Random Facts

Back in colonial days, a favorite Boston food was beans baked in molasses for several hours. Back then, Boston was sort of awash in molasses – it was part of the “triangular trade” in which slaves in the Caribbean grew sugar cane to be shipped to Boston to be made into rum to be sent to West Africa to buy more slaves to send to the West Indies. Even after the end of this practice, Boston continued as big rum producing city – the Great Molasses Flood of 1919 (which killed 21), ocurred when a tank holding molasses for rum production exploded.

Today, Boston baked beans are something of a rarity – there are no companies in the city making it and only a few restaurants serve it. If you want to try it yourself, here’s a Boston baked beans recipe

via The Boston FAQ.

When a product reaches an age advanced enough to be known as a “national institution,” it usually bears little resemblance to its original form – however, this is not the case with Tootsie Roll.
The round piece of chewy, chocolatey candy that delights Americans today still looks and tastes amazingly like the first Tootsie Roll, made over 109 years ago.
Even more astonishing, the candy roll still sells for one penny, the original price, even though the company now offers candy packages priced up to $7.17. The first penny candy to be individually wrapped in paper, Tootsie Rolls are so protected today – but the modern design of the wrapper signals that changes have occurred in the product’s long and successful story.
Tootsie Roll Industries today is one of the country’s largest candy companies, headquartered in Chicago with operations in Massachusetts, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Mexico and Toronto. Total net sales in fiscal 2004 were over Four Hundred Twenty One Million dollars.
In its 109th year, the company produces more than sixty million Tootsie Rolls per day. Also, as the world’s largest lollipop supplier, the company daily produces twenty million pops.
Click on a image to see a larger picture

Tootsie Roll Historical Timeline from 1896 to the Present
1896Austrian immigrant Leo Hirshfield brings to the U.S. his recipe for a chocolatey, chewy candy, which he begins producing in a small store in New York City.
Hirshfield names the candy after his five-year-old daughter, whose nickname is “Tootsie.”

via ~Pixy Rose~~: Tootsie Roll Fun Facts.

“A 160 lb. person would have to run at a moderate pace for four hours, swim for five hours or walk 30 miles to burn off a 3,000-calorie Thanksgiving Day meal,” said Dr. Cedric Bryant, ACE chief exercise physiologist. “Many people start by snacking throughout the day and that combined with the meal can lead to a total caloric intake of 4,500. All holiday delicacies can be enjoyed so long as they’re eaten in moderation and combined with a proper exercise plan.”

via Hard to Believe: Average Thanksgiving Meal Equals 3,000 Calories and 229 Grams of Fat – Press Releases – American Council On ExerciseACE.

step 1IngredientsIngredients and special tools: 1. Turkey 2. Turkey Frier 3. Oil I use peanut oil but other oils would work 4. Fuel for fryer ussally propane 5. Thermome…

step2Heat Oil1. Fill fryer no more than two thirds full with oil. Anymore than two thirds, and you risk the over flow of oil as well and a huge grease fire. You just need enough oil to …

step 3Prepare Turkey and place in frierPrepare turkey however you wish. Injection marinades are recommended. Most friers come with a turkey holder that holds the turkey in the frier, so place the turkey on that…

step 4Voila!After the turkey is done cooking, remove from the frier and let the oil drain for a few minutes. I would turn off the flame first to prevent a grease fire. Save the used…

via How to fry a turkey – Viewing Comments 1-50.

Here are some quick stats for popular brews, check the link below for more:

Bud Dry Anheuser Busch 5.0% 130 7.8g

Bud Ice Anheuser Busch 5.5% 148 8.9g

Bud Ice Light Anheuser Busch 4.1% 110 6.5g

Bud Light Anheuser Busch 4.2% 110 6.6g

Bud Light Lime Anheuser Busch 4.2% 116 8.0g

Budweiser Anheuser Busch 5.0% 145 10.6g

Budweiser Select Anheuser Busch 4.3% 99 3.1g

Budweiser Select 55 Anheuser Busch 2.4% 55 1.9g

via Beer Calories, Beer Alcohol, Beer Carbohydrates..

One quarter of all candy sold each year is purchased between September 15 and November 10, making candy …

via Halloween.Fast Factscandy salesBrief Article | Article from Journal of Property Management | HighBeam Research.

Stock Up on the Right Amount of Alcohol for a Party with a Simple Formula – Entertaining – Lifehacker.

The most money ever paid for a cow in an auction was $1.3 million.

via Random Facts.

Over 85 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds also plan to celebrate the spooky holiday in 2006, along with 77 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds, and 71 percent of 35 to 44-year-olds.

In 2006, consumers are expected to spend nearly $5 billion on Halloween celebrations, up from just over $3 billion in 2005. Per person, the average consumer is expected to spend nearly $60 for Halloween this year.

What is all this spending going toward? As Halloween is the second-biggest decorating holiday after Christmas, decorations will certainly account for some. Some 67 percent of Americans plan to buy Halloween decorations this year, and close to half will be decorating their home or yard. Further, consumers are expected to spend about $22 each on finding the perfect Halloween costume.

via What’s REALLY Scary About Halloween: The Volume of Candy Given Away & Other Halloween Statistics.

How many calories are in your favorite Halloween treat? | ENTERTAINMENT | KHOU.com | News for Houston, Texas.