Hi gang.

Been a while since last post. Hope every mom had a good mother's day. I had a busy weekend. I put in two new 7 way trailer plugs on the truck. One in the bed on on the bumper. Next project is to fix the clutch pedal bushing issue that these trucks have. I have the parts just need the time to do the job. The problem with the clutch is that Ford thought they could get away with using a cheap plastic bushing for the pedal to master cylinder arm. Works great for the light duty trucks such as the F150 and rangers but doesn't last very long on the heavy duty trucks such as the F250, F350 etc. So what happens is when the bushing wears out the master cylinder rod gets ob-longed and the clutch doesn't totally disengage. The fix to cut off the loop on the master cylinder and install a heim joint and replace the rod in the lever with a screw. Parts were about $40.
I would like to get this fixed before we go on vacation in two weeks. We'll see how the weather goes. Not working on it in the rain.

Wife was spoiled this weekend. Went out to dinner at a place called Baker street. Was very good food and terrific service. We're going back for our anniversary in July. I also cooked dinner for her yesterday. Grilled flank steak salad.

Congrats Letty. Let's see some pics.

Just got the new master installed. Followed the manual for bleeding and the pedal seems to be nice and firm this time. Thanks for all the help guys. Next project is to put it all back together so I can drive it to work tomorrow.

Welcome to May.

One quarter of the way through the year.

Should be a nice day here today with temps in the 70's and plenty of sunshine.

Word of the day is rhapsodic.

Today is NATIONAL SPACE DAY

Annually observed on the first Friday of May is National Space Day. This day is dedicated to the extraordinary achievements, benefits and opportunities in the exploration and use of space.

Teachers, students, space related organizations, groups and agencies hold celebrations, demonstrations and educational programs and have been enthusiastically involved in this award-winning program since its inception. Because of National Space Day’s fast growth in popularity, this day has since grown into an International Space Day which is now celebrated worldwide.

NATIONAL SPACE DAY HISTORY

National Space Day was originally created in 1997 by the Lockheed Martin Corporation as a one day event. The day was created to get America’s youth interested in science and math. Due to it’s extreme popularity, it grew into an annual event. In 2001, former astronaut and Senator John Glenn expanded Space Day to International Space Day.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/educ ... cators/spaceday/index.asp

SILVER STAR SERVICE BANNER DAY
The Silver Star Families of America believed that there should be a day set aside to remember the sacrifices of the wounded and ill and therefore petitioned the states to make May 1 Silver Star Service Banner Day.

The United States House of Representatives passed H Res. 855, a stand alone resolution on April 21, 2010, making the SSFOA Silver Star Service Banner official and making May 1 Silver Star Service Banner Day.

“Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports the designation of ‘Silver Star Service Banner Day’ and calls upon the people of the United States to observe the day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”

The United States Senate followed suit and on May 19, 2010, approved Senate Resolution 534 which was then sent to the President of the United States.

“Resolved, That the Senate designates May 1, 2010, as ‘Silver Star Service Banner Day’ and calls upon the people of the United States to observe the day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”

On April 29, 2011, President Barack Obama issued the following statement:

“When our men and women in uniform return from deployment, it is our moral obligation and great honor to serve them as well as they served us. Our debt of gratitude extends to their families and friends, who embody the same qualities of bravery, sacrifice and duty exhibited by their loved ones. On Silver Star Service Banner Day, we recommit to caring for those who return to us wounded or ill, and we remain humbled by the heroic contributions they have made to our Nation.

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE PARFAIT DAY

May 1 celebrates the food holiday National Chocolate Parfait Day. Enjoying a delicious chocolate parfait would be a perfect way to end your day. Actually, parfait literally means “perfect” in French! In the U.S., parfait makers create parfait’s the traditional French-style using sugar syrup, eggs and cream or the American style, layering parfait cream, ice cream and/or flavored gelatin in a tall, clear glass-topped with whipped cream, fruit and/or liqueurs. The parfait has taken a popular healthy turn today using yogurt layered with nuts and fresh fruits, instead of ice cream and sugary syrups.

CELEBRATE

Enjoy your own version of a chocolate parfait today with family and friends! Use #ChocolateParfaitDay on social media to share you love for this tasty food holiday!

HISTORY

We were unable to find the creator of National Chocolate Parfait Day, an “unofficial” National holiday. Our research did find this scrumptious dessert dates back to 1894 and seems to have originated in France.

NATIONAL MOTHER GOOSE DAY

National Mother Goose Day is celebrated each year on May 1 . This day honors Mother Goose, the imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes we loved as a child. Mother Goose is often illustrated as an elderly country woman in a tall hat and shawl, but she is also sometimes depicted as a goose wearing a bonnet. Mother Goose Day was founded in 1987 by Gloria T. Delamar in tandem with the publication of her book, Mother Goose; From Nursery to Literature.

Enjoy 2 different versions of Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater:

(Originally dated in Mother Goose’s Quarto c1825)

Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater,
Had another, and didn’t love her;
Peter learned to read and spell,
And then he loved her very well.

(Most well-known version)

Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater,
Had a wife and couldn’t keep her;
He put her in a pumpkin shell
And there he keep her very well.

CELEBRATE

In honor of Mother Goose Day, revisit those wonderful childhood stories with your own children. Share your favorite Mother Goose story using #NationalMotherGooseDay on social media.

HISTORY

Charles Perrault is believed to be the initiator of the fairy tale genre when he published his fairy tale collection in 1695. His publication marks the first authenticated starting point for the Mother Goose stories. An English version of Perrault’s collection appeared in 1729: Robert Samber’s Histories or Tales of Past Times, Told by Mother Goose. These fairy tales introduced Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, Cinderella and others. Mother Goose’s Melody – A book of poems for children was published in 1781 and has been enjoyed by billions since then.

NATIONAL LOYALTY DAY

National Loyalty Day is observed annually on May 1. This day is set aside for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States and for the recognition of the heritage of American freedom.

CELEBRATE

The President of the U.S. issues a proclamation annually on May 1 as part of celebratory activities of National Loyalty Day. Communities throughout the country also celebrate this patriotic day with parades and ceremonies. Use #NationalLoyaltyDay to show your loyalty to American freedom.

HISTORY

First observed in 1921 as “Americanization Day,” this holiday was intended to counterbalance the celebration of Labor Day on May Day. On July 18, 1958, it was made on official holiday by the U.S. Congress (Public Law 85-529). President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed May 1, 1959 the first official observance of Loyalty Day. This day has been recognized with an official proclamation every year, by every president, since it’s inception as a legal holiday in 1958.

LAW DAY Originally the idea of Charles S. Rhyne and declared by Dwight D. Eisenhower, Law Day is meant to reflect on the role of law in the foundation of the country and to recognize its importance for society. Law Day is celebrated annually on May 1 in the United States.

Good morning gang.

I had a posat all done but I was getting invalid submission errors.

Not much going on today. Nice with temps in the upper 50's lower 60's.

Word of the day is piffle.

Today is NATIONAL BUGS BUNNY DAY



National Bugs Bunny Day is celebrated each year on April 30. Bugs Bunny is the famous cartoon character best remembered for his roles in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies produced by Warner Bros. He is known for his popular catch phrase “What’s up, doc?” Bugs Bunny first appeared in a short film on April 30, 1938, and has since been enjoyed by millions of viewers.

CELEBRATE

Celebrate National Bugs Bunny Day by hosting a Bugs Bunny cartoon marathon party. On April 30, wish Bugs Bunny a Happy Birthday using #NationalBugsBunnyDay on Social Media.

HISTORY

National Bugs Bunny Day is an “unofficial” National holiday. Our research was unable to find the creator of this day.

http://www.dates.abouttravelingthewor ... -holidays/bugs-bunny-day/

NATIONAL RAISIN DAY



April 30 celebrates another food holiday known as National Raisin Day. Raisins are made from tiny dried grapes. Sunlight dries most grapes naturally in vineyards however, there are some that are mechanically dehydrated. People have been enjoying raisins for as long as grapes have been growing. Raisins are naturally low in fat and contain healthy nutrients. California produces the majority of the world’s raisin supply. (http://www.sunmaid.com/history-of-raisins-and-dried-fruit.html)

CELEBRATE

April 30 is both National Oatmeal Cookie Day and National Raisin Day. To celebrate them together, try this “tried and true” recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/oatmeal-raisin-cookies-i/. Use #NationalRaisinDay on Social Media to share your love for raisins!

HISTORY

In our research, we were unable to find the creator of National Raisin Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

NATIONAL SARCOIDOSIS DAY

National Sarcoidosis Day is observed annually on April 30th. Sarcoidosis is an immune system disease that is not contagious. While most commonly found in the lungs, Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that can affect any part of the body, inside or out. When it affects the skin it typically looks like a scaly rash or red bumps. Often, people don’t realize they have it and blame it on allergies or a simple reaction to something with which they came into contact. Sarcoidosis can affect muscles, bones, kidneys, eyes, liver, the heart or any other part of the body. When it affects the eyes the usual symptoms are sore eyes. When internal organs or muscles are affected it can cause swelling and pain. In the lungs it can cause a dry cough, shortness of breath and mild chest pain.

Anyone can get Sarcoidosis, but it typically attacks people between the ages of 20 and 40. In about half of the cases Sarcoidosis goes away without treatment. In more serious cases, for which there is no cure, the symptoms may last for years and cause organ damage. While scientists don’t fully understand Sarcoidosis yet, research continues to be done on it in the hopes of finding the cause and a cure.

OBSERVE

National Sarcoidosis Day was inspired by Carl DeLine and David Sohl. Observe this important medical day by educating yourself about Sarcoidosis. Share your knowledge and experience on Social Media using #NationalSarcoidosisDay.

HISTORY

The registrar at National Day Calendar has declared April 30th as National Sarcoidosis Day and will be observed annually on this day.

NATIONAL HONESTY DAY

April 30 is National Honesty Day in the United States. M. Hirsh Goldberg invented this day and chose the last day of April to celebrate telling the truth, as the first day of April is April Fool’s Day, a day full of lies and pranks. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honesty_Day)

CELEBRATE

Celebrate National Honesty Day by answering questions truthfully all day long.

HISTORY

National Honesty Day is an “unofficial” National day. However, during our research, we did find that National Honesty Day is often used as a campaign for prevention against the most deceitful lies in history. This day also urges politicians to stay away from lies and tell the truth. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honesty_Day)

NATIONAL ADOPT A SHELTER PET DAY

National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day is celebrated each year on April 30. This day was created as a way to raise awareness for thousands of pets that are waiting for (and needing) adoption from the shelters.

CELEBRATE

Celebrate National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day by sharing pictures of your adopted pet on Social Media using #AdoptAShelterPetDay.

HISTORY

National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day is an “unofficial” National holiday. If you are interested in making this an official National holiday, send a letter to the President urging him to declare a National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day. Visit http://www.halopets.com/lettersforpets/index.php for more information.

NATIONAL OATMEAL COOKIE DAY

National Oatmeal Cookie Day is celebrated each year on April 30. This day is also often recognized on March 18 in conjunction with National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day. Oatmeal cookies have been around since the 1800’s. The cookies quickly became popular, and by early 1900′s a recipe for the delicious treats appeared on containers of Quaker Oats. Oatmeal cookies are also considered a health food because they are an excellent source of iron and fiber. Just another reason to have an oatmeal cookie today!

CELEBRATE

Celebrate National Oatmeal Cookie Day by whipping up a batch of cookies! Use #NationalOatmealCookieDay to share your love for this special food day!

HISTORY

We were unable to find the origin or creator of National Oatmeal Cookie Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

NATIONAL HAIRSTYLIST APPRECIATION DAY

National Hairstylist Appreciation Day is celebrated annually on April 30. On this day we honor hairstylists everywhere who make artful hairstyles possible. A talented hairstylist will not only make you look good but also make you feel good. This day also celebrates the uniqueness of all styles of hair.

(http://www.cute-calendar.com/event/ha ... preciation-day/13731.html)

CELEBRATE

Celebrate you hairstylist by thanking them for their kindness, lending ear, moral boosting, confidence building and self-esteem building talents. Send flowers, give an appreciation card, leave an extra special tip or maybe send a gift! Share your hairstyle, along with the first name of your hairstylist on Social Media using #HairstylistAppreciationDay.

HISTORY

We were unable to locate the creator of National Hairstylist Appreciation Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

NATIONAL POEM IN YOUR POCKET DAY

National Poem In Your Pocket Day is celebrated on the last Thursday in April. This day was created to share the joy that poems bring by carrying one in your pocket and sharing it throughout the day with others. Parks, libraries, schools, workplaces and bookstores will have events celebrating this day. It has been known that librarians have distributed poems to local hospitals, shop owners have handed out books of short poems to shoppers and food vendors have put poems in lunch sacks. (http://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day)

CELEBRATE

National Poem In Your Pocket Day is the perfect day to share your poem on Social Media using #PoemInYouPocketDay.

HISTORY

National Poem In Your Pocket Day is an “unofficial” holiday, but has been celebrated as part of National Poetry Month since 2002. The Office of the New York Mayor, along with the New York City Departments of Cultural Affairs and Education, initiated the annual city-wide Poem In Your Pocket Day. The Academy of American Poets took Poem In Your Pocket Day national in 2008.

For more information on National Poem In Your Pocket Day visit http://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day

Morning gang.

Looks like it will be a nice day here. Mostly cloudy and temps in the upper 50's.

Word of the day is cacophonous.

Today is NATIONAL SHRIMP SCAMPI DAY

National Shrimp Scampi Day is celebrated annually on April 29th. On this day we honor the delicious dish of shrimp cooked with butter, garlic, lemon juice and white wine.

“Scampi is a culinary name for a kind of small lobster known as Nephrops norvegicus, Norway lobster, Dublin Bay prawn, langoustine or ”true scampi”. The name is often used to loosely describe a style of preparation typical for this lobster.”

Enjoy your favorite Shrimp Scampi dish to celebrate!

Following is a link to a “tried and true” Shrimp Scampi recipe:
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/shrimp_scampi/

NATIONAL SHRIMP SCAMPI DAY HISTORY

Our research failed to find the creator of National Shrimp Scampi Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

NATIONAL ZIPPER DAY

National Zipper Day is observed each year on April 29th. This day celebrates something that we often do not think about and just automatically take for granted.

It was first in 1851 that Elias Howe, the inventor of the sewing machine, received a patent for an “Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure”. Howe did not market it and missed the recognition he may have received for his invention.

Forty two years later, Whitcomb Judson marketed the “Clasp Locker”. Being very similar to Elias Howe’s patent, this device served as a more complicated hook-and-eye shoe fastener. Judson started the Universal Fastener Company where he manufactured his new device and debuted it at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 but was met with little success. This did give Judson credit for inventing the zipper as he was the first person to market it.

In 1906, Giden Sundback, a Swedish American electrical engineer, was hired to work Universal Fastener Company. His good technical skills, design skills and devotion to the company led to his designing of the modern zipper in 1913. The patent for the “Separable Fastener was issued in 1917.

In 1923, the B.F. Goodrich Company named the popular zipper.

** You can find the world’s longest zipper at the hotel in Fort Lauderdale’s Executive Airport. The zipper measures 6,000 feet long. The name of the hotel’s nightclub is “Zippers”. **

NATIONAL ZIPPER DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the creator of National Zipper Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

NATIONAL PEACE ROSE DAY

Each year on April 29th we celebrate National Peace Rose Day. The day is set aside to honor the Peace rose, a well-known and successful garden rose.

The light yellow to cream-colored large flowers of the Peace rose have slightly flushed crimson pink petal edges. It is a hybrid tea rose that is hardy, vigorous and highly resistant to disease.

French horticulturist Francis Meilland, developed the Peace rose between 1935 and 1939. When Meilland foresaw the German invasion of France, to protect the new rose, he sent cutting to his friends in Italy, Turkey, Germany and the United States. It is believed that these cuttings were sent to the United States on the last plane that was available before the German invasion.

The rose received different names in each country it was sent to. In France, it was called “Madame A. Meilland” in honor of the breeder’s mother. In Italy, it is call Gioia, meaning Joy. In Germany, the name of the rose is Gloria Dei, for glory to god. In the United States, the rose was named Peace.

The day that Berlin fell, officially considered the end of the Second World War in Europe, was the day that the trade name “Peace” was publicly announced, as the name of the rose, in the United States which was on April 29, 1945.

Later in 1945, Peace roses were given to each delegate at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations, in San Francisco, with a note that read: “We hope the “Peace” rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace”.

NATIONAL PEACE ROSE DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the creator of National Peace Rose Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

Let's all try and have a good day.

Good morning gang.

Quiet here this morning.

Should be a nice day today with sunshine and temps in the upper 50's lower 60's.

Word of the day is maudlin.

Today is NATIONAL BLUEBERRY PIE DAY

National Blueberry Pie Day is celebrated each year on April 28. It honors one of Americas favorite desserts.

Blueberry Pie:

Has been enjoyed since the early American settlers
Is the official state desert of Maine
Was documented in the Appledore Cook Book in 1872
Blueberries:

One of the healthiest fruits on the market
Inhibit cancer development
Can help prevent urinary tract disease
Assist in maintaining normal blood pressure
Help reduce blood sugar and symptoms of depression
Enhance memory
Enjoy baking a blueberry pie at home or having a slice at your favorite restaurant.

NATIONAL BLUEBERRY PIE DAY HISTORY

Our research failed to find the creator of National Blueberry Pie Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

NATIONAL BRAVEHEARTS DAY

National BraveHearts Day, April 28th celebrates the bravery of families dealing with pediatric cancer, the bravery of children suffering with cancer, and all the people who care so deeply about the lives of these precious kids.

BraveHearts for Kids exists to help Save the Lives of Children with Cancer by providing Information, Hope, Guidance and Resources to families dealing with a cancer crisis. Services are free, and 100% of individual contributions go to support programs which include Emergency Fundraising and 1-on-1 Mentoring where families are matched with a mentor that has been through a similar diagnosis and crisis with a child of their own.

April 28th also coincides with the kick-off of operation “Brave Future”, a massive expansion initiative which will take BraveHearts for Kids Services and Programs from the local level to the national level thereby increasing their outreach and capacity to help many, many more suffering families all over the United States.

Another key feature of “Operation Brave Future” is the final phase of “BraveHeart’s Spotlight Hope Project”, a comprehensive Resource Guide for Parents and Families of Children that have Cancer.

The Resource Guide reflects over 7 years of learning and sharing among the Pediatric Cancer community and features children that have survived against the odds. It will serve as both inspiration and a step-by-step guide to help families ultimately find and obtain successful treatment for their own children. Many common questions of parents, friends and family will be addressed. The guide provides answers to questions that no parent of child facing cancer should have to go without. We all wonder “What were the defining reasons for success that enabled certain children not only to survive, but thrive?” This is just one of the key answers this project seeks to uncover and examine from many different perspectives.

Everyone knows someone who has been touched by a Pediatric Cancer crisis. If cancer hasn’t touched your own children, it may have touched a friend’s child or someone in your community. If you know of someone dealing with Pediatric Cancer, take the time today to let them know how much you care. Reach-out and celebrate their bravery, and make sure they know about the support programs available at BraveHeartsforKids.org.

Go to www.BraveHeartsforKids.org/BraveFuture to join the “National BraveHearts’ Day” celebration. Our sponsors have arranged for some very cool mystery prizes for doing simple actions like visiting a sick child with a “BraveHeart’s Award Shirt”, or simply sharing links to the project with your friends, fans and followers. We know you’ll do these things anyway just to help; but the points and prizes certainly add to the excitement. So, come be part of the fun, and welcome to our Circle of Action Takers who help make a difference for Kids with Cancer now while dreaming of a Brave new future without Pediatric Cancer.

WORKERS’ MEMORIAL DAY

By Presidential Proclamation, April 28 has been declared Workers’ Memorial Day.

Workers’ Memorial Day takes place annually across our nation and Workers’ Memorial Day, International Workers’ Memorial Day or International Commemoration Day (ICD) for Dead and Injured or Day of Mourning takes place annually around the world on April 28. This is a national and international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work.

The slogan for Workers’ Memorial Day is:
Remember the dead – Fight for the living.

Started by the Canadian Union of Public Employees in 1984, Workers’ Memorial Day was first recognized in the United States of America in 1989. For years events have been organized in Canada and the USA and then worldwide.

Workers’ Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for workers killed in incidents at work or by diseases caused by work with events held throughout the world. Events may include, but are not limited to, active campaigning and workplace awareness, multi-faith religious services, laying wreaths, planting trees, unveiling monuments, balloon releases, raising public awareness of issues and the laying out of shoes to symbolize those who have died at work. This day is also an opportunity to highlight the preventable nature of most workplace accidents and ill health and to promote the fight for improvements in workplace safety.

To read the Presidential Proclamation for 2015, go to https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-o ... workers-memorial-day-2015.

NATIONAL GREAT POETRY READING DAY

April 28th marks the observation of National Great Poetry Reading Day. This day celebrates great poetry and the great poets that wrote them.

As an art form, poetry may predate literacy. Epic poetry appears to have been composed in poetic form to aid memorization and oral transmission in prehistoric and ancient societies. It is directly from folk songs that other forms of poetry developed.

There are different forms of poetry including: Sonnet, Shi, Villanelle, Tanka, Haiku, Ode, and Ghazal.
As well as different genres including: Narrative poetry, Epic poetry, Dramatic poetry, Satirical poetry, Lyric poetry, Elegy, Verse fable, Prose poetry and Speculative poetry.

Some of the well-known, great poets include William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Robert Frost, Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson and T.S. Eliot.

It is a good day to settle back, relax and read your favorite poetry.

NATIONAL GREAT POETRY READING DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the creator and origin of National Great Poetry Reading Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

My trimmer base is 4cycle so no mixing. I have a country mart fuel outlet next to work with 91 octane alcohol free gas.

The wife bought me the troybuilt trimmer for me when we were in Oregon.

Went to work today. Put in 6hrs. That should show up nicely on payday. started raining when I got home and has been doing that since. I put a new fuel filter and serpentine belt on the truck yesterday.

Today is also the 20th anniversary of the Oklahoma city bombing.

Those are good pick up Matt.

I picked up this attachment for my trimmer last week.

I also have this for it too.

It is on jack stands. It doesn't totally disengage. It still grinds going in and out of gear.

That's what I figured Andy. Looks Like time to order a part.
How much of a pain is it to change?

I don't think so. I spent over an hour bleeding it. used alomost a whole bottle of fluid. The parts are 30yrs old after all. It won't build any pressure.

What are the odds of a clutch master and slave cylinder going bad at the same time? I ask because I just got done changing the slave cylinder and I still have spongy pedal. I am assuming they both were OEM. It's for my 85. Also it looks like it will be a real pain in the ass to change the master cylinder.

Just over 100k on the clock.

Good morning gang.

Not alot going on here. We got our taxes in the mail so that worry is over with.

Today is the 155th anniversary of the Pony Express.

Word of the day is argot.

Today is NATIONAL DOLPHIN DAY

Each year on April 14th, people across the nation celebrate National Dolphin Day.

Dolphins are cetacean mammals that are related to whales and porpoises.

Ranging is size from 4 ft to up to 30 ft, dolphins are among almost forty species in 17 genera.

Found worldwide, they prefer shallower seas of the continental shelves.

As carnivores, their diet consists of mostly fish and squid.

Male dolphin – bull
Female dolphin – cow
Young dolphin – calf
Group of dolphins – school or pod
Dolphins are known to have acute eyesight both in and out of the water along with having a well-developed sense of touch, with free nerve endings densely packed in the skin. They can hear frequencies ten time or more above the upper limit of what adult humans can hear and are capable of making a broad range of sounds using nasal air sacs located just below the blowhole.

Living in pods of up to a dozen, dolphins are highly social animals. Pods do merge together in areas where there is an abundance of food, forming superpods, which may exceed 1,000 dolphins. Dolphins can, and do, establish strong bonds within their pods and will stay with injured or ill individuals, even helping them to breathe by bringing them to the surface if needed.

You will see the dolphins frequently leaping above the waters surface. They leap for various reasons; when traveling, jumping saves them energy as there is less friction while in the air, this is known as porpoising. Some other reasons for leaping include orientation, social display, fighting, non-verbal communication, entertainment and attempting to dislodge parasites.

The United States National Marine Mammal Foundation conducted a study that revealed that dolphins, like humans, develop a natural form of type 2 diabetes which may lead to a better understanding of the disease and new treatments for both humans and dolphins.

NATIONAL DOLPHIN DAY HISTORY

National Dolphin Day, an “unofficial” national holiday, is listed as part of the American Veterinary Medical Association Pet Health Awareness Events.

NATIONAL PECAN DAY

National Pecan Day is a food holiday celebrated each year on April 14.

The pecan is a species of hickory. In the United States pecans are native to Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

“Pecan” is from an Algonquian word, meaning a nut requiring a stone to crack”

For more information on National Pecan Day, go to http://www.nationalpecanday.com/

To learn more on the history of pecans, go to http://www.ilovepecans.org/history.html

NATIONAL EX SPOUSE DAY

National Ex Spouse Day is observed annually on April 14th. This day recognizes one’s ex spouse. The question has been asked as to why would one want to celebrate their Ex?? We are not sure there is a good answer to that question.

For a wide variety of reasons, sometimes marriages just do not work out. Recent statistics show that the divorce rate for first marriages is at 50 percent. Some people find that they actually get along better after a divorce than they did during the marriage. Unfortunately, all divorces do not turn out that friendly and can the experience can be very painful and traumatic. Regardless if it is a friendly separation or not, there needs to be a way to manage the situation when children are involved.

NATIONAL EX SPOUSE DAY HISTORY

National Ex Spouse Day was created in 1987 by Reverend Ronald Coleman of Kansas City, Mo.

NATIONAL REACH AS HIGH AS YOU CAN DAY

National Reach As High As You Can Day is observed annually on April 14th. Go ahead…..Reach as high as you can! What are your dreams? What are your goals? What do you want? Go for it……Reach for the sky!

You will never know how high you can reach, how far you can go, how much you can do until you try. Believe in yourself and believe in your dreams. You just might surprise yourself and surpass your original goal.

Reach as high as you can!

NATIONAL REACH AS HIGH AS YOU CAN DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the creator and origin of National Reach As High As You Can Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

NATIONAL PAN AMERICAN DAY

National Pan American Day is observed annually in the United States on April 14. This day is observed by Presidential proclamation and is part of Pan American Week.

“This observance commemorates the First International Conference of American States in 1889-90, which concluded on April 14, 1890, creating the International Union of American Republics, the forerunner to the Organization of American States (OAS). Pan American Day and Week also commemorates the diplomatic ties and relations of the United States with the other countries of the Western Hemisphere, including Latin America.” (Wikipedia)

Following is the link for the Proclamation signed by President Barack Obama.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-o ... nd-pan-american-week-2015

Good morning gang.

It's Monday start of another week. We had a beautiful weekend here. Temps in the upper 60's lower 70's. Wife planted a small garden yesterday and I got started on some work needed to be done on the corvette.

I should have said yesterday Happy Birthday to Marcus.

New job is the same as the old job. Seems to be a better company to work for so far. We're looking for a new building to move to in a few months.

Let's get started for today.

Word of the day is derring-do.

Today is NATIONAL SCRABBLE DAY

National Scrabble Day is celebrated annually on April 13th. In 1931 an amateur artist, unemployed architecture and lover of games, Alfred Mosher Butts, created the game “Lexiko” which had a name change to “Criss-Cross Words” and later came to be known as Scrabble.

This very popular word game is played with two to four players whom score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15 x 15 grid.

In the United States, the name Scrabble is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. Scrabble is sold in 121 countries with 29 different language versions. Worldwide, over One hundred and fifty million sets have been sold with sets being found in nearly one-third of American homes.

1984 – Scrabble became a daytime game show on NBC
2004 – Scrabble was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame
Some cities sponsor Scrabble tournaments on the weekend closest to National Scrabble Day
To celebrate, call your friend and play a game or two of Scrabble!

NATIONAL SCRABBLE DAY HISTORY.

The creator of National Scrabble Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

NATIONAL THOMAS JEFFERSON DAY

National Thomas Jefferson Day is observed annually on April 13. This day honors the birth of United States president, Thomas Jefferson, who was born April 13, 1743.

This day was recognized as part of Presidential Proclamation 2276 on March 21, 1938. More recently, President George W. Bush issued proclamation 8124 on April 11, 2007, stating that “… on Thomas Jefferson Day, we commemorate the birthday of a monumental figure whose place in our Nation’s history will always be cherished”. (Wikipedia)

Thomas Jefferson was born in Shadwell Virginia
Son of Peter Jefferson and Jane Randolph
3rd of 10 children
Lawyer between 1768 and 1773
Married Martha Wayles Skelton January 1, 1772
Father of six children
Governor of Virginia
Vice President of the United States
Third United States President
Author of the Declaration of Independence
NATIONAL THOMAS JEFFERSON DAY HISTORY

Presidential Proclamation 2276, of Mar 21, 1938, covers all succeeding years. (Pub Res No 60 of Aug 16, 1937.)

http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archive ... s/2006/04/20060413-8.html

NATIONAL PEACH COBBLER DAY

National Peach Cobbler Day is observed annually on April 13. It celebrates a delicious dessert that originated during the 19th century.

Unable to make traditional suet puddings due to lack of suitable ingredients and cooking equipment, the settlers instead covered a stewed filling with a layer of uncooked plain biscuits or dumplings, fitted together. When the dish is fully cooked, the surface has the appearance of a cobbled street. The name may also derive from the fact that the ingredients are “cobbled” together. There are some cobbler recipes that resemble a thick crusted, deep-dish pie with both top and bottom crust.

In 2007, the world’s largest peach cobbler was made at the Georgia Peach Festival. It consisted of:

90 lbs of butter
150 lbs of sugar
150 lbs of flour
32 gallons of milk
75 gallons of peaches
http://www.peachcounty.net/worlds-largest-peach-cobbler.cfm

It would be a good day to make a delicious dish of peach cobbler (but maybe not quite as big!)

NATIONAL PEACH COBBLER DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the creator of National Peach Cobbler Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

Good evening gang.

Happy Birthday Don.

Quiet day here. Did a light shopping and when we got home the Mrs worked on her garden and I started the task of replacing the slave cylinder in the corvette. Also fixed the grab handle on the A pillar passenger side of the truck so the Mrs can climb in and out of better. I attempted to fix a leak in the top of the windshield also. We'll have to see how that went.

Have a safe trip.

Good morning gang.

We had about 3 inches of snow yesterday. Not expected. The weather guys missed this one big time as they said it should only be a dusting. Today is going to be cold temps in the low to mid 30's.

Let's get going.

Word of the day is furtherance.

Today is NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED RAISIN DAY

Raisins coated in a shell of either milk chocolate or dark chocolate have their own special day of honor each March 24th on National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day.

Chocolate covered raisins have been popular with movie goers for many years and they continue to be. They are also a popular bulk vending item across the country.

More than 1 million Raisinets are produced per hour.

In some countries, chocolate covered raisins are known as Raisinets. Raisinets were the earliest and one of the most popular brands of the product. Currently made by Nestle, they are the third largest selling candy in United States history. The Blumenthal Chocolate Company introduced the Raisinets to the United States in 1927 and then in 1984, the brand was acquired by Nestle. There are also a large number of other brands of chocolate covered raisins on the market.

Raisins are an excellent source of calcium, potassium, iron, fiber and vitamin B. When you combine the raisins with dark chocolate, you have a great tasting, healthy, snack.

To celebrate, try one of the following “tried and true” recipes:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mi ... isin-clusters-recipe.html

http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-choco ... -raisins-crock-pot-278661

http://www.meals.com/recipe/deluxe-oatmeal-raisinets-cookies-30206

Happy National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day.

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED RAISIN DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the origin and the creator of National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION ALERT DAY

National American Diabetes Association Alert Day is observed annually on the fourth Tuesday of every March. This day is a one-day “wake-up call” to inform the American public about the seriousness of diabetes and encourages all to take the diabetes risk test and learn about your family’s history of diabetes.

For more information : http://www.diabetes.org/in-my-community/programs/alert-day/ http://ndep.nih.gov/partners-communit ... etes-alert-day/index.aspx

Good morning gang.

Cool here to start the week. We're starting the day in the low 30's and we should have a high in the upper 30's with a chance of snow rain mix throughout the day.

On with the week.

Word of the day is nonevent.

Today is NATIONAL CHIP AND DIP DAY

National Chip And Dip Day, an annual favorite food holiday, is celebrated every March 23rd. It celebrates a perfect combination that is loved by many across the country. Chips and dip are a popular party dish as it is not only favored by most but also quick and easy to prepare.

Just a few days earlier on March 14th we celebrated National Potato Chip Day and now we add a partner, the dip. People have been dipping their food for centuries. There are hummus-like recipes dating back to the 13th century. These are some of the first “dip” recipes that were found.

Potato chips are not the only chips that you can celebrate with. There are tortilla chips, corn chips, pretzel chips and even popcorn chips to name a few. After you have chosen your chips, there are dozens of dips to partner them with. One of your favorite dip choices may be salsa, sour cream, taco, french onion, guacamole, cheese, bean, spinach, shrimp, crab, ranch or one from the list that goes on and on.

To celebrate National Chip and Dip Day, invite some family and friends over and have a chip and dip party tonight!

Enjoy one of the following “tried and true” recipes to include in your celebration:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/BLT-Dip/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

https://www.tastefullysimple.com/recipes/hot-garlic-garlic-dip-2818

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/v ... eeseburger-dip-74946.aspx

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Captains ... -Seafood-Crab-Dip&evt19=1

NATIONAL CHIP AND DIP DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the origin and the creator of National Chip and Dip Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL PUPPY DAY

Celebrated each year on March 23rd is National Puppy Day. National Puppy Day will be celebrated on the Friday or Monday closest to March 23rd if that day falls on a weekend. This day was created to celebrate the magic and unconditional love that puppies bring to our lives. National Puppy Day is also a day to bring awareness to the need for care and homes of orphaned puppies as well as to educate people about the horrors of puppy mills across the country.

For more information on National Puppy Day: http://www.nationalpuppyday.com/

NATIONAL PUPPY DAY HISTORY

National Puppy Day, an “unofficial” national holiday, was founded, in 2006, by Pet Lifestyle Expert, Animal Behaviorist and Author, Colleen Paige. Paige is also the founder of National Dog Day and National Cat Day.

NATIONAL MELBA TOAST DAY

March 23rd celebrates Melba Toast Day, a food holiday. Melba toast is a dry, crisp and thinly sliced toast. It is sometimes served with salad or soup or may be eaten plain or with a topping.

Melba toast was named after Dame Nellie Melba, the stage name of the Australian opera singer, Helen Porter Mitchell. It is believed that chef Auguste Escoffier created it for Ms. Melba, in 1897, when she became ill. The newly created Melba toast was eaten as a staple in her diet.

”Melba toast was at one time given to infants who were teething, as a hard food substance on which to chew.”

To celebrate National Melba Toast Day, have some and try something new, being creative with the toppings you choose to use.

NATIONAL MELBA TOAST DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator and origin of National Melba Toast Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.NATIONAL NEAR MISS DAY

A huge asteroid (4581 Asclepius) nearly hit the earth in 1989. This day is commemorated annually on March 23rd as people across the nation celebrate National Near Miss Day.

On March 22-23, 1989, a mountain sized asteroid came within 500,000 miles of colliding with the earth. ”On the cosmic scale of things, that was a close call,” said Dr. Henry Holt. Geophysicists estimate that collision with Asclepius would release energy comparable to the explosion of a 600 megaton atomic bomb.” On March 31, 1989, nine days after its closest approach to Earth, the asteroid was discovered.

A collision would have had catastrophic effects on our planet.

There have been other “near misses” that have happened on an infrequent basis.

NATIONAL NEAR MISS DAY HISTORY

Our research has found the reason this day originated, however, we were unable to find the creator of National Near Miss Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

Good afternoon gang. Not bad today cooler like Matt temps in the mid 30's but sunshine. Saw my first Robin today so that is a good sign that warmer weather is near.

Good morning gang.

Welcome to spring. Spring officially arrives at 6:45pm.

Starting of with snow rain mix and nasty roads. Should clear up today with highs in the upper 40's to low 50's.

On with today.

Word of the day is anthesis.

Today is NATIONAL RAVIOLI DAY

National Ravioli Day is celebrated each year on March 20th. As one of the food holidays, it is very popular with all pasta lovers.

Ravioli are a traditional type of Italian filled pasta, made up of a filling, sealed between two layers of thin egg pasta dough, and are usually served in either a broth or with a pasta sauce. The fillings can vary, per recipe, and may include meat, cheese, vegetables or seafood. While searching for ravioli recipes, you will also find ones that are available for dessert ravioli.

Ravioli can be homemade or may be purchased fresh or frozen in grocery stores. In the United States, Chef Boyardee popularized the canned ravioli. This ravioli is filled with either beef or processed cheese and served in a tomato, tomato-meat, or tomato-cheese sauce. St. Louis, Missouri is where the toasted ravioli got its start.

As a popular appetizer, ravioli is served breaded and deep fried.

Enjoy the following “tried and true” ravioli recipes:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/e ... 05-40a7-a2b4-a8e30d23aa4e

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/ravioli-lasagna

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-four-cheese-ravioli/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ravioli-dolci-sweet-ravioli/

To celebrate, enjoy some ravioli with friends and family!

NATIONAL RAVIOLI DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the creator and the origin of National Ravioli Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL NATIVE HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY

Many groups across the United States, such as the CDC and the National Native Capacity Building Assistance Network are working in coordination by putting out press releases, displaying posters, and holding community events for the annual March 20th, National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. These groups hope to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Each year, on National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the communities of the American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians:

encourage Native people to get educated and to learn more about HIV/AIDS and its impact in their community;
work together to encourage testing options and HIV counseling in Native communities; and
help decrease the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.
For more information on NATIONAL NATIVE HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY visit:

http://www.nnaapc.org/news/awareness-day.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/features/nativehivaids/

Good morning gang.

Not much happening here. Should be sunny with temps in the low 50's.

Hope you all have your brackets filled out for those that play and good luck.

Word of the day is amain.

Today is NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CARAMEL DAY

National Chocolate Caramel Day is celebrated annually on March 19th. This definitely puts a smile on most people’s face and immediately makes one hungry for some chocolate caramel candy, cake, cheesecake, ice cream, pudding, or any of the other delicious treats made with this great combination.

Milton Hershey actually began his career at a caramel company in the late 1800′s. Mr. Hershey was at the 1893 World’s Colombian Exposition and became fascinated with the exhibit of the machinery to make German chocolate. He then bought the equipment for his company. Therefore, the popular caramel chocolate combination has been around for many years.

Following is a link for a great popcorn snack to help with the celebration:

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs ... ramel-popcorn144488.shtml

ENJOY!

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CARAMEL DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the origin and creator of National Chocolate Caramel Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

LET’S LAUGH DAY

Celebrated annually around the world, March 19th is Let’s Laugh Day.

We have all heard the saying, “Laughter is the best medicine”. So this is the day to take your medicine.

Some studies have shown that laughter may boost your immune system, relieve tension and help you relax. Who does not need any of those things in our busy and hectic world?

So March 19th, let us all laugh all day!

Elsa Maxwell: Laugh at yourself first, before anyone else can.

William James: We don’t laugh because we’re happy — we’re happy because we laugh.

NATIONAL POULTRY DAY

Eggs and turkey bacon for breakfast, an open faced turkey avocado sandwich for lunch and then perhaps a good, ol’ fashioned fried chicken dinner to finish off the day as March 19th celebrates National Poultry Day.

Poultry refers to domestic birds that are raised for meat and eggs This includes chicken, turkey, ducks, geese, quail and pheasant. Poultry are farmed in great numbers with chickens being the most numerous.

It is believed that chicken was introduced to American soil by the European explorers in the 16th century. Chicken consumption in the United States increased during World War II due to a shortage of beef and pork.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees the poultry production in the United States. Estimates place production at around 9 billion chickens in the United States. Chicken and turkey are lower in fats and cholesterol than other meats.

Poultry can be cooked in many different ways including roasting, baking, frying, grilling, sauteing steaming and broasting.

Enjoy your favorite poultry dish, either at home or at your favorite restaurant. Feel free to try one of the following, “tried and true” recipes:

https://www.tastefullysimple.com/recipes/chicken-bacon-bites-8982

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-enchiladas-i/

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/clas ... cc-4936-abfd-cc72611c16c4

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/in ... turkey-breast-recipe.html

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/smothered-pheasant/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-pheasant-casserole/

NATIONAL POULTRY DAY HISTORY

After much research, the origin and creator of National Poultry Day, an “unofficial” national holiday was unable to be found.

NATIONAL CERTIFIED NURSES DAY

National Certified Nurses Day is observed every March 19th. Everyday lives are affected because of the care of certified nurses. They are very dedicated to helping others and often work long and hard hours. National Certified Nurses Day is a day to honor and recognize them and their important achievement of nursing specialty.

For more information regarding National Certified Nurses Day: http://www.certifiednursesday.org/gretta-styles.htm
NATIONAL CERTIFIED NURSES DAY HISTORY

March 19th was proposed as Certified Nurses Day by the American Nurses Credentialing Center to honor the birthday of the late Margretta “Gretta” Madden Styles. She was a pioneer in nursing certification.

Heater is fixed. Wife is happy. All is good in household again. Now it's time to go to work.

That is what I get for typing in the dark. Fat fingered the date sorry gang. Can one of the super mods just fix it please.

Just goes to show what a bad morning this has been. Glad you gurus are paying attention.

Good morning gang.

Looks like Ken is having a good time.

Not so good here this morning. I woke up to NO heat in the house. It seems sometime late evening yesterday the thermal couple quit. So looks like I'm taking some time off to fix the furnace. Thank goodness for hot breakfast and a cup of coffee.

Should be sunny today with temps in the 40's.

On with today.

Word of the day is beamish.

Today is NATIONAL SLOPPY JOE DAY

National Sloppy Joe Day is celebrated each year on March 18th.

One of America’s all-time favorite hot sandwiches is describes as the following: “A Sloppy Joe is an American dish of ground beef, onions, sweetened tomato sauce or ketchup and other seasonings, served on a hamburger bun.” (Wikipedia)

It is believed by many that the Sloppy Joe was first served in Havannah, Cuba at the bar and café “Sloppy Joe’s” in the early 1900’s.
The Sloppy Joe, also goes by the name barbecues.
“Sloppy Joe’s” were mentioned in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life.
In 1969, Hunt’s revolutionized the Sloppy Joe when it introduced its “Manwich” Sloppy Joe Sauce.
In Sioux City, Iowa, a dish of this type is called a “loosemeat sandwich,” created in 1934 at Ye Olde Tavern Inn by Abraham and Bertha Kaled.” — (Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p.297).

There are many individual and regional variations on the dish we all know and love as a party, picnic, get-to-gather and potluck favorite. Various recipes for Sloppy Joe’s can be found in many recipe books and on the internet. To celebrate, enjoy one of the following “tried and true” recipes:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ra ... r-sloppy-joes-recipe.html

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/sloppy_joes/

http://southernfood.about.com/od/sloppyjoes/r/bl106c13.htm

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sloppy-joes-ii/

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/gumbo-sloppy-joes

http://www.food.com/recipe/sloppy-joes-with-chicken-gumbo-42822

HAPPY NATIONAL SLOPPY JOE DAY!

NATIONAL SLOPPY JOE DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the origin or the creator of National Sloppy Joe Day an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL AWKWARD MOMENTS DAY

Have you ever called someone by the wrong name, tripped over nothing, walked into a door, had the complete wrong words come out of your mouth or just forgot what you were doing? The list could go on and on. Sometimes, things just do not seem to go right and something happens that may make you feel like you want to run and hide.

On March 18th, we celebrate National Awkward Moments Day. This is an annual day that every person can relate to as we have all had our own awkward moments from time to time as they are a part of life; they just “happen”

Awkwardness or embarrassment, an emotional state of intense discomfort with oneself.

National Awkward Moments Day is a day, that was created to find the ability to laugh at ourselves, see the humor in and with and have fun with these awkward moments.

NATIONAL AWKWARD MOMENTS DAY HISTORY

Our research failed to find the origin or the creator of National Awkward Moments Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL BIODIESEL DAY

National Biodiesel Day is observed annually on March 18th. The day is the birthday of Rudolph Diesel.

Rudolph Diesel invented the diesel engine and unveiled it at the World Fair in 1900. The engine was originally designed to run on peanut oil and R. Diesel was a big believer in the role plant oils could play in fueling America.

In a 1912 speech Diesel said, “…the use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today, but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time.”

Biodiesel is a cleaner burning, petroleum free alternative to diesel that can be made from animal fat, vegetable oil and recycled cooking oil. It is reducing U.S. dependence on imported diesel and creating green jobs as well as improving our environment. Biodiesel is America’s first advanced Biofuel and has become an increasingly popular fuel.

NATIONAL BIODIESEL FUEL DAY HISTORY

The origin and creator of National Biodiesel Day, an “unofficial” National holiday, was unable to be found.

NATIONAL LACY OATMEAL COOKIE DAY

National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day is celebrated annually on March 18th. This day is sometimes also referred to as National Oatmeal Cookie Day (which is actually observed on April 30th). The difference between the two is that lacy oatmeal cookies are wafer-thin and typically accompany a scoop of ice cream or sorbet.

It wasn’t until the early 1900′s that oatmeal became a major ingredient in the American diet. Originating in England, oatmeal cookies have been around since the 1800′s. It is believed that they were created after the oatcake. Soldiers used to carry oatcakes with them for a quick boost of energy during battle. Most research has found that the first recorded oatmeal raisin cookie recipe was written by Fannie Merritt Farmer in 1896. Considered as a “health food,” the cookies quickly became popular, and by early 1900′s a recipe for the delicious treats appeared on containers of Quaker Oats.

** Oatmeal cookies are an excellent source of iron and fiber **

There are many different recipes for the lacy oatmeal cookies. They can be made with a variety of oats, such as old fashioned oats, quick cooking oats, oat bran or oat flour. For a healthier cookie, there is the option to add finely chopped or ground fruits (such as raisins) or nuts and use sugar substitute. Lacy oatmeal cookies are often times decorated with icing drizzled on top of the cookie.

Enjoy the following “tried and true” lacy oatmeal cookie recipe:

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/kf03s9cb/lacy-oatmeal-cookies.html

NATIONAL LACY OATMEAL COOKIE DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the origin or the creator of National Oatmeal Cookie Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL AG DAY

National Ag Day is celebrated annually. This day is a day for all to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture across the United States. American agriculture plays a very critical economic and food security role in our country.

You will find additional information at http://www.agday.org/

NATIONAL KICK BUTTS DAY

National Kick Butts Day is a national day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco. Events are organized, around the United States, by teachers, youth leaders and health advocates to help raise awareness of the problems of tobacco. The Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse is participating in this national awareness day in local schools through creative activities aimed at continuing conversations about healthy lifestyles.

For more information, visit www.cadasb.org about the programs of the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and www.kickbuttsday.org to learn more about National Kick Butts Day.

NATIONAL KICK BUTTS DAY HISTORY

Kick Butts Day is organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and sponsored by the United Health Foundation. The first Kick Butts Day was held in 1996.

NATIONAL SUPREME SACRIFICE DAY

March 18th is National Supreme Sacrifice Day. This day honors those that have made huge sacrifices for the sake and the good of others as well as those who sacrifice their lives every day for us

Good morning gang.
Up early today. Figured I would get this done before work.
Cooler today with sunshine and temps in the 40's.

On with today.

Word of the day is brogue.

Today is ST.PATRICK’S DAY



What does the color green, parades and March 17th have in common? Of course, it is St.Patrick’s Day (also known as the Feast of St Patrick).

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by millions of people across the globe. People wear the color green, drink green beverages and decorate houses and businesses in shamrocks. In fact, the wearing of the green is a tradition that dates back to a story written about St. Patrick in 1726. St. Patrick (c. AD 385–461) is known to have worn shamrocks and green colored clothing.

History of St. Patrick’s Day

The Feast of St. Patrick started in the early 17 century. The day marks the death of St. Patrick and was chosen as an official christian feast day and is observed by the Catholic Church. The day is also a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.


NATIONAL CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE DAY

To “corn” something is simply to preserve it in a salty brine (the term corn refers to the coarse grains of salt used for curing).

Corned beef is a salt-cured beef product.

National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day is observed annually on March 17th. This seems to be a fitting holiday for St. Patrick’s Day.

In the traditional Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage recipes, salt pork or bacon joint were used instead of corned beef. Sometime in the mid 1800′s when the Irish immigrated to America, they found that Jewish corned beef was very similar in texture to bacon joint (pork). It was then that corned beef was used as a replacement for the bacon when preparing corned beef and cabbage meals. Soon after, Irish-Americans began having Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.

Corned beef and cabbage remains a popular food in some areas of the United States.

In Ireland today, the serving of corned beef is geared toward tourist consumption. Most Irish in Ireland do not identify it as native cuisine.

In the United States, corned beef is often purchased ready to eat in delicatessens.
Smoking corned beef and adding spice mixes, produces a smoked meats, such as pastrami.
Corned beef can be found sold in minced forms and in cans.
There are many recipes for corned beef and cabbage in recipe books and on the internet. Feel free to try one of the following recipes:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/fo ... f-and-cabbage-recipe.html

http://www.yummly.com/recipes/corned-beef-and-cabbage-with-beer

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/St_-patt ... columns=5&position=5%2F45

NATIONAL CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the origin and the creator of National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

The good thing it was warm this weekend which helped and today temps were near 70. It's got 242.5K on it. A week ago it was near zero. I don't work in cold weather like I use to. So if something can wait till it warms up it will.

As I mentioned in today's post I needed to fix the drivers side door in my truck. Background is it's a 96 Ford F250.

About a week ago the door handle broke and I had to roll the window down to open the door.

As it turns out the door itself broke. After years of use the panel in the door broke from fatigue.



I found some leftover material and made a patch panel. Riveted and jb welded it into place.



Results speak for themselves.



It's real nice to have a working door again.

Good morning gang.

I got my bookmarks made and hopefully I can continue to post from work now.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. It was almost 60* at the house and if felt real good to open windows and spend some time outside. I still have ice next to the house that doesn't get any sunshine at all. I almost have the door handle fixed in the truck. I'll post about it later when I have it fixed.

On with today.

Word of the day is collywobbles.

Today is NATIONAL ARTICHOKE HEARTS DAY

March 16th is National Artichoke Hearts Day. According to the California Artichoke Advisory Board, artichokes are a good source of antioxidants, vitamin C, folate, and magnesium. The antioxidants in artichokes are very good for your liver and help promote healthy skin. Artichokes are also high in fiber, calcium and protein while low in calories. For all of these reason, along with being fat free and cholesterol free, artichokes are truly a healthy and delicious food to celebrate!

The total antioxidant capacity of artichoke flower heads is one of the highest reported for vegetables
The fleshy base of the artichoke is perhaps the most enjoyably edible part of this oddly-shaped vegetable.
You can find artichoke hearts that are packed in vinegar, oil or marinade and canned.
They make for a great low sodium snack, and lend themselves well to other snacks like artichoke dip, as well as an pizza topping.
Toss them in the skillet for a savory sautee.
They might just turn into a healthy addiction!
California is known as the artichoke capital of the world. They supply nearly 100% of North American fresh artichokes.

NATIONAL ARTICHOKE HEARTS DAY HISTORY

Our research has failed to find the origin and the creator of National Artichoke Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

NATIONAL FREEDOM OF INFORMATION DAY

March 16th celebrates National Freedom of Information Day. This day is an annual event held during Sunshine Week. National Freedom of Information Day celebrates the birthday of President James Madison. Madison is known as the “Father of the Constitution” and as the foremost advocate for openness in government. He is also hailed as being instrumental in the drafting of the United States Constitution and as the key champion and author of the United States Bill of Rights. Individual rights and freedom of information were of high importance to Madison.

James Madison, Jr. (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was an American statesman and political theorist. (Wikipedia)
James Madison was the 4th President of the United States of America (1809-1817) .
The Freedom of Information Act was passed into law in 1966.
NATIONAL FREEDOM OF INFORMATION DAY HISTORY

This day is recognized and documented in U.S. Government websites, however our research left us unsure of the creator of the day We believe it to be part of the creation of Sunshine Week. National Freedom of Information Day is an “unofficial” National holiday.

NATIONAL EVERYTHING YOU DO IS RIGHT DAY

Yesterday may have been a difficult day as it was National Everything You Think Is Wrong Day, but March 16th is just the opposite as it is National Everything You Do Is Right Day. You get to feel good about everything that you do.

National Everything You Do Is Right Day tells us we can forget about logic, forget about rules, forget about common sense, forget about deadlines and etc. However, please be careful as once it is over, you will have to answer for everything you did and everything that happened.

Have a Safe, Legal and Fun Everything You Do Is Right Day.

NATIONAL EVERYTHING YOU DO IS RIGHT DAY HISTORY

We were unable, in our research, to find the creator and origin of National Everything You Do Is Right Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

Voted

Hey gang.

Well first week with new company is done. I hate all the paper work that goes with that. Today we got our benefits package at home so the wife and I have some home work to do.

Word of the day is formication.

Today is NATIONAL NAPPING DAY

National Napping Day is celebrated annually the day following the return of daylight savings time. National Napping Day provides everyone with the opportunity to have a nap and catch up on the hour of sleep that they lost due to the, spring forward, time change.

Mid-afternoon naps are an integral part of most cultures, and scientifically proven to be good for you.

A needed nap can make you feel better and also improve your mood. After having the extra amount of sleep, a person will notice that they will be more productive and energetic.

“Napping has been found to be both physiologically and psychologically beneficial. Napping for 20 minutes can help refresh the mind, improve overall alertness, boost mood and increase productivity. Napping may benefit the heart.” (Wikipedia)

NATIONAL NAPPING DAY HISTORY

William Anthony, Ph.D., a Boston University Professor and his wife, Camille Anthony created National Napping Day, an “unofficial” national holiday, in 1999 as an effort to spotlight the health benefits to catching up on quality sleep. ”We chose this particular Monday because Americans are more ‘nap-ready’ than usual after losing an hour of sleep to daylight savings time,” Anthony said in B.U.’s press release.

NATIONAL MEATBALL DAY

On March 9th we celebrate one of the American food holidays, National Meatball Day.

It is not clear how this day got started, but who can resist the idea of celebrating National Meatball Day? There are many different ways to celebrate meatballs:

Spaghetti and meatballs
Swedish Meatballs
Meatball Sub
Meatball Pizza
Turkey Meatballs
Lamb Meatballs
Porcupine Meatballs (made with rice)
and the list goes on and on.
There is a restaurant in New York that has 54 different kinds of meatballs.

To celebrate, some restaurants give a free side order of meatballs, while others are donating money to homeless shelters. Cook yourself up your favorite meatballs or go out and order some from a restaurant near you!

NATIONAL MEATBALL DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the creator or the origin of National Meatball Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL BARBIE DAY

March 9th celebrates the anniversary of the day the Barbie Doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York in 1959.

March 9th, 1959 is also used as Barbie’s official birthday.

Barbie was one of the first toys to have a marketing strategy based extensively on television advertising. It is estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries. We all know a little girl that loves Barbie dolls and has at least one doll, if not a whole collection of them. Wish her a Happy Barbie Day!!

NATIONAL BARBIE DAY HISTORY

Our research has failed to find the creator and the origin of National Barbie Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL CRAB MEAT DAY

Celebrated annually on March 9th, National Crab Meat Day (also National Crabmeat Day) is an American food holiday. This day is for all crab meat lovers to celebrate their favorite crustacean.

To celebrate, boil or steam some crab. There are hundreds of recipes that crab meat can be used in. Dishes prepared with crab meat include:

crab imperial
crab pasta
crab bisque
crab tacos
crab legs
crab salad
and many others
There are 1.5 million tons of crab consumed every year around the world.
NATIONAL CRAB MEAT DAY HISTORY

NATIONAL GET OVER IT DAY

Each year on the 9th of March, people across the country observe National Get Over It Day. Just as it implies, National Get Over it Day is to do exactly that, GET OVER IT.

Good morning gang.
Just checking in. I'll post updates when I get home.
Posting from my phone is a pain.
Have a great day.

Something to warm the day up.

Good morning gang.

Yea it's Friday. We're starting the day off here cold. Temp is -1* and we should reach a blistering 25*. The forecast is for things to warm up over the weekend and maybe we'll see temps above freezing.

Word of the day is circumvolve.


Today is NATIONAL OREO COOKIE DAY

Be ready to celebrate and have your glass of milk handy as it is National Oreo Cookie Day. This day is recognized, across the nation, each year on March 6th.

The Oreo sandwich cookie is made up of two disks containing a sweet cream filling and is loved by millions. Since it’s introduction, the Oreo cookie has become the best selling cookie in the United States.

The National Biscuit Company (today known as Nabisco) first developed and produced the “Oreo Biscuit” in 1912 at its Chelsea factory in New York City. Today, that block on which the factory was located is known as “Oreo Way”.

The name “Oreo” was first trademarked on March 14, 1912.
The first Oreo cookies in the United States sold for 25 cents a pound in clear glass topped novelty cans.
In 1912, the Oreo Biscuit was renamed to “Oreo Sandwich”.
In 1948, the Oreo Sandwich was renamed to “Oreo Creme Sandwich”.
William A. Turnier developed the modern-day Oreo design in 1952 to include the Nabisco logo.
Nabisco’s principal food scientist, Sam Procello, developed the modern Oreo cookie filling.
NATIONAL OREO COOKIE DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator of National Oreo Cookie Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.


NATIONAL DAY OF UNPLUGGING

The first Friday in March of each year is National Day of Unplugging. This holiday consists of a 24 hour period from sundown to sundown, to unplug, unwind, relax and do things other than using today’s technology, electronics and social media.

For more information regarding National Day of Unplugging, see:

http://nationaldayofunplugging.com/about-us/

NATIONAL DAY OF UNPLUGGING HISTORY

National Day of Unplugging, an “unofficial” national holiday was created by members of the Reboot network.

NATIONAL WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE DAY

Cheesecake lovers across the United States are ready to celebrate, as they know that each year on March 6th it is National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day!

Cheesecake is a sweet dessert that is a mixture of soft fresh cheese, cream cheese or cottage cheese, eggs and sugar on a crust made from crushed graham crackers, crushed cookies, pastry or sponge cake. Cheesecakes can be prepared baked or unbaked and are often served topped with fruit, chocolate or whipped cream. There are many flavors in which cheesecakes can be prepared however this day honors the White Chocolate Cheesecake.

To celebrate, try one of the following “tried and true” recipes:

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/w ... eesecake-bars-111548.aspx

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/f ... ate-cheesecake-57742.aspx

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/no-bake-white-chocolate-cheesecake/

http://www.julieseatsandtreats.com/20 ... berry-cheesecake-cookies/

This holiday is a “sister” holiday to the following:

July 30 – National Cheesecake Day
April 23rd – National Cherry Cheesecake Day
May 26 – National Blueberry Cheesecake Day
October 21 – National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day
NATIONAL WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator of National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL SALESPERSON DAY

National Salesperson Day, an “unofficial” National holiday is celebrated on the first Friday in March. This day honors the value and dedication of the professional salesperson as well as the hard work that they perform.

On National Salesperson Day it would be nice to celebrate this day by thanking each salesperson that you are in contact with.

NATIONAL SALESPERSON DAY HISTORY

Our research found that this day was created in March of 2000 by Maura Schreier-Fleming, president of Best@Selling. Schreier-Fleming is an author, consultant and speaker for salesperson training.

NATIONAL DENTIST’S DAY

Annually celebrated on March 6th, it is National Dentist’s Day. This day was created as a day set aside to say “Thank You” to and show appreciation to your dentist.

In many cases, the day of our dental visit usually has us a bit nervous and sometimes anxious. We would often rather be someplace else than sitting in a dental chair. The dentist is not the person that most of us look forward to seeing. However, when the work is complete, such as: our checkup is done, our teeth are cleaned, the cavities are filled, the broken tooth is fixed, the toothache is taken care of and etc., we really appreciate what the dentist has done for us.

If you are not already in the habit of using them, this would be a great day to make a commitment to better dental habits.

NATIONAL DENTIST’S DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the creator and/or the origin of National Dentist’s Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL FROZEN FOOD DAY

Since 1984, National Frozen Food Day has been celebrated annually on March 6th. Frozen foods got their own special day more than 50 years after they first appeared in the 1930′s.

The process of frozen foods was first developed by Clarence Birdseye in 1930, and became available on grocery store shelves in and around Springfield, Massachusetts.
“Clarence Frank Birdseye II (December 9, 1886 – October 7, 1956) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, and naturalist, and is considered to be the founder of the modern frozen food industry” (Wikipedia)

The initial product line featured 26 items, including 18 cuts of frozen meat, spinach and peas, a variety of fruits and berries, blue point oysters, and fish fillets. Consumers liked the new products and this is considered to be, the birth of retail frozen foods.

The frozen food industry plays a big part in our lives. There is usually more than one aisle of frozen foods in the grocery stores, full of everything: some of which include, breakfast foods, fruits and vegetables TV dinners and ice cream. One of our all time favorites, of course, is the frozen pizza.

Fun Fact: ***** Swanson introduced the first TV Dinner in 1954 *****

To celebrate National Frozen Food Day, take a trip to your local grocery store and find one of your favorites in the frozen food aisle!!

NATIONAL FROZEN FOOD DAY HISTORY

Proclamation 5157 was signed by President Ronald Reagan in which it said: ”Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 6, 1984, as Frozen Food Day, and I call upon the American people to observe such day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

NATIONAL EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY

Employee Appreciation Day is celebrated annually on the first Friday in March. This day was created as a way of focusing the attention of all the employers, in all industries on employee recognition. Celebrations are created and carried out by employers everywhere, and consist of various ways that the deserved appreciation is shown to their employees.

Employees are one of a company’s greatest assets and recognition and appreciation is known as one of the key motivational factors in the workplace.

Employee appreciation refers to efforts made by a company’s management to recognize, praise and thank their employees for their contributions to the goals of the company. This appreciation can be expressed in a variety of ways, from rewards to verbal interaction.

Expressing employee appreciation increases employee job satisfaction.

NATIONAL EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY HISTORY

Our research has found that National Employee Appreciation Day, an “unofficial” national holiday, was created, in 1995, by Bob Nelson, a founding Recognition Professional International board member, together with his publishing company, Workman Publishing.

Good morning gang.

Cold here this morning. Should stay cold all day with a high in the upper teens and low 20's.

Word of the day is eyesome.

Today is NATIONAL CHEESE DOODLE DAY

Are you ready for a great snack and orange fingers? Happy National Cheese Doodle Day! March 5th is the annual celebration for the cheddar cheese coated, puffed or crunchy, fried or baked snack food.

The actual inventor of Cheese Doodle’s is under debate.

One source showed they were invented in the 1940′s by a man named Morrie Yohai who had taken over his family snack food company called Old London foods, while other sources show they were invented in the 1930′s. The debate continues as apparently, in the 1930′s, there were two competing accounts, one from Wisconsin and one from New Orleans.

However they came to be, they are here, they are crunchy, they are delicious, they are orange and we enjoy them!

They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and flavors and 15 million pounds are produced annually. Grab a bag (or tub)!!

NATIONAL CHEESE DOODLE DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the creator or the origin of National Cheese Doodle Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

National Multiple Personality Day

National Multiple Personality Day is observed annually on March 5th..

After much research, we have found that it is looked at in two different ways:

Some people look at National Multiple Personality Day as a day to look at yourself and connect with who you are. Exploring your own personality traits and examining the roots of those traits. Each one of us shows a different side of our personalities at different times and in different places. Sometimes our personalities appear to be altered, depending on whom we are with and what we are doing. With these things in mind, National Multiple Personality Day is a day to focus your thoughts, on yourself and your own personality.

The other set of people believe it may be that National Multiple Personality Day is a day to raise awareness for this disorder. Multiple Personality Disorder, also known as Dissociative Identity Disorder, is a disorder characterized by at least two distinct and relatively enduring identities or dissociated personality states that alternately control a person’s behavior, and is accompanied by memory impairment for important information not explained by ordinary forgetfulness.

You may know someone, maybe a friend or family member. that has been diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder. If so, spend some extra time with them on National Multiple Personality Day.

NATIONAL MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DAY HISTORY

Our research has failed to find the creator of National Multiple Personality Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL ABSINTHE DAY

March 5th is also know as National Absinthe Day. National Absinthe Day, “an “unofficial national holiday, has been celebrated annually since 2007.

According to Wikipedia, Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic It is an anise-flavored spirit derived from botanicals, including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium (“grand wormwood”), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs.[5] Absinthe traditionally has a natural green color but may also be colorless. It is commonly referred to in historical literature as “la fée verte” (the green fairy). Although it is sometimes mistakenly referred to as a liqueur, absinthe is not traditionally bottled with added sugar; it is therefore classified as a spirit. Absinthe is traditionally bottled at a high level of alcohol by volume, but it is normally diluted with water prior to being consumed.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe

Good morning gang.

Congrats to the GS Tom. Hope the girls have a better season next yr.

It's 23* out and starting to rain which of course will freeze making the drive to work and adventure. The good news is it is suppose to warm up to the mid to upper 30's.

Word of the day is variorum.

Today is NATIONAL ANTHEM DAY

Written by Francis Scott Key, the Star Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the United States of America. On National Anthem Day, we celebrate and honor this song.

By a congressional resolution, signed by President Herbert Hoover, The Star Spangled Banner officially became the national anthem of the United States of America on March 3rd, 1931.

The Star Spangled Banner was written during the War of 1812. After watching the bombardment of Fort McHenry from a ship, the next morning seeing the American flag still flying over the Fort, Francis Scott Key was inspired that on September 14, 1814, he wrote what is now our national anthem.

In September of 1914, during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812, while being held on a ship, Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry . The following morning, upon seeing the American flag still flying over the Fort, he was inspired to write a poem, which was titled, “Defence of Fort M’Henry”. This poem was later set to music and renamed “The Star Spangled Banner”.

NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY – IHOP

IHOP restaurants began National Pancake Day in 2006. Since that day, they have raised $16 million for charities. On March 3rd, 2015 people from around the country will once again celebrate National Pancake Day at IHOP restaurants and enjoy free pancakes. Guests are asked to consider leaving a donation.

For more information regarding IHOP’s free breakfast and the 2015 designated charities for National Pancake Day at IHOP, please see:

http://www.ihoppancakeday.com/pancake-day-details.html

NATIONAL I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY DAY

Celebrated annually on March 3rd is National I Want You To Be Happy Day. This day was created as a day that encourages us to do something to make others happy.

Share a smile, share a laugh, pay a compliment, buy someone’s coffee, send some flowers, take someone to lunch, make cookies for a neighbor, play games with the kids, take the family to the park, visit a friend or maybe make a phone call. These are just a few of the many things that can be done to brighten up the day for someone. It can actually be as simple as just telling someone that you want them to be happy.

Have a good day and, we want you to be happy!

NATIONAL I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY DAY HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the creator or the origin of National I Want You To Be Happy Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL COLD CUTS DAY

March 3rd celebrates a food holiday, National Cold Cuts Day. A popular sandwich filling, of a variety of sliced, precooked meats, that can be purchased at the deli counter or from vacuumed sealed packages.

Cold cuts are also referred to as lunch meats, luncheon meats, sandwich meats, sliced meats, cold meats and deli meats.

One that we all remember from our childhood days, is from the television commercial: b – o – l – o – g – n – a.

A few of the favorites at deli counters are pastrami, roast beef, turkey and ham. Cold cuts are well known on the submarine sandwich and have become popular in many appetizer recipes.

Enjoy the following “tried and true” recipes:

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/c ... ts-party-salad-54385.aspx

http://www.food.com/recipe/dill-pickl ... nwheels-ham-rollups-64399

http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-bbq-ham-sandwiches-75649

You may want to celebrate National Cold Cuts Day by visiting a local deli near you.

NATIONAL COLD CUTS DAY HISTORY

We were unable to find the creator or the origin of National Cold Cuts Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL MULLED WINE DAY

National Mulled Wine Day is celebrated annually on March 3rd.

It is the day, for those 21 years and older, to warm up from the winter chill with a nice glass of mulled wine. Mulled wine is a beverage usually made with red wine along with various spices and raisins. It is served, and enjoyed, hot or warm.

There are various recipe combinations for making Mulled Wine.

* Wine was first recorded as spiced and heated in First Century Rome*

Mulled spirits (that is, wine and liquors that are heated and spiced) have long been considered a balm against illness in the winter months.

Have a Happy Mulled Wine Day!

NATIONAL MULLED WINE DAY HISTORY

After much research, we were unable to find the creator and the origin of Mulled Wine Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

Good morning gang.

Welcome to the first workday in March. 2 months down ten to go. It feels weird posting from home. I start same job with new company today. Start time is a little later due to all the indoctrination and training that need to be done.

We had about 3" of snow yesterday so the snowblower got a workout. It's 10* out now and we should reach the mid to upper 20's today.

On with today.

Word of the day is switcheroo.

Today is NATIONAL READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY (DR. SEUSS DAY)

National Read Across America Day is an annual event that is part of Read Across America, an initiative on reading that was created by the National Education Association.

Each year, National Read Across America Day is celebrated on March 2nd, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. However, if it falls on a weekend, it is observed in the school systems on the school day closest to March 2nd. This day is a motivational and awareness day, calling all children and youth in every community across the United States. to celebrate reading

The first National Read Across America Day, an “unofficial” national holiday was held on March 2, 1998.

HAPPY READING!!

NATIONAL BANANA CREAM PIE DAY

National Banana Cream Pie Day is celebrated annually on March 2nd. Celebrated throughout the United States, all pie lovers enjoy this day as they get to indulge in one of America’s most popular creme pies.

*Remember, bananas are loaded with potassium!*

The process from the traditional custard pie was modified into a recipe for the appetizing and flavorful banana creme pie. Now there are many variations in thousands of recipes for this yummy pie and recipes for banana creme pie can be found in recipe books dating back into the 19th century

Banana creme pie was ranked the number one favorite dessert among the soldiers of the United States Armed Services in the 1950′s.

What a great day to spend a little time in your kitchen, whipping up a delicious banana cream pie to share with your family and/or friends.

A banana creme pie can be made as simple as:

1 box instant banana pudding – 1 pkg cream cheese (softened) – 2 large bananas – 1 container whipped topping – graham cracker crust
Mix pudding with 1 1/2 cups milk, cool in fridge until thickened. With mixer, combine pudding and creme cheese until blended. Slice bananas into graham cracker crust. Spoon pudding mixture over bananas and top with whipped topping. Chill for at least 2 hours. Enjoy!!
NATIONAL BANANA CREAM PIE DAY HISTORY

Much research has failed to find the creator and the origin of Banana Cream Pie Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL OLD DAY STUFF
National Old Day Stuff is always celebrated on March 2nd. One may think it is a day to to do the same old thing that you do on a daily routine. However, this day is actually the opposite, it is a day to do something different, something new.

We have all heard the saying, “same old, same old”, well, this is the day to do things differently. There are several different ways that you can change up your day. Take a moment to recognize the things that you do each day, then think of other ways that you can do things that will change up those routines. Maybe you want to try getting up a little earlier, having something new to eat, taking a different route to work, getting a new hairstyle, going out to the movies, buying a new cologne, calling an old friend, moving your desk at work, taking a long walk or just anything that you usually do not do.

Use your imagination, change it up and have a fun day!

NATIONAL OLD DAY STUFF HISTORY

Our research was unable to find the origin or the creator of National Old Day Stuff, an “unofficial” national holiday.

Good morning gang.

It is cool here with temps in the upper teens with snow. Looks like the snow blower will get a work out later today.
Like Matt we're suppose to be near 40 on Tuesday with some rain.

The main project for me when it gets a little warmer is I need to replace the slave cylinder on vette. I also have to fix the inside door handle on the truck. But that will wait till warm weather too. Plastic parts and cold weather don't mix.

Good morning gang.

Cold here this am temps starting out -2 and we should be getting to maybe 10.

Last day of work for me officially at my current company. Start same job same desk with new company on Monday. I may or may not be able to get the daily post started due to all the training that has to be done or just suck it up and get up earlier and post from home. We'll see.

Well on with today shall we.

Word of the day is ad hockery.

Today is NATIONAL STRAWBERRY DAY

National Strawberry Day is annually celebrated on February 27th. Strawberry lovers everywhere enjoy this day as strawberries are appreciated for their characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweet taste.

Strawberries are enjoyed by millions in many different ways. They can be eaten fresh by themselves, in fruit salads or in prepared foods such as jams, preserves or juices. They are also favorites when added to smoothies, pies, cakes, ice creams, milk shakes, salads and chocolates as well as many other delicious dishes and desserts. Artificial strawberry aroma is used in many industrialized food products.

The first garden strawberry was grown in France during the late 18th century. Prior to this, wild strawberries and cultivated selections from wild strawberry species were the common source of the fruit.


“The strawberry fruit was mentioned in ancient Roman literature in reference to its medicinal use. The French began taking the strawberry from the forest to their gardens for harvest in the 1300s. Charles V. France’s king from 1364 to 1380, had 1,200 strawberry plants in his royal garden. In the early 1400s western European monks were using the wild strawberry in their illuminated manuscripts. The strawberry is found in Italian, Flemish, German art, and English miniatures. It symbolizes perfect righteousness. The entire strawberry plant was used to treat depressive illnesses.” (Wikipedia)

Along with enjoying the delicious taste, eating strawberries gives you the benefit of adding the following into your diet: potassium, fiber, folic acid and Vitamin C. They are also low in calories, with no fat and no cholesterol.

You may want to have a fresh bowl of strawberries now, while you enjoy the following “tried and true” recipes:

http://www.food.com/recipe/strawberry-pretzel-salad-29400

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/strawberry-spinach-salad-i/

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/e ... ef-4417-9f42-7c20082c90b1

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/strawberry-pie-4

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/strawberries-and-cream-bread-pudding/

HAPPY NATIONAL STRAWBERRY DAY!

NATIONAL STRAWBERRY DAY HISTORY

Much research failed to find the origin or the creator of National Strawberry Day, an “unofficial” national holiday. It is listed as an American Food Holiday.

NATIONAL KAHLUA DAY

February 27th celebrates National Kahlua Day. This day was created as a day for those, over the age of 21, to recognize and enjoy this creamy rich alcoholic liqueur. To celebrate, you may want to use Kahlua, a coffee-flavored rum-based liquor, to flavor your ice cream or another dessert such as cheesecake or cake. Other options would be to add it to your coffee or cocoa for a nice after dinner drink, add it to cold milk or cream or drink it on the rocks, straight up or mixed with a cocktail.

Kahlua is made from coffee beans therefore it does contain a
small amount of caffeine.

* Pedro Domecq began producing Kahlua in 1936.
* In 1994, the company merged with Allied Lyons forming Allied Domecq.
* In 2005, Allied Domecq was partially acquired by Pernod Ricard which merged with the Swedish Vin & Sprit (V & S Group) in March of 2008.

Kahlúa is found to be used in a few notable cocktails, including the following:
◦ B-52
◦ Baby Guinness
◦ Black Russian
◦ Mudslide
◦ White Russian
◦ Espresso Martini
◦ Caribbean Mudslide

Enjoy some Kahlua February 27th!

NATIONAL KAHLUA DAY HISTORY

Our research failed to find the creator or origin of National Kahlua Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL POLAR BEAR DAY

National Polar Bear Day, also known as International Polar Bear Day is celebrated on February 27th. It is a day to learn more about the polar bear.

Polar bears can reach a height of 9 ft tall and a weight of 1400 pounds. They have large front paws, which are slightly webbed, that are used to paddle as they swim. As they are very strong swimmers, some polar bears have been seen swimming hundreds of miles from land, however, some of the distance may have been covered by floating on sheets of ice.

The polar bears have a warming layer of fat which is covered by their thick coat of insulating fur. This helps them live in the colder environments.

There are organizations that use this day to raise awareness of the declining number of polar bears worldwide. It is believed, by many, that these beautiful creatures are threatened due to global warming and the consequential loss of their natural habitat. Groups, around the world, gather together to find ways to make a difference and spread information to others.

Enjoy National Polar Bear Day!

NATIONAL POLAR BEAR DAY HISTORY

Research has failed in us finding the origin or creator of this “unofficial” National holiday.

Good morning gang.

Snowing here this morning. The temps this morning are in the mid teens and we should hold here most of the day.

Word of the day is inutile.

Today is NATIONAL CHILI DAY

The fourth Thursday in February celebrates one of America’s favorite winter dishes; chili, which is also known as chili con carne (“chili with meat”).

In Spanish, chili refers to “chili pepper” and carne means “meat”.

Chili is most commonly made up of tomatoes, beans, chili peppers, meat, garlic, onions and cumin, however, there are many variations to the basic chili.

Chili is often a favorite dish in cook-offs.

American frontier settlers used a “chili” recipe of dried beef, suet, dried chili peppers and salt which was all pounded together, formed into bricks and dried. The bricks could then be boiled in pots on the trails.

At the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, the San Antonio Chili Stand helped people, from all over the United States, appreciate the taste of chili. Because San Antonio was a significant tourist destination, it helped Texas-style chili con carne spread throughout the South and West. In 1977, The House Concurrent Resolution Number 18 of the 65th Texas Legislature designated chili con carne as the official dish of the U.S. of Texas.

Prior to World War II, hundreds of small, family-run chili parlors (also known as “chili joints”) were found popping up throughout the state of Texas as well as other places in the United States. Each new chili parlor usually had a claim to some kind of secret recipe.

There are many ways that people enjoy the great taste of chili,
some of which include:
chili dogs, chili burgers, chili cheese fries, chili stuffed baked potatoes,
“Frito pie”, chili spaghetti, chili mac, chili rice

Enjoy the following “tried and true” chili recipes:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/three ... ian-chili-10000001949760/

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chili ... -chip-pie-50400000115822/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-slow-cooked-chili/

http://southernfood.about.com/od/chickenstews/r/bl30223x.htm

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/biscuit-bowl-chili

HAVE A GREAT NATIONAL CHILI DAY!

NATIONAL CHILI DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator of National Chili Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL TELL A FAIRY TALE DAY

National Tell A Fairy Tale Day, an “unofficial” National holiday is celebrated on February 26th. Snuggle up in your corner chair or sofa with the children sitting near you or maybe all gather around a campfire as it is a day to celebrate by telling your favorite fairy tale or making up one of your own.

Originally, adults were the audience of a fairy tale just as often as children. Literary fairy tales appeared in works intended for adults, but in the 19th and 20th centuries the fairy tale became associated with children’s literature.

As stated in Wikipedia: A fairy tale is a fictional story that may feature folkloric characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, mermaids or gnomes and usually magic or enchantments. The term is also used to describe something blessed with unusual happiness, as in “fairy tale ending” (a happy ending) or “fairy tale romance” (though not all fairy tales end happily). A “fairy tale” or “fairy story” can also mean any far-fetched story or tall tale; it’s used especially of any story that not only isn’t true, but couldn’t possibly be true.

~~February 26th your story may begin with “Once upon a time” and it may end with “Happily ever after” but whatever your fairy tale is, may it be a good one and may your day be a good one as well! ~~

NATIONAL TELL A FAIRY TALE DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator or the origin of National Tell A Fairy Tale Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL PISTACHIO DAY

February 26th is a day for all to celebrate National Pistachio Day. It is a day that has been set aside for all pistachio lovers to eat their favorite nut all day long. For those who do not eat pistachios, buy some and give them to someone who does. Crack them open and eat them up or enjoy them in ice cream or your favorite pistachio dessert!

Pistachios arrived in the United States sometime in the 1880′s but they have been cultivated in the Middle East since the Biblical times.

The pistachio tree grows to about 20 feet tall needing little or no rain and must have high heat. In Iran, they claim that they have pistachio trees still living that are 700 years old! A new tree takes between 7 and 10 years to mature and bear fruit.

* All pistachio shells are naturally beige in color. Some companies dye nuts red or green if nuts are inferior or for consumer demand.

* California produces about 300 million pounds of pistachios each year, accounting for 98 percent of America’s production.

* Pistachio shells typically split naturally, when ripe, prior to harvest.

* The kernels are often eaten whole, either fresh or roasted and either salted or unsalted.

* In the Middle East people call the pistachio the “smiling nut”

* In China people call the pistachio the “happy nut”

Health Benefits:

Pistachios are an excellent source of vitamin B6, copper and manganese and a good source of protein, fiber, thiamin, and phosphorus. In July 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first qualified health claim specific to nuts lowering the risk of heart disease: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces (42.5g) per day of most nuts, such as pistachios, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease”

A great thing to do — Recycle the pistachio shells:

The empty pistachio shells are useful for recycling in several ways. If unsalted, the shells need not be washed and dried before reuse, but washing is simple if that is not the case. Practical uses include as a fire starter, just as kindling would be used with crumpled paper; to line the bottom of pots containing houseplants, for drainage and retention of soil for up to two years; as a mulch for shrubs and plants that require acid soils: as a medium for orchids; and as an addition to a compost pile designed for wood items that take longer to decompose than leafy materials, taking up to a year for pistachio shells to decompose unless soil is added to the mix. Shells from salted pistachios can also be placed around the base of plants to deter slugs and snails. Many craft uses for the shells include holiday tree ornaments, jewelry, mosaics, and rattles. Research indicates that pistachio shells may be helpful in cleaning up pollution created by mercury emissions.


NATIONAL PISTACHIO DAY HISTORY

Our research failed to find the creator or the origin of National Pistachio Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

Good morning gang.

Chilly here today. Temps in the mid teens and we should see the low twenties. But tomorrow we're back to the artic freeze with morning temps at or below zero and daytime highs in the low double digits.

How's your brother doing Tom?

Let's get going today.

Word of the day is Pickwickian.

Today is NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED NUT DAY

National Chocolate Covered Nut Day is celebrated, each year, on February 25th. A day for the delicious crunchy nut to be enjoyed once it has been covered in chocolate. The possibilities are endless as there are so many different types of nuts as well as different types of chocolate.

For thousands of years, nuts have been a staple of the human diet. The walnut was a favorite of the ancient Greeks and Romans while the pecans were a favorite of the Native Americans.

** Both chocolate and nuts can be good for you **

Dark chocolate seems to posses substantial amount of antioxidants while the nuts contain the essential fatty acids linoleic and linolenic acids, and the fats in nuts for the most part are unsaturated fats, including monounsaturated fats. Nuts also provide arginine, a substance that may help make the walls of the arteries more flexible and less prone to blockage from blood clot formation. Many nuts are good sources of vitamins E and B2, and are rich in protein, folate, fiber, and essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium

** The original chocolate covered peanut candy are Goobers which were first sold in 1925. The word “Goober” was a common slang word for peanut. **

One of the more well known chocolate covered nut is the M & M. These chocolate covered peanuts or chocolate covered almonds have become a favorite of many. The peanut M & M was introduced in 1954. They were tan until 1960 when the colors red, yellow and green were introduced.

Whether it be unsweetened chocolate, sweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate mixed with peanuts, cashews, almonds, macadamias, pecans, or any other nut, enjoy your favorite combination!!

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED NUT DAY

National Chocolate Covered Nut Day, sometimes also called National Chocolate Covered Peanut Day is an “unofficial” national holiday. Our research has failed to find the creator or the origin of this holiday.


NATIONAL CLAM CHOWDER DAY

Each year on February 25th, people across the nation have a bowl and spoon ready to be filled with clam chowder as they prepare to celebrate National Clam Chowder Day.

Clam chowder is any of several chowders containing clams and broth. In the chowder, along with the clams it is common to find diced potatoes, onions (often sauteed in pork or bacon drippings) and celery.

Following is a list of the primary clam chowder variants:
◦New England clam chowder
◦Manhattan clam chowder
◦Rhode Island clam chowder
◦Delaware clam chowder
◦New Jersey clam chowder
◦Hatteras clam chowder
◦Minorcan clam chowder
◦Long Island clam chowder

To celebrate National Clam Chowder Day, enjoy one of the following “tried and true” clam chowder recipes:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/my-best-clam-chowder/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/em ... -clam-chowder-recipe.html

http://www.recipesource.com/soups/soups/01/rec0124.html

http://pureflorida.blogspot.com/2005/ ... -minorcan-style-clam.html

NATIONAL CLAM CHOWDER DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator of National Clam Chowder Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

Good morning gang.

Same cold weather again today with some snow and wind thrown in for good measure. We started out at -6* and we should reach 20 but I'll believe it when I feel it.

For those of you that ski and in honor of Matt's little ski trip here are 9 Words to Help You Navigate the Slopes.

Word of the day is demassify.

Today is NATIONAL TORTILLA CHIP DAY

National Tortilla Chip Day, a day set aside for the crunchy snack loved by millions across the nation, is observed annually on February 24th. The tortilla chip is most commonly served with salsa, chile con queso, quacamole, cheese dips or other dips.


Tortilla chips are made from corn tortillas that have been cut into wedges and then fried. The corn tortillas have been made from corn, vegetable oil, salt and water. Typically made with yellow corn, they can also be made with white, blue or red corn also.

Even though tortilla chips have always been considered to be a Mexican food, known as tostados, they were first mass-produced in Los Angeles in the late 1940′s.

It is said that the triangle shaped tortilla chips were made popular by Rebecca Webb Carranza as a way to use the misshapen tortillas that were rejected from the automated tortilla manufacturing machine that she and her husband used at their Los Angeles. Carranza realized that once the discarded tortillas were cut into triangle shapes and fried, they became a popular snack. She then sold them for a dime a bag at the El Zarape Tortilla Factory. Carranza received the Golden Tortilla award in 1994, for her contribution to the Mexican food industry.

The United States is one of the main markets for tortilla chips.

An elaborate dish made with tortilla chips, that is known by all and loved by most, is nachos. The dish was first created around 1943 by Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya. Nachos are tortilla chips served with melted or shredded cheese and often times additional toppings are added such as; meat, salsa, refried beans, tomatoes, diced onion, lettuce, olives, jalapenos, guacamole and sour cream.

NATIONAL TORTILLA CHIP DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator and the origin of National Tortilla Chip Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

SPAY DAY USA

The last Tuesday in February is the annual observance of Spay Day USA. This day was created by the Doris Day Animal League in 1994 as a day to bring attention to the pet overpopulation problem in the United States and also to encourage animal population control by neutering pets.

Spay Day USA has helped in decreasing the population of street dogs and cats throughout the United States which is helpful as it decreases the number of unwanted animals.

That is a good score Matt.

This is what I picked up a early last month. A Husqvarna snow thrower. Sure has been worth every penny.

Good morning gang.

Cold here to start the day. Temp at the house was -1* and we should reach highs in the upper teens.

If this week continues with the cold we'll have one of the coldest months of February on record.

On with today.

Word of the day is brolly.
Today is NATIONAL BANANA BREAD DAY

National Banana Bread Day is celebrated annually on February 23rd.

A moist, sweet, cake-like quick bread, banana bread is made with fully ripe, mashed bananas. There are some recipes where banana bread is made as a yeast bread when it is then usually sliced, toasted and spread with butter.

It was with the popularization of baking soda and baking powder in the 1930′s that banana bread first became a standard feature of American cookbooks and appeared in Pillsbury’s 1933 Balanced Recipes cookbook. Banana bread later gained further acceptance with the release of the original Chiquita Banana’s Recipe Book in 1950.

The United States saw the arrival of bananas in the 1870′s and it took a while for them before they appeared as an ingredient in desserts. Bananas were expensive and housewives did not want to throw the overripe ones away therefore during the great depression, the actual Banana Bread recipe began being published.

There are many different variations of the traditional banana bread, a few of which include:
Banana raisin bread – Banana nut bread – Chocolate chip banana bread

To celebrate National Banana Bread Day, try one of the following “tried and true” banana bread recipes:

http://www.food.com/recipe/buttermilk-banana-bread-121840

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-sour-cream-bread/

http://www.food.com/recipe/applesauce-banana-bread-151301

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-chocolate-chip-bread/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/peanut-b ... colate-chip-banana-bread/

NATIONAL BANANA BREAD DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the origin and creator of National Banana Bread Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL DOG BISCUIT DAY

All dog owners, remember that February 23rd is the annual celebration of National Dog Biscuit Day! This day is also celebrated around the world as International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day.

Man’s best friend deserves a special treat, whether it is as an award for their behavior, as part of their training or just because we want to show our dogs how much we love them.

Following are a few “tried and true” homemade dog biscuit recipes you may want to make and give to your furry friends.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/peanut-butter-and-pumpkin-dog-treats/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/peanut-b ... -and-banana-dog-biscuits/

http://addapinch.com/cooking/2012/09/ ... memade-dog-treats-recipe/

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Diabetic ... reats/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bacon-Fl ... cuits/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

NATIONAL DOG BISCUIT DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator and origin of National Dog Biscuit Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

Have you looked into Wilwood? I don't track my car so I'm just guessing. Just another idea.

Good morning gang.

Cold start today temps -4* and we should reach a high of about 12 later today with chance of snow on and off.

Yesterday marked the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima.



Word of the day is doggo.

Today is NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY

February 20th, celebrates National Love Your Pet Day. This “unofficial” National holiday is a day set aside to give extra attention to and pamper your pets that you love everyday. This is a good day to focus on the special relationship that you have with your pets.

Did you know that most households in the United States have at least one pet?

Our pets give us so much. They give us unconditional love and many health benefits which include stress relief and lower blood pressure. Our pets give us these benefits without asking for anything in return. So on February 20 (and everyday) show your appreciation to your pets!

National Love Your Pet Day, maybe you want to buy your pet a special treat or a new toy, or maybe you want to take them for an extra long walk or just spend some extra special time with them. Whatever you decide to do, spoil and appreciate your pets!

Enjoy Love Your Pet Day!

NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY HISTORY

Our research failed to find the creator or the origin of this “unofficial ” National”

NATIONAL CHERRY PIE DAY

Celebrated annually on February 20th, it is National Cherry Pie Day. This is a day for all cherry pie lovers to eat their favorite pie for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner.

It seems only right that we celebrate the cherry pie so close to Presidents Day as we all know that there is a story of President George Washington and the cherry tree. It is also written that cherry pie was not only the favorite pie of George Washington but it was also the favorite of Queen Elizabeth I.

According to the American Pie Council, pie came to America with the first English settlers. The early colonists cooked their pies in long narrow pans calling them “coffins” like the crust in England. As in the Roman times, the early American pie crusts often were not eaten, but simply designed to hold the filling during baking. It was during the American Revolution that the term crust was used instead of “coffyn”.

In the United States, cherry pie is often referred to as a “great American dish”. Recipe books have many different versions of recipes for cherry pie. Try one of the following “tried and true” cherry pie recipes:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cherry-pie-recipe.html

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/cher ... ff-4d91-8ee6-74497819b6f3

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/fresh-cherry-pie

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/perfect-cherry-pie/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-fresh-cherry-pie/

Whether you have it hot or cold, with ice cream or whipped cream, alone or with a friend, enjoy a piece or two of cherry pie!


NATIONAL CHERRY PIE DAY HISTORY

Our research did not find the origin or creator of National Cherry Pie Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

Good morning gang.

It's cold here to start the day. -3* and we should reach a blistering 7*. The good news it we're only 29 days till spring.

Word of the day is effulgent.

This is the origin of the month February.

Today is NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MINT DAY

Recognized by the US National Confectioners Association, National Chocolate Mint Day is celebrated annually by thousands of people, across the nation, on February 19th. This holiday has been set aside for all the chocolate mint lovers to eat their favorite treats all day long.

Milk chocolate, dark chocolate or white chocolate is combined with either peppermint, spearmint or creme de menthe to make delicious chocolate mint.

Chocolate mint options are available in ice creams, brownies, cookies, cheesecakes, fudge, candies, cakes, cupcakes, pies, cocktails and much more. It is also marketed in a non-edible form as beauty product.s, air fresheners and etc.

The International Dairy Foods Association states that mint chocolate chip is the 10th most popular flavor of ice cream.


** Chocolate mint is also a type of herb. This herb is part of the spearmint family with edible leaves that taste like chocolate and mint.

** Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies first sold in 1953 – they account for over 25% of the annual Girl Scout cookie sales. **

Below is a favorite frosting recipe for chocolate cake. It looks great decorated with chocolate mint candies……Perfect to celebrate National Chocolate Mint Day!

Mint Frosting for Chocolate Cake

1 package cream cheese (8 0z), softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon mint extract
Green food coloring

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in mint extract, 2 to 3 drops of green food coloring and 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar until mixed – beat on medium speed until fluffy. Store frosted cake in refrigerator.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Following are some other “tried and true” chocolate mint recipes for you:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/layered-mint-chocolate-fudge/

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/c ... 3f-407c-aeda-6e234de14751

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/m ... 36-441a-9909-ae78409d6da6

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-mint-pie/

And, for those who are thirsty: http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink2861.html

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MINT DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we have failed to find the creator and origin of National Chocolate Mint Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

Best wishes to his family in this hard time.