What's on sale? I'm back after traveling

I've barely been around for a month and I wasn't shopping intensely before either of my trips. Now my refrigerator is fairly empty and I need to shop.

In Pittsburgh I did get banana peppers for 25¢ each and hatch chiles for $5 for 18 oz, so those are in my refrigerator and I need to use and/or freeze them. I can never find hot banana peppers in NYC.

Bravo White tuna is 3/$4

C-Town Cracker barrel cheese are $2.50 for 8 oz. Often I find deals on Ibotta for $1 back, which makes them $1.50 and quite a good deal. Jif peanut butter is $2.69, which after recent inflation, is a pretty good price. The tuna deal is here too.

Food Bazaar I'm still mad at them, but I will look because I might like to get salmon. In Pittsburgh at Giant Eagle, I got a piece of salmon for $6/lb and I dry cured it. It's $10/lb at Food Bazaar. Coke products are 3/$5 for 2 liter bottles. Can of coconut milk are 4/$5.

Foodtown (fka Brooklyn Harvest Market) London broil is $4/lb. A jar of mayo is $4. Pepsi 2-liters are 3/$5. Kraft shredded cheeses are $2 (and on Ibotta for another $0.50 off). Seltzers are 5/$3 per liter.

Green Corner Four pound boxes of shrimp for $3.50/lb.

Ozzie's Sardines 5/$4.

I returned to Western Beef because it was over 80 degrees in March and I wanted to bike somewhere

I figured I'd get milk and giardiniera and whatever else I found. But the milk was $1.59 for a pint and I thought it should be $1.39 so I didn't get it. (Later I went to Ozzie's and paid $1.49). The giardiniera was on sale for $2 for a 32 oz jar. I got brown mustard for $1. Broccoli rabe was $1.99/lb and I will always buy it when it is that price.  Tuna was $0.80/can (I got 2).

I might as well write about my trip to Ozzie's later. I got that milk. Chick peas were $0.99/bag so I got 3 and am going to make hummus shortly. I got 32 oz of Chobani Greek yogurt. Fage is much better, but it was $3 for 17 oz so I got the cheaper one I like less which will last me too long since I like it less. I keep doing this. I got a bottle of Gatorade for $1 because I need to fight hangovers.

What might be on sale at Key Food this week? Corona uncertainty

Key Food is the only store that still publishes a circular. Once I'm in the store, some of the sales show up on price tags. Usually produce is good. But I still read the circular and think about all the things I can buy. I'm going to go there shortly after I write this.

Red onions are $1.67 for a bag of 2 lbs. (So are yellow onions, but I have those.) An avocado is $1. That's the cinco de mayo sale. Tuna is $0.89/can. Canned salmon is $3 and I might get that. I made a good salmon dip not long ago. Cranberry juice is $2. Pepsi 2 liters are 4/$5 (must buy 4). I never do that because it's heavy, but I might make an exception today. A carton of orange juice is $2. Probably the diluted kind. Frozen raviolis are 50% off. (I am pretty good at speaking Italian, but I am still going to pluralize ravioli like that when I speak English.) A 3 liter can of Colavita pure olive oil is $16 and more than anything else, I hope this is actually a sale! Scalfani canned tomatoes are 4/$5. Various Old El Paso things are on sale for Cinco de Mayo.

That's a lot of food! I guess if some isn't on sale, I won't be too disappointed. If nothing is, or if the oil isn't, I will be very disappointed. I haven't been outside since Saturday.

By the way, I turned my bacon into carbonara last night and it was good.

Update: Nothing was on sale except the avocados. The onions said they were on sale but weren't on the shelf. I walked out with nothing. I would have gone to Ozzie's afterward but I didn't have my gloves with me.

What's on sale this week

I went to grocery stores 3 times this week and have too much stuff, so I doubt I'll be enthralled by anything I see in these ads.

Green Corner: Nothing I want to type about.

Bravo: Nothing.

C-Town: Broccoli rabe is $1.99/lb. Barilla pasta is $1/lb. I can get some good shapes. Starkist tuna is $1.

Key Food: A pound of mushrooms is $2.5. Broccoli rabe is also $1.99 here. Cafe Bustelo is $2.50 for 10 oz bricks. I wonder if I need any.

The Weekly Sales

I didn't buy much last week, so I better find some stuff if I'm going to eat.

Green Corner: They didn't update their circular all last week. I went anyway but only got 2 cucumbers. But they already updated this week so I'm happier. Cabbage is $0.59/lb and radishes are $0.99/bunch which isn't good enough to make me go there.

C-Town: 3 liters of Colavita pure olive oil is $16. I think I have about 2.75 liters remaining in my last can though. Other people should buy that. Radishes are also here. And romaine, chicory, and escarole are all $0.99/lb. And zucchini.

Ozzie's: Cantaloupe is $1.50. I still have one I haven't cut when I bought it 2+ weeks ago. I should not get sucked in again.   Wait, this ad isn't updated. What a scam. How did they get worse than Green Corner?

Key Food: Things that are $0.99/lb: romaine, plum tomatoes, broccoli crowns, yellow peaches and nectarines, red and black plums, and bartlett pears. I'm going to buy some of those things. Corn is 3 ears for $1, and maybe I'll get that too. Tuna is $0.89/can and I realized last night I need that. Cabbage is $0.59/lb here so I definitely don't need to go to Green Corner.

Bravo: Cantaloupe is $1.50, so what I said early about Ozzie's, but timely this time. 38 oz of Heinz ketchup is $3. Maybe I will buy that because my apartment is almost out and my roommates might bring disgrace upon this apartment by buying some weird brand. Then people will come over and say "Why don't you buy Heinz?" and I am put in the awkward position of either throwing my roommates under the bus or pretending I invited that ketchup in. Or maybe they'll buy Heinz. They use it a lot more than I ever do.

Food Bazaar: I don't remember. I looked yesterday and nothing was as good as the week before and I was sad I didn't go there then.

What's on sale this week

I'm going to look at all the grocery circulars and write what I see. I have all the tabs open. I am not looking for anything in particular, but I might like to have a roof party, a Memorial Day party, or a burrito party. I don't have any friends or money though, so I will just imagine what I would do with any deals I find.

Green Corner: They didn't update their circular again. They're bad at that. I went there this week and bought 2 beets, 1 bag of onions, and 1 carrot. It cost $2.67.

Food Bazaar: Shrimp are $6/lb. 2 liters of Pepsi are $1, but I am trying to drink less pop. That doesn't make me less fat though so maybe I'll go back to the pop life. Kielbasa is $2.50. I should go on the kielbasa life too. I haven't bought any meat in 2 weeks, but that also has not made me any less fat. Moules are $3 for 2 lbs. Not bad. I should get those. A cucumber is $0.40. I still have most of a seedless cuke I got for $0.50 this week though. (I ate it on a sandwich with luxury butter and Ikea cheese and it was good).

Bravo: 38 oz of Heinz ketchup is $2. Stock up! (I have ketchup in my cabinet waiting for action, so I won't. But you should.) A pound of different Krasdale cheese is $3.49. That could be good for a burrito. Sour cream is $1.50 which could also be good for a burrito. The avocado price is not good, so it shall not be mentioned. White mushrooms are $1.50 for 8 oz. That's good.

Ozzies (fka Associated): Peaches are $0.99/lb. I can make peach salad! Cans of Starkist tuna are $0.89. Starkist is my favorite tuna brand because it's from Pittsburgh. I used up all my tuna this week making pan bagnat.

 

Chicken of the Sea solid white tuna is only $1 so maybe I'll get that too even though I never like it much. Flour tortillas are $2.50. That could be good for a burrito.

Key Food: This probably a lot of the same sales as Ozzie's because they are both distributed by Key Food. Peaches are $0.99. A watermelon is cheaper here: $4. And Key Food has 9 pages of sales so maybe more stuff is on sale. 18 beers are $9 after the digital rebate. A bag of lemons is $2. I could make limoncello. That's nice for summer.

C-Town: A can of pineapple juice is $2.29. That's the best price I've seen in a while. A can of olives is $1.49. I need those. A lot. I can make tapenade.  Cool Whip is $1.50. I can finally make Koolaid Pie! Cream cheese is $1.50. I should stock up on that for cheese balls and pimento cheese.

Circular Roundup - May 12

I don't even know what I'm looking for. I bought Maruchan ramen yesterday so I can make chicken soup salad. Gala Foods said it was 6/$1 but it rang up 2 of them at $0.25. Oh well. I have a lot of basil in my window so maybe I can find foods that go with basil.

Associated: An 8oz block of Muenster for $1.67. I like grilled cheese with muenster and tapenade. Sour cream is $1 for 16 oz. I can find a reason to eat sour cream. Starkist tuna is $0.89, but I am trying to eat less because it's not very sustainable. It's sardines for me. I made fish tacos with sardines (and hard taco shells) and they were weird.

Gala Foods doesn't update its website in a timely manner. No review, other than they ripped me off on ramen to the tune of 8 cents.

Key Food: eggplants and zucchini are on sale for $1/lb. I will make ratatouille and use my basil in that. Eggs are $0.80 to celebrate Key Food's anniversary again this week. I went yesterday but they were out. A 12 pack of Natural Ice is $7. That is the lowest price I've ever seen and maybe I will drink disgusting beer just to enjoy that price.

Bravo: Bravo's website changed and the circular is easier to read. Tomatoes are $0.79/lb but I don't know if I trust tomatoes in May. I've had some good ones, but Bravo doesn't usually have good ones. Rolling Rock is $8, which might be worth it compared to Natural Ice. Rolling Rock is acceptable.

I'm still mad at C Town.

The flyers were liars!

Key Food said it would have 16 oz Polly-O mozzarella on sale for $1.99, but there was no sign. I ended up only getting peanut butter, 2 for $4 (must by 2 :( ). Then Associated didn't have a sign on the Spike salsa, which was supposed to be $1.69.

I hope Bravo actually has tuna on sale tomorrow. $0.69/can.

I'm hungry. What's on sale?

I'm going to look through this week's grocery circulars and then maybe go buy food and eat it. I started by eating the rest of my cantaloupe from my last post. It was the best cantaloupe I can ever remember eating.

Key Food: $2 cantaloupe. I might buy more. Peaches are $0.99/lb. I like peaches too. Those are the only good prices in the store though, so I'll probably just go somewhere else.

C-Town: Eggplant is $0.79/lb! That's the cheapest I've seen it. I'll make more of that. Vine tomatoes for $1.29/lb looked good too. I haven't eaten many tomato sandwiches this summer.

Associated: They have $2 cantaloupes too. Their tomatoes are $1.49, so maybe I have to make the special trip to C-Town. And Starkist tuna is $0.69/can.

Western Beef:  $0.99/lb tomatoes. Spoke too soon. And avocados (both kinds) for $0.88 each. They have eggplant for $0.79/lb too, but it's so far away.

Well, the only thing I can think of eating is tomatoes this week.

Grocery Round Up

Food Bazaar - last week they ran out of mussels when I tried to buy them the second time so I bought clams. They were $5/doz. This week they're on sale for $4. I don't go to Food Bazaar for anything but sea creatures because their line situation is a fiasco.

Western Beef - Don't bother

C-Town - bananas are $0.59/lb. Bumble Bee tuna is $0.88. Anything under $1 is good for tuna. Diet Mug Root Beer is $1.25. So are other Pepsi products. A 1 lb bag of sweet potato fries is $1.69. That's not much more than a sweet potato and you don't have to do the work.

Key Food: Gatorade is a dollar. That will be useful if I drink as much this weekend as I did last weekend. 32 oz of yogurt for $2 isn't bad. A sponge mop if $6. I need a mop.

Associated: Diet Mug root beer is on sale here too. Deli ham is $4/lb. I like that.

Grocery Circular Round Up

C-Town: Diet Mug Root Beer is 3/$4. Greek yogurt is $3 for 17 oz.

Associated: Starkist Tuna is $0.89/can. Pizza rolls are $3. Powerade is $0.79. Bread crumbs are $1.69. I'm all out of those.

Western Beef: Chicken legs are $0.49/lb. I still have some in my freezer though from when they were $0.39.

Key Food: Nothing worth noting.

Grocery Circular Day

I ate all my food before going to Pittsburgh for Christmas, so now I have to replenish. This is my first grocery circular day (i.e. Friday) since I got back. Food Bazaar is on a Th-We schedule and Key Food will show you next week's a day early, but I don't look at them all til Friday.

So what should I buy? I'm going to look at all the circulars. Key Food has quartered chicken legs for $0.69/lb. They're good for an excuse to keep the oven on a long time. Good in squash soup too. Cottage cheese for $2 sounds good. Wasa crackers would be good, even if they're not on sale. Diet Mug root beer (and other pepsi products) are 4 for $5. That's pretty good.

C-Town's chicken legs are $1/lb, so I won't get them there. C-Town had nothing else I want.

I didn't see anything good in Associated's circular, but I'll probably go there when I don't have anywhere in mind because it generally is the cheapest.

Wow! Western Beef has chicken legs for $0.39/lb. You have to buy at least 10 lbs though. The add even says "Wow!" which is how I feel.

Fish and Bean Pasta. Pungent Pasta 2.

I have eaten a variation of this every week since I made it up. I usually make it with sardines, but I made it with tuna today. That's what you see in the picture. It turns out that everything you put in a sauce to make noodles taste good also makes beans taste good. And beans have protein and fiber. I rarely have whole wheat pasta around, but I think it would go well in this.

Here's how to make it.

Nouns:
2 tins of sardines or 2 cans of tuna, drained
1 can cannelini beans
1 lb/1 box pasta. every shape has been good so far
pecorino romano
olive oil
dried parsley

Optional nouns:
diced onion, a little crushed red pepper, a lot of black pepper, anchovies or fish sauce, fresh parsley

Verbs:
Boil some water with a lot of salt in it. Put in some garlic powder if you want.
Drain the pasta. Save a coffee mug of the flavorful water if you think of it. It can help thin/make your sauce.
Add olive oil to the pan and heat it and add the onions and anchovies if you're using them. Then add the sardines/tuna and beans and let it cook a bit. Stir it to break up the sardines and anchovies. Add the red and black pepper now.
Add about half the pasta to the pan and stir it. Add dried parsley and fresh parsley if you're using that. Add the rest of the pasta and grate a lot of cheese into it. Stir it. Serve with more grated cheese.

Note about the parsleys: As famous cookbook authors accurately point out, dried parsley is no substitute for fresh. However, dried has its uses. Namely, it's very small and coats the pasta in a way that makes it greener and nicer looking. Without the green flecks, you're looking at a food made of up of shakes of white and ecru. I used fresh parsley once in this when I had it, and it tasted good, but I didn't cut it small enough so I didn't like how it looked and added dried parsley too.

Tuna Microeconomics

My price of tuna went up, so now I eat more of it. How does that work?

I used to pay $0.75/can for tuna at Western Beef. That was the chunk light variety in water, though I'm not very particular. Then Western Beef raised the price of its store brand to $1. At first, I cut back on my tuna consumption, but now I see tuna on sale at every grocery store for $1. It's frequently higher, but with all my grocery stores and all the brands of tuna, I can always find it somewhere for $1. Now I don't have to make a special trip to Western Beef, so I tend to buy tuna frequently and I'm spending 33% more per tuna-unit.

C-Town Visit

My visit to C-Town resolved many of my problems.

 I got my Cafe Bustelo instant coffee for $4.99 like it's supposed to be! I got Bumble Bee Chunk white tuna for $0.99. It's regularly $2.09. I don't even ever buy it because I've never seen it so cheap. I restocked my tomato juice can stash because I had a weekend of a lot of bloody mary pitchers. And I got more vehicles for thousand island dressing. Oh, and the Cannellini were on sale for $0.80. Usually you see only black beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans on sale. Now I can make my tuna salad and enjoy lent.

At last, Tuna Bean Salad

I've been talking about this recipe for a long time and eating it even slightly longer. It's pretty good. I served it to my family on Christmas Eve and it was a hit. It's also really easy and pretty cheap. It's mostly from Mark Bittman, but he'd yell at me for some of my shortcuts, so I'm just going to say it's mine. Plus, I make it for me and he doesn't. But I'll tell you where he'd do it differently.

 Here's what you need for it. Olive oil (only about 2 Tbsp), 2 cans of tuna, a can of white beans, some parsley, some lemon juice, and black pepper. Mark Bittman says to use fresh parsley and real lemon juice. Fresh parsley does make it better, but it's good with dried stuff too. The dried stuff is mostly for your eyes, but you can taste it a bit. You also need some onion, preferably red.

You can get the tuna for 4/$3 at Western Beef. I tried using the more expensive white albacore kind once but liked it less. It's drier.  Beans should be under $1 per can. Sometimes I use small white navy beans. I don't really care if you change what kind of beans you use every time you eat it, but white beans make it look the nicest.

 First, drain and add the tuna.

 Then drain and add the beans.

 Add some diced red onion. When I buy a red onion, I dice the whole thing then use about this much for the tuna bean salad and put the rest in a bag in the refrigerator for next time. I use red onion for some other things, but mostly for this.

 I added about 2 Tbsp of olive oil and maybe about 3 Tbsp of lemon juice here. You can't tell, so I just stirred everything up. If I were using a real lemon, I'd use the juice of half a lemon I think. You don't want lemon soup, but you do want more acid than oil.

 Underneath that parsley is 10 twists of the pepper grinder. I used a heavy hand with the parsley here.

Then I stirred it up. Now it's festering in the refrigerator because it's better when the flavors meld and it's better chilled.

Eat it plain or on toast or crackers or crostini (more words for toast = more excuses for toast).

Western Beef Impugned my Integrity!

I wrote them this nasty letter. A summary of their specials to follow.

Dear Western Beef,

I was just shopping in your Ridgewood store, and as I was checking out, a cashier who seemed to be new held up my cabbage and asked me what it was exactly. At that time, another employee named Lena, who seemed to be training him, told him not to ask me because customers will lie to him. Please tell Lena that I would not lie about groceries, whether it is $0.39/lb cabbage or something more expensive. I consider grocery shopping one of my hobbies, and I've even written a blog on and off about it for the last several years. Of course, there was no way for Lena to know that, but there was also know way to know or suspect that I am a liar. I just recently started shopping at Western Beef and now I don't feel so good about my choice.

Best regards,
Mike

Their website is stupid in that to send an email, you fill out a form and then it loads your local mail client to stick the form into an email to send it.

Anyway, they had packs of hot dogs 2/$3. Tuna is 3/$2, but I must have grabbed a wrong can because one rang up differently and cost more. And cabbage is $0.39/lb, and you can't find a better price than that. They had a very good price for generic hot dog buns, but I can't remember it anymore because I'm mad.