July 31st is the day to celebrate Hawaii’s flag each year. The flag, or “Ka Hae Hawai’i” in Hawaiian language, is the only state flag in the U.S. to feature another country’s flag. The Hawaiian flag bears 8 red, white, and blue horizontal stripes, representing the 8 primary islands. Signifying its long relationship, the Union Jack of the British Empire is featured in the top left corner.
The first Hawaiian Kingdom ruler, King Kamehameha I, had a very close relationship with British King George III. While never considered part of the British Empire, Britain did consider the islands to be a protectorate, but only ruled from 1794 – 1795. The Hawaiian Kingdom’s Queen Liliuokalani was overthrown by a group of American businessmen and sugar planters in a bloodless coup in 1893. A new government, the Republic of Hawaii was established, with Sanford B. Dole as its president. The new American government officially annexed Hawaii as a U.S. territory on August 12, 1898.
July 27, 1776, is when New Jersey became the 3rd state to join the Union. New Jersey’s location was vital during the American Revolutionary War, and it saw more battles than any other state. In that light, the state hosts one of the nation’s largest numbers of historical museums. Henry Hudson first colonized the area and initially named it New Netherlands. When the British took over, they renamed it after the UK’s Isle of Jersey in the English Channel.
Home to the most diners in the nation, it also has the nation’s highest population density, with 1300 people per square mile. 90% of the population lives in an urban area. In fact, all 21 counties are classified as metropolitan areas.
Stepping into the music world we find bandleaders Count Basie and Nelson Riddle, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Frankie Valli, Dionne Warwick, Ricky Nelson, Connie Francis, Gloria Gaynor, Sarah Vaughan, Jon Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston, and Queen Latifah. New Jersey also rocks the acting world with household names including, John Travolta, Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Jerry Lewis, Joe Pesci, Frank Langella, Michael Douglas, Sam Coppola, Bruce Willis, Judith Light, Roy Scheider, Ray Liotta, Nathan Lane, and Danny DeVito.
Celebrate National Dog Photography Day by posting your pooch’s picture. Whether your fur baby is with you still or has crossed the rainbow bridge, please share a fave photo today through social media, email, or in person. Ours is little Bandit, who, for all his days and years, believed himself to be a Pillow Puppy.
Oh, this was supposed to be an old joke, rather than a joke about growing older. Well, be they witticism, proverbs, or riddles, jokes have existed as long as mankind.
Who knew there was such an “official” day? I certainly did not. However, I think some of us could use one of these at least once a week.
In 1775 the first piano built in the U.S. was built in Philadelphia. In 1784 Philadelphia was also home to the nation’s first daily newspaper. And in 1909 the country’s first baseball stadium was built in Pittsburgh. And here’s a perhaps long-forgotten spots tidbit: Due to the loss of many players serving in WWII, for 1 season in 1943, the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Stealers merged to form 1 team, the “Steagles.”
Unable to overlook culinary interests, Pennsylvania is home to many food favorites. Hershey is called the Chocolate Capital of the US, and Kennett Square is the Mushroom Capital of the US. From the Pennsylvania Dutch culture, came food favorites ranging from pot pies and sauerkraut to whoopie pies and funnel cakes. Philly Cheesesteak fans revel in the classic Italian roll heaped with sliced beef ribeye, sauteed onions, mushrooms, and peppers, and plenty of melted cheese. This famous sandwich was created in the 1930s by hot dog vendor Pat Olivieri.
Daiquiri is a great cocktail, but it is also the name of a beach and town on the southeastern tip of Cuba… and an iron mine near Santiago de Cuba. “They” say that the Daiquiri was invented in 1898 by American mining engineer Jennings Stockton Cox who was in Cuba at the time of the Spanish-American War. They say he went to the store when he ran out of gin, but he found only rum. To not disappoint his guests, he made a punch. The Daiquiri was born and made its way to Washington in the US a decade later. Sometime in the 1920s or 30s, a bartender in Havana is then credited with perfecting the Frozen Daiquiri by whirring the ingredients with shaved ice in an electric blender.
Daiquiri
and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. Today, in remembrance of him, we celebrate each individual’s power to transform the world.
“The nicest thing about the rain is that it always stops. Eventually.”
After preparing in traditional ways for years, we learned that we both prefer it just wilted, with some texture still remaining. After preparing it in the microwave, we will never go back to traditional methods.
Put a 1” layer of spinach in a deep, microwavable baking dish. Dot with butter & sprinkle with garlic powder & salt. Repeat, pressing down, till bowl is full. Cover and microwave on high 1-2 minutes, stir & microwave 1 more minute. By the time you get it to the table, the wilting will be complete! Serve hot.
KISS Tips: I often prepare the baking dish ahead of time and just keep it in the fridge and cook at serving time. You can also sass spinach up any way you like. For example, add a layer (or 2) of grilled, sauteed, or roasted sliced mushrooms… and/or sauteed chopped sweet onions… or sprinkle crispy fried onions on top to serve. Or sprinkle a couple of layers of spinach with sesame seeds and give it a drizzle of sweet Thai chili sauce. Or sprinkle a couple of layers with shredded or grated Parmesan cheese. Or add a layer of sliced, roasted red peppers… or a layer of diced fresh peaches.
For example, I had not realized that horses were domesticated in 6000 BC. in the Americas some 8-10,000 years ago, before going extinct. They were then re-introduced to the Western Hemisphere in the late 1400s and to Florida in 1538. Many were released into the wild, and some 33,000 feral horses, known as mustangs, still roam our plains.
Most horses can recognize themselves in the mirror, learn complex orders or tricks, and comprehend human emotions. Horses only breathe through their noses, and they can fall asleep standing up. Horses have an amazing field of vision, reaching almost 360°.
After mixing all other ingredients, mix in lamb. Form 18 balls and then shape into ovals (long for entree or short for tapas). Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 24 before cooking over med-high grill heat. (Cook or at least serve on skewers.)
KISS Tips: Add 1 tsp ground sumac for a true Mediterranean essence. If grilling on bamboo skewers, be sure to soak in warm water for at least 30 minutes beforehand to prevent burning. These are nice served as they are or with a yogurt, cucumber, tahini or other sauce for dipping.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
In the US we celebrate National Pizza Day on February 9th each year. However, in Brazil, National Pizza Day is celebrated annually on July 10th. Sao Paulo is considered Brazil’s pizza capital because of its large Italian population. Sooooo…. We can celebrate with them today! I mean, we all can use an extra excuse to eat pizza! Enjoy a slice or share a whole pie!
“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.”
This is one of those days when we can revel in the concerts we have attended over the years, too. An early fantabulous memory was seeing Jimi Hendrix from 4th row center in his last concert at the Boston Garden in 1971. Among the other memorable concerts over the years have been The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Billy Preston, Jackson Brown, James Taylor, Chuck Berry, Jethro Tull, Temptations, Steve Miller Band, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith, Cher, Blood, Sweat, & Tears, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers & the First Edition, Metallica, Bob Seger, John Kay & Steppenwolf, Journey, Jefferson Airplane, Neil Diamond, Tom Petty, Billy Joel, The Doors, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Ravi Shankar, Mountain, The Doobie Brothers, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, Johnny (and Edgar) Winter, and the Allman Brothers. This summer we just saw Chicago… again… still featuring 3 original members!
Mom taught me a passion for great fried clams. They are never doughy, and they are never clam strips. The frozen ones, such as the ol’ Howard Johnsons fried clams do not come close to the real deal. Great big monster ones with massive bellies were harvested way too late. Great fried clams are small and delicate, lightly dusted, and flash-fried to salty seafood perfection.
When I developed my SpeakEasy123 public speaking training program, I was honored to be able to assist various people from CEOs and politicians to schoolteachers… various positions where one might mistakenly believe this “fear” would have been conquered or at least aptly handled. Teaching the required public or business speaking courses at the college level became a natural extension.
We also spent time learning to like ourselves and learn to laugh at ourselves. Setting ourselves free from the fear of public speaking is learning to accept that if we care about our subject and our audience, it’s natural to find butterflies flying helter-skelter in our tummies. We just need to learn to picture those butterflies flying in formation. Care about the audience but conquer the fear of butterflies. Done!
Today you can find anything from macaroni & cheese and Cheetos Flamin’ Hot ice cream to avocado-cayenne or ghost pepper-peppermint. Whether you go for cinnamon-basil or peanut butter-banana or bacon chutney ice cream, today is your day. Of course, you can still opt for chocolate and vanilla. Go crazy… combine 2. Since this is also National Gingersnap Day, crumble some gingersnap cookies into whatever flavor you choose. What is YOUR favorite creative ice cream flavor… or the one you would most avoid?
Wait! Hmmmm… Every day is “Social Media Day” for many of us. I try to post something positive on social media every day. I appreciate all the messages about how some postings have been helpful to someone. In truth, it also helps me, because it gives me the opportunity every day to think positively and come up with something to post. I look for fun specialty days or official State days or quotes ranging from silly to superbly thought-provoking or some one of my Super Simple recipes to share. I believe that focusing on fun, thoughtfulness, kindness, or ways to encourage or thank someone else is one great way to help us feel good, too. I cope better, and I feel more grounded. Sharing positive helps me focus positively, even when it may feel that my world has turned inside-out and upside-down. So, Happy Social Media Day!
I’ve devoured nuggets and straws, bountiful blooming onions, and all sorts of onion rings from coast to coast and abroad. If you are a fan, you likely agree that biting into a perfect onion ring is scrumptiously satisfying. On the other hand, nibbling on a bready, soggy, greasy option finds me leaving the rest on the plate.
I found myself wondering how the onion ring began. While a few U.S. joints have tried to lay claim, the earliest recipes for a “battered and fried onion” dish hail from Britain back in the early 1800s. That said, it is likely that a Crisco recipe that was distributed in the 1930s boosted their rise to national prominence. Now we celebrate National Onion Ring Day every June 22nd.
Do not confuse true, hand-cut onion rings, be they breaded, battered, or au natural with the items called onion rings at fast-food establishments. To my taste, none make the grade. Regardless, “The Fasties” annual awards for fast foods have an onion ring category that clocked the good (highly questionable), the bad, and the ugly in onion rings at take-out chains.
The awards documented the standard mushy-centered, unseasoned “onion rings” found at Burger King and the crunch of big rings at Dairy Queen up to the allegedly thick-cut sort at Culver’s to the first prize-winner. That distinction went to Sonic Drive-In’s hand-made, thick-cut onion rings. Do as you will. Personally, I avoid fast-food onion rings.
Before I share the names of a few restaurants where I have enjoyed good onion rings, I will tell you that I will then share my recipe for Super Simple Tobacco Onions… delicate batter-free gems that are perfect atop your steak, grilled chicken, lamb chops, in salads and sandwiches (ooooh-la-la with chicken salad, for example… or in a grilled cheese), stop macaroni & cheese or other baked dishes, on soups (especially a great basil-tomato), on baked or mashed potatoes, or with anything else that suits your fancy! Nibbling them as a snack is over-the-top, too. In fact, when making these, I double or triple the amount of onion…. Yup. That is because I know I will eat at least half while snacking, so they’ll never make it to the meal.
While Bern’s Steak House in Tampa, FL still has me craving their crazy, amazing onion ring loaf (no longer a menu item), they still make great skinny onion rings. But for similar satisfaction, order the ever so lightly battered (and addictive) onion straws at Street Meet in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Now let me get back to serving you up a tobacco onions recipe. Despite the name, tobacco onions are tobacco- and nicotine-free. Their name comes from the fact that they tend to look like dried tobacco leaves. They’re simply cut ultra-thin and barely dusted (if at all) with seasoned flour. There’s no egg, no batter, and no breading. AND they can be completely gluten-free, too.
KISS Tips: Keep early batches warm in a 250°F oven while preparing the rest. Soaking briefly before cooking helps neutralize onion’s pungent sharpness, which is very important for red or other sharp-flavored types. (The liquid also helps the seasoned flour adhere better to the onion for a crispier exterior finish. For gluten-free, use gluten-free flour with a binding agent, such as xanthan gum. (Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur both have excellent 1-for-1 gluten-free flour replacements.) Fried is best, but I have made rings on the grill, too. For an air fryer, preheat to 400°F. Prepare onions as directed above and place in oil-sprayed basket or trays in single layers, not overlapping. Lightly spray them with oil and air fry for 5-7 minutes, turning over halfway through; then repeat with remaining onions.