Word of the Week
Sweet Tooth: A great liking for sweet tasting foods.
Whoops- I did it again! With the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving, the holiday season kickoff, it completely slipped my mind to update you last week. I will try my best to make up for it this week, so please forgive me.
The first week of December is National Cookie Cutter Week! Just how long has the cookie cutter been a thing? It dates back to Ancient Egypt. . .I'm talking 2,000 B.C.! They molded sweet cakes into shapes. It was slowly adapted by the Greeks and Romans. Eventually, the cookie cutters we all know and love were created in the 1800s by tinsmiths.
Let's start off with some fun cookie facts.
Americans consume over 2 billion cookies a year. That works out to roughly 300 per person. (I think it's safe to say I've done my part to contribute.)
Half of the cookies baked in American homes each year are chocolate chip!
Apparently, baking burns 168-348 calories per hour, while the average cookie contains 49-210 calories.
Queen Elizabeth I is credited with overseeing the first biscuits cut into them shape of men from ginger dough. Who knew?
American cookie jars became popular in the 1930s, as more people baked at home during the Depression.
Now, can you think of a fun cookie that people have enjoyed and nibbled on for years and years? Hint: Traditionally, it comes in a box.
Introduced in 1902, Nabisco Animal Crackers were the first cookies mass produced! Over the years, there have been 54 different animals represented by Animal Crackers. Here's some more extremely interesting information about them:
The string was added to the box so it could be used as a Christmas tree ornament.
In 1902, a box sold for 5 cents.
The monkey is the only animal that's ever worn clothes. Nobody knows why.
Only the bears, elephants, lions, and tigers have been around all this time (1902-present).
PETA (the animal rights organization) has long been opposed to using animals in the circus. In 2016, it contacted Nabisco's parent company to request a change in their packaging. Instead of caged animals, the company moved to a design that shows animals free in nature. The new packaging also includes more detailed nutritional information.
Currently, there are 18 types of animals in today's Animal Cracker boxes!
Any guesses what the 18 animals could be? Give this week's fun and quick activity a whirl! Don't peek at the answer key until you've circled your guesses.
This seems like a great kickoff to some new, holiday cookie recipes. Stay tuned.
Until next time. . .
Gram