NATIONAL TV DINNER DAY

September 9, 2026September 8, 2026Jensperspectiveblog Leave a comment

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.

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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.

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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.

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Jen’s Lazy Lasagna

July 28, 2026June 15, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 4 Comments

A new take on this classic comfort food allows for easy preparation and a fraction of the work. The Crockpot allows you to put dinner on before leaving for work, and still come home to a home cooked meal.

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by Crock-Pot — Crock Pot Slow Cooker|8 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker with Digital Countdown Timer, Black Stainless Steel – SCCPVFC800-DS

by Crock-Pot

I’ve made this with the same layering in the oven as well. Both are s great way to enjoy this favorite. The recipe can easy customized for dietary needs and you can also make a soup with the same ingredients.

My mom introduced me to using these. They make cleanup so easy…simply remove and toss.
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Ingredients

1 lb fround beef
1 small onion diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste
Great Value tomato, basil, garlic sauce
(Only 1g sugar vs Prego 9g per serving)
Or
2cans Red Gold tomatoes diced italian
(5g carbohydrates per serving)
2 packages frozen ravioli
Frozen drained spinach if desired
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

In large skillet or dutch oven brown minced beef
Drain excess fat
Add onion, garlic, Italian Seasoning, and pasta sauce or tomatoes
Salt and pepper if needed
In lined Crockpot layer Meat sauce cheese, ravioli
Repeat making about 3 layers
Top with more mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan if desired

Make ahead and go from freezer to dinner in about 40 minutes. Layer in foil pans a add to your freezer meal selection. (We put the directions in the lid so even my husband can make it)

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by Stock Your Home

Tips

You can substitute cheese tortellini if you cannot find ravioli. Both work in Crockpot or oven.

Adding a vegetable like Spinach or Zucchini makes this a one pot easy meal.

Of course a fresh salad goes great too.

For soup add tomato sauce. Be careful not to overcook your pasta or it will disintegrate. Add pasta last and top bowl with cheese.

NATIONAL FORTUNE COOKIE DAY

July 19, 2026July 18, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 10 Comments

We see a time when you will enjoy a crunchy, sweet treat on National Fortune Cookie Day! Each year on July 20th, Americans celebrate the cookie that is a traditional part of Chinese take-out.

These crisp, folded cookies have a hint of buttery sweetness. Break them open, and you will find a slip of paper tucked inside with a message on it. The phrase will range from profound words of wisdom or tricky riddles to simple bits of common sense. Some fortunes include quotes from famous philosophers.

While these nuggets of enjoyment are most often found at the end of a Chinese meal, they didn’t originate in China. The distinctively folded cookie began in Japan, where elegant desserts and folding techniques are quintessentially Japanese. However, in Japan, the fortune was tucked in the fold on the outside of the cookie. Sometime in the late 1800s, the fortune cookie migrated to the United States and made its transition. During World War II, it exploded in popularity, and Americans have never stopped enjoying them.

HOW TO OBSERVE #FortuneCookieDay

Order some Chinese takeout and indulge in some fortune cookie therapy. But that’s not the only way to celebrate. Of course not!

Try making your own fortune cookies. Here’s a tasty homemade fortune cookie recipe for you to try.
We know you save your favorite fortunes. Please share them with us.
While you’re sharing, take a turn at writing a fortune. If you’re making fortune cookies, you’re going to need to practice this.
Try this neat fortune generator for your fortune cookies.

Want more cookies???

Share your celebration with us. Use #FortuneCookieDay to post on social media.

INTERNATIONAL BATH DAY

June 13, 2026June 11, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 1 Comment

On June 14, celebrate International Bath Day by filling up a lovely bath for your children. Realize that bath time is a great time to discover and learn. With just a few bath toys or simple plastic cups, they will immediately begin to test the waves of their water lab. Watch and see how every child becomes a little scientist with fresh new bath time discoveries!

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HISTORY

Legend has it that on this day Greek mathematician, scientist and scholar, Archimedes, discovered while taking a bath that an object’s volume could be accurately measured by being submerged in water! Unable to contain his excitement, Archimedes leapt out of the bathtub and yelled, “Eureka, Eureka!” as he ran through the streets of Syracuse, Greece. Archimedes’ exact date of birth is not known, only the year (287BC) so the day chosen to commemorate is the day that he leapt out of the bathtub, June 14th. How was this date determined? The ancient Greek legend says that it was exactly one week before the beginning of summer. The calendar in those days was astronomical and seasons were determined due to the 23.5-degree tilt of the Earth’s rotational axis in relation to its orbit around the sun. Summer began (then and today) on June 21st so a week before is June 14th and this was the date set.

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HOW TO OBSERVE

Make bath time fun and full of discovery! Like Archimedes, children can learn the basic properties of physics such as empty versus full, floating, sinking, weight, and cause and effect all while having FUN in the tub! Use #InternationalBathDay to share on social media.

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NATIONAL BAKED SCALLOPS DAY

March 11, 2026March 5, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 1 Comment

March 12th is a food holiday celebrating a popular delicacy, the scallop. National Baked Scallops Day celebrates the unique Flavor and enjoyment of this shellfish.

Scallops are a cosmopolitan family and can be found in all of the world’s oceans. They are one of the most popular shellfish in the world and highly prized as a food source.

There are two fleshy parts of the scallop that are usually sold at market for human consumption. The adductor muscle is the white medallion of meat which is rich and sweet. This is the piece that is most familiar as the “scallop” we see on a menu.

There is also the coral or the roe which can range in color from pale coral to bright orange. This crescent-shaped piece is usually discarded before the scallop is sold at market because it may contain toxins. However, sometimes it is sold attached to the adductor muscle. It is bitter and some say it cuts the richness of the rest of the scallop.

These meaty mollusks are very low in fat and are delicious prepared in a variety of ways. Baking them omits much of the butter and fat that otherwise go into cooking this lean, white seafood.