The nation once had many regional pet food brands. In my native Northern Neck, we had Huff n Puff, which was a cat food made in Reedville from the waste from that town’s menhaden haulers. Another familiar brand is Twin Pet, which still survives as a discount brand at Wal-Mart.MORE HERE

In a discussion about whether Episcopalians believe in purgatory, our parish priest asked us to consider our actions, what we practice. Regularly, we pray for the departed, and if we pray for them, and are serious about it, it means that we believe, by what we do, that we thinkMORE HERE

Today, the A&P, once the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co., and the largest grocer in the U.S., is no more. How did it get there ? Simple. It neglected its core brand, A&P, and went trudging off in all sorts of different directions in search of something new. A&PMORE HERE

MECHANICSVILLE – While it is no longer made on Hope Farm in Mechanicsville, Virginia, Mrs. Fearnow’s Brunswick Stew brand is still on the market. A great Virginia recipe, it has the proper ingredients for such a stew. In fact, the only Brunswick Stew that beats it was the Rt. Rev.MORE HERE

The original brand of saccharine sweetener, Sweet ‘n Low, is doing a major push to rebuild its brand in the wake of newer sweeteners such as Equal and Splenda. Sweet ‘n Low dates from 1957. The approach is a good one for an older brand. Above, a full page backMORE HERE

This week, we were alerted to the Spatini brand, a dry seasoning mix to help make spaghetti sauce. Apparently, its only sold to restaurants, though there is a website devoted to the brand, which apparently is owned by McCormick. Writes our BrandlandUSA reader Erica of Blackwood, N.J. I understand itMORE HERE

Just returned from my neighborhood Winn Dixie where a register printer-generated coupon informed me to look for the same taste, new look Eight O’Clock Coffee. I was appalled at the change; I thought the company had decided to retain the venerable red bag. The TATA Group, owners of the iconicMORE HERE

ALMA, Arkansas – Each summer, my grandmother in Somers, Virginia would save the watermelon rinds after we ate watermelon on the patio of the farmhouse. I never could understand it; you want to eat the flesh, but the rind? Bitter! That was until I tasted watermelon rind pickle. Yes, theyMORE HERE