May 3 Garden Meditation Day

May 3rd is Garden Meditation Day, It is time to forget about everything else, take some time for yourself, relax and meditate. Provides the perfect opportunity to achieve inner peace while honoring the essential ties between people and the environment.

Participation in Garden Meditation Day can include sitting with quiet awareness in your garden or nearby park, or weeding, watering or planting in a focused, relaxed manner. Practiced with or without movement, meditation can quiet the mind and invite inner harmony, and gardening can make the world more lush, beautiful and livable.

It is time to forget about everything else, take some time for yourself, relax and meditate.

May 2 Melanoma Monday – First Monday in May

The first Monday of May is Nat’l Skin Self-Examination Day, also known as “Melanoma Monday.” On this day people are encouraged to examine their bodies for skin cancer and learn more about the detection and prevention of melanoma and other skin cancers.

In observance of Melanoma Monday, and in memory of my Uncle Budd, Chris and I performed skin self-examinations in front of our bathroom mirror this evening. To perform a thorough examination you need to strip down to nothing and examine all parts of your body — even under your arms, between your toes, and behind your ears — using a hand mirror when necessary.

There are five things to consider when looking over any moles you encounter during this task, called the ABCDEs of skin examination: Asymmetry (is one half of the mole different from the other?), Border (is it scalloped or poorly defined?), Color (does it vary from one area to another?), Diameter (is it bigger than 6mm?), and Evolving (does it look different than our other moles, or is it changing?). 

Founded by the American Academy of Dermatology, Melanoma Monday has been raising awareness since at least 1984. For more information on prevention and screening visit www.melanomamonday.org.

May 2 Truffle Day

 
It’s Truffle Day on May 2. According to legend, a man named Louis Dufour invented the chocolate truffle in Chambéry, France in 1895. The first recipes for chocolate truffles appeared in the 1920s. Today there are three main types—American, European, and Swiss. Each type of truffle has a slightly different twist, but they all include a creamy ganache filling and a topping like cocoa, coconut, or drizzled chocolate.

This chocolate confectionery is traditionally made with a chocolate ganache center coated in chocolate, icing, cocoa powder, chopped nuts or coconut. The truffle may be filled with other fillings such as cream, melted chocolate, caramel, nuts, fruit, nougat, fudge, toffee, mint, marshmallow or liqueur. 

Enjoy the following tried and true recipes.

Easy OREO Truffles

Easy Decadent Truffles

Basic Truffles

Chocolate Truffles

May 1 Loyalty Day

 

Loyalty Day is observed annually on May 1. It is a special day for people to reaffirm their loyalty to the United States and to recognize the heritage of American freedom. The President of the U.S. issues a proclamation annually on May 1 as part of celebratory activities of Loyalty Day.

First observed in 1921 as “Americanization Day,” this holiday was intended to counterbalance the Communist celebration of Labor Day on May Day. On July 18, 1958, it was made an official holiday by the U.S. Congress (Public Law 85-529). President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed May 1, 1959, the first official observance of Loyalty Day. This day has been recognized with an official proclamation every year, by every president, since its inception as a legal holiday in 1958. 

May 1 Chocolate Parfait Day

May 1 recognizes the food holiday National Chocolate Parfait Day. Parfait literally means “perfect” in French. Parfait is a French dessert developed in 1894. This dessert was made with sugar syrup, eggs and cream. However it evolved to a custard-base ice cream flavored with fruit puree.

Chocolate parfait, that we honor today, usually involves chocolate mousse of pudding layered with whipped cream, cookie crumbs, fruit or anything else that is delicious and goes well with chocolate. Chocolate parfait also can have a gelatin or yogurt base, and the rest of the dessert is built from there.

There are hundreds of parfait recipes. They are all perfect for breakfast or dessert. If you want to celebrate National Chocolate Parfait Day, you should try making a perfect dessert to share with your family or friends.

 

April 30 Raisin Day

Raisin Day is observed annually on April 30th. Raisins are low in fat and contain important nutrients like iron, copper, calcium, and antioxidants, potassium, fiber and vitamin B. Chocolate covered raisins have been popular with moviegoers for many, many years and they continue to be. They are also a popular bulk vending item across the country.

The Blumenthal Chocolate Company introduced the Raisinets to the United States in 1927 and then in 1984, the brand was acquired by Nestle. In some countries, chocolate covered raisins are known as Raisinets. Raisinets were the earliest and one of the most popular brands of the product. Currently made by Nestle, they are the third largest selling candy in United States history. 

Try one of the following recipes:

Raisin-oni (Chocolate Raisin Clusters)

Easy Chocolate-Covered Raisins (Crock-Pot)

March 30 Oatmeal Cookie Day

Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day is observed annually on March 30th. Originating in England, Oatmeal cookies have been around since the late 1800s. There are many different recipes for the lacy oatmeal cookies. They can be made with a variety of oats, such as old fashioned oats, quick cooking oats, and oat bran or oat flour. For a healthier cookie, add finely chopped or ground fruits or nuts and use a sugar substitute.

It wasn’t until the early 1900s that oatmeal became a major ingredient in the American diet. Soldiers used to carry oatcakes with them for a quick boost of energy during battle. Most research has found that the first recorded oatmeal raisin cookie recipe was written by Fannie Merritt Farmer in 1896. Considered as a “health food,” the cookies quickly became popular, and by early 1900s, a recipe for the delicious treats appeared on containers of Quaker Oats.

Enjoy this delicious recipe: Lacy Oatmeal Cookies recipe. 

April 29 Zipper Day

Zipper Day is traditionally celebrated on April 29.From handbags and jackets to trousers and boots, it really is impossible to imagine life without zippers.t was first in 1851 that Elias Howe, the inventor of the sewing machine, received a patent for an “Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure”. Howe did not market it and missed the recognition he may have received for his invention.

On that date in 1913, Swedish-American scientist and inventor Gideon Sundback received a patent for a curious contraption he called “hookless fastener”. Although similar inventions had been around since the 1850s, his version is widely accepted as the first modern zipper.

You can find the world’s longest zipper at the hotel in Fort Lauderdale’s Executive Airport. The zipper measures 6,000 feet long. The name of the hotel’s nightclub is “Zippers”.

Hairball Awareness Day – Last Friday in April

Hairball Awareness Day is celebrated annually on the last Friday in April. This day is listed as one of the Pet Health Awareness Events of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The formation of hairballs is a common feline condition that is brought on by self-grooming and the associated ingestion of hair. You have to learn about things you can do to prevent your cat from developing hairballs.

For more information Visit http://www.hillspet.com/our-company/national-hairball-awareness-day.html

April 28 Great Poetry Reading Day

Great Poetry Reading Day is observed on April 28. It celebrates great poetry and the great poets who write them. Poetry may predate literacy. Epic poetry appears to have been composed in poetic form to aid memorization and oral transmission in prehistoric and ancient societies. It is directly from folk songs that other forms of poetry developed.

There are different forms of poetry including: Sonnet, Shi, Villanelle, Tanka, Haiku, Ode, and Ghazal. As well as different genres including: Narrative poetry, Epic poetry, Dramatic poetry, satirical poetry, Lyric poetry, Elegy, Verse fable, Prose poetry and Speculative poetry.

Poetry is an impressive and beautiful type of literary work. Celebrate today by reading some great poetry, throw a poetry reading party, or try writing a poem of your own. 

April 28 Blueberry Pie Day

Blueberry Pie Day is observed each year on April 28. Blueberries, or star berries as the Native Americans called them, are one of nature’s super foods. The humble blueberry is one of few blue foods, found in nature, and it is native to the Americas. The chemicals found in blueberries may contribute to fighting diseases and preventing against certain cancers. Rich in antioxidants and vitamins.

Blueberry pie is one of the most popular pie flavors in the United States. Maine produces more blueberries than any other state 25% more. Blueberry season begins in May and ends in the late summer, so blueberry pie is a perennial favorite at Fourth of July celebrations.

Blueberry Pie recipe.

April 27 Prime Rib Day

 
Prime Rib Day is celebrated annually on April 27. Today is Prime Rib Day. Sometimes known as the “King of Meats”, Prime Rib is a choice beef cut from one of the eight primal cuts of beef. A rubbed-on seasoned and then slow roasted prime rib will give you a deliciously tender, tasty main course.

Prime rib is a delicious cut of beef that is usually roasted and served as the main course of a meal. Real prime rib is graded USDA Prime, and can be quite difficult to obtain. Other grades of meat in the United States are Choice, Select, Cutter, and Canner. The best type of meat to use for prime rib is Prime, but Choice meat will work as well. 

Here is a Prime Rib recipe for you to enjoy.

April 27 Tell a Story Day

Tell a Story Day is celebrated on April 27. In the U.S., This is a day that was created for people to get together to tell stories of all kinds. Libraries celebrate this day with storytelling hours for kids. Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images, and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation, and to instill moral values.

Telling stories of past generations is a good way to carry on traditions within one’s family as well as being interesting and educational. Some of the very best stories are ones that are told of about past experiences and adventures.

We encourage you to tell your stories and even share them on social media.