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.

Calling all cake lovers. Today is National Carrot Cake Day.  This February 3 holiday is going to be delicious. Sweet, dense, and moist carrot cake is among the most popular of all cakes. And rumor has it, this is Bugs Bunny’s favorite cake. You may think of this cake for Easter, Thanksgiving, and other holidays. But if you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll be pleased to know that it is also popular any day of the year.

Carrot cakes emerged during the Middle Ages. During Medieval times, sugar and sweeteners were scarce. However, carrots which are sweet, were inexpensive and readily available. People began to grind them and put them into cakes and frosting. However, it wasn’t until much later that carrot cake recipes showed up in cookbooks. A carrot cake recipe showed up in an English cookbook in 1764. In 1827, it appeared in a French recipe cookbook. Early colonists brought the recipe to America.

Carrots are healthy for you. So, doesn’t it stand to reason, that when you eat this high carb, high cholesterol, calorie-ladened cake, you are eating healthy!?

In addition to orange carrots, there are purple, black, and, white and yellow cultivars. So, select your favorite color and make this cake today. 

Did You Know? We all eat the orange part of the carrot that’s grown underground. Yet, the tops are edible and tasty, too.

Get off of the couch and go have some fun. Get your heart pumping and your blood circulating. Stretch and use those muscles before they begin to atrophy. Today is Spice Up Your Life Day. Despite what you might think, the goal of this day IS NOT to spice up the food you eat. Rather, the objective of this February 17 holiday is to create fun and excitement in your life. We especially need some excitement in the middle of February, when we are indoors during cold, wintry weather.  So, get out of your igloo, as it’s pretty chilly in there. Go and do something really fun and exciting. This holiday will likely leave you tired and perhaps with a few sore muscles. However, it also sends you to bed with a smile on your face and some great new memories.

You don’t have to leave your house to enjoy this holiday. However, we strongly encourage it. What you choose to do today could be small, like taking a winter hike. Or it can be big, like traveling to some exotic place.  While this day encourages you to get off the couch and turn off the television, that’s not the main objective. The main goal of this day is to incent you to do something wild and exciting Try something that is out of character. Do something you’ve never done before. That’s the real spice of life. You’ll know you accomplished this goal when people tell you it’s not like you to do that. 

Today is World Thinking Day, a February 22 holiday. Just think about it! Today is a day to ponder and contemplate.

International World Thinking Day is celebrated by Girl Scouts, Girl Guides, and other girl groups. The original objective of this day was to set aside a day for girls all over the world to think of each other and to give thanks and appreciation to “sister” Girl Scouts and Girl Guides. Over the years, it has been expanded to include the opportunity for girls (young and less young) to learn about health issues that affect girls and young women.

You don’t have to be a Girl Scout or a Girl Guide to participate in this day. Rather, we encourage all females, young and old, to learn a little more about health issues today. If you are in a position to provide education and training on health issues, do so today. If you cannot conduct it today, then schedule it for some time in the near future.

Just ponder the word “think” for a moment. Thinking is a deep subject. It consumes a lot of brainpower. The word “think” has many meanings, including ponder, cogitate, consider, determine, conceive, and conclude. It also means to imagine, envisage, estimate, surmise, and reckon. Wow, I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

Did You Know? February 22 is the birthday of both Lord Baden-Powell founder of the Boy Scouts, and his wife Lady Olave Baden-Powell. Lady Baden-Powell founded Girl Guides.

As you ponder the true meaning of this thoughtful day, we hope you leave plenty of time to celebrate International World Thinking Day.