Good deals on produce this week, pears are coming in at good prices. For eating, place unripe pears in a paper bag with a banana or apple (the extra ethylene gas will help them ripen faster and more evenly.) Check every day or two until they are just soft. They are also good cooked, try Ginger Pears, or make chunky pear sauce for your pork roast.

As fall is coming, with cooler temperatures and shorter days, bake up something to warm your house and fill it with great smells. This week we feature a delicious carrot/pineapple cake. And if you love pumpkin pie, have you thought of making pumpkin pudding - you get all the wonderful taste of the filling, without the extra fat and carbs of the crust.

Also, we can't emphasize enough: Now is the time to stock up. With the effect the drought has had on corn, it is very likely that products associated with grain and corn will see a large price increase shortly. This is likely to especially affect your meat prices. So, purchase now, if you can, and load up that freezer.

Best Prices on Every Day Items

Milk: Albertsons $1.67/gal, Safeway $1.77/gal.

Bread: Safeway, store brand $.99, Fry's, store brand $1.25, Albertsons store brand $1

Eggs: Albertsons $1.88/18ct

Best Bargains this Week

Safeway

Special Sales

• $5 Friday - this week includes: 24 oz Signature turkey pot roast (deli), Selected Coke products, 20 ct, 3 boxes General Mills Cheerios, 8.9 oz box.
• Digital Coupons: Select Hefty trash bags, final price $5.99, Betty Crocker shake and pour brownies or cupcakes, final price $1.50

Meat and Seafood

• Ranchers Reserve Beef back ribs $1.29/lb
• Chicken drum sticks, Safeway brand, fresh, extreme value pack $.99/lb
• Ground turkey, Safeway brand, 20 oz pkg BOGO
• Pork, whole blade roast $1.87/lb

Produce

• Sweet corn, 3 for $1
• Broccoli crowns $1.49/lb
• Cantaloupe $2/each
• Winter Squash, organic, several varieties $.99/lb

Other Grocery

• Marinated Artichoke hearts, Cara Mia, 6.5 oz jar BOGO
• Safeway designer plates, select varieties and counts $2.50
• Tuna, canned, solid white, 5 oz $1.50

Albertsons

Special Sales - No special sales this week, but many low prices throughout the store on "Basket Buster" and $1/each items.

Albertsons has started a new coupon collecting special on Cuisinart pots and pans. You get one coupon for every $10 you spend. If you are not collecting the coupons yourself, try offering them to the next person in line.

Seniors get 10% off their order (with some restrictions), With Coupon Only!!

Meat and Seafood

• Chicken breast or thighs, fresh, no extra sodium $1.77/lb
• Chicken, Sanderson Farms, thighs, drumstick, whole body $.99/lb
• Pork shoulder roast, bone in $1.67/lb
• Pork sirloin chops, boneless $1.99/lb
• Ground Beef, 80%lean, 3 lb or more $1.99/lb

Produce

• Strawberries, 1 lb pkg $.88
• Pears, Red, Bartlett or Bosc $1/lb
• Many items $1/lb including, Roma Tomatoes, Red or Yukon Gold Potatoes, Zucchini or Yellow Squash, Eggplant, and Sweet Onions
• Many items $1each including, Hothouse Cucumbers, Red Bell Peppers, Haas Avocados and 1 lb bag Baby Carrots

Other Grocery

• $1 each items include, Chicken of the Sea Tuna, Pict-Sweet frozen vegetables, Hunt's Ketchup, Albertsons brand Hot Chocolate mix, Mi Ranchito Corn Chips, Polar Treats Frozen Novelties
• Best Foods Mayo, 20 oz $2.99
• Progresso Vegetable Classics Soups $.99
• Macayo's diced green chilis or Jalapenos $.69

Fry's

Special Sales

• Pizza Sale - Many frozen and fresh pizzas at special prices: $1 each - Totino's, Tony's and Kroger brands, $2 each - Tony's or Kroger "Original Crust"
• Buy 10 featured items, get $5 off your order. Final prices include: Pringles "super stack" $.89, Kraft Mayo $2.79, Nabisco Snack Crackers or Prego Pasta Sauce $1.49

Meat and Seafood

• Pork loin, boneless $1.88/lb
• Whole chicken, Foster Farms $.77/lb
• Steak, USDA Choice, many cuts including rib eye, New York, T-bone 50% off

Produce

• Bartlett Pears $.88/lb
• Red or Black Plums $.88/lb
• Navel Oranges $.99/lb
• Yellow Peaches $.78/lb
• Yellow or Zucchini squash $.88/lb

Other Grocery

• Progresso vegetable soups $1.25
• Quaker cereals, select varieties $1.88
• Goldminer, sourdough square bread $1.99
• Kroger cheese, select varieties, 12-16 oz, bar or shredded $2.99

Ginger Pears

(originally developed by Brad Justice)

6 pears (Bartlett or other, Bosc are particularly good, but Bartlett will be fine)

½ cup sherry or white wine (optional)
1 cup white sugar or Equal
2 sticks cinnamon
12 whole cloves
1 inch whole ginger, peeled and cut into thin slices

Peel pears, quarter and core

Place pears in medium cooking pot, barely cover with water, add wine sugar and spices, bring to a simmer and simmer until just soft.

Place pears in bowl, boil cooking liquid down a little if necessary, pour over pears, place in refrigerator at least 8 hours.

Serve cold as is or with whipped cream.

Carrot Pineapple Cake

This recipe is specially developed for use at high altitude

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 ½ cups white sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup canned pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots (a little less than 1 lb. whole carrots)
1 cup drained crushed pineapple

Optional additions:
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 9 x 13 inch baking pan with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. In a large measuring cup (or small bowl) measure oil, add sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla. Whisk together.

Add oil mixture to flour mixture and mix with spoon until smooth.

Stir in carrots, pineapple and, if using, nuts and coconut.

Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees, then lower heat to 350 degrees and continue cooking another 15 minutes, or until tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

Let cool 15 minutes in pan, then turn out onto cake board. (Or simply continue to cool in pan, when cool frost and serve from pan) When cake is totally cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.

Pumpkin Pudding

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1 can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) (15 oz.)
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)

In medium bowl, place pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs and spices. Whisk or mix with stick blender (works fast.) Add milk whisk or blend.

Pour into any buttered baking dish of at least 2 quarts.

Depending on how shallow or deep your dish is it may take from 40 minutes to an hour to cook. When tester inserted in center comes out clean, it is done.

Serve warm or cool, with whipped topping, ice cream, heavy cream poured over, or just plain.

Videos from Around the Internet

How about canning pears?

Once they're canned, now what?