Strange Bacon in Prospect Lefferts Gardens

 I was visiting Lewis on Saturday and I wanted to go to the Associated on Flatbush because I always like it there. He doesn't and he prefers Lincoln Market, but we went.

The only interesting thing I found was a pack of the Whole Foods store brand (365) bacon for $1.67. That is very cheap. And it is also not Whole Foods.

We both got a pack. I also got onions and rice. He got stuff for nachos, but not cheese or sour cream, so I ended up having to go to Lincoln Market myself later. That place is expensive.

What is on sale? What will I eat?

I haven't done this for a while because I cooked a turkey and ate leftovers for a week, then went to Pittsburgh where I cooked 1 meal and ate leftovers for a week, and then came back and had parties. But I am in real life now. I have 1 eggplant and about 8 oz of mushrooms that I bought last week. And some tofu. And 2.5 lbs of frozen chicken wings I bought for $4. What will I find to eat?

Key Food:  Avocados are $0.69.  Nothing else. And Ozzie's doesn't have a website anymore, so I'm going to assume they have the same sales as Key Food and nothing is good.

C-Town: nothing

Bravo: nothing

Green Corner: not updated

Food Bazaar: 44 fish sticks for $6.

Looks like I'm just going to eat what I have in my cupboards. I'll look at one more store in case I go to Prospect Lefferts Gardens.

Associated: Quartered chicken legs are $0.49, eggs are $0.79, eggplants are $0.79/lb.

Pre-Thanksgiving Sales

This week of grocery sales is the last full week before Thanksgiving, so they will be gearing up. (The next batch will end on Thanksgiving.) I'm going to start with the Associated in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens because I am going to go live there for the weekend.

Associated: Five pounds of potatoes for $1.50. Cabbage is 39¢/lb. 2-liter Coke products are $1.25. This speaks for itself.

A one pound bag of black or kidney beans is 79¢.

Green Corner: nothing good

Ozzie's didn't update again.

Bravo: $2.50 for mozzarella or ricotta. Cracker barrel cheeses too. I need asiago.

Key Food: Their circulars are in pdfs these days, which I prefer.

A turkey is 29¢/lb if you spend $50. I want one even though I do not have Midnight Thanksgiving anymore. A ham is 99¢/lb. Broccoli rabe is $1.99/lb. Avocados are 3/$2 which is the lowest price I think I've ever seen. Pecorino romano is $5/lb. Frozen vegetables are $1.50. Eighteen packs of certain beers would be $9 but Key Food is always a scam about that.

C-Town: Broccoli rabe is also $1.99/lb here. Canned clams are $1.69. I'm not interested in anything else because I'm still thinking about that turkey.

Must be grapefruit season

And I don't mean because it says "new crop." They say all sorts of things. I mean that grapefruits are cheaper than oranges right now.

This is at C-Town. I bought regular colored grapefruits at Associated in PLG yesterday for 80¢ each. I was going to make them into a salad, but now I want to make the red grapefruits into the salad and I'll drink the regular ones with gin.

The sales this week

I don't know what I'm looking for. Something to eat with dried porcini mushrooms maybe? Something to make with hatch chiles? I have an unlimited metrocard for a bit so I will probably go to Trader Joe's but they don't have sales so I'm not writing about that. I want asiago. Inexpensive asiago. I hope Cracker Barrel Asiago is $2.50 for 8 oz. I also need mayo so I can go back to eating fish tacos several times a week.


Green Corner: They actually updated their website on time! Nothing is good enough to make me go there, but I'm glad I know that.

Food Bazaar: Galbani mozzarella is $3.33 for a pound. I'm not going all the way there for some cheese I don't need.

Ozzie's Fresh Market: not updated

Key Food: Honeycrisp apples are $1.49/lb. I never tried one of those. I doubt I'd notice a difference. Fishsticks are 50% off. I need to find mayo!

C-Town: nothing

Bravo: nothing

Associated on Flatbush Ave in PLG: Chicken quarters are $0.49/lb. They have a 2-day sale for Monday and Tuesday when you can get a pound of carrots for 33¢. Or beef chuck for stew for $2.99/lb. Maybe I'll make stew!

Labor Day Deals

I assume there are some! Let's look together.

Key Food: Nine page circular. That's a good sign. I bet they have a beer rebate scam that no one can use. Cantaloupe is $1.5 (I still have a honeydew to use... but I could get another one for $2.5). Corn is $0.29 per ear, which is way less than a pirate would pay. So many cereals are on sale, for school starting I guess. I don't dabble in cereals. Hot dog buns are $1.25 so maybe I should make banh mi hot dogs again. Big Heinz ketchups are 2/$5 (must buy 2) but I might do that anyway. After the rebate (that no one can use) an 18 pack of Bud Light would be $9. Oh well. Pierogies are $2.5 for a box. Cool Whip is only $1! Time to make Koolaid Pie again!  Well, Cool Whip will last a long time, so when I find pie crusts on sale is when it is time to make Koolaid Pie. Romaine is on sale for $1 or you can get 3 for $4. Smh. "Super select" cucumbers are 3 for $2. I don't know what makes them super select but they look long. Maybe the flipped the pic with the seedless ones. Tonic water is $0.60 for a liter. A 12 pack of hard seltzer is $8 after the rebate you can't use. :-(  A pie crust is $2.49 but I am not willing to pay that.

Bravo: Plums are $0.99/lb. Mozzarella is $3 for a pound and ricotta for 2 lbs. Sweetended condensed milk is $1.69 here (it was $2.50 at Key Food). That's another important ingredient in Koolaid Pie. Pizza rolls are $2 for 40. They seem to have a bunch of the sales that C-Town had last week.

C-Town: Wishbone salad dressing is $0.79. I can use that with my pizza rolls (if I buy them). Pepsi products are 4/$5, which is what the circular said last week but it was Coke products in real life. Plums are $2.99/lb here. What a big difference. "Prune plums" are only $1.99. I looked that up yesterday because that phrase didn't make sense. It's an Italian variety.

Green Corner: Nothing much.

Ozzie's: Didn't update their website yet again.

Associated on Flatbush Avenue in Prospect Lefferts Gardens: I am going to be in this neighborhood so I will look. I got so many good deals last week. Heinz Ketchup is $2/5 but I do not have to buy 2. Coconut milk is $0.69. Cracker barrel cheese is $2. Grapefruits are $0.80 which I think is a good price.

Ozzie's Fresh Market, which is Food Universe and not Associated, is Weird

They haven't updated their circular all day and I've checked at least 6 times. So many times that I have clicked on other parts of the site, and this is weird.

1. "Whilst"
2. "heart of Park Slope!"

Anyway, I liked the grocery store at 639 Grand St. I liked it when it was smaller. I liked it more when it expanded and added better produce. I liked it when it was Associated. I held off for a while when it switched to Food Universe, but I like it again. I don't need all this vision of a "sustainable community interest company."

I went on a journey to Associated

The Associated near me switched to an off brand Key Food, but I sometimes check the Associated in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. There were a lot of good sales this week so I biked 4.5 miles each way to go there. There are closer Associateds, like in Greenpoint, but the sales are completely different.

I did not get a "barril."

I got a 9 oz jar of garlic powder for $2.50 (marked down from $4.19). A pound of dried chick peas for $1.69 (not on sale, but that's just a good price). A can of chick peas for $0.69 (usually $1.19, but I would never pay that). Coconut milk for $0.89 (was $0.99), evaporated milk for $0.79 (was $1.49), sweetened condensed milk for $0.99 (was also $1.49), 2 cucumbers for $0.25 each (usually $0.67), a pound of carrots for $0.79. I think those are usually $1. A lemon was $0.40. I guess that's not a great price.

Overall I spent $9.24 and the receipt says I had $4.21 of savings. I also got 5 Citibike points.

An online circular

The store that was Associated and is now Ozzie's Fresh Market (Food Universe) finally has its weekly circulars online. I had just been looking at Key Food's and assuming it was the same, and also picking up the paper one.

http://ozziefreshmarket.com/weekly-circular/

Pork butt is $0.79/lb. Mushrooms are $3 for a lb.

Bye, Associated

I walked to Key Food last night to buy mushrooms ($3 for 1 pound) and mozzarella ($2 for 1 pound), but they were out of mushrooms. On the way back, I saw that the "Associated" sign had been removed from the store that was once called Associated. I don't know what it will be called now. I don't like it. And now I don't have an Associated in my neighborhood.

WTF is going on with Associated?

I am quite cross. Associated seems to be trying to become Key Food.

Not all Associateds, of course. This blog is about the 5-6 stores closest to my apartment. And for a long time, there has been an Associated on Grand between Manhattan and Leonard. But Key Food branded products have started showing up. And I went there after perusing the online Associated circular (which still lists it) and found all the sales wrong. I thought I was out of my gourd (was a gourd on special? who knows!) but I found a different circular for only "Ozzie's Fresh Market" without mention of Associated or Key Food.

Also they are requiring an Ozzie's loyalty card to get some deals now.

I don't like any of this. I don't like another Key Food that is worse than the original. I don't like needing another card. I don't like the circular not being online. I don't like their stupid music that is always interrupted by announcements about what is on sale that repeats the prices so many times. I hope it goes out of business. I hope it becomes Aldi.

I'm fed up.

Also, the prices are worse.

Cheap Chicken!

I mentioned in a phone interview for a job I'd be great at that I update this blog because no one wants to hear about all the grocery things that excite me. Tonight I was tempted to text someone who was having a hard time about this chicken on sale this week at Associated that is $0.39/lb. But that is insensitive. So here I am!

That is one of the all-time lowest prices I've seen though. I didn't even get through the rest of the circular. There seem to be a lot of buy one get one free deals. I never see those. I wonder if they mean it's half price or if I have to actually buy 2.

What's on Sale This Week

I hope a big can of olive oil is. I'm feeling lucky, so I'm going to write about it.

Associated: Peter Pan peanut butter is. After I wrote to them complaining that it was too hard to open, they sent me a coupon for more. 2 liter bottles of Pepsi products are $1. A 12 pack of Rolling Rock is $8. But nothing really catches my eye there this week.

C-Town: Also the Pepsi, but with a limit of 2. Colavita olive oil is on sale, but it's the 25 oz bottle for $10 instead of the 3 liter can, so I'm not going to buy that.

Bravo: Bravo has Earth Day specials. But nothing I want to buy. Plum tomatoes are $0.79/lb but I don't trust them to be good.

Key Food: Orange juice is $2. I could drink screwdrivers. Why do they put peanut butter in the "Breakfast" section?

Gala Foods: Their website doesn't work right, so I had to stop in and get their circular. Condensed milk is 3/$4. I don't remember what I make with that. Rolling Rock is $8 here as well.

Eh, nothing is great this week. I'll just go to Dollar Tree and buy beans and bread.

What's on Sale - Lent Edition

I'm going to have a Lenten diet again this year because I like constraints. And fish. And cheese. And haluski. So let's see what is on sale this week.

Food Bazaar- I start here because they have the best fish section. Jumbo shrimp (16-20 count) are on sale for $10/lb. Too expensive for me, but people can make them for me if they want. A whole cauliflower is $1.48 which is a good price. Avocados are $0.88 and scallions are $0.29.

Associated- nothing really. can't somewhere have fish sticks on sale?

Bravo- a 2 lb bag of onions is $0.89. I could make vegetarian french onion soup. Jacques Pepin told me to use water instead of stock. Cauliflower is $3 here. Too expensive.

C-Town- Eggplant is $0.99. I could make eggplant parm. Or ratatouille.

Key Food- They had their lent sale last week. I dont' know what a mag melon is, but it looks like a cantaloupe in the picture and is $1.25. Oh, it's a Del Monte trademark. Panko is still on sale for Chinese New Year ($1.50/box). I made good meatballs with the last of mine.

What's on Sale This Week

Some friends from school are going to come over tomorrow to eat. And they think we're going to watch a movie, but I don't know about that. I don't know what to cook though until I know what's on sale. Let's see.

Associated: Nothing.

Bravo: Nothing.

C-Town: Nothing

Green Corner: Nothing

Key Food: Nothing

Food Bazaar: Nothing

My poor friends. They're going to starve.

The Storybook Wedding of Your Dreams

I love well-placed ads. I would definitely cater my own wedding.

Back in Brooklyn

I would trade 3 of the 5 grocery stores within 4 blocks of my apartment for 1 Aldi. I miss it.

Anyway, I am shopping for 2 parties. A funeral and a New Years Eve Party.

Grapefruits are half the price of oranges at Associated, 4 for $3 vs 2 for $3.

Nowhere has bags of chicken quarters like I want to make cold jerk chicken (the 3 words that describe me best).

Nowhere has blocks of cheese for cheap that I need for my cheese balls.

It's too cold (22 degrees) to travel to the distant stores. But I'll check just in case.

Oysters aren't even on sale at Food Bazaar. Clams are though. ($4.99/doz)

What's on sale this week?

I'm hungry, so maybe I will see things that interest me in the grocery circulars.

Key Food

Orange juice is $2. I could get hopped up on screwdrivers. That sounds good. Nothing else appeals.

Associated

Frozen cauliflower is $1.69. I can eat that. 8 oz of mushrooms for $1.50 is good. Mushrooms feel luxurious when I add them to anything. Butternut squash is $0.79/lb! I can make soup! Sweet potatoes are the same price. Fall is here.

Bravo

I never buy pork chops, but for $1.69 maybe I'll consider it. Everything Cento is on sale, so I want anchovies, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, caponata (I've never even bought that), tomato paste (which I already have and seldom use). I guess my hunger has kicked in.

Green Corner

Limes are 22 for $1.98. I did the math, and that's 9 cents per lime, which is the cheapest I've ever seen. 16 oz of mozzarella is $2.50, which is also the cheapest I've ever seen. But I don't know of any foods you can make combining the two.

C-Town

Colavita pure olive oil! 3 liters for $20! I'll be there later today in that case. Frozen ravioli are $1.50, which would be good with the olive oil. I make them in a skillet like pierogies. Mushrooms are $1.79 here. More expensive than Key Food, but maybe I'll spend 29 cents to avoid the extra trip. Or buy them twice so I have an average cost that is still good. Limes are 25 cents here.

Gala Foods

Gala Foods is still dead to me.

This week's grocery deals

I'm hungry, so maybe I'll figure out what to eat.

Green corner:  Apples and celery are $0.79, per pound and each, respectively. Cilantro is 50 cents.

Bravo doesn't have any good deals.

C-Town doesn't have any good deals. This is looking bad for me. I'm going to starve.

Associated: sour cream is on sale for $1.69

Key Food: beefsteak tomatoes are $0.95/lb. That's an odd price. A bunch of things are $0.95 but I only care about the tomatoes.

Since nothing is good, I looked at Food Bazaar. Nothing I want there either.

I'm going to starve this week unless people come over with groceries for me and then I will cook them into a dinner.

I wonder what's on sale this week.

Nothing much good was on sale last week, but I only eat peanut butter and bac'n bits anymore anyway. I was interviewed for my expertise in grocery stores on Wednesday, so I will look again. I hope no good sales last week lead to good ones now.

In order of how my tabs are open:

Green Corner: Pork shoulder is $0.98/lb which is 1 cent cheaper than I've ever seen it. That would save me a dime on a typical shoulder, and I would only have to bike 0.75 miles (each way) for that. Oktoberfest is coming up, so we'll see. Limes are a dime. Celery is $0.79 (other stores want $3 sometimes!). Onions are $1 for a 2 lb bag. Zucchini is $0.79/lb. I could enjoy eating all those things.

Key Food: A carton of orange juice is $2. Maybe I should quaff some screwdrivers. Apple Jacks are on sale for $2. Apple Jacks introduced a generation to the concept of de gustibus non est disputandum.

Back to Key Food. Flour tortillas are on sale so you can have a burrito party if you have friends. Avocados are expensive everywhere, so they better be really good friends.

C-Town: Vine tomatoes $0.99/lb. Heckers flour $2. Some cereals are on sale, but I don't even eat or buy cereal so I don't know why I wrote about it before. I'm done. Eggplant is $0.99. Maybe I will make parm.

Bravo: Nothing. Yesterday I spent $26.

Associated: Cantaloupe is $1.50. Generic flour is $1.69 for 5 lbs. Maybe it's time to restart my sourdough habit. Mushrooms are $1.50.