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A short but sweet history of Hershey’s kisses

The year was 1907. Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States, Oklahoma had been admitted as 46th state in the Union, and Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses came into the nation’s collective candy-loving conscious. Hershey’s has been planting its chocolaty kisses on Americans for more than 110 years. Today, the bite-sized candy is the 5th most popular chocolate brand in the country, with sales topping $400 million. To keep up with demand, more than 60 million Hershey’s Kisses are produced each day between the company’s two factories. So how exactly did this iconic candy get its lovable name? While no one alive today was there to witness the first bottom-heavy, bite-sized, chocolaty blob hit the conveyor belt, urban lore has it that the tasty treat was named for the lip-smacking sound the machinery made when dropping the melty chocolates during the manufacturing process. Naysayers argue that the word “kiss” had been a…

Learn to build a charcuterie board like a pro

During the holidays, when we’re almost guaranteed to be entertaining, the charcuterie board is a brilliant way to keep guests satisfied until the main course comes out. It’s the ultimate make-ahead appetizer, giving guests a fabulous feast without wasting any precious space in the already over-worked oven. In case you’re unfamiliar, or have trouble pronouncing it (like me and everyone else), it’s shar-kood-er-ee. But you can make it easy on yourself and just call it a cheeseboard. (Technically a cheeseboard is primarily cheese, while ‘charcuterie’ is the French word that refers just to the cured meats. But most people today use the terms interchangeably.) The larger platters are more appropriately named for the types of items that are included. Italians call it ‘antipasti.’ Greeks call it ‘mezze.’ Spanish call it ‘tapas.’ It’s all pretty much the same idea — small servings of each culture’s take on breads, spreads, meats, cheeses and snackable fruits and veggies,…

Places to pick your own apples and pumpkins near Pittsburgh

Well, that was fast. Summer is officially over, and soon the air will become chilly and night longer. But while you were out having fun in the sun, local farmers were tending to their pumpkin patches and apple orchards, so they’re ready to meet the demand of the new season. If you live in the Pittsburgh area, you’re lucky to have a handful of places to pick your own (PYO) apples and pumpkins right from the farm. Many of the pick your own below farms are hosting fall festivals too, so be sure to call ahead or visit online if you want to attend on a day where your family can participate in other fall favorite activities like hayrides and corn mazes — usually held on weekends through the end of October. So grab a jug of apple cider, and head out in to a local farm for some old fashioned fall…

Warm weather brings maple syrup shortage

This weekend I couldn’t feel my face as I skied down the fresh, powdery slopes. Seven days earlier, I was rummaging through packed away summer wear in pursuit of a sundress for the 78º day. This fickle weather is causing concern for crops in the Northeast and Midwest regions of America. There are confused cherry blossoms in Washington, peaches popping up in Kentucky and blueberries growing way-too-early in Michigan. While you might be loving the early sandal season, most crops can’t appreciate the weird weather the way you do. One of those crops is maple syrup. Some farmers believe there will be up to a 75 percent decrease in production this year because of the unseasonably warm start. The reduced sap flow could be devastating to farmers relying on the crop as income. Last week, the Wall Street Journal wrote a thorough report on the state of the maple syrup harvest. The farmers expressed their…