Today is National Animal Cracker Day and before we go any further I have no idea why they are called that as they are really cookies. It must have something to do with the fact that the first batch was imported from England in the later 1800’s and those Brits have weird names for things as far as America is concerned. But for me there is a special connection.

When I was growing up my family had a special Birthday Treat. Our grandparents and parents would bake an Angel Food cake and cover it in white fluffy icing. They would then make another icing that included different colors and flavors of Kool-Aid and use it to coat Animal Crackers. They would then pose them around and atop the cake as if it were a circus carousel and add candles. If you look closely at the vintage photo above you will see what I mean.

When you are little, as I once was (centuries ago) your parents and grandparents are your whole world. And so I believed that my family had invented this concept as they were common at family birthday gatherings with our cousins. Weren’t my grandparents clever and inventive to have come up with this idea to use delicious animal crackers (all the more with the colorful icing for the crackers themselves)? Geniuses all and no wonder I descended from them!

But, of course, as I researched this post, I discovered that they are much more common than I ever knew. The picture to the left is from the 1920’s. Okay, but my grandparents were around then, maybe they inspired this trend.

Certainly the concept to ice those tiny crackers of animals was the invention of my family. Really? Other people had that idea as well? Impossible. My particular grandparents were pioneers, trend-setters, free thinkers.

Hard to believe that any great ideas like this originated from outside my ancestors. Apparently many families, guided by home-making magazines and marketers had created this idea. I have to rethink my whole world view. Well, it is a good idea and I, on behalf of my family, give you the right to reproduce it for your own families. Royalty payments are expected. Mail them to me and I will be sure to distribute them appropriately. Trust me.

As always you can find more at http://www.walterthinnes.com and on Twitter @walterthinnes

#ATOBTTR update. My Cincinnati Reds are streaking again and I don’t mean shedding their uniforms. But if they did that at the plate maybe it would help them score. The Dodgers swept us and we have lost four straight and stand at 5 wins and 12 losses. Come on guys. Try this. Win 2 and then lose 1. Try it. You’ll like it.