• New York Times, Friday, November 26, 2010 9:15 AM

Short on cash, many are dining and partying at home so the companies that market packaged foods like soup, candy, soft drinks, flour, canned and frozen vegetables, gravy, coffee, cake mixes, broth and cookies are out to reach them with bigger advertising budgets.

House-Autry is inviting cooks to enter a holiday contest, called I'm Dreaming of a Fried Christmas, by uploading video clips. The company is also asking consumers to visit Facebook and join an organization named the Southern Cooking Preservation Society.

Pinnacle Foods Group is introducing bottles of its Mrs. Butterworth's syrup in three Christmas designs - the first time in the brand's 50-year history it has been dressed for the holidays - and bringing out a range of dessert toppings, Amazing Glazes, under the Duncan Hines name.

Godiva Chocolatier in New York has a new line, Godiva Gems, which is priced lower than traditional Godiva offerings.

Campbell Soup Company has online ads, iAds for the Apple iPad, applications for smartphones and a presence in social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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