Once upon a time this Value Guru was a small tyke, but even then I had a hungry mind and curious appetite. My father fed both. He didn’t cook all that often, but when he did, it was always exciting because it was something special. Like many a dad he was the steak cooker and knew the power of a marinade to tenderize an affordable cut, and the power of slicing against the grain to avoid too-chewy bites. The slicing also stretched a modest-sized steak to feed four.

My father’s other specialty was seafood. We lived in a small island community on the Texas coast where his brain power, writing ability and knowledge of the mysterious workings of local government-official and otherwise-were valuable enough amongst the fishermen and shrimpers that they would barter fresh catch. Another local owned a popular chicken and soft-serve shack, Custard’s Last Stand (where I worked my first job at age 11 for a silver dollar an hour, incidentally). This guy also worked for Westinghouse so my father gave Custard’s ad space in his newspaper in exchange for a full-size Westinghouse freezer that soon filled with the rewards from his bartering for seafood along with his own hunting and foraging efforts. Read the rest of this entry »

No matter what was else was on the table, my grandmother served an iceberg lettuce salad at every evening meal. As a sometimes visitor, it was one of those things I looked forward to as a familiar part of visiting my grandparents and I enjoyed helping to make the dressing. She had one of those glass carafes with the measurement lines on it for filling with oil and vinegar, and then you added the packet of dressing mix and shook it up. Thing was, if I had grown up with that-vs. being a visitor-I think I would have rebelled against being served the exact same salad and dressing every night! Read the rest of this entry »

Heads up! The new summer issue of The Whole Deal value guide is in stores now, ready to help you out with great ideas for a great summer…without great expense. Here’s just a sample of what’s inside:

Learn to Cook, Learn to Save

• 9 budget recipes including:
• Three-Bean Salad with Quinoa (88¢/serving)
• Mini Wild Salmon Cakes ($2.63/serving)
• Grilled Veggie Naan Pizzas with Goat Cheese ($2.99/serving)
• 12 Sure Deals!
• Whole Foods Market™ Organic Garlic & Herb Fresh Goat Cheese ($3.99 for a 4-oz log)
• 365 Everyday Value® Gold Round Crackers ($2.99 for 1-pound box)
• 365 Everyday Value® Organic Pretzels ($1.99 per bag)

Summer Saver Tips & Tools

• Daily meal planners for one person, two people or a family of four.
• How to use grilling leftovers, such as saving unused buns to make croutons and grilled veggies for a pasta salad.
• Our Backyard Barbecue and Picnic Planner compares quick and convenient favorites with money-saving alternatives.

Better Burger Builder

• Get the details on how little it costs to make your burger a healthier choice.
• Try our suggestions for homemade over-the-top Dad’s Day burgers at relatively little cost, especially vs. going out…or a steak.
• Where the Buffalo Rock $3.75
• Who You Callin’ Turkey $4.25
• Hollywood Portabello $5.50

You can check out more on The Whole Deal page, but you have to pick it up in the store to get the great coupons!

I’m not a huge fan of eating outdoors, but I am always up for making anything into an event if it includes sharing food with others. Therefore, I eat it, so to speak, when invited to a picnic or BBQ or outdoor potluck. Then I spend days obsessing about what to bring and run a million ideas through my head, mentally balancing my budget with the amount of time and effort I’m willing to put into that specific gathering at that specific time.

I usually settle for pasta salad. I say “settle” because it always seems like a cheap copout to me. I think of how many times I’ve peered closely (and hopefully discreetly) at the unidentifiable “bits” and sauces that make up someone else’s potluck bowl of pasta salad and skip it for something more easy to recognize as food. I think also of all the wonderful foods I know about and enjoy putting into a meal and how I don’t want to “insult” great ingredients by tossing them into something that might be unidentifiable to some other discriminating potluck guest. Read the rest of this entry »

From an early age I was a summertime kitchen helper for my grandmother, sent to the herb garden to snip a bit of this or that. I loved to watch as she nonchalantly minced, tossed and sprinkled the aromatic snippets into all kinds of dishes, including her unique Summer Cucumber Salad. In my 20s when I wanted to learn more about growing and using herbs, I turned to an aunt who dismissed my entreaties for a logical learning method and told me basically to “just do it” and I could start by helping her weed her own herb garden. While I felt a tad hornswoggled, she was right-as she is about most things-and getting my hands, eyes and nose right down there with the herbs was indeed a good first lesson. The pleasure of watching, tasting and listening across the counter as she cooked became Lesson 2, and I was off! Read the rest of this entry »

The Whole Story blog is a great place to find value tips from The Whole Deal, the Value Guru and even from our customers sharing with one another. Well, we here at Whole Foods Market University (WFM-U) are joining the value conversation with our “Virtual Value Tour.” Originally created to help our Team Members better understand how to become more astute value shoppers in our stores, this short WFM-U course will also assist you in making smart, value-oriented choices the next time you visit Whole Foods Market.

I have to admit, Sunday afternoon I was beat from an active day that began with a big dog walk then progressed into grocery shopping, a yoga class, cleaning house and working in the garden, followed by a very welcome shower. All would make for a fantastic spring day if I didn’t then have to make dinner! I was too tired and broke to consider going out to pick something up, so I took an exploratory tour of cupboard, fridge and freezer, grumbling all the while that I hadn’t followed my own oft-preached advice and planned tonight’s meal when I shopped just that morning!

I opened a fortifying local beer, nibbled on some sunflower seeds and forced myself to start pulling a few things out and putting some thought into it. A mere 20 minutes later, when I took a load off and took my first bite, I was so happy that I laughed out loud at myself because this is one of my very favorite meals with benefits: really awesome flavors, satisfying without being too heavy, costs so little and is pretty darn healthy. I relaxed in front of a stupid movie and savored every bite. It was a gratifying way to end a productive Sunday.

Here’s what I dug up in the kitchen…

Whole wheat couscous: So easy and fast to cook. Then I toss and season with something tasty I have on my overloaded fridge door: a few olives and/or sundried tomatoes in oil to mince; half a jar of pesto or tapenade; some crumbled feta or goat cheese; cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, celery, carrot, red onion. Give it a generous squeeze of lemon and then, if needed, a little salt, Bragg’s liquid aminos or tamari soy sauce. I like a spoonful of harissa, too…a little goes a long way for very flavorful heat. Read the rest of this entry »

My neighbors across the street painted their house recently and I’ve overheard some embarrassingly loud negative comments from people walking by. But I think it’s fantastic in a San Francisco kind of way, with unmatched colors somehow perfectly coming together. I joked with them about how it makes me smile to see it out my windows while my house surely doesn’t return such a joyful view from their side of the street. Their response made me smile even more…my new front-yard vegetable garden was a wonderful sight for them! They wished they had some sun in their yard to grow fresh veggies and that more people would convert lawn to gardens.

Naturally, I promised I would share and they said they’d swap some of the bounty from their patio herb pots. But it got me thinking about how fortunate I am that I get such a cheap thrill from good, simple food, whether cooked and on the table or just popping up in the garden. When times are tough, I still have to eat and I can always figure out how to make it a pleasure. Many times when friends have had an impromptu supper at my place they ask if I always eat so well or so healthy. I can’t take the credit. Simple, high-quality ingredients make it easy! Read the rest of this entry »

In case you haven’t seen it yet, wanted to give you a heads up that the spring issue of The Whole Deal value guide is in stores now, packed with money- and planet-saving tips just in time for Earth Month! Want a sneak peek? Here’s what you’ll find: Read the rest of this entry »

I am more than happy eating vegetarian meals about 80% of the time without even thinking about the fact that they’re vegetarian. But I do like meaty texture and flavor in a meal more often than I can afford a steak. And, it usually doesn’t take much, so steak is not always the answer anyway. The solution is often sausage and I never let my freezer go without it. If it’s on sale, I stock up. If it’s not, I buy it anyway because it is such a deal. You get so much flavor and satisfaction for your money!

Read the rest of this entry »