It's The Economy, Stupid!

Minnie Bee's Rant:

     Honestly, being a liberal, I have always thought that social conservatives were out of touch with present day society.  Now, I don't know what to think.  Are they bi-polar? Government is "too big," except when it's in your bedroom, your doctor's examining room, and your church, synagogue, temple, or mosque?  In those most private of places, should government have the final say?  What about the Bill of Rights?...the Constitution?...free will? - the quality that allows us to reason and make decisions, and sets us apart from other life forms.  On the one hand, for example,  "Obama Care" is bad because health care is not the role of government; on the other hand, it's all right for the government to require women to submit to examinations of their bodies that they don't want and don't need.

     In the meantime, while the mind-boggling discourse on social issues continues, fueled by the Republican presidential candidates, the most important issues on most people's minds - the economy and jobs - are un-discussed, overlooked, and neglected.  Do these Republican candidates have any ideas on how to help the economy or create jobs?  Apparently not.  Maybe that is why they are trying to divert the attention of the American voter to social issues that were settled, or should have been settled, in the twentieth century. 

     While the Republican primary continues in full swing, and seems to be, as William Faulkner wrote, "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing," President Obama keeps whittling away at the economic issues that plague us, crafting additional plans for manufacturing and tax incentives to help the U.S. economy and create U.S. jobs, and loan modification programs to help the American homeowner who is in trouble.  The actions the President already has taken, such as the auto industry bailout, payroll tax cuts, and health care reforms, are already helping the American middle class.  Unemployment is decreasing, and jobs, especially those in the manufacturing sector, are increasing.  I guess the Republican candidates don't want us to notice that.

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We create and keep U.S. jobs when we demand, promote, and buy Made in USA goods and products.  Check out our shopping list below and replace one, two, or three of the foreign-made products you usually buy with one, two, or three of these products.  As always, check labels before buying, and feel free to post your own research to this blog. Remember, "distributed by" or "manufactured by" does not mean that it was made here, regardless of the company address. It must state that it was made in or a product of the USA!

Note: I have added some new categories - mostly non-food items.  In the coming weeks, I will continue to add categories, as well as make new recommendations for "Made in USA" products. 

Minnie Bee's "Made in USA" Shopping List:

* = new recommendation

**= new category

Beverages

·         Inko's 100% Natural White Iced Tea - Made in USA by Inko's White Iced Tea, New York, NY

Candy

·       Necco Wafers, Clark Bars, Mighty Malt Malted Milk Balls, Mary Janes, Canada Mints, Valentine Conversation Hearts and other candy products - Made in USA by New England Confectionery Co. (NECCO), Revere, MA

·         AmeriCandy - Made in USA by AmeriCandy Co., Inc., Louisville, KY

·         Bissinger's Candy - Made in USA by Bissinger's, St. Louis, MO

·         Hammond's Candies - Made in USA by Hammond's Candy Factory, Denver, CO

·         See's Candies - Made in USA by See's Candy Shops, Inc., Carson, CA

·         Stewart Candy - Made in USA by Stewart Candy Co., Waycross, GA

·         Sweet's Candy - Made in USA by Sweet Candy Co., Salt Lake City, UT

·         Wolfgang Candy - Made in USA by Wolfgang Candy Co., Inc., York, PA

·         Red Vines - Product of USA by American Licorice Co., Union City, CA

·         Mike & Ike, Hot Tamales - Made in USA by Just Born, Inc., Bethlehem, PA

Canned Vegetables

·         Margaret Holmes canned vegetables - Product of USA by McCall Farms, Effingham, SC

·         Del Monte canned vegetables (check labels, not all cans bear the "packed in USA" statement!) - Packed in USA by Del Monte Foods, San Francisco, CA

Cereal (Hot)

·         Safeway Instant Oatmeal - Made in USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

·         Maypo Maple Oatmeal and Wheatena hot cereal - Made in USA by Homestat Farm, Ltd., Dublin, CA

·         Old Wessex Creamy Oat Bran, Irish-Style Oatmeal, and 5-Grain Cereal - Made in USA by Old Wessex, Inc., Providence, RI

·         Nature's Path Hot Oatmeal - Made in USA by Nature's Path Foods, Inc., Blaine, WA

Cereal Bars

·         Eating Right Oats & Peanut Butter Bars - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Pleasanton, CA

·         Safeway Variety Pack Chewy Granola Bars, Safeway Chewy Pretzel Bars - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Pleasanton, CA

·         Eviro Kidz Bars - Product of USA by Nature's Path Foods, Blaine, WA

·         Annie's Organic Granola Bars - Product of USA by Annie's, Berkeley, CA

·         Nature's Path Granola Bars - Product of USA by Nature's Path Foods, Blaine, WA

Cheese

·         Sargento's cheese - Product of USA by Sargento Foods, Inc., Plymouth, WI

**Clothing

·         Beyond Clothing - Made in USA by Beyond Clothing, Seattle, WA

·         Eagle Sportswear - Made in USA by Eagle USA, Wendell, NC 

·         Red Ants Pants - Made in USA by Red Ants Pants, White Sulphur Springs, MT 

·         Wearable Integrity - Made in USA by Barbara Lesser, Los Angeles, CA

Coffee

·         New England Coffee - Made in USA by New England Tea and Coffee Co., Inc., Malden, MA

Coffee Creamer

·         Silk Creamer - Made in USA by WhiteWave Foods, Broomfield, CO

**Computer  Printer Paper

·         Printworks Multipurpose Paper - Made in USA by Paris Business Products, Westhampton, NJ

·          up & up Multipurpose Printer Paper - Made in USA by Target Brands,
Inc., Minneapolis, MN

·         Hemmi Papilio Decal Paper - Made in USA by Hemmi Papilio Supplies LLC, Decatur,
TX

Condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, salsa, BBQ sauces & marinades)

·         Original Juan Mayonnaise, BBQ Sauce, Hot Sauce, Salsa – Made in USA by Original Juan Specialty Foods, Kansas City, KS

·         French's Mustard - Made in USA by French's Foods, Reckitt Benckiser, Inc., Parsippany, NJ

·         Heinz Tomato Ketchup ((check labels, not all bottles bear the "Mfd. in USA" statement!) - Manufactured in USA by H.J. Heinz Co., L.P., Pittsburgh, PA

Cooking Oil

·         California Olive Ranch Olive Oil - Product of California, USA by California Olive Ranch, Inc., Oroville, CA

Cookies

·         Safeway Chocolate Teddy Bear Cookies, Grin & Bear It! - Product of USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

·         Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Baked Graham Snacks (all flavors) - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farms, Inc., Norwalk, CT

Crackers

·         Pepperidge Farm (all crackers, Goldfish crackers, and crisps) - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farms, Inc., Norwalk, CT

·         Westminster Crackers - Made in USA by Westminster Cracker Co., Rutland, VT 

·         Ry-Krisp Crackers - Made in USA by Bremner Food Group, Princeton, KY

·         Breton crackers (all except Vinta and Breton Minis) - Made in USA by Dare Foods USA, Spartanburg, SC

·         Streit's matzo -  Product of USA by Aron Streit, Inc., New York, NY

Dips, Hummus

·         Sabra Hummus -Product of USA by Sabra Dipping Co., LLC, White Plains, NY

Dried Fruit

·         Craisins - Made in the USA by Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Lakeville-Middleboro, MA

Fruits and Vegetables

·         Fruits and vegetables that are "Product /Produce of USA," including "locally grown" fruits and vegetables (as they come into season.)

·         *Clem'n Tina's Mandarin  Oranges -  Produce of USA by SunWest, Parlier, CA

·          Classic Dover Strawberries - Product of USA by Mike Lott Farm, Seffner, FL (also other FL strawberry farms-check labels)

·         *Cuties Mandarin Oranges - Produce of USA by Cuties Cooperatives, Bakersfield, CA 

Fruit and Vegetable Wash

·         All Natural Veggie Wash Fruit and Vegetable Wash - Made in USA by Beaumont Products, Inc., Kennesaw, GA

**Hair Care Products

·         California North Hair Care Products - Made in USA by California North, Sausalito, CA

·         J Beverly Hills Hair Care Products - Made in USA by Juan Juan, Beverly Hills, CA

·         Pureology Serious Color Care - Made in USA by Purelogy Research LLC, Irvine, CA

·         Alterna Professional Haircare - Made in USA by Alterna Professional Haircare, Beverly Hills, CA

Mac n' Cheese

·         Annie's Macaroni and Cheese - Made in USA by Annie's, Inc., Napa CA

Meals/Frozen Dinners

·         Annie's Skillet Meals - Made in USA by Annie's, Inc., Napa, CA

Milk and Milk Products

·         Silk Soymilk - Made in USA by WhiteWave Foods, Broomfield, CO

**Notebook Paper

·         Office Depot notebook paper - Made in USA by ???

·         Roselle notebook paper - Made in USA by Roselle Paper Co., Roselle, NJ

·         Top Flight 81/2 x 11 spiral notebooks (only) - Made in USA by Top Flight, Chattanooga, TN

·         Smart Living notebook paper (only) - Made in USA by American Sales Co., Lancaster, NY

**Notebooks, Spiral

·         up&up spiral notebooks - Made in USA by Target Brands, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

·         Basic spiral notebooks; Norcom composition books; Basic notebook paper, Norcom notebook paper - Made in USA by Norcom, Inc., Griffin, GA

Paper Products

·         Vanity Fair Premium Napkins -  Made in USA by Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, LP, Atlanta, GA

·         up & up paper plates, bowls - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

**Pencils and Pens

·         Pilot Easy Touch retractable pens (only) - Made in USA by Pilot Corp. of America, Jacksonville, FL

·         USA Gold "The Write Dudes" wood case pencils (only) - Made in USA by USA Gold (Mega Brands), Lewisburg, TN

·         General's wood case pencils - Made in USA by General Pencil Co., Jersey City, NJ

Pizza, Frozen

·         Freschetta Pizza, Red Baron Pizza - Made in USA by Schwan Food Co., Marshall, MN

Power Bars

·         Eating Right Nutrition Bar - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

·         Kind and Kind Plus Fruit and Nut Bars - Product of Kind Healthy Snacks, New York, NY

Salad Dressing

·         Annie's Salad Dressing - Made in USA by Annie's, Inc., Napa, CA

·         Bragg Healthy Vinaigrette - Product of USA by Bragg Live Food Products, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA

**Shirts

·         Bayside Apparel - Made in USA by Bayside USA (union), Anaheim, CA

**Skin Care Products

·         St. Ives 100% Moisturizer - Made in USA by St. Ives Laboratories, Inc., Los Angeles, CA

Snacks

·         popchips - Made in USA by popchips, San Francisco, CA

·         Pretzel Crisps - Made in USA by Snack Factory, Princeton, NJ

·         Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, Baked Naturals, cracker chips - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farm, Inc., Norwalk, CN

·         Stacy's Pita Chips - Made in USA by Stacy's Pita Chips, Dallas, TX

Soups, canned and packets

·         Nature's Promise "Naturals" soup - Product of USA by Foodhold USA, LLC, Landover, MD

·         Campbell's Chunky, Select Harvest, and Condensed soups (canned and microwaveable) - Cooked in USA by Campbell's Soup Co., Camden, NJ

·         Shore Lunch soup mix - Made in USA by Sportsman Recipes, Inc., Rome, GA

·         Streit's Matzo Ball and Soup mix, and Egg Drop soup mix - Product of USA by Aron Streit, Inc., New York, NY

·         Manischewitz Ball Soup, and Matzo Balls in Broth (canned in glass jars), and Matzo Ball and Soup mix - Product of USA by The Manischewitz Co., Secaucus, NJ

·         Safeway soup mix - Product of USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

Soup Bowls and Cups

·         Maruchan Ramen, Instant Lunch, and Yakisoba soups - Made in USA by Maruchan, Inc., Irvine, CA

·         Annie Chun's soup bowls - Product of USA by Annie Chun, Inc., San Rafael, CA

·         Eating Right soup cups - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

·         Dr. McDougall's soup cups - Product of USA by Dr. McDougall's Right Foods, San Francisco, CA

Soup Stocks

·         Kitchen Basics Vegetable, Chicken, Seafood, and Beef cooking stock - Product of USA by Kitchen Basics, Brecksville, OH

Storage Bags and Wraps

·         Glad Press'n Seal - Made in USA by The Glad Products Co., Oakland, CA

·         up & up storage bags - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

·         up & up aluminum foil - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

Syrup

·         locally-made syrups - Made in USA by farms in VT, NY and PA

·         Archer Farms Pure Maple Syrup - Product of USA and Canada by Target Brands, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

·         Wegman's Organic Maple Syrup - Product of USA and Canada by Wegman's Food Markets, Inc., Rochester, NY

Toaster Pastries

·         Nature's Path Toaster Pastries - Product of USA by Nature's Path Foods, Inc., Blaine, WA

·         Pantry Essentials Toaster Pastries - Product of USA by Lucerne Foods, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

Vinegar

      ·         Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar - Product of USA by Bragg Live Food Products, Inc., 
           Santa Barbara, CA

**Vitamins

      ·         vita fusion calcium gummy vites - Made in USA by northwest natural products,

           Vancouver, WA

      ·         up&up adults' gummy calcium dietary supplement with vitamin D; up&up calcium + 

             vitamin D chews - Made in USA by Target Corp., Minneapolis, MN

      ·         Citracal with vitamin D plus magnesium tablets; Citrical calcium + D3 caplets; Citracal

             calcium gummies with D3 - Made in USA by Bayer, Morristown, NJ