June 18 - Splurge Day

June 18 - National Splurge Day


All right. This is the kind of holiday I like to see. Today I'm splurging by actually eating food from a restaurant tonight! Gas prices (heck, ALL prices) being what they are, my man and I do not often eat out anymore. But tonight I didn't want to cook (too hot) and since it's Splurge day....we decided to treat ourselves. We're not going overboard. We'll probably just get Panda Express or something. But hey, when you don't go out to eat more than once or twice a month, Panda Express is better than cooking chicken again.

Splurging is fun. (It's even fun to say. Splurging. Ha.) When I splurge, it is often on books, clothes or food. What do you like to splurge on?

June 17 - Eat Your Vegetables Day

June 17 - Eat Your Vegetables Day

Yesterday was Fresh Veggies Day, and you have to eat more veggies today! These can be canned or frozen, although you get the most nutrition out of fresh vegetables. Your mother was right...you need to eat vegetables to be strong and healthy!

Today you should think up some ways to add more vegetables to your diet and, more importantly, implement these ideas! Or consider becoming a vegetarian. If you feel that cutting out all meat is too outrageous for you, try being vegetarian one day a week. You may find that its easier than you think.

Supposedly it is also Stewart's Root Beer Day, but I could not find anything about this online. I personally prefer Stewart's Orange 'n Cream. If you cannot find Stewart's in a store near you, I pity you.



Today is also:
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

June 16 - Fudge Day

June 16 - Fudge Day

FUDGE!

It may be a little warm for fudge where you are, but I'll pass 0n my peanut butter fudge recipe anyway. It'll be about 90F here, but still, I think I'll make some. It keeps well in the fridge.

For those who don't like (or are allergic to) peanut butter, try looking for a no-fail fudge recipe. I was going to give you my mother's no-fail fudge recipe, but I can't find it. If you Google it I'm sure you can find something suitable.

FYI: It is also Fresh Veggies Day. It would be a good idea to eat extra veggies to make up for the fudge you will be eating.


Layered Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
12 oz. peanut butter chips
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c. butter
6 oz. chocolate chips

• In a large microwave-safe bowl, place peanut butter chips, one cup sweetened condensed milk and 2 tablespoons butter; cook on HIGH in microwave for one minute, then stir. If everything is not completely melted, cook another 15 seconds on HIGH and stir again.
• Spread mixture into wax paper lined 8-inch square pan.
  
• In another microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips, remaining sweetened condensed milk and remaining butter. Melt as before.
  
• Spread chocolate mixture on top of peanut butter mixture. Chill for 2 hours or until firm.
• Turn fudge onto cutting board, peel off waxed paper and cut into squares. Tightly cover any leftovers.

Today is also:
Bloomsday

June 12 - Red Rose Day

Red Rose Day

June 12th is Red Rose Day. Give a loved one a red rose to celebrate. Today, I'll think about the first red rose I received from my man. It was a single, perfect, thornless, red rose. The day I received that rose? That was a good day.

Did you know that different color roses mean different things? That each flower has a meaning? You'd better think twice before you send your next bouquet.

June 11 - Kamehameha Day

Kamehameha Day

Let's face it. Any king who can unite the Hawaiian Islands and form alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers in order to preserve Hawaii's independence deserves a holiday.

Get lei'd in honor of King K today! You know, with a lei...made of flowers...get your mind out of the gutter!

Kamehameha Day
Kamehameha I

June 10 - Iced Tea Day

Today is Ball-point Pen Day! It is also Iced Tea Day. Drink some iced tea (sweet or not) while you write using a ball-point pen.

More on iced tea:
From Wikipedia
How to brew iced tea
History of iced tea and sweet tea

More on ball-point pens:
History of ball-point pens
How ball-point pens work

June 9 - Donald Duck Day

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" It's Donald Duck Day! On this day in 1934 he made his cartoon debut in "The Wise Little Hen."

June 9th is the official birthday of Donald Duck, but in The Three Caballeros (1944) his birthday is given as Friday the 13th. This makes sense when you consider his famous bad luck. In Donald's Happy Birthday (1949), his birthday is given as March 13.

More about Donald:

• According to a wartime short (Donald Gets Drafted, 1942) Donald's middle name is Fauntleroy.
• Originally voiced by Clarence "Ducky" Nash, Donald has been voiced by Tony Anselmo since 1985. Anselmo was trained by Nash for the role.
• Donald received several Oscar nominations, and won for "Der Fuhrer's Face" (1943).
  

Holiday Insights
Disney Character History
Toonopedia
Wikipedia
The Wise Little Hen cartoon
YouTube

June 8 - Sunday Grab Bag

Today is:

Best Friend Day
Name Your Poison Day
Orphans' Train Memorial Day (June 8-9)
Race Unity Day
Shavuot
Upsy-Daisy Day
Write to Your Father Day

June 7 - Chocolate Ice Cream Day

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

WOOHOO! It may not be summer yet where you live, but here in LA it is perfect ice cream weather! Even if you're just waiting for summer to arrive, grab a bowl or cone of chocolate ice cream.

Try making your own chocolate ice cream today - here's a recipe you can use even if you don't have an ice cream maker. A good addition to chocolate ice cream would be mini chocolate chips or chocolate shavings!

Is there anything better than chocolate ice cream? Yes - MORE chocolate ice cream!


Today is also:
Daniel Boone Day
National Trails Day

June 6 - National Yo-Yo Day

Happy Yo-yo Day!

I never really got the hang of the yo-yo. I could get it to go down, and maybe come back up once or twice, but that's pretty much it. Walking the Dog, Around the World...I ended up with a tangled mess every time.

Loads of info about yo-yos and National Yo-Yo Day here.
More on the history of the yo-yo.

Today is also:
National Donut Day (June 6-7)
D-Day
National Gardening Exercise Day

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?

June 4 - Applesauce Cake Day

UPDATE: 7pm
Cake is done! Here's a quick peek:


Applesauce Cake Day

Applesauce cake is an old-fashioned, homey sort of cake. If you don't have an old family recipe for this cake, you should be able to find one easily, either by searching online or through your basic cookbooks, such as Joy of Cooking, which is where my Applesauce Cake recipe will be coming from. I'll bake it tonight after work, and if we don't dig in too fast, I'll try to remember to take a picture to post for you.

Today is also:
Hug Your Cat Day
Old Maid's Day

June 3 - Chimborazo Day

So there's this mountain. OK, it's really a volcano. It's in Ecuador and it is 6268 meters tall. It's said to stick out the farthest into space than any other point on Earth. What's that? Mount Everest is taller, you say?

Yes, it is true, Mount Everest has an elevation of 8848 meters which technically makes it taller, but the earth's diameter at Chimborazo is greater than at Mount Everest.

Still doesn't make sense? That's OK; it seems a bit fuzzy to me as well.

I can't find any information on who started this holiday or why, but you learned something new today, didn't you! If you still want to know more, try this.

June 3rd is also:
Repeat Day
Repeat Day
Casey at the Bat Day (first published in the San Francisco Examiner on this day in 1888)
Jefferson Davis Day (his birthday)

June 2 - Bubba Rocky Road Office Fudge Cobra Day

Wow, I have some great holidays to pick from today! This makes up for the lack of quality celebrations last week.

National Bubba Day
Everyone knows a Bubba. Be nice to Bubba today. The poor guy deserves a break.

Leave the Office Earlier Day
Well I can't personally condone this observation. Nor do I plan on participating. But if you go in for this kind of thing, today is the day to do it. Here's how. If you can't participate, send an e-card to someone who deserves to leave early.

Rocky Road Day
This is an easy one to celebrate. After leaving the office early, pick up some rocky road ice cream on the way home. Get an extra one for Bubba. If you're feeling fancy, make it yourself. Add mini-marshmallows, chopped nuts and chocolate chunks to your ice cream. Feeling extra-fancy? Make it from scratch.

Yell "Fudge" at the Cobras in North America Day
Another wacky holiday from the folks over at Wellcat.
Apparently North American cobras do not like fudge. At noon, go outside and yell, "FUDGE!" at them. Just do it. Don't ask why.

June 1 - Flip a Coin Day

Flip a Coin Day

Can I just say, I love Wikipedia. Almost every time, I find what I am looking for. I went straight to Wikipedia right before I started writing about Flip a Coin Day. I didn't expect to find much, but figured I'd at least start there. I didn't realize that so much could be written about something so simple. I mean, if you had to explain coin tossing to someone from a third world country, I can't imagine it would be that difficult.

So explaining = easy. Actually flipping the coin? Not so much.

I think I have carpal tunnel syndrome now from trying to flip the darn coin. I sat in my living room and practiced flipping the coin for at least 15 minutes and only got a few satisfactory flips. Most of mine flopped off to one side or arched too far forward. I looked online for a tutorial on how to flip a coin. Ehow doesn't offer enough instruction, nor are there any pictures. I found a YouTube video of a kid that shows you how to flip a coin, but in order to be able to flip a coin well, you basically just have to keep practicing.

Here are my pointers:

• Keep your hand steady as possible.
  
• Only the tip of your thumb should move. The rest of your hand, especially your index finger, should remain still.
  
• Flick your thumb straight up as fast as possible.

Some people say it is better if you have a longer thumbnail, but I don't find that to be true. My SO has very very short thumb nails and he can flip a coin like no body's business. Well, at least he can do it better than I can. Maybe I should consider trimming my thumbnail.

I started out with a nickel but I find that a quarter is easier to flip. I would use a half dollar, but good luck trying to find any these days.

If you have trouble flipping a coin, but you need to resolve a matter, consider using one of the following online coin-flipping services:
Random.org
Flip-coin.com
Ken White's Coin Flipping Page
Flip a Coin

Today is also:
Dare Day
Pen Pal Day

May 31 - National Macaroon Day

Holiday Insights

I have no idea who made up this holiday, or why. Well, I know why - macaroons are YUMMY! I also have no idea if my macaroon recipe is "authentic." Even if it's not, I think I'll make some anyway:

Coconut Macaroons

3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 1/2 c. shredded coconut (sweetened is fine, but you may want to cut back on the granulated sugar)
2 egg whites (approximately 4 tablespoons or 2 ounces)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a spatula or your hands.
  
• Use a non-stick baking sheet, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Wet your hands and make small piles of the mixture, each 1-2 tablespoons, about an inch apart.
  
• Bake at 350F until light brown, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before eating.
• These keep well in a covered container for up to 3 days.
  

May 30 - Water a Flower Day

Holiday Insights

Although the official name of this holiday directs you to water a single flower, you should probably go ahead and water any plants you may have around the house. We don't want to discriminate against any kitchen herbs and dwarf citrus you may have sitting around the house.

Take the time today to make sure your plants are getting enough sun and think about adding some fertilizer. Also, you may want to wipe down any large leaves that may have collected dust, and prune back any dead parts or thorns.

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 28 - Grab Bag

Today is:

Amnesty International Day
National Senior Health and Fitness Day
Slugs Return from Capistrano Day


Enjoy!

May 27 - Sunscreen Protection Day

Sunscreen Protection Day

OK EVERYONE: you should know better by now. Always wear sunblock when you will be outside, even if it is cloudy out. You will get the worst burn of your life if you are on the beach on a cloudy day and skip the sunblock. Trust me; I speak from experience.

You should also make sure you wear sunscreen if you drive. Your left arm is several shades darker than your right? That should not happen. Twenty minutes before you hop in the car, slap on the sunblock and spare yourself the skin damage.

And for heaven's sake, stop tanning. Fake baking is JUST AS BAD as being out in the real sun.

Embrace your paleness. Buy a big floppy hat and cover up. Seriously, the teasing your friends will dish out is far better than SKIN CANCER.

Please. Be safe and cancer-free. Skin cancer is totally preventable.