Wren's bargain guide, week beginning November 12th:

Fooducate looks at the “expiration date” on a food package:  what is it, and does it really mean that after that date the food's no longer safe to eat?  And why does your bologna sometimes go funky or your milk chunky well before that date?

What is “Just Mayo”?  Not mayonnaise, at least according to some arguments:  it's Hampton Creek's new condiment made from oil, vinegar, and “pea protein”, but no eggs.  The FDA says that to be sold as mayonnaise, a product has to have eggs in it – but this isn't being sold as “mayonnaise”, but as “mayo”.  Does that make a difference?  How about the big outline of an egg on the label?

A study out of Brown University suggests that out of all the ways of dealing with food cravings, the most useful may be thinking about the “long-term negative impact” of eating unhealthy foods.  Mark's Daily Apple looks at ways of making exercise successful.  And eating reheated leftover pasta is actually better for you than eating it right away! 

Recipes!  Chow.com has a lightened pumpkin chiffon pie, and a whole stack of “Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes”.  Some are, shall we say, more traditional than others.  (That Thanksgiving baba ghanoush!)  Also some winter greens that might be worth checking into.  Smitten Kitchen has a pickled cabbage salad;  Simply Recipes piles on foil-baked salmon, roasted Brussels sprouts, cranberry salsa, and unstuffed inverted turkey.  Martha at Simple Nourished Living offers apple bran muffins, an apple-raspberry-cranberry sauce, and a slow-cooker pumpkin crumb cake.    And Snack Girl has bagels, slow-cooker turkey breast, and butternut squash soup in eeny pumpkin bowls. 

Today is National Pizza With Everything Day (Except Anchovies).  Friday is both National Pickle Day (PointsPlus-free) and National Guacamole Day (sadly not).  And Monday is both Homemade Bread Day and National Baklava Day.  I once made baklava myself.  Even with purchased phyllo dough it is incredibly labor-intensive, occupies the kitchen for most of a day, and produces terrifying quantities. 


November 12th:  National Pizza With Everything Day (Except Anchovies)
November 13th:  National Indian Pudding Day
November 14th:  National Guacamole Day
November 15th:  Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day, National Raisin Bran Day
November 16th:  National Fast Food Day
November 17th:  National Baklava Day, National Homemade Bread Day
November 18th:  National Vichyssoise Day
November 19th:  Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day



Albertson's:

    Spend $100 and get a free turkey under 16 lbs;  spend $150, get one up to 24 lbs.

    Beef chuck, crossrib, eye/bottom round, sirloin tip roasts, boneless, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef New York roast, bone in, $5.97/lb
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $11.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    85/15 ground beef, $3.79/lb
    Pork loin chops, center cut boneless, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Assorted pork chops, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Pork sirloin roast, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Hormel “Cure 81” spiral ham, bone in, $3.49/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.77/lb
    Sanderson Farms whole frying chickens, $1.69/lb
    Jennie-O 93/7 ground turkey, 20 oz pkg, $4.79
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.97
    Deli:    Signature Buffalo chicken, $6.99/lb
        Signature honey, pepper, or “golden roasted” turkey, $6.99/lb
        Signature rotisserie turkey breast, $6.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson eye round, peppered or herbed, $9.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson Provolone or Muenster, $6.99/lb
    Libby's veggies, 11-15 oz cans, 49¢
    Libby's pumpkin, 15 oz cans, $1.49
    O-Live olive oil, 17 oz bottles, $4.99
    Birds Eye “Steamfresh” veggies, 10 oz frozen bags, 88¢
    Libby's veggies, 1 lb frozen bags, 88¢
    Clementines, 3 lb bag, $2.99
    Gala/Fuji/Granny Smith/Red Delicious apples, “Just Right Size”, 2/$1
    Seedless grapes, green or red, $2.99/lb
    Bartlett pears, $1.29/lb
    Organic Granny Smith apples, $2.99/lb
    Navel oranges, $1.29/lb
    Slicing tomatoes, $1.69/lb
    Organic vine tomatoes, $3.99/lb
    Earthbound Farms organic box salads, 16 oz, $5


Bashas':

    Beef petite sirloin roast or value pack steak, $3.87/lb
    Beef tenderloin, whole in bag, $7.99/lb
    Beef New York steak, bone in, value pack, $6.99/lb
    Ground beef sirloin, fat content not listed, value pack, $3.49/lb
    Pork loin roast, 3.99/lb
    Center cut pork chops, $3.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.77/lb
    Norbest turkeys, hen or tom, 10-24 lb, 79¢/lb with additional $25 purchase
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Rockfish or Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Bashas' milk, gallons, $1.97
    Land O Lakes butter, $3.59
    Sargento cheeses, 5-8 oz shreds or shingle, $2.88
    Green Giant veg, 11-15 oz cans, 99¢
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, $1.99
    Apples:  Fuji, Gala, Red Delicious, 77¢/lb
    Pears:  Bartlett, Bosc, Anjou, 77¢/lb
    Chiquita bananas, 39¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Green or red seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Summer squashes, zucchini/yellow/grey, 99¢/lb
    Bell peppers, green/red/gold, 77¢ ea
    Organic acorn or butternut squash, 99¢/lb


Fry's:

    Beef roasts:  eye/top/bottom round, sirloin tip, shoulder, chuck, 50% off
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $4.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, $3.49/lb (3 lb chub)
    Foster Farms chicken breast/thighs/drumsticks, bone in, 99¢/lb
    Kroger frozen turkeys, 10-24 lb, 79¢/lb with additional $25 purchase
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.99
    Kroger frozen veggies, 10-12 oz bag, 10/$10
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.49/lb
    Bartlett pears, 99¢/lb
    HoneyCrisp apples, $1.99/lb
    Mandarins, 3 lb bag, $4.99
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 88¢ ea


Safeway:

    Beef London broil, $3.99/lb
    Beef crossrib roast, boneless, $5.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, “grass fed”, $4.99/lb
    Pork shoulder blade roast, bone in, whole in bag, $1.99/lb
    Half pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $2.99/lb
    Safeway smoked half ham, rump or shank, bone in, $1.89/lb
    Safeway spiral sliced half ham, bone in, $2.29/lb
    Safeway Farms frozen turkeys, 8-24 lb, 79¢/lb with additional $25 purchase
    Butterball frozen turkeys, 10-24 lb, 99¢/lb with additional $25 purchase
    Butterball frozen turkeys, >24 lb, $1.29/lb
    Li'l Butterball frozen turkeys, 5-9 lb, $1.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $8.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.97
    Lucerne cheeses, 2 lb chunk or shreds, $7.99
    Land O Lakes butter, $3.99
    Tillamook cheeses, 12 oz slices, $3.99
    Mezzetta pasta sauces, 24-25 oz jars, buy 1 get 1 free
    Lean Cuisine “Simple Favorites” frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Gala/Fuji/Granny Smith apples, $1.99/lb
    Organic Gala or Fuji apples, $1.99/lb
    Bartlett pears, $1.49/lb
    Navel oranges, $1.49/lb
    Safeway Farms clementines, 3 lb bag, $5
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.99/lb
    Kiwifruit, 2/$1
    Vine tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Organic Garnet yams, $1.99/lb



Sprouts:

    Beef London broil OR stew meat, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Beef chuck roast or steak, boneless, $5.79/lb
    Beef ribeye roast or steak, bone in, $7.99/lb
    Assorted pork chops, “2 center and 2 end”, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Spiral sliced ham, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken thighs, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, value pack, $1.79/lb
    Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $8.99/lb
    Whole Lane snapper, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Cranberries, 12 oz bag, 98¢
    Blackberries, 5 oz boxes, 98¢
    Navel oranges OR Orlando tangelos, 88¢/lb
    Pears:  Bartlett, D'Anjou, red, Bosc, Comice, 88¢/lb
    Organic Braeburn or Red Delicious apples,
    “Texas Rio Star” grapefruit, 3/$1
    Winter squashes:  acorn, butternut, spaghetti, Kabocha, 88¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 98¢/lb
    Earthbound Farms organic bag salads, 5 oz, $1.98