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

Great suggestion from Yoni Freedhoff:  “I call it my 24-hour exercise cancellation policy and it’s pretty straightforward. At some point each and every day I grab a glance at my next day’s schedule. If there’s a logical slot for exercise, and if there are no real reasons getting in my way (deadlines, kid obligations, injuries, illnesses, etc.), in exercise goes and unless I cancel it before the sun rises the next morning, or unless something honestly emergent arises, when that timeslot arrives, I’m exercising – happy or sad, sick or well, miserable or enthusiastic … ”  We might do well to emulate this!

Lots of good stuff at Fooducate this week!  A salad of grilled fennel with oranges, tips for healthy cooking on a budget, and an analysis of the “Paleo” diet including its upside, downside, and highly questionable side.  Darya at Summer Tomato is a great source this week too:  the top ten most overrated (fruit juice, margarine, protein bars) and underrated (organ meats, mushrooms, egg yolks, OYSTERS) health foods.

Recipes!  Chow.com has Kosher-for-Passover breakfast recipes (I'll take the smoked salmon hash), how to make your own gefilte fish, steamed artichokes with a green garlic aioli, a shaved-asparagus salad, how to honey-mustard-glaze a ham (to each her own;  I glaze mine with brown sugar and orange juice), and how to make your own Easter-egg dyes.  And strawberry recipes, lots of strawberry recipes at a season when we have lots of strawberries.  Simply Recipes has a kale-mushroom-cheddar bake, Sprouted Kitchen has beetburgers (which reminds me inescapably of Boris's meatloaf/Morris's beetloaf in the book version of Freaky Friday), and Snack Girl has how to cut calories in a banana split!

April is National BLT Month, National Garden Month, and National Soft Pretzel Month.  Also National Food Month as if we would forget about food without an annual reminder. 

March 27th:  National Paella Day
March 28th:  National Black Forest Cake Day, National Something On A Stick Day
March 29th:  National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day
March 30th:  Turkey Neck Soup Day
March 31st:  Oranges and Lemons Day, National Tater Day (not National Potato Day), National Clams on the Half Shell Day
April 1st:  National Sourdough Bread Day
April 2nd:  National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
April 3rd:  National Chocolate Mousse Day (One source gives it, apparently intentionally, as National Chocolate Moose Day.)

Albertson's:

    Beef standing rib roast, bone in, 5 ribs or more, $4.97/lb (smaller than 5 ribs, $1/lb higher)
    Beef NY strip roast, bone in, $4.47/lb
    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, family pack, $6.97/lb
    Beef NY steak, bone in, family pack, $5.97/lb
    Cook's ham, bone in, shank portion, $1.29/lb (butt portion, 20¢/lb higher)
    Hormel Cure 81 boneless ham halves, $3.99/lb
    Leg of lamb, whole, bone in, $6.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms boneless skinless chicken breast, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Jennie-O fresh turkeys, 12-16 lb, $1.69/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $4.97/lb
    Tilapia or Swai fillets, farm raised, $2.99/lb
    Rockfish or Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Challenge butter, $1.99
    Deli:    Jennie-O “Deli Style” turkey breast, $4.99/lb
        Virginia ham, $4.99/lb
        Margherita hard/Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $4.99/lb
        Deli Fresh Provolone/Muenster/pepperjack/mild Cheddar, $4.99/lb
    Libby's veg, 14-15 oz cans, 2/$1
    Barilla pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, 2/$3
    Francesco Rinaldi pasta sauces, 23-24 oz jars, 2/$3
    Better than Bouillon soup bases, 8 oz jars, $3.99
    Pace salsa or picante sauce, 16 oz jars, 2/$4
    Colavita olive oil, half litre bottles, $9.99
    PictSweet frozen veg, 14-16 oz bags, 88¢
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Seedless grapes, green or red, $2.99/lb
    Cantaloupes, 2/$5
    Fuji apples, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Cut up watermelon/cantaloupe/pineapple/strawberry bowls, 20-32 oz, $3.99
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Asparagus, $2.99/lb
    Hass avocados, 99¢ ea


Bashas':

    Condolences to the Basha family on Eddie's death.

    Beef t-bone or top sirloin steaks, value pack, $4.69/lb
    Beef tenderloin steaks, $9.99/lb
    Beef bottom round/crossrib/sirloin tip roast, $4.99/lb
    Ground beef chuck, fat content not listed, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork shoulder country style ribs, bone in, value pack, $1.99/lb (boneless, 50¢/lb higher)
    Cook's ham, shank portion, 95¢/lb
    Cook's spiral sliced ham, $1.79/lb
    Halibut fillets, $12.99/lbc
    Basa fillets, $2.99/lb
    Fresh clams, $2.99/lb
    Bashas' eggs, AA extra large, 18 ct, $1.88
    Food Club cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/cubelets, $1.88
    Libby's veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 5/$3
    Herdez salsa, 16 oz jars, 2/$3
    Flav-R-Pac frozen veg, 12-16 oz bags, 5/$5
    Cuties clementines, 3 lb bag, $2.77
    Seedless grapes, green or red, $1.99/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Fuji or Granny Smith apples, 99¢/lb
    Organic Fuji apples, 2 lbs/$1
    Navel oranges OR Minneola tangelos, 99¢/lb
    Organic vine tomatoes, AZ grown, 99¢/lb
    Organic grape tomatoes, 10 oz box, 2/$4
    Eat Smart veggie tray, 2.5 lbs, $9.99


Fry's:

    Beef NY strip steaks, bone in, family pack, 50% off
    Beef NY Strip Roast, bone in, $4.99/lb
    Beef bottom round round roast, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Cook's half or spiral sliced ham, bone in, $1.47/lb
    Hormel Cure 81 spiral sliced ham, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Half pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $2.99/lb
    Private Selection spiral sliced ham, bone in, $2.69/lb
    Kroger frozen turkeys, 99¢/lb
    Kroger veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Nature Valley granola bars, "Trail Mix" or "Sweet & Salty", $2.99
    Kroger frozen veg, 9-16 oz bags, 10/$10
    Birds Eye frozen veg, 10-16 oz pkg, 10/$10
    Whole pineapples, 99¢ ea
    Cuties clementines, 3 lb bag, $4.99/lb
    Mini seedless watermelons, $2.99 ea
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.49/lb
    Mangos, 88¢ ea
    Asparagus, $2.99/lb
    Broccoli OR cauliflower, 99¢/lb
    "Mini peeled" carrots, AZ grown, 1 lb bag, 99¢



Safeway:

    Beef chuck crossrib roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef ribeye steak or roast, bone in, value pack, $5.99/lb
    Beef chuck steak, thin cut boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Pork top loin chops, boneless, value pack, $3.49/lb
    Pork shoulder blade roast,  bone in, $2.29/lb
    Safeway smoked ham, shank half, bone in, 99¢/lb (rump half, 20¢/lb higher)
    Safeway spiral sliced half ham, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Safeway Select spiral sliced half ham, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Hormel Cure 81 half ham, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Safeway Select fresh turkeys, 8-24 lb, $1.59/lb
    Jennie-O Turkey Store extra lean ground turkey breast, 20 oz pkg, $5.99
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon whole fillets, farm raised, value pack, $8.99/lb (cut fillets 50¢/lb higher)
    Lucerne OR Open Nature cheeses, 24-32 oz chunks, $6.99
    Safeway Kitchens veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 79¢
    Barilla pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, 5/$5
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $1.48/lb
    Whole pineapples, $1.48 ea
    Green seedless grapes, $2.99/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Mangos, 10/$10
    Gala apples, $1.49/lb
    Fresh Express OR Safeway Farms bag salads, 2/$5
    Vine tomatoes, $2.49/lb
    Asparagus, $2.99/lb
    Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, AZ grown, $1.49/lb


Sprouts:

    Beef standing rib roast, “Presidential Cut”, $5.99/lb
    Pork shoulder roast OR country-style ribs, boneless, $1.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken thighs, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$3
    Whole pineapples, 2/$3
    Navel oranges, 3 lbs/$1
    Braeburn or Cameo apples, 99¢/lb
    Organic Bartlett pears, 2 lbs/$3
    Organic Valencia oranges, 4 lb bags, 2/$5
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $1.99/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 99
    Asparagus, $1.99/lb
    Grape tomatoes, dry pint, 2/$3
    Leaf lettuce, green or red, OR iceberg, 99¢ ea