I would like to welcome you back to our series sharing Food Holidays: April 23rd. Today is National Picnic Day and if it wasn’t storming Charlie and I could have went to the Park for one.
National Cherry Cheesecake Day
Cookbooks and bakers offer a large variety of recipes for Cherry Cheesecake which can call for the Cherries to be mixed into the batter and others place the Cherries on top.
Cherry Cheesecake dessert hits the spot when the end of the meal rolls around. While most Cheesecakes have a crumb, the Cheesecake’s texture is nothing like cake.
Indeed, its creamy, thick pudding-like character comes from the soft Cheese used as the main ingredient. Depending on the recipe, either Cream Cheese or Cottage Cheese is used. When the Cheese is mixed with Sugar, Eggs, and other ingredients, the batter is added to a crust.
When making a Cheesecake, one of the most common crusts used is a Graham Cracker Crust. Other options include Cookie Crust, Pastry or Sponge cake.
Did you know some Cheesecakes are crustless. Depending on the recipe, Cheesecakes may be prepared baked or unbaked. David prefers Baked and Charlie and I don’t eat Cheesecakes.
Cherries offer a bounty of Nutrients including the Antioxidants in this red fruit protect cells from damage. Cherries pack an anti-inflammatory punch, they help reduce the risk of Heart Disease, too.
HOW TO OBSERVE #CherryCheesecakeDay
There is many recipes to choose from including the one I am sharing with you.
Ingredients
12 Original recipe yields 12 servings
- 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
Directions:
- Step 1 Place softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl; add condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Pour mixture into the pie crust. Chill for 5 hours. DO NOT FREEZE!!!
- Step 2 Pour cherry pie filling on top of pie. Serve.
#CherryCheesecakeDay
National Picnic Day
National Picnic Day encourages everyone to pack up their lunch and take it outdoors. If only it wasn’t Storming here I would have liked going on a Picnic with Charlie.
There are a variety of ways to take part in a picnic and this meal hearkens back to mid-18th-century al fresco French dining when all you needed was a bottle of wine, a loaf of bread, some cheese and fruit and you could have a party under the sky.
From the French for piquenique, picnicmeans a meal eaten outdoors.
From barbecues to simple cold plates, picnics are light informal affairs intended to be relaxing and fun for everyone to enjoy the day. Favorite picnic foods include sandwiches, chips, fresh fruit and vegetables, light salads, and homemade bars.
Picnics can be expanded to include grilled items, too. Burgers and corn on the cob cook up nicely on a portable grill. During large picnics, guests often bring a dish to share creating a pot luck atmosphere.
The fresh air tends to rev up our appetite, so getting in some physical activity while enjoying a picnic is nice, too. Games of horseshoe, Frisbee, catch or flying a kite add to the fun of the day.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPicnicDay
Celebrate this day by having a picnic of your own. Pack up a cooler or basket with a few of your favorite items. Make sure to include a beverage or two. Be sure to keep perishable items on ice so no one gets sick. Visit a favorite park or recreation area. Lay the blanket out in the sun or shade (whichever you prefer) and enjoy the day with a meal under the sky. Bring a Frisbee or a ball to toss around, too.
Even though it might be Storming were you are like it is here you can still have a Picnic just host it inside instead of outside. Now, excuse me while Charlie and I get ours ready.
You can also explore these 7 Best Picnic Foods to help plan your next picnic.Share your photos on social media using #NationalPicnicDay.
Five things to know about Picnic
- Did you know that a “picnic” ham is really not a true ham? It’s cut from the upper part of the foreleg of a pig – a true ham is cut from the hind leg.
- Italy’s favorite picnic day is Easter Monday called “Angel’s Monday” or Pasquetta (“Little Easter”).
- After an ant has visited your picinc, it lays down a scent as it returns to the nest for the other ants to follow!
- In the year 2000, a 600-mile-long picnic took place in France to celebrate the first Bastille Day of the new millennium.
- The first table designed specifically for picnics (in a style similar to what we know today) appeared in the late 1800s.
Fun Fact:
In the first half of the 19th century, a Picnic Society met in London at the Pantheon, a place of public entertainment in Oxford Street.
The French started the modern fashion for picnics when they opened their Royal Parks to the public after the revolution of 1789.
The 1955 film Picnic, with William Holden and Kim Novak, was nominated for six Oscars and won two for best art direction and best film editing.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
