Is there anything more refreshing than an ice-cold soft drink (or soda, or pop, or coke, or soda pop, or fizzy drink, depending upon where you hail from)?

How many foods can claim that they are a creamy, delicious treat, chock full of nutrients, and might just improve your health and prolong your life? Well, here’s one, known from its earliest days as “food of the gods”: yogurt.

G’day, mates! This week, we go to the land Down Under, Australia — a country that is also a continent; a place where sheep outnumber humans three to one; and a region that is home to the dingo, the didgeridoo, and Crocodile Dundee.

Nothing says “upscale party” quite like fancy hors d’oeuvres, right? There you are, in black tie or a little black dress, juggling a glass of wine or a cocktail and an artful bit of “finger food” (or several of them on a plate if there’s a buffet), while also attempting to carry on a convivial conversation. 

"Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop
Gosh, oh gee! but I have fun
Swallowing animals one by one…"
— Shirley Temple, 1935

This week, in case you missed it, Americans celebrated National Animal Cracker Day! Despite what the song says, these animal-shaped treats tend to be more of a cookie and are therefore not exactly top-of-mind when it comes to soup. But their popularity as a snack has endured, especially with children (and presumably with little Shirley back in the day). Where did the idea come from, and how long have they been around?