Bargain guide, week beginning November 28th:

At this time of year when most of us have more things-that-need-accomplishing than hours-in-which-to-accomplish-them, Fooducate has a short piece on caffeine-adulterated snacks (Really, Frito-Lay?  Caffeinated Cracker Jacks?) and a takedown of the use of trendy catch-words in advertising, to make things seem healthier than they probably are.  (“That {health} bar may be organic, wheat-free, and raw, but it isn't food.”)

Chow.com has recipes for “shockingly tasty fruitcakes” (if you're not buying yours from Collin Street, and if you're not, in God's name why?), scientific pan shopping (thicker == better), and how to make wonderfully creamy mashed potatoes without overloading them with cream and butter (it involves “diastatic malt powder”, because we all have just boxes and boxes of that hanging around in our kitchens, don't we?).  Also a recipe for holiday sugar cookies, a video on how to make them look professionally decorated, a whole stack of recipes for treats that can be easily shipped, another of DIY gifts both edible and drinkable (homemade amaretto!  I am awed), and as every year the wondrous, incomparable Turducken of Cheese Balls – twelve layers, five pounds, otherwise known as The Cheese Ball As Big As Your Head.

(Edit:  According to the Weight Watchers Recipe Builder, this last item has a total PointsPlus count something over 200 – it's difficult to say as the Recipe Builder has no listing for Bucheret.  On the other had you're not going to eat the thing yourself.  At least I hope not.)

Summer Tomato has a set of Jedi mind tricks to get people to eat healthy who otherwise might not.  Don't be afraid to lie, if that's what it takes (“You don't need to see my recipe.  This is not the healthy food you're looking for.”).  And what does one do with eighteen tons of chocolate?  Someone in Vienna loaded that much onto a tractor-trailer, claiming it was for delivery into the Czech Republic;  but the license plate, and the driver's ID, were counterfeits.  Eighteen … tons.  That's a bit much even for me.

More recipes!  Sprouted Kitchen has roasted acorn squash, and an interesting salad of quinoa, arugala, and grapes.  If you've still got turkey to deal with, Simply Recipes has a turkey-barley-and-lemon soup.  Smitten Kitchen has a spinach salad with bacon vinaigrette – “Not a Salad of Thanksgiving Repentance,” we're assured;  “that would be rather dull.  It might include wheat germ, and it's too soon for all of that.”  And Snack Girl has reworked holiday sugar cookies to involve healthier ingredients while (she assures us) still tasting like cookies!

I cannot imagine anyone will be surprised to learn that December is both National Fruitcake Month and National Eggnog Month, and that the first week is National Cookie Cutter Week.

November 28th:  National French Toast Day
November 29th:  National ChocolateS Day (not to be confused with National Chocolate Day), National Lemon Creme Pie Day, Throw Out Your Leftovers Day
November 30th:  National Mousse Day
December 1st:  National Pie Day (not to be confused with Pi Day, 3/14), Eat a Red Apple Day;  1885, first sale of Dr Pepper
December 2nd:  National Fritters Day
December 3rd:  National Apple Pie Day, National Ice-Cream Box Day
December 4th:  National Cookie Day
December 5th:  Repeal Day (Prohibition), National Sachertorte Day


Albertson's:

    Beef ribeye, t-bone, New York, top sirloin steaks, 50% off
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef crossrib roast OR London broil, boneless, $2.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, $2.99/lb (3 lbs or more)
    80/20 ground beef, $1.99/lb (3 lbs or more)
    80/20 ground beef patties, pkg of 10, $10
    Pork loin chops, bone in, $4.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, $1.77/lb
    Pork shoulder butt roast, bone in, $1.99/lb
    American Chef  whole hams, 4lb, boneless, $19.99, buy 1 get 1 free
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.77/lb
    Atlantic salmon, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.67
    Albertson's sour cream OR cottage cheese incl. Light, 16 oz tubs, 10/$10
    Essential Everyday cheeses, 2 lb shreds, $6.99/lb
    Essential Everyday cream cheese, 8 oz block, 4/$5
    Deli:    Dietz & Watson gourmet chicken breast items, $5.99/lb
        Store (unbranded) rotisserie turkey breast, $5.99/lb
        Jennie-O “Honey Smoked” or “Oven Brown” turkey breast, $5.99/lb
        USA Gold honey or baked ham, $5.99/lb
        Charlie's Pride corned beef/beef pastrami/Italian roast beef, $5.99/lb
        Margherita hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $5.99/lb
    Oroweat OR Sara Lee bread, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $2.99
    S&W variety (non-baked) beans, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Essential Everyday tomatoes, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Bumble Bee chunk light tuna, 10/$10
    Hunt's pasta sauce, 24 oz cans, 10/$10
    Hunt's diced tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 10/$10
    Hunt's tomato sauce, 14 oz cans, 10/$10
    Bush's variety (non-baked) beans, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Le Sueur peas (in the silver can), 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Ranch Style beans, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Van Camp's pork & beans, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Essential Everyday pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, 10/$10
    Ro*tel tomatoes, can't be without them, 10/$10
    Smart Ones “Classic Favorite” frozen entrees, 2/$5
    Clementine tangerines, 3 lb bag, 2/$5
    Navel oranges, $1/lb
    Bartlett pears, $1/lb
    Apple pears, $1 ea
    Fuji or Braeburn apples, $1/lb
    Roma tomatoes, $1/lb
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, $1 ea
    Eggplant, $1 ea
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR spinach, $1/bunch
    Summer squashes, zucchini/grey/yellow, $1/lb


Bashas':

    Beef top sirloin, boneless, value pack, $3.77/lb
    Beef crossrib roast or steaks, boneless?, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef petite sirloin tip roast or steaks, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef bottom round roast or steaks, buy 1 get 1 free
    Ground beef sirloin, small pkg, buy 1 get 1 free
    Pork shoulder, whole in bag, buy 1 get 1 free
    Whole pork loin, bone in, $1.19/lb (half, $1.47/lb)
    Assorted pork chops, $1.99/lb
    Center cut pork chops, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Chicken breasts, bone in, $1.49/lb
    Mahi mahi fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Catfish fillets, farm raised, $4.99.lb
    Bashas' milk, half gallons only, 88¢/lb
    Yoplait yogurts, 10/$5
    Shamrock Farms cottage cheese incl. Light, 24 oz tubs, $3.29
    Sargento cheeses, 5-8 oz shreds, $2.88
    Fiber One OR Nature Valley bars, $2.88
    Ragu pasta sauces, 16-24 oz jars, 2/$3
    Veg-All vegetables, 14-15 oz cans, 2/88¢
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Clementine tangerines, 3 lb bag, $2.97
    Whole pineapples, 99¢ ea
    Navel oranges, 88¢/lb
    Pink grapefruits, 88¢ ea
    Fuji/Granny Smith/Gala/Red Delicious apples, small, 99¢/lb
    Large tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Grape tomatoes, 12 oz box, $1.99
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 99¢ ea
    Green bell peppers, 2/$1
    Organic vine tomatoes, $2.99/lb
    Organic Golden Delicious apples, $1.99/lb


Fry's:

    Beef crossrib roast OR Texas broil, $2.99/lb
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, buy 1 get 2 free
    Beef t-bone steaks, $7.99/lb
    Beef top round roast or London broil, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Entire selection of fresh pork, buy 1 get 1 free
    Kroger boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.67/lb
    Kroger 85/15 ground turkey, $7.99/lb
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.99
    Kroger cottage cheese incl. Light, 24 oz tubs, $1.77
    Prego pasta sauces, 23-24 oz jars, $1.99
    Progresso soups incl. Light (with the WW logo!), 8/$10
    Kroger veggies, 11-15 oz cans, 5/$3
    Kroger variety (non-baked) beans, 15 oz cans, 69¢
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10/$10
    Hunt's tomatoes, 12-15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Smart Ones frozen entrees, 5/$11
    HoneyCrisp apples, $1.99/lb
    Blackberries, 6 oz boxes, buy 1 get 1 free
    Bananas, 57¢/lb
    Mangos, 88¢ ea
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, AZ grown, 99¢/bunch
    Hass avocados, 88¢ ea



Safeway:

    Beef New York strip steaks, bone in, value pack, $4.99/lb
    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, value pack, $7.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, value pack, $5.49/lb
    Beef chuck pot roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef chuck crossrib roast, boneless, $3.89/lb
    Beef bottom round steak, thin cut boneless, $3.99/lb
    90/10 ground beef, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Pork shoulder blade roast, bone in, whole in bag, $1.49
    Pork loin chops, center cut, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Safeway chicken thighs OR drumsticks, bone in, value pack, $1.19/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.49/lb
    Jennie-O Turkey Store extra-lean ground turkey breast, 20 oz pkg, $5.99
    Mahi mahi fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Tilapia/catfish/swai fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, value pack, $4.99/lb
    Haddock OR Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.57
    Lucerne OR Open Nature cheeses, 24-32 oz chunk or shreds, $6.99
    Nature's Own breads, 2/$4
    Ragazzo's pasta sauces, 24 oz jars, $3.49
    Bumble Bee chunk light tuna, 10/$10
    Safeway Kitchens pineapple, 20 oz cans, 4/$5
    Safeway Kitchens other fruits, 14 oz cans, 10/$10
    Safeway variety (non-baked) beans, 15 oz cans, 89¢
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Navel oranges, 8 lb bag, $3.88
    Blackberries, 6 oz boxes, buy 1 get 1 free
    Pears, Bartlett/red/Bosc, 99¢/lb
    Red seedless grapes, $2.99/lb
    Honeycrisp apples, $2.49/lb
    Pomegranates, 2/$5
    Hass avocados, 69¢ ea


Sprouts:

    Beef sirloin tip steak or roast, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, $3.99/lb
    “Super-lean” ground pork, $3.49/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $1.88/lb
    Navel oranges, 49¢/lb
    Pears, Bartlett/Bosc/D'Anjou, 77¢/lb
    Apples, Red/Golden Delicious OR Cameo, 77¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 49¢/lb
    Lear lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR spinach, 77¢/bunch
    Winter squashes, acorn/butternut/spaghetti, 77¢/lb
    Eggplant, 77¢ ea