February 7, 2015

Daily Holidays - February 7

National Fettuccine Alfredo Day Fettuccine Facts:
A. Fettuccine is a flat thick noodle made of flour and egg.(literally meaning “little ribbons” in Italian)
B. The original recipe for Fettuccine “Alfredo” is pasta made from fettucine noodles tossed with one part parmesan cheese and 3 parts butter. Alfredo sauce is the emulsified liquids that form the smooth and rich coating on the pasta.
C. It was named by an Italian restaurateur at his restaurant Alfredo on the Via della Scrofa in Rome in 1914. Said to have been a dish he made at home but for years was too reluctant to sell to his customers because it was so rich.
D. Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, early movie stars, fell in love with the dish while on their honeymoon in 1927. This helped to make the dish and Alfredo world famous.

http://foodimentary.com/2012/02/07/national-fettuccine-alfredo-day/

Dump Your Significant Jerk Day On this week's How To, in honour of the holiday of tough love -- you know, Dump Your Significant Jerk Week -- we have your solution on how to break up with your not-so loved one nicely.

At least 76 per cent of women contemplate dumping a guy after four months of dating, according to this week's Howcast video. So if you and your partner hooked up in the fall, now can be the time when the cons start outweighing the pros in your relationship.

To prep yourself for a breakup, grab a mirror to practice what you're going to say. This way, you can hopefully avoid slip-ups, but even more importantly, build your confidence -- especially if you're dealing with an over-confident jerk.

And since honesty is the key to a good relationship, you'll also want to depend on it for a smooth ending. The video above has a four-step system on what to keep in mind, and why dumping someone over Facebook, Twitter, text or email is a no-no in Dumpsville. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/02/07/how-to-break-up-with-someone_n_1260911.html

Ice Cream For Breakfast Day The holiday was invented on a snowy winter day in the 1960s by Florence Rappaport in Rochester, New York.[1] The mother to six children, it was her youngest two, Ruth (now Kramer) and Joe Rappaport, who inspired her on a cold and snowy February morning. To entertain them, she declared it to be Ice Cream For Breakfast Day. She explained, "It was cold and snowy and the kids were complaining that it was too cold to do anything. So I just said, 'Let's have ice cream for breakfast.'"[2] The next year, they reminded her of the day and a tradition began. The exact year of the first ICFBD is unrecorded, but it is speculated to be 1966, when a huge blizzard hit Rochester in late January, dumping several feet of snow on Rochester and shutting down schools.[3] When the siblings grew up, they held parties and introduced the tradition to friends while in college, and the tradition began to spread.[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Cream_for_Breakfast_Day

Ballet Day it’s Ballet Day! It may be a bit of a stretch to take up ballet for a single day, so why not simply go and see a ballet instead? https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/ballet-day/


Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbor's Day Created by the folks at Wellcat, this annual holiday reminds and encourages everyone to be neighborly to our neighbors. Whether yours is a crotchety curmudgeon, a nosey Nellie or a complete and utter stranger, today is all about being neighborly. And just in case you don't have the slightest clue who your neighbors happen to be, now is as good a time as any to go introduce yourself. Who knows - they could come in "handy" one day!

And while you're at it, why not be friendly to everyone today? Smile extra big or give a great big wave to everyone you meet on the street, at work, at school or in the neighborhood. Just remember, no birds or one-finger salutes allowed! http://www.examiner.com/article/wave-all-your-fingers-at-your-neighbor-day-be-neighborly-to-your-neighbors

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february7.html

February 6, 2015

Daily Holidays - February 6

National Chopsticks
 Day Try it, over a billion people like it! You may think that eating with sticks is an odd thing to do, but consider this. Chopsticks have been around thousands of years while the fork and spoon were not introduced to North America until the early 1700’s and not common used until around the time of the American revolution. Before then people or all economic condition would eat with their hands or drink from their bowls. Chopstick is an efficient way to get food to from the plate to your month. No hands necessary. http://foodimentary.com/2012/02/06/national-chopsicks-day/

Lame Duck Day Lame Duck Day is celebrated on February 6th of each year in remembrance of the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The amendment reduced the amount of time between Election Day and the beginning of Presidential, Vice Presidential and Congressional terms. Originally, the terms of the President, the Vice President and the in-coming elected Congress began on March 4, four months after the elections were held. While this lapse was a practical necessity at the end of the 18th century, when any newly-elected official might require several months to put his affairs in order and then undertake an arduous journey from his home to the national capital, it eventually had the effect of impeding the functioning of government in the modern age. http://www.nationalwhateverday.com/whatever-days/february/lame-duck-day/

National Doodle Day National Doodle Day is a fundraising event which is owned by, and raises money for, Epilepsy Action (Registered charity in England 234343). By simply donating a pound to do a doodle over £295,000 has been raised to help support the 600,000 people in the UK living with epilepsy. http://doodle-day.epilepsy.org.uk/about/

Bubble Gum Day Here’s how it works:
On Bubble Gum Day, everyone who donates 50 cents or more gets to chew gum in school, with proceeds going to any charity the school chooses. Kids have fun, while raising money for a good cause. Some creative teachers even incorporate bubble gum into their lessons for the day! http://www.bubblegumday.com/Bubble_Gum_Day/Bubble_Gum_Day.html

Give Kids A Smile Day Tooth fairies, teddy bears and dental heroes will bring healthy smiles to more than 800 young children and their parents at the 14th annual "Give Kids a Smile Day" presented by the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine.

- See more at: http://www.wnypapers.com/news/article/current/2015/02/05/119484/fourteenth-annual-give-kids-a-smile-day-set-for-feb.-6#sthash.fd79ecJG.dpuf

International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons - , and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.

It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women and girls. The practice also violates their rights to health, security and physical integrity, their right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and their right to life when the procedure results in death.

Although primarily concentrated in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East, FGM is a universal problem and is also practiced in some countries in Asia and Latin America. FGM continues to persist amongst immigrant populations living in Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

Though the practice has persisted for over a thousand years, programmatic evidence suggests that FGM/C can end in one generation. UNFPA, jointly with UNICEF, leads the largest global programme to accelerate the abandonment of FGM. The programme currently focuses on 17 African countries and also supports regional and global initiatives.http://www.un.org/en/events/femalegenitalmutilationday/

Wear Red Day 1 in 3 women die of heart disease and stroke each year. Celebrate National Wear Red Day with Go Red For Women on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 to help save women’s lives. Join the movement nationwide and learn how you can honor women like you on this important day in the information below. https://www.goredforwomen.org/home/get-involved/national-wear-red-day/

Working Naked Day http://workingnaked.com

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february6.html

February 5, 2015

Daily Holidays - February 5

National Chocolate
Fondue Day

Dessert Fondue
Dessert fondue recipes began appearing in the 1960s. Slices of fruit or pastry are dipped in a caquelon of melted chocolate. Other dessert fondues can include coconut, honey, caramel and marshmallow.

Traditional Chocolate Fondue Recipe Below:
8 oz Premium Chocolate (chopped)
1 cup Whipping Cream
2 tsp Grand Marnier (optional)

Over low flame, heat Cream until warm (DO NOT BOIL)
Slowly add chocolate while stirring
Mixture will become smooth
Stir in liqueur
http://www.gone-ta-pott.com/national_chocolate_fondue_day.html

World Nutella Day Nutella is more than just a “chocolaty hazelnut spread,” it is a way of life.

From childhood memories to oozing hot crepes, from breakfasts on vacation to free-spooning sessions on the couch, Nutella is prominent in the memories of many children and grown-up children in the world. http://www.nutelladay.com


Adlai Stevenson Day Adlai Ewing Stevenson II (/ˈædleɪ/; February 5, 1900 – July 14, 1965) was an American politician and diplomat, noted for his intellectual demeanor, eloquent public speaking, and promotion of liberal causes in the Democratic Party. He served as the 31st Governor of Illinois, and received the Democratic Party's nomination for president in 1952 even though he had not campaigned in the primaries. John Frederick Martin says party leaders selected him "because he was more moderate on civil rights than Estes Kefauver, yet nonetheless acceptable to labor and urban machines—so a coalition of southern, urban, and labor leaders fell in behind his candidacy in Chicago."[2]

Stevenson was defeated in a landslide by Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1952 presidential election. In 1956 he was again the Democratic presidential nominee against Eisenhower, but was defeated in an even bigger landslide. He sought the Democratic presidential nomination for a third time in the election of 1960, but was defeated by Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts. After his election, President Kennedy appointed Stevenson as the Ambassador to the United Nations; he served from 1961 to 1965. He died on July 14, 1965 in London after suffering a heart attack. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adlai_Stevenson_II

Weatherperson’s Day February 5 is National Weatherperson's Day, commemorating the birth of John Jeffries in 1744. Jeffries, one of America's first weather observers, began taking daily weather observations in Boston in 1774 and he took the first balloon observation in 1784. This is a day to recognize the men and women who collectively provide Americans with the best weather, water, and climate forecasts and warning services of any nation.

Many of us take weather information for granted. Turn on a light switch, you get light. Turn on your television or radio, or check a web site and you get the weather forecast. It’s easy to forget that around the clock, dedicated meteorologists and weathercasters are vigilantly creating forecasts to help you plan your day, and issuing warnings to help keep you safe. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/?n=wxmanday

Western Monarch Day http://www.westernmonarchcount.org

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february5.html

February 4, 2015

Daily Holidays - February 4

Homemade Soup Day Soup is an easy vehicle for nourishment to reach your aching body. With a little planning, you can be enjoying a steaming bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup in almost the same amount of time it takes to pop a pre-made one in the microwave. Here are some tips:

Make soup when you’re healthy and freeze it in individual serving sizes. At the first sign of a throat tickle, move one portion from the freezer to the fridge.
Cream-based soups freeze better than broth-based soups, but both will keep in the fridge for a few days.
Make your own broth. Making vegetable or chicken broth is easier than you think and will pay off in the long run. With homemade broth, chicken noodle soup becomes as easy as heating some broth and frozen vegetables up in a pot and adding noodles.
Soups don’t have to cook for hours and hours. If you don’t have the time but want all the flavor, try roasting your vegetables before adding them to the broth or liquid. http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2013/02/04/national-homemade-soup-day/

National Stuffed Mushroom Day February 4 marks National Stuffed Mushroom Day! Who knew? It may not be as commercial or widely celebrated as that chocolate and champagne holiday coming up in 10 days (Anna Howard Shaw Day, to those of you who maybe haven’t passed a tacky candy aisle at your local drugstore lately), but celebrate by making some savory treats, and maybe one day NSMD will be picked up by Hallmark! http://www.bustle.com/articles/14445-10-recipes-for-national-stuffed-mushroom-day-our-new-favorite-holiday

Facebook's Birthday Facebook (formerly [thefacebook]) is an online social networking service headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Its website was launched on February 4, 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow Harvard University students Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes.[7] The founders had initially limited the website's membership to Harvard students, but later expanded it to colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford University. It gradually added support for students at various other universities and later to high-school students. Facebook now allows anyone who claims to be at least 13 years old to become a registered user of the website.[8] Its name comes from a colloquialism for the directory given to it by American universities students.[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook

Liberace Day Władziu Valentino Liberace[1][nb 1] (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987), mononymously known as Liberace, was an American pianist and entertainer.

A child prodigy and the first generation son of working class immigrants, Liberace's career spanned four decades of concerts, recordings, television, motion pictures, and endorsements. At the height of his fame from the 1950s to the 1970s, Liberace was the highest-paid entertainer in the world,[4] with established residencies in Las Vegas, and an international touring schedule. Liberace embraced a lifestyle of flamboyant excess both on and off stage, acquiring the sobriquet "Mr. Showmanship". Liberace was recognized during his career with two Emmy Awards, six gold albums and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberace

Medjoola Date Day To mark the holiday, Natural Delights™ is partnering with blogger and power-Tweeter Coryanne Ettiene for a one-hour Twitter party on Feb. 4 at 5 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. EST. Guests who participate in the conversation by tagging @CoryanneEttiene, @NDMedjoolDates and using #MedjoolDateDay will have the opportunity to win more than $1,200 in fitness prizes, as well as downloading recently added recipes. http://www.cnbc.com/id/102392176#.

USO Day Throughout our country’s history, Americans have felt profound appreciation and gratitude for the dedication and sacrifice of our troops and their families. The USO provides a tangible way for all of us to say thank you, as it has for 70 years.

Thanks to your generosity, the USO fulfills its mission of lifting the spirits of America’s troops and their families. Through the USO, you touch their lives through an extensive range of programs at more than 160 locations in 27 states and 14 countries, and at hundreds of entertainment events each year. Thousands of USO volunteers do everything possible to provide a home away from home for our troops and to keep them connected to the families they left behind.

The USO makes sure your help goes to those who need it the most: troops serving in combat, their families, our wounded warriors and their families, and families of the fallen.

As a nonprofit, non-political organization, the USO is now, and always will be, about our troops. Wherever and whenever they go, the USO will be there, until every one comes home. http://www.uso.org/about-us.aspx

World Cancer Day Taking place under the tagline ‘Not beyond us’, World Cancer Day 2015 will take a positive and proactive approach to the fight against cancer, highlighting that solutions do exist across the continuum of cancer, and that they are within our reach.

The campaign will explore how we can implement what we already know in the areas of prevention, early detection, treatment and care, and in turn, open up to the exciting prospect that we can impact the global cancer burden – for the better.

World Cancer Day is a unique opportunity to raise awareness that there is much that can be done at an individual, community and governmental level, to harness and mobilise these solutions and catalyse positive change. By moving forward together we have the potential to show: Cancer. It is not beyond us. http://www.worldcancerday.org/about-world-cancer-day-2015

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february4.html

February 3, 2015

Daily Holidays - February 3

National Carrot Cake Day While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Bugs Bunny would go nuts for this - February 3 is National Carrot Cake Day!

Carrot cake may be one of our favorite ways to simultaneously cure sugar cravings and have a healthy (and unnoticeable) serving of vegetables.

During medieval times, carrots were used to sweeten cakes and desserts because actual sweeteners were rare and outrageously expensive. Carrots are second only to the sugar beet on the sweet vegetable scale, so our ancestors knew what they were doing. http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/02/03/breakfast-buffet-national-carrot-cake-day/

African American Coaches Day African American Coaches Day is a day to bring attention to the African American community about the benefits of working with a personal or business coach. This is a day set aside to inform the African American community about the ways that coaching can assist them with personal and business development, by helping them in setting, identifying, and reaching goals. Also this day is an opportunity for coaches to recap with clients results and accomplishments they have achieved throughout the coaching process. typedia.com/African_American_Coaches_Day

Four Chaplains Memorial Day The Four Chaplains, also sometimes referred to as the "Immortal Chaplains" or the "Dorchester Chaplains" were four United States Army chaplains who gave their lives to save other civilian and military personnel as the troop ship USAT Dorchester sank on February 3, 1943, during World War II. They helped other soldiers board lifeboats and gave up their own life jackets when the supply ran out.[1] The chaplains joined arms, said prayers, and sang hymns as they went down with the ship. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Chaplains

The Day The Music Died On 3rd Feb 1959, 22-year-old Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, aged 17, died in a plane crash shortly after takeoff from Clear Lake, Iowa. The pilot of the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza was also killed. Holly hired the plane after heating problems developed on his tour bus. All three were traveling to Fargo, North Dakota, for the next show on their Winter Dance Party Tour which Holly had planned to make money after the break-up of his band, The Crickets, in the previous year. http://www.thisdayinmusic.com/pages/the_day_the_music_died


http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february3.html

February 2, 2015

Daily Holidays - February 2

Heavenly Hash Day

National Pisco Sour Day A Pisco Sour is a cocktail typical of South American cuisine.[A] The drink's name comes from pisco, which is its base liquor, and the cocktail term sour, in reference to sour citrus juice and sweetener components. The Peruvian Pisco Sour uses Peruvian pisco as the base liquor and adds Key lime (or lemon) juice, syrup, ice, egg white, and Angostura bitters. The Chilean version is similar, but uses Chilean pisco and Pica lime, and excludes the bitters and egg white. Other variants of the cocktail include those created with fruits like pineapple or plants such as coca leaves.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisco_Sour

Crepe Day

Groundhog Day Groundhog Day (Canadian French: Jour de la Marmotte; Pennsylvania German: Grundsaudaag, Murmeltiertag) is a day celebrated on February 2. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early; if it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will persist for six more weeks.[1]

Modern customs of the holiday involve celebrations where early morning festivals are held to watch the groundhog emerging from its burrow.

In southeastern Pennsylvania, Groundhog Lodges (Grundsow Lodges) celebrate the holiday with fersommlinge,[2] social events in which food is served, speeches are made, and one or more g'spiel (plays or skits) are performed for entertainment. The Pennsylvania German dialect is the only language spoken at the event, and those who speak English pay a penalty, usually in the form of a nickel, dime, or quarter per word spoken, with the money put into a bowl in the center of the table.[3]

The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, with Punxsutawney Phil. Groundhog Day, already a widely recognized and popular tradition,[4] received widespread attention as a result of the 1993 film Groundhog Day.[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day

Marmot Day Marmot Day is an Alaskan holiday established to celebrate marmots and Alaskan culture. Although local festivals have been part and parcel of frontier life for decades, Marmot Day became an official holiday on April 18, 2009, when the 26th Alaska State Legislature officially passed Senate Bill 58.[1] Marmot Day is celebrated on February 2, replacing Groundhog Day with a holiday honoring Alaska's marmots. From Juneau[2] to Anchorage[3] to Fairbanks,[4] and all the cities in between, Marmot Day has become an Alaskan institution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmot_Day

Sled Dog Day Running through snow all day, every day, pulling a sled that can weigh hundreds if not thousands of pounds—that’s a sled dog’s job. Don’t you think they might deserve a little recognition? February 2nd is the official holiday of the sled dog that we can safely say man would not have managed very well at all without.

The History of Sled Dog Day

Sled dogs are thought to have evolved in the mountainous regions of Northern Asia over 35,000 years ago, but are thought to have started actually pulling sleds for people about 3,000 years ago, when hunting and fishing communities were forced to move further up north to Siberia. From there, they made their way to Lapland, Alaska, Canada and even Greenland. Historical references to actual dog harnesses far outdate the first European contact with the native peoples of Alaska and Canada. In fact, it was the Alaskan gold rush that really got the American population interested in the use of sled dogs as a form of transportation, as most gold camps were only accessible by dogsled in the winter months. In fact, for a long while, dogsleds were the only relatively dependable way of transporting anything in the harsh Alaska and Yukon weather conditions, until airplanes finally took over in the 1930s. Dogsleds were also used to patrol western Alaska as late as World War II. After that, mushing became largely recreational. One of sled dogs’ most impressive achievements was the 1925 serum run from Nome to Nenana. With a diptheria threatening the lives of people in Nome and the serum needed being 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) away in the town of Nenana, hundreds of people may have died if not for the 20 dogsled teams that worked together to relay the serum to Nome. In the end, the serum reached Nome in only 6 days, saving the lives of many. Also, the first Arctic explorers were men with sled dogs. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/sled-dog-day/

World Play Your Ukulele Day

World Wetlands Day The Ramsar Convention (formally, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat) is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands,[1] recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the Convention was signed in 1971. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsar_Convention

February 1, 2015

Daily Holidays - February 1

National Baked Alaska Day Baked Alaska (also known as glace au four, omelette à la norvégienne, Norwegian omelette and omelette surprise) is a dessert food consisting of ice cream and cake topped with browned meringue. A version in Hong Kong is known as flame on the iceberg. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baked_Alaska


Car Insurance Day

Change Your Password Day

Decorating With Candy Day

Freedom Day

National Girls & Women in Sports Day

Popcorn Day

Robinson Crusoe Day

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/february1.html

January 31, 2015

Daily Holidays - January 31

Brandy Alexander Day Yes, January 31st is National Brandy Alexander Day! Though rumored to have been created for the wedding of The Princess Mary, Princess Royal (eldest daughter of England’s King George V and Queen Mary) and George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood in 1922, the true origin of this classic drink is unknown. A previous drink named simply “The Alexander”, contained gin, creme de cocao and sweet cream, and the “brandy” version may just be a simple swap-out…

Here is a little twist on the classic recipe:

Hiram’s Brandy Alexander:
recipe courtesy of Hiram Walker

1 1/2 parts brandy,
1 part Hiram Walker Brown Creme de Cacao
1/2 part cream or half-and-half
splash coffee.
Glass: Cocktail

Garnish: grated nutmeg
http://www.ahistoryofdrinking.com/wordpress/2011/01/happy-national-brandy-alexander-day/

Appreciate Your Social Security Check Day

Inspire Your Heart with Art Day While the origins of this annual "holiday" are unknown, Inspire Your Heart with Art Day celebrates art of all shapes, sizes and varieties. Whether it's a trip to a local museum, watching or acting in a play at the local theater or tapping your toes to a rockin' concert, today celebrates creativity with an artistic flair as well as the positive effect it has on our lives. Art inspires us to get creative and appreciate all different forms of art.

How to Celebrate

Sign up for pottery classes and create that special, one-of-a-kind piece of pottery.
Visit a local art gallery and ask yourself how each piece makes you feel?
What gal doesn't love a little bling every now-and-then? Why not make your own jewelry in honor of the holiday? http://www.examiner.com/article/inspire-your-heart-with-art-day-celebrating-art-is-good-for-your-heart

National Seed Swap Day Seed swaps are events where gardeners meet to exchange seeds. Swapping can be arranged online or by mail,[1] especially when participants are spread out geographically. Swap meet events, where growers meet and exchange their excess seeds in person, are also growing in popularity. In part this is due to increased interest in organic gardening and heritage or heirloom plant varietals. This reflects gardeners' interest in "unusual or particular varieties of flowers and vegetables," according to Kathy Jentz of Washington Gardener Magazine (Maryland).[2]

Seed swaps also help consumers who, due to increases in the cost of living or cut down on expenditures, wish to grow their own food.[3][4] Some events are organized as part of an educational effort, where visitors are taught gardening and growing skills[5][6] and how to preserve an area's cultural heritage[7] and biodiversity.[8] In the United States, the last Saturday of January is "National Seed Swap Day."[9][10][11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed_swap

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/january31.html

January 30, 2015

Daily Holidays - January 30

National Croissant Day While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

January 30 has never been butter - it's National Croissant Day!

You can’t have a continental breakfast without a pastry or piece of bread, so today, enjoy a fluffy, flaky croissant on your plate.

While the origin of croissants is often debated, it’s quite likely that they’re not - sacré bleu! - French. They’re Viennese. http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2013/01/30/national-croissant-day/


Inane Answering Message Day
National Inane Answering Message Day is celebrated on January 30, 2015. An inane answering machine message is for example: "I, uh ... hello, I just wanted ... no, not ... OK, leave a message, bye!" The day was introduced in 2001 to put an end to such senseless messages. The day is to give comfort to those who are tired of senseless answering machine messages. http://www.cute-calendar.com/event/national-inane-answering-message-day/18122.html


National Pre-school Fitness Day The last Friday in January is National Preschool Health and Fitness Day. Whether you’re a teacher,school director,club owner or parent it’s important to support physical fitness for preschool children. Aerobic Fitness Consultants' KID-FIT™ is a preschool physical education program designed to instill healthy lifestyle habits in children ages 2-5. Offering kid's fitness classes will teach small children all about their bodies and how they work. http://mcg.metrocreativeconnection.com/publish/sections/calendar-details.php?National-Preschool-Fitness-Day-1075

January 29, 2015

McDonald's CEO steps down as sales decline

NEW YORK • McDonald's CEO Don Thompson is stepping down as the world's biggest hamburger chain fights to hold onto customers and transform its image.

The company said Thompson, who has been CEO for two-and-a-half years, will be replaced by Steve Easterbrook, a company veteran who rejoined McDonald's as its chief brand officer in 2013.

McDonald's Corp., which has more than 36,000 locations around the world, is struggling amid intensifying competition and changing attitudes about food. Customer traffic at established locations in the U.S. fell 4.1 percent last year, following a 1.6 percent decline in 2013. It's also trying to recover after a supplier scandal in China that damaged its reputation.

On Wednesday, McDonald's said Thompson will retire March 1 after nearly 25 years with the company. Thompson, 51, was the first African-American to head the company since it was founded in 1955.

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/mcdonald-s-ceo-steps-down-as-sales-decline/article_38397ef8-ef60-5e14-8f9c-7465ba9589e8.html