Frustration

Our DSL connection has been spotty this week, causing me frustration. It seems to work fine until I want to post something! So, my "cherry picks" of the best deals this week at grocery/drug stores are appearing later than I'd like. Saturday is the last day for some of the advertised specials I've listed below, and sometimes stores are out of sale items by the last day of the ad. I have had the experience of going to Walgreen's on a Saturday and finding empty shelves for the items I really wanted to buy, BUT Walgreen's is very good about issuing rain checks to use later for purchasing the items at this week's sale price. Be sure and ask for rain checks at the checkout counter there.

Trends

I wait until the last minute before Halloween to purchase trick-or-treat candy, since candy takes on magical properties in our house and--POUF--disappears! The time to buy has arrived and the average bag of candy is costing about $2.50. Walgreen's and CVS have slightly better prices, and there have been coupons in the newspaper ad inserts which can bring the cost down. Halloween is Monday, October 31, so buy that candy now, if you dare!

Berkot's 

Prices effective Thurs., Oct. 27 - Wed., Nov. 2

Centrella 1%, 2% or Skim Milk gallon 2/$5, whole milk gal. $2.99

Lay's Select Varieties or Tostitos Chips 3/$6, must buy 3, single pack purchases 3.99 ea. 

*Red Gold Select Varieties 28 oz. Tomatoes .29 with coupon on p. 2 of ad, limit 2, without coupon .99 each.

Red Gold Vegetable or Tomato Juice 46 oz. $1.79

Centrella Select Varieties Beans 15-15.5 oz. .69

USDA Choice Bottom Round Roast # $2.99

Govt. Insp. Fresh Whole Fryers # .79

Froz. Flav-R-Pac Select Varieties Vegetables 16 oz. .99

Palermo's Select Varieties Classics Pizzas 13-15.5 oz. 6/$10

Calif. Red Seedless Grapes # .99

Crisp Celery each .99

Michigan Red or Golden Delicious Apples 3# bag 2/$5

Brookhaven Market
Prices effective Wed., Oct. 26 - Tues.,  Nov. 1
USDA Premium Black Angus Choice T-Bone Steaks # $5.99
*Raccunto Selected Varieties Pasta 16 oz. .79
Palermo's Classics 12" Pizzas 6/$10
*Hot, Lean or Croissant Pockets 2 ct. $1.88
*Prairie Farms Skim, 1%, 2%, or Whole Milk gallon $2.69
Dole Orange Juice 59 oz. $1.99
Deli-Butterball Italian Turkey # $4.99
Bakery-Chocolate Frog each $2.99
*Calif. Broccoli # .79
*Kiwi Fruit 4/$1
*Haas Avocados 2/$1Cluster Tomatoes # .69
Extra Fancy Gala Apples # .69
Bartlett Pears # .59 

CVS
Prices effective Sun., Oct. 23 - Sat., Oct. 29
Mars Chocolate, Wrigley's Fun Size or Hershey's Snack Size Assorted 9.34-12 oz. or Twizzler Twists 22 oz.  Pay 4/$10 w/card-$3.00 extrabucks® reward on 4=4/$7 after extrabucks®
Palmolive Dish Liquid 10 oz. .88, limit 5.


Dominick's
Prices effective Thurs., Oct. 27 - Wed., Nov. 2
Fresh Lean 93% Lean -Extreme Value Pack- Ground Beef # $2.69DiGiorno or California Pizza Kitchen Selected varieties Pizza 12.7 to 32.7-oz.  2/$10
*Bartlett Pears # .49

Food4Less

Prices effective Wed., Oct. 26 - Tues., Nov. 1

Campbell's Chunky Soup18.6-19 oz., Kroger Selected Varieties 16 oz. Saltine Crackers 4/$5

Fresh Zucchini Squash # .98

Fresh Crisp Broccoli # .88

Jewel-Osco

Prices effective Thurs., Oct. 27 - Sat., Oct. 29th: Three Day Sale

     *Chiquita Bananas # .39

     *Select Varieties 7-UP, Canada Dry, A & W, Sunkist or Dr. Pepper 2 ltr. .79each--

          must buy 4, individual price $1.50 each

     Hershey's Select Varieties Snack Size Bag 10.5-22 oz., 

     or Mars Select Varieties 9.25-11.24 oz. Fun Size Bag,

     or Nestle Select Varieties 9.2-12.5 oz. Fun Size Bag

     Candy 4 bags for $10

Prices effective Thurs., Oct. 27 - Wed., Nov. 2

Barilla Select Varieties Pasta 12-16 oz. or Prego Select Varieties Pasta Sauce 23-24 oz. 4/$5

Cottonelle Select Varieties Bath Tissue 12 ct. dbl. roll or Viva Regular Roll Select Varieties 6 ct. $6.49 each

Celeste Select Varieties Pizza-for-One 5.7-7.2 oz. .99

Jewel Select Varieties Chunk Light Tuna 5 oz. .79

If you like grocery store giveaways, Jewel-Osco is launching "Wish Big, Win Big Holiday Giveaway." See details at the store, runs Oct. 27 - Feb. 1, 2012. 

Walgreen's
Prices effective Sun., Oct. 23 - Sat. Oct. 29
COUPON, p. 1 Hershey's, Mars or Nestle Fun or Snack Size Candy 10.23-12.5 oz. $1.99, Limit 4.
p. 7 COUPON Gain Dish Liquid 11 oz. .99 each, Limit 3.

NOTE: I make every attempt to be accurate, but check your store ad for details. Unless otherwise specified, all prices listed require store loyalty cards, if available.

*Denotes best of the best prices--these may beat the price other stores are currently offering for the same item, or are better than the regular price at this store or elsewhere.

Drying Grasses for Decorations.

Don't you love the colors of fall, the crimson and gold of leaves, and the tan and brown of drying crops and grasses? Autumn is my favorite time of year, and I like to bring some of that beauty indoors. Here is an easy project so you can do that, too.

1. Gather material. I used some ornamental grass from our garden. You can also use grasses or weeds that grow wild--just ask for permission from property owners and make sure the plants haven't been sprayed with weedkillers. Cut the grasses a little longer than what you want for your arrangement.

2. Spray plumes, flowers, and anything that might shed, with a fixative. I use inexpensive hair spray, which works well.

3. Separate stems and let hairspray dry.

 

 

4.  Loosely bind together a few stems with rubber bands. Make sure there is room for air to circulate around each stem. Hang stems upside down to dry. Drying time depends on what material you are using. The grasses I used here took a couple of weeks. (Bundles of stems make attractive decorations while drying, too. You might like to add a raffia or ribbon bow over the rubber band.)

 5. Trim the dried stems and arrange. If you have just a few stems, you can space them out to look fuller by anchoring the stems in styrofoam inside your container. Enjoy!

Grocery Cherry Picks

Trends this week:

Leaves are falling here, and I'm thinking of cooking chill-blasting hot dishes. If you're looking for ingredients to make soups, stews, and casseroles, there are specials at several of the stores . New crop apples and apple cider are featured now, too.

Berkot's Super Foods

Prices effective Thurs., Oct. 20 - Wed., Oct. 26

*Centrella 1%, 2% or Skim Milk gallon 2/$5, Whole Milk Gal. $2.79.

USDA Choice Round Steak # $2.99

*Govt. Inspected Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast # $1.79

Washington State Mid-Size Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, 

     Gala or Granny Smith New Crop Apples # $1.29

US No. 1 Idaho Potatoes 8#bag  $1.99

Fresh Crisp Celery each .99

Sweet Potatoes # .59

Brookhaven Market

Prices effective Wed., Oct. 19 - Tues., Oct. 25

*Tanimura & Antle Romaine Hearts 3 pk.  2/$3

USDA Premium Black Angus Choice New York Strip Steaks # $6.99

*Grade A Family Pack Chicken Drumsticks # .79, lesser amts. # .99

Swanson Broth 32 oz. 2/$5

Zesta Saltines 16 oz. or Cheez It 7.5-9 oz. Crackers 3/$5

Flavorful Dry Onions 3#bag  .99

Dominick's

Prices effective Fri., Oct. 21 through Sun., Oct. 23 only: Three Day Sale

     3.8 to 7.2-oz. Rice or Pasta Roni or 7.25 to 15-oz. Chef Boyardee. Selected varieties each 89¢ each

     Lloyd's Shredded Pork or Beef Tubs 18-oz. $2.99 ea

NOTE: Dominick's has a "just for U" program to load coupons directly onto your Dominick's store card. You select coupons you like online, and then you can use them at the store (no clipping or sorting needed)when your store loyalty card is scanned. See details at http://www.dominicks.com/

Jewel

Prices effective Thurs., Oct. 20 - Sat., Oct. 22: Three Day Sale

     Perdue Grade A Oven Stuffer Roaster # .88

     Red Seedless Grapes # .88

     *Select Varieties Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Max, or Pepsi 2 ltr. btl. .89, limit 4.

     Arm & Hammer Select Varieties 2X Liquid Laundry Detergent 34-50 loads $2.88, Limit 4

Prices effective Thurs., Oct. 20 - Wed., Oct. 26

Combo deal: Buy 1 Maxwell House Select Varieties 21.5-34.5 oz. Coffee, and get 1 Free Cereal (General Mills Selected Varieties Honey Nut or Multi-Grain Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams or Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs 9-13 oz.)--see p. 6 of ad for details

Walgreen's

Prices effective Sun., Oct. 16 - Sat. Oct. 22

Lipton 100 pk. original, 40 pk. green, or 48 pk. decaf Tea Bags $2.99 (ad p. 2)

Walgreen ad coupon sampling:

     Quaker Quick-1Min. Oats 18 oz. 2/$3, limit 4 (p. 3)

     Bumblebee Chunk Light Tuna 5 oz. .79, limit 3 (p. 3)

     Walgreen or NiceTM Aluminum Foil 25 sq. ft. .69, limit 3 (p. 3)

     Palmolive Dish Liquid 10 oz. .89, limit 3 (p. 3)

     Puffs 6 pk. To Go, 124 or 200 sheets Facial Tissue 2/$3, limit 4 (p. 4)

     10¢ 4x6 prints digital photos (purchase 75 or more)--

          other coupon/prices for prints in lesser quantities (p. 7)

     $15 off Crest 3D Whitestrips, limit 3 (p. 15)

Target 

Prices effective Sun., Oct. 16 - Sat., Oct. 22

*Grade A Large Eggs 1 doz. $1.39 (p. 25)

Free $5.00 Target gift card when you buy four items from ad grouping (see box on back page of ad):

     Q-Tips 750 ct. , or other selected varieties, each $4.79

     Lotions--Suave 18 oz. Cocoa Butter or Vaseline Men 10 oz. or selected others,  each $2.99

     Dove 8pk. beauty bar soap, Dove 2pk./16 oz. bodywash or 12 pk. Lever 2000 bar soap $8.79

     Dove 25.4 oz. Shampoo or Conditioner or other selected Dove Hair Care each $5.00

     NOTE: With the coupons which were recently available on several of these items in 

     newspaper inserts, this offer has extra value.
     

NOTE: I make every attempt to be accurate, but check your store ad for details. Unless otherwise specified, all prices listed require store loyalty cards, if available.

*Denotes best of the best prices--these may beat the price other stores are currently offering for the same item, or are better than the regular price at this store or elsewhere.

Cherry Picks - Friday, Sept. 23, 2011 

Trends this week: It seems like this is a good week to buy an inexpensive bottle of olive oil (on sale around $3.99 at Berkot's, Jewel-Osco, Walt's) to use in mixing up a salad dressing, making pesto with fresh basil (lovely over spaghetti squash, if you want to keep the carbs down), or cooking. 

Toss the olive oil with 1" chunks of potatoes (leave the skin on), thickly sliced carrots, and yellow onions each cut into 8 wedges. Sprinkle a little garlic powder, salt and pepper on vegetables, and roast at 500 degrees F in an oiled metal jelly pan for 20-25 minutes, turning once, until the vegetables are done. So yummy, and the kitchen will smell divine!

Here are my favorite items at the grocery stores this week.

Berkot's

Prices effective Thurs., Sept. 22 - Wed., Sept. 28.

*Progresso Select Varieties Vegetable Classic Soup 18.5-19 oz. .99

*Tyson Spit Roasted Assorted Varieties Rotisserie Chicken each $3.99

Berkot's Homemade Hot or Mild Italian Sausage # $1.99

Gov't Insp. Boneless Pork Roast # $2.49

Froz.-Armour Select Varieties Meatballs 14 oz. $2.99

Brookhaven Market

Prices effective Wed., Sept. 21 - Tues., Sept. 27.

USDA Premium Black Angus Choice Family Pack Boneless Sirloin Tip Roast # $2.89,

     Lesser amt. # $3.19, Steak # $2.99.

Miller Amish Bone-In Split Chicken Breast # $1.69

Prairie Farms Milk gallon $2.99

*Michigan Cello Carrots 1# bag 4/$1

*Snow White Cauliflower # .49

*Bananas # .39

*California Broccoli # .69

Raspberries 6 oz.  $1.99

Idaho Potatoes 10# bag $1.99

Jewel-Osco

Prices effective Thurs., Sept. 22 - Wed., Sept. 28, unless otherwise noted.

*Jewel Grade A value pack Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts # $1.79 

     (Only through Saturday, Sept. 24!)

*Jewel select varieties White, Wheat or 100% Wheat Bread 16 oz. .69ea. Limit 3. 

     (Only through Saturday, Sept. 24!) 

*7Up, Canada Dry, A&W, or Sunkist select varieties 2 liter btls. .79 ea. MUST BUY 4 (In a single transaction using your Preferred card. Individual price $1.50 each.)

Tyson Fully Cooked Seasoned Steak or Chicken Strips 6 oz. pkg. $2.99

Walgreen's

Prices effective Sun., Sept. 18 - Sat., Sept. 24.

 With Coupon on p. 2 of ad - Royal regular or sugar-free Gelatin 5/$1. Limit 5.

 With Coupon on p. 15 of ad - Gain 11 oz. or Joy 12.6 oz. Dish Liquid .99 each. Limit 3.

Walt's

Prices effective Wed., Sept. 21 - Tues., Sept. 27.

*Del Monte green beans, corn, peas or mixed Vegetables 14.5-15.25 oz. can .39

*Dutch Farms Large Eggs dozen .79, Limit 2, add'l ea. .99.

*Flav-R-Pac selected varieties Classic Vegetables 16 oz. .79

*Skippy Peanut Butter 15-16.3 oz. $1.48

*Betty Crocker Helpers 4.3-9.2 oz. 4/$5

*Purex Liquid Laundry Detergent 50 oz. $1.99

*Red Gold Tomatoes 28 oz. .99

Kings Hawaiian Rolls 12 pk./12 oz. 2/$5

Dutch Farm Bagels 14 oz. $1.19

Acorn, Butternut or Spaghetti Squash  # .69

NOTE: I make every attempt to be accurate, but check your store ad for details. Unless otherwise specified, all prices listed require store loyalty cards, if available.

*Denotes best of the best prices--these may beat the price other stores are currently offering for the same item, or are better than the regular price at this store or elsewhere.