Posts tagged holidays
October — National Popcorn Month
Considering that Americans consume 16 billion quarts of popped popcorn annually it 
is no wonder there is a National Popcorn Month. Even though popcorn month has been celebrated for more than 25 years, it was not until 1999, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman proclaimed October as National Popcorn Poppin’ Month. Popcorn harvest takes place each fall in the Midwest so what better time to celebrate popcorn.
Amazingly 70 percent is eaten in the home while the other 30 percent is outside the home (theaters, stadiums, schools, etc.). While popcorn is consumed world-wide, most of the corn is grown and consumed in the United States. The average American eats about 54 quarts each year.
Popcorn has a long history. The oldest ears of popcorn dated at about 4,000 years were discovered in a cave in New Mexico in 1948. Aztec Indian ceremonies included a popcorn dance in which young women wore popcorn garlands.
Popcorn is a great between meal snack low in fat and calories and it satisfies but doesn’t spoil the appetite. Popcorn has no artificial additives or preservatives, and is sugar-free.
Get poppin’ and enjoy October as National Popcorn Month.
Resources:
Popcorn http://www.popcorn.org/
Popcorn Poppin’ Month http://www.popcorn.org/AboutUs/PopcornPoppinMonth/tabid/72/Default.aspx
Popcorn Trivia http://www.popcorn.org/EncyclopediaPopcornica/Trivia/tabid/69/Default.aspx
What Makes Popcorn Pop? http://www.popcorn.org/EncyclopediaPopcornica/WelcometoPopcornica/WhatMakesPopcornPop/tabid/105/Default.aspx
Photo courtesy of Popcorn Board. This link will also take you to a list of unique recipes using popcorn.
September - National Honey Month
In celebration of National Honey Month, I thought some interesting facts about honey bees might be in order -
- To make one pound of honey, the bees in the colony must visit 2 million flowers, fly over 55,000 miles and will be the lifetime work of approximately 300 bees.
- Honey bees never sleep!
- Honey bees will visit between 50-100 flowers during one nectar collection trip
International Clown Week
Click Here For Images &
Clowns Pictures - Pictures
On August 2, 1971, President Richard Nixon signed into law a joint resolution proclaiming the first week in August as National Clown Week. It is now celebrated
Wrap It Up With Customized Gift Wrap
Packrat that I am, and by good graces – my mother still has my first grade papers — I rescue gift wrap, old maps, interesting calendars, brown paper bags, tissue papers stuffed in my shopping bags – you get the picture. All of this paper is then transformed in wonderful and very inexpensive gift wrap. Here’s how.
Rescue discarded gift wrap, maps, outdated calendars, brown paper grocery bags, tissue papers, and don’t overlook the possibilities of using thin corrugated cardboard sheets, graph paper, want-ads, funnies, or stock quotes from newspapers, or some of those numerous art projects – you know the ones
