National Raspberry Bombe Day on August 11th recognizes this tantalizing frozen dessert. A raspberry bombe creates a beautiful finale to any summer meal, and it’s delicious, too!
Throughout August, raspberries are ripening. That’s why this is the third raspberry holiday in the month. Who doesn’t love the sweet, juicy berry? And they’re even better frozen into a delicious dessert.
A typical bombe contains sherbet, heavy cream, sugar, chopped nuts, candied fruit and a dash of rum. The dessert is layered using a spherical mold and frozen overnight. With raspberries as the main ingredient, the result creates a terrific centerpiece.
Numerous recipes for these frozen treats can be found in cookbooks and on the internet. They’ve been served in a variety of flavors since at least 1882. Create your own after picking some fresh raspberries. Share the treat with your helpers.
Enjoy fresh berries in cream on August 7th during National Raspberries N’ Cream Day. With the raspberry season in full swing, what better way to celebrate than with this simple and delicious treat.
There are several days on the calendar celebrating raspberries. We just finished National Raspberry Cake Day last week.
At one time, raspberries were a midsummer crop. However, new technology, cultivars, and transportation make it possible to enjoy these sweet berries all year long. Because of these new technologies, raspberry growers now have an extended selling season.
While enjoying raspberries at the height of their season, explore recipes. There are so many ways to enjoy raspberries. Preserving them in jams and jellies is just one way. Another delicious treat this time of year is ice cream. Baked goods are always a family favorite, too.
However, eating berries fresh off the shrub is one of the greatest pleasures around! Visit a pick-your-own farm and experience warm, juicy berries popping in your mouth on a summer day.
Use #RaspberriesNCreamDay to post on social media and spread the word.
On August 1st, National Raspberry Cream Pie Day takes advantage of the ripe berries available this time of year. If you’re fortunate enough to enjoy some fresh-baked raspberry cream pie, it’s a day to celebrate!
Raspberries are the edible fruit of the raspberry plant. Not only do they grow on woody stemmed perennials, but they’re a very commercial crop, too. If their thorny stems remind you of a rose bush, that’s because they are in the rose family. Their genus name is Rubus.
Approximately 100 tiny drupelets cling together to make up one raspberry. Raspberry pulp and juice fill the drupelets. The drupelets adhere to a receptacle attached to a stem. Once the receptacle is removed, the raspberry is left with a hollow core.
When you’re eating your pie, keep in mind that raspberries are rich in vitamin C, manganese, and fiber. They also contain vitamins B1, B3, folic acid, magnesium, copper, and iron.
All temperate regions of the world grow raspberries.
At one time, raspberries were a midsummer crop. However, with new technology, cultivars, and transportation, they can now be obtained year-round.
Did you know, an individual raspberry weighs 0.11 – 0.18 oz.
One raspberry bush can yield several hundred berries a year.
No matter how you slice it, pie is always a good idea. What better way to enjoy fruits!
HOW TO OBSERVE #RaspberryCreamPieDay
Invite some friends to go picking raspberries. Afterward, bake up a raspberry cream pie. Then be sure to enjoy a slice with everyone. We even have some recipes for you to try:
National Oatmeal Cookie Day on April 30th each year recognizes a delicious and nutritious cookie. This day is also often recognized on March 18 in conjunction with National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day.
Oatmeal cookies have been around since the 1800s. The cookies quickly became popular, and by early the 1900s, a recipe for the delicious treats appeared on containers of Quaker Oats. Oatmeal cookies are also considered health food because they are an excellent source of iron and fiber. Just another reason to have an oatmeal cookie today! Some of the other benefits of the oatmeal in the cookies include:
It may lower cholesterol.
Oatmeal reduces the risk of heart disease.
It may reduce your risk of cancer. (According to the American Cancer Society, eating a diet high in fiber may help reduce your risk for cancer.)
The grain is low in fat.
Oatmeal is low in calories.
Add oatmeal to your diet as a good source of iron and fiber.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalOatmealCookieDay
Bake up a batch of oatmeal cookies. Make a delivery to someone you know to share! We even have a recipe for you to try.
Warm-up with a hot cup of chocolate on National Cocoa Day. December 13th ushers in a celebration worthy of the winter holidays.
We make hot cocoa with cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and sugar. However, the terms hot chocolate and hot cocoa are often used interchangeably by Americans, causing a bit of confusion. To make hot chocolate, we use ground chocolate containing cocoa butter. It’s mixed with hot milk and is drinking chocolate.
Hot chocolate is also known as drinking chocolate.
We make hot cocoa from cocoa powder. Through the fermentation, drying, roasting, and grinding process of cocoa beans, we produce a paste called chocolate liquor. Through another method, they separate cocoa butter, leaving cocoa powder. We use this cocoa powder to make hot cocoa. It has very little fat and calories.
Which ever you prefer there is a lot to be said for curling up with a cup of this happiness in a mug. Settle in for a movie, warmup from the cold winter blowing outside. Enjoy in front of a nice fireplace, after Christmas caroling, a shopping trip. Make warm memories with the ones you love. This warm chocolate drink is usually favored by kids and adults.
Cocoa History
The Mayans are credited with creating the first chocolate beverage around 2000 years ago. Culturally, cocoa became an essential part of the Aztec civilization by 1400 AD. After the drink found its way from Mexico through the New World, Europeans popularized the chocolate drink. However, it has undergone multiple changes since then. Until the 19th century, drinkers used hot chocolate medicinally to treat ailments such as stomach diseases.
In the United States, an instant form of the drink is popular. Mixed with hot water or milk, the packet contains mostly cocoa powder, sugar, and dry milk. Often, cocoa drinkers add marshmallows or whipped cream.
Health Benefits
The health benefits of drinking hot cocoa abound. Cocoa contains significant amounts of antioxidants that may help prevent cancer. They have also shown that the cocoa bean helps with digestion. The flavonoids found in cocoa also have a positive effect on arterial health.
Chocolate lovers enjoy both drinking cocoa and hot cocoa in a variety of combinations. Some top the hot drink with whipped cream or marshmallows. Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon or peppermint to make the chocolate extra special.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalCocoaDay
Host a cocoa bar after a day outdoors in the snow. A cup of hot cocoa after sledding or building a snowman warms us right up. When we gather around the table and sip our steaming cup, let the conversation begin.
Try some of these delicious toppings:
Whipped cream
Cinnamon and sugar
Marshmallow
candy canes
caramel
toffee bits
coconut
Peppermint Patties
butterscotch candies, crushed
candy sprinkles
cinnamon cereal
mini chocolate chips
chopped nuts
Share your celebration using #NationalCocoaDay to post on social media.
