Garden Party

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...

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!

Happy Birthday Wishes to Maria of Curly Wurly today!

Super Sonic

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!

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

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

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!