| Safety warning, recall issued for Easter eggs, baskets
Parents purchasing or preparing Easter baskets for their young children should beware of a couple of products, consumer watchdogs warned this week.
Consumers Union has issued a warning about Kinder Surprise Eggs, hollow chocolate eggs that contain small toys. The products, made in Italy by the Ferrero Group, have been banned in this country since 1997 by the Consumer Product Safety Commission but sometimes still make it to store shelves.
The chocolate eggs are sometimes available from gourmet food stores, candy merchants and ethnic importers, according to Consumers Union. Until recently, the eggs were being sold on Amazon.com by a Greek importer through the Web site's Marketplace feature.
The commission also has announced a voluntary recall of about 8,500 Disney plush Easter baskets sold at Wal-Mart stores between February and the end of March because they have beads and ribbons that could pose a choking hazard for young children.
Organic Coffee Co. Urges Coffee Drinkers to 'Think Before You ...
SAN LEANDRO, Calif., April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- This Earth Day, the Organic Coffee Co. (http://www.organiccoffeecompany.com/) -- encourages coffee drinkers nationwide to "think before you drink" and consider how their choice of coffee affects the environment. The Organic Coffee Co. -- a division of the San Leandro, Calif.-based Rogers Family Co. (RFC) whose gourmet coffee and tea products are sold under various brands across the U.S. -- notes that your choice of coffee could be one of the most important decisions you'll make all day. Every day, an estimated one third of all adult Americans have a cup of coffee and their decision could impact tropical rainforests, migratory songbirds, rare reptiles and mammals, or even the water supply of people thousands of miles away. By drinking shade-grown, organic coffee, coffee lovers can help stop deforestation, and in turn, help in the fight against global warming.
Consumers Willing to Up Spending, Study Says
What do you think? E-mail us your feedback, contact information and the subject line, 'Consumer Buying Trends' with your message. CHARLOTTE, NC—
American consumers may be willing to spend far more money on their kitchen remodeling projects than either they or their kitchen design professional may budget for or suspect – but they need to be educated about the benefits of upgrading for maximum satisfaction. That’s the key finding of a major new study focused on consumer design/product preferences, and how homeowners use their kitchens. The study, called Remodelers 360, was conducted by the Charlotte, NC-based Research Institute for Cooking & Kitchen Intelligence (RICKI). The online survey, whose results were released last month, involved some 10,000 U.S.
Danika's big day
TEARS welled in the eyes of Danika Schofield's family and friends as her dad tenderly squeezed the young bride's arm before giving her away. The 18-year-old walked up the aisle on Saturday, days before going into hospital for cancer treatment. When Gavin Brown, 20, proposed to her on Valentine's Day the couple planned to get married next May. But when Danika was diagnosed with five tumours in her abdomen they decided to organise their dream wedding in just a month. Danika, who lives in Ramleaze, West Swindon, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in September 2000 and has bravely fought off cancer three times before. And she used her special day at the Ivy Hotel in Wroughton as a chance to remember friends who have died from the disease.
The anatomy of a winning recipe
The deadline is approaching for the mother of all cooking contests, the Pillsbury Bake-Off.
With a $1 million grand prize, this is a contest that goes way beyond blue ribbons.
So what does it take to win that million-dollar prize? Diane Kerekes of Sapulpa came close to finding out last year when she advanced to the finals, and won $10,000 for her Southwestern Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie.
One thing that Kerekes' recipe shares with other Pillsbury winners is a creative use of Pillsbury ingredients. Taking ordinary ingredients and making them interesting, or even gourmet, is something many of the past winners have in common.
Kerekes' recipe used canned soup, plus added ingredients, and was topped with Pillsbury biscuits. Last year's grand-prize winner, from Austin, Texas, won for her Baked Chicken and Spinach Stuffing, a dressed-up concoction of chicken breasts stuffed with Green Giant spinach and Pillsbury waffle sticks.
Loons ready for season opener
But on a day in which talk around town was centered on the Loons, Mother Nature provided anything but baseball weather. Wind gusts approaching 40 mph brought January wind chills on an April morning, forcing the Loons' workout indoors for the second day in a row.
“No matter how cold it is, we just want to get out there and start playing," said right-handed pitcher Steven Johnson, who earlier in the day was named the starter for the season's second game by manager Lance Parrish.
Johnson, a 13th round pick in 2005, led the Pioneer League in strikeouts last season and finished with a 3.89 ERA.
“I have a lot to improve on [this season]," Johnson said. “I'm hoping to get control of a lot of my off-speed pitches and throw them more for strikes. That's a big thing I need to work on."
As expected, prized prospect Clayton Kershaw will take the mound in Thursday's opener.
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