World Coconut Day on September 2nd recognizes the flavorful and aromatic nutrition the coconut brings to many products.
Biologically, the coconut is a seed, nut, and fruit all in one package. However, the term for a one-seeded fruit (nut) is “drupe.” Every part of the coconut is sourced from the water inside the shell to the outer husk. Its oil moisturizes our skin and improves the flavor of our food. The nutrient-rich ingredient is one superfood!
The coconut is full of anti-viral and anti-microbial properties. This nutrient-rich seed provides fiber, Vitamin B6, iron, and minerals.
Grown in tropical areas, the coconut also brings to mind yummy tropical drinks like the pina colada. We can use coconut milk to make ice cream, sauces, and soups.
In 1998, the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community declared World Coconut Day to bring awareness to the powerful nutrients and versatility of this superfood.
Crack open a coconut! Learn all the ways to cook with this plentiful nut (um, seed…fruit…drupe). See how many ways you can use the coconut. Will be the oil as a lip balm? Or will you use the milk for a sauce? This versatile ingredient calls for experimentation and adventure.
Share your celebrations using #WorldCoconutDay on social media.
National Beach Day on August 30th celebrates all the sandy beaches across the nation. It also provides an opportunity to help keep those relaxing places clean, so we can continue to enjoy them long into the future.
As we live along the Gulf Coast of Florida this splendor has many spots along our coastlines. So when planning a vacation, weekend getaway, honeymoon, and any other reason you can think of come and enjoy our hidden Treasures. Featured image from visitpensacolabeach.com
Whether we spend time on beaches oceanside, at a lake or river, they provide recreation all summer long. Swimming, water sports, and sunbathing are just a few of the relaxing things that come to mind. We also enjoy playing Frisbee, volleyball and long walks. Floating along in the surf on a hot summer day with friends creates summer memories we remember for years to come.
Sometimes, just packing a few icy beverages and a good book is enough to make a beach day perfect. However, we are responsible for caring for the beach, too. Not only should we pack out what we pack in, but it’s necessary to follow the beach rules, also. Safety and fun go hand in hand.
NATIONAL BEACH DAY HISTORY
In 1929, the Knights of Columbus out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin launched a National Beach Day as part of their convention plans. However, it never took root.
Then in 2014, Colleen Paige, pet and family lifestyle expert, created National Beach Day to celebrate beaches and the importance of keeping them clean.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalBeachDay
When it comes to swimming at the beach, the American Red Cross provides excellent tips.
1. Swim with a lifeguard present and only in designated areas. 2. Go with a buddy. Never swim alone. 3. Watch for currents, moving water, and riptides. These occur in oceans, lakes, and rivers. 4. Swim within your depth. Don’t swim longer than you are physically capable of doing. 5. Take swimming lessons. 6. Learn CPR.
Organize a group to clean up your favorite beach. Since it’s near the end of the season, your beach will appreciate it. Find out what the facility needs. Take up donations for supplies to keep the beach even cleaner next year. Donate garbage and recycling cans for your beach. Attend a seminar on water pollution and how to prevent it.
Share pictures of your favorite beach while enjoying the last days of summer!
We celebrate National Passion Fruit Day each year on August 9. Join us today as we celebrate the delightful sweet and tangy flavor of the tropical fruit known as passion fruit. We also want to promote and honor the hard working farmers and growers that provide passion fruit to consumers in the United States.
Passion fruit is a tropical fruit belonging to the Passifloraceae family, which is a combination of flowering plants that has over 750 species. Passion fruit is native to South America, specifically in regions of Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. The fruit grows abundantly in South America because of the tropical climate, where warm temperatures and rainfall attribute to the abundant growth of the fruit. South America has extremely fertile soil, which provides essential nutrients that promote healthy growth. Interestingly, pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds also contribute to the successful growth of passionfruit in the region. However, passion fruit does grow in other parts of the world, including central America, Africa, Australia, and even Hawaii.
A Story About Passion Fruit
There is a legend in Hawaiian mythology about the goddess Pele, the deity of volcanoes and fire, and the passion fruit vine. According to the legend, Pele had a sister named Hi’iaka, who was a hula dancer and a healer. One day, Hi’iaka went on a journey to fetch Pele’s lover, Lohi’au, from a distant island. On her journey, Hi’iaka encountered many obstacles and temptations. During her travels, she came across a beautiful passion fruit vine laden with ripe, delicious fruits. She was drawn to the vine’s enchanting aroma and decided to take a short break to enjoy the fruits. However, this delay caused her mission to be prolonged, which angered Pele when she finally returned. To this day, it is said that Pele, in her jealousy and rage, turned the passion fruit vine into lava rocks and scattered them across the Hawaiian islands. The legend serves as a reminder of the importance of perseverance and staying focused on one’s goals, as even a brief distraction can lead to undesirable consequences. These legends add depth and cultural significance to the humble passion fruit, making it more than just a delightful tropical fruit. The stories tie the fruit to themes of sacrifice, love, and perseverance, adding a touch of mystique and wonder to its allure.
What is Passion Fruit? Passion fruit is a small, round or oval-shaped tropical fruit with big flavor. The outer portion of the fruit is either purple or yellow and has a wrinkly skin. Inside, you will find a jelly-like pulp with tons of little black seeds. Don’t worry, the black seeds are very edible! Purple passion fruit is more common and has a tarter flavor. Yellow passion fruit is larger than the purple fruit and is also sweeter.
Eating passion fruit provides high amounts of nutrients. For example, passion fruit contains vitamins C and A, calcium, and iron. All of which promote a healthy immune system, heart health, and assist with digestion.
The pulp of passion fruit can be used in juices, smoothies, salads, and even desserts. In fact, passion fruit is often used as a sauce and topping for a variety of dishes.
When Spanish missionaries named the passion fruit flower. When they first saw a passion fruit plant, they were amazed by the beautiful flowers and the way they appeared. To them, the flower structure was a symbolic element of the crucifixion of Christ, which included the crown of the thorn and the nails.
Passion fruit tastes best when it’s skin is slightly wrinkled. This means the inside is ripe and juicy. Eating passion fruit before the skin is wrinkly will result in the fruit tasting a bit tart or sour.
A passion fruit plant is a climbing vine that grows upwards extremely fast to get full sunlight. An average passion fruit plant can grow up to 20 feet high.
A PASSION FRUIT CELEBRATION
Passion fruit adds delicious flavor to a variety of food and drinks. You can add passion fruit and a little sweetener to a glass of ice water to create a refreshing summertime drink. If you enjoy homemade ice cream or sorbet, consider adding it to your recipe. Our favorite is passion fruit salad dressing. Simply add the pulp to your vinaigrette recipe and turn your salad into a tropical paradise for your taste buds.
Trying new food is always exciting. If you have never tried passion fruit, it’s time to visit your local fruit market or grocery store and pick a few up to sample.
Make National Passion Fruit Day a family celebration by hosting a tropical-themed party. Have platters of passion fruit and other various tropical fruits to eat, along with other foods native to tropical islands. Label each different platter so your guests know what you are eating.
We love to hear stories and see photos of people celebrating National Passion Fruit Day. Tag #NatinalPassionFruitDay on social media to share your photos, videos, and recipes with the world!
Each year on July 19th, people across the United States fill their glasses with a rum-based cocktail and toast to National Daiquiri Day. So, raise your glass and join all of the others in this celebration!
Daiquiri is a family of cocktails whose main ingredients are rum, citrus juice (typically lime), and sugar.
Tasting of sunshine and beaches, it might be hard to believe how the Daiquiri came to be. Back in 1898, men blasted away in the mines of a small community off the coast of Cuba during the Spanish-American War. One American engineer, Jennings Cox, supervised a mining operation located in a village named Daiquiri. Every day after work, Cox and his employees would gather at the Venus bar. Then one day, Cox mixed up Bacardi, lime, and sugar in a tall glass of ice. He named the new beverage after the Daiquiri mines, and the drink soon became a staple in Havana. Eventually, someone added shaved ice, and sometimes lemons or both lemons and limes were used.
In 1909, Admiral Lucius W. Johnson, a U.S. Navy medical officer, tried Cox’s drink and subsequently introduced it to the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C. The popularity of the Daiquiri then increased over the next few decades.
The Daiquiri was one of the favorite drinks of writer Ernest Hemingway and President John F. Kennedy.
While the Daiquiri is sometimes served frozen, combining it in a blender eliminates the need for manual pulverization. Commercial machines produce a daiquiri with a texture similar to a smoothie, and they come in a variety of flavors, too. Using a frozen limeade to create a daiquiri will provide the required texture, sweetness, and sourness all at the same time.
Gather your friends and mix up a few daiquiris. Make them blended or on the rocks. Frozen Peach, Strawberry,Pina Colada, or even a Mermaid, you’re sure to find a flavor you’ll love. Margarita, Mojito, and lots more. Enjoy them as a mocktail or find a recipe for a daiquiri flavored dessert. (Remember always to drink responsibly and never to drink and drive). Post on social media using #NationalDaiquiriDay.
July 10th recognizes a sweet, rum-based cocktail on National Pina Colada Day. Along with rum, a Pina Colada includes cream of coconut and pineapple juice and is usually served blended or shaken with ice.
Pina Colada means ‘strained pineapple,’ a reference to the freshly pressed and strained pineapple juice used in the drink.
While pineapple has been a part of the distillation history of rum, coconut didn’t show up until later. The first written reference to a pina colada was in 1922. However, two different claims to the invention of the pina colada in 1952 come from San Juan. Neither wavers from their story.
No matter who created the first creamy, sweet rum drink, it is forever infused with the ocean and beaches. The cocktail’s bright flavor suggests sunshine and vacation. Coconut alone makes us think of suntans while the pineapple’s freshness delivers a sparkling note of summer breezes.
The beverage isn’t the only way to celebrate either. The day is dedicated to all things pina colada. Whether we make a dessert or snack on pina colada jelly beans, everyone can join in the day.
Put on your sunglasses, kick back, and enjoy a sip or a taste. It’s the best way to celebrate.
Try a frozen popsicle treat or a pina colada cake. You do not have to be sitting on a beach or the deck of a cruise ship to celebrate this holiday. You can enjoy a nice tall, cool Pina Colada where ever you are! (Remember to drink responsibly and never drink and drive!) Use #NationalPinaColadaDay to share on social media.
