The Costco Haul – November/December 2013

The November haul was lighter than usual and consisted mainly of pantry re-stock items that I’ve shared in my previous Costco Haul posts.

But, December’s haul was another story.

I’m back with the goods, prices and all, from both shopping trips. In addition to my tried and true pantry staples, I tried a few new items that I was very pleased with and even did a little Christmas shopping. Let’s check it all out.

I got a double pack of these delicious Butternut Squash Ravioli in November and they ended up in my cart again in December. Delicious! I believe they are a seasonal item so grab some while you can. Tossed with a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese, they make the perfect side dish. They are excellent!

• Rana Butternut Squash Ravioli (2 pack) – $8.89

These Pumpkin Seed Tortilla Chips were a new item for us and we loved them. They are made with corn, pumpkin, and pumpkin seed and they have a great “grainy” texture with just a hint of spice.

• Mother’s Pumpkin Seed Tortilla Chips – $5.79

I’m thrilled that Costco carries this big container of pesto. If you’ve ever priced it out at the grocery store, you know that it’s pricey stuff. This is a great value and we love our pesto.

Milk. Need I say more?

• Basil Pesto (22 ounce container) – $7.99
• 2% Reduced Fat Milk (2 gallons) – $6.19

Help me. These Dark Chocolate Almond Cherry Clusters are incredible. Dark chocolate, almonds, and cherries are all good for us right? Right!

• Dark Chocolate Almond Cherry Clusters (2 pounds)  – $10.59

This is my favorite rice cracker mix in the entire universe. I cannot be around this stuff without doing some serious damage.

• Kirkland Rice Crackers with Nuts (3 pound bag) – $8.69

I was surprised at the price on this big 18 ounce package of fresh blackberries. Had to have them.

I love the convenience of peeled and chopped butternut squash. I’ll be making my Roasted Butternut Squash Soup in the near future.

• Blackberries (18 ounces) – $3.99
• Eat Smart Organic Butternut Squash (32 ounces) – $4.99

The Le Brea breads carried at Costo are great. These Demi Baguettes make great, crusty sandwich rolls.

• Le Brea Demi Baguettes (6-pack) – $4.99

Christmas is a comin’ and I’m ready with the appetizers. This assortment of Italian meats is great to have on hand to make your holiday appetizer trays a snap. Just add some assorted cheeses, crackers, and grapes for super classy and totally delicious party tray.

A log of this goat cheese is also easily transformed into a festive appetizer. Slice it into thirds, place the pieces on a serving tray and drizzle them with your choice of an assortment of toppings- honey, jalapeno jelly, homemade cranberry sauce, fig jam and toasted walnuts. Lots of possibilities here. I’ll use the rest on pizzas and in a roasted beet salad at our holiday meals.

• Citterio Italian Traditions Italian Meat Assortment (24 ounces) – $5.97
• Kirkland Goat Cheese (two 10.5 ounce logs) – $6.69

On to the meat department.

Canadian bacon is an excellent, lower fat, high protein choice for breakfast. This two pack is a great value. I keep one in the fridge and freeze the other for later.

• Jones Uncured Canadian Bacon (24 ounce two-pack/40 slices) – $10.89

I like to have a pork tenderloin or two in my freezer at all times. Why? Look HERE.

• Pork Tenderloin (5.27 pound total weight/two pack) – $3.69 per pound = $19.45

Costco is the only place I buy salmon when I’m feeding a lot of folks because they have these GREAT big salmon fillets for a great price. I like to serve it with my Creamy Dill Sauce on the side.

• Fresh Farmed Atlantic Salmon (2.64 pounds) – $8.99 per pound = $23.73

Beef tenderloin is incredibly tender and easy to prepare. It’s like buttah! Now, I don’t always go around spending this much on a cut of beef but I’m splurging for a nice holiday meal for our big family. At Costco you can buy them untrimmed or what they call “peeled” which means that the fat and connective tissue have been removed for you and there is no further prep needed before roasting. Of course, the peeled is pricier but after standing in front of the tenderloins for about 20 minutes doing mental math I chose to just go for it this year and grabbed this beauty. This was my gift to myself. The cost for a comparably sized untrimmed cut was about $15 less.

• Beef Loin Tenderloin-Peeled (4.49 pounds) – $20.99 per pound – $94.25

It was time to restock a couple of personal items. I hate to run out of these items and be forced to pay the much higher drug or grocery store prices for them so I try to keep spares on hand at all times. I love that the Lubriderm three pack comes with a smaller, travel sized bottle.

• Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (40 ounce two pack) – $17.49
• Lubriderm Daily Moisture (two 24 ounce/one 6 ounce) – $13.99

Costco always ups their selection of items that make great gifts at this time of year and I couldn’t pass this one up. Boy #1 was just telling me he needed a set of knives and next thing you know I ran into these beauties. It was meant to be. Henckels are exceptional quality knives and the price was just too good to pass up, hence, Boy #1 has new knives. I’m not spoiling the surprise. He’s opened his gift already since he’ll be out of town on Christmas Day.

• J.A. Henckels 10-Piece Forged Block Knife Set – $149.99

And, we wouldn’t want to forget Bruno and Bridget. I picked up this set of doggy toys that I know will go over like gangbusters. Ssshhhh, don’t tell them. They won’t be opening their gifts until Christmas morning. I bought a pack of these super durable toys last year and they outlasted all of the other stuffed dog toys we bought by a long run.

• Dinosaur Dog Toys – $17.99

Needless to say, my November/December total was quite a bit higher than other months through the year but this is the way things tend to go at this time of year. With Boy #4 home from college for the Christmas break and all the family we have coming and going through the new year, it’s nice to be stocked up and ready to feed the masses.

Happy shopping and Happy Holidays!