Good morning, welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: July 20th, 2021. Just a couple more weeks until a new month. Where has the time gone to? Take a look at the mornings Holidays and let me know which one you most would like to celebrate and why.
National Ice Cream Sundae Day
It’s National Sundae Day Sweet! Desserts don’t get much more decadent than Marshmallow, Chocolate, or Strawberry Sundaes so let’s enjoy every minute of this day.
We can visit a fun local Ice Cream Shop or simply whip up a Sundae at home. It’s a treat either way. Of course anything Ice Cream-related seems to brighten things up, but this one’s especially enjoyable.
History of National Sundae Day
I wonder just who invented the Ice Cream Sundae? Good question. Many claim credit. Here’s a quick glance at a trio of theories ranked from earliest to most recent.:
1. Sundaes first appeared around 1881 in the town of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, when a man named George Hallauer asked his friend Edward C. Berner, the owner of a Soda Fountain, to top a dish of Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce modeled after Ice Cream Sodas. The magnificent creation only cost a nickel and skyrocketed in popularity, but was sold only on Sundays.
2. A Plainfield, Illinois, druggist named Mr. Sonntag created the dish in 1890 after customers requested something different. He named it the “Sonntag” after himself, and since Sonntag means Sunday in German, the name was translated to Sunday, and later was spelled Sundae.
3. John M. Scott, a minister, and Chester Platt, co-owner of a pharmacy, created the first Sundae on April 3, 1892 (a Sunday), in Ithaca, New York, Platt covered dishes of Ice Cream with Cherry Syrup and Candied Cherries. The men named the dish “Cherry Sunday.”. Historians found a newspaper ad for a “Cherry Sunday” placed in the Ithaca Daily Journal three days later. By May 1892, the Platt & Colt soda fountain also served “Strawberry Sundays,” and later, “Chocolate Sundays”.
Either way, 130 years later, they’re quite a treat!
Lollipops, are a sweet concoction of Sugar and flavoring, and they have existed since the times of Ancient Egypt. Lollipops, although not called that at the time, have been used not only as a Sweet Dessert but also as a way to distribute medicine to kids.
Nowadays, people enjoy Lollipops whenever they have a sweet Tooth coming on, so why not make a Holiday about it! Lollipop Day celebrates the invention of the Lollipop, how it brightens every childhood and makes everyone happy!
Learn about Lollipop Day
There is no denying that children of all ages will be enjoying Lollipop Day and it does not matter whether you’re still in school or you are simply a child at heart, you can relive your childhood memories by enjoying a Lollipop! These treats are known as many different names all over the world. A lot of people simply call them Lollies.
In the Midwest of America, they are known as Suckers and no matter what you call them, there is no denying that these Sweet Treats, which are made from Corn Syrup, Water, and flavored Sucrose, which is then hardened on a stick, taste incredible!
You can get so many different flavors to choose from as well, with fruit flavors being the most popular. Coca-Cola lollipops have also become a big hit.
No matter your preferred flavor, Lollipop Day is all about celebrating this tasty sweet and enjoying as many Lollipops you want without feeling guilty about it. Lollipop Day is also about those memories that you have shared with people you love over the years.
After all, Sweets like this can often remind people of special memories. Perhaps you always got a Lollipop when you went to see your grandparents?
Of course, for a lot of people, Lollipops will remind them of going to the dentist or doing something brave as a child like going to the doctor and getting a shot, and a Lollipop and a Sticker would often be the reward at the end.
History of Lollipop Day
The art of boiling Sugar into Candy has been around for ages, and it has been flavored, colored, and shaped according to the preferences of its time. The term Lollipop didn’t occur until the late 18th century, when it referred to Sweets, specifically, “something that one popped into one’s mouth” rather than what people associate today as a ball of flavored Sugar on a stick. Putting a stick into hard candy didn’t occur until the 20th century when modern machinery was taking fold.
The first instances of the creation of the Lollipop were thought of by a confectioner named George Smith. In 1892, he created Lollipops and sold them to the public, although he didn’t call it a Lollipop. Around the same time, the McAviney Candy Company stumbled upon the idea as well and began mass-producing Lollipops in 1905.
It wasn’t until 1932 that the Bradley Smith Company patented the name “Lollipop” for their Candy on a stick. By the time the company began producing these Sweets, the Great Depression hit, which quickly decreased the Lollipop’s popularity. However, the Lollipop amazingly still remained alive, and since then, people still buy Lollipops to this day.
These Candied Sweets are the symbol of childhood, and they are easy to create, and can contain a wide variety of flavors, and Lollipops can be filled with fillings such as tootsie rolls and bubble gum.
This sweet confection satisfies everyone’s sweet tooth, and each year, and people observe this treat by purchasing and enjoying a Lollipop! Wouldn’t you like one today because Charlie and I would.
How to Celebrate Lollipop Day
Celebrate Lollipop Day by popping a Lollipop in your mouth! You can purchase a bag of Lollipops from your local Grocery Store, or Candy Shop or Dollar Store.
If you’re on Vacation, head on over to a fairground or boardwalk and get the biggest, most colorful Lollipop you can find.Then learn about the History of Lollipops and tell everyone about them.
Try your hand at making your own Lollipops and add whatever flavors you want and make sweet perfection, and when you’re done, share this Holiday with friends and host a Lollipop party!
A lot of people have also used Lollipop Day and tied it in with another cause that means a lot to them. For example, in Ireland, Lollipop Day holds great significance because it is used to try and help raise money and awareness around Oesophageal Cancer.
People sell Lollipops and the proceeds go to this incredible cause. This is something you could do yourself. If there is something that you are passionate about, sell lollipops on this date and you can give the profits to a Charity that means a lot to you.
You can also put a smile on people’s faces by purchasing Lollipops for all of your friends and family members. After all, Lollipops don’t cost a lot, and this is an easy way to put a smile on someone’s face and let them know that you are thinking about them!
Or you can spend your day doing a bit of research online about Lollipops and the different types and flavors that have been created over the years. For example, in the United States, the Sugar Daddy is the most popular and oldest type of Milk Caramel Lollipop. You also have lollipops that have Bubblegum in the center as well.
There are lots of different types of Lollipops in different cultures and Countries, so digging into this can become very interesting. Some people also use Lollipops with edible Flowers in the center as wedding favors. There truly have been some incredible Lollipop creations over the years!
Five Facts about Lollipops:
- The world’s largest Lollipop was made in June 25, 2002. This Lollipop was as tall as a Giraffe (15 feet tall) and about the weight of 23 full grown tigers. Oh ya the Lollipop was Cherry flavored.
- There are many things named after Lollipop, movies, songs, paintings etc.
- The original Lollipop machine would produce 40 Lollipops per minute but the modern ones make 5,900 a minute.
- Lollipops were first made in 1908, in Connecticut by George Smith. He had named it after a horse he fancied, Lolly Pop.
- In the Midwest Lollipops are known as Suckers.
Fortune Cookie Day
Add a little fun and excitement to your life by celebrating Fortune Cookie Day. These engaging biscuits always have a suitably general clairvoyant message inside which normally promises good health, luck or fortune to the recipient. It’s always nice to get an assurance of pleasant things to come, so a Fortune Cookie or two is just the thing to provide an intriguing and delightful break in the day.
Every year, more than 3 billion fortune cookies are made and enjoyed by delighted fans. It’s time for everyone to enjoy this special celebration that is Fortune Cookie Day!
History of Fortune Cookie Day
Many Americans who eat at Chinese-themed restaurants in the US tend to receive Fortune Cookies at the end, making them associate this tradition with Chinese culture.
However, the actual origins of Fortune Cookies a delightful treat can be traced back to Kyoto, Japan in the 19th Century before making their way to American culture in the 20th century.
As early as the 1870s, Japanese Sweet Shops started making little Crackers that were folded into shapes which allowed a message to be tucked into the bend (not into the hollow area).
These original Crackers would have been darker in color and made with Miso and Sesame, giving them less of a sweet taste than the Fortune cookies of today.
The fortune Cookies of today’s American-Chinese restaurants were then believed to be recreated from this idea when Japanese immigrants arrived on the scene in California and Hawaii in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Some people like to tell a story about the Fortune Cookie that revolves around the Japanese Tea Garden in the Golden Gate Park of San Francisco. The legend goes that the Tea Garden was the first restaurant in the area to serve the cookie, which was created by the bakery, Benkyodo.
This bakery claims to have invented the Vanilla and Butter mixture flavoring that has followed the cookie into the present. They also say that they invented a machine in 1911 that changed the production of the Fortune Cookies from being slowly shaped by hand to machine production. However, three other Los Angeles based businesses also claim the invention of the modern Fortune Cookie, so it might be impossible to know exactly where it really came from!
How to Celebrate Fortune Cookie Day
There are numerous ways of marking Fortune Cookie Day and you should try out these ideas for inspiration:
Enjoy Fortune Cookies at a Restaurant
Perhaps the most obvious way to celebrate this day is to treat friends or family to a delicious Chinese meal, with the final course consisting of a platter of Fortune Cookies. It’s not necessarily a tradition that originates from China, of course, but it’s certainly a tradition of eating at American-Chinese establishments. So go enjoy cookies today.
Surprise Friends with Fortune Cookies
Why not purchase Fortune Cookies as a t surprise for colleagues or friends? Or forge a friendship with new neighbors by arriving at their doorstep with a basket full of Fortune Cookies, which is a delightful change of pace from the usual.
Try Making Fortune Cookies
Making Fortune Cookies at home can be fun not only for those who like to bake, but also for those who enjoy Calligraphy and coming up with creative messages for friends and family!
The Cookies can be a bit fussy to make, but the list of ingredients is fairly simple, with most recipes including Egg Whites, Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon, Flour, Sugar and Water.
Fortune Cookies are fairly easy to bake, just work quickly to form them as they’ll tend to harden into shape within 30 seconds of being removed from the oven!
Indulge in Virtual Fortune Cookies
For those who might be watching their weight and worried about the calories in these snacks, its always possible to go online to find Virtual Fortune Cookies which will give a hint about the future destiny–without actually needing to eat the cookie!
Fortune Cookies Recipe
Yields 6 servings
- 1 egg white
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a cookie sheet. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Generously grease 2 cookie sheets.
- Step 2 Mix the Egg White and Vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift the Flour, Salt, and Sugar and blend into the Egg White mixture.
- Step 3 Place teaspoonfuls of the batter at least 4 inches apart on one of the prepared cookie sheets. Tilt the sheet to move the batter into round shapes about 3 inches in diameter. Be careful to make batter as round and even as possible. Do not make too many, because the Cookies have to be really hot to form them and once they cool it is too late. Start with 2 or 3 to a sheet and see how many you can do.
- Step 4 Bake for 5 minutes or until the Cookie has turned a golden color 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The center will remain pale. While one sheet is baking, prepare the other.
- Step 5 Remove from oven and quickly move Cookie with a wide spatula and place upside down on a wooden board. Quickly place the fortune on the Cookie, close to the middle and fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton to hold their shape until firm.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
