On Sale This Week—Strawberries

Today is the Summer Solstice. Also known as the longest day of the year, the 2012 summer solstice arrives in Prescott at 4:09 pm. Celebrated by most ancient peoples this event is still marked by festivities including bonfires and feasts, especially in northern Europe. In many places fruits and flowers form an important part of this celebration, so we bring you a recipe for strawberry shortcake.

Comparing Prices this Week

Chicken

• Fry’s: Chicken, Kroger brand, boneless, skinless breasts or tenderloins $1.87/lb
• Safeway: Chicken, Eating Right, boneless, skinless breasts $2.99
• Albertsons: Chicken, Sanderson Farms, tray pack, identical item only BOGO*

Strawberries

• Fry’s: Strawberries, fresh $2.50/lb
• Safeway: Strawberries, fresh $1.99/lb
• Albertsons: Strawberries, fresh $2.50/lb

Pork

• Fry’s: Pork, Center cut loin chops, bone in $3.37/lb
• Safeway: Pork, Assorted loin chops, extreme value pack, bone in $1.49/lb
• Albertsons: Pork, Assorted loin chops, bone in $1.57/lb

Best Prices on Everyday Items

Milk: Fry’s, Store brand, half gallon, $.88; Albertsons, Store brand chocolate milk, 12 oz $.88

Bread: Albertsons, Sara Lee selected varieties $1.88; Fry’s, Fry’s buns, hamburger and hotdog $.88; Safeway, Orowheat, selected varieties, BOGO*, Safeway Kitchens white $1.49

Eggs: Fry’s Store Brand $.88/dz, Land o’ Lakes, cage free, $2.50/dz

Best Bargains this Week

Safeway

Special Sales

$5 Friday—3 lb pkg strawberries, Deli meats, select varieties

5 Day Sale Friday—Tuesday

• Honey Nut Cheerios, 12.25 oz $1.99
• Beef Ribeye steak, extreme value pack $5.99/lb

Coupons

• Hot dogs, Ballpark, Angus beef, two pound pkg $5 with coupon
• Safeway Select salsa, 24 oz $1.99

Meat and Seafood

• Pork roast, whole shoulder blade $1.87/lb
• Ground beef, 73% lean $229/lb
• Hot dogs, Farmer John, 16 oz $.99

Produce

• Red Raspberries, Driscoll’s, 6 oz $.99
• Black Plums $.99/lb
• Hass Avocados $1/each
• Dulcinea Farms, Mini watermelon or Tuscan Cantelope $2.99/each

Other Grocery

• Bush’s best baked beans $1/79
• Frozen vegetables, Pantry Essentials, select varieties, 12 oz $1
• French’s mustard, select varieties BOGO*

Albertsons

Special Sale— Coupon Mania, Many good coupons including:

• Crystal Geyser spring water, case $2.99 with coupon
• Old Orchard juices, select varieties, limit 4 $1.49 with coupon
• Albertson’s brand cottage cheese or sour cream, 16 oz, limit 4 $.88 with coupon

Meat and Seafood

• Ground beef, 85% lean $2.99/lb
• Top and bottom round steak $3.99/lb
• Atlantic salmon portions, 5 oz, farm raised $2.99/each

Produce

• Pacific hearts of romaine, pkg of 3 $1.99
• Hass avocados, large $.88/each
• Watermelon, large seedless, $1.99/each

Other Grocery

• Plochman’s mustard $1
• Olives, Albertsons $1.25
• Blue Bunny ice cream or sherbet $2.77

Fry’s

Special Sales—88 cent sale—many items $.88 including

• Kroger Deluxe ice cream, 16 oz
• Vlasic Relish
• Kraft mac-n-cheese
• Pepsi & 7-up, 2 liter

Meat and Seafood

• Ground Beef, 97% lean, sold in 5 lb chub $1.97/lb
• London Broil beef, boneless $4.49/lb
• Shrimp, large, cooked $6.99/lb

Produce

• Yellow and Red bell peppers $.88/each
• Cantaloupe $.97/each
• Green seedless grapes $.75/lb

Other Grocery

• Rosarita refried beans $.88
• Frozem Vegetables, Kroger $.88
• Pure protein bar $.88

BOGO Buy One Get One of equal or lesser value FREE

All sale prices require store card at Safeway and Fry’s. Albertsons has no store card.

Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake

This is the real deal, homemade all the way! But not complicated. Many people make the shortbreads (basically a biscuit) using the recipe on the Bisquick box. There is nothing wrong with this, but you will get tastier biscuits using real cream and butter. There are several ways of forming the biscuits. The easiest way is to pat the dough into a square about 8x8x1 inches, bake, then cut into 9 smaller squares. The dough can also be patted out and cut with a 3 inch biscuit cutter (which will give uniform edges.) Two additional methods are given below. Whatever method is used, be sure to brush the top(s) with melted butter, then sprinkle on some sugar, before baking.

1 lb. ripe strawberries, or 2 lb if some of the berries are less than ripe (it’s always good to have extra)
½ cup granulated sugar (superfine if available)

3 cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ Tablespoons very cold unsalted butter
1 ½ cups half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons butter, melted
Sugar for sprinkling, granulated or coarse

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar (superfine if available)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

First prepare the strawberries. Remove any that are damaged or too unripe. Divide the berries into three bowls.

In a small bowl place nine of the smallest, ripest, berries, leave them whole including the hull. Cover and refrigerate.

Hull all the remaining berries. In a medium bowl, place about 1/3 of the remaining berries, choosing the ripest available. Cover and refrigerate.

Into a large bowl, thinly slice all the remaining berries. Add ¼ to ½ cup sugar, depending on the sweetness of the berries. Cover and set aside at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes slice the remaining 1/3 of your berries into the large bowl. Slice these more thickly, or halve or quarter depending on size. Stir, cover, and set all berries aside at room temperature.

Finish shortcakes. Slice shortcakes horizontally with a serrated edged knife. Place each shortcake bottom on a plate. Spoon strawberries over each. Add whipped cream. Place tops on, at an angle. Spoon a bit more strawberries over the top, add a little more whipped cream, decorate with one of the whole berries. Serve immediately.

Recipes Around the Web

Strawberry Recipes

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How about a strawberry trifle?