It’s no secret how much of a kick I get out of “national” food holidays. Though the majority of them aren’t actually recognized holidays, more like “awareness” days, I do think it’s fun to take advantage of the excuse to make a treat or a dish to go along with the holiday, especially if it means I can involve my kids and get some information into them about it!

National Peanut Day is coming up on September 13th. Peanuts (which we all know by now are not actually nuts, but legumes) make wonderful, portable snacks and have the added benefit of …read more

I’m so excited that it’s finally September! It doesn’t necessarily mean cooler weather where I’m at (that’s October), but I do like that it’s finally pulling out of the “dog days” of summer and that cooler nights and shorter days are on the way.

September is also the bearer of several food holidays! I couldn’t figure out where most of these originate, and chances are good that even though they say “national” holidays they’re usually not. That doesn’t make them any less worthy of being recognized and celebrated, though! September is:
National Biscuit Month:
~ Biscuit Recipes.net
~ Alton’s Southern Biscuits
~ Simple Baking Powder …read more

July 30 is National Cheesecake Day. Here is a wonderful video recipe from Nigella Lawson for Chocolate Cheesecake. If, however, you don’t have the time or energy to make your own confection, the Cheesecake Factory restaurants around the US are selling their yummy creations for just $1.50/slice in honor of the occasion.

July 19 is National Daiquiri Day. The holiday celebrates that refreshing rum and lime juice cocktail that was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway and JFK.
The daiquiri became popular in turn-of-the (20th) century Havana. US Naval officers discovered it there an brought it to the Officer’s Club in Washington DC and from there on to the rest of the country. The daiquiri remains a bar standard to this day.
To make a classic daiquiri, combine:
1 1/2 oz. light rum
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1/4 oz. sugar syrup
Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for several seconds. Strain into …read more

July is National Hot Dog Month. To help you best enjoy this event, the National Hot Dog Council offers these hot dog etiquette tips:

Heather, over at “Chocolate Bytes,” is always reminding me about the myriad of chocolate-related holidays. Today, June 26, happens to be National Chocolate Pudding Day.
So whip up your favorite chocolate pudding recipe, grab the kids, and go outside to eat it (where it won’t make a big mess). You can even send a National Chocolate Pudding Day ecard.Over at “Inside Motherhood,” Heather (yes, the same Heather; she’s very talented) suggests using chocolate pudding to create art. Now that project definately has to be done outside!
(photo © Food Chronicles/cc license)

June 25 is National Catfish Day, created by presidential proclamation in 1987 to celebrate the US farm-raised catfish industry. Catfish are a freshwater fish, plentiful in the Great Lakes and in lakes and streams throughout the country.
Celebrate National Catfish Day by making one of these delicious catfish recipes.
(photo © newscom)

July is National Hot Dog Month. In anticipation, here are a few hot dog facts:
1. On a single day–July 4th–Americans will consume an estimated 150 million hot dogs!
2. By the end of summer grilling season, Americans will have eaten more than 7 billion hot dogs.
3. Last year, New Yorkers purchased twice as many hot dogs — an estimated $103 million worth–as the third region on the list,
Baltimore/Washington. Philadelphia was fourth, Boston sixth and
Harrisburg/Scranton ninth.
4. During “Hot Dog Season,” Memorial Day to Labor Day, Americans typically
consume 7 billion hot dogs — that boils down to 818 …read more

June 6 is National Doughnut Day and to mark the occasion, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is offering customers who visit one of their more than 400 retail locations on Friday a free doughnut of their choice. Say Krispy Kreme Senior Vice President, Stan Parker, “National Doughnut Day is one of our most anticipated days at Krispy Kreme. We get to give back to our loyal customers by offering a doughnut on us and celebrating everyone’s favorite sweet treat.”
National Doughnut Day was established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army to help raise funds during the Depression and to honor the Salvation …read more

National Cheese Day is June 4. To me, that even better than National Chocolate Day (December 28). What’s more: a friend of mine has just taken a job as a cheese store manager and we’ve been tasting cheese for a month now: sheep’s cheese, goat cheese, blue cheese, Italian cheese, firm cheese…
Of all of the cheese we’ve tasted, one stands out from the crowd–at least for me. It’s from a family farm in Point Reyes (Marin County), California–Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company. Their Original Blue ™ is made from hormone-free raw cow’s milk and is all natural (no preservatives). The …read more