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

So sorry about the hiatus – thanks for your patience.

Fooducate has a very pleasant collection of good news from the past year about food:  access to farmers' markets is UP, childhood obesity is DOWN, and no more sodas in Happy Meals.  And a very good article by a man who lost 155 pounds and has kept it off for twenty years.  Yoni Freedhoff touches on the fraught question of whether 3500 calories “really” equate to one pound of weight;  he points out that “people are not walking math formulas”;  that different foods will have different effects, that some people's “caloric efficiency” – their apparent ability to extract calories from food – is higher than others (that's nice to know, I'm just more efficient than other people on this if nothing else), and finally lands on the point that – emphasis mine – “If weight's your concern, more important than anything else is finding a life that you enjoy that contains fewer calories than before.”

While you're finding a life you enjoy, enjoy your bananas while you've got them:  per Nature by way of Grist, a fungus is spreading in banana-growing regions that may destroy the Cavendish, the banana cultivar you see in supermarkets.  (This has happened before:  the Cavendish is widely grown because it replaced the similar-looking but some say better-tasting Gros Michel which itself was nearly eradicated by a fungus.)  MSN News offers some possible alternatives.  And Marion Nestle at Food Politics informs us that the American Meat Institute has sent out an “advisory” to news media on good and bad (read:  flattering and unflattering) words.  Good words:  “lean finely textured beef”, “finely textured beef”, “beef”, “product”.  Bad words:  “filler”, “binder”, “extender”, “additive”, “pink slime”.  And Summer Tomato offers a set of tips on reasonably healthy eating while traveling.

Recipes!  Chow.com has twenty Christmas-cookie recipes, twenty-seven Christmas roast recipes, panettone (a holiday bread which autocorrect wants to render as “Benneton”), and a set of make-ahead breakfast casseroles that may be handy if you're dealing with house guests this week or next.  At Simply Recipes there's a curried chicken salad in endive boats, a lovely salad of Romanesco which is itself inherently lovely, and good basic hamburger-macaroni hotdish for after an exhausting day.  And Snack Girl has healthier holiday snacks (including her famous strawberry Santa hats) and what she describes as a “slightly lighter” eggnog.

It looks as though we Wednesday Warriors will be missing at last one meeting, perhaps two, but if the grocery flyers are available I'll be posting to the blog.  Merry Christmas, and I'll see you all in the New Year!


Albertson's:

    Beef rib roast, bone in, whole in bag, $4.97/lb (limit 1)
    Beef New York roast, bone in, whole but “trimmed & tied”, $3.99/lb
    Beef rib roast, bone in, whole but “trimmed & tied”, $5.97/lb (“custom cut”, $1/lb higher)
    Beef rib roast, boneless, “trimmed & tied”, $7.97/lb
    Beef New York “holiday roast”, bone in, “custom cut”, $4.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, $2.97/lb
    Hormel Cure 81 spiral cut ham, $1.37/lb (limit 1)
    Hormel Cure 81 half ham, boneless, unsliced, $2.99/lb
    Cook's ham, bone in, shank portion, $1.37/lb (butt portion, 20¢/lb higher)
    Kentucky Farms spiral cut ham, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Pork loin roast, boneless, whole in bag, $2.49/lb
    Jennie-O fresh turkeys, 12-20 lb, $1.69/lb
    Butterball fresh turkeys, 12-20 lb, $1.99/lb
    Honeysuckle White frozen turkey breast, bone in, $1.57/lb
    Crystal Farms cheeses, 8 oz chunk/shred/shingle pack, 2/$5
    Kraft cheeses, 7-8 oz chunk or shreds, $3.99
    Libby's veggies, 11-15 oz cans, 2/$1
    Pam cooking spray, 5-6 oz cans, 2/$5
    Pictsweet veggies, 14-16 oz frozen bags, 88¢/lb
    Fuji or Granny Smith apples, 99¢/lb
    Organic Gala apples, $1.99/lb
    Organic bananas, 79¢/lb
    Slicing tomatoes, $1.49/lb
    Organic vine tomatoes, $2.49/lb
    Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, 99¢/lb
    Yams OR sweet potatoes, 99¢/lb
    Organic cucumbers, 89¢ ea
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 4/$5


Bashas':

    Beef New York roast, boneless, $3.59/lb
    Beef tenderloin, whole in bag, $6.99/lb, “cut & wrapped free”
    Beef standing rib roast, bone in, whole, “trimmed, tied, ready for oven,” $4.99/lb
    “EZ-Carve” beef New York roast, boneless, $4.67/lb
    Beef standing rib roast, bone in, large end, $5.99/lb (small end, $1/lb higher)
    Beef bottom round/eye round/crossrib/sirloin tip roasts, $3.99/lb
    Ground beef sirloin, fat content not listed, $2.69/lb
    John Morrell spiral sliced ham, $1.37/lb
    Hormel Cure 81 spiral sliced ham, $2.49/lb
    Hormel Cure 81 whole or half ham, unsliced, $3.99/lb
    Cook's ham, shank portion, $1.29/lb
    Pork picnic or shoulder roast, $1.99/lb
    Pork loin roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Leg of lamb, $7.99/lb
    Jennie-O or Butterball fresh turkeys, $1.79/lb
    Bashas' boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Food Club butter, $2.39
    Philadelphia OR Challenge cream cheese, 8 oz bricks, $1.29
    Tillamook cheeses, 8 oz chunk or shreds, 2/$5
    Libby's veggies, 11-15 oz cans, 5/$3
    Bashas' “Homestyle” bread, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $2.49
    Flav-R-Pac veggies, 16 oz bags or 12 oz “Steam of the Crop”, 77¢
    Apples, Fuji/Granny Smith/Red Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Clementines, 3 lb bag, $2.77
    Whole pineapples, 99¢ ea
    Fresh green beans, 77¢/lb (first 4 lbs)
    Red or orange yams, 77¢/lb
    Butternut OR green acorn squashes, 88¢/lb
    Broccoli OR cauliflower, 99¢/lb


Fry's:

    Beef NY strip roast, bone in, $3.77/lb (family pack steaks, $1.20/lb higher)
    Beef round/sirloin tip/chuck/shoulder roasts, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Beef rib roast, whole in bag, $5.99/lb (“trimmed & tied”, $1/lb higher)
    Hormel Cure 81 OR Private Selection spiral sliced ham, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Cook's unsliced smoked ham, bone in, shank half, 89¢/lb (butt half, 30¢/lb higher)
    Cook's spiral cut smoked ham, bone in, $1.47/lb
    Private Selection boneless ham, $3.99/lb
    Pork “shoulder butt or picnic roast” (please, Fry's, learn to punctuate), whole in bag, $1.49/lb
    Unbranded (store) frozen turkey breast, bone in, $1.69/lb
    Jennie-O fresh turkey breast, bone in, $2.69/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Kroger butter, $1.88
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/shingle pack, $1.79
    Fry's eggs, AA large, dozens, 3/$5
    Kroger veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 5/$3
    Kroger beef or chicken broth, 14 oz cans, 2/$1
    Dole pineapple, 20 oz cans, 10/$10
    Kroger veggies, 10-12 oz frozen bags, 10/$10
    Apples, Gala/Fuji/Granny Smith/Cameo, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Mandarins, 3 lb bag, $3.99 (5 lb box, $5.99)
    Mangos, 99¢ ea
    Broccoli OR cauliflower, $1.29/lb


Safeway:

    Safeway whole or shank-half ham, $1.59/lb with $25 purchase (rump half 10¢/lb higher)
    Safeway whole or shank-half ham, 89¢/lb with $50 purchase (rump half 10¢/lb higher)
    Safeway shank-half or rump-half ham, FREE with $125 purchase
    Beef ribeye, bone in, whole in bag, $4.99/lb (value pack roast or steaks, $1/lb higher)
    Beef NY strip steak or roast, boneless, value pack, $4.99/lb
    Beef crossrib roast, $2.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Safeway half ham, bone in, spiral sliced, $1.79/lb
    Hormel Cure 81 half ham, boneless, $3.99/lb (whole ham 50¢/lb lower)
    Safeway Select whole boneless ham, $3.29/lb (half ham, 50¢/lb higher)
    Half pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.99/lb
    Whole pork shoulder, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Pork top loin chops, boneless, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Safeway Select fresh turkeys, 8-22 lb, $1.69/lb
    Open Nature fresh turkeys, 9-16 lb, $1.79/lb
    Honeysuckle White frozen turkey breast, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Sargento cheeses, 5-8 oz shreds, 2/$4
    Lucerne cream cheese, 8 oz brick, 4/$5
    Sargento cheeses, 6-8 oz shingle pack, 2/$6
    Lucerne butter, $3.49
    Birds Eye “Steamfresh” or “C&W” frozen veg, 10-16 oz bags, buy 2 get 2 free
    Cuties clementines, 5 lb box, $4.99
    Whole pineapples, buy 1 get 1 free
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.99/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Honeycrisp or Envy apples, $2.99/lb
    Red cherries, $6.99/lb (God only knows where they're from)
    Vine or slicing tomatoes, $2.49/lb
    GreenLine fresh green beans, 12 oz bags, buy 1 get 1 free
    Broccoli OR cauliflower, $1.49/lb
    Brussels sprouts, $1.99/lb


Sprouts:

    Beef standing rib roast, “Presidential Cut”, $7.99/lb
    Spiral sliced ham, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Pork crown roast, Frenched, $3.99/lb
    Pork shoulder roast, boneless, $2.49/lb
    Fresh turkeys, $1.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Alaskan coho salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Apples, Cameo/Granny Smith/Jonagold, 98¢/lb
    Organic apples, Pink Lady or Braeburn, $1.29/lb
    Bartlett pears, 98¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 88¢/lb
    Red or black seedless grapes, 2 lbs/$4
    “Cuties” mandarins, 5 lb box, $3.98
    Whole pineapples, 2/$3
    Organic vine tomatoes, $1.68/lb
    Winter squashes, acorn/butternut/spaghetti, 88¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR spinach, 88¢/bunch
    Jewel or Garnet yams, 88¢/lb
    Organic eggplant, 99¢ ea