HISTORY OF KISS A GINGER DAY

This is surely a different day than our normal day that we have celebrated or honored!

It’s January 12th 2022 which means one thing, Kiss a Ginger Day! No, we’re not joking.

Every year on January 12th, people really do celebrate Kiss a Ginger Day which as the name suggests, is a day dedicated to kissing ginger people.

Apparently, the bizarre event was established on Facebook in 2009.

Vivid reds have always represented power, passion, and high energy, just like lovable redheads around the world. On Kiss A Ginger Day, we express our appreciation for redheads, who pull off the color so well and have a personality to match! So, find your favorite ginger and give them a kiss. 

In the olden days, red hair had a bad reputation. Associated with witches and the ability to overpower the senses of others, redheads were often shunned from society, or worse. Thankfully, this myth went away with time, and we can’t get enough of enchanting redheads today. It is quite trendy to sport red hair today, with more and more people dying their hair in striking hues of red. 

Even though redheads are no longer considered to be practitioners of witchcraft, a holiday exists that isn’t the kindest towards them. To counter it, Kiss A Ginger Day was started by Derek Forgie in 2009 on a Facebook group, and it went viral. 

The red hair gene requires a duplicate for it to materialize. Even then, there is no guarantee that it will. There is a one in four chance of your child being redheaded if both parents have the gene. Blue-eyed gingers are the rarest, making up only 1% of the world’s total population. So really, if you know a redhead or are one, consider yourself lucky.

NATIONAL RUBBER DUCKY DAY

According to a 1973 Sesame Street calendar, Rubber Duckie’s Birthday is January 13th so around the country it’s National Rubber Ducky Day! A friend of Ernie and Big Bird, Duckie made his debut in a February 1970 episode.

Did you have bathtub toys? ME: YES

Was any of them a yellow duck? ME: NOT SURE

Rubber ducky, you’re the one. You make bath time lots of fun. Rubber ducky I’m awfully fond of you!” sang Sesame Street’s Ernie during bath time. The friendly puppet isn’t the only fan of the bath accessory— the country celebrates the toy on National Rubber Ducky Day on January 13.

The popular toy has seen a lot of variations in its history. First designed in the 1800s when rubber manufacturing began, the duck was then made out of plastic and vinyl during both World Wars, as rubber was scarce. The ducky toy was first patented in 1928 by Landon Smart Lawrence, but the toy was a little heavier back then—he put a weight in it to make sure it would always stay upright.

If you’re every out in the ocean, you might just run into a rubber ducky. 28,000 rubber ducks on their way via boat to Washington went overboard during a storm in 1992. It’s been said that the ducks floated north to the Arctic, got trapped in the ice, and were slowly thawed out into the Atlantic Ocean. There are thousands still out there, and often happen upon shores all over the world.

Be on the lookout and be sure to celebrate their big day on January 13!

NATIONAL RUBBER DUCKY DAY ACTIVITIES

1. Visit the Rubber Duck sculpture

   What’s better than a tiny bath toy? A huge replica in the open waters! Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman created a collection of large ducks which can be seen in Amsterdam, Sydney, Hong Kong, and various other cities around the world. Hofman makes the ducks out of PVC, and the largest creation is 85 feet wide, 65 feet long, and 105 feet high.

2. Attend a rubber duck race

   Every year, Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH hosts a race of the duckies through Big Walnut Creek. Each duck is purchased by a sponsor to support research for the hospital. You can buy one for $5, or a “brood” of 130 for $500. Thousands of the yellow toys are unleashed into the creek, and onlookers watch to see which one crosses the finish line first. The top three ducks (marked with their sponsor’s name) earn the sponsors big prizes—like a year-lease for a BMW!

3. Take a bath!

   Celebrate the ducky in the way it was intended! Pour some bubbles into your tub, light some candles, and turn on some relaxing music. Take some time for yourself to relax and recharge, and put a couple rubber ducks in the bath for some added fun!

NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER DAY

National Peanut Butter Day on January 24th recognizes an American staple in our pantries. Whether creamy or chunky, with chocolate or with jelly, peanut butter gets the recognition it deserves each year on this day. 

National Peanut Butter Day

The early peanut butter made by the Aztecs and Incas around 1000 BC was more of a paste and not nearly as creamy as the peanut butter we know now.

Click play and enjoy a story about National Peanut Butter Day featuring our founder, Marlo Anderson. If you enjoy the 2-minute show, subscribe with your favorite podcast player.

Adding water to the powder creates a paste very similar to creamy peanut butter. .

Q. Does powdered peanut butter have fewer calories?
A. Yes. Powdered peanut butter contains less fat and fewer calories than regular peanut butter. Two tablespoons of powdered peanut butter contain about 50 calories

NATIONAL HOT CHOCOLATE DAY

Each year on January 31st, National Hot Chocolate Day warms up people across the country by celebrating the timeless cold-weather beverage.

With windchills of -20 to- 25 below here

there will be gallons and gallons consumed today.
A. Yes. Hot chocolate is made by melting high-quality chocolate into the milk. It’s almost like syrup but slightly thinner. You can thin it down further by adding more milk, though.

Q. Will I like hot chocolate if I like hot cocoa?
A. Both are delicious but hot chocolate is a little more luxurious than hot cocoa. Some prefer one over the other and many people enjoy both equally.

Cocoa vs Hot Chocolate 

We make hot cocoa with cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and sugar. We’re able to do this thanks to a process developed by father and son chemists. For the thicker, more flavorful beverage, we make hot chocolate from ground chocolate containing cocoa butter. It is also called drinking chocolate. Hot chocolate has also been around longer than hot cocoa. In the early 1800s, Casparus van Houten Sr. developed a process to separate the cocoa solids from the butter. His son, Coenraad Johannes made those fats more soluble in water. Together their processes made cocoa powder possible.

National Almond Day 2023: History, significance and all you need to know

FEBRUARY 21, 2023 | NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY 

The Christian tradition, Pancake Day, also called Pancake Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras (which is French for "Fat Tuesday"), is the last day of feasting before Lent begins on the following day, Ash Wednesday. It's called so due to the custom of eating pancakes on this day, a tradition that comes from a time when any remaining rich foods were eaten on the day before Lent to use them up, and fasting begins. It's observed mainly in English-speaking countries, especially Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, but also in the Philippines and Germany.

Pancake Day is a movable feast whose date is determined by Easter, and it's celebrated exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday. The date can vary from as early as February 3 to as late as March 9.

National Margarita Day: Grab These Drink Discounts and Deals

Take these National Margarita Day deals on the rocks, blended or with a salted rim.

National Margarita Day is today, and many restaurants are offering discounts on margaritas and other promotions to celebrate.

But first, where did this cocktail come from? There's a lot of debate over the origin of the 'rita. According to tequila brand Jose Cuervo, the first margarita was made in 1938 by a bartender hoping to "capture the heart" of Mexican showgirl Rita de la Rosa.
Another origin story credits Francisco "Pancho" Morales with inventing the drink on July 4, 1942, at Tommy's Place, a bar in Juárez, Mexico. 

And yet another claims Dallas socialite Margarita Sames concocted the cocktail at her vacation home in Acapulco in 1948.

We may never know the truth. But with great National Margarita Day deals like this, does it matter? 

National Margarita Day, an annual made-up holiday, is Wednesday this year, and many restaurants will offer special deals and promotions to celebrate the popular cocktail. 

A traditional margarita consists of tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice, often served with salt on the rim of the glass. Tequila, the cocktail's primary base, is among the five fastest-growing spirits categories in the U.S., according to the industry group Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

Want more drink deals? Check out the best alcohol delivery apps and the best nonalcoholic cocktails and spirits.

Bahama Breeze

Bahama Breeze has more than 40 locations across 15 states. Today, the Caribbean-inspired chain is offering $2.22 classic margaritas.

Chevy's Fresh Tex Mex 

On National Margarita Day, sip on a flight of Chevy's strawberry, mango and signature lime margaritas for $10. 

Chili's

Chili's Tequila Trifecta, Straw-Eddy Rita and Grand Romance Ritas are just $5 on National Margarita Day. Plus, you get to keep your "Rita with the Best" souvenir cup. 

Do you have a favorite place to get a Margarita? Or do you fix them at home?

NATIONAL STRAWBERRY DAY

We continue with February’s heart-shaped and red theme by observing National Strawberry Day on February 27th. These juicy, sweet berries can brighten up any dish and are delicious all on their own.

#NationalStrawberryDay

There are a few different stories behind the origin of the name. The more widely accepted version is that the berries would drop off the leaves and become “strewn” about the plant. Over time “strewn-berries” became “strawberries”. There was a time (and some gardeners still do this today) when strawberry beds were mulched with straw, insulating the plants over the winter, keeping weeds at bay during the growing season, and making them easier to harvest. Another sweet story tells of English children stringing the berries on grass straws and selling the “straw berries” in their neighborhoods.

Berry Picking Tips:

• Pick fully ripe berries. Strawberries don’t continue to ripen if picked too early like bananas or pears.
• Don’t overfill your container. Berries are tender and can bruise easily.
• Don’t wash the fruit until you are ready to eat. Strawberries are susceptible to mold and washing will speed up spoilage.
• The best time to pick strawberries is on cool, cloudy days, but if they will be eaten right away, any time is perfect!
• If you pick more than you can eat before they spoil, strawberries freeze very well. Pluck off the green caps and toss into a freezer bag. Use for smoothies, ice cream, or cake toppings.

Not only are they delicious, but they are also fragrant. One of the more aromatic fruits, they belong to the rose family.

National Blueberry Popover Day – March 10, 2023

In honor of National Blueberry Popover Day (which is March 10th), we’ve got a tasty recipe for a homemade blueberry popover for you! This is a delicious treat that your kids will love to wake up to in the morning or come home to for an after school snack. This recipe is also healthier and cheaper than the box of stale Pop-Tarts that’s sitting in your pantry.  [image via flickr]

What exactly is a popover? It’s not really a muffin or cupcake, it’s more of a hollow bread that rises when baked, hence the term popover. If you really like this recipe and want to try it with other things like apples, strawberries, chocolate chunks, or chopped nuts, feel free to do so. You could also add a touch of cinnamon or vanilla for extra flavor.

Ingredients

2 cups of all-purpose flour

4 eggs

1 cup of sugar

4 tablespoons of butter or margarine

2 cups of non-fat or low-fat milk

2 cups of fresh blueberries

Cooking spray

 Directions

Preheat the oven to about 350 degrees. Coat your muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray like Pam. Divide the butter evenly into each cup of the pan. Place the pan in the oven.

In a bowl, mix the milk, eggs, and sugar. Slowly pour in the all-purpose flour and whisk well.

Chop up the blueberries into smaller chunks or chop them up in the food processor. Ideally, you’ll want slightly smaller chunks of blueberries, just be careful not to turn them into mush.

Pour the blueberries into the batter and mix well. Take out the muffin pans and let them cool before you pour the batter into the pans. Put them back in the oven to bake. Leave them in for about twenty minutes or until soft and golden.

Blueberry popovers are a delicious treat to make day or night. These treats are also easy enough for kids to make with the help of adult supervision of course. Why not make this recipe a part of every Saturday morning?