Aldi, week of 11/3 - 11/9 and Ronnie's Country Store

Aldi is kicking some major butt this week with their lower-than-normal prices. I used to shop a lot a Aldi before couponing, but they do not accept coupons.

They do have some great prices on milk, eggs and other essentials, but this week is exceptionally good:

10 lb bag Russet Potatoes, $1.99
Del Monte Gold Pineapple, $1.49
Baby Carrots 16 oz. Bag .49

Broccoli Crowns, 16oz. .75/lb
Happy Harvest canned veges .39
Chef's Cupboard Stuffing Mix, .69

I try my best to buy local produce and visit the farmer's market at the Dixie Classic fairgrounds during the summer, but in the winter, Ronnie's Country Store is my go-to place.  I purchase most of my fruits/veges there for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.  They are local - NC, SC and sometimes GA. They have country ham in the back of the store that is sliced to order.  Also, they have fatback (for the collards that I don't eat), barrels of beans and barrels of candy.  Can't beat it!! AND their prices are great.

Happy Thanksgiving and Black Friday Events

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  Ours was spectacular.  We started the day off biking at Salem Lake, came home, put everything in the oven and ate - very well and a lot.  After the food settled, the kids and husbands played football outside and us girls sat on the screened-in deck talking.

So, don't think the husband shops?  This next story that I am going to tell you is going to save me from the shopping "look" for an entire year......you know, the one where you come home from shopping after several hours with only a handful of things....

Paceline Bicycles has gone out of business (RIP).  Beginning on Black Friday, specifically at 10:00 a.m., they were having a liquidation sale.  My husband (Wally) and brother-in-law (Mark) were going to the sale.  Keep in mind, they live in VA and they were planning on going back home after the sale.  My siser-in-law (Ellen) and I decide to do a little shopping (emphasis on "little").  We passed by Paceline at 9:45 and there was a line out of the door to get in.  I immediately called Wally and let him know.  Ellen and I were on our merry way.  I was very careful to take EVERY back road as to not get caught in the mall traffic.

By about 11:00, we are finished shopping and are STARVING!!!!  We call the boys.  They are in line - don't expect to get out until about 1 or 1:30.  WHAT????? I look at my clock again to make sure that I'm reading the current time correctly.  Whatever - I'm not standing in line....there were no lines where WE went shopping.  But, still we are starving.....

Being the good wives that we are, we went home to check on the kids.  Waited and waited - still starving......we must have lost 2 lbs waiting on them!!

They finally got home and we were off to Mi Pueblo.  6 baskets of chips, an unfortunate story and 3 beers later, our food came. 

The unfortunate story:  The bikes were 40% off and everything else was 50% off.  The walked through the store a couple of times, got what they wanted and then the "final pass" through the store was what killed him. There was barely a line just before the "final pass", but afterwards, it was very long.......very very long.   They stood there, contemplating.........it's not that bad......it will start moving soon.  After an hour, they felt like they were committed and couldn't leave.  They stood in line in the hot store, in the hot sun by the window and FINALLY got to the register at about 1:45. They ended up saving a little over $100 each.  He "can't" tell me what he got - with Christmas approaching.  They were tired little puppies by the time we ate.  Ellen and Mark decided to stay that night, and, as a result, we were able to get another meal in before they left!!!

In Paceline's defense - they are a bike shop - why would they ever need more than one register? 

Hope you had a fantastic Black Friday!! Hope it was better than Wally and Mark's!!

Shopping for Thanksgiving/Weekly Groceries

I went a little crazy on Sunday and actually spent about $32 on groceries. 

Sam's Club: $7.00
10 lbs potatoes
Apple Cider

Lowes Foods:  $10.81
Sweet Potatoes for Thanksgiving
2 x Tennessee's Pride Sausage
2 x Land O' Lakes Butter
3 x Breyer's Icecream (a necessity)

Harris Teeter: $14.85
2  4 packs of Crab Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms
Large bag of reduced mushrooms
4 bananas
3 apples
1 celery
1 Butternut Squash
4 boxes instant Jello pudding
2 pkgs. Chinet napkins
1 Tropicana OJ E-Vic special for $1.77

When I go into HT, I always check the "reduced" section in produce.  I happened to go first thing Sunday morning and they were putting stuff out.  The lady brought out 4 - 4 packs of crab stuffed portablleo mushrooms.  They were .79 for a 4 pack.  OMG....I picked up 2 of the 4 packs and confirmed with her that I could NOT freeze them.  I wanted to buy ALL four really, really bad.  It was ALL I could do not to buy all four packs.  I would gladly have them for lunch one day this week, but we have stuff going on at work and my lunches are spoken for. This is one item that is not "donatable", so that was not an option. Oh well......we enjoyed them for dinner Sunday night and will have the remainder on  Monday night.

I got the butternut Squash for free!!!  When I walked into the store, they had a sign up for butternut squash, $1.29.  I have been wanting try it and thought I would get one.  I spoke with the produce lady about how to prepare it and she was very helpful and friendly (as she always is). When I got to the register, it rang up per lb, not each.  I told the cashier that I did not want it.  I would have tried it for $1.29, but not for $4.93 (just imagine how many of the mushrooms that I could have gotten for that!?!?!?)  I suggested that she check the sign and change it to per lb. and she said that she would.  She voided the item off, walked it back over to produce and her and the produce lady (I have GOT to get her name) looked at the sign.  Sure enough, it was not marked per lb. The produce lady brough the squash back over to me and put it in my cart.  I told her that it was not necessary, but she insisted. I was very pleased, but not surprised.  HT's customer service has always been excellent, especially at this store.

It's HT's policy to give you the item if it rings up incorrectly. I have had this happen only in a couple of situations and usually do not accept their offer to give it to me for free.  They have always been very apologetic about it and I feel like I'm "robbing" them anyway (most of the time).

I still have to go to Ronnie's Country Store downtown to get an onion, collards, and fatback (yes, I said fatback) but game day is running on schedule. 

The house is clean and I'm just waiting until Tuesday evening to start cooking!  My SIL and her family are coming and will be at our house around lunchtime on Wednesday. We have WAY funner stuff to do than cook (not that I don't enjoy cooking), but she shops as well/much as I coupon AND cook, so it's really fun.