NATIONAL TV DINNER DAY

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. 

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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.

WORLD FLOUR DAY

On March 20th, World Flour Day recognizes the importance of flour in our daily diets and our health. In every part of the world, products made from flour provide daily sustenance for billions of people.

Flour is the main ingredient in delicious foods like pasta, cakes, pastries, bread, and biscuits. For thousands of years, humans have consumed grains ground into flour. Ancient humans gathered the oat kernels growing wild around them. Using a stone tool much like a pestle, they crushed the kernels into a coarse flour.

Today, we continue to enjoy many varieties of domesticated grains. In the Northern Hemisphere, many farms prepare to plant these grain crops around March 20th. The earth is warming and ready to grow. In the Southern Hemisphere, autumn has arrived. The grains have ripened, and harvest is beginning.

The day honors the farmers and millers, shippers and truckers, processors and bakers who bring the white gold to our tables. It’s a day for gratitude, and one of hope as the seeds are sown, and harvests are reaped.

WORLD FLOUR DAY HISTORY

The Flour World Museum founded World Flour Day on March 20th in 2019 to celebrate the global significance of flour in our daily lives.

About the Flour World Museum

The Flour World Museum in Wittenburg near Hamburg, Germany, has set itself the goal of creating a monument to flour in all its globe-spanning significance. After all, some 750 million tonnes of wheat flour are harvested each year and turned into a wide variety of foods.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldFlourDay

  • Invite a friend for a meal made with flour. A whole-grain sandwich or a sweet pastry sounds delicious.
  • Don an apron and bake up some cookies; deliver them to your favorite farmer or co-worker.
  • Try a new recipe while you’re at it.
  • Learn about varieties of flour and try baking with one you’ve never used.
  • Practice making a rue. One of the key ingredients is flour, and it makes some of the most amazing sauces and soups.
  • What’s your favorite flour product? Tell us using #WorldFlourDay and share on social media.

National Flour Month

National Flour Month in March is a time to recognize the versatility of this ground staple kitchen item. Grab your apron and start celebrating!

It’s been thousands of years since humans learned they could mill wheat seed between stones into flour. While wheat is the most common variety of flour, corn, peas, potatoes, nuts, and other grains are also used to produce flour, too.

We use flour to make baked goods, pasta, crackers, pastries, and sauces. As a key ingredient in many recipes, flour fills canisters in a well-stocked kitchen.

A loaf of homemade bread would fill the home with an aroma of yeasty goodness in the middle of March. However, flour doesn’t limit us to bread baking. Perhaps we thicken a stew with freshly made noodles and wrap up the day with piping hot pie. Whatever we decide, we know with the right ingredients and the right amount of flour everything will be delicious.

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HOW TO OBSERVE

Select your favorite recipe and start baking. Use #NationalFlourMonth to share on social media.

WINE TOURISM DAY

On the second Saturday in November, Wine Tourism Day features wineries and wine-related events across the globe. It is also a day that highlights the economic impact of wine tourism.

Wine is big business. In the United States alone, people spend over 17 billion dollars on wine tourism. The wine industry in America brings 43 million visitors to over 10,000 wine producers all over the country. Wine is so popular that all 50 states have winery facilities. On a global scale, wine tourism accounts for more than 50 billion euros of direct revenue to the world economy. That equals about 57 billion U.S. dollars.

Dedicated wine tourists travel to wineries and vineyards all over the world. The most popular countries for wine tourism include France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the United States, Australia, and Argentina.

Some of the world’s best vineyards for wine tourism include:

  • Vik in the Cachapoal Valley, Chile
  • Antinori, Italy
  • Quinta do Crasto, Portugal
  • Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, France
  • Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville, California
  • Bodega Garzon, Uruguay
  • Zuccardi in the Uco Valley, Artentina

But besides drinking wine, what exactly do wine tourists do? Some people enjoy learning about the wine-making process. Others like to spend the day cycling on wine roads through the vineyard. Wine tourists also enjoy the scenery and learn about different cultures.

WINE TOURISM DAY HISTORY

In 2009, the European Network of Wine Cities organized the first European Day of Wine Tourism. Since other countries began to join the movement, the event became known as Wine Tourism Day.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #WineTourismDay

On Wine Tourism Day, wineries and vineyards around the world promote the wine they make and offer special tours. Many liquor stores offer discounts on bottles of wine. Wine tasting events, wine-making demonstrations, and educational workshops are also popular events on this day. To participate:

  • Research various vineyards around the world and also in your state.
  • Go out with friends for a glass of wine.
  • Plan a future trip to a vineyard in another country.
  • Learn more about wine by reading a book, such as The World Atlas of Wine, The Wine Bible, or Wine: A Beginner’s Guide.
  • Listen to a podcast, like Wine for Normal People, I’ll Drink to That, Wine Blast, or The Unreserved Wine Talk.

Share this day on social media with #WineTourismDay.