Everyday's a Holiday

April 18th - Paul Revere Day

2006-04-18T10:47:00.000-05:00

"Listen little children and you will hear about the midnight ride of Paul Revere. He's going up the alleys and down the streets, crying (insert school name here) can't be beat!"

That's a little cheer I remember from my early cheerleading days back in grade school. There's hardly a person alive you doesn't know the story of Paul Revere's infamous midnight ride. Of course, if Longfellow hadn't written his own poem about the event, erroniously giving Revere all of the credit, we may not even know the name Paul Revere. For, despite common myth, he didn't actually make it on his midnight ride to Concord. Nor was he intially trying to warn the town of approching British troops. On April 18, 1775, Revere set out to warn Samuel Adams & John Hancock their lives were in danger. Once he'd delivered this message,(sometime after midnight) it was determined that the British must have further plans other than capturing two prominent leaders...the stores of ammunition in Concord. Setting out on horseback, once again, this time accompanied by William Dawes, they're plan was to warn the citizens of Concord. Along the road they met up with another patriot,Samuel Prescott, who joined them. While Dawes & Prescott were warning families, Revere was captured by British troops. The others fled, but continued their mission.

With this warning, the American troops were prepared the next day for the onset of the American Revolutionary War. No one knows for certain who fired the first shot in the War for Independence.

To make an Apple Tansey (a recipe from Colonial Williamsburg)
Take three pippins, slice them round in thin slices, and fry them with butter; then beat four eggs, with six spoonfuls of cream, a little rosewater, nutmeg, and sugar; stir them together, and pour it over the apples; let it fry a little, and turn it with a pye-plate. Garnish with lemon and sugar strew'd over it.

April 14th - Good Friday

2006-04-14T15:10:00.000-05:00

Today celebrates the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. If He died for our sins, why is the day called "Good"? Some historians believe it is a derivitive of "God's Friday". Most say it is because of the goodness of Christ, dying for our salvation. Either way, today is a Holy Day worldwide for all Christians. It is a day of fast & abstinance, so make sure to have a non-meat meal, and contemplate the importance of the day.

April 13th - Holy Thursday

2006-04-14T15:05:00.000-05:00

Today is the day Christian's worldwide celebrate the events leading up to Christ's death. The day is typically recognized with the story of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. It was a way of saying "I am one of you. I do not hold myself higher than you, but with you." It is also known as Maudy Thursday. Throughout history it has been a day in which the "rich" would make donations of food, clothing, etc. to the poor. People would gather at the castle gates for "castoffs" with pride and respect on both parts.

I'm not suggesting you go wash someone's feet today, but rather consider making a donation to a local charity, Goodwill or some other organization. Perhaps start your Spring Cleaning. And most of all, act humbly.

April 11th - Cheese Fondue Day

2006-04-11T15:15:00.000-05:00

This warm cheese dish originated in Switzerland and more specifically in the Canton of Neuchatel. The dish consists of at least two varieties of cheeses that are melted with wine and a bit of flour and served communally out of pot called a "caquelon". Long forks are used by each guest to spear a cube of bread then the bread is dipped into the cheese and eaten.Fondue dates back to the 18th century when both cheese and wine were important industries in Switzerland. The simple to prepare meal utilized ingredients that were found in most average homes. French gastronome Brillat-Savarin mentioned fondue in his 19th century writings, but fondue really hit its heyday in 1952, when chef Konrad Egli of New York's Chalet Swiss Restaurant introduced a fondue method of cooking meat cubes in hot oil. Chocolate fondue followed in 1964.

My favourite Fondue "tradition" is that anyone who accidentally drops their bread/meat/veggie into the pot, then has to kiss the person directly across the fondue pot from them!

Wisconsin Cheese & Beer Fondue
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Dash cayenne (or add a dash of hot sauce to the melted mixture)
3/4 c. beer
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
PREPARATION:In bowl, combine cheese, flour, mustard and ground cayenne; mix to blend well. In fondue pot, combine beer and Worcestershire sauce. Set temperature at 375° and heat until bubbling. Gradually add cheese mixture and stir constantly until cheese melts and mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 200° and serve with crusty bread cubes or other dippers.

April 7th - Day of Beauty & Mothers

2006-04-07T13:30:00.000-05:00

ok, first I must apologize for being a slacker & not having new posts everyday this week. I will try to rectify that. But perhaps you will forgive me, since it is "Beauty & Mother's Day" in Armenia!

In that country, the greeting is: "Congratulations on your April the 7th, " Even women and girls congratulate each other. Armenia is the only country, that I know of, that celebrates Mother's/women's day for a whole month from March the 8th to April the 7th. It is about celebrating the female member of the species, and I think that is wonderful & beautiful! So today, no recipe...have that man or child, or heck, even just take yourself out, buy flowers, having a little pamering and celebrate the wonderful woman you are! What a great excuse for a girl's night out! Have fun! You're beautiful!

April 2nd - International Children's Book Day

2006-04-02T12:37:00.000-05:00

Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, 2 April, International Children's Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books. Each year the "International Board on Books for Young People" select a different country to host for the year & select the theme, a noted author of the host country writes a special message to the children of the world, and a famous illustrator creates the poster.

This year, 2006, the host country is Slovakia. The theme is "The Destiny of Books is Written in the Stars". The poster was created by Peter Ciserik. Today's recipe is one for the mind & soul...the message by Slovakian author Jan Uliciansky. And from me, please read & encourage your children to read. It is the greatest gift you'll ever give them.

The Destiny of Books is Written in the Stars
Grown-ups often ask what will happen to books when children stop reading them. Perhaps this is one answer:

"We'll load them all onto huge space ships and send them to the stars!"

Wow...!

Books really are like stars in a night sky. There are so many, they cannot be counted and they are often so far from us that we do not dare to reach out for them. But just imagine how dark it would be if one day all the books, those comets in our cerebral universe should go out and cease to give forth that boundless energy of human knowledge and imagination…

Oh, dear!

You say children cannot understand such science fiction?! Very well then, I shall come back down to earth and allow myself to remember the books of my own childhood. This is anyway what came to my mind when I was gazing at the Plough, the constellation we Slovaks call "the Big Cart", because my most precious books came to me on a cart... That is, not to me first, but to my mother. It was during the war.

She was standing at the roadside one day, when a cart came rattling along - a hay wagon piled high with books and drawn by a team of horses. The driver told my mother that he was taking the books from the town library to a safe place, to prevent them from being destroyed.

At that time my mother was still a little girl eager to read and at the sight of that sea of books her eyes lit up like stars. Until then she had only seen carts full of hay, straw or perhaps manure. For her a cart full of books was like something out of a fairytale. She plucked up the courage to ask:
"Please, couldn't you give me at least one book from that big pile?"

The man smiled, nodded, jumped down from the cart and unfastened one side with the words:
"You can take home as many as are left lying in the road!"

The books tumbled noisily out of the cart onto the dusty road and in a short while that strange wagon had disappeared round a bend. My mother gathered them up, her heart beating loud with excitement. When she had dusted them down, she found that among them, quite by chance, there was a complete edition of the tales of Hans Christian Andersen. In the five volumes of various colours there was not a single illustration, but in a miraculous way those books lit up the nights my mother so dreaded. This was because during that war she had lost her own mother. When she read those tales in the evening, each of them gave her a little ray of hope and with a quiet picture in her heart, painted with half-closed eye-lashes, she could calmly fall asleep, at least for a while...

The years passed and these books found their way to me. I always carry them with me along the dusty roads of my life. What dust am I talking about, you ask?

Ah!

Maybe I was thinking of the star dust which settles on our eyes when we sit reading in a chair on a dark night. If, that is, we are reading a book. After all, we can read all kinds of things. A human face, the lines on a palm, and the stars...

The stars are books in a night sky and they light up the darkness.
Whenever I doubt whether it is worth writing another book, I gaze up at the sky and tell myself that the universe really is boundless and that there must still be room for my little star.

April 1st - April Fool's Day

2006-04-02T12:27:00.000-05:00

"The first day of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year." - Mark Twain

In sixteenth-century France, the start of the new year was observed on April first. However, in 1562, Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar for the Christian world, and the new year fell on January first. There were some people, however, who hadn't heard or didn't believe the change in the date, so they continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April first. Others played tricks on them and called them "April fools." They sent them on a "fool's errand" or tried to make them believe that something false was true. Today Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers alike on the first of April.

Here's a recipe to fool the kids, and get them to eat something healthy at the same time!
Colorful Cupcakes (really meatloaf)

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
12 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Potato Frosting:
3 cups mashed potatoes
Food coloring

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin tin cups with foil bake cups. In a large bowl, mix together all of the meat loaf ingredients until well combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the lined cups (the liners should be about three quarters full). Place the filled muffin tins on cookie sheets and bake the cupcakes for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Divide the mashed potatoes among three small bowls and stir a few drops of food coloring into each batch to create blue, yellow, and pink pastel frostings. Spread a generous dollop on each cupcake. Makes 12 cupcakes.

March 29th - Young Lemurs

2006-03-29T19:53:00.000-06:00

Today I suggest you begin by buying the film "Madagascar" to watch tonight, since today is Memorial Day in that country. Lemurs everywhere are celebrating! It is also "Youth Day" in Taiwan, a day began to celebrate the death of 72 young revolutionaries in China in 1911. It has since taken on the feel of youth service and literacy.

Taiwanese Shrimp Balls
1 pound shrimp
4 water chestnuts finely minced
1 egg
4 scallions, minced
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons cornstarch
Shell and devein shrimp. Wash carefully, and dry on paper towels. Mince finely. Place half the minced shrimp at end of a large cutting board. Using flat side of a cleaver, draw shrimp across board to smooth into a paste. Repeat with second half of mixture. (If you are using a utensil other than a cleaver, repeat the action.)
Put shrimp in medium mixing bowl. Add water chestnuts and mix into a smooth paste. Make a well in the center. Put in egg and break up with a fork. Add minced scallions, ginger and salt. Stir to combine. Sprinkle in cornstarch and mix well.
Form shrimp into balls one rounded tablespoon at a time.
TO BOIL: Bring 2 quarts of water to the boil. Drop in shrimp balls one at a time. Remove when they float to the surface. Serve with hoisin sauce.
TO FRY: Heat 2 cups peanut oil in a 3 quart saucepan. Drop in shrimp balls, a few at a time. When they become golden and float to the surface, remove them to paper towels to drain. Garnish with scallions and grated lemon peel.
IN SOUP: Pre-cooked shrimp balls may be added to chicken soup with half a bunch of cleaned, chopped spinach or bok choy. Serves 4 - 6

March 28th - Cake on a Stick?

2006-03-28T22:12:00.000-06:00

I hate days when I can't find a national holiday anywhere in the world that is truly celebrated! So today we have "National Black Forest Cake" day...and "Something on a Stick Day". In the world of Renaissance Faires, we always joke that if you "put it on a stick, it's period!" So, perhaps that's just the sort of day it is?? What can you think of to put on a stick? Cheese? (Yep, they serve it deep fried at Cedar Point!) Pickles? Egg rolls? There is always the standard Corn Dog! Whatever you choose to put on a stick today...enjoy it!

And, todays recipe I'll allow you to try putting on a stick.

Black Forest Cake
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix with pudding
3 eggs
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Mix together: cake mix, beaten eggs, almond extract, cherry pie filling and 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan.
Bake in a 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool.
To Make Glaze: Heat 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, butter or margarine, and milk in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once semisweet chocolate chips are melted and mixture is combined stir in confectioners' sugar.
Spread glaze over cooled cake. Serve cake as is or with whipped cream and a cherry.

March 27th

2006-03-28T22:11:00.000-06:00

to be posted

March 26th - Mothering Sunday UK

2006-03-27T13:28:00.000-06:00

Mothering Sunday was also known as 'Refreshment Sunday' or 'Mid-Lent Sunday'. It was often called Refreshment Sunday because the fasting rules for Lent were relaxed, in honour of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, a story in the Christian Bible. No one is absolutely certain exactly how the idea of Mothering Sunday began, but we know that on this day, about four hundred years ago, people who lived in little villages made a point of going not to their local church but to the nearest big church. To what was called the Mother Church. And some would go to the nearest city to worship in the cathedral. For a long time, it has also been a day for giving thanks for all the things our mothers do for us. Years ago, it was common practice for servants and other people working away from home to visit their parents and give their mothers a present of money, a trinklet or something to eat. The most favoured food was - as it still is in some families - the 'simnel cake'.

The Simnel cake is a fruit cake. A flat layer of marzipan (sugar almond paste) is placed on top of and decorated with 11 marzipan balls representing the 12 apostles minus Judas, who betrayed Christ.

How is Mothering Sunday celebrated in England? Mothering Sunday is a time when children pay respect to their Mothers. Children often give their Mothers a gift and a card.
Many churches give the children in the congregation a little bunch of spring flowers during the Mothering Sunday service, to give to their mothers.

Simnel Cake

Cake:
1 1/4 sticks butter or margarine
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
3 cups mixed dried fruit
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup cherries
1/2 cup mixed peel
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin spice)

Almond Paste:
2 cups ground almonds
1 cup icing (confectioners) sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 drops almond essence (extract)
1 beaten egg
1. Cream the butter and sugar together.
2. Sieve the flour, baking powder and mixed spice together.
3. Beat the eggs and add, one at a time, with a spoonful of the flour, into the butter and sugar mixture.
4. Add all the other ingredients and fold in carefully.
5. Make the almond paste. Mix almonds, icing sugar and castor sugar together. Add lemon juice, almond essence and enough egg to form a fairly dry paste.
6. Cut the almond paste in two and roll out one half to the size of the 8 in./20 cm diameter cake tin.
7. Put half the cake mixture into the greased tin, then place the almond paste layer on top of that before adding the rest of the cake mixture.
8. Bake in oven at 300 degrees for 2-2 1/2 hours. This is difficult to test with a fork to see if the cake is cooked as the almond paste is sticky when hot. Press the cake with a finger; it should be firm.
9. Allow to cool in the tin for a short while before turning out.
10. When cool, decorate with the remaining almond paste. A traditional way is to put 11 balls around the top edge, to represent the Apostles, minus Judas who betrayed Jesus.

March 25th - Greek Independence Day

2006-03-27T13:27:00.000-06:00

Celebration of Greece's independence.

March 24th - Magic Raisins?!

2006-03-24T10:21:00.000-06:00

I hunted high and low, throughout my various resources, trying to find a national holiday somewhere in the world...only to be met with the same answer everywhere...in the USA it is "National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day" So today you get a little bit of history!

First the tasty treat: The first raisins were probably grapes that had dried naturally on the vine. More than 3000 years ago, people were making raisins by picking grapes and laying them out in the sun to dry. The Egyptians discovered the principle of sun-drying fruits. Today, raisins that are sun-dried still go through a very similar process. About 1000 years ago, travelers to the Middle East brought raisins back to Europe. They were a precious trade item in the Near East and also highly valued in ancient Rome. Did you know Queen Isabella of Spain, sent Spanish missionaries with raisins to Mexico and California? Thus the trend really took off here. In the San Joaquin Valley of California, the raisin industry began booming in the 1870's after a heat wave dried the grape crop on the vine. Farmers found the best spot for growing raisins near Fresno in there. Today, 95% of all raisins grown in the United States come from California, within 50 miles of Fresno. California supplies much of the world's raisin market. But why cover them in chocolate? Because everything is better in chocolate! The most commonly known type of chocolate covered raisin is Raisinets, which were introduced in the the United States in 1927 by the Blumenthal Chocolate company. Nestle' acquired the brand in 1984.

Since today is actually to celebrate the chocolate covered variety, I suggest a big bag or box at your local movie theatre...nothing better!
But in honour of Lent...a healthy meatless, chocolate-less recipe:
Grilled Tuna with California Raisin Chutney
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 piece (2-inch) cinnamon stick
12 or 14 black peppercorns
1 piece (1-inch) julienned fresh ginger root
1-1/2 cups California golden raisins
6 boneless, skinless tuna fillets (6 ounces each)
PROCEDURE
In 1-quart nonreactive saucepan, bring sugar, water and vinegar to boil over medium-high heat. Add red pepper, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and ginger. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 5 minutes to blend flavors. Add raisins and continue cooking on low 8 to 10 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat grill or broiler. Grill or broil tuna fillets for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer tuna to serving platter; spoon about 2 tablespoons chutney over each fillet. Serve immediately.

March 23rd - Pakistan Day

2006-03-23T10:45:00.000-06:00

Pakistan Day is observed today, a national holiday celebrating the formation and independence of that country in 1940. Several political and social organizations hold rallies, meetings, symposiums and debates on Pakistan Day; while schools organize quiz programmes on the independence movement. Meanwhile special prayers will be held at mosques today for stability and progress of the country.

I suggest cooking a great Pakistani dinner (or order a good Curry), and maybe curling up with a "Bollywood" inspired film such as "Bride & Prejudice" or even "Bend It Like Beckham"!

Tandoori Wrap
600g chopped cooked chicken
60g tandoori paste
4green onions
200ml yogurt
2tblsp chopped coriander
1tblsp lime juice
1/2teasp sugar
4pieces lavash bread(you can easily find itin a chinese foodstore or you can use a chapatti)
2tblsp mango chutney

Combine chicken, paste, onion and 60ml of the yogurt in heated oiled medium frying pan;cook, about 5 minutes. Combine remaining yogurt with coriander, juice and sugar in small bowl.Place one-quarter of chicken mixture along short side of one piece of lavash; drizzle with one-quarter of yogurt mixture and 2teasp of the chutney; roll to enclose filling. Enjoy!

Welcome to Spring!

2006-03-20T14:12:00.000-06:00

Hi! And welcome to Everyday's a Holiday. It's the working space for a book I'm working on. For more info check out my website, A Turn of Events.

So, today is the Spring Equinox...more day light, the turning point of the weather, the day when young lovers are supposed to court one another, animals to mate, new birth. So it is appropriate for me to start my new website & blog today!

Everyday I will be updated with the holidays of the day, links, maybe even recipes. Because Everyday should be a reason to celebrate!