Good Press

I heard a few months ago that some food makers were putting less food in the same-size packages and charging the same price. Their goal is to off-set the rising cost of raw ingredients without raising prices. One of the sneakiest examples was peanut butter manufacturers increasing the "punt" (the dent in the bottom) of the jar so it holds less peanut butter but on the shelf it looks like the same jar you bought before. Sneaky, I say! Within the last couple of days, Consumer Reports and NBC Nightly News reported again on these downsized products and also noted that consumers would rather pay more for the same amount of food than the same price for less. During the same time, I heard that Girl Scouts have put fewer Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos and Tagalongs in their boxes this year. Far be it from me to slam Girl Scouts seeing as how 80 or so of my lovely friends, relatives and associates have cooperated to buy more than 330 boxes from my daughter. I am just pointing out that no one i...

This is not what I wanted my first post of the new year to be, but it's as good as any seeing as how if I wait till I have the motivation/inspiration/satisfaction/wherewithal to post something else, it may be Easter. I have to jump in somewhere. Kraft Foods is running a Super Bowl promotion right now, giving away up to $15 in coupons for Kraft products you might serve at a bowl party, including cheese, crackers and peanuts. To enter, go to http://brands.kraftfoods.com/sogoodtogether/ The first time, you'll be asked for your name and address, but you'll be spared that on subsequent visits. You can enter up to four times a day through Feb. 2. I did it four times a day for the past three or four days and just today got a message that I was a winner and my coupons would come in 2-4 weeks. Given that the Super Bowl is only 8 days away, I probably wouldn't have them in time to shop for my party if I were having one (ridiculous as I don't even have cable or satellite.) But...