NATIONAL GRAHAM CRACKER DAY

July 4, 2026June 15, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 1 Comment

July 5th recognizes 1/3rd of the s’more. It’s National Graham Cracker Day! Hopefully, you saved a few crackers if you were busy making s’mores over the Independence Day holiday.

When Sylvester Graham first invented the slightly sweetened cracker, he intended it as a health food. In the early 1800s, the Presbyterian minister developed the cracker as part of his “Graham Diet” program. They were made from whole wheat graham flour with added bran and wheat germs. He believed his snack would curb sinful cravings.

Today, makers use bleached white flour and blend a variety of flavors including honey, cinnamon, and chocolate. They also come in smaller bite-size snacks and fun shapes.

While a delicious snack on their own, they also make terrific ingredients for desserts. Crushed graham crackers blended with butter and pressed into pie tins, or springform pans make excellent crusts when lightly toasted. Graham crackers layered between yogurt and fruit taste delicious in a parfait. When it comes to crumb toppings, oats, brown sugar, butter, and crushed graham crackers blended together and lightly toasted will always satisfy.

Graham Cracker Sandwiches

Some of the easiest ways of using graham crackers are making a type of sandwich. Of course, one of the most popular treats made with graham crackers is the S’more. However, that’s not the only type of sandwich we can make with these sturdy crackers.

Ice cream sandwiches – It’s summer, so head to the freezer. Just one scoop of ice cream between two crackers is all it takes. Wrap the sandwich in wax paper and place it back in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.
Nut butter sandwiches – Whether it’s peanut butter, hazelnut, or sun butter, spread your favorite between two crackers and enjoy.
Fruit sandwiches – Layer banana or strawberry slices between two crackers. Add nut butter.
Frozen fruit sandwiches – Puree your favorite fruit and then freeze slightly. Spread the pulp on the crackers and refreeze just like you did the ice cream. These sweet treats are delightfully refreshing!

During Christmastime, graham crackers go into overtime. They join forces with gingerbread and create magical houses with frosting. The edible delights may not last very long, but they make memories that last a lifetime.

HOW TO OBSERVE #GrahamCrackerDay

Pick up some graham crackers and start making some memories. No matter how you celebrate, there are numerous, delicious ways to share. Post on social media using #GrahamCrackerDay to encourage others to join in paying it forward.

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INTERNATIONAL HUMMUS DAY

May 12, 2026May 6, 2026Jensperspectiveblog Leave a comment

Every year on May 13th, hummus lovers unite to celebrate International Hummus Day. The day also spreads awareness for this delicious food that’s considered a cross-cultural phenomenon.

Hummus is an Arabic word that means chickpea. Despite the Arabic roots of hummus, some historians believe this food originated in Egypt. Still, other groups of people, including the Lebanese, Turks, Jews, and Syrians, have tried to take credit for inventing hummus.

No matter who actually invented it, the basic recipe for hummus has remained the same throughout the years. The most basic hummus recipe consists of chickpeas, tahini (ground sesame seeds), olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Some people like different flavors of hummus. These flavors include sun-dried tomato, spinach and artichoke, red pepper, basil pesto, chipotle, roasted garlic, and lemon.

Every flavor of hummus is considered a very healthy food, too. Hummus packs a wide variety of vitamins and minerals into a single serving. With each delicious bite, hummus provides folate, copper, manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, and Vitamin B6. Hummus is also a low-carb food with a plant-based protein.

Other health benefits of hummus include:

It’s high in fiber, which promotes digestive health and feeds good gut bacteria.
The ingredients used have been proven to fight inflammation.
It has a low glycemic index, which means it helps control blood sugar levels.
Chickpeas are considered a heart-healthy food that reduces the risk of heart disease.
It promotes weight loss and the ability to maintain a healthy body weight.

Additionally, people all over the world eat hummus because it’s free of many common food allergens, including gluten, nuts, and dairy.

INTERNATIONAL HUMMUS DAY HISTORY

Ben Lang, co-founder of Innovation Israel, along with his friend, Miriam Young, founded International Hummus Day in 2012. Inspiration for the day came from another kind of spread called Nutella. When they realized World Nutella Day celebrated the hazelnut spread, they thought hummus deserved its own day as well.

HOW TO OBSERVE #InternationalHummusDay

On this day, people around the world are encouraged to eat some hummus. They can eat it for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Eateries across the globe, from New York City to Melbourne, hold hummus-tasting events.

To participate:

If you’ve never tried hummus, grab some pita bread or carrots and give it a try.
Make your own hummus from scratch.
Eat at a restaurant that serves Middle Eastern food.
Watch Hummus! The Movie – a story of faith, community, and growth.
Share this day on social media with #HummusDay.

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NATIONAL SOFT PRETZEL MONTH

March 31, 2026March 5, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 6 Comments

Grab your favorite toppings because National Soft Pretzel Month in April will give you 30 days to celebrate!

Soft pretzel dough offers a delicious way to make sandwiches and snacks with a twist! The salty, chewy goodness is a perfect vehicle for bringing dips and spreads to our lips. Whether you’re a mustard fan or have a hankering for something sweeter, there’s no limit to what the pretzel goes well with. Pretzel buns, logs and even the standard twist taste great with marinara or honey. How about hummus or caramel? Peanut butter, chocolate or Nutella? All of the above anyone?

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Whatever you are serving your pretzels with, you have all month long to celebrate, Get to it!

Explore More…

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy a soft pretzel or two this month. Looking for a recipe to make some homemade pretzels? Use #NationalSoftPretzelMonth to share on social media.

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NATIONAL CHIP AND DIP DAY

March 22, 2026March 13, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 1 Comment

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!

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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.

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NATIONAL POTATO CHIP DAY

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 5 Comments

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.