Laura's pie!

Sorry, no bargains this week as there are no grocery flyers on Thanksgiving eve!  But to tide us all over until next week, I offer the gem of a recipe Laura presented at tonight's meeting:

Crustless, Sugarfree Pumpkin Pie!

1 1/3 cups Splenda
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 extra large egg whites
1 15 oz can pure pumpkin
1 1/4 cups 1% milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220º C).

Combine Splenda, cornstarch, spices, and salt in a small bowl.  Beat egg whites lightly in a large mixing bowl.  Stir in pumpkin and Splenda mixture.  Gradually stir in milk.

Pour into a 9" pie plate sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Place in center of preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF (175ºC) and bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.  Cool and serve immediately or refrigerate.

The whole pie equals 4 Points.

I repeat that.

The whole pie equals 4 points.

Enjoy.  Thank you, Laura.

And happy Thanksgiving, all!

Wren's bargain guide, fortnight beginning November 20th:

Fooducate's got a list of ways to reduce your reliance on salt and sugar.  An interesting tip is to eat regularly:  don't let yourself get so ravenous you make a desperate leap for those dangerous salt/sugar/fat combinations!  Also tips for making your grocery shopping both healthy and affordable, and a super-easy butternut squash recipe.  At The New Yorker, a video about how they turn cheese into powder.  Summer Tomato has a bit on cooking for one.  And from Lifehacker, a beginning-cook's guide to the basic language of cooking!  (What's the difference between broiling and baking?  How can you tell a chop from a dice from a mince?  A pinch from a dash from a smidgen?)

Recipes!  Chow.com has Hanukkah recipes, “Thanksgivukkah” recipes, Thanksgiving for beginners or non-cooks, a video of easy fixes for Thanksgiving-dinner emergencies (sweet potato marshmallow casserole ON FIRE!), and nineteen recipes for a “Vegetarian Thanksgiving menu” that will also serve to fill out an ordinary table:  they've got DIY tofurkey, but also a marshmallowless sweet potato dish and acorn squash with wild-rice stuffing that looks absolutely devastating.

More recipes!  From Simply Recipes, a Brussels-sprout gratinée and how to cut and de-seed a pomegranate.  Smitten Kitchen is piling on the autumnal recipes:  cauliflower with brown-butter crumbs, apple-herb stuffing (“I think if you're limiting your stuffing consumption to a single day in November, you are missing out”), green-bean casserole, and a mini-review of Sam Sifton's cookbook, Thanksgiving:  How To Cook It Well.  (“You can go your whole life and then wake up one morning and look in the refrigerator at this animal carcass the size of a toddler and think: I have to cook that today.”)  And Snack Girl offers a vegan stuffing loaded with mushrooms, an assortment of “lighter dishes that don't taste light” for the holiday table, turkey roasting bags, a review of Egg Beaters, and the recommendation, “First rule of Thanksgiving:  relax.  How many days off a year do you get?”

Tomorrow is National Stuffing Day.  (Noun, not verb!)  Friday is National Sardines Day:  good for you, loaded with calcium, and they don't accumulate mercury or other heavy metals the way big fish do.  We're heading into December, National Fruitcake Month and National Eggnog Month;  the first week of December is National Cookie Cutter Week.  And the day after tomorrow is Alice's Restaurant Massacree Day.




November 20th:  National Peanut Butter Fudge Day
November 21st:  National Stuffing Day
November 22nd:  National Cranberry Relish Day
November 23rd:  National Cashew Day, National Eat A Cranberry Day
November 24th:  National Espresso Day, National Sardine Day
November 25th:  National Parfait Day
November 26th:  National Cake Day
November 27th:  National Bavarian Cream Pie Day
November 28th:  Thanksgiving Day, first day of Hanukkah, National French Toast Day
November 29th:  National Chocolates Day (not to be confused with National Chocolate Day)
November 30th:  National Mousse Day
December 1st:  National Pie Day, National Eat A Red Apple Day
December 2nd:  National Fritters Day
December 3rd:  National Ice-Cream Box Day
December 4th:  National Cookie Day


Editing to add Connie's Meringue Madness.  Thank you so much, Connie!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Lessons learned that you should know before you start!

1. Eggs crack and separate better cold but egg whites need to be at room temp to whip
2. Carton egg whites are perfect
3. Make doubly sure that beaters and large mixing bowl and measuring cup are glass or stainless and TOTALLY IMMACULATE!
4. DO NOT USE PLASTIC it harbors traces of fat and fat is a mortal enemy of Meringues
5. Bake on Parchment Lined pans and when cool the cookies come right off and you can flip the paper and bake more!
6. Bake in a very slow oven 250 to 275 for 20 to 30 minutes then shut off the oven and turn on the light they can stay there for a long time even 24 hours!
7. Experiment with your favorite flavors! The ones I shared with you last week had 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract and the zest from 1 lemon mixed in once the whipping was about done. Another good one is a rounded tsp of cocoa and 1/2 tsp of instant coffee powder. Peppermint Extract or finely crushed Candy Cane is tasty as is Orange Extract and Cocoa. Even chopped nuts and Mini-Chocolate Chips. YOUR CHOICE!
8. You can lightly brown them or keep them pure white or add a single drop or two of Food Color to match the flavorings.
9. It takes a long time to whip them and a blender or food processor DOES NOT WORK!
10. Cream of Tartar keeps them stable, fluffy and light.
11. A tiny bit of salt improves the recipes think a very small pinch.
12. Splenda can be substituted for sugar in any Meringue Recipe!
13. Make them whatever size you want by using 2 teaspoons, a pastry bag or my favorite plastic bag with tiny corner cut off.
14. They are actually easy to make if you understand the info above!

1st Recipe is with Splenda
 
Nutrition Information
NUTRITION FACTS
Servings Per Recipe: 36
Serving Size: 1 cookie

Amount Per Serving
    
Calories:
    35
Calories from Fat:
    15
Total Fat:
    2g
Saturated Fat:
    0.5g
Cholesterol:
    0mg
Sodium:
    5mg
Total Carbs:
    4g
Dietary Fiber:
    0g
Sugars:
    4g
Protein:
    1g

DIRECTIONS

    Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
    Bake walnuts in a shallow pan, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until toasted. Set aside.
    Beat egg whites and vanilla at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy then add cream of tartar.
    Add SPLENDA® Sugar Blend, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form; stir in walnuts and chocolate morsels.
    Spoon rounded teaspoons of mixture on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
    Bake 15 minutes. Drop oven temperature to 200 degrees F. Bake for one hour and 45 minutes. Cool slightly on cookie sheet. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight tin.

INGREDIENTS

    1/2 cup chopped walnuts
    2 egg whites
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/2 cup SPLENDA® Sugar Blend
    1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
    1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

************************************************************************************************************************************************
2nd Recipe Pick YOUR Flavor


Ingredients:
Meringue Cookies Recipe:
3 large egg whites (3 ounces or 90 grams)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup (150 grams) superfine or caster sugar (if you don't have superfine sugar simply take granulated white sugar and process it for about 30-60 seconds in a food processor)
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Garnish:
1/4 cup shaved Almonds

Instructions:
Meringue Cookies: Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can form the cookies with a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) plain tip, or I often just use two spoons to make the cookies.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat, on medium-high speed, until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Note: The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks and when you rub a little between your thumb and index finger it does not feel gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers.
Before placing the cookies on the cookie sheet, place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper. This will prevent the paper from sliding. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) tip. Pipe 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) rounds of meringue in rows on the prepared baking sheet. Alternatively, spoon mounds of meringue, using two spoons, onto the prepared sheets. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a few shaved almonds, if desired.
Bake the meringues for approximately 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking. The meringues are done when they are pale in color and fairly crisp. (The meringues will release easily from the parchment paper.) Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying several hours or overnight. The meringues can be covered and stored at room temperature for several days.
Makes about 10 - 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) meringues

People love them so plan to share!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Albertson's:

    “We will match the price on our Premium (Frozen Grade A) Honeysuckle White Turkey to the lowest advertised Frozen Turkey Price offered by Fry's, Safeway, Bashas'.”
    Beef NY Strip holiday roast, bone in, “whole” $3.99/lb, “any size” $4.99/lb
    Beef standing rib roast, whole, $6.99/lb
    Beef chuck/crossrib/bottom round roast or family pack steaks, boneless, $3.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, $2.97/lb
    Hormel “Cure 81” spiral cut ham, bone in, $1.79/lb
    Hormel “Cure 81” unsliced half hams, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Cook's hams, bone in, shank portion, $1.47/lb (butt portion 20¢/lb higher)
    Kentucky Farms spiral cut hams, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Honeysuckle White frozen turkeys, 79¢/lb with $25 purchase
    Honeysuckle White frozen turkey breast, $1.57/lb
    Jennie-O fresh turkeys, 12-22 lb, $1.69/lb
    Butterball fresh turkeys, 12-22 lb, $1.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms whole roasting chickens, $1.49/lb
    Oysters, 8 oz jars, $4.99/lb
    Sea scallops, 10-20 ct, $9.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon OR catfish fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Albertson's eggs, AA large, 18 ct, $1.88
    Challenge butter, $1.88
    Shedd's Country Crock spread, 45 oz tubs, $2.99 ea when you buy 2
    Dietz & Watson presliced cheeses, 7-8 oz pkg, $4.99
    Black Creek aged cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk, $3.99/lb
    Deli:    Signature turkey breast, roast beef, “double honey” ham”, $6.99/lb
        All Dietz & Watson ham, turkey, chicken breast, cheeses, $7.99/lb
    Green Giant Le Seuer peas, 15 oz cans, 4/$5
    Mezzetta pasta sauces, 24-25 oz jars, $4.99
    Pam cooking spray, 5-6 oz cans, 2/$4
    Libby's canned pumpkin, 15 oz cans, $1.99
    Princella or Bruce's yams, 29 oz cans, 3/$5
    Green Giant “Steamables” frozen veg, 10 oz bags, 88¢
    Green Giant “Valley Fresh Steamers”, 12 oz, OR boil-in-bag veggies, 9-10 oz, 3/$5
    PictSweet frozen veg, 14-16 oz cans, 88¢
    Rome or Granny Smith apples, 99¢/lb
    “Cuties” clementines, 3 lb bag, $3.99
    Navel oranges, $1.29/lb
    Bartlett or Anjou pears, $1.29/lb
    POM Wonderful pomegranates, 2/$5
    Russet potatoes, 10 lb bag, 97¢
    Red bell peppers, 2/$3
    Celery, 99¢ ea
    Winter squashes, acorn/butternut/spaghetti, 99¢/lb
    Yams or sweet potatoes, 99¢/lb


Bashas':

    Beef sirloin tip roast, $2.57/lb
    Beef crossrib or top/bottom/eye round roasts, $3.99/lb
    Beef standing rib roast, large end, $6.99/lb
    Beef t-bone steaks, value pack, $4.99/lb
    Ground beef sirloin, fat content not listed, value pack, $2.57/lb
    Cook's hams, shank portion, apparently bone in, 99¢/lb (butt portion, 40¢/lb higher)
    John Morrell spiral sliced ham, $1.99/lb
    Hormel Cure 81 hams, half/whole/quarter, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Hormel spiral sliced ham, $1.99/lb
    Norbest turkeys, tom or hen, 10-22 lb, 79¢/lb
    Jennie-O tom turkeys, 20-22 lb, 79¢/lb with $25 purchase
    Jennie-O fresh turkeys, tom or hen, $1.79/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Thresher shark fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Oysters, 8 oz jar, $3.99
    Bashas' milk, gallons, $1.87
    Challenge butter, $1.99
    Philadelphia OR Challenge cream cheese, 8 oz block, 4/$5
    Kraft “Cracker Barrel” cheeses, 8 oz blocks, $2.99
    Nature's Own “100% Whole Wheat” bread, 20 oz long loaves, $2.49
    Libby's pumpkin, 29 oz cans, $2.99
    Libby's veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 5/$3
    Flav-R-Pac frozen veggies, 12-16 oz bags, 77¢
    C&W or Birds Eye veggies, 10-16 oz pkg, 5/$10
    Russet potatoes, 10 lb bag, 87¢/lb
    Red or black seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
    Apples, Fuji/Granny Smith/Red Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Red or orange yams, 77¢/lb
    Green beans, 77¢/lb
    Organic winter squashes, acorn/butternut/spaghetti, 99¢/lb
    “Baby peeled” carrots, 1 lb bag, 99¢


Fry's:

    Beef “holiday roast” or NY strip steaks, bone in, family pack, $4.77/lb
    Beef rib roast, bone in, $5.99/lb
    Cook's unsliced ham, bone in, shank half, $1.47 (butt half 20¢/lb higher)
    Cook's spiral sliced ham, bone in, $1.67/lb
    Kroger boneless whole or half hams, $2.79
    Private Selection OR Hormel Cure 81 spiral sliced hams, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Hormel Cure 81 unsliced boneless hams, $2.99/lb
    Kroger frozen turkeys, 10 lbs and up, 79¢/lb with $25 purchase (limit 1)
    Foster Farms fresh turkeys, 10 lbs and up, $1.69/lb
    Honeysuckle frozen turkey breast, bone in, $1.49/lb
    Private Selection frozen turkeys, 99¢/lb
    Butterball frozen turkeys, 10 lbs and up, $1.49/lb
    Butterball fresh turkeys, 10 lbs and up, $1.99/lb
    Simple Truth fresh turkeys, “select sizes”, $1.99/lb
    Jennie-O fresh turkey breast, $2.60/lb
    Tyson boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, $1.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Kroger butter, $1.99
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.79
    Kroger veggies, 11-15 oz cans, 5/$3
    Bruce's yams, 29 oz cans, 2/$4
    Kroger frozen veg, 10-12 oz bags, 67¢
    C&W OR Birds Eye OR Green Giant frozen veg, 10-16 oz bags, $1.99
    Navel oranges, 77¢/lb
    “Halos” clementines, 3 lb bag, $4.99
    Whole pineapples, 2/$5
    POM Wonderful pomegranates, 2/$5
    Apples, Gala/Granny Smith/Cameo/Fuji, 99¢/lb
    Bartlett pears, 99¢/lb
    Russet potatoes, 5 lb bag, 69¢
    Red or gold yams OR sweet potatoes, 79¢/lb
    Red or yellow bell peppers, 99¢ ea
    “Mini peeled” carrots, 1 lb bag, 99¢
    Organic winter squashes, acorn/butternut/spaghetti, 99¢/lb


Safeway:

    Beef ribeye, bone in, whole in bag, $4.99/lb (roast or steaks, value pack, $1/lb higher)
    Beef round tip roast, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Beef chuck pot roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef NY strip steak or roast, boneless, value pack, $5.99/lb
    Safeway smoked ham, bone in, shank half, $1.69/lb (butt half 20¢/lb higher)
    Safeway spiral sliced half ham, $2.29/lb
    Whole pork shoulder, bone in, whole in bag, $1.49/lb
    Half pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.99/lb
    Safeway frozen turkeys, 8-24 lb, 79¢/lb with $25 purchase
    Butterball frozen turkeys, 10-24 lb, 99¢/lb with $50 purchase
    Safeway frozen turkeys, 8-16 lb, free with $100 purchase
    Safeway frozen turkeys, 8-24 lb, free with $150 purchase
    Butterball fresh turkeys, 10-24 lb, $1.79/lb
    Open Nature fresh free-range turkeys, 9-20 lb, $1.79/lb
    Jennie-O ground turkey, 20 oz pkg, $5
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $5/lb
    Lucerne cream cheese, 8 oz brick, 4/$5
    Daisy sour cream incl. Light, 16 oz tubs, $1.99
    Healthy Choice “Baked” frozen entrées, 5/$10
    Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    S&W variety (non-baked) beans, 15 oz cans, 5/$5
    Safeway Kitchens tomatoes or tomato sauce, 14-15 oz cans, 79¢
    Mezzetta pasta sauces, 24-25 oz jars, buy 1 get 1 free
    Bertolli olive oil, 25 oz bottles, buy 1 get 1 free
    Birds Eye “Steamfresh” or C&W frozen veggies, 10-16 oz, buy 2 get 2 free
    O Organics frozen veg, 1 lb bags, $2.49
    “Cuties” clementines, 5 lb box, $4.99
    Red seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
    Fuji or Gala apples, $1.99/lb
    Navel oranges, $1.49/lb
    Vine or slicing tomatoes, $2.49/lb
    Red or orange yams, 79¢/lb


Sprouts:

    Beef standing rib roast, “Presidential cut”, bone in, $9.99/lb
    Beef sirloin tip roast or steak, $4.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Sprouts fresh “all natural” turkeys, 10-24 lb, $1.49/lb
    Fresh turkey breast, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Whole or cut up chickens, $1.59/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $1.77/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Napa Valley olive oil, 750 ml (~25 oz) bottles, $9.99
    Muir Glen tomatoes, 14-15 oz cans, 2/$3
    Better than Bouillon soup base, 8 oz jars, $3.99
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $1.98/lb
    Organic “mini seedless” watermelons, $1.98 ea
    Navel oranges, 3 lbs/$1
    Granny Smith or Jonagold apples, 88¢/lb
    Comice or D'Anjou pears, 88¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 88¢

Wren's bargain guide, week beginning November 13th:

Fooducate has a set of tips on portion control:  most of them we've run across before, but a reminder is always handy.  They also provide a guide to USDA beef grading:  what's the difference between “choice” and “select”?  With Thanksgiving coming up, Darya Rose puts forward the notion that food's greatest health benefit is social connection, and that “a shared meal with real conversations” is a self-reinforcing habit.  And per Grist, “Salt & Straw”, an ice-cream shop in Portland, Oregon, has introduced five limited-edition Thanksgiving flavors:  salted caramel Thanksgiving turkey (“turkey fat caramel ice-cream with fried turkey skin brittle”), mincemeat (“a heady punch of brandy-soaked fruits with an aggressively spiced ice cream base”), apple cranberry stuffing, sweet potato and candied pecan, and pumpkin custard and spiced chevre.  They mail order!

Recipes!  Chow.com has a stack of recipes for latkes (including celery-root and sweet-potato variants) and sufganiyot (traditional, marshmallow stuffed, apple cider, and orange-pumpkin buttercream).  Also an “Essential Guide to Thanksgiving”, a green bean casserole that's actually worth eating (“Thanksgiving is the one time of year I eat green bean casserole, so if I’m going to spend hours preparing the rest of the meal, this dish has to measure up to the other sides on the table, not come out of cans”), seven cranberry sauce recipes, and a butternut-squash polenta lasagna that should nicely fill out the Thanksgiving table for your vegetarian family members.  Smitten Kitchen has “perfect, uncluttered chicken stock”;  from Simply Recipes we have an intriguing combination, broccoli apple soup.  And Snack Girl has a very basic roasted turkey breast, DIY peppermint mocha, and a banana bread made with buttermilk instead of butter!

Tomorrow is National Pickle Day (PointsPlus-free) and National Guacamole Day (not);  the day after is Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day.  The 17th is National Homemade Bread Day, I may give it a try.


November 13th:  National Indian Pudding Day
November 14th:  National Pickle Day, National Guacamole Day;  1863, birth of Leo Hendrik Baekeland, inventor of Bakelite (telephones used to be made out of it;  so did jewelry, in the 1930s;  the handles on Revere Ware pans still are)
November 15th:  Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day, National Raisin Bran Day
November 16th:  National Fast Food Day
November 17th:  Homemade Bread Day, National Baklava Day
November 18th:  National Vichyssoise Day
November 19th:  Carbonated Beverages With Caffeine Day
November 20th:  National Peanut Butter Fudge Day, Beaujolais Nouveau Day


Albertson's:

    Beef t-bone or New York steaks, bone in, $5.97/lb
    Beef roasts or family pack steaks: chuck, crossrib, eye/bottom round, sirloin tip, buy 1 get 1
    Beef top sirloin steak OR tri tip roast, boneless, $4.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $2.79/lb
    93/7 ground beef, $2.97/lb
    Assorted pork chops OR country style ribs, bone in, $1.79/lb
    Pork shoulder roast, $1.99/lb
    Pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.97/lb
    Hormel “Cure 81” spiral cut hams, bone in, $1.99/lb
    American Chef hickory or brown sugar hams, bone in, 4 lbs, $19.99, buy 1 get 1 free
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.99/lb
    Honeysuckle White turkey breast, bone in, $1.79/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.87
    Land O Lakes butter, 2/$5
    Albertson's eggs, AA large, 18 ct, $1.88
    Tillamook cheeses, 8 oz chunk/shreds/shingle, 2/$6
    Deli:    Dietz & Watson ham, turkey, chicken breast, $7.99/lb
        Deli Fresh hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $5.99/lb
        Deli Fresh Provolone/Muenster/pepperjack/mild Cheddar, $5.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson cheeses, $7.99/lb
    Libby's veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 2/$1
    Birds Eye “Steamfresh” veg, 10-12 oz bags, 88¢
    Morningstar Farms meatless entrées, 2/$7
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrées, 4/$10
    Gala apples, $1.99/lb
    Honeycrisp apples, $2.99/lb
    Red grapefruit, $1.49/lb
    “Cuties” clementines, 3 lb bag, $2.99
    Pomegranates, 2/$4
    Slicing tomatoes, $1.69/lb
    Hass avocados, large, 4/$
    Summer squashes, zucchini/yellow/grey, $1.49/lb
    Beets, $1.49/bunch
    Rappini, 2 bunches/$3
    Red bell peppers, 2/$3


Bashas':

    Beef crossrib roast, boneless, $2.49/lb
    Ground beef chuck, fat content not listed, value pack, $2.49/lb
    Pork chops, boneless, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork shoulder roast, whole in bag, $1.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.59/lb
    Steelhead fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Swai fillets, $2.99/lb
    Food Club butter, $1.99
    Kraft cheeses, 7-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.99
    Food Club cream cheese, 8 oz block, 4/$5
    Bush's variety (non-baked) beans, 15-16 oz cans, 99¢
    Hunt's tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 99¢
    Veg-all canned mixed veg, 14-15 oz cans, 59¢
    Del Monte fruit, 14-15 oz cans, $1.39
    Apples:  Gala, Fuji, Red/Golden Delicious, 77¢/lb
    Pears:  Bartlett, Anjou, Bosc, 77¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 77¢/lb


Fry's:

    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, buy 1 get 2 free
    Beef t-bone or NY strip steak, bone in, $6.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $3.99/lb
    Pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.99/lb
    Cook's ham, bone in, shank half, $1.47/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.67/lb
    Kroger frozen turkeys, 10-20 lb, 79¢/lb
    Swai fillets, $2.99/lb
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised $6.99/lb
    Coho salmon fillets, farm raised, $8.99/lb
    Fry's eggs, AA large, 18 ct, $1.67
    Apples:  Gala, Granny Smith, Red/Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Bartlett pears, 99¢/lb (organic, 50¢/lb higher)
    “Halos” clementines, 3 lb bag, $4.99
    Honeycrisp apples, $1.99/lb
    Blackberries, 6 oz box, 99¢
    Organic seedless grapes, green or red, $2.99/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR iceberg, 99¢ ea


Safeway:

    Beef NY strip steak, bone in, value pack, $4.99/lb
    Beef chuck 7-bone pot roast, bone in, $2.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork loin assorted chops, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Safeway smoked half hams, bone in, shank half, $1.69/lb (rump half 20¢/lb higher)
    Safeway spiral sliced half ham, bone in, $2.29/lb
    Hormel “Cure 81” half ham, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Chicken breast/drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, value pack, 99¢/lb
    Jennie-O ground turkey breast, 20 oz pkg, $6.49
    Safeway frozen turkeys, 8-22 lb, 79¢/lb with $25 purchase
    Butterball frozen turkeys, 10-22 lb, 99¢/lb with $50 purchase
    Honeysuckle White turkey breast, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Tyson Cornish game hens, twin pack, $1.99/lb
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $8.99/lb
    Sargento cheeses, 6-8 oz shingle pack, 2/$6
    Lucerne OR Open Nature cheeses, 24-32 oz shreds, $6.99
    Mezzeta pasta sauces, 24-25 oz jars, buy 1 get 1 free
    Safeway Select olive oil, 25 oz bottles, buy 1 get 1 free
    Birds Eye “Steamfresh” or C&W veggies, 10-16 oz bags, buy 2 get 2 free
    Honeycrisp apples, $1.99/lb
    Envy apples, $1.49/lb
    Fuji or Gala apples, $1.99/lb
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.99/lb
    Navel oranges, $1.49/lb
    Mangos, 10/$10
    Vine or hothouse tomatoes, $2.49/lb
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 2/$4
    Organic winter squashes, “selected varieties”, 99¢/lb



Sprouts:

    Beef NY steaks, boneless, $9.99/lb
    Beef chuck roast or steak, boneless, $4.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef sirloin, $4.99/lb
    Pork loin chops or roast, center cut boneless, $1.99/lb
    Alaskan Coho salmon fillets, wild caught, $8.99/lb
    Cherrystone clams, $1.99/lb
    Black mussels OR littleneck clams, $3.99/lb
    4 oz lobster tails, wild caught, $6.99
    Seedless grapes, green or red, $1.48/lb
    Gala apples, 88¢/lb
    Bartlett pears, 88¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 88¢/lb
    Texas grapefruit, 88¢ ea
    Whole seedless watermelon, 4 lbs/$1
    Organic Bartlett/d'Anjou/Bosc pears, $1.49/lb
    Organic Gala/Granny Smith/Red Delicious apples, 3 lb bag, $2.99
    Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Asparagus, $1.88/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green or red, OR spinach, 88¢/bunch
    Cucumbers, 2/$1
    Eggplant, 88¢ ea
    Summer squashes, Italian/yellow/grey, 88¢/lb

Wren's bargain guide, week beginning November 6th:

Fooducate has an article analyzing smoothies – not just particular smoothies, but the entire concept.  Are they really good for you?  The upside:  lots of fresh fruit and veggies.  The downside:  that's a lot of calories to be taking onboard in a very short time.  How long would it take, and how much more satified would you feel, if you ate those fruits and veg rather than drinking them?

Kraft's specialty macaroni-and-cheese dinners – not all, only those in novelty shapes marketed to kids – will as of next year carry more whole grain and be artificial-dye-free, colored with paprika and turmeric rather than Yellow 5 and Yellow 6.  Grist has a brief rundown on exactly what “natural flavor” means on an ingredients list, and a new ice-cream that glows in the dark when you lick it.  No mention of the taste.  As I like to say, they're your PointsPlus to spend.  Your £140 (US$225)/scoop, as well.

Recipes!  Chow.com has twenty-two different ways with Thanksgiving turkey and gravy, from bourbon to butterflying, roasting the breast while making confit of the legs, and God help us a turkey cake.  Honest.  Two layers of basically turkey meatloaf, baked in cake pans, one of stuffing.  Frost the layers and sides with mashed potato, top with sweet potatoes and marshmallows.  “This dish is not recommended for people who require an inch of space between food groups.”  Also ginger sweet potatoes, a salad of mustard greens with an anchovy dressing, and a pile of stew recipes to tide you over until Thanksgiving.

More recipes!  Summer Tomato has an egg-and-avocado scramble for breakfast and roasted delicata squash for supper.  Simply Recipes has a sopa seca de fideo with tomatillos, and Smitten Kitchen some truly delicious-looking spinach egg minipizzas.  And Snack Girl has Asian chicken-noodle soup, vegan snacks, and God help us a broccoli bouquet.

The annual inundation of This Is The Best Place To Buy Your Turkey promotions has begun.

The 9th is National Scrapple Day.  Also National Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day,.  Next Tuesday is National Pizza With Everything (Except Anchovies) Day.  And Sunday, the 10th, is the first day of National Split-Pea Soup Week. 

November 6th:  National Nachos Day, American Heart Association National Healthy Eating Day
November 7th:  Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day, National Men Make Dinner Day
November 8th:  National Harvey Wallbanger Day
November 9th:  National Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day, National Scrapple Day (I do not recommend leaving the scrapple out on the counter until it is bold and pungent, but some people consider food poisoning an adventure)
November 10th:  National Vanilla Cupcake Day
November 11th:  National Sundae Day
November 12th:  National Pizza With Everything (Except Anchovies) Day
November 13th:  National Indian Pudding Day;  feast of St. Diego Alcala, patron of cooks


Albertson's:

    Honeysuckle White frozen turkeys:  match price at Fry's, Safeway, Bashas'
    Spend $100 in a trip, get a free Honeysuckle White turkey (under 16 lbs)
    Spend $150 in a trip, get a free Honeysuckle White turkey (up to 24 lbs)
    Beef chuck/crossrib/bottom round roast or steaks, boneless, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef t-bone or New York steaks, bone in, $8.99/lb
    Pork loin back ribs, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 3 free
    Assorted pork chops OR country-style ribs, $3.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Hormel Cure 81 spiral cut hams, bone in, $1.99/lb
    American chef boneless hams, 4 lb, $19.99, buy 1 get 1 free
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.77/lb
    Sanderson Farms whole roasting chickens, $1.49/lb
    Butterball frozen turkeys, $1.49/lb
    Honeysuckle frozen turkey breast, $1.79/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Rockfish OR Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.87
    Sargento cheeses, 5-8 oz shreds, 2/$5
    Deli:    Jennie-O oven roasted turkey breast, $3.99/lb
        Signature Virginia smoked ham, $3.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson turkey, ham, chicken breast, $7.99/lb
        Charlie's Pride Italian beef/corned beef/beef pastrami, $6.99/lb
        Stella Swiss/Provolone/Muenster cheeses, $6.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson cheeses, $7.99/lb
    Hunt's pasta sauces, 24 oz cans, $1
    Hunt's tomatoes, 14 oz cans, $1
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10 oz cans, $1
    Del Monte veggies, 11-15 oz cans, $1
    Del Monte fruit, 14-15 oz cans, 2/$3
    Essential Everyday tomatoes or variety (non-baked) beans, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Essential Everyday olive oil, 25 oz bottles, $4.99
    Wild Harvest olive oil, 17 oz bottles, $4.99
    Dole pineapple, 20 oz cans, $1
    Apples, Fuji/Granny Smith/Red Delicious, 77¢/lb
    Bartlett pears, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 3 lb bag, $3.99
    Slicing tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Kale, 99¢/bunch
    Red bell peppers, 2/$3
    White or yellow onions, 3 lb bag, $1.98


Bashas':

    Norbest frozen turkeys:  matching prices at Fry's, Albertson's, Safeway (w/ $25 purchase)
    Beef top sirloin steak OR tri tip roast OR London broil, $3.47/lb
    Beef sirloin tip roast, $2.87/lb (steaks, $4.49/lb)
    Beef sirloin steaks, boneless, $4.77/lb
    Ground beef sirloin, fat content not listed, $2.87/lb
    Pork loin country style, bone in, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Pork loin roast, boneless, $3.49/lb
    Pork chops, boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    Chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, $1.19/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb
    Thresher shark, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Mahi mahi fillets, $5.99/lb
    Rainbow trout, dressed, $3.99/lb
    Sea scallops, wild caught, $10.99/lb
    Bashas' milk, gallons, $1.87
    Bashas' cottage cheese, 16 oz tubs, $1.59
    Bashas' sour cream, 16 oz tubs, $1.29
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10 oz cans, 99¢/lb
    Food Club fruit, 15 oz cans, 99¢/lb
    S&W variety (non-baked) beans, 15 oz cans, 79¢
    Pictsweet frozen veg, 10-12 oz bags, 2/$3
    Gala or Red Delicious apples, 99¢/lb
    Pears, Bartlett/Anjou/Bosc, 99¢/lb
    Summer squashes, zucchini/yellow/grey, 99¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green or red, 99¢ ea


Fry's:

    Kroger frozen turkeys:  match price at Safeway, Bashas', Albertson's
    Beef ribeye or NY strip steak, bone in, 50% off
    85/15 ground beef, $2.99/lb (3 lb chub)
    Pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.99/lb
    Pork loin center chops, boneless, family pack, $3.99/lb
    Chicken thighs or drumsticks, bone in, 99¢/lb
    Kroger frozen turkeys, 16-20 lb, 79¢/lb
    Tyson boneless skinless chicken breast, 2 lb IQF bag, $7.47
    Kroger 85/15 ground turkey, 1 lb pkg, $3.29
    Atlantic salmon fillets, $7.99/lb
    Kroger cheeses, 12-16 oz chunk or shreds, $2.99
    Kroger frozen veg, 12-16 oz bags, 10/$10
    Weight Watchers frozen chicken breast or patties, 30-32 oz boxes, $7.99
    Honeycrisp apples, $1.27/lb
    Gala, Granny Smith, Red/Golden Delicious apples, 99¢/lb
    Bartlett pears, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Pomegranates, 2/$4
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Zucchini OR yellow squash, 99¢/lb
    “Mini peeled” carrots, 1 lb bag, 99¢
    Organic kale, 2 bunches/$4


Safeway:

    Safeway turkeys:  “Any competitor's advertised price”
    Beef chuck crossrib steak, boneless, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steak OR tri tip roast, boneless, value pack, $4.99/lb
    Beef chuck 7-bone steak, bone in, value pack, $2.79/lb
    80/20 ground beef, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Pork loin assorted chops, bone in, $1.59/lb
    Safeway smoked hams, bone in, shank half, $1.69/lb (rump half, 20¢/lb higher)
    Hormel Cure 81 half ham, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Chicken leg quarters, bone in, value pack, $1.29/lb
    Safeway frozen turkeys, 8-22 lb, 79¢/lb with $25 purchase
    Butterball frozen turkeys, 16-22 lb, 99¢/lb with $50 purchase
    Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Oroweat variety breads, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $2.99
    Birds Eye “Steamfresh” or C&W frozen veg, 10-16 oz bags, buy 2 get 2 free
    Lean Cuisine “Simple Favorites”, 5/$10
    HoneyCrisp apples, $2.99/lb
    Envy apples, $1.49/lb
    Fuji or Gala apples, 99¢/lb
    Bartlett pears, 99¢/lb
    Bosc or red pears, $1.49/lb
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.99/lb
    Kiwifruit, 3/$1
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Vine or slicing tomatoes, AZ grown, $1.49/lb
    Safeway Farms grape tomatoes, 10 oz boxes, $2.99
    Peeled “baby-cut” carrots, 2 lb bag, 2/$5
    Pomegranates, 2/$5


Sprouts:

    Beef rump roast, boneless, “custom-cut to your specifications”, $2.99/lb
    Beef New York steak, bone in, $6.99/lb
    Beef short ribs or stew meat, boneless, $3.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, value pack, $4.49/lb
    Pork sirloin chops or roast OR spare ribs, $2.99/lb
    Farmland ham steaks, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Stuffed salmon, 6 oz portions, $2.99
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $12.99/lb
    Sprouts canned pumpkin, 15 oz cans, 5/$5
    Sprouts frozen veg, 1 lb bags, 2/$3
    Sprouts olive oil, 1 litre (33 oz) bottles, $6.99
    “Apple-anche”!  Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Red/Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Braeburn, Cameo,
        Ambrosia, Jazz, Cripps Pink, Rome, McIntosh, Granny Smith, ALL 88¢/lb!
    Navel oranges, 88¢/lb
    “Texas Pink” grapefruit, 88¢ ea
    Black seedless grapes, 98¢/lb
    Organic pears:  Bartlett, D'Anjou, Bosc, $1.49/lb
    Kiwifruit, 3/$1
    Bananas, 48¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Grape tomatoes, dry pint, 2/$4
    Leaf lettuce, green or red, 88¢ ea
    Summer squashes, Italian/yellow/grey, 88¢/lb