Happy National Chocolate Wafer Day!

Wafer goodness

So it’s national chocolate wafer day….again.  Seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Anisette.  Oh wait, we were – yes it was national anisette day yesterday.  I know, if I’m not going to blog every day how will you know what to celebrate?  Sorry.

Well enough of that.  The chocolate wafer.  Not the thin ones, the wide ones.  As a kid I can remember always wanting my mom to buy these.  Not so much to have them as a cookie, but to have them so I could use them how God intended them to be used….an ice cream sandwich!  I would cut out rectangular pieces of vanilla ice cream and slap it between two of these crispy, chocolaty cookies and enjoy summer with each bite.  This was great until my sister discovered my secret and then I had to share them with her.

So go out and celebrate the day.  Dunk them in milk, munch one with coffee, or do what I do and smoosh a chunk of ice cream between two wafers and eat up.  Just don’t let anyone see you or you might have to share your treat with them.  Enjoy!

National Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day

Salad Ice Cream

And I thought a local restaurants sweet corn ice cream was strange.  After looking over some of the offerings found on the internet sweet corn seems as normal as vanilla.  Salad, charcoal, squid, cheese risotto, shark fin noodle and the list goes on.  Personally, I would have thought that these were all developed on a dare, but you can find them and the companies that make them on the web.  So if you are adventurous there are many strange and creative ways to celebrate today …. as for me think I’ll stick to chunky monkey.

National Almond Butter Crunch Day

Sticky, buttery, nutty, crunchy, candy. . . . what else do I need to say?  Happy almond butter crunch day!  Enjoy!

Why is it National Tapioca Day?

I don’t like tapioca pudding, but the rest of my family does.  So I am a minority in this avenue of life.  I do like to use tapioca as a starch (thickener) when cooking.  It provides a gelatinus consistancey that I like.

Tapioca!

I am taking the high ground on this date by supplying my family with the dessert they like

What I Like Most About My Job

I like that everyone at work thinks that the job is harder than it really is. Most of my co-workers run around in a panic. I come from a background where we were really under pressure (strict due dates, project timelines, etc.) so this is a piece of cake. Sometimes I want to tell them to just chill!!!!!!!! This is no brain work!

Homer would be proud – the donut was born on this day in 1847!

Cinnamon Sugar Cake Donuts

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

1/4 C Melted butter

1 C Whole milk

1 C Granulated sugar

4 t Baking powder

1 1/2 t Salt

1/2 t Ground nutmeg

4 C Cake flour

3/4 C Granulated sugar

1 T Ground cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Stir together the sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
2. Add the milk, eggs and butter and beat until well combined.
3. Add 3 C of flour and beat well.  Add the remaining cup of flour and beat.  The dough will be soft and sticky.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
5. Heat at least 2″ of oil in a Dutch oven or other fry kettle to 360⁰ F.
6. Place half of the chilled dough onto a floured surface and roll to 1/2″ thickness.  Cut out the donuts and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Combine scraps and roll to 1/2″ thick and cut more donuts.  Repeat with the remaining dough.
7. Fry the donuts a few at a time – do not crowd the kettle.  Gently slide the donuts into the hot oil, turning them over as they rise to the top.  turn the donuts a few times while cooking so that they brown evenly – about 2 – 3 minutes.
8. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
9. While the donuts are still warm toss them with the cinnamon and sugar.

Dr. Pepper Turns 125!

Congratulations!

My wife love Dr. pepper, I could take it or leave it.  I also found some conflicting information about this beverage.  Some information indicates that it was first sold in 1857 and other sources (including the Dr. Pepper website) state that it was in the 1880′s.  Don’t really care which is correct.

How Boring!

Hey folks what a boring day today.  Get this…it’s national vanilla milkshake day and national plain yogurt day.  Argh!  I guess they had to have a day some time.  And I guess that having them on the same day keeps either from being overpowered by some other more interesting day.  Could you imagine if today was also National rocky road ice cream and plain yogurt day?  No one would send a card to the plain yogurt folks.  At least you can put some toppings on the milkshake or stir some other ingredients into the plain yogurt (i was thinking cucumber, onion, garlic, mint with sliced lamb.)

Well anyway, here’s to the vanilla milkshake and plain yogurt folks.  Have a good day, but don’t get too excited.  Would not want anyone to slip and drop some chocolate and bananas into that vanilla milkshake.  ;-)  Enjoy!

Which one to choose?

Today three national days converge; Herbs & spices, Iced tea and the Black cow (root beer float). How to pick which day gets top billing?

Herbs & Spices. Love herbs and spices.  By changing the seasonings in a dish it can go from Italian, to Middle Eastern, to European, to South American, to Caribbean.  Whatever your mood tweaking the seasonings can transport you there for a meal.  Got to love something so simple and yet so dynamic!

Iced Tea. Such a plain thing but oh how refreshing.  Whether you sit solidly in the sweet tea came or wave the banner unsweetened you can agree that summertime means a cool glass of iced tea.  I’m a sweet tea person and really enjoy the variety of flavored teas that have flooded the market.  Recently my wife has turned me on to a pomegranate-blueberry iced tea.  Thanks honey!

Black Cows. My kids love then, and what’s not to love; vanilla ice cream and root beer and you’re set.  I think they like the foam that forms when you pour the root beer over the ice cream best.  Every spoonful makes their smiles broader and their eyes sparkle.  Some say that in 1893, Frank Wisner of Cripple Creek, Colorado, got the idea to float a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a glass of root beer.  The close proximity of Cow Mountain gave this tasty treat its name and its popularity among children assured it a place at every summer gathering.  I’m declaring Black Cows the winner for the simple fact that there is more information on the web about this day than the others.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie so fitting – it’s national strawberry rhubarb day!

Ingredients:

1 9″ double crust (Pillsbury frozen pie crust works fine)

2 C Fresh strawberries

4 C Fresh, young rhubarb, sliced (don’t peel it!)

1 1/3 G Granulated sugar

6 T AP flour

1/4 t Ground ginger

1 Egg white, beaten

1 1/2 T Butter

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 425⁰ F.
2. Line a 9″ pie plate with one crust.
3. Wash and hull the strawberries and cut them in half.
4. In a large bowl combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, flour and ginger then let it rest for 15 minutes.
5. Brush the inside of the bottom crust with the egg white.  Pour filling into the pie crust and dot with butter.
6. Moisten the rim of the bottom pie crust with water and cover with the top crust and crimp to seal.  Cut a couple of 1″slits in the top crust to keep it from breaking while it bakes.
7. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
8. Lower the temperature to 400⁰ F and continue baking until the crust is golden brown (roughly 40 minutes).
9. You can keep the crust from browning too much by covering them with strips of aluminum foil.
10. Remove from the oven when done and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.
11. My family likes it served with rich vanilla ice cream