Good morning, welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: February 22nd, 2022. Did you know today is National Margarita Day, but David works so having a drink is out. Although Charlie is cooking Chicken Strips this evening and I wonder if Charlie would like to make Sweet Potatoe Fries then we could still celebrate one of the Holidays.

Five Things to know about the Margarita

1. The original recipe for the Margarita is a concoction of equal parts tequila, orange liquor and lime, served over ice with a salt-rimmed glass.

2. Some say the Margarita is a version of a popular prohibition drink called the Daisy, a drink found on Mexican border towns substituting brandy with tequila . Margarita in Spanish means Daisy.

3. One ‘Origin’ Myth about the Margarita is that in October 1941, a bartender at Husson’s cantina in Ensenada, Mexico created the drink for Margarita Henkel, a well known German celebrity.

3. Another ‘Origin’ Myth about the Margarita is that in 1948 at the Balinese Room in Galveston, Texas created the drink for the singer Peggy Lee. The Spanish version of Peggy’s name is Margarita (Margaret).

4. ‘Authentic’ Margaritas are made with bitter Mexican limes (key limes). These are smaller thin-skinned limes, much more tart than regular limes.

5. The IBA’s (International Bartenders Association) official standard for the margarita is 7:4:3, that is 50% Tequila, 29% Cointreau, 21% fresh lime or lemon juice.

National Margarita Day

Celebrated on the 22^nd of February each year, this fun-filled holiday of fruit-infused tequila celebrates the most beloved drink of America, Margaritas.

Why National Margarita Day?

You see, how the first margarita came into existence is a question all of us have. There are many legends and stories as to how they came about. The earliest one dates back to 1938 when Danny Herrera made it in his restaurant for hit dancer Marjorie King since she was allergic to spirits but not tequila. That innovation was the birth of the beloved drink. While his claim is plausible, there is another. Francisco Pancho Morales of Mexico says he created the cocktail in 1942 and then left his job as a bartender and moved to the US. Another story: Margarita Sames claimed to have mixed the drink in her vacation home for her friends. Guess who one of the party attendees was- Tommy Hilton! He brought it back to his hotel and added it to the menu. And then, Jose Cuervo was running a campaign in 1945, with the catchphrase being “Margarita: It’s more than a girl’s name.”

So, we celebrate this drink. It is the domain of a good time and comes in a variety of mixes; you name it.

The day celebrates the characteristic fun of the drink- just hold it in your hand, and it screams of recklessness, joy, and excitement with a bit of exuberance. There are studies that prove that margarita drinkers are a lot more “energetic and outgoing” than the average.

The battle also adds to the thrill. What battle, you ask? Blended or on the rocks! Blended leaves you fighting a brain freeze, and on the rocks, well, on the rocks simply does not let you reach the bottom. So, what is better? It is a never-ending war.

The third reason is the most obvious: the taste. How delicious are these smooth, sweet, fresh little packages of surprise! It is a true delight, and one with so many flavors, it definitely sits at the top of the happy hour list. There were surprisingly many studies on margaritas and the way they appeal to taste buds. For starters, 76% of Americans enjoy margaritas. No surprise here. 67% prefer a blended margarita. 30% of Americans say that their favorite happy hour drink is, drum roll, a margarita!

Given all of this, we only celebrate the heavenly mix of a beverage that we enjoy so thoroughly today.

How Can We Observe National Margarita Day:

A match made in heaven

Pair a few margaritas with tacos. When they created the word perfection, this is definitely what they had in mind. Speaking of pairing, if you don’t like that idea, you can also combine your favorite things. For example, bake a Margarita pie, which is exactly like a key lime pie but with added tequila. You can find many recipes online, and guess what, some of them don’t even need to be baked!

Host a mix off

A mix-off is just like a cook-off, only here, the battle is between two margaritas! Form groups, and each participant of each group come up with a drink, and then you decide which one is blended and mixed to perfection.

Drink a margarita

The simplest way. Mix your own margarita or go to a bar and get one. Either way, pick what you love and click a picture. Don’t forget to post them all over your social media handles! Use hashtags #NationalMargaritaDay #MargaritaDay.

Interesting Facts on National Margarita Day:

Here are some facts to drink up with that delicious margarita for the day!

There’s a reason why there’s salt on the rim of your glass. No, it is not purely decorative. The point is to bring out the sweetness of the drink. The salt intensifies the aromas and flavors of the drink.
The world’s largest margarita was mixed in, no surprises here, Las Vegas. The Flamingo Hotel’s Margaritaville was the home of the hugest margarita, and the drink was, gasps, 8500 gallons! It was served in a 17-foot tall tank and took 300 hundred hours to create. It was called a “Lucky Rita” and was mixed to celebrate the casino’s opening.
How much would you pay for a margarita? Behold, I’m here to tell you that the most expensive margarita cost $1200! It was created in Manhattan, the 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar and Penthouse Lounge. The ingredients used were super high-end, with the tequila costing $1800 a bottle. The ice was made of $450 botles of ois Roederer Cristal Champagne. The margarita was eventually poured into a Ralph Lauren Hungarian Crystal glass, hand blown. This can be taken home afterward. Half the money was donated to charity.
For $30,000, for valentine’s day 2015, the Iron Cactus, Austin offered a margarita that came with a very expensive pair of diamond earrings. It was all set up by the bar’s romance expert.
Guess what, you can now eat your margarita and not get a brain freeze. At the Texas State fair, a margarita was served in the fried form. The funnel cake was run through a margarita mixer, fried, and later soaked in margarita again, and all of this is served with whipped cream and a salt-rimmed glass.
Think you can make the best margaritas? You’re not alone. The Tucson Originals and the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance bring a World Margarita Championship each year, where bartenders from Tucson create their margaritas. The visitors can also vote for the “people’s choice” category.
Back in 2008, 185,000 margaritas per hour in the USA were consumed. This is the record high for margarita consumption ever recorded.
There is a national saying for National Margarita Day: “One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.”

History of National Margarita Day:

The date of foundation remains unknown. Todd McCalla founded the National Margarita Day because he believed that there was a need “to spread his love for margaritas around the world.” He formed the day to “celebrate margaritas, plain and simple.” And now, we all get to celebrate the drink we cherish most.

#NationalMargaritaDay #MargaritaDay

National Margarita Day

National Cook a Sweet Potato Day

National Cook a Sweet Potato Day is celebrated every year on February 22nd. The Sweet Potato is a vegetable that is loved and eaten by millions every day in the United States alone. Many time’s people confuse Sweet Potatoes with Yams; however. Cultivars of the Sweet Potato bear tubers with flesh and skin of many colors.

Five facts about Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes are the 6th most important food crop in the world.
Asia accounts for 90% of the world consumption of Sweet Potatoes.
George Washington Carver helped to develop the primary adhesive used for postage stamps from the mucilage the sticky film of Sweet Potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are actually tuberous roots which are considered one of the world’s most nutritious foods in the vegetable kingdom.
Despite the physical similarities of Yams and Sweet Potatoes. Did you know they actually are not even closely related? Yams are closely related to grasses and Lilies.

HISTORY OF COOK A SWEET POTATO DAY

Sweet Potatoes are widely consumed by billions across the globe and mainly in America. Sweet Potatoes are very versatile and Sweet Potatoes are used in Salads and Soups. Sweet Potatoes can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner. The most important part of the vegetable is the starchy tuberous roots. Nevertheless, the leaves and shoots are also edible. Eating cooked tubers can increase their nutritional value and digestibility; however, many American colonists in the Southeast consumed raw Sweet Potatoes.

Sweet Potatoes are a distant relative of the common Potato as they both belong in the order Solanales. It is believed that before Western exploration, Sweet Potatoes were grown in Polynesia. Later, it is said Sweet Potatoes have spread to Central or South America typically through the spread of vine cuttings rather than seeds. In fact, it is believed that Central America domesticated Sweet Potatoes around 5,000 years ago. According to the Peruvian Sweet Potato remnants found in South America, it has been observed that they date back to 8000 B.C.

In 1594, Sweet Potatoes were introduced in the Fujian province of China from Luzon. Governor Chin Hsüeh-Tseng (Jin Xuezeng) further encouraged growing Sweet Potatoes. In the year 2019, the global production of Sweet Potatoes was measured at 92 million tonnes. China led this production with 56% of the world’s total.

Sweet Potatoes also arrived in Europe and it is recorded in “Elinor Fettiplace’s Receipt Book,” compiled in England in 1604.

COOK A SWEET POTATO DAY ACTIVITIES

Today is the perfect day to plant a Sweet Potato Vine which is quite easy, especially if you have a garden. Plant the Sweet Potatoe Vine in late Spring to early Summer. Space the Sweet Potatoe Vines 10 to 36 inches apart depending on the variety. If you’re using a pot, use high-quality, all-purpose potting soil and ensure that the containers have drainage holes in the bottom.
Read “Little Sweet Potato” to your child as a bedtime story. The book explores Little Sweet Potato’s quest to find a home that’s just right for him.
Craving French Fries? Mix it up and make Sweet Potato Fries instead.

5 FACTS ABOUT SWEET POTATOES

Contrary to popular beliefs, Sweet Potatoes and Yams aren’t the same, the former is a sweet root vegetable, and the latter is a starchy tuber.
Sweet Potatoes like long and hot growing Seasons as compared to regular Potatoes.
Sweet Potatoes come in different colors such as orange, white, and purple.
Sweet Potatoes are very popular in many parts of the world and a staple in Uganda and Rwanda.
Did you know the Sweet Potato is the state vegetable of North Carolina in the United States.

WHY PEOPLE LOVE COOK A SWEET POTATO DAY

Sweet potatoes are super healthy and Sweet Potatoes are high in fiber and low in fat and calories. Sweet Potaoes also contain more vitamin A and C along with a load of minerals and vitamins. Sweet Potatoes are also rich in Beta Carotene, an antioxidant that helps to protect the body against free radicals.
Sweet Potatoes aren’t just used for eating but also for other purposes. The juice of the red Sweet Potato is often mixed with Lime Juice to make a dye for cloth in South America. In fact, by varying the proportions of the juice, multiple shades from pink to black can be obtained.
Subject to good lighting conditions and a steady supply of nutrients, Sweet Potato Vine cuttings will rapidly form roots in water and grow in it. Owing to this, Sweet Potatoe Vines can be used for in-home aquariums and trailing out of the water with their roots submerged. The growth is fueled by toxic ammonia and nitrates, a waste product of aquatic life, which it removes from the water. Improving the living conditions for Fish.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates