On Sale This Week

There's a lot of pork on sale this week, a nice, comforting meal choice for increasingly chilly weather. We've got a couple of pork recipes at the end of the column.

And this is the week to purchase Halloween Candy. There are a few good sales to be found. (If you want a really good sale, of course, wait until Nov. 1 when it gets marked down by 50%.)

Candy is kind of a fun thing to purchase, and not just because you love chocolate, either. You can do more than simply take a bite and savor. Chopped up candy bars are a nice addition to a cake, or sprinkled on top of the frosting. They can also be sprinkled on top of ice cream. Making cupcakes? Push a fun-sized candy bar into the middle of the dough. M&M's are perfect to put in cookies, see the Monster Cookie recipe below. Of course, Hershey's chocolate bars can be used to make S'Mores if you happen to have one last bonfire to roast marshmellows at.

Comparing Prices this Week - Pork Loin, whole or half

Albertsons: Pork half loin, Buy One Get One Free*

Fry's: Pork half loin, $1.97/lb

Safeway: Pork whole loin, in bag $1.88

Best Deals on Halloween Candy

Safeway: Hershey's Snack Bag Size Bars $2 (if you buy 4)

Fry's: Butterfinger or Baby Ruth Bag Snack Size Bars $2.50

Albertsons: Hershey's Snack Size Bars, assorted, 100 count $8.99

Best Prices on Every Day Items

Milk: Albertson's $1.59/gal

Bread: Sara Lee, Honey White or Whole Grain White $1.99, Safeway, Home Pride BOGO

Eggs: No Eggs on Sale This Week

Best Bargains this Week

Safeway

Special Sales

• $5 Friday and Saturday, Cottonelle Bath Tissue(12 rolls) or Viva Paper Towels(6 rolls), 2 lb strawberries,

Meat and Seafood

• Beef, boneless bottom round roast $2.99
• Chicken, fresh Safeway brand drumsticks, extreme value pack $.77/lb
• Ballpark beef franks BOGO*
• Ground Beef, 90% lean, any size pkg. $3.99/lb

Produce

• Russet potatoes, 5 lb bag $.99
• Haas Avocados $.99
• Apples, Gala, Granny Smith $.77/lb

Other Grocery

• Frito's, 9-10 oz, $2
• Honey Nut Cheerios, 17 oz $2.50 (with digital coupon $1.99)
• Starkist Tuna pouches BOGO
• Planter's Peanut Butter 15-17-6 oz $2.49 (with coupon)

Albertsons

Special Sales - Mix and Match, Buy 8 participating items get $4 off at checkout (prices given assume Buy 8 discount): Chex, Bugles, or Gardettos $1.49, Green Giant boil in bag vegetables $.99, Selected General Mills Cereals $1.49

Meat and Seafood

• Pork, assorted chops, bone in $1.27/lb
• Ground Beef, 80% lean, 3 lb or more $1.99/lb
• Chicken, jumbo pack, drums, thighs leg quarters or whole body $.99/lb
• Beef, cross rib roast or family pack steak BOGO*
• Extra Large Raw Shrimp $4.99/lb
• Hebrew National beef franks, Ball Park beef franks or turkey franks BOGO*

Produce

• Bananas $.39/lb
• Fresh Garlic or Cilantro $.33
• Potatoes, Green Giant Klondike Rose or Goldust, 3 lb bag $2.50
• Apples, Gala, Granny Smith or Fuji, 3 lb bag $2.99
• Texas Grapefruit, new crop $.50/lb

Other Grocery

• Lay's Potato Chips, 10 oz, select varieties $1.99
• Little Debbie snacks, select varieties $1.99
• Skippy Peanut Butter, 15-16 oz., select varieties $2.50
• Deli meats including Salami, Pepperoni, Pastrami or Corned Beef $4.99/lb
• Breyer's Products, 48 oz. ice cream, Ben and Jerry's 16 oz. Klondike or Magnum novelties $1.99
• Red Baron Pizza $2.50
• C & H cane sugar (4 lb.) or Pillsbury flour (5 lb.) $2.50

Fry's

Special Sale - 99 Cent Sale: Pizza Rolls, Duncan Hines Cake Mix, Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, barilla pasta, more

Meat and Seafood

• Frozen Turkey, $.79 lb.;
• Boneless Half Pork Loin $1.97 lb.
• Bar-S Hot dogs or bologna, 10/$10
• Pork Country Style Ribs $2.99

Produce

• Pears, $.99 lb.
• Bananas $.57 lb.
• Pumpkins $4.99 lb.
• Honeycrisp Apples $1.27

Other Grocery

• Donut holes from the bakery, 2/$3
• Rojos Salsa $2.99 lb.
• Coke 3/$11
• Totinos Party Pizza 8/$10
• DiGiornio Stuffed Crust 2/$10
• Freschetta Pizza 2/$10
• Deli Pizza 2/$10

Recipes

Monster Cookies

I've been making these cookies since I was in high school. What's interesting about them, is that they don't contain any flour.

You'll see two measurements. The first is for a regular sized batch of cookies. The measurement between the two stars is for a huge batch - enough to make about 20 dozen cookies. Whoo-boy! You'll want to make these in a gigantic bowl, even a plastic dish tub, a huge canning pot or a roaster pan.

1 1/2 cups creamy or chunky peanut butter *3 lb *
1 cup packed light brown sugar *2 lb *
1 cup granulated white sugar *4 cups *
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened *1 lb *
3 large eggs *1 dozen *
1 tablespoon vanilla extract *4 Tbs *
1 1/ 2 tsp dark karo syrup or molasses * 1 Tbs. *
4 1/2 cups regular oats (you can use quick cooking oats, but I prefer the regular ones) *18 cups *
2 teaspoons baking soda * 8 tsp *
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips *1 lb. *
1 cup M&M's plain chocolate candies *1 lb *

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper or a silpat mats.

2. In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter with the sugars and butter. Use an electric mixer to mix until well combined. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the oats and baking soda. Then stir in the chips and M&M's.

3. Drop the cookies by heaping spoonfuls (or ice cream scoop full) onto the prepared cookie sheets. If you'd like your cookies to look pretty, dot a few extra M&M's and chocolate chips on each mound of dough before baking.

4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets until cookies are set. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Variations: Some people add butterscotch chips and coconut in place of the M&M's.

Whole or Half Pork Loin

Crock Pot Pork Loin with Dried Fruit

½ pork loin, 4-5 lb.

1 cup dried fruit—your choice, if using small fruit like cherries, keep whole, if using larger fruit, cut into fairly large pieces. For example, quarter dried apricots, halve prunes, etc.
1 cup apple sauce
½ cup apple juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (or 1 stick cinnamon)
¼ teaspoon ground cloves (or 8 whole cloves)
¼ teaspoon ground allspice (or 5 whole allspice berries)

You may like to start by browning your pork loin on all sides in a skillet. This is not necessary, but the meat will have a better color and more flavor.

Place pork loin in slow cooker, pour all other ingredients over (if using ground spices mix with applesauce first). Cook 6-8 hours on high. Remove meat, let rest for 10 minutes, then slice. Remove fruit and juices to a bowl. Serve slices with a spoonful of fruit, and pass the rest.

Serve warm with boiled potatoes or brown rice and a salad.

Slow Roasted Pork Loin

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees F.

1 pork loin roast

Rub
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons finely chopped herb (try rosemary, sage, thyme or other)
1 finely chopped garlic clove

Mix all rub ingredients together and rub all over roast. Place in a V shaped rack in a roasting pan. Roast at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 250 and continue roasting until internal temperature reaches 145 to 150 degrees. Remove from oven, cover loosely and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Recipes from Around the Internet

Halloween Candy Graveyard Cookies Recipe - The Hot Plate

Snickers Stuffed Loaded Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies