wanting a pasta dish by then, we'll do a simple sauce involving chicken sausage (Italian ones $2.99 a pound at Sprouts through Wednesday), onions, bell peppers, and maybe mushrooms, with some good quality jarred pasta sauce, no recipe required. For the recipe-inclined, a nice one is the sauce that goes with mushroom and sausage ragu with polenta from Cooking Light.
We'll keep Thursday minimal again, improvising a rice dish by adding whatever seasonal spring veggies appeal at Wednesday's Farmers' Market or at the Cure Organic Farm store, and finishing it off by melting in some fresh mozzerella, which Sprouts has at $2.99 for eight ounces through Wednesday (and $3.50 at Sunflower). My herb pots are already yielding enough parsley, oregano, chives, basil, and the like that I'm starting to harvest a bit for dishes like this, too.
Which gets us through to Friday's planning with a simple plan for a very, very hot week. Stay cool out there.
Tuesday is our usual reheat of something big made over the weekend, which this week is our extra large batch of grilled chicken and ratatouille from Bon Appetit. No cooking needed aside from a quick reheat of the chicken in the microwave.
Which means we've postponed any real cooking until Wednesday, which I also see as low key. Wanting a pasta dish by then, we'll do a simple sauce involving chicken sausage (Italian ones $2.99 a pound at Sprouts through Wednesday), onions, bell peppers, and maybe mushrooms, with some good quality jarred pasta sauce, no recipe required. For the recipe-inclined, a nice one is the sauce that goes with mushroom and sausage ragu with polenta from Cooking Light.
We'll keep Thursday minimal again, improvising a rice dish by adding whatever seasonal spring veggies appeal at Wednesday's Farmers' Market or at the Cure Organic Farm store, and finishing it off by melting in some fresh mozzerella, which Sprouts has at $2.99 for eight ounces through Wednesday (and $3.50 at Sunflower). My herb pots are already yielding enough parsley, oregano, chives, basil, and the like that I'm starting to harvest a bit for dishes like this, too.
Which gets us through to Friday's planning with a simple plan for a very, very hot week. Stay cool out there.
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