Why Chocolate on Valentine’s Day?
Based on the grocery store shelves, Valentine’s Day is all about the chocolate. But why chocolate? Why not potato chips, or cotton candy, or even a nice juicy steak? There are a couple of theories about why chocolate reigns supreme on this day of romance. One theory is that people gave chocolate because they wanted…
Read MoreNational Pizza Day- February 9th
There are not many things I like better than a hot, steaming pizza from my favorite neighborhood pizzeria, but there are nights when it’s easier to pop a frozen pizza into the oven at home. And on those nights, I thank Joseph Bucci, the unsung hero in pizza history. In 1954, Bucci was awarded a…
Read MoreHappy National Hot Chocolate Day- January 31st
Did you know that people have been enjoying hot chocolate for approximately 2,000 years? When Spanish explorers discovered the Americas in the 1500s, they met the chocolate-drinking Aztecs and Mayans in what is now Mexico. For centuries, these early civilizations had been making hot chocolate by grinding cacao beans into a paste and stirring…
Read MoreNational Peanut Butter Day- January 24th
Today we celebrate one of America’s most favorite foods with some facts about peanut butter: We eat more than seven hundred million pounds of peanut butter a year! The fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth is called arachibutyrophobia. In addition to creating corn flakes with his brother W. G.…
Read MoreHappy Fig Newton Day
January 16th was National Fig Newton Day. Let’s celebrate with some figgy facts. In 1891, Charles Roser, a baker who happened to love figs, invented a machine that squirted fig paste into dough before baking. Since the current nutrition guidelines of the times encouraged fruit and biscuits on a daily basis, this was the…
Read MoreHalloween Chocolate
According to a survey conducted by the National Confectioners Association, 70% of Americans say that their favorite kind of Halloween candy is chocolate. I’m shocked! Why isn’t it 100%? I know when I was a kid, getting anything but chocolate was a complete waste of valuable pillow-case space. But we all know that there are…
Read MoreCast Your Vote! Who Invented the Hamburger?
Lots of people claim to be the inventor of America’s favorite sandwich, but who do you think should get the credit? There are four leading contenders for the title of “Hamburger Inventor.” Vote for your favorite below. Contestant #1- “Hamburger Charlie” Nagreen of Seymour, Wisconsin. When only 15-years-old, this enterprising young man was selling food…
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