The Art and Science of S’mores

From: http://www.visualnews.com/

Does anyone know where the idea for the s’more came from? How about how it got its name? Did you know that there is an official 3-step process to making them? And where DID all those parts come from, anyway? I bet you want to know. I did. Yes, It’s all here, the classic ingredients, the history, the tips on mallow roasting and fire managing, and even–yes–an explanation of the Russian Matryoshka Mallow doll technique. You too, can be a master of the mallow and czar of sweet, sticky, melty campfire crackers. REI shares its tips and tricks of this delectable, historic treat.

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It's National S’mores Day: 16 decadent s'mores recipes & cocktails Continue reading on Examiner.com It's National S’mores Day: 16 decadent s'mores re

From: http://www.examiner.com/

Celebrate National S'mores Day with 16 decadent s'mores recipes & cocktails.

Credits: James Rubio

Continue reading on Examiner.com It's National S’mores Day: 16 decadent s'mores recipes & cocktails - National Holidays | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/holidays-in-national/it-s-national-s-mores-day-16-decadent-s-mores-recipes-cocktails#ixzz1Uf9jBwJj

No matter how you look at it, August 10th is a great day! Not only is today Lazy Day, but it is also National S’mores Day! Just imagine yourself relaxing in the hammock, sipping on a Lazy Day cocktail and munching on one or two decadent s’mores – crisp graham crackers filled with gooey marshmallows and rich chocolate.

While the origins of this annual holiday are unknown, s’mores were probably “invented” by the Campfire Girls decades ago. Gobbled up by both young and old alike, s’mores are tasty treats frequently made at campfires.

Don’t know how to make ‘em? You’re in luck: Whether you use an open fire, toaster oven or microwave, Kraft shows you just how it’s done with these simple step-by-step s'mores directions. If you have a camping trip coming up, have the kids practice making s’mores with this fun game by Hershey’s.

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Hershey's S'mores Photo Contest

In honor of National S’mores Day, Hershey’s is asking folks to share their favorite s’mores memories by uploading your favorite s’mores-themed photo and sharing with friends. S’mores-themed prizes include a camera, photo printing gift card, outdoor fire pit, roasting skewers and more. But hurry – the contest ends today.

Give Me S’more S’mores Recipes!

• Campfire S’mores Recipe – You’ll need graham crackers, chocolate bars and large marshmallows for this simple recipe. Don’t forget skewers or long sticks and a fire!
• Golden Grahams S’mores – This recipe, from Betty Crocker, calls for Golden Graham cereal, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, light corn syrup, butter and vanilla.
• Sure Fire, No Fire S’mores – Paula Deen shares her top-rated recipe that calls for graham crackers, mini marshmallows and Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars. No fire needed for this one – you’ll need your oven broiler.
• S’mores Cookies – Fair warning - this recipe looks amazing!
• Chocolate and Peanut Butter S’mores Recipe – You’ll need peanut butter, thin chocolate wafers and marshmallows.
• S’more Turtles – You’ll need caramel, honey grahams, chocolate candy kisses, marshmallows and pecans for this recipe from Kraft.
• Strawberry and Chocolate S’mores – Just add strawberry slices to graham crackers, dark chocolate and roasted marshmallows and you are good to go!
• S’more Brownies – You’ll need graham crackers, unsweetened chocolate, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, mini marshmallows and semi-sweet chocolate chunks for this recipe from Kraft Foods.
• S'more Brownies – This homemade recipe, from the Food Network, looks fabulous.
• Cookie S’mores Recipe – The folks at Hershey’s shows you how it's done with this simple downloadable recipe.
• S'mores Cheesecake Squares – ‘Nuff said!
• Caramel-Drizzled S’mores – You’ll need peanut butter cookies, bittersweet chocolate, caramel sauce and marshmallows for this one.
• S’more Cupcakes – This made-from-scratch recipe looks divine and doesn’t require a campfire!
• S’mores in a Jar Recipe – This recipe is a great gift idea! You’ll need 16-ounce Mason jars, graham crackers, butter, flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, vanilla extract, milk, heavy cream, baking soda, egg and marshmallows.
• S'mores Martini - You'll need Toasted Marshmallow Syrup, chocolate vodka and chocolate sauce for this adult drink.
• Smokin’ S’mores Cocktail – Wow – this adults-only recipe is smokin' HOT! You’ll need Teddy Grahams, Bacardi vanilla, butterscotch schnapps, Bailey’s Irish Cream and Bacardi 151, mini marshmallows, toothpicks, matches and chocolate shot glasses.

Happy National S’mores Day! Enjoy!

Is Chocolate the Tastiest Natural Cough Medicine of All?

By: Care2 Causes Staff
From: http://www.treehugger.com/
Photo credit: CoCreatr/Creative Commons

This guest post was written by Robin Marty, a writer for Care2 Causes.

As if we needed another excuse to have some chocolate, new research shows that it may be an effective cough suppressant, too.

New Scientist reports:

An ingredient in chocolate may actually be a more effective cough medicine than traditional remedies, a new study suggests.

And not only that, the UK-based research showed that the cocoa-derived compound had none of the side effects associated with standard drug treatments for persistent coughs.

"These sorts of coughs, often lasting for weeks after a viral infection, can be difficult to treat, especially since it is not possible to give large doses of opiate-based medication to patients due to the side effects," says Peter Barnes, professor of thoracic medicine at Imperial College London, UK, who led the study.

In the study, the testers were given theobromine, a component of chocolate, codeine, or a placebo. Those who had the theobromine were less likely to cough than those who received the placebo, and even those who received codeine who coughed at the same rate as the placebo.

So the next time you have one of those nagging coughs you can't seem to shake, chocolate may be the answer.Of course, getting the weight off afterward is another issue.

Choco-Potamus, the Ultimate Marijuana Chocolate

By SF Weekly

From: http://blogs.sfweekly.com/


Just when we'd nearly given up on the idea of finding chocolate infused with medical cannabis that tastes better than the foil it's wrapped in, Oakland's Choco-Potamus has arrived to set the standard for artisan green confections. The use of real cocoa butter (rather than cheap fillers like coconut oil) gives it a taste that distinguishes it from the competition. Available in dark (sativa hybrid) and milk chocolate (indica/sativa hybrid) bars, the bars are made from cannabis buds rather than the typical shake and stems for a stronger high. Choco-Potamus products are available in San Francisco exclusively at SPARC. Accredited patients can receive online ordering information via the company site.

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Armenia produces world's biggest chocolate bar

From: http://www.sfgate.com/

Vahram Baghdasaryan / AP

Reporters make images of a huge chocolate bar produced by the Grand Candy factory in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010. The chocolate bar that Guinness World Records has certified as the world's biggest, weighs 4,410 kilograms (9,702 pounds).

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(09-11) 07:52 PDT YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) --

Anyone looking for huge amounts of free chocolate should book a flight to Armenia's capital next month. That's when the world's largest chocolate bar will be up for grabs in Yerevan's main square. The Guinness Book of World Records certified the 9,702-pound (4,410-kilogram) chocolate bar at a ceremony Saturday.

It was made by Grand Candy factory and contains all natural ingredients, including 70 percent cocoa mass. The chocolate bar is 224 inches (560 centimeters) long, 110 inches (275 centimeters) wide and 10 inches (25 centimeters) thick.

The factory owner, Karen Vardanyan, said that the chocolate bar was produced to mark the 10th anniversary of the company. He said it will be divided up and handed out Oct. 16.

What the M’s stand for in “M&Ms”

From: http://www.todayifoundout.com/

Today I found out what the M’s stand for in “M&Ms”.

In 1941, Forrest Mars Sr., of the Mars candy company, struck a deal with Bruce Murrie, son of famed Hershey president William Murrie, to develop a hard shelled candy with chocolate at the center. Mars needed Hershey’s chocolate because he anticipated there would be a chocolate shortage in the pending war, which turned out to be correct.

As such, the deal gave Murrie a 20% stake in the newly developed M&M; this stake was later bought out by Mars when chocolate rationing ended at the end of the war, in 1948.

The name thus stood for “Mars & Murrie” the co-creators of the candy.

Bonus Factoids:

• The “M&M” was modeled after a candy Forrest Mars, Sr. encountered while in Spain during the 1930s. During the Spanish civil war there, he observed soldiers eating chocolate pellets with a hard shell of tempered chocolate. This prevented the candies from melting, which was essential when included in soldiers rations as they were.
• During WWII, production of M&Ms skyrocketed due to the fact that they were sold to the military and included as part of United States’ soldiers rations.
• The original M&M colors were: red, yellow, brown, green, and violet.
• M&Ms were served in cardboard tubes when they debuted.
• The “M” printed on the M&Ms was originally printed black. This was changed to white in 1954.
• William Murrie, father of Bruce Murrie, was originally hired by Milton Hershey in 1896 as a salesman. In his first week on the job, he managed to over sell the plant’s production capacity. This so impressed owner Milton Hershey, that he tabbed Murrie to be the future President of Hershey; this later happened in 1908, a position he held until retiring in 1947.
• When William Murrie first took over running Hershey, the annual sales of the company was $600,000. Upon his retirement in 1947, he had grown the company to now have a gross annual sale amount of 120 million dollars; which means, over the span of those 39 years he increased the annual sales rate an average of around 50% per year.
• In the 1920’s, Murrie tried to convince Hershey that they should produce a chocolate bar with peanuts. Hershey didn’t like the idea, but let him go ahead as long as the bar wasn’t under the Hershey brand name. And so, in 1925, the “Chocolate Sales Corporation”, a fictitious company Murrie came up with, debuted the “Mr. Goodbar”, which was wildly successful.
• Forrest Mars Sr. not only helped invent the M&M, but also famously invented the Mars bar, which was a “malted milkshake in a candy bar”; he also launched the Uncle Ben’s line of food product.
• At the time of his death at age 95 in 1999, Forrest Mars, Sr. had grown his father’s company to the point where he now had amassed a fortune for himself of over 4 billion dollars. At that time, he ranked 30th on the list of richest Americans, with his sons Forrest Jr and John ranking 29th and 31st. He left the company to his children who still exclusively own it today (it is not a publicly traded company).

Sources:

• Franklin Clarence Mars
• M&Ms
• The Hershey Company
• William F.R. Murrie
• Forrest Mars, Sr.

Coldstone Breakthrough: Ice Cream That Transforms Into Pudding

Posted by: Mark Levine

Wow -- is this the frozen confectionary breakthrough of the year? The decade? Coldstone is about to release ice cream that doesn't melt. No, this sweet wonder simply transforms into JELL-O pudding...

Pictured: Butterscotch Velvet Cone

Coldstone Tastemaster (how do we apply for this job?), Ray Karam, has been working with JELL-O pudding in rigorous taste tests to create a sweet frozen treat that "...has a mouth feel much like a velvety mousse."

When your bowl of freshly-scooped Coldstone sits at room temperature for a while, an amazing transformation occurs. The ice cream skips melting and turns into pudding instead (or so the legend goes).

Coldstone is releasing four flavors that will only be available for a limited time -- in locations from June 3rd until July 28th (SO DON'T DROP THE BALL -- get over there!). Find your closest location here.

Pictured: Chocolate-y Goodness Cone

To compliment the cutting-edge ice cream, Coldstone also has two new creations to showcase the flavors:

Butterscotch Velvet -- Butterscotch JELL-O Pudding Ice Cream mixed with Butterfinger, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and Caramel.

Chocolatel-y Goodness -- Chocolate JELL-O Pudding Ice Cream mixed with Peanut Butter, Caramel and Fudge.

[wipes drool off keyboard]

Recipes for the new flavors are going up on the Coldstone Creamery site so you can make ice cream sandwiches, JELL-O pudding ice cream pops and snacks at home.

Learn how to GRILL ice cream here, watch Food Detectives take on Upside Down Ice Cream or just get some other ice cream ideas....

M&M's Valentine's Day "Cupid's Mix" Is 10% Lighter Than Regular M&M Packs

By Carey

Do you want to lose weight for Valentine's Day? Then M&M's special Valentine's Day Cupid's Mix is just for you! Since they're 10% lighter than M&M's usual holiday pack, they'll help you lose money too. More proof that M&M's Cupid traded in his arrow for the Grocery Shrink Ray after the jump...

Tipster Lee writes:

I probably buy too many M&Ms. I often buy the medium-sized bags when they're on sale (for $1.99 or less per bag). Perhaps I could get them cheaper if I bought larger bags from Costco, but it's more convenient if I buy them from one of the numerous drugstores I frequent in my neighborhood.

For quite a while now the medium-sized bags have been 14 oz. Yesterday I picked up a few bags of the Valentine Day theme M&Ms and I immediately knew that something was amiss. The bags seemed lighter. Indeed, the weight was listed as 12.60oz, which happens to be exactly 10% less than 14oz.

I suppose they could claim that only the Valentine M&Ms are like this, but previous "special" themes have always been 14oz (i.e. the Halloween and Autumn Mix bags shown below.) And at the store I was at, both the regular Medium bags (which are still 14oz) and the vday bags had the same "regular" price of $3.79, making people believe that they are basically the same amount of product. I believe that they're testing the shrink ray waters and will eventually shrink the standard Medium-sized bags (and possibly also the Small and Larger bags).