Satisfy your sweet tooth on National White Chocolate Day on September 22nd. Enjoy it with pretzels or drizzled on pastries. It’s a versatile confection with many ways to celebrate!
Since white chocolate does not contain cocoa solids, it is not chocolate in the strictest sense. During the process of manufacturing chocolate, the dark-colored solids of the cocoa bean separates from the fatty content. But unlike milk or dark chocolate, the solids are not reincorporated. As a result, white chocolate also does not contain as much caffeine or antioxidants as its darker counterparts.
That’s right, white chocolate loses some of the health benefits when it is processed. Nestlé launched the first white chocolate bar in Europe. Known by the names Milkybar and Galak, Nestlé first produced the candy bar in the 1930s. Besides candy bars and fudge, white chocolate also comes in liqueurs, chips, ganache, truffles, and liquid forms. .
White chocolate pairs well with salty and sweet flavors. Mix it in with some peanuts or pretzels. Bake up some white chocolate macadamia nut cookies or indulge in a delicious cocktail. Enjoy your favorite white chocolate. Share yours using #WhiteChocolateDay to post on social media..
The first Saturday in September is International Bacon Day and a day to enjoy all things bacon! This delicious food holiday is a favorite because bacon makes everything better!
There are so many things we can say about bacon and the flavor it adds to dishes. Today, we are reminding everyone that bacon is not just a breakfast food, but also a great way to add delicious flavor to any recipe.
Bacon Backstory
Bacon is pork cured in salt made from cuts of the belly or back of a pig. Curing pork dates back thousands of years. During ancient times, Chinese, Egyptian, and Roman cultures all had methods for preserving pork. However, Romans recieve credit for sharing their knowledge of curing pork calling their bacon “petaso.” As cured pork expanded throughout Europe, the meat became a staple to families because of the ability to preserve it easily.
European settlers brought their pork curing techniques to America the same time the first settlers arrived. However, the meat was much saltier and leaner than what they would eat in Europe. During the 19th and 20th centuries, meat production began to expand to the general public. Brining and smoking bacon became widely acceptable in mass production, making the distribution of bacon much easier. Today, bacon plays a significant roll in American cuisine.
Bacon is one of the most popular and recognizable meat products around the world and is known for its distinctive savory and smoky flavor.
Are there different types of bacon? Yes! Here the 4 common types of bacon throughout the world:
American bacon is the most well-known bacon type. It’s made from pork belly and contains both meat and fat. This type of bacon becomes crispy after cooking.
Canadian bacon is made from the lean parts of the pig. Normally, Canadian bacon is similar to ham in flavor and appearance.
Pancetta is an Italian bacon made with salt and spices that can be eaten cooked or uncooked. People often use pancetta in sandwiches, but also in some dishes.
Guanciale is another Italian bacon commonly used in carbonara and amatriciana. This type of bacon is the fattiest of all other bacon types and is probably most flavorful.
Bacon adds rich flavor and versatility to cooking by enhancing the dishes it is added to. Whether enjoyed on its own, as a savory ingredient, or as a guilty pleasure, bacon remains a favorite food around the globe.
HISTORY BEHIND INTERNATIONAL BACON DAY
Each year on the first Saturday in September we celebrate International Bacon Day as a way to indulge and enjoy bacon. We plan on starting our day with bacon and eggs, have a bacon sandwich for a mid morning snack, and eat a BLT for lunch. Then, we will likely eat a bacon-inspired pasta for dinner with a bacon infused dessert. Later in the evening, we are going to relax with a nice Bloody Mary with bacon garnish.
International Bacon Day is a time to savor the delight of delicious bacon! Embrace your joy for bacon today by having fun with today’s food holiday.
Host a bacon-everything breakfast by adding bacon to your eggs, pancakes, or omelets. You can also make breakfast burritos or add bacon to your waffle batter.
Experiment with bacon in a new recipe or add it to a favorite one you already make.
Cook different types of bacon and have a bacon tasting party with your family and friends. We recommend adding Applewood -smoked, maple-glazed, or peppered flavor to your menu.
Create the ultimate beverages by adding bacon and other ingredients. In fact, we hear adding bacon as a garnish to a Bloody Mary is delicious!
Find a local bakery or specialty bacon shop that offers a variety of bacon flavors. This might be a great way to treat yourself to a better quality bacon versus buying bacon in the grocery store.
Share your love for bacon on social media using the tag #InternationalBaconDay.
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.
Most of us need this on a pretty regular basis. That’s what a vacation is for right? But there is an official day for relaxation. August 15th is the day, so here are some great ways to unwind.
As this is considered a national holiday, sorry school and work still on, its a great opportunity to look into ways to destress your day. By all means these methods work on normal days too.
Meditation
Meditation is a habitual process of quieting your mind and focusing on redirecting your thoughts.
Mediations can increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Many people think of it as a way to reduce stress and develop concentration. 15 minutes of deep meditation can energize you like a nap. People also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns and even increased pain tolerance.
I learned some really good technics when I took professional yoga. You do not have to use yoga or religion based meditation to get the benefits. Simple mindfulness meditation focus on your breathing and body. As you become more focused, you notice more about them. For instance you may notice your breathing a little fast, your heart rate is high or your blood pressure is elevated. Now that you’re focusing on it you can lower those symptoms. You’ll feel the state of your body. You’re muscles may say you twisted the wrong way, or over did it chasing the kids.
Visualations
Visualization or visualisation (see spelling differences) is any technique for creating images, diagrams, or animations to communicate a message. Visualization through visual imagery has been an effective way to communicate both abstract and concrete ideas since the dawn of humanity. Examples from history include cave paintings, Egyptian hieroglyphs, Greek geometry, and Leonardo da Vinci‘s revolutionary methods of technical drawing for engineering and scientific purposes.
No matter the method you prefer take some time for you and try some relaxation. How do you relax? Leave us a comment and tell how and why, best of all the results…
On August 2nd, National Ice Cream Sandwich Day encourages us to cool off with one of our favorite frozen treats. Whether it’s vanilla, strawberry or Neopolitan between two chocolate wafers, the dessert sure will hit the spot on a hot summer day.
The original ice cream sandwich sold for a penny in 1900 from a pushcart in the Bowery neighborhood of New York. Newspapers never identified the name of the vendor in articles that appeared across the country. However, the ice cream sandwiched between milk biscuits became a hit. Soon, pushcarts popped up around the city and country during the summer months selling the portable treats. Early pictures show beachgoers at Atlantic City getting their ice cream sandwichs for 1¢ each.
Once ice cream sandwiches became popular, recipes for home cooks filled the papers. The sandwich layers included everything from angel food and sponge cake to shortbread cookies. Restaurants offered the ice cream sandwich as a decadent dessert for travelers. By 1940, grocers sold sandwiches made with crispy wafers.
One account claims the modern ice cream sandwich with the chocolate wafer was invented in 1945 by Jerry Newberg. The ice cream maker sold his creation at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, PA. At the time, the storied location was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers.
If the chocolate brownie wafer doesn’t appeal to you, don’t hesitate to mix it up. All variety of cookies make excellent sandwich parts. Change up the ice cream, too. Around the world, ice cream sandwiches go by a variety of names including the Monaco Bar, Giant Sandwich, Maxibon, Cream Between, Vanilla Slice, and many more.
