Wren's bargain guide, week beginning March 26th:

From the Guardian last week:  what's good food, what's not?  Health authorities are switching sides faster than windshield wipers.  A few years ago, we were being told to eat no more than two eggs a week:  now it turns out the cholesterol in egg yolk has almost no effect on blood cholesterol.  I can myself remember when we were all being told to eat the margarine with good healthy polyunsaturates – this is before any of us had heard the phrase “trans fats” (and a new metastudy indicates saturated fat might not be the bugaboo we've all been led to believe).  Counting calories, we were told, was the essence of losing weight – but scientists are now beginning to zoom in on the concept of satiety, the notion that if you're hungry all the time you're going to be miserable and this is not conducive to staying on a weight-loss plan!

Speaking of eggs as I just was, Fooducate gives ten reasons to enjoy them as well as a look at Oscar Meyer's new line, the “P3”, or Portable Protein Pack:  “Lunchables for millennials”.  High in protein, but also in salt and plastic packing material.  Darya Rose has a nice tip for avoiding thoughtless eating.  And a new study from the University of New Hampshire, published in the journal Memory, indicates that just calling up a positive memory of exercise – recalling a workout you enjoyed, or a time you felt good while exercising – can be incentive to move more!

Recipes!  At Chow.com I find DIY flour tortillas (read the comments before you try this one), twenty-two salad dressings, and for March Madness, three salsas in thirty minutes!  (Three cups of each.  That is a lot of chopping, but it's also a lot of salsa.)  At 101 Cookbooks, something labeled “giant lemon fennel beans” which sounds an interesting combination.  Simply Recipes uses up the last of the winter veggies by roasting them and adding tomatoes and kale.  And Snack Girl has reduced-calorie wine, a grab-and-go breakfast, and how to turn one ounce of chocolate into THREE CUPS of yummy snack.

Friday, the 28th, is National Something On A Stick Day.  If you cut up your fresh fruit and spear it it's still PointsPlus-free.


March 26th:  National Nougat Day
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:  Clams on the Half Shell Day, Tater Day (not to be confused with National Potato Day, in August), Oranges and Lemons Day
April 1st:  National Sourdough Bread Day
April 2nd:  National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day

What's for breakfast?


Albertson's:

    Beef ribeye/t-bone/New York steaks, bone in, family pack, $8.99/lb
    Beef bottom round roast or family pack steaks, $4.79/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $2.99/lb (3 lbs or more)
    93/7 ground beef, $3.99/lb
    Center cut pork chops, boneless, $7.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Pork sirloin, boneless, $1.99/lb
    Unbranded (store) boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms tray pack boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Rockfish or Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Kraft or Cracker Barrel cheeses, 7-8 oz chunk or Kraft shreds, 2/$6
    Sargento cheeses, 6-8 oz shingle pack, 2/$7
    Deli:    Signature rotisserie turkey breast, $5.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson pepper or “oven classic” turkey, $7.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson classic or honey maple ham, $7.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson baby Swiss, $7.99/lb
        Margherita hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $4.99/lb
    Hunt's tomato sauce, 8 oz cans, 25¢
    Essential Everyday veggies OR tomatoes OR variety (non-baked) beans, 14-15 oz cans, 2/$1
    Essential Everyday pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, 50¢
    Bumble Bee solid white tuna, 4 pk of 5 oz cans, $5.99
    Birds Eye “Steamfresh” veggies, 12 oz bags, $1
    Pictsweet “Steamables” or deluxe veg, 10-14 oz bags, 3/$5
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, $2.99
    Whole seedless watermelons, $2.99
    Pink Lady apples, $1.99/lb
    Papayas, $1.99 ea
    Strawberries, 1 lb boxes, $2.99
    Blackberries/raspberries/blueberries, 6 oz boxes, $2.99
    Roma tomatoes, $1/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, $1 ea
    Organic grape tomatoes, 10 oz boxes, $2.99
    Cucumbers, 75¢ ea


Bashas':

    Beef top sirloin steak OR London broil, value pack, $3.87
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.48/lb (3 lbs or more)
    Bashas' milk, gallons, 2/$5
    Kraft cheeses, 7-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.88
    Shedd's Country Crock spread, 12-15 oz tubs, $2.49
    Bashas' sour cream, 16 oz tubs, $1.69
    Bashas' cottage cheese, 24 oz tubs, $2.39
    Eggland's Best eggs, Grade A large, dozens, $2.49
    Bush's variety (non-baked) beans, 15-16 oz cans, 69¢
    Food Club veggies or tomatoes, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    American Beauty pasta, 1 lb pkg, 99¢
    No Yolks noodles, 8 oz bags, 99¢
    Hunt's pasta sauces, 24 oz cans, 99¢
    Pompeian olive oil, 16-24 oz bottles, $3.99
    Chicken of the Sea chunk light tuna, 5 oz cans, 97¢
    Bumble Bee solid white tuna, 5 oz cans, $1.49
    Whole seedless watermelons, 25¢/lb
    Cantaloupe OR honeydew melon, 50¢/lb
    Green or red seedless grapes, $2.99/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 75¢/lb
    Asparagus, $1.99/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR iceberg, 99¢
    Green/red/gold bell peppers, 77¢ ea

Fry's:

    Beef top sirloin, boneless, whole in bag, $3.77/lb
    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, $7.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $3.99/lb (3 lb chub)
    Assorted pork loin chops, bone in, family pack, $1.69/lb
    Center cut pork loin chops, bone in, family pack, $2.99/lb
    Cod fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Mahi mahi fillets OR swordfish loins, $5.99/lb
    Swai fillets, farm raised, $2.99/lb
    Fry's milk, half gallons only, 99¢
    Kroger veggies, 11-15 oz cans, 3/$2
    Kroger fruit, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Simple Truth organic variety beans, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Bumble Bee chunk light tuna, 5 oz cans, 79¢
    PictSweet frozen veggies, 6-12 oz pkg, 10/$10
    Kroger frozen veggies, 10-12 oz pkg, 10/$10
    Smart Ones “Classic” or “Creations” frozen entrees, $1.69
    Whole jumbo cantaloupes, 87¢/lb
    Blackberries, 6 oz boxes, 87¢ ea
    Navel oranges, 88¢/lb
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $2.99/lb
    Apples:  Gala, Granny Smith, Red/Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb boxes, 2/$5
    Mandarins, 3 lb bag, $4.99
    Mangos, 99¢ ea
    “Mini peeled” carrots, 1 lb bag, AZ grown, 88¢ ea
    Cucumbers OR green bell peppers, 2/99¢
    Red or yellow bell peppers, 99¢ ea
    Mini sweet peppers, 1 lb bag, $1.99


Safeway:

    Beef round tip roast, boneless, $3.29/lb
    Beef chuck 7-bone roast, $2.99/lb
    Beef NY strip steak, bone in, value pack, $8.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Assorted pork loin chops, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Pork shoulder country style ribs, bone in, value pack, $2.99/lb
    “All natural” pork loin chops, bone in, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Safeway Farms chicken breast/thighs/drums/leg quarters, bone in, value pack, 99¢/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, value pack, $8.99/lb (2 lbs or more)
    Raw shrimp, 16-20 ct, peeled and deveined, $9.99/lb
    Lucerne cheeses, 2 lb chunk, $6.99
    Sargento cheeses, 8 oz shreds,2/$6
    Lucerne soft cream cheese incl. Light, 8 oz tub, 2/$3
    Safeway Kitchens variety bread, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $1.99
    Del Monte veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 88¢
    Del Monte tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 88¢
    Hunt's pasta sauces, 24 oz cans, 88¢
    S&W variety beans, 15 oz cans, 88¢
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 99¢
    Green or red seedless grapes, $2.99/lb
    Gala apples, $1.79/lb
    Navel oranges, $1.49/lb
    Bananas, 59¢/lb
    Whole cantaloupes, $2.99 ea
    Organic vine tomatoes, $2.99/lb
    Broccoli OR cauliflower, $1.49/lb
    O Organics “mini peeled” carrots, 1 lb bag, $1.69


Sprouts:

    Beef New York steaks, boneless, $7.99/lb
    Pork spareribs or baby back ribs, $2.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops or roast OR ground pork, $2.99/lb
    Chicken breast tenders, $2.49/lb
    Chicken thighs or drumsticks, bone in, value pack, $1.49
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Sprouts butter, $2.99
    Sprouts sprouted-grain breads, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $3.49
    Sprouts naan bread, 8 oz pkg, $2.29
    Sprouts variety beans, 15 oz cans, 89¢
    Sprouts pasta sauces, 24 oz jars, $2.99
    Sprouts tomatoes, 28 oz cans, $1.69
    Sprouts olive oil, 1 litre bottles, $6.99
    Sprouts frozen fruit, 12 oz bags, 2/$5
    Sprouts frozen veg, 1 lb bags, $1.99
    Navel oranges, 25¢/lb
    Seedless watermelons, 25¢/lb
    Yellow mangos, 2/$1
    Gala or Cameo apples, 98¢/lb
    D'Anjou pears, 98¢/lb
    Organic Bartlett pears, 2 lbs/$3
    Sprouts mini peppers, 1 lb bag, $2
    Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Sprouts organic grape tomatoes, dry pint, $2
    Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, 88¢/lb
    Asparagus, $1.98/lb
    Iceberg OR cucumbers, 2/$1
    Organic chard, red/green/rainbow, 2/$3