Today is...
National Chocolate Chip Day!

Chocolate chips are an essential ingredient in dozens of delicious baked goods—chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip pancakes, chocolate chip muffins, chocolate chip brownies, chocolate chip bagels, and many more. You can even find chili recipes that call for these sweet morsels!
In the 1930s, Ruth Graves Wakefield created the original chocolate chip cookie at her Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts. Ruth intended to bake chocolate cookies for her guests, but she ran out of baker’s chocolate. She substituted with chopped up semi-sweet chocolate morsels and discovered that the pieces did not melt into the dough as she expected. Her cookies were an instant hit. Today, 25% of all the cookies baked in the United States are chocolate chip!
To celebrate National Chocolate Chip Day, pick up a bag of chocolate chips at the supermarket and bake something yummy to share with friends and coworkers!

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

This week is American Craft Beer Week

 

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		History for May 15th          1869 - National Woman Suffrage Association is formed, for women's right to vote.           1905 - Las Vegas, Nevada is founded.            1918 - The US Post Office Department begins world's first regular airmail service.          1930 - Ellen Church, a registered nurse, becomes world's first airline stewardess.           1940 - Nylon hose stockings on sale at Gimbels Department Stores throughout US. ______________________________________________________ "If you can still read this, you still have a chance!" - Ronny M. Cole

Today is...

National Zucchini Day

It’s National Zucchini Day! Today we celebrate this versatile green vegetable and all the delicious dishes we can make with it.

The common zucchini is a close relative of the cucumber and the melon. It is a type of squash that comes from Italy. In fact, the name “zucchini” comes from the word “zucchino,” which means “small squash” in Italian. The largest zucchini on record was 69.5 inches long and weighed 65 pounds! It probably wouldn’t have tasted very good though. For the best flavor, always choose a small or medium sized zucchini.

To celebrate National Zucchini Day, plan a dinner menu full of this healthy vegetable! Grill it, bake it into bread, or add it to a salad. Bon appétit!

Today is also Happiness Happens Day

August is National Goat Cheese Month & National Peach Month & National Water Quality Month

 

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History for August 8   1588 - The Spanish Armada was defeated by the English fleet ending an invasion attempt. 1899 - The refrigerator was patented by A.T. Marshall. 1945 - During World War II, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. 1999 - Wade Boggs got his 3,000th hit of his major league baseball career. 2000 - The submarine H.L. Hunley was raised from ocean bottom after 136 years. The sub had been lost during an attack on the U.S.S. Housatonic in 1864. The Hunley was the first submarine in history to sink a warship. _________________________________________________ "Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. And if you don’t collect all these tiny successes the big ones don’t really mean anything." --Norman Lear

Today is...

National Truffle Day

It’s National Truffle Day! According to legend, a man named Louis Dufour invented the chocolate truffle in Chambéry, France in 1895. A few years later, Antoine Dufour opened the Prestat Chocolate Shop in London. Historians believe this chocolate shop was solely responsible for popularizing chocolate truffles in England (and beyond), but the relationship between Louis and Antoine is uncertain. Fun fact: Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was a huge fan of Prestat truffles!

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.

To celebrate National Truffle Day, stop by your local candy shop and pick up a variety of delicious chocolate truffles!

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

This week is Be Kind to Animals Week

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

History for May 2  1670 - The Hudson Bay Company was founded by England's King Charles II. 1776 - France and Spain agreed to donate arms to American rebels fighting the British. 1885 - "Good Housekeeping" was first published. 1932 - Jack Benny's first radio show debuted on NBC Radio. 1941 - The Federal Communications Commission agreed to let regular scheduling of TV broadcasts by commercial TV stations begin on July 1, 1941. This was the start of network television. 1974 - The filming of "Jaws" began in Martha's Vineyard, MA. 1994 - Nelson Mandela claimed victory after South Africa's first democratic elections. _________________________________________________________ "The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose." --William Cowper

Daily Challenge

Eat only three-quarters of your largest meal today, and save the rest for tomorrow.

How to do it:

When you eat your largest meal of the day, stop when you've finished three-quarters' worth of the food. Then put the rest away for tomorrow. If you're eating in a restaurant, ask your server to put the last quarter in a to-go container as soon as you're finished. This will keep you from mindlessly finishing the rest of the food.

Why it matters:

Most of us tend to eat everything that's put in front of us. That means the more food on our plates, the more we'll eat, regardless of how hungry we actually feel! By controlling the portion size of your meal, you'll eat more mindfully, take in fewer calories, and likely still feel satisfied. Plus, you'll have some tasty food to look forward to tomorrow.

Let us know if you tried it.

Fun Fact:
A "regular"-sized restaurant soda grew from six ounces in 1916 to 21 ounces in 1996.