NATIONAL TOASTED MARSHMALLOW DAY

August 29, 2026August 24, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 1 Comment

On August 30th, National Toasted Marshmallow Day celebrates one of America’s favorite fire-roasted treats. Be sure to stock up on marshmallows so you can celebrate! Get your friends together and gather up some firewood. Grab a few long sticks and a bag of marshmallows. Then, make plans for a great night!

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Toasted marshmallows are a special part of summer evenings around a bonfire. Also, what better way to kick off a long weekend than to enjoy a delicious, warm, gooey, toasted marshmallow?

Add a pair of graham crackers and a chocolate bar – and ask for s’more! Depending upon personal preference, heat marshmallows to various degrees from gently toasted to a charred outer layer. To char the outer layer, ignite the marshmallow then quickly blow it out.

Marshmallows now come in a variety of flavors as well as sizes for maximum toasting opportunities. For a fun alternative, try roasting Marshmallow Peeps. Watch them closely as the granular sugar coating will burn more quickly.

Believe it or not, marshmallows date back to Ancient Egypt. The mallow plant provided a sap that the Egyptians used to create a candy with nuts and honey.

Ligonier, Indiana holds an annual Marshmallow Festival and is the marshmallow capital of the world.

Homemade marshmallows use sugar, unflavored gelatin, corn syrup, and flavoring. Try this recipe.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #ToastedMarshmallowDay

Toast up some marshmallows and enjoy. Have a marshmallow toasting competition. Who makes the best-toasted marshmallows in your circle of friends? Share recipes for homemade marshmallows or s’mores combinations, too. Share your best marshmallow toasting techniques and use #ToastedMarshmallowDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL BARBEQUE MONTH

April 30, 2026April 27, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 6 Comments

National Barbecue Month in May encourages us to break out our special recipes and get some mouthwatering deliciousness started.

Whether you prefer charcoal, wood, or gas, barbecuing is fundamentally a slow cooking method over indirect heat. While the type of protein and seasonings vary, each part of the country specializes in their own flavors and sauces. From sweet to spicy, techniques range from region to region and state to state. Even the way a place smokes their barbecue can be considered unique!

Pork is the original barbecue meat, but beef, chicken, lamb, and other proteins find their way into barbecue. Some of the best side dishes associated with this time-honored cuisine are coleslaw, macaroni & cheese, and baked beans.

In America there are lots of great occasions that our family uses to have a barbeque. Patriotic days, birthdays, and of course, summer time. We live in Florida…so learning to barbeque is practically like getting a drivers license. No matter when, barbeques are a great time to put down the phone, reconnect with family and friends. The fantastic food is just a bonus to these memories you create.

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HISTORY

The Barbecue Council founded National Barbecue Month in 1963 to encourage outdoor cooking. Since then, grilling and barbecuing have increased in popularity.

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HOW TO OBSERVE

You can either put on an apron or a bib because whether your making barbecue or eating it, it can get messy. Then dig in! Try different flavors and recipes all month long. And, if you’ve heard about a good barbecue restaurant, get there early. The good ones sell until it’s all gone then close up shop. That’s the sign of real barbecue! Use #NationalBarbecueMonth to share on social media.

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Men Make Dinner Recipes

November 6, 2025October 26, 2025Jensperspectiveblog Leave a comment

What’s for dinner. In my family growing up that question was primarily answered by mom. Dad made pancakes, and BBQ. The rest was left to mom to figure out 355 days a year. My dad did not know his way around a kitchen.

Flash forward to today and my loving husband Scott is the same way. To be a fly on the wall when I tried to teach him how to make spaghetti. (I found spaghetti noodles in interesting places for days)! Now he can assist me with simple tasks with very explicit directions. After my aneurysm left me unable to go to the kitchen, I give him lists of ingredients, utensils, supplies and I reach for the extra supply of patience needed for describing things I don’t think twice about. To bad this day is not celebrated everywhere.

To be fair to there are a lot of men who enjoy the task. Famous chefs include a large number of men, but for those who do not know what a colander is here are some easy recipes that impress with flavor.

Jen’s Lazy Lasagna

Jen’s Greek Cassarole Bake

Jen’s Super Sandwhich

Jen’s Keto Quiche

Jen’s Easy Chili

Turkey Bacon wraps

Be sure to check out all our recipes for more tasty delights that you are sure to enjoy.