To Market to Food Market

AP reported that the grocery strike was averted.  Read the article.

Santa Cruz Farmers Market
The hours are from 3 to 6 p.m. As usual the market brims with garden fresh produce such as green beans, melons, chilies, tat soi, mustard greens, winter squash, (I’m getting hungry), spinach, bok choy, beets, pomegranates, apples, locally roasted coffee, honey, red and sweet potatoes, hot peppers, and more. Fresh eggs are available for $3/dozen. Mark your calendars because next week – November 19, Desert Harvesters will be here grinding dried mesquite pods into flour.

What’s Tat Soi?
Tat soi or tatsoi is an Asian green that is also called flat cabbage, rosette bok choy, and spoon cabbage. It’s a member of the brassica family which includes broccoli, brussels sprouts, collards, and kale. Tatsoi can be used in salads or sautéed, steamed or braised and mixed with sauces, chicken, tofu, and pasta. Tatsoi is low in calories and high in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Mesquite Pancakes
Last week I reported about Desert Harvesters mesquite pancake breakfast on November 7. This was their most successful breakfast ever selling over 2,000 pancakes, and milling over 960 pounds of mesquite pods with three mills on the pancake fiesta day and two mills the next day.

Sprouts Goes Green
Sprouts Farmers Market has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership and voluntarily committed to decreasing refrigerant emissions through innovative HVAC, refrigeration design and leak-tight practices. Sprouts wants to be your  environmentally conscious neighbor and grocer. Sprouts is located at 7665 N. Oracle Road.

Please send your Tucson farmers market and grocery news to eat.tucson@yahoo.com

It’s possible that Kroger’s Fry’s and Safeway will go on strike. Both chains have advertised for temporary workers to cross the picket lines and pick up the slack.

How do you feel about these two big box food stores striking in such a down economy when unemployment is double digit?

Is anyone who is reading this going to strike?

Is anyone who is reading this going to cross the picket line to shop if there is a strike?

I remember last year or the year before when Ralph’s Market (another Kroger market) in So. Cal. went on strike. It lasted months and in the end, I think the workers lost more then they gained.

The dissent lies with wages and healthcare costs. So what else is new?

good deals at Tucson super markets

Food City
–Good deals on Thursday in the produce aisle: 5 cukes for $1, 4 persimmons for $1, 3 pounds of Mexican grey squash for 99cents, and 3 pounds Mexican papaya for 99 cents (I love Mexican papaya.)

Fry’s
–Fry’s wants to save you money this week; you will need a VIP card which is always free to obtain. For you carnivores, buy one USDA roast and get the second one free, must be equal or less value. That sounds like a really good deal to actually get a roast free.
–To further get you into the store, Fry’s is accepting every kind of coupon from all its competitors. Who can resist that? Even from Wal-Mart grocery stores, Sunflower, Whole Foods.
–If that isn’t enough, all your coupons will be $1 off even if your coupon is for 10 cents or 25 cents. Geez!

Safeway
–Here you also get the $1 off coupon for any coupon up to $1.
Sunflower Farmers Market
–This week they have Haas avocados 2 for $1 (last week I paid 88cents/each). This week they also have 5 Rio Red Texas grapefruit for $1 (last week I paid 2 for $1 which at the time I thought was a good deal). –A bottle of Tejava unsweetened premium black tea is on sale for 99cents/litre. The glass bottle probably costs more than the tea. Trader Joe’s* sells the same bottle for $1.19. 
–It’s not too early to order your Thanksgiving dinner if you don’t want to cook. Here it starts at $24.99 for a half boneless turkey breast (serves 2) + the trimmings or the family meal day costs $49.99 and includes a 10-12 pound turkey with all the sides + an 8-inch pumpkin pie. You can taste before you buy at the Thanksgiving Tasting Fair on November 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

All the markets have other deals of course, but I just mention the ones that don’t seem too complicated or are especially enticing.

Speaking of Trader Joe’s they now have free wine tasting in all their stores. You (must be 21+) can taste up to three wines.

• So where do you do your grocery shopping?
• Do you use coupons?
• What persuades you to shop where?

Onions make everything taste better

Fall seed exchange
At the Santa Cruz River Farmers Market on Thursday (9/24), partake in the seed exchange. Gardening experts will be on hand to talk about desert gardening. Vegetable seedlings, birdnet, and floating row cover will be for sale. Check out the particulars and what’s available for purchase.

Hit me with your best flu shot
Safeway is offering seasonal flu shots at all their stores. Prescriptions are required or they’ll call your doctor. If you’re uninsured, flu shots cost $30. When you get your shot, you also get 10 percent off your next grocery purchase. Find the closest Safeway near you; no appointment necessary

Holy guacamole
At Albertsons, medium size Hass avocados cost $1/each. Sunflower Markets have organic Hass avocados for 99cents/each. Fry’s also has Hass avocados for 88cents/each with your Fry’s card.

Hatch chile
Now available at Food City is fire roasted New Mexico Hatch chile. Yum!

Really good deals
On this Thursday only at Food City: 5 cucumbers for $1 (that is a good deal!), 5 pounds of white onions for $1, 5 chayote squash for $1, 5 green bell peppers for $1, 3 pounds Bartlett pears for 99cents, and 2 pounds of peaches for $1.

Please send your Tucson food market and farmers market news to eat.tucson@yahoo.com

Tucson food market news bytes

Kids eat healthy

Sunflower Farmers Markets launches a company-wide childhood obesity campaign by teaming up with President and Mrs. Obama in their efforts to bring awareness to the important issue of childhood obesity.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity is on the rise. 16 percent of children (over 9 million) 6-19 years old are overweight or obese — a number that has tripled since 1980. Over the past three decades the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years. According to the U.S. Health & Human Services, overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. This increases to 80 percent if one or more parents is overweight or obese.

Factors that contribute to the increase in childhood obesity include not only genetics, but behavioral factors, such as decreased physical activity, and environmental factors, such as habits learned within the home or community.

Throughout the entire month of September, each of Sunflower’s 26 stores (and counting!), across five states, will hold fun and healthy back-to-school events at no cost to you and your family. Sunflower Farmers Market is pledging to help kick childhood obesity by helping kids to live, eat, and play healthier today and tomorrow.

You and your children can pledge to kick childhood obesity at your local Sunflower Farmers Market – just look for the banner at the front of the store. Kids can sign the banners which will be sent back to the White House at the end of September.

This Saturday – September 19, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. stop by 4645 E. Speedway or 7877 E. Broadway Sunflower Markets for healthy snack ideas, recipes, exercise tips, and free samples. 

Please send your food market and farmers market news to eat.tucson AT yahoo.com

Orange you glad you're getting a deal?

Senior Discount
Aging doesn’t have to be so bad. If you’re 55+, oldies-but-goodies can save 10% on their grocery bill on the first Wednesday of the month at Fry’s  Food Stores. Sign up in customer service for the discount.

Flu Shots
Flu shot availability seems early this year. When you get a flu shot at Safeway, you also get 10% off your next grocery purchase.

Hatch Chile Roasting
I can almost smell the air permeated with roasted green chiles this Saturday, September 5, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sunflower Markets at 4645 E. Speedway @ Swan and 7877 E. Broadway @ Pantano. Hatch, New Mexico is the the chile growing capital of the world.

Military Discount
Albertsons honors active, reserve or retired military personnel with ID with a 10 percent discount from Sept. 2 through September 8.

T.G.I.F.
The Food Conspiracy Co-op hosts the last of their summer Anti-Depression Fridays Sale on September 4. Get 10 percent off all day on any purchase for anybody (members and non-members) plus live music and free food from 6 to 8 p.m.

Please send your Tucson food market and farmers market news to eat.tucson AT yahoo.com.

Sample wine during The RumRunner celebration

Tucson food market news

 

 

Fry’s Sweepstakes
Who wouldn’t want to win free gas and groceries for a year? Warning, if you’re doing this at work, turn the sound off because it comes on really loud. Hey, if anyone wins because you saw it here – come back and let me know. You owe me a tank of gas!

Book Signing at 17th Street Market
On Saturday August 29, from noon to 3 p.m. local author Kate Mathis will be signing copies of her newly released novel Living Lies. Says Sue Giles, Editor in Chief, Tucson Lifestyle Magazine, “This mystery thriller has it all–suspense, intrigue, and romance.  You’ll root for undercover operative Melannie Ward as she tackles professional and personal crises while living a lie. Kudos to first time author Kathe Mathis.”  The 17th Street Market/The United Nations for Foodies is located in the Armory Park Artist Warehouse District at 810 East 17th Street, between Broadway and 22nd St., off of Euclid.  A map can be found on the website or call for directions, 792-2588.

RumRunner Celebration and Sale
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been two years since The RumRunner/Dish moved over to their new location. So to celebrate – on Sunday, August 30, from noon to 6 p.m. practically everything in the store will be on sale – 20 percent off. Yep, that’s all wines including limited releases, spirits, beer, liqueurs, gourmet cheeses and products. You can also enjoy a sampling of cheese, olives, gourmet products, unusually flavored chocolates (bacon-flavored chocolate, anyone?), and of course, wine tasting. Wine tasting is from 2 to 4 p.m. Support a local business and come browse and shop. RumRunner is located at 3131 E. First Street (slightly east of Country Club Drive); 326-0121. 

More Food Bites
–Food City has fire roasted Hatch chile in all stores.
–Wine tasting is coming soon to Trader Joe’s locations.
–How much sugar is too much sugar?

Please send your food market and farmers market news to eat.tucson AT yahoo.com

Quintessential taste of summer

Tucson food news and farmers market news

 

 

 

Amazing values, low prices and anniversary sweepstakes are the enticements this week

Santa Cruz River Farmers Market - Thursday
There will be an explosion of summer squash, spaghetti squash, pumpkins, zucchini, and buttercup squash on the NW corner of West Speedway and Riverview from 4 to 7 p.m. Nopalitos for sale! Listen to the NPR interview for how to prepare this Sonoran Desert treat.

Food City: free immunizations
Along with “mucho value” at Food City, there are free immunization clinics (bring your child’s shot records) at these Food City locations:

Sat. July 25 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
South 6th Avenue & I-10
2950 S. 6th Avenue

Thurs. July 30 – 1 to 4 p.m.
I-19 & Irvington
1221 W. Irvington Road

Sat. August 1 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Flowing Wells & Roger
3923 N. Flowing Wells

Thurs. August 6 – 1 to 4 p.m.
Campbell & Irvington
2000 E. Irvington Road

Sunflower Market-hot dog
Enjoy a stadium style hot dog for just 50cents on Saturday, July 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Eastside/Broadway location (7877 E. Broadway Blvd) and at the Midtown/Speedway location (4645 E. Speedway Bl). Pickled condiments in a jar are 99 cents.

Albertsons-anniversary sweepstakes
This is Albertsons’ 70th anniversary. You have the chance to win a $100 gift card. The winners of the $100 gift card (one from every store) will be entered into a special drawing to win free groceries for a year (valued at $5,200). For every $25 you spend, you get an entry blank with a limit of four per transaction. Winners notified by August 28.

Fry’s-back to school
From July 13 to August 4, Fry’s is collecting back-to-school supplies. Purchase some in the store while shopping and then drop them in the specially marked bins. Fry’s also has Olathe sweet corn (3 for 99cents). This corn helped put Olathe, Colorado on the map.

Bashas Restructuring
For more about Bashas, visit this website

 
Please send your food news and farmers market news to eat.tucson@yahoo.com

Do any farmers markets have fresh Hatch roasted chiles now?

Are you a Tucson locally owned and operated business with wonderful, all natural product/s for sale? 

Would you like to expand your reach and market to a larger customer base?  If so, Whole Foods Market would like to meet you!  
 
Whole Foods Market (WFM) embraces doing business locally because they know some of the best products, tastiest produce, and highest quality goods are often found close to home.  Doing business locally supports the local economy in the cities with WFM stores and helps reduce the impact on the environment.

Whole Foods Market is local friendly!  It doesn’t charge for shelf space and the friendly crew of store team leaders and department team leaders are empowered to make decisions about which new products are a good fit for the store and for their customers.  Come and meet the local forager (now there’s an interesting job title!).

Instructions:
Any time before July 22, pick up an information packet at either  Tucson Whole Foods Market location customer service desk (3360 E Speedway Blvd, 795-9844 and 7133 N Oracle Rd, 297-5394).  Review the information and if you meet their basic requirements RSVP for the meet-and-greet (bring samples) on July 22 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Speedway store.