Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Halloween Costumes, Treats, and Candy Trivia


Trick or Treating, going from house to house to ask for gifts, seems to have started in England, where peasant children dressed up as prisoners to beg for coins or treats in remembrance of Guy Fawkes, who was drawn and quartered after attempting to blow up British government offices. Halloween did not become an American Hallmark holiday until the 20th century. It evolved from children going next door for a treat, to parents driving around carloads of children looking for choice neighborhoods to load up on loot.
Average sales for Halloween candy in the USA are around 2 Billion dollars per year. One quarter of all the candy sold each year is purchased between September 15 and November 10.
The most popular candy treats to receive are chocolate candy bars with Snickers being number 1. Snickers was named after the Mars family horse.
Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in the US. They debuted in 1896, introduced by Leo Hirshfield of New York, who named them after his daughter's nickname, "Tootsie."
The average American household spends about $44 each year on Halloween candy.
20 million pounds of candy corn is consumed each year. October 30th is National Candy Corn day. A cup of candy corn has fewer calories than a cup of raisins.
The original Hershey's chocolate bar was introduced in 1900.
In 1920 The Baby Ruth candy bar is first sold, named for President Grover Cleveland's daughter - not the famous baseball player.
Dubble-Bubble was invented in 1928.
The 3 Musketeers bar was introduced in 1932 and each package had three pieces of candy nouget flavored vanilla, strawberry and chocolate.
Tootsie Roll Pops are introduced in 1931 and were widely advertised as the lollipop that offers two candies in one - flavored hard candy on the outside and chewy Tootsie Roll center inside.
The 5th Avenue Bar was created by William H. Luden, the man perhaps best known for his cough drops. It was made from layers of peanut butter crunch coated in milk chocolate.
Hershey's Reese's Pieces bite-size candies are introduced in 1978 and four years later soared in popularity because of the blockbuster movie E.T.
Bobbing for apples may have originated from the harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.
A popular Halloween drink in 18th century Ireland was "lambs-wool," which consisted of roasted, crushed apples mixed into milk.
William W. Kolb invented the red candy apple in 1908. He sold the whole first batch for 5 cents each and later sold thousands yearly. Soon candied apples were being sold along the Jersey Shore, at the circus and in candy shops across the country.
Caramel apples are more popular in much of the United States, with candy apples unknown in some regions.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3006727

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Goobers Unwrapped



Take a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Goobers with Food Network's Unwrapped!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Runts Unwrapped



Go behind-the-scenes with Food Network's Unwrapped for a look at the making of Wonka Runts!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Exploring the Origin of the Snow Cone


Snow cones are a classic fat free summer delight. With a bit of shaved ice and a flavored syrup, a delicious treat is made that anyone can enjoy. Despite the prominence of this treat, most people don't know how the it came about.
Surprisingly, the ancient Romans are credited with the creation of the original version sometime between 27 BC and 395 AD. Snow was brought down from the mountaintops and flavored with syrups. Though undoubtedly considered a treat, this process was laborious and would have required great speed so that the ice didn't melt before it could be consumed. In the late 1800s to early 1900s, the creation of snow cones was revived. In this instance, ice blocks were shaved down in a manner similar to grating cheese with metal shavers, and then the syrup was added to the finished shaved ice product. Hand held shavers were produced by many manufacturers in the late 1800s. Though certainly less time consuming than hauling snow down from a mountaintop, this process was still labor intensive.
The easier incarnation of these treats came about in the early 1900s. In 1919, Samuel Bert began selling modern versions at the Texas State Fair. A year later, he invented his own version of a snow cone machine, which was able to produce the treats far more quickly than in prior attempts. He continued to sell his popular cones at the Texas State Fair until his death in 1984. Ernest Hansen in New Orleans also created his own snow cone maker in 1934. His came equipped with a motor to shave the ice quickly and evenly. He and his wife created various flavors of the syrup to be added to the ice, and opened his own business, featuring his invention. The establishment is still open to this day, and Mr. Hansen continued to work there until a year prior to his death.
Ever since snow cones became easier to make, people all over the world have come to love them, resulting in new and unique varieties of flavors and serving styles. The Japanese, for example, enjoy akizuki syrup, also known as the red bean flavor. Leche, or milk flavor, is popular in Mexico. Puerto Rico tends to serve the ice in a pyramid shape. They are especially popular in tropical and island habitats due to the high temperatures year long. Snow cones have a long and varied history and are clearly here to stay.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4508748

Monday, September 17, 2012

SNICKERS® Hunger Fouls: Nate Zegura on Drafting Sleepers



Playing fantasy football this season? Here, Nate Zegura warns you about the danger of committing hunger fouls. You're not you when you're hungry. Snickers Satisfies. Visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/snickers and Twitter www.twitter.com/snickers.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Children's Party Sweet Buffet and Candy Buffet Ideas



If you're looking for children's party sweet buffet and candy buffet ideas, you should start by deciding whether you'd like to hire a caterer or create a buffet by yourself.
A sweet buffet is a great idea for a children's party. Kids will feel like they're in a candy store and get the freedom to splurge and choose anything they want for just one afternoon. A selection of children's favourites and maybe some old time classics for the parents at the party will have everyone excited.
If you're hiring a caterer, give them an idea of how many children will be attending the party and let them know what kind of candy you want to stock the buffet with. A caterer can be expensive but will handle everything for you and can also provide a beautiful sweet cart, candy bags, scoops and sweet containers as part of the package.
Creating a candy buffet yourself for a children's party can be fun and will take up much less of your budget. With some advice and imagination you can create a magnificent sweet buffet.
If you want to create a sweet buffet for your child's party, you should consider:
  • Allergies. Be sure to ask parents of children attending whether their child has any allergies. With a sweets buffet, you never know if a child may grab a candy that they may be allergic to, so avoid common allergens to avoid any medical issues.

  • Choking hazards. Buy age appropriate candy. If you have guests of varying ages, make sure parents know that some candy might not be appropriate for younger children.

  • Buy enough candy. Buy almost a pound of candy per guest.

  • Have a way to close candy bags. Little hands can be clumsy, make sure to get containers that close so kids aren't spilling candy everywhere.

  • Be sure to make your candy buffet short enough for children to reach and scoop candy into their bags. Arrange the sweet containers so that children are not having to reach over containers to get to others. Monitor the children and help when necessary.
If you're looking for themes and children's party sweet buffet and candy buffet ideas, get inspired by your child's favourite characters. Coordinate the colour of candy with the colour of the character, and display the character on the table. Choose your child's favourite movie and have your candy coordinate with that theme. Your child's guests will love the sweet treats, and their parents will admire your creativity.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6860530