Wren's bargain guide, week beginning September 18th:

From Fooducate:  why steaming your broccoli is faster than roasting it;  the fraught topic of breakfast, and whether it's really “the most important meal of the day” (biggest takeaway:  listen to your system, and if breakfast is important for you to function well and reach/maintain a healthy weight, then by all means eat it);  Tropicana's new “Farmstand” juice line;  are chickens taking over the world?;  and Pink Slime:  The Sequel!  At Weighty Matters I see healthy filling snacks, and a truly cruel takedown of Barilla's new “Barilla Plus Omega-3” pasta.  To match the healthy omega-3 fatty acids in one 2.6 ounce serving of salmon, you'd have to eat at least eleven POUNDS of the pasta.  This could potentially cause a significant degree of carb overload.

Recipes!  At Chow.com, because in civilized parts of the Northern Hemisphere it is autumn, a stack of “Smooth and Creamy Soup Recipes”.  Some of them require caution, being laden with cream or cheese or both, but others look very good in health terms as well as deliciousness.  (Deliciosity?)  Also roasted Brussels sprouts with Pecorino Ginepro, nine more Brussels sprout recipes, and shrimp cocktail without bottled sauce.  Simply Recipes has homemade fig jam, homemade fig jam in a panini with apples and Gruyere, and basil coconut chicken curry.  And Snack Girl has apple recipes, belated gazpacho, apple smiles, and the horror of stepping off the plane in Melbourne and being bombarded with American labels.  (“First of all, I want to apologize on behalf of the entire United States for sending Slurpees and Krispy Kreme to Australia” – but in the same breath she confesses to “driving slowly by a Krispy Kreme outlet … hoping the HOT sign will be red.”)

This Saturday, the 21st, is both National Pecan Cookie Day and the International Banana Festival, a combination with definite potential.  One week from today is either Crab Newberg Day or Crab Newburg Day, I will happily accept either or both.  And the 22nd, being the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, is a good day to eat two breakfasts, elevenses, lunch, tea, dinner, supper, and an after-supper morsel.  (Hobbits don't have Weight Watchers.  But then, Hobbits walk everywhere they go.)


September 18th:  National Cheeseburger Day
September 19th:  National Butterscotch Pudding Day
September 20th:  National Rum Punch Day;  1878, Upton Sinclair born
September 21st:  National Pecan Cookie Day, International Banana Festival
September 22nd:  National Ice-Cream Cone Day;  one source gives this as National White Chocolate Day;  Bilbo Baggins born, 2890 of the Third Age (1290 by the Shire-Reckoning);  Frodo Baggins born, 2968 T.A. (1368 S.R.)
September 23rd:  National White Chocolate Day -- but the source that claims yesterday was National White Chocolate Day gives today as National Chocolate Day, so you'd better eat white chocolate on both days and regular chocolate today just to be sure
September 24th:  National Cherries Jubilee Day
September 25th:  National Crab Newberg Day, National Crab Newburg Day


Albertson's:

    Beef chuck/crossrib/eye round/bottom round steak or roast, boneless, $6.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef ribeye/t-bone/New York steaks, bone in, $8.99/lb
    Beef top round steaks OR London broil, $3.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $2.79/lb
    Center cut pork loin chops, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms whole chickens OR jumbo pack drums/thighs/leg quarters, 88¢/lb
    Unbranded (store) boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.49/lb
    Salmon/flounder/cod/tilapia/pollock fillets, 1 lb IQF bag, buy 1 get 1 free (same item)
    Rockfish or Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Mahi mahi fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Orange roughy fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    16-20 ct raw shrimp, shell on, $8.99/lb
    Sea scallops (the big ones), $9.99/lb
    Crystal Farms cheeses, 8 oz chunk/shreds/shingle, 2/$5
    Deli:    Signature Virginia ham, $4.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson honey ham, $7.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson “Black Forest” or “Gourmet Lite” turkey, $7.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson Buffalo chicken breast, $7.99/lb
    Oroweat breads, 24 oz long loaves, $2.99
    Prego pasta sauces, 14-24 oz jars, $1.99
    PictSweet “Steamables” frozen veg, 10 oz pkg, 3/$5
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrées, $1.99
    HoneyCrisp apples, $3.99/lb
    Green or red seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
    “Gattie” yellow peaches, $1.99/lb
    Gala apples, $2.49/lb
    Navel oranges, $1.69/lb
    Dole bananas, 39¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Vine Roma tomatoes, 1.1 lb (half kilo) box, $2.99
    Bok choy OR Napa cabbage, 69¢/lb
    Iceberg, 99¢ ea
    Earthbound Farms organic box salad, 1 lb, $3.99


Bashas':

    Beef t-bone OR boneless top sirloin steaks, value pack, $4.99/lb
    Beef Black Angus top sirloin steaks, 12 oz portions, $5
    Ground beef round, fat content not listed, value pack, $3.49/lb
    Pork loin end chops, bone in, $2.49/lb
    Center cut pork chops, boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    “Pork loin end country” … um, yeah.  Anyway, value pack, $1.99
    Chicken breast or leg quarters, bone in, 99¢/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb “weather permitting”
    King salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Albacore tuna steaks, bone in, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Tillamook cheeses, 8 oz chunk or shreds, 5/$10
    Kraft Cracker Barrel cheeses, 8 oz chunk, 3/$10
    Bashas' cottage cheese incl. Light, 24 oz tubs, $2.29
    Bush's variety (non-baked) beans, 15-16 oz cans, 69¢
    Food Club tomatoes or veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢/lb
    Nature's Own whole-grain bread, 20 oz long loaves, $2.49
    Barilla pasta, 13-16 oz boxes, $1.19
    Chicken of the Sea solid white tuna, $1.19
    Lean Cuisine “Simple Favorites”, 5/$10
    Gala apples (small), 77¢/lb
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, 87¢/lb
    Bartlett pears, 77¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 2 lbs/$3
    Zucchini OR grey squash, 88¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR bunch spinach, 99¢ ea
Fry's:

    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, 50% off
    Beef London broil, $4.29/lb
    Pork loin center chops, boneless, family pack, $3.99/lb
    Foster Farms boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, buy 1 get 2 free
    Jennie-O 93/7 ground turkey, 20 oz pkg, $4.99
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Steelhead fillets, wild caught, $8.99/lb
    Cod fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Fry's milk, gallons, $1.87
    Land O Lakes Butter, $2.79
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.79
    Oroweat bread, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $2.99
    American Beauty pasta, 1 lb pkg, 10/$10
    Del Monte fruit or veggies, 11-15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Kroger frozen veg, 10-12 oz bags, 10/$10
    Green Giant frozen veg, 7-10 oz boxes, 10/$10
    Healthy Choice frozen entrées, 5/$10
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $1.88/lb
    Gala apples, $1.29/lb
    Yelllow peaches, 99¢/lb
    Red or black plums, $1.99/lb
    Whole pineapples, 2/$5
    Vine tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Red or yellow bell peppers OR English cucumbers, 88¢ ea
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR iceberg, 99¢


Safeway:

    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Beef NY Strip steaks, bone in, value pack, $4.99/lb (boneless, $2/lb higher)
    Beef round tip steak, boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Beef chuck 7-bone pot roast, $2.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, value pack, $2.49/lb
    93/7 ground beef, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork loin assorted chops, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Safeway Farms chicken thighs or drumsticks, bone in, value pack, $1.39/lb
    Jennie-O “extra lean” ground turkey breast, 20 oz pkg, $5.99
    Coho salmon fillets … it says “farm raised” but has the “wild caught” symbol, $8.99/lb
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Sargento cheeses, 6-8 oz shingle pack, 2/$7
    Lucerne milk, half gallons only, 10/$10
    Lucerne yogurts, 10/$4
    Nature's Own bread, 20 oz long loaves, 2/$4
    Safeway Kitchens tomatoes or sauce, 14 oz cans, 79¢
    American Beauty pasta, 1 lb pkg, 5/$5
    Ragu pasta sauces, 16-24 oz jars, 2/$3
    Healthy Choice “Baked” entrées, 5/$10
    “Pristine” green seedless grapes, 99¢/lb
    Pears:  Bartlett, red, Bosc, 99¢/lb
    Nectarines OR yellow peaches, $1.99/lb
    Organic Gala apples, $1.99/lb
    Navel oranges, $1.89/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Bell peppers, red/yellow/orange, 2/$3


Sprouts:

    Beef eye round steak or roast, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Beef New York steak, boneless, $8.99/lb
    “Organic grass-fed” ground beef, fat content not listed, $4.99/lb
    Pork tenderloin, $2.49/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $2.49/lb
    Zacky Farms 93/7 ground turkey, 20 oz pkg, $4.49
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Peaches, 98¢/lb
    Green or red seedless grapes, 2 lbs/$3
    Organic Gala apples, $1.48/lb
    Seedless watermelon, 3 lbs/$1
    Blackberries/raspberries/blueberries, 4-6 oz boxes, 3/$5
    Roma tomatoes, 98¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 88¢ ea