After dinner we took the kids to Food4Less, our local grocery store, to restock on a few food staples for our family. While there it was hard to keep the kids away from the piles and piles of Halloween candy and Halloween decorations in every single aisle. When I finally thought I’d managed to guide the boys towards the cash register, my youngest veered to the left and yelled, Mama, you’ve gotta come see this!

We ended up in the pet food/supplies aisle (they really sell EVERYTHING in grocery stores) and the kids grabbed this cute dog toy cow off the shelf:

Toy dog black and white cow

I have to say, I was doubtful this was a cow at first glance. The weird color pattern makes it look more like a sheep than a cow to me. That’s when my five-year old accurately observed that sheep don’t have horns, therefore it had to be a cow. How can I deny simple logic? It’s a cow, and a weird but cute one, don’t you think?

Kroger nacho & taco cheese with a cow

I’m not sure what the kids are trying to feed this cow, but I’m guessing they’re apples. Mmmm, who could resist crunchy, juicy apples?

But wait, I see more shredded cheese, and more cows!

Kroger mozzarella cheese with a cow

Ah, mozzarella, just what I was looking for. Wait a minute, is this the same photo? Haha, funny. But wait, there’s more cheese, and more cows!

Kroger cheddar cheese with a cow

Alright, I get it now. Kroger uses the same kid and cow picture for all their shredded cheese packaging. Well, that makes sense. But wait, more cheese, and more cows!

Kroger monterey jack cheese with a cow

Er, what happened here? Who changed the cow picture on me??? Oh well, this shot looks cute too.

Now, I know cows are usually mellow but I’m not sure I’d let kids walk freely towards a whole herd without supervision. Would you? Those must be city kids for sure…

Red Bull POP display at Food4Less

My husband swears the Red Bull POP display (Point-Of-Purchase) has been there for a little while. As for me, this is the very first time I’ve noticed it. Quite appropriate for a week already full of Red Bull. How often do you see Red Bull in your daily life?

I live in the Central Valley and I always notice when I look up match ups for Food4less I always end up with results for the Food4Less in Southern California (which btw doesn’t accept printable coupons) . My Food4Less is in Manteca actually has totally different sales and prices than So. Cal and it does accept printables. I know for all of us Northern California people who don’t have stores that double coupons, this is a really great place to coupon. Although most of the time they don’t regularly have circulars and it seems like they randomly mark down things, so it’s a good idea to take all of your coupons or do a walk through before your shopping day.

A few of my favorite deals:

This week they are selling cases of water for $1.98

Jamba Juice Frozen Smoothies $2.48 (printable $1/1 coupon on coupons.com that makes this only $1.48) approx 2 smoothies per pack – My daughter loves these and if you have those cold cups you can make it look just like one from Jamba Juice at a rock bottom price.

Eggo waffles are $1.48 a pack

8th continent half gallon Soy Milk is temp reduced to $2.38 (printable $1/1 coupon on 8thcontinent.com making this only $1.38 for a half gallon!) Super Cheap price!

S&W beans special variety beans are $0.88 a can (use coupon $1/2 from Sunday Paper – I will update but It was in one of the June SS or RP) This makes them only $0.38 a can which is a stock up price.

I ran into cows twice today while at my local Food4Less grocery store. The first one was on the wall above the meat department.

Cow and pig together at Food4Less

This is another clear example that cows and pigs indeed are best friends and like to hang out together, even when they’re about to be chosen as dinner meat. Maybe it’s their way to show each other support when times are tough.

My other cow sighting was across the aisle, in the cheese department. These three happy, goofy-looking cows are selling yummy string cheese:

Cows on cheese stick package for Kroger

Even the package, with its cow hide pattern, sends you subliminal vibes to grab it off the shelf.

The last string cheese package I ran into at Vons also featured funny-looking cows doing cartwheels in a field. Apparently string cheese makes you do amazing things. I’ve seen the results on my kids and I’m quite impressed. It makes them hop like rabbits all over the place – that’s strong stuff. Maybe I should try it for myself, so I can keep up with them!

I noticed there are some new coupons over at Coupons.com! Click here to check them out!

Truvia
$1/1 Purina Dog and Cat Food
$1/1 Purina Fit & Trim Dog Food
$2/1 Oscillococcinum
$1/1 Children’s Chestal
And more!  Check it out!

See a cow every day with this dairy cow at Food4Less

I hate to admit it but this cow is enough to give me recurring nightmares. First it’s humongous - I really don’t feel comfortable having such a large animal staring at me when I’m refueling on milk for my family. Second, did you notice this cow had its legs chopped off??? Did the vendor simply run out of Gatorboard® and couldn’t give the sweet bovine its full body figure? That’s just freaky…

As you leave the store, you can’t help but notice the claw crane machines, especially if you’re in the company of children, as I was today. If you don’t want to see cows, stay away from claw machines because it’s a great place to spot them, and those cows are not the most good-looking ones!

Here’s the first trapped-in cow I spotted:

Dairy cow in claw machine

Hmm, it’s a cow. No, it’s a gremlin, maybe… Actually, I’m still not sure what it is. I love how it’s sitting right next to the spotted dog. Maybe they think they’re related?

I warn you for the next one – I think it’s a cow but I still have some doubts:

Purple cow in a claw machine

I guess it’s what you call a purple cow (if you a fan of the marketing guru Seth Godin, you’ll understand the analogy and want to check out Seth Godin’s Purple Cow book if you haven’t read it yet). I think Papa Smurf is keeping it good company.

Of course my kids asked me if I’d be kind enough to give them some money so they could “free” the cows from the claw machines. Nice try, but I just blog about cows, I don’t save them.

We haven’t had yogurt in the house in a while and my GM Qs are going to expire tomorrow so I wanted to buy some.

I got 12 different flavors at .44 each
1 kraft ranch dressing 1.98
- 2 6/.40 GM insert x 1/8/11
= 6.46 OOP + 1.50 Catalina from Yoplait on next trip x 1/21/11.
Final price: 4.96

I love squeezing the produce, smelling the fish and seafood selections, piling frozen veggies into my cart, harassing the butcher/deli guy to get me that one particular piece of boneless, skinless, chicken towards the front (no, not that one, the other one) of the window display, checking the sell-by dates on dairy, stocking up on kiddie cereals (Cocoa Pebbles please), hugging toilet paper, discovering new and tasty international food items, checking out the wine and soda sections…oh yes…and grabbing the latest issues of Lucky, Glamour, Marie Claire, InStyle and the late and very missed Domino.

In fact, one of my favorite memories from my college years involves Food 4 Less, a venti Starbucks in my hand, $250 worth of food in my cart and my best-friend and I goofing around the produce aisle for several hours at 2:00 a.m.

Did you know Food 4 Less was open 24/7?

The guys at the cash registers loved us. We were their late-nite entertainment.

The older ladies and store manager were not amused.

Yes, we were sober.

But I digress…

What I don’t like, is to wait in line with about a billion other cranky people…who interrupt my shopping euphoria with their misery…and that I drive a tiny japanese car with no trunk…and must shorten my shopping list…and that I live on the second floor of an apartment building and have to haul all of my groceries upstairs by myself…with no elevator.

Since I have been kinda ill lately, I have found and quickly put to use one of the most amazing services known to mankind.

The Vons.com delivery service.

It’s like internet shopping for food and it gets there the next day! At your door! Even delivered up a flight of stairs!

What…a service.

Which means that I don’t have to wait in line and can stay in my pj’s and continue watching General Hospital while someone else does the driving and lugging for me.

Happiness all around.

Yay!

Mucho love, food and laughter,

CG2CG

Here’s what I got there today!!

Ham for Easter Dinner – $19.99
Free items below:
~ free Western Family Orange Juice 64oz.
~ Hashbrowns
~ Thick Cut Sliced Bacon
~ Free Dozen Large Eggs
~ Free Slice Loaf of white family bread.

The baba ganoush turned out really well! We ate it with pita bread and veggies! Yum!