Today is...
National Empanada Day!

An empanada is a delicious Spanish and Portuguese type of stuffed bread, also known as "delicioco." Empanadas can be served hot or cold as the main course or as a side dish.
Empanadas are made by folding dough around a premade stuffing of chicken, cod, or pork loin. Other ingredients include tomatoes, garlic, and onion sauce.
Though this delectable dish originated in Europe, immigrants brought the recipe to various countries around the world where it was adopted and slightly altered to fit the tastes of that particular country. In Argentina, for example, empanadas are sometimes made with a fruit filling and served as dessert. In Jamaica, empanadas are referred to as "Jamaican patties" and are made with crispy pastry dough.
Empanadas were first served in the U.S. at Taco Bell, however they are now found on menus at Latin American restaurants around the world. To celebrate National Empanada Day, try making your own empanadas for dinner!

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April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month
 

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		History for April 8th 1730 - Shearith Israel first synagogue in NYC.   1820 - Venus de Milo statue found on Melos.   1867 -  The largest of the World's Fairs, France's "Exposition Universelle", opens in Paris. 1952 -  Pres. Truman nationalizes steel industry. 1977 - The Clash release debut album. ______________________________________________________ "We are seldom happy with what we now have, but would go to pieces if we lost any part of it." - Mignon McLaughlin

Today is...
National No Housework Day!

Are you always looking for an excuse to put off housework and cleaning for just one more day? Well look no further, today's holiday absolutely insists that you put down the sponge and cleaning supplies and just relax!
A 2008 study conducted at the University of Michigan found that the average married American woman does 17 hours of housework per week! After a long day at school or work, housework is the last thing anyone wants to come home to do.
Doctors and health experts say that it is essential for people with busy lifestyles to factor in time to relax. Relaxation can lower heart rate and blood pressure, reduce headaches, and improve concentration.
Celebrate National No Housework Day by ignoring the dirty dishes in the sink and the piles of laundry that need to be done and just relax. You deserve it!

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Today is also Coffee Cake Day & National Beer Day

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month
 

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		History for April 7th 1798 - Mississippi Territory organized from land ceded from 2 states.   1947 - Du Mont Labs announces the "kinescope".   1948 -  World Health Organization founded. 1969 -  Happy Birthday to the Internet! 1978 - President Carter halts neutron bomb development. ______________________________________________________ "Every artist was first an amateur." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today is...
National Cordon Bleu Day!

Did you know that “cordon bleu” means “blue ribbon” in French? In the 1500s, the Order of the Knights of the Holy Spirit became known as “Les Cordon Bleus.” The knights used a blue ribbon to hang their talisman, and eventually the term became associated with distinction and honor. Today, we still award blue ribbons for excellence!
In the culinary world, cordon bleu is a savory roulade dish made with chicken (or veal), ham, and Swiss cheese. Contrary to popular belief, chicken cordon bleu did not originate at Le Cordon Bleu culinary arts school. As with most dishes, it evolved over time and first appeared in America during the 1960s.
To celebrate National Cordon Bleu Day, cook up some delicious chicken cordon bleu for your family to enjoy tonight! Bon appétit! 

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April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month
 

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		History for April 4th 1655 - Miraculous statue "Infant Jesus of Prague" coronated by command of Cardinal Harrach.   1818 - Congress adopts the flag of the United States, with 13 red and white stripes and one star for each state.   1850 -  Municipality of Los Angeles incorporated, five months before California joins the Union. 1949 -  North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is created, with 12 countries. 1969 - The first temporary artificial heart is implanted, by Dr. Denton Cooley. ______________________________________________________ "Try not to become a man of success but a man of value."  - Albert Einstein

Today is...
World Party Day!

World Party Day (or P-Day) is a synchronized global celebration that seeks to make the world a better place. The motto for this holiday is “Party is the opposite of War.” The idea behind it is that we can only create a better reality by taking positive action and celebrating life (instead of passively promoting peace).
The first World Party Day (known as World Party I) took place on April 3, 1996. The novel Flight by Vanna Bonta inspired the event. The story ends with a countdown to a mass celebration where all of humanity is united. Readers took the idea and organized a real worldwide party!
To celebrate World Party Day, throw a party, attend a party, enjoy some laughs, and just have fun! We have a good idea about where you can start planning your next celebration!

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Today is also National Chocolate Mousse Day

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month
 

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		History for April 3rd 1860 - Pony Express mail service begins operating between Sacramento, California and St. Joseph Missouri. It was the fastest mail service before telegraph was invented.   1865 - Outlaw Jesse James shot to death in St. Joseph, Missouri, by one of his gang.   1922 -  Joseph Stalin became the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. 1948 -  President Harry S. Truman signs into law the Foreign Assistance Act, more commonly known as the "Marshall Plan". 1973 - DynaTAC 8000X, first handheld mobile phone, tested. ______________________________________________________ "Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments." - Rose Kennedy

Today is...
National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day!

Did you know that the average American consumes 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the age of 18? The combination of sweet jelly and salty peanut butter has been a staple in school lunchboxes for over fifty years.
According to one story, American soldiers invented the peanut butter and jelly sandwich during World War II. They decided to combine their bread, jelly, and peanut butter rations into a fabulous new treat. When the soldiers returned home after the war, peanut butter and jelly sales soared.
To celebrate National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, make this iconic American sandwich for lunch!

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April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month
 

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

		History for April 2nd 1513 - Ponce de Leon lands in Florida.   1941 - General Rommel recaptures Libya.   1970 -  Qatar passes first provision constitution, gaining independence from British rule. 1978 -  Velcro released in the marketplace. 1978 - "Dallas" TV show premieres on CBS. ______________________________________________________ "Careful thinking and hard work will solve nearly all your problems. Try and see for yourself." - Ullery

Today is...
April Fools' Day!

Beware of practical jokes, pranks, and tricks! Although it’s been celebrated for hundreds of years, no one really knows how the tradition of April Fools’ Day began. According to one theory, when France officially adopted the Roman calendar in the 1500s many rural communities continued to celebrate New Year’s Day in April. The people in these small villages became known as the “April fools.”
There are many famous (and infamous) April Fools’ Day jokes. In 1957, the BBC ran a very successful fake documentary that explained to viewers how spaghetti is grown on spaghetti trees. Many people actually believed it! In 1996, the Taco Bell Corporation took out full-page ads in six major newspapers announcing that it had purchased the Liberty Bell. Hundreds of enraged citizens called to protest the newly named “Taco Liberty Bell.” The company waited a few hours before admitting that it was a practical joke.
To celebrate April Fools’ Day, send a free April Fools’ Day eCard, play a trick on someone you know, and watch out for pranks played on you!

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Today is also National Sourdough Bread Day
 

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month & National Grilled Cheese Month
 

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		History for April 1st 1826 - Samuel Morey granted first patent for internal combustion engine.   1854 - Hard Times begins serialization in Charles Dickens magazine, Household Words.   1933 -  Nazi Germany begins persecution of Jews, boycotting Jewish-owned businesses. 1945 -  American forces begin offensive in South Pacific against Japanese island Okinawa. 1970 - President Nixon signs ban on cigarette advertising on TV and radio. ______________________________________________________ "Men's best successes come after their disappointments." - Henry Ward Beecher

Today is...
Bunsen Burner Day!

In 1852, a man named Robert Bunsen began working at the University of Heidelberg. He was trying to isolate chemical substances and soon became frustrated with the inefficient and smoky heat sources that were available in the laboratory. To solve the problem, he drew up plans for a burner that would mix gas and air prior to ignition. The result was the Bunsen burner, which is now used in laboratories all over the world.
Bunsen burners (along with Teclu burners and Meker burners) produce a smokeless blue flame at very high temperatures. Scientists use these types of burners for heating, combustion, and sterilization.
To celebrate Bunsen Burner Day, share your fondest or funniest memory from a high school chemistry class on our Facebook page! Happy Bunsen Burner Day!

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Today is also Baseball Opening Day

March is International Ideas Month & National Craft Month & National Peanut Month

 

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		History for March 31st 1945 - "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams opened on Broadway   1959 - 14th Dalai Lama crosses the Tibetan border into India and granted asylum.   1994 -  The journal Nature reports the finding in Ethiopia of the first complete Australopithecus afarensis skull. 1999 -  Wachowski brothers' film "The Matrix" premieres 2005 - Terri Schiavo died at a hospice in Pinellas Park, Fla., 13 days after her feeding tube was removed in a right-to-die dispute that engulfed the courts, Congress and the White House. ______________________________________________________ "If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else." - Yogi Berra