Full of flavor, healthy and easy ro make, this dinner hits the spot for full tummies. Filled with Ground turkey, Couscous, black olives, 2 kinds of sqaush, cheeses, and greek seasoning ant topped with lemon slices. It’s perfect for a family meal, potluck dinner, and a good choice for lots of dietary needs. So good I bet no one will even suspect it’s good for them…
Ingredients
1 Near East Couscous 5.9oz box
3 lbs ground turkey
16 oz sliced Pepper jack cheese
1 2.2 oz can sliced blak olives
1 8oz spinach artichoke cheese dip
1/4 cup grated Parmesean Cheese
1 medium onion diced
2 tbls minced garlic
2 lemon sliced
2 Tbls Greek Seasoning
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
10 oz fresh grape tomatoes sliced in half
Directions
Prepare a 9 x 13 glass baking dish
Prepare couscous as directed on packaging and set aside
Chop zucchini and yellow squash into 1/2 pieces
Brown Ground turkey with onion and minced garlic
Drain, mix with spinach artichoke cheese dip, set aside.
In prepared dish spread browned turkey, couscous, vegetables and black olives in 3 layers.
Top bottom layers with Monterrey Jack cheese.
Sprinkle Paresean cheese and greek seasoning over top of cassarole.
Top entire dish with lemon slices
Bake @ 350° for 40 minutes until vegetables are cooked.
Memorial Day, a United States Federal holiday, is observed each year on the last Monday in May. We honor and remember all the men and woman who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
Memorial Day is also a day to remember all loved ones that have passed away.
Traditionally on Memorial Dayu, the flag of the United States of America is raised briskly to the top of the staff then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position where it remains until noon. At noon, it is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day.
When the flag is at half-staff, the position is in remembrance of the more than one million men and women who gave their lives for their country. Raising the flag at noon signifies the nation lives, that the country is resolved not to let their sacrifice be in vain but to rise up in their honor and continue to fight for liberty and justice for all.
Honoring the men and women who have died while serving in the military, Memorial Day has been kept in various forms in the United States since the end of the Civil War. General John Logan called for a nationwide day of remembrance on May 5, 1868. On May 30 Decoration Day was first observed.
General James Garfield spoke at Arlington National Cemetery. Generals Grant, Howard, Logan, Pane, Wool, and Hancock attended the ceremony, and volunteers decorated the graves of 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers.
Across the country, humble tributes occurred on that first Decoration Day. Just outside Fort Stevens near Washington, D.C., there was a small cemetery where 40 soldiers were buried, one of whom belonged to a widow from Northern Vermont. He was one of three sons she lost to the war. On Decoration Day, she went to the cemetery carrying 40 wreaths for 40 graves.
Someone placed a laurel wreath upon the head of a Lincoln statue at City Hall, Washington D.C.
In Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroads transported passengers to the Spring Grove Cemetery. Flags were displayed at half-mast along the routes. Floral wreaths were placed on the soldiers’ graves and speeches made. Many of the first Decoration Days recognized only the Union soldiers, though some included the Confederate soldiers as well. Over time, the day grew to include all those soldiers lost during the conflict.
Decoration Day gradually became known as Memorial Day and now honors all U.S. military personnel who have died during a military conflict. Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30 until Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968. Since 1971, Memorial Day has been observed the last Monday of May.
Our family typically honors this holiday with a barbecue. We never forget those, some members of our family who have given their full measure of devotion, for the freedoms we enjoy.
If you do fire up the grill you might want to cook a little extra. Not only does it make great leftovers or a full meal, throw on some burgers and a brisket for National Hamburger Day on May 28th and National Brisket Day also on May 28th. May is also National Barbecue Month, so light up that grill for some awesome meals.
Attend Memorial Day services in your community. In your own way, pay tribute in remembrance of service members who have died while serving. Use #MemorialDay to post on social media.
Every third Sunday in May, World Baking Day inspires people to bake for their loved ones, friends, and neighbors. These bakers are also encouraged to give their baked goods away as a token of gratitude and appreciation.
People have been baking for thousands of years. In fact, the world’s oldest oven is over 6,500 years old! Bread baking goes all the way back to 600 BC in Ancient Greece. The Egyptians were the first to use yeast when baking bread. Besides bread, cakes were also a popular food to bake. The word “cake” dates back to the 13th century. The earliest cakes were more bread-like. Bakers added sugar or honey to add sweetness.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, baking was transformed by globalization. There was an abundance of syrups, spices, and currants, which made baked goods taste even more delicious. Bready dough with butter, cream, and raisins were especially popular. By the late 17th century, sugar was less expensive. As a result, people began making mince pies with sugar and spices. Eventually, other ingredients like eggs, flour, and baking powder were used more and more.
Today baked goods are popular all over the world. Some favorites include apple pie, black forest cake, baklava, cannoli, Yorkshire pudding, rye bread, brownies, and pretzels.
WORLD BAKING DAY HISTORY
Since 2012, World Baking Day has been observed on the third Sunday in May. The original intent of the day was to make and give away a homemade cake. The day has since evolved into baking and giving away all kinds of baked goods. Our team is still researching who came up with this special food day.
HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldBakingDay
The best way to observe this day is to bake some goodies for a friend, neighbor or loved one. They will be surprised and delighted to receive such a wonderful and delicious gift. This day is also a great day to teach your kids to bake. Go ahead and try to bake something you’ve never made before. Or host a cake decorating contest. No matter what you choose to bake, be sure to share your goodies with others. Take a photo of your creation and post it on social media with #WorldBakingDay.
Every year on the first Sunday in May, World Laughter Day raises awareness of laughter and the many healing benefits it provides. Another goal of the day is to manifest World Peace and build a global consciousness through laughter.
You have probably heard the saying, “laughter is the best medicine.” Even psychologists and medical doctors say there is truth to this statement. That’s because there is evidence that laughter can do so many wonderful things.
Here are just some of the many benefits of laughter:
Helps to reduce pain and allows people to tolerate discomfort
Reduces blood sugar levels and increases glucose tolerance
Improves job performance
Makes marriages and intimate relationships healthier
Synchronizes the brain of speakers and listeners
Restores a positive emotional climate between two people
Helps blood vessels function better, which is good for the heart and brain
Relieves stress and helps the body to relax
Additionally, laughter boosts the immune system and triggers the release of endorphins which promotes an overall sense of well-being. One more amazing benefit of laughter is that it burns calories! If you laugh for 10 to 15 minutes a day, you will burn about 40 calories.
WORLD LAUGHTER DAY HISTORY
Dr. Madan Kataria, the founder of the Laughter Yoga movement, established World Laughter Day. The first event was held in Mumbai, India on May 10, 1998. Dr. Kataria is a family doctor in India. He started the Laughter Yoga movement based on the idea that facial expressions have an effect on emotions. Currently, there are about 5,000 Laughter Yoga clubs throughout the world.
It’s easy and fun to participate in this day. All you need to do is have a good laugh. If you’re feeling sad or depressed, pop in a funny movie like Best in Show, Big, Clueless, Dumb and Dumber, Office Space, or Wayne’s World. You might also want to listen to funny comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, or Ellen DeGeneres. Here are some other ways to celebrate the day:
Tell someone a funny joke
Look up inspirational quotes about laughter
Post a funny picture to social media
Read a funny book
No matter how you choose to celebrate the day, be sure to share #WorldLaughterDay on social media.
DATES: 3 May 2026 2 May 2027 7 May 2028 6 May 2029 5 May 2030
May arrives with longer days, blooming flowers, and a gentle reminder to pause and celebrate the women who shape our lives from the shadows of selflessness. While we often honor mothers with greeting cards and brunch reservations, the true essence of “Mom” lies not in a single Sunday, but in the quiet, relentless rhythm of family life.
A mother—or the mother figure who steps into that role—is the family’s emotional architect. She is the one who remembers the school permission slips, the pediatrician appointments, and which child is afraid of the dark. She tracks not just birthdays, but the subtle shifts in mood: the slumped shoulders after a tough day, the fidgeting that signals worry, the sudden silence that means something is wrong.
At dawn, she is often the first to rise. Not out of obligation, but out of love’s habit. She brews coffee while packing lunches, writes a sticky-note joke for a child’s lunchbox, and somehow knows exactly when to offer a hug or simply sit in companionable quiet. By mid-morning, she may be a mediator of sibling squabbles, a cheerleader for a failed math quiz, or a translator between a teenager’s grunts and a partner’s confusion.
As the sun arcs higher, the mom figure becomes the family’s logistical mastermind. She juggles carpools, extracurricular schedules, grocery lists, and the invisible labor of maintaining a home—changing sheets, restocking bandages, remembering whose turn it is to take out the trash. Often, she holds a paid job outside the home, adding professional deadlines to the emotional and domestic ones.
But her role goes far beyond tasks. A mother is the family’s historian and storyteller. She keeps the photo albums (digital or physical), reminds everyone where the baby lost their first tooth, and repeats the funny stories until they become legend. She is also the family’s soft landing place—the one who says, “It’s okay to cry,” and means it. When a child fails, she doesn’t lecture; she listens. When a partner struggles, she doesn’t fix; she holds space.
Grandmothers, aunts, stepmothers, foster mothers, and chosen moms—the women who mother without the title—perform this same alchemy. They show up to recitals without being asked. They keep a spare key and a listening ear. They knit blankets for newborns and offer wisdom wrapped in patience. In families where a biological mother is absent, these figures fill the void with fierce, tender consistency.
Yet for all they give, mothers often carry a quiet weight: the guilt of not doing enough, the exhaustion of invisible work, the loneliness of being the default parent. They downplay their own needs—skipping the doctor’s appointment, eating the cold meal, staying up late to sew a costume or edit a resume. And still, they show up again the next morning.
So this May, let’s celebrate differently. Yes, bring the flowers and the brunch. But also notice the small things: the way she folds laundry while listening to a child’s story, the gentle firmness when she sets a boundary, the laughter that breaks through a chaotic evening. Thank the mom figures who aren’t blood but chose to love anyway. Give her an afternoon of silence, a handwritten letter, or simply the words, “I see you. I see all of it.”
Because in the end, what mothers and mother figures do is nothing less than this: they make a house feel like home, and they teach us, things like how to use a spoon. By their very presence, we see what unconditional love looks like in action. And that is worth celebrating—not just in May, but every single day.
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