SEPTEMBER 11: I’M ON TOP OF IT DAY
It’s time for a post-summer resetting of calendars while we at Kendal figure out in-house and out-of-house commitments, along with travel plans, and all. (So much for the lazy retirement life.) So, this day is the day for all that, plus identifying identify what organizational needs are required to make it to 2024. Next step: focus on getting on top of one of the things that challenges them.
Cozi, a family organizer and communications company, created I'm on Top of it Day in 2005 “to celebrate and reward busy families of all sizes for being on top of at least one organizational chore that gives them forehead wrinkles.” Families are constantly juggling responsibilities associated with home, work, school, children, grandchildren (and some great grandchildren), meals, and community (near and broad) engagements — and it's hard to stay on top of everything all the time.
That’s all. No more. Get to it! Time’s a-wastin’!
SEPTEMBER 12: NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE DAY
National Chocolate Milkshake Day brings chocolate and ice cream lovers together. Forget the calories for just this one day and enjoy a tall, thick and delicious, chocolate milkshake! Simple, sweet, and delectable, chocolate milkshakes aren’t just one of the best treats ever, they’re also a reminder of our once-upon-a time innocence, when the streets of our neighborhoods drew the boundaries of our worlds. A time when a milkshake and fries was the perfect date and drive-in movies were all the rage. A quarter in the jukebox set the stage and good friends populated our lives. (Sort of like Kendal, but without the creaking of joints.)
The history of milkshakes began with the development of two milestones: the development of the electric blender and the creation of malted milk drinks. But before all that could happen, there had to be the spark of inspiration. And for that, we look back to medieval Britain and the eggnog: not the cool, frothy treat of today, but a hot, milky ale-like drink. It was a time when milk and eggs — the building blocks of eggnog — were foods of the wealthy. Eggnog was often consumed in indulgent celebration.
In 1885, somebody had the idea of mixing whiskey, milk, and eggs for an eggnog-ish drink and milkshakes made their welcome — if less innocent — appearance, available in pharmacies as both a tonic and a treat to customers. By 1900, the booze was replaced with chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla syrup and the tonic aspect switched to fun. Early in the 1900s, a scoop of ice cream was added. And in 1911, Hamilton Beach introduced the Cyclone Drink Mixer drink mixers which began to be used in soda fountains, followed 11 years later with the invention of the electric blender (Steven Poplawshi, take a bow), which gave the milk shake the frothy drink we know today. The next breakthrough: malted milk powder, made from malted barley, wheat flour, and dehydrated whole milk, with the taste of toasted caramel. The malted milk shakes moved in beside alongside milkshakes at soda fountains around the 1920s.
And that, boys and girls, is the why and how we arrived today ready, willing, and able to indulge in the magic of the chocolate milkshake.
SEPTEMBER 13: INTERNATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY
From National Chocolate Milkshake day we make the natural progression to International Chocolate Day, an unofficial — but highly welcome — holiday dedicated to the sweetest, tastiest addiction in the world: chocolate. Why This September 13? Simple. That’s the birthday of Milton S. Hershey, the American confectioner and founder of The Hershey Chocolate Company (which has nothing to do with the ice cream we indulge in here at Kendal. Just sayin’.)
Chocolate comes from the Theobroma cacao bean. The Spanish get credit for the word “chocolate,” derived from the Aztec word xocolatl, meaning “bitter water.” The Aztecs — hardy souls that they were — pounded the cacao beans and drank them without adding sugar. They thought the beans came from the gods. (Who among us would disagree?) Theobroma means “food of the gods.” Cocoa beans consist of pretty much half “cocoa butter” and half “chocolate liquor.” In 1527, Hernando Cortés brought cocoa beans back to Spain. Some brilliant soul created a chocolate drink that included sugar, which became immediately popular. And its fame spread. The word “chocolate” first appeared in print, in England, in 1604.
In the 18th century, all of Europe was enjoying a fashionable chocolate drink. By 1765, chocolate was being manufactured in what would become the US, but it was still only served as a drink. Candy made of chocolate had to wait until early in the 19th century. It was the Cadbury Company of England, in 1842, that first began to sell, on a large scale, hardened chocolate candy bars. Americans started indulging in the 1860s, first with “chocolate creams,” candies with sugar-cream centers.
The Swiss, however, were the first to consider milk chocolate. In 1875, Daniel Peter added chocolate to Henry Nestlé’s newly-developed sweetened condensed milk. Chocolate milk’s popularity quickly spread to and throughout Europe. Milton S. Hershey, who started the candy business at 14, had been quite successful. When he was introduced to milk chocolate production at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago he was sold on the idea, and introduced the first Hershey milk chocolate bar in 1900. Next came the Hershey's kiss in 1907; its trademarked foil wrapper was added in 1924. During WWII, Hershey provided troops with a “Ration D bar,” and later the better-tasting Tropical Chocolate Bar. These latter chocolate bars were resistant to temperatures higher than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which fit war circumstances better. Chocolate these days is the most popular flavor for different types of desserts, like chocolate chip cookies, chocolate milk and chocolate ice cream.
Though it originated in South American, the largest producer of chocolate is Côte d'Ivoire in Africa. However, the best chocolate is produced in Switzerland, Belgium, France, Spain, the US, Austria, and Germany. The highest consumers of chocolate? While the US ranks among the top-ten chocolate-consuming country (per capita)—with a consumption rate of 10 pounds per person each year, it’s a picker compared to #1, Switzerland, where the average person consumes 19 pounds each year. Clearly, we must work (and chew) harder!
SEPTEMBER 14: NATIONAL COLORING DAY
National Coloring Day is dedicated to, well, coloring, whether your medium is crayons, colored pencils, markers, or some other method. There’s a benefit to coloring that serves adults as well as children. And especially for those who are going through — or have gone through — trauma and/or great stress, coloring is a , and those trying to decompress.
Here’s what we know about National Coloring Day: is a holiday, it’s been around for a few years. And that’s about all we know. Who created it and exactly when? Not really sure. It came about around the same time as National Coloring Book Day — a separate August holiday that was observed in August that created around about 2015. But today is National Coloring Day, instead, and we’re sticking to it!
The history of coloring better documented. Humans have used natural materials such as clay, charcoal, and ochre to create drawings and paintings of the things that they encountered during the day, especially images of the animals they hunted. As the years progressed, coloring materials became more sophisticated. The ancient Egyptians used ground minerals and plant extracts; in ancient Greece, lead and copper were used to create frescoes and mosaics. It was in the 16th century, that the first crayons were invented, using a combination of oil and charcoal.
The McLoughlin Brothers company is said to have invented the first coloring book, The Little Folks' Painting Book, in the 1880s. But, hang on, no crayons, in those days, paint was used in coloring books. Modern crayons didn’t come around the 20th century that modern crayons would be invented. And It wasn’t until the 1930s that crayons became the color-er of choice. Binney and Smith began producing crayons made from a combination of wax and pigment. This company became Crayola. Today, crayons and coloring books a child thing and an adults thing. In fact, adult coloring has continued to rise in popularity among people who recognize its benefits.
Color however you wish—crayons, paints of all natures, pastels! Today’s the day!
SEPTEMBER 15: INTERNATIONAL DOT DAY
Celebrated by both children and adults, International Dot Day is a day to connect, collaborate, and create. It’s a great day to foster self-expression. Participate by writing, drawing, painting, taking photos, videography, dancing, and making music.
It was all started 20 years ago when, on September 15, children books’ author and illustrator, Peter H. Reynolds, released his book “The Dot.” In the story, a little girl, Vashti, feels like she can’t draw. As encouragement, her art teacher says, “Just make a mark, and see where it takes you.” Vashi places a small dot on her paper. The next day, she is shocked to find her “drawing” in a prized position on the classroom wall. So proud of her work, she starts creating drawings with different kinds of dots. Eventually, having built her confidence, she realizes she can be creative artist. Eventually, Vashti passes the lesson she learned from her teacher onto someone else. A dot may be small, but it’s a powerful way to show your unique individuality and creativity. And you can build on it — stronger and stronger. That’s the story that inspired International Dot Day. “The Dot” has inspired millions of children and adults.
Terry Shay, teacher in Iowa, introduced the book to his entire classroom on September 15, 2009. Hence International Dot Day was born on September 15. Today, it is celebrated by more than 19 million teachers and students in 192 countries.
And dots all, folks!
SEPTEMBER 16: INTERNATIONAL EAT AN APPLE DAY
Well, we’ve covered days this week designed to celebrate chocolate milkshakes and chocolate. Now, it’s only right to honor the healthy apple. On International Eat an Apple Day, the 3rd Saturday of September, folks are encouraged to eat a juicy apple. Then, have another! Have as many as you want.
Throughout the world, apples come in 7,500 different varieties. In the US, alone, we grow 2,500 varieties: Macintosh, Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady, to mention but a few. Pick your favorite (or favorites), but don’t forget to try the relatively new Cosmic Crisp!
The apple originated in central Asia, in the Tien Shan mountain range of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. This older wild apple featured prominently in the region’s food and culture. Kazakhstan’s city of Alma-Ata — now called Almaty — loosely means “Father of Apples.” Merchants using the Silk Road discovered the wild apples and spread the fruit spread to western Europe. From there, European colonists took the apple to America. Over the years, these wild apples were cultivated and cross-pollinated to become the species we find in markets today.
Apples feature prominently throughout history, appearing in poems by Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson, and in paintings by Caravaggio and Magritte. Apples have also appeared in folklore and stories. The Arabian Nights featured a magic apple that cures all human diseases. Even the biblical genesis story includes one, though the designation of the apple started in 12th century Europe. In Latin, “malus” means both “apple” and “evil,” which may be why it was chosen. Apples also had special meaning in Greek and Norse mythology, too.
If you aren’t into the simple apple, there are plenty of yummy foods made from this amazing fruit. On International Eat an Apple Day, drink some apple juice or apple cider (and don’t forget the fermented version). Eat an apple turnover for breakfast. Have a warm slice of apple pie or a caramel apple for dessert. Enjoy some applesauce for a snack. And there are oodles of popular apple foods around the world — including German apple cake, braised red cabbage with apples, and Polish apple pancakes.
Apples’ health benefit are legion — and legend: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. So eat one. Or two. Go ahead and splurge! It’s not like it’s chocolate . . .
SEPTEMBER 17: NATIONAL MONTE CRISTO DAY
A deep-fried egg-dipped ham and cheese sandwich, it’s a variation of the croque-monsieur sandwich first served in a cafe in Paris in the 1910s. Though usually made with Swiss cheese and ham. Other types of cheese can be used, and sliced turkey or chicken are sometimes added as well. It has other names, as well: French Sandwich, Toasted Ham Sandwich, French Toasted Cheese Sandwich. They’re all Monte Cristo.
The sandwich is said to have exploded onto the American food scene from its humble beginning in California when restaurants in and around Disneyland started serving it to customers of the park. It appeared in many American cookbooks from the 1930s through the 1960s (and particularly in the 1950s).
Bennigan’s restaurant started National Monte Cristo Day in June of 2015 to celebrate the delicious sandwich — in all its manifestations — known and loved all across the US.