Cracker Jack

Today in 1893 Cracker jacks were born at the first World's Fair in Chicago by F.W. Rueckheim and and his brother.

So.... today we celebrated by eating a bunch of them.

I haven't eaten Cracker Jacks in quite some time.

They are still wonderful.

There still aren't enough peanuts....or they are all at the bottom, which by the time I get to the bottom I don't want to be eating handfuls of peanuts.

The prizes are worse. Much, much worse. There are no more tattoo's. ( I LOVED the tattoos when I was little!)

They bring back wonderful memories of baseball games (Not mine, my brothers'.... I was a t-ball dropout as #1 the uniforms weren't girly enough for me at the time and #2 there were snakes in the outfield. OK not really, they were grasshoppers, but try explaining that to a 4 year girl. )

They also bring back wonderful memories of road trips to my grandparents home... my dad could be convinced into letting me eat whatever I wanted in the car. It was a great talent I had as a child...and have paid for by spending quality time in the dentist chair for as well.

They make me want to sing even if it isn't the the 7th inning stretch.

You should celebrate as well... just for old time sake!

P.S.

If you want to make your own homemade cracker jacks (which I didn't have time for today) try this recipe!!! (It's from Emeril and it's awesome!!!)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups salted Spanish redskin peanuts
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted plus 1/4 cup unsalted butter
9 cups popped corn
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cane syrup
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the peanuts, pecan halves, cayenne, Essence, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and melted butter, tossing to coat well. Spread mixture evenly over the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet and cool on parchment paper or paper towels. Combine the cooled spiced nuts and popcorn and divide evenly between 2 lightly greased baking sheets with 1/2-inch edges. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F.
In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining unsalted butter, sugar, and cane syrup over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Pour hot mixture evenly over both baking sheets of popcorn and nuts. Using a lightly greased spatula, stir the mixture well so that everything is evenly coated.
Bake for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove caramel corn from the baking sheets and cool completely on waxed paper. Store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.