"hallmark" news and stories

When I posted about the latest meat recall yesterday - 143 million pounds of meat by Hallmark - I remember wondering to myself why they were worried about meat that was sold two years ago. Wouldn't that meat have been eaten already? Even if we freeze meat, isn't two years a little long to keep it in the fridge, especially in this instance when it wasn't private homes but schools and restaurants?

The answer comes from the Slate's Explainer column today. Simply put, it's because some of it still might be out there, not eaten. Now, that's highly unlikely, but the recall had to happen just to make sure (and to also alert the public to what happened at this particular company). In fact, they say the recall could be extended beyond those two years.

To go with your heart-shaped fried egg breakfast in bed on Valentine's Day, you will need some heart shaped accessories and tableware. Admittedly, "need" is a little strong of a word in this case, but Valentine's Day is one of those holidays where going over the top can be a good thing.

For tea drinkers, the Heart-Tea Strainer Set is a lovely way to prepare your tea. The strainer is in an arrow-in-heart design and is hand-cast out of pewter. It sits in a heart-shaped rest.

Coffee fans might get a little more use out of the coordinating Heart Coffee Scoop, which is shaped like one of cupid's arrows and is also hand-made from pewter. It holds about two tablespoons of coffee beans.

Once your coffee or tea is brewed and ready to serve, you'll want something to serve it in. Hallmark has a perfectly romantic heart-shaped mug (pictured) with a twist - the center well is heart-shaped, not the outside of the cup! They're only sold individually, so you might want to check out the similar six-piece set at Target, which includes matching heart-shaped mugs.