Food with Eyes

Movers and Shakers

2011-08-17T20:59:00.000-04:00

I was recently flipping through the June 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living and was pleasantly surprised to find this article on collecting vintage fruit and vegetable-shaped salt and pepper shakers:

Although only the first page features anthropomorphic shakers, this is still a step in the right direction. One thing I feel has been really lacking in the magazine is food with eyes. I always enjoy the collecting articles, especially when someone's unique collection is profiled. As I have not seen a food with eyes collection profiled yet, I would be happy to volunteer my collection, Martha.

Incidentally, these great shakers come from the the New York antique store Mood Indigo, which has a fantastic array of 1930s-50s kitchen and bar ware.

Happy National Watermelon Day!

2011-08-03T21:08:00.001-04:00

Yes indeed, it's National Watermelon Day! There's still time to celebrate with the National Watermelon Promotion Board's cool mascot J. Slice:

It's worth a visit to the Board's Games and Activities page to see the fantastic coloring books available for download:

J. Slice Saves Princess Cupcake from the Downhill Sugar Slide I wish those guests came to my birthday party!

J. Slice Rescues his Friends from the Clutches of Layzee I love their TV-mesmerised eyes!

J. Slice Saves the Planet from Professor Junk Food I'm offended by the stereotypical presentation of scientists as evil in this one. I, for one, have never tried to take over the word or even held fruits and vegetables captive over a vat of boiling chocolate (well, maybe fruits, but not vegetables).

You can also download instructions for how to grow your own watermelon. However, they are quick to point out that you'll probably only get a vine, not an actual watermelon, and if you somehow do manage to get a watermelon, it probably won't taste as good as one you would buy in a store!

So enjoy National Watermelon Day with your store bought watermelon!

Yankee Doodle Dandies

2011-07-04T11:05:00.000-04:00

For those of you celebrating Independence Day today, here are some cookout favorites to get you in the mood:

Patriotic Hamburger and Hot Dog found at Trader Joe's

Some National Deli mustard for the hot dogs

Campfire Marshmallows for the S'mores

Note the original Campy mascot

De La Rosa Extra Giant Marshmallows

Close-up of a marshmallow roasting a smaller version of itself

Two little marshmallows frolic, unaware of imminent roasting...

A complete s'mores kit (found at Kmart)

They Call Me MISTER Shivers!

2011-06-15T20:55:00.000-04:00

Once again, my sister Maria of Curly-Wurly has outdone herself in the anthropomorphic food gift department! On a recent visit, she presented me with the most wonderful refrigerator magnet: Mister Shivers!

At 14 inches tall, Mister Shivers is not your ordinary refrigerator magnet. He looks to be strawberry (?) soft serve, and in a common but disturbing food with eyes theme, he is about to eat a smaller version of himself. He is made by Accoutrements and has a few companions pictured on the back of his package:

Upon bringing Mister Shivers home, I had to carefully weigh the options of the best place for him to reside. We sadly have a trendy, non-magnetic stainless steel refrigerator, so he could not have the place of honor in the kitchen. I then thought about having him adorn my car:

Although I liked both the door and hood locations, I was too concerned that someone would steal him to chance it. After all, If I had seen a car with Mister Shivers on it, I would have been awfully tempted to take him. So in the end I decided he would fit best on the washing machine in my retro-themed laundry room:

Now he sits there happily among other food-themed magnets, poised to lick his chocolate cone.

Eye Candy

2011-05-22T12:20:00.000-04:00

Here's a new crop of gumball/candy machines featuring food with eyes!

First, a variation on Nitwitz, this time with Kooky Bananas:

Next, the ominously-named Sweet Revenge Secret Flavored Candy:

Perhaps red is orange-flavored, yellow is grape, blue is lemon. Or perhaps its something much more insidious than that...

And last, this cool Limeade bubble gum guy:

I found the first two candy machines in the entryway of Best Buy. As I was taking the pictures, a big dumb guy started making fun of me! Is is really remarkable to see a 39-year-old woman taking pictures of anthropomorphic characters on gumball machines with an iPhone?? I ignored him, but later wished I had the presence of mind to offer him a Sweet Revenge Secret Flavored Candy (with the hope that it turned out to be manure, vomit, mold, rotting flesh or the like).

National Sticker Month 2011

2011-04-24T17:50:00.000-04:00

Although April is rapidly drawing to a close, I didn't want to let National Sticker Month pass us by without highlighting a few food with eyes stickers. This shiny beauties came from my favorite down-market dollar store, the Yankee One Dollar Store.

Here we have a sheet of some cheerful fruits. But look closer... that banana is eating a banana!

Here is another sheet of more fruit, but without the cannibalism:

And the third sheet is a bit more unusual. While I can identify a cherry, tomato, and corn, there are 4 other fruits (?) that are more obscure. I think there are two varieties of melons plus a seductive papaya in the middle. But the real mystery is the prickly fruit on the bottom left. I think it is a breadfruit or a jackfruit?

Happy Birthday, Curly Wurly!

2011-02-24T08:05:00.000-05:00

Please join me in wishing a very special Happy Birthday to Maria of Curly Wurly!

Head on over to Maria's blogs, Flickr, Twitter, or Tumblr and say hello!

Wee Willie Wafer

2011-02-21T15:26:00.001-05:00

I've seen these Voortman Wafer Cookie guys on packaging for years. Here's a sample of the available sugar-free flavors:

Head over to Voortman's Kid's Stuff for some great wafer guy coloring pages to print!

Recently I came across a competing wafer with eyes: Willie Wafer found on packages of Original Gourmet wafer cookies at discount grocery store Price Rite:

For a discount mascot, Willie's got real style!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T09:11:00.001-05:00

I Say To-may-to

2011-02-03T20:18:00.000-05:00

Heinz Tomato ketchup, that is! It's time for another installment of the Heinz Tomato Ketchup Creativity Contest winners! Anthropomorphic food continues to be a favorite theme. Here are a few of the 2010 winners:

The Red Carpet takes on a new meaning with this great design from 8th grader Albert M.:

Go on a Surfin' Safari with this Fry Guy from 11th grader Synclaire K.:

Hang on with this Roller Coaster design from 10th grader Jasmyne D.:

Be sure to check out the Winner's Gallery for more great designs! I think the one of a ketchup bottle and hot dog at a diner is my favorite. And there's still time to enter this year's contest (provided you are in grades 1-12)!

You Say To-mah-to

2011-01-30T13:55:00.000-05:00

Whether you say to-may-to or to-mah-to, everyone can agree that packages of tomatoes are much more appealing when emblazoned with a cheery mascot. There seems to be something about grape tomatoes in particular that calls out for a spokes-tomato. I've previously posted two other examples of grape tomato mascots, and now I've come across three more:

Mr. Tasty Grape Tomato looks like a regular Yankee Doodle Dandy!

Old King Grape looks like a merry old soul.

And who wouldn't pick Tom, Matt, and Otto when authentic grape tomatoes are required?

Veg Side Story

2011-01-12T15:38:00.001-05:00

One thing I like as much as anthropomorphic food is a good Broadway or movie musical. Sadly, few musicals incorporate singing food. And why not? Broadway couldn't get any worse than it is today. Leave it to Sesame Street to remedy the situation. Here is their production of Veg Side Story:

Courtesy of Sesame Street on YouTube.

I would pay good money to see the rest of this show on Broadway!

Resolution Solutions

2011-01-01T22:07:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year 2011 and welcome to the fifth year of Food with Eyes! The beginning of a new year is traditionally the time to make resolutions to improve one's life, but those resolutions often go by the wayside in just a few days or weeks. So here are a few items featuring food with eyes that just might help you stick to those resolutions:

For those of you who have vowed improved oral hygiene for 2011, I have two suggestions. First is an adorable cup from Paperchase. It would be perfect for your Lavoris or Listerine.

Next, for good oral hygiene on the go, try these Ranch Flavored Toothpicks from Accoutrements:

Or perhaps your resolution is to "Go Green" this year. Your fellow shoppers at the Piggly Wiggly will be green with envy when they see you packing your groceries into this Mr. Bacon and Mr. Egg bag (also from Accoutrements):

For those of you who have been unlucky in love, you may have resolved to find Mr./Ms. Right in 2011. When getting ready for a night on the town, be sure to stash your cosmetics in this food-filled bag from Paperchase:

And when you need to set just the right ambiance for a date with a potential mate, it's best to have a Mr. Bacon Air Freshener (Accoutrements) close by. Who can resist the smell of frying bacon?

Of course, the most common resolution is to eat better and lose weight. Even though most people really do know which foods to eat and which to avoid to achieve this goal, it is still the most difficult of resolutions to keep. So the next time you're facing an inner struggle between eating a corndog or a bunch of steamed broccoli, don't keep it all inside. Work out your conflict with these Captain Corndog and Baron Von Broccoli bendable figures (Accoutrements):

Here they are, ready to do battle. I can't help rooting for that dashing scamp, Captain Corndog, even though I know the dastardly-looking, yet antioxidant-rich, Baron Von Broccoli should be the favorite. I don't think the Baron stands a chance.

But wait, the Baron has mustered his phytochemical-filled friends to help him out. Things don't look so good for Captain Corndog now.

Whatever your resolution for 2011, I hope you achieve it (preferably with the use of anthropomorphic food). What is my resolution, you ask? To post more often to this blog, of course! And where did these wonderful resolution-helpers all come from? From that noted blogger and pop culture historian, Maria of Curly Wurly, who has an uncanny ability to find the perfect gift for every occasion!

Double Bubble

2010-12-28T19:28:00.000-05:00

Here's a follow-up to an earlier post featuring anthropomorphic characters on gumball machines:

I think I like the Raspberry, presumably playing the blues on his saxophone, best!

Merry Christmas from Food with Eyes!

2010-12-24T16:26:00.000-05:00

Image from a Hallmark card

Extreme Makeover: Mr. Peanut Edition

2010-12-08T21:34:00.001-05:00

As any collector knows, half the fun of collecting is sharing your collection. So you can imagine my delight when earlier this week I was contacted by a representative of WomansDay.com, the online version of that classic magazine, and asked if they could use a a picture from my Mr. Peanut presidents coloring book in a story about food mascot transformations! Of course, I immediately agreed and was excited to see the article debut online here.

I'm sure readers of this blog will be interested in the article, although there was a dearth of mascots of the food with eyes variety. In fact, only Mr. Peanut and Miss Chiquita (Banana) made the grade. Although Mr. Peanut has changed over the years, his transformation was not as radical as that of Miss Chiquita. In a metamorphosis worthy of Ovid, she went from a banana-shaped beauty to a rather bland "woman with eyes." Where's the fun in that?

If you have missed out on Mr. Peanut's transformation, then check out these two new commercials from Planters featuring the new, Robert Downey Jr.-voiced Mr. Peanut:

Both videos courtesy of Planter's YouTube channel

I'm still not sure how I feel about this. I like the animation a lot, but I just never imagined that he would sound like Robert Downey Jr. I guess I would have thought he would sound more sophisticated, which for me means a British accent. I think Cary Grant would have been a perfect Mr. Peanut. Or possibly James Mason.

Still, I'm happy to see Mr. Peanut gaining renewed popularity. In fact, over 226,000 people, myself included, "like" him on Facebook!

Herr Peanut

2010-08-22T11:22:00.000-04:00

I couldn't resist buying these German-made Brentwood Peanut Flips when I spotted that sporty Herr Peanut on the front.

They're made with 32% peanuts. And 68% other stuff. Here's what they actually look like:

Basically cheese doodles with peanuts, not cheese. They feature non-genetically engineered corn. I guess just Herr Peanut was genetically engineered!

Not Cool

2010-08-15T20:06:00.000-04:00

Girls T-shirt spotted at K-mart.

Too Darn Hot

2010-07-05T19:39:00.000-04:00

Tin sign found at the mall. That's about how I feel after this string of 95° days!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2010-06-28T20:48:00.000-04:00

I spotted these ballpark snacks at Kmart recently and came back with my camera. I'm not a Yankees fan, so I wasn't tempted to take any of these home with me, but a pretzel with a Phillies cap would have been hard to resist.

Gumballapalooza

2010-06-12T12:18:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time since a new post here at Food with Eyes. I've got a lot of great posts saved up, including some contributed by readers. In the interest of getting things posted, I'm going to dispense with a lot of commentary. This should be no great loss, since the quality has been going downhill steadily. So without further ado, here is a series of gumball machines featuring anthropomorphic food:

Mostly Happy Stickers

2010-04-06T20:12:00.003-04:00

This set of happy kawaii stickers is by Lily.

Click for a close-up. Just one green apple has a frown.

National Sticker Month 2010

2010-04-01T20:47:00.004-04:00

Welcome to the Third Annual National Sticker Month here at Food with Eyes. To kick us off, here's a fantastic set of Food Friends stickers by Paperchase, presented to me by Maria of Curly Wurly.

Be sure to click for a larger view to fully appreciate these wonderful friends and choose your favorite!

Note to commenters - thank you to everyone who leaves legitimate comments! I'm sorry I had to turn on comment moderation, but I seem to have a large number of spam comments with deleterious links now.

Garden Party

2010-03-28T17:56:00.007-04:00

I spent the day planning out my vegetable garden, so it seems fitting to present some veggie friends who may inspire you to do the same (or at least eat more vegetables).

This wild guy represents Cool Cukes baby seedless cucumbers:

This country onion is from Modern Produce Farms:

This sobbing onion is from Mortellaro - CryBaby Onions:

This disturbing pair represents Matarazzo Bros. Grape Tomatoes:

And this is Tasty, the spokestomato for Quality Sales Produce:

Make New Friends...

2010-03-07T17:41:00.006-05:00

But keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. If you were a Girl Scout like me, then you probably remember singing that song. You probably also remember selling Girl Scout Cookies. Back when I was a Girl Scout, your parents didn't just bring the order form to work one day and bring it home all filled up with orders for you. No siree. You went door-to-door selling them (apparently no one cared about child abduction in those days). I suppose some Girls Scouts liked doing this, but I dreaded it (not as much as I dreaded gym class, but enough). It was always the same. You'd ring the doorbell and whoever answered asked how much they were. I'd tell them $1.50 a box (this was about 1980), and they would proceed to complain about how much they had gone up in price, how few cookies were in the box, and what an overall rip-off it was. I suppose better salesgirls than me had ready answers for these gripes, but I had none. Needless to say I never sold many cookies and only once got the special 100+ box badge.

So a few weeks ago when a colleague brought their daughter's cookie order form to work, I didn't order any. Yes, I will admit it was partly due to resentment that today's Girl Scouts don't have to go door-to-door. But mostly it was because they're $3.50 a box now! There are hardly any cookies in a box, and it's an overall rip-off! I didn't regret my decision until the cookies were delivered last week. The cookie boxes were nothing special, but the cardboard boxes that cases of cookies came in featured fantastic cookie characters!

Looking at the Little Brownie Bakers website (one of two authorized Girl Scout Cookies bakeries, the other being ABC Bakers), I was able to find pictures of all eight characters.

Trefoil (aka Shortbread):
It's interesting to me that the Trefoil cookie is portrayed as an old lady, while all the other characters are young and active. It's also interesting to me (and rather alarming) that if I had to buy some cookies I would now pick the Trefoils. Thirty years ago when I was selling these I liked the Samoas best.

Do-Si-Do (aka peanut butter sandwiches):

Dulce de Leche:

Lemon Chalet Creme:

Samosa (aka Caramel deLites):

Tagalongs (aka peanut butter patties):

Thin Mint:

Thank U Berry Munch:

These new friends are surely destined to become gold. When cookie time rolls around next year I may even buy a box and you should, too.

***Please note that all images are the property of Little Brownie Bakers and Kellogg NA***

***Please also note that Girl Scout Cookies are a major fundraiser for a worthwhile organization. The cookies are not a rip-off and you should buy some if you see a Girl Scout selling them***

Happy Birthday, Curly Wurly!

2010-02-24T09:22:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Wishes to Maria of Curly Wurly today!

Super Sonic

2010-02-10T12:47:00.005-05:00

Last month my husband visited South Carolina on a business trip and thoughtfully brought me back a cup from drive-in burger joint Sonic (we don't have one near us) featuring tater tot mascot Totty. I'm actually impressed he recognized this as food with eyes. To me it looks like a piece of shag carpeting rather than a tater tot. I probably would not have recognized it as such if it were not for Brandon of the Waffle Whiffer Zone posting a Totty bag on flickr.

Here's one side:

And the other:

And a flattened out scan:

Totty doesn't seem to be featured on their web site, but check out Tater Taunt for a somewhat less friendly version.

Mr. Pizz-Ahh!

2010-01-17T15:49:00.002-05:00

For some reason I forgot to post this before, but last summer we got a flyer for a new pizza place in town. Now the last thing the town I live in needs is yet another pizza place, but this one caught my eye because of their great mascot, Mr. Pizz-Ahh!:

At my insistence, we went to check it out. After seeing the pizza available, it seemed Mr. Pizz-Ughh! had replaced Mr. Pizz-Ahh! so we actually didn't stay. But I did snap a picture of their delivery van:

I think he's one of the better mascots I've seen lately. And I love that his feet are subs (or hoagies as I prefer to call them). Perhaps we'll give him another try someday.

Food Friends

2010-01-09T16:09:00.008-05:00

Once again my sister Maria of Curly Wurly has outdone herself in the anthropomorphic food gift department! I haven't even finished profiling the birthday presents I received from her this year, and now there are Christmas presents to share!

First is this wonderful oven mitt from Paperchase featuring their adorable "Food Friends" design. Here's one side:

And the other:

Just look at all those smiling faces!

Next is a useful and super-cute folding tote bag. Here it is in its tiny pouch:

And unfolded:

A close-up of the pattern:

It's hard to decide which Food Friend is my favorite! I like the ice cream cone a lot, and the pizza slice. And the scallion. And the watermelon. And the pineapple...

There is also a set of stickers featuring all the characters, but I'm going to save them for National Sticker Month (April). Thank you, Maria!

Ketch Update

2010-01-03T16:30:00.009-05:00

Regular readers may recall last year's post about the Heinz Ketchup Creativity Contest which solicited drawings from school kids to appear on ketchup packets. On a recent trip to Five Guys (Burgers and Fries) I was fortunate enough to come across some other winners!

Here's one by Melissa R., a 5th grader from Queens, NY. A ketchup rock star crowd surfs over his French fry fans:

Here's a cute one from Kerri S., an 8th grader from Washington, PA:

And here's a caped catsup crusader by 3rd grader Julie K. of North Olmsted, OH:

Be sure the check out the Winners' Gallery for more great designs. It's worth noting that the proportion of anthropomorphic drawings has increased each year. It's hard to know if that reflects a change in the submissions or the tastes of the judges. At any rate, I think more food with eyes is always better! This year promises an even more exciting contest with the grand prize winner being featured on an actual ketchup bottle! Kids, get your crayons ready!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-20T08:32:00.002-05:00

Here's a video to get you in the mood for holiday baking! This is a 1935 Disney Silly Symphonies short called "The Cookie Carnival":

Courtesy of Meeelis on YouTube.

I don't remember ever seeing this one before. I think it has just won the "Best thing I've Seen on YouTube So Far" award. Enjoy!

Hostess with the Mostest?

2009-12-06T16:01:00.009-05:00

I've been enjoying Waffle Whiffer's recent blog and Flickr posts about Hostess Cakes and their delightful mascots, particularly Fruit Pie the Magician. (If you haven't seen them, go there now!)While I remember Twinkie the Kid growing up, I have to admit that I don't have any memories of Fruit Pie the Magician. I got to wondering about this, and I think I know why. Growing up outside of Philadelphia, the snack cake market was (and is) dominated by Philadelphia-based Tastykake. While we occasionally ate Twinkies or Drake's Cakes' Devil Dogs or Yodels, mostly we ate Tastykake's Krimpets, Kandy Kakes, and their fruit pies (pineapple cheese is the best!).

I have a few Tastykake items that came from my grandfather's grocery store including this great 2-sided hang tag:

And this ruler:

Tastykake has a great font and a catchy jingle ("Nobody bakes a cake as tasty as a Tastykake..."), but it is severely lacking in the mascot department - at least until now. Browsing the Tastykake website, I found that they seem to have a new mascot, Kirbee Krimpet!

Here's a plush Kirbee:

And here's Kirbee on a tin (full of Krimpets, naturally):

Kirbee seems to be Butterscotch Krimpet, not a Jelly Krimpet, which I generally prefer, but I don't mind. A YouTube search turned up a recent commercial featuring Kirbee and the Phillies Phanatic:

Courtesy of CircleOneMarketing1 on YouTube

Kirbee hasn't made his way onto the packaging yet, but who knows?

Something to Sneeze at

2009-11-27T13:49:00.007-05:00

When I'm surfing the web, I never pay any attention to advertisements on the sides of pages; they're invariably for some miracle weight loss plan, teeth whitening, or ultra-low mortgage rates (hmmm, maybe I do pay attention to them?). Anyway. I never click on them. But today I saw something so intriguing that not only did I click on the ad, but I was inspired to write a spontaneous blog post!

I'm talking about AllerMates: medical ID tags for kids with allergies featuring an amazing cast of characters! Now you can send little Tommy off to school wearing a set of dog tags alerting everyone to his food allergies:

Or, make a fashion statement with a wristband featuring the offending foodstuff:

The AllerMates include all the usual offenders:

Professor Wheatly

Soy Cool

Pint

Eggie

Nutso

P. Nutty

It's too bad that everything says "allergy" on it. I for one, would certainly wear a Professor Wheatly bracelet. I can imagine that kids will begin to fake allergies just to wear these cool characters. Kids will probably collect and trade the dog tags. The website indicates that a variety of other products will be coming next year including plush toys, stickers, lunch boxes, and epi-pen holders. That last one isn't so much fun, but I know I could face the possibility of anaphylactic shock a lot better with a cute character like P. Nutty on my wrist!

Pick a Pak of Pickle Pilgrims

2009-11-25T19:19:00.008-05:00

If the menu for your Thanksgiving feast isn't finalized yet, you might want to consider adding some pickles. That's "Picklicious!" according to Mt. Olive Pickle's spokespickle Ollie Q. Cumber:

Ollie is taking his new role as spokespickle quite seriously, and he even has his own on-line space with a variety of activities including coloring pages and postcards.

Can't get enough of Ollie? You can get your very own Ollie t-shirt by sending in some proofs of purchase (and shipping and handling). Or better yet, submit a recipe to the Picklicious Showcase. If it's chosen as a Showcase Recipe, you'll win your very own Ollie t-shirt! So be sure to send in your recipes for pickle stuffing, sweet potato and pickle casserole, and pumpkin and pickle pie.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Food Marks the Spot

2009-11-21T07:46:00.004-05:00

Last week I was delighted to receive a birthday package from Curly Wurly brimming with wonderful surprises! As usual, she has the knack for finding just the right gift, and I'll be sharing some of those with you here.

First, I was excited to find the bookmarks (or "magnetic page clips" as they call themselves) that I had admired a few months ago!

These kawaii cuties are by Paperchase. I'm looking forward to using them, but I will be sure to heed the ominous warning on the back about just what magnets can do to your intestines if swallowed.

Being a bookmark aficionado I naturally like to give them to others, and handcrafted bookmarks were often among the gifts I made as a child. Here's an early example of a mixed media (paint, yarn, felt, paper from Tastykake package) bookmark featuring three peas in a pod:

I've collected bookmarks for as long as I can remember, and the nice thing about a bookmark collection is that a 38 year accumulation still fits in the top drawer of my nightstand. I try to match the bookmark to the book I'm reading. These new bookmarks will be perfect for when I sit down with For Whom the Bell Pepper Tolls, Jane Pear, or The Grape Gatsby! Thanks, Curly Wurly!

Thank You, Veterans!

2009-11-11T07:45:00.009-05:00

If you're looking for the perfect way to thank your favorite veteran, why not surprise them with an item featuring Spammy the Spam can? It's sure to remind them of one of their favorite service memories: a delicious meal of Spam at the mess hall!

The Spam Shop features an array of Spammy merchandise including:

A Spammy Bean Bag Plush:

A magnet:

A bobble head:

A wall clock:

Golf balls:

Keychain:

Spammy Jammies:

A blanket:

There are many other Spammy and Spam-related items to chose from. With the holiday season right around the corner, it could also be the solution for all your gift giving needs!

Trick - or - Treats

2009-10-31T09:16:00.007-04:00

Now That's Italian!

2009-10-12T18:51:00.004-04:00

If you're still searching for some Columbus Day festivities, then look no further! Ollie and Friends, spokesfoods from Italian restaurant Olive Garden, will now share with us some Italian Adventures!

Here we have Ollie the Olive, Tonya Tomato, Ricky Ravioli, Gina Grape, and Bene Breadstick ready to show us the wonders of Italy:

First up, a tour of Sicily (click for larger version):

Next, learn some Italian phrases:

And now a maze through the whole of Italy:

Olive Garden children's menu courtesy of Maria - grazie mille!

One Smart Cookie

2009-09-30T20:52:00.001-04:00

By Jimmy's Cookies. I think he's Phi Beta Chippa.

Cruel, Cruel Cruller

2009-08-31T21:21:00.009-04:00

For years I've seen boxes of donuts in the grocery store from the Koffee Kup Bakery of Burlington, VT, but never tried them. Their smiling donut spokesman and a sale price of $1.99 finally wore me down, and I recently bought a box of devils food chocolate donuts:

The box features their wonderful mascot, Mr. Cruller (it's in tiny lettering on his cap):

Curiously, he's Mr. Cruller, not Mr. Kruller.

I'm usually an ardent food label-reader, but this time I just looked at Mr. Cruller and put the box in the cart. Only when I got it home did I notice Mr. Cruller pointing to the horrific nutrition facts on the back:

I know donuts aren't health food, but 8 grams of trans fats per donut?! I thought that stuff was banned!! I'm seriously disappointed with Mr. Cruller. Mr. Peanut would never try to lead people astray like that.

Not wanting to meet Mr. Balloon Angioplasty next, I decided to forgo Mr. Cruller. This was a difficult decision since I hate wasting food (there are people starving in China, after all). To ease my guilty conscience, I decided to at least take a few pictures of the donuts before disposing of them as hazardous waste. So I got out the googly eyes and snapped away:

Not very original, I know, but there are few things that can't be improved upon by the addition of a pair of googly eyes. These particular eyes required quite a bit of scrubbing to remove the greasy residue after the photo shoot. Mr. Cruller will be staying on the grocery store shelf from now on.

I Scream for "Eye"ce Cream!

2009-08-10T17:41:00.015-04:00

One of the best things about summer is the multitude of small, locally-owned ice cream stands that open up for the season. Who can resist a soft serve twist or a cone of mint chocolate chip on a hot day? And if you're really lucky, a smiling ice cream cone might just be there to encourage your licking.

I was really lucky on two occasions recently. We visited our local ice cream establishment, the Curry Freeze, in Rotterdam, NY. Contrary to what you must be thinking, the Curry Freeze does not actually sell frozen curry, but is named after the street where it's located.

Benevolently gazing down on all the patrons is a grinning soft serve cone:

A close-up reveals our friend to be a Flavor Burst cone:

I've actually seen this same Flavor Burst cone guy at two other ice cream stands in the region. It turns out Flavor Burst is a system to infuse a variety of flavoring into plain vanilla soft serve ice cream. Check out the Flavor Burst website for all the details including information on the ominously-named FB80LPa and FB44CMX systems. Regrettably, the cone guy is nowhere to be found on the website and seems to have been replaced with a much more pedestrian penguin mascot.

This past weekend we made a journey to a new (to us) ice cream stand located literally in the middle of nowhere in Wynantskill, NY. Moxie's has been making their own ice cream right on the premises since the 1930s.

Welcoming all visitors is Mr. Blue Moon, a cone of Moxie's unique Blue Moon flavor:

I asked what Blue Moon tasted like and was told that it tasted differently to everyone, so I had to try some. It tasted like orange sherbet to me, so I passed on a full cone of it. But I did try their Chocolate Challenge and Teaberry flavors. Both were excellent, but the Teaberry was particularly exciting for me because my family used to get this flavor at the now-defunct Farmer's Dairy ice cream store in Hazleton, PA.

Gracing the blue wall of the building where the ice cream is made are a pair of larger-than-life smiling cones:

Out back are some other ice cream cones like this giant lady cone in a pillbox hat:

And this purple gentleman in a top hat:

Moxie's also has a vast play area for kids, a romantic pergola, and rockers for the older set (like me). It's definitely worth the drive if you are anywhere near the Troy, NY area.

Mr. Peanut Memories

2009-08-02T18:25:00.010-04:00

In a previous post, I mentioned how my love of Mr. Peanut stems from early exposure to advertising premiums through my grandfather's small grocery store. Some premiums were designed for retail customers, but others were meant just for the grocery retailers themselves.

This profit calculator was given out by Planters to retailers like my grandfather. By sliding the inner card to match up the number of items in a carton or case with the cost in one window, the other window shows the percent profit for potential selling prices.

One side shows unit prices 25¢ and up, while the other shows 5¢ to 25¢.

Mr. Peanut's Guide to Profits is dated May 1972, and shows the current packaging for Planters peanuts, mixed nuts, and single-serving bags sold under the Southern Belle brand.

Less than a year later, in January 1973, this picture of me and my grandfather was taken in front of the candy counter of his store.

Look closely at the middle row of the candy counter and you can see three Planters items for sale. First, the white box on the left contains an unknown Planters item. It might be single serving bags of peanuts (probably in an earlier version of the bags shown here), but it could be a Chocolaty Coated Peanut Block or a Peanut Butter Chew. Then, in the orange box are peanut butter cups and next are peanut candy bars. Special thanks to JasonLiebig for posting these and many other great images of his packaging, advertising, and ephemera collection on Flickr!

I don't actually remember eating the Planters items in the candy case. When I was old enough to eat such things, I favored Fruit Stripe gum and Swedish Fish. Maybe the Planters candy was already phased out by then? However, I do have an original shipping box from the store that contained the peanut butter cups:

The sides:

The top:

Each display box held 24 individual cups. That's 288 cups in the box! If only we knew the wholesale price, Mr. Peanut could tell us just what the profit would be!

I had noticed that the Planters Peanut Candy bars have made a resurgence, so I decided I had to try one (or two) for research purposes.

It's basically peanut brittle with more peanuts and less brittle. It was good, but I couldn't help feeling like it must have been a pale imitation of the original, and it was awfully small. The original wrapper called it a Jumbo Block, and the new version is a mere 1.6 ounces. Then I looked carefully at the old Jumbo Block label and saw that it was only 0.83 ounces! No wonder we weigh so much more these days!

The Planters website also lists a Big Nut Bar, so I figured I had better track down some of these for comparison. It turns out these are more like a granola bar and are sold in boxes of 5 in the granola bar section of grocery stores.

The front of the box:

The individual wrapper:

These were good, too, and lacked the ominous "Choking Warning" of the Peanut Bar candy.

Wouldn't it be great if Planters re-issued the peanut butter cups, peanut chews, and chocolaty coated blocks? And you could still get Mr. Peanut items by saving the labels?!

Color Me Fruity

2009-07-06T20:13:00.007-04:00

If you've had as much rain as I've had in the past month, you're probably looking for some new rainy day activities. Why not get out your box of Crayolas, sharpen your Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna, and color some food with eyes? To get you started, here are some pages from Mambo Sprouts (click for a larger version to print and color). First, the Veggie Friends (and some fruit, too):

Veggie circle:

Circle of Fruits:

If crayons are too old-fashioned, get your mouse ready for some on-line coloring. Check out this coloring contest from Produce for Kids:

Click here to color your very own picture of the Produce Pals (Mindee Melon, Sammy Snax, and Vita MC) on-line. Submit it to the gallery and your artwork will be on display for all the world to see.

A Lil' Window Shopping

2009-06-23T21:03:00.009-04:00

Last weekend I was window shopping in Saratoga Springs and the food with eyes was practically jumping out at me crying, "Buy me, Buy me!" But I held my ground and satisfied my anthropomorphic food desire by just taking some pictures. First, in G. Willikers I came across this adorable play set by Earlyears:

This Lil' Shopper Play Set consists of a happy banana, orange, apple, and cabbage (I would have said cauliflower, but it's definitely some type of Brassica oleracea) plus a faceless milk carton all packed up in a cloth grocery bag. It's heartening to know that some children will be introduced to anthropomorphic food and reusable bags. Perhaps there's hope for the future after all.

The next batch of tempting food with eye's items was found at Borders and is from Paperchase. This line features an array of kawaii-inspired treats.

First, notebooks in two sizes:

A plastic water bottle (I would have bought an aluminum one):

And a set of bookmarks:

I'm usually a sucker for bookmarks, but I managed to leave these in the store. Perhaps next time I'll give in.

Happy and Relaxed

2009-04-19T20:14:00.002-04:00

This set of puffy stickers by Lily features an assortment of winsome goodies: cookies, doughnuts, fancy cocktails, and potato (also known as French fries).

They even appear to be housed in a shop with eyes. On the back are some bonus images: milk and cookies.

Kitchen Seals II

2009-04-11T07:59:00.002-04:00

Here is another set of Korean Kitchen Seals. If it's possible, this set is even cuter than the first set. Click for a larger view.

Look at the tea bags. And the one in the teacup steeping itself. And the egg on the toast. And the butter on the pancakes. I can't decide which I like best. But what is that in the blue teacup? It looks like some kind of dumpling to me, but that doesn't seem right.

Kitchen Seals

2009-04-06T20:35:00.002-04:00

These stickers are made Korea and the only words in English on the packaging are "Kitchen Seal." I've surmised that they are actually labels for kitchen items like salt, pepper, and soy sauce.

Click to get a close-up view of these cuties. I especially like the egg with its mouth open and the milk carton. Funny how the food items are labeled in English. I'm not sure what the yellow rounded guy is, though. Any guesses?

Sweets to the Sweet

2009-04-04T11:53:00.003-04:00

This set of Sweet's Cake Shop stickers is by Lily.

These cakes and other confections proclaim sentiments like "love you," "miss you," "happy day," "so cute," and "so sweet." There are even a few smiling strawberries. Sweet is the only way to describe these stickers. Time for my insulin now!

National Sticker Month 2009

2009-04-01T20:24:00.002-04:00

Today marks the start of the Second Annual National Sticker Month. This year's posts will focus on kawaii stickers from Asia. Kawaii is Japanese for cute, and what could be cuter than food with eyes? Kittens, you say? Well, just wait until we get to the combination of kittens and food with eyes! While many kawaii items are from Japan, similar items also come from Korea and Taiwan.

To start us off, here are some Yum Yum Stickers made by the Korean company Morning Glory (I am not linking to the Korean website because my antivirus software found something objectionable about it...).

These are glittery puffy stickers with some very cute peppers, eggplants, and peas, as well as a carrot, some unknown yellow and orange jars (juice?), various citrus fruits, a peach (?), and a white thing I can't identify. Plus some frogs and clovers. All with upbeat greetings like "Happy Day," "Good Luck," and "I am Happy." Looking at these smiling faces, I am happy!

Let's Go Out to the Kitchen!

2009-03-24T20:21:00.002-04:00

Back when I first heard about YouTube, one of the very first things I searched for was my all-time favorite commercial: a milk ad from the '90s featuring singing and dancing snacks advising viewers to "go out to the kitchen and have ourselves a snack." After months of searching periodically, my patience was finally rewarded. Thanks to rachelkillsemo we can all enjoy it again:

Not only do I love this for the food with eyes, but also because they are dancing through a great 1950s kitchen very similar to my grandparent's kitchen.

This commercial was, of course, a take off on the classic '50s movie theater intermission commercial which can also be found on YouTube:

Courtesy of VoodooSlag on YouTube

And check out this take on it from The Simpson's Movie DVD:

Courtesy of youbeabea on YouTube

Well, I'm off to the kitchen for a snack now!

Bean My Valentine

2009-02-14T10:29:00.006-05:00

Today is Valentine’s Day, a day when people's thoughts naturally turn to romance. And beans. After all, what could be more romantic than beans? Beans, beans, they’re good for your heart!

In previous posts, I’ve lamented the fact that premiums – items you could get by sending in labels, box tops, UPC codes, etc. – seem to be much less common now than in the past. So I was especially surprised and delighted to receive a special Valentine’s Day treat from my sister Maria of Curly-Wurly: a plush anthropomorphic Chick Pea (aka Garbanzo Bean):

Chi Chi Chick Pea, as her tag says, is a mail-away premium from Hanover, a Pennsylvania-based food company. One merely has to send in the UPC codes from eight 15.5 ounce (or larger) cans of beans. Or for just 16 UPCs you can also get Chick's friend, Kid Bean:

I have to admit I noticed this offer in the grocery store, and I almost bought eight cans of beans, but I just couldn't do it. I'm just not a big fan of garbanzo beans and that's almost eight pounds of beans. But my sister, who claims to actually like chick peas, valiantly consumed the required amount and sent in the UPCs for me. Now if that's not sisterly love, then I don't know what is!

Continuing with the romantic bean theme, here is a T-shirt from Del Monte featuring a can of green beans down on bended knee as if to propose and exclaiming "Where You Bean All My Life!":

While technically he just has arms and legs, but no eyes, I think he still counts as anthropomorphic food. This is a children's T-shirt I've had since the 70s. I remember that my grandfather, who owned a small grocery store, got it and another one with a "Human Bean" image from Del Monte. I clearly wore this a lot, as the many stains can attest...

For those of you not enjoying the Valentine’s Day bean theme and prefer something more traditional, here are some adorable scratch-n-sniff cards (also a gift from my sister) featuring cute chocolates and chocolate-covered strawberries and cherries with eyes:

The cards themselves:

These cards do have a wonderfully potent chocolate-strawberry smell!

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Cupcake Spot

2009-02-01T11:57:00.008-05:00

I recently had the good fortune to escape the frozen North and travel to "The Sunshine City," St. Petersburg, Florida. Beyond the beautiful weather and lovely scenery, the trip also provided me with the opportunity to see new food with eyes! Exploring the downtown area, I was excited to see this fellow beckoning me to The Cupcake Spot:

The inviting storefront:

Of course, I couldn't just take pictures outside, so we went in and got some yummy chocolate cupcakes. The young lady who was working there explained that their mascot is named Cuppy. Here's a close-up of Cuppy:

And they had cute round business cards with Cuppy's image:

Back:

Be sure to check out The Cupcake Spot if you are in St. Petersburg or Tampa. If you can't visit in person, at least go to their website and click on "Watch Cuppy Dance" for a calorie-free treat!

Amazingly, Cuppy was not my only food with eyes encounter while in Florida. We took the train from Tampa to Ft. Lauderdale and to tide us over on the 4 hour trip we got some hamburgers from the dining car. Imagine my excitement to find that the handful of ketchup packets my husband grabbed for us contained this gem - an adorable French fry painting a Heinz ketchup bottle in front of the Eiffel Tower:

Of course, I couldn't part with the empty packet and painstakingly squeezed out every last drop and packed it carefully for the trip back home. Only when I looked at it carefully before scanning did I realize the artwork was created by an 11th grade student from New Jersey. It turns out that Heinz has been sponsoring an art contest for the last few years - the Heinz Ketchup Creativity Contest! Check out the Winners' Gallery to see other great designs, although I think this one is the best. Apparently the 2009 contest will be open for on-line voting in March. Prizes include $1000 and best of all, the design will be printed on 19.5 million ketchup packets!

Pancake Breakfast

2009-01-18T17:00:00.004-05:00

Sunday mornings mean pancakes to me. Whole wheat pancakes with sugar-free syrup. But back in the '80s pancakes were light and fluffy, fiber-free treats smothered in thick and rich Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup. And if you were very lucky, Mrs. Butterworth herself even made them for you, as she did for these boys in 1984:

Courtesy of milwaukeetvmadman on YouTube

Although I don't remember my mother making pancakes a lot, we must have eaten enough Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup for my mother to send away for this colorforms-type set in 1986. It features a board with a breakfast scene of a larger-than-life Mrs. Butterworth:

And a sheet of food and kitchen accessories to complete the picture:

Ostensibly, my mother got this for my 5-year-old sister as I was much too old for this in 1986. But when my sister tired of it, I somehow persuaded her to give it to me and have kept it ever since (you can have it back Maria, if you want). The pieces have long since lost their stick or I would have created a special scene.

Mrs. Butterworth made her TV debut in 1961, almost 50 years ago. The years have taken their toll as she's now plastic and has indistinct features. But she's trying to keep up with the times. She has her own website, of course. Check out the "For Fun" section to create and print your own Mrs. Butterworth art. She even recently appeared in a Geico commercial:

Courtesy of tungstenfluff7 on You Tube

I know Mrs. Butterworth isn't strictly speaking "food with eyes," but more of a anthropomorphic bottle. Still, as a spokescharacter who has stood the test of time, I think she deserves our attention and admiration. Thank you for being so thick and rich for all these years, Mrs. Butterworth.

Yummy Breakfast Under the Nile

2009-01-11T17:23:00.010-05:00

Today's post features some wonderful new additions to the Food with Eyes collection thanks to my sister Maria of Curly Wurly. On Christmas morning I ate my breakfast of grapefruit before opening the presents Maria had sent. Imagine my surprise to find my very own pink grapefruit key chain!

This adorable guy is part of the Yummy Breakfast series by Heidi Kenney of My Paper Crane and produced by Kidrobot. Even the tiny box is so cute:

Inside is a food pyramid showing all 21 choices (click for larger view):

I think pizza might be stretching the Yummy Breakfast theme a bit...

The next package contained a stuffed pear:

And a stuffed mushroom:

Both are made of organic cotton by Under the Nile. Although these are touted as being safe to chew on, I haven't tried it yet. So far they seem happy to be in their bowls in the kitchen.

Merry Christmas from Food With Eyes!

2008-12-25T10:37:00.006-05:00

When I think of my favorite things, food with eyes and diners immediately come to mind (followed closely by schnitzel with noodles). So what could be better than a diner with anthropomorphic food? How about a Christmas diner with anthropomorphic food? That's just what M&M's was thinking when they released their Official M&M's Brand Christmas Village Diner in 1996.

Here are the M&M's listening to the jukebox and ordering their burgers and fries:

Spinning some platters and playing music:

Sipping an ice cream soda:

Looking cool and hula hooping:

Open 24 hours!

It's all very official:

Apparently, M&M's released a whole series of tins from 1995-2005. You can find them here. Photo booth and recording studio? They were really grasping at straws toward the end. At least they didn't get to nursing home and funeral parlor!

Happy Holidays!

Green Saturday

2008-11-29T09:35:00.005-05:00

If you're like most Americans, you overindulged on pumpkin pie, candied yams, and mashed potatoes on Thursday then gorged on shopping on Black Friday. Today, Green Saturday, you can make up for your excesses by returning to a healthy diet of food with eyes. Here are a few activities to remind you what you should be eating (click for full size image):

These activity pages are courtesy of the children's activities table at the year-round Schenectady Green Market.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T20:22:00.001-05:00

Let Them Eat Cupcakes!

2008-11-22T19:41:00.006-05:00

Last week, I was surprised with a fantastic birthday package from my sister Maria of Curly Wurly. Inside were some delightful items from artist Modern Radar featuring these happy cupcakes:

Card:

Tote bag:

I'll be the envy of Schenectady with this adorable bag on my arm! Thank you, Maria!

Welcome Home

2008-11-01T16:57:00.008-04:00

Welcome home to the Food with Eyes gang who have just returned from an unprecedented two month showing at the Schenectady County Public Library's children's room display case!

I was told by the librarian that many children were delighted by the display, and I did witness at least one child being delighted myself. I would like to think the display stayed up for two months instead of the customary one month because it was such a success, but I suspect they couldn't find another collection for October. I haven't seen the November display yet, but I heard it would be bears.

I had selected two books from the library to tie in with the theme. When I took down the display I checked them out of the library and will share them with you here:

First we have The Talking Vegetables as retold by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert and illustrated by Julie Paschkis:

This is a traditional story from Dan people of Northeastern Liberia.

The story goes like this: all the animals except Spider help to plant a garden. Spider refuses to help, but come harvest time he decides he would like to eat some of the vegetables. So Spider goes to pick a tomato, who to Spider's surprise, vociferously protests.

Next Spider decides to pick some cucumbers, but they, too, tell him he can't since he didn't help with the garden.

Not getting the point, Spider tries for a pumpkin who again castigates him for not helping.

And then the vegetables gang up on him:

I suspect the next scene, which was not illustrated, was something like the tree scene from The Evil Dead.

The second book, Peanut Butter Party by Remy Charlip, lacks a moral about cooperation, as well as a nightmare-inducing vegetable attack.

Instead, this book offers up a host of party ideas centering around peanut butter, such as a costume party:

Featuring a menu of peanut butter on round crackers:

For entertainment, a play where smooth and chunky peanut butter debate their relative merits. The illustration at the bottom depicts the final scene from the all-peanut butter production of Hamlet.

Many thanks to the Schenectady County Public Library for allowing me to share my collection and hopefully inspire future generations of anthropomorphic food enthusiasts.

Food with Eyes: The Exhibit

2008-08-30T20:19:00.004-04:00

Today marked the realization of a dream I've had for years: to have a collection of mine on display for the public. I've always loved museums and thought it must be wonderful to donate your collection to a museum for permanent display. I hoped to one day see a placard next to some wonderful exhibit reading "From the Collection of Lushie Peach." That day has arrived, although it's not at the Smithsonian or the Met, but at the Children's Room of the Schenectady County Public Library.

The glass display case there features a monthly exhibit, usually someone's collection or maybe crafts or miniatures. I make a point of looking at it every month. A few months ago it hit me that my collection might be a candidate for the case. I spoke to the librarian who seemed somewhat confused about what I was proposing to put in the case. Nevertheless, she took my contact information. I heard nothing and figured they had a full schedule of the usual collections of frogs or pigs or whatnot. But then I got a call asking if I could bring my collection in for September! Of course I immediately said yes, and gathered my items together.

This morning I installed the exhibit (ok, I put the stuff in the case). I also found a few books to tie in with the theme. So without further ado, Food with Eyes: The Exhibit:

Look for the exhibition catalog soon. I actually changed the setup a little after I took the pictures, using some stands and easels to prop up some things. I'm tempted to go there everyday now and watch to see if anyone looks at the case. I expect the Smithsonian, or maybe MoMA, will be contacting me soon to see about a traveling exhibit.

Stuck in Schenectady

2008-07-20T14:09:00.006-04:00

I was walking along State Street in Schenectady yesterday when I came upon this sticker stuck to the sidewalk:

It features Appleby, spokesfruit for MVP Health Care, a regional HMO based in Schenectady. I can only guess a real live Appleby was recently walking around doling out stickers and health care advice.

Last week I visited Hudson, NY, known for its many upscale antique shops. I didn't buy any antiques, but I did spot this adorable picnic basket filled with stuffed food with eyes:

This play set is by Melissa & Doug. Further investigation has also turned up a cute Candy Jar Fill & Spill set. The age range for both toys is for 6 months +. I initially began to rationalize that 440 months is greater than 6 months, making the toy appropriate for me, but in the end I decided to settle for a picture.

From Soap to Nuts

2008-06-29T14:34:00.003-04:00

I often shop in thrift stores; you never know what treasures you'll find there. Most stores have a glass case at the cash register where especially valuable or fragile items are stored. This usually consists of dollar store figurines, gaudy costume jewelry, and out-dated computer software. Imagine my surprise when I discovered a genuinely valuable item in the case at the local Salvation Army: a mint-in-box Mr. Peanut Avon soap set! At just two dollars I couldn't resist adding it to my Mr. Peanut collection.

Here's the lime-green box with Mr. Peanut on one side and non-anthropomorphic peanuts on the other:

The top - Avon Nutty Soap Dish:

And the back with the carefully packed soap:

The soaps themselves, nestled in their plastic peanut shell dish:

This soap dates from 1975, the height of the 70s novelty soap craze. First came soap-on-a-rope, then all kinds of strangely shaped soaps followed - I even had a box of Soapaghetti! Truthfully, the soap and dish are a little disappointing. The soaps are very realistically shaped, but they don't smell like peanuts, just a generic pleasant soap scent. The plastic dish can be used for serving real peanuts, as the inside lid flap suggests, but there's no trace of Mr. Peanut on the soaps or dish. Still, a very good find!

Recipe for Success

2008-06-24T20:51:00.007-04:00

I recently got a baggie of old recipe booklets and clippings at a flea market that had a few great food with eyes finds inside:

This little pamphlet, "How to put Variety in your Milk Beverages" was produced by Carnation Evaporated Milk. Variety would be a sun bathing orange and an Eskimo pineapple complete with snowshoes and igloo. Kind of a Heat Miser and Snow Miser in fruit form.

This low-budget cook booklet was produced by the New York State Department of Agriculture to extol the many virtues of eggs. Not only are they incredible and edible, but they are also economical, plentiful, rich in Vitamin D, combine well with other foods, etc., etc.

A close-up of the top illustration:

And the bottom:

The rich egg doesn't look very happy about it.

This newspaper clipping recipe for creamed vegetable soup must be from the World War II years as it mentions using veggies from your Victory Garden (and provides a bit of trivia about tongue).

The veggies and milk bottle all look so friendly, but that cauldron is really terrifying!

Kingdom of the Crystal Spud

2008-05-28T20:41:00.004-04:00

Just in time for the fourth Indiana Jones movie, Hasbro has released a special "Taters of the Lost Ark" Mr. Potatohead!Here's Indiana Potatohead complete with fedora, jacket, whip, and gold potatohead idol:

Can a Marion Potatohead be far behind?

Farewell, National Sticker Month

2008-04-30T18:47:00.003-04:00

Closing out the first annual National Sticker Month we have a couple more examples of anthropomorphic stickers.

This set of ice cream cones, cake, and a cupcake is by Heartline, a division of Hallmark. I found these a couple years ago.

And lastly, these whimsical fruits and veggies are by American Greetings. I got these in the early-mid 90s, and in a fit of temporary insanity I actually used them! These are all I have left. I think the empty spots are peas in a pod, a pair of peppers, and cherries.

That does is for this year's National Sticker Month. Check back next year for more!

The Grapey Bunch and Friends

2008-04-29T19:34:00.004-04:00

This next group of images rounds out my collection of anthropomorphic scratch 'n' sniff stickers. These stickers happen to be my favorites and were rare even in the 80s. I got all of these from a gumball machine at a grocery store my mother frequented.

The Grapey Bunch:

Vanilla Ice Cream Cone (this one hasn't aged too well):

Bubble Gum Machine:

Cream Cycle:

Peppermint Patty:
Orange Pop's Cycle:

Chocolate Sundae:

The origin of these stickers were always a mystery to me, but recently I found some information in a new Scratch & Sniff Sticker guide. Apparently they were made in Canada and are called "Goofy Stickers." There are ten designs in all including a few non-food with eyes ones.

They Call Me Mello Smello

2008-04-19T21:06:00.004-04:00

Continuing with our smelly sticker theme, here's an assortment of food with eyes scratch 'n' sniff stickers from the early 80s:

Creative Teaching Press' Sniffys peach stickers from 1981:

Paper Art's Sniffer Stickers orange scent:

Mello Smello Top Banana sticker:

Mello Smello Cool Ade sticker:

Sandylion Oliver Martini sticker:

I think these scratch 'n' sniff stickers came with an issue of Stickers magazine:

Go for a Spin

2008-04-17T20:16:00.002-04:00

Another less common line of scratch 'n' sniff stickers from the early 80s was The Sticker Factory by Spindex. These came as a sheet of eight rectangular stickers.

Here we have grape:
And banana:

Check out Bubbledog's page for pictures of the other scents.

Mini-Maxi-Me

2008-04-15T20:44:00.011-04:00

Trend's Stinky Stickers may have been the most common scratch 'n' sniff stickers, but there were a lot of other great smelly stickers in the 80s. One of my favorite series was Creative Teaching Press' Mini-Maxi line. Each pack featured one large "maxi" sticker and 26 small "mini" stickers. The mini stickers came in four different designs. I managed to collect at least one of each scent.

What's Poppin'? (click for close-up):

Here's Dancin' Donuts (smells like cinnamon):

It's Cool Cola:

The Candy Apple Quartet:

Choco Bear:

Some assorted minis including peanut, watermelon, cherry, banana, coconut, and pineapple:

Package insert listing the six original scents:

To see the other Maxi designs check out Bubbledog's CTP guide (scroll down for Mini-Maxis). The one I'd most like to add to my collection is Mr. Coco Nut, who looks like Groucho Marx, a clever nod to the Marx Brothers' 1929 film The Cocoanuts.

Start a New Trend

2008-04-13T08:29:00.012-04:00

The most popular stickers of the '80s sticker craze were surely scratch 'n sniff stickers, and the most popular scratch 'n sniff stickers were definitely Trend's Stinky Stickers. Most pictured an anthropomorphized representation of the smell they featured, although there were some exceptions (rainbow?). Rather than scan each sticker, here is the 1983 Stinky Stickers catalog with checklist:

Front cover (when folded):

Back cover:

Dated 11/83. I turned 12 that month. I have a feeling that 12 year-old-kids today would not be interested in collecting stickers.

Some albums:

More album options:

I never used these types of albums since I preferred to keep my stickers on the backings.

The checklist, page 1 (Click for larger view. Feel free to print out. Sorry about the existing check marks.):

The checklist, page2:

And the order form:

Only $0.99 a pack! At this point there were 88 different scents. Just a year later, 104 were available, according to Bubbledog's comprehensive guide. I had 74 of the original 88 stickers. A couple years ago I picked up three sheets for a total of 77.

Candy mint:

Ketchup:

Soda:

These newer acquisitions are on glossier paper, not the matte finish of the originals. All include the Trend copyright. Curiously, I recall that stickers with the copyright were more desirable than ones without, although I now see that those without the Trend were the earlier printings.

Trend still does make Stinky Stickers, but the characters aren't the same and kids don't bother to collect them anymore.

With a Little Help from my Veggie Friends

2008-04-08T20:57:00.002-04:00

These "Veggie Friends" sparkly stickers are from Trend, famous for their Stinky Stickers (more on that later!).

I Want Candy

2008-04-06T10:09:00.003-04:00

These adorable candy stickers are from Hallmark's Ambassador line and are dated 1984. I found them at a dollar store a few years ago.

They're all so cute, but I think the tube of tiny round candies is my favorite because they remind me of Sixlets.

Shiny, Happy Peanut

2008-04-02T20:59:00.002-04:00

This shiny sticker from SandyLion is part of my early '80s sticker collection:

National Sticker Month

2008-04-01T19:51:00.003-04:00

Did you know that April is National Sticker Month? No? Well, that's because I just made it up. In fact, when you google "National Sticker Month" nothing comes up at all - until now, that is. But it seems like there should be a National Sticker Month, and April is a good candidate since it doesn't have much else going on. So I'm going to take this opportunity to showcase some great food with eyes stickers for the next 30 days.

To start us off, here's a nice sheet of giveaway stickers from Wegmans, the best grocery store ever:

Each fruit or veggie is on its own circular sticker. I got these in the mid-late 90s (perhaps I was a bit older than their target audience...). Who wouldn't strive for five if fruits and vegetables always looked this cute?

Rocky Mountain Eyes

2008-03-26T19:59:00.005-04:00

Last week I went on a business trip to Fort Collins, Colorado. I had some time to kill, so of course I went in search of food with eyes. My first discovery was this adorable strawberry mascot for IntaJuice fruit smoothies:

I had never seen this chain of smoothie stands before. They even have an online shop for cute strawberry merchandise. This particular franchise was in the food court of the Foothills Mall. This mall had what my husband and I refer to as "the stink of death." Check out it's listing at Dead Malls Dot Com under the Colorado section. One of the big anchor stores had been turned into glow-in-the-dark miniature golf!

My other food with eyes discovery was on the way home at Chicago's O'Hare Airport where I found a stand selling Hixson's Popcorn in bags adorned with this cute corn fellow, Cheerful Earfull:

The fine print indicates it's made by Mellos Peanut Company which looks like it makes some good old-fashioned treats.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T09:56:00.000-04:00

National Peanut Month

2008-03-15T16:15:00.009-04:00

March is National Peanut Month. I’d planned this post for March 1st, but somehow two weeks have disappeared, and now it’s the 15th. But that still leaves two more weeks to enjoy peanuts this month. In fact, National Peanut Month actually began as National Peanut Week in 1941 and expanded to a month-long celebration in 1974 (13 years before March also became Women’s History Month, incidentally).

You might think that Mr. Peanut would be the spokesnut for National Peanut Month, but in fact that job goes to Buddy McNutty:

Buddy no doubt appeals to kids more than stodgy old Mr. Peanut. Instead of a top hat and spats, this peanut is decked out in an informal baseball cap and sneakers. Buddy McNutty is also the star of a comic book detailing his many adventures. It turns out that a variety of Buddy McNutty merchandise is available from The National Peanut Board's Peanut Store, including this poster:This poster shows a dark time in the history of peanut production when many were forced to work under hazardous conditions for low wages in the peanut mines.

The National Peanut Board is just one peanut group of many including the Georgia Peanut Commission. This Georgian peanut definitely has a hillbilly look about him. I doubt he and Mr Peanut socialize much.

And here we have peanut oil marching along with a package of peanuts:

The Virginia Carolina Peanut Association even provides some clip art shown below:

Baseball Peanut

Sweet Valentine's Day Peanut

So for the next two weeks, remember to eat your peanuts and think of Buddy McNutty.

Come to the Kabaret!

2008-02-26T20:58:00.005-05:00

I visited Walt Disney World for the first (and so far only) time in 1995 with my sister. I scrutinized guidebooks for weeks, or maybe even months, in advance to plan the best strategy to see all the sights and beat the crowds. When I go on vacation I like to see everything there is to see. In fact, more than one person has likened a vacation with me to a ‘death march.’ Say what you will, but we don’t miss anything.

After studying all the attractions Disney World had to offer, we made a bee-line for the top one. Space Mountain? The Tower of Terror? Pirates of the Caribbean? No, The Land at Epcot Center.

I read lengthy descriptions of an animatronic show at The Land called the Kitchen Kabaret. It featured singing food, of course, including the Cereal Sisters performing “Boogie Woogie Bakery Boy.” The thought of a single attraction that combined my loves of food with eyes and music of the 1940s was almost too much. So you can imagine my shock and disappointment to find the Kitchen Kabaret gone, and replaced with Food Rocks. Yes, it was still singing food, and yes, it was thoroughly enjoyable, but for all these years I’ve had a gnawing sense of disappointment about missing the original Kitchen Kabaret. All of my careful planning was for naught.

But now, thanks to the miracle of YouTube, I have been able to fulfill my dream and see the Kitchen Kabaret! The following is a two-part, painstakingly-edited video of the Kitchen Kabaret posted by YouTube user Scottof83:

Part I

Part II

And for those of you who prefer music from the second half of the 20th Century, here is a two-part video of the Food Rocks show courtesy of YouTube user TerryT1976:

Part I

Part II

One thing that always puzzled me about my Food Rocks experience was the lack of merchandising. Every attraction at Disney World shunts you into a shop of doo-dads at the end. In this case, when I was eager to snap up some Food Rocks gear there was nothing. My only souvenir was the following peapod magnet, not expressly made for the attraction:

I now must conclude that my visit was after the Kitchen Kabaret items were removed and before Food Rocks items were introduced, as I have found plenty of evidence for their existence. In fact, an informative website about Lost Epcot shows the merchandise that was available. Naturally, I took a look at eBay to see what I could find. I was amazed to see a complete set of 8 Kitchen Kabaret pins go for $215!! Needless to say I won’t be getting any Kitchen Kabaret items any time soon, but at least I’ve seen the show now.

I was saddened to learn that Food Rocks has itself been replaced, and not by singing food, but by some bird’s eye view of beautiful scenery called Soarin’. Why anyone would want to see that is beyond me. I’m sure a 21st century update with Jel.Lo, Pea Diddy, and the Food Fighters would have been a hit.

Happy Birthday Curly Wurly!

2008-02-24T09:02:00.003-05:00

Special Happy Birthday Greetings to Maria at Curly Wurly today!

Thanks a Bunch!

2008-02-20T21:43:00.004-05:00

I’d like to say

for two recent holiday treats!

First, to Steven A. at Plastic Pumpkins for his special Valentine’s Day discourse on the mating rituals of the Busch Gardens/Old Country mascots. I’m sure this brilliant analysis will be studied by scholars for generations to come. Although, one has to wonder why animal mascots were chosen to represent the Old Country, when so many food mascots were available. Why not Bangers and Mash for England, Knockwurst and Strudel for Germany, Brie and Pâté for France and a jug of Maple Syrup for New France? Think about it.

A big thanks, also, to Sparkle Plenty at Dinosaur Casserole for this delightful Pres[id]ents’ Day present!

This amazing advertisement for Stokely’s grapefruit juice and canned fruits dates from 1937 and depicts a great moment in musical history: a young Rosemary Clooney leans out her window and hears this fruity band playing what would become her signature song, Come-On A My House.

Mr. Peanut for President

2008-02-18T10:44:00.007-05:00

Today is Presidents' Day here in the U.S.A., a day when we think back on the great leaders that shaped our country's history. One name inevitably comes to mind on this day: Mr. Peanut. While he was never actually president (the closest we've come was peanut farmer Jimmy Carter, although we do have a different sort of nut in the White House now), Mr. Peanut holds an important place in U.S. history as the following coloring book demonstrates.

Presidents of the United States to Color - A History from Washington to Johnson was a 1965 premium from Planters Peanuts, then part of Standard Brands.

Click on each picture for a full size image to print out and color. Be sure to have your "peanut tan" crayon handy. A word of caution: the following images may be disturbing to those with a phobia of life-sized, top hat-wearing peanuts.

Let's skip to the third president, Thomas Jefferson, because nothing involving Mr. Peanut happened during the terms of Washington and John Adams. Here Mr. Peanut comes on the scene in a big way, obliterating much of the original 13 colonies, which hold little interest after the Louisiana Purchase:

Also during Jefferson's presidency, Robert Fulton built the first steamboat. This feat isn't nearly as interesting as the eleven-foot-tall peanut at the helm:

Our fifth president, James Monroe, purchased Florida from Spain. He hoped it could contain the huge peanut creature which had now grown to the size of Rhode Island. Here Mr. Peanut dangles his feet in the Gulf of Mexico:

The presidency of John Quincy Adams saw the opening of the Erie Canal. Here's Mr. Peanut standing near Lock 9 in Rotterdam:

Very little of interest happened for 20 years, then Zachary Taylor became the 12th president. While you may remember him as "Old Rough and Ready," his greatest achievent was being born in Virgina, whose warm, sandy soil is excellent for growing peanuts:

Also during the term of Zachary Taylor, gold was discovered in California. The "Gold Rush" sent thousands of men and peanut men to seek their fortunes:

Nothing of importance happened for another 20 years, but then, in 1869 Mr. Peanut single-handedly built the Union Pacific Railroad:

Next, in a complete non sequitur, farmers dig up the peanut vines for shells to harden and nuts to firm:

A bunch more presidents did some stuff, culminating in the 1906 introduction of Planters Peanuts:

Suddenly going back in time, Mr. Peanut was on hand for the 1903 flight at Kitty Hawk. Although the Wright Brothers made the first "man-carrying airplane flight," Mr. Peanut was an accomplished aviator by this point:

Then a few world wars happened, a depression, some things were shot into space, and president #35 was assassinated, all of which pale in comparison to our last page - nutritious peanut products and the places Mr. Peanut grows best (everything really is bigger in Texas):

Red Malicious

2008-02-17T16:44:00.004-05:00

This ad for Comstock Pie Sliced Apples appeared in the September, 1944 issue of Woman's Day magazine.

Wouldn't this sinister apple glaring down at the finished pie make you want to buy ones already cut up in a jar? Or maybe it's just me who thinks this apple looks like PURE EVIL?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-13T18:38:00.008-05:00

I was hoping to get some cool vintage valentines on eBay like the ones Curly-Wurly posted last year, but I was too cheap. Instead we'll have to settle for two valentines I actually received plus two I made back in 1983.

From about 1980:

From 1987:

The Kool Aid Man Sings the Cole Porter Song Book

Two homemade valentines with the obligatory bad fruit and vegetable puns:

My heart 'beets' for you

We'd make a great 'pear'

Bonduelle TV-Spots

2008-02-06T22:46:00.000-05:00

An anonymous blog reader was kind enough to bring these fantastic TV-spots (that's a nice way of saying commercials!) to my attention. They are German commerials for products of the French company Bonduelle. Here's a sampling of the characters you'll see:

Click here to see these adorable commercials and more! Everything is in German, but the language of Food with Eyes is universal! Also check out the kids' section for some games including one featuring this cute pea:

A YouTube search brought up a few more Bonduelle gems:

I bet you never thought you would see vegetables singing in Polish to the tune of "Hit the Road, Jack."

In case you want to learn the words:

And here's a Polish pea doing his best Gene Kelly as other veggies look on:

The Trouble with Fat

2008-01-27T12:51:00.001-05:00

Here are more anthropomorphic foods doling out nutritional advice:

This time fruits, veggies, and whole grains are looking at the butter with concern and dismay. The poor butter is absolutely mortified. Well, he may be full of saturated fat, but at least he has no trans-fat like margarine! The original article is here.

Personalized Food with Eyes

2008-01-22T21:01:00.000-05:00

By now your New Year's resolutions may have gone by the wayside. If so, these adorable fruits and veggies in a pea pod remind you to stick to your diet:

This ad came from a Prevention magazine a few years ago. The website's still around, minus the food with eyes.

The Snack Jar Plan

2008-01-05T21:56:00.000-05:00

Mr. Peanut was not the first anthropomorphic legume to extol the virtues of peanuts as the perfect food. In 1946 the National Peanut Council produced The Snack Jar Plan in which a band of Snow-White-and-the-Seven-Dwarfs-like peanuts show us the merits of eating peanuts.

The cover:

Four peanut dwarfs (or are they elves?) pull Junior and his snack jar along while a chipmunk looks on with great interest.

Two peanut elves ride on the cuckoo clock as snack time is announced. They have apparently shed their pants for this activity.

How to decorate your snack jar:

The Jack and Jill one is rather disturbing. Peanut elf with pants turns the page.

Professor Peanut urges children to eat more:

A wise peanut owl:

Farmer peanut and his hoe:

Mr. Universe Peanut, 1946:

At the Movies with Roger Peanut:

Peanuts are an amazing food:

Especially when they have faces, talk, and ride on cuckoo clocks.

Mr. Peanut's Guide to Nutrition

2008-01-01T12:49:00.000-05:00

Happy 2008 and welcome to the second year of Food With Eyes!

If you're like most people, you've probably made some New Year's Resolutions, and one might be to eat right and exercise more. But how can you accomplish this? With Mr. Peanut's Guide to Nutrition, of course. This 1970 booklet was endorsed by Dr. Evelyn B. Spindler of the USDA who urges young readers to "give nutrition a chance."

The cover of the booklet features Mr. Peanut balancing trays of balanced meals. Look closely and you will see Planters Creamy Peanut Butter and Planters Cocktail Peanuts among the offerings. Are the two young diners looking eagerly at his trays of food or the six-foot-tall peanut between them?

Mr. Peanut - Nutritionist. Wouldn't he be Dr. Peanut, then? This page postulates that since Mr. Peanut is a nut and the first letters of nutrition are N-U-T, then clearly he is an expert on nutrition. I hate to point out the flaw in that argument, but maybe I could believe he is an expert in legumetrician.

Mr. Peanut educates us about fats and vitamins. Here he is synthesizing some Vitamin D - or dry roasting himself?

More on vitamins and minerals, including vitamin letters with eyes. Except for poor Niacin who is a 9-legged freak. That Vitamin N just never caught on.

Mr. Peanut fishing and serving as host of The Biggest Loser:

My favorite image from the whole book: Mr. Peanut as a gondolier punting along on a hot dog through the intestinal canal.

Mr. Peanut gives an anatmony lesson. Let's be happy he stopped at the large intestine.

Mr. Universe Peanut shows off:

By now you must be asking, "But Mr. Peanut, what foods should I eat for good nutrition?" And the answer? P-Nutty Cocoa and Mr. Peanut's Sloppy Joes.

An array of nutritious Planters products and Happy Birthday Mr. Peanut (best imagined as Marilyn Monroe singing). He looked good then and is still going strong at over 100 years old.

All illustrations in Mr. Peanut's Guide to Nutrition were by Leonard Kessler.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T12:59:00.001-05:00

From a Lifesighs card by Chris Shea.

God Rest Ye Merry, Yumkins

2007-12-24T10:10:00.000-05:00

As promised back in April, here are the Del Monte Country Yumkins Christmas ornaments. They were released in 1991, almost 10 years after the initial Yumkins debuted. The six plush ornaments vary from about 3 to 5 inches tall and were made by the company Greystone.

Sweetie Pea with candy cane:

Cobbie Corn in stocking:

Reddie Tomato with holly:

Lushie Peach with reindeer antlers:

Precious Pear with angel wings:

Juicie Pineapple in a Santa hat:

The popularity of the Country Yumkins continues to grow, and there is even a new Wikipedia page about the Yumkins since my post in April.

Frosty, the S'mores Man

2007-12-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

Here is one of the popular S'mores ornaments from Seasons of Cannon Falls. Two marshmallows make up his body, and he sits atop a couple of squares of Hershey's chocolate and a graham cracker.

This is one of the original, unadulterated s'mores, but if you like fancier things, a vast array of costumed s'mores are available.

We Three Things of Orient Are

2007-12-22T10:02:00.000-05:00

Today's collection of ornaments features some non-food anthropomorphic objects. I felt it was appropriate to include them in this season of peace on earth and goodwill toward all.

Here are Lumiere the Candlestick and Babette the Feather Duster from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. This ornament is by Enesco.

Here are two more Enchanted Objects from Beauty and the Beast: Mrs. Potts and her son Chip. These ornaments are by Hallmark.

And, lastly, a plush, grinning Christmas present. This ornament is by Dan Dee International Limited.

Oh, Come, All Ye Ice Cream

2007-12-21T20:31:00.000-05:00

This cheerful ice cream cone ornament is from Seasons of Cannon Falls.

Peanuts Roasting on an Open Fire

2007-12-20T19:23:00.000-05:00

Here we have a trio of Mr. Peanut ornaments. The first one, by Enesco, features Mr. Peanut with his highly-detailed nut cart:

The next ornament, also by Enesco, is Mr. Peanut posing as a nutcracker with an elfin friend:

And last, Mr. Peanut, adorned with a simple red scarf and standing by a pile of peanuts:

Hark! The Herald Hot Dogs Sing!

2007-12-19T20:09:00.001-05:00

This ornament is a hot dog featuring mustard facial features and pickle feet. He carries a stick, presumably to use for roasting himself. Nothing symbolizes the magic of Christmas like an anthropomorphic frankfurter.

It Came Upon a Mushroom Clear

2007-12-18T20:52:00.000-05:00

This happy wooden mushroom was a souvenir from Austria.

Deck the Halls with Smiling Holly

2007-12-17T10:59:00.000-05:00

Here we have another Hallmark stuffed ornament. This one, from 1982, features three smiling holly berries backed with metallic leaves.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

2007-12-16T18:00:00.000-05:00

Now that we've had our second major snowfall, and the made-in-China artificial tree is up, I'm finally in the Christmas spirit. Christmas means many things to many people, but to me Christmas has always been about food with eyes. As we count down to Christmas I'll share with you my treasured anthropomorphic ornaments. Today we have an assortment of stuffed treats from Hallmark. Made in 1986, these are in the same vein as the Crazy Crop series, but feature holiday goodies.

Here we have Peppy Peppermint:

Trudy Tree-T:

and
Cane D. Stripe

The series also features three other characters not in my collection (yet!).

Dee Licious:

Sweet Starlet:

And a lollipop whose name I don't know:

I've also found Cane D. Stripe in a larger size not meant for tree-hanging. Because you can never have enough food with eyes for the holidays.

Gaga for Yaya

2007-12-08T20:23:00.000-05:00

One of the best things about Vancouver is its large Asian population. In addition to great restaurants, this means an abundance of stores selling Asian imports you just don't see outside of large metropolitan areas. My favorite was a Japanese one-to-three dollar store called Yoko-Yaya123. NabiscoMan waited patiently while I perused this store's large stock not just once, but twice. Knowing I had limited room in my luggage, I was able to contain myself and came away with just a few choice items including the following:

Adorable vegetable lunch box dividers:

Outside of the packaging:

Each strip is thin, clear plastic to separate and decorate your lunch.

And to make your lunch even cuter, some tiny mayonnaise containers:

Out of the package:

Each one is only two inches long and has a tiny spoon for dispensing mayonnaise or other condiments. Why can't American products be this cute?