You don’t actually have to be a dog to order a pup cup from Starbucks… in fact, there’s an alpaca who swears by this sweet treat! In the most adorable video ever, a farmer took one of these animals to their local drive-through for his first birthday. As you can imagine, the baristas were head-over-heels for this four-legged customer! It seems like Oliver, the birthday boy, had a pretty great time, too. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eagle Eye Farm (@eagleeyefarmwi) In the clip, the alpaca had his head sticking out of the car window while Mom ordered the pup cup. When the Starbucks employees found out who it was for, they were so excited to see him! Apparently, Oliver has been to this location before. “They remembered him,” the alpaca’s owner wrote in her caption. “I think he remembered the pup cup as well.” While the baristas fawned over him, Oliver seemed pretty anxious to get his treat. Finally, the pup cup was ready, and the alpaca got to enjoy his sugary dessert. Mom caught the most hilarious footage of this critter with an adorable whipped cream mustache! He looked so happy after digging into the snack. Of course, getting a pup cup isn’t the only way this alpaca celebrated his first birthday. His owner informed the baristas that the farm would be throwing him a party complete with a smash cake! Screengrab from Instagram “Happy Birthday big boy!” the woman added at the end of her post. “We love you!!” This wouldn’t be the first unusual animal to pick up a treat at the drive-through with their owner. Just ask the Dunkin’ worker who had the pleasure of serving a donut to a goat! Obviously, junk food isn’t good for animals. It’s not really good for us, either! But every once in a great while, we all need a little treat. We’re glad Oliver the alpaca enjoyed his birthday pup cup! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Alpaca Celebrates First Birthday With A “Pup Cup” Mustache appeared first on InspireMore.

'A core American interest'

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One in three Americans believe they have an idea they think could one day make them wealthy, according to new poll. From writing the next big novel to a hot stock tip or turning an invention into product, the survey found 33% saying they feel they have a tantalizing idea they think could make waves […] The post One in 3 Americans Think They Have a Way to Strike it Rich: New Poll appeared first on Good News Network.

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Alongside an all-new Home Screen for iPhone users in iOS 18, Apple is also preparing a revamped Control Center. With this updated feature, it's easier than ever to access the most important shortcuts on your phone with a few swipes and taps. In this article, we'll teach you how to customize the iPhone's new Control Center in iOS 18 and make it more useful. We also have a guide teaching you how to customize the iPhone's Lock Screen. iOS 18 finally gives Control Center the revamp it always needed Image source: José Adorno for BGR Over the years, Apple has made the Control Center a key part of the iOS ecosystem. With iOS 18, the company took it to another level with these changes: Redesign: The Control Center now features new groups of controls, which you can access more fluidly with a single, continuous swipe down on the Home Screen. Controls gallery: You can add more controls from the Controls gallery, which displays all your options in one place, including new controls from your favorite apps. Rearrange and resize your controls: Customize how your controls are laid out, resize them, or build your own groups of controls so they’re always just a swipe away. Image source: José Adorno for BGR Freedom is key for the new Control Center Once you download iOS 18, you'll see that all of the connectivity controls are in the same group. You can access them in the upper left corner or a dedicated tab once you swipe up. What's interesting is that Apple is making it harder for users to turn off Bluetooth, as people need to tap an extra time to do so. I think this is an upgrade because many people still believe they have to turn off Bluetooth to save battery life, which is not true. Image source: José Adorno for BGR By long pressing in an empty space while the Control Center is open in iOS 18, you can start customizing the Control Center. There are a few options: Remove the toggles and groups, add more controls, or resize existing ones. Although I don't plan to use them, I think smart home toggles will play a key role in the Control Center, as it will be easier to select shortcuts, scenes, and accessories going forward. iPhone owners can even create a tab exclusively for Home Controls. You can choose from a variety of shapes when adding controls to Control Center. Down the line, we hope that Apple adds third-party apps to the selection. Image source: José Adorno for BGR In my iOS 18 Control Center, I like most of Apple's custom choices, although I wanted to add Headphone Level, Personal Hotspot, and a few others. Wrap up iOS 18 is expected to be released later this fall. You can learn more about it below. Don't Miss: iOS 18: Features, release date, beta, download, Apple Intelligence The post How to customize iPhone’s Control Center in iOS 18 appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Best Echo Dot deals for July 2024 Netflix Prime Day deals: 73 ways to upgrade your streaming eufy Smart Lock C33 is the lock I’ve been searching for, and it’s $99.99 ahead of Prime Day Tuesday’s top Prime Day deals: $169 AirPods Pro 2, free Robux, LG OLED TVs, laptops, Dyson, Bose, more

Lily Moore/The Conversation You might have heard of a group of women in Ancient Rome known as the “Vestal Virgins”. These female virginal guardians of the sacred flame of Rome could be buried alive for breaking their vows of chastity. Sure, this is a terrible way to go. But…They had power, prestige, privilege, popularity! So, who were these women, and how did they get such cachet? Known to the ancient Romans as the virgines Vestales, the Vestal Virgins were a religious collegium (priesthood) made up at any one time of six females. These women took vows of virginity for 30 years in order to serve in the cult of Vesta, ancient goddess of the hearth. Following their 30 years of service, they were allowed to leave the priesthood and marry, although most would remain. Living in the vast complex of the atrium Vestae located in the prime real estate of the Roman Forum, these priestesses guarded and systematically tended the sacred fire of Vesta in the adjoining temple. The Romans believed the Vestals guaranteed the wellbeing of the state through their preservation of the eternal flame, understood in early Rome as an embodiment of the goddess Vesta and symbolic of the hearth of the Roman home. Read moreSection: NewsHistoryAncient TraditionsImportant EventsRead Later 

These Snickers Bars taste just like your favorite candy bar (but even better!) Filled with delicious chocolate, creamy caramel, and crunchy peanut flavors! HOMEMADE CANDY BAR RECIPE If you like a good chocolate and caramel candy bar with a nice pop of crunchy peanuts, you’re going to fall head over heels for these Snickers Bars! No need to pay for them at the store when you can make them at home for a fraction of the price. These homemade candy bars have the perfect texture and the best flavor and are so simple that they only require 40 minutes of prep work before chilling to firm up. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:  Is it hard to make DIY homemade Snickers? Don’t let the process of making a layered treat like these Snickers Bars stop you from making the best ever homemade dessert you’ve ever had! It may seem like a bit of work with the layers, but it’s not as hard as it may seem and it is totally worth it in the end! How long does it take to melt everything on the stovetop? It may take up to 3-5 minutes to melt the chocolate and peanut butter mixtures, and up to 10 minutes to melt the caramel, as we need to heat them on low to avoid burning. Can I just use the microwave to melt ingredients? You can certainly use the microwave and microwave safe dishes anywhere it says to melt on the stove. Just be careful not to burn anything, using 15 to 30 second increments, stirring each time, will help prevent burning. Do I have to use the peanuts? If you want the bars to be smooth, without a crunch like an actual Snickers bar, then go ahead and omit the peanuts. But if you want the texture like a real candy bar, you should keep those peanuts in the mix. Help! Why aren’t my homemade Snickers Bars firming up? One reason the bars may not be firming up is if the ingredients were not heated correctly, be sure to melt all of the ingredients until completely melted before adding as a layer, and be sure not to burn anything. The best way to ensure everything melts properly, without burning is by melting everything on the stove and stirring constantly over low or low to medium heat. Any tips for cutting these candy bars? Cutting these bars can be messy. I have two tricks I like to try, one is spraying the knife blade with non stick spray before cutting the bars. I also make sure to wipe the blade in between each cut. Or, if that isn’t working as well as I’d like it to, I like to run the blade under hot water before cutting, and again, wipe the blade clean before making the next slice. Can I double this recipe? Sure, if you want to make more bars, you can double the recipe. I would suggest using two 8×8 pans or increasing to a larger pan if you don’t have two to work with. Using a larger pan may change the thickness of the bars though. How do I store leftover homemade DIY Snickers Bars? Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks, or freezer. They may melt at room temperature. Let thaw before enjoying if necessary or if freezing. INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE) semi sweet chocolate chips– you could use milk or dark chocolate but I think the semi sweet was perfect for these – not too sweet and not too bitter. sweetened condensed milk– be sure to grab this and not a can of evaporated milk since they look similar. If you accidentally get evaporated milk these will not turn out. creamy peanut butter– I suppose you could use crunchy peanut butter but I would not use natural peanut butter since it doesn’t firm up very well with this recipe. marshmallow creme– You can use storebought or make your own marshmallow creme. salted peanuts– I prefer to use salted peanuts because I like a bit of that sweet and salty flavor combination. But, if you would like to use unsalted peanuts, you absolutely can. caramels– I used the wrapped bag of caramels, like the Werther’s Caramels (see ingredient image below), but any brand will work. You can even use the bag of caramel bits. heavy cream – it has to be heavy cream. Please do not substitute with milk. HOW TO MAKE SNICKERS BARS Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Melt ¾ cup of the semi sweet chocolate chips with about ½ cup of the sweetened condensed milk on low to medium heat, then pour the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Set in the fridge while making the next layer. Make the next layer by melting the peanut butter with ½ cup of the sweetened condensed milk on low heat, it doesn’t need to completely melt, just enough to mix together, then remove from the heat and stir in all of the marshmallow creme. Add this layer on top of the first, if the first layer is firm enough so that it won’t move when pouring the second layer on top.  Sprinkle 1 cup of the peanuts on top and then let sit in the fridge while making the next layer. Make the next layer by melting the caramels in a small saucepan with the heavy cream on low heat stirring constantly. Once melted and combined, pour on top in the dish. Let sit in the fridge while you make the last layer. Make the last layer by melting the rest of the chocolate chips and ½ cup sweetened condensed milk together on low to medium heat, and then pour over the top of the dessert. Chop and sprinkle the rest of the peanuts on top. Let cool to room temperature, and then set in the fridge for at least 1 hour before slicing and enjoying! CRAVING MORE RECIPES?  Snickers Salad Snickers Poke Cake Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Fudge Chocolate Chip Caramel Butter Bars Homemade Kit Kat Bars Grandma’s No Bake Peanut Butter Bars Homemade 100 Grand Bars Homemade Twix Bars Lazy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Print Snickers Bars Enjoy some crunchy, creamy, peanut butter, caramel and chocolate homemade Snickers Bars in no time with this easy recipe. Course Dessert, SnackCuisine American Prep Time 40 minutes minutesChill Time 1 hour hourTotal Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes Servings 16 servings Calories 451kcal Author Brandie @ The Country Cook Ingredients1 ½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips (divided use)14 ounces can sweetened condensed milk (divided use)1 cup creamy peanut butter7 ounce tub marshmallow creme1 ¼ cups salted peanuts (divided use)10 ounces caramels3 Tablespoons heavy cream InstructionsLine an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.Melt ¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips with ½ cup sweetened condensed milk on low to medium heat, then pour the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Set in the fridge while making the next layer. Make the next layer by melting 1 cup creamy peanut butter with ½ cup of sweetened condensed milk on low heat, it doesn’t need to completely melt, just enough to mix together, then remove from the heat and stir in 7 ounce tub marshmallow creme. Add this layer on top of the first, if the first layer is firm enough so that it won’t move when pouring the second layer on top. Sprinkle 1 cup of peanuts on top and then let sit in the fridge while making the next layer. Make the next layer by melting 10 ounces caramels in a small saucepan with 3 Tablespoons heavy cream on low heat stirring constantly. Once melted and combined, pour on top in the dish. Let sit in the fridge while you make the last layer. Make the last layer by melting the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips and ½ cup sweetened condensed milk together on low to medium heat, and then pour over the top of the dessert. Chop and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup salted peanuts on top, let cool to room temperature, and then set in the fridge for at least 1 hour before slicing and enjoying! Notes Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions. NutritionCalories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 25g | Sodium: 149mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 41g