Wednesday, May 4, 2005

My Life So Far (This Week...)

I lead such an exciting life. Today, I went to a job interview. I hate job interviews. There was about a six-year span of my life when all I DID was go to job interviews. And get jobs. And leave jobs. I hopped off that merry-go-round four years ago when I started my business. But I currently find myself with time on my hands and the need for some extra cash, so a-hunting I will go. I’m almost hoping for no success…

Don’t think the business isn’t going well, though. The highlight of my week—and this is why I say I lead such an exciting life—has been the discovery of an important ingredient for one of my pastry pocket sandwiches, on sale at a local discount grocery store for a quarter of the regular price. That will improve my food cost on that item by over 6%. Woo-hoo! I almost high-fived the entire staff of the store. Of course they thought I was crazy…buying 37 one-pound packages of Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing mix. "Um…making a BIG meal…?" asked the clerk. "Don’t ask…" I giggled as I scraped my 37 bags back into their boxes and danced out of the store.

The highlight of my husband’s week happened at the same store. Hubs and I cannot live without ice cream. Proximity to the nearest Dairy Queen has been an important element in all our home-buying decisions.. After we joined Weight Watchers, a life without our daily ice cream fix stretched on before us, bleak and arid, until we discovered "Skinny Cow." Low-fat ice cream that actually tastes like something besides sand and ice crystals suspended in watered-down milk. Husband swears he would never have made it to goal without Skinny Cow.

Suddenly, just after Christmas, Fred Meyer stopped carrying Skinny Cow. Husband was horrified! He marched to the service desk to complain. They told him the company had…gasp…discontinued the product; he nearly fainted. He emailed the company. They sent him coupons…for everything else they sell, but were sorry, they would no longer be making the half-gallons of ice cream that husband lived for every day. He was crushed.

When the discount grocery store put up a "coming soon" sign at the empty storefront down the street, husband counted the days until the Grand Opening.  It was his last hope for Skinny Cow. (This little chain of stores sells stuff like manufacturer’s overruns at big discounts.)  We sauntered nonchalantly into the new store on Saturday, hardly daring to get our hopes up.  Wonder of wonders…Eureka! There in the freezer case resided carton upon carton of husband’s life’s blood. For less than half the price we had been paying at Fred Meyer.

We bought eight cartons. And another six last night. Along with my 37 bags of stuffing mix. I’m sure we already have quite the reputation with the store staff… But we are happy little campers tonight!

12 comments:

  1. Dare I ask what kind of stuffed sandwich takes stuffing mix. Congrats on the Skinny Cow find.

    Jackie

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  2. I've never heard of Skinny Cow, and you've made me hungry.  I"ve got brownie fudge frozen yogurt in the freezer and it's calling me now.  Congrats on the buys.  Did you like the potential job?

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  3. Why does it always seem that the very product you discover and like is very often "discontinued"?  It's very frustrating...happens to me frequently.  I've seen the Skinny Cow products in stores around here but have never tried them.  You've given me hope that they're worth checking out.  Thanks!

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  4. Oh No!  I can't believe it!  Skinny Cow is great.  Oh well, back to sugar free popsickles.

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  5. Lisa,

    That's so funny. It certainly does sound exciting. Enjoy the ice-cream!

    dave

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  6. Skinny Cow, huh?  Sounds like an oxymoron I could live with.

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  7. Do you have Winco in OR??  They sell it at a good price....and did you know Costco sells it too???



    I love skinny cow.  Still a fat cow but on my way.

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  8. Hi Lisa-
    I am the same way about ice cream. I eat ice cream everyday, yes everyday! I only eat one kind: Haagen Dazs "Dulce de Leche". It's just heaven. Its this rich, creamy ice cream with caramel. So deliciuous. If they ever got rid of it, I would just faint way with heartbreak....LOL Eating this very fattening Haagen Dazs everyday, I truly should way a lot. Thank God I have a good metabolism and I'm thin. Once in a great while I like Albertson's brand of frozen yogurt, but it has to be vanilla or even vanilla ice cream (but the ice cream vanilla has to be vanilla bean, big difference to me...ha ha).

    Anyway, was so glad to hear that I was not the only ice cream freak. My hubby could care less and has never understood my ice cream fettish. Oh well, he is missing out.

    Have a wonderful weekend,
    Gayla

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  9. You Do lead an exciting life!  37 pounds of Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing mix and 14 cartons of low fat ice cream?  You'll be lucky if Homeland Security doesn't come to investigate suspicious purchasing activity, and accuse you of conspiring to build dirty bombs...

    (Who you calling a 'skinny cow'....?  ;D

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  10. LOL about the ice cream...Funny, we always live very close to Dairy Queen's...

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  11. Hmmm....we have the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches here. I have never been one to buy them but my roommates used to. They were good but my favorite is Bryers All Natural Vanilla and the calorie count really isn't all that bad - maybe 150 per serving.

    Considering food costs. Wow! I haven't thought in those terms since I was a restaurant manager. That and labor costs really are a big deal when you're trying to turn a profit. So....YEAH!!! for you! :-) ---Robbie

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  12. Sounds like you visited the store at precisely the right time and what a great name for that ice cream!!!!   Kristi

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