Got a few more hurrahs in store for 2010 before welcoming the New Year? These top tips from The Whole Deal value guide will have you entertaining the idea of using high-quality ingredients without high costs when you entertain. Have a happy and affordable New Year celebration!

1. PLAN AND CALCULATE

Plan meals and make shopping lists (on paper, online or on your iphone), being mindful of how much to buy and serve for how many people. Use the servings calculator on our Holidays 2010 site.

2. CHOOSE CROWD-FRIENDLY RECIPES

Make hearty, satisfying, affordable recipes. Big-pot meals with self-serve condiments are ideal: chili, curry, red beans and rice, stew, etc. Your helper is wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes.

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December is a serious shopping month. Seriously. While we can’t provide any advice to help you with the craziness at the mall (other than avoiding them!), we do know the ins and outs of getting the most out of your shopping at Whole Foods Market. Here are our favorite tips for getting the good stuff — and the basics — at the best prices possible.

1. SHOP THE SALES

More than 1000 items are on sale in our store right now. Sign up for our e-newsletters for what’s on sale, and in the store look for the sale signs to save!

2. GET YOUR VOLUME DISCOUNTS

Get discounted pricing on many items when you buy a full case or more than a certain amount at once, including cases of party favorites like tonic water and our Top 10 Holiday Wines in most stores. Get the details at Customer Service.

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Here are our top five favorite tips for giving gifts with good in mind for all, including your wallet.

1. GIVE FROM THE HEART

Homemade gifts, no matter how frugal, always strike a chord because it’s clear that you spent one of your most valuable resources…your time. Our Holidays 2010 site has simple “Gifts from the Kitchen” recipes (with printable gift tags) like the yummy Gingersnap Cookie Mix in a jar.

2. WASTE NOT

Whole Foods Market® gift cards make sure the recipients get just what they want – no re-gifting, no returns – and of excellent quality, if we may say so ourselves.

3. SHARE THE LOVE…OF HEALTHY FOOD!

Gift a healthy eating cookbook or put together a recipe box or binder with Health Starts Here™ recipes from our website and a list of your favorite healthy eating tips and foods.

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Celebrate! The December issue of The Whole Deal value guide is here! We’ll help you keep the jingle in your pocket all season long with online coupons and tips for shopping, entertaining and giving. With our “small bites” recipes you’ll dazzle your guests for fewer dollars.  Take a look!

Coupons

Celebrate the convenience of online clipping! All of the vendor partner coupons featured in The Whole Deal in-store value guide are also available online. Print the coupons you want, when you want.

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With all the holiday celebrations and guests coming and going this time of year, there’s lots of big-time cooking going on. But what do you do on those in-between weeks when it’s just you and yours and you want a little break but don’t want to break the bank by going out to eat a bunch? Well, you can follow our simple week long meal plan for one or two:

MONDAY: Veggie Monday

Mexican-style stuffed potatoes are as easy as hollowing out baked potatoes and mixing what you removed with refried beans, salsa, green onions and cheddar cheese. Re-fill and bake until hot.

TUESDAY: 2010 Comfort Food

Brown a link or two of our house-made sausage (removed from casing) and then toss whole wheat pasta with sausage, Swiss chard ribbons and white beans.

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Think Thanksgiving is all about overdoing it? Think again. Here are some ways to keep it simple, and save while you’re at it.

5 Simple Tips for Holiday Season Success

1. Make a Turkey Plan for when to buy, where to store, how to cook…and also for using leftovers. We’ve got guides, how-to videos and recipes on our holiday pages to help you tackle the turkey.

2. Flowers are an impactful decoration for your money, and when you choose Whole Trade® flowers, you get a conversation piece as well as a centerpiece! Visit our Holiday site for a couple more ideas for double duty décor.

3. Think Pantry. Organize and stock with 365 Everyday Value® baking and entertaining basics so you don’t resort to last-minute, costly store trips and lower quality.  You’ll find deals and coupons in the in-store value guide.

4. Master your Menus. Our holiday site has guides to help you with the meal planning. Don’t forget to serve up some dishes that satisfy those with special diet needs.

5. Save Dough with Bread. Our fresh-baked hearth bread will go a long way toward filling your table beautifully and your guests happily.

An Impressive yet Simple and Affordable Brie Appetizer

Topping our exclusive holiday brie, Isigny Ste. Mère, with a warm, sumptuous mixture of sundried tomatoes, golden raisins and Fall spices takes it to a new level. It’s as simple as toasting baguette slices and topping with a bit of Brie, then a spoonful of the warm topping so the Brie melts just so. Try the recipe for our Brie Toasts with Spiced Sundried Tomato Compote at your Thanksgiving gathering and look for more small bites 50¢-or-less-per-piece recipes in the upcoming December issue of The Whole Deal.

Simple Sides for a Big Impact on Your Table and Little Impact on Your Budget

Green Chile Corn Pudding: You can’t go wrong with this creamy side dish (something between cornbread and a soufflé), studded with mild green chiles. It also serves well at brunch or with beans for a light supper.

Stuffins: Stuffing doesn’t have to be an unattractive pile on the plate. Give each person their own perfect serving of moist and tasty stuffing in the shape of a muffin for only 59¢ per serving.

These two “Health Starts Here” recipes also make a positive impact on your health and your budget:

Especially Good Sweet Potatoes: Everybody will say how good this is—and nobody will know how good it is for you. If you happen to have leftovers, it’s also great for breakfast or dessert.

Spinach Salad with Aduki Beans and Clementine Vinaigrette: Here’s a light vegetable side dish to balance out your Thanksgiving table. To make ahead, simply prepare the vinaigrette and Clementines, pack everything separately and toss all together just before serving.

There you go, some simple ideas and recipes for smooth-saving through Thanksgiving. The Whole Deal value guide has lots more money-saving tips and coupons too!

What are the ways you simplify and save during the holidays?

Enjoy Fall’s fabulous flavors! With our week long meal plan for four you’ll find you can feed your family well without failing your finances. To find out how, just follow along:

MONDAY: Veggie Monday

Stir fry bell peppers, mushrooms, snow peas and tofu with ginger, garlic and green onions. Serve over brown rice with your favorite prepared teriyaki sauce.

TUESDAY: 2010 Comfort Food

Try a new kind of spaghetti! Make Spaghetti Squash Marinara with Italian Sausage and Garlic Bread and add your favorite veggie sides or big green salad.

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Spaghetti squash makes an excellent side dish or a fun substitute in thin noodle recipes, from Asian to Italian. It is loaded with nutrients, such as beta carotene and fiber, and is tender, with just a slight crunch. This super-simple Spaghetti Squash recipe is a great one to master because it can be the basis for such a wide variety of dishes. This basic recipe serves four for about $1.53 per serving. Keep in mind, we do our best to estimate the cost of ingredients, but slight market variations are entirely possible.

What do I need?

1 (about 3 1/2 lbs) spaghetti squash

Okay, Let’s Do This Thing

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and halve squash lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard seeds from the middle of each half.  Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t mean to be corny, but popcorn is a snack that is just bursting with value! Although, I have to admit it’s not exactly bursting with flavor, which is why folks typically take to drowning it in butter and salt. But I’m here to tell you there’s a better way to flavorize your popcorn.

Whether you’re scooping some corn kernels from our bulk bins to pop in an air popper or you’re taking four minutes to pop up some 365 Everyday Value Organic Microwave Popcorn (psst…it’s a Sure Deal at $2.69 for a 3-bag box), the best way to make good popcorn is to start…er, well…with good popcorn.

Once you have your plain popcorn base, just start adding your favorite flavors. Let your imagination (or taste buds) run wild. With incredibly affordable popcorn as the flavor carrier, you might even be able to afford to splurge on a small amount of a really great, high-quality flavor-er. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to the October/November issue of The Whole Deal. We’re “falling” all over ourselves to offer you the best of autumn on a budget. In this issue, you’ll find over $47+ in coupons online and in the in-store print guide. Plus, there are 12 new recipes for Thanksgiving and for every day at less than $4 per serving, simple meal plans for 4 (or 1 or 2) on a budget, three of our favorites for $2.99 or less – Three Under $3, and a new selection of Sure Deal products that are perfect for the season.

Speaking of the new season…nothing heralds the start of Fall like the smell (and taste!) of warm-from-the-oven baked goods.  Whether you are itching to get back to baking after a long summer vacation from the oven or you want to hone your skills prior to the holiday rush, here are five money-saving baking tips that will keep your budget from getting burned.   

1. Get Quality at a Value with 365 Everyday Value natural and organic baking supplies (flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, etc). Better ingredients = better baking and “365” helps you afford them.
2. Bake in Big Batches, taking advantage of bulk or sale pricing and making the most of your time, then wrapping your baked goods tightly and storing in the freezer. Our Apple Almond Gingerbread is a good make-ahead choice.
3. Give the Goodness because homemade gifts of food are not only easy on your pocket book, they are personal and people remember wonderful aromas and tastes for years!
4. Learn to Adjust your recipe (or choose another) to take advantage of whichever nuts or dried fruits or fresh ingredients are at the best price at that time.
5. Buy Only What You Need from our bulk bins and jars so you don’t waste flour, sugar, nuts, dried fruit…even herbs and spices! (Tip: Ask to borrow a measuring cup or spoon in the store.)

Do you have any more tips for baking on a budget? We’d love to hear them!