Wren's bargain guide, week beginning April 9th:

Occasional but significant disclaimer – this is MINE.  My hobby, my handout, my blog.  Not WW's, mine.  Not even slightly an official Weight Watchers thing.  So very not.  Just me.

Interesting piece at Fooducate this week – a précis of the most popular zero-calorie sweeteners and what's wrong with them.  (I mean that.  The nicest thing they can manage to say about any of these sweeteners is that stevia-the-plant “is naturally sweet and has been in use for hundreds of years” – but they add that stevia-the-product is extracted “through a complex chemical process”, and that “Not enough studies have been conducted on stevia extracts.”)  Overall, the assessment is that you should just try to eat less sweet which could probably be said of most Americans.

At Grist, an article about teaching small children to cook using tools usually decried as “dangerous”, such as heat sources or sharp blades – according to a study cited here, “children who cook before the age of eight are 50 per cent more likely to prepare at least five meals from scratch a week when they grow up” – and another on cooking roadkill, with an illustration not graphically distressing but still unfortunate.  Marion Nestle touches on the food industry's entertaining new tactic, listing “evaporated cane juice” in ingredient labels as though this makes it something other than sugar.  Monica Reinagel offers quick pointers on how much fiber is in various fruits and veggies, and how to tell if your olive oil is olive oil.  And Yoni Freedhoff looks at the offensive new Jenny Craig ad, with Kirstie Alley croaking that “I'm not, like, circus fat, I just wanna lose twenty pounds!”  As Dr. Freedhoff points out, calling people who struggle with weight “circus fat” is hardly a prudent business decision for a company whose business it is to help people lose weight. 

Recipes!  Chow.com offers made-from-scratch matzoh-ball soup (starting with five pounds of chicken parts), a plethora of other Passover recipes, a lentil salad with fennel and frisée, and some delicious-looking asparagus oven-fries that I can't wait to try!  Smitten Kitchen has vegan chili starting with dried beans – with stove-top, pressure-cooker, and slow-cooker options – and an interesting take on deviled eggs, with spring veggies and not “goopy with mayonnaise”.  At Simply Recipes I find asparagus with a caper vinaigrette, and Italian tomato-and-bread soup.  And Snack Girl's doing sweet-potato fries and sesame asparagus – everyone's doing asparagus this week, including me.  Yum.

This third week of April is Week of the Ocean, nice for those of us who enjoy seafood.  Friday is National Cheese Fondue Day – I genuinely cannot imagine a way to make that PointsPlus-friendly, but if you can more power to you, and if you can't, they're your PointsPlus to spend.  The 15th is National Glazed Spiral Ham Day, which can be PointsPlus-reasonable, and the day after is both Day of the Mushroom and National Eggs Benedict Day which strikes me as an appetizing combination. 

April 9th:  National Chinese Almond Cookie Day
April 10th:  Cinnamon Croissant Day
April 11th:  National Cheese Fondue Day
April 12th:  National Licorice Day, Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day
April 13th:  National Peach Cobbler Day
April 14th:  National Pecan Day
April 15th:  National Glazed Spiral Ham Day
April 16th:  Day of the Mushroom, National Eggs Benedict


Albertson's:

    Beef ribeye/t-bone/New York steaks, bone in, family pack, $8.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steaks OR tri tip roast, $4.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, $2.49/lb (3 lbs or more)
    93/7 ground beef, $3.99/lb
    Pork loin chops, boneless, buy 1 get 2 free
    Pork loin chops, center cut bone-in, $6.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Sanderson Farms boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, buy 1 get 2 free
    Unbranded (store) boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.99/lb
    Honeysuckle White frozen turkey breast, bone in, $1.77/lb
    Cod, 5 oz portions, 2/$3
    Ahi tuna, wild caught, 5 oz portions, $2.99
    Atlantic salmon (farm raised) OR sockeye salmon (wild caught), 5 oz portions, $3.99
    Halibut, wild caught, 5 oz portions, $6.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Alaskan salmon fillets, wild caught, 1.25 frozen pkg, $5.99
    Rockfish OR Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Flounder fillets, wild caught, $3.99/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $10.99/lb
    Great American tilapia fillets, 1 lb IQF bag, $9.99, buy 1 get 3 free
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.99
    Albertson's eggs, AA large, dozens, $1.48
    Dietz & Watson unsliced cheeses, 7-8 oz chunk, $4.99
    Essential Everyday cheeses, 8 oz shingle pack, 2/$6
    Deli:    Signature rotisserie turkey breast, $5.99/lb
        Dietz & Watson hams, turkey/chicken breast, cheeses, $7.99/lb
        Charlie's Pride Italian roast beef, corned beef, beef pastrami, $6.99/lb
        Stella Swiss/Provolone/Muenster cheeses, $6.99/lb
        Margherita hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $5.99/lb
        Healthy Ones honey or oven-roasted turkey, chicken breast, honey ham, $5.99/lb
    Essential Everyday pasta, 1 lb boxes, 10/$10
    Hunt's pasta sauces, 24 oz cans, 10/$10
    Vlasic pickles, 16-24 oz jars, 2/$5
    Bumble Bee solid white tuna, 5 oz cans, 3/$5
    Smart Ones frozen entrées, 2/$5
    Strawberries, 1 lb boxes, 2/$5
    Cut up watermelon/pineapple/cantaloupe, 24-32 oz bowls, $4.99
    Jonagold apples, $1.29/lb
    Mangos, 99¢ ea
    Sweet corn, 6/$1
    Organic vine tomatoes, $2.99/lb
    Cherub grape tomatoes, 10 oz boxes, $2.99
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 99¢ ea
    Summer squashes, zucchini/yellow/grey, 99¢/lb


Bashas':

    Beef ribeye (bone in) or top sirloin (boneless) steaks, value pack, $5.87/lb
    Beef bottom round steak or roast, $4.99/lb
    Skylark corned beef, point cut, $2.49/lb
    Ground beef round, fat content not listed, value pack, $2.99/lb (regular pack 50¢/lb higher)
    Pork chops, center cut boneless, $4.99/lb
    Chicken breasts or leg quarters, bone in, 97¢/lb
    Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $3.99/lb
    Swordfish OR ahi tuna loins, $9.99/lb
    Bashas' milk, gallons, $1.99
    Food Club cheeses, 10-16 oz chunk/shreds/string, $3.99
    Land O Lakes butter, $3.99
    Bashas' HomeStyle bread, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $2.49
    Del Monte veggies, 13-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Del Monte fruit, 14-15 oz cans, 4/$5
    S&W tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 4/$5
    S&W beans, 15 oz cans, 89¢
    Bumble Bee chunk light tuna, 5 oz cans, 79¢
    Pompeian olive oil, 24-28 oz bottles, $4.99/lb
    Full Circle organic pasta sauce, 24 oz jars, 2/$5
    Full circle organic olive oil, 17 oz bottles, $5.99
    Green Giant veggies, 7-10 oz boxes, 3/$3
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Seeedless watermelons, 29¢/lb
    Navel oranges OR Minneola tangelos, 99¢/lb
    Apples:  Granny Smith, Braeburn, Red Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Fresh green beans, 88¢/lb
    Organic cucumbers, 2/$5
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR iceberg, 99¢


Fry's:

    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, $8.99/lb
    Beef top/bottom/eye round roasts, boneless, $3.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, $4.99/lb (2 lb chub)
    “Pork extravaganza”:  all fresh pork, 50% off
    Chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, 99¢/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders, 3 lb IQF bag, $7.99/lb
    Tilapia fillets, $5.99/lb
    Kroger cheeses, 6 oz shingle pack, $1.99
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.99
    Land O Lakes OR Challenge butter, 2/$5
    Fry's eggs, AA large, 18 ct, 2/$5
    Vlasic pickles, 24 oz jars, 2/$5
    Kroger veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 2/$1
    Chicken of the Sea chunk light tuna, 5 oz cans, 79¢
    Dole pineapple, 20 oz cans, 10/$10
    Kroger fruit, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Kroger pasta sauces, 24 oz jars, 4/$5
    Nature Valley OR Fiber One granola bars, 5-12 ct, $2.99
    Green Giant veggies, 7-10 oz frozen boxes, 10/$10
    Kroger veggies, 10-12 oz frozen pkg, 10/$10
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Whole seedless watermelons, $1.99 ea
    Black seedless grapes, 99¢/lb
    Apples:  Gala, Granny Smith, Red/Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    D'anjou pears, 99¢/lb
    Asparagus, $2.99/lb
    Zucchini or yellow squash, 99¢/lb
    Cucumbers, 2/99¢
    Cilantro, 2 bunches/99¢


Safeway:

    Beef London broil, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Beef chuck 7-bone steak, bone in, $3.99/lb
    Beef chuck or round tip roast, boneless, $4.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, $3.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Honeysuckle White frozen turkey breast, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Swordfish steaks, wild caught, $8.99/lb
    Earth Balance spreads, 13-15 oz tubs, $3.99
    Land O Lakes butter, $3.49
    Litehouse blue cheese crumbles, 1 lb bag, $8.99
    Open Nature variety breads, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $2.49
    Del Monte veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    StarKist solid white albacore tuna, 5 oz cans, 4/$5
    Safeway Kitchens variety (non-baked) beans, 15 oz cans, 99¢
    Healthy Choice “Bakes” frozen entrees, $1.99
    O Organics frozen veggies, 1 lb bags, $2.49/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Navel or Cara Cara oranges, $1.49/lb
    Organic Bartlett pears, $1.69/lb
    Whole cantaloupes, 2/$5
    Tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Sweet corn, 3/$1
    Jumbo artichokes, 2/$4
    Organic broccoli, $1.49/lb
    Red or yellow bell peppers, 99¢ ea


Sprouts:

    Beef ribeye steak, bone in, $8.99/lb
    Beef rump roast or flat cut brisket, $5.49/lb
    85/15 ground beef, value pack, $4.49/lb
    Pork shoulder roast OR country style ribs, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Chicken breast scallopini or stir fry, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Ahi tuna steaks, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Stuffed salmon, 6 oz portions, $3.49
    Strawberries, 1 lb boxes, 98¢
    Navel oranges, 48¢/lb
    Whole seedless watermelons, 3 lbs/$1
    Apples:  Gala, Granny Smith, Cameo, Jonagold, 98¢/lb
    Texas Red grapefruit, 88¢/lb
    Organic Bartlett pears, 2 lbs/$3
    Organic grapefruit or Valencia oranges, 4 lb bags, 2/$5
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 88¢ ea
    Cucumbers, 3/41
    Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Hothouse cucumbers, 98¢ ea
    Italian squash, 88¢/lb