Main dishes

Kroger has Angus boneless top sirloin steaks or flat iron steaks in the family pack for $4.99 per pound. Perdue boneless chicken breasts are buy one, get one free. Jennie O fresh ground turkey (89 percent or 93 percent lean, 16 ounce) is buy one, get one free. Fresh strawberries are $1.68 per pint. Red, yellow or orange bell peppers are 98 cents each.

Kroger has a promotion that gives you $5 off at the register when you buy five participating items. Select Kellogg’s cereals are $1.88 after promotion savings. Use the $1-off-three coupon from the Feb. 26 RedPlum to pay $1.55 per box. Silk Almond Milk half gallons are $1.88. Use the 55cent coupon from the Feb. 12 RedPlum to pay $1.33. Select Post cereals are $1.88. Use the 75-cents-off-two coupon for the Post Honey Bunches of Oats variety to pay $1.51 per box. Dawn dish detergent (21.6 ounce) is $1.99. Use the 25cent coupon from the Feb. 26 P&G circular to pay $1.74. Deer Park spring water (24 pack of 16.9-ounce bottles) is $2.99. Use the $1 coupon from the Jan. 29 RedPlum to pay $1.99. Tide or Gain liquid laundry detergent (50 ounce) is $4.99. Use the $2 coupon for either variety from the Feb. 26 P&G circular to pay $2.99.

Even if you think you’re familiar-enough with the many (13) flavors of La Croix sparkling water, you might not be aware that there is an entire second set of flavors, apparently new although not labeled as such. It is La Croix Cúrate, and there are six versions, each of which is a pairing of two fruit flavors.

Each of the Cúrate dualflavor varieties is named half in one language and half in another, as in Cerise-Limón (cherrylime). And I don’t understand why they’re called “Cúrate,” which in English, at least (and ignoring the accented U), is a verb meaning to organize/ oversee/present a collection. It also means an assistant clergyman. OK: But if somebody organized or blessed Cerise-Limón, that too passeth my understanding.

But wait! I haven’t gotten to the best part: While almost all of the regular La Croix varieties list the ingredients as “carbonated water, natural flavor,” all the Cúrate versions have “Only carbonated water, naturally essenced.”

I’m unsure of the difference between adding natural flavor to carbonated water and essencing it. I suspect essencing is dodgier than flavoring — like making chicken soup by standing over hot water and whispering “chicken.”

Some of the regular La Croix entries also are now labeled “essenced.” Perhaps we’re in the middle of La Croix-wide conversion away from natural flavor. Your guess is as good as mine. Essentially.