pears & goat cheese, a sophisticated snack

Looking Back
2009 was not a good year for Bashas because many stores in Arizona went out of business yet Sunflower Market expanded from two to four stores locally. El Super continues to draw crowds in South Tucson and Lee Lee Oriental Super Mart slid in under the wire with much anticipation.

Eat Healthy Initiative
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will soon unveil “Healthy Initiatives,” a $20 million pilot program that will offer cash incentives to urge lower-income shoppers to choose healthy foods. Hmmm. More details will be released in January.

I Have a Dream
This Saturday at all Sunflower Markets, you can sign up enter the weight loss makeover program. Sign up lasts from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can read more about the contest here.

Deals this Week 12/30/09 – 1/3/10

Free Menudo
At select stores, Food City is giving away a pint of free menudo from 9 to 11 a.m.

Natural
Sunflower Market has ground turkey for $1.99/pound and assorted “natural” porkchops for $1.27/pound. I put the word “natural” in quotes because I don’t know what it means and it’s always overused. Regardless, a grilled pork chop sound good to me.

$5 Pizza
At Safeway in the Signature Cafe splurge on a 16-inch pizza with five-cheese blend or pepperoni for only $5. Now that’s a deal.

Healthy Snack
Pears are still for sale and in season. Quarter some pears, use a variety, sprinkle with soft goat cheese and dried cranberries. It’s festive and pairs well with sparkling apple cider or sparkling wine.

Happy 2010. Nice round numbers, I like that.

Citrus is in season

This is a bit late but better tardy than never.

Fry’s
It has all the fixings for tamales including a 4-lb pail of lard. Then it has conventional & organic Haas avocados for $1. I usually have a price point in my head and won’t spend more than a buck on an avocado, preferably less. Tis the season for citrus and California cuties clementines are $3.99 for a 3-lb bag, Texas star red grapefruit are 2 for $1, and oranges are 39 cents/pound. Another good deal for carnivores–buy 1, get 1 free USDA choice boneless beef cross rib roast. Don’t even think of shopping without your VIP card.

Rincon Valley Farmers & Artisans Market
Santa will be there this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. but the market is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market is located in and around the big green and white barn at 12500 E. Old Spanish Trail (about 4 miles East of Saguaro National Park East on Old Spanish Trail). Please bring an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. Yum! They’re going to have two kinds of freshly baked biscotti from Grandma Santi’s. Pair it with a steaming cup of Adventure Coffee and it’s almost worth driving across town for.

Safeway
On Facebook last week Safeway was giving 5-lb bags of clementines to the first 25,000 people who used their Safeway card to download the coupon. There were some technical glitches. Safeway does an outstanding job with their FB page and has thousands of fans and people who comment positively all the time. Now that’s a good use of social networking and viral marketing. Safeway is selling a 5-lb box of Calif. clementines for $6.99. Grapefruits are the same price as Fry’s. Some of Safeway’s produce is locally grown from Rousseau Farming Co. in Scottsdale including broccoli, onions, leeks, watermelons, greens, and cabbage.

Sunflower Markets
You can do some tasting on December 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for party food and sweet treats at three Tucson stores. Wow! Here you can get Texas Rio red grapefruits for 5 for $1. I love red grapefruit; I’ll be there. Don’t forget that citrus is a great source of vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, and antioxidants. Pints of Blue Bell ice cream are only $1.25, usually much higher. I often wonder how a supermarket decides to put certain items on sale. Does anyone know?

Trader Joe’s

If you haven’t been to TJ’s lately, they have wine tasting now and it’s free and I can tell they are selling more wine because many of my friends say they are buying more there. Over Thanksgiving I had a nightmare experience with a bottle of wine with a plastic cork; the bottle won. Right now the latest flyer touts all their holiday foods and just reading it I gained 5 pounds, it all sounded so good. Has anyone ever tried their gingerbread coffee? Usually, I don’t like flavored coffee but all those spices sounded inviting.

Do you have any family traditions for Christmas or Chanukkah or Kwanza?

Where do you usually shop and why?

Here’s what’s cookin’ at Tucson grocery stores for Thanksgiving.

AJ’s Fine Foods
Serve a 16 to 18 pound turkey with all the trimmings plus crudite tray and dessert for $129.99. You must order by November 21.

Albertsons
Honeysuckle White frozen grade A turkey is available for 43 cents/pound, limit 1. Other turkey options are frozen Butterball premium turkey grade A for 99 cents/pound, fresh Jennie O all natural prime young turkey 99 cents/pound, fresh Butterball premium turkey $1.69/pound, and fresh Lil Butterball young turkey $1.99/pound. You can get order a dinner that serves 6 to 8 which includes all the fixings (but not dessert) for $39.99. Albertsons is open to 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
Food City
You can get Norbest 10 to 24 pound frozen turkeys with a minimum $25 purchase for 39 cents/pound. For 6 to 8 people, get a turkey with all the fixings including an apple or pumpkin pie for $39.99. Food City is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

Fry’s
If you don’t feel like cooking, get a complete turkey or ham dinner for $44.99 with VIP card ($49.99 without card). Dinner serves 6 to 8 people and includes dessert; 24 hour notice. Turkey runs the gamut in pricing — Jennie O or Honeysuckle turkey with bone in (frozen) is $1.99/pound with VIP card; a 10-20 pound fresh Jennie O turkey costs $1.29 pound with VIP card; and an 8 to 20 pound Jennie O frozen grade A turkey costs 37 cents/pound with VIP card (for the first one). Fry’s is open until 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

Safeway
At Safeway, if you spend at least $25, you can buy up to two 8 to 24 pound grade A frozen turkeys for 39 cents/pound. A fresh 8 to 24 pound turkey will cost 99 cents/pound while supplies last with a limit of two. Most Safeway stores are open until 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

Sunflower
Sunflower as all natural fresh turkeys for $1.27/pound. If you don’t feel like cooking, order the holiday meal for 2 at $24.99 or for 6 to 8 for $49.99. Sunflower is open from 7 a.m. to  4 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

Here are some safety tips for buying, thawing, and preparing your Thanksgiving turkey.

True story: The first time I made a turkey, I failed to remove the packaged giblets stuffed into the cavity. Nobody told me to do that and the recipe I was following failed to mention. It was gross.