National Waffle Day

Make them waffles; make them chaffles (cheesy, but no flour). Make them for breakfast; make them for dessert.

 

 

 

But this is the day to make ‘em!

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Slavery Remembrance

Various days throughout the year have been established to recognize the blight on mankind’s history that slavery has been. Today is one of them… International Slavery Remembrance Day. Most of us are well aware that for hundreds of years, millions of Africans were captured, sold, and transported across lands and oceans to serve as slaves. In truth, humans have been enslaving each other since long before recorded history. Lauding power over other people in such an inhuman fashion is just one despicable part of our earthly existence. There are likely no people on this planet whose heritage does not include suffering at the evil hands of others. And this slice of man’s inhumanity to man continues today… worldwide. Yes, even in America. As I find myself saying far too often, we humans are very slow to evolve. Yet, we must keep trying. Never give up the fight for equal dignity for all people and a world without racism, discrimination, bigotry, and hatred.

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The Search for Wisdom

 

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.”

— Lao Tzu (aka Laozi) (6th Century BC – 5th Century BC )
Ancient Chinese philosopher

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Actuality Awareness

My actions and words have told you who I am for years. (Love me or hate me, but you know me.) Now… If you were paying attention and saw that I suddenly advocated in opposition to what I have already done and said, you would rightly wonder what on earth was going on with me. Just saying, though it’s not happening.

Let us keep our eyes, ears, and minds open to actuality.

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The Process of Becoming

 

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”

— E.E. Cummings (aka ee cummings) (1894 – 1962)
American poet and playwright

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Always Ask Questions

“Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.”

— Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
German-born theoretical physicist

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Artistic Rule Breaking

 

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”

— Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973)
Spanish painter & sculptor

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No Identity Issues

 

 

“Definitions belong to the definer, not the defined.”

— Toni Morrison (1931 – 2019)
American novelist and editor

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Drink Rum, Mateys!

Celebrate National Rum Day with a favorite rum cocktail. Great for summer is an icy cold punch.

Orange Pineapple Rum Punch.
Ice
1 ½ oz coconut or spiced rum, as you prefer
2 oz orange juice
1 ½ oz pineapple juice
Orange slice, for garnish
Fill a glass with ice. Add the rum and juices, stirring with a bar spoon. Garnish and serve.

KISS Tip: A festive and colorful twist comes from following the ice with ½ oz grenadine.

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Chill, Baby!

Photo by Chris Thompson

 

Celebrate National Relaxation Day by simply chilling out. Set all the stress aside… skip the political rhetoric… turn the page on the naysayers… cancel the chaos… embrace serenity and inner peace. Chill, Baby!

 

 

“Relaxation is not laziness. It’s about finding balance and taking care of yourself.”

— Elizabeth Scott (1972 – )
American author

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Dream On!

 

“You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.”

— C. S. Lewis (1898 – 1963)
British writer & theologian

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Hope Lives!

 

 

“Hope is a waking dream.”

— Aristotle (384BC-322BC)
Ancient Greek philosopher & polymath

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National Julienne Fries Day

August 12th is an annual day to celebrate the shoestring fried potatoes. A French favorite since the early 1700s, julienne cut fries are cut in thin, uniform matchsticks. These are the opposite of the thick, meaty steak-cut fries, so on National Julienne Fries Day, give your salty, crispy side a taste. My fave are Truffle Fries, which I always choose when I spy them on a menu. Enjoy my Super Simple way to make them at home.

 

 

 

Super Simple Truffle Fries
If making your fries from scratch, remember to soak your raw potatoes in cold, salted (and/or sugared) water for 20-30 min. AND fry them twice, as it’s the second frying that gives them crispness.

Favorite frozen French fries (shoestring style, of course, but any cuts work fine)
Truffle oil
Parmesan cheese, finely grated (or shredded)
Sea salt (& pepper, if you like)
Finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bake the fries per pkg directions. Drizzle with a little truffle oil and toss to distribute. Sprinkle with cheese and seasonings. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
KISS Notes: Truffles are a type of mushroom. Truffle oil is a neutral oil, infused with peelings of white truffles.  Truffles are exotic. For example, black truffles can sell for anywhere between $300 – 1,000 per pound, and white truffles can fetch $4,000 a pound. Because white truffles have a stronger flavor, their peelings are used to infuse oil. Truffle oil is also great on risotto and in creamy sauces like alfredo.

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Waste Not

Photo by Antonino Visali

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.”

— Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)
English comic actor

Let us never let even the darkest day be totally wasted.

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You’ve Got This!

 

 

“Do not begrudge the pain you’ve endured. It’s the hells we survive that make us both strong and gentle.”

— Cathy Burnham Martin (1954 – )
American author, voiceover artist, and dedicated foodie

 

 

For more encouraging tips check out  2019’s “Encouragement: How to Be and Find the Best” in paperback, digital, and audiobook formats.

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Holding Hands Matters

For “Hold Hands Day” take a moment to spread love and show kindness. We all know that there is never quite enough of either in this world.

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Choices

“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”

— Dolly Parton (1946 – )
American singer, songwriter, and actress

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Monster Alert

On August 7th each year, National Sea Serpent Day commemorates the sightings of sea serpents, sea dragons, and sea monsters. Sea serpent lore may have been inspired by oarfish which can grow to be 50 feet long, but they are rarely seen because they live thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface. But, who knows!?!

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World Peace

“Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.”

— Robert H. Schuller (1926-2015)
American Christian pastor & author

 

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Let the Sun Shine!

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.”

— Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892)
American poet

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National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

 

For National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, serve them up fresh and warm, so those luscious chocolate bits melt in your mouth! Doctor these cookies up any way you’d like… from adding various nuts seeds, dried cranberries, or shredded coconut. With coconut in mind, enjoy my Almond Joyous Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

 

 

Almond Joyous Chocolate Chip Cookies
A Super Simple twist to the traditional chocolate chip cookies of our youth.

3 c almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ c liquid coconut oil (not the solid version)
¼ c 100% pure maple syrup
1 large whole egg
2 whole egg whites
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c dark chocolate chips
½ c sliced almonds
½ c shredded coconut

Combine flour, baking soda and sea salt; set aside. Mix coconut oil & maple syrup till creamy, but not fully incorporated. Add egg, egg whites, and vanilla and continue mixing. Slowly add flour mixture to egg mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, almonds, and coconut till well combined. Place large rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, about 1” apart. Flatten slightly to 1” thickness. Bake at 375°F 12-15 minutes, just till set and golden. Makes 2 dozen.

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Colonel Mustard?

Originated by the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, the first Saturday of August is National Mustard Day, when we celebrate one of America’s favorite condiments.

 

 

Serve it up on your hot dogs or with pretzels… or with a pretzel-wrapped hotdog. Choose from yellow, Dijon, stone ground country style, or honey to horseradish, sweet onion, Chinese, bacon, cranberry, maple or more.

 

 

 

 

Got mustard?

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Sandwiched in Style

 

Enjoy your ice cream any way you may want, but today is the day to glob it between a couple of favorite cookies! Celebrate National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

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Risky Business

 

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

— T.S. Eliot (1888 – 1965)
American poet, essayist, and playwright

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Lightness of Being

“If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down.”

— Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama)
(5th or 6th Century BC)
Indian religious teacher

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International Day of Friendship

Friends always have our backs, whether we know it or not. On the International Day of Friendship and every other day, I am thankful for a wealth of dear friends. Thank you dearly. I am grateful for all relationships worldwide that promote and encourage compassion and friendship.

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Just Wing It!

 

For National Chicken Wing Day, serve ‘em up any way you like ‘em! Baked, fried, grilled, or roasted all work fabulously.

 

 

 

 

The same goes for seasonings.  Make ‘em cheesy or BBQ sauced, sweet or savory.

 

 

 

If you are grilling and like Buffalo-style, enjoy my “Moon Over Buffalo Chicken Wings” from 2015’s Dockside Dining: Back for Thirds.

 

 

Moon Over Buffalo Chicken Wings
Cook wings directly on the grill for some yummy extra flavor!

24 chicken wings, separated (tips discarded)
½ c butter, melted
1 c Frank’s Red Hot original sauce
2 T celery seeds

Bake the wings on foil pans in single layer over indirect heat in med-hot (350°F) closed grill for 15-20 min, turning once. (Preheat entire grill, but put pan to one side of grill. After closing the cover, shut the heat off directly under the pan.) Meanwhile, combine butter, sauce & seeds. Dip the wings in the sauce, coating well and return to the indirect heat side of the grill, closing the cover and reducing heat to low (250-275°F), letting cook for another 10-15 min, turning once. Serve hot with blue cheese or ranch dressing on the side, along with celery sticks, carrot sticks, or thin slices of sweet bell pepper. Makes 4 dozen pieces.

KISS Tip: For Blazin’ Buffalo Wings, follow the above recipe, but after dipping the cooked wings in the sauce, place them all on your foil tray and sprinkle with a combination of 2 T chili powder and 1 T cayenne pepper. Return to the grill as directed.

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Hope Lives!

“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.”

— Aristotle Onassis (1906 – 1975)
Greek-Argentine business magnate

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Hot Diggitty Dog!

Celebrating National Chili Dog Day? Also called the Coney dog or even chili con carne, top your favorite frankfurter with gobs of gorgeous chili… plus onions, cheese, or any other toppings that suit your taste. The chili dog is totally all-American and perfect for a summer’s day, especially as we wrap up National Hotdog Month.

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Stay Victorious!

 

“I never lose. Either I win or I learn.’

— Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013)
Former President of South Africa

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Happy Days!

Today marks the 24th anniversary of my first date with Sir Ronald. 5 months later we were engaged and got married the following September. It has been my honor to love, honor, and torment him ever since! Happy Anniversary, Sir Ronald!

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Go For It!

“If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means, paint, and that voice will be silenced.”

— Vincent Van Gogh (1853 – 1890)
Dutch painter

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Fear Not!

“Success is stumbling from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.”

— Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Former Prime Minister of United Kingdom

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Strong? Smile!

“Smile to let everyone know that today you’re a lot stronger than you were yesterday.”

— Drake (Aubrey Drake Graham) (1986 – )
Canadian rapper & singer

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National Junk Food Day

Today is the day when we get to be a little naughty and enjoy our favorite not-so-healthy treats. For me, that’s almost anything salty-crispy, especially popcorn and potato chips. (Especially homemade!) Yum!

 

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Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

— Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014)
American poet

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Enthusiasm Wins!

“There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.”

Norman Vincent Peale (1898 – 1993)
American Protestant clergyman

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In the Doghouse?

 

We all need a little forgiveness now and then. So, today is the day…. National Get Out of the Doghouse Day. Own up. Apologize. And enjoy the “free pass.”

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Peace, Please

(Photo by Luke Thornton)

 

“It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.”

— Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC)
Greek philosopher

 

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I Scream; You Scream; We All Scream for…

 

Celebrate National Ice Cream Day! (Need I say more?)

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