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!
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.
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 Banana Split Day recognizes the sweet ice cream treat served with a banana, whipped cream, and various toppings. Get yours on August 25th!
How to Make a Banana Split
Originally served in drug stores, soda fountains and ice cream parlors, the banana split is traditionally served in a long dish called a boat. To make a banana split, cut the banana lengthwise and place it in the dish. Then add scoops of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream between the slices of banana. Each scoop gets a topping; add crushed pineapple to the strawberry, drizzle chocolate syrup over the vanilla, and add strawberry topping to the chocolate. Next, sprinkle with crushed nuts. Finally, garnish with whipped cream and maraschino cherries.
A 23-year-old apprentice pharmacist at Tassel’s Pharmacy in Latrobe, Pennsylvania created the first banana split in 1904. David Evans Strickler enjoyed inventing sundaes at the store’s soda fountain. For only 10 cents, Strickler sold his first “banana-based triple ice cream sundae,” double the cost of all the other sundaes.
The origin of this tasty snack is credited to the entrepreneur Alec Barnum. However, the first recorded version of the recipe can be found in the 1927 publication of Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. Even though the Girl Scouts were not the first ones to make s’mores, Girl Scout groups describe them in their reports as early as 1925. Earlier recipes used the name “Some Mores.” It is unclear when the word “S’mores” became the more common name.
Today, many variations on the original s’more find their way around a campfire.
Try spreading peanut butter on the graham crackers before adding the other ingredients.
Substitute peanut butter cups in place of the chocolate bar.
Replace the graham crackers with fudge-dipped cookies.
Add banana slices.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalSmoresDay
Try this S’more Bar recipe at home. Enjoy and share with your friends and family. However, if you think s’mores are too messy for you but enjoy the flavor, add the s’more ingredients to delicious desserts. Cakes, pies, dips, trifles also offer a terrific way to enjoy the taste of a s’more. Make it a delicious part of Family Fun Month this August too!
July 12 easily directs us what to do on Eat Your Jello Day! With plenty of flavors to choose from, you should have no problem finding one you like.
Trademarked in 1897 by Pearle Wait of Leroy, New York, Jell-O is the novel and fun dessert loved by millions. Francis Woodward, who later purchased the recipe and trademark, eventually made Jell-O a household name. With 21 different flavors, Jell-O satisfies every taste and can be enjoyed in numerous combinations.
Jell-O’s primary ingredient is gelatin. Gelatin consists of collagen, specifically animal collagen. It’s a protein extracted from the connective tissues of cows and pigs. Once the protein is broken down and extracted, the collagen is dried and ground into a fine powder.
Jell-O has been the subject of many classroom art and science projects throughout the years. From the study of viscosity and laser beams to gelatin artwork, Jell-O inspires in and outside the kitchen.
Eat Your Jell-O Day specifically tells us to eat. So, whether it is molded, layered, or mixed with fruit, vegetables, or marshmallows, be sure to have some. It’s delicious as a salad, dessert, or even a shot. Jell-O doesn’t break the budget either, nor does it add too many calories. Where can you go wrong?
HOW TO OBSERVE EAT YOUR JELL-O DAY
Give Jell-O recipes a try. Use #EatYourJelloDay to post on social media.
In the sweltering heat of July, which is also National Watermelon Month, nothing tastes as great as a big cold bowl of watermelon. It has a unique taste and scent that refreshes you from the inside out. Consisting of 92% water, eating a watermelon hydrates you thoroughly. It also helps restore essential electrolytes in your body. During the heat of July, it is believed to be one way to relieve the pain of muscle cramps. Many cultures boil and cook the rind to make scrumptious savory salads and dishes.
5 FACTS ABOUT WATERMELON THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND
Watermelons are considered a fruit and vegetableWhile it is true that watermelons are created using the pollination method that all fruits go through, many gardeners also consider watermelons as vegetables because they are part of the botanical family of gourds.
Watermelons have 1,200 varietiesWatermelons come in over 1,200 varieties, and each is divided into four categories: seeded, seedless, yellow/orange, and icebox.
The heaviest watermelonChris Kent of Tennessee holds the world record for growing the heaviest watermelon, which weighed around 350.5 pounds.
Seedless watermelons are naturalContrary to popular belief, seedless watermelons occur naturally due to years of evolution.
Watermelon is actually a berryThe watermelon is actually a type of berry called pepo, and this variety has a harder outer rind with a softer inner flesh.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL WATERMELON MONTH
National Watermelon Month came into existence in 2007 when a resolution was submitted by the senate to the U.S. Congress. The resolution was accepted, and July was designated as the official Watermelon Month. The aim was to raise production and sales of the fruit all over the country. Today, watermelon is a crucial agricultural sector in America as it is produced in 49 states, and is sold and consumed in 50 states. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, in 2006 alone, the U.S. produced a whopping 4,200,000,000 pounds of watermelon! Now, that is a lot of watermelons. The National Watermelon Association, which is a membership trade, is another organization that is dedicated to creating positive changes and growth in the industry. It has chapters all over America and Canada.
Given its track record on sales and production, we know that watermelon is extremely popular among the masses, but did you know that it has gone through extreme evolution to come to the stage it is in today? That’s right, earlier records show that watermelons from the ancient era were not as fleshy or as red as the watermelons today. It was through seasoned farmers’ efforts that watermelons started changing.
If we were to start at a particular point, the earliest records show that watermelon may have originated in ancient Egypt in 2000 B.C. In fact, some watermelon seeds were also found in King Tut’s tomb. Eventually, watermelon found its way to the Middle East and the rest of Asia. Trading routes and growing civilizations and globalization led to watermelon being taken to China and India during the 7th century. It would take another 10 centuries for watermelon to reach North-, South-, and Central America. The watermelon fruit has had quite a journey all over the planet.
Enjoy a cold watermelonThe month of July has its fair share of festivities including the Fourth of July. This means that you may be spending long hours of your day outdoors in the heat. But don’t worry, as you can cool down by enjoying a bowl of fresh watermelon.
Try a watermelon steak. July also happens to be the month of grilling. If you are looking to up your grilling food game, you can find a watermelon steak recipe and prepare it on the grill. If you are not a fan of grilling, you can always cook the watermelon on your stove or bake it in the oven.
Have a seed spitting contest. Watermelons have some of the most distinct seeds of all fruits. You can organize a seed-spitting contest with your friends and family, and see who is the best at this specialized skill.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL WATERMELON MONTH
It’s a celebration of watermelonsWatermelons are a great source of food. They are hydrating and help to get rid of muscle cramps. Moreover, they have no fat or cholesterol, are high in fiber, and are packed with vitamin C. It is an all-rounder.
It’s a celebration of freshnessIn the muggy and humid weather of July, people are on the constant lookout for things to cool themselves off with, and watermelon can help you with just that. Whether you choose to have it cubed with other summer fruits or juice it, it doesn’t matter because you will be getting a dose of much-needed refreshment.
It’s a celebration of summerWe wouldn’t have been able to appreciate the goodness of watermelon without summer. This season may have us rushing towards shade, but it also gives us the amazing fruit that is watermelon.
Share your pictures and recipes on social media with #NationalWatermelonMonth.
