Bargain guide, week beginning December 26th:

Congratulations:  you've survived, are reading this blog, and may even have made it to tonight's meeting.

Everyone at the food blogs seems to be hunkering down and waiting for the New Year.  If you've still got – or are expecting – a houseful of guests, Chow.com does have a reasonably easy “make-ahead breakfast casserole” that will serve a substantial number of hungry, or hungover, people, as well as a pile of recipes for dealing with that enormous slab of leftover roast beast from Christmas, some New Year's Eve appetizers described as “elegant” (honest – teeny little grilled-ham-and-cheese sandwiches topped with fried quail eggs), and Sazerac jello-shots.

Yoni Freedhoff, at his “Eat&Run” column, suggests a good resolution to make about New Year's resolutions.  Pizza Hut Singapore presents the unspeakable horror that is the “Double Sensation”, a concentric double-pizza arrangement in which the outer ring of pizza has a cheese-stuffed crust topped with turkey ham, bell peppers, mushrooms, and salsa, while the inner circle has a chicken-sausage-and-cheese stuffing to the crust, topped with smoked chicken, zucchini, and Alfredo sauce.

And – I do not lie – a cherry on top.

Recipes as always:  Sprouted Kitchen has a chopped-greens salad with quinoa, sweet potatoes and apples;  Simply Recipes follows in the same mode with a kale salad involving balsamic vinegar, parmesan, and piñones;  and Snack Girl has pomegranates.  Anybody wants a pomegranate, let me know in the comments and I'll bring one to next week's meeting.  Not as pretty as the ones from the supermarket but we grow organic.

We've still New Year's to get through, which means quantities of drink and loads of party trays;  but the regular holiday promotions – Huge Slabs Of Meat and Huge Slabs Of Chocolate – are already being displaced by the January marketing theme, which is overwhelmingly Huge Slabs Of Healthy.

Today has been National Candy Cane Day;  tomorrow will be National Fruit Cake Day.  The 31st is, entirely appropriately, National Champagne Day;  but the 30th rather anticipates necessity by being National Bicarbonate of Soda Day.  The first of January is appropriately National Bloody Mary Day and in the UK is actually called National Hangover Day!  (See breakfast casserole above.)

December 26th:  National Candy Cane Day, National Coffee Percolator Day
December 27th:  National Fruit Cake Day
December 28th:  National Chocolate Candy Day (not to be confused with National Chocolate Day which is October 28th, National Milk Chocolate Day which is July 28th, or National Chocolate Covered Anything Day which is December 16th), Eat Vegetarian Day
December 29th:  Pepper Pot Day
December 30th:  National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
December 31st:  National Champagne Day
January 1st:  National Oatmeal Day, National Bloody Mary Day, Apple Gifting Day;  in the UK, National Hangover Day
January 2nd:  National Buffet Day, National Cream Puff Day

Joyous Kwanzaa to all who celebrate it, as today begins that festive season.  Happy New Year as well, and I'll see you all in 2013!


Albertson's

    Beef ribeye/t-bone/top sirloin steaks, boneless or bone-in, 50% off
    Petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef crossrib OR bottom round roasts, boneless, $5.99/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)
    Pork loin back ribs, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Pork loin chops, boneless, $6.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Pork loin roast, boneless, whole in bag, $1.99/lb
    Pork shoulder country style ribs, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Hormel Cure 81 spiral sliced hams, bone in, $1.77/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb
    Essential Everyday cream cheese, 8 oz block, 10/$10
    Yoplait yogurts, 20/$10 (50¢ ea)
    Albertson's sour cream, 16 oz tubs, 99¢
    Deli:    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/Italian roast beef/beef pastrami, $5.99/lb
        Margherita hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $5.99/lb
        Stella Swiss/Provolone/Muenster cheeses, $5.99/lb
    Hunt's pasta sauces, 24 oz cans, 99¢
    Essential Everyday pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, 99¢
    Essential Everyday tomatoes or beans, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Essential Everyday fruit, 14-15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Albertson's veggies, 2 lb frozen bags, $1.99
    Healthy Choice frozen meals or “Steaming” entrees, 2/$5
    Fuji or Braeburn apples, $1/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    “Cuties” clementines, 3 lb bag, $3.99
    Cut up pineapple, 20 oz thing, $3.99
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Broccoli crowns, 39¢/lb
    Greens (collard/kale/mustard/turnip), 88¢/bunch
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, $1 ea
    Fresh Express “Iceberg Garden” bag salad, 12 oz, 2/$3
    Earthbound Farms organic box salads, 1 lb, $4.99


Bashas':

    Beef t-bone steaks, value pack, $3.99/lb (regular pack, $1/lb higher)
    Beef crossrib roast, $4.99/lb
    Ground beef chuck, $3.49/lb
    Pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.88/lb, cut & wrapped free
    Sanderson Farms boneless skinless chicken breast, buy 1 get 1 free
    True cod (wild caught) or steelhead (farm raised) fillets, $6.99/lb
    Sargento cheeses, 6-8 oz shreds or shingle, 2/$5
    Daisy sour cream, 16 oz tub, 2/$3
    Nabisco snack crackers, 5-16 oz boxes, $1.99
    Chicken of the Sea solid white tuna, 4/$5
    Nature Valley granola bars, 6-9 oz boxes, 2/$5
    Bush's beans, 15-16 oz cans, 99¢
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Cuties clementines, 3 lb bag, $2.49
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Fuji apples, 99¢/lb
    Grape tomatoes, 12 oz box, $1.99
    Roma OR slicing tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Whole pineapples, $1.99


Fry's:

    Beef t-bone steaks, family pack, $4.77/lb
    Beef top round roast, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Corned beef brisket, flat cut boneless, $3.49/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $3.29/lb
    Half pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.77/lb, sliced & wrapped free
    Pork loin back OR St-Louis-style ribs, buy 1 get 2 free
    Pork loin chops, boneless, family pack, $3.59/lb
    Chicken thighs or drumsticks, bone in, $1.19/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Fry's milk, gallons, 2/$3
    Kroger cheeses, 12-16 oz chunk or shreds, 3/$10
    Kroger cream cheese, 8 oz block, 10/$10
    Kellogg's breakfast cereals or Nutri-Grain bars, 50% off
    Nature's Own bread, 20 oz long loaves, 50% off
    American Beauty pasta, 1 lb pkg, 50% off
    Classico pasta sauces, 8-24 oz jars, 50% off
    Pompeian (16 oz) or Star (25 oz) olive oil, 50% off
    Libby's veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 50% off
    Pirate's Booty, 4 oz bags, 50% off
    Kroger black eyed peas, 15 oz cans, 89¢
    Libby's sauerkraut, 2 lb jar, $1.89
    Glory collard greens, 27 oz cans, $1.89
    Chicken of the Sea chunk light tuna, 89¢
    PopChips, 3 oz bags, 2/$4
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10/$10
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, 6/$12
    Dole or Fresh Selections bag salads, $1
    Navel oranges, AZ grown, 88¢/lb
    Minneola tangelos, 88¢/lb
    HoneyCrisp apples, $1.99/lb
    Blackberries OR blueberries, 4 oz boxes, 2/$5
    Cauliflower, AZ grown, 99¢/lb


Safeway:

    Beef New York strip steaks, bone in, value pack, $4.99/lb (regular pack $1/lb higher)
    Beef London broil, boneless, $2.49/lb
    Beef crossrib roast, boneless, $3.89/lb
    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, $5.49/lb
    Beef bottom round roast, boneless, $3.89/lb
    90/10 ground beef, $2.99/lb
    Pork top loin chops, boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Pork shoulder blade roast, whole damn thing in bag, $1.87/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    Lucerne cheeses, 5-8 oz chunk or shreds, 2/$5
    Daisy sour cream, 16 oz tub, $1.99
    Safeway Kitchens breads, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $1.99
    Chicken of the Sea solid white tuna, 2/$3
    Prego pasta sauces, 23-24 oz jars, 3/$5
    Apples:  Fuji, Braeburn, Red Delicious, 98¢/lb
    Lemons OR limes, 5 lb bag, $5
    Safeway Farms grape tomatoes, 2/$5
    Bell peppers, red/yellow/orange, 2/$3
    Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, $1.29/lb


Sprouts:

    Grass-fed organic beef roasts, boneless, $5.99/lb
    Pork loin roast, center cut boneless, $1.97/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $1.88/lb
    Seafood-stuffed salmon, 6 oz portions, $2.99 ea
    Navel oranges, 3 lbs/$1
    Texas grapefruit, 3/$1
    Braeburn or Cameo apples, 88¢/lb
    Red seedless grapes, 2 lbs/$5
    Whole pineapples, 2/$4
    Tommies sweet tomatoes, 14 oz thing, $2.99
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 88¢ ea
    Eggplant, 88¢ ea
    Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Italian or yellow squashes, 88¢/lb