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We drifted into fall this week and we are seeing more hearty foods in the weekly grocery inserts. Time for more pizza, soups, apples and Autumn recipes.

The highlights this week include crisp apples at Safeway and Raley's/Belair; juicy tri tip at SaveMart and creamy avocado at both Safeway and SaveMart. Also, whole chickens are a bargain at 79-cents a pound at Safeway and large eggplant at Raley's for $1.29lb.. Come back on Thursday for recipes to match the sale items.

Here's the deals:

Raley's/BelAir has a great lead item on boneless pork loin at $1.97lb plus a recipe for apple pork. You don't have too look far for the apples to go along with the recipe because they are on sale for 88-cents a pound. Other specials include a new kind of French bread that's called Transfat Free Crusty, "with a moist interior and an extra crunchy crust" for 99-cents. Anything that boasts an "extra crunchy crust" will make my shopping cart. Besides the apples, and the eggplant, Raley's has peaches for $1.49lb; bell pepper for $1.49lb and heirloom tomatoes for $2.99lb. In the 10 items for $10 category, there's 7-Up products, Stagg Chili, Betty Crocker cake mix and Del Monte canned fruit and veggies. They also have savings on facial tissue at $1 a box; paper towels for 99-cents a roll and bathroom tissue at 24 rolls for $5.50. As part of the Mix&Match sale, there's Renuzit, Dial soaps and Airwick freshener for $1 each.

Over at Safeway, the $5 Friday special is Signature Cafe pizza - pepperoni or cheese. The 48-hour weekend sale focuses on breakfast with sausage links at 2/$3; 4-pound bag of oranges for $1.49; Minute Maid OJ 2/$4 and a dozen Lucerne eggs for $1.28. Whole Foster Farms chickens are 79-cents a pound and 93% lean ground beef is $3.99lb. If you need water for soccer, football or other high-impact sports, it's 3 cases for $9.99. Here's the good part: you can chose your favorite brand - Refreshe, Dasani, Aquafina or Arrowhead. Looking for BOGOs? Safeway again has the most offerings, including Butter Top breads, Campbell's and Progresso specialty soups, Florida's Natural OJ, Windex; Dreyer's ice cream,and frozen waffles. In produce, check out avocado for 97-cents each; Fuji or Granny Smith apples at 97-cents a pound; red bell papper, also 97-cents a pound and asparagus at $2.49 a pound.

If you are hungry for tri tip, head over to SaveMart where the Master Cut brand is $2.77 a pound. Another outstanding buy - but maybe a little too early in the season - is Master Cut whole frozen turkeys for $10 each. Whole Sunnyside Farms chickens are $1.19 a pound and sliced salami is $4.89 a pound. Other good buys include Sunnyside Farms sandwich bread 3/$5; Sunny Select drinking water $3.50 a case; Kellogg's cereal 3/$5 and Minute Maid drinks $1 a carton. In produce, Cherubs grape tomatoes are 2/$4; artisan lettuce is 2 bags/$4; tomatoes are $1.29 a pound; avocado is 4/$5 and raspberries are 2/$5.

And Vic's...different stores, different prices. If you shop Fulton Avenue, broccoli is 99 cents a bunch; large tomatoes are 99-cents a pound; paper towels are 69-cents a roll and top sirloin steaks are $3.99 a pound. At the South Land Park store, fresh broccoli is 79-cents a pound; grapes are 99-cents a pound; large tomatoes are 99-cents a pound; Arrowhead water is $3.49 a case and IGA-18 count large eggs are BOGO. Cooked cocktail prawns are $5.99 a pound. The Vic's in Folsom has the same items - again at slightly different prices. The broccoli is 99-cents a pound, the eggs are $2.99 for 18 but Iceberg lettuce is 99-cents a head and white peaches or nectarines are 99-cents a pound. Plus, there's a $2.99 coupon for a case of Arrowhead drinking water. Lemons are 2/$1 and limes are 4/$1. Pork spareribs are $1.97 a pound and the top sirloin steaks are $3.99 a pound. 

Don't forget to check back in the next day or so for new recipes.

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