Peeps

   Peeps are a marshmallow candy that you can find during the most exciting times of the year like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and  Valentine's day.  People either like peeps or they don't, but if you do you usually love them. That delicious first bite into the soft, fluffy, and sweet marshmallow treat with the little tiny bit of crunch from the sugar outside is so memorable and makes you crave more.  That box of peeps is probably gone pretty fast.  I decided to do some research and find out the history of this marshmallow treat.
   In 1953 the Just Born Candy Company bought the Rhodda Candy Company and acquired their marshmallow chick line.  These treats were each hand made and Bob Born loved the little chicks.  In 1954 Bob Born created machines that could make multiple candy chicks at a time and during this year the Just Born Candy Company became the biggest marshmallow candy company in the world. This is also when the candy obtained the name of peeps.  The original peeps only came in the shapes of chicks but in 1958 that all began to change when the pumpkin peep was introduced for Halloween. Soon to follow were snowmen and Christmas trees for the Christmas season in 1960. In 1975 peeps entered the sports zone and produced football shaped peeps.  In 1977 the teddy bear peep was introduced and in 1980 the giant peep marshmallow bunny was born. In 1995 the lavender chick peep was introduced and in 1998 the blue chick peep was introduced, before this they were only sold in the colors of white, pink, or yellow. In 1999 peeps reached the digital world and http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/ was launched. Also during this year vanilla peeps were introduced and these were the first flavored peeps on the market. 1999 really was a big year for the company because they also launched their first peep commercial on national TV. In 2002 peeps became musical and released a CD, the Marshmallow Peeps Sing Along which included 14 different songs. In 2002 peeps also introduced the marshmallow star for the summer season. In 2003 the successful candy celebrated their 50th anniversary.  In 2007 they introduced the sugar free peep and in 2008 they introduced peeps in the shape of the word "joy"-the first peeps to be word-shaped. In 2009 peeps had a huge achievement when they opened the peeps and company store.  In 2010 peeps introduced chocolate covered peeps.
    Peeps have been around for quite some time and although they started only as a marshmallow chick, which is still very popular and a classic, they have grown and added many new shapes and flavors.  Whether you like the flavor of these marshmallow treats or not, peeps are very cute and really do brighten up many holiday treat plates.

Information from:
http://inventors.about.com/od/foodrelatedinventions/a/marshmallows_2.htm
http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/about/history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peeps

Picture from:
http://puppybunnyguineapretty.wordpress.com/tag/peeps/

Oreo. Milk's Favorite Cookie!

One of my absolute favorite store-bought cookies is the Oreo.  I love the chocolaty cookie flavor mixed with the sweet flavor of the cream center.  There are many ways to eat an Oreo, you can just bite right into it or you can take the top off and lick off the cream before devouring the two cookie pieces, or even dip it in a tall glass of milk.  My favorite way to eat the Oreo cookie is to put into ice cream to make a delicious frozen ice cream and cookie treat.

   The Oreo was created by the National Biscuit company, or Nabisco in 1912.  It originally came in two flavors; cream (like what is sold today) and lemon meringue. The cookies looked similar to the ones sold today but had a different design on the top of the cookie. In the United States, the Oreos were first sold for 25 cents a pound in novelty cans. Cream was the most popular flavor and lemon meringue was discontinued in the 1920s. The Oreo that we know today with the Nabisco logo on it was created in 1952. 

    But how did this cookie get the name of "Oreo"? There are a couple theories to answer this question but it is not exactly known for sure.  Some of the Nabisco workers think it could of comrefrom the French word for gold which is "or" because gold was one of the main colors on the package.  Some believe that the name came from a hill-shaped version of the cookie because the greek word for mountain is "oreo".  Another theory is that the name came from taking the "re" out of cream and the two "o's" from chocolate and by putting the "re" in between the two "o's" creating the name Oreo.  Still, others just feel that the name was short and easy to pronounce and therefore that is why it was chosen.

   Over 362 billion Oreos have been sold since they were first created and they became the best selling cookie of the 20th century.  In 1975 Nabisco introduced the double-stuf oreo, in 1982 they introduced fudge covered oreos, in 1991 Halloween oreos were released, and in 1995 Christmas oreos were created.
   Oreos are a delicious cookie that continue to come in many new flavors such as: strawberry milkshake, mint, Oreo DQ Blizzard, and even heads and tails (chocolate and vanilla cookie with cream filling). 

Information from:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lots_of_m&m's.jpg
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1910s/a/oreohistory.htm

Picture from:
http://www.sodahead.com/living/what-oreo-cookie-flavor-do-you-like-best/question-1823881/?link=ibaf&q=&imgurl=http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/oreo100.jpg

M&M's!

M&Ms are a great type of candy to snack on. They satisfy that chocolate craving and the candy shell coating even adds a little crunch. They are even fun to look at since they come in a variety of colors. M&Ms are great by themselves, but they also make a great addition to an ice cream treat, cookies, and trail mix. I did a little bit of research and i found out more about this wonderful candy.

M&Ms are made by the Mars Candy Company and were introduced during World War II for the troops to snack on without having melted chocolate all over their hands. The name is an abbreviation of the two creators names; Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie. The candy originally came in cylinder shaped tubes and then in 1948 the company began packaging M&M's in the brown bags that are still used today. In 1950 the company began printing the famous "M" on each of the candies. At that time each bag of M&M's only cost 5 cents. 1954 was a big year for M&M's. Mars introduced peanut M&M's for the very first time, the slogan "melts in your mouth, not in your hands" was created and the M&M characters made there first appearance on television. In 1960 you could get these delicious candies in red, yellow, and green and then orange was added in 1976. In 1995 people got to vote on a new color to be added and blue was the big winner. They did another vote again in 2002 and purple was added to the mix. Today you can get M&M's in virtually any color, but the bags still come in the original red, yellow, green, orange, brown, and blue. They also offer seasonal bags that come in colors for Christmas, Easter, and Halloween. In 1980 the M&M started to be sold internationally to the countries of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the UK, Malaysia, Spain, and Switzerland. M&M's have reached many milestones and even went into space in 1982 and are now on every shuttle mission. They also became the offical snack food of the 1984 Olympics. In 1997 the famous green M&M character appeared on tv and also during this year M&M World opened in Las Vegas, Nevada. Another huge milestone for the M&M's occured in 1998 when M&Ms were named the official candy of the new millennium.

In 1999 when Crispy M&Ms are intorduced the orange M&M tv character makes his first appearance.
    M&Ms have been a very successful candy that continue to be a popular treat. They now come in many flavors including flavors like peanut butter, almond, pretzel, and even candy corn. You can also order almost any color of M&Ms online and have them personalized with pictures and messages.

Information from:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5079797_history-mms-candies.html
http://www.mms.com/us/about/mmshistory/

Picture from:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lots_of_m&m's.jpg

Dog of Week: The Puli

   The Puli is a medium sized and square shaped dog that can weigh anywhere from 20 to 30 pounds for a female and 25 to 35 pounds for a male.  Females tend stand about 14 to 16 inches off of the ground and males tend to stand about 16 to 17 inches off of the ground.  These dogs are pretty muscular in their build.  The Puli has a very thick and water-proof coat that almost looks like dread locks. They have a double coat so the outside fur has all of the curls and the inside coat is very soft.  The coat can come in a variety of solid colors including black, white, apricot, and gray.  The curly dred locks don't form until a puppy is about 6 months old.

    The Puli comes from Hungary.  Shepherds used different dogs very similar to the Puli for many years.  in the 17th century the then Puli interbred with German and French sheepdogs and the more known Puli was formed.  The Puli's were used to guard and drive herds of sheep.  The Puli was accepted for AKC registration in 1936 and in this country is used more as guards, watchdogs, and companions.

    The Puli is a very smart breed of dog that is also a lot of fun.  They maintain that pupy-like attitude for most of their lives and they love to play.  They are very active dogs and love to be outside and would definitely make great outdoor companions for activities like jogging, hiking, and camping.  They also do well in things like agility and herding competitions.  These dogs are very easy to train and are even used as therapy dogs.  They are very devoted and sensitive dogs that can detect emotions. They form a loving relationship with their owners and always want to please them and make them happy.  These dogs make great watch dogs and are very alert.  They also do very well with kids, especially if they grow up with them around.  These dogs don't like to be left alone for long periods of time and want to be included in what your family is doing.  The Puli does not shed much but does require some brushing and bathing which can take up a little time with all of that hair!  The Puli is a very sweet and intelligent dog that would make a great addition to an active family that loves the outdoors.

Information from:
http://www.justdogbreeds.com/puli.html
http://www.irishdogs.ie/puli---facts-you-must-know-before-adopting-a-puli.html
http://dog-breeds.findthebest.com/l/127/Puli
http://www.akc.org/breeds/puli/history.cfm

Picture from:
 http://www.petfinder.com/dog-breeds/Puli

Sundaes on Sunday!

  An ice cream sundae is always a great treat and is almost like an empty canvas.  You start with just a plain dish of vanilla ice cream and then you can dress it up with any toppings imaginable; there's hot fudge, caramel, butterscotch, sprinkles, nuts, candy pieces, and so much more!  I looked up on the internet to see what the history of the sundae is and I found that it is not exactly certain where it started but there are three different theories.
  The first theory is that is that it originated in Evanson, Illinois.  In 1890 a law was passed that made it illegal to sell soda water on Sundays. The soda fountains in the area began selling their ice cream sodas without the soda on Sundays and this left just the ice cream with a syrup topping.
  The second theory is that the sundae originated in Two Rivers, Illinois by a soda fountain owner named Ed Berner.  A customer named George Hallauner asked to be served a dish of ice cream topped with the syrup used in the sodas. Berner liked the idea of this dish and began selling it off his menu for a nickel.  A competeing soda fountain owner by the name of George Giffy also began to serve this dish except at a higher price and only on Sundays, which is why it became known as the ice cream sunday.  when he saw the money this dish was making though he began to sell it every day and changed its name to ice cream sundae.
   the last theory states that the sundae originated in Ithaca, New York and was created by a drugstore owner named Chester Platt.  It is said that Mr. Platt prepared a dish of ice cream for a man named Reveraend Scott. Platt dressed up the dish with syrup and candies and served it to the Reverend. This took place on a Sunday so Reverend Scott named the dish after the day.

Information from:
http://inventors.about.com/od/foodrelatedinventions/a/Sundae.htm

Picture from:
http://tucsoncitizen.com/three-sonorans/2011/04/02/would-arizona-have-banned-ice-cream-in-the-1800s/

Dairy Queen

    One of my favorite places to get a treat from is Dairy Queen.  I love their soft serve ice cream and they have so many things to choose from.  I like a lot of the things on the menu, but I was get the same thing and its my favorite thing off of the menu.  I love the mint oreo blizzard.  The ice cream is so smooth, creamy, and delicious.  The mint is soothing and always just the right amount and not too over powering.  And the oreos are so good because they get nice and soft after being in the ice cream but not in a soggy way.  Everyone has their favorites when they go to Dairy Queen.  There's blizzards that can be mixed with fruit, candy, or cookies; sundaes with a bunch of different toppings, dilly bars, buster bars, and even banana splits.  They also have ice cream flavors that coordinate with holidays; pumpkin pie blizzards for Halloween and Thanksgiving, reindeer blizzards and peppermint blizzards for Christmas, and mint oreo blizzards for St. Patrick's day.  I did a little research and found out about the history of Dairy Queen.

    It goes all the way back to the 1930's when a man named J.F. (grandpa) Mcullough and his son Alex were running a shop called the Homemade Ice Cream Co. in Davenport.  In the 1930's the pair bought a new factory in Green River, Illinois and this is where their ideas began to take form.  Grandpa Mcullough thought that the ice cream tasted best before it went through the final freezing because at such cold temperatures customers taste buds would be somewhat numbed by the ice cream and some of the flavor would be lost.  The two men decided to see if they could find a machine that would keep ice cream in this softer form and if customers would have interest in this form of the dairy treat. The Mcullough's talked to their friend and customer Sherb Noble who agreed to sell this product as a test in his store.  The sale was called the "all you can eat for 10 cents" and was held on August 4, 1938.  The sale was a huge success and after only 2 hours over 1600 dishes of ice cream were served. After one more successful test run at another ice cream store called Mildred's Ice cream shop the two decided to continue this idea.  By 1939 the Mcullough's found a freezer that with a few modifications would be able to serve this soft ice cream. Their idea was put somewhat on hold due to the out break of World War II, but soon after it really took off.  The first store was opened in Joliet and was soon followed by stores in Moline, Aurora, and Davenport.  The store was named Dairy Queen because Grandpa Mcullough believed that this new treat was the queen of all dairy products. In 1962 the international Dairy Queen Inc. was formed linking the Dairy Queens together to form a chain restaurant business.
Interesting DQ facts:
-The Dilly Bar was created in 1955
-The first national television commercial aired in 1966
-The Buster Bar was created in 1968
-Dennis the Menace became the spokes character for Dairy Queen in 1972
-In 1985 the blizzard is created and over 175 million are sold in just the first year
-in 2005 the worlds largest blizzard was created. It weighed 8,224.85 pounds, stood 22 feet tall, and was created in Springfield, Massachusetts.

information from:
http://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/history/
http://www.qconline.com/progress98/business/prqueen2.html

Picture from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dairy_Queen

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

    My absolute  favorite treat to have is ice cream.  I can eat it all year round-summer or winter and I could eat it every day.  Ice cream is one of America's favorite treats and you can get practically get it anywhere.  It's sold at the grocery store, at restaurants, amusement parks, the movies, and there are even shops dedicated to selling ice cream as their main product.  The only hard part about ice cream is which flavor to choose because there are hundreds! from vanilla to cookies and cream (my favorite) to chocolate.  And then once you decide the flavor you have to decide if you want any toppings.  although it can be a tough decision once its made you get to enjoy one of the best treats ever made.  But, when was ice cream created and by whom?  Well, here are a few facts about the history of ice cream.
    Ice cream is thought to date all the way back to B.C times when Nero was emperor of Rome.  It is said that he would have his slaves retrieve snow from the mountains and mix honey, nectar, and fruit pulp into it for him to eat.  King Tang the ruler of Shang, China was another important historical figure who was known to mix things in with ice and milk to eat.  Another theory is that Marco Polo may have brought some of these recipes from Asia back to Europe with him. 
   Once ice cream reached America a lot of famous people served this treat at important events or parties. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson   served it to guests in the 1700's.  Maryland's Governor Bladen also was noted for serving ice cream to his guests. And Dolly Madison served ice cream at the inaugural ball in 1812.
    The first American Ice cream parlor was opened in 1776 and it was actually the colonists who came up with the name ice cream.  Ice cream comes from the word Iced cream which was a drink similar to iced tea.
   A man named Italio Marchiony is credited for  the waffle bowl, which was patented in 1903.  He started using these edible bowls to prevent customers from walking away with his dishes.  Another story of how the ice cream cone started happened at the world's fair in Saint Louis, Missouri in 1904.  An ice cream vendor apparently ran out of dishes and so he teamed up with a waffle vendor at the fair who rolled the waffles into cones for the ice cream to be served in.
    The ice cream float was developed by a man named Robert M. Green who served a drink that included carbonated water, flavored syrup, and cream.  One day he ran out of cream and substituted it with ice cream hoping that know one would notice the difference.  Well, customers did notice and it became a huge hit and his sales increased greatly.
    In 1843 the first Ice cream hand-cranked churn was created by Nancy Johnson who ended up selling her patent.  Jacob Fussell created the first ice cream plant in 1851 in Baltimore.
   Now what about those popular ice cream flavors, when did they come to be?
Cookies and cream ice cream was created in 1983 and became number five on the list of best-selling ice cream flavors and holds the name of being the fastest growing new flavor of ice cream in the history of the product.  Surprisingly, chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream wasn't invented until 1991!
Ice cream has really come a long way and continues to be a very popular treat for people everywhere!

Information from:
http://www.makeicecream.com/hisoficecrea.html
http://inventors.about.com/od/foodrelatedinventions/a/ice_cream.htm

Picture from:
http://www.collegesurfing.com/blog/2009/07/22/carnival-of-college-admissions-32-blog-flavors-and-counting/