National TV Dinner Day is observed annually on September 10th. In 1953, C.A. Swanson & Sons changed the prepackaged meal business forever. Introducing the TV Dinner revolutionized frozen food.
In 1962, Swanson stopped using the name TV Dinner. However, in the United States, the term remains synonymous with any prepackaged dinner purchased frozen from a store and heated at home.
The first Swanson TV Dinner consisted of a Thanksgiving meal of turkey, cornbread dressing, peas, and sweet potatoes. Originally, Swansons made the tray of aluminum. They separated each food item into individual compartments, too. At home, the cook heated the dinner in the oven. The cooking time was usually 25 minutes. Today, nearly all frozen food trays can be cooked in the microwave or a conventional oven.
When Swanson’s first sold TV dinners, they priced them at 98 cents. In the first year, production estimates reached 5,000 dinners. To their surprise, Swanson far exceeded that amount. In the first year, they sold more than 10 million of them.
TV Dinner Facts
1960 – Swanson added desserts to a new four-compartment tray.
1964 – Night Hawk name originated from the Night Hawk steak houses that operated in Austin, Texas, from 1939 through 1994. The original diners were open all night, catering to the late-night crowd. The restaurants produced the first frozen Night Hawk TV dinner in 1964.
1969 – The first TV breakfasts were marketed. Great Starts Breakfasts and breakfast sandwiches followed later.
1973 – Swanson markets the first Hungry-Man dinners. The meals included larger portions of its regular dinner products.
1986 – Microwave-oven safe trays debut on the market.
1986 – The Smithsonian Institute inducted the original Swanson TV Dinner tray into the Museum of American History.
Much has changed since the original TV Dinner. They also remain a popular choice for a fast and convenient meal, fun to eat in front of the TV!
Looking for something to watch? Check out some of my favorites here.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalTVDinnerDay
Get out a TV dinner, pop it in the microwave or oven, and enjoy! Use #NationalTVDinnerDay to post on social media.
National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day is observed annually on March 13th. One often wonders how superstitions are passed on from one generation to the next. There is an old superstition about opening your umbrella indoors and that it would bring you bad luck. National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day encourages you to do just that and note if you have any bad luck.
While umbrellas have been around for over 3000 years, the origin of the superstition is strangely obscure. There is some suggestion that ancient Egyptians thought it offended the gods to open an umbrella where there was already shade. However, the more modern version of the superstition would suggest bad things happening as a result of poor timing or inconvenience.
Test the theory that opening an umbrella inside brings bad luck by doing so and noting any bad luck that comes your way. You might reduce your risk of bad luck by opening the umbrella in a wide space versus a tight hallway to avoid knocking pictures off the wall. And may we suggest giving those around you a sign of warning as well. We wouldn’t want any eyes being poked out. Use #OpenAnUmbrellaIndoorsDay to post on social media.
National Frozen Food Day recognizes the preservation feat that freezing fruits, vegetables, and meats have been on modern life. Celebrated each year on March 6th, the observance takes a look at how frozen food impacts our daily lives, its history, and how far it has come.
Flash Freezing
The frozen food aisle is as standard in the grocery store today as ATMs and self-checkouts. It’s also a convenience we don’t give a second thought to unless the power goes out. The American inventor, entrepreneur, and naturalist Clarence Frank Birdseye II receives credit for developing the method for the flash freezing preserve flavor and quality of foods. Today, we see his name in nearly every canned goods and frozen food aisle in every grocery store in America.
While food preservation by freezing wasn’t new, Birdseye discovered the key was freezing the food quickly. Flash freezing forms small ice crystals, which prevent the cell walls from bursting. Large ice crystals turn the food to mush.
Birdseye applied for many patents, but one of his earliest is from 1927 for a process to flash freeze foods. Consider that in 1930 only 8 percent of American households had refrigeration units in their homes. A frozen food patent in 1927 was a visionary step in a long chain of events to make frozen foods a marketable product.
In 1930, the Birdseye label, owned by the General Food Corporation, began selling 26 products to 18 retails stores in and around Springfield, Massachusetts. Clarence Birdseye continued his work with General Foods Corporation.
Birdseye died on October 7, 1956, but the name and products he inspired continue today.
In 1954, Swanson introduced the first frozen dinners. At the time, the consumers knew them as TV dinners since they were designed to be eaten in front of the newly popular television. Special folding trays, called TV trays, stored conveniently away when not in use. But when dinner time rolled around, they unfolded for each person’s TV dinner. Everyone gathered around the television to enjoy their meal. These pre-cooked meals only needed to be heated through in the oven to be ready to eat. No cooking skills were required. Pre-heat the oven, cook for the required length of time and eat.
The invention of the microwave also changed the types of frozen foods and just how convenient these items can be. Over the years, other frozen foods have developed to meet consumer demand. Various family-sized meals, health conscience meals, and even organic meals have hit the markets in recent years.
Even better make your own. Freezer meals have gained wide spread fame. 1 day of prep will fill your freezer with easy weeknight meals. By preparing them yourself they can be customized for your diet and taste. My husband is diabetic so controlling the foods in them makes it better for his health and easier for me.
You can find even more of my recipes here. While they are not all freezer meals, they are delicious and easy.
NATIONAL FROZEN FOOD DAY HISTORY
President Ronald Reagan signed Proclamation 5157 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.”
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalFrozenFoodDay
Take a trip to your local grocery store and find one of your favorites in the frozen food aisle!! Use #NationalFrozenFoodDay to post on social media.
I have a brain buster for you: What goes up when the rain comes down? I’ll give you a hint. This thing was originally created to help block the sun. Need another hint? Mary Poppins was known to carry one. Still haven’t guessed it? Well, Rihanna famously sang about this object. Think you know it now? If your answer was an umbrella, then you are correct! (Good luck getting those song lyrics out of your head now.)
March is National Umbrella Month, which I was surprised to learn seeing as the saying goes “April showers bring May flowers”… but perhaps Thomas Edward Knibb originated National Umbrella Month in March to ensure everyone was ready for the April showers. According to Abby Eyers of Associated Content, the average household is said to have an average of 3.8 umbrellas. The basic umbrella was invented over four thousand years ago. It was the Chinese who waterproofed them for rain protection, and then in the 1900s the umbrella, which we are familiar with today, was invented.
If you’re a Northwest Florida resident, or planning to visit, make sure you check out The Foo Foo Festival held in downtown Pensacola.
HOW TO OBSERVE
So, now that you know it is National Umbrella Month, let’s celebrate! Use #NationalUmbrellaMonth to post on social media… tell the world how you are choosing to honor National Umbrella Month.
You can start by going out and getting a new umbrella (be sure to buy one that makes you smile on a rainy day!) or if you discover that you have developed a collection of them through-out the years, you can donate a few to a local homeless shelter, or the nearest Goodwill. Umbrellas can also be a fun new decoration for your patio or front door. Don’t let the “Raindrops keep fallin on your head.”Whichever way you choose to celebrate, make sure you take some time to dance in the puddles, smell the fresh rain, and look for the rainbow after the storm!
National Dress Up Your Pet Day on January 14th provides a special day to celebrate with your pet and show off their fashion style. Pets do become part of one’s family. Whether you take a visit to the groomer or take it a step further and dress up in matching outfits, be sure your pet companion is safe and comfortable.
The name of the day tells you how to celebrate it; dress your pets up! Keep your pet’s comfort first and foremost. A visit to the groomer for a bit of polish and trim always improves our pet companion’s appearance. Get a snazzy bandana, bow, or collar to show off the fresh do. How about a sweater for chilly, long walks? If the tutu is too, too much, your pooch will let you know. Be sure to share your favorite pet poses with us. Use #DressUpYourPetDay to post on social media.
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