March Archives - Page 2 of 2

Seasonal March 11, 2019

14 Fun facts about Peeps

Forget groundhog shadows or tulips. The first real sign of spring are bright yellow Peeps stocking the shelves at your local grocery store. Marshmallow Peeps are everyone’s favorite non-chocolate Easter candy — they even outsell jelly beans! Americans will eat 1.5 billion Marshmallow Peeps and Bunnies this spring, but what do you really know about these sugar crystal coated, brightly-colored bird-shaped mallows? Discover 14 fun facts about Peeps: 1. Making Peeps used to be a really long process. It used to take 27 hours to make a Peep. The first Peeps were squeezed one at a time from a pastry tube before receiving hand painted eyes. Today, with an automated manufacturing process, a Peep takes just six minutes to make. 2. About 5.5 million Peeps are born every single day. Machines crank out 3,500 Peeps per minute — that’s nearly 2 billion Peeps per year! 3. Peeps were originally produced by…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes March 8, 2019

Super Simple Shepherd’s Pie

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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Seasonal March 7, 2019

Cracking through 8 myths about eggs

They’re cheap, nutritious, and an essential part in the diets of billions around the world. Still, there are a lot of myths surrounding the everyday egg. Get ready for a bit of shell shock. I’m about to scramble everything you think you know about eggs. Myth: Brown chickens lay brown eggs. Truth: The color of a chicken does determine what color eggs it lays, but it’s not the feathers that give it away — it’s the earlobes. (Yes, Earlobes!) Chickens with red earlobes lay brown eggs, while white eggs usually come from chickens with white earlobes. There are always exceptions, but if you’re wondering what color a hen’s eggs will be, this general rule is a good place to start. Myth: All eggs need to be refrigerated at all times. Truth: Whether or not you need to refrigerate your eggs depends on where you live. If you live in the United…

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Seasonal March 2, 2019

Save money and buy produce in season in March

March marks the beginning of the end of winter (yay!). It might not feel very warm when you walk outside your door, but spring is coming. March is also an interesting month for produce, as many winter fruits and veggies fall out of favor and we see the start of sweet fruits we associate with summer (hello, pineapple!). Come April, you’ll be planting your own seedlings and start to see more local variety, but for now, you’ll have to purchase ripe produce from the southernmost states. Get more bang for your buck by buying fruits and vegetables that are in season. They cost less because they are more plentiful — and they’re tastier, too! A big win, win. Here are 10 fruits and veggies ready for your plate right now: Artichokes Artichoke season runs from March through June (and then again in the fall), and most artichokes in the United States…

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Seasonal February 23, 2019

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

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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Seasonal February 16, 2019

Shamrock shakes return to McDonald’s menus nationwide

Altered McDonald's

Birds chirping and snow melting are all well and good, but the first sign of spring for many is the return of the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. The popular minty green milkshake is officially back on the menu, the company confirmed in a Tweet. Thirsty fans can find the creamy confection using a new feature on the McDonald’s mobile app that tracks which restaurant locations are selling the beverage or by using the Shamrock Shake Finder. https://twitter.com/McDonalds/status/1095714184363458561 For those not in-the-know, Shamrock Shakes — or Shammies — are made by blending McDonald’s vanilla soft serve with minty shamrock shake syrup and topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Since the beverage debuted in 1970, it has earned an impressive following. More than 6 million Shamrock Shakes have been sold. Much like the McRib, Shamrock Shakes are only available at McDonalds for a limited time, while supplies last. This year, you can…

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News Bites February 21, 2018

8 New Peeps Flavors are hatching this spring

Get your Easter baskets ready. Eight new Peeps flavors are coming just in time for the spring holiday — and the lineup looks more delicious than ever. It just wouldn’t be Easter without these peep-shaped globs of sugar, but starting this spring this year, Peeps fans can pick up the new Sour Cherry flavor from supermarkets nationwide. Other flavors will be exclusive to Target, Krogers, or Walmart. Head over to Target to try the new Peeps “Delight” chicks in Neapolitan, Lemon Sherbet, Orange Sherbet flavors. The Neapolitan Peeps feature a chocolate and strawberry filling. Everyone like a little marshmallow mystery, and at Walmart that’s the flavor you’ll find. Try them out, but stay you’ll have to stay tuned for the big reveal of the flavor closer to Easter. https://www.instagram.com/p/BfTshmrnwc-/?tagged=mysterypeeps And at Krogers, you’ll find your new spring breakfast staple: Pancakes and Syrup-flavored marshmallow Peeps. Of course the regular varieties will still be available…

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News Bites February 3, 2017

McDonald’s expands Shamrock Shake line for 2017

McDonald's

Mint and chocolate lovers rejoice! McDonald’s is adding four new “Chocolate Shamrock Shakes” to its menu. In addition to the annually offered vanilla and mint “Shamrock Shake,” the fast-food chain will also be blending a new Chocolate Shamrock Shake, a Shamrock Chocolate Chip Frappe, a Shamrock Hot Chocolate and a Shamrock Mocha, reported Brand Eating. If the Chocolate Shamrock Shake sounds familiar, it’s because it was on the McDonald’s “secret menu”—that is, items available to those “in the know”—for a number of years. Well, somethings are too good not to share, and we’ll thank our lucky shamrocks, they decided to add these to the seasonal offerings. Original Shamrock Shake – Vanilla soft serve and mint-flavored Shamrock Shake syrup served with whipped topping and a maraschino cherry. New this year is a sprinkling of green sugar crystals—because if you’re counting, by this point, why worry about a few extra calories. Chocolate…

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