Food Holidays: July 11th, 2022

Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: July 11th, 2022. I would like to ask you to check out the holidays being celebrated today and let me know which holiday you most want to celebrate and why. As for Charlie and I were going to make Blueberry Muffin’s to celebrate National Blueberry Muffin for Charlie and for me Banana Nut Muffins. Would you like to have a Muffin and a glass of Milk with Charlie and I?

National Blueberry Muffin Day

National Blueberry Muffin Day is celebrated on July 11th. Did you know Blueberry is one of the less popular Muffin flavors? National Blueberry Muffin Day was created in order to celebrate the culinary delight that is Blueberry Muffins! Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and have tons of health benefits. Having a Muffin is the tastiest way to incorporate these Blueberries into your diet. In fact, a lot of people consider Blueberries to be a superfood. Blueberries aid in weight loss and healthy digestion, and Blueberries keep you full for a long time. Blueberries also boost mental health, protect against heart disease, manage blood Sugar levels, improve skin clarity, and make our bones strong. The list of Blueberry benefits is impressive!

HISTORY OF NATIONAL BLUEBERRY MUFFIN DAY

Like many beloved food products, the origin of the Blueberry Muffin is a tale of adaptation and a stroke of culinary good luck. For the longest time, an ancient Berry known as the Bilberry was commonly used in baked foods throughout Europe. When the Pilgrims first arrived in the Americas, the Pilgrams realized Bilberries were scarce in this new land. That’s how Bilberries were replaced by Blueberries. As Pilgrams started developing a taste for Blueberries, the Pilgrims began to add them to popular baked goods including Cakes, Pies, and Muffins.

Fresh Blueberries are used in Ice Creams and Pancakes. Frozen Blueberries are added into Smoothies and Pickled Blueberries make candies. But the only Blueberries that can be added to Muffins are Dried Blueberries. Of Blueberry Syrup or Blueberry Frosting can be used to add that extra zing to Muffins. Ever since Muffins and Blueberries came together, the breakfast platter has transformed for the better. Blueberry Muffins with a glass of cold Milk make for a filling breakfast, especially if your in a rush. Warming Muffins before serving Muffins makes them more soft. National Blueberry Muffin Day was set up to honor Blueberry Muffins flavor.

LET’S CELEBRATE NATIONAL BLUEBERRY MUFFIN DAY

1. Get your baking friends together and organize a Blueberry Muffin bake-off. Make the bake-off interesting by adding your own Frosting and garnish.
2. Celebrate National Blueberry Muffin Day by bringing a box of Blueberry Muffins to work. Your coworkers will love this surprise.
3. If your not a fan of Muffins no problem you can try your hand at making Blueberry Pies. Or simply enjoy a Blueberry Popsicle.

5 FACTS ABOUT BLUEBERRIES

1. Half a cup of Blueberries only contain 44 calories.
2. Humans have been eating Blueberries for 13,000 years.
3. Did you know Blueberries are the only naturally occurring blue-colored fruit.
4. April 28th is National Blueberry Pie Day.
5. Thanks to Blueberries brilliant color, Blueberries are used as natural food dyes.

WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL BLUEBERRY MUFFIN DAY

1. =Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and the tastiest on National Blueberry Muffin Day because a Blueberry Muffin makes our breakfast delicious and filling.
2. Treat yourself with a Blueberry Muffin today and pair the Blueberry Muffin with your favorite Coffee brew and see how this breakfast cheers you up.
3. Treating your family is the best way to celebrate National Blueberry Muffin Day. As they say, the way to the heart is through the stomach!

Five Finds about Blueberries:

1. The Blueberry Muffin is the official Muffin of Minnesota.
2. If all the Blueberries grown in North America in one year were spread out in a single layer, these Blueberries would cover a four-lane highway that stretched from New York to Chicago.
3. Blueberry is the second most popular Berry in the US and did you know Strawberry is number one?
4. Blueberries contain anthocyanin, which is good for eyesight.
5. Blueberries contain significant quantities of both antibacterial and antiviral compounds, and Blueberries have a reputation in Northern Europe of fighting infections and Blueberries may also help protect against heart disease.

National Mojito Day

National Mojito Day is celebrated on July 11th. Everyone deserves a drink, so let’s toast with a Mojito. I have a question for you. What more do you need to cool off on a hot Summer’s day than to cool off a Mojito. The Mojito ranks among the nation’s favorite Cocktails and the Mojito is traditionally prepared with White Rum, Lime Juice, Sugar, Mint, and sparkling water. It’s a cocktail that is enjoyed for its fresh and unique taste and although the recipe has been revamped many times with Herbs or Fruits but the classic Mojito is still the most adored. There’s only one thing left to do today fill up your glass, put your feet up, and enjoy a Mojito.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL MOJITO DAY

The Mojito is a Cuban creation dating back to 1586. An old tale claims that Sir Francs Drake was seeking out a cure for scurvy and dysentery after his invasion of Cartagena de Indias on his way to Cuba. Sir Francs Drake returned with a solution the Mojito which included Aguardiente a distilled South American Liquor, Mint, and Sugarcane. The unusual concoction went down as a treat with his crew and many reported reduced symptoms. That Mojito was said to be created on La Bodeguita del Medio, an Island in Cuba with a bar that the owners still to this day claim was the birthplace of the Mojito.

In 1931, a ‘‘Sloppy Joes Havana Bar’’ gave away a Cocktail Menu and listed on it was a pair of Mojito’s: One with Gin, one with Rum. The recipe was then published in the ‘‘El Floridita Cocktail Book’’ in 1939. Since then, the Mojito has grown in popularity.

The Mojito’s rise in popularity in the early 20th Century is partly attributed to the Author Ernest Hemmingway. the Mojito was rumored to be Author Ernest Hemmingway favorite drink. The Mojito is a drink that has become synonymous with Summer. The Mojitos fresh taste and cool temperature mixes perfectly with a hot Summer’s day. A survey in 2016 found that the Mojito was the most popular Cocktail in both France and Britain.

NATIONAL MOJITO DAY ACTIVITIES

1. Today is the day to make yourself a Mojito and you can use the original recipe or be creative and add other ingredients according to your mood. For the classic Mojito, put together Lime Juice, Rum, Sugar, Syrup, Soda, and Mint. Add crushed Ice and stir. Put the Mojito in a pitcher and pour yourself a drink.
2. Create your own Mojito Ice Cream by blending Condensed Milk and Whipped Cream. These two ingredients will freeze without needing an Ice Cream Maker. Then later add 150ml of Rum, four Limes, and fresh Mint leaves.
3. Today you should try preparing Mojito Cupcakes using recipes found on Goggle. Or you can use this recipe to create a Lime-flavored Cupcake with a Mint-Lime Syrup covered in Rum and Lime Buttercream.

5 FACTS ABOUT NATIONAL MOJITO DAY

1. Did you know National Mojito Day also falls on 7 Eleven Day too?
2. Cubana in Waterloo, London, is the home of the highly recommended Mojitos and Cuban food.
3. My Mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El Floridita” is engraved at the drink’s birthplace in Cuba.
4. People discovered that Lime Juice by itself would have cured Scurvy, but people believed that it was the Mojito that did the trick.
5. Ernest Hemingway lived in a Villa in Havana for years which is where the rumor of Ernest Hemingway love for a Mojito comes from.

WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL MOJITO DAY

1. In Summer months, Mojito’s mean celebration. Whether that be celebrating Summer, or a family occasion, Birthdays, or a barbecue, Mojito is the perfect beverage for an outdoor party or gathering.
2. Mojitos are so synonymous with Summer that if you’re drinking a Mojito you know the Weather is good and it’s time to relax and enjoy yourself
3. From Pineapple Ginger Mojitos to Peach, the choice is never-ending. Create your own concoction and share it with your friends and on Social Media.

Five facts about Mint Juleps: 

• A Mint Julep is traditionally made with four ingredients: Mint Leaf, Bourbon, Sugar, and Water.

• Traditionally, Spearmint is the Mint of choice used in Southern States, and in Kentucky in particular.
• In the use of Sugar and Mint, it is similar to the Mojito.
• Proper preparation of the Cocktail is commonly debated, as methods may vary from one bartender to another.
• Mint Julep may be considered as one of a loosely associated family of beverage called “Smashes”. The Brandy Smash is another example, as well as the Mojito in which fresh Mint and other ingredients are Muddled or crushed in preparation for flavoring the finished drink.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates