NATIONAL GUACAMOLE DAY

National Guacamole Day on September 16 brings fresh flavors together for the perfect celebration. What a great way to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month!

Avocados shine as the star of this dip! Lime juice, tomatoes, onion, and seasonings make guacamole a guilt-free addition to any snack or meal.

Since avocados fall under the superfood category, feel free to indulge. Packed full of good fats and nutrients, along with the fresh taste of lime and hint of spice, the dip is flavorful. It’s easy to make, too. Take it to work or use it for a party dish.

Guacamole is versatile, too. For example, add it as a topping on a quesadilla or even add it to a salad. Of course, the simplest way to enjoy is by dipping your favorite tortilla chip.

Originating with the Aztecs in Mexico, guacamole is an avocado-based sauce that has become popular in American cuisine as a dip, condiment, and salad ingredient. 

Using a mortar and pestle, mash ripe avocados and then mixing in sea salt.  Beyond the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and lemon juice, hot sauce, yogurt or other seasonings can be added.  If a celebration calls for spicier guacamole, add jalapenos, chilis, cumin, or red pepper. 

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalGuacamoleDay

Mix up your favorite recipe for guacamole. Go to your favorite restaurant and order some fresh guacamole. While there, give a shout out to the restaurants with the best guacamole around.  Be sure to invite friends. As we say around here, why #CelebrateEveryDay if you don’t do it with friends? Share your recipes and find the best combination. Use #NationalGuacamoleDay to share on social media.

NATIONAL AVOCADO DAY

Ripe for the picking, add this delicious superfruit to your menu on National Avocado Day on July 31st!

While guacamole is grand, don’t settle for just the chips and dip on this food holiday. Since avocado is so versatile, clear the table for the entire meal. That includes everything from the appetizer and main dish all the way to dessert. On National Avocado Day, this tree grown fruit has them all covered!

Avocados are more than a staple food in the American diet; they are proven to be a key ingredient in recipes for both inside the body and on the body! According to the Hass Avocado Board, as of 2015, avocado consumption in the United States doubled since 2005 and quadrupled since 2000. In fact, a whopping 4.25 billion avocados were sold in the U.S. in 2015. That’s four point two five billion of this amazingly beautiful food.

Super Food

There are many reasons to celebrate National Avocado Day. For one, avocados target insulin resistance with heart-healthy fats. They also fight Alzheimer’s with its Omega 3 fatty acids. Another avocado superpower is preventing and repairing damage due to its source of Vitamins C, E and K.

One of the secret weapons in an avocado is the high oleic acid content. This moisturizing fatty acid helps keep skin soft and hydrated but also supports the regeneration of damaged skin cells reducing redness and irritation. Eat more of this superfruit or cook with avocado oil if you have this type of skin issue.

Beauty

Ancient Aztecs used the avocado to beautify their skin topically with masks. Then in the early 20th century, the cosmetic industry discovered the benefits of its oil in creams, lotions, facial cleansers and other products that required a smooth application. Interestingly, the practice continues today.

As mentioned before, avocados have found their way into every meal of the day. Of course, avocados celebrate with dessert effortlessly. Additionally, the creamy texture replaces calorie-laden oils with healthful fats. That means we can indulge without the guilt. What better way to celebrate National Avocado Day than to indulge a little?

HOW TO OBSERVE #NATIONALAVOCADODAY

Enjoy an avocado and try a new recipe. Share your favorite avocado recipe and use #NationalAvocadoDay to post on social media.

Sliced in a salad, on toast or paired with Fajitas, Tacos, or Nachos, chances are you can find a variety of ways to enjoy avocado today!

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NATIONAL AVOCADO DAY HISTORY

Model Meals founded National Avocado Day at the peak of California avocado season, on July 31. Model Meals is a meal delivery service established in 2015 by Camille May and professional curve model Danika Brysha. The company works with local organic growers and farmers as much as possible to create whole food-focused menus, encouraging sustainable agriculture and healthy eating.

Whole30 approved, gluten-free and Paleo-friendly, a huge part of the Model Meals lifestyle is avocados, whether that’s in a dish or to have on the go. Danika and Camille famously carry “purse avocados” for a midday dose of healthy fat and vitamins. Obviously passionate about this superfood, Model Meals wanted to celebrate it to the fullest, and the idea to create its own holiday was born. If you’re curious if Model Meals delivers in your area, click here

Amazon Fresh Deals page
Amazon Fresh Deals page

NATIONAL GRAHAM CRACKER DAY

July 5th recognizes 1/3rd of the s’more. It’s National Graham Cracker Day! Hopefully, you saved a few crackers if you were busy making s’mores over the Independence Day holiday. 

When Sylvester Graham first invented the slightly sweetened cracker, he intended it as a health food. In the early 1800s, the Presbyterian minister developed the cracker as part of his “Graham Diet” program. They were made from whole wheat graham flour with added bran and wheat germs. He believed his snack would curb sinful cravings. 

Today, makers use bleached white flour and blend a variety of flavors including honey, cinnamon, and chocolate. They also come in smaller bite-size snacks and fun shapes. 

While a delicious snack on their own, they also make terrific ingredients for desserts. Crushed graham crackers blended with butter and pressed into pie tins, or springform pans make excellent crusts when lightly toasted. Graham crackers layered between yogurt and fruit taste delicious in a parfait. When it comes to crumb toppings, oats, brown sugar, butter, and crushed graham crackers blended together and lightly toasted will always satisfy.

Graham Cracker Sandwiches

Some of the easiest ways of using graham crackers are making a type of sandwich. Of course, one of the most popular treats made with graham crackers is the S’more. However, that’s not the only type of sandwich we can make with these sturdy crackers.

  • Ice cream sandwiches – It’s summer, so head to the freezer. Just one scoop of ice cream between two crackers is all it takes. Wrap the sandwich in wax paper and place it back in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. 
  • Nut butter sandwiches – Whether it’s peanut butter, hazelnut, or sun butter, spread your favorite between two crackers and enjoy. 
  • Fruit sandwiches – Layer banana or strawberry slices between two crackers. Add nut butter. 
  • Frozen fruit sandwiches – Puree your favorite fruit and then freeze slightly. Spread the pulp on the crackers and refreeze just like you did the ice cream. These sweet treats are delightfully refreshing!

During Christmastime, graham crackers go into overtime. They join forces with gingerbread and create magical houses with frosting. The edible delights may not last very long, but they make memories that last a lifetime. 

HOW TO OBSERVE #GrahamCrackerDay

Pick up some graham crackers and start making some memories. No matter how you celebrate, there are numerous, delicious ways to share.  Post on social media using #GrahamCrackerDay to encourage others to join in paying it forward.

NATIONAL PEACH MONTH

National Peach Month recognizes the fuzzy stone fruit that provides us with a bounty of sweet goodness all summer long!

As an industry, the peach plays a mighty role in our food supply and economy. From orchard to factory, restaurants to bakeries and grocers, this fruit delivers. We enjoy them fresh off the tree and baked into our favorite desserts. Well-thumbed recipes leap off the page ready to be made as soon as the peaches are ripe.

Hello July
Peach Pie

Generally speaking, there are two types of peaches – freestone and clingstone. The flesh determines the type of peach. How the flesh comes away from the stone or the pit in the middle of the peach gives it the name. When the meat comes away freely from the stone, the peach is a freestone peach; if the flesh clings to the peach, it’s a clingstone.

While Georgia may be the first state to come to mind when we think of peaches, California actually leads the nation in production. In the United States, 20 states produce peaches commercially. Besides California and Georgia, the other two top producers are South Carolina and New Jersey. Pennsylvania and Washington grow a lot of peaches, too.

Find a local farmers market here.

This sweet stone fruit makes delicious ice cream when it’s very ripe and full of peachy juices. However, you don’t have to use fresh peaches to make this ice cream. Buy frozen peaches if the grocery or farmer’s markets don’t have them in yet. The family will love making homemade ice cream together. The best part will be eating up the finished product on a hot summer day.

All season long, the peach juices are running. Whether we are canning, baking or freezing, or even sending the family out for more, we can’t get enough of peaches!

The Peach Truck Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes for All Things Peach Hardcover – June 25, 2019  by Stephen K. Rose  (Author), Jessica N. Rose (Author)
The Peach Truck Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes for All Things Peach Hardcover – June 25, 2019

by Stephen K. Rose  (Author), Jessica N. Rose (Author)

NATIONAL PEACH MONTH HISTORY

In March of 1982, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July to be National Peach Month. The National Peach Council promoted National Peach month activities and encouraged everyone to “reach for a peach” during the month of July.

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Peach Melba Day
Peach Cobbler Day                                 Peaches and Cream Day
Peach Ice Cream Day
Peach Pie Day

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPeachMonth

Enjoy your favorite peach recipes during the height of the peach season. Share some with us! Use #NationalPeachMonth to share on social media.

INTERNATIONAL HUMMUS DAY

Every year on May 13th, hummus lovers unite to celebrate International Hummus Day. The day also spreads awareness for this delicious food that’s considered a cross-cultural phenomenon.

Hummus is an Arabic word that means chickpea. Despite the Arabic roots of hummus, some historians believe this food originated in Egypt. Still, other groups of people, including the Lebanese, Turks, Jews, and Syrians, have tried to take credit for inventing hummus.

No matter who actually invented it, the basic recipe for hummus has remained the same throughout the years. The most basic hummus recipe consists of chickpeas, tahini (ground sesame seeds), olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Some people like different flavors of hummus. These flavors include sun-dried tomato, spinach and artichoke, red pepper, basil pesto, chipotle, roasted garlic, and lemon.

Every flavor of hummus is considered a very healthy food, too. Hummus packs a wide variety of vitamins and minerals into a single serving. With each delicious bite, hummus provides folate, copper, manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, and Vitamin B6. Hummus is also a low-carb food with a plant-based protein.

Other health benefits of hummus include:

  • It’s high in fiber, which promotes digestive health and feeds good gut bacteria.
  • The ingredients used have been proven to fight inflammation.
  • It has a low glycemic index, which means it helps control blood sugar levels.
  • Chickpeas are considered a heart-healthy food that reduces the risk of heart disease.
  • It promotes weight loss and the ability to maintain a healthy body weight.

Additionally, people all over the world eat hummus because it’s free of many common food allergens, including gluten, nuts, and dairy.

INTERNATIONAL HUMMUS DAY HISTORY

Ben Lang, co-founder of Innovation Israel, along with his friend, Miriam Young, founded International Hummus Day in 2012. Inspiration for the day came from another kind of spread called Nutella. When they realized  World Nutella Day celebrated the hazelnut spread, they thought hummus deserved its own day as well.

HOW TO OBSERVE #InternationalHummusDay

On this day, people around the world are encouraged to eat some hummus. They can eat it for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Eateries across the globe, from New York City to Melbourne, hold hummus-tasting events.

To participate:

  • If you’ve never tried hummus, grab some pita bread or carrots and give it a try.
  • Make your own hummus from scratch.
  • Eat at a restaurant that serves Middle Eastern food.
  • Watch Hummus! The Movie – a story of faith, community, and growth.
  • Share this day on social media with #HummusDay.