Bargain guide, week beginning August 29th:

From Fooducate this week, the rundown on the “Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2012”, or “Why You See Calorie Listings at Burger King But Not at Seven-Eleven”.  From Chow.com, fully fifty-five recipes involving both sweet and hot peppers (sadly, my research indicates that “Chile-Infused Tequila” does not count as a serving of vegetables), and a handy way to use peanut butter to repair a scratched DVD.  From Summer Tomato, turn your zucchini or other summer squashes into noodles!

According to a new study in the American Journal of Physiology (by way of ScienceDaily.com), “30 minutes of {daily} exercise hard enough to produce a sweat is enough to turn the tide on an unhealthy body mass index” – and 60 minutes accomplished no more than the shorter workout!  Marion Nestle explores the pitfalls of what she calls “nutrifluff” – studies attributing remarkable health benefits to single foods, such as goji berries or dark chocolate or apple peels.  (One of her commenters has a terrific insight:  “People don't love nutrients.  Nobody says 'I love Vitamin C'.  But they do say 'I love a fresh orange'.  People have feelings about food.  They don't have any feelings about nutrients.”)  And at Not Eating Out In NY, a recipe for a 5-PointsPlus-per-BIG-serving roasted tomato and corn soup.

The weight-loss year, at least in the US, has only two seasons.  Grilling Season runs from Memorial Day through Independence Day and right up through Labor Day weekend.  Then there's a hiatus until the first of October, which is the beginning of Chocolate Season.  Chocolate Season extends through the winter and spring right up until Easter;  at that point there is another hiatus before the opening of the next Grilling Season.  And Grilling Season winds up this weekend, so prepare to find heavy promotions (if not necessarily good prices) on anything that can be cooked on a grill, which anymore includes just about everything short of peas.  Or beer, which will be heavily promoted anyway.

Today has been National More Herbs Less Salt Day!  Also National Lemon Juice Day, which goes well with using herbs instead of salt.  September begins this weekend, and with it National Chicken Month, National Mushroom Month, National Honey Month, National Bourbon Heritage Month (I dare not speculate whether this is a celebration of the beverage or the French monarchy), Whole Grains Month, and National Organic Harvest Month. 

And National Apple Month.  We will hear more of this. 

August 29th:  National Lemon Juice Day, National More Herbs Less Salt Day, National Chop Suey Day
August 30th:  National Toasted Marshmallow Day
August 31st:  Eat Outside Day, National Trail Mix Day
September 1st:  National Cherry Popover Day;  beginning of Wine Season and Oyster Season
September 2nd:  National Blueberry Popsicle Day
September 3rd:  National Welsh Rarebit Day;  birthday of Anna, Duchess of Bedford, creator of "afternoon tea" (not to be confused with "high tea")
September 4th:  National Macadamia Nut Day, Eat an Extra Dessert Day (and why not?  They are your bonus Points to spend)
September 5th:  National Cheese Pizza Day


Albertson's:

    Beef New York steak, bone in, family pack, $5.99/lb
    Beef ribeye steak, bone in, family pack, $6.99/lb
    Beef t-bone steak, $7.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steak OR tri tip roast, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Beef crossrib steak OR London broil, boneless, family pack, $2.99/lb
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    85/15 ground beef, $2.49/lb (3 lbs or more)
    93/7 ground beef, $2.77/lb (3 lbs or more)
    Ground beef patties, fat content not listed, 4 oz each, 10/$10
    Pork link sausages, 5 oz each, 10/$10
    Pork loin back ribs, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Pork spare ribs, $4.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Sanderson Farms boneless skinless chicken breast, $4.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Unbranded boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, $1.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb
    Tilapia fillets, family pack, $2.99/lb
    Yoplait yogurts incl. Light, 20/$10
    Sargento cheeses, 6-8 oz shingle pack, $2.99
    Deli:    Jennie-O oven roasted turkey breast, $4.99/lb
        USA Told Virginia ham, $4.99/lb
        Charlie's Pride Italian beef/corned beef/beef pastrami, $4.99/lb
        Deli Fresh Colby or mild Cheddar, $4.99/lb
        Stella Provolone or Muenster, $4.99/lb
    Mt Olive kosher dill pickles, 80 oz jar, $2.99
    Crystal Light, $1.99
    Filippo Berio olive oil, half liter bottles, $3.99
    Bush's baked or “Grillin'” beans, 21-28 oz cans, 3/$5
    Seedless watermelons, 17¢/lb (first 2)
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $1.99/lb
    Peaches OR nectarines. $1.99/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Blackberries/raspberries/blueberries, 6 oz boxes, 2/$5
    Large cantaloupes, 2/$4
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Sweet corn, 2/$1
    Large Hass avocados, 99¢ ea
    Earthbound Farms organic box salads, 1 lb, $4.99


Bashas':

    Beef tri tip roast or steaks OR tbone steaks, value pack, $4.59/lb
    Beef sirloin tip roast or steaks, $4.49/lb
    Beef crossrib roast, $3.99/lb
    Ground beef sirloin, fat content not listed, buy 1 get 1 free
    Center cut pork chops, boneless, value pack, $3.49/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.67/lb
    Alaskan king salmon fillets, $8.99/lb
    Whole entire-damn-fish sockeye salmon, $5.99/lb, apparently decapitated, good luck
    Oysters in the shell, 75¢ ea
    Sargento cheeses, 6-8 oz shreds or shingle pack, 2/$5
    Yoplait yogurts, 10/$5
    Bashas' cottage cheese, 24 oz tubs, $1.99
    Bush's baked or “Grillin'” beans, 21-28 oz cans, $1.79
    Bumble Bee chunk light tuna, 69¢
    Food Club veggies OR tomatoes, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Bertolli olive oil, 25 oz bottles, $5.99
    Snyder's pretzels, 13-16 oz bags, 2/$5
    Seedless watermelons, 19¢/lb (limit 2)
    Peaches OR nectarines, $1.98/lb
    Navel oranges, 98¢/lb
    Clementines, 3 lb bag, $3.99
    Red seedless grapes, $1.98/lb
    Vine or large tomatoes, $1.98/lb
    Sweet corn, 15¢ ea


Fry's:

    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, family pack, $4.97/lb
    Pork loin chops, boneless, family pack, $3.39/lb
    Pork back ribs OR St Louis-style spareribs, $2.97/lb
    Foster Farms chicken thighs or drumsticks, bone in, $1.49/lb
    Alaska coho salmon fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Kroger butter, 2/$5
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.88
    Bush's baked beans, 21-18 oz cans, $1.77
    Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars, 8 ct, 50% off
    Nabisco snack crackers (Triscuits, Wheat Thins), 5-10 oz boxes, $1.99
    Smart Ones frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Green seedless grapes, 69¢/lb
    Nectarines, 75¢/lb
    Peaches, plums, pluots, $1.99/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Raspberries or blueberries, 6 oz boxes, 2/$5
    Bananas, 57¢/lb
    Honeydew melons OR mini seedless watermelons, 2/$5
    Vine tomatoes, AZ grown, $1.99/lb
    Sweet corn, 2/88¢
    Zucchini OR yellow squash, 99¢/lb


Safeway:

    Beef New York strip steak, bone in, $4.67/lb
    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, $4.67/lb
    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, $5.67/lb
    Beef bottom round steak, thin cut boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Beef chuck steak, boneless, value pack, $2.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Whole pork tenderloin, boneless, whole in bag, $4.79/lb
    Assorted pork loin chops, bone in, value pack, $2.49/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    Chicken leg quarters, 75¢/lb (10 lb bag)
    Sanderson Farms chicken thighs or drumsticks, bone in, $1.69/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Swordfish steaks, $9.99/lb
    Extra jumbo raw shrimp (16-20 ct), $7.99/lb – huge honkin' beasts for the grill
    Lucerne cheeses, 2 lb chunk, $5.99
    Sargento cheese snacks, 9-12 oz string packs, $3.99
    Bush's baked beans, 28 oz cans, 4/$7
    Classico pasta sauces, 15-24 oz jars, 2/$5
    Progresso Light soups (with PointsPlus count), 2/$4
    Smart Ones frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Weight Watchers frozen chicken breast/tenders/burgers, 30-32 oz boxes, $6.99
    Red Lion nectarines, 99¢/lb
    Peaches, red plums, black plums, $1.99/lb
    Cantaloupes, 2/$3
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.49/lb
    Mini watermelons, $1.98 ea
    Vine tomatoes, AZ grown, $1.99/lb
    Sweet corn, white or yellow, 5/$1
    Zucchini OR yellow squash, $1.49/lb


Sprouts:

    Beef New York steaks, boneless, $6.99/lb
    Beef rump roast OR marinated carne asada, $3.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops or roast, boneless, OR ground pork, $2.99/lb
    Pork spareribs OR boneless country style ribs, $1.77/lb
    Whole chicken back quarters, bone in, spines removed, 99¢/lb
    Alaskan coho salmon fillets, wild caught, $8.99/lb
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Sprouts butter, 2/$6
    Boca burgers, 10 oz frozen box, $2.99/lb
    Peaches OR nectarines, 2 lbs/$3
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, 2 lbs/$3
    Bartlett pears, 99¢/lb
    Seedless watermelons, 3 lbs/$1
    Whole cantaloupes, 4/$5
    Hass avocados, 3/$1
    Tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Iceberg, 99¢ ea
    Green bell peppers, 2/$1
    Summer squashes, Italian/yellow/grey, 99¢/lb
    Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, 99¢/lb