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Hi Moms. It's the time of year when everyone starts thinking green. Not recycling or solar power, but corned beef, cabbage, Irish soda bread and the spirits that Shop Cheap tries to avoid in her column. Yes, we're talking St. Patrick's Day and we're featuring it this week because if you wait until the actual day - March 17 - you will need more than the luck of the Irish to find a decent corned beef.

We're starting at Safeway this week because they have the cheapest price on corned beef at $1.59 a pound. Cabbage is 23-cents a pound (it's cheaper at Raley's at 19-cents a pound); a bag of mini-carrots is 99-cents and potatoes are 49-cents a pound.

Produce is showing signs of Spring with strawberries at $1.50 a pound; blueberries at $2.50 a basket and Fuji apples at 88-cents a pound.

Safeway is heavy with the buy more, save more promotions. Buy 5 boxes of cereal and save $5; buy 5 produce items - including Eating Right salad blends, Monterey mushrooms or Pom Wonderful tea - and save $5, too.

Other stuff we like at Safeway: London broil at $1.97lb; Alaskan cod fillets at $4.99lb and BOGO Ballpark franks. Classico pasta sauce is $1.99 a jar; Barilla pasta is 99-cents a box and Safeway Select garlic bread is $1.79 a loaf. A case of Arrowhead spring water is $3.50; Minute Maid OJ is BOGO and a 2-liter 7-UP or Pepsi is 99-cents when you buy 4.

Saturday and Sunday specials include Oscar Mayer deli shaved lunchmeat for $1.99; Mott's apple juice for 99-cents and Safeway butter top breads for 99-cents. The Friday-only $5 special is a pound of Primo Taglio pan roasted turkey, Black Forrest ham; Havarti or Provolone cheese.

Bush's beans are $1 a can; Rosarita refries are 79-cents a can and 18 large eggs are BOGO.

Over at Raley's, corned beef is $2.47lb. and the cabbage is 19-cents a pound. Red potatoes are 49-cents a pound; and Irish Soda Bread is $1.99 for a loaf. Decorated Shamrock cookies are $3 for two dozen. You can even pickup a 4-inch pot of Shamrocks for $3.99.

Other sales we like this week are two pounds of strawberries for $4.98 and mix-n-match Heinz items for $1.75 when you buy 4. The items include Classico pasta sauce; Ore-Ida Tater Tots; Smart Ones meals and Ketchup, of course.

A dozen large eggs are $1.50; Sunnyside Farms yogurt is 50-cents a carton and Breyers ice cream is $2.29.

Save Mart has the corned beef for $2.37 a pound; cabbage is 33-cents a pound. Asparagus (they're green, too) is 87-cents a pound; and a 3-pack of Romaine hearts is 87-cents. Bohemian Hearth bread is $1.79 a loaf.

Coupons include grape tomatoes for 69-cents; cooked shrimp for $6.99 and Fritos, Cheetos or Rold Golds 4/$5. Michelina's frozen meals are $1; Green Giant steamers are 3/$5 and Pillsbury Grands!, biscuits or breadsticks are 4/$5.

Sunny Select pasta sauce is $1.88 a jar; spaghetti is 99-cents. A case of Sunny Select drinking water is $2.98 and jugs of 7-UP, A&W or Sunkist are 99-cents each.

In produce, there's avacado for $1, a 5lb bag of carrots for $1.99 and a 5lb. bag of Sierra Rose potatoes for $2.50. Bags of spinach or coleslaw are $1.50 each and tomatoes on the fine are $2.49.

As luck would have it, Save Mart has the $3.99 Shamrocks, too.