Live Everyday like a Holiday!: July

Showing posts with label July. Show all posts

July 18 is National Ice Cream Day

📅 Our Calendar tells us that July 18 is National Ice Cream Day. This is the day we honor this creamy dessert by eating ice cream of all different flavors. So today I want to wish everyone a very Happy National Ice Cream Day! May you enjoy all your favorite topping!

"Live everyday like a Holiday" Pam

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🛒 Ice Cream Toppings / https://amzn.to/3AVEAxd

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Happy Orange Chicken Day / July 15

📅 Our Calendar says July 15th is National Orange Chicken Day and that's one meal I'm not going to miss. Orange Chicken is just that.... its chicken baked in orange juice or with orange slices for flavoring. I like it with rosemary baked with the orange flavor too. I know that's not the common orange chicken recipe, but it is what I do sometimes when I'm baking large pieces of chicken. Ha ha ha!

If I'm craving orange chicken for lunch time, then I go with a lighter meal and mix a nice Seasar salad alongside of it. If it's supper time, then I have to have the whole shebang! Yep, I will go with potatoes and bread and butter.

Now let's talk about Chinese Orange Chicken

This orange chicken dish is very small cuts of chicken cooked with orange juice, ginger, soy sauce, chili flakes, garlic, brown sugar and sesame oil.... I'm not sure what else off the top of my head but it's really great tasting. I've made it with honey and I've made it with orange marmalade as the sweet part too. Now I've baked mine in the sauce and I've also stir fried the chicken first then added the sauce on top at the end. I don't think there's a wrong way to do it. It all taste great.

Happy Orange Chicken Day everyone! "Live everyday like a Holiday" Pam

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Let's talk about National Pecan Pie Day

Friends first I'm going to explain what a pecan pie is for those viewers not from the United States then I will talk about the National Pecan Pie Day itself. (July 12)

Pecan pie is a sweet custard pie made primarily of corn syrup and pecan nuts. It is popularly served at holiday meals and is also considered a specialty of Southern U.S. cuisine. Most pecan pie recipes include salt and vanilla as flavorings. Other ingredients such as chocolate and bourbon whiskey are popular additions to the recipe. Some recipes even use an amount of maple syrup instead of corn syrup for flavoring. Pecan pie is often served with whipped cream too. Friends at the end of the post 🠟 I will list a common pecan pie recipe for you if you need one. For fun I'm also going to list a "Pecan Tassie" recipe for you too. Those are small pecan pie bites that you see at parties a lot.

What are Pecans? Nuts!

The name "pecan" is a Native American word of Algonquin origin that was used to describe "all nuts requiring a stone to crack.” wikipedia definition

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When is National Pecan Pie Day?

July 12 every year is always National Pecan Pie Day. We also have a National Pecan Month but that is celebrated every April. Our calendar also says we have a Pecan Day celebrated every March 25th and a National Pecan Day celebrated every April 14th. Our calendar also tells us that we celebrate National Pie Day on January 23rd.

How is this Holiday Celebrated?

This holiday is for enjoying a delicious sweet and nutty slice of "pecan Pie." It doesn't matter if you like to bake it with dark corn syrup or light, just know that today is the day to remember that traditional taste of the holidays and eat that pecan pie! Try a new recipe if you like. You can find many different varieties that include chocolate cream cheese or even other types of nuts. Have fun with this holiday and share a slice with all your friends. Many friends get together on this day for coffee and pecan pie. Many pie baking groups get together on this day and bake up several different pecan pies and enjoy a taste off. And remember, don't wait until Christmas or Thanksgiving to enjoy this pie. It has its own day so celebrate it. Don't forget, I'm going to list a common pecan pie recipe at the bottom 🠟 of the post if you need it so keep reading. Wink ~

Origin of this Holiday?

My research did not find the creator, or the origin of this day.

This holiday is referred to as a "National" day. However, I did not find any congressional records or presidential proclamations for this day. Even though I didn't, this is still a holiday that is publicized to celebrate, and I found blog posts going way back talking about pecan pie parties in honor of National Pecan Pie Day. So have fun with it and celebrate it!

Interesting information about New Orleans Pecan Pie

Tradition holds that the French created pecan pie soon after settling in New Orleans, after being introduced to the nut by Native Americans. It is sometimes referred to as "New Orleans pecan pie," adding an aura of French cuisine to a home-cooked comfort food. Attempts to trace the origin have, however, not found any recipes earlier than 1925, and well-known cookbooks such as Fannie Farmer and The Joy of Cooking did not include it before 1940.

The process for refining corn sugar was not developed until the 1880s. Thus, the corn syrup which is considered an essential part of the modern recipe was not available to the settlers of New Orleans.

There is no doubt that the makers of Karo syrup popularized the dish, and many recipes—even one ascribed to a well-known New Orleans restaurant—specify Karo syrup by name as an ingredient. This suggests a prosaic 20th-century origin in Karo promotion, and in fact the maker's website currently credits the dish as a 1930s "discovery" of a "new use for corn syrup" by a corporate sales executive's wife. The company asserts that "Down South, today, that same recipe continues to be called Karo Pie" but in fact this name for the dish seems to be rare.

Although the standard recipes call for corn syrup, cookbook author Mark Bittman comments "There are two kinds of pecan pie, one of which contains not only sugar but corn syrup. I don't like this version—not only is it too sweet, if you taste corn syrup by itself, you'll never cook with it again." The version he favors uses white and brown sugar, no corn syrup, and "thickens the sugar with eggs—in other words, it's a custard pie, loaded with pecans."

Jim Turner of Glencoe, Alabama developed a recipe for making pecan pies with sorghum syrup.

Pecan tassies, another Southern specialty, are similar to pecan pie, but are miniature portions. In addition, many recipes for pecan tassies differ in the inclusion of cream cheese in the crust and omission of corn syrup from the filling.

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Pecan Tassies

Small pecan pies...very flaky. Made in small muffin tins...like a cookie."

Melt in your mouth good!

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped pecans

24 pecan halves

1. To Make Crust: Blend softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter and flour. Chill 1 hour.

2. Shape into 24 balls. Press balls into cavity of mini muffin tins, making small cups.

3. To Make Filling: Beat together egg, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon butter. Add vanilla and salt and beat till smooth. In each little crust bottom, sprinkle chopped pecans, add egg mixture to right before top and top with a whole pecan.

4. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes or till filling is set. Cool before removing from tins.

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Pecan Pie Recipe

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp molasses

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 Tbsp flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

1 9-inch pie shell, chilled for an hour if freshly made, defrosted for 10 minutes if frozen. (See pie crust recipes.)

Method

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread pecans along the bottom of the pie shell. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over pecans. The pecans will rise to the surface of the pie.

2 Bake at 375°F for 45-50 minutes until the filling has set. About 20 minutes into the cooking you may want to use a pie crust protector, or tent the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil to prevent the pie crust edges from burning.

3 Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Serves 8.

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Friends did you enjoy the post? "Live everyday like a holiday." Pam

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► 🛒 ❤ Pecan Pie / https://amzn.to/3nhV3Uk

► 🛒 ❤ Pecans / https://amzn.to/3HYxfhY

► 🛒 ❤ Pie Pans / https://amzn.to/3Olembc

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resources: wikipedia / gone-ta-pott / encyclopedia

Christmas in July

Hello Friends! I don't know how many of you celebrate Christmas in July but since JULY is here, I thought it would be fun to do a post on it and how it's celebrated.

Christmas in July, Christmas in Summer or Christmas in Winter is a second Christmas celebration held around the summer season, mainly during July. It is centered around Christmas-themed activities and entertainment, including small gatherings, seasonal music and specials, and shopping, with the goal of getting the public in the "Christmas spirit" during the summer season in the Northern hemisphere.

Southern Hemisphere

In the Southern Hemisphere, seasons are in reverse to the Northern Hemisphere, with summer falling in December, January, and February and with winter falling in June, July, and August. Therefore, in some southern hemisphere countries, such as Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, and New Zealand, Christmas in July or Midwinter Christmas events are undertaken in order to have Christmas with a winter feel in common with the northern hemisphere. These countries still celebrate Christmas on December 25, in their summer, like the northern hemisphere.

Northern Hemisphere

In the Northern Hemisphere, a Christmas in July celebration is deliberately ironic; the July climate is typically hot and either sunny or rainy with thunderstorms, as opposed to the cold and snowy conditions traditionally associated with Christmas celebrations in the higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Some people throw parties during July that mimic Christmas celebrations, bringing the atmosphere of Christmas but with warmer temperatures. Parties may include Santa Claus, ice cream and other cold foods, and gifts. Nightclubs often host parties open to the public. Christmas in July is usually recognized as July 25 but also sometimes celebrated on July 12.

The Hallmark Channel

The Hallmark Channel and its companion outlets (Hallmark Drama and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) run blocks of their original Christmas television films in July to coincide with the release of the Keepsake Ornaments in stores, thus literally making the event a Hallmark holiday (an accusation that Hallmark Cards officially denies).

Home Shopping

Every July, the television home shopping channel QVC has Christmas in July sales, mostly decor and early gift ideas for children. What was once a 24-hour block of holiday shopping every July 25 (or the closest weekend day to it) has become a month-long event: generally, the sales begin on July 1 and are showcased throughout the day, with various blocks of holiday sale programming sales throughout the month. Generally during the last week of July, QVC will dedicate entire days to holiday sales.

My Closing Thoughts~

Personally, I find it hard to celebrate Christmas with it being hot outside in the United States. But having said that... I do find I look forward to Hallmark Channels Christmas movies every July. Also... July is when I start working on my Christmas crafts too. And I do have to admit I turn on the Christmas music and plug in the twinkle lights to get me in the Christmas crafting mood.

Happy Christmas in July everyone! "Live everyday like a Holiday" Pam

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Article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses some material from wikipedia / gone-ta-pott

Traditional 4th of July Food

When it comes to food, Independence Day is commonly associated with barbecues, beer, picnics, strawberry shortcake, and all the hot dogs you can eat! But did you know that it's also associated with red, white and blue foods? Yep, it sure is! Red, white & blue foods became popular many years ago and continues to be traditional even today. And you thought we ate red weenies, red BBQ sauce, red baked beans & red strawberries just because they tasted good. :)

Traditional Foods on the 4th of July

It's traditional to spend the whole day outside on the 4th just enjoying the day while the kids anxiously await seeing the fireworks after dark. Because we have centered all our activities outside on this day, our meals are also traditionally outside as well. Below you will find easy traditional foods for your July 4th holiday. Click on photo for larger image.

Grilling & BBQ:

Forth Of July has long been a very popular Holiday for grilling out with the family. Families often celebrate Independence Day by hosting or attending picnics and barbecues. Our grilling pages are just sizzling with great tips to make your holiday a success! Learn the difference between grilling and barbecue.

Hot Dogs:

How ironic that National Hot Dog Month and July 4th go hand in hand. Did you know that hot dogs are always found on the grill for the 4th of July? Yep.... July 4th is a well known day for grilling and although it's popular to grill all kinds of meat, it's still a fact that hot dogs are the #1 choice along side other food favorites.

Cool Salads:

Salads are traditional! July is one HOT month and having cool and refreshing salads on the table is everyone's plan of attack. There are hundreds of salad recipes that can be kept in the cooler until time to eat.

Barbecue Baked Beans:

#1 choice alongside all grilling foods because the taste goes with everything. We like to cook our with sausage for some extra smokey flavor.

Chip & Veggie Dips:

On July 4th we snack on food all day long and this day wouldn't be the same if we didn't have several dips to choose from. Salsa can serve double duty on this day too because you can not only dip with it but you can spoon it on top of your hotdogs too!

Pickles:

Did you know that pickles are ate more on July 4th than any other time of the year? Yep! They are eaten whole right out of the jar either sweet or dill. They are put on top of hot dogs as relish and sliced dills are put inside hamburgers. Since July 4th is basically a picnic day it means pickles all the way!

Lemonade:

Ahhhh... cool and refreshing! Ok I know what your going to say, beer is the #1 drink on the 4th of July but for those of us who don't drink beer, lemonade is the next best thing. Followed by sweet tea and coke.

Strawberry Shortcake:

Did you know that Strawberry Shortcake is the #1 dessert that is traditionally served on July 4th Holiday! Yes in deed it is. In the U. S. just about every 4th of July cookout will have this cool and refreshing dessert on the table. Many times blueberries are added to the red strawberries to make the dish "red, white & blue" symbolic for the holiday colors.

Homemade Ice Cream:

Get the ice cream machine out and get her cranked up. It's time to make some homemade ice cream! Yes ice cold homemade ice cream is traditional on July 4th for many families! Maybe that's because the month of July is National Ice Cream Month.

July is National Hot Dog Month / here's how to celebrate

When is National Hot Dog Month?

Always July! (festival dates vary)

"Industry groups, such as National Hot Dog & Sausage Council in the USA, designates July as National Hot Dog Month and July 23 as National Hot Dog Day, are known to encourage, sponsor, and support hot dog events."

How is this holiday celebrated?

This holiday is celebrated by enjoying hot dogs either at home, at fast food restaurants or festivals! Here's a few ideas for celebrating this holiday:

Enjoy your back yard by having a hot dog grilling day. Invite all your friends, family and neighbors and share in the love of hot dogs. We all love simple hot dogs but why not set up the fixings for theme dogs. A good example of this is pizza dogs, taco dogs or Godfather dogs! For pizza dogs, grill sausage weenies & sliced grilled onions with mozarella cheese and pizza sauce pored on top of the dog. For taco dogs use beef weenies, taco meat & sauce, grated cheddar cheese and top with lettuce & tomato. Mexican style bacon-wrapped hot dog with grilled onions, jalapeño or bell peppers and salsa as condiments. For Godfather dogs, use chicken weenies, grilled onions, white cheese and Italian dressing. Delicious!

July is National Hot Dog month, but did you know that it's Baked Bean Month and Pickle Month too? Yep it sure is and they both go great with hot dogs so make sure you add them to your table ;) For dessert why not serve homemade ice cream to cool everyone down!

Hot Dog Condiment Parties are both fun and popular! The idea is to come up with as many condiments you can think of to add to the top of hot dogs- We all know that relish is a big deal when it comes to hot dogs so go crazy on different relishes. Your guest will be amazed at the variety and will have a lot of flavorful fun in the process-

Hot dogs can be grilled, steamed, boiled, barbecued, pan fried, deep fried, broiled, or microwaved. Or, why not try something new like boiling them in a flavor liquid like beer!

Host your very own hot dog eating contest!

According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans will be consuming hot dogs in record numbers this summer.

The Council estimates that over seven billion hot dogs will be eaten by Americans between Memorial Day and Labor Day. During the July 4th weekend alone (the biggest hot-dog holiday of the year), 155 million will be gobbled up.

Every year, Americans eat an average of 70 hot dogs each. For more information, visit the Council's website at www.hot-dog.org.
In 2020, 255.28 million Americans ate hot dogs
About 261.42 million Americans will consume hot dogs in 2024.

What is the most popular condiment for a hot dog? Council research shows that for adults, mustard is the condiment of choice, while children prefer ketchup.

Hot dogs in New York are generally served with a lighter mustard and steamed onions.

Chicago style hot dogs can come with mustard, relish, onions, tomato slices, or pretty much anything at all.

By law, a hot dog can contain up to 3.5 percent of "non-meat ingredients."

Happy National Hot Dog Month! "Live Everyday like a Holiday."

List of Food Observances for July

We all know July is known for Independence Day, Tanabata and Bastille Day but did you know July has some tasty food observances that we celebrate too? Here's a list of food holidays that you can celebrate.

Here's some facts ~

Berries, baked beans, hot dogs and pickles... that's what July is all about! July is a wonderful month to celebrate Food Holidays. In the United States where most of these holidays first started, July is a popular month for outdoor eating and activities. July 4th kicks off outside activities with a bang followed by picnics, picnics, picnics!

July is summer vacation time for the U.S. so enjoying the hot July month by picnicking and eating cold homemade ice cream is a common thing to do. I think that must be why National Picnic Month and National Ice Cream Month is celebrated the month of July.

Food Holidays for the month