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Patriotic Rice Krispie Treats Flags are perfect for summer holidays

Serve these Patriotic Rice Krispie Treats Flags this summer and you’ll be waving goodbye to them in no time! You’re never too old for Rice Krispie Treats — especially when they’re this fun! Try these red, white, and blue beauties at your patriotic summer party. These Flags aren’t difficult to make, but they do require three separate batches of Krispies — one for each color. You’ll also need to wait for them to harden a bit before cutting. But the results are worth it. Aren’t they too irresistible not to make this summer? I found the little edible star decorations at my everyday grocery store, so you might have some luck at yours, too. White or silver would have been nice. I only found gold, but figured that I think that works, too! Star-spangled Rice Krispie Treats Ingredients 1 large box Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal 3 10-ounce bags of mini marshmallows…

10 foods you didn’t know were actually American

American cuisine, the great melting pot, is known for adopting foods from all over the world as its own. But there are plenty of foods invented in the United States that you might wrongfully assume come from other cultures. No matter where a dish is born, it doesn’t make it any less delicious. So let’s give credit where credit is due. Here are 10 “foreign” foods that are actually American inventions. 1. German Chocolate Cake The name might bring to mind decadent Bavarian pastries, but this coconut-pecan frosted chocolate cake owes its name not to the country of Germany, but to an English-born candy maker named Samuel German. German developed a type of making chocolate for the Massachusetts-based Baker’s Chocolate Company — his employer at the time. The product was marketed as “Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate.” In 1957, a Dallas housewife, Mrs. George Clay, used the chocolate in a recipe she…

What’s the difference between an English muffin and a crumpet?

When it comes to breakfast breads, most of us are carb-loving connoisseurs. Toasts like wheat, rye, and sourdough are just the beginning. Scones, muffins — both blueberry and bran, biscuits and bagels make their way into our morning meal more commonly than we’d care to admit.  And of course you know the English muffin. It’s the sturdy, humble base to your oozing Eggs Benedict and the spongy exterior of your McDonald’s McMuffin. English muffins, and all of these other common carbs, are sold in the bakery and bread aisles of just about any grocery store nationwide. So that leaves the crumpet.  What the heck is it? You’ve probably joked about tea and crumpets in your best stuffy-English accent before, but did you really know what you were talking about? Have you actually ever seen one in the States? English muffins and crumpets are two entirely different creatures, but they have…

10 delicious facts you never knew about Girl Scout cookies

Just in time to spoil your New Year’s Resolution, badge-covered vest wearing Girl Scouts arrive at your door with their brilliant fundraising idea — cookies.  Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs: You know you can’t resist. If you haven’t placed your order yet this year, better hurry. More than 2.6 million Girl Scouts in the United States will be turning in their cookie orders soon. And while you’re looking forward to receiving your cookies sometime in weeks that follow, its also worth reflecting on the storied past of these iconic cookies. The entrepreneurial cookie initiative dates back a whole lot further than you might expect. So listen up and earn your merit badge for the day with these 10 facts about Girl Scout cookies. 1. Home baked business In 1917, just five years after Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts in Savannah, Georgia, the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma decided to sell cookies…

16 US States with outrageous laws about alcohol

Too much alcohol can make people do crazy things. It can also inspire governments to set crazy laws. For as long as there has been an America, Americans have been known to imbibe, and for just as long, U.S. lawmakers have been creating strange laws to regulate it (like say, the Eighteen Amendment). While some states recently got around to repealing their ridiculous laws, there are still plenty of eyebrow-raising alcohol laws in existence in the country today. Here are a few of our favorites. Alaska You can’t get drunk in Alaska. If you think the point of going to a bar is to get drunk, think again. It’s illegal to get drunk and be visibly intoxicated in a bar in our northernmost state. Oh, and also, up until recently it was illegal to give alcohol to a moose. Arkansas Underage drinkers face homework assignments. Arkansas has the same legal…

9 Anthony Bourdain quotes on food and eating

Celebrity chef, travel writer, television host, and advocate Anthony Bourdain has died at age 61, but we will aways have his quotes to remember him by. His insight and wisdom encouraged us to climb out of our shells and explore the world, its food, and its cultures whenever possible. He was as much an award-winning wordsmith as he was a teacher, an explorer, and a foul-mouthed comedian. Below is a small collection of Bourdain’s thoughts on food, cooking and living life. On eating adventurously I’ve long believe that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we’re talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime ‘associates,’ food, for me, has always been an adventure.” On vegetarians To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living.” On living life If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move.…

U.S. Postal Service unveils first-ever scratch-and-sniff stamps

Sending a letter just got a whole lot sweeter. Now, when you send a note home to Mom, she can get a whiff of happy summer scents with the U.S. Postal Service’s first-ever scratch-and-sniff stamp sheets. The new “Frozen Treats Forever” collection features fun and colorful popsicles with sweet summer smells including kiwi, blue better, strawberry and watermelon alongside other ice cream truck favorites like chocolate, root beer and cola ice cream. The Postal Service says these stamps will “add the sweet scent of summer to letters of love, friendship, party invitations, and other mailings.” The collection was designed by Virginia-based artists Antonio Alcalá and Leslie Badani, and watercolored by California artist Margaret Berg. Each adorable scented-sticker features two frosty treats and will always be worth the current price of a 1-ounce first-class letter, like all stamps labeled “Forever.” A book of 20 stamps can be purchased for $10 at USPS.com and will become…

Festive fruit kabobs perfect for patriotic holidays

Some people can pull off elaborate cakes that look like perfect American flags. Those works of art are inspiring, but hardly practical. For the party host who wants to add patriotic flair to the table, without staying up too late the night before, here is a simple recipe solution. These fruit and pound cake kabobs make for a cute and tasty table-topper. Just wash some berries, cube your favorite white cake (vanilla cake, angel food cake, etc.) and skewer away! To make this even easier, I used a store-bought vanilla pound cake. You can also use blueberries and strawberries instead if you prefer. Happy summer holidays! American Flag fruit kabobs Makes 10 kabobs Ingredients Approx. 50 raspberries, washed and dried Approx. blackberries, washed and dried 10 long skewers 1 half loaf of poundcake or angel food cake, cut in 3/4″ cubes Directions Starting with a red raspberry, alternate red raspberries…

The most searched Thanksgiving recipe in each state in 2017

Thanksgiving is the one meal that brings the whole country together, but where you live determines what you can expect to feast on. While you’re sure to find roast turkey, stuffing and potatoes on nearly every table, how different regions interpret those recipes and what other sides are served is sure to vary. Food giant General Mills tabulated its online search data from BettyCrocker.com, Pillsbury.com and its other online food websites to bring us the results. It would seem most states have the basics down, since not a single state had “turkey” as the most common search. Similarly, only Illinois is still confused about how to make mashed potatoes. Most states want to know how to perfect side dishes and desserts. Casseroles, sweet potato pie and various sweets all made the list. Some states stay true to character. It seems New Yorkers love learning how to perfect the  cheesecake. South Carolinians absolutely…

Most popular Halloween candy in each state

Americans will spend $2.7 billion on Halloween candy this year, as estimated by the National Retail Federation. But what sweet treats you get in your loot bag will largely depend on where you live. Online bulk candy retailer Candystore.com combed through 10 years (2007-2016) of sales data to tell us what the best sellers in every state are in the weeks leading up to Halloween. They created this interactive map to show you the most popular candies, by sales, in each state — actually the top three. This map, of course, is limited to online candy sales, but it gives us a peek into what Halloween candy is popular where. It’s no surprise that Hershey’s M&M’s are popular in their home state of Pennsylvania, but most others seem pretty random. So, how does your state hold up? Judging by this map, you might be inclined to pack up the car and go treat-or-treat in a neighboring…