Albertsons Sales in Southern California: March 10-16

Many moons ago I worked for Lucky Grocery Stores. It was my very first job and the source of many teenage memories. Since then, Lucky was purchased by Albertsons, a grocery store you may be familiar with. While Albertsons is a nationwide brand, the stores' specials vary greatly by region. Each week I hope to highlight some of the sales that Albertsons in Southern California. If you don't live in Southern California, I recommend checking with your local store as these deals may not be available in your area.

Here are some great deals this week. I've focused on foods that are limited in their processing and that are the best value for Southern California. You know, good and cheap eats. This week is the St Patrick's Day sale week which means killer prices on cabbage and corned beef. We're not corned beef fans around here, but we usually have Asian Chicken Salad with Noodles about this time every year. You can also use cabbage as a filler in your regular green salads. It's a heart-healthy cruciferous food.

Assorted Kelloggs and Keebler cereals, crackers, bars, and cookies - $1.88
Use $1.50/2 Kelloggs cereal coupon
$1.13/box after coupon
Or use $1 off Wheatables Nutcrisps or $1 off Keebler cookies
$.88/box after coupon


Yehuda Israeli Passover Matzos - FREE


GM Cereal - $1.97 (assorted)
sign up with Cheerios to receive 4 $1 coupons in the coming weeks
$.97/box after coupon


Corned Beef Brisket $.97/pound (limit 1)


Beef Cross Rib Roast $1.99/pound


Sirloin Pork Chops $1.49/pound

Boneless, skinless Chicken Breast $1.97/pound


Green Cabbage $.39/pound


Red Potatoes $2.99/5 pound bag


Large Artichokes $1.50 each

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What Can You Make with Whole Grains?

There are so many delicious recipes to create with whole grains. And the grains themselves are so easy to keep on hand. There's no reason why you couldn't mix up a risotto or a hot bowl of soup to fight off that early Spring chill.

Spring Green Risotto from Good Life Eats - I've got some arborio rice in my cupboard, but I haven't been brave enough to try making it into risotto. But, Katie always makes things look easy. So, this may be just the ticket.

Mushroom-Barley Soup from $5 Dinners - Mmmmm. Mushrooms and barley are a favorite flavor combination of mine. Erin rocks the house on snagging great food for cheap prices. If you don't already follow her blog, you'll want to, just to see how she gets creative with what's in her pantry and what she finds on sale at the store.

Baked Brown Rice Balls from Cooking During Stolen Moments - I love how Kate thinks outside the box and regularly recreates tastes her family loves in a way that works for her as a cook. This dish is particularly attractive to me because Kate says you can freeze it without losing taste and texture. Excellent!

Quinoa and Millet Pilaf from the Gluten-Free Homemaker - while Linda has had to remove wheat and other gluten ingredients from her diet, she has tackled her dietary restrictions with gusto and is making other grains work for her in a delicious way.

Crockpot Oatmeal with Fruit from Hoosier Homemade - Liz is an experienced mother and homemaker and shares the tricks she's learned over the years. One quick fix? Oatmeal made in the crockpot. Easy peasy - and so good for you.

Triple Attack Mushroom Rice Pilaf from Food with Kid Appeal - here Jenna shares her trick for getting her children to like mushrooms. Since I love mushrooms, I eager to pass on this culinary delight to my kids. Who knew they were really healthy for you, too?

Quick and Easy Beef and Barley Skillet - Lynn gracefully handles the challenges of specialty cooking, accomodating the food allergies present in her family. She does so in a way that makes good food simple and easy, like this skillet dinner.

Chicken and Wild Rice Bake from Good Cheap Eats - this is a family favorite, straight from my own childhood. It bakes like a casserole (fix it and forget it) but you can have your meat and your starch separate. Perfect for those kids who don't want their food to touch.





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Coupons for Whole Grains

It's not often that coupons for unprocessed whole grains are available, but I have seen insert coupons for rice and oats in the past. So, keep your eyes peeled. Regardless, you can find these ingredients on sale fairly often. If you have a health food store nearby, check their bulk bins. It's not uncommon to find grains on sale in bulk.

That said, here are some printable coupons for rice and oats.

Save $1 on Quaker Oats
Save $1 on any McCanns Irish Oats product
Save $.75 on two Uncle Ben's products

Don't forget to check the Sunday Coupon Preview each week to see what's coming up in the newspaper.

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Build a Frugal Pantry with Whole Grains

Whole grains are considered one of nature's bounty. Not only are they a good source of fiber, protein and carbohydrates, but they are generally very affordable, especially when purchased in bulk. Add to that the fact that they are considered excellent components of a heart-healthy diet, and it's no wonder that whole grains are a world-wide staple.

What is considered a cereal grain can be a tricky question. In my research, I found some saying that grass (like rice) and fruit seeds (like buckwheat) aren't technically grains. I'm not really sure about the agricultural differences, but for our purposes, the culinary ones, we're going to put the following in the whole grain family:

• barley
• buckwheat
• corn
• millet
• oats
• quinoa
• rice
• rye
• wheat
• wild rice

And there are so many variations within each of those grain families. Oh my! The possibilities are endless.

And for our purposes this week, we're going to be talking about the WHOLE whole grain. Last week we talked about flours which are essentially ground up grains. This week it's the WHOLE grain's time to shine.

I've personally had experience with barley, corn, oats, rice, and wild rice. I try to buy these items in bulk at the health food store or from Costco which generally gets us the lowest price. Our family eats quite a lot of rice, so it never really lasts long. I use barley in soup, oats in granola, cookies, and oatmeal, and corn or hominy as a side dish or in chili.

Dry grains should be stored airtight in a cool, dark, dry place. Refrigeration can extend the life of many grains, like rice or popcorn. Obviously, a fresh grain like sweet corn should be refrigerated and cooked (or processed via canning or freezing) within a short time of picking so as to prevent the starches from developing.

You'd probably be surprised to think how rich your diet already is in whole grains. Popcorn, rice, oatmeal, and granola are easy to work into any meal plan. And with the surge in gluten-free recipes, other grains like quinoa and millet are becoming more and more available in the store and in restaurants.

Grains are an excellent filler for most meals. And since they are rather inexpensive to purchase, they most definitely rank as a good cheap eat.

What's your favorite grain and how do you prepare it?

Sources: The New Food Lover's Companion (2nd edition), The All-Heart Family Cookbook, The Mayo Clinic

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Build a Better Grocery Budget

While you're thinking and learning about what makes up a frugal pantry, don't forget to follow Crystal's series on 31 Days to a Better Grocery Budget. She's got great ideas, challenging you to rethink how you shop.

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