Bargain guide, week beginning February 2nd

From what I see on the news, when Punxsutawney Phil – or any other groundhog – stuck his head out this Groundhog Day, all he saw was snow. (Am I the only person here old enough to remember Agua Fria Freddie?)

Some sort of sporting event is scheduled for this weekend, or so I am given to understand: actually, it’s the biggest food-consumption day of the year, beating out Thanksgiving. So chips, dips, steaks, burgers, soft drinks, beer, and anything else suitable for serving to large groups of shouting men is heavily promoted this week.

And so welcome to February, which is – at the healthier end of the spectrum – Berry Fresh Month, National Cherry Month (I have no idea why, as any fresh cherries in February have to be imported from Chile!), National Fiber Focus Month, National Grapefruit Month, National Heart Healthy Month, and National Hot Breakfast Month. This first week of February is Shape Up With Pickles Week – again I have no idea why, but pickles are a tasty snack and most of them are PointsPlus free. The 4th of the month, this Friday, is Homemade Soup Day: as I type this it is 40° out and a plate of homemade soup sounds gooood. The 6th is Frozen Yogurt Day – all hail Golden Spoon – but I think we will be pretty well frozen by then even without the yogurt.

February 2nd: Heavenly Hash Day
February 3rd: National Carrot Cake Day
February 4th: Homemade Soup Day, National Stuffed Mushroom Day
February 5th: National Chocolate Fondue Day
February 6th: National Frozen Yogurt Day
February 7th: National Fettucine Alfredo Day*
February 8th: Molasses Bar Day
February 9th: National Bagels and Lox Day, National Pizza Day

* I am reliably informed that Alfredo would have been shocked at the notion of an "Alfredo sauce" -- Alfredo dressed his fettucine with lumps of butter and piles of freshly shredded Parmesan.

In the news, the USDA finally (in January 2011) got around to announcing its 2010 dietary guidelines. Which are full of such shocking advice as “Eat more whole grains”, “Fill half your plate with vegetables”, and “Drink water, not sugary drinks”, all of which we’ve been hearing from Weight Watchers for years now.



Albertson’s:

Beef London broil/bottom round/crossrib roasts, $4.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
Pork loin back ribs, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
Pork sirloin chops or roast, boneless, $1.99/lb
Hormel spiral sliced ham, bone in, $1.99/lb
Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.77/lb
Honeysuckle White 93/7 ground turkey, 3 lb chub, $3.69, buy 1 get 1 free
Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
All Pepsi products incl. Diet, 12 packs, $2.40 (must buy 5)
Deli: Jennie-O oven roasted turkey breast, $4.99/lb
Kretschmar Virginia ham, $4.99/lb
Dietz & Watson lunchmeats and cheeses, $6.99/lb
Deli Fresh cheeses, $5.99/lb
Margherita hard salami/Genoa salami/pepperoni, $5.99/lb
Sargento cheeses, 5-8 oz shreds, 2/$5
Wheat Thins, other Nabisco snack crackers, 5.5-10 oz boxes, $1.88
Ro-Tel tomatoes, 10/$10
Nathan’s pickles or sauerkraut, 24-32 oz jars, $3.29
Claussen pickles or sauerkraut, 20-32 oz jars, $3.29
Bush’s beans, 79¢
Pictsweet frozen veggies, 14-16 oz bags, 3/$4
Clementines, 3 lb bag, $2.77
Navel oranges OR tangelos, 99¢/lb
Gala apples, $1.49/lb
Seedless grapes, green or red, $2.99/lb
Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
Fresh Express bag salads or spinach, 2/$3
Hass avocados, 99¢ ea
Hearts of romaine, 2/$4
Asparagus, $2.99/lb
English cucumbers, 99¢
Earthbound Farms box salads, 1 lb box, $4.99



Bashas’:

Beef tenderloin, whole in bag, $6.99/lb
Beef porterhouse steaks, value pack, $4.97/lb
Beef t-bone or New York strip steak, bone in, value pack, $3.97/lb
Beef crossrib roast, $3.99/lb
Pork tenderloin, $4.49/lb
Pork shoulder roast, bone in, $1.99/lb (steaks, $2.49/lb)
Assorted pork chops, bone in, value pack, $1.99/lb
Chicken breast, bone in, value pack, 97¢/lb
Chicken leg quarters, bone in, value pack, 97¢/lb
Deli: Eckrich ham, $4.99/lb
Stella Provolone cheese, $4.99/lb
Bashas’ cottage cheese incl lowfat, 16 oz tub, $1.39
C&W or Birds Eye frozen veggies, 11-16 oz bags, 5/$10
Ragu pasta sauces, 16-26 oz jars, $1.59
Starkist chunk light tuna, 69¢
Hunt’s canned tomatoes, 14 oz can, 10/$10
Whole pineapples, $1.99
Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
Blueberries or blackberries, 6 oz box, 2/$5
Gala or Red Delicious apples, 99¢/lb
Vine tomatoes, AZ grown, 99¢/lb
Small Hass avocados, 4/$1
Asparagus, $2.49/lb
Cucumbers, 79¢ ea
Italian squash, 99¢/lb



Food City:

Beef crossrib steaks or roast, boneless, value pack, $2.49/lb
Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $1.49/lb
Basa swai fillets, $2.99/lb
Flav-R-Pac frozen veggies, 1 lb bag, 88¢
Red seedless grapes, 99¢/lb
Navel oranges, 5 lbs/$1
Tangelos, 2 lb/98¢
Fuji apples, 2 lbs/98¢
Mexican papayas, 2 lbs/98¢
Asian pears, 2 lbs/98¢
Roma tomatoes, 3 lbs/99¢
Red bell peppers, 2/98¢



Fry’s:

Beef ribeye, boneless, whole in bag, $3.97/lb, cut & wrapped free
Beef top sirloin, family pack, $4.97/lb
Beef top round roast or London broil, boneless, family pack, $3.79/lb
Beef crossrib roast, boneless, family pack, $3.79/lb
85/15 ground beef, 1 lb chub, $3.29
Pork loin back ribs, $2.77/lb
Assorted pork loin chops, $2.69/lb
Boneless skinless chicken breast, 3 lb IQF bag, $1.67/lb
Whole frying chickens, $1.09/lb
85/15 ground turkey, $1.99/lb (3 lb pkg)
Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds or 6 oz “Deli Thin” slices, 50% off
Navel oranges OR Minneola tangelos, $1/lb
D’Anjou pears, 4 lbs/$5
Green or red seedless grapes, $2.49/lb
Blackberries or blueberries, 4.4-6 oz box, 2/$5
Mangos, $1 ea
Lemons, 2/88¢ or post a note in Comments and I will bring some
Peaches OR nectarines, $1.99/lb
Vine OR large OR Roma tomatoes, $1/lb
Dole bag salads, $1
Kroger “mini peeled” carrots, 1 lb bag, $1
Radishes OR green onions, 2 bunches/$1
Sweet onion, $1/lb



Rancho Grande:

Beef shoulder steak or roast, family pack, $2.49/lb
Beef liver, $1.29/lb
Assorted pork chops, $1.39/lb
Whole chickens, family pack, 79¢/lb
Clamato, 32 oz bottles, 2/$3
Whole pineapples, 2 lbs/99¢
White onions, 5 lbs/99¢
Jalapeño chiles, 4 lbs/99¢
Roma tomatoes, 2 lbs/99¢
Cabbage, 3 lbs/99¢



Safeway:

Beef ribeye OR New York strip steaks, bone in, value pack, $4.77/lb
Beef chuck crossrib OR bottom round roast, boneless, $3.99/lb
Beef New York steak, boneless, value pack, $6.99/lb
90/10 ground beef, value pack, $2.19/lb
Pork top loin chops, boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
Pork shoulder country style ribs, bone in, value pack, $1.99/lb
Chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, value pack, 88¢/lb
Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $8.99/lb
Land O Lakes butter, 2/$7
Safeway frozen veg, 8-16 oz bags, 2/$4
Bumble Bee solid white tuna, 10/$10
Mt Olive pickles, 24 oz jar, buy 1 get 1 free
Red seedless grapes, 99¢/lb
Navel oranges, 2 lb/$1
Kiwifruit, 3/$1
Blueberries, 6 oz box, 2/$5
Vine tomatoes, $2.49/lb
Green asparagus, $2.99/lb
New Star bag spinach, 1 lb bag, 2/$3



Smart & Final:

Beef ribeye steak, boneless, $4.99/lb
Farmer John spareribs, $1.69/lb
Foster Farms chicken breast, bone in, family pack, 99¢/lb
Hass avocados, 4 ct, $2.49
Eat Smart veggie tray, 4 lbs, $9.99
Grape tomatoes, 12 oz box, 99¢



Sprouts:

Beef sirloin tip steak or roast, boneless, $3.99/lb
Beef ribeye or New York steaks, boneless, $7.99/lb
“Super lean” ground sirloin, fat content not listed, $3.99/lb
Pork sirloin chops or spare ribs, $2.99/lb
Bonelss skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
Chicken sausage, $2.99/lb
Mahi mahi fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
Sprouts canned beans, 77¢
Cantaloupes, 99¢ ea
Navel oranges OR “Rio Red” grapefruit, 49¢/lb
Gala or Fuji apples, 99¢/lb
Organic Braeburn apples, 99¢/lb
Bosc or D’Anjou pears, 99¢/lb
Peaches, nectarines, black or red plums, 2/$3
Blueberries, dry pint, $1.77
Honeydew melons, 2/$4
Pineapples, 2/$4
Red seedless grapes, 2 lbs/$3
Leaf lettuce, green or red, 99¢
Tomatoes, 88¢/lb
Green bell peppers, 49¢ ea
Red/gold/orange bell peppers, 88¢ ea
Radishes OR green onions, 49¢/bunch
Summer squashes, 88¢/lb
Grape tomatoes, dry pint, 2/$3