Bargain guide, week beginning May 30th:

At Fooducate, there's a review of the new line of “Cold Brew” teas from Twinings.  Shorter Fooducate:  they brew quickly, taste good, and are calorie-free unless you sweeten them.  Chow.com has a video on making your own peach frozen yogurt for breakfast!  (Mix twelve ounces of frozen peaches – that's where the “frozen” comes in – with half a cup of plain yogurt, three tablespoons of honey, a pinch of “flaky sea salt”, and a quarter teaspoon of vanilla in the food processor.  Process.  Garnish with “granola or whatever you like”.  No serving size is given:  the serving shown looks like half a cup, but she says “eat immediately”, which is hard to reconcile with three quarters of a pound of fruit unless you're making it for several people.)

At Serious Eats there's a recipe for grilled asparagus with almond-parsley gremolata, an “almost-pesto” that looks quite tasty.  Yoni Freedhoff, whom I'm coming to adore more with each passing post at Weighty Matters, analyzes a “buttery spread” label and ingredients list, its claims of a “delicious buttery taste”, and concludes that butter – or as he puts it, “Frickin' BUTTER!” – isn't bad for you, has the same number of calories, and probably has an even more delicious buttery taste.

Snack-girl analyzes chain restaurant menus and concludes that the appetizer menu is trying to kill us all.  (Did you know that one Outback Steakhouse Bloomin' Onion is 1948 calories?  And that's not counting the ranch dip, I suspect.)  She also touches on homemade fruit pops (“Man, it was hot this weekend and I all I could think about was beer POPSICLES”), a “skinny candy”, and her “Top Ten Weight Watchers Recipes” (including a “green smoothie that does not taste like grass”).  And Darya Pino, at Summer Tomato, once again raves about the Miracle Seasoning, SMOKED PAPRIKA.

June starts the day after tomorrow (are you ready for summer?  Neither am I), June being National Dairy Month, National Seafood Month, National Beefsteak Month, National Papaya Month, National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, National Iced Tea Month, National Frozen Yogurt Month, and – bafflingly – Turkey Lovers' Month.  Friday is National Doughnut Day, and Saturday the 84th anniversary of Velveeta.  The 3rd is National Egg Day, and the 4th is the 78th anniversary of the introduction of the “stackable” shopping cart:  Sylvan Goldman invented them for his new “self-service” grocery store, Piggly Wiggly, and then had to hire people to push them around the store and pretend to shop so real shoppers could see how handy they were.

May 30th:  National Mint Julep Day, National Macaroon Day
May 31st:  Another date for National Macaroon Day
June 1st:  National Hazelnut Cake Day
June 2nd:  National Chocolate Macaroon Day
June 3rd:  National Rocky Road Day, National Egg Day
June 4th:  National Frozen Yogurt Day, National Cheese Day, National Cognac Day;  festival of Fufluns, Etruscan god of wine, included here just because I love his name.  Fufluns.  Fufluns.
June 5th:  National Gingerbread Day
June 6th:  National Applesauce Cake Day;  1933, the first drive-in movie theatre opens, in Camden, New Jersey

Albertson's:

    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, family pack, $4.77/lb
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef chuck steak, boneless, family pack, $3.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $2.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, family pack, $1.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms whole frying chickens, 99¢/lb
    Sanderson Farms chicken breasts/thighs/drums/leg quarters, bone in, jumbo packs, 99¢/lb
    Chicken kebabs, $3.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $4.99/lb
    Rockfish or “Dover” (sole?) fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.57
    Albertson's eggs, AA large, dozens, $1
    Sargento cheeses, 5-8 oz shreds, 2/$5
    Deli:    All Dietz & Watson ham/turkey breast/chicken breast/cheeses, $7.99/lb
        Jennie-O “honey smoked” or “oven brown” turkey breast, $5.99/lb
        USA Gold honey or baked ham, $5.99/lb
        Unbranded rotisserie turkey breast, $5.99/lb
    American Beauty pasta, 12-16 oz pkg, $1
    Hunt's pasta sauces, 24 oz cans, $1
    Hunt's diced tomatoes OR tomato sauce, 14-15 oz cans, $1
    Albertson's veggies OR tomatoes, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Albertson's chunk white chicken, 5 oz cans, $1
    Ro*tel tomatoes, $1
    PictSweet “Steamables” frozen veg, $1
    Green or red seedless grapes, 88¢/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Red (Bing?) cherries, $3.99/lb
    Peaches, $1.99/lb
    Apricots, $2.99/lb
    Fuji apples, $1.29/lb
    “Mini” watermelons, $2.99 ea
    Cut up seedless watermelon, 2 lb bowls, $3.99
    Cut up “fruit medley”, 36 oz bowls, $4.99
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    “Gourmet” baby carrots, 1 lb bag, $1
    Bulb scallions, 2 bunches/$1
    Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, 99¢/lb
    Fresh Express bag salads, 2/$5


Bashas':

    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Beef “Black Angus” New York steaks, $8.99/lb
    Beef bottom round roast, $3.99/lb (steaks, $4.99/lb)
    Pork shoulder roast, $2.49/lb
    Assorted pork chops, value pack, $2.49/lb
    Sanderson Farms whole frying chickens, 67¢/lb
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Dressed rainbow trout, $3.99/lb
    Challenge butter, 2/$5
    Shamrock Farms dairy products, 40% off
    Hickman's eggs, half-dozens or dozens, 40% off
    Kraft cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/shingle slices, $2.88/lb
    Food Club veggies, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
    Flav-R-Pac veggies or “stir-fry blends), 14-16 oz bag, 3/$5
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, $2.29
    Red (Bing?) cherries, $2.19/lb
    Blueberries, dry pint, $1.99
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $2.49/lb
    Whole seedless watermelons, $4.99 ea
    Whole cantaloupes, $1.88 ea
    Organic “Red Flame” grapes, $2.99
    Vine or large tomatoes, $1.88/lb
    Brown onions, AZ grown, 2 lbs/$1
    Cucumbers, 88¢ ea


Food City:

    Beef chuck steak, bone in, $1.98/lb (roast, this is what it says, 1¢ higher)
    Sirloin cut pork chops, bone in, $1.79/lb
    Chicken breast, bone in, 88¢/lb
    Tilapia fillets, $1.99/lb
    Whole pineapples, 3 lbs/99¢
    Cantaloupe, 5 lbs/$1
    Cucumbers, 4/99¢
    Brown onions, 4 lbs/$1


Fry's:

    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, $4.97/lb
    Beef London broil, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Half pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.97/lb, sliced & wrapped free
    Kroger Value chicken leg quarters, 88¢/lb
    Jennie-O 93/7 ground turkey, $3.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, family pack, $4.88/lb
    Fry's milk, gallons, $1.57/lb
    Kroger cheese singles, 16 ct, 99¢
    Kraft cheeses, 5-8 oz chunk or shreds, 2/$4
    Sargento cheeses, 6-8 oz shingle slices, 3/$5
    Philadelphia cream cheese, 8 oz bar, 2/3
    Kroger cottage cheese incl. Light, 16 oz tubs, 4/$5
    I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, 8-16 oz, 2/$5
    Oroweat bread, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, $2.99
    Barilla pasta, 12-16 oz pkg, 10/$10
    Ragu pasta sauces, 16-26 oz jars, $1.77/lb
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.97
    Red seedless grapes, 85¢/lb
    Blackberries/raspberries/blueberries, 6 oz boxes, 2/$3
    Yellow peaches or nectarines, $1.99/lb
    Red seedless watermelons, $4.99 ea
    Bananas, 57¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine/Boston, $1 ea
    Zucchini or yellow squash, $1/lb
    Sweet corn, 2/88¢
    Private Selection box salads, 1 lb, $4.49
    Mini roses in a 4 inch pot with a trellis, $4.99


Safeway:

    Beef crossrib steak, boneless, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, $5.99/lb
    Beef chuck or bottom round steaks, thin cut boneless, $3.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, $2.79/lb
    93/7 ground beef, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.99/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Jennie-O turkey store “Extra Lean” ground turkey breast, 20 oz pkg, $5.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $8.79/lb
    Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets, farm raised, $9.99/lb
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.57
    Sargento cheeses, 5-8 oz chunk or shreds, buy 1 get 1 free
    Open Nature or Safeway Kitchens breads, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, 2/$5
    Anthony's pasta, 12-16 oz pkg, buy 2 get 1 free
    Star OR Safeway Select olive oil (healthy!), 25 oz bottles, buy 2 get 1 free
    Safeway cooking spray, 5-6 oz cans, buy 2 get 1 free
    Bumble Bee solid white tuna, buy 2 get 1 free
    Safeway canned fruit, 15 oz cans, 89¢
    Ragu or Francesco Rinaldi pasta sauces, 16-24 oz jars, $1.25
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 4/$10
    Green or red seedless grapes, 87¢/lb
    Mini seedless watermelons, AZ grown, $2.48
    Peaches or nectarines, $1.99/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $2.99
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Whole cantaloupes, AZ grown, 2/$5
    Vine tomatoes, AZ grown, $2.49/lb
    Sweet corn, white or yellow, 2/$1


Sprouts:

    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, $6.99/lb
    Beef rump roast OR stew meat, boneless, $4.49/lb
    Red snapper fillets, wild caught, $8.99/lb
    Red seedless grapes, 97¢/lb
    Cameo or Jonagold apples, 88¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 88¢/lb
    Red cherries, $2.99/lb
    Eggplant, 88¢ ea
    Orange or yellow bell peppers, 88¢ ea
    White sweet corn, 3/$1
    Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, 88¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 88¢ ea
    Spinach, 88¢/bunch

Bargain guide, week beginning May 23rd:

From Fooducate:  POM Wonderful, the pomegranate-juice people, have been ordered by a Federal judge to stop implying their products can treat, prevent, or reduce the risk of such conditions as heart disease, prostate cancer, or erectile dysfunction – until and unless they can provide SOLID scientific evidence.  (Marion Nestle weighs in too.)  And a recipe – thanks to Snack-Girl.com – for a super-light tuna melt!  (Super-simple, too:  mix one can of thoroughly drained tuna with a tablespoon of REAL mayonnaise, 2 stalks of chopped celery, 2 chopped green onions.  Cut two red bell peppers in half and remove the seeds;  divide the tuna mixture in fourths, spread one fourth in each pepper half, top with half an ounce of cheddar cheese.  Broil for three minutes or until the cheese is melted.  PointsPlus per serving is only 4!)

WOW.  This is important:  “New research from Australia found that regular, short breaks - as little as two minutes, three times an hour - during which you move around can result in a 30 percent improvement in the body’s response to high calorie meals.”  (h/t to Andrew Weil)

This weekend marks the beginning of Grilling Season (there are only two seasons in the weight-loss calendar:  Grilling Season and Chocolate Season), and this fourth week in May is American Beer Week.  Thus the biggest promotions this week are for beer, soft drinks, beer, chips, beer, anything that can be grilled which these days includes just about everything short of soup, and beer.  There are a lot of good deals on bottled water as well, so stock up.  Did I mention beer?

This Friday is National Brown Bag It Day!  (Not to be confused with National Pack Your Lunch Day, in March, but both are good days to start establishing a healthy lunch habit.)  Sunday, the 27th, is National Grape Popsicle Day:  spin some grapes to mush in your blender, freeze the mush, and you've got (because they're made out of fruit, not juice) PointsPlus-free ice pops.  This fourth week in May is also National Frozen Yogurt Week (all hail Golden Spoon!)

May 23rd:  National Taffy Day
May 24th:  National Escargot Day
May 25th:  National Brown Bag It Day, National Wine Day (putting your wine in a brown bag is not recommended)
May 26th:  National Cherry Dessert Day, National Blueberry Cheesecake Day
May 27th:  National Grape Popsicle Day
May 28th:  National Brisket Day, National Hamburger Day
May 29th:  National Coq au Vin Day;  1919, Charles Strite applies for a patent for his new invention, the pop-up toaster
May 30th:  National Macaroon Day, National Mint Julep Day;  1909, Mel Blanc born.  His oft-cited allergy to carrots is an urban legend



Albertson's:

    Military Discount Week:  all active-duty, reserve, or retired military personnel get 10% off
    Albertson's water, 24 pk of half liter bottles, $2.27
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Beef t-bone OR bone-in ribeye steaks, $7.99/lb
    Beef chuck/crossrib/bottom round roast or steaks, boneless, family pack, $3.99/lb
    Beef brisket, boneless, whole in bag, $2.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, $2.88/lb (3 lbs or more)
    Pork loin chops, boneless, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Pork shoulder country style ribs, bone in, family pack, $1.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.88/lb
    Sanderson Farms chicken breast, bone in, $1.69/lb
    Challenge butter, 2/$5
    Sargento cheeses, 6-8 oz shingle slices, 2/$6
    Daisy sour cream incl. Light, 16 oz tub, 2/$4
    Shamrock Farms cottage cheese incl. Light, 24 oz tub, $3.49
    Deli:    Jennie-O “Honey Smoked” or “Oven Brown” turkey breast, $4.99/lb
        Margherita hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $4.99/lb
        USA Gold Virginia ham, $4.99/lb
        Deli Fresh cheeses, $4.99/lb
    Libby's vegetables, 14-15 oz cans, 79¢
    Herdez salsa, 24 oz jar, $2.99
    Vlasic pickles, 16-24 oz jars, 2/$5
    Green or red seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
    Peaches or apricots, $2.99/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Blackberries/raspberries/blueberries, 6 oz boxes, $2.99
    Red (probably Bing) cherries, $4.99/lb
    Cut up seedless watermelon, 2 lb bowl, $3.99
    Cut up pineapple or strawberries, 20 oz bowl, $3.99
    Cut up cantaloupe, 24 oz bowl, $3.99
    Fruit tray, 60 oz, $14.99
    Vine tomatoes, AZ grown, $1.99/lb
    Sweet corn, 8/$1
    Veggie tray, 46 oz, $9.99


Bashas':

    Bashas' drinking water, 24 pk of half-liter bottles, $2.99
    Beef t-bone or top sirloin steaks, $5.67/lb
    Beef porterhouse steaks, value pack, $8.99/lb
    Beef crossrib steaks, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Ground beef chuck, fat content not listed, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Center cut pork chops, boneless, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork country style ribs, bone in, buy 1 get 1 free
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.79/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $8.99/lb
    True cod fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Steelhead fillets, farm raised, $2.99/lb
    Bashas' sour cream, 16 oz tub, 99¢
    Shamrock Farms cottage cheese incl. Light, 24 oz tubs, $3.29
    Tillamook cheeses, 7-8 oz chunk/shreds/slices, $1.88
    Nature's Own “WhiteWheat” bread or buns, $1.99
    Bush's baked or “Grillin'” beans, 21-28 oz cans, 2/$3
    American Beauty pasta, 1 lb pkg, 99¢
    Whole cantaloupes, 2/$3
    Whole seedless watermelons, $1.99 ea
    Whole pineapples, $2.49
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Cut up watermelon bowls, $1.99/lb
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Sweet corn, 5/$1
    Large tomatoes, 79¢/lb
    Artichokes, $1.99
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 99¢ ea
    Brown onions, AZ grown, 2 lbs/$1
    Organic kale, green or red, $1.99/bunch
    Organic red chard, AZ grown, $1.99/bunch


Food City:

    Beef chuck steak or roast, boneless, $2.49/lb
    Beef for stew, boneless, $2.69/lb
    Pork brisket ribs, 99¢/lb
    Chicken leg quarters, bone in, 59¢/lb (10 lb bag)
    Pollock fillets, $1.99/lb
    Large tomatoes, 4 lbs/$1
    Brown onions, 4 lbs/$1
    Iceberg, 2/99¢
    Green bell peppers, 3/99¢


Fry's:

    Fry's water, 24 pk of half liter bottles, 4/$10
    Beef New York strip steak, bone in, family pack, $4.67/lb
    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, value pack, $4.67/lb
    Beef chuck steak, boneless, family pack, $3.69/lb
    Pork loin chops, boneless, family pack, $3.29/lb
    Pork loin back ribs, $2.67/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.67/lb
    Sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Kroger cod or tilapia fillets, 12 oz IQF bag, $3.99
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz shreds or shingle slices, 3/$5
    Kroger sour cream incl. Light, 16 oz tubs, 10/$10
    Oroweat wide-pan bread, 24 oz loaves, $2.99
    Bush's baked beans, 21-28 oz cans, $1.88
    Progresso Light soups (with the PointsPlus logo), 2/$3
    Kroger vegetables, 10-12 oz bags, 10/$10
    Red (Bing?) cherries, $2.47/lb
    Whole mini watermelons, 2/$3
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Blackberries/raspberries/blueberries, 6 oz box, 2/$5
    Cantaloupes, 2/$5
    Whole or cored pineapples, 2/$5
    Yellow peaches or nectarines, $2.49/lb
    Mangos, 88¢ ea
    Vine tomatoes, AZ grown, $1.98/lb
    Sweet corn, 3/99¢


Safeway:

    Refreshe water, 24 pk of half liter bottles, $2.99
    Arrowhead water, 24 pk of half liter bottles, 2/$7
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Beef New York strip steak, bone in, value pack, $4.67/lb
    Beef kebabs with veg, $4.99/lb
    90/10 ground beef, $2.49/lb
    Pork sirloin country style ribs, boneless, $1.69/lb
    Pork loin back ribs, bone in, $2.99/lb
    Pork top loin chops, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Pork tenderloin, boneless, whole in bag, $4.79/lb
    Chicken leg quarters, 75¢/lb (10 lb bag)
    Chicken kebabs with veg, $3.99/lb
    Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Swordfish steaks, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Ragu pasta sauces, 16-24 oz jars, $1.49
    Safeway veg, 14-15 oz cans, 89¢
    Shamrock Farms sour cream incl. Light, 16 oz tubs, $1.99
    Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt, 5.3 oz cups, 10/$10
    Chicken of the Sea chunk light tuna, 89¢
    Whole seedless watermelons, $1.77 ea
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $2.99
    Peaches OR nectarines, $2.99/lb
    Red seedless grapes, $2.49/lb
    Whole cantaloupes, AZ grown, 2/$5
    Mangos, 10/$10
    Kiwifruit, 3/$1
    Vine tomatoes, AZ grown, $1.99/lb
    Green or red bell peppers, 10/$10
    Sweet corn, 6/96¢
    Safeway Farms OR Fresh Express bag salads, 2/$5


Smart & Final:

    Crystal Geyser water, 35 half-liter bottles, 2/$8
    Beef New York steaks, boneless, $6.99/lb
    Pork shoulder country style strips, bone in, $2.49/lb
    Farmer John pork spareribs, $1.79/lb
    First Street boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $1.97/lb
    Blueberries, 18 oz box, $4.99 (make raisins of them)
    Whole seedless watermelons, $2.99 ea


Sprouts:

    Beef ribeye or New York steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb
    Beef chuck roast or steak, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops or roast, $2.99/lb
    Whole, split, or cut up chickens, $1.49/lb
    King salmon, wild, line-caught, $16.99/lb (someone must be buying it)
    Sprouts frozen fruit, 12 oz bags, 2/$6
    Sprouts frozen veg, 1 lb bags, $1.79
    Ethnic Gourmet frozen entrees, 2/$6
    Whole seedless watermelons, 4 lbs/$1
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 4/$5
    Blackberries, 6 oz box, 4/$5
    Blueberries, 4.4 oz box, 4/$5
    Red (Bing?) cherries, $3.99/lb
    Cameo or Jonagold apples, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Bosc or D'Anjou pears, 99¢/lb
    Green or red seedless grapes, $1.99/lb
    Whole pineapples, 2/$4
    Organic Cameo apples, 3 lb bag, $2.99
    Organic Valencia oranges, 4 lb bag, 2/$5
    Organic red seedless grapes, $3.99/lb
    Vine tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 99¢ ea
    Fresh spinach, 99¢/bunch
    Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, 88¢/lb
    Green or red bell peppers, 3/$1
    Yellow or orange bell peppers, 88¢ ea
    Celery, 88¢ ea

Bargain guide, week beginning May 16th:

Lots this week!  At Chow.com, a selection of “chunky, unusual summer salads”.  The Food Lab at
Serious Eats has very good instructions on how to grill a perfect steak at home:  “A perfect steak should have a crusty, crunchy, well-browned exterior surrounding a core of perfectly pink, juicy, tender meat that spans from edge-to-edge. (You well-doners can go eat your hockey pucks on someone else's lawn)”, as well as – for absolutely no reason I can determine – a description of the making of a “centuple-stuf Oreo cookie”, and I think even the deepest-dyed Oreo fans are gagging a bit by now.

Healthier stuff!  Summer Tomato has a guest post by a self-described “(Diet) Cokehead” on how to break a diet soda addiction (there's no easy way).  And Yoni Freedhoff offers a great article entitled “The truth?  Healthy living requires effort”:

What you need to do to improve your health may not be in and of itself complicated, but finding the time and skill to do so in this current environment undoubtedly is.

But it's only a hardship if you make it one. Attitude's crucial to winning a healthy living fight. Exercise isn't about day to day suffering, it's about living a longer, better, more functionally independent, literally less painful life. Cooking's not about being a time consuming chore, it's about improving the health of your family and perhaps becoming less reliant on medications.

And one thing's for certain. It does require effort, and if anyone (including yourself) ever tells you differently they're either ignorant or they're liars.

The 20th, this Sunday, is Pick Strawberries Day.  Even if that involves “picking” the best-looking box of them at the farmer's market, it's worth it (fruit is free!  Freeeeee!), and the next day is National Strawberries and Cream Day.  And tomorrow is the feast of St. Pascal Baylon, patron saint of cooks.


May 16th:  National Coquilles St. Jacques Day;  feast of St. Honoratus, patron of bakers, pastry chefs, confectioners, and flour merchants
May 17th:  National Cherry Cobbler Day;  feast of St. Pascal Baylon, patron of cooks
May 18th:  National Cheese Soufflé Day;  feast of St. Theodotus, patron of innkeepers
May 19th:  National Devil's Food Cake Day
May 20th:  Pick Strawberries Day, National Quiche Lorraine Day;  feast of St. Bernardine of Siena, patron of advertisers
May 21st:  National Strawberries & Cream Day
May 22nd:  National Vanilla Pudding Day
May 23rd:  National Taffy Day

Albertson's:

    All the frozen food you can fit in a bag, 10% off
    Beef chuck/bottom round/London broil roast or steak, boneless, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, $7.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Beef tri tip roast, $4.99/lb
    Pork half loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.88/lb, cut & wrapped free
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, $1.88/lb
    Pork loin chops, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    All Sanderson Farms tray pack chicken, buy 1 get 1 free (same item only)
    Pacific cod loins, wild caught, 5 oz portions, $2.99
    Tilapia fillets, 1 lb IQF bag, $7.99, buy 1 get 2 free
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Land O Lakes butter, $2.99
    Albertson's cottage cheese incl. Light, 24 oz tubs, $2.49
    Kraft cheeses, 7-8 oz chunk or shreds, $2.99
    Deli:    All Dietz & Watson slicing meats & cheeses, $7.99/lb
        USA Gold Virginia ham, $5.99/lb
        Jennie-O oven roasted turkey breast, $4.99/lb
        Stella Muenster or Provolone cheeses, $5.99/lb
    Nabisco snack crackers (Wheat Thins/Triscuits), $1.99
    EarthGrains wide-pan bread, 24 oz loaves, $2.99
    Pam cooking spray, 5-6 oz cans, $3.49
    Classico pasta sauces, 15-24 oz jars, 2/$5
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 4/$10
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Blackberries/raspberries/blueberries, 6 oz box, $2.99
    Red (probably Bing) cherries, $4.99/lb
    Fuji apples, $1.49/lb
    Seedless watermelons, $1.99 ea
    Various cut-up-fruit bowls, 20-32 oz, $3.99
    Cut up fruit medley, 36 oz bowl, $5.99
    Cherub or Sunburst (tiny yellow) tomatoes, 10 oz box, $2.99
    Fresh Express bag salads, “Premium Romaine” or “Green & Crisp”, or fresh spinach, 2/$3
    Campari tomatoes, AZ grown, 14 oz pkg, 2/$5
    Sweet corn, 2/$1
    Zucchini or yellow squash, 99¢/lb


Bashas':

    Beef chuck steak or roast, boneless, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef crossrib steak or roast, boneless, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef bottom round steak or roast, boneless, buy 1 get 1 free
    Ground beef chuck, fat content not listed, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.88/lb, cut & wrapped free
    Center cut pork roast, boneless, $2.38/lb
    Center cut pork chops, boneless, value pack, $2.88/lb
    Chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, 77¢/lb
    Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Swordfish steaks, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Steelhead fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Bashas' milk, gallons, $1.57
    Bashas' “longhorn style” cheeses, $2.99/lb
    Food Club cheeses, 2 lb chunk or shreds, $6.99
    Starkist chunk light tuna, 5/$4
    Food Club tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 5/$4
    Flav-R-Pac frozen veg, 10-16 oz bags, 5/$5
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $1.47/lb
    Blackberries/raspberries/blueberries, 6 oz box, $1.97
    Whole pineapples, $2.49
    Anjou pears, 99¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, $1.97/lb
    Roma or large tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Bashas' box salads, 5-12 oz, 2/$5
    Sweet corn, 2/$1
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 99¢ ea
    Organic kale, AZ grown, $1.99 ea
    Organic Italian squash, AZ grown, $1.49/lb


Food City:

    Beef crossrib roast, boneless, value pack, $2.39/lb (steaks 10¢/lb higher)
    Whole frying chickens, 68¢/lb
    Swai fillets, $2.79/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 4 lbs/$1
    Avocados, 5/99¢
    Tomatillos, 2 lbs/98¢
    Green bell peppers, 4/99¢


Fry's:

    93/7 ground beef, $2.88/lb (2 lb chub)
    Beef ribeye/New York strip/t-bone/top sirloin steaks, bone in, 50% off
    Corned beef brisket, point cut, $1.99/lb
    Half pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $1.97/lb, cut & wrapped free
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, family pack, $4.99/lb
    Catfish fillets, farm raised, family pack, $5.99/lb
    Tilapia fillets, 2.5 lb IQF bag, $9.99
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/shingle slices, $1.77
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 88¢;  4 lb flat, $3.48
    Blackberries/raspberries/blueberries, 6 oz box, buy 1 get 1 free
    Mini seedless watermelons, 2/$6
    Mangos, 88¢ ea
    Vidalia onions, 99¢/lb
    Organic Romaine hearts, 3 pk, 2/$5


Safeway:

    Beef chuck pot roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
    Beef back ribs, bone in, $1.29/lb
    Beef t-bone steaks, $8.99/lb
    80/20 ground beef, value pack, $2.79/lb
    93/7 ground beef, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Pork top loin chops, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Pork shoulder blade roast, bone in, whole in bag, $1.87/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.57
    Bush's Best baked or “Grillin'” beans, $1.99
    Bumble Bee chunk light tuna, 10 pk, $8.99
    Barilla pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, $1
    Safeway fruit, 15 oz cans, 89¢
    Lean Cuisine “Simple Favorites” frozen entrees, 5/$10
    MorningStar Farms frozen , 2/$7
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, 4/$10
    Blackberries or raspberries, 6 oz boxes, buy 1 get 1 free
    Peaches/nectarines/apricots, $2.99/lb
    Kiwifruit, 3/$1
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $2.99
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Sweet corn, white or yellow, 2/$1
    Fresh Express bag salads, 99¢ ea
    “Texas 1015” sweet onions, 68¢/lb
    Green zucchini OR yellow squash, AZ grown, 99¢/lb


Smart & Final:

    First Street chicken thighs or drumsticks, value pack, 99¢/lb
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.99
    Strawberries, 4 lb flat, $3.99
    Honeydew melons, 2 lbs/$1


Sprouts:

    Beef London broil, boneless, $2.97/lb
    Beef top round roast OR stew meat, boneless, $4.49/lb
    Pork loin chops or roast, center cut, boneless, $1.97/lb
    Chicken breast tenders, $2.97/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, $7.99/lb
    Center-cut swordfish steaks, boneless, wild caught, $8.99/lb
    Blackberries, 6 oz box, 97¢
    Cameo or Fuji apples, 88¢/lb
    D'Anjou/red/Bosc pears, 88¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 88¢/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$4
    Apricots, $1.99/lb
    Seedless whole watermelon, 4 lbs/$1
    Organic cantaloupe, 79¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Sweet corn, 4/$1
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 88¢ ea

Bargain guide, week beginning May 9th

It seems to be spring vegetables week at the food blogs.  The Food Lab at Serious Eats has an asparagus-and-spring-vegetable risotto, and Chow.com has better than a dozen asparagus recipes.  Chow.com also has a video on how to prepare young artichokes – just in time for Summer Tomato's recipe for pan-roasted baby artichokes.  Simply Recipes had a very nice and very pretty dish of seared sugar snap peas.  And, touching neatly on something we discussed during last week's meeting, Sprouted Kitchen does steamed artichokes and homemade aioli!

(I should perhaps warn that Serious Eats is also devoting a page this week to a truly unspeakable recipe for Elvis Presley's grilled peanut-butter-banana-and-bacon sandwich.  Note to the Serious Eats people:  flambéing the bananas in bourbon, and making the sandwich with “thick-cut brioche loaf slices … spread with butter, a bit of rendered bacon fat, and granulated sugar”, does not improved this already appalling concoction in the slightest.)

Yoni Freedhoff at Weighty Matters is very big on “badvertising” this week.  Swanson's Skillet Dinners, for instance, are being advertised with the copy, “It looks like home cooking.  It tastes like home cooking.  Because it is home cooking.”  If your “home cooking” normally include such ingredients as “hydrolyzed milk protein” and “sodium alginate”, as well as a full teaspoon of salt, that is.

I think I mentioned last week that May is National Grilling Month:  appropriately, this second week of May is National Hamburger Week.  Tomorrow is National Shrimp Day:  grill some with your burgers.  And the day after tomorrow, May 11th, is – actually! – National Eat What You Want Day.  I propose the Weight Watchers expansion of this:  “Eat what you want … and stop when you're satisfied.”



May 9th:  National Butterscotch Brownie Day
May 10th:  National Shrimp Day;  Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton born, 1850
May 11th:  National Mocha Torte Day, Eat What You Want Day
May 12th:  National Nutty Fudge Day
May 13th:  National Apple Pie Day, National Fruit Cocktail Day
May 14th:  National Buttermilk Biscuit Day
May 15th:  National Chocolate Day
May 16th:  National Coquilles St. Jacques Day;  Phillip Danforth Armour born, 1832

And to all for whom it's appropriate, Happy Mother's Day!


Albertson's:

    Beef ribeye steaks, bone in, family pack, $4.77/lb
    Beef tenderloin, boneless, whole in bag, $9.99/lb
    Beef ribeye or New York strip steaks, boneless, $6.77/lb
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    93/7 ground beef, $2.97/lb
    Pork loin chops, center cut, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Pork tenderloin, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Sanderson Farms whole frying chickens, 99¢/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.99/lb
    Catfish or Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Coldwater lobster tails, wild caught, 3 oz minimum, $3.99 ea
    Deli:    Dietz & Watson chicken breast varieties, $5.99/lb
        USA Gold honey/baked/Black Forest ham, $5.99/lb
        Charlie's Pride corned beef/Italian beef/pastrami, $5.99/lb
        Stella Swiss/Muenster Provolone/baby Swiss cheeses, $5.99/lb
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.57
    Ragu pasta sauces, 16-24 oz jars, 99¢
    Albertson's OR Essential Everyday pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, 99¢
    Birdseye “Steamfresh” vegetables, 10-12 oz bags, 88¢
    Healthy Choice “Steaming” entrees, 5/$10
    Mini watermelons, $2.99 ea
    Blueberries, 6 oz box, $2.99
    Red or Anjou pears, 99¢/lb
    Cut up seedless watermelon, 32 oz bowl, $3.99
    Cut up pineapple or strawberries, 20 oz bowl, $3.99
    Cut up cantaloupe, 24 oz bowl, $3.99
    Cut up “fruit medley”, 36 oz bowl, $5.99
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Sweet corn, 2/$1
    Earthbound Farms organic box salads, 1 lb, $4.99
    Fresh made pico de gallo, 7 oz cup, $2.99


Bashas':

    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, $6.99/lb
    Beef crossrib roast or steaks, $3.99/lb
    Ground beef chuck, fat content not listed, $2.37/lb
    Farmland marinated pork tenderloin or fillets, 19-24 oz pkg, $4.99
    Chicken breast or leg quarters, bone in, 87¢/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Food Club butter, $1.99
    Sargento “deli style” cheeses, 6-8 oz pkg, $2.88
    Nature's Own bread, 20 oz wide-pan loaves, $1.99
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Whole pineapples, 99¢ ea
    Whole seedless watermelons, $4.99 ea
    Cut up watermelon, various size bowls, $1.99/lb
    Organic Gala apples, $1.79/lb
    Mangos, 99¢ ea
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$3
    Roma tomatoes, 75¢/lb
    Large artichokes, $1.99 ea
    Vine tomatoes, $1.75/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 99¢ ea
    Green or red bell peppers, 75¢ ea
    Organic kale, green or black, $1.99 ea


Food City:

    Beef chuck steak, bone in, $1.97/lb (roast $2.29/lb)
    Beef stew meat, boneless, $1.99/lb
    Sirloin cut pork chops, bone in, $1.79/lb
    Chicken thighs/drumsticks, bone in, 67¢/lb
    Tilapia fillets, $2.49/lb
    Bosc pears, 2 lbs/98¢
    Sweet corn, 5/99¢
    Cucumbers, 9/99¢
    Mexican grey squash, 2 lbs/98¢


Fry's:

    Beef New York strip steak, bone in, family pack, $4.67/lb
    Beef tenderloin, whole in bag, $8.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $3.30/lb (3 lb chub)
    Pork loin chops, boneless, family pack, $3.29/lb
    All Foster Farms chicken, buy 1 get 1 free
    Tilapia fillets, farm raised, family pack, $5.99/lb
    Kroger cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/sliced/shreds, 3/$5
    Kroger vegetables, 14-15 oz cans, 67¢ ea
    Blackberries, 6 oz box, 98¢
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    D'Anjou pears, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges OR Minneola tangelos, 99¢/lb
    Whole pineapples, $1.99 ea
    Vine tomatoes, 75¢/lb
    Sweet corn, 2/$1
    Asparagus, $2.99/lb
    Artichokes, 2/$4
    Hot house cucumbers, AZ grown, $1 ea


Safeway:

    Beef loin New York strip steak, bone in, value pack, $4.99/lb
    Beef London broil, boneless, value pack, $2.29/lb
    Beef bottom round steak, thin cut, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Assorted pork loin chops, bone in, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Pork tenderloin, boneless, whole in bag, $4.79/lb
    Eating Right boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Jennie-O extra lean ground turkey breast, 1.25 lb pkg, $4.99/lb
    Swordfish steaks, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Swai fillets, farm raised, $3.99/lb
    Lobster tails, 5 oz, wild caught, $5.99/lb
    Oroweat wide-pan breads or sandwich thins, buy 1 get 1 free
    Nature Valley Chewy Granola bars, 2/$5
    Smart Ones frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Whole pineapples, $2.99 ea
    Mangos, 10/$10
    Organic strawberries, 1 lb box, $2.99
    Hot house tomatoes, AZ grown, $1.99
    Organic leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, $1.49
    Fresh Express or Safeway Farms bag salads, 2/$5
Smart & Final:

    Beef top round or London broil, boneless, $3.29/lb
    First Street whole chickens, twin pack, 79¢/lb
    Quarter pork loin chops (?? that's what it says), bone in, $2.99/lb
    Red Delicious apples, 3 lb bag, $2.49
    Salad tomatoes, 2 lbs/$1


Sprouts:

    Beef New York strip steaks, boneless, $5.99;lb
    Beef filet mignon steak or roast, boneless, $14.99/lb
    Beef crossrib roast, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Pork sirloin chops or roast, boneless, OR ground pork, $2.97/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $2.97/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 99¢ ea
    Ataulfo (yellow) mangos, 3/$1
    Mini watermelon, 2/$5
    Fuji or Gala apples, 99¢/lb
    D'Anjou or Bosc pears, 99¢/lb
    Red Globe grapes, 2 lbs/$4
    Organic Cameo apples, 3 lb bag, $2.99 ea
    Vine tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    White corn, 49¢ ea
    Summer squashes, Italian/yellow/grey, 99¢/lb
    Grape tomatoes, dry pint, 2/$3

Bargain guide, week beginning May 2nd

Chow.com has a collection of no less than FORTY-FIVE recipes for “party-friendly” foods and beverages for your Cinco de Mayo party.  (Honestly I suspect that they just included every recipe on their site that had “Mexican” or “Tex-Mex” in the text.)  In related news, Serious Eats taste-tests every variety they could find of cheese dip, cheese sauce, and salsa con queso.  Apparently Ro*tel-and-Velveeta is still the standard by which all others are measured.  The word “gooey” occurs with disturbing frequency.

Marion Nestle's question-of-the-week is “How can we determine our individual caloric, vitamin, carbohydrates, fats and other intake requirements per day based on our own individual weight, height and lifestyle?” … and her answer, distressingly, is “You can't. You will have to be satisfied with estimates based on measurements performed years ago on a small number of study subjects....  Early nutrition scientists got 'volunteers'— in quotes because study subjects often were prisoners — to consume diets depleted in vitamin C, for example. They waited until the subjects began to develop scurvy, a sign of vitamin C deficiency. Then they fed the subjects the smallest amount of vitamin C that would eliminate symptoms.”  But she adds a reassuring, “Fortunately, eating a healthy diet takes care of nutrients without your having to give them a thought. Eat your veggies!”

'Tis May!  May is National Barbecue Month and National Hamburger Month, there may be some overlap there.  It's also National Asparagus Month, so put some of that delicious vegetable on your grill, and also National Strawberry Month and National Salad Month.  This Friday, the 4th, is National Orange Juice Day;  the day after, being the first Saturday in May, is National Homebrew Day.  And is also of course Cinco de Mayo, Spanish for “Yummy Mexican Food Day”!

May 2nd: National Truffles Day
May 3rd:  National Raspberry Tart Day
May 4th:  National Orange Juice Day, National Candied Orange Peel Day
May 5th:  National Chocolate Custard Day, National Homebrew Day, National Hoagie Day
May 6th:  National Crepes Suzette Day, International No Diet Day
May 7th:  National Roast Leg of Lamb Day
May 8th:  National Empenada Day, National Coconut Cream Pie Day
May 9th:  National Butterscotch Brownie Day


Albertson's:

    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Beef chuck/crossrib/bottom round roast or steaks, boneless, family pack, $3.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $2.99/lb
    Pork loin or butterfly chops, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Pork butt or picnic roast (bone in) or pork sirloin roast (boneless), whole in bag, $1.47/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.67/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Tilapia or Swai fillets, farm raised, $2.99/lb
    Albertson's milk, half gallons only, $1
    Albertson's cheeses, 2 lb shreds, $5.99
    Deli:    Jennie-O “Deli Style” turkey breast, $4.99/lb
        USA Gold Virginia ham, $4.99/lb
        Charlie's Pride roast or Italian beef, $6.99/lb
        Stella Swiss cheese, $6.99/lb
    Crystal Light, 2/$5
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Strawberries, 1lb box, $2.99
    Blackberries OR raspberries, 6 oz box, $2.99
    Gala apples, $1.29/lb
    Mini watermelons, $2.99
    Cut up fruit bowls, 20-32 oz, $3.99
    Sweet corn, 5/$1
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Iceberg, 99¢ ea
    Hass avocados, 99¢ ea
    Taylor Farms bag salads, 2/$1
    Green onions OR cilantro, 2 bunches/$1


Bashas':

    Beef top sirloin, boneless, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Beef crossrib/bottom round roast, $3.99/lb
    Beef skirt steak, $4.99/lb
    Ground beef round, fat content not listed, $2.47/lb
    Pork shoulder roast, $1.99/lb
    Sirloin cut pork chops, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.67/lb
    Whole sockeye salmon, $4.99/lb
    True cod fillets, $5.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Clams, 2 lb bag, $4
    Food Club cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk/shreds/cubes, $1.88
    Yoplait yogurts, 10/$5
    Nature's Own whole-wheat or honey wheat bread, 20 oz long loaves, $1.99
    Pompeian olive oil, 24 oz bottles, $4.99
    Morningstar Farms frozen entrees, $3.88
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 99¢
    Mangos, 75¢ ea
    Mini seedless watermelons, 2/$5 (regular size, $3.99 ea)
    Cut up watermelon bowls, $1.99/lb
    Whole pineapples, $2.49
    Organic Gala apples, $1.79/lb
    Sweet corn, 5/$1
    Vine/Roma/slicing tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 99¢ ea


Food City:

    Beef chuck steak, boneless, value pack, $2.39/lb (roast 10¢/lb higher)
    Sirloin cut pork chops, boneless, $1.99/lb
    Pork brisket ribs, bone in, value pack, $1.29/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.59/lb
    Pollock fillets, $1.99/lb
    Whole pineapples, 3 lbs/99¢
    Tomatoes, 4 lbs/$1
    Italian squash, 2 lb/98¢

Fry's:

    Beef sirloin tip, chuck, shoulder, top/eye/bottom round roasts, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef t-bone steaks, $8.99/lb
    Beef flat iron steaks, $6.99/lb
    93/7 ground beef, $2.88/lb (2 lb chub)
    Half pork loin, boneless, whole in bag, $2.99/lb, cut & wrapped free
    Cook's spiral-sliced half ham, bone in, $1.27/lb
    Jennie-O 93-7 ground turkey, 1.25 lb pkg, $3.99
    Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.99/lb
    Kroger fish fillets or scallops, 12 oz frozen bag, 25% off
    Fry's eggs, AA large, dozens, 89¢
    Kraft or Sargento cheeses, 5-8 oz chunk or shreds, 2/$4
    Barilla pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, 10/$10
    Kroger frozen veg, 10-12 oz bags, 10/$10
    Smart Ones “Classic Favorites” frozen entrees, 6/$10
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 4/$5
    Blackberries, 6 oz box, 2/$5
    Mangoes, 10/$10
    Whole seedless watermelons, $4.99
    Vine tomatoes, AZ grown, $1.98/lb
    Sweet corn, 2/$1
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Vidalia onions, 88¢/lb
    Hass avocados, 99¢ ea


Safeway:

    Buy $20 worth of Weight Watchers items, get $5 off!
        (This includes Progresso Light soups, Smart Ones, and Boca Burgers)
    80/20 ground beef, value pack, $2.49/lb
    Beef crossrib roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef ribeye steak, boneless, $7.99/lb
    Beef chuck steaks, thin cut, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Chicken breast, bone in, 99¢/lb
    Chicken leg quarters, bone in, 10 lb bag, $7.49
    Whole Alaskan sockeye salmon, wild caught, 4-6 lb, $4.99/lb
    Alaskan sockeye salmon steaks, $6.99/lb, if you don't feel like dealing with an entire dead fish
    Pantry Essentials milk, gallons, $1.57
    Splenda Granulated, 9.7 oz pkg, $7.99
    Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars, 8 ct, 2/$5
    Safeway solid white tuna, 4/$5
    Francesco Rinaldi pasta sauce, 16-24 oz jars, 2/$3
    Wholly Guacamole, 12 oz pkg, 2/$7
    Open Nature bread, 24 oz wide-pan loaves, 2/$5
    Organic strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$6
    Fuji or Red Delicious apples, $1.29/lb
    Kiwifruit, 3/$1
    Vine tomatoes, AZ grown, 88¢/lb
    Sweet corn, white or yellow, 3/$1
    Organic vine tomatoes, $1.49/lb


Smart & Final:

    Buy any 6 Farmer John meat products, save $6
    Beef flap meat, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Farmer John pork loin roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Farmer John pork shoulder butt roast, bone in, $1.69/lb
    First Street chicken leg quarters, value pack, 79¢/lb
    First Street cheeses, 2 lb shreds, $4.99
    Hass avocados, 4 ct, $1.99
    Roma tomatoes, 2 lbs/$1


Sprouts:

    93/7 ground beef, $2.99/lb
    Beef ribeye steaks, boneless, $9.99/lb
    Beef rump roast OR stew meat, boneless, $4.99/lb
    Pork shoulder roast, boneless, $2.49/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken thighs, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Atlantic salmon fillets, $8.99/lb
    Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $7.99/lb
    Halibut fillets, wild caught in the Sea of Cortez, $12.99/lb
    Whole seedless watermelon, 19¢/lb
    Whole pineapples, 97¢ ea
    Bananas, 49¢/lb
    Ataulfo (yellow) mangos, 49¢ ea
    Red mangos, 88¢ ea
    Gala or Jonagold apples, 99¢/lb
    Bosc/Comice/D'Anjou pears, 99¢/lb
    Navel oranges, 88¢/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$4
    Organic Cameo or Red Delicious apples, 3 lb bag, $2.99
    Organic grape tomatoes, dry pint, $1.99
    Vine tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Organic kale, $1.29/bunch
    Organic beefsteak tomatoes, 3 ct, $2.99

Bargain guide, week beginning April 25th

Occasional explanation and disclaimer:  Every Wednesday I go through the newspaper grocery flyers.  I should explain that I don't include every item listed in the flyers.  My emphasis in both the handout and this blog is on, as Michael Pollan says, “the edges of the supermarket”:  the least processed food items, with a secondary emphasis on the low-calorie and low-PointsPlus.  I add items of at least marginal relevance from various food blogs and other sources, all of which are clickable links at the blog.  Please note:  This is not in any way a Weight Watchers publication!

That said:  At Fooducate there's a set of three articles on – in order – cheese, process cheese, and Kraft Singles.  Chow.com has, in anticipation of the Kentucky Derby, a selection of “Southern Favorites” – I regret to report that except for the recipes for flank steak and beef tenderloin, they are all creamy, alcoholic, or extraordinarily sweet.  (One recipe's description to the contrary, there is no such thing as a “not-too-sweet” pecan pie.)  At Serious Eats there's a very pretty and appetizing slideshow of “favorite spring produce” including some items with which I had not previously been familiar (pea tendrils?  Seriously?), and a set of “12 Great Recipes for Chicken on the Grill”.

Monday another patron of (what was until recently Arizona's own) Heart Attack Grill fell ill with a heart attack.  Yoni Freedhoff, at Weighty Matters, points out that the “flatliner fries” or “bypass burger” aren't inherently any more fattening than the deep-fat-fried potatoes or slabs of 27%-fat ground beef (with triple cheese and bacon) found at any other restaurant:  the issue, he argues, is that where restaurant eating used to be “a rare family or personal indulgence”, now more than 50% of our food dollars are being spent on food bought outside the home – and a large chunk of the rest on “reheating boxes, stirring packages together and ultimately just pretending to actually cook”.

At the more financially exorbitant end of the scale, this Friday is Prime Rib Day.  For those of us who live in the real world, Sunday is Raisin Day and National Oatmeal Cookie Day.  And today is National Zucchini Bread Day!  (Not to be confused with National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day, which is in August at the overwhelming height of the zucchini harvest.)


April 25th:  National Zucchini Bread Day
April 26th:  National Pretzel Day
April 27th:  Prime Rib Day
April 28th:  National Blueberry Pie Day
April 29th:  National Shrimp Scampi Day


April 30th:  Raisin Day, National Oatmeal Cookie Day, Mr. Potato Head Day (Mr. Potato Head, first toy to be advertised on television, is introduced, 1952)
May 1st:  National Chocolate Parfait Day
May 2nd:  National Truffles Day (the fungal kind, I think, not the chocolate kind)




Albertson's:

    Beef London broil, boneless, $5.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef petite sirloin steaks, boneless, $8.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef chuck roast or steaks, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Assorted pork loin chops, $2.99/lb, buy 1 get 1 free
    Pork sirloin chops, boneless, family pack, $1.99/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, tray pack, $4.99/lb, buy 1 get 2 free
    Jennie-O 93/7 ground turkey, 1.25 lb pkg, $5.99
    Rockfish or Dover sole fillets, wild caught, $6.99/lb
    Swai fillets, $2.99/lb
    Albertson's milk, gallons, $1.57
    Albertson's butter, $1.88
    Albertson's eggs, AA large, dozens, 99¢
    Daisy sour cream incl. Light, 24 oz tub, $2.99
    Deli:    Jennie-O hickory smoked turkey breast, $2.99/lb
        USA Gold honey or baked ham, $5.99/lb
        Deli Fresh corned beef/pastrami/Italian roast beef, $5.99/lb
        Margherita hard or Genoa salami OR pepperoni, $5.99/lb
        Joseph Farms pepperjack/Colby/Co-jack/mild Cheddar cheeses, $5.99/lb
    Smart Ones frozen entrees, $1.99
    C&W frozen veg, 12-16 oz bags, 3/$5
    Whole cantaloupes, 5/$5
    Mangos, 3/$1
    Gala apples, $1.49/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Pears:  Anjou, red, Bosc, 99¢/lb
    Cut up seedless watermelon, 2 lb bowl, $3.99
    Cut up “fruit medley”, 36 oz bowl (2.25 lb), $4.99
    Vine tomatoes, $1.99/lb
    Grape tomatoes, 12 oz box, 2/$4
    Fresh Express bag salads, 2/$5
    Sweet corn, 4 pk, $2.99
    Broccoli crowns OR cauliflower, 99¢/lb
    Vidalia onions, 99¢/lb


Bashas':

    Beef t-bone steaks, value pack, $4.69/lb
    Beef top sirloin, boneless, $3.88/lb
    Beef crossrib roast, $3.99/lb (steaks $1/lb higher)
    Ground beef chuck, fat content not listed, $2.49/lb
    Center cut pork loin chops, boneless, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, bone in, 87¢/lb
    Steelhead fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
    Rockfish fillets, $5.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Bashas' milk, half gallons only, 88¢
    Daisy sour cream OR cottage cheese, 16 oz tubs, $1.99
    Sargento cheeses, 5-8 oz shreds, 2/$5
    Post breakfast cereals, 11-24 oz boxes, 2/$5
    Healthy Choice frozen entrees, 5/$10
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Mangos, 99¢ ea
    Bananas, 3 lbs/$1
    Whole seedless watermelons, $2.49 ea
    Vine tomatoes, 75¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 99¢/lb
    Artichokes, $1.99 ea
    Bashas' box salads, 5-12 oz, 2/$5




Food City:

    Beef bottom round steak or roast, boneless, value pack, $2.69/lb
    Sirloin cut pork chops, bone in, 99¢/lb
    Chicken leg quarters, 59¢/lb (10 lb bag)
    Swai fillets, $2.99/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 4 lbs/$1
    Brown onions, 7 lbs/98¢


Fry's:

    Beef chuck steak or roast, boneless, buy 1 get 1 free
    Beef “Santa Maria” marinated tri tips, boneless, $7.99/lb
    Pork loin chops, boneless, family pack, $3.29/lb
    Foster Farms boneless skinless chicken breast, $3.99/lb
    Steelhead fillets, farm raised, $7.99/lb
    Kroger cod or tilapia fillets, 12 oz frozen bag, $3.99
    Fry's milk, half gallons only, buy 1 get 1 free
    Yoplait yogurts, 10/$5
    Kroger cheeses, 12-16 oz chunk or shreds, $3.19
    Chicken of the Sea solid white tuna, 10/$10
    Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, $1.97
    Whole seedless watermelons, $2.88/lb
    Apples:  Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, 99¢/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$5
    Bananas, 57¢/lb
    Vine tomatoes, AZ grown, $1.98
    Yellow or zucchini squash, 99¢/lb
    Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb


Safeway:

    Beef bottom round roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    Beef New York strip steak, bone in, $7.99/lb
    Beef London broil, boneless, $4.99/lb
    90/10 ground beef, value pack, $2.99/lb
    Assorted pork chops, bone in, $2.49/lb
    Assorted pork loin chops, bone in, $3.49/lb
    Pork shoulder blade roast, bone in, whole in bag, $1.87/lb
    Safeway boneless skinless chicken breast, 4 lb frozen bag, $7.96 ($1.99/lb)
    Chicken leg quarters, 10 lb bag, $7.49 (75¢/lb)
    Jennie O “extra lean” ground turkey breast, 1.25 lb pkg, $5.99
    Arrowtooth flounder fillets, wild caught, $3.99/lb “weather permitting”
    Lucerne cheeses, 2 lb chunk or shreds, $5.99
    Nature's Own bread or rolls, buy 1 get 1 free
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, $1.28
    Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
    Broccoli or cauliflower, 99¢/lb
    Fresh Express bag salads, 2/$5
    Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 99¢ ea
    Cucumbers, 2/99¢
    Sweet onions, 99¢/lb


Smart & Final:

    Beef ribeye steaks, boneless, $6.99/lb
    First Street boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.97/lb
    First Street eggs, AA large, dozens, 99¢
    Whole seedless watermelons, $2.99
    Imperial mangos, 3/99¢
    Fuji apples, 3 lb bag, $2.49


Sprouts:

    All vitamins and body care products, 25% off
    Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, $5.99/lb
    Beef chuck roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
    85/15 ground beef, $3.89/lb
    Pork tenderloin or center cut chops, boneless, $3.99/lb
    Pork loin roast, boneless, center cut, $2.99/lb
    Whole OR split OR cut-up chickens, $1.49/lb
    Boneless skinless chicken breast, value pack, $1.99/lb
    Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets, wild caught, $9.99/lb
    Strawberries, 1 lb box, 4/$5
    Cameo or Gala apples, 88¢/lb
    Bosc or D'Anjou pears, 88¢/lb
    Red Globe grapes, $1.99/lb
    Minneola tangelos, 5 lb bag, $1.99
    Organic Valencia oranges, 4 lb bags, 2/$5
    Whole seedless watermelons, 5 lbs/$1
    Roma tomatoes, 88¢/lb
    Grape tomatoes, dry pint, 4/$5
    Cauliflower, 88¢/lb
    Summer squashes, 88¢/lb
    Green bell peppers, 2/$1
    Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 88¢ ea

Bargain guide, week beginning April 18th

From Fooducate, an analysis of hunger satisfaction in the brain. Turns out – as though we hadn't known this for years – that solid foods are more satiating than beverages, even smoothies; and eating large quantities of low-energy foods is more satisfying than eating small amounts of high-energy foods. Surprise. Chow.com has a collection of “36 Vegetarian Recipes for Dinner”, which demonstrates that vegetarian dishes can be healthy and lower in Points than meat dishes, or not. (Witness the chiles rellenos, described as “oozy”.) Also, a set of “Flavorful and Easy Chicken Breast Recipes” – it's good to have options for the standard WW protein.

At Summer Tomato, a very good article on how to slow your eating down (all the standard tips – put your fork down between bites, eliminate distractions such as TV, chew your food – but it's handy to have them all in one spot and will be even easier if one applies them), and another on “6 Ways Eating Out Causes Overeating (And How To Stop It)”.

Yoni Freedhoff at Weighty Matters posts on the latest wedding-preparation fad: “the pre-wedding day feeding tube diet”. His ire is directed not at the women who are desperate enough to submit to this procedure, nor even (primarily) at “our screwed up societal ideals of beauty”, but at the doctors who are putting their patients at “unnecessary risk of infections, perforations, and cardiac risks”.

And Marion Nestle has a very good entry on “Do We Need Better Advice About Eating Well?”: “People are bombarded with conflicting advice, much of it from sources with a vested interest in selling particular foods, supplements or diet plans. Nutrition studies tend to focus on single nutrients, making their results difficult to apply to real diets. No wonder people have a hard time knowing what or whom to believe.”

This Friday, the 20th, is National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day – and, as well, National Lima Bean Respect Day. In honor of which I append to this handout a c. 1940 recipe for “Baked Lima and Salmon Loaf”, a perfect example of why lima beans are not respected, but with a PointsPlus count of 5. The 23rd is Picnic Day, a good time to celebrate it before the heat sets in.

April 18th: National Animal Cracker Day
April 19th: Amaretto Day, National Garlic Day
April 20th: Food Day, National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day, National Lima Bean Respect Day
April 21st: National Chocolate Covered Cashew Truffle Day
April 22nd: National Jelly Bean Day (Not to be confused with Jump for Jelly Beans Day, which is in July.)
April 23rd: National Picnic Day, National Cherry Cheesecake Day
April 24th: National Pigs-In-A-Blanket Day
April 25th: National Zucchini Bread Day

And don't forget, there's a special deal on facials and hair maintenance at the International Academy of Hair Design! 4812 S. Mill Avenue in Tempe, (480) 964-8675.


Albertson's:

93/7 ground beef, $2.97/lb
Beef t-bone or bone-in ribeye steaks, family pack, $7.99/lb
Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, family pack, $4.99/lb
Pork sirloin chops, boneless, family pack, $1.99/lb
Cook's ham steaks, bone in, $3.49/lb
Boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.67/lb
Jennie-O turkey patties, 3 lb frozen pkg, $7.99
Tilapia or Swai fillets, $2.99
Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $6.99/lb
Yoplait yogurts incl. Light, 10/$5
Albertson's eggs, AA large, 18 ct, $1.99
Tillamook cheeses, 8 oz chunk/shreds/shingle slices, $2.99
Deli: All Deitz & Watson fresh-sliced meats & cheeses, $7.99/lb
Shannon's Deli roast beef/corned beef/Italian beef/beef pastrami, $6.99/lb
Jennie-O oven roasted turkey breast, $4.99/lb
USA Gold Virginia ham, $4.99/lb
Stella natural Swiss/baby Swiss/Provolone/Muenster, $5.99/lb
Barilla pasta, 12-16 oz boxes, 10/$10
Ragu pasta sauces, 16-24 oz jars, $1.29
Wild Harvest organic pasta sauces, 24 oz jars, 2/$5
Wild Harvest organic pasta, 12 oz boxes, 2/$3
Wild Harvest organic tomatoes, 14 oz cans, $1.49
Wild Harvest organic variety (non-baked) beans, 15 oz cans, 4/$5
Albertson's fruit, 29-30 oz cans, $1.88
Albertson's frozen veg, 14-16 oz bags, 10/$10
PictSweet cut corn, 28 oz bag, 2/$5
Healthy Choice steam-bag (large) entrees, 5/$10
Strawberries, 3 lb box, $2.99 (limit 2)
Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
Fuji apples, $1.49/lb
Cut up “fruit medley”, 36 oz container, $5.99
Cut up cantaloupe, 24 oz container, $3.99
Cut up seedless watermelon, 2 lb bowl, $3.99
Hot house tomatoes, $1.49/lb
Sweet corn, 4 pk, $2.99
Red bell peppers, $1 ea
Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 99¢ ea
Fresh Express bag salads, 2/$4


Bashas':

Beef top round or London broil roast, buy 1 get 1 free
Beef crossrib roast, $3.99/lb
Beef ground round, fat content not listed, $2.99/lb
Bashas' boneless skinless chicken breast, $1.67/lb
Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $5.88/lb
Dover Sole fillets, $5.99/lb “weather permitting”
Challenge butter, $2.69
Food Club cheeses, 12-16 oz chunk/shreds/string, $3.88
Libby's vegetables, 14-15 oz cans, 69¢
Bertolli olive oil, 25 oz bottles, $5.99
PictSweet frozen veg, 28 oz bags, 2/$5
Weight Watchers ice-cream novelties, 6-12 ct, $2.88
Strawberries, 1 lb box, $1.27
Whole seedless watermelons, $2.97 ea
Navel oranges, 97¢/lb
Whole pineapples, $1.97 ea
Bosc pears, 97¢/lb
Organic Bartlett pears, $1.39/lb
Large or Roma tomatoes, 97¢/lb
Organic vine tomatoes, $2.99/lb
Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, OR iceberg, 97¢ ea
Full Circle organic box salads, 20 oz, 2/$6
Artichokes, $1.97


Food City:

Beef chuck steaks or roast, boneless, value pack, $2.48/lb
Sirloin cut pork chops, boneless, value pack, $1.99/lb
Chicken breast, bone in, 88¢/lb
Tilapia fillets, $2.49/lb
Del Monte pasta sauce, 25 oz cans, 99¢
Iceberg, 4/99¢
Green bell peppers, 6/99¢
Cabbage, 3 lbs/99¢


Fry's:

Beef shoulder “flat iron” steak, boneless, $6.99/lb
Beef London broil, boneless, $4.79/lb
Pork half loin, boneless, $1.97/lb, sliced free
Boneless skinless chicken breast or tenderloins, $1.88/lb
Atlantic salmon fillets, $5.99/lb
Kroger cheeses, 12-16 oz chunk or shreds, $2.99
Oroweat wide-pan bread, 24 oz loaves, OR sandwich thins, buy 1 get 1 free
Special K or Nutri-Grain bars, 5-10 ct, $2.49
Kroger tomatoes, 14 oz cans, 69¢
Green Giant frozen veg, 7-10 oz boxes, 10/$10
Lean Cuisine frozen entrees$1.97
Strawberries, 1 lb box, 4/$5
Pink Lady or Jazz apples, 99¢/lb
Red or Ataulfo mangos, 2/99¢
Seedless watermelons, $4.99 ea
Vine tomatoes, AZ grown, 88¢/lb
Grape tomatoes, 10 oz box, 2/$5
Vidalia onions, 79¢/lb
“Mini peeled” carrots, AZ grown, 1 lb bag, $1


Safeway:

Beef chuck pot roast, boneless, $2.99/lb
Beef bottom round steak, boneless, thin cut, $3.99/lb
Beef top sirloin steaks, boneless, value pack, $3.99/lb
93/7 ground beef, value pack, $2.99/lb
Pork tenderloin, boneless, whole in bag, $4.79/lb
Chicken drums/thighs/leg quarters, value pack, 99¢/lb
Alaskan cod fillets, wild caught, $4.99/lb
Atlantic salmon fillets, farm raised, $8.99/lb
Lucerne cheeses, 6-8 oz chunk or shreds, 2/$4
Open Nature wide pan breads, 24 oz loaves, 2/$5
Hunt's tomatoes or tomato sauce, 14-15 oz cans, 4/$5
Hunt's pasta sauce, 24 oz cans, $1.35
Safeway vegetables, 14-15 oz cans, 59¢
Del Monte fruit, 14-15 oz cans, 4/$5
Ro*tel tomatoes, 99¢
Green Giant frozen veg, 7-10 oz boxes, 2/$4
Lean Cuisine frozen entrees, 4/$10
Whole seedless watermelons, $4.99 ea
Navel oranges, 99¢/lb
Kiwifruit, 3/$1
Gala or Red Delicious apples, $1.29/lb
Sweet corn, white, 3/$1
Artichokes, $2.49


Smart & Final:

Beef tri tip roast, boneless, $3.99
First Street chicken thighs/drumsticks, 99¢/lb
First Street cheeses, 2 lb chunk, $4.99
First Street milk, gallons, $1.59 (must buy 2)
Navel oranges, 5 lb pkg, $1.99
Salad tomatoes, 2 lbs/$1


Sprouts:

Beef rump roast or stew meat, boneless, $3.99/lb
Pork loin chops OR rack of pork, bone in, $2.99/lb
Ground chicken/pork/chicken breast, $2.99/lb
Boneless skinless chicken thighs, value pack, $1.77/lb
Tilapia fillets, $6.99/lb
Strawberries, 1 lb box, 2/$4
Tomatoes, 77¢/lb
Whole seedless watermelons, 4/$5
Fuji or Gala apples, 99¢/lb
Bosc or D'Anjou pears, 99¢/lb
Organic Bartlett pears, $1.29/lb
Red mangos, 77¢ ea
Eggplant, 88¢ ea
Summer squashes, grey/yellow/Italian, 88¢/lb
Leaf lettuce, green/red/Romaine, 88¢ ea
Red/yellow/orange bell peppers, 88¢ ea
Organic heirloom tomatoes, 22 oz pkg, $3.99
Grape tomatoes, dry pint, $1.99

====================


BAKED LIMA and SALMON LOAF

(From Good Housekeeping, March 1940. Actually printed in an ad for Seaside lima beans.)

3 cups cooked, dried limas
2 cups soft bread crumbs
1 cup flaked canned salmon
1/2 cup canned tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped pimiento
1/4 cup buttered crumbs

Mash limas and combine with all ingredients except buttered crumbs. Place in greased 5 1/2" x 7" loaf pan and sprinkle with buttered crumbs. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) about 45 minutes. Serves 8.