Wren's bargain guide, week beginning February 27th:

Interesting stuff this week!  From Grist:  an interview with the author of Pandora's Lunchbox, which I mentioned in last week's blog entry and which I'm reading right now.  Next in my queue is Michael Moss's Salt Sugar Fat:  How the Food Giants Hooked Us.  There's an excellent excerpt from it at the New York Times Magazine:  “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food”.

Interesting pieces at Fooducate.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, fast food accounts for eleven percent of the typical American's food intake.  (On the good side, this is down from 13% in 2006.)  Also a set of 11 “Must-Try Motivators” for exercise.

Recipes!  Tons of stuff at Chow.com:  how to use the drippings from a roast chicken (with an embedded video on how to roast it).  A set of easy roasted- and baked-chicken recipes, another of chunky fruit and vegetable salads.  Supertaster provides video reviews of the new seasonal codfish sandwiches from Hardee's and Wendy's, and another of the McDonald's Shamrock Shake:  “supposedly St. Patrick's Day-themed, although there's very little evidence that the historical St. Patrick ever drank one of these.”  Pasta carbonara with peas, easy and tasty, and how to make your own pastrami.  Warning, the pastrami recipe includes smoking it inside the house and does not mention how to prevent the smoke-detector going off.  Also I am leery of any recipe that includes a link to the online source for an essential ingredient not available at the supermarket.  Nor does the note “Prep time:  1 hr 30 min, plus 10 days curing time and 9 hours smoking time” inspire any particular optimism.  Your mileage, as always, may vary.  Good luck.

More recipes!  Sprouted Kitchen has Japanese soba noodles with kale and Brussels sprouts;  Simply Recipes has a carrot-ginger soup and Brussels sprouts with a hoisin glaze and a sauté of spaghetti squash and chard;  and just in time for the tail-end of blood orange season, Smitten Kitchen has blood orange margaritas.  Save me one.  Or two.

It's nearly March, which is among other things National Nutrition Month, Caffeine Awareness Month, National Meat-Out Month (coinciding with Lent), Maple Sugar Month (obvious), and National Frozen Food Month (the food companies want to unload last year's pack before the new crops come in, so they're encouraging frozen-food sales:  good time to pick stuff up at decent prices).  March 1st is National Peanut Butter Lovers' Day (no thanks) and National Fruit Compote Day (yes please, and far more PointsPlus-friendly). 

February 27th:  National Strawberry Day, National Kahlua Day
February 28th:  National Chocolate Soufflé Day, National Chili Day
March 1st:  National Peanut Butter Lovers' Day, National Fruit Compote Day;  St David's Day
March 2nd:  National Banana Cream Pie Day;  1962, first airing of the Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man"
March 3rd:  National Cold Cuts Day, National Mulled Wine Day
March 4th:  National Pound Cake Day;  1634, Boston, Samuel Cole opens the first tavern in what is to become the United States.  (What took so long?)
March 5th:  National Cheese Doodle Day, National Absinthe Day;  1910, Momofuku Ando born, inventor of ramen noodles
March 6th:  National Frozen Food Day, National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day;  1912, Oreo cookies debut;  1930, retail frozen foods go on sale for the first time (Springfield, Massachusetts) but do not catch on until after the Second World War


Albertson's:

    Beef ribeye or New York steaks, bone in, family pack, $6.99/lb
    Beef London broil, boneless, $2.77/lb
    Beef top sirloin steaks OR tri tip roast, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Beef crossrib/chuck/bottom round/sirloin tip roasts, boneless, $3.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, $2.77/lb (3 lbs or more)
    Pork loin chops, boneless, $6.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $4.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    RedBird whole chickens, $1.99/lb
    RedBird chicken thighs or drumsticks, bone in, $2.49/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Tilapia OR swai fillets, farm raised, $2.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon/rainbow trout/steelhead 5 oz portions, farm raised, $3.99 ea
    Ahi tuna/sockeye salmon/mahi mahi/swordfish/Pacific cod 5 oz portions, wild caught, $3.99 ea
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.79
    Yoplait yogurts, 20/$10
    Tillamook cheeses, 2 lb block in wax, $8.99
    Tillamook butter, $2.99
    Hickman's eggs, AA medium, dozens, $1.39
    Deli:    Dietz & Watson turkey and cheeses, $7.99/lb
        Jennie-O oven roasted turkey breast, $4.99/lb
        USA Gold Virginia ham, $4.99/lb
        Joseph Farms pepperjack/Colby/co-jack/mild Cheddar cheeses, $5.99/lb
    Nabisco snack crackers, 5-10 oz boxes, $2.99
    Musselman's applesauce, 6pk of singles, $2.99
    Essential Everyday tomatoes or veg, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Strawberries, 3 lb flat, $3.99
    Blackberries/raspberries/blueberries, 6 oz boxes, $2.99
    Whole cantaloupes, 2/$5
    Cut up strawberries, 20 oz bowl, $3.99
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Pacific Rose apples, $1.99/lb
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Cucumbers OR green bell peppers, 69¢ ea
    Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, 99¢/lb
    Beets, 99¢/bunch


Bashas':

    Beef t-bone steaks, value pack, $4.97/lb
    Beef porterhouse steaks, value pack, $5.97/lb
    Sirloin tip steak or roast, $4.49/lb
    Ground beef sirloin, fat content not listed, $2.77/lb
    Assorted pork chops, bone in, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Center cut pork chops, bone in, value pack, $3.49/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.67/lb
    True cod fillets, $4.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Bashas' milk, gallons, $1.79
    Food Club cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.88
    Smart Balance spread, 15 oz, $2.99
    Barilla pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, 4/$5
    Chicken of the Sea chunk light tuna, 99¢
    Full Circle olive oil, 17 oz bottles, $2.99
    Green Giant frozen veggies, 10 oz boxes, 2/$3
    Fuji or Braeburn apples, 99¢/lb
    Red seedless grapes, $1.49/lb
    Cantaloupe, 33¢/lb
    Navel oranges OR Minneola tangelos, 99¢/lb
    Bananas, 49¢/lb
    “Texas Red” grapefruit, 69¢ ea
    Vine tomatoes, 2 lbs/$3
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Grape tomatoes, 12 oz punnet, 2/$4
    Broccoli OR cauliflower, 99¢/lb


Fry's:

    Beef roasts:  bottom/top/eye round, sirloin tip, chuck, shoulder, 50% off
    Beef NY strip steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb
    Pork loin chops, center cut, family pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork back ribs, $3.99/lb
    Kroger boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.88/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Kroger swai or whiting fillets, $2.67/lb (3 lb frozen bag)
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/shingle, $1.99
    Chobani Greek yogurt, 6 oz cups, 88¢
    Hunt's tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 88¢
    Chicken of the Sea chunk white tuna, 4/$5
    Kroger frozen veggies, 9-12 oz pkg, 88¢
    Green or red seedless grapes, $2.99/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Blackberries OR blueberries, 6 oz boxes, 2/$5
    Organic Gala or Fuji apples, $1.49/lb
    Bananas, 57¢/lb
    “Mini peeled” carrots, AZ grown, 1 lb bag, 88¢


Safeway:

    Beef ribeye steak, bone in, value pack, $5.99/lb (boneless $1/lb higher)
    Beef bottom round roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steak, boneless, value pack, $5.49/lb
    Beef chuck crossrib roast, boneless, $3.89/lb
    90/10 ground beef, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Whole pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.99/lb
    Pork shoulder country style ribs, bone in, $2.49/lb
    Sanderson Farms chicken thighs/drumsticks, bone in, $1.69/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon whole fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb (cut fillets, 50¢/lb higher)
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.79
    Classico pasta sauces, 15-24 oz jars, 2/$4
    Safeway Kitchens canned veg, 14-15 oz, 79¢
    Safeway Kitchen canned fruit, 14-15 oz, 89¢
    Bush's Best variety (non-baked) beans, 15-16 oz, 5/$5
    Safeway Kitchens variety breads, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $1.99
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Smart Ones frozen breakfasts, 4/$10
    Morningstar Farms veggie-sausage products, $2.99
    Kashi frozen entrees, 2/$7
    Birds Eye “SteamFresh” frozen veg, buy 2 get 2 free
    Weight Watchers ice-cream novelties, 6-12 ct, $3.99
    Navel oranges, 79¢/lb
    Red seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
    Fuji or Red Delicious apples, $1.49/lb
    Blackberries OR blueberries, 6 oz boxes, $2.99
    Organic bananas, 69¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, $2.49/lb
    Fresh Express OR Safeway Farms bag salads, 2/$5
    “Baby-cut” carrots, 2 lb bag, 2/$5
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 10/$10
    Sweet mini peppers, 2 lb bag, $3.99


Sprouts:

    “100% Organic Grass-Fed Ground Beef,” fat content not listed, $4.99/lb
    Beef ribeye or NY steaks, boneless, $9.99/lb
    Pork loin roast, center cut, boneless, $1.99/lb
    Pork shoulder roast or country-style ribs, boneless, $1.99/lb
    Whole/split/cut-up chickens, $1.59/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Albacore tuna steaks, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Pirate's Booty, buy 1 get 1 free
    Braeburn or Fuji apples, 88¢/lb
    D'Anjou pears, 88¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 10¢/lb
    Cuties clementines, 5 lb box, $4.99
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, 2 lbs/$5
    Whole pineapples, 2/$5
    Blackberries, 5 oz boxes, 99¢
    Organic Cameo apples, 3 lb bag, $2.99
    Organic Fuji apples, 99¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Eggplant, 88¢ ea
    Leaf lettuce, green or red, 88¢ ea
    Green or red bell peppers, 3/$1
    Yellow or orange bell peppers, 88¢ ea