Today is...

Brandy Alexander Day

It’s Brandy Alexander Day! Brandy Alexander is a tasty chocolate cocktail that became popular in the 1920s. Its predecessor was the gin-based Alexander cocktail, which was all but abandoned once the “Alexander #2” arrived on the scene.

According to legend, the first Brandy Alexander cocktail appeared at the wedding of Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles in London in 1922. It wasn’t long before the cocktail became a pop culture icon. You can find references to Brandy Alexander in countless movies, television shows, and songs. It was also John Lennon’s drink of choice, but he liked to refer to it as his “milkshake.”

To make a Brandy Alexander, combine 1½ oz brandy, 1½ oz crème de cacao, and 2 oz heavy cream or soy creamer. Shake vigorously in a shaker half-filled with ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with some delicious nutmeg and enjoy! Happy Brandy Alexander Day!

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

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

History for January 31 1865 - In America, Gen. Robert E. Lee was named general-in-chief of the Confederate armies. 1930 - U.S. Navy Lt. Ralph S. Barnaby became the first glider pilot to have his craft released from a dirigible, a large blimp, at Lakehurst, NJ. 1940 - The first Social Security check was issued by the U.S. Government. 1949 - The first TV daytime soap opera was broadcast from NBC's station in Chicago, IL. It was titled, "These Are My Children." 1971 - Astronauts, Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa, blasted off aboard Apollo 14 on a mission to the moon. 1982 - Sandy Duncan gave her final performance as "Peter Pan" in Los Angeles, CA. She completed 956 performances without missing a show. 1990 - McDonald's Corp. opened its first fast-food restaurant in Moscow.

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"The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide."

--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Today is...

National Croissant Day

It’s National Croissant Day! Although it is most likely just a myth, the history of the croissant is a colorful tale full of adventure. In 1683, the Turkish Empire laid siege on Vienna, Austria. The Turks made several attempts to enter the city by force, but were unsuccessful, so decided to dig an underground tunnel. The bakers of Vienna, who worked in the basement storerooms, heard the sound of digging and alerted the army.

The bakers received high honors and thanks for their assistance in outwitting the Turks. In celebration, they baked their bread in the shape of a crescent moon—the symbol of the Ottoman Empire. After the Turks were defeated, it became custom to serve morning coffee with the crescent-shaped pastry!

The legend goes on to say that over a hundred years later, Marie Antoinette (an Austrian Princess who married Louis XVI) introduced the pastry to the French who dubbed it a “croissant.” To celebrate National Croissant Day, warm up a delicious croissant and enjoy it with a generous helping of butter. Yum!

Today is also Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

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

History for January 301798 - The first brawl in the U.S. House of Representatives took place. Congressmen Matthew Lyon and Roger Griswold fought on the House floor.  1862 - The U.S. Navy's first ironclad warship, the "Monitor", was launched.  1933 - "The Lone Ranger" was heard on radio for the first time. The program ran for 2,956 episodes and ended in 1955.  1958 - The first two-way moving sidewalk was put in service at Love Field in Dallas, TX. The length of the walkway through the airport was 1,435 feet.  1994 - Peter Leko became the world's youngest-ever grand master in chess.  1995 - Researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health announced that clinical trials had demonstrated the effectiveness of the first preventative treatment for sickle cell anemia.

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"Great works are performed not by strength but perseverance."  

----Samuel Johnson 

Today is...

National Chocolate Cake Day

Today is National Chocolate Cake Day! Cakes have a rich culinary history. In Greece, cakes (or “plakous”) were heavy and flat, and people served them with nuts and honey. The Romans made cakes that were more like cheesecake or pastry, and presented them as offerings to the gods. In Medieval England, people used the words “bread” and cake” interchangeably to refer to anything made with flour dough.

A company called O. Duff and Sons pioneered the first boxed cake mix in the late 1920s. In 1947, after years of research and development, General Mills released the first “just add water” Betty Crocker cake mixes. The available flavors were Ginger, Spice, Yellow, and White. In 1948, Pillsbury introduced the first chocolate cake mix.

Today, the most popular kind of cake is chocolate. There are many different types, including Black Forest, Devil’s Food, Flourless, Fudge, Ganache, German Chocolate, Lava, and much more.

Head to your local bakery or whip up your favorite recipe to celebrate National Chocolate Cake Day!

Today is also Thomas Crapper Day

This week is Sundance Film Festival & Slam Dance Week 

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

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

History for January 27 1888 - The National Geographic Society was founded in Washington, DC. 1943 - During World War II, the first all American air raid against Germany took place when about 50 bombers attacked Wilhelmshaven. 1944 - The Soviet Union announced that the two-year German siege of Leningrad had come to an end. 1951 - In the U.S., atomic testing in the Nevada desert began as an Air Force plane dropped a one-kiloton bomb on Frenchman Flats. 1967 - More than 60 nations signed the Outer Space Treaty that banned the orbiting of nuclear weapons and placing weapons on celestial bodies or space stations.

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"The entire sum of existence is the magic of being needed by just one person."

--Agnes Repplier

Today is...

National Peanut Brittle Day

It’s National Peanut Brittle Day! Brittle was one of the first types of candy ever made. Many ancient cultures that had access to molasses, honey, or sugar, produced some form of it.

The first peanut brittle recipe appeared in an American cookbook, but the exact origin of the confection is uncertain. According to one account, peanut brittle was a Celtic dessert. The Celts covered peanuts in sugar and baked them, and this eventually evolved into a caramel bark.

Peanut brittle can be a little tricky to make. Most recipes call for a candy thermometer to allow the baker to regulate the exact temperature, and the results can be affected by weather! If brittle is made on a humid day it will not hold its shape.

To celebrate National Peanut Brittle Day, try making your own brittle or pick some up at your favorite candy shop!

This week is Sundance Film Festival & Slam Dance Week 

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

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

History for January 26 1784 - In a letter to his daughter, Benjamin Franklin expressed unhappiness over the eagle as the symbol of America. He wanted the turkey. 1905 - The Cullinan diamond, at 3,106.75 carats, was found by Captain Wells at the Premier Mine, near Pretoria, South Africa. 1942 - The first American expeditionary force to go to Europe during World War II went ashore in Northern Ireland. 1961 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy appointed Dr. Janet G. Travell as the first woman to be the "personal physician to the President". 1984 - CBS television debuted Mickey Spillane's "Mike Hammer."

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"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon--instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today."

--Dale Carnegie