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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Poached Egg on Spinach for Breakfast

Good Morning everyone! Our Holiday Calendar tells us July 16th is National Spinach Day so I thought this would be a good morning post to wish everyone a Happy Spinach Day.

How many of you start your day off with a nice breakfast? How many of you like spinach? Well I've come to enjoy spinach and eggs for breakfast if I have some good bread to eat along with it. I love some really fresh toast that I can crunch on with each spinach and egg bite.

The photo above is a picture of a poached egg on spinach with crumbled blue cheese on top with hot peppers. I think this combination is yummy. In fact any crumbled cheese with spinach tastes great in my eyes.

Another favorite of mine is creamed spinach with salmon. This is a beautiful dish in taste and in looks. Maybe I will do a post on that in the future.

Today I just wanted to post a Happy Spinach Day to everyone and encourage everyone to add more spinach to your diet. It really is a super food. 

In fact the Wikiwel website tell us "Spinach protects against eye disease and vision loss; it’s good for brain function; it guards against colon, prostate, and breast cancers; it protects against heart disease, stroke, and dementia; it lowers blood pressure; it’s anti-inflammatory; and it’s great for bone health. Spinach has an amazing array of nutrients, including high amounts of vitamin K, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and iron."

Great information to know right! "Live everyday like a Holiday" Pam

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

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

• National Watermelon Month
• July Belongs to Berries Month
• National Grilling Month
• National Ice Cream Month
• National Baked Bean Month
• National Hot Dog Month
• National Pickle Month
• National Picnic Month
• National Bison Month

Day-Long Observances

• Movable Holiday:  National Ice Cream Day - 3rd Sunday in July
  

• July 1 - Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day
  

• July 1 - National Gingersnap Day
  

• July 2 - National Anisette Day
  

• July 3 - National Chocolate Wafer Day / Eat Beans Day
  

• July 4 - National Barbecued Spareribs
  

• July 4 - Caesar Salad Birthday
  

• July 4 - Sidewalk Egg Frying Day
  

• July 5 - National Apple Turnover Day
  

• July 5 - Graham Cracker Day
  

• July 6 - National Fried Chicken Day
  

• July 7 - National Strawberry Sunday Day
  

• July 7 - National Chocolate Day
  

• July 7 - Macaroni Day
  

• July 7 - Ice Cream Cone Day
  

• July 8 - National Milk Chocolate with Almonds Day
  

• July 9 - National Sugar Cookie Day
  

• July 10 - National Pina Colada Day
  

• July 11 - National Blueberry Muffin Day
  

• July 11 - Vegetarian Food Day
  

• July 12 - National Pecan Pie Day
  

• July 12 - Eat Your Jello Day (Bill Cosby's Birthday)
  

• July 13 - National French Fries Day
  

• July 14 - National Grand Marnier Day
  

• July 15 - National Tapioca Pudding Day
  

• July 15 - Gummi Worm Day
  

• July 16 - National Corn Fritters Day
  

• July 16 - Ice Cream Sundae Day
  

• July 16 - Fresh Spinach Day
  

• July 16 - National Ice Cream Day
  

• July 17 - National Peach Ice Cream Day
  

• July 18 - National Caviar Day
  

• July 19 - National Daiquiri Day
  

• July 20 - National Lollipop Day
  

• July 20 - National Ice Cream Soda Day
  

• July 20 - Fortune Cookie  Day 
  

• July 21 - National Junk Food Day
  

• July 21 - National Ice Cream Day
  

• July 21 - National Creme Brulee Day 
  

• July 22 - National Penuche Fudge Day
  

• July 22 - Maple Syrup Day
  

• July 23 - National Vanilla Ice Cream Day
  

• July 23 - National Hot Dog Day
  

• July 24 - National Tequila Day
  

• July 25 - National Hot Fudge Sundae Day
  

• July 26 - National Coffee Milkshake Day
  

• July 27 - National Scotch Day
  

• July 27 - National Cream Brulee Day 
  

• July 28 - National Milk Chocolate Day
  

• July 29 - National Lasagna Day
  

• July 29 - Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day 
  

• July 30 - National Cheesecake Day
  

• July 31 - National Raspberry Cake Day
  

• July 31 - Jump for Jelly Beans Day

Today's The Day we Celebrate Lasagna

Today's the day we make homemade lasagna and eat our traditional lasagna meal with our friends and family!

Happy National Lasagna Day everyone!
July 29th is always Lasagna Day

Today is the day! Did everyone go to the grocery store and get the fixings to make lasagna? I gave everyone a heads-up about it when we talked on Tuesday.  Well on this day it's traditional to make homemade lasagna and serve it to the family for supper.

I love my lasagna served with homemade garlic bread full of real melted butter and a nice big salad on the side with Italian dressing and blue cheese dressing mixed. What do you guys eat with it? But.... I don't want any coffee or hot tea served with it. lol! Nope, give me a tall glass of milk if I'm at home or a nice glass of wine with it if I'm at an Italian restaurant. Those 2 are my favorite drinks to drink with lasagna.
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Lasagne are wide, flat pasta, and possibly one of the oldest types of pasta. "Lasagne", or the singular "lasagna", commonly refers to a dish made with several layers of lasagne sheets alternated with sauces and other ingredients, such as meats and cheese.

The traditional lasagne of Naples, is layered with local sausage, small fried meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, and sauced with a Neapolitan ragù. Lasagne al forno, layered with a thicker ragù and Béchamel sauce and which corresponds to the most common version of the dish outside Italy, is traditionally associated with Emilia-Romagna. In other regions lasagne can be made with various combinations of ricotta or mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, various meats (e.g., ground beef, pork or chicken), miscellaneous vegetables (e.g., spinach, zucchini, olives, mushrooms), and is typically flavored with wine, garlic, onion, and oregano. In all cases, the lasagne are oven-baked. (Thank you wikipedia for that regional information)
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Now.... I have never in my life cooked lasagna like the people of Naples cook it. I can't seem to get my head around putting hard boiled eggs in it. ha ha! But I do love the Neapolitan ragu sauce with it. (onion, celery, carrot, meat, tomato sauce, red wine, basil, lard or olive oil) I could just eat the meat sauce and bechamel sauce all by itself with fresh baked bread.

Ok gang! I would love to see pictures of everyone's homemade lasagna. Put your link in comments. Happy Eating!
You may like hot pasta recipes.
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Recipe for Ricotta Lasagna

Bake

Homemade

Lasagna

Every 

July 29th

for

National Lasagna Day

Ingredients

• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 1/2 lb. minced (ground) beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (divided)
• 4 cups canned whole tomatoes, undrained, halved, seeds removed
• 12 oz tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 Tablespoon salt
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 16 oz package lasagna
• 16 oz package of mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (a wire cutter is nice for semi-soft cheeses like this)
• about 3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure

1. Remove sausage casings, and break sausage into small bits.
2. Sauté sausage and ground beef in 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat with onion and garlic until the meat is browned.
3. Add sugar, 1 Tablespoon salt, basil, fennel, pepper, and half the parsley; mix well.
4. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and water, mashing the tomatoes a bit. Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally for 1 1/2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
6. Cook and drain pasta.
7. In a medium bowl mix ricotta, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining parsley.
8. Assemble your lasagna in a 13" x 9" x 2" roasting pan (listed bottom to top):
   • bottom layer of sauce (approx. 1 1/2 cups)
   • layer of pasta (overlapping slightly)
   • layer of 1/2 the ricotta mixture
   • layer of 1/3 of the mozzarella
   • sauce layer (again, about 1 1/2 cups)
   • layer of grated Parmesan sprinkled over sauce (not so much that the sauce layer is covered entirely)
   • layer of pasta
   • layer of remaining ricotta
   • layer of 1/3 of the mozzarella
   • layer of remaining sauce
   • layer of sprinkled Parmesan
   • layer of remaining mozzarella
9. Cover the lasagna with foil and roast 30 minutes covered, then 25 minutes uncovered (or until bubbly and lightly browned). Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Uncooked lasagnas freeze very well so the extra work can be done well in advance. You can make several batches at a time and freeze the extras to thaw out and cook later.

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