Today is...
National Lager Day!

Lager is a type of German beer that is bottom fermented and lightly hopped. It is usually stored for at least three weeks after brewing before it is served.
Lager is the dominant style of beer throughout the world, except in England where ale is the favorite style. The only real difference between ale and lager is that ales ferment and age quickly at warm temperatures, while lagers ferment and age slowly at cool temperatures. These different types of fermentation allow for a vast difference in flavor and aroma.
To celebrate National Lager Day, head to your favorite pub and enjoy a refreshing brew of your favorite lager or try brewing your own!

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Today is also The Nobel Day & Dewey Decimal System Day

December is National Fruit Cake Month & National Egg Nog Month

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History for December 10th 1684 -  Edmund Halley reads Isaac Newton's derivation of Kepler's laws to Royal Society 1965 - The Grateful Dead play first concert. 1968 - Japan's unsolved 300 million yen robbery 1971 - William H. Rehnquist was confirmed by the Senate as U.S. Supreme Court Justice   2009 - U.S. President Barack Obama accepts the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. ______________________________________________________ "Fortune favors the brave." -- Publius Terence

Today is...
National Pastry Day!

Did you know that pastries have been around since 2600 B.C.? The Egyptians made doughnut-like pastries out of crude flour and honey, and then dipped them in wine.
In the 7th century, pastry-making developed as a culinary art form in the Middle East. It spread to Europe after the Crusades, and French and Italian chefs developed their own version of the recipes and experimented with new techniques. There are now many different types of pastry including shortcrust, flaky, puff, choux, and phyllo.
Make a trip to your favorite local bakery to pick up your favorite kind of pastry in honor of National Pastry Day!

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December is National Fruit Cake Month & National Egg Nog Month

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

History for December 9th 1888 -  Herman Hollerith, inventor of one of the first computing devices and precursor to IBM, installs a computing device at the US War Department. 1967 - Jim Morrison, arrested on stage for disturbing the peace 1992 - The separation of Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales is announced 2009 - Tens of thousands of people rally in several cities in Indonesia demanding the government do more to tackle political corruption.   2010 - An armed man robbed a craps table at the Bellagio casino of about $1.5 million in chips before escaping on a motorcycle, Las Vegas -USA ______________________________________________________ "Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back." -- Princess Diana

Today is...
Microwave Oven Day!

In 1942, a man named Dr. Percy Spencer was testing the magnetron and discovered that the candy bar in his pocket had melted. He conducted a series of tests and concluded that microwave energy caused food to cook much faster than the heat from a conventional oven. The first microwave oven (which was called the “Radarange”) made its debut in the late 1940s. It stood over six feet tall and weighed over 700 pounds!
Today, over 90% of American households own a microwave oven. In fact, there is an entire food industry based on this one appliance. Just think of everything you can cook in the microwave—frozen meals, leftovers, popcorn, “mug brownies,” and much more.
To celebrate Microwave Oven Day, pick up your favorite microwaveable meal for dinner tonight! Bon appétit!

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Today is also National Gazpacho Day

December is National Fruit Cake Month & National Egg Nog Month

This week is National Cookie Cutter Week

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History for December 6th 1790 -  The U.S. Congress moves from New York City to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, banning slavery. 1956 - Nelson Mandela and 156 others arrested for political activities in S Africa 1967 - Number one hit on UK music charts - The Beatles - Hello Goodbye   2009 - Archaeologists discover evidence of mass cannibalism in Europe during the Neolithic period at a 7,000 year old burial site in Germany. ______________________________________________________ "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." --  Aristotle

Today is...
Repeal Day!

Today is the anniversary of the day that the United States repealed the 18th Amendment, restoring the right to purchase and consume alcohol.
The 18th Amendment, which was ratified on January 16, 1919, prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of liquor throughout the United States. Prohibition led to widespread disrespect for the law. New York City alone had about 30,000 speakeasies by 1927! Eventually, many influential and respected citizens including John D. Rockefeller Jr. came forward and organized a counter movement. The 21st Amendment ending Prohibition was ratified on December 5, 1933.
Repeal Day is a celebration of the balance of power in the United States and of the individual freedom that allows each American citizen to choose whether or not to drink alcohol. Learn more about the history of this holiday.

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Today is also International Volunteer Day

December is National Fruit Cake Month & National Egg Nog Month

This week is National Cookie Cutter Week

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History for December 5th 0771 -  Charlemagne becomes the sole King of the Franks after the death of his brother Carloman. 1893 - First appearance of an electric car. 1951 - Dragnet TV show premieres on NBC 1955 - E.D. Nixon and Rosa Parks lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott.   1955 - AFL-CIO: American Federation of Labor merges w/ Congress of Industrial Organizations. ______________________________________________________ "A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others." --  Ayn Rand

Today is...
National Cookie Day!

Did you know that the English word "cookie" is derived from the Dutch word "koekje," which means little cake? Dutch bakers used to test oven temperatures on small amounts of batter so that they would not waste the entire cake mix if the temperature wasn't right. It was not long before they discovered that these tiny pieces of cooked batter were actually quite tasty!
Cookies come in all different flavors, shapes, and sizes. To celebrate National Cookie Day, bake a few batches of your favorite variety and invite your friends over for a cookie swap!

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Today is also National Dice Day

December is National Fruit Cake Month & National Egg Nog Month

This week is National Cookie Cutter Week

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History for December 4th 1619 -  America's first Thanksgiving Day (Va) 1906 - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity founded. 1945 - Senate approves US participation in UN 1959 - Space monkey returns to Earth safely.   1978 - Dianne Feinstein is named San Francisco first female mayor ______________________________________________________ "The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread." --  Mother Teresa

Today is...
Giving Tuesday!

This day is an opportunity to step back from the chaos of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and embrace the best part of the holidays—the season of giving. Find a way to give back to your community or support the causes that mean the most to you!
The tradition of charitable giving during the holidays began thousands of years ago. Today, it continues to be an important part of many cultures and religions around the world. During the Hindu festival of Diwali, for example, “dana” (charitable giving) and “seva” (selfless service) are two key components of the holiday.
To celebrate Giving Tuesday, donate to your favorite nonprofit, drop off some canned goods at your local food pantry, or organize a neighborhood coat drive. For more ideas about how to get involved in the national day of giving, visit www.givingtuesday.org.

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Today is also National Roof Over Your Head Day

December is National Fruit Cake Month & National Egg Nog Month

This week is National Cookie Cutter Week

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History for December 3rd 1609 -  Galileo makes first close-up observation of the moon through a telescope 1833 - Oberlin College, Ohio started classes: first coed institution of higher learning in US 1931 - Alka Seltzer goes on sale 1964 - Police arrests 800 sit-in students at University of California at Berkeley   1989 - President George H.W. Bush and Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet in Malta and indicate the Cold War is at an end. ______________________________________________________ "Expect problems and eat them for breakfast." --  Alfred A. Montapert

Today is...
National Fritters Day!

Fritters are delicious fried cakes filled with fruit or meat. They can be served as a snack, side dish, dessert, or even the main course!
There's actually not much difference between pancake and fritter batter. They are both made with the same ingredients. It is only once fruit or meat is dipped into the raw batter and then fried that it actually becomes a fritter.
The first historical record of the fritter dates back to 1665. Samuel Pepys, an Englishman who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Restoration period, noted in his diary that he would be enjoying some fritters before Lent!
To celebrate National Fritter Day, try making your own tasty fritters to enjoy!

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Today is also National Mutt Day

December is National Fruit Cake Month & National Egg Nog Month

This week is National Cookie Cutter Week

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History for December 2nd 1804 -  Napoleon becomes first French emperor. 1901 - Gillette patents first disposable razor 1908 - Emperor Pu Yi ascends the Chinese throne at only two years of age. 1932 - The Adventures of Charlie Chan debuts on the NBC Blue radio network.   1982 - First permanent artificial heart (Jarvik 7) successfully implanted in Barney Clark ______________________________________________________ "It is never too late to be what you might have been." --  George Eliot