Wren's bargain guide, week beginning October 29th:

From Fooducate:  General Mills has plans to start marketing a new version of Cheerios in January:  “Cheerios Ancient Grains”, with spelt and kamut (ancestral variants of wheat) as well as quinoa.  GM representatives are straightforward enough to admit that this isn't a nutritional move, but entirely a marketing one:  the new cereal has less fiber and more sugar per serving than classic Cheerios, but customers like such phrases as “ancient grains”.

Fooducate looks also at the difference between juices and blended smoothies.  Yoni Freedhoff examines a recent study that supposedly “proves” you'll gain weight back at the same rate whether you lose it slowly or quickly.  Yes, indeed, whether you lose your weight with a hellish Optifast no-food-at-all-only-commercial-shakes regimen or what might be called a heckish Optifast no-food-at-all-only-commercial-shakes-for-two-meals-a-day regimen ... when afterward you're given almost no support and put back onto a diet “not designed in any way shape or form for weight management”, you will indeed gain the weight back.  Freedhoff's conclusion:  “All this study proves is that temporary changes lead to only temporary results and that what matters to your longterm success isn't the speed with which you lose your weight, but whether you lose your weight with a lifestyle that you enjoy enough to sustain.”

'Way back in July I mentioned the new meal-replacement fad, Soylent.  Well, it has not been precisely what one might call a rip roaring success.  In fact, you can now get it on Craigslist for discount prices, so if you still care to try the “someone wrung out a dishtowel into a glass” shake, you can try it cheap!

Recipes!  Chow.com has a salad of butter lettuce and pumpkin seeds with roasted garlic.  Simply Recipes has a nice lean pork tenderloin crusted in panko, Sprouted Kitchen offers a roasted-veggies-and-quinoa bowl along with some tips for roasting veggies.  At Smitten Kitchen I find classic English cauliflower cheese.  Snack Girl has DIY turkey-breast-for-sandwiches and a lower-calorie caramel apple blossom.  And Simple Nourished Living gives us a pork roast with prunes from the slow cooker, no-bake pumpkin cheesecake at 6 PointsPlus per slice, banana oatmeal chocolate chip mini muffins, and fruit parfaits that cost only 1 PointsPlus each and look like candy corn!

This week we close October, National Apple Month – and open November, National Apple Month.  Also National Pomegranate Month, Good Nutrition Month, and National Peanut Butter Lovers' Month.  The 4th is National Candy Day, I am certain there will be enough left to make it worth your while.  Happy New Year!




October 29th:  National Oatmeal Day, National Pancake Day
October 30th:  National Candy Corn Day, Buy a Doughnut Day
October 31st:  National Candy Apple Day, Trick or Treat for UNICEF Day
November 1st:  National Bison Day, National Deep Fried Clams Day, National Vinegar Day
November 2nd:  National Deviled Egg Day
November 3rd:  National Sandwich Day
November 4th:  National Candy Day
November 5th:  National Doughnut Day



Albertson's:

    “We will match the price on our premium Honeysuckle White turkey (frozen Grade A) to the lowest advertised Frozen Turkey Price Offered by FRY'S – SAFEWAY – BASHAS' through November 27th, 2014”
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $11.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Beef chuck/crossrib/bottom round roast or family pack steaks, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Beef ribeye/t-bone/New York steaks, bone in, $9.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steak OR trimmed tri tip roast, boneless, $5.99/lb
    Center cut pork chops, boneless, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Pork butt roast, bone in, $2.79/lb
    Pork picnic roast, bone in, $2.49/lb
    Assorted pork chops, bone in, family pack, $2.49/lb
    Pork loin chops, center cut bone in, family pack, $3.49/lb
    “Recipe Ready” thin cut boneless skinless chicken breast, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Jumbo chicken leg quarters, $2.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Great American tilapia or cod fillets, 1 lb IQF bag, $9.99, buy 1 get 2 free
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.97
    Essential Everyday cottage cheese incl. Light, 16 oz tubs, $1.99
    Kraft cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $2.99
    Cracker Barrel cheeses, 8 oz chunk, $2.99
    Deli:    Dietz & Watson mesquite/Gourmet Lite/Santa Fe turkey breast, $8.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson honey ham, $8.99/lb
        Signature rotisserie turkey breast, $6.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson Provolone or Muenster cheeses, $6.99/lb
        Margherita hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $5.99/lb
    Hormel chunk ham or chicken, 5 oz cans, 3/$5
    Raspberries, 6 oz boxes, 99¢
    HoneyCrisp apples, $2.99/lb
    Green or red seedless grapes, $2.99/lb
    Navel oranges, $1.49/lb
    Organic Fuji apples, $2.99/lb
    Large slicing tomatoes, $1.69/lb
    Asparagus tips, 8 oz pkg, $3.99
    Fresh Express bag salads, 5-11 oz, 2/$5


Bashas':

    Beef crossrib roast, $4.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steak, boneless, value pack, $6.99/lb
    Assorted pork chops, $2.99/lb
    Pork loin back ribs, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.77/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Swordfish OR ahi tuna loins, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Food Club cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/cubelets, $1.99
    Bashas' cottage cheese incl. Light, 24 oz tubs, $2.49
    Rice-A-Roni or Pasta-Roni, 2 oz cups to 7 oz boxes, 5/$5
    Hunt's pasta sauces, 24 oz cans, 10/$10
    American Beauty pasta, 1 lb pkg, 4/$5
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$3
    Blackberries, 6 oz box, 2/$3
    Apples:  Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Red/Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $1.99/lb
    Summer squashes, zucchini/yellow/grey, 99¢/lb




Fry's:

    Beef strip steak, bone in, $6.99/lb
    Beef crossrib roast, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Beef bottom sirloin flap meat, boneless, family pack, $5.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, $2.99/lb (3 lb chub)
    Pork half loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.88/lb
    Pork shoulder butt steaks OR country style ribs, bone in, family pack, $2.99/lb
    Kroger 85/15 ground turkey, 1 lb pkg, $2.99
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Fry's milk, gallons, $1.97
    Kroger cheeses, 2 lb chunk or shreds, $6.99
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/shingle, $2.29
    Swanson chicken breast, 12 oz cans, $2.99
    Kroger frozen veggies, 10-12 oz bags, 88¢
    HoneyCrisp apples, $1.27/lb
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.99/lb
    Apples:  Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Red/Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Broccoli or broccoli crowns, 99¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR iceberg, 99¢ ea
    Winter squashes, acorn/butternut/spaghetti, 99¢/lb


Safeway:

    Beef NY strip steak, boneless, $5.99/lb
    Beef chuck roast, boneless, $5.49/lb
    Beef London broil, boneless, $6.49/lb
    Pork top loin chops, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Pork shoulder blade country style ribs, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms whole chickens, 99¢/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    Jennie-O ground turkey breast, 16-20 oz pkg, $5.99
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.97/lb
    Sargento cheeses, 6-8 oz shingle pack, 2/$6
    Lucerne cheeses, 2 lb chunk or shreds, $9.49
    StarKist solid white tuna, 5 oz cans, $1.39
    Bush's variety (no-baked) beans, 15-16 oz cans, 5/$5
    Safeway Select pasta sauces, 15-24 oz jars, 3/$5
    Del Monte fruit, 14-15 oz cans, 2/$3
    Safeway Kitchens frozen veggies, 14-16 oz pkg, 4/$5
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 4/$10
    Driscoll's raspberries, 6 oz boxes, 2/$3
    Organic Gala apples, $1.99/lb
    HoneyCrisp apples, $2.99/lb
    Bartlett pears, $1.49/lb
    Navel oranges, $1.79/lb
    Kiwifruit, 2/$1
    Pomegranates, $2.99
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.99/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Winter squashes, acorn/butternut/spaghetti, 99¢/lb
    O Organics box salads, 5 oz, 2/$6


Sprouts:

    Beef rump roast or stew meat, boneless, $5.49/lb
    Beef top sirloin steaks, $7.99/lb
    Chicken drumsticks or whole legs, value pack, 99¢/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken thighs OR pollo asado, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork or chicken sausage, bulk or links, $3.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Sprouts variety beans, 15 oz cans, 89¢
    HoneyCrisp apples, 2 lbs/$3
    Blackberries, 5 oz boxes, 99¢
    Pomegranates, 2/$4
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, 2 lbs/$3
    Apples:  Fuji, Gala, Braeburn, 99¢/lb
    Bartlett pears, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Summer squashes, Italian/yellow/grey, 99¢/lb
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 99¢ ea
    Organic grape tomatoes, dry pint, 2/$5