Wren's bargain guide, week beginning September 24th:

It's autumn, that lovely season when EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN THE ENTIRE DAMN SUPERMARKET is now available in a pumpkin or pumpkin-spice flavor.  Fooducate looks at Planters' new pumpkin-spice almonds and likes them very much.  Also fresh produce and the prices thereof, and Brussels sprouts.

A new study indicates (surprise!) that fat-shaming doesn't motivate people to lose weight.  Brian Wansink has a new book out about techniques that can:  Slim by Design:  Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life.  (Chew gum while shopping for groceries!  Shoppers who were given gum at the beginning of a shopping trip bought 7% less junk food.)  I've got my copy and will let you know what I think very soon.

Recipes!  Chow.com has vegetarian chili, spaghetti-squash cakes (like potato pancakes), homemade herbed crackers, tacos vegetarianos, and a grilled-eggplant-parmesan salad.  Simply Recipes has “cheesy quinoa black bean stuffed bell peppers” – I think they'd be good with the amount of cheese cut in half – and baked sesame chicken fingers.  Simple Nourished Living has WW-friendly breakfast ideas, Greek chicken pitas from the slow cooker, and date smoothies;  Smitten Kitchen offers up cucumber lemonade, and Snack Girl has an Asian-influenced three bean salad.

Tomorrow is either Crab Newberg Day or Crab Newburg Day.  The 28th is Drink Beer Day, not to be confused with National Beer Day (in April), International Beer Day (in August), or American Beer Day (in October).  And next Tuesday, the 31st, is the last day of National Apple Month.  The next day, October 1st, is the first day of National Apple Month.  Yeah. 

September 24th:  National Cherries Jubilee Day
September 25th:  National Crab Newb?rg Day
September 26th:  National Pancake Day
September 27th:  National Corned Beef Hash Day, National Chocolate Milk Day
September 28th:  National Strawberry Cream Pie Day
September 29th:  National Mocha Day
September 30th:  National Mulled Cider Day
October 1st:  World Vegetarian Day, Homemade Cookies Day;  Pudding Season begins


Albertson's:

    Beef NY strip steak, bone in, family pack, $5.77/lb
    Beef chuck, crossrib, top/eye/bottom round steaks, thin cut boneless, $9.49/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef ribeye or t-bone steaks, bone in, family pack, $7.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $3.79/lb
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, family pack, $1.88/lb
    Pork loin chops, center cut, bone in or boneless, buy 1 get 1 free
    Chicken breasts/drums/thighs/leq quarters, bone in, 99¢/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.79/lb
    Tilapia or swai fillets, farm raised, $2.99/lb
    Coho salmon fillets, wild caught, $8.99/lb
    Albertson's eggs, AA large, dozens, 99¢
    Tillamook butter, 2/$7
    Kraft cheeses, 7-8 oz chunk or shreds, $1.99
    Sargento cheeses, 5-8 oz shreds, 2/$5
    Essential Everyday veggies or tomatoes, 14-15 oz cans, 50¢
    Hunt's pasta sauces, 24 oz cans, $1
    Bertolli pasta sauces, 15-24 oz jars, 2/$5
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10 oz cans, $1
    Seedless green grapes, 75¢/lb
    HoneyCrisp apples, $2.99/lb
    Apple pears, 99¢ ea
    Clementines, 2 lb bag, $4.99
    Fuji apples, organic, $2.99/lb
    Cut up watermelon/pineapple/cantaloupe, 24 oz bowls, 3/$10 (must buy 3)
    Large tomatoes, $1/lb
    Organic mini carrots, 1 lb bag, $1.99


Bashas':

    Beef London broil, boneless, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Beef top round steak or roast, $3.99/lb
    Ground beef round, fat content not listed, value pack, $2.99/lb
    “Pork loin country styles” {sic}, bone in, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork loin roast, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms whole frying chickens, 88¢/lb
    Bashas' chicken leg quarters, 88¢/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    True cod fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Food Club cheeses, 10-16 oz chunk/shreds/string snacks, $4.49
    Bashas' cottage cheese, 24 oz tubs, $2.59
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10 oz cans, 99¢
    Ragu pasta sauces, 16-24 oz jars, 2/$3
    Chicken of the Sea chunk light tuna, 5 oz cans, 79¢
    Red seedless grapes, 75¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 75¢/lb
    Broccoli, 75¢/lb


Fry's:

    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Pork tenderloin, boneless, whole in bag, $2.99/lb
    Pork half loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.97/lb
    Foster Farms whole chickens, 99¢/lb
    Kroger 85/15 ground turkey, 1 lb pkg, $2.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Kroger olive oil, 34 oz bottles, $7.99/lb
    Del Monte veggies, 11-15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10 oz cans, 10/$10
    Hunt's tomatoes, 14-15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Bumble Bee chunk light tuna, 5 oz cans, 10/$10
    Chicken of the Sea chunk light tuna, 5 oz cans, 2/$1
    Yellow peaches, 77¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 77¢/lb
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, $1.88
    Seedless grapes, green/red/black, $1.88/lb
    Apples:  Gala, Granny Smith, Red/Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Bartlett pears, 99¢/lb
    Pomegranates, 2/$4
    Hass avocados, 99¢ ea
    Red or yellow bell peppers, 4/$5
    “Mini peeled” carrots, 1 lb bag, 4/$5
    English cucumbers, 4/$5


Safeway:

    Beef chuck roast, boneless, $5.49/lb
    Beef top round London broil, boneless, $6.49/lb
    Beef ribeye steaks, boneless, $13.99/lb
    Beef bottom round steak, boneless, $6.49/lb
    Beef t-bone steaks, bone in, $11.99/lb
    90/10 ground beef, value pack, $4.99/lb
    Assorted pork loin chops, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Chicken drumsticks, bone in, value pack, 99¢/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, value pack, $8.99/lb
    Swai or tilapia fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Lucerne cheeses, 2 lb chunk or shreds, $8.99
    Bumble Bee albacore tuna, 5 oz cans, $1.39
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10 oz cans, 10/$10
    American Beauty pasta, 1 lb pkg, 5/$5
    Yellow peaches, $1.39/lb
    HoneyCrisp apples, $2.99/lb
    Green or red seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
    Navel or Cara Cara oranges, $1.79/lb
    Dulcinea mini seedless watermelons, $3.99 ea
    Vine tomatoes, 77¢/lb
    Large Hass avocados, 77¢ ea
    Organic heirloom tomatoes, $3.99/lb
    Winter squashes, acorn/butternut/spaghetti, 99¢/lb


Sprouts:

    Beef NY steaks, bone in, $6.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef sirloin, $5.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops or roast OR ground pork, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken thighs, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Alaskan Coho salmon fillets, wild caught, $8.99/lb
    California Olive Ranch olive oil, 1.4 litre bottles, $12.99
    HoneyCrisp apples, 88¢/lb
    Bartlett pears, 88¢/lb
    Valencia oranges, 88¢/lb
    Whole cantaloupes, 88¢ ea
    Maradol papayas, 88¢/lb
    Organic seedless grapes, green/red/black, 2 lbs/$5
    Organic white or yellow peaches OR yellow nectarines, $1.98/lb
    Red or black plums, 2/$3
    Organic pears:  red, Bartlett, Bosc, 2 lbs/$3
    Beefsteak tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Organic baby heirloom tomatoes, dry pint, 2/$5
    Organic slicing tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Winter squashes, acorn/butternut/spaghetti/Kabocha, 88¢/lb
    Grape tomatoes, dry pint, 2/$3
    Italian squash, 98¢/lb
    Eggplant OR hothouse cucumbers, 4/$5