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The most popular Halloween candy in every state

The unhealthiest Halloween candies

This year, American households will drop about $2.6 billion on Halloween candy, according to the National Retail Federation. If we’re going to shell out that kind of cash, it might as well be on candy the kiddos actually want, right? Well, thankfully Candystore.com has taken the guesswork out of what to buy. Researchers at the online bulk candy retailer analyzed 12 years of sales data — particularly those sales in the weeks leading up to Halloween — to determine which candies are most popular. Of course, preferences may vary depending on where you live. Source: CandyStore.com. So what do you think? Do you agree with your state? America’s Top 10 Halloween Candies If we blur state lines and just take a look at America’s favorites as a whole, you might be surprised! Skittles Reese’s Cups M&M’s Snickers Starburst Candy Corn Hot Tamales Tootsie Pops Sour Patch Kids Hershey’s Most Halloween…

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Seasonal

Does pumpkin pie have to be refrigerated?

Does pumpkin pie have to be refrigerated?

If you only eat pumpkin pie in the fall, it’s easy to forget the rules of safely storing them. You may wonder if pumpkin and other custard-style pies can be left on the counter overnight or if you need to clear space in your fridge. And now that we’re on the topic, can pumpkin pie be frozen? Here are the answers to all your pumpkin pie problems: How to store pumpkin pie from a store This time of year you’re likely to see pumpkin pies at the grocery store sitting out on a table, rather than stacked in the fridge or freezer sections. Store-bought pumpkin pies are loaded with enough shelf-stable preservatives that they can sit out. Rule of thumb: if you purchased a pie that’s been sitting out, it can continue to sit out on your kitchen counter for a few days (or until its expiration date, if it…

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5 weird and wonderful kitchen gadgets you need right now

5-supoon

The kitchen basics are pretty easy to cover. If you have your pots, your pans, and a few mixing bowls,  you can whip up pretty much anything you want in some form. But there are many less-traditional tools that make cooking faster and way more fun. It’s time to explore more than just your standard spoons and spatulas and find new solutions that can fix common cooking annoyances. Here are our 10 favorite kitchen gadgets that are worth a glance: 1. A Guacamole Bowl The problem: Your guac turns brown within a few hours. The solution: The Fresh Guacamole Keeper keeps your guac fresh and green for days. No, really! The lid presses down on top of the avocado, pushing out the air, and creating a seal on top. That brown layer never has a chance to form. Where to buy it: Guac Bowl, $12.99. 2. Pineapple Corer The problem: Preparing…

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Seasonal

Easy Tie-dye Easter Eggs

Easy Tie-dye Easter Eggs_4

When Easter rolls around, everyone wants to get in on the fun of dying eggs. It’s a much-anticipated spring holiday tradition for many kids and families. Some treat it lightly, purchasing the dye kit at the grocery store, happy to apply some soft colors to those crisp, white eggshells. Others, like myself, take the tradition way too seriously. When I dye eggs, I want COLOR! … and I want my eggs to be cooler than everyone else’s eggs. I get competitive when it comes to art projects. I know, weird. But every year I try new fun ways of dying eggs. This year tie-dye is making a comeback, so I thought, “why not eggs, too!” Tie-dye eggs are as easy as wrapping eggs in textured paper towels and dotting them with food coloring, then spritzing them with water. Giving each egg a light squeeze ensures that the paper towel transfers…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Super Simple Shepherd’s Pie

Super Simple Shepherd's Pie_meghan Rodgers_2

A 20-minute dinner doesn’t get much better than this classic Irish comfort food. It’s perfect for your St. Paddy’s Day celebration, but it’s plenty delicious enough to make all year long. Shepherd’s Pie is one of those foods you’ll find on any March 17 restaurant menu. You’re practically required to eat it at some point in the month of March. It has become as synonymous with the St. Patrick’s Day celebration as pints of green beer — which is to say, that neither the green-dyed drinks nor this beef-based dinner are exactly Irish. Traditional Shepherd’s Pie uses lamb or mutton (It’s Cottage Pie that uses beef). But here in the U.S., we’ve definitely put our own spin on the holiday, so I think this dish gets a pass, too. I like to cut corners with this recipe and get everything pre-chopped so all I have to do is brown some…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

10 recipes with beer you need to make for St. Patrick’s Day

10 recipes with beer you need to make for St. Patrick's Day-featureCredit: Slow Cooker Gourmet

You may like to crack open a cold one while you’re cooking, but on March 17, beer is the celebrated drink of the day. Let it inspire your cooking. Enjoy the distinct flavor of your favorite Irish brew at mealtime with one of these popular beer-infused dishes. And don’t worry, the alcohol is cooked out of the recipe, so you’re still free to cheers to St. Paddy with a few extra pints. Also, learn to make the original Irish Coffee. Beer and honey BBQ Chicken Skewers Let these beer beauties marinated overnight, then grill the next day. Recipe here.  Irish BeeF and Guinness Stew Guinness stew is traditionally made with lamb, but you’ll love this delicious big, chunky beef version. Check out the recipe. Slow Cooker Beer Mac & Cheese How do you improve upon mac and cheese? Beer, of course! Get the recipe here. Beer butter mushrooms These smooth and…

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Seasonal

What is corned beef and why do we eat it on St. Patrick’s Day?

What is corned beef and why do we eat it on St. Patrick's Day?

Dig your “Kiss me I’m Irish” T-shirt from the drawer, get ready to guzzle pints of green beer, and crank up your Crock Pot for corned beef and cabbage because St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. Wait… what’s that you say? None of these things are actually Irish? You would be correct. They’re about as Irish as a McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. The now iconic T-shirts are for sale only in touristy gift shops. The Irish would never pollute good beer with green dye, and while they do eat corned beef and cabbage sometimes, they’re probably not sitting down and eating it on March 17. So how did this meal become synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day — especially in the United States? The Irish have a long history with cattle that shaped their views of eating beef in general. From early on, cows were not slaughtered for their meat…

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Peeps debuts 7 new fun flavors for Easter, including cotton candy

8 New Peeps Flavors are hatching this spring

Love them or hate them, is it even Easter without Peeps? The iconic marshmallow candies have been filling Easter Baskets for decades, but this year parent company Just Born is releasing seven new flavors just in time for the 2019 holiday, including: Cotton Candy, Pancakes and Syrup, Orange Sherbet Dipped in Crème Flavored Fudge, Root Beer Float, Chocolate Caramel Swirl, Blue Raspberry, and Vanilla Crème. See new Peeps flavors from last year. The new flavors come in the classic chick shape and are currently rolling out in stores nationwide from now until Easter. If you’re looking to stock up, some of the new flavors are available only at select stores, so you’ll have to go on a bit of a hunt — good practice for finding your Easter basket later! Root Beer Float can only be found at Kroger, Blue Raspberry are excluding to Walmart, and Vanilla Crème and Chocolate…

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Seasonal

5 Irish Foods You’re Basically Required to Eat on St. Patrick’s Day

5 Irish Foods You're Basically Required to Eat on St. Patrick's Day_corned_beef

If you’re decking yourself out in green from head-to-toe and heading out to a local pub this St. Patrick’s Day, you might as well enjoy the foods most associated with Ireland. Also see, the recipe to  make the original Irish Coffee. Sheperd’s pie Shepherd’s Pie was born of frugal housewives looking for ways to repurpose leftovers their husbands would otherwise turn up their noses at. Recipes vary widely, but they share a basic structure — mashed potatoes at the bottom and top and minced meat in the middle. A Cottage Pie is a similar creation that contains beef, but a true Shepherd’s Pie will use lamb or mutton. Irish Soda Bread Irish Soda Bread has all the earmarks of being the product of a poor country. It’s made with the most basic ingredients: flour, baking soda, soured milk, and salt. Before baking, a cross is cut into the top to…

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Why conversation hearts will be missing this Valentine’s Day

Why conversation hearts will be missing this Valentine's Day

This year you might have to find another way to ask your sweetie to “Be Mine” or “Kiss Me.” Valentine’s Day’s most popular candy, SweetHearts, those tiny heart-shaped confections printed with terms of endearment, won’t be produced. New England Confectionary Company (Necco) annually made more than eight billion (13 million pounds) of the tiny hearts in the six weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, but despite a great effort to save the oldest continually operating candy company in the country, NECCO was shut down in 2018. With Necco dead, so too are SweetHearts — for now anyway. Competing brands offer rival ripoffs of the iconic heart candies, but SweetHearts is the original, most recognized and favored brand. SweetHearts’ hold strong sentimental value for many people in the U.S. and their sales were the strongest — by a long shot. Any SweetHearts products you find online or in stores this year…

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