Bargain guide, week beginning August 31st

A couple of interesting articles at Fooducate.com: one exploring whether milk is inherently “good for you” or “bad for you” (filmmaker Shira Lane has made a film, Got the Facts on Milk?, in which she argues that it’s inherently bad and disease-causing for everyone – but then Lane’s opinions may be influenced by her own milk allergy), the other with the blunt title “Bummer – Weight Loss is Not Linear”.

Chow.com has a video on how to make a striped omelet – they do not explain why one would make a striped omelet – and an analysis of the currently popular phenomenon of fast-food oatmeal. It’s healthyyyyyy. Especially with (in the case of Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal with Brown Sugar, Fruit and Nut Medley) that two-and-a-half tablespoons of sugar.

Today was National Eat Outdoors Day. In a place where we’re on our eighth consecutive day of an “excessive heat warning”, this might appropriately be renamed National Are You —ing Kidding Me Day.

Labor Day weekend is, of course, the official end of Barbecue Season. There follows a month’s hiatus before the beginning of Chocolate Season, on October 1st. Any Barbecue Season holiday means heavy promotions on any food that can be cooked on a grill. I am trying to figure out just what foodstuffs are not included in that category other than pudding and possibly cream of wheat.

In anticipation of October, Jelly Belly has introduced a candy-corn-flavored jelly bean.

Tomorrow is the beginning of oyster season (yum), wine season, and National Apple Month. You will be hearing more about National Apple Month. This Saturday is International Bacon Day (!!), National Welsh Rarebit Day, and the birthday of Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, creator of afternoon tea. (Not the same as “high tea”, btw.) Besides being National Apple Month, September is National Breakfast Month, National Mushroom Month, National Chicken Month, National Organic Harvest Month, National Papaya Month, and National Whole Grains Month. Also National Honey Month, National Potato Month, National Rice Month, National Papaya Month, California Wines Month, National Ethnic Foods Month, National Ice-Cream Sandwich Month, National Cholesterol Awareness Month, Food Allergy Awareness Month, and National Bourbon Heritage Month: this last may have rather to do with the Bourbon French kings than with any beverage.

August 31st: National Trail Mix Day, National Eat Outside Day
September 1st: National Cherry Popover Day
September 2nd: National Blueberry Popsicle Day
September 3rd: National Welsh Rarebit Day
September 4th: National Macadamia Nut Day, Eat an Extra Dessert Day
September 5th: National Cheese Pizza Day
September 6th: National Coffee Ice-Cream Day
September 7th: National Acorn Squash Day, National Napoleon Day

Sunday is National Eat An Extra Dessert Day. That’s what your bonus Points are for. One suggestion is the Hungry Girl peanut-butter pie that Debi mentioned this evening, even if it is saddled with the unfortunate name “PB & Yay!”



Albertson’s:

Albertson’s drinking water, 24 pk of half liter bottles, $2.27
Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $6.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
80/20 ground beef, $1.88/lb (3 lb chub)
Pork loin back ribs, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
Pork spare ribs, $4.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
Pork sirloin chops, boneless, $1.99/lb
Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.67/lb
Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb
Coho salmon fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
Sea scallops, 10-20 ct, wild caught, $6.99/lb
Kebabs, beef OR pork OR chicken, various prices, buy 1 get 1 free (same item)
Tillamook cheeses, 8 oz shreds or slices, 2/$5
Eggland’s Best eggs, Grade A large, dozens, $2.29
Deli: USA Gold Virginia ham, $4.99/lb
Jennie-O turkey breast, $4.99/lb
Shannon’s Deli corned beef/beef pastrami/Italian roast beef, $4.99/lb
Deli Fresh Provolone/Muenster/pepperjack/mild Cheddar, $4.99/lb
Snyder’s pretzels, 10-16 oz bags, 2/$5
Chicken of the Sea chunk white tuna, 10/$10
Green seedless grapes, 69¢/lb
Cut up seedless watermelon, 2 lb bowl, $2.99/lb
Whole cantaloupes, 2/$4
Peaches/nectarines, white or yellow, $1.99/lb
Strawberries, regular or organic, 1 lb box, $2.99
Blackberries/raspberries/blueberries, 6 oz box, $2.99
Fresh Epxress bag salads, 2/$5
Sweet corn, 2/$1
Stuffed Portabella mushrooms, 2 pk, $3.99
Vine tomatoes, 14 oz pkg, 2/$5



Bashas’:

Beef t-bone steaks, value pack, $4.67/lb
Beef tenderloin, whole in bag, $6.99/lb
Beef crossrib roast, $3.99/lb
Pork shoulder steak, $2.99/lb
Pork country style ribs, bone in, $2.49/lb
Sanderson Farms chicken breasts OR leg quarters, bone in, 97¢/lb
Alaskan salmon fillets, $7.99/lb
Swordfish steaks, wild caught, $7.99/lb
Food Club butter, $2.99
Weight Watchers ice-cream novelties, $3.99
Whole cantaloupes, 75¢ ea
Peaches, $1.99/lb
Green or red seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
Bartlett pears, 99¢/lb
Nectarines, red or black plums, $1.99lb
Whole seedless watermelons, $3.99
Vine tomatoes, 95¢/lb
Iceberg, 49¢ ea
Green or red bell peppers, 75¢ ea



Food City:

Beef chuck steak or roast, boneless, value pack, $2.88/lb
Beef short ribs, boneless, value pack, $2.99/lb
Sirloin cut pork chops, bone in, value pack, $1.99/lb
Chicken thighs or drumsticks, bone in, 68¢/lb
Swai fillets, $2.79/lb
Kiwifruit, 5/99¢
Iceberg, 3/99¢
Roma tomatoes, 4 lbs/96¢
Brown onions, 3 lbs/99¢



Fry’s:

Beef New York strip steak, bone in, family pack, $4.77/lb
Pork loin baby back ribs, $2.99/lb
Kroger Value boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.77/lb
Shrimp, cooked or raw, 33% off
Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.99
Nabisco snack crackers, 5.5-10 oz boxes, $1.88
Ragu pasta sauces, 16-26 oz jars, $1.58
American Beauty pasta, 1 lb pkg, 10/$10
Lean Cuisine frozen entrées, 4/$10
Strawberries, 1 lb box, buy 1 get 1 free
Minneolas OR navel oranges, $1.29/lb
Nectarines, peaches, plums, pluots, $1.98/lb
Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $1.98/lb
Honeydew melons OR mini seedless watermelons, $2.99
Asian pears, 10/$10
Bartlett pears, 10 lbs/$10
Dole bag salads, blends or “Kits”, buy 1 get 1 free
Vine tomatoes, $1.98lb
Cherub (red) or Sunburst (yellow) grape tomatoes, 10 oz box, 2/$5



Safeway:

Arrowhead water, 24 pack of half liter bottles, 2/$6
Beef ribeye (bone in) OR top sirloin (boneless) steaks, value pack, $4.77/lb
Beef chuck steak, boneless, value pack, $2.49/lb
80/20 ground beef, value pack, $2.49/lb (regular pack $2.79/lb)
Jennie-O ground turkey OR turkey sausage, 19-20 oz pkgs, $3.99
Coho salmon fillets, $6.99/lb
Swai fillets, farm raised, $3.99/lb
Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb
Lucerne cheeses, 2 lb chunk or shreds, $6.99
Barilla pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, 10/$10
Safeway canned veggies, 11-15 oz cans, 79¢
Eating Right frozen entrées, 5/$10
Red Lion nectarines, 99¢/lb
White or yellow peaches, $1.99/lb
Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.49/lb
Whole cantaloupes, 2/$5
White sweet corn, 6/$1
Hass avocados, 3/$5



Smart & Final:

Beef top sirloin steak, boneless, $3.99/lb
First Street boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.97/lb
Seedless watermelons, $2.49 ea
Seedless grapes, green or black, 2 lb box, $2.49
Large tomatoes, 4 ct, $2.49



Sprouts:

Beef chuck roast OR London broil, boneless, $3.99/lb
“Extra lean” ground beef (fat content not listed), $3.79/lb
Pork loin chops or roast, boneless center cut, $3.99/lb
All pork or chicken sausage, bulk or links, $2.99/lb
Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.77/lb
Whole or cut up chickens, $1.49/lb
Ahi tuna steaks, wild caught, $8.99/lb
Haddock fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb
Whole seedless watermelons, $1.49 ea  Best price
Green seedless grapes, 88¢/lb
Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$4
Blueberries or raspberries, 6 oz box, 2/$4
Organic white nectarines, $1.49/lb
Organic cantaloupe, 69¢/lb
Organic green grapes, $1.49/lb
Organic pluots, 99¢/lb
Sweet corn, 3/$1
Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 88¢ ea
Green or red bell peppers, 3/$1
Tomatoes, 88¢/lb
Grape or cherry tomatoes, dry pint, 4/$5