First let me say that sometimes, but not always, when I take pictures on my phone, they upload upside-down to my computer. I edit them to turn them right-side-up, and they appear as such here on my blog. But if you are a subscriber, you will see that they still appear upside-down in the newsletter. This is because I am a professional and always do things professionally.
Some of you are seeing this first picture right-side-up. Others of you are like, “Why are the peppers and avocados spilling out all over the grocery store? Who is going to clean that up? Why did Laura do that? This is not okay.”
That right-side-up-upside-down picture was taken on Friday when I was introduced to what may now be my favorite grocery store. A brand new Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market just opened up in Lincoln. Since Elias and I had doctor appointments there last week, we stopped in. I decided that this store is a cross between Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, with prices that beat both places. I filled my cart in a way that made the cashier question my sanity (what’s new?) and I left super pumped up.
“Elias!! Wasn’t that so much fun! That is my new favorite store! Didn’t you just love that!?!?!?”
He was like, “It was a store.”
Ok fine. Not everyone geeks out when grocery shopping. But 88¢ for huge and beautiful red peppers, people!!! Chicken for $1.57 a pound! Strawberries for $1.50!
The beauty of this is that while I don’t go to Lincoln very often, I can price-match this store’s produce prices weekly at my local Walmart. I am going to save so much money!
Elias and I hit Aldi while we were in Lincoln, then went to Fresh Thyme, then ran into Walmart when we got back into town. We are well stocked up now. Here’s the breakdown, but as you can see…
Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market was the most fun.
- Aldi – a case of organic salsa, 4 packages of brown sugar, 1 cantaloupe, and 8 cans of knock-off rotel
- Fresh Thyme – tons of butter, lots of chicken breasts and thighs, a beef roast, full-fat yogurt (a great treat I can’t find locally), 12 pounds of strawberries, 2 bunches of asparagus, 5 huge red peppers, 4 packages of organic prepped hashbrowns (because they were a great price and will be a fun treat), and 6 kiwi (for a dollar!)
- Walmart – 5 bottles of 100% apple juice (because I could Price-match them for 98¢ and like to have juice on hand for company/treats), 2 huge blocks of cheese, half-and-half, and 3 buckets of ice cream (not pictured) for our homeschool basketball banquet dinner.
Saturday I was actually home for the entire day – something that hasn’t happened in quite a while! I baked bread and got caught up on some work, made a menu plan, and had my kids help me grate one of those huge hunks of cheese in our food processor. Not that you were asking, but my two favorite ways to use my food processor are:
- Grate Cheese (It took about 10 minutes from start to clean-up to grate a 5-pound block.)
- Make Peanut Butter (I also make it this way sometimes to make it more spreadable.)
My kids do not miss grating cheese by hand.
This week we’ll be eating:
- Roast with carrots, potatoes, and gravy
- Real Food “Velveeta” Rotel Dip
- Spicy Mac-and-Cheese
- Homemade chicken strips and fries
- Easy Noodle Stir Fry with asparagus, carrots, broccoli, and zucchini
- Italian Grilled Chicken with grilled veggies
- BLT Chopped Salad
With all of this, we will be eating lots of strawberries and other fruit. I have plenty of different veggies and greens on hand. It’s shaping up to be a very tasty week!
Do you have a Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market close-by? I think they are fairly new, and I’m not sure where they build their stores. What is your favorite grocery store?
Oooooo…..so glad to hear this, because we have one opening near us soon. I was thinking it might be higher-priced than most places, since I thought it was part of an overpriced, statewide-only chain.
Hope the fabulous prices hold out and are not a opening gimmick only. (Getting cynical as I get older.) We desperately need a Tr. Joe’s closer than the current 40-mile round-trip one, so after seeing your review, I’m happy were getting a Fresh Thyme, too!
Just TWO bunches of asparagus?! At $.88/lb??? I price-matched six bunches. :)
Going to Fresh Thyme for the first time tomorrow. Thanks for the pix! Now I’m really excited!
I have never heard of this store but it sounds like a great place to shop. I am going to check it out to see where the closest one is. Favorite store for good prices is Aldi and it is fairly close. My next favorite is Meijer, which is a Great Lakes area super store. They have good prices and lots of fresh veggies and organics.
We do and it’s awesome! Hit every other “double ad Wednesday” and you get all the sales!
Fresh Thymes are no where near me; probably more than a whole day’s drive. Aldi’s about an hour away as is Trader Joe’s. They’re building a new Aldi right across the street from the Whole Foods so that should be handy.
I wondered if you’d made it into town to check it out yet – I thought of you when I saw the price on butter this week in the circular!! Although we do much of our shopping at Aldi and Super Saver, neither of them will ad match Fresh Thyme, so I’ve wandered in a few times for some of their incredible produce and meat deals since they’ve opened. My only question: will the deals stay this good? Or will their prices begin to creep up as the novelty wears off? Let’s cross our fingers!
Looks like the nearest location for me is over 2 hours away same as T.Joes, Whole Foods, and Costco. Aldi is “only” 45 minutes away. We have to grow as much as we can but in the winter months we have to go far and wide to get good real food! God always provides abundantly for us we are so thankful!
Yes! We have a Fresh Thyme in Fort Wayne, and it’s wonderful. I live outside of Fort Wayne, so don’t shop there regularly, but I really appreciate their organic/natural selections and the great sales.
Like Peggy, I also enjoy Meijer, which has a decent selection of good quality produce, etc.
What is my store doing wrong? It’s been open well over a year now and the few times I have gone for great advertised produce prices, I have been unhappy with the quality. Hmmm…….
aldi and meijers. only go to walmart 4 hubby tea
So excited to hear this! I, too, wondered if they’d be high priced while they were building. I will drive to Lincoln to check it out. I also made bread Saturday (2 regular, 2 cinnamon). Love your recipes and sense of humor ????
Favorite grocery store? HEB hands down. Any Texan would agree. : ) For a “health food” store, Sprouts. Never heard of Fresh Thyme, but it sounds a lot like Sprouts. Pretty much all I get there is items on their weekly sale ad. Which is sometimes quite a lot! I am spoiled that those two stores are on my way to my church/kid’s school, so I shop bright and early after I drop them off. : )
That is really great news. A Fresh Thyme is opening soon about 3 miles from me, which is closer than Trader Joes or Whole Foods. I will have a small Aldi near my place of employment in Omaha. Yippee!
LOVE, LOVE!! Fresh Thyme is my favorite place for produce and meat. I’ve had weekly OB appointments since Christmas, conveinently (wink, wink) scheduled on Thursdays which is the double ad day here. It is right across the street from my OB. Twice the sales prices!! Luckily there is another one close enough to be my regular store once I have baby.
Nice update! Love the pic of you and your hubby.
Fresh Thyme is a regional name for Sprouts, which is headquartered in Phoenix.
Sprouts is my favorite for produce due to their amazing sales and double ad days each week. Their meat & seafood sales are fantastic as well. Watch their sale prices for bulk bins and dry goods. They can be very competitive. Oh, and they have coupons in their monthly deals flyer! I scored organic kefir for $1.50/quart last week combining a bogo sale and $1/2 coupons. :)
What is the address in Lincoln?
5220 O St, Lincoln, NE 68510
Okay, I need to know how long the 12 lbs of strawberries keep well in your fridge, and how you do it. I realize you eat them quickly, but do you eat them all within 2 days? Day 3 and 4 strawberries definitely aren’t the best anymore in my house. Do you rinse them with apple cider water right away? Or what? Thanks love your notes. Also, love that your pizza looks like mine, with each person getting a section according to what they will eat!
We usually eat them within about 5 days, but I find that the best way to keep them is to not wash them until we are ready to eat them. Otherwise they get slimy right away!
I haven’t been to fresh thyme yet but I have heard it’s good. Aldi in Lincoln just started selling organic full fat yogurt and it’s good. :)
Sounds like a wonderful store. I am so jealous. I live near a midsize town in the northwest, and we do not have anything like this. There is no Trader Joe’s, no Whole Foods and no Aldis. Since Albertsons bought Safeway my grocery store choices have really dwindled. Albertson/Safeway ads are the same so that leaves me with three other stores besides Walmart and Costco. They are all small regional or local chain stores and the best one is an hour away. I don’t like the nearest Walmart as it is difficult to get in and out of the parking lot so don’t shop there. I mostly shop at Safeway with my “Just for You” coupons and go to the two local stores for ad items. I did rejoin Costco when there was an internet special this spring and have been there a couple of times recently as their rotisserie chicken price is the best in town by far.
I know this is an older post but I live in a location which one of the first few Fresh Thymes were built and it has been open for around 2 years. I can honestly say the deals are just as good 2 years later as they were in the first few ads. Their produce sale prices are unreal! We love to go for Double Ad Wednesday!
I love Fresh Thyme. :) Double Ad Wednesday is the best. Ours is about 20-25 minutes away, but traffic, etc., makes it seem much farther. Still, they have really good produce prices!