Do You Shop the Weekly Specials?

With newspaper flyer or online flyer, do you shop your favorite supermarket's specials and plan meals around them?  Do you shop several local (gas is still pricey) stores?  If not, you may want to reconsider. 

We're in the enviable position of having new Trader Joe's and Walmart within easy driving distance. The Walmart has an expanded food section, and I'm quite pleased with it.  The salad offerings are fresh;  the Polish ham is cheap; bananas are cheap, too.  Bread at $1.68 a loaf!  When was the last time you saw that price?  Dairy is also good, and I'm crazy about the Triscuit, the Shredded Wheat and Bran and the granola bar prices.  

Walmart doesn't have everything.  Cheese selection is poor.  Not a lot of organics (salad excepted).  You probably won't find radicchio and fennel.  We like Trader Joe's for cheese and dairy, wine, and the odd delicacy or frozen item.  When I asked whether the peppercorns could be removed from the peppermill they came in, the clerk demonstrated  by opening it up that they could.  

What is it with peppercorns?  I have two pepper grinders that I LOVE, and do not, repeat, do not want to buy pepper in a grinder, but that seems to be the latest thing.  I had to return a jar that didn't indicate except in small print that it was only a grinder.  One could not open it.  Phooey!  

Yesterday, we shopped the specials, spent $79.00 and saved $ 29.00.  These savings add up fast.  We don't buy a lot of heavily processed food, so I'm pleased to find avocados, strawberries, pears, pork chops, pasta, orange juice and cheese marked down.  Pizza dough!  Never see that on sale.  Good prices is the dairy aisle always welcome.  Savings on laundry detergent and seltzer.  BTW, I don't like seltzer but other family members do. 

We had a dynamite vegetarian stuffed shells this week.  The shells were stuffed with fennel, radicchio, red onion and ricotta bound with egg.  Somehow, this turned into a meaty concoction that was extremely satisfying and I am not always "satisfied" by vegetarian food.  I bought the pasta, and eggs and the cheese at Walmart, the veggies at Whole Foods, sort of the Yin and the Yang of grocery shopping.  The veggies had to cook forever,  but was the dish ever good and it made enough for 4 meals, which makes it economical even with the trip to Whole Foods.  The recipe came from Food and Wine.  

What are you making for the SuperBowl?  Meatloaf is out traditional  offering with bean dip and chips to nibble during the game.  Maybe Brussels sprouts and baked potatoes as sides.  It has to be something easy to eat in front of the TV, although we can usually time dinner for half time.  Everyone in Boston is bummed that the Pats lost to the Ravens, but whatchagonna do? 

It got so cold this week that I had to haul my ancient sheepskin coat out of the cedar closet.   It must weigh 10 pounds and is as warm as toast.   Patriots fans can be  glad the playoff was last weekend in mild weather rather than this weekend in the freezer compartment.  

Latkes with sour cream and apple sauce make a delicious cheap vegetarian meal

What do you eat on Superbowl Sunday?  Significant Other doesn't like chicken wings, or I would make them.   We have to journey to Stop and Shop because it's impossible to find Bean Dip anywhere else.  Some things just don't make any sense.  

Shop well and you'll save a bundle.  Now that's sensible!  


The Cheeseparer  

We visit Aldi

In December, during a visit to Hudson, NY,  we visited an Aldi supermarket.  You may not know, but it is a German company, and when the owner died, he was the richest man in Germany.  Aldi has been on our shores for a number of years and actually owns Trader Joe's.  


We have a relative in Chicago who shops at Aldi, and when we found a store in Hudson we decided to check it out.  Excellent Dresdener Stoellen, a famous German Christmas bread that usually has a famously high price, but Aldi's and Trader Joe's were excellent.  We also found coffee (a pound plus) for $4.45 and it was excellent.  


We discovered there is an Aldi 22 miles from us, not exactly a hop, skip and a jump, but within driving distance.  Today, being out of coffee, we investigated the store, in Raynham.  


Aldi is not like other stores.  You pay a quarter for the shopping cart, and when you return it, your money is also returned.  This takes away the need for the cart jockey roaming thru the parking lot.  You also bring your own bags and boxes to Aldi to pack up your groceries, which you must do  yourself.  Payment is by debit card, cash or food stamps.  


Are you getting the idea?

We  grabbed the good coffee and also a dozen eggs ($1.49) and some butter cheese with dill.  Admired the beef filets wrapped in bacon.  A good deal with a fancy dan dinner at home.  Canned goods were cheap. Also, stuff like rice in bulk packages.  I didn't recognize any of the brands.  They must have their own.  Spotted an "All Natural" ice cream that looked good.  We also bought 2 lbs of carrots and a chocolate bar.  I picked up 3 scrubbing sponges for 99 cents and that was it.  The produce looked pretty good.  Someone probably from the local firehouse was buying in quantity.  


Life every other store in the country, Aldi's had lots of chips and salsa.  We think it would be a good place to shop once a month to stock up on staples.   It's not Trader Joe's (very limited selection of cheese), but the products were definitely cheaper than a regular supermarket.  Hard to compare with Walmart, because Aldi's has their own brands.  If they are as good as the coffee and the stoellen, you will want to try them.  


Speaking of chips and salsa, I happen to like bean dip.  It's an endangered species.  Just plain old Fritos Bean Dip.  Our local grocery doesn't carry it, and I have to trek to one of the big Shaw's or Stop 'n Shops.  Just moving through the store is the equivalent of a workout.  It cost $2.99.  Salsa seems to have become the dip du jour, but I do confess to liking bean dip.  


On Super Bowl Sunday, I could actually just go without, but Significant Other likes his chips and dip before the game.  The Super Bowl party we were going to was cancelled, so we're staying in with our favorite Super Bowl Sunday Menu:  Meatloaf with Marjoram,  twice baked potatoes with sour cream and chives, buttered carrots and salad.  I went all out and made a cranberry cake with a lemon glaze and a cranberry-orange compote.  It rocks.   Made it for the holidays.  Twice.  That good.  


Living in the Boston area we are naturally Patriot fans, and it will definitely be a white-knuckle stress-filled evening.  One needs comfort food, yanno?  


I'll report back on my next trip to Aldi.  We'll sample a few more products.  The cheese is good, by the way.  The world would be greatly diminished without cheese. 


On to more profound thoughts, 


The Cheeseparer

Hobo Slang

Off topic, or OT as we say in the writing listserves.  I am always intrigued by colorful speech.  My dad came from Texas and my Mom from central Kansas, and they both spoke with lots of idioms that came from the farm, speech that would now be somewhat, well, inscrutable.  My mom always said, "I went to bed with the chickens," meaning early.  Something that would never happen was "she will wait until the cows come home."  Bad cows!   My dad, when something was too difficult said, "It's too wet to plow."  He called a big knife a "toad stabber" and big shoes "gun boats."  I love it 


For some interesting expressions and phrases, try The Hobos Dictionary




Good stuff.  Language is a living thing.  


We had our "traditional" Super Bowl meal of meatloaf, roasted potatoes and broccoli yesterday.  I always make meatloaf, because it is easy to eat while watching TV.  The Pack is Back!  


I made guacamole from an old Mexican cookbook (Elena's) and it was wonderful.  Full of onion, tomato, cilantro, jalapeno and fork mashed (still chunky) avocado.  I made my own chips from corn tortillas.  Better than packaged.  


Happy Monday.  Do you think they're getting any work done this morning in the offices of Green Bay?  Water cooler time!  


The Cheeseparer