SECOND CHANCE GROCERY NEWSLETTER          October 11, 2003

Whew!    
         It's been awhile since I've had the chance to write a newsletter, so please forgive me for the gap.  Life has slowed a fudge, so it's time to catch up on what's new down at Second Chance.  I won't try to squeeze it all into one newsletter, but will break it up into two editions. 
         For one thing, Lynn's back to receiving at least one shipment each week now.  The summer months were a lot slower, but now with school back in session, shipments are back to their regular pace.
         The Starkville Daily News did a feature on SCG several weeks ago, and we've seen a lot of new customers as a result.  Folks are driving over from Eupora and the surrounding area.  The economy in Webster County has really been suffering.  Mathiston alone has lost Red Kap, Wood College, and Mathiston Ford in the past two years.  With almost no industry left, and the job market looking very bleak, many Webster County folk are having to stretch dollars beyond their breaking point.  We're glad SCG helps them reduce their non-perishable grocery bills.

Who Would Want To Buy Bread Crumbs?
          I used to wonder about this.  My mom always made bread crumbs by crushing crackers or tearing bread into tiny pieces.  It was always a time consuming and somewhat messy process, leaving lots of little crumbs around to be swept up later.   When SCG got in lots of Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs, I ignored them as being "frivolous".  I've now changed my mind.
         I've figured out that a small can of bread crumbs is almost a staple for an active kitchen.  There's no messy crushing process, they don't seem to go stale, and they're invaluable for whipping together a neat meal at the last minute.
         The label suggests using the crumbs as breading for baked chicken (recipe is on the box), but I've never tried them that way.  What I've used the Progresso crumbs for is as a binder for meatloaf and Italian meatballs.  Both dishes are simple to make.

Italian Meatballs
1 lb. ground beef
Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs
black pepper
oregano
salt
olive oil (or vegetable oil)

         This is waaaayyyy simple.  Mix the ground beef, about a half cup of bread crumbs, a sprinkle of pepper, two sprinkles of oregano, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.  The bread crumbs contain onion powder, garlic, parsley, and other spices, so not much is needed in the way of extra spices.  The bread crumbs make the beef somewhat drier than it was before mixing it all up, so it's easier to handle.
         While 1/4 cup of olive oil heats on the medium setting in a large skillet or dutch oven, make balls out of the mixture, trying to be about 1" in diameter or slightly large.  Ease the meat balls in to the hot oil, and move them around gently as they brown.  When nicely browned all over, you can either remove them from the heat for use in a dish later, or you can just add spaghetti sauce to the skillet with the meatballs and olive oil.
         This is quick and easy, and possible only if you've got some bread crumbs on hand already.

Meat Loaf
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/2 bread crumbs
2 sticks celery, chopped
one onion, minced
1/8 cup A-1 Sauce

         Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, place in a greased casserole dish, and shape into a loaf.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.  Some like to coat the top of the loaf with ketchup as it bakes for the last 10 minutes.

         SCG also has other brands of bread crumbs in stock, flavored as well as plain.  The Progresso crumbs come in three sizes: 8 oz, 15 oz, and 24 oz.  The prices are, respectively, 25 cents, 50 cents, and 75 cents. 

Variety Tabasco Is The Spice Of Life
          Most of us grew up with a bottle of red Tabasco sauce in the kitchen cabinet.  Methodist preachers knew the average life span of a bottle of Tabasco sauce was about four moves, or about 12 years.  This was because Tabasco was HOT.  Well, our tastes seem to have changed, and a bottle of Tabasco doesn't last anywhere near that long these days. 
         A few years ago, Tabasco introduced a green jalapeno sauce, and I immediately decided this was (and still is) my favorite hot sauce.  It's nowhere near as hot as the red, and has a wonderful flavor.  It's the ideal sauce, IMHO, with more flavor than heat.
         Lynn has the regular red and the jalapeno green Tabasco sauce in stock for the basement price of $1.75 for the big (5 oz.) bottle. 

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
         SCG now has a load of Little Debbie Nutty Bars.  You know, the crunchy wafer bars with peanut butter, dipped in chocolate.  These are in date, and the box of 12 packages is only $2.00.  (That's six packs for a buck.  Three packs for 50 cents.  Cheap.  Way low.)  Customers tell us these are very fresh.

Some New Arrivals

Vlasic Deli Classics Sweet Pickle Slices, Tangy Dill, 16 oz. jar, $1.00
Green Pearls Manzanilla Olives (green olives with pimento), sliced, 6 oz. jar, 75 cents
A-1 Steak Sauce, the traditional 10 oz. brown bottle, $2.50
Progresso Creamy Tomato Soup, 19 oz. can, $1.00
The same Progresso soup but in Minestrone, Hearty Tomato, Tomato Rotini, Chicken Barley, or lentil, all big cans, all still $1.00

Seneca Apple Chips With Cinnamon
          My apologies.  I didn't write this in time for there to still be a big stock of these left, we're down to only about a dozen bags.  Lynn says these are GOOD, are going fast, and taste like sweet apples.  The bags are $1.00 each. 

Special Newsletter Deal
          We appreciate you letting us send you our newsletter from time to time.  For our subscribers, we've got a special deal during October.  If you like Kraft Real Mayonnaise, you can get the quart (32 oz.) jar for $1.00 instead of the usual $1.50.  Since we can't recognize subscribers from non-subscribers (we have our limits), just tell Lynn, Dave, or Ben you want the "newsletter deal" on the Kraft Real Mayonnaise, and you'll get the quart jars for just a buck.  There's no limit, either.  We won't mind if you stock up.

Weird Idea 
         I've been studying the package that the Kellogg's Stuffing mix comes in, and I'll tell you what I think.  I kept thinking the stuffing mix "sure looked like croutons", so I opened the bag, and sure enough..........  The contents of the bag will make GREAT salad croutons.  They're tiny cubes of dried, crispy bread, and they're lightly seasoned with five different herbs.  A 6 oz. bag is a lot of croutons, but the bag has a resealable zipper top, and it's only 75 cents a bag.
         I also found a recipe on the back for stuffed mushrooms (I love stuffed mushrooms), using a fourth of one bag.  The recipe is simple.  (*sigh*) I guess I've found another staple for the kitchen........

Recipes
         Kellogg's has a cool recipe page, with tons of good recipes.  These are also searchable by keyword, and even have nutritional information for each dish.  Folks who read labels, or Atkins dieters will really appreciate that.  The link is http://www.kelloggs.com/recipes

         Thanks for subscribing.  This letter is fun to prepare, and I like sharing what I learn.  Please drop by to visit, have a cup of coffee, and bring a friend.  Even if you're not shopping, please drop by to say hello.  We love visitors.

         "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good."  Romans 12:9


Second Chance Grocery, LLC
Remember, "Friends don't let friends overspend on groceries."
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