Today’s holiday is not a good time to be on a diet. But, it is a tasty food holiday. It is National Sticky Bun Day. In addition to tasting great, these gooey pasties are high in calories and carbs. On this February 21 holiday, we temporarily put our diets on hold so we can enjoy this fabulous food item. They are most often consumed as a breakfast staple, But, you can enjoy them at any meal, or as a nighttime snack, too.

Sticky Buns are a breakfast or dessert roll. It is sweet, gooey, and sticky. Made from leavened dough, the insides and outsides are loaded with cinnamon, or sometimes brown sugar. Some recipes call for fruit, nuts or raisins. Pecan sticky buns are among the most popular, especially in the South. They are topped with a sugar glaze or honey icing. 

Did You Now? “Monkey Bread” is another name for some variations of sticky buns.

On this cold winter’s evening, don’t wait for the power to go out to light a candle. Instead, light a candle or two, or even more tonight. Then, bask in its warm glow. Today is Candlelight Night. Our everyday lives are overly busy. We are constantly on the run day and night, burning the candle at both ends. On this February 19 holiday, you can light a candle for any one of a number of reasons. Or, for no reason at all. Their soft glow enhances any special event of activity. They improve our mood and help to reduce stress. And, it brightens up normal, everyday nights, too.

Candles are amazingly popular. We burn them. And, we decorate with them. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. And, there is an unlimited variety of scents that are certain to please everyone.

Enjoy candlelight day or night. There’s nothing that says you can’t enjoy a candle during the day. While you may not get the effect of its warm glow lighting a dark room, a lit candle still makes you feel good and lightens your mood. It makes you feel better on a cold and gloomy day. And, you can always close the curtains to make the room darker.

Importantly, use them safely. Every day, an average of 23 house fires are caused by burning candles.

Song of the Day: Candle in the Wind (1972) by Elton John

Today is a nutty day almost everyone will enjoy. It seems every nut has its day. If you are a nut, you certainly will enjoy this holiday. It is National Almond Day. On this February 16 holiday, we celebrate as we munch on one of the healthiest superfoods in the world. The best way to celebrate this holiday, is by eating as many almonds as you can today, and in or on as many foods as you can think of. Of course, you get bonus points if you use almond lotion and skin products today.

Have them your way. You can eat them in a wide variety of ways. Grab a handful of almonds for a quick snack. You can include them in a wide variety of recipes. If you have a favorite recipe that calls for another kind of nut, you can substitute them with almonds. Add them to your favorite hot or cold cereal. They are great on oatmeal. Almond butter and marzipan are popular spreads. These nuts are common in chocolate candy, too. So, the number of ways you can enjoy them is almost limitless.

Almonds are good for your health. They are loaded with protein and healthy fats (versus unhealthy fats).

Something is fishy about this day. But, it’s fishy in a good and tasty way. Today is National Clam Chowder Day. This February 25 food holiday exists to enjoy one of the five top varieties of soup. You can have either Manhattan Clam Chowder, or the far more popular New England Clam Chowder. We strongly suggest that you have a bowl of each variety of this fish soup. And get your fill as you eat it for both lunch and dinner.

Fish soups are a favorite among sailors the world over. They have been for seemingly forever. But, they couldn’t keep this delicious and heathy food a secret. Records suggest that water-based fish soups date back to 1795. Other records suggest clam chowder, a creamy milk-based soup, was first served in 1836. However, we firmly believe fish soups and chowders were popular for thousands of years, especially in seaports around the world.

Clam Chowder is one of the most popular soup varieties. almost everyone is familiar with New England Clam Chowder. But, many people find Manhattan Clam Chowder is just as good. So, as you celebrate this fishy holiday, we recommend you have both varieties. You’ll be glad that you did!

Do you have a sweet tooth? Sure you do! We all love candy. And you’ll be happy to know that today is a candy food holiday. So, it’s definitely going to be a fun time. Someone was nice enough to declare National Tootsie Roll Day today. On this February 23 holiday we celebrate and enjoy this chewy chocolate candy treat. Tootsie Roll are one of American’s most popular candies.

Tootsie rolls have been around for over a hundred years. We ae so thankful that an Austrian immigrant to America in the early 1900s opened a candy store in Brooklyn, NY. As a confectioner, he invented the tootsie roll, and the candy world quickly became a much sweeter one. The objective of this holiday is twofold. First, we celebrate this bite sized candy and its creator. Second, we celebrate by eating tootsie rolls all day long. And yes, that means we can eat them for breakfast today if you want. We know that you do.

Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle! Today is International Darwin Day, a February 12 holiday. There’s no monkeying around about this holiday. Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) was a naturalist, geologist, and biologist. He published his theory on evolution in 1859. The revolutionary theory immediately drew strong controversy. Endless debates argued about whether man evolved from apes. Or if we were created by God in the Garden of Eden. It took many decades before the debates wound down. Eventually, science proved his evolution theory. Along the way, religious groups weighed in with their beliefs and opinions on the topic. The creators of this holiday encourage us to celebrate Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. They also promote activism and international cooperation towards the advancement of science.

To put it simply, Darwin’s theory of evolution suggests we all evolved from apes. Over the years, scientists have proven this theory. However, Darwin’s theory goes much deeper. He stated that all life forms on the planet came from a single ancestor. You can read all about it in his groundbreaking book On the Theory of Species. It was published in 1859.

If you were alive in the mid to late 1800s when Darwin published his theory on evolution, you might be saying “What!? Man evolved from the ape? Preposterous!” Darwin’s book and theories sparked raging debates between evolutionists and creationists. Not surprisingly, the debate went on for many years.

Favorite Movie: Planet of the Apes (1968)

Did You Know? The Catholic church has no stated position on the topic of creativity and evolution.

There’s still plenty of winter weather to come. And, spring can have its share of chilly days. too. So, what shall we wear on this cold day? The best choice is warm and comfortable flannel clothing. Anything made of this durable and versatile fabric will keep you warm and make a fashion statement, too. Today is National Flannel Day, a February 10 holiday.  In addition to clothing, many other things are made of flannel. So, we encourage you to celebrate this holiday by finding all of the flannel things you own. Then, use them today. If you don’t have a lot of clothing or other flannel items to choose from, then head off to the store and buy a new flannel shirt or pajamas.

Flannel material has been around for over 400 years. It is the clothing fabric of choice for farmers, outdoor workers, skiers, hunters, and ice fishermen, to name a few. They are among the many sports and outdoorsmen to make flannel the material of choice to keep them warm. Originally created and designed for outerwear in cold weather, people find all sorts of uses for it. Most applications are intended to keep you warm on cold days. But, it has also become a bit of a fashion statement. For example, Country Western singers wear flannel shirts for their concerts and other singing engagements. 

Today is a great food holiday that we can all enjoy. It is National Fettuccine Alfredo Day, a February 7 holiday. Fettuccine Alfredo is a delicious, yet simple-to-make Italian pasta meal. And, it is inexpensive, helping you to stretch your food budget. Whether you are staying home for dinner tonight, or going out to a restaurant, choose Fettuccine Alfredo. Oh, and don’t forget the salad and garlic bread. They pair perfectly with this meal.

Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo has only four ingredients. They are Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, butter, fettuccini, and salt. Note, if you are on a low-salt diet, eliminate all or most of the salt in the menu. Then, add some Italian seasonings to enhance the flavor. And, there is nothing wrong with adding a few other herbs, meats, or other ingredients to the basic recipe. As long as you use fettuccine noodles and alfredo sauce, you are properly celebrating this holiday. 

Did You Know? In Italy, Fettuccine Alfredo is served as an appetizer. In the United States, it is a main course item.

February is still the middle of winter. And, it’s mighty cold and snowy outside. We turn to rich and flavorful homemade soup to warm us up and to take the chill out of the air. Homemade soup is good for the mind, body, and soul. Today is National Homemade Soup Day, a February 4 holiday. We celebrate it at the perfect time of the year. So, get out your big stock kettle and make your favorite soup. I can almost smell the homey aroma wafting from the kitchen.

Soup has been filling and warming us up since almost the day man began to use fire for cooking. Various research estimates suggest it was first consumed 9,000 to 20,000 years ago. Did you ever wonder how researchers know this!? Anyways, all ancient cultures discovered soup at some long ago point in time. While it is most often consumed warm or hot, some soups are served cold. The best examples of this are Borscht, or beet soup, and Gazpacho. 

When it comes to comfort food, homemade soup is the ultimate comfort food. One needs only to look at what remedies we use when we have a cold or the flu. That happens to be Mom’s homemade chicken soup. No other variety will do. And certainly, it has to be homemade. It’s the remedy for the cough, sore throat, and achy feeling we have when we are ill. 

What potato are you having with dinner tonight!? We’ll help you to decide. Today is National Tater Tot Day, a February 2 holiday. Now, it should be crystal clear what potato you must have with your dinner. Eating crispy, golden, bite-sized tater tots is the perfect way to celebrate this delicious food holiday along with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce. May we suggest adding cheese on them, too!? You can use a fork or as a finger food. Either way, you’re in for a treat.

Crispy tater tots are baked or fried to a crispy golden outside. Yet, they are soft on the inside. Both taste and texture make them one of the top ways to prepare potatoes. While you may love this starchy treat, it is not necessarily good for your health. A 3-ounce serving, approximately 7 tater tots, has 6 grams of fat, of which 1.5 grams is saturated fat. It is also high in calories, carbs, and sodium.

A Tater Tot by Other Names: In Australia, they are called potato gems. To people in the United Kingdom, they are known as potato croquettes or oven crunchies. And the folks in Canada appropriately call them “Tasti-Taters”. In New Zealand, they are called “Hash Bites”. Other names include potato puffs, potato rounds, potato cylinders, potato nuggets, spud puppies, and baby taters. 

Did You Know? Tater Tots are a trademark of Ore-Ida. That’s why there are so many other names for this type of potato.