Live recording of Shonen Knife at Richard's on Richards in Vancouver on December 13, 2007. "Sushi Bar" is from their album Happy Hour. Trivia: They like BC Rolls. www.shonenknife.net Buy their music & go to their concerts!
1. Chocolate is made from cocoa beans. But where do cocoa beans grow?
A. On trees
B. On bushes
C. On vines
D. On roots
A. On trees
TOPICS: Cocoa beans come from cacao trees that grow in tropical regions of the world
2. During World War II, production of Hershey's Kisses was halted. Do you know why?
A. Chocolate shortage
B. Sugar shortage
C. Aluminum foil shortage
D. Hershey's produced rations instead of candy during the war
C. Aluminum foil shortage
TOPICS: During World War II, production of Hershey's Kisses was halted. Not because of a shortage of chocolate, but because the signature aluminum foil packaging was rationed.
3. Where could the babe that the Baby Ruth candy bar was named for be found at the time?
A. Yankee Stadium
B. Hollywood
C. Broadway
D. Washington, D.C.
D. Washington, D.C.
TOPICS: The Baby Ruth was named after the first child born in the White House - Ruth - who was born to President Grover Cleveland in 1891 and later died in 1904. The candy manufacturer strongly denies any association with the famous Yankee.
4. What candy bar was included in U.S. solders' rations during World War II?
A. PayDay
B. Heath Bar
C. Snickers
D. Twix
B. Heath Bar
TOPICS: Heath bars were included in U.S. soldiers' rations during World War II because they had been found to have a very long shelf life. Originally marketed as a health food, the Heath bar was advertising as using only the finest ingredients. One early ad read: "Heath for better health!"
5. Where was milk chocolate invented?
A. England
B. America
C. Switzerland
D. France
C. Switzerland
TOPICS: A Swiss chocolate maker, Daniel Peter, mixes Henri Nestle's condensed milk with chocolate and the two men found a company to manufacture the first milk chocolate.
6. What candy bar was originally packaged to include three separate pieces of candy flavored vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry?
A. Twix
B. Mounds
C. Mars
D. 3 Musketeers
D. 3 Musketeers
TOPICS: When it was first introduced in 1932, the 3 Musketeers bar was packaged to include three separate pieces of candy flavored vanilla, chocolate and strawberry -- thus the name THREE Musketeers. Causing some confusion to tourists worldwide, the 3 Musketeers bar is called a Milky Way in European countries, and the U.S. version of the Milky Way is called a Mars Bar.
7. Aztec emperor Montezuma drank 50 golden goblets of hot chocolate every day. What special flavoring did he add?
A. Vanilla
B. Coffee
C. Chili pepper
D. Blood
C. Chili pepper
TOPICS: It was thick, dyed red and flavored with chili peppers.
8. Where do Hershey's Kisses get their name?
A. Their inventor
B. Their flavor
C. Their shape
D. Their sound
D. Their sound
TOPICS: Hershey's Kisses get their name from the sound and motion of the machines that produce them. It looks and sounds as if the machine is kissing the conveyor belt as it moves along.
9. What flavor is the oldest gum still available today?
A. Licorice
B. Cherry
C. Spearmint
D. Clove
A. Licorice
TOPICS: The oldest gum still available is licorice-flavored Blackjack Chewing Gum. It was first introduced in 1872 and was the first flavored gum in the United States.
10. What candy bar was named after its inventor's family horse?
A. Twix
B. Pay Day
C. Snickers
D. Almond Joy
C. Snickers
TOPICS: Originally introduced in 1929 by Frank and Ethel Mars, the Snickers bar was named after their family horse. The original Snickers bars were sold for a nickel and consisted primarily of chocolate, peanuts and caramel.
By now, as the days approaching Christmas are fast upon us, the Holiday Trivia Elves (better known as librarians) at the Smithsonian Library in Washington, D C, are ready to bounce from wall to wall in an attempt to keep up with all the requests for information, great and trivial, about this popular holiday. Watch out. I just saw a couple of them staggering against the shiny marble walls. They must be going into Trivia Meltdown, a malady seen quite often this time of year. Get them some eggnog and gingerbread, quick!
When you think about Christmas and love, the first thought that pops up in your mind is to stand shyly (and hopefully) under the closest doorway with a sprig of mistletoe hung overhead. Such a romantic tradition for so many generations, it has to hold the #1 place in popularity. Guess which one? Yep, that long, lingering kiss. But guess what else? Mistletoe is actually a partial parasite, growing on branches or trunk of a tree or able to grow on its own - take your pick. The common name of mistletoe is drawn from bird droppings. "Mistel" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for "dung," as in bird poop and "tan" translates to "twig". I have your interest now, don't I?
Get your knives and forks out for a feast around the world. Roast goose is on the Christmas platter in England, pigs in Germany, while the people in United States love turkey.
Banks used to have a Christmas Club each year. They were first opened in 1905, allowing their patrons to deposit a preset amount of money each month, to be used around Christmas time for gift shopping. I think I had a magnanimous amount of $3 per month stashed away for that special something.
There are two schools of thought about which is the busiest shopping day of the year. The majority of shoppers think the Friday after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of shopping yet another faction of the economy thinks that the busiest day is either the 5th day or 10th day after Thanksgiving.
When Charles Dickens was writing his famous "A Christmas Carol," he stopped many times while trying to find the proper name for his little hero. Before settling on Tiny Tim, he considered and discarded Little Larry, Puny Pete, and Small Sam. No great loss there.
Charles Dickens originally wanted Scrooge to say "Bah Christmas" instead of the famous phrase "Bah Humbug" known throughout the literate world.
Throughout the course of the Christmas buying season in the United States, Visa cards alone are used 5,340 times per minute. Ka-Ching!
Turkeys were popular for Christmas dinner in Victorian England. Many of the birds were bred in Norfolk and then needed to be moved to market in London. In order to accomplish this transport, the turkeys were dressed in booties (!) made of leather or sacking and then the turkeys were walked to market. The boots served as a barrier between their feet and the frozen mud of the road. However, geese feet were only protected with a layer of tar. Is this haut couture or what?
Talk about one for the record books. There is a written mention of a huge 165-pound game Christmas pie from Medieval England. Nine feet in diameter, its ingredients included 2 bushels of flour, 20 lb. of butter, 4 geese, 2 rabbits, 4 wild ducks, 2 woodcocks, 6 snipes, 4 partridges, 2 neats' tongues, 2 curlews, 6 pigeons, and 7 blackbirds. Point of culinary curiosity: assuming a diner ate around the bones and pulled off the fur and feathers, was the pie still ridiculously heavy and large for an average group of diners (let's say 50 or so) to finish the concoction before spoilage set in? And what did really happen to all those inedible accoutrements? Did the Royal Furrier have a workshop set up immediately outside the castle kitchen? Truly, the discarded bits and pieces from the pie were copious enough to set up a system of cottage industries, from furs to wear against the cold to the sinews needed to stitch those furs, from feather-adorned hats to shoes made from the hides. The involvement of various workers had to be astounding.
Date of Birth 2 October 1986, Los Angeles, California, USA Birth Name Camilla Belle Routh Height 5' 8" (1.73 m) Trade Mark Her dark, defined eyebrows Trivia Her mother is Brazilian, her father is American. Speaks fluent English and Portuguese. Likes Brazilian food: feijoada (typical plate made with pork and beans), pão-de-queijo (typical bread made with cheese) and brigadeiro (sweet made with chocolate). Daughter of Cristina Routh. She was named after actress Renata Sorrah's character, Camila, in the Brazilian soap opera "Cavalo de Aço" (1973). Likes to watch Brazilian soap operas with her mom Deborah and used to visit her mother's family in São Paulo. People call her by middle name Belle Attended Marlborough School, an elite all girls school in Los Angeles. Friends with actors Justin Chatwin and Jamie Bell, whom she met on the set of The Chumscrubber (2005). She is an aspiring classical pianist. She has also been involved in various charities and is an international spokesperson for "Kids With A Cause", created to provide a helping hand to children suffering from poverty, hunger, lack of education, neglect or abuse. Went to St Paul's Catholic Elementary School which is located in West Los Angeles, California
Labels: photoshoot
Slot machines are the most popular casino game in the world, both at land-based casinos and on Internet gambling sites. This article reveals some little-known facts about online slot machines.
Generally, slot machines account for about 70% of an online casino's income.
The main categories of online slot machines include classic 3-reel slots, video slots, fruit machines, and progressive slots.
Classic 3-reel slots are computerized versions of the slot machines that were invented by Charles Fey in 1887.
Classic 3-reel slots are perfect games for the beginning slots player because of their easy and straightforward format.
Video slots are modern 5-reel slot machines. Many of the newer video slots games have bonus features, such as free spins.
Fruit machines, also known as Amusement with Prizes games, are UK-style slot machines. They are very common in British pubs.
Online progressive slots accumulate deposits from their players from a number of online casinos to create jackpots that grow by the minute.
Online progressive slots can be 3-reel or 5-reel, have bonus features, and have multiple pay-lines. For example, Major Millions was a 3-reel, 3 pay-line slot game when it was first launched. Now there is also a 5-reel, 15 pay-line version.
Cash Splash was the first online progressive jackpot. It was launched in 1998 by Microgaming software.
Mega Millions, a Microgaming progressive slot machine, is the only progressive jackpot that has ever paid out jackpots exceeding $1,000,000.
There are now over 150 companies that provide software solutions for online gambling casinos.
The major software providers for the online gambling industry include Microgaming, Playtech, Realtime Gaming, Boss Media, Rival, Vegas Technology, Parlay, and Cryptologic.
Microgaming developed the first "genuine" online casino software in 1994. Cryptologic and Boss Media were established in 1996, Parlay and Realtime Gaming were launched in 1998, Playtech was founded in 1999, Vegas Technology was established in 2005, and Rival was launched in 2006.
The majority of online slot machines have a unique theme, such as success and old money, secret potions and jewels, Indians and squaws, bees and honey, pirates and ships, hillbillies, American diners, science fiction, chocolate, Las Vegas showgirls, witches, romance, mythology, and Christmas.
It is estimated that Microgaming casinos account for about 70% of online gambling revenue.
Pay-lines at online slot machines range from 1 to 100. Single pay-line slots have been around since slot machines were invented back in 1887. Microgaming introduced Cashapillar, its first 100 pay-line slot machine, in May, 2008.
The average payout percentage is defined as the percentage of winnings to wagered amounts. For example, if there are $97.69 in winnings for every $100 wagered, the payout percentage is 97.69%. Likewise, if there are $93.45 in winnings for every $100 wagered, the payout percentage is 93.45%. Payout percentages for online slots range from 89% to 99.5%.
Online slots come in both download and no download versions. The download versions are more popular because there is a wider selection of games to choose from.
Online slots games have better odds than those at land-based casinos.
Tomb Raider is probably the most successful online slot machine game to date. Tomb Raider's success is partly due to its association with the popular computer game, The Tomb Raider Series. A sequel to the game, Tomb Raider - Secret of the Sword, was introduced April, 2008.
So there you have it, 20 little-known facts about online slot machines. Whether you play slots online or at a land-based casino, remember to gamble only with the money you can afford to lose. Decide beforehand how much you wish to spend, and don't exceed your spending limit should you lose. Finally, have fun and quit while you are ahead.
Most of us equate the word diet with calorie reduction. This is understandable, since most diet marketing is relentlessly focused on offering consumers low-calorie options.
Unfortunately, this way of thinking is categorically wrong. The simple fact that any nutritionist will verify is that everyone is on a diet. Even those who do not wish, or do not need, to lose weight are on a diet, as are those who are increasing their weight. Dieting has nothing to do with calorie reduction, and everything to do with calories choices. The foods you 'choose' to eat determine the type of diet you are on.
Indeed, to the digestive system and the intestines, a candy bar and a stalk of celery are neither seen as junk food nor diet food. They are both seen as simply food. The candy bar leads to a rapid glycemic reaction and the production of fat cells. The celery does not. Still, the body does not label one as junk and the other as diet food. In fact, everything that the body ingests, it tries to use in the best way that it can.
However, outside the neutral intelligent internal body systems, the term diet persists in our often rather misguided external world of advertising, marketing, and diet plans. As such, we can group diets into two categories: deliberate and accidental.
Deliberate diets are designed with specific requirements, such as those engineered to lose weight, to gain weight, and to maintain weight. Deliberate diets are typically what people refer to when they use the catchall term 'diet'. This is in contrast to the other kind of diet that is called the 'accidental diet'. Accidental diets have no requirements, and march to a simple chant: eat whatever, whenever, and the body will take care of itself.
However, despite the fact that there are two terms for diets - deliberate and accidental - there is a denominator that unifies them both: protein. All diets, even those that are accidental, require protein.
Protein, and the amino acids that comprise protein, are essential for life itself. Every system within the body depends, directly or indirectly, on protein. In fact, because protein regulates hormones, some cases of depression or anxiety are actually instigated and perpetuated by either a lack of protein, or the body's inability to fortify its neurological system with this critical macronutrient.
Yet for those on a diet -- and that includes everyone -- the importance of protein is more pragmatic. Many deliberate diets such as the Atkins(TM) diet and the South Beach Diet(TM) restrict carbohydrates, while other restrict fats. That leaves protein. Protein is the common link between all nutritionally-sound diets. But is it also the missing link? Or, is protein readily accessible and readily present in the foods we eat?
Oddly, most American meals and snacks are protein deficient. Indeed, complete protein is absent from 6 of the top 10 foods eaten in the US, and absent from all 10 of the most popular snacks (see chart at end of article). This shortage of protein in the American diet refers both to the absolute amount of protein, which is recommended to be a minimum of 50 grams per day, and the kind of protein as well. The healthiest protein is a "complete protein", which includes all 19 amino acids. However, even people who are ingesting 50 grams of protein may not be eating complete protein. As such, these people are sometimes unwittingly suffering from some form of protein malnourishment, and experience symptoms that include drowsiness, digestive problems, emotional disorders, and other adverse physiological effects.
So to achieve a balanced diet -- regardless of the diet regimen - an appropriate level of complete protein must be present in each meal. This, of course, is easier said than done for most time-starved people. Regrettably, these people are more than time-starved; they are oftentimes macronutrient starved, as well.
Pennsylvania-based Protica Research has developed a protein beverage to meet the protein needs of busy consumers, dieters, diabetics, students and others. Profect® is an advanced beverage that supplies 25 grams of protein in less than 3 fluid ounces. It is packaged in an unbreakable test-tube-shaped vial and can be consumed in 2 or 3 seconds. Akin to a multivitamin, Profect can be taken immediately before a snack or a meal to fortify it with 50% of the US RDI of protein and the complete spectrum of water-soluble vitamins.
Profect can turn an otherwise "empty-calorie" snack into a complete meal. Its macronutrient and micronutrient profile fills the nutritional void found in most meals and snacks. It does this by combining with the carbohydrates and fats generally present in most foods and thereby completing the 'nutritional trifecta' required by the body for nourishment.
Of course, this is just the first step. A truly healthy diet must also understand how to properly eat the other members of the macronutrient kingdom, including fats and carbohydrates. Actually, since so many diets revolve around the fluctuation of carbohydrates and fats, it is essential to understand how to properly consume these two sources of body fuel in order to achieve optimal health. Yet which fats and which carbohydrates reign supreme? Which ones add weight, and which ones actually help the body's metabolism function more effectively? The answers to these questions will be eye opening to most dieters, and they will form the dieting cornerstone for many consumers. You will find the answers in the second part of this two-part article entitled 'The Macronutrient Balancing Act'. If you do not have a link to the next article, you can find 'The Macronutrient Balancing Act' on Protica's web site at protica.com/publications
Top 10 Most Popular Foods in the US
Source: http://tigerx.com/trivia/foods.htm
1) Fresh Produce & Processed Vegetables
2) Milk & Cream
3) Flour, Bread & Cereal Products
4) Meat, Poultry & Fish
5) Sugar & Other Sweeteners
6) Fruit
7) Potatoes
8) Oils & Fats
9) Eggs
10) Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
Top 10 Most Popular Snacks in the US
Source: http://tigerx.com/trivia/snacks.htm
1) Chocolate Bars
2) Potato Chips & Pretzels
3) Cookies
4) Non-Chocolate Bars
5) Gum
6) Filled Crackers
7) Nuts
8) Mints
9) Granola Bars
10) Crackers
ABOUT PROTICA
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com
You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com
The fourth entry. Oh, and what was that I mentioned? About a top ten? Well if things go well, it'll be special...
Christmas - Amazing Fun Facts, Trivia and Insights From Around the World to Excite & Humor Family!
0 comments Posted by Althauser at 10:05 AMChristmas has many exciting and fun traditions around the world. Here we take a look at some fun insights and celebrations that you could even put into practice with your family and friends this festive season to create more fun and festive cheer!
- In Italy they place their presents in a bowl called 'The Urn of Fate' which is placed under the Christmas tree. Then each family member takes it in turn to select a present. Presents can often have a theme or a color. Also presents are often purchased with a specified amount that can be spent which all goes towards making the purchase of and the receiving of the gift more fun and exciting.
- Interestingly Spain also has a custom called 'The Urn of Fate' but it's a little different. Their old custom gets family and friends at the Christmas gathering to write their names on slips of paper and place them in the urn. 2 slips of paper are drawn out at a time. Custom says they are to be devoted friends for the coming year. It is said that a little dabbling and match making occurs creating a lot of fun!
- The Dutch have a great sense of humor. They love to hide presents inside a pudding, a sausage or potato or wrap a small gift in a huge parcel They love the element of surprise and come up with all kinds of creative ideas to surprise each other each year!
- Iceland have 13 Santa's which are kind of more like mischievous elves. They begin visiting homes from the 12th December and by the 25th they have all arrived. Each character likes to make their presence felt in mischievous ways, such as door slammer awakens sleeps by slamming doors and the candle beggar snatches candles. Often they leave a gift behind in the shoe of the children and sometimes a potato if they think someone needs a little reminder to be good!
- Also in Iceland between 5pm and 10pm on Christmas eve there is no television broadcast. So this ensures that family time is spent as family time without distraction and they can feast and open and give presents with full attention to each other.
- In Scotland they practice 'Sowans Night' Christmas eve. The tradition calls for family to burn branches of the Sowans tree as they declare and release any ill feelings towards any family or friends or colleagues. It's a beautiful ceremony of forgiveness and letting go.
- In Denmark at Christmas they have a mischievous elf called Nisse who makes his appearance whilst having fun and playing jokes on people. He wears a red bonnet, red stockings, white clogs and gray woolen clothes. It is a loved tradition for the fine folk of Denmark to leave out a bowl of porridge on Christmas eve to entice him to keep his jokes within limits. However it has been reported that the porridge along is no longer working. So each year new extra treats are topped onto Nisse's favorite treat 'porridge' hoping to distract him and keep them in his good books so he'll be less mischievous on his annual festive visit.
*So i made this vid a REALLY long time ago but i never uploaded it* Song: What Hurts The Most Artist:Rascal Flatts *************** so this takes place in New moon and bella is devastated that edward left so she plans to leave . in the beginning she packing and charlie is begging her not go and then she starts having flshback and in the end she is driving away... so yeah
First of all start with an empty stomach. This has never been too much of a stretch for me, I am always willing to sample chocolate before dinner. Next, have the chocolate at the recommended 66-77 °F. Finally allow the chocolate to sit in your mouth for a few moments. This will help to release the principal flavors and aromas. After the chocolate has set for a few moments chew it slightly to release the secondary aromas. Resting the chocolate against the roof of your mouth will allow all the flavors to be enjoyed.
Fun Fudgy Cookies
1 ½ Cups flour
1⁄8 tsp salt
1 Cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ Cup Butter
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ Cups chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 375 °F
Combine flour and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Remove from heat and cool.
Beat together until smooth butter, sugar and eggs. Beat in melted Chocolate. Gradually add the flour and salt
to the wet ingredients. Stir in nuts.
Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly set.
Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet then transfer to wire rack. Frost cookies while still warm.
Frosting
1 oz semisweet chocolate, melted with cream
3 Tbls heavy cream
1 Cup powdered Sugar
1 tsp vanilla ( I use Madagascar Bourbon, Pure Vanilla Bean Paste. This is a very aromatic vanilla that lends itself well
to baking and home made ice creams. I have found that it's pure flavor and flecks of vanilla bean give my baking a
gourmet flair.)
Mix vanilla in with cream and chocolate mixture. While this is still warm beat in powdered sugar. When smooth and still
warm spread over cookies.
Labels: Chocolate, Tasting, Techniques
vmk's New quest Questions: 1) First, you'll need a disguise to scare off the Cogs! Put on your strangest, wildest, weirdest and most mixed up outfit! 2) Awesome! Your mismatched disguise will help scare off the Cogs! Which 1976 Disney classic has a mother and daughter in mismatched bodies? "The Parent Trap" "Freaky Friday" "The Shaggy Dog" "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" "Hearbie the Love Bug" 3) In 2003, "Freaky Friday" was remade starring which two actresses? Hailey Mills & Jamie Lee Curtis Lindsay Lohan & Hailey Mills Miley Cyrus & Vanessa Hudgeons Jamie Lee Curtis & Lindsay Lohan Debbi Reynolds & Jodie Foster 4) Lindsay Lohan also starred in another remake where she played identical twins that switch places. Do you remember what that film was called? "The Parent Trap" "Life Size" "Get a Clue" "Herbie: Fully Loaded" "Mean Girls" 5) Twins confuse the Cogs. Find a room in VMK where you can see two pairs of identical suits of armor. 6) Look! On the ground! Are those jellybeans? No, they're gems. Jellybeans are found in Toontown - Toons use them for money! Maybe these Gems might help the Toons distract the Cogs? Let's collect 10 of them. 7) Prove you're Toon enough to fight the evil Cogs - answer these questions about Toontown! Which Disney character got his start in the movie where Toontown is one of the main settings? Brer Rabbit Donald Duck Stitch Mickey Mouse Roger Rabbit 8) In Toontown at Disneyland, you can ride on Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin! What is the name of ...
Chanukah is one of the English spellings for the word Hanukkah, which is a traditional Jewish holiday celebrated in Kislev (December/January). It is also known as the Festival of Lights, and celebrates the miracle that occurred upon the victory of the Maccabees against Syrian invaders, when a single days ration of oil kept the Menorah burning for eight days. The following are traditional Chanukah games.
Dreidel Game
A dreidel is a four sided top of Jewish origin. Each side has a Hebrew letter: Nun, gimel, hay, and shin, which is an acronym for ""A great miracle happened there."" The dreidel is a game played by children during the eight days in which Hanukkah is celebrated.
Divide into groups of four to six. Give each player an equal number of foil wrapped chocolate coins. Each player puts a foil covered coin into a central pot and gets a turn spinning the dreidel. Depending on the side on which the dreidel lands, each player can win the coins.
The following is a list of the sides and the reward or penalty for landing on this side of the dreidel during their spin:
o Nun: 0 coins received, next player spins
o Gimel: Player takes it all
o Hay: Player takes half
o Shin: Player puts a chocolate into the pot
Each time the pot runs empty, every player will add a chocolate coin and the game can continue.
Chanukah Party Game Trivia
Appoint one person to be Trivia master. Make up a list of things related to Chanukah, and a list of things that might sound similar to one related to Chanukah. Each player places their hand on the table, and when an item or Chanukah related term is spoken, the player raises a hand. Anyone who raises their hand when the term is NOT Chanukah related is 'out'. The last person remaining wins a prize.
Chanukah is a celebration of sacred proportions, but these traditional games add fun and entertainment into the mix for the perfect Chanukah celebration!
Chanukah is one of the English spellings for the word Hanukkah, which is a traditional Jewish holiday celebrated in Kislev (December/January). It is also known as the Festival of Lights, and celebrates the miracle that occurred upon the victory of the Maccabees against Syrian invaders, when a single days ration of oil kept the Menorah burning for eight days. The following are traditional Chanukah games.
Dreidel Game
A dreidel is a four sided top of Jewish origin. Each side has a Hebrew letter: Nun, gimel, hay, and shin, which is an acronym for ""A great miracle happened there."" The dreidel is a game played by children during the eight days in which Hanukkah is celebrated.
Divide into groups of four to six. Give each player an equal number of foil wrapped chocolate coins. Each player puts a foil covered coin into a central pot and gets a turn spinning the dreidel. Depending on the side on which the dreidel lands, each player can win the coins.
The following is a list of the sides and the reward or penalty for landing on this side of the dreidel during their spin:
o Nun: 0 coins received, next player spins
o Gimel: Player takes it all
o Hay: Player takes half
o Shin: Player puts a chocolate into the pot
Each time the pot runs empty, every player will add a chocolate coin and the game can continue.
Chanukah Party Game Trivia
Appoint one person to be Trivia master. Make up a list of things related to Chanukah, and a list of things that might sound similar to one related to Chanukah. Each player places their hand on the table, and when an item or Chanukah related term is spoken, the player raises a hand. Anyone who raises their hand when the term is NOT Chanukah related is 'out'. The last person remaining wins a prize.
Chanukah is a celebration of sacred proportions, but these traditional games add fun and entertainment into the mix for the perfect Chanukah celebration!
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and it is time once again to start preparing for the fall season. Besides dreaming of succulent turkey and the trimmings, this means readying holiday dinnerware, organizing cookware, polishing silver, and searching for new and exciting recipes and great holiday trivia! Liven up your Thanksgiving holiday with Turkey Trivia #1 - Turkey Facts, and Turkey Trivia #2 - Cranberry Facts.
Turkey Trivia #1 - Turkey Facts
Did you know...
The first American Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans who taught the Pilgrims how to survive off the environment.
There are many thoughts how the turkey got its name. One such theory was that Christopher Columbus thought the bird looked like a peacock and since the East Indian word for peacock was "tuka," this bird's name transitioned from "tuka" to "turkey." Makes sense. And on the other hand, when a turkey is scared, instead of saying "gobble, gobble," it makes a "turk, turk, turk" sound. No brainer here. Take your choice.
Wild turkeys occasionally spend the night up in a tree.
A female turkey is called a hen while the male is called a tom.
A hen does not say gobble, gobble. Instead, they say click, click. That must be some sound fest when both sexes are simultaneously striving for attention.
A mature turkey has approximately 3,500 feathers.
Wild turkeys can run 25 miles per hour and fly up to 55 miles per hour. However, commercially raised turkeys cannot run at all, or fly.
The heaviest turkey ever weighed toppled the scales at 86 pounds.
A turkey can have a heart attack if it becomes overly startled; turkeys living near an area where the sound barrier was broken dropped dead from the shock.
Turkeys have a fantastic sense of hearing but have no external ears. Hmm! Are the ear holes hiding somewhere under those 3,500 feathers? Only the turkey knows for sure but he is not telling.
Turkey Trivia #2 - Cranberry Facts
Did you know...
The Pilgrims called today's cranberry a "craneberry" because its blossoms looked like the head and bill of a Sandhill crane.
Cranberries were carried aboard American whaler and mariner sea crossings in an attempt to prevent scurvy.
Many people believe cranberries live on water alone, but fascinatingly enough, they are grown on vines in bogs originally created by glacial deposits. A fence is installed around the entire growing area of a bog, in an attempt to prevent the cranberries from drifting away. They are covered with a layer of sand which acts like a blanket. Cranberries can survive only in these stringent conditions.
If undamaged, a cranberry vine can survive more than 150 years.
If you drop a load of cranberries on a declining slope, the firmest and freshest berries can bounce as high as 4 inches while going downhill. Soft and bruised berries will not bounce, therefore separating themselves from the quality fruit.
Fruit nibblers beware! Raw cranberries are sour and bitter. Be sure to stir in some sort of sweetener; mixing in sugar or honey should help considerably.
As well as bouncing, cranberries can float using the same internal air pockets that help propel ripe cranberries off the ground.
First of all start with an empty stomach. This has never been too much of a stretch for me, I am always willing to sample chocolate before dinner. Next, have the chocolate at the recommended 66-77 °F. Finally allow the chocolate to sit in your mouth for a few moments. This will help to release the principal flavors and aromas. After the chocolate has set for a few moments chew it slightly to release the secondary aromas. Resting the chocolate against the roof of your mouth will allow all the flavors to be enjoyed.
Fun Fudgy Cookies
1 ½ Cups flour
1⁄8 tsp salt
1 Cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ Cup Butter
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ Cups chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 375 °F
Combine flour and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Remove from heat and cool.
Beat together until smooth butter, sugar and eggs. Beat in melted Chocolate. Gradually add the flour and salt
to the wet ingredients. Stir in nuts.
Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly set.
Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet then transfer to wire rack. Frost cookies while still warm.
Frosting
1 oz semisweet chocolate, melted with cream
3 Tbls heavy cream
1 Cup powdered Sugar
1 tsp vanilla ( I use Madagascar Bourbon, Pure Vanilla Bean Paste. This is a very aromatic vanilla that lends itself well
to baking and home made ice creams. I have found that it's pure flavor and flecks of vanilla bean give my baking a
gourmet flair.)
Mix vanilla in with cream and chocolate mixture. While this is still warm beat in powdered sugar. When smooth and still
warm spread over cookies.
Frederic Fekkai Hair Color Ouidad Curl Essentials Peanut Brittle
I have, in past articles, given you a history of chocolate. I have since then uncovered some more fun information about other of our confectionery delights. It isn't just limited to chocolate, you know!
Upon some research, I uncovered something really interesting about jelly beans. I know that (regardless of age) we all grew up with them. In fact, they are so old that jelly beans were reportedly advertised as early as the 1860's when William Shraft claims to have sent them to Union soldiers as treats during the Civil War!
Licorice, a favorite among movie- goers, was found (in licorice root form) in King Tut's tomb. It was used as a cure-all for everything from
curing "thirst and hunger" to curing kidney disorders. And just about everything in between, including stomach problems and coughs. Licorice in root form, was used during the middle ages to help with food poisoning, and was so popular in 1305 that it was taxed in England to help repair the London Bridge!
Another one that had an interesting background were candy cigarettes, also referred to as candy sticks. You could blow the powdered sugar so that it looked like you were exhaling smoke and then, of course, you would wrap the cigarettes under the sleeve of your T-shirt
Among the "tough, cool" kids of the 50's, 60's and 70's, it was definitely a fun thing to do, with it's red tip (did you know that on the bubble gum version the wax paper wrapping simulates a filtered cigarette?) They are still available with brands being sold in Spiderman, Popeye and Tom and Jerry varieties. What a way to go for those who didn't really want to smoke (mostly due to parents wrath!), but wanted to look cool anyway!
Straight from that into really smoking? Had to cover your breath somehow...so enter Sen-Sen mints. Still available today, they were marketed as a breath perfume, created by T.B. Dunn company literally to mask the breath of smokers.
Okay, so I would be re-miss not to add one chocolate fact, since that remains far and above most peoples favorite. Let's take 3 Musketeers.
In 1932, 3 Musketeers was packaged with three (hence the first part of the name) chocolate bars: one vanilla, one strawberry, and one chocolate (hence, the musketeers.)
Labels: between, Chocolate, Difference, Nutritional, Routine
This show isn't really what you ought to know, I mean its fun to know, but more like trivia.
This show isn't really what you ought to know, I mean its fun to know, but more like trivia.
First of all start with an empty stomach. This has never been too much of a stretch for me, I am always willing to sample chocolate before dinner. Next, have the chocolate at the recommended 66-77 °F. Finally allow the chocolate to sit in your mouth for a few moments. This will help to release the principal flavors and aromas. After the chocolate has set for a few moments chew it slightly to release the secondary aromas. Resting the chocolate against the roof of your mouth will allow all the flavors to be enjoyed.
Fun Fudgy Cookies
1 ½ Cups flour
1⁄8 tsp salt
1 Cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ Cup Butter
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ Cups chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 375 °F
Combine flour and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Remove from heat and cool.
Beat together until smooth butter, sugar and eggs. Beat in melted Chocolate. Gradually add the flour and salt
to the wet ingredients. Stir in nuts.
Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly set.
Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet then transfer to wire rack. Frost cookies while still warm.
Frosting
1 oz semisweet chocolate, melted with cream
3 Tbls heavy cream
1 Cup powdered Sugar
1 tsp vanilla ( I use Madagascar Bourbon, Pure Vanilla Bean Paste. This is a very aromatic vanilla that lends itself well
to baking and home made ice creams. I have found that it's pure flavor and flecks of vanilla bean give my baking a
gourmet flair.)
Mix vanilla in with cream and chocolate mixture. While this is still warm beat in powdered sugar. When smooth and still
warm spread over cookies.
Labels: Chocolate, Tasting, Techniques
Are you a lover of soup and soup recipes? Besides the great taste and variety that soup has, it also has a wide array of uses in our histories of the world. Here are some known and little-known soup facts that you might find interesting. I did!
o Can you believe that Americans sip over 10 BILLION bowls of soup every single year! That's a lot of soup!
o Every year, 99% of all American homes buy soup - turning it into a $5 billion business. Whoa! I'm in the wrong business!
o Who eats more soup?. Men or women? Well, for a typical lunch, women seem to be more than twice as likely to eat soup as men. Statistics say, 9.6% vs. 4.0%.
o When was the earliest evidence of our ancestors eating soup? About 6000 BC! And guess what kind of soup it was? Hippopotamus!
o So, in the late 1700s, apparently the French King was so enamored with himself that he had his royal chefs create a soup that would allow him to see his own reflection in the bowl. Sheesh! But as a result, consommé (clear broth) was born.
o Since we're talking about the French here's another interesting tidbit of soup lore that I had to include on this Soup Facts page. In the French Court of Louis XI, the ladies' meals were mostly soup. Guess what the reasoning was? They were afraid that chewing would make them break out in facial wrinkles! If this were true today, it would put plastic surgeons out of business!
o This one cracked me up! And yet, it's a fact that intertwines fashion, eating utensils and of course, soup! Here it is: Why did thin soups became all the rage in Europe during the 17th century? The spoon was invented. (How did they eat soup before the spoon???) Why was the spoon invented? Because of the latest fashion trend: large and stiff ruffles that the men and the women of the high courts wore around their necks. (I bet that's how clowns got their ideas for their costumes!) The design of the spoon was to accommodate wearers of those large ruffles and keep themselves from getting dripped on!
o The first liquid nourishment most babies get is the milk from the mother's breast, often times called "Milk Soup."
o Frank Sinatra always asked for chicken and rice soup to be available to him in his dressing rooms before he went on stage. He said it always cleared his mind and settled his tummy.
o Another famous person who loved soup was Andy Warhol. He told someone that he painted those famous soup cans because its what he had for lunch - every day for 20 years!
o Soup has always been known as the curative for any ailment of the heart, mind, soul and body... and this old Yiddish saying says it best... "Troubles are easier to take with soup than without."
o "Of soup and love, the first is the best." - from an old Spanish proverb. (Sometimes, I think that is very true!)
Want more interesting facts and tips about soup? Simply visit the Soup Hoopla! Website.
Labels: Trivia
If your child is a cat lover, consider throwing a cat party, centered on cat party around cat history, facts, and cat trivia! Make the party special by ordering or making feline themed decorations, having perfectly feline party favors, and treats. Make kitten chow by melting chocolate chips and peanut butter, tossing in crunchy cereal squares, and then shaking them in a bag of powdered sugar, to serve your little kitten lover! You can even have a photo of your cat made into a cake at local bakeries.
Consider surprising your child with a pet of his or her own, if you are in a position to do so. Since furry feline friends are often skittish in a new environment, and children all want to hold the new kitty, large groups could be problematic. Should you decide to include a new kitten as a gift, you might want to make the guest list small, or arrange to pick up your cat after the party with only a couple of little friends coming along.
Giving a kitten as a birthday gift can be expensive, if you decide to buy a cat and everything the kitten will need, but it is important to be prepared for your new furry friend. Animal shelters are over run with cats of all sizes, ages, and types. Adoption fees are usually just the cost of spaying or neutering, and it can be an important lesson in responsibilities of pet ownership, if you take your child to the local animal shelter, and make them aware that by adopting a pet, they are saving a life. Just be sure that your child is allowed to take their choice into a quiet room, and spend some time with them to be sure the cat's temperament is suitable before making a decision, to make sure the pet you choose is the perfect one for your family.
This is not a litany of do's and don'ts but tidbits of information with one objective in mind - to make you better informed so you are able to make wiser lifestyle choices. Liberation from ignorance will result in a greater ability to celebrate life in better health, assuming, of course, one uses the knowledge gained to make the right choices.
The only one who can make the decisions is you.
Ask Bugs Bunny
That smart-alecky rabbit was right after all. Carrots are good for the heart. They can prevent plaque from forming on artery walls, a condition known as atherosclerosis, that block blood flow, thus helping prevent heart attacks.
Try eating one large carrot daily. This gives you 11,000 i.u. (international unit) of vitamin A from beta carotene. And there is a bonus. Vitamin A is a skin nutrient. If you want a smoother, more radiant complexion and overall great skin, consider this mighty vitamin.
For Men Only
The amino acid arginine has been the subject of many studies, most especially in helping make erections stronger.
Called the natural Viagra, this amino acid is necessary for the normal functioning of the pituitary gland. Increasing the blood flow to the penis, it does not, however, have the same effect on everyone. For maximum effectiveness, 3-6 grams (3,000-6,000 mg) must be taken 45 minutes before sex.
Arginine can also enhance fertility in men, increasing the sperm count. An immune booster as well, it stimulates the thymus gland to increase the number of T cells that aid in the body's defense against cancer.
Male and female gym enthusiasts/body builders can take two grams (2,000 mg) one hour before a workout. For mental alertness, 2,000 mg should be taken before going to bed. By morning, your brain should be fully recharged.
Natural sources of arginine include nuts, gelatin, chocolate, brown rice, oatmeal, raisins, sunflower/sesame seeds, whole-wheat bread, and protein-rich foods.
Arginine or L-Arginine should not be given to growing children or people with schizophrenic conditions or those with herpes. Caution: Do not exceed 20-30 grams a day, as it can cause bone and joint deformities.
Women's Concerns
Add more apples, grapes, grape juice and raisins to your diet. They contain boron that can minimize bone loss in women after menopause.
Apples and grapes make for a great diet snack. When you are tempted to munch on something sweet, reach out for these waistline-friendly fruits.
While coffee and tea with the girlfriends may be your favorite pastime, take note that black coffee may not be so good for you.
Tannin found in both beverages is a suspected carcinogen. However, the protein in milk neutralizes tannin. So take your coffee or tea with milk.
A weekly body scrub is what your skin needs for extra luster. It wakes up dull skin. Try Godiva's vitamin C scrub daily for the face.
Body polish
2 tbsp virgin coco oil, olive or apricot oil
2 tbsp brown sugar, raw oatmeal, sea salt, raw powdered juice
Mix well.
Scrub your body from the feet up to the neck. Upward strokes stimulate your lymph to flow more briskly resulting in better circulation, which has a detoxifying effect.
Note: Use only sugar scrub on your face, not salt. It is more gentle.
Enhancing life
Cancer is a lifestyle disease. This means that what you do on a daily basis is what contributes to your good or ill health.
In a four-year study in the Netherlands, it was learned that the risk of stomach cancer can be reduced by 50 percent if you eat half an onion a day. Onion's allylic sulfides can activate enzymes that neutralize cancer-causing substances.
Powerful flavonoids in red grapes are considered more than a thousand times powerful than vitamin E in controlling bad cholesterol.
Labels: Beauty, Biffspandex, Health, Photography, Trivia
I have, in past articles, given you a history of chocolate. I have since then uncovered some more fun information about other of our confectionery delights. It isn't just limited to chocolate, you know!
Upon some research, I uncovered something really interesting about jelly beans. I know that (regardless of age) we all grew up with them. In fact, they are so old that jelly beans were reportedly advertised as early as the 1860's when William Shraft claims to have sent them to Union soldiers as treats during the Civil War!
Licorice, a favorite among movie- goers, was found (in licorice root form) in King Tut's tomb. It was used as a cure-all for everything from
curing "thirst and hunger" to curing kidney disorders. And just about everything in between, including stomach problems and coughs. Licorice in root form, was used during the middle ages to help with food poisoning, and was so popular in 1305 that it was taxed in England to help repair the London Bridge!
Another one that had an interesting background were candy cigarettes, also referred to as candy sticks. You could blow the powdered sugar so that it looked like you were exhaling smoke and then, of course, you would wrap the cigarettes under the sleeve of your T-shirt
Among the "tough, cool" kids of the 50's, 60's and 70's, it was definitely a fun thing to do, with it's red tip (did you know that on the bubble gum version the wax paper wrapping simulates a filtered cigarette?) They are still available with brands being sold in Spiderman, Popeye and Tom and Jerry varieties. What a way to go for those who didn't really want to smoke (mostly due to parents wrath!), but wanted to look cool anyway!
Straight from that into really smoking? Had to cover your breath somehow...so enter Sen-Sen mints. Still available today, they were marketed as a breath perfume, created by T.B. Dunn company literally to mask the breath of smokers.
Okay, so I would be re-miss not to add one chocolate fact, since that remains far and above most peoples favorite. Let's take 3 Musketeers.
In 1932, 3 Musketeers was packaged with three (hence the first part of the name) chocolate bars: one vanilla, one strawberry, and one chocolate (hence, the musketeers.)
Labels: Chocolate
By now, as the days approaching Christmas are fast upon us, the Holiday Trivia Elves (better known as librarians) at the Smithsonian Library in Washington, D C, are ready to bounce from wall to wall in an attempt to keep up with all the requests for information, great and trivial, about this popular holiday. Watch out. I just saw a couple of them staggering against the shiny marble walls. They must be going into Trivia Meltdown, a malady seen quite often this time of year. Get them some eggnog and gingerbread, quick!
When you think about Christmas and love, the first thought that pops up in your mind is to stand shyly (and hopefully) under the closest doorway with a sprig of mistletoe hung overhead. Such a romantic tradition for so many generations, it has to hold the #1 place in popularity. Guess which one? Yep, that long, lingering kiss. But guess what else? Mistletoe is actually a partial parasite, growing on branches or trunk of a tree or able to grow on its own - take your pick. The common name of mistletoe is drawn from bird droppings. "Mistel" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for "dung," as in bird poop and "tan" translates to "twig". I have your interest now, don't I?
Get your knives and forks out for a feast around the world. Roast goose is on the Christmas platter in England, pigs in Germany, while the people in United States love turkey.
Banks used to have a Christmas Club each year. They were first opened in 1905, allowing their patrons to deposit a preset amount of money each month, to be used around Christmas time for gift shopping. I think I had a magnanimous amount of $3 per month stashed away for that special something.
There are two schools of thought about which is the busiest shopping day of the year. The majority of shoppers think the Friday after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of shopping yet another faction of the economy thinks that the busiest day is either the 5th day or 10th day after Thanksgiving.
When Charles Dickens was writing his famous "A Christmas Carol," he stopped many times while trying to find the proper name for his little hero. Before settling on Tiny Tim, he considered and discarded Little Larry, Puny Pete, and Small Sam. No great loss there.
Charles Dickens originally wanted Scrooge to say "Bah Christmas" instead of the famous phrase "Bah Humbug" known throughout the literate world.
Throughout the course of the Christmas buying season in the United States, Visa cards alone are used 5,340 times per minute. Ka-Ching!
Turkeys were popular for Christmas dinner in Victorian England. Many of the birds were bred in Norfolk and then needed to be moved to market in London. In order to accomplish this transport, the turkeys were dressed in booties (!) made of leather or sacking and then the turkeys were walked to market. The boots served as a barrier between their feet and the frozen mud of the road. However, geese feet were only protected with a layer of tar. Is this haut couture or what?
Talk about one for the record books. There is a written mention of a huge 165-pound game Christmas pie from Medieval England. Nine feet in diameter, its ingredients included 2 bushels of flour, 20 lb. of butter, 4 geese, 2 rabbits, 4 wild ducks, 2 woodcocks, 6 snipes, 4 partridges, 2 neats' tongues, 2 curlews, 6 pigeons, and 7 blackbirds. Point of culinary curiosity: assuming a diner ate around the bones and pulled off the fur and feathers, was the pie still ridiculously heavy and large for an average group of diners (let's say 50 or so) to finish the concoction before spoilage set in? And what did really happen to all those inedible accoutrements? Did the Royal Furrier have a workshop set up immediately outside the castle kitchen? Truly, the discarded bits and pieces from the pie were copious enough to set up a system of cottage industries, from furs to wear against the cold to the sinews needed to stitch those furs, from feather-adorned hats to shoes made from the hides. The involvement of various workers had to be astounding.
DID YOU KNOW?
Not only is the pumpkin a fun icon of Halloween; it is the key ingredient of that tasty Thanksgiving tradition, the pumpkin pie.
While most pumpkins are orange, they also come in dark green, light green, white, red, gray, blue, and orange-yellow. Remarkably high levels of lutein, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene are responsible for the orange coloring and also for transforming Vitamin A in the body.
Many people think the pumpkin is a vegetable but in actuality it is a squash fruit related to cucumbers, gherkins, and melons. Pumpkins consist of 90% water and if you fill a pumpkin with milk and then bake it, you will have a pudding.
In Ireland, the original Jack O' Lanterns were made of hollowed-out turnips, a plentiful fruit readily obtainable throughout the British Isles. However, upon reaching America, the settlers found a plethora of already hollowed-out pumpkins, ready to use.
Native Americans called pumpkins "isquotersquash".
The weight of the world's largest pumpkin has been variously listed as 1,061 lb., 1140 lb., 1385 lb., and 1,502 lb., in Paletine, Illinois. Take your pick.
Native to the Western Hemisphere, Central America specifically, pumpkins were originally used as a food crop, finding root all over the world.
Pumpkins grow in present-day continental Europe, India, New Zealand, Australia, and Alaska.
Settlers to the New World sent pumpkin seeds back to their English relatives where the new seeds and fruit rapidly became popular.
Turnips are usually carved differently than are pumpkins; instead of carving the turnip all the way through such is done with pumpkins, sections of turnips are merely incised away so as to give a shimmering appearance.
Besides making a yummy snack, pumpkin seeds are full of zinc, iron, potassium, magnesium, and essential fatty acids.
During the Halloween season, about 99% of the pumpkins grown for domestic consumption are earmarked for the sole purpose of carving Jack O'Lanterns.
The world record time of merely 37 seconds was needed by Jerry Ayers of Baltimore, Maryland to make the quickest recorded pumpkin carving.
Pumpkin flowers are edible.
At one time, pumpkins were used as a home remedy to heal snake bites and to remove freckles.
Pumpkins can be grown in Alaska but not in Antarctica, the only continent hostile to pumpkin cultivation.
Morton, Illinois is the self-declared pumpkin capital of the world. The Nestle pumpkin packing facility prepares 90% of all processed and canned pumpkin consumed in the United States.
Pumpkin plant-related seeds dating back to 7,000 to 5,500 BCE were found in Mexico.
Talk about an all-purpose plant! Not only are the seeds and flowers delicious and healthy for consumption, in early Colonial days, pumpkins were not used to fill pies; rather, they were an important component used to bind together pie crusts.