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 being high in fiber and protein, and recent studies even suggest that they have cardiovascular benefits as well by lowering triglycerides and raising magnesium levels in the body.

My family all love peanuts, and thankfully none of us have allergies so I plan to have my girls help me make the delicious cake below. It would be excellent drizzled with some warmed jam — maybe strawberry or even peach — for a “peanut butter and jelly” cake (talk about a kid pleaser) or a yummy dark chocolate ganache.

Salted Peanut Cake
from Taste of Home

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 pound salted peanuts, ground

FROSTING
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

~ In a bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add egg; beat well.

~ Combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Set aside 3/4 cup peanuts for topping. Stir remaining peanuts into batter.

~ Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

~ Meanwhile, for the frosting, combine the flour and the milk in a saucepan until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cool completely.

~ In a bowl, cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar until fluffy. Add the cooled flour mixture and the vanilla; beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Spread over the cake; sprinkle with the reserved peanuts.

[image: sxc]

Post from: Blisstree

Salted Peanut Cake

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 Biscuits
~ Parmesan Biscuits
~ Caramel Biscuit Bites

Better Breakfast Month:

~ Breakfast Recipes
~ Vegan Breakfast Recipes
~ Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
~ Slow Cooker Breakfast Recipes
~ Healthy Breakfast Ideas

National Chicken Month:

~ Eat Chicken
~ We Love Chicken
~ Boneless Chicken Recipes
~ Barbecue Chicken Recipes
~ Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

National Honey Month:

~ Honey.com
~ Honey Recipes
~ Honey Dijon Chicken Salad
~ Honey Whole Wheat Bread
~ Honey Cake
~ Honey Gelato

National Mushroom Month:

~ Mushroom Council
~ Mushroom Recipes
~ Wild Mushroom Recipes
~ Gourmet Mushroom Recipes
~ Vegetarian Mushroom Recipes

National Potato Month:

~ Potato Patch Recipes
~ Dad’s Potato Salad
~ Simple Mashed Potatoes
~ Vegetarian Potato Recipes
~ Slow Cooker Potato Recipes

National Rice Month:

~ Rice Gourmet
~ Rice Recipes
~ Simple Rice Pudding
~ Mexican Rice Recipes
~ Vegetarian Rice Dishes
~ Slow Cooker Rice Recipes

[image: flickr]

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September Is…

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National Cheesecake Day

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 a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wedge or circle.

^{(photo © aaron gustafson/cc license)}

Post from: Blisstree

National Daiquiri Day

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Hot Dog Eitquette

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)}

Post from: Blisstree

National Chocolate Pudding Day

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)}

Post from: Blisstree

National Catfish Day

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 hot dogs consumed
every second during the season.

5. Americans will eat enough hot dogs at major league ballparks this year
to stretch from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco. Hot dogs became
standard fare at ballparks in 1893, a tradition believed to have started in St. Louis.

^{(photo and facts courtesy of Hatfield Qualty Meats)}

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National Hot Dog Month

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 Army workers who prepared doughnuts for thousands of soldiers during World War I.

National Doughnut Day is the first Friday of June each year.

^{(photo © Newscom)}

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Free Doughnuts for National Doughnut Day

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 cheese is creamy and mild, similar to a Danish blue cheese and it spreads rather than crumbles. It is the only cheese the company makes and the only blue cheese made in California. You can read more about it on the company Web site. Trust me: it’s yummy!

^{(photo of Point Reyes Original Blue on an apricot © Newscom)}

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In Honor of National Cheese Day: Point Reyes Original Blue