Mardi Gras King Cakes Taste As Good As They Look

Because the celebration of Mardi Gras dates back to 1703 for the city of Mobile, one can image that many traditions have sprang up in that time period. Along with the many social functions that are hosted around this time, one custom is central to any gathering associated with the holiday: the King cake. The King cake is a type of desert that tends to be the central theme for the many cotillions and luncheons that are hosted during the season.

The cake itself is more of a cinnamon roll type desert rather than a true cake and it is decorated with a sugar icing in the colors of Mardi Gras: green, yellow and purple. Over the passage of time it seems that many different recipes developed for the King cake and every bakery in Mobile has its own version. Most will even ship the cakes across country for those displaced southerners longing for a taste of Mardi Gras.

In times past, beginning with the earliest cakes, the host or hostess of the party would place a gold coin or other small valuable trinket in the batter and it was a game to see who would wind up with the slice of cake that contained the bauble. In the early twentieth century this practice changed to placing a small baby inside the cake, the finder of the plastic infant would become royalty for a day and would be the host for the party for the next year. Recent times have seen this tradition pass away as more people became concerned about the choking hazard involved with placing a small hard object in an edible product. However, just because that tradition has ceased to be, the cake itself is more popular than ever.

These days more and more creative recipes are starting to appear. There are several varieties that even include cream or fruit fillings for the sumptuous desert. The appearance of cake has also been changing in recent decades. In times past, the King cake was a simple braid of a Danish type. Today, bakers are putting new twists (pun intended) on the cake and everything from a simple ring design to elaborate twists and twines have been used. The icing has also been changing slightly. Where it used to be drizzled over the cake and the color came from sugar crystals colored with food dyes, today many bakeries used colored icings that are thicker, richer and more like traditional birthday cake type icings.

While trends for King cakes may come and go, the sheer number of cakes baked every year seems to increase. Today millions of King cakes are baked annually and this number does not even reflect the number of cakes baked for everyday use by individual families!

Most agree that to host a great Mardi Gras occasion, one would be completely remiss to not include as the centerpiece of the meal, the all-important King cake. Guests would no doubt talk about the lapse in cuisine etiquette for years to come.

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Hadrian Set to Conquer London, Again

Roman Emperor Hadrian was a complex character. He once agonised at length whether grass felt pain when it was cut, but on the other hand he was quite happy to order the slaughter of men, women and children in their thousands without a second thought.

Totally ruthless, yet paradoxically incredibly cultured, Hadrian ruled the Roman Empire from AD117 to AD138, and is most famous in Britain for the wall, built in his name, that separated ancient Scotland from England and marked the northern boundary of the Empire. After succeeding Emperor Trajan, Spanish-born Hadrian went on to galvanise and stabilise a fractured Empire and spent many years of his reign engaged in travels; quashing rebellion throughout his Kingdom.

Now, some fascinating aspects of and artefacts from Hadrian's life can be examined at close quarters at the British Museum's exhibition entitled 'Hadrian: Empire and Conflict'. Exhibits on display include statues and busts featuring Hadrian and Trajan, amongst others and tablets from the ancient Roman settlement of Vindolanda, which was located in the shadow of Hadrian's Wall in the North of England.

The height of Hadrian's extravagance was the construction of his ostentatious Adriana villa at Tivoli, which when complete was almost two-thirds the size of the city of Rome. Exhibits are also on display from the villa and include a fabulously preserved marble bust in which the Emperor is depicted wearing his commander-in-chief uniform. Such is the detail on this bust that it clearly shows deep creases in each of Hadrian's earlobes, which are now thought to be a clear indication of coronary heart disease. Although, there is no evidence that Hadrian's demise was indeed related to heart disease, it is an interesting insight into the man and also into the level of detail that Roman craftsmen went to accurately portray their subjects.

Other artefacts on display include a gold coin featuring the head of Hadrian which was minted in AD 138 after his death by his successor Antonius Pious. Despite initial opposition from the senate, who had come to despise Hadrian, Pius managed to persuade them to make the dead emperor a god and the coin celebrates that deification. However, one of Hadrian's finest accomplishments will not be coming to the exhibition. The remarkable pantheon in Rome, which still stands today was commissioned by Hadrian and is his enduring legacy in a city over which he once ruled.

Such is the interest in the exhibition that hotels in London - especially those in the vicinity of the British Museum - are expecting to welcome many guests specifically in town for this exhibition.

Indeed, some London hotels are offering special weekend breaks with tickets to the exhibition included. But, whether staying in accommodation, or just popping into London for a day, a visit to the Hadrian exhibition should not be missed by anyone who professes to have a keen interest in ancient Roman culture.

Disclaimer: Matthew Pressman writes for a wide variety of commercial clients. This article is intended for information purposes only and readers should seek additional information before taking any actions based on its content.

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The Truth About Vending Machines

Vending machines are an excellent way to supplement your income or start your own home-based business. There are several factors that you must think about when you get into the business of vending machines like location, what you are selling, maintenance and more.

When you are thinking about getting into vending machines you need to think about where you are going to place them. An excellent idea is to talk to new businesses and see if you can place a machine at their location. Most businesses are open to have vending machines in their place of work for the employees to have a snack. In addition, you are surely going to sell well if you can get your machines in a big business. Other locations that you might think about putting your vending machines are public places that include bowling alleys, schools and recreation centres. The most important thing that you need to think about when you are considering the locations of your vending machines is the safety of your machines. You do not want to place your machines in a place where kids can break them, steal the contents or the money from the machine.

If you decide to have a soda machine you might want to talk to the people who are allowing you to place your vending machine on their premises about what drinks they prefer. This way, you know that you are going to sell your product. When you let them choose what drinks to fill the machine with, then they will buy it from you. If you decide to have a snack vending machine filled with candy and chips it is a good idea to work it out with the company also. However, it is okay that you do not because you can keep track of what you are stocking in your machine to see what is selling and what is not. This way, you know what types of things to stock in the machine for snacks and what snacks are not selling.

If you decide to go into the vending machine business you have to stay on top of it. You need to be sure the machines are constantly stocked with enough coin money so people can get change. You also have to ensure that it is working properly. If the dollar insert is broken, then you probably wont be selling very much. It is a good idea to pay a visit to your machines once a week, clean out your money and restock the machines with everything they need. If you do not keep the machine stocked and/or it is constantly out of order, then chances are good that the company will ask you to remove the vending machine from their location.

Vending machines can make you a lot of money. It is important to work with the companies and find out what they want. You also have to be sure that you are maintaining the machines and keeping them constantly stocked with items.

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Chocolate Coins - Rich History, Rich Chocolate

Chocolate coins are an ideal gift. They are such a nice surprise and have a long history in the gift giving department. They are often given to children on holidays all over the world. They are typically wrapped in gold foil and have an ancient looking coin imprinted into the foil. They are delicious and a fun way to give chocolate.

History of Chocolate Coins

These delectable treats have a long history that is wrapped in authentic legends. It is rumored that the very first types of treats like these were made in honor of Cesar the ruler of the Roman Empire and were gifted to the ladies and gentleman of the Roman court. Of course these chocolate coins bore the face of none other than Cesar himself. Chocolate had been a much loved treat for quite some time when there fabulous treats were devised, however during these days the chocolate was not wrapped in foil but instead was wrapped in very fine sheets of gold so the recipient not only was gifted with a fine piece of chocolate but also had the luxury of a little bit of actual treasure.

This custom continued through many generations, for many years in the true tradition with the chocolate being encased in actual gold foil to look exactly like the coin of the day. Children were often gifted with these treasure to memorialize special dates and as rites of passages.

Of course now in modern times the gold foil has been replaced by gold looking foil but these delicious treats are still much appreciated. In some cases the coins are void of any type of foil at all, and the design is simply imprinted right into the chocolate.

Familiar Net bags

The chocolate coins today are sold in net bags, often with a pirates logo written on them. They are a familiar sight in most candy stores and other stores that sell novelty candy items. These items are also available online through many candy vendors that specialize in novelty candy. The net bags that these treats are sold in are usually made of gold plastic netting that looks a bit like a netted purse, all of it done to raise the excitement of the receiver of these sweet gifts.

The cost is very inexpensive most of the time, although sometimes you will find higher end chocolate houses that have created their own versions of the chocolate coins that are quite expensive, but well worth the cost.

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Why Do Kids Get Chocolate Coins on Religious Holidays?

You may have seen chocolate coins in bright gold and silver colored wrappers in the stores around mid-winter. Unless you're Jewish, you might not have known what these coins were for. While they're simply a tasty treat for the rest of us, these coins are a part of the Hanukkah celebration for Jews - they're called gelt, which is Yiddish for money.

Gelt is often given out to children to help them enjoy the holiday. Sometimes the gelt is in the form of real coins - the equivalent of stocking stuffers - and larger gifts of money from grandparents. Gelt given in Israel is called dmei Hanukkah. In addition, those who visit Hasidic Rebbes during the season may receive coins, as a blessing. However, there's also chocolate gelt.

Modern chocolate gelt can look like current coins or like antique ones. Each gold or silver wrapper is stamped to look like a coin, complete with a face side, tail side and writing. The chocolate beneath is similarly stamped. Little bags of these confections can be easily found in drug stores, grocery stores, high end chocolatiers and other places where delicious chocolate is sold. Of course, the price of the gelt will reflect the quality of the chocolate inside.

Gelt in the form of chocolate coins is a mostly twentieth century innovation. It makes a fun gift for children, and can be used instead of real money in dreidel games. Playing with a dreidel is a big part of the Hanukkah celebration for Jewish children, since it commemorates a period where Jews were not allowed to study Torah by the Romans. To hide the fact that they were really engaging in forbidden religious practices, playing dreidel games arose. Roman soldiers who encountered someone playing these games assumed that they were gambling, not studying.

A dreidel, called a sevivon in Hebrew, is a spinning top with four sides. Children play with it for Hanukkah, and each side has a Hebrew letter imprinted on it. These letters are an acronym for a Hebrew phrase meaning "A great miracle occurred there". This refers to the miracle of the oil that Hanukkah celebrates.

After the lighting of the menorah, it's appropriate to play the dreidel game. Each child starts out with ten or fifteen coins, which may be real, or can be made of chocolate. The players spin the dreidel, and depending on which side the top falls on, they either win markers from the pot or have to give up some of their coins. There's more than one way to play the game, and many games keep going until one player has all the chocolate coins.

Chocolate coins are a tradition dating back many centuries. They were enjoyed back then and are equally enjoyed as much today. They are always a treat and even more exciting since they are reserved for the rare special occasions. Chocolate coins are something everyone remembers getting as a child well into their adulthood and then giving them to their own kids.

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Find the best popcorn vending machines?

They are fat free, healthy, and sell like hotcakes. You guessed right, and the America's snack for all seasons and all reasons popcorn reference. But praise for the army of the popcorn machines that have won every battle with flying colors, if the schools, charity events or even home theater.

setting cash registers ringing, Big Time

Is not it amazing that they are treated by inserting a few coins into a machine, die-hard addicts of Popcornsizzling and expensive amounts of this wonderful snack, and within a few minutes? What's more, new-age, hi-tech wonder that succeed, even stick customers with a delicious selection of flooring, from butter to chocolate.

Not surprisingly, these machines profile growth companies, who refused to be shackled by any barriers. Throughout the world, they present a very attractive and lucrative business opportunities. For bothOrganizers and customers, it is a win-win situation.

More bang your money

These machines are completely self-sufficient. Samples conditioners money providing uninterrupted power supply, are at full load. And as the top unit is placed in the cabinet, not increase shipping hackles all over the world financially astute clients.

But here is why these machines have become a constantPresence in our collective consciousness:


A cup full of large quantities of popcorn is at the whim of the customer and fantasies beaten.

Popcorn in your choice of flavors and aromas certainly send your senses soaring.

This allows customers to display only part of the whole process of making this snack.

The wide range of models is simply overwhelming. On the floor or countertop models, manually or automatically, it certainly is spoiled for choice.

Ethe icing on the cake, well, you must be the profit margin, a huge 85-90%. Well, I call your cake and eat popcorn er.

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Expo 2010 Shanghai China : The Haibao Gold Coin Chocolate / Macro Video By Ferjo Santana

Production under authorization of Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. The Expo China Pavilion Gold Coin Milk Chocolate. Produced By Shanghai Shenpu Foods. Flip Mino HD + Schneider - Kreuznach Xenar F 2.8 / 45 mm Compur.

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The Fascination and Fascinating Facts of Gold

Gold has held a fascination for people throughout time and will always be seen as a precious gold that is coveted by everyone. Below are some interesting facts pertaining to gold and the many ways people use it to express themselves.


The 1933 Double Eagle coin is one of the rarest and most sought after collector coins in the world. It was sold at Sotheby's auction house in New York in 2002 for a whopping sum of $7.59 million. The coin has a colorful past which included escaping a big gold meltdown in the US. It fell into the hands of an Egyptian King and was then discovered by an undercover secret service agent in New York.


Gold has always been recycled because of its high value in our society. This means your jewelry or dental crowns could contain gold that was actually mined hundreds of years ago. At least 15% of our annual gold consumption is recycled each year.


Gold is so malleable that it can be beaten down so thin it is translucent. Wood gilding is a slow and careful process that requires over 22 separate manual operations. The gilder using a silk brush charged with static electricity picks up the gold leaf and delicately lays it on the suitable scraped wood.


The word carat, which is used to tell the measurement of purity of gold in a item comes from the word carob. Carob seeds were originally used to balance scales in Oriental bazaars. Pure gold is designated 24 carat which is the finest.


Some people take their love of gold to extremes and will use it on anything and everything. Lenotre, a famous French pastry cook made gold leaf cakes. The gold leaf is laid on the chocolate while it is still warm and soft.


Elvis Presley had three Stutz cars, which there were only 20 made a year. In the cars, everything that would normally be chrome was gold instead. This included the steering wheel, pedals, ashtrays and cigarette lighter.


If you are looking for something extravagant to purchase in gold you can buy a washbasin and taps all made out of gold for an undisclosed price in New York. You can have a gold coffee pot that has a permanent gold filter that preserves the coffee's flavor. Dennis Kozlowski is said to have had gold threaded shower curtains costing over $6000 each.


The Egyptians were the first documented civilization to use gold to make jewelry. A one ounce gold nugget is rarer than a five carat diamond. The largest gold nugget ever found in the US weighed 195 pounds and was found in California. The first real gold coins used as currency were produced in Lydia, which is part of Turkey. The US Gold Eagle is the most popular gold bullion coin.


Gold has always fascinated people throughout the times and still has an influence on our society today. Gold has an extraordinary history and there are many interesting facts surrounding this valuable precious metal.




The best online resource to sell gold or sell gold coins can be found at Refinity.com

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