Today is...

National Macaroon Day

It’s National Macaroon Day! Macaroons are small unleavened cakes with a crispy outer layer and a moist, chewy center. Although they are the same size as cookies, macaroons do not contain any flour and therefore do not fall into that classification. The most popular macaroon varieties are coconut, almond, and chocolate.

Culinary historians believe that macaroons originated in Italy. In fact, the word “macaroon” comes from the Italian word for paste: “maccarone.” A key ingredient in early macaroon recipes was almond paste. In 1533, Italian monks and nuns brought macaroons to France. Two Benedictine nuns, Sister Marguerite and Sister Marie-Elisabeth, baked and sold the tiny cakes in order to pay for their housing. They became known as the “Macaroon Sisters” and their baking became famous throughout Europe.

To celebrate National Macaroon Day, buy some delicious macaroons or bake a homemade batch to share with friends and coworkers!

May is National Bike Month & National Strawberry Month & National Hamburger Month

mages and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for May 31  1870 - E.J. DeSemdt patented asphalt. 1909 - The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) held its first conference. 1955 - The U.S. Supreme Court ordered that all states must end racial segregation "with all deliberate speed." 1969 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono recorded "Give Peace a Chance." 1977 - The trans-Alaska oil pipeline was finished after 3 years of construction. 1999 - VH1's "Behind the Music" began airing nightly. The premiere show was "The Red Hot Chili Peppers _________________________________________________________ "It is good to dream, but it is better to dream and work. Faith is mighty, but action with faith is mightier. Desiring is good, but work and desire are invincible." --Thomas Robert Gaines