This Week's Great Shopping Deals

Great Shopping deals with updates every Wednesday Night.
Be sure to check each week for some good deals.
Also, some of you have asked for help in preparing meals. I am more than happy to help any way I can. I can tell you how to easily use any of these items on sale. For some I will include recipes. You can always call me anytime with questions or help. Do not hesitate to contact me.

Hope I am saving you some money with all this!!!!

Prices Valid 04/30 - 5/06



Here are some good deals that you may be interested in.

Stater Bros:

Dozen Grade AA Eggs $1.49
London Broil $1.67 lb (Try this with the Bearnaise Sauce. It is great. I am posting direction how to prepare or email me and I will show you how to do it with the Bearnaise if you like.)

Chicken Drumsticks $.99
Pork Loin Chops $2.89 (I will post a recipe I made up for these, It's Great and my kids love it!)
Klondike Rose Potatoes $.99 for a 3 lb Bag (Excellent Deal)
Cabbage $.50 lb

Also, they have a 4 day sale May 3rd-6th with Boneless Flap Meat for $2.99 lb. Great for easy to fajitas!!! You save $2.00 lb. I have a great marinade for this.

And, 10 count Flour Tortillas $.99 on those 4 days


VONS

7 Bone Chuck Steak $.99
Haas Avocados $.79 each
Red Tomatoes on the Vine $1.99
Also, Vons has a few one day only specials. These are good buys:
Saturday, May 3rd Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast 1.49 lb in 4lb Bag
Sunday, May 4th ONLY Boneless Chuck Cross Rib Steak $1.69 lb (I know it's on Sunday)

RALPHS

T-Bone Steak $3.99lb (Save over $5.00 lb)
Chicken Breast with Bone $.99 lb
Iceberg Lettuce $1.00 each
Organic Red Leaf Lettuce $1.50 each
Red Onions $1.00 lb
Green Onions $.50 bunch
Fresh Spinach $1.50 bunch



ALBERTSONS

Whole Chicken $.69 lb
Romaine Lettuce $.99 each
Pineapple $.99 lb



HENRYS

GREAT PRICES ON PRODUCE!!!!

Haas Avocados $.33 (GREAT PRICE)
Roma Tomatoes $.77
Green Onions $.25 Bunch (I will post my Easy To Make Salsa Recipe)
Cilantro $.25 Bunch
Iceberg Lettuce $.77
White Onions $.25 lb
Marinated Carne Asada $2.97 (Great for Fajitas that are easy to make!!!)
Bulk Almonds $3.99 lb
Fresh French Bread Loaf $.99

Gregg's Béarnaise Sauce

Gregg’s Béarnaise Sauce
Makes about ¾ of a Cup (serves about 8 to 12)


This is the recipe I use for Béarnaise Sauce; I have tweaked it a little and believe it has a great flavor. Use shallots, not onions. You can use white wine or white wine vinegar. The White Wine works best however. This is traditionally served over Filet. But, it can be served over Beef Tenderloin, London Broil or served practically over any other type of steak or beef. Béarnaise Sauce is basically a kicked up version of Hollandaise Sauce. Here is my spin on the recipe that I make often for my family. It is extremely easy to make and takes only minutes. This sauce is well worth making when serving beef.

Hope you enjoy.

1 Stick Butter (1/2 Cup)
3 Egg Yolks
Juice from 1/2 Fresh Lemon (Use Fresh ONLY)
¼ tsp Salt
Pinch Fresh Ground Pepper
Tiny pinch of Cayenne Pepper (optional for my recipe but traditional in most)

2 Tbls Spoons White Wine (If using White Wine Vinegar, Use 3 Tbls and omit the Vinegar)
1 Tbl Vinegar (Do Not Use if using White Wine Vinegar)
1 small spring of Fresh Tarragon, Chopped
1 Tbl Shallots (chopped)
Pinch Pepper
Pinch Salt


Heat Butter to a slight boil, but DO NOT brown.
In a blender add the 3 Egg Yolks, Juice from the ½ Lemon, Salt, Black Pepper and Cayenne Pepper and blend at high speed
While blending at high speed, SLOWLY add butter. At this point you now have a basic Hollandaise Sauce.
Now for Béarnaise Sauce:
Simmer the White Wine, Vinegar, Tarragon, Shallots, pinches of Pepper & Salt, until the liquid is reduced by 2/3rds.
Add to the Blender with the Hollandaise Sauce. Blend on high for about 4 – 5 seconds
Viola, you have a great Béarnaise Sauce. Just spoon dollops over meats and enjoy.

Hollandaise Sauce is one of the 5 Mother Sauces used in French and most other types of coooking. Here are the others which we will cover later:

Béchamel (White Sauce)

Espagnole (Brown Sauce)

Tomato (Not the traditional Italian version for pastas and pizza)

Velouté (Chicken Base Sauce used for Chicken and Fish)

From these 5 sauces, most all other sauces are made.

Cookbooks I Recommend

For a great, simple and easy French cooking cookbook, I suggest Ina Garten's (The Barefoot Contessa) "Barefoot in Paris."
It has excellent recipes that are easy to follow. Be sure to try my favorite. The Ile Flottante with Creme Anglaise. I have made this many times and it is fantastic!
Riverside library has this cookbook in their collection.




My favorite bread cookbook is Rose Levy Beranbaum's "The Bread Bible." This has every type of bread you would ever want to make. Some are challenging, others are simple. I have made some and they are great.
Riverside library has this cookbook in their collection.







For Cakes, again I turn to Rose Levy Beranbaum and her "Cake Bible" Cookbook. You can challenge yourself with so many of these recipes or simply take the easy route and pick out the quick and easy recipes. Either way, this book is full of great cake recipes.
Riverside library has this cookbook in their collection.







For true French Cooking, I really like the original of all French Cooking Cookbooks, Escoffier's "Recipes From The French Classic Tradition." (Recipes are from his massive Cookbook "Le Guide Culinaire" which contains over 500o recipes.) He is credited with creating many of the basic French Classics still served today. This version of his cookbook is illustrated which makes it easier to see what the recipes should look like. Georges Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935) was probably France's most important chef. He was the chef at the Grand Hotel in Monte Carlo, The London Savoy, The Grand Hotel In Rome and the Hotel National in Lucerne.

Riverside library has this cookbook in their collection. Try it. True French Cooking at it's best.

Great Grocery Shopping Deals

Here are some great deals of items I buy and I thought you might want to know. I will concentrate mostly with Meats and Produce. If there is an good buy of anything else I may note that also. Hope this helps!!!!
Prices Valid 04/23 - 04/29

This is what I am buying this week:

STATER BROS:

16 oz Pkg of Strawberries 2 for $3.00 Perfect for The Strawberry Jam Recipe Below (2 Pkgs Should make almost 2 batches of jam) see Henry's Farmers Market below for best price!!!

Haas Avocados $1.00 ea.
Top Sirloin Steak $1.99 lb Save $2.90
3lb Chub Ground Beef 81% Lean 19% Fat - Buy One Get One Free. That works out to $1.43 a lb. GREAT PRICE
Foster Farms Whole Chicken $.69


RALPHS

16 oz Pkg of Strawberries 4 for $5.00 Perfect for The Strawberry Jam Recipe Below (2 Pkgs Should make almost 2 batches of jam) see Henry's Farmers Market below for best price!!!

Fresh Pork Shoulder Butt Roast $1.39 lb Great for Pulled Pork Sandwiches. I will post a recipe later this week of you want.



VONS

London Broil $1.67 lb Buy this and I will post how to prepare and make a easy Bearnaise Sauce if you like.

Foster Farm Chicken Breast Halves $.99 Great for baking and using in salads and on sandwiches.
Lays Potato Chips $1.88
Fresh Blackberries 12oz $2.99 (Stater Bros. may still have them at 10 for $10.00. Not sure though)


HENRY'S FARMERS MARKET

Vine Ripe Tomatoes $.97
Pineapples $.97 ea
Green or Red Leaf or Romaine Lettuce 2 Heads for $1.00 GREAT PRICE
16oz Strawberries $.77 ea
Cucumbers $.33 ea (3 for $.99)

Now for a SUPER DEAL:
Trader Joes has White Wine, and Red Wines for only $1.99. These are great wines for cooking. I recommend buying a bottle of each. You will not find a better deal anywhere for a quality wine.

Freezer Berry Jams

Gregg's Freezer Jam

Makes 4 Pints

• 3 1/4 Cups Prepared Fruit (See Below)
  
• 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice (Bottled is Fine)
• 1 pkg MCP Pectin (I Recommend MCP)
• 1 Cup Light Corn Syrup
• 4 1/2 Cups Sugar (I Recommend C & H it dissolves best)

Prepare fruit by cleaning, rinsing and stemming.
Place in a blender and puree until a pulp. Not too thin, Not too thick.
For Raspberries and Boysenberries you may want to sieve half of the pulp to remove some seeds.
(Strawberries and Blackberries have soft seeds so sieving is not necessary.)

Pour prepared fruit into a large mixing bowl and add Lemon Juice.
Gradually stir in package of MCP Pectin stirring constantly and mix thoroughly.

Set aside for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to completely dissolve Pectin.

Pour in Light Corn Syrup and mix well.

Gradually add Sugar slowly and stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved.

Pour into 4 clean pint size jars and freeze. Wipe jar lip from any drips and seal with lid.
Freeze at least overnight before using a jar.

Because this is freezer jam there is no need to sterilize the jars. Just wash them in the dishwasher or wash well by hand. They well keep frozen for about 2-2 1/2 years.
Once opened, they will keep for about a year in the fridge.
Enjoy

WELCOME TO THE GREEN GROCER

This is too funny. It was recommended that I start a blog about grocery bargain and favorite recipes. I thought that would be kind of fun. So away we go.

This blog will post weekly bargains and recipes that should help make cooking and shopping a little easier for those interested. It will also offer tips and tricks for food preparation. It may also list dates of possible cooking classes that should be fun.

A little about my background in regards to cooking and party planning. I worked in the Restaurant business for almost 20 years. I worked as a waiter, catering manager, general manager and district manager for restaurants in the Inland Empire to Los Angeles County. Those retaurants being, Carlos O'Brien's, Black Angus and The Cafe Madrid. I was a caterer for about 6 years and catered hundreds of weddings, quinceaneras, birthday parties, business socials, fund raisers, open houses, anniversaries, club socials, school events, office parties and so many other events.

I was honored when asked by the great jazz singer, Etta James, to cater her birthday party. It was so much fun to put on such a major event.

I also catered an event for Donny Osmond and his wife, Debbie. Debbie was launching a new product and I was asked to cater the afternoon event. They were wonderful people and a joy to work with.

My jobs have brought me into contact with many great people like, Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner. Sammy Davis, Jr, Robert Reed (the dad on the Brady Bunch), Dale Evans (Roy Rogers' wife), Danny Kaye, Ernie Hudson, Karen and Richard Carpenter, Regis Philbin and his wife Joy. Coco Montoya, Rod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers, Liz Claiborne, Debbie Davies, Colin Powell and so many more.

I am and avid cook and enjoy all types of foods. I love entertaining and and trying new dishes with friends and family. A good meal with good friends or family is to me the best and most relaxing time.

I learned my skills from my mom, my grandmother and my aunt. I honed my skills in the restaurant business working with some really cook cooks and chefs. I helped create new dishes for both Carlos O'Brien's and The Cafe Madrid. Many of which became menu staples.

So sit back, kick off your shoes, put on an apron, fire up the grill or stove and let's get cooking.