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"  Here at Good Housekeeping, we&amp;#039;re big fans of cheese. And we are not alone. The average American eats 23 pounds of cheese per year, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest \u2014 that&amp;#039;s 552 slices of Kraft Singles! Why do we love cheese so much, you ask? In honor of National Cheese Lovers&amp;#039; Day (that&amp;#039;s today, January 20!), we put together a list of all the reasons cheese is so grate... 1. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Start your morning with a shredded cheese omelet, crumble some blue cheese on your Cape Cod Chopped Salad for lunch, and choose stuffed shells, enchiladas, or Chicken Cordon Bleu for dinner. If that&amp;#039;s not enough cheese for one day, you can snack on Doritos, cheese puffs, or Babybell, and you can feature cheesecake for dessert. See? Cheese is always on the menu, no matter what time of day it is. 2. It can make almost anything taste delicious. Even veggie-haters will be tempted to nosh on broccoli when it&amp;#039;s drizzled with a creamy cheddar cheese sauce. Crumbled feta and Gorgonzola give salad-avoiders a reason to sift through the greens. Some may even be encouraged to try anchovies if thrown on a pizza with mozzarella and Parmesan. 3. An afternoon at the cheese counter can take you around the world in 80 bites. Nibbling on Gruyere brings us to Switzerland. Dubliner cheese takes us to Ireland, Pecorino to Italy, Cremoso to Argentina, and Brie to France. As supermarkets start to stock more and more artisanal cheeses on their shelves, we have the opportunity to travel the world, using one of our favorite senses: taste. 4. It has been around for a really, really long time. While historians are torn on the origin of cheese, they do know that cheesemaking has been around for more than 10,000 years. Ancient Greek mythology credited one of their gods, Aristaeus, with inventing cheese, while the Romans found ways to optimize the cheesemaking process. Many, many years later we are still a society obsessed with cheese. 5. You (yes, you) can make your own cheese from scratch. With our simple fresh ricotta recipe or with the help of popular DIY cheesemaking kits, you can make your very own mozzarella, ricotta, and goat cheese \u2014 all from the comfort of your own home! 6. Cheese does more than satisfy hunger. Milwaukee made headlines this winter when they started using cheese brine (a by-product of mozzarella and provolone production) to help keep their roads ice-free. Yes, you read that right \u2014 cheese can help with your winter morning commute. 7. Last-minute social events are a breeze when you have a stash of cheese in your refrigerator. As much as we try to prepare, sometimes time just gets away from us. For the days you spend most of your prep-time running around speed-cleaning the house, it&amp;#039;s best to serve your hungry guests a platter of cheese and crackers. Or, if you have a few moments the night before, creative cheese balls make for great stress-free snacks to set out on the coffee table. 8. It always makes the invite list. Gooey, warm, and perfect-for-dipping, cheese fondue makes a great centerpiece for your next cozy date night. Meanwhile, cheesy nachos are a must for Super Bowl parties and tailgates, and Pear Chutney and Goat Cheese Bruschetta is sure to go over well at your next cocktail party. Also, don&amp;#039;t forget the greatest cheese social event: wine and cheese pairing parties. 9. With over 650 varieties of cheese, there&amp;#039;s enough cheese for everyone to love. Cheese is sold in blocks, wheels, powder packets, spreads, individually sliced, shredded, and from a whipped cream can. There are hard cheeses and soft ones, pungent cheeses and milder ones. To list each and every kind of cheese available would probably take days (if not years). For those who say they don&amp;#039;t love cheese, we have one question for you: Have you had the chance to try each and every type of cheese? It&amp;#039;s worth a shot; there&amp;#039;s bound to be one you&amp;#039;ll like. 10. And lastly, our lives would be emptier without it. Or, our ravioli would be, at least. TELL US: What&amp;#039;s your favorite cheese? "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/a24869/reasons-to-love-cheese/>