Dec 7, 2010

National Cotton Candy Day

Hi, and happy National Cotton Candy Day! It seems weird to celebrate Cotton Candy Day in December when we usually associate cotton candy with summertime and amusement parks, and in fact, according to Mahalo.com, there are actually two National Cotton Candy Days ~ Dec. 7th and July 31st. Maybe to the creator of the December 7th observance, cotton candy reminded them of mounds of freshly fallen, soft, billowy snow. Makes sense to me.

In case you missed it, here is a link to my cotton candy post from National Candy Month last June. You should find everything you need to know about cotton candy there.

But where do you buy Cotton Candy in December? Right now, our local grocery store is selling Charms brand Fluffy Stuff Snow Balls Cotton Candy for the Christmas season. I've tried it and love it! If you can't find it in your area, you can purchase Cotton Candy online.

Some Cotton Candy Fun:
Cotton Candy Macaroons from Life's a Feast
Cotton Candy Cake from Rachael Ray
Cotton Candy Cupcake #1 from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
Cotton Candy Cupcake #2 from Cookies and Cups
Cotton Candy Cupcake #3 from The Cupcake Curriculum

And, have you ever wondered how they make cotton candy in China? Well, here you go. :0)


Dec 5, 2010

Kookie for Christmas Cookies

This post is a day late. Yesterday was National Cookie Day, but I came down with the flu on Friday and was unable to pull this article together until today. But that's okay because we still have 20 days of Christmas cookie baking fun left, right?!

December 4th is National Cookie Day. Christmastime is a great time to celebrate cookies because they are a fairly inexpensive, easy to make treat to serve at parties or to give away as gifts. Here's a little bit of cookie trivia for you ~ Americans consume 2 billion cookies per year, that's about 300 cookies for each person annually.

Did you know that cookies are actually the offspring of cakes? That's right, we could just call them "happy little accidents". Culinary historians believe that cookies began in 7th century Persia (today's Iran). Persia was one of the earliest known cultivators of sugar. Long before ovens had thermostats, bakers would make lavish cakes for the rich, and rather than ruining an entire cake, a small amount of cake batter was poured onto a baking pan to test the temperature of the oven. The name cookie is derived from the Dutch word koekje, meaning "small or little cake".

Today we have so many delicious, festive, and beautiful cookies to choose from. I would like to share with you some delectable creations that I happened to come across, beginning with some cookies that are pure artistry.

Cookies That Are Works of Art:



Classic Christmas Cookie Recipes:



A plethora of Christmas Cookies:
I hope you can find time this month to bake your favorite Christmas cookies. You might want to schedule your cookie baking day for December 18 because that is Bake Cookies Day.

Just For Fun. :0)


Dec 1, 2010

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day. The threat of AIDS is just as real as it ever was. There are 33.3 million people living with AIDS/HIV worldwide. The good news is, there are medications and treatments that can help but there are millions of people that are unable to get the help they need. Here's what some people are doing to help. What can you and I do?

3 Ways to Honor World AIDS Day, Without Leaving Your Desk.
World AIDS Day 2010 Nike (RED)
Prevention

Sesame Street Magazine

Here is a link to the December issue of Sesame Street Magazine that you can download and print for your kiddies to enjoy. As far as I can tell each magazine is only available for that month, so grab it while you can!

December Issue

Rosa Parks Day ~ December 1