MONDAY: Veggie Monday

365 Everyday Value® bottled pasta sauce over our frozen Ravioli alongside a Spring Salad with Strawberries and Creamy Orange-Avocado Dressing adding more salad greens.

TUESDAY: Fresh Twist

Try a new take on pasta primavera with our recipe for Quinoa Primavera with Chicken, Spring Peas and Asparagus.

WEDNESDAY: St. Pat’s Dinner

Remember the budget tip of serving smaller portions of very flavorful meat with larger side dishes when you have corned beef with Cabbage and Cheddar Gratin. Stash lots of corned beef for sandwiches a few days later.

THURSDAY: 2010 Comfort Food

This one’s simple and awesome! Chicken Taco Pizza. A giant green salad makes it a satisfying meal.

FRIDAY: Go Farmed Fish

Kids love our Creamy Smoked Salmon Pasta with Dill recipe. Try substituting a half pound broiled farm-raised salmon for the smoked salmon—and look for our new Responsibly Farmed logo.

WEEKEND: Brunch for a Bunch!

Feed a crowd with Savory Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Casserole using Australian cheddar (a Sure Deal!) and our house-made link sausages, removed from the casing. Make small versions of Vanilla Berry Yogurt Parfaits and serve 365 Everyday Value® Organic Orange Juice–it’s a Sure Deal and meets our Whole Trade Guarantee!

The Whole Deal value guide is packed with more great meal ideas, budget-friendly recipes, money-saving tips, Sure Deals and valuable coupons.

What are you having for dinner this week?

It’s the time of year when most everyone begins to feel the urge for the fresh and new, from spring cleaning to gardening to new ideas for how to improve one’s self, family, community or planet. The Whole Deal can help you on your springtime mission with wiser choices for your budget, the Earth and your fellow Earthlings. Check it out–in store or online.

Coupons

Start saving from the comfort of your home (or office) with our online coupons. The selection is updated every few weeks and you can always pick up the in-store guide to get them all.

Meals for One, Two or Four

Whether you’re cooking for the whole family or just yourself, our cost-conscious meal plans offer a week’s worth of menu ideas, plus recipes and tips for getting the most from your grocery budget.

Sure Deals!

Sure Deals are not overstocked or discontinued items—they’re high-quality products where you get more of the good stuff for less than you think. Check out our current Sure Deals!

Three Under $3

At $2.99 or less, you won’t find a better value than our selection of Three Under $3 items.

Budget-Friendly Recipes

Easy to prepare, delicious and affordable—what more could you want from a recipe? How about a bunch of them? Well then, just turn to The Whole Deal for recipes that satisfy your hunger and your budget.

Learn to Cook, Learn to Save

If you can build your own salad, you can learn to cook. And our simple, no-fail recipes expand your cook-at-home repertoire far beyond salad. If you learn to cook, you’ll surely save.

How to Spend to Save…the Planet

Your food choices make a difference to your health and the health of the planet. We walk you through one of our affordable recipes so you can see what’s behind the foods you’re spending your money on.

Earth Month: 30 Ways in 30 Days

Download a calendar of 30 money-saving, earth-saving ways to celebrate Earth Month each day throughout April…and beyond!

Pick up the in-store guide for all $30+ in coupons, three additional springtime recipes from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine and great green ideas that will keep more green right where it belongs…in your pocket!

Making a meal for one is a lot tougher than it sounds. You can’t live on carry-out alone and you sure don’t want to be eating leftovers for a week. So, what’s a solo guy or gal to do? Turn to The Whole Deal! You’ll find a week’s worth of Meals for One ideas that are simple, tasty and affordable. They are so good, you just might be okay with eating leftovers.

Take a look:

MONDAY: Veggie Monday
Use the organic bread coupon from the in-store The Whole Deal value guide to make the best grilled cheese ever – perhaps cheddar with sautéed apples and onions, or mozzarella with arugula and sundried tomatoes. Add a green salad.

TUESDAY: Use Your Noodles
Toss broccoli and chicken with soy-ginger sauce to serve over our 365 Everyday Value Egg Noodles (a Sure Deal! at $1.99 for 16 oz) and then sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro or scallions. Tip: Buy only the broccoli you need at the salad bar.

WEDNESDAY: Black Bean Soup
Purchase prepared soup from the deli, make your own with canned black beans and veggie broth adding cooked ham or bacon if you choose or find a recipe that sounds good and make soup from scratch using economical dried beans. (If you cook a pot, freeze serving size portions for easy meals later!) Enjoy with Quinoa Cornbread or cornbread from our bakery.

THURSDAY: 2010 Comfort Food
Create a satisfying one-pot meal by mashing a boiled or baked potato with cooked chopped collard greens. Top with slices of browned chicken sausage (coupon in the in-store guide). Freeze extra sausages singly for later use.

FRIDAY: Go Fish
Prepare our responsibly farmed salmon or tilapia using our online recipe for Broiled Fish with Citrus and Herbs. Serve with cooked carrots and our heat-and-serve 365 Everyday Value® Organic Frozen Rice (a Sure Deal! at $2.99 for 20 oz)

WEEKEND: It’s Soup Season
Make a hearty soup (we’ve got potloads of recipe ideas) and homemade Quick Whole Wheat and Rye Crackers. Pack and freeze leftover soup portions for heat-and-serve weekday meals.

You’ll find even more affordable recipes, money-saving tips and coupons in The Whole Deal.

What’s your favorite meal for one?

MONDAY: Veggie Monday

Try our Winter Greens with Carrots, Feta Cheese and Brown Rice recipe. And then have sliced organic navel oranges with honey and nuts. Leftovers are great for lunch.

TUESDAY: Quick Chicken Noodle

Create this quick, hearty soup with 365 Everyday Value® Egg Noodles (a Sure Deal! at $1.99 for 16 oz) cooked in chicken broth. Add sautéed chopped onion, carrot, celery and chicken tenders. Add frozen peas, warm and serve with a sprinkle of parsley.

WEDNESDAY: Chili Out

Make chili with crunch by starting with a chili option that suits your time and budget: buying prepared from the deli, making your own by adding canned beans and canned tomatoes to seasoned ground meat, or making your own from scratch with dried beans. Serve over tortilla chips with a sprinkle of 365 Everyday Value® Traditional Greek Style Feta in Brine (another Sure Deal!) and chopped scallions.

THURSDAY: 2010 Comfort Food

A simplified chicken dinner is this easy: Sauté sliced chicken sausage (the in-store value guide has a coupon) with lots of peppers, onions and chopped organic broccoli. Serve over quinoa or Quinoa Cornbread.

FRIDAY: Fancy Fish Dish

Make a romantic dinner of Swiss Chard-Wrapped Salmon. Serve with quick cooking 365 Everyday Value® Frozen Rice (a Sure Deal! at $2.99 for 20 oz) tossed with toasted slivered almonds. Don’t forget the wine, and have My Fruity Nutty Chocolate Valentine for dessert.

WEEKEND: Soup Bowl Party (get it?)

Make a big pot of soup and set up a grilled-cheese making station, inviting friends to bring creative fillings (your bread coupon is in the in-store value guide) and beer – stout, ale or lager – that pairs with the cheese.

The Whole Deal also has weekly meal plans for one and four, as well as lots of money-saving tips. And of course it is always filled with coupons-some of them are online!

Now share your tasty weeknight meals for two.

Are you one of those people who get so distracted by the great coupons in The Whole Deal value guide that you forget to read the rest of it? Well then you are missing out on a whole lot of hot value and meal planning tips. We’ve got lots of ideas to help make your life just a bit easier. For example, our meal planner for four (or more, more or less) gives you a week’s worth of meal ideas and recipes designed to save you money, save you time and save your sanity. Now that’s value! Take a look:

MONDAY: Veggie Monday

Try our Cashew Noodles with Broccoli and Tofu recipe and you’ll have a new family favorite.

TUESDAY: Slow Cooker Hoisin Beef Stew

Start this budget recipe in the morning, substituting pork or bison for the beef, if you wish. Just before supper simply heat our frozen Jasmine rice (it’s a Sure Deal!).

WEDNESDAY: Mid-Week Easy

Set out all the raw veggie fixings for each person to create and enjoy their own personalized big, beautiful salad with favorite pizzas from the frozen aisle.

THURSDAY: 2010 Comfort Food

Quickly cook BBQ beans and sausage by sautéing a package of sliced sausage (you’ll find a coupon in the in-store value guide) with chopped onion. Add lots of beans and a splash of BBQ sauce. Serve with our recipe for Sautéed Greens with Garlic.

FRIDAY: Oven Crispy Fish

Easily prepare this healthier version of fish & chips using our responsibly farmed tilapia. Serve with carrot raisin slaw and oven fries.

WEEKEND: Fruitful Family Breakfast

Make banana bread using whole wheat flour (another Sure Deal!) and organic or Whole Trade™ bananas. Spread with cream cheese mixed with chopped organic navel oranges. Serve with organic gala apple slices.

We’ll share ideas for Meals for One and Meals for Two in future blog posts, but remember you can get all of this good stuff in The Whole Deal value guide, along with simple recipes, money-saving tips, Sure Deals and coupons.

So, what family meal is part of your weeknight plan?

White Beans

Why Should I?

Why not? Cooking beans at home is renowned as a simple way to save money and provide the base for many a healthy meal. It requires little effort and they’re easy to keep on hand in the fridge or freezer. And then you can quickly put together everything from basic beans and rice (seasoned differently in different cultures) to soups, salads, dips and spreads.

What Do I Need?

1 lb dried white beans (cannellini, navy or great northern)

1 yellow onion, quartered

2 dried bay leaves

Salt & ground black pepper to taste

Okay, Let’s Do This Thing

1. Spread beans in a single layer on a large sheet tray; pick through to remove and discard any small stones or debris and then rinse well.
2. Soak the beans using one of these two methods. Traditional soaking method: In a large bowl, cover beans by 3˝ with cold water, cover and set aside at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight. Quick soaking method: In a large pot, cover beans by 3˝ with cold water, cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, remove pot from heat and set aside, covered, for 1 hour.
3. Drain soaked beans and transfer to a large pot. Cover by 2˝ with cold water, add onion and bay leaves and bring to a boil; skim off and discard any foam on the surface. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, gently stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 1 to 1½ hours. Drain beans (if desired), discard onions and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.

That makes 7 cups of beans which serves about 10 at approximately 26¢ per serving. The full nutrition info is here.

Tips & Tricks

• You can use this same method for cooking any variety of dried beans, adjusting the seasoning as you wish and the cooking time as needed to allow for age and type of beans.
• Soaking beans helps ensure even cooking. If you didn’t plan for soaking ahead, simply cook the beans an additional hour or so until fully tender.
• For increased digestibility (ahem) cook beans with 6 fresh leaves (or 2 tsp dried) epazote herb or a piece or two of kombu seaweed (remove before serving).
• Serve beans over salads, toss with pasta or vegetables or purée in a food processor with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice to make a spread for sandwiches or dip for crackers.
• Store cooked, cooled beans (with or without their liquid) in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days.
• Freeze cooked, cooled beans in an airtight container, covered with cooking liquid (to avoid drying out), up to 2 months.
• To quickly cool cooked beans, drain them well, spread out on a large sheet tray and toss gently every few minutes until room temperature.

Apply Your Skills

Now that you know how to cook white beans, try this: White Bean and Kale Soup with Chicken Sausage. At your game party, instead of chili, serve this hearty soup and learn the budget power of using a little bit of flavorful sausage to create a lot of satisfying food. Let guests garnish their own bowls with sliced red onions, red pepper flakes or hot sauce, crumbled Feta cheese, fresh chopped parsley or basil and whole-grain croutons. Provide chunks of crusty whole wheat bread on the side.

Has learning to cook helped bring your budget in check? Let us know how!

And don’t forget to turn to The Whole Deal value guide for more money-saving tips, simple recipes, weekly menu ideas, Sure Deals and coupons.

Check out some of the features and remember to pick up The Whole Deal in-store guide for even more value know-how.

Coupons

Figure out your money-saving game plan from the comfort of your home. Print from our online selection of The Whole Deal coupons and pick up the guide in the store for even more coupons.

Meals for One, Two or Four

Whether you’re cooking for the whole family or just yourself, our cost-conscious meal plans offer a week’s worth of menu ideas and recipes, plus tips for getting the most from your grocery budget.

Sure Deals

Sure Deals are not overstocked or discontinued items-they’re high-quality products where you get more of the good stuff for less than you think. Check out our current Sure Deals.

Three Under $3

At $2.99 or less, you won’t find a better value than our selection of Three Under $3 items.

Super Soup Bowls

Cook beans, soups and stews to cut your costs, but not your nutrients. Learn to cook these easy, nutritious and affordable dishes to help you keep your health- and budget-related resolutions.

Know the Store/Know the Score

We demystify our stores so you don’t wander aimlessly and show you how to read labels painlessly.

I’m a terrible shopper. Clothes. Household goods. Gifts. Even when it comes to food, despite all my good “guru” advice, I buy more than I need, struggle to carry it all home on my bicycle, struggle again to fit it in my fridge and cabinet and then struggle to use up all the so-beautiful-I-can’t-resist fresh veggies before they’ve given up all their nutrients. Fortunately, I’m a creative cook and do manage to let very very little go to waste, but back to gifts…

Maybe it’s my humble beginnings, or my grandparent’s humble beginnings or just the Grinch in me; I can’t stand the thought of a pointless gift. Nor can I stand the thought of a low-quality gift…some plastic thing that makes someone laugh or smile for about 2 seconds then gets forgotten for 5 years in a drawer somewhere until it gets tossed. Don’t get me wrong; being a food lover, I am perfectly fine with the temporary satisfaction of something that tastes amazing. I just believe it really should be amazing and memorable if it’s going to be temporary. Food, therefore is often my gift solution.

First, my terrible shopper steps in with big, unrealistic ideas. I want to give everyone I know a plane ticket to Malta to eat the simple, incredible bread and cheese meal I had there once. Or I’d like to fly my entire family to one beautiful spot where we’d prepare and share a meal all together. Is there a way to prepare all the small bites recipes I worked on for The Whole Deal and send them a selection? Probably not. Darn.

Instead, I build boxes and baskets of food tailored to the recipients. They know how much I love food and I hope that means they feel the love from me through the food to them. Homemade food-and bodycare-gifts are fun. Many cookie recipes will ship okay if packed carefully. You can even make homemade crackers and top with an interesting salt.

Homemade gifts are always well received, but what I really love is to shop for all the wonderful, indulgent and rare treats and condiments that come to the store for the harvest and holiday seasons. In my work, by this time of year, I’ve been hearing about and seeing these things for months and months before the holiday season, sometimes I even get to taste them. And then, finally, everything is in the store and I have fun picking out the holiday goodies, special jams and chocolates, olive oils and vinegars, crackers and brittles. (My favorite is our Panettone… OMG!)

If you think I’m just a grocery store dork and food is an odd gift, then make it something more. Add a gift card, that’s simple and who wouldn’t want one? Or, one year I sent everyone bottles and jars of my favorite condiments along with vegetable steamers and a little homemade booklet of ideas and recipes for enjoying steamed veggies. And this year my mother-who doesn’t enjoy cooking-may get condiments from me, too. I’ll add a food storage system and-here’s the real love-a promise from me that I’ll make extra when I cook freezable meals on the weekends so I can share a few frozen servings with her.

So, while I’m truly a grinch when it comes to silly nonsense gifts, I have a big heart when it comes to food and the pennies I’ve been saving for gift-giving season are lovingly spent on something I can believe in…good food. If you’ve got time right now-congrats if you do-share your food gift solutions. I’m sure plenty of folks are starting to get desperate for gift ideas.

…about The Whole Deal Online Coupons

We’re doing cartwheels because we think you might be! Our customers have been asking to be able to print The Whole Deal coupons right at home, so we put on our most colorful ties (yeah, right) and went to talk to our friends at Mambo Sprouts and our vendor partners—because they’re the ones who actually provide the coupons. Lo and behold, they were willing to join us in making it work! Because this is new territory for us and many of them, you’ll notice that only a limited selection of coupons are available online at any one time. Later, we hope to be able to offer more, but we really wanted to do what we could as soon as possible so you can save more as soon as possible! As always, you can find all of The Whole Deal coupons in the in-store guide along with even more ways to keep the budget blues at bay: money-saving tips, budget recipes, meal planners and the ever-popular Sure Deals.

This time of year can often leave you feeling short on time, short on cash and honestly, a little short-tempered. So, our shortened version of The Whole Deal value guide, in stores through December, should brighten your holidays. In it, we save you time by cutting straight to the good stuff that saves you money-holiday coupons, affordable party recipes and lists of thoughtful gift ideas for $15 or less. That’s enough to make the most harried holiday shopper take a moment to smile.

Here are some of the features you’ll find in this issue, but remember to pick up The Whole Deal in-store guide for the coupons!

Feel-Good Gifts
When is a gift more than a gift? When it gives back! Our “green” giving tips make it simple to give a little more-but not spend more-in very meaningful ways.

Small Bites for Big Entertaining
For less than 50¢ a piece, these stylish “small bite” recipes won’t take a big bite out of your party budget.

Money-Saving Tips for the Holidays
Whether you are shopping, entertaining or giving on a budget we have tips for all three that will save you money.

Holiday Ideas & Inspiration
Visit our All Things Good! holidays website for even more good stuff! You’ll find holiday recipes, menus and catering information; instructional videos and holiday help guides; gifts to make or buy; and store holiday events, sales, and specials.