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Easter Fun Facts!

partysugar — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 01:11:53 -0700

I hope that nobody minds my tiny obsession with useless knowledge concerning statistics and facts about food and holidays. I happen to think that knowing a plethora of nonsensical information is an incredibly fun conversation starter, especially in awkward or uncomfortable moments. Although DearSugar may not approve, I'm all for avoiding horrid questions by quickly changing the subject. I mean how else do you deal when you're at your family's Easter brunch and your uncle asks you how your job is going and you were fired the week before? Well instead of bursting into tears or bashing your former employer say: hey did you know that 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies are made for Easter each year? Or that the world's largest jelly bean weighs over 6000 pounds?? I'm telling you read through my Easter fun facts and you'll have something interesting to say when you are at a loss for words. To find out what part of a chocolate bunny gets eaten first and just how many marshmallow Peeps get consumed each year read more

When taking a bite into a chocolate bunny, 76% of Americans prefer to bite off the ears first. 5% eat the feet first and 4% eat the tail first.
During the Easter season, Americans buy more than 700 million Peeps - making Peeps the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.
Adults prefer milk chocolate (65%) over dark chocolate (27%).
86% would prefer having chocolate bunnies instead of a live rabbit.
Each day throughout the year, 5 million marshmallow chicks and bunnies are produced in preparation for Easter.
16 billion jelly beans are made specifically for Easter which is enough to fill a plastic egg the size of a 9-story building.

Kids prefer red jelly beans and 75% are willing to do extra chores for more Easter candy.
57% of kids get up super early on Easter to see what the Easter bunny has brought them.
80% of parents carry on the tradition of the Easter bunny by preparing a surprise Easter basket filled with goodies for their children and 90% of adults hope for their own Easter treat.
The first chocolate eggs were made in Germany in the 19th century and remain one of the most popular Easter candies today.

Solid chocolate bunnies are favored, followed closely by hollow chocolate bunnies, marshmallow filled bunnies, and other Easter bunny candy.

In the old days pretzels were associated with Easter because the twists of the pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossing in prayer.
The exchange of eggs for Easter dates back to a springtime custom older than Easter itself in which eggs were given as a symbol of rebirth in many cultures.

The Easter egg roll on the White House lawn has been a tradition since 1878.
After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy consuming holiday.

Got a fun Easter food fact? Please share it with me, I'm dying to know more!

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Kitty Lovers, Just Say "No Thanks" to Easter Lilies!

PetSugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:00:26 -0700

I've shared doggy dangers lurking in your Easter basket, but I wanted to remind you about a popular holiday flower that should never be brought into a home that includes cats.

Easter lilies are one of the most poisonous flowers for kitties. In fact, just one or two leaves or flowers can fatally harm a feline so, even if you think your pet will show no interest in this plant, please take no chances. This lily (along with Tiger, Asiatic, and other varieties) causes depression then vomiting, loss of appetite, and loss in body weight with the first symptoms showing up within 30 minutes . . . and acute renal failure coming at about 48 hours post-ingestion.

Please brush up on the ASPCA toxic plant list (and have their poison control hotline on hand) and rush any pet you fear has gotten a hold of this stem to the doctor immediately!

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Think You Know Cadbury Creme Eggs?

partysugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 05:50:06 -0700

Besides Peeps, Cadbury Creme Eggs are the most ubiquitous of Easter candies. While I've had my fair share of the goo-filled eggs, I don't really know much about them, so I've put together a quiz of fun facts concerning Cadbury Creme Eggs. To learn more about this Easter specialty take my quick exam!

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Test Your Mardi Gras Food Facts!

YumSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:30:12 -0800

Bring out the beads and hurricanes, because it's time to celebrate Mardi Gras! Although Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") is based on Easter and can fall on any Tuesday between Feb. 3 and March 9, this year it happens to be today!

Since New Orleans, LA, is the city most known for its Mardi Gras festivities, I thought I'd quiz your knowledge of fun facts related to NOLA Mardi Gras traditions. Think you know how to celebrate the season? Put your knowledge to the test when you take our quiz!

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Easter Gifts: A Geek's Guide

GeekSugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 08:04:18 -0700

I was in the seasonal aisle of Walgreens this weekend grumbling about the fact that I've just finished my Valentine's Day candies and the rest of the world has already settled in to Cadbury eggs, when I realized that there is a whole basket full (I couldn't help myself!) of geeky spring gadgets that are way cuter and less fattening than any Easter candy. If you are in the market for bunnies, chicks, eggs and chocolates consider asking the Easter bunny for one of these treats instead of something sugary-sweet.

Nabaztag Tag
The Nabaztag is one of my all time favorite geeky items and if you are going to buy one, spring is certainly the season. It looks like a rabbit, but it’s so much more. Nabaztag is a WiFi device that communicates with your computer to tell you the time, wakes you up, reads you the news, gives you stock information and even tells you the weather. With its built in microphone, you simply tell Nabaztag what you want to hear and it relays the info you seek in the cutest way imaginable. $179.95

There are even cuter gadgets, read more

I Rub My Duckie
Like the OhMiBod, the I Rub My Duckie is more naughty than geeky, but it fits right in with the Easter season. It looks like the standard, yellow bathtub fowl of old, but underneath its rubbery shell is a powerful motor that allows this quacker to double as a personal massager. Operated by 2 AA batteries, the quiet motor is waterproof. You can deduce the rest. $14.95

USB Duck Dock
Japan's Solid Alliance has released a new i-Duck USB Memory Storage device that is the most festive, spring-inspired gadget you can find. The i-Duck uses a USB 1.1 interface and has a storage capacity of 256MB. When you plug it in your USB port, the i-Duck lights up. For me, this one falls in the "but why?" category, but it does get a little "awww" for being small, bright and friendly looking. $99

Pentagon Denied Gay Rep's Request to Travel with Partner

LibertySugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:00:53 -0700

The Pentagon initially denied Representative Tammy Baldwin's request to bring her domestic partner with her on a fact-finding trip to Europe over the Easter recess. As usual, the delegation traveled on a military flight. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi petitioned Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, before the trip was approved.

At the center of the story is the definition of "spouse." According to the House guidelines, members of Congress can travel with spouses so long as there is room, and protocol requires it. The same goes for an adult child; however, Congress must be reimbursed for the second guest. Baldwin and her partner have exchanged vows, but her home state of Wisconsin does not recognize same-sex marriage.

Apparently Secretary Gates told Speaker Pelosi that it was up to her to make an exception. To see what happened, read more.

Once Gates received a formal request for an exception, he approved the flight. Pelosi insisted that she was simply following the precedent set by her predecessor Dennis Hassert. But, Hassert's former aides said he was unaware that Baldwin's domestic partner flew with her, until the trips already were underway.

While we can all argue about tax money being used to transport guests, it does seem unfair to make a gay congresswoman jump through extra hoops, involving the Speaker of the House and the Secretary of Defense, for a routine trip. Perhaps spouses shouldn't be allowed on these vacations, uh, I mean fact-finding trips. But since they are, should unrecognized spouses be allowed, too?

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The Battle of The Pink Candy

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:57:11 -0700

As we all know, limited edition candy is all the rage these days. For a while everything came with a coating of dark chocolate or a layer of creamy peanut butter. However right now, the trend seems to be the addition of fruit flavors and pink hues.

This weekend I had the opportunity to try both the limited edition Razzberry M&Ms that I told you about a few weeks ago, as well as the new-ish Strawberry Milkshake flavored Whoppers. The limited edition M&Ms were definitely the preferred option, but to check out what I thought of each, read more

The packaging on the Razzberry M&Ms is a fun, well downright girly, purple with pink accents, and upon opening it there is definitely a slight artificial raspberry smell. Each M&M is magenta colored and initially I thought the flavor was in the candy shell, but after eating several I realized it was actually in the chocolate. Despite how clichéd the raspberry/chocolate combination is, it was actually quite tasty. I honestly enjoyed eating them and hope they introduce a dark chocolate flavor.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the Strawberry Whoppers. Whoppers are generally chocolate covered malt balls, but this edition contains no chocolate. Instead they're malt balls wrapped in a strawberry-flavored white chocolate-ish coating. In theory it's a great idea, but in execution it fails due to the fact that the strawberry coating is ridiculously waxy. After eating a handful my teeth felt laminated and weird. Apparently at Easter they sell a version with a candy shell and I'm pretty positive it might be just what it needs to save it.

So verdict? Hunt down the M&Ms (they're only available for six weeks) and ignore the Strawberry Whoppers until Easter. Oh and stay tuned, I'm sure these won't be the the only limited edition fruit flavored candies.

Spring Is in the Air!

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:43:19 -0700

The weather has been getting warmer here in San Francisco, and there's no doubt about it, Spring is just around the corner. In fact it starts this Thursday, Mar. 20.

To ring it in, and to celebrate that Easter is also this week, I've rounded up a bunch of Spring finds. From butterfly-shaped egg platters to flower-farm measuring cups, I've got 32 Spring finds for you to check out. Just scroll through the list below.

notNeutral NotNeutral Season Ceramic Snack Set - $30.00	Lenox "Butterfly Meadow" Egg Platter - $58.00
Villeroy & Boch "Aureus" Blossom Salad Plate, 8.5" - $30.00	Susie Serving Plate - $12.95
Laurie Gates Anna Rectangular Platter, 18"x10" - $29.00	notNeutral - Flower Trivet - $9.00
Martha Stewart Collection Cupcake Liners/Toppers - $9.99	Butterfly Meadow Cups and Saucers by Lenox - $5.99
Patchwork Flower Dishtowel - $18.00	Rosette Irons - $4.95
Flower Farm Measuring Cups - $28.00	Villeroy & Boch "Golden Garden" Flowers Mug - $44.00
Mikasa® Studio Nova Floradora Pink Bowl - $5.99	Spring Dot Deviled Egg Dish - $21.00
Spring Ruffle Ceramics, Sets of 4 - $39.50	Spring Herb Italian Ceramic Bakers - $39.95
Copper Flower Cookie Cutter Set, 5-Piece - $15.95	Seconds Teapot, Oriole - $88.00
Water Bottles & Commuter Mugs - $10.00	Basket Ramekin - $3.95
Nostalgic Easter Ramekins, Set of 4 - $39.00	Easter Eggs Book - $14.95
Chicks Dishtowels - $11.95	Butterfly Hostess Apron - $38.00
Nostalgic Easter Rectangular Serving Platter - $29.00	Spring Chicken Egg Cup - $6.00
Spring Cupcake Stencils - $4.95	Easter Fabric Place Mats - $32.00
Easter Egg Candles, Set of 4 - $15.00	Vintage Bunny Towels, Set of 2 - $22.00
Easter Bunny Napkins, Set of 4 - $26.00	Missoni Margherita Tea Cup with Saucer - $71.00

Sugar Shout Out: The Bread of the Irish

PopSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:40:13 -0700

It only comes once a year: Irish soda bread
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Wee TV: the really scary housewives of New York City
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Spotted: colossal MP3 player at Walgreen's
How-to: dye Easter eggs naturally
DearSugar answers: Is the romance gone for good?
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syako needs your help picking out a birthday present for her nephew

Garlic Fun Facts

partysugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:01:46 -0700

Today, April 19, is National Garlic Day. I thought I would take advantage of the holiday and put together a quick little round of fun facts for you all to enjoy. Usually, I only reserve my favorite pieces of worthless knowledge for major holidays like Easter and Christmas, but I thought, hey garlic is in practically everything and is used in most cultures throughout the world. Surely, this potent little vegetable deserves its own fabulous batch of fun facts. For example did you know that garlic is actually considered both a vegetable and an herb? Or that garlic has been used medicinally for thousands of years since ancient Greek and Roman times? To see how eating garlic can better your health, read more

Garlic is believed to ward off heart disease, cancer, colds, and flu. The consumption of garlic lowers blood cholesterol levels. and reduces the buildup of plaque in the arteries.

It was even once used to treat acne, warts, and toothaches.
The psychological term for fear of garlic is alliumphobia.
The origin of National Garlic Day is unknown and it is not recorded in congressional or presidential proclamations.
Garlic is said to fight off evil spirits and keep vampires away.
If your garlic has sprouted, it is still usable although it has lost some of its flavor and health benefits.
The smell of garlic can be removed by running your hands under cold water while rubbing a stainless steel object.

Garlic is a member of the onion family which also includes leeks and shallots.
Its pungent flavor is due to a chemical reaction that occurs when the garlic cells are broken. The flavor is most intense just after mincing.
The majority of garlic (90%) grown in the United States comes from California.
If your rose garden is being attacked by aphids, an excellent home remedy to get rid of them is to spritz the leaves and blooms with a mixture of crushed garlic and water.
When picking out garlic at the grocery store, choose firm, tight, heavy dry bulbs.
Garlic has been used to infuse vodka and as an ingredient to make cocktails.
Finally, to tie garlic into Wedding week here on the Sugar Network: at ancient Greek and Roman marriages the brides carried bouquets of garlic and other herbs instead of flowers.

Got a fun fact about garlic? Please add it to the list below!