Wren's bargain guide, week beginning June 25th:

Kraft Foods is recalling Velveeta sold at Wal-mart stores in 12 states, ours not one of them:  pass the news on if you have friends or family in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin. 

If you've been following the news at all this past week, you've heard about the Senate subcommittee that's all but commanded Mehmet Oz to stop making wildly overstated claims about weight-loss supplements.  At my blog I've got links to two excellent pieces about this, one from The Atlantic, one (decidedly NSFW) from John Oliver.

Monica Reinagel has a nutritional overview of shellfish:  are they as good for you as finned fish?  (Many are.)  Consumer Reports has started a campaign to get the “misleading, confusing, and deceptive” word natural banned from food labels.  And Darya Rose at Summer Tomato (for some reason I printed this as “Weighty Matters” in the handout -- how embarrassing!) wonders about a hitherto undiscovered human subspecies, Homo nutritiocus or “Nutricons”.  These are the mythical beings that “eat for one reason and one reason alone:  optimal health and nutrition.”  These are the people who eat three balanced meals every single day, whose favorite foods are “green leafy vegetables and lean protein”, who always carry food scales although they can flawlessly estimate portion sizes, who on the vanishingly rare occasions they do become overweight simply (and effortlessly) eat-less-and-exercise-more.  The only problem with Nutricons is that they aren't real, and certainly aren't us.  “So why,” she wonders, “is virtually all health and diet advice directed at Nutricons and not real humans?  Why are we treated as if we are even capable of eating solely for fuel or optimal health, when getting dinner on the table at all is a challenge for most of us?”

Recipes!  Fooducate has okra in tomato sauce, a healthier alternative to breaded-and-deep-fried, if you're into okra, and the Well suggests interesting things to do with broccoli stems.  Darya Rose has a dish of cabbage and eggs, which might be worth trying if you can very quickly scroll past the illustration which is to say the least not the most appetizing she's ever used.  Chow.com has veggie tacos and a lovely and ultra-simple heirloom tomato salad recipe;  Simply Recipes has a watermelon gazpacho, salmon lettuce wraps, and a chicken rice casserole from the slow cooker.  Also from the slow cooker, Simple Nourished Living has a 4-PointsPlus Italianate chicken, and Snack Girl has slow-cooker vegetarian baked beans.  Lovely thing, the slow cooker, especially in summer.

June 25th:  National Catfish Day, National Strawberry Parfait Day
June 26th:  National Chocolate Pudding Day
June 27th:  National Indian Pudding Day, National Orange Blossom Day
June 28th:  National Ceviche Day, National Tapioca Day
June 29th:  National Almond Buttercrunch Day
June 30th:  National Ice-Cream Soda Day
July 1st:  Creative Ice-Cream Flavor Day, National Gingersnap Day
July 2nd:  National Anisette Day


Albertson's:

    Beef petite sirloin steaks, $10.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Beef ribeye/t-bone/New York steaks, bone in, family pack, $7.99/lb
    Beef roasts:  chuck, crossrib, eye/bottom round, sirloin tip, London broil, boneless, $3.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, $2.49/lb
    Pork loin chops, center cut bone in, $6.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, family pack, $2.49/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.77/lb
    Essential Everyday butter, 2/$5
    Essential Everyday cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/shingle, 2/$6
    Deli:    Dietz & Watson turkey and ham, $8.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson sharp Cheddar or baby Swiss, $7.99/lb
    Essential Everyday veggies or tomatoes, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Essential Everyday pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, 75¢
    Pam cooking spray, 5-6 oz cans, $3.49
    Green Giant “Steamers” frozen veggies, 12 oz pkg, $1.99
    Red seedless grapes, 77¢/lb
    Red cherries, $3.99/lb
    Yellow nectarines, $1.99/lb
    Whole cantaloupes, 2/$5
    Honeydew melon, 99¢/lb
    Casaba/canary/Crenshaw melons, 89¢/lb
    Sweet corn, 4 pk, 2/$5
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Earthbound Farms organic box salads, 5 oz, $3 ea
    Summer squashes, zucchini/yellow/grey, 99¢/lb


Bashas':

    Beef New York/ribeye/top sirloin steaks, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef sirloin tip roast or value pack steaks, $3.99/lb
    Beef breakfast steaks, $4.99/lb
    Ground beef sirloin, fat content not listed, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Center cut pork chops, boneless, value pack, $3.49/lb
    Chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, 88¢/lb
    Jennie-O 93/7 ground turkey, 20 oz pkg, $3.99
    Cod fillets, wild caught, $3.99/lb
    Catfish fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Food Club butter, $2.99
    Food Club cheeses, 8 oz chunk/shreds/shingle, $1.99
    Starkist chunk light tuna, 5 oz cans, 99¢
    Chicken of the Sea chunk white tuna, 5 oz cans, 99¢
    Del Monte pasta sauces, 24 oz cans, 10/$10
    Food Club pasta, 13-16 oz boxes, 88¢
    Flav-R-Pac frozen veggies, 12-16 oz bags, 3/$3
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 5/$11
    Red cherries, $1.27/lb
    Yellow peaches or nectarines, 87¢/lb
    Apricots OR red or black plums, 99¢/lb
    Green or red seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Green cabbage, 49¢/lb
    Yellow onions, 49¢/lb
    OrganicGirl box salads, 5-8 oz, buy 1 get 1 free'






Fry's:

    Beef NY strip steak, bone in, $8.99/lb
    Pork loin chops, center cut boneless, family pack, $3.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, $1.77/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Fry's milk, gallons, $1.88
    Kroger cheeses, 12-16 oz chunk or shreds, $2.99
    Kroger veggies (except peas), 14-15 oz cans, 3/$2
    Bush's baked or “Grillin'” beans, 21-28 oz cans, 3/$5
    Smart Ones frozen entrees, $1.88
    Green seedless grapes, 75¢/lb
    Yellow peaches or nectarines, 99¢/lb
    Apples:  Gala, Granny Smith, Red/Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Cantaloupes OR mini seedless watermelons, 2/$5
    Mangos, 99¢ ea
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 99¢ ea
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR iceberg, 99¢ ea
    Sweet corn, 2/99¢
    Mini sweet peppers, 1 lb bag, $1.99


Safeway:

    Beef London broil, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Open Nature beef chuck steak, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Beef tri tip roast, boneless, $7.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, $2.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, $4.49/lb
    Assorted pork loin chops, bone in, $3.99/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    Safeway Farm chicken drumsticks, value pack, 99¢/lb
    Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $12.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Ahi tuna steaks, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Rockfish fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Lucerne butter, $3.49
    Lucerne cheeses, 2 lb chunk or shreds, $8.49
    Tillamook cheeses, 1 lb chunk, $4.99
    American Beauty pasta, 1 lb pkg, $1
    Del Monte tomatoes or veggies, 14-15 oz cans, $1
    Bumble Bee chunk light tuna, 5 oz cans, $1
    Pam cooking spray, 5-6 oz cans, $3
    Safeway Select pasta sauces, 15-24 oz jars, $2
    Smart Ones frozen entrees, $1.99 ea
    Red seedless grapes, 99¢/lb
    Yellow peaches, $1.99/lb
    Red cherries, $3.99/lb
    Nectarines OR red or black plums, $1.99/lb
    Envy apples, $2.99/lb
    Whole seedless watermelons, $5.99 ea
    Whole cantaloupes, 2/$6
    Organic green or red seedless grapes, $2.99/lb
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Organic heirloom tomatoes, $3.99/lb
    Sweet corn, 6/$2
    Fresh green beans, $1.99/lb


Sprouts:

    Beef top sirloin steaks, $6.99/lb
    Beef rump roast/stew meat/carne asada, $5.49/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $4.99/lb
    Pork loin chops or roast, boneless, $2.98/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders, $2.99/lb
    Chicken drums OR leg quarters, value pack, 99¢/lb
    Halibut, wild caught, 6 oz portions, $7.99 ea
    Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $11.99/lb
    Muir Glen organic pasta sauce, 25 oz jars, $3.49
    California Olive Ranch olive oil, half litre bottles, $7.99
    Blueberries, 6 oz boxes, 88¢
    Red cherries, $1.88/lb
    Mangos, 2/$1
    Yellow nectarines, 88¢/lb
    Apples, Granny Smith/Jonagold/Red Delicious, 98¢/lb
    Whole seedless watermelons, $3.98
    Navel oranges, 88¢/lb
    Organic cantaloupes, 2 lbs/$1
    “Dapple” pluots, $2.98/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 88¢ ea
    Eggplant, 98¢ ea

Wren's bargain guide, week beginning June 18th:

This is interesting!  A new study out of Cornell University looks at whether, and why, exercise is related to weight loss.  One group of overweight people were told to take 30 minutes' walking as exercise, with a strong “YOU MUST” subtext, and to monitor their effort;  another group were told to have an enjoyable half-hour walk, listening to music.  They expended the same number of calories – but the first group, the people for whom exercise had been framed as something of an ordeal to be endured, not only came away “more fatigued and grumpy” than the second group, they consumed more soda and dessert at lunch than the group for whom the walk had been presented as something to enjoy. 

At Alternet, a set of tricks – I prefer the word “practices” – for conquering emotional eating.  Summer Tomato has seven reasons keeping a food journal – or as we call it here, tracking – is more useful than “counting calories”.  James Clear has an interesting piece on changing habits by changing who you are.  And Grist decries the “all natural” label on foods as being “pretty much meaningless” when you can buy all-natural Cheetos, all-natural “butter flavor granules”, and, God help us, “Ac'cent Flavor Enhancer ALL NATURAL FOOD SERVICE PRODUCT”.

Food and recipes:  If you're grilling tender meats, Lifehacker says, the best marinade is a salt-based one such as soy sauce or teriyaki, rather than an acidic one.  Chow.com has seventeen ways with grilled chicken, chai milkshakes, and seven summer smoothies.  I don't do smoothies but if you do there they are.  Simply Recipes has, appropriately, a wonderfully simple tuna-tomato pasta with olives.  Simple Nourished Living – I'd shorten that to SNL but that abbreviation is already taken – has a 5-PointsPlus-per-serving sweet-and-sour kielbasa from the slow cooker.  And Snack Girl has the annual question of whether it's possible to do a healthy July Fourth (she gives a series of tips that can tilt things towards Yes), plus eeny little crunchy ONE-POINTSPLUS ice-cream sandwiches. 


June 18th:  National Cherry Tart Day, National Sushi Day, International Picnic Day
June 19th:  National Dry Martini Day
June 20th:  National Vanilla Milkshake Day
June 21st:  National Peaches and Cream Day
June 22nd:  National Onion Rings Day, National Chocolate Eclair Day
June 23rd:  National Pecan Sandy Day
June 24th:  National Creamy Pralines Day
June 25th:  National Catfish Day, National Strawberry Parfait Day


Albertson's:

    Beef petite sirloin steaks, $10.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef ribeye/t-bone/New York steaks, bone in, family pack, $7.99/lb
    Beef chuck/crossrib/bottom round roast or family pack steaks, boneless, $4.79/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $2.99/lb
    Assorted pork chops, bone in, family pack, $1.59/lb
    Pork loin chops, center cut bone-in or boneless, buy 1 get 1 free
    Cook's ham steaks, bone in, $3.49/lb
    Sanderson Farms boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Unbranded (store) boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, jumbo pack, $1.28/lb
    Tilapia fillets, 1 lb IQF bag, $9.99, buy 1 get 3 free
    Keta salmon fillets, wild caught, $3.99
    Cod, wild caught, 5 oz portions, $1.99
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.87
    Essential Everyday butter, 2/$5
    Knudsen cottage cheese OR sour cream, 16 oz tubs, $1.99
    Daisy sour cream, 8 oz tubs, 10/$10
    Yoplait yogurts, 20/$10
    Essential Everyday cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.98
    Deli:    Dietz & Watson turkey & ham varieties, $8.99/lb
        Unbranded (store) picante-Provolone and lacy-Swiss cheeses, $7.99/lb
        Signature rotisserie turkey breast, $5.99/lb
        Margherita hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $5.99/lb
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10 oz cans, 10/$10
    Wild Harvest organic variety (non-baked) beans, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Essential Everyday pasta, 12-16 oz pkg, 10/$10
    Hunt's pasta sauces, 24 oz cans, 10/$10
    Hunt's tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 10/$10
    Hunt's tomato sauce, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Libby's veggies, 15 oz cans, 88¢
    Colavita olive oil, 17 oz bottles, $9.99/lb
    Red cherries, $2.47/lb
    Peaches, $2.99/lb
    Black plums, $2.49/lb
    White peaches or nectarines, $3.49/lb
    “Midnight Beauty” black seedless grapes, $2.99/lb
    Blueberries, 11 oz boxes, $3.99
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Hass avocados, 5 ct bag, $2.98
    Sweet corn, 4 pk, 2/$5
    Red bell peppers, 4/$5


Bashas':

    Beef London broil, $2.99/lb
    Beef top round roast, $3.99/lb
    Beef crossrib roast, $4.99/lb
    Ground beef round, fat content not listed, $2.99/lb
    Assorted pork chops, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Chicken breast OR leg quarters, bone in, 99¢/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    True cod fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Sargento cheeses, 6-8 oz shingle pack, $2.88
    Challenge butter, $2.99
    Silk beverages, 64 oz cartons, $2.99
    Bertolli pasta sauces, 15-24 oz jars, 2/$5
    Bumble Bee chunk white tuna, 5 oz cans, 2/$3
    Flav-R-Pac frozen veg, 11-16 oz bags, 3/$5
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.88
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$3
    Blueberries, dry pint, 2/$3
    Yellow peaches/nectarines OR apricots OR red/black plums, $1.99/lb
    Large mangos, 77¢ ea
    Vine tomatoes, 2/$3
    Summer squashes, zucchini/yellow/grey, 99¢/lb
    Baby heirloom tomatoes, 8 oz bag, 2/$4
Fry's:

    Beef chuck roast or steaks, boneless, family pack, $2.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, $2.69 (3 lb chub)
    Pork shoulder butt steak, bone in, family pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork shoulder butt roast, bone in, whole in bag, $1.99/lb
    Pork sirloin roasts, boneless, whole in bag, $1.79/lb (single roasts, 70¢/lb higher)
    Foster Farms whole chickens, 99¢/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Orange roughy, $7.99/lb
    Fry's eggs, AA large, dozens, $1.27
    Yoplait or Dannon conventional yogurts incl. Light, 2/88¢
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.99
    Kroger tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 59¢
    Kroger variety beans, 15 oz cans, 59¢
    Herdez salsa, 16 oz jars, $1.89
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10 oz cans, 10/$10
    Birds Eye frozen veggies, 8-16 oz bags, 10/$10
    Kroger frozen veggies, 10-12 oz bags, 10/$10
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.77
    Red cherries, $1.77/lb
    Yellow peaches or nectarines, 99¢/lb
    Apples:  Gala, Granny Smith, Red/Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $1.99/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 77¢/lb
    Jalapeño peppers, 77¢/lb
    Sweet corn, AZ grown, 2/99¢
    Simple Truth organic mini carrots, 1 lb bag, 2/$3
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 99¢ ea


Safeway:

    Beef chuck crossrib roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steak, boneless, $7.99/lb
    Open Nature “grass fed” beef NY strip steak, boneless, $13.99/lb
    Pork loin back ribs, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Pork top loin chops, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Pork shoulder for pozole, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Safeway Farms chicken leg quarters, bone in, $1.29/lb
    Alaskan salmon fillets, wild caught, $12.99/lb
    Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.99
    S&W variety beans, 15 oz cans, 4/$4
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.99
    Safeway Kitchen frozen fruit, 3 lb bags, $11.99
    Yellow peaches or nectarines, $1.99/lb
    Whole cantaloupes, 2/$5
    Whole seedless watermelons, $5.99
    Mangos, $1 ea
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.99/lb
    Organic vine tomatoes, AZ grown, $1.99/lb
    Red or yellow bell peppers, 2/$3
    Sweet corn, 6/$2


Sprouts:

    Beef sirloin tip roast or steaks, $3.99/lb
    “Grass-fed organic” ground beef, fat content not listed, $4.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops or roast, $1.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $2.49/lb
    Chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, value pack, $1.49/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $12.99/lb
    Sea of Cortez halibut fillets, wild caught, $10.99/lb
    Sprouts butter, $2.99
    Sprouts cheeses, 8 oz shreds or shingle, 2/$6
    Sprouts olive oil, 1 litre bottles, 25% off
    Sprouts variety beans, 15 oz cans, 89¢
    Sprouts frozen fruit, 10 oz bags, $2.99
    Apricots, 48¢/lb
    Red cherries, $1.98/lb
    Honey mangos, 48¢ ea
    Apples, Fuji/Red Delicious/Granny Smith, 98¢/lb
    Yellow peaches or nectarines OR black plums, $1.48/lb
    Whole cantaloupes OR honeydew melons, 2/$5
    Organic Bartlett pears, 2/$3
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $1.48/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 2 lbs/$3
    Sweet mini peppers, 1 lb bag, 2/$5
    Sprouts box salads, 5 oz, 2/$5
    Italian or yellow squash, 98¢/lb

Wren's bargain guide, week beginning June 11th:

Explainder for our newer members:  I'm Wren.  Every week I go through the newspaper grocery flyers and type up the healthier-looking, less-processed, and more PointsPlus-friendly bargains, add health and nutrition news and my own commentary, and post it here.  A paper printout is available at the Wednesday night meeting at Santa Fe Square, and let me make clear that this is not in any way, shape, form, or fashion an Official Weight Watchers Thing.  Just me.

Good piece at Fooducate today about protein, how much you need, and how to go about consuming it.  Most Americans get much more protein than they need:  unless you're an endurance athlete or a bodybuilder, you need about 0.8 grams per kilo of body weight, or a bit over a gram for every three pounds.  The key, since protein helps us to feel satiated, is to distribute your protein throughout the day – have a yogurt (10-12 grams, 14-18 if it's Greek) with breakfast rather than just coffee-and-a-smoothie, a cheese stick (6 grams) for snack, an egg (6 grams) or two ounces of chicken breast (12 grams) with your lunch salad – rather than consuming it all at supper.

Huffington Post has a couple of articles worth reading, one list of vegan habits to adopt even if you're not vegan (I particularly like the suggestion of using mashed avocado in place of mayo), and another of ways to make your eating more mindful (chew more;  turn off the TV;  don't let yourself get ravenously hungry;  sit down to eat for heaven's sake).  And from Summer Tomato, since summer is travel season a set of “Away Court Habits” – tips for eating healthy on the road, or in the airport.

Recipes!  Chow.com has a “Basic Greek Salad”, another of jicama and oranges, a basic roasted chicken, fish tacos, and sixteen things to do with sweet corn.  Simply Recipes has grilled chicken marinated in lime juice, with a black bean sauce.  Martha at Simple Nourished Living is still on her slow-cooker binge (honestly I don't want to turn the stove on either, do you?), with slow-cooker Bananas Foster, a six-PointsPlus teriyaki chicken, and a classic Italian sausage-and-peppers.  And Snack Girl has strawberry yogurt cookies and her own 6-PointsPlus take on Taco Bell's waffle taco!

Friday's my own offical holiday:  National Kitchen Klutzes of America Day.  (Weight Watchers has brought me at last beyond my former status, where every time I stepped foot in the kitchen my friends hurried to make sure they had Poison Control, the fire marshals,  and the Environmental Protection Agency on speed-dial.)  Next Tuesday, the 17th, is Eat All Your Veggies Day.  And one week from today is National Picnic Day – do it in the evening.  Or in the living room.  Or in the pool. 

June 11th:  National German Chocolate Cake Day
June 12th:  National Jerky Day, National Peanut Butter Cookie Day
June 13th:  National Kitchen Klutzes of America Day
June 14th:  National Strawberry Shortcake Day
June 15th:  National Lobster Day, World Gin Day
June 16th:  National Fudge Day
June 17th:  Eat All Your Veggies Day, National Apple Strudel Day
June 18th:  National Cherry Tart Day, National Picnic Day, International Strudel Day


Albertson's:

    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $10.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Beef chuck/crossrib/bottom round/sirloin tip, boneless, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef top sirloin steak OR tri tip roast, $5.99/lb
    Beef ribeye/t-bone/New York steaks, bone in, $7.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $2.99/lb
    Pork loin roast, boneless, $2.49/lb
    Pork loin chops, center cut bone-in, $6.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free (boneless $1/lb higher)
    Sanderson Farms boneless skinless chicken breast/thighs/tenders, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Unbranded (store) boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    Honeysuckle White frozen turkey breast, bone in, $1.77/lb
    Rockfish OR Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Keta salmon fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets or bone-in steaks, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $10.99/lb
    Shamrock Farms dairy products, 40% off
    Albertson's sour cream, 16 oz tubs, 10/$10
    Deli:    Signature rotisserie turkey breast, $5.99/lb
        Margherita hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $5.99/lb
        Muenster or Provolone cheeses, $5.99/lb
    Fiber One OR Nature Valley granola bars, 5-6 ct, $1.88
    Essential Everyday tomatoes, veggies, variety beans, 14 oz cans, 69¢
    Bertolli pasta sauce, 15-24 oz jars, 2/$5
    Da Vinci pasta, 16 oz pkg, 10/$10
    Bertolli olive oil, 25 oz bottles, $8.99
    Raspberries, AZ grown, 6 oz boxes, 87¢
    Whole cantaloupes, 2/$5
    Seedless grapes, green or red, $1.99/lb
    Yellow peaches or nectarines, $2.99/lb
    Red delicious, 99¢/lb
    Vidalia onions, $1.49/lb
    Green bell peppers, 79¢/lb
    Fresh guacamole, 12 oz tubs, $4.99


Bashas':

    Beef t-bone steaks, value pack, $5.77/lb
    Beef tri tips, $6.99/lb (Bashas' meat labeling has grown remarkably inspecific)
    Beef bottom round roast or steak, $3.99/lb
    Ground beef round, fat content not listed, $2.77/lb
    Pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.98/lb
    Pork chops, center cut boneless, value pack, $3.49/lb
    Bashas' eggs, AA large, dozens, $1.29
    Food Club butter, $2.99
    S&W variety (non-baked) beans, 69¢
    Food Club veggies OR tomatoes, 15 oz cans, 69¢
    Whole seedless watermelons, 19¢/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 97¢
    Whole cantaloupes, 19¢/lb
    Apricots, $1.99/lb
    Red or black plums, $1.99/lb
    Sweet onions, 99¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 2 lbs/$3





Fry's:

    Ribeye steaks, bone in, family pack, $5.88/lb
    Beef bottom sirloin tri tip roast, boneless, $4.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, $4.99/lb (2 lb chub)
    Pork loin chops, center cut boneless, family pack, $3.99/lb
    Heritage Farms boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, $1.77/lb
    Tilapia or corvina fillets, $5.99/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $12.99/lb
    Kroger cheeses, 16 oz chunk or shreds, $3.79
    American Beauty pasta, 12-16 oz bags, 10/$10
    Lean Cuisine “Culinary Collection” frozen entrees, $1.99
    Yellow peaches OR nectarines, 99¢/lb
    Blueberries, dry pint, 97¢
    Whole pineapples, 97¢ ea
    Whole seedless watermelons, $4.99 ea
    Mangos, 99¢ ea
    Sweet corn, 2/99¢
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 99¢ ea
    Mini sweet peppers, 1 lb bag, $1.99
    Broccoli 99¢/lb


Safeway:

    Beef NY strip steak, bone in, $5.99/lb (boneless, $2/lb higher)
    Beef or chicken kebabs, $5.99/lb
    Beef bottom round roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, $2.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, $4.49/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    Safeway Farms chicken drumsticks, value pack, $1.49/lb
    Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $14.99/lb
    Yellowfin ahi tuna steaks, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Kraft cheeses, 6-8 oz shreds or shingle pack, $2.99
    Open Nature variety breads, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $2.49
    Del Monte tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 99¢
    Lean Cuisine “Simple Favorites”, $1.99
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.99/lb
    Dulcinea mini seedless watermelons or Tuscan cantaloupes (??), AZ grown, $2.99/lb
    Mangos, 10/$10
    Apricots, $2.99/lb
    Sweet corn, 6/$2
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Zucchini OR yellow squash, $1.79/lb
    Cucumbers, 69¢ ea


Sprouts:

    Beef NY steak, bone in, $9.99/lb
    Beef chuck roast or steak, boneless, $5.49/lb
    Ground beef sirloin, fat content not listed, $5.49/lb
    Pork loin chops or roast, center cut boneless, $2.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken thighs, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Ahi tuna or swordfish steaks, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Newman's Own Organics olive oil, 25 oz bottles, $9.99
    Silver Palate pasta sauces, 25 oz jars, $2.99
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 98¢
    Blueberries, 4 oz box, 98¢
    Apricots, 98¢/lb
    Black plums, 98¢/lb
    Honey mangos, 2/$1
    Whole seedless watermelons, $3.98
    Navel oranges, 98¢/lb
    Granny Smith or Red Delicious apples, 98¢/lb
    Asparagus, $1.98/lb
    Cucumbers, 2/$1
    Roma or beefsteak tomatoes, 98¢/lb
    Organic grape tomatoes, dry pint, 2/$5
    Broccoli crowns, 98¢
    Leaf lettuce, green or red, OR bunch spinach, 98¢
    Italian squash, 98¢/lb
    Organic vine tomatoes, $1.98/lb

Wren's bargain guide, week beginning June 4th:

Fooducate this week provides a helpful guide to the six commonest types of vinegar – distilled, balsamic, wine, apple cider, malt, and rice – and their various culinary uses.  Also a harsh takedown of the new Cheerios variant, “Cheerios Protein”, which has 7 grams of protein per serving to the 3 grams in Cheerios Classic.  Sounds good, right?  Until you do the basic arithmetic and see that a “single serving” of the new cereal is twice as much by weight, and loaded with sugar!  Original Cheerios:  1 serving == 1 ounce, 3 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar, 100 calories.  “Cheerios Protein”:  1 serving == 2 ounces, 7 grams of protein, 17 grams of sugar (!!), 210 calories.

Not much else this week in food or health news, at least that I can find, except for Yoni Freedhoff weighing in on Ben & Jerry's new frozen-Greek-yogurt dessert.  After comparing the nutritional profiles of the two, he suggests that you might as well – and in moderation, needless to say – “just eat the damn ice cream”.

Recipes, those I do have!  Salad season is definitely here:  Chow.com's doing Salade Niçoise again, could be good if you disregard their careful specification of “oil-packed tuna”.  Of course this kicks off the endless Debate Niçoise in the comments section:  potatoes or not?  (Theirs has them.)  Simply Recipes has an Asian Noodle Salad -- “with lots of colorful veggies tossed in with the noodles, so it feels more like a 'salad' and not just highly seasoned cold noodles” -- and grilled swordfish steaks in a Greekish marinade.  Smitten Kitchen offers two:   a carrot salad with tahini and a chopped salad that, I'm assured, “tastes exactly like an Italian sub”.  Martha MacKinnon at Simply Nourished Living -- she's an Arizonan herself and far from eager to turn on the oven in June – has a spicy seafood chowder from the slow-cooker as well as a pork-and-peaches recipe that looks ... interesting.  And Snack Girl has a salsa verde beef, also from the slow cooker, and something called a “blueberry slump” that's something like pie with the crust on top but not underneath.  It's 4 PointsPlus per serving and turns your teeth purple.

Today's National Frozen Yogurt Day.  Also National Cheese Day and National Cognac Day – top your frozen yogurt as you please.  And next Tuesday is both National Iced Tea Day and National Herbs and Spices Day. 


June 4th:  National Cheese Day, National Frozen Yogurt Day, National Cognac Day
June 5th:  National Gingerbread Day, World Environment Day
June 6th:  National Applesauce Cake Day;  first Friday in June is National Doughnut Day
June 7th:  National Chocolate Ice-Cream Day
June 8th:  National Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day, World Oceans Day
June 9th:  National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day
June 10th:  National Herbs and Spices Day, National Iced Tea Day, National Black Cow Day
June 11th:  National German Chocolate Cake Day

DIY:  German chocolate cake is not German?  It originated as a recipe on the back of a German's baking chocolate package.


Albertson's:

    Beef sirloin steak OR tri tip roast, boneless, family pack, $3.99/lb
    Beef country style ribs, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $10.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef ribeye/t-bone/New York steaks, bone in, $7.99/lb
    Beef chuck/crossrib/bottom round/sirloin tip/London broil roasts, buy 1 get 1 free
    85/15 ground beef, $3.49/lb
    90/10 ground beef, $3.99/lb
    Pork spare ribs, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Pork loin back ribs, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Boneless pork back ribs, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.99/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $12.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $8.99/lb
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.99
    Eggland's Best eggs, AA large, dozens, 2/$5
    Land O Lakes butter, $3.49
    Yoplait yogurts, 20/$10
    Chobani OR Dannon Greek yogurts, 10/$10
    Knudsen cottage cheese OR sour cream, 16 oz tubs, $1.99
    Knudsen “Cottage Doubles”, 10/$10
    Essential Everyday cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/shingle, 2/$6
    Essential Everyday cheeses, 2 lb chunk or shreds, $8.99
    Deli:    Signature rotisserie turkey breast, $5.99/lb
        Jennie-O oven roasted turkey breast, $5.99/lb
        Signature Virginia smoked ham, $5.99/lb
        Muenster or Provolone cheeses, $5.99/lb
    Chicken of the Sea chunk white tuna, 5 oz cans, 10/$10
    Libby's veggies, 11-15 oz cans, 88¢
    La Victoria salsa, 16 oz jars, 2/$5
    California Olive Ranch olive oil, 16 oz jars, $9.99
    Blueberries, dry pint, $1.77
    Whole cantaloupes, 2/$5
    Mangos, 99¢ ea
    Red Delicious apples, 99¢/lb
    Plumcots OR white peaches, $2.99/lb
    Vine tomatoes, $1.9/lb
    Snacking cucumbers, $1.99/lb
    Sweet corn, 4 pk, 2/$5
    Japanese eggplant, 99¢ ea
    Iceberg, 99¢
    Yellow onions, 2 lbs/$1
    Green cabbage, 49¢/lb
    Red potatoes, AZ grown, 79¢/lb


Bashas':

    Beef crossrib roast, $2.87/lb
    Beef ribeye/NY/top sirloin steaks, boneless, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef crossrib steak, value pack, $3.87/lb
    Beef tri tip roast, $6.99/lb
    Ground beef chuck, fat content not listed, $2.87/lb
    Pork loin back ribs, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Pork shoulder steak, bone in, $3.49/lb
    Pork shoulder roast, whole in bag, $2.99/lb
    Center cut pork chops, boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.99/lb
    Rockfish OR Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Bashas' milk, gallons, $1.99
    Yoplait yogurts, 49¢
    Land O Lakes butter, $3.29
    Eggland's Best eggs, AA large, dozens, $2.49
    Food Club cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/cubelets, $1.99
    Bumble Bee chunk light tuna, 5 oz cans, 79¢
    S&W variety beans, 15 oz cans, 89¢
    Smart Ones frozen entrees, 2/$5
    Blueberries, dry pint, $1.77
    Apricots, $1.77/lb
    Yellow peaches or nectarines, $1.77/lb
    Seedless grapes, green or red, $1.99/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 77¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Sweet onions, 77¢/lb
    Bell peppers, red or gold, 77¢ ea


Fry's:

    Beef chuck roast or steak, boneless, family pack, $2.99/lb
    Kroger 80/20 ground beef, 3 lb chub, $11.97 (3.79/lb)
    Foster Farms boneless skinless chicken breast, buy 1 get 2 free
    Denmark ground chicken, 1 lb pkg, $3.99
    Jennie-O 85/15 ground turkey, 3 lb pkg, $7.47 ($2.49/lb)
    Kroger cheeses, 12-16 oz chunk or shreds, $3.79
    Herdez salsa, 16 oz jars, 2/$4
    Kroger variety beans, 15 oz cans, 59¢
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.99
    Mangos, 3/$1
    Red seedless grapes, 75¢/lb
    Red cherries, $3.99/lb
    Whole cantaloupes, AZ grown, 2/$4
    Mini seedless watermelons, AZ grown, 2/$3
    Honeydew melons, AZ grown, 2/$4
    Yellow peaches or nectarines, 99¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Avocados, 4/$5
    Cilantro, 2 bunches/99¢
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 99¢ ea
    Broccoli, 99¢/lb
    Mini sweet peppers, 1 lb bag, $1.99


Safeway:

    Beef London broil, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Open Nature grass-fed beef London broil, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Beef chuck 7-bone steak, $4.49/lb
    Beef chuck crossrib steak, boneless, $5.49/lb
    Beef NY strip steak, bone in, $9.99/lb
    Assorted pork loin chops, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.99/lb
    Copper River sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $14.99
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $8.99/lb
    Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.88
    Sargento cheeses, 8 oz shreds, 2/$6
    Del Monte fruit cups incl. no-sugar-added, 4 pk, 2/$5
    Prego pasta sauces, 14-24 oz jars, $2.29
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.99
    Dulcinea mini seedless watermelons, AZ grown, 2/$3
    Yellow nectarines, $1.99/lb
    “Medium red lunch box size” apples – Red Delicious?? – 99¢/lb
    D'Anjou pears, 99¢/lb
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.99/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Sweet corn, 50¢ ea
    Broccoli, 99¢/lb


Sprouts:

    “Buffalo Stampede”:  all bison products, prices from $7.99/lb to $24.99/lb
    Beef rump roast OR London broil, boneless, $5.49/lb
    85/15 ground beef, value pack, $4.49/lb
    Pork sirloin chops or roast OR ground pork, $2.99/lb
    Pork shoulder roast OR country style ribs, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $2.49/lb
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb
    Alaska sole fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Copper River sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $17.99/lbs
    Strawberries, 1 lb boxes, 3/$5
    Blackberries/raspberries/blueberries, 4-6 oz boxes, 3/$5
    Red seedless grapes, 98¢/lb
    Apricots, 98¢/lb
    Apples:  Fuji, Granny Smith, Red/Golden Delicious, 98¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 98¢/lb
    Maradol papayas, 98¢/lb
    Honey mangos, 3/$1
    Whole pineapples, $1.98 ea
    Organic black plums, yellow or white nectarines, $2.98/lb
    Bartlett or D'Anjou pears, 2 lbs/$3
    Mini seedless watermelons, $2.88 ea
    Cantaloupes or honeydew melons, 2/$3
    Vine tomatoes, 98¢/lb
    Red bell peppers, 3/$1