Wren's bargain guide, week beginning March 13th:

At Fooducate, I see where supermarket chains are hiring registered dietitians to help shoppers make healthier food choices.  I can see the logic:  they'd far rather you switch from brand A to brand B in the same store than go to another store.  Yoni Freedhoff, at Weighty Matters, has a link to a really disturbing documentary about Dana, an eight-year-old child with anorexia nervosa:  the director of the residential center where Dana is treated reports that they're getting a distressing number of clients under 10 years old.  And Marion Nestle at Food Politics has some interesting takes on the (recently tossed) NYC ban on soft drinks over 16 ounces.  (She points out that in the 1950s, a 16-ounce drink was a lot – Coca-Cola's then-new “big 16 oz size” was advertised as serving three people.)

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that the oft-repeated “turn off the TV during dinner” rule might have a very tangible reason for helping with weight loss:  if you're not distracted from your meal, you remember it better and this can seriously influence your later eating.

A company in Germany has introduced a new product called Food Finish, an edible metallic-toned spray paint available in red, blue, silver, and gold.  It's available for online purchase at €25 per can, or about US$32.  The article is illustrated with lovely photographs of silver apples and blue strawberries, raising the inevitable question “In God's name, why?”

At Lifehacker, we learn (as if we haven't already been told) that walking through the day is as important as formalized “exercise” to our health.  In one study, people watching television increased their steps-per-day by about 3000 simply by marching in place during the commercials!

Recipes!  Chow's gone all Irish, or sort of, with boxty, beef braised in Guinness, cabbage recipes, something called Velvetbomb Punch, and how to pour a Black & Tan.  Simply Recipes has another beef-and-Guinness-stew recipe, along with pork chops with cabbage, oatmeal soda bread, and may God help us green mashed potatoes.  And from Sprouted Kitchen, some nice multigrain waffles.

Tomorrow is 3/14, National Pi Day, so bake a pi. 

March 13th:  National Coconut Torte Day
March 14th:  National Pi Day, National Potato Chip Day
March 15th:  National Poires belle Hélène Day;  1980, McDonald's test-market a new product called "Chicken McNuggets".  They are wildly popular, possibly because diners do not realize that McNuggets at the time are fried in a mixture of 7% vegetable oil and 93% rendered beef fat.  They are now cooked in vegetable oil laced with beef flavoring, but still carry a good deal of fat
March 16th:  National Artichoke Hearts Day
March 17th:  National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day, National Green Beer Day
March 18th:  National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day
March 19th:  National Chocolate Caramel Day
March 20th:  Bock Beer Day, National Ravioli Day

And if you're interested in this, you'd better put your mail order in early:  Mercer's Dairy, in Wilmington, North Carolina, has introduced a wine ice-cream.  This is not a wine flavored ice-cream:  it comes in six flavors, including chocolate cabernet and raspberry chardonnay, and is five percent alcohol.  This could conceivably revolutionize breakups.



Albertson's:

    Beef chuck, crossrib, bottom/eye round, sirloin tip roasts, boneless, 50% off
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    John Morrell corned beef, flat cut, $2.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $2.99/lb (3 lbs or more)
    Pork loin chops, center cut, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms chicken breast/drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, jumbo pack, 99¢/lb
    Unbranded (store) boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.99/lb
    Great American tilapia fillets, 1 lb IQF, buy 1 get 3 free
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.79
    Essential Everyday cheese, 8 oz shreds, 2/$5
    Essential Everyday cheese, 8 oz shingle pack, $2.99
    Deli:    Jennie-O “Oven Roasted” turkey breast, $4.99/lb
        Signature Virginia ham, $4.99/lb
        Charlie's Pride corned beef or beef pastrami, $5.99/lb
        Stella Swiss cheese, $5.99/lb
    PictSweet “Steamables” frozen veg, 10 oz pkg, $1
    Seedless grapes, green or red, $1.47/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $2.99
    Blackberries OR blueberries, 6 oz boxes, $2.99
    Fuji or Braeburn apples, $1/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Green cabbage, 49¢/lb
    Endive OR escarole, 99¢/bunch
    Chayote squash, 79¢ ea
    Plaintains, 59¢/lb
    Fresh Express bag salads, 2/$5


Bashas':

    Skylark corned beef brisket, point cut, $1.79/lb (flat cut, $3.29/lb)
    Beef London broil, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Beef top round roast, $2.99/lb
    Beef tenderloin, whole in bag, $7.99/lb
    Ground beef round, fat content not listed, value pack, $1.97/lb
    Pork shoulder steak, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms boneless skinless chicken breast, buy 1 get 2 free
    Catfish fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb
    True cod fillets, $5.99/lb “weather permitting”
    All Shamrock Farms dairy, 50% off
    Food Club butter, 2/$5
    Tillamook cheeses, 1 lb chunk or 12 oz slices, $4.88
    Bumble bee solid white albacore tuna, $1.99
    S&W variety (non-baked) beans, 15 oz cans, 69¢
    Nature Valley granola bars, 12 ct, 2/$5
    Nature's Own bread, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $2.99
    MorningStar Farms frozen entrées, $3.99
    Apples:  Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges OR Minneola tangelos, 99¢/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Asparagus, $1.37/lb
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Grape tomatoes, 12 oz box, 2/$4
    Green bell peppers, 2/$1 (red or gold, 10/$10)
    Cilantro OR green onions, 2 bunches/$1


Fry's:

    Beef roasts:  sirloin tip, top/bottom/eye round, chuck, shoulder, all 50% off
    Beef t-bone steaks, $7.99/lb
    Beef flat iron steaks, boneless, $6.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $3.29/lb (3 lb chub)
    All fresh pork, buy 1 get 1 free (like item)
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.79/lb
    True cod OR Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon, 5 oz portions, $3.49 ea
    Kroger cheeses, 12-16 oz chunk/shreds/shingle, $2.99
    Land O Lakes butter, 2/$5
    Del Monte tomatoes, 14-15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Kroger fruit, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Healthy Choice frozen entrées, 5/$10
    Cantaloupe, 88¢ ea
    Apples:  Fuji, Gala, Red/Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Green seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR iceberg, 99¢ ea
    Broccoli OR cauliflower, 99¢/lb
    Organic “mini peeled” carrots, 2/$3
    Simple Truth organic bag salads, $2.99


Safeway:

    Beef NY strip steak, bone in, value pack, $5.99/lb (boneless $2/lb higher)
    Corned beef brisket, flat cut, $2.99/lb
    Beef chuck pot roast, boneless, $3.89/lb
    Beef round tip roast, $3.99/lb
    Beef bottom round steak, thin cut boneless, $3.99/lb
    90/10 ground beef, value pack, $3.29/lb
    Pork loin chops, bone in, value pack, $2.49/lb
    Pork sirloin chops OR country style ribs, boneless, value pack, $1.69/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.49/lb
    Atlantic salmon whole fillets, farm raised, value pack, $8.99/lb (cut up, 50¢/lb higher)
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.79
    Yoplait yogurts, 10/$5
    Nabisco snack crackers (Wheat Thins, Triscuits), 2/$5
    Safeway Kitchens breads, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $1.99
    Bumble Bee chunk white or chunk light tuna, 10/$10
    Safeway Kitchens tomatoes or tomato sauce, 14-15 oz cans, 79¢
    Ragu pasta sauces, 16-24 oz jars, $1.79
    Gorton's frozen “Grilled Fillets”, $3.49 (PointsPlus 1 per serving, 2 for the whole box)
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrées, 5/$10
    Kashi frozen waffles, 10 oz boxes, 2/$6
    MorningStar Farms veggie-sausage products, 5-14 oz boxes, $2.99
    Smart Ones frozen breakfasts, 4/$10
    Kashi frozen entrées, 2/$7
    Green Giant frozen veg, 7-10 oz boxes, $1.99
    Birds Eye “SteamFresh” or C&W frozen veg, 10-16 oz bags, buy 2 get 2 free
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $1.48
    Green or red seedless grapes, $2.99/lb
    Fuji or Red Delicious apples, $1.49/lb
    Organic grapefruit, AZ grown, 99¢ ea
    Campari tomatoes, AZ grown, 1 lb pkg, buy 1 get 1 free
    “Texas 1015” sweet yellow onions, $1.49/lb
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 10/$10
    Fresh Express OR Safeway Farms bag salads, 2/$5


Sprouts:

    Beef rump roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Shenson's corned beef brisket or round, $2.99
    “Grass-fed organic” ground beef, fat content not listed, $6.99/lb (oooooooookay)
    All pork or chicken sausage, $2.99/lb
    Corvina (it's a fish, beyond that I know not) fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon steaks, bone in, $6.99/lb
    Calamari steaks, $6.99/lb (I do not eat anything smart enough to figure out how to open a jar)
    Green seedless grapes, 99¢/lb
    Bartlett pears, 99¢/lb
    Organic Bartlett pears, 2 lbs/$3
    Apples:  Braeburn, Fuji, Jonagold, 99¢/lb
    Organic apples:  Cameo, Braeburn, Fuji, 4 lbs/$5
    Organic Red Delicious apples, 99¢/lb
    Roma or slicing tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Grape tomatoes, dry pint, 2/$4
    Asparagus, $1.99/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green or red, OR spinach, 99¢/bunch
    Organic green or Lacinato kale, 2 bunches/$3