Went To The Market - Winter 2012 - 2013

[Debbwl]

Thanks for the tag Annacia. I was surprised you have a Safeway up your way as I did not think they went that far out, like Nif think they a bit price but do carry a nice verity of convenes foods.

[Annacia]

Hi Nifty and Deb

They are pretty much on par with most of the other stores up here. Some things are higher, some things are lower. Thats the case with all of them though and I'd spend way to much time and gas running to each store trying to save a few cents.

Besides, I know where to find everything in Safeway, I really hate wandering around aisles looking for the dog food or pickles.Safeway has a great lunch bar where you can get sandwich's, fresh made on the spot, for less than half what the restaurants charge (not skimpy either), hot soups, fresh salads, etc. There is a Starbucks in store and while I don't like their coffee I occasionally grab one of the great cups they sell (or a cookie )

[Nif]

I'm used to Superstore so when I go to Safeway, the prices are noticeably higher. I also like to buy things like canned goods (and some other stuff) at Walmart - cheap!

I agree that it's hard to change stores. Both Superstore and Walmart are close so I know their layouts just fine. I used to be a secret shopper for Safeway and got to know them all quite well! I would even get paid to travel to shop at them and their competitors. That was a good gig at that time.

[Annacia]

Here in Regina the Superstore is on the far east side and Wallmart on the far west with Safeway and the Wholesale pretty much in the middle and not to far from each other.

Also close by Safeway is Old Fashioned Foods and Dad's Organic Market, both of which I like but I can't often afford the organic store.

[Nif]

Are the Old Fashioned Foods and Dad's local stores? I've never heard of them.

I was also wondering if you guys have Co-op?

[Nif]

Annacia wrote:
Morning All

I was thinking how disappointed some of the folks who believed that the world was ending on the 21st must be to be facing New Years.

I'll tag:

Irish Potato Soup #387874 By Deb (QI= veggies)

Annacia is going to Safeway for:

Beans (any kind)
Shrimp
Cream Cheese

[Annacia]

Nif wrote:
Are the Old Fashioned Foods and Dad's local stores? I've never heard of them.

I was also wondering if you guys have Co-op?

We have a small (really) co-op here in town that offers far less that full service but at least we do have a store. There are also co-ops in the a couple of the , not too far away, small towns and a big one in Moose Jaw.

I believe that Dad's is in Regina and Saskatoon, Old Fashioned Foods I have seen in Regina and a couple of smaller towns.

Calgary is a dream destination for shopping, lol.

[Nif]

Hmmm, I don't know about that!

I wish we had a Whole Foods. They look so good on those cooking shows!

[Annacia]

Here is Dad's:





This is the Old Fashioned Foods that I visit. No indoor shots:



I no longer buy any meats from regular markets, we've had too many recalls, illness and even deaths from the central packers that ship to so many stores. I found a butcher shop about 45 mins away that is big enough to supply pretty much whatever I want but small enough to get to know his customers. He will only sell meat from animals that he slaughters (in another building) and has inspected for good health. The butcher shop is all open and customers can see how everything is handled and kept clean. He's more expensive than the supermarkets but I think that it's worth it.

[Nif]

I need to find a good butcher. I love me some good Alberta beef!!

[Annacia]

It would be a good idea hon. Sadly they are now few and far between. Even the butchers in the markets no longer do anything for their customers. You take whats in the wrapped packages and that's it.

When I did my winter order from Mitch I got, tenderized flank steaks, sectioned ox tail's, smoked ham hocks NS couple of lovely 4 inch thick blade roasts (the kind that made to die for pot roasts when very slow cooked all day). You can't even get those things in the markets any more.

[I'mPat]

There is nothing like a good reliable butcher though here in Australia it is illegal for them to slaughter their own the animal must come from an authroised slaughter house. We have 3 good butchers within a 10 minute drive and all get their animal in whole and then butcher them, they also do a number of value added products (they have crumbed them, marinated them, already stuffed and rolled, that sort of thing - people it seems cannot be bothered doing it themselves so much therese days and also 2 of them have one a number of awards for the sausages, the butcher I frequent mostly makes a wonderful celiac sausage but to get them fresh you must get them the day he makes them as they have no preservatives otherwise they come frozen as 6 sausages to a pack.what we call b-b-q sausages long skinny ones as against breakfast sausages which a short a fat (I like to use these for my crumbed sausage recipe). I mainly buy my chicken from the supermarkets because of price but my meat from the butchers, a little more expensive but tastes better and I find there is far less wastage so reality is it works out about the same and sometimes a little cheaper.


Pat

[Nif]

I remembered that there's a butcher shop about a 10 minute drive from here. (Speaking of shopping Annacia, it's by Cross Iron Mills - check that place out!). I'll have to go and check the shop out some day soon. I'm willing to pay more if it's a good product!

OR I could go to the Farmer's Market. It's a bit of a drive but they have meat from all over Southern Alberta. Hmmmm, I have some research to do!

[Nif]

[Annacia]

I'mPat wrote:
There is nothing like a good reliable butcher though here in Australia it is illegal for them to slaughter their own the animal must come from an authroised slaughter house. We have 3 good butchers within a 10 minute drive and all get their animal in whole and then butcher them, they also do a number of value added products (they have crumbed them, marinated them, already stuffed and rolled, that sort of thing - people it seems cannot be bothered doing it themselves so much therese days and also 2 of them have one a number of awards for the sausages, the butcher I frequent mostly makes a wonderful celiac sausage but to get them fresh you must get them the day he makes them as they have no preservatives otherwise they come frozen as 6 sausages to a pack.what we call b-b-q sausages long skinny ones as against breakfast sausages which a short a fat (I like to use these for my crumbed sausage recipe). I mainly buy my chicken from the supermarkets because of price but my meat from the butchers, a little more expensive but tastes better and I find there is far less wastage so reality is it works out about the same and sometimes a little cheaper.


Pat

Hi Pat

See, thats the problem up here. The nasty e-coli and things that you really don't want to eat are all coming out of the mass production meat company's that ship to all of the markets within a very large radius.

Things didn't get any better when the stupid government decided to cut back on the number of health inspectors who keep an eye on these company's. They wouldn't consider cutting supplying free needles (in the millions) to junkies all over the country though.