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!

____________________________________________

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

 This week is National Pizza Week
 

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

History for January 10th 1861 - American Civil War: Florida secedes from the Union. 1870 - John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil. 1951- UN headquarters opens in Manhattan NY 1984-  The U.S. and the Vatican establish diplomatic relations for the first time since 1867.   1999-  The HBO television series The Sopranos first airs. ______________________________________________________ "A good archer is known not by his arrows but by his aim.   -- Thomas Fuller

Today is...
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!

____________________________________________

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

 This week is National Pizza Week
 

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

History for January 9th 1799 - Income Tax introduced in UK 1861 - The first hostile act of Civil War; Star of the West fired on, Sumter SC 1936- Semi-automatic rifles adopted by US army 1945-  The United States invades Luzon in the Philippines.   1969-  Concorde jetliner's first test flight (Bristol England) ______________________________________________________ "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for? -- Robert Browning

Today is...
Bubble Bath Day!

People have been enjoying warm baths for thousands of years. In Ancient Rome, bathing at a public facility was part of the daily routine for most citizens. A trip to the Roman baths might include a dip in the caldarium (hot tub), a brief break in the laconicum (sauna), and a refreshing swim in the frigidarium (cold pool).
Up until the late 1940s, the average American bathed once a week for personal hygiene. Today, a daily shower is standard, but it’s important to indulge in a luxurious soak every once in a while. A bubble bath can help open up your pores, cleanse your skin, and relax muscles.
Pick up a bottle of your favorite bubble bath product and fill your tub tonight to celebrate Bubble Bath Day! Create a calming spa atmosphere with background music, candles, and a towel to cushion your neck. Enjoy!

____________________________________________

Today is also National English Toffee Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month
 

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

History for January 8th 1297 - Monaco gains its independence. 1835 - US national debt is 0 for the first and only time. 1958- Bobby Fisher wins the U.S. Chess Championship at age 14. 1964-  President Lyndon B Johnson declares "War on Poverty"   1993-  NBC offers "Tonight Show" to David Letterman. ______________________________________________________ "Purpose is what gives life a meaning." -- C. H. Parkhurst

Today is...
International Programmers' Day!

Today we celebrate the people who create the software behind our favorite websites, digital gadgets, appliances, and vehicles. Programmers (also known as developers or software engineers) write the code that runs our computers. There are many different types of computer languages and most programmers specialize in one of these. Facebook, for example, is primarily built using “PHP,” while Punchbowl uses “Ruby.” 
Although women hold only 25% of all professional IT jobs in the U.S., the first programmer in history was a British countess named Ada Lovelace. She was a mathematician and wrote the first algorithm intended for a computer.
To celebrate the occasion, hug your favorite programmer, try your hand at coding, or visit the official International Programmers’ Day website to read about all the amazing innovations that have come from programmers!

____________________________________________

Today is also National Tempura Day & Harlem Globetrotters Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month
 

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

History for January 7th 1789 - George Washington is voted in as U.S. president in the first nationwide election 1968 - Surveyor 7 lands on the Moon 1985- Japanese space probe Sakigake launched to Halley's comet 1992-  AT& T releases video-telephone ($1499)   1999-  The impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton begins. ______________________________________________________ "Impatience never commanded success."   -- Edwin H. Chapin

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! Traditionally, this is the day when all Christmas trees and decorations are taken down. Happy Three Kings Day!

____________________________________________

Today is also Bean Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month
 

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

History for January 6th 1838 - Samuel Morse demonstrates his new invention, the telegraph 1870 - The inauguration of the Musikverein (Vienna). 1914 - Stock brokerage firm of Merrill Lynch founded 1931 -  Thomas Edison submits his last patent application.   1964-  Rolling Stones' first tour as headline act (with Ronettes) ______________________________________________________ "Success is more a function of consistent common sense than it is of genius" -- An Wang

Today is...
Fruitcake Toss Day!

Fruitcakes are the holiday gift that no one asks for, but many people receive. If you still haven’t eaten or re-gifted your holiday fruitcake, today is the perfect excuse to toss it. Start the year with a clean pantry!
Every year in Manitou Springs, Colorado, there is a Great Fruitcake Toss in which people compete to see how far they can throw or hurtle their fruitcakes. People also use the cakes at this event to make little cars to race during a Fruitcake Derby.
The first Great Fruitcake Toss took place in 1995. The event has grown into a huge festival that attracts participants from across the country. So go ahead and join the rest of the nation today in throwing out your holiday fruitcakes!

____________________________________________

Today is also National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month
 

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

History for January 3rd 1870 - Brooklyn Bridge construction begins; completed May 24, 1883 1938 - The March of Dimes campaign to stomp out polio is organized. 1951 - Dragnet is first broadcast on NBC-TV. 1967 -  Jack Ruby, the man who shot suspected JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, dies in a Dallas hospital.   1999 -  The Mars Polar Lander launches. ______________________________________________________ "Success is the child of audacity." -- Benjamin Disraeli

Today is...
National Cream Puff Day!

Cream puffs are unusual pastries. Flour is added to a boiled mixture of butter and water, and then cooked at a high temperature until the mixture becomes a smooth ball of dough with a hollow center. After cream puffs are taken out of the oven, they must be cut in half or the pastry will deflate upon cooling.
To celebrate National Cream Puff Day, bake some of your own divine cream puffs to enjoy. Don't forget to top them off with powdered sugar!

____________________________________________

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month
 

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

History for January 2nd 1839 - First photo of the Moon (French photographer Louis Daguerre) 1872 - Canada and the US first share telegraphed weather reports. 1929 - US & Canada agree to preserve Niagara Falls 1960 -  Senator John F Kennedy, announces his candidacy for President   1974 -  U.S. President Nixon signs into law a national highway speed limit of 55 miles per hour. ______________________________________________________ "Along with success comes a reputation for wisdom." -- Euripides