Sunday, April 20, 2014

Happy Easter from Euforia

Hello again, Readers,

     This Sunday, April 20, 2014 is Easter Sunday!  Easter is a Christian holiday commemorating the rise of Jesus Christ from the tomb and end of the Lent Season.  Nowadays, there are so many Easter traditions, I wanted to take today's special Easter edition and find out where some of the more popular Easter activities come from - dyeing eggs, Easter Bunny, and eating all the candy (specifically, what's a Peep?)
     The Easter Bunny is kind of like Santa Claus on a smaller scale -The legend originates from German Lutherans, the Easter Bunny (or "Oschter Haws" as he was called) would deliver colored eggs to good children who would leave nests or baskets for the eggs to be placed.  Later, chocolates, candies, and small gifts would also be left in the nests.  Why a rabbit?  Rabbits are traditionally symbolize new life, with the new life being the Resurrection.
     Decorating eggs is a tradition that has been around since around the 13th century.  Eggs represent the tomb from which Jesus rose, and for centuries, eggs were dyed red to symbolize Christ's blood.  The Easter egg hunts and Easter egg rolls that are so common don't seem to have religious meaning, they're meant to just be fun.  The White House has held the Easter egg roll every year since 1878 on the Monday following Easter Sunday.
     Easter candy started becoming popular in the 1800's.  While it's the most recent of the standard Easter traditions, it has become the second biggest candy-selling holiday (Halloween is first).  Originally, chocolate eggs were a way for chocolatiers to sell their goods at Easter - the egg being such an important symbol and the popularity of chocolate growing.  Mass production techniques of the early 20th century hit the candy industry, allowing novelty Easter Candy to become popular with everyone.  Because of this, candy moved from the chocolate egg to the now popular chocolate bunny.  Jelly beans became associated with Easter around the 1930s.  The "Turkish Delight" (a jelly covered in powdered sugar) was a popular treat and as they became mass-produced, the low cost and the egg-shape made the jelly bean a hit as an Easter candy.
     If you're looking for a sweet treat that's a little more sophisticated than the jelly bean or the chocolate rabbit, try our delicious Triple Delight Cake!  You can order one any time of the year, and as always, they're delicious, all-natural, and gluten-free!

Thanks for reading!
Euforia Confections


Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Gluten-Free News and Article Round-up - April

Hello again, readers!

In this post, we are gathering up some of the most recent news and articles relating to gluten-free living to pass along to you.  There's always new information coming out related to celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and gluten-free living, and we want to put this information in one easy-to-find location.

  • A recent study has been released suggesting those with celiac disease are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with heart disease as those who don't have the autoimmune disease.  The study uses information from over 22 million people, including 24,000 people who have been diagnosed with celiac disease.  Read more about this study here (from WebMD 3/29/2014)
  • The Celiac Disease Foundation (Southern California chapter) is hosting a gluten-free Food & Wine event on April 27th in El Segundo, CA.  Tickets start at $65, and for more information, click here (from Celiac Disease Foundation)
  • For those of you in the Allentown, PA area, Coca-Cola Park (Home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs!) now has a gluten-free food stand!  Offering gluten-free beer, pulled chicken and pork sandwiches on gluten-free rolls, a baked potato bar, and other foods, the park hopes to reach out to all baseball fans, even those with gluten intolerance.  More information here! (from Lehigh Valley News 4/8/14)
  • With the amount of people diagnosed with celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergy on the rise, grocery stores are responding.  The amount of gluten-free products on shelves is rising, which is awesome, but the cost of gluten-free products can be 2-3 times more than non-gf foods.  Read more here!  (From Fox Business 3/19/14)
Here at Euforia, we're excited to announce some gluten-free news of our own!  We are about to release a gluten-free pound cake!  For those of you who like to do your own baking, we are about to release a gluten-free flour perfect for baking at home!  





Friday, March 14, 2014

St. Patrick's Day

Hello again, readers!

     This Monday is St. Patrick's Day, so get your green on and get ready to celebrate!  But first, it's time for a brief history lesson.  Saint Patrick is the patron saint and apostle of Ireland, and he is credited for bringing Christianity to Ireland.  Saint Patrick's Day is observed on March 17th every year as an official Feast Day to commemorate the day of his death.
     St. Patrick's Day is celebrated around the world, and here in the U.S., while it's not a legal holiday in most of the nation, it's a day to recognize Irish/Irish-American culture and heritage.  If you would like to join the festivities, check in your community - most cities have parades and events to commemorate the day.  Also, I'm sure there is at least one tavern in every city serving green beer.
     If you prefer to stay in, be sure to fix some of the traditional St Patrick's Day food!  Corned beef and cabbage for your main course paired with a loaf of Irish soda bread and to finish, a strong cup of Irish coffee. Your meal does require a dessert, so be sure to head over to our website and see what St. Patrick's Day sales are popping up!  Our cakes aren't Irish, but they are delicious!

All the best,
Euforia Confections

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Holiday edition: Mardi Gras!

Dear Readers,

     Today is Mardi Gras!  For those of you who don't know, "Mardi Gras" is French for "Fat Tuesday," and it's celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.  Traditionally, Mardi Gras is the last opportunity to eat rich foods and indulge before the fasting of Lent.  Celebrated around the world with parades, parties, decorations, and festivities, Mardi Gras can be an incredibly fun experience.
     If you want to celebrate Mardi Gras, and there aren't any events going on where you are, celebrate on your own!  Or, as they say in New Orleans, "Laissez les bon temps roulez!" ("Let the good times roll!")  Decorate with lots of green, gold, and purple streamers, flowers, and strands of beads!  Plan your menu: red beans and rice, jambalaya, gumbo - all big hearty meals that will feed a crowd (all the recipes are gluten-free).
     Mardi Gras parties aren't complete without the King Cake.  The King Cake (named after the Magi three kings) is a sweet dough baked in a ring and typically has a cinnamon filling (though cream cheese and fruit fillings are becoming popular too.)  The cake is baked, then covered in white frosting with purple, gold/yellow, and green sprinkles (the sparklier, the better!)  When served at a party, the host hides a tiny plastic baby inside; in the American South, whomever finds the baby in the cake has to provide the King Cake for the next party*.  Here's a fairly simple recipe to try, but it is not gluten free.
     To let the good times roll all year around, sweeten up your next celebration with a Triple Delight Cake.  They're delicious for any occasion, and they're available to order any time!

All the best,
Euforia Confections

** The author of this entry, while living in Louisiana, accidentally ate the baby in a King Cake during her first Mardi Gras.



   

Friday, January 24, 2014

Global Belly Laugh Day

Hello Readers!

     Today (January 24th, 2014) is Global Belly Laugh Day!  "Celebrate the gift of laughter!"  Well, here at Euforia, we love to celebrate, and we want you to have a reason to celebrate, too!  So, this weekend, 1/24/14-1/26/14, we're offering free shipping on your order.  

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Euforia in the New Year!

Hello Readers!

     We hope you had a lovely holiday season and an excellent new year!  Here at Euforia, we are getting back to normal and excited for what we have planned for 2014.
     First, we wanted to say "Thank you!" to all of you who supported us and helped us make 2013 our best year yet!  We introduced our new gluten-free Triple Delight Cake, our chocolate and vanilla layered cake that has gotten some great reviews - if you haven't tried it yet, you're missing out!  Also, if you're reading this, you'll know that we did start our blog where you can learn fun stuff about holidays, Euforia promotions, gluten-free info, and more.  Speaking of gluten-free, we added a gluten-free information page to the website - you can learn what makes our products gluten-free and also information on celiac disease, gluten intolerance, etc.
     So that was 2013 for Euforia, and while we had a great year, we're super excited for 2014!  There will be new cakes debuting this year.  Also, we are working towards branching out into wholesale, so be sure to keep a lookout for Euforia in your favorite stores!  We'll keep you posted.

All the best,
Euforia