Wren's bargain guide, week beginning October 8th:

From NPR I learn that a new study from the University of Minnesota suggests that “comfort foods” may not be all that comforting.  Students were shown sad movies and then divided into groups:  some were given foods they'd specifically identified as their own comfort foods, some were given foods they liked but didn't think of in that way, some were given nothing at all – and all started to cheer up after about the same amount of time!  (This is of course a very limited study.  Others have given other results, such as one that showed eating chicken soup might make one feel less lonely.  Either way, they're your PointsPlus to spend.)

From Fooducate I get the top fifteen new products from the Baltimore Natural Foods Expo, torula yeast (what is it and what is it doing in your veggie burger?), and whether “fortified” products might contain too much of some nutrients.  At The Atlantic there's an interesting piece on how color affects perception of food.  Clear Ivory liquid soap sold well, so why didn't Crystal Pepsi?  Why are the Japanese so eager to buy Burger King's new KURO burger, with its black bun, black sauce, and black cheese?  Why do Americans think the same beverage is sweet if it's red and tart if it's green?  Two good articles at the Well, one on exactly how exercise can help to protect against depression (the point is, it can!), one on the physical logistics of exercising – specifically running – when you're endowed with two bits of anatomy that keep moving for some time after you've stopped.  And at The Atlantic, a fascinating (well, I thought so, but I'm a history buff) piece on how Americans were persuaded during World War II to eat unfamiliar meats.  And from Summer Tomato, the heartbreaking phenomenon we're all familiar with:  the “joyless splurge”.  (That entire box of fat-free Snackwell's cookies that you're not even enjoying.)

Recipes!  Fooducate has chicken-and-chickpea meatballs that actually look tasty.  Chow.com has chicken fajitas, a salad of broccoli and cauliflower, butternut-squash-and-red-pepper soup from the slow cooker, and kale chips.  (They never give up with the damn kale chips.)  At Simply Recipes the kale is in a quesadilla.  Martha at Simple Nourished Living goes chicken twice – once with Caribbean jerk chicken from the slow cooker, once with mini chicken pot pies.  And Snack Girl offers spiced butternut squash muffins, zucchini lasagna, and healthy Halloween snacks for school parties!

Today's National Fluffernutter Day.  Tomorrow is National Moldy Cheese Day, so enjoy some Roquefort!  And this second week in October is National Food Bank Week.


October 8th:  National Fluffernutter Day
October 9th:  National Moldy Cheese Day, National Dessert Day, National Submarine/Grinder/Hero/Hoagie/whatever they call it in your state Day
October 10th:  National Angel Food Cake Day
October 11th:  National Sausage Pizza Day
October 12th:  National Gumbo Day
October 13th:  National Yorkshire Pudding Day
October 14th:  National Chocolate Covered Insects Day
October 15th:  National Roast Pheasant Day, National Chicken Cacciatore Day



Albertson's:

    Beef ribeye or NY strip steaks, bone in, $6.97/lb
    Beef top sirloin steak OR trimmed tri tip roast, boneless, $5.99/lb
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, $10.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef London broil, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Beef chuck/crossrib/bottom round roast or family pack steaks, boneless, $4.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, $3.79/lb
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, family pack, $1.88/lb
    Pork butt roast, $2.79/lb
    Pork loin chops, center cut boneless, family pack, $3.49/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.77/lb (3 lbs or more)
    Coho salmon fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Fresh cod fillets, wild caught, $8.99/lb
    Deli:    Dietz & Watson homestyle turkey OR maple honey ham, $8.99/lb
        Dietz  Watson lacy Swiss or “Steak House Cheddar”, $7.99/lb
        Signature buffalo chicken breast, $6.99/lb
        Stella Muenster/mozzarella/Provolone, $6.99/lb
        Margherita hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $5.99/lb
    Nature Valley OR Fiber One granola bars, 5-6 ct, $1.99
    S&W variety (non-baked) beans, 15 oz cans, 88¢
    Essential Everyday fruit or pumpkin, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    American Beauty pasta, 12-16 oz pkg, 88¢
    PictSweet frozen veggies, 28-32 oz bags, 2/$5
    Green or red seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
    Pomegranates, 2/$5
    HoneyCrisp apples, $2.99/lb
    Gala/Fuji/Red Delicious/Granny Smith apples, “Just Right Size”, 2/$1
    Dole bananas, 39¢/lb
    Cut up watermelon/cantaloupe/pineapple bowls, 24 oz, 3/$10 ($3.99 ea)
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 99¢ ea
    English cucumbers, 2/$3
    Winter squashes, 11 different varieties (!!), 99¢/lb
    Mini pumpkins, orange/white/ “Tiger Baby”, 4/$5
    Yams or sweet potatoes, $1.49/lb


Bashas':

    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, value pack, $3.97/lb (regular pack $1/lb higher)
    Beef crossrib OR bottom round roasts or steaks, buy 1 get 1 free
    Ground beef chuck, fat content not listed, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Pork loin end chops, value pack, $2.49/lb
    Pork country style ribs, bone in, value pack, $1.87/lb (boneless 50¢/lb higher)
    Chicken split breasts or leg quarters, bone in, 87¢/lb
    Steelhead fillets, farm raised, $8.99/lb
    Swai fillets, $2.99/lb
    Bashas' milk, gallons, $1.97/lb
    Food Club cheeses, 2 lb chunk or shreds, $7.99/lb
    Land O Lakes butter, $3.59/lb
    Bashas' cottage cheese incl. Light, 24 oz tubs, $2.49
    Bashas' sour cream incl. Light, 24 oz tubs, $1.69
    Pompeian olive oil, 24 oz bottles, $4.99/lb
    Hunt's diced tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 10/$10
    Apples:  Gala, Fuji, Red/Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Whole pineapples, 99¢/lb
    Green or black seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
    Organic Fuji or Gala apples OR Bartlett pears, $1.49/lb
    Organic winter squashes, acorn/butternut/spaghetti, 99¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 2 lbs/$3
    Eat Smart bagged veggies, 10-12 oz, 2/$4
    Halloween pumpkins, medium or large, 3 lbs/99¢

Fry's:

    Beef chuck roast or steak, boneless, family pack, $3.99/lb
    Beef crossrib roast, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Larua's 92/8 ground beef, 1 lb pkg, $4.99
    Assorted pork loin chops, bone in, family pack, $1.88/lb
    Pork loin center cut chops, bone in, family pack, $3.99/lb
    Foster Farms boneless skinless chicken breast/thighs/tenders, buy 1 get 2 free
    93/7 ground turkey, 1 lb pkg, $3.49/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Kroger cheeses, 12-16 oz chunk or shreds, $2.99
    Sargento cheeses, 5-8 oz shreds, 2/$5
    Simple Truth organic variety beans, 15 oz cans, 10/$10
    Lean Cuisine “Culinary Collection”, 5/$10
    HoneyCrisp apples, $1.99/lb
    Yellow peaches OR red or black plums, 77¢/lb
    Apples:  Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Red/Golden Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Gala apples, 5 lb bags, $3.99
    Bartlett pears, 99¢/lb
    Pomegranates, 2/$5
    Whole cantaloupes, 97¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 59¢/lb
    Broccoli OR broccoli crowns, 99¢/lb
    Red or yellow bell peppers, 88¢ ea
    Winter squashes, acorn/butternut/spaghetti, 99¢/lb
    Asparagus, $2.99/lb
    Organic kale, 99¢/bunch
    White mushrooms, whole or sliced, 8 oz boxes, $1.79
    Jack-o-lantern pumpkins, $4.99 ea


Safeway:

    Beef top round London broil OR bottom round roast, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Beef chuck roast, boneless, $5.49/lb
    Beef back ribs, $2.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Pork shoulder country style ribs, bone in, $1.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, value pack, $4.49/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Jennie-O OR Open Nature ground turkey breast, 16-20 oz pkg, $5.99
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $11.99/lb
    Sargento cheeses, 8 oz shreds, 2/$6
    Land O Lakes butter, $4.99/lb
    Challenge cream cheese, 8 oz brick or tub, $1.99
    Ro*tel tomatoes, 10 oz cans, 10/$10
    Mezzetta pasta sauces, 24-25 oz jars, buy 1 get 1 free
    Bertolli olive oil, 25 oz bottles, buy 1 get 1 free
    S&W variety beans, 15 oz cans, 5/$5
    Herdez salsa, 24 oz jars, buy 1 get 1 free
    Safeway Kitches pickles, 16-24 oz jars, 2/$4
    Healthy Choice “Steamers”, 4/$10
    Fuji or Granny Smith apples, 88¢/lb
    Navel oranges, $1.99/lb
    Yellow peaches, $1.99/lb
    Green or red seedless grapes, $2.99/lb
    Organic Gala apples, $1.99/lb
    Bartlett or D'Anjou pears, 99¢/lb
    Green asparagus, $2.99/lb
    Organic heirloom tomatoes, $3.99/lb
    Organic winter squashes, acorn/butternut/spaghetti, 99¢/lb
    Green or red bell peppers, 10/$10
    Large pumpkins, $7.99 ea


Sprouts:

    Beef chuck roast or steak, boneless, $3.99/lb
    “100% grass-fed” ground beef, fat content not listed, $4.99/lb
    Pork tenderloin, $4.99/lb
    Pork loin roast or chops, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast tenders, $2.99/lb
    Coho salmon filets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    HoneyCrisp apples, $1.99/lb
    Valencia oranges, 49¢/lb
    Whole cantaloupes, 2/$3
    Organic Gala or Granny Smith apples, $1.49
    Organic Bosc or D'Anjou pears, $1.49/lb
    Green or red seedless grapes, $1.88/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 49¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, $1.49/lb
    Organic grape tomatoes, dry pint, 2/$5
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 99¢ ea
    Eggplant, 99¢ ea
    “Baby peeled” carrots, 1 lb bag, 99¢