Jeff Houck

The Tampa Tribune’s food writer since 2005, Jeff Houck covers the way people live through their food. He also hosts the Table Conversations food podcast and believes that everything crunchy is good.

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• USF Poly senate expresses alarm at independence bill in the Legislature
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• Slutty Brownies, Homemade Snickers And Bacon-Wrapped Beef Hot Dogs [This Week’s Weekend Eats]
• USF Poly board member quits, saying USF is scuttling the “Poly model”
• Decision 2012: Florida’s Pizza Primary [Every Slice Of Newsroom Pie Tells A Story]
• USF gets big grant for veterans research
• Merlot Jelly, Korean Fried Chicken and Grand Marnier Souffle [This Week’s Weekend Eats]
• Researchers say cell phone waves can reverse Alzheimer’s
• Klasko and Obama grip and grin
• Genocide, memory and art the focus of USF conference
• Poly announces budget cuts; fires top administrators
• Debate turns into test of free speech. Some students failed.
• Homemade Potsticker, Pulled Pork With Fried Egg, And Unstuffed Pork Chops [This Week’s Weekend Eats]
• What’s up with the USF debate?

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Scooping Up After-Valentine’s Day Bargains [No Romance, Just SAVINGS!]

Posted Feb 15, 2010 by Jeff Houck

Updated Feb 15, 2010 at 02:19 PM

Valentine’s Day is about love and romance.

The day after Valentine’s Day? That’s about discount candy and misfit stuffed animals.

A visit Monday morning to several Walgreens and CVS Pharmacies revealed prices slashed 30 to 50 percent as managers tried to make room for Easter candy and trinkets.

Some stuff just wouldn’t sell, no matter how desperate shoppers got. They included:

Can’t figure out why this didn’t sell.

Maybe the word “lenticular” on the cover threw off shoppers. It didn’t help that they were next to…

... unpurchased “High School Musical” Valentines featuring actor Zac Efron.

This figurine that looked more like a cartoon venereal disease than a loving embrace.

Deformed, elephant-shaped marshmallow lollipops. (Girls love it when they’re compared to giant land mammals.)

A heart-shaped box of Whitman’s chocolates that plays a Toby Keith song. Only it didn’t. That probably was a blessing.

A musical greeting card featuring a hamster decked out in cowboy hat and boots. Upon opening, it performed “My Guy” by Mary Wells. Who said romance is dead?

“Kissable” body spray paint. Conclusion: Graffiti artists may be romantic, but even they want the day off.