Today is...
 National Hot Toddy Day

Today is National Hot Toddy Day! A hot toddy is a delicious drink made with honey, lemon, hot water, and the spirit of your choice (usually whiskey, brandy, or rum). It’s the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter day, and a few sips can also relieve cold or flu symptoms.

Hot toddies originated in Scotland sometime during the 18^th century. While the exact details are unknown, historians believe that the recipe was developed to make the taste of Scotch whiskey more palatable. (Apparently the women of the day didn’t care for the smoky, peat flavor.) One theory suggests that the word “toddy” evolved from “Tod’s well” (also known as Todian Spring), the water supply for Edinburgh.

Today there are many variations on the original hot toddy recipe. Some versions call for tea, coffee, cocoa, apple cider, spices, or even butter. To celebrate National Hot Toddy Day, brew up your favorite type of hot toddy and enjoy!

Today is also Milk Day

This week is National Pizza Week & Cuckoo Dancing Week

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

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

History for January 11  1569 - England's first state lottery was held. 1878 - In New York, milk was delivered in glass bottles for the first time by Alexander Campbell. 1902 - "Popular Mechanics" magazine was published for the first time. 1935 - Amelia Earhart Putnam became the first woman to fly solo from Hawaii to California. 1963 - The Whiskey-a-Go-Go nightclub opened in Los Angeles, CA. It is recognized as the first disco in the U.S. 1967 - Jimi Hendrix recorded "Purple Haze."

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"Anyone can revolt. It is more difficult silently to obey our own inner promptings, and to spend our lives finding sincere and fitting means of expression for our temperament and our gifts."

--Georges Rouault

Today is Tuesday, January 10th, 2012 

Bittersweet Chocolate Day

Today is Bittersweet Chocolate Day! Bittersweet chocolate is a sweetened form of dark chocolate made with cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla. Unlike milk chocolate or white chocolate, it does not contain any milk solids. According to FDA standards, bittersweet chocolate must contain at least 35% chocolate liquor (a non-alcoholic liquid produced from cocoa beans).

Consuming bittersweet chocolate on a daily basis is actually quite good for you. All variations of dark chocolate contain antioxidants that lower blood pressure and help protect your heart. Other heart-healthy foods include green tea and blueberries!

In honor of Bittersweet Chocolate Day, treat yourself to a few pieces of your favorite variety!

This week is National Pizza Week

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

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

History for January 10 1840 - The penny post, whereby mail was delivered at a standard charge rather than paid for by the recipient, began in Britain. 1911 - Major Jimmie Erickson took the first photograph from an airplane while flying over San Diego, CA. 1946 - The first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly took place with 51 nations represented. 1951 - Donald Howard Rogers piloted the first passenger jet on a trip from Chicago to New York City. 1969 - The final issue of The Saturday Evening Post appeared after 147 years of publication. 2000 - It was announced that AOL and Time Warner were merging. It was the largest media deal in U.S. history priced at $111 billion. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved the deal on December 14, 2000.

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"Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think."

--La Bruyere

Today is Monday, January 9th, 2012 

National Apricot Day

Celebrate National Apricot Day! Did you know that the word "apricot" means "precious" in Latin? Apricots ripen earlier than most summer fruits, making them a precious commodity every spring.

The apricot tree emerged in China more than 4,000 years ago and eventually made its way across Asia to the Mediterranean. Centuries later, Spanish explorers introduced the apricot to the New World and planted the trees all over the west coast. Today, farmers in California’s San Joaquin Valley produce 95% of the apricots grown in the United States.

Whether you prefer them fresh, broiled, grilled, or poached, enjoy an apricot today in honor of the occasion! Happy National Apricot Day!

This week is National Pizza Week

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

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

History for January 9 1894 - The New England Telephone and Telegraph Company put the first battery-operated switchboard into operation in Lexington, MA. 1902 - New York State introduced a bill to outlaw flirting in public. 1929 - The Seeing Eye was incorporated in Nashville, TN. The company's purpose was to train dogs to guide the blind. 1937 - The first issue of LOOK went on sale. Within a month, Look became a biweekly magazine. 1984 - Clara Peller was first seen by TV viewers in the "Where's the Beef?" commercial campaign for Wendy's. 1986 - Kodak got out of the instant camera business after 10 years due to a loss in a court battle that claimed that Kodak copied Polaroid patents. 1995 - Russian cosmonaut Valeri Poliakov, 51, completed his 366th day in outer space aboard the Mir space station, breaking the record for the longest continuous time spent in outer space.

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"Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads."

--Erica Jong

Today is Friday, January 6th, 2012 

Three Kings Day

Today is Three Kings Day! Three Kings Day (or The Epiphany) is a Christian holiday that commemorates the biblical story of the three kings—Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar. The three kings (also known as the Wise Men or Magi) followed the bright star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ child.

In Latin America, children dress up in king costumes and go door to door in their neighborhoods singing carols in the days leading up to Three Kings Day. In Argentina, sweet wine, fruit, and milk are left outside for the three kings and their camels to enjoy. In France, people eat galette des Rois, or "king cake," which has a trinket or bean hidden inside of it. The person who receives the piece of cake with the trinket becomes the "king" for the day!

Three Kings Day always falls at the end of Christmastide—also known as the Twelve Days of Christmas! Happy Three Kings Day!

Today is also Bean Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

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

History for January 6 1931 - Thomas Edison executed his last patent application. 1952 - "Peanuts" debuted in Sunday papers across the United States. 1957 - Elvis Presley made his last appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show" in New York City. 1963 - "Wild Kingdom" premiered on NBC. 1968 - Gibson patented its Flying V electric guitar. 1999 - The 106th U.S. Congress opened. The first item on the agenda was the impeachment proceedings of U.S. President Bill Clinton. The trial was set to begin January 7, 1999.

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"Oh Lord, thou givest us everything, at the price of an effort."

--Leonardo da Vinci