Here Are the National Days for More Inspiration
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January is Reminiscence Month (or Celebrate the Past Month), and we are flashing back to the '40s. Although dominated by World War II, the decade brought us victory gardens, Rosie the Riveter, the baby boom, and many fabulous fads and fashions. Here are the National Days for More Inspiration: Januray 16- Fig Newton Day, Hot & Spicy Food Day, Hello Dolly! Day, Religious Freedom Day, Surprise Saturday, Appreciate a Dragon Day, Twiddle Your Thumbs Day January 17- Hunt for Happiness Week Begins, World Religion Day, Snowflake Day, Bootlegger’s Day January 18- Michigan Day, Thesaurus Day, Winnie the Pooh Day, Marting Luther King Jr. Day January 19- Tone it Up Tuesday, Tin Can Day, Poe Day, Coffee Around the World Day, Popcorn Day January 20- Buttercrunch Day, Cheese Lover’s Day, Disc Jockey Day, Penguin Awareness Day, Second Man on the Moon Day, Born Free Day January 21- Energize Your Morning Day, 40’s Flashback Day, First Medical Publication in America Anniversary, Squirrel Appreciation Day, Granola Bar Day, Hugging Day January 22- Celebration of Life Day, Blonde Brownie Day, Small Town Day, Pick Up a Hobby Day, Hibernation Day January 23- Handwriting Day, Pie Day, Coldest Day in U.S. History Anniversary – Brrrr! On this day in 1971, the temperature in Prospect Creek, Alaska, was recorded as 80 degrees below zero. January 24- Compliment Day, Peanut Butter Day, Meat Week Begins January 25- Marshmallow Monday, Bubble Wrap Apprecation Day, Opposite Day, Irish Coffee Day, Florida Day January 26- Green Juice Day, Peanut Brittle Day, Spouses Day, Plan for Vacation Day, Tea and Trivia Day, January 27- Wintertime Memories Day, Strange Socks Day, Geographic Society Day, Chocolate Cake Day January 28- Blueberry Pancake Day, Have Fun at Work Day, Kazoo Day January 29- Fabulous Forties Friday, Puzzle Day, Seeing Eye Day, Fun at Work Day January 30- Seed Swap Day, Croissant Day, Favortie Sports Team Day January 31- Inspire Your Heart with Art Day, Soap Day, Enjoy Some Hot Chocolate Day, Backwards Day Note from the Directors: Hello All, we are trying to survey how many people are tech-savvy and have access to ZOOM (Video Chatting App) . If you have access to ZOOM and would be interested in participating in ZOOM programs (for example: Tai Chi over video chat) please contact Amber by email: [email protected] or call us and leave a message at 860-399-2029. Biweekly Recipe: War Time Cake Ingredients: • Cooking spray • 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, divided • 2 cups brown sugar • 2 cups hot water • 2 heaping teaspoons shortening • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon ground cloves • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 2 cups raisins • 1 cup chopped nuts • 1 teaspoon baking soda Directions: 1. Spray two standard-size loaf pans with cooking spray. Coat each with 2 tablespoons flour. Set aside. 2. Place brown sugar, hot water, shortening, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and raisins in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. 3. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 4. Remove from heat and allow to cool, stirring often. Stir in nuts, baking soda, and remaining flour. 5. Divide mixture evenly between the prepared loaf pans. Bake 45 minutes and allow to cool on a cooling rack before slicing and serving. Themed History: Candies of the 1940s: The power of the sweet tooth may never have been more evident than during the 1940s, when World War II rationing led to shortages of sugar. As sweets traditionally made in the home became comparatively scarce, commercially produced candy became the alternative. While manufacturers were faced with challenges presented by shortages of both food and resources, ingenuity prevailed. In a time that was fraught with the stresses of war, candy was a luxury (at three to four cents per ounce) and a bright spot in the lives of both the troops overseas and those keeping the home fires burning. Many of these candies are still found in stores today and continue to make their way into grocery bags all over the world. Ten Popular Candies Introduced in the 1940s 1. York Peppermint Pattie appeared in 1940. This round, dark chocolate delight is filled with a peppermint confection, offering both sweet and refreshing satisfaction. It has been enjoyed for generations. Introduced by the York Cone Company of York, Pennsylvania, the treat was manufactured there for more than five decades. York Cone Company was acquired by Hershey’s in 1998, which continues to produce this popular candy today. 2. Saf-T-Pops Lollipops were introduced in 1940. The name of this hard candy lollipop was derived from the special design of its looped handle to minimize choking risks in toddlers. It was the brainchild of Carl Spohr and Robert Bracke, and the rights were sold two years after the candy debuted to the Chicago-area Curtiss Candy Company. Today, the lollipops are manufactured by the Spangler Company of Bryan, Ohio. 3. Allan Hot Lips Candy debuted in the 1940s. The Allan Candy Company of Hamilton, Ontario, opened in 1931 and quickly gained a following for one of its earliest chewy candies, Big Foot. Their Hot Lips candies became popular in the following decade, not only in Canada, but across the United States. These red chews molded in the shape of lips feature a sweet and intense cinnamon flavor with a bit of heat. 4. M&M’s Chocolate Candy was introduced in 1941. The hard-shelled chocolate candies were conceived by the son of candy manufacturer Franklin C. Mars. Forrest Mars was in Spain during the Spanish Civil War and noticed British solders eating handfuls of round chocolates with a hard candy coating. Upon his return to the states, he patented the idea. 5. Lik-M-Aid (Fun Dip) came out in 1942. This treat is a flavored candy powder and was known as Lik-M-Aid when it was first introduced. It was eaten by dipping your fingers into it and then licking it off the fingertips. That sounds messy, right? Perhaps that’s why it faded away for a time and then was reborn in the early 1970s as Fun Dip, which included a candy dipping stick to be used instead of fingers. The powder originally came in cherry and orange flavors, and the later version offered cherry, lime, and grape. Today’s variety has expanded its flavor offerings even further. Some Fun Dip lovers prefer to eat the candy stick first and then pour the packet of sweet powder directly into their mouths, while others take their time and dip the candy stick into the powder to savor the treat. 6. Almond Joy Candy Bar was introduced to the candy market by the Peter Paul Candy Manufacturing Company in 1946. It features a candy bar in two equal segments that consists of a coconut filling topped with an almond and wrapped in milk chocolate. The candy bar is now manufactured by Hershey’s, which purchased Peter Paul Candy in 1988. 7. Bazooka Bubble Gum premiered in 1947. Made by the Topps Company of Brooklyn, New York, it is an old- fashioned, sweet bubble gum that sold for a penny and was known for the comics in which it was wrapped. Since 2012, the comic has been replaced with a selection of brain teasers. It no longer sells for one cent and now goes for a quarter. 8. Jolly Ranchers hit the market in 1949. Ice cream makers Bill and Dorothy Harmsen opened the Jolly Rancher candy store in Golden, Colorado, when they realized the demand for hard candies exceeded that of ice cream. They started making the Jolly Rancher candy to sell in their store because they were unhappy with local candy suppliers. Their fruity, mouthwatering hard candy is old-fashioned but still popular today. And the brand has grown since its debut, now offering Jolly Rancher lollipops, chewy morsels, and more than a dozen flavors of the hard candies, including hot and spicy. 9. Junior Mints came out in 1949 and have not changed much since then. They are a small peppermint round covered in rich dark chocolate and are the perfect size to pop into the mouth whole. This old-fashioned candy was the creation of James O. Welch, who started his own candy company in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Today, Junior Mints are produced by Tootsie Roll Industries and are a top seller at the movie theater snack counter. 10. Smarties (Candy-Rockets) were another 1949 American creation, not to be confused with the popular Canadian chocolate Smarties. In the U.S. they are simply called Smarties, but in Canada they are called Smarties Candy-Rockets to distinguish them from the Canadian chocolate variety. American Smarties are tablet-shaped candies that come in a roll wrapped in cellophane. They are offered in a variety of pastel colors within each roll, including green, pink, yellow, purple, orange, and white. They are produced in Union Township, New Jersey,and in Newmarket, Ontario. Fun Forties Candy Facts: • The U.S. Army was M&M’s first big customer. They were given to soldiers in WWII because they provided energy without melting and making a mess. • PEZ candies were invented by anti-smoking advocate Eduard Haas III, who marketed the mints to help smokers kick the habit. The candy’s slogan in the 1920s was “Smoking prohibited, PEZing allowed.” • A licking machine is used to test the number of licks it takes to get to the chewy center of a Tootsie Pop. It takes anywhere from 364 to 411 licks to reach the center. Themed History: Fads and Fashions of the 1940s: The 1940s were a time of drastic change, with trends to match.