Apr 07 - Beer

Now this is a fun day - original plan was to be at the airport on way home but not meant to be and I ended up working late and not getting to where I wanted to so a day behind on all but beer was had so that is all that counts right!!!

One of the world’s oldest prepared beverages, beer possibly dates back to 9500 BC when cereal was first farmed.  It is recorded in the written history of ancient Iraq and ancient Egypt.
Beer is the world’s most widely consumed alcoholic beverage.  Following water and tea, it is the third most popular drink overall.


HISTORY
On April 7, 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt took the first step toward ending Prohibition and signed a law that allowed people to brew and sell beer, in the United States, as long as it remained below 4.0% alcohol by volume (ABV).  Beer drinkers celebrated and were happy to be able to purchase beer again for the first time in thirteen years.


Research found this day was created as National Beer Day by Justin Smith, a Richmond, Virginia Craft Beer Examiner, and his friend Mike Connolly from Liverpool, England.   April 7th was chosen because the Cullen-Harrison Act was signed into law and became active on this day.  In 2009, Smith and Connolly created a National Beer Day Facebook page. From this page, they invited friends to join, and word has spread to many sources that April 7 is National Beer Day

Source:http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-beer-day-april-7/

Apr 06- More Caramel

Not quite as big a fan but its National Caramel Popcorn Day - yet again the popcorn truck was not close by and Penn Station is just not happening so the local store it was

While I associate this with ball parks / sporting events as that is where I usually see it did the job last night for a little chill out and Netflix evening.


Combining popcorn and molasses began in the early 1800s. Caramel was common as well, and with the production of Cracker Jack, the popularity was ever increasing.  


Some history on Cracker Jack.

Apr 05 - Caramel

This one came at the perfect time of year - National Caramel Day coming up to Easter combines to of my favs chocolate and caramel in the shape of a bunny :)

Caramels are made by adding milk and fat to a sugary syrup that has been heated and continuously stirred until it reaches a light brown color.  As early as the seventeenth century, American women were using caramelized sugar and water to make candies.  It was a rather economical candy to produce.  Around the year 1850, someone discovered that by adding milk and a fat product to the cooked sugar mixture that a soft, chewy candy would be produced.  This candy very quickly became popular.


Caramel is used to make a variety of desserts either as a featured ingredient, flavoring or topping. Depending on the consistency it can be used as a syrup or as the glue holding together nuts and popcorn. In a more pliant form, it makes great caramel apples.  Cooked to a higher temperature the caramel can become brittle and is perfect for just that kind of candy making.


The longer caramel cooks, it takes on a deeper color and a darker flavor until the sugar becomes bitter and is no longer palatable.


Source: http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-caramel-day-april-5/

Apr 04 - Carrots

In keeping with my trying to work this system better I am skipping cone day and going with International Carrot Day, don't see a national carrot day here in US - carrot cake day however is in Feb

 Fun Carrot Facts courtesy of Web MD


1. First Use
People first grew carrots as medicine, not food, for a variety of ailments.


2. They're How Old?
Carrots can be traced back about 5,000 years through historical documents and paintings. No one knows exactly when the first carrots appeared, because many people mistook them for parsnips, a close relative of the carrot.


3. Nutrition Facts
A medium-size carrot has 25 calories, 6 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fiber. The veggie is an excellent source of vitamin A, providing more than 200% of your daily requirement in just one carrot. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, a natural chemical that the body changes into vitamin A. The deeper orange the carrot, the more beta-carotene you’re getting.


4. Carrot Colors
We think of carrots as orange, but they can also be white, yellow, red, and purple.


5. A Surprising Hater of Carrots
Mel Blanc, the voice of cartoon character Bugs Bunny, reportedly did not like carrots.

Apr 03 -Rainbows!!!!

It is National Find A Rainbow on this lovely sunny rain free day!!!


But none the less rainbows it is and as I am Irish that obviously means a pot of gold at the end:


"The Irish leprechaun's secret hiding place for his pot of gold is usually said to be at the end of the rainbow. This place is impossible to reach, because the rainbow is an optical effect which depends on the location of the viewer. When walking towards the end of a rainbow, it will appear to "move" further away (two people who simultaneously observe a rainbow at different locations will disagree about where a rainbow is). Also, a rainbow is in fact a full circle, we usually only see the half arc of it due to our positioning in respect to it; if you were to be positioned higher up (such as on a tall building or an airplane) then you could view it's actual full circle. So in reality there is no end to a rainbow, just as there is no end to a circle. Therefore, that 'end of the rainbow' is in other words an impossible/non-existent place." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprechaun

A photo from home above and an Irish prayer below:

An Irish Prayer

May God give you... For every storm, a rainbow, For every tear, a smile, For every care, a promise, And a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, A faithful friend to share, For every sigh, a sweet song, And an answer for each prayer

April 02 - PB&J

Ok not a huge fan of this combo  - National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day so didn't want to waste my lovely bread from yesterday on it so I did some research and was pretty impressed with this....

Yes that is right, it is a peanut butter and jelly macaroon, really nothing else to say on this one 😎

April 01 - More carbs

Another month and more food, I am def worried I may not be able to continue for the year unless I can find more non food based ones - my wallet and waste line are seriously suffering 😁

This was relatively easy National Sourdough Bread day and finally a visit to Sullivan St Bakery which is so close it is dangerous I now how good the bread actually is!!!!

So freaking good but even worse while I was there these came out fresh to tempt me.....

But back to the sourdough pullman thanks to the article below sent by a good friend, Alisha, it seems it is actually the best bread to eat so no guilt necessary 😀

Check it out http://thenutritionwatchdog.com