Remember Hydrox? AKA "kosher Oreos?" Well, after a long hiatus, these chocolate sandwich cookies are back for a limited time in honor of their 100th anniversary. The Kellogg Company, which produces Hydrox, have launched an "America's biggest Hydrox fans" essay contest, with a grand prize of a trip to New York and a six-month supply of cookies. The contest ends July 14; see Hydroxcookies.com for details.

Personally, I'm thrilled. Growing up in a Jewish, though non-kosher, house, there was always a jar of Hydrox in the pantry. My mother, a native New Yorker, simply preferred the soft, appealingly grainy creme and firmer cookie of her own childhood snacktimes to the slightly larger Oreo. Eventually I too came on board. Now, with Hydrox gone, I sometimes try to substitute various "organic" sandwich cookies and Trader Joe's Joe Joe's. But they're never the same!

Millions know Kellogg's Corn Flakes as a relatively healthy breakfast cereal. However, did you know that when it was first invented (on March 7, 1897), it contained no sugar (rendering it tasteless and bland) and wasn't designed to constitute a whole meal, but simply complement a variety of foods?

Created by Dr. John Kellogg, he had intended to serve it solely at his sanitarium, but his brother Will saw the potential in the flake of corn and began marketing it heavily. This caused a rift in the family, that culminated in a legal battle between the two brothers. John won and Corn Flakes went on to become one of the best-selling breakfast cereals of all time.

thanks Rich!
[via Wired]

Like Hershey's Kisses or know someone who does? Even though Hershey's is not at the very pinnacle of the chocolate heap, many chocolate lovers have a soft spot for Hershey's kisses. It could be the fact that they are bite-sized and individually wrapped or that everyone just likes their cute, signature shape, but whatever the reason, even a die-hard dark chocolate fan can find it hard to pass on a kiss from time to time.

To Hershey's recently introduced their Kiss of the Month Club in celebration of their 100th anniversary in 2007. The gift series - which comes in 3, 6 and 12-month packages - starts off with a 100th Anniversary Candy Dish that is shaped like a giant kiss and filled with chocolates. The rest of the gifts vary from month to month and the treat inside each two-box gift tower will be surrounded by kisses. Some of the things to look forward to include Vanilla Thumbprint Cookies topped with HERSHEY'S KISSES Chocolate Truffles (March), Three KISS-shaped Brownies topped with Mint Icing and YORK Bites (June) and Peanut Butter Fudge in KISS-shaped trays (August). The Kiss-shaped trays are made of silicone and can be reused to make more kiss-shaped treats. Prices start at $95 for the 3-month subscription.

The Jones Soda Company has been tempting soda lovers for ten years with flavors from Root Beer and Strawberry to Fufu Berry and Blue Bubblegum. Their unusual - and unusually realistic - flavors have taken them from a small niche company, to a national brand, with lines of organic drinks, energy drinks, popsicles and candy in addition to their famous sodas.

To celebrate a decade of drinks, Jones has put together a new limited edition soda pack. Unlike the somewhat disturbing holiday pack, this one is a winner with all its flavors. It includes Blue Bubblegum and Green Apple sodas, as well as two of the original hits, Raspberry and Pineapple Upside Down sodas. The drinks come with a numbered, special-edition Hot Wheels "replica of the original black and silver-flamed Jones vans," which the company used for distribution in its early days.

There will probably be collectors out there who will not open the box to preserve it for posterity, but if you do get one, you really should taste the Pineapple Upside Down soda. It's light, tangy and delicious, so it's no wonder that fans have been asking for it to be reinstated for so long.

This pack won't be sold in stores, but is available for purchase online.

Sarah asked how your dressed your dogs - mustard? relish? chili? Personally, while I enjoy dogs dressed with all kinds of things, my very favorite way to eat them is with ketchup. I know it's boring compared to a loaded dog, but I also know I'm not the only one who likes them that way. My ketchup of choice is Heinz .

Heinz Ketchup is celebrating its 130th birthday this year and more the 50% of the Ketchup sold in the US is made by Heinz. Out of the many ketchups I've tried -including those ghastly green and purple monstrosities from Heinz, various "natural" ketchups and homemade ketchup - I've found that classic Heinz generally tastes the best. It has a sweetness that complements a slightly spicy dog, a little bite from vinegar and salt and a smooth texture. Of course, the texture of classic comes from the high fructose corn syrup that is in it and, because I generally try to avoid foods with high fructose corn syrup, I was delighted to discover that Heinz Organic doesn't have any! Granted, it came out in 2002, but old habits are hard to break. It tastes a little fresher and has a little more body than the classic Heinz, which actually makes it tastier than the classic - and it still goes perfectly on any hot dog (or fries, burgers, etc.).

The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook was selected as one of the best basic cookbooks you can have in your arsenal. It's extremely well-rounded and has recipes for every meal and every cooking technique, covering the basics like roasted chicken and bread pudding, though it doesn't stray too far from mainstream recipes and ideas. The book is exceptionally good if you're cooking for a family, since it's guaranteed to have something for everyone in it. The 75th Anniversary Edition of the cookbook adds a little something extra with a section at the back of the book that includes some favorites from past decades that are still worth a look. It is ring-bound, which allows the book to lay flat on your countertop, and has tabs that make for easy navigation. Recipes are also given notations like "low fat" or "best loved," so it's easy to find something to suit your needs.

Yes, those creepy little pebbles of carbon dioxide have been around, in various forms, for 50 years, according to a recent press release from Pop Rocks, Inc. I was never a big fan of the seltzer-in-your-skull feeling that Pop Rocks provided, but I found some of the history in the release pretty interesting. Apparently they were originally developed by a General Foods chemist in an attempt to create instant carbonation for soft drinks. PopRocksCandy.com has more history and background on several rumors involving CO2 candy and exploding kids. To celebrate the anniversary, Pop Rocks, Inc. is re-releasing the candy in retro packaging like the one you see here.

A few days ago, we posted that our geeky (but lovable) cousin, Engadget, had turned two years old, and to celebrate, the engadget team sponsored a birthday cake contest.

Lots and lots of engadgeteers sent in stories and photos of birthday cakes, and Engadget has chosen the winner of the Alienware gift - the cakeis "working" Palm Treo. Take a peek at some of the prize-winning cakes, some of which could rival professional pastry chefs!