WORLD MILK DAY

June 1, 2026April 28, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 2 Comments

Real milk takes the spotlight on World Milk Day, always on June 1. The day is intended to bring attention to activities connecting the dairy sector.

The annual observance is marked with events across the globe: milking demonstrations and farm visits; games and competitions; concerts; distribution of milk products; and conferences, seminars and information sharing.

Did you know:
The dairy sector supports more than one billion people’s livelihoods.
More than six billion people globally consume dairy products, making it a $413.8 billion market.

China is the fastest-growing dairy market. Europe, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina are the primary dairy-producing countries.

However, drinking milk in the U.S. has been on the decline since about 2000. In the 1980s, more than 50 percent of the dairy products regulated by the USDA was beverage milk. By 2015, that had dropped to 33 percent. Prompting the downward trend, according to market watchers, is the annual decline in the market consumption of ready-to-eat cereals. (source: American Farm Bureau)

WORLD MILK DAY HISTORY

In 2001, the United Nations selected June 1 as World Milk Day to celebrate the essential contributions of the dairy sector to sustainability, economic development, livelihoods, and nutrition.

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Dairy Month
National Goat Cheese Month
National Chocolate Parfait Day
National Cheddar Day
National Moldy Cheese Day
National Eggnog Day
National Vanilla Milkshake Day
National Ice Cream Day
NATIONAL CHEESE FONDUE DAY
World Milk Day
National Milk Day
National Milk Chocolate Day
Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day

HOW TO OBSERVE WORLD MILK DAY

Watch for local promotions of dairy products in your area and take advantage of specials. Visit the website https://worldmilkday.org/ to learn more about the day. Use the social media tags #WorldMilkDay, #RaiseAGlass to be part of the trending popularity on World Milk Day.

National Dairy Month

May 31, 2026April 28, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 7 Comments

National Dairy Month in June celebrates the many contributions of the dairy industry to our health and economy.

Dairy products contribute to our health in numerous ways. An 8-ounce glass of milk has more nutrients than the same serving size of juice. It’s packed with protein, too. And cheese is udderly delicious!

Here’s a list of popular dairy products you might find during Dairy Month:

Milk (whole, skim, 2%, lactose-free, flavored)
Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, provolone, feta, blue cheese)
Yogurt (plain, flavored, Greek yogurt, yogurt drinks)
Butter (salted, unsalted, clarified butter)
Ice cream (various flavors and varieties)
Cream (heavy cream, whipping cream, sour cream)
Cottage cheese
Cream cheese
Ricotta cheese
Mascarpone cheese
Buttermilk
Condensed milk
Evaporated milk
Flavored milkshakes
Sherbet
Sour cream
Whipped cream
Yogurt-based desserts (parfaits, yogurt bowls, smoothies)
Dairy-based spreads (cheese spreads, cream cheese spreads)
Dairy-based dips (ranch dip, spinach dip, queso dip)

These are just a few examples of the dairy products you might come across during Dairy Month. Keep in mind that availability may vary depending on your location and personal preferences.

Beyond the benefits that go into our bodies, the dairy industry fuels our economy. From the farmer and cheese production to distribution and the grocers who stock their shelves with products there’s a non-stop demand for all the delicious ways we enjoy dairy products.

HISTORY

National Dairy Month began in 1937 to promote dairy products. The Dairy Council sponsors the month.

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HOW TO OBSERVE

Savor the recipes made with dairy all month long. Visit a dairy farm and thank a farmer. Pick up your favorite cheeses or have some frozen yogurt. Learn the difference between whipping cream and half and half. Take a tour of an ice cream factory. What’s your favorite dairy?

Use #NationalDairyMonth to share on social media.

NATIONAL HOT CHOCOLATE DAY

January 30, 2026December 27, 2025Jensperspectiveblog

Every year on January 31, National Hot Chocolate Day warms people up across the country. Try celebrating this, timeless cold-weather beverage.

Hot chocolate is a warm beverage made with ground chocolate, heated milk or water, and sugar. In America, we often use the terms hot chocolate and hot cocoa interchangeably. However, the two beverages are different. Try it with you favorite cookie or cake if you’re feeling really indulgent, and need a break from that New Years diet you started.

Cocoa vs Hot Chocolate

We make hot cocoa with cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and sugar. We’re able to do this thanks to a process developed by father and son chemists. The thicker, more flavorful beverage, we make hot chocolate from ground chocolate containing cocoa butter. It’s also called drinking chocolate. Hot chocolate has also been around longer than hot cocoa. In the early 1800s, Casparus van Houten Sr. developed a process to separate the cocoa solids from the butter. His son, Coenraad Johannes made those fats more soluble in water. Together their processes made cocoa powder possible.

But before then, everyone drank hot chocolate. This thicker, creamier beverage often offered medicinal benefits for stomach ailments during the 19th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was a rare treat. Especially in some European countries like Britian. Long before the beverage’s popularity in Victorian times, it served in ceremonial culture.

2000 years ago, the Mayans likely created the first chocolate beverage. A cocoa beverage was also an essential part of Aztec culture by 1400 AD. Europe popularized the drink after it was introduced from Mexico in the New World.

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Make it and Benefit

Hot chocolate can be enjoyed in a variety of combinations, topped with whipped cream or marshmallows. Sometimes a sprinkle of cinnamon or a dash of peppermint makes the chocolate extra special. In the United States, an instant form of hot chocolate is popular. It is made with hot water or milk and a packet containing mostly cocoa powder, sugar, and dry milk. People enjoy topping it with marshmallows or whipped cream.

There are health benefits to drinking hot chocolate. Cocoa contains significant amounts of antioxidants that may help prevent cancer. It has also been shown that the cocoa beans help with digestion. The flavonoids that are found in the cocoa also have a positive effect on arterial health.

My favorite fact about chocolate is the way it effects your brain. Did you know it signals the pleasure center of your brain? This is why you get that warm contentment feeling after chocolate. One more reason to look forward to those boxes of chocolates at Valentine’s Day. Of course you can always just order your own year round.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalHotChocolateDay

Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. You can make it with dark or milk chocolate. While you’re at it, try experimenting, too. Add some cinnamon or other flavors to your chocolate. Of course, inviting a friend to join you is essential to the celebration, too. Try adding these toppings.

Whipped cream
Marshmallows
Sprinkles
Candied fruit

Take a photo and use #NationalHotChocolateDay to post on social media.

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NATIONAL SLOW COOKING MONTH

December 31, 2025December 31, 2025Jensperspectiveblog 10 Comments

National Slow Cooking Month in January encourages us to make delicious meals and maximize our time by using our slow cookers. Also known by the brand name, Crock Pot, slow cookers come in a variety of sizes and styles.

Nearly every family in the United States owns at least one slow cooker. If they don’t, they know someone who does. Irving Naxon invented the slow cooker and applied for a patent in 1936. Eventually, he sold his patent to Rival who later produced the Crock Pot.

The low temperature cooking unit made it possible to cook foods slowly at lower temperatures. Unlike some kitchen devices, like the toaster or a juicer, the slow cooker filled the need of every meal. Home cooks developed recipes for breakfast, lunch, supper, and dessert.

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While other modern kitchen items overshadowed the slow cooker in sales, it still has an important place on the counter. The slow cooker is a timekeeper of all our favorite celebrations and comfort foods. Consider every potluck, barbeque, Superbowl and family gathering over the years with slow cookers lined up filled with each cook’s best recipe kept piping hot – nacho dip, soups, chili, baked beans, pulled pork, mac & cheese. The list goes on and so does the slow cooker.

Helpful Tidbits

If you’re new to slow cooking, try the recipes that come with your slow cooker. They are tested for your model.
Once the cooking starts, only remove the lid to stir as needed. Moisture loss will cause your meal to become dry.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Today’s slow cookers have multiple settings as well as a warm setting after the food is finished cooking.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Break out your slow cooker and whip up something delicious. Use #SlowCookingMonth to share on social media.

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NATIONAL COCOA DAY

December 12, 2025November 29, 2025Jensperspectiveblog 1 Comment

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.

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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.

Jen's Perspective Blog

Love, laugh, live! Life to the fullest.

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WORLD MILK DAY

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