Bargain guide, week beginning October 31st:

Happy Halloween, all!  Lots of Halloweenie tips this week:  Chow.com has how to make “delicious fake blood”, two different Halloween punch recipes (one is called “Smoking Swamp”, one involves actual glowing ice hands floating in your punchbowl), the proper use of dry ice in the punchbowl, and an important treatment of the correct pairings of wine and Halloween candy.  (Tawny port with candy corn.  I did not know that.)

Continuing the candy motif, Serious Eats taste-test every … single … thing made by the Ferrara Pan Company.  They conclude, quite correctly I think, that Lemonheads are best of all.  And just in time for the holiday, Marion Nestle's latest “nutrifluff” link is to a New England Journal of Medicine study linking nations' chocolate consumption with numbers of Nobel prize winners.  So do your bit!  It's for America dammit!

Hurricane Sandy's going to wreak havoc on our eating habits as well.  Atlantic fishing operations and seafood shipments are on hold for the time being, and sadly New York City's biggest beekeeping operation (twenty-five hives, a million bees) was destroyed.

Recipes!  Snack Girl has an assortment of healthy and quick breakfast recipes and a terrific crackers-cheese-and-tomatoes snack to make in your toaster oven (“What is so cool about getting a handle on one ounce of cheese is that you begin to see how far it will take you. Full fat cheese with a strong flavor, like sharp cheddar, is utterly unreal melted. Add it to a fresh tomato (I like the ones on the vine) and your taste buds will likely sing some upbeat pop song.”).  And on (I hope) the final Halloween motif of the night, Simply Recipes goes with the black-and-orange colorway by providing a half-pumpkin filled with squid ink pasta.

November is Good Nutrition Month and National Peanut Butter Lovers' Month.  Also National Pomegranate Month, if you want one just post in Comments (http://wwwrentips.blogspot.com) and I will bring you one at the next meeting.  Tomorrow is National Deep Fried Clams Day TOUCH MINE AND I WILL PIN YOUR HAND TO THE TABLE WITH MY FORK.  And, of course, today is the last day of National Apple Month – and tomorrow is the first day of National Apple Month.  Yes, the Congress has declared there to be three consecutive National Apple Months, September, October, and November.  This may be a tribute to the healthy deliciousness of apples, or to the unrivaled power of the apple-growers' lobby.

October 31st:  National Caramel Apple Day, Trick or Treat for UNICEF Day
November 1st:  National Deep Fried Clams Day, National Vinegar Day
November 2nd:  National Deviled Egg Day
November 3rd:  National Sandwich Day
November 4th:  National Candy Day
November 5th:  National Doughnut Day
November 6th:  National Nachos Day
November 7th:  Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day

I'm sorry about the delay -- the only supermarket flyers I'd managed to get hold of by printing time yesterday were Bashas' and Fry's.


Albertson's:

    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Beef London broil, thick cut boneless, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef top sirloin steak OR tri tip roast, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Pork loin chops, boneless, $6.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, $1.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.99/lb
    Honeysuckle White frozen turkeys:  will match prices at Bashas', Fry's, or Safeway
    Tilapia fillets, 1 lb IQF, $7.99, buy 1 get 2 free
    Atlantic salmon fillets, $5.99/lb
    Thresher shark, $3.99/lb
    Sockeye salmon OR mahi mahi, 5 oz portions, $3.99
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.67
    Deli:     Unbranded (store) 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
        Dietz & Watson chicken breast varieties, $5.99/lb
        Charlie's Pride Italian beef/corned beef/beef pastrami, $5.99/lb
        Margherita hard/Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $5.99/lb
        Stella natural Swiss/Muenster/Provolone/baby Swiss, $5.99/lb
    Nature's Own “Honey Wheat” or “100% Whole Grain” breads, 20 oz long loaves, 2/$5
    Libby's veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Albertson's OR Essential Everyday fruit, 15 oz cans, 10/$10..
    Albertson's frozen veg, 14-16 oz bags, 10/$10
    Honeycrisp apples, $2.99/lb
    Pomegranates, 2/$5
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $2.99, buy 1 get 1 free
    Large hothouse tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, 88¢/lb
    Fresh Express bag salads “Premium Romaine” or “Green & Crisp”, or spinach, 2/$4
    Yams OR sweet potatoes, 99¢/lb
    Zucchini OR yellow squash, 99¢/lb
    Earthbound Farms organic box salads, 1 lb, $4.99


Bashas':

    All Shamrock Farms dairy products, 50% off
    Beef t-bone steaks, value pack, $4.77/lb
    Beef ribeye steaks, boneless, $9.99/lb
    Beef crossrib roast, $4.49/lb (steaks, 50c higher)
    Petite sirloin steak or roast, $4.99/lb
    Pork shoulder roast, whole in bag, $1.79/lb
    Pork shoulder steaks, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Cook's ham steak, bone in, $3.99/lb
    Farmland whole or half hams, $1.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.69/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $4.88/lb
    Catfish fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Food Club cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/cubes, $1.88
    Challenge butter, $2.49
    Bashas' Homestyle bread, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $2.79
    Food Club veggies or tomatoes, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Bertolli olive oil (healthy!), 25 oz bottles, $5.99
    Flav-R-Pac stir-fry or veggie blends, 12-16 oz bags, 3/$5
    Honeycrisp apples, $1.29/lb
    Bananas, 35¢/lb
    Apples:  Gala, Red/Golden Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smith, 75¢/lb
    Pears:  Bartlett, Anjou, Bosc, 99¢/lb
    Large tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 99¢/lb
    Fresh spinach, 99¢/bunch
    Bashas' box salads, 5-12 oz, 2/$5
    Italian squash, 79¢/lb


Fry's:

    Beef NY strip steaks, bone in, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef bottom round roast, boneless, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef crossrib roast, boneless, $3.99/lb, what the hell is a Texas broil?
    Kroger boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.88/lb
    Kroger frozen turkeys, 10-20 lb, 79¢/lb
    All Jennie-O ground turkey, 25% off
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Fry's milk, half gallons only, 88¢
    Kroger cheeses, 12-16 oz chunk or shreds, $3.29
    Nabisco snack crackers (Triscuits, Wheat Thins), 5-10 oz boxes, $1.99
    Kroger frozen veg, 9-12 oz bags, 10/$10
    Mini seedless watermelons, 2/$3
    Large pomegranates, 2/$5
    Whole or cored pineapples, 2/$5
    Vine or hothouse tomatoes, 98¢/lb
    Asparagus, $2.99/lb
    Broccoli OR cauliflower, 99¢/lb
    Red or yellow bell peppers, 99¢ ea


Safeway:

    Beef t-bone steaks, $4.99/lb
    Beef New York strip steak, bone in, value pack, $4.99/lb
    Beef chuck pot roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef crossrib steak, thin cut boneless, $3.99/lb
    90/10 ground beef, $3.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, $2.49/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $1.67/lb
    Jennie-O lean or extra-lean ground turkey breast, 20 oz pkg, $3.99
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, value pack, $4.99/lb
    Pacific rockfish fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.77
    Lucerne or Open Nature cheeses, 24-32 oz chunk or shreds, $5.99/lb
    Nature Valley crunchy granola bars, $1.69
    Green Giant canned veg, 14-15 oz cans, 59¢
    Del Monte fruit, 14-15 oz cans, 4/$5
    Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars, 2/$5
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 4/$10
    Smart Ones frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Honeycrisp apples, $2.49/lb
    “Scarlotta” red seedless grapes, $1.28/lb
    “Texas Ruby Red” grapefruit, 3/$1
    Safeway Farms OR Fresh Express bag salads, buy 1 get 1 free
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, $1.49/lb


Sprouts:

    Beef roasts:  sirloin tip, crossrib, chuck, rump, 25% off
    Beef top sirloin steak, boneless center cut, $4.99/lb
    Beef for stew, boneless, $4.49/lb
    Pork roasts:  shoulder, loin, sirloin, rack, 25% off
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Whole pineapples, 99¢ ea
    Blackberries, 6 oz box, 99¢
    Braeburn or Fuji apples, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Texas grapefruit, 99¢ ea
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, OR Red Globe (seedy), 2 lbs/$4
    Vine tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/romaine, 99¢ ea
    Iceberg, 99¢ ea
    Red/gold/orange bell peppers, 99¢ ea
    Summer squashes, Italian/yellow/Mexican, 99¢/lb