Americans love hot dogs. And, we love our corn dogs, too. They are an All-American creation. So, it’s only fitting that National Corn Dog Day exists to celebrate and enjoy one of our favorite foods. Americans lead busy and hectic lives. Sometimes, we barely have enough time to quickly inhale some food in between meetings or tasks. Corn Dogs are the perfect grab-and-go food. And, it’s on a stick, so you won’t get your hands dirty or sticky.

Are you looking for a corn dog today? We certainly hope so. Because of their popularity, it is easy to find this quick meal any day of the year. They are at practically every fair and festival in the country. After all, what is a fair or a festival without them? Convenience stores almost always have hot dogs turning on rollers and corn dogs ready to grab on the run. You’ll find them along the highway gas stations that have convenience stores. They are also popular at food stands at the beach or other major tourist attractions.

Of course, a really fun way to celebrate this holiday is to make them yourself at home. They are quick and easy to make. And, like just about anything else, homemade is the best.

Today, we celebrate National Chia Day. Chia is a plant that packs a powerful and healthy punch. On this March 23 holiday, we are encouraged to learn all about the health benefits of consuming chia seeds and leaves. And, we are also encouraged to add chia to our daily diet. Consuming up to three tablespoons of seeds a day is enough to boost your energy level while making you healthier. The seeds have very little taste. So, you can add them to practically all of your favorite foods without altering their flavor.

The word “Chia “comes from the Mayan word for “Strength. Classified as Salvia hispanica, it is a member of the mint family. Native to Mexico and Guatemala, these plants are an annual herb that grows three to five feet tall. Mature plants produce an abundance of small blue flowers that yield a large number of small seeds. It is considered a superfood and is among the healthiest food you can eat. Ancient Aztec, Mayan and Mesoamerican tribes first harvested the seed for consumption over 3,500 years ago.  

Did You Know? Chia seeds were once used by Aztecs as a form of currency.

Do you want to eat and live healthier? Have you been thinking about moving to a more plant-based diet? Then, Plant Power Day is the perfect time to begin your journey to a healthier and more vibrant you. The objective of this March 7 holiday is to raise awareness of the many benefits of following a sustainable, eco-friendly vegetarian diet. The benefits affect you, your family and the eco-system. Today, in many parts of the world, our diets include a heavy proportion of meat, fish, and dairy products. As the world’s population continues to grow, the population will outpace the ability of farms to produce animal-based foods. However, plant-based products require less resources, and are better able to meet the growing needs of a hungry world.

Plant Power Day is not intended to advocate a strict vegetarian diet. It does not seek to make us all vegetarians or vegans. Rather, the objectives of this holiday focus on educating us to the benefits of a largely plant based diet. And, it encourages us to move in this direction. Fortunately, we do not have to go “cold turkey”. Rather, we can take baby steps by slowly reducing meat consumption with more and more fruits and vegetables. For example, we can add a salad to a meal and cut back on the size of the meat we serve. Another great way to begin the journey to a plant-based diet, is to declare a “no meat” day once a week. Later, we can increase it to two days each week, then to three. Any step we take is a step in the right direction.

One thing is for certain, Americans love their snacks. Eating foods between meals is what we do. Snacks make us feel good. So, it is only fitting that National Snack Day exists to celebrate and enjoy snacks of all kinds. On this March 4 holiday, we are encouraged to eat junk food all day long. Let’s even have them for our meals. For one day forget about whether or not a snack is healthy for you. Rather, just guiltlessly eat what you want, Then, tomorrow we all can go back to our diets and watch what we eat.

Humans have eaten snacks since the beginning of time. We have been doing so since Adam and Eve snacked on the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. By the way, Adam and Eve probably thought the apple they ate was something healthy and good for them. Surprise, surprise. Over the thousands of years since then, our choice of snacks has evolved from simple and healthy snacks to junk food loaded with fats, salts, sugars, and other less healthy ingredients. Food manufacturers developed a side array of treats to cater to our insatiable desire for tasty snacks. Over time, new snack foods coming on the market have not gotten healthier for us.

We eat snacks all of the time. A little treat helps us get from one meal to the next. They give us an energy boost before, during and after strenuous exercise. A bedtime snack is all but a requirement for a young child. The biggest snack time of all is during the Superbowl when we make everything from wings to salsa and dips, and a wide array of cookies and sweets.

Are your fingers turning a delicious, finger-licking orange? They certainly should be! Today is National Cheese Doodle Day. On this March 5 holiday we celebrate and savor one of America’s favorite snack foods. Without a doubt, Cheese Doodles are our favorite orange snack. While one company holds the trademark and patent, all food manufacturers market their own version of cheese doodles. On this day, we celebrate their existence, and munch down on this finger licking good snack. So, grab a handful of them and chow down. Once you start eating them it’s hard to stop. Now, when you’re done, make sure to lick your fingers clean.

On this fun holiday, you don’t have to limit yourself to just cheese doodles. You can also enjoy cheese balls, cheese curls and cheese puffs. And, aside from the traditional cheese flavor, there are other flavors to enjoy. One thing is certain, every variety you can find is guaranteed to leave you licking your orange fingers. Try them all as you celebrate this holiday.

Some people call it a Reuben Grill, while others simply call it a Reuben sandwich. Either way, it is a popular deli and luncheon sandwich worthy of its own special holiday. Today is Reuben Grill Day. On this March 2 holiday, we celebrate and enjoy a delicious, corned beef pub-style sandwich. Those of us of Irish descent just love it. But, you don’t have to be Irish to like it. It is very popular for lunch at New York-style delis and especially Irish pubs. Reuben grill sandwiches are best enjoyed with a cold draught of Guinness Stout.   

Don’t wait until Saint Patrick’s Day to enjoy this great American Sandwich. That’s right, the Reuben Grill sandwich was first created in America, not Ireland. This sandwich was created in America. And it really has an international flavor. The ingredients include:

• Corned Beef, a Jewish deli meat
• Thousand Island (American) or Russian Dressing
• Swiss Cheese
• Sauerkraut, an Eastern European vegetable German 

Did You Know? The Reuben sandwich won the National Sandwich Idea Contest in 1956. There were over 600 entries. This contest is held annually.

Today is World Chipmunk Day.  On this March 22 holiday, people in many parts of the country see these lovable striped creatures as they emerge from their winter hibernation with the warming rays of the spring sun. After a long hibernation in their underground burrow or den, Chipmunks emerge hungry and are especially active. People are fascinated as these cute little furry creatures scurry around in search of food. They are friendly, too. With a little patience, they will feed out of your hand. That’s a real thrill.

Do you love chipmunks and enjoy watching them frolic around your bird feeder in search of a free meal? If so, you love at least one variety of rodents. They are the smallest member of the squirrel family. They are primarily found in North America. Chipmunks can be found in forests, plains, deserts, and mountainous regions. Chances are they reside in a park or your backyard where you can sit on your deck and watch them. However, you won’t see them in groups, as they live solitary lives, coming together only to mate.

Favorite Chipmunk Song: Christmas Don’t Be Late (1958), by Alvin and the Chipmunks

Do You Remember: Chip and Dale, Walt Disney’s sometimes mischievous cartoon characters.

Today is World Piano Day. We celebrate this amazing musical instrument on the 88th day of the year, as the piano has 88 keys. According to the creator of this holiday, the objective of this musical day is to “provide a platform for piano projects”. Today we celebrate everything about pianos as well as amateur and professional pianists, composers, piano makers and tuners, and most of all the fabulous music emanating from pianos.  You can also use this melodious day to learn more about them. See our “Piano Trivia” below. 

The piano is the second most popular musical instrument, behind only the piano. It is used to make sweet music in practically all music genres. Perhaps the most memorable of all is concert music, which withstands the test of time.  The list of famous composers and pianists is too long to list. Maybe someday include you!

The Word’s Largest Piano: According to the Guinness World Book of Records, the largest piano ever built is 8′ 2″ wide by 19′ 10 inches in length and 6′ 3″ in height. Daniel Czapiewski from Poland built it and then played it in a concert on December 30, 2010.

Favorite Piano Song: Piano Man by Billy Joel

All of a sudden you wake up one day and realize you’re not a kid anymore. Lately, you’ve noticed that you’re acting more and more like your parents. You’re doing the things people your age are expected to do. But, you feel great, and certainly not as old as the age on your driver’s license. Fortunately for you, As Young As You Feel Day has arrived on the calendar, giving you the opportunity to change your attitude on life for the better…. much better. 

In our early our childhood we look forward to getting older. Each year we can’t wait for the next birthday to arrive. As we progress through our teenage years, we begin to look forward to being an adult and the freedom that it brings. Reaching the legal drinking age is cause a huge celebration. Our twenties are perhaps some of the best years of our lives. We’re young, healthy, energetic, adventuresome, and enjoying all the benefits of early adulthood. Then, we reach our 29th birthday, and all of a sudden, we’re thinking “29 and holding”.  It’s the age when many of us want to stay right here forever.

Time continues relentlessly, and all of a sudden we reach that age when we begin to wish we were younger for a whole bunch of reasons. The years march on and pile up. We begin to act and feel our age. We no longer seek the exciting and carefree activities and behaviors of our youth.  Sometimes we act the way we do, simply because we feel “That’s the way Grandmas are supposed to act”.

Movie of the Day: “As Young as you Feel”, a 1951 comedy starring Marilyn Monroe

You’re gonna love this March 11 holiday. There are few things that the male population worships more than his tools. Power tools, hand tools, yard, and garden tools, we love them all. Got duplicates? No problem as you can’t have too many tools. To some guys, any tool is a natural extension of their arm. So, Worship of Tools Day is a logical day of celebration for every male. And, it’s not just a guy thing. More than a few ladies love them and participate in this day, too. Many ladies love to work with tools in their hands and find today to be an important holiday.

Need a birthday or Christmas gift idea for one of the boys in the family? You’re never lacking for tool ideas when you visit your local hardware store. However, it does pay to ask him for a list, as chances are he already has a toolbox or two full of them. And, if you do buy something he already has, no problem. Every guy starts out with one flathead screwdriver and one Philips screwdriver. Years later, he’s got a couple dozen screwdrivers of varying sizes and types. Yet, there’s still another one on his list. The same goes for other tools. You just can’t have enough.

Celebrate today by working with tools and buying a couple of new ones. Receiving a tool as a gift today makes this truly a special day.

Song of the Day: If I Had a Hammer

Favorite Television Show: Home Improvement