Or I can grab some chocolate after church tomorrow and they can be choco-day-late chip cookies
2 Likes
It is Sunday, 19 December 2021
(W50 | D353 | 12 rem)
Today is: 
Oatmeal Muffin Day
Another cloudy, drizzle-filled day in Joburg gives us another fine excuse to do more baking! Today, let’s do muffins!
And specifically Oatmeal Muffins–a delicious and delightful combination of food that might even just make oatmeal jealous of itself!
Muffins have been a staple for quite a few centuries. This probably started with English-style muffins that are made with yeast, cooked on a griddle, and have been dated back to the 10th or 11th century in Wales.
American-style muffins are known as quick bread muffins, which are made in individual molds and do not use yeast in their recipes. Quick bread muffins were not developed until close to the end of the 18th century, when pearlash, a refined form of potash, was discovered.
In the very first American Cookbook titled American Cookery, author Amelia Simmons published recipes using pearlash. Then, in 1792, approximately eight thousand tons of it were exported to Europe. Baking powder was eventually developed but did not become commercially available until 1857.
Quick bread muffins really need to be baked in molds because they are created with a batter instead of a dough, which means they will not hold up on their own. While there is not much history for the Oatmeal Muffin, there are plenty of recipes for it that all vary in ingredients.
Celebrating National Oatmeal Muffin Day is easy, whether simply eating oatmeal muffins, making them, or learning more about them.
This is one of those special days where the food in question is not only delicious, but it also has ingredients that are good for you!
While these muffins also contain a few ingredients that are a bit less healthy (such as refined sugar or vegetable oil, oatmeal is a grain that offers a few different possible health benefits, such as:
- High in Fiber. Studies have shown that a diet that is filled with sources of soluble fiber (including whole oats) may help to minimize the risk of coronary disease, which is one of the biggest killers of Americans today.
- May Help Lower Blood Pressure. One side issue related to coronary problems is high blood pressure, and eating whole grains (such as oats) may help to reduce blood pressure just as much as taking medication for it.
- Reduce the Risk of Colorectal Cancer. A diet high in fiber has been linked to the reduction in occurrences of colorectal cancer. It has been estimated that for every 10 grams of whole grains (including oatmeal) per day, there may be a 10% reduction in the risk of colorectal cancers.
- Increased Digestion and Reduced Obesity. The high fibrous content also helps to keep the digestive system clean and clear, improving the health of the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to reduced risk of obesity as well as other chronic diseases.
Those who want to rather make their own muffins in celebration of the day can follow any one of hundreds of recipes and make a batch of Oatmeal Muffins for the whole family to enjoy with some coffee and hot cocoa.
Despite the fact that my body shape is now starting to resemble a muffin, all is good! Have a happy Sunday. 
3 Likes
Me to brother, me too…
Still have a batch of cappuccino muffins in my rice cooker. That’ll have to do for today.
You heard me.
2 Likes
We are planning on baking this holiday, we just need a mixer lol. Have a muffin mix ready to go
2 Likes
It is Monday, 20 December 2021
(W51 | D354 | 11 rem)
Today is: National Sangria Day
It’s hard to think of many things that could be better than a day dedicated to wine mixed with fruit!
It’s National Sangria Day! There are thousands of different variations of sangria that combine such ingredients as sliced fruit, honey, sugar, juice, carbonated soda, red or white wine, and other alcohols. Each combination changes the flavour, alcohol content, and carbonation of the sangria.
Each year, more and more people are visiting Spain for its rich heritage and culture of food. Over 2,000 years ago, when the Romans inhabited the area, they knew the water there was unsafe for drinking because of bacteria, and so it was common to fortify it with alcohol to kill off the bacteria. In this case, necessity became the mother of invention, and many people’s lives are all the better for it.
The first sangrias (whose name comes from Sangre, or blood, and refers to its dark red color) were likely heavily watered down mixes of wine and water, as well as herbs and spices. Basically, the Romans added anything they could to kill off the bacteria in the water and to disguise the taste of mediocre table wine.
Wine-making and, thus, sangria-making flourished for some time in Spain. Then, during the 700s, the Spanish wine industry floundered when the Islamic Moors took over. It wasn’t until almost 800 years later, when the Moors were conquered, that Spaniards were again able to freely enjoy their sangria-making activities.
By the 18th and 19th centuries, Sangria became popular in England and France, using French grapes. Then, in 1964, with the influence of the New York City World’s Fair, Sangria was introduced to the wider population in the United States and the Americans have had a taste for it ever since.
Expressions of Sangria have tended to change over time. Variations usually center around the type of fruit, the presence or lack of carbonation and the kind of spirits added if any at all. While all fruits can be used, the key is to use fruit that’s in season in order to underline the flavour of the drink, and also the type of wine being used.
Today, by European law, in order to be given the label “Sangria”, the drink must be made in either Spain or Portugal and be low in alcohol – less than 12% by volume.
Sangria has become an ancient and much-loved tradition. And, even though it originates in Spain and Portugal, it is certainly enjoyed worldwide today. It can be served as an iced outdoor treat in the summer, or as a great way to warm up indoors in the winter.
Sounds like a great reason to go day drinking to me! Happy Monday.
Know More:
3 Likes
It is Tuesday, 21 December 2021
(W51 | D355 | 10 rem)
Today is: Humbug Day
For many people, Christmas can be an incredibly stressful time of year. Coping with the pressures of shopping for gifts and planning events and parties whilst embracing the holiday spirit can be a lot to ask!
Humbug Day, also known as National Humbug Day, comes up every December 21. It is a holiday that allows you to cast off your frustrations before Christmas.
Because the pressures of the festive season can get to us all, it is important that we all get a day to vent out all our frustrations. Created by Thomas and Ruth Roy, Humbug Day affords everyone 12 free humbugs.
Things can get chaotic during the holidays, that’s why this day was created to help people cope with the stress and challenges.
Humbug is a word used to underplay the relevance of a person or an event. At first, it was just student slang used as a joke. But it became a catchphrase after Charles Dickens used it in his book titled “A Christmas Carol.”
The character of Ebenezer Scrooge is a miser and miserabilist who doesn’t celebrate the Christmas holiday and is mocked by those who do. Scrooge’s character eventually became very popular, attaining pop culture status.
The Scrooge character, and various alternates based on him, have since been in several media, often bordering around the Christmas festivities.
Several books and movies have portrayed the character since its first use in Charles Dickens’ book.
The character is most notable for blurting out these words during the festivities: “Bah, Humbug!”
He does this to express his frustration and lack of enthusiasm during the holidays. But, Ebenezer Scrooge’s character later develops into a more likable character, finally embracing and enjoying Christmas like every one else. The moral being that even the most grumpiest of people can learn to overcome their frustrations with Christmas and actually end up enjoying the holiday.
Like Scrooge, we also may start to feel unsatisfied and frustrated as the pressure of festivities comes upon us. That’s why it is important to blow off some steam before Christmas.
Created by Thomas and Ruth Roy, National Humbug Day is the day that we unwind and let go of our worries so we can enjoy Christmas also.
According to the creators, we are allowed 12 humbugs on December 21, which is the date of the holiday. It is a day with so many fun possibilities. You can also binge-watch movies dedicated to Scrooge.
Despite the theme of grumpiness that it bears, Humbug Day can be fun and amusing, and, by design, a great holiday stress reliever.
Humbug Day encourages a controlled venting of all that stress before Christmas so that you can enjoy the festive season to the fullest.
So put a little “Bah Humbug” out there today, and have a grumpy (but fun!) Humbug Tuesday.
Know More:
If you can handle the ads:
3 Likes
Bah!
Humbug!
3 Likes
Isn’t there also a sweet or mint called a Humbug?
2 Likes
Indeed. Traditionally a hard, striped mint flavoured sweet. Delicious.
Humbug!!
3 Likes
It is Wednesday, 22 December 2021
(W51 | D356 | 9 rem)
Today is: Date Nut Bread Day
It’s worth laying out a full spread of deliciousness to celebrate National Date Nut Bread Day – but the question is whether to choose butter or cream cheese. This day comes with all sorts of delicious options that can be based on personal preference. But the most important thing on this day is that Date Nut Bread is celebrated and enjoyed!
Yip, it’s clearly the season of “eat, drink, and be merry” with another festive season treat to celebrate the day.
Dates have been around for quite some time. In fact, they seem to have been first cultivated in Egypt, sometime around 4000 BC or so. The English word used for this fruit is derived from the Greek word dáchtylo, which means “finger”, presumably due to their shape.
Published recipes for date bread seem to date back to the 1930s, but fruited breads were also known in earlier centuries and in many different parts of the world. This first recorded recipe for date bread originated in Britain in 1939 and quickly became a favorite to be made in the winter, particularly around holidays such as Christmas or the New Year.
Nobody seems to know for sure who decided that this delightfully fruity bread should get its own day, despite evidence that the day has been celebrated for years. And the fact that this day comes right in the middle of winter (at least for the northern hemisphere) means that everyone can enjoy a slice of this bread warm from the oven, paired with a hot beverage.
One of the lesser used fruits in Western kitchens, dates are actually a very healthy fruit, providing quite a bit of nutrition along with sweetness and lots of moisture. In celebration of National Date Nut Bread Day, find out what kind of nutritional benefits dates can bring to the family:
- Dates are high in polyphenols, which is a very important antioxidant that helps to protect the human body from oxidative damage that can cause problems such as inflammation.
- Chock full of fiber, dates act as a healthful aid to the digestive system as well as keeping the stomach feeling full for longer. Other nutrients found in dates include B-6 and iron.
- Another nutrient dates have high amounts of is potassium. This is a mineral that promotes good heart health, regulates the balance of fluids in the body, and promotes good nerve signals.
- Dates are high in natural sugars, which means they can add some satisfying sweetness to baked goods (such as Date Nut Bread!) without worrying about all of those empty calories.
Happy Wednesday.
3 Likes
It tastes the best, when a grandmother bakes it.
3 Likes
It is Thursday, 23 December 2021
(W51 | D357 | 8 rem)
Today is: Festivus
One more Seinfeld inspired holiday… it’s Festivus. According to the story, when George was a child his father Frank Costanza (played by the late, great Jerry Stiller) created Festivus as an alternative holiday to counter the over-commercialisation of Christmas.
If you’re someone who doesn’t like the commercialism of the Christmas season, you are going to love Festivus. After all, there is no denying that a lot of us can feel under pressure during the festive period. It is the most expensive time of the year, and this can put a lot of financial strain on people. So, it’s great to have a day that is the opposite of this instead!
The date was created by the late author Daniel O’Keefe. Daniel was an American writer who worked for the Reader’s Digest for over 30 years. Festivus is a bit of a family affair because it was actually Dan O’Keefe, Daniel’s son, who made the day popular by making it the focus of the 166th episode of Seinfield, which he co-wrote, in 1997.
If you’re able, you can watch the entire episode on Netflix (Season 9, Episode 10) at the moment. Or grab the Festivus highlights from the Know More clips below.
The episode refers to the day as “a Festivus for the rest of us”. In the episode, you see that events that are very easy to explain are ironically called “Festivus miracles.” There are also practices such as “Feats of Strength” and “Airing of Grievances,” as well as an unadorned aluminium Festivus pole, and a Festivus dinner.
Now, to celebrate Festivus it is actually quite simple to remember and even simpler to do. Festivus is celebrated as a holiday by those seeking to find an alternative to the commercialism and pressures that the Christmas holiday shopping can cause. While the holiday of Festivus is easy to celebrate and easily remembered how to celebrate, there are a few things we need for the holiday. In the episode of Seinfeld, they use an aluminum pole in place of a Christmas tree.
Next is the Festivus dinner, which usually just consists of turkey, or in some cases to match the colors of the Seinfeld episode, meatloaf on a bed of lettuce.
Afterwards is the Airing of Grievances, where each person at the table stands up one at a time and tells the others what they dislike about them and then how the world has disappointed them that year.
Finally, comes the Feats of Strength which is celebrated immediately following the Festivus dinner, The head of the household selects one person at the Festivus celebration and challenges them to a wrestling match, and as Festivus tradition states, the Festivus holiday is not over until the head of the household is pinned by their opponent.
So, if you really want to celebrate this day the traditional day, make sure you take full inspiration from the episode that helped to make this day what it is!
Whether you consider Festivus Day a form of playful consumer resistance or a parody holiday festival, there is no denying that it is a lot of fun. Of course, it is perfect for anyone who is not a fan of Christmas and hates all of the commercialism that comes to the fore during December. Bah humbug!
Happy Festivus!
Know More:
3 Likes
It is Friday, 24 December 2021
(W51 | D358 | 7 rem)
Today is: Eggnog Day
The armored infantry was Santa Claus, the battle was our Christmas. What else for the elves to do on Christmas Eve but to let their hair down and drink a little eggnog. -Hiroshi Sakurazaka-
Whether we buy it in stores so the whole family can have a glass or make our own, eggnog has always been a staple drink for the Christmas season. The real question is, where did eggnog come from, and when did it come into existence? That’s what Eggnog Day is all about.
Eggnog is historically also known as milk punch or egg milk punch when it is mixed with an alcoholic beverage. It’s a rich, chilled, creamy, and sweetened dairy drink traditionally created with milk and/or cream, sugar, whipped eggs which helps it gain it’s frothy texture, and sometimes mixed spirits.
The origins of eggnog are highly debated as are the original ingredients used for it. The Oxford English Dictionary claims that nog was “a kind of strong beer brewed somewhere in East Anglia”. But where and when did the term Eggnog originate from?
The first time the term “eggnog” was ever used was in 1775 when Maryland clergyman and philologist Jonathan Boucher wrote a poem about the drink, which surprisingly was not published until thirty years after his death! The poem went like this.
“Fog-drams in the morn,
or better still egg-nogg.
At night hot-suppings,
and at mid-day, grogg.
My palate can regale”
The first printed use of the term was in 1788 in the New-Jersey Journal, which referred to a young man drinking a glass of eggnog.
Eggnog may have developed from posset, a Medieval European beverage made with hot milk that curdled up when mixed with wine or ale and was then flavoured with spices.
Celebrating Eggnog Day is quite easy and enjoyable. In order to celebrate it, all you have to do is buy or make your own eggnog, and then enjoy it with family and friends. After the children have gone to bed, you can also make an alcoholic version of the beverage to share around with the adult family and friends.
Happy Eggnog Day!
Know More:
4 Likes
Something I’ve never had.
2 Likes
I tried it once in the UK, it made me sick so never again, it doesn’t help that eggs (slightly cooked or not) forms the basis of this stuff…
2 Likes
National for who, South Africa? I doubt that. Regardless, I’mma make some for me and the fandamnily.
1 Like
For the Yankee Doodles I’m assuming - the site I pulled today’s celebration from is decidedly American. Eggnog is definitely a European thing that the Americans have taken to heart too. I think I’ve had eggnog just once in South Africa - at a Swiss friends Christmas Eve dinner. I know a couple of restaurants that add it to their Christmas menus, but it’s not really a refreshing middle of Summer heat drink.
2 Likes
In Canada, you can buy eggnog (without the booze) next to the milk in the grocery stores.
The best part is the French side, which instead of eggnog is called “Lait du Poulet”, which translated literally means “Chicken Milk” or “Milk of the Chicken”
Now if that ain’t appetizing!
3 Likes
It is Saturday, 25 December 2021
(W51 | D359 | 6 rem)
Today is: Christmas Day
Get off the computer, put down the phone, and spend a quality Christmas Day with family and friends.
If you do need to be online - say to share Zoom Christmas parties with distant friends and family - then at least spend some time tracking Santa as he journeys around the globe, and learn about where he still has to go, and where he has already been. There’s a bunch of games to play on the site as well. You and the kids will love it.
Merry Christmas to you and to yours! 
Know More:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Christmas+Day
3 Likes
Merry Christmas everyone, may your presents be plentiful and your dinner be delicious.
3 Likes