Food Holidays: November 15th, 2021

Good evening, welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: November 15th, 2021. Did you know today is National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day? I don’t know about you but I cleaned mine our yesterday. Although, we do need to finish wiping it out which Charlie and I will do this evening. Would you like to help us?

National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day

Excuse the pun, but the timing has never been riper to celebrate National Clean Out Your Fridge Day! The perfect opportunity to tackle that Science experiment that’s been growing way in the back, of your refrigerator. Of course, most of us clean out our fridges far more often than once a year, but let’s be real: Making it an annual occasion provides everyone the reassurance that at least your roommate’s long-forgotten “homemade Kombucha” will be thrown away. Marking National Clean Out Your Fridge Day as a Holiday on the National Calendar gives you plenty of time for getting things done now.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL CLEAN OUT YOUR FRIDGE DAY

New technology means new problems. Ever since the first household refrigerator hit the market, consumers then became burdened with cleaning it. 

From 1911 to 1922, the technological advances of home refrigerators and refrigeration technologies increased at the rate of speed rivaled only by smartphones. It wasn’t until 1927 when GE produced the “Monitor Top,” a reference to the ironclad Civil War-era ship, the USS Monitor. This model alone sold over one million units. 

It wasn’t until post-war America that separate freeze box units were created and used in addition to the typical refrigerator. And then, in the 1970s and 80s, further developments helped created a the combo model we see today. 

Regardless of what kind of refrigerator they had over the years, everyone had the task of needing to clean them out. Whether its Moldy Oranges, Brown Bananas, or Milk you forgot about. Cleaning a refrigerator is something American’s over the past century can relate to.

NATIONAL CLEAN OUT YOUR FRIDGE DAY ACTIVITIES

1. Nobody likes to check for their Turkey and Swiss Cheese Sandwich at lunch time and find it’s been thrown out with the furry pasta that was last touched last month. The trick to this part of celebrating National Clean Out Your Fridge Day is to give a series of increasingly escalating pieces of overwrought and deadly serious-sounding notice. You might print out a picture of a nuclear Mushroom cloud and fix it to the fridge, writing, “days to National Clean Out Your Fridge Day”. Then count the day down on a daily basis. Send an office-wide email, cc’ing your boss. Or if it’s your roomies, send a series of group texts over the days before you clean out the fridge.
2. There really is no way you can go too far with National Clean Out Your Fridge Day. Real hazmat suits cost hundreds of dollars, but you can buy a killer costume for around $30. Which would make for an excellent picture when you finally come to dispose of those things growing in the fridge.
3. The chances are, if you’ve made a big enough deal out of clean out your fridge, that you might have roped in help for cleaning out the fridge by the time the big day rolls around. Apparently cleaning your fridge requires things like “warm, soapy water” and “a sponge,” and unplugging the fridge if you’re planning to have the door open for a while, so you don’t waste energy. Hopefully one of your friends or coworkers will be better with the details. After all, you’ve spent much energy on the promotion. It’s only right to share the work.

WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL CLEAN OUT YOUR FRIDGE DAY

1. The number of adults sharing a household with a roommate has surged as rent has risen more quickly than incomes across America. Over recent years 25% of adults now share with a roommate. The fridge is a major source of roommate tension. Cleaning out the fridge is great for your roommate relationships. It is also good for your health. By diffusing tension, it lowers stress.
2. Nobody at the office likes to do this horrific chore. Which means the person who does do it gets a medal. Which could even mean a raise. Which would be hugely disproportionate to the amount of effort it takes to hold your nose and do the dirty work.
3. When your fridge is cluttered, it’s easy to forget you have a long-lasting Sauce tucked away in the back. Behind the stuff nobody wants to touch. Before you buy that second bottle of Sriracha, check fridge! You’ll save money, time, and get free condiments.

National Raisin Bran Cereal Day

November 15th every year, Raisin Bran Cereal lovers in the U.S. can raise a bowl and celebrate National Raisin Bran Cereal Day. This delicious nutritious cereal, which has existed for decades, certainly deserves its own Holiday. Raisin Bran is a breakfast cereal containing Raisin and Bran Flakes. The delicious cereal can be popped straight into the mouth as a midday snack, eaten milk as cereal, or remade into a meal using a Raisin Bran Recipe. Since its first appearance in 1926, the cereal has been a staple in many American households thanks to its high fiber content and Nutritional Value.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL RAISIN BRAN CEREAL DAY

While the History of National Raisin Bran Cereal Day is not yet known, we can certainly regale you with tales of how the high fiber cereal came to be.

In 1925, Skinner Manufacturing Company, the largest producer of Macaroni in the U.S. at the time, introduced the first Raisin Bran brand to hit the market, “Skinner’s Raisin-BRAN.” Before then, Bran Flakes had existed, having been introduced in 1915. However, Skinner was the first company to attempt adding Raisins to the Bran mix. Thereby creating the cereal we’ve all come to love today. They had also trademarked the name ‘Raisin-BRAN’ a year after they introduced the cereal into the market

For 17 years, the Omaha-based company held the sole ownership of the name “Raisin-BRAN” until 1942 when Kellogg’s and Post started to sell their own versions of the cereals. Naturally, Skinner fought for their invention. The company filed a cease-and-desist against their competitors so they could keep their monopoly on the Raisin Bran product. Skinner claimed trademark infringement and unfair competition from the other two cereal masters.

However, in 1944, they lost their right to the name after the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled that a name that described the ingredients of an item could not be appropriated as a trademark. The court claimed that there was nothing revolutionary about the mixture of Raisins and Cereal Flakes. Although we would gladly debate them on that claim That is why today, any brand can create their own Raisin Bran and name it just that.

Five facts to know about Raisin Bran Cereal:

“Skinner’s Raisin Bran” was the first bran brand on the market, and it was introduced in the United States in 1926 by U.S. Mills.

During his incarceration, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein preferred Raisin Bran cereal for breakfast given to him by his American prison guards.

The first cold breakfast cereal, Granula, was invented in the United States in 1863 by James Caleb Jackson, operator of Our Home on the Hillside which was later replaced by the Jackson Sanatorium in Dansville, New York.

Twenty-six percent of Americans snack on cereal during the day; and 61 percent of that group is women.

Kellogg’s was the first company to advertise on the Times Square billboard in New York.

HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL RAISIN BRAN CEREAL DAY

1. It goes without saying that there is no better way to celebrate National Raisin Bran Cereal Day than by having a big bowl of your favorite Raisin Bran cereal in the morning, afternoon, or night. Cereals aren’t just for breakfast, right?
2. How do you show someone you love them? Introduce them to your favorite meals. Buy a box of Raisin Bran cereal for someone you love. Then share with them the benefits of the cereal.
3. Everyone knows the most fun parties are those that remind us of our childhood. On this Holiday, throw a cereal-themed party. You can throw on pajamas and enjoy Raisin Bran cereal. Or any of the recipes you can make from the cereal. Don’t forget the pillow fights. Build forts, and reminisce about your childhood.

5 FACTS ABOUT RAISIN BRAN

1. It is made by big cereal companies (Kellogg’s, Post Holdings, General Mills, and Quaker Foods).
2. In 1966, they created an animated Sunny with the “No, you’re the sun” catchphrase.
3. adam Hussein, who was incarcerated in the U.S., chose Raisin Bran Cereal as his breakfast option.
4. There are Raisin Bran cereal recipes for Muffins, Bread, and Cookies.
5. Aussies and the U.K. know Raisin Bran as Sultana Bran since they’re from the Sultana Grape.

WHY INDIVIDUALS LOVE NATIONAL RAISIN BRAN CEREAL DAY

1. Clear and simple, we’re nuts about Raisin Bran cereal which strikes the balance between sweet and healthy. We’ll be raising a bowl to this cereal on this Holiday.
2. Raisin Bran is low in fat and Cholesterol. Reduces your risk of Heart Disease. This breakfast cereal is an excellent source of Fiber and a great source of Vitamins and Minerals.
3. Whether eaten as a snack, with milk, or remade into any of the Raisin Bran meals, Raisin Bran makes us happy.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates