How about those flat plastic closures that close loaves of bread?

People all over the world get with their packaged bread—and they’re so much easier to use than wire twist-ties.

After the bread is gone, we keep them to use as closures for other plastic bags, like the produce bags at the market.

We even know parents who make art projects from them.

Who makes them?

The majority are made by a family-owned company in Yakima, Washington.

Kwik-Lok has been manufacturing the closures since 1954.

Founder Floyd Paxton, an engineer, saw that packaging technologies post-World War II were changing.

At the time, his company made machines to nail-close produce boxes and labeling machines, largely for the Washington State apple industry.

When apple distributors moved from boxes to bagging, they didn’t like the wire and tape closures in use at the time, and asked Floyd for help.

As the story goes, the flat clip came to Paxton in 1952, during a flight.

While he was on the plane, nibbling on a package of complimentary nuts, he realized he didn’t have a way to close them in order to save some for later.

He took out a pen knife and hand-carved the first flat closure from a credit card (in some tellings, it was an expired credit card [source]).

The Kwik-Lok closure prototype was born.

In its first year of production, the flat tab quickly became the preferred method for closing bags of apples.

It was not long before it was adopted by manufacturers who used polyethylene bags, like bread producers.

Today, Kwik-Lok is an international company that closes billions of bags a year [source].

So the next time you’re thinking of cutting up an expired credit card…think of what you can cut from it!
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BREAD
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF BREAD

[1] Is there anyone not familiar with these (photos #1 and #2 © Kwik-Lok)?

[2] They were invented to close bags of apples.

[3] Most Americans know them first and foremost, from the bread aisle (photo © Squid Ink).

[1] Great fusion food: a chicken parm bake with gnocchi. The recipe is below (photo © DeLallo).

[2] If you want to make gnocchi from scratch, DeLallo sells this kit.

[3] Calabrian chiles (photo © Toldio74 | Dreamstime).

[4] Fresh basil is the best garnish for any pasta dish (photo © Good Eggs).

[5] For President Biden: a pint of one of his favorites, Salted Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Flecks from Jeni’s (photos #5 and #6 © Jeni’s Ice Cream).

[6] There are two cups of ice cream in a pint. How many can you eat at once?

What does the president eat on Presidents Day?

 
What about Number 46?

According to President Barack Obama (Number 44), President Biden loves pasta with red sauce, as well as ice cream.

“I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. But I eat a lot of ice cream,” Biden said in 2016 [source].

He is reported to be a fan of Jeni’s, an iconic brand based in Columbus, Ohio (and a former Nibble Top Pick Of The Week going way back to 2009).

Judging by a tweet he posted last fall, he likes Jeni’s Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks (photos #5 and #6).

You may not be able to get your hands on a pint of it today, but you can whip up this chicken parm recipe with gnocchi and lots of red sauce. Thanks to DeLallo for the recipe.

And hack the ice cream by mixing peanut butter and chocolate chips into a pint of softened vanilla.
 
 
RECIPE: CHICKEN PARMESAN BAKE WITH GNOCCHI

DeLallo adds chili heat and gnocchi to a traditional Chicken Parmesan.

The heat is in the spicy homemade tomato sauce made with Calabrian chilies (photo #4—you can leave them out and/or use a different red sauce if you don’t like heat).

Just add the chicken to a skillet with gnocchi, sauce and cheese, and you have a memorable comfort food to keep you warm all winter long.

Are you listening, President Biden?
 
Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

For The Chicken

 
For The Gnocchi

 
For The Toppings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven 350°F. Line an oven tray with parchment paper.

2. COOK the gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

3. START the sauce by heating the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and chile peppers, and sauté until the onions become translucent, about 6 minutes.

4. ADD the Passata and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, add salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile…

5. WHISK together the eggs, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Add the chicken to the egg mixture, rotating to coat each fillet evenly in the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 15 minutes or overnight. When chicken is ready for cooking…

6. MIX the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and garlic together in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture to coat evenly.

7. HEAT the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Fry chicken until golden and crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

8. PLACE the chicken on a prepared baking tray and bake for 15 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside. Turn oven to broil.

9. COAT the bottom of an oven proof skillet or a cast iron skillet with a layer of the sauce. Add the gnocchi in a single layer. Add another layer of sauce and top with the shredded provolone cheese. Note: Keep the extra sauce to serve on the side for the sauce lovers.

10. NESTLE the chicken on top of the gnocchi and cheese. Add a layer of sauce on each piece of chicken. Top each breast with 2-3 slices of mozzarella cheese and about 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with basil.

11. BROIL for 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and melted, and the chicken is completely cooked through. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF ICE CREAM
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPED OF ICE CREAM & FROZEN DESSERTS

Even if you haven’t planned a special Valentine’s Day dessert, there’s still time to make one.
 
 
RECIPE: HEART ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
 
Ingredients

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. SPREAD the brownie mix on a rectangular sheet pan so thin brownies will result. Line the sheet with parchment paper so you can cut out the hearts without scratching the pan. You’ll need two pieces for each sandwich.

2. COOL and cut the brownies. Remove the hearts and place on a sheet of wax paper on the counter. Place the leftover bits and pieces in a freezer container for later consumption*.

3. SLICE through the container of ice cream with a serrated bread knife. Make the slices the width you want for the sandwich. Working quickly, slice the ice cream into hearts, place them on a wax paper or parchment-lined sheet and place them in the freezer. As with the brownie scraps, place the ice cream scraps into a freezer container for later consumption.

4. ASSEMBLE one or two sandwiches at a time and place them in the freezer, wrapped in plastic.
 
________________

*You can make brownie ice cream by mixing them into a softened container of ice cream.

[1] All you need is a heart-shaped cookie cutter (photo © Alden’s Organic Ice Cream).

[2] If you prefer, you can make cookies instead of brownies (photo courtesy SXC.