January 12 - Creativity Month

Pretty sure I used up all my creativity getting ready for Christmas. Until I get my mojo back, here's a pic of one corner of the crafty area in our house.

January 3 - Financial Wellness Month

I couldn't find any official proclaimation naming January as Financial Wellness Month. Just like the first week of January is Resolutions Week simply because everyone is talking about and trying to keep their resolutions, I suppose this month is Financial Wellness Month simply because most people are using the clean slate of a new year trying to achieve that goal.

For many reasons, we, like a large number of other Americans, are having trouble in the financial department. Some of the reasons were unavoidable, others were not. We have been blessed to be surrounded by people who care about and look out for us - family, friends, bosses, and total strangers. With their help, we managed to make it through last year and even feel optimistic about the new one.

Our complete financial wellness will not occur by the end of January. It will likely not happen by the end of the year. But maybe we can change a few habits this month that might make even a small difference in improving our situation.

November 14 - Peanut Butter Lovers Month

November is Peanut Butter Lovers' Month

I never did get around to making that peanut butter dessert recipe I posted last November. So while I procrastinate on that, why don't you try my recipe for Triple Threat Peanutty Cookies.

1 box (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c vegetable oil
½ c peanut butter
1 c peanuts, chopped
¾ c peanut butter chips
½ c sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Stir cake mix, eggs, oil, and peanut butter in large bowl until batter forms. Stir in chopped peanuts and peanut butter chips.

Using heaping tablespoon of batter, roll cookie dough into 1 ½ to 2 inch balls. Dip half of each cookie in sugar, then place sugar side up on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, until cracked and lightly browned. Let cool 3 minutes on pan on wire rack. Transfer to rack to cool completely. Serve or store in airtight container up to 1 week. (Not that you'll have any left by then.)

November 12 - Family Stories Month

November is Family Stories Month

I could not find an official site for this observance, nor could I find who had created it. Regardless, I still think it is a fantastic idea, and one that I can really get geeked about. Additionally, the holidays are the best time to try to collect family stories, as you often see them more this time of year.

I am a huge history buff and I love to hear stories about my family. My grandparents are all gone and most of their siblings as well. While I still have my parents, I want to know as much about my family as possible. Recently, I've been creating my family tree on Ancestry, but I don't really get any stories this way, mostly facts.

There are many ways to collect your family's stories, but you need to focus on the best way to get the stories from your family. Some people will find that story telling comes naturally, but others you will need to prompt. My mother always says that she doesn't have any stories, or that she can't think of any. All I need to do is simply ask her a question or two, then sit back and listen as she talks and talks. I tease her about it and say, "I thought you didn't have any stories!" She has them, she just needs a prompt or two.

Prompts can be as simple as, "What was your childhood like" or more specific, like "How old were you when you got your first job?" This site has some great questions to ask your relatives, or even to answer yourself! (November is also National Life Writing Month.)

One year, my family wrote down memories on little slips of paper. We put them in a jar, and pull them out at holidays, or when we are all at home. They don't have to be holiday specific, just funny or warm little things you don't want to forget!

Enjoy Family Stories Month, and let me know if you have any good ones! I love to hear family stories, even if they aren't about my family!

November 7 - Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month

November is Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month

At first glance, it seems as if it would be easy to avoid food items containing gluten. At second glance, you will find that gluten is in many, many food items you would not even imagine would have wheat (or rye or barley) in it. Twizzlers. Salad dressing.

People with celiac disease (celiac sprue) are put on a non-gluten diet. Some patients with other gastrointestinal diseases can benefit from that diet as well. A good number of autistic children are thought to benefit from a gluten-free diet.

I don't have a good deal of personal knowledge of being on a gluten-free diet. However, I have a friend who must be on one because of celiac disease. I know it is very difficult for her, especially if she is craving pasta or bread!

Throughout the month, I will try to find some interesting/useful sites for you to check out to learn more about the gluten-free diet. Here are two to get you started:

The Gluten-Free Girl has a great deal of recipes for you to check out. Thursday's post has some gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes and tips.

Glutenfreeda claims to have the largest collection of gluten-free recipes. Though I have not tried any of the recipes from this site, they look like gourmet food!

June 5 - Candy Month

June is Candy Month. If I were in charge, I probably would have made October the designated month of candy, but that's just me. I'm not in charge. Anyhow, I just finished reading Candy Freak by Steve Almond. In his book, Almond discusses the beloved candy of his youth, and it made me nostalgic as well.

I remember eating candy with my friend Kate. We would pretend that Tic Tacs were medicine we needed to do adventurous things. (What? I was five.) We would sit under the tree in my front yard and eat Now and Laters, Lik-m-Aid, Bottle Caps...mmm.

I remember Nana would give me Skittles. (Nana gave me everything I ever wanted. Including a Lite Brite, for which I am eternally grateful.) I would eat each bag of Skittles differently. Sometimes I would eat them color by color, usually starting with lime first; it was my least favorite flavor. Sometimes I would shove the contents of one bag in my mouth and see how long it took me to chew it all up. And once in a while, I'd just eat one or two at a time, however they fell out of the bag.

In Candy Freak, Almond also goes into great detail about the candy he remembers but is no longer manufactured. Perhaps I'm just too young, but I can't think of any candy that has disappeared on me. Do you have any long lost favorites?

May 29 - Medical Maladies

Looks like the end of May is a little slim in the holiday department. I guess we used up all our celebrating on Memorial Day. So, today I compiled a list of the medical problems we are supposed to become more aware of this month. Try not to get too worried.

National Allergy & Asthma Awareness Month

ALS Awareness Month
ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. You may know it better about Lou Gehrig's Disease. Suggested reading: Luckiest Man by Jonathan Eig

Arthritis Awareness Month

Better Hearing & Speech Month

Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month

National Brain Tumor Awareness Month
Best wishes go out to Ted Kennedy and his family.

Healthy Vision Month
The focus of Healthy Vision Month 2008 is to increase the use of protective eye wear in recreational activities and hazardous situations around the home.

Hepatitis Awareness Month

Huntington's Disease Awareness Month
Huntington's Disease is an inherited neurological brain disorder; it leads to severe incapacitation. Right now, there is no cure for HD.

Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Mental Health Month

Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month
Neurofibromatosis encompasses a set of distinct genetic disorders that cause tumors to grow along various types of nerves and, in addition, can affect the development of non-nervous tissues such as bones and skin. NF causes tumors to grow anywhere on or in the body.

Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month

Physical Fitness and Sports Month

National Smile Month (May 18-June 17)

National Stroke Awareness Month

May 10 - Food Celebrations for May

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. It is also Eat What You Want Day. So treat Mom to lunch and let her eat whatever she wants (health permitting, of course!).

May is National Salad Month. Unfortunately, I like to eat un-healthy salads. My favorite salad is something I call “Fried Chicken Salad.” I put some lettuce in a bowl. I add some cut up pieces of fried chicken (or baked, breaded chicken), shredded cheese, cut up hard boiled egg, sunflower seeds, and croutons, with a honey-mustard dressing.

Coincidentally, (is it really?) May is also National Vinegar Month. Make an oil and vinegar dressing for your salad! One of my favorite flavorings to cook with is balsamic vinegar. Along with oil, salt, and pepper, balsamic vinegar makes a great dressing or marinade. I like to marinate chicken with it, then broil or grill it. Yum.

Another salad-related celebration is Sweet Vidalia Onions Month. These onions are only grown in certain parts of Georgia, and they are harvested from late April through mid-June. You can find some more recipes here.

May is National Egg Month. In culinary school, I learned that a chef’s hat has 100 pleats in it. Supposedly, these represent the 100 ways any chef worth his sea salt should be able to cook eggs.

Searching online, I was unable to find an official, definitive list of the 100 ways, but here is a cookbook from 1892. It lists 100 ways to cook eggs, along with 100 ways to cook fish and also 100 desserts.

Since May is the month when most of the US starts to really have great outdoor cooking weather, I think it is appropriate that May is National Barbecue Month.

To me, barbecue (or barbeque, or bar-b-q....) is synonymous with grilling. I’m sure there are barbecue purists out there who will be happy to disagree. Personally, I don’t like barbecue sauce, although I love grilled food. There is nothing better than a slightly charred hot dog, bratwurst or polish sausage. Mmm…crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. May is also National Hamburger Month. So throw a burger on that grill while you’re at it!

Monday is National Nutty Fudge Day. It also happens to be Limerick Day. If you can’t have nutty fudge, write a limerick about it instead.

The 15^th is National Chocolate Chip Day. I say have some chocolate chip cookies. Or you could add chocolate chips to some trail mix to celebrate.

May 16^th is National Pizza Party Day. If you can’t get your boss to sponsor a pizza party, then have your own. Order pizza in for dinner, or, better yet, make your own at home. Trust me, it’s easy.

On the 23^rd, we’ll be celebrating National Taffy Day. While I enjoy saltwater taffy, I’m not really sure why it needs its own holiday. If you can’t get your hands on saltwater taffy, pick up some Laffy Taffy at the grocery or drug store. Or, if you are feeling enterprising, you can make some yourself.

Today is also:
Astronomy Day
Birthmother's Day
National Train Day
Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
World Fair Trade Day
World Lupus Day
World Migratory Bird Day

March 16 - National Craft Month

March is National Craft Month
Official Sponsor

Un-official song: She's Crafty!

When I was young, I used to think it was dorky that my mom enjoyed arts & crafts. Now that I’m older, I think that arts & crafts are fun. Then again, I am a dork.

I enjoy many different crafts, and crafting in general, but my favorite hobbies are painting and crochet. Currently I trying to teach myself how to knit and hope to soon pick up on sewing. I am using Craft Month to finish up some projects that got set aside. One thing I like about my hobbies is that I can do them while watching television. This keeps me from eating while I watch television.

If you are one of those who still think that crafts are dorky, you need to check out Craftster, stat! On Craftster, you will find some of the most talented people sharing their projects and ideas. It ain’t yo momma’s crafts.

If you’re like me and Jo-Ann Fabrics or Michaels is one of your favorite stores, you may already have a favorite crafting site online. If you haven’t already, you need to check out Craft magazine and Anticraft.

Don't forget to look online for how-to videos. When I began knitting, I turned to YouTube for beginner lessons.

My favorite crochet website
My favorite cross stitch website
Amazing embroidery patterns
Best craft fair ever

Here is a sweater I crocheted for myself last year:

March 14 - Optimism Month

March is Optimism Month

Those who know me will tell you I'm no Pollyanna or Miss Mary Sunshine.

I think I've always fallen in the middle of the Optimism/Pessimism Scale. I feel that I do tend slightly to optimism and faith in the basic goodness of others. (Stop laughing. I said slightly.) While I tend to be a "glass is half-full" kind of gal, I do need help seeing the silver lining when things go sour. (How many mixed metaphors can I fit in to one sentence?) Prior to composing this post, I took a few (very un-scientific) personality tests, and the results seemed to bear this theory out.

My optimism can come and go, depending on who I'm with and how optimistic they are. My boyfriend can help me see the brighter side when things don't go my way. (Far more often than I would like.) Even though I love my job, I often fall into the rut of longing for Friday to come. Sometimes I feel like I am just wishing away my life by hoping Friday will come faster. When I’m with friends at work who are being negative about the work day (This day is too long! When will it be Friday? When do we get a day off?) I tend to fall in with them and it makes my day longer/worse than I was really experiencing. Lately, especially since planning this post, I've been trying to help them be more positive.

----------

Fake it till ya make it.

I have a friend who says that all the time. While it may not hold true (or advisable) for all situations, it does work for optimism. Often, I have to make myself see things positively, make myself smile, and make myself have a good attitude. And, more often than not, I end up actually feeling better.

Now, just because I am feeling particularly dorky, here are some optimism quotes I've handpicked for you.

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

-Winston Churchill

"Between the optimist and the pessimist, the difference is droll. The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole!"

-Oscar Wilde

"An optimist will tell you the glass is half-full; the pessimist, half-empty; and the engineer will tell you the glass is twice the size it needs to be."

"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right."

"In the long run, the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip."
-Daniel L. Reardon

January 7 - Book Blitz Month

January - Book Blitz Month

I couldn't find any information online about this observance. It seems I saw somewhere that the "blitz" is when authors go on tour to support their books. But I can't find the link I had for that.

So I decided to make Book Blitz Month my own. I cashed in my Amazon.com gift card and ordered a whole load of books. They are starting to arrive this week, so I will be immersed in one of the best things around - NEW BOOKS! Whee! When I get through those I'll hit up the local library. I've been in this area a year now, but still haven't made it over! I can't believe I've put it off so long.


Happy reading!

December 14 - National Tie Month

December - National Tie Month

So it's National Tie Month. I wonder if that is why so many dads get ties for holiday gifts. Or maybe it's National Tie Month because dads get so many ties.

Check out some tie-related videos:
The Rad History of Ties
A Pub Owner Who Collects Ties

December 13 - National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month

December - National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month

Elves don't let elves drive drunk.

But seriously. Please be careful and safe this holiday season and throughout the New Year.

December 10 - Learn a Foreign Language Month

December - Learn a Foreign Language Month

In case you aren't busy with all the holiday hoopla, why don't you take some time to learn a foreign language this month? If you started to learn Chinese last month, why not keep going? Or you could try another language. You could try to learn how to say, "Where is the bathroom?" in all the major languages of the world. This month, I'll be busy in the kitchen baking cookies, where I can listen to language podcasts while I work.

Have fun!

November 28 - National Georgia Pecan Month

November is National Georgia Pecan Month

I made you a pecan pie today but I eated it. I was going to take a picture of it for you; it was so beautiful and yummy. Unfortunately I ate it all before I thought about snapping a pic. I love love love pecan pie. Maybe tomorrow I'll make you another and take a picture before I dig in! Here is the best pecan pie recipe so you can have all the pecan pie magic to yourself.

November 27 - Vegan Month

November - Vegan Month

I spend a lot of time talking about food here on this blog. To be honest, I spend a lot of time talking (and thinking!) about food in all aspects of my life. When I saw Vegan Month looming on my calendar, I got a bit nervous. I was thinking about going vegan for one day, but I chickened out. Maybe I will try to do that soon.

Today I was looking at some vegan websites, wondering what on earth I would eat were I to actually go vegan (if only for a day). Here is the menu I came up with. Now it doesn't seem nutritionally balanced, so I couldn't eat this menu everyday, but these are the items I came up with on the fly:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal

Lunch:
bean burrito with soy cheese

Snack:
apple and peanut butter

Supper:
soy burger and salad

Dessert:
Tofutti Cuties

So I guess going vegan for a day or so wouldn't be that bad.

Now, I'm not against being vegan or vegetarian. I just like to eat meat and cheese. I personally have drastically cut back on eating red meat for health reasons. If I were to go to a vegetarian diet (I could not possibly give up real cheese forever) it would be for improving my health. I like animals, but I do not have that tender heart required to truly care about all animals' welfare. Call me cold-hearted, call me hypocritical, but do not call me late for a steak dinner.

November 26 - National Pomegranate Month

November - National Pomegranate Month

This trendy little funky fruit deserves its own month. Check out the recipe here. It is a Persian recipe. I adapted it a bit to use leftover turkey instead of cooking more chicken and having additional leftovers. YUM! The pomegranate stew tastes quite a bit like cranberry, so with the turkey, it was Thanksgiving leftover heaven.

For those who have still not tried this wonder fruit, you can buy POM pomegranate juice at just about any grocery store. You could also purchase fresh pomegranates. They can be a bit intimidating at first, but then it is almost fun! Score the skin and break apart. Over a bowl of water, separate all the little seeds (called arils). They will sink to the bottom and the rest will float. You can eat the seed whole or spit out the crunchy part. The crunchy part isn't bad at all; kind of like tiny pieces of unpopped popcorn.

November 9 - National Peanut Butter Lovers' Month

I love peanut butter, so this month is for me. Other than those with peanut allergies, is there anyone who doesn't like peanut butter?

I think that peanut butter's best day was the glorious day that someone put chocolate and peanut butter together. God bless you, whoever you are. That was truly a match made in heaven.

As much as I love peanut butter (I have an open jar on my desk with a spoon stuck in), I don't really have much to say about it. So I went digging and got some fun facts and links for you to digest.

From peanutbutter.com (Skippy's website):

• Did you know that Dr. George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter? Why is it that he is popularly credited for that creation?
• Jimmy Carter is the American President known as a peanut farmer, but did you know that Thomas Jefferson was also a peanut farmer?
• Nearly half of US peanuts are made into peanut butter.
• The largest PB&J sandwich was 40 feet long and was made with 150 pounds of peanut butter (and 50 pounds of jelly).
• Adults eat more peanut butter than children do.
• East coast residents prefer smooth peanut butter, while people who live on the west coast prefer chunky.
• And almost everyone puts peanut butter on first when making a PB&J.
  

More links:
Peanut Butter Lovers tells us how peanut butter is made.

Reese's has a Peanut Butter Lovers version of their famous Reese's peanut butter cup.

The Peanut Institute, of course.

I would like to add some of these to my Christmas list.

Don't know how to celebrate Peanut Butter Lovers' Month? Click here.

Still need more ideas on what do do with peanut butter? Here are some ideas.

And finally, this. I was going to make this to celebrate, but I was afraid I would eat it all.

November 7 - Learn Chinese Month

November is Learn Chinese Month. I would suggest heading on over to Chinesepod.com immediately.

I have never before been interested in Asian culture, going to Asia, or learning an Asian language. When I saw that November is Learn Chinese Month, I surprisingly challenged myself to attempt to learn some basic phrases. Almost every day this month (so far) I have been listening to the podcasts at Chinesepod.com, and attempting to learn a little bit.

I do not know any Chinese people, nor do I foresee any possible need to know Chinese. But I considered this a growing experience and who knows – it may come in handy some day.

So far I can say “Hello, how are you? I’m fine, and you? I’m fine, thank you.” I’d at least like to be able to say please, thank you, where is the bathroom, etc. If I remember, later this month I will update you on my progress.

November 4 - Food Celebrations

When you think about November, you think about Thanksgiving. Which means you think about a huge turkey dinner. Well, I do, anyway.

But surprisingly enough, November is NOT National Turkey Month. Officially, at any rate. It is however, National Georgia Pecan Month, which makes sense, as lots of folks serve pecan pie with Thanksgiving dinner. It’s also National Peanut Butter Lovers’ Month, National Pomegranate Month, and Vegan Month. I don’t usually associate peanut butter or pomegranates with Thanksgiving, and I would have a hard time figuring out what to serve at a vegan Thanksgiving dinner. Tofurky, I suppose. But no gravy or jello salad.

November 21 is National Pumpkin Pie Day, in case you can’t wait for T-day to chow down on some pie. The 23^rd is Sinkie Day, which means that you stand over the kitchen sink and eat the leftovers from Thursday. It’s also Flossing Day, which is good, because stringy turkey can get stuck between your teeth. Sometimes I fall asleep before I get a chance to brush and floss.

Other foods celebrated this month are figs (Nat’l Fig Week, Nov. 1-7), sandwiches (Nov. 3), bittersweet chocolate with almonds (getting a little too specific for me, Nov. 7), and homemade bread (Nov. 17). National Bundt Pan Day is Nov. 15, but I think you are meant to celebrate the pan itself, not what comes out of it.

Women, on November 1*, make your man cook dinner. It is, after all, National Men Make Dinner Day. On the 8^th, cook something (or make a man do it) bold and pungent, to celebrate Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day. Let’s dare to be different, folks.

*OK, OK, I know we’ve passed the first already; mark your calendar for next year.