ROMANCE AWARENESS MONTH

February isn’t the only romantic month on the calendar.  Check your relationship’s pulse during Romance Awareness in August. If it needs a jump start, there are lots of ways to put some spark back into the relationship. 

Add excitement by planning the unexpected. Surprise your significant other with a date night with only a few clues as to the destination. None of it needs to be expensive or elaborate, but making an effort to make the evening fun, spontaneous and memorable will be worthwhile. Maybe it’s a note clipped to a single flower saying you’ll pick her up at 7 PM and to wear sandals. It ends up with a picnic on the beach; or it could be a text to him that you’re in the mood for takeout, be ready in an hour – a three-hour road trip later and you’re at the nearest drive-in theater eating hot wings under the stars.

The simple things mean so much more than elaborate gifts. A wrapped mint slipped into a pocket with an encouraging message on the day of big presentation sends waves of support and love when it’s needed most. Sharing our successes with those we love is another way of enhancing the romance. Toast each other’s success and bask in the glow.  

Spend quiet time with each other. Read books, do chores, sleep. Just be. Sometimes, just being together in the same room generates energy that may have been missing. 

Cultivate activities as a couple you enjoy doing together. Whether you enjoy games, biking, sports, antiquing, travel, music or haven’t discovered your interest yet, get out there and explore.  

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HISTORY

Celebrate Romance founder, Eileen Buchheim, created Romance Awareness Month to encourage couples to improve their relationships through romance all year long.

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HOW TO OBSERVE

Being aware of and adding more romance into your relationship will be a win-win for both you and your significant other. Passion has always been an essential part of relationships. Sometimes it is the little things that make a big difference, such as; holding hands, a shoulder rub, a flower, making dinner together, playing your favorite song, leaving a personal note, or watching a movie together.

Romance Awareness Month is also a great time to catch up on some reading with the wide selection of romance novels that are available. 

If posting on social media use #RomanceAwarenessMonth.

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NATIONAL BANANA DAY

On the third Wednesday in April, take a bite of the fruit that also makes an excellent prop for jokes on National Banana Day!

The day focuses on the nutrition of the fruit as well as the way comedy has used the banana in its acts. This low-fat, low-calorie snack offers a boost of fiber, potassium, and vitamins, with B6 and C leading the way. It also provides a healthy gram of protein, too. Add a banana to your morning cereal or grab one to go with your granola. They also add so much delicious flavor to baked goods. Many bakers know that when those bananas turn brown to toss them in the freezer for baking muffins and breads later.

As far as the humor goes, anyone goes a little bananas when they slip on a peel. Or is it the peel of laughter that makes them go bananas? Hold up the banana like a phone and get your comedy routine going.

More Bananas….

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalBananaDay

Write a little message on a banana and tuck it into your loved one’s lunch. Add bananas to your lunch routine. They’re inexpensive and delicious. Children and adults love them, so you just can’t go wrong. Use #NationalBananaDay to share on social media.

INTERNATIONAL WHISK(E)Y DAY

Every year on March 27th, whiskey fans from around the world come together to celebrate their favorite distilled alcoholic beverage. International Whisk(e)y Day uses the parenthesis to indicate support of the Scots, Canadians, and Japanese who spell it without an e. The Irish and Americans include the letter e when writing out the word whiskey.

Whiskey is made from fermented grain mash. Corn, wheat, rye, and barley are the most common grains used to make whiskey. Besides drinking whiskey for pleasure, many people drink it for their health. Whiskey contains a powerful antioxidant called ellagic acid, which helps prevent cancer. Some people mix whisky with warm water and honey to soothe their sore throats. Others claim that drinking whiskey will prolong their life.

Whiskeys are broken down by the following nationalities:

  • American whiskey – tends to be sweeter than other whiskeys and includes bourbon, rye, and Tennessee
  • Scotch whisky – tends to have an earthy flavor and includes blended Scotch and single malt Scotch. Try Sassanach Whisky, made by Sam Heugen, known for starring role in Outlander.
  • Irish whiskey – tends to be light-bodied but more robust than Canadian whisky and includes Irish blend, single malt Irish, and single grain Irish.
  • Canadian whisky – tends to be light-bodied and fruity and includes Canadian rye whisky.

These whiskeys get distilled in their respective country. The Irish are credited for being the first whiskey distillers. The word whiskey comes from the Irish phrase, uisce beatha, or “water of life.” Each kind of whiskey has a specific alcohol content, which is indicated by proof. If a whiskey is 100 proof, it means it contains 50% alcohol by volume.

INTERNATIONAL WHISK(E)Y DAY HISTORY

International Whisk(e)y Day was launched in 2009 during the Whiskey Day Festival in the northern Netherlands. The date of March 27th commemorates the birthday of Michael Jackson, a famous British writer. Jackson has written many influential books about whiskey and beer. Whiskey fans around the world organize and run this fun day.

Looking for something else try one of these celebrations too.

HOW TO OBSERVE #InternationalWhiskeyDay

People around the world are encouraged to drink whiskey on this day. There are a variety of whiskey brands from which to choose. Some of the most popular include:

If you don’t enjoy straight whiskey, you can try a whiskey cocktail. Some favorites include mint julep, whiskey sour, or a Manhattan. You can either make your own concoction at home or go to a bar, where they will most likely have drink specials to celebrate the day. Don’t forget to share your favorite whiskey brand or cocktail on social media with #InternationalWhiskeyDay.

NATIONAL CHIP AND DIP DAY

On March 23rd, it is a National Day just for the chip and dip! National Chip And Dip Day celebrates a perfect combination loved by many across the country. Chips and dip are the quick and easy party dish that also makes for great parties. We enjoy them for just about any occasion. From watching the game to hunkering down for a big storm, chips and dips are the way to go. Just no double-dipping, please!

Only a few days earlier on March 14, we celebrate Potato Chip Day, and now we add a partner, the dip.  And people have been dipping their food for centuries. Hummus-like recipes date back to the 13th century. These are some of the first “dip” recipes found.

Potato chips are not the only mode of celebrating the day. There are tortilla chips, corn chips, pretzel chips, and even popcorn chips to name a few.  After you have chosen your chips, there are dozens of dips to partner with them. There are a variety of dips usually made with sour cream, cheeses, salsas, and seasonings. The combinations are endless.  Don’t hesitate to mix up your favorite or try something new!

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalChipAndDipDay

Invite some family and friends over and have a chip and dip party! Be sure to share your favorite recipes, too. Use #NationalChipAndDipDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL POTATO CHIP DAY

National Potato Chip Day on March 14th celebrates America’s #1 snack food. Millions will enjoy their favorite chip this holiday. It’s a good thing there are so many to choose from, too!

Saratoga Chips

On August 24, 1853, an unhappy restaurant customer kept sending his potatoes back to the kitchen, complaining they were thick and soggy. Chef George Crum decided to slice the potatoes as thin as possible, frying them until crisp and added extra salt. To the chef’s surprise, the customer loved them. The crispy potatoes soon became a regular item on the restaurant’s menu under the name of “Saratoga Chips.”

Other explanations point for the existence of the potato chip point to recipes in Shilling Cookery for the People by Alexis Soyer (1845) or Mary Randolph’s The Virginia House-Wife (1824). While many references between these dates sliced potatoes and fried them in grease, uncertainty remains whether the potatoes were fried to a crisp.

However, by the late 1870s, menus across the country used the term “Saratoga Chips” on train cars, hotel restaurants, and street carts. The name carried into grocers when bakeries made the chips in larger batches. They shipped them by wagon to the restaurants and grocers by the barrel. The grocers sold them to private families by the pound. Folks were instructed to bake the chips in a hot oven for a few minutes, and the chips would be as crisp as if fried that same day.

Classic Potato Chips

The Dayton, Ohio-based Mike-sell’s Potato Chip Company, founded in 1910, calls itself the “oldest potato chip company in the United States.”  New England-based Tri-Sum Potato Chips, originally established in 1908 as the Leominster Potato Chip Company, in Leominster, Massachusetts, claims to be America’s first potato chip manufacturer.

In the 20th century, potato chips spread beyond chef-cooked restaurant fare and began to be mass-produced for home consumption. Flavored chips were introduced in the 1950s. Potato Chip revenues are over $15 billion a year worldwide!

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPotatoChipDay

While we enjoy potato chips as a simple snack, they also provide a great ingredient in recipes, too. Favorite recipes include chocolate-dipped chips and crushed chips dusted over fish. Share with us how you enjoy your favorite chip recipes! Or just grab a bag of potato chips to enjoy and use #NationalPotatoChipDay to post on social media.