Author: AuthorDen

Over the years with the advent of so many flavors and different types of coffee and ice cream concoctions this day is not as limited as one may think.

History. It all started in 1770, when Giovanni Basiolo made his success in New York selling semi-frozen coffee and milk products popular in Genoa. Then in 1869 coffee ice cream was used in a parfait. Finally in 1919 the first recipe was in a cookbook that was called Egg Coffee, consisting of cream, crushed ice, and coffee syrup. Now not only can you add coffee to ice cream (liquid or granules), but you can add ice cream to coffee (via flavored creamers or by the scoop). or you can just buy it premixed… in the frozen food isle or at your coffee shop. Then there are the excess number recipes on the web that combine the two ingredients in a number of creative ways.

Fun? facts. Only 4% of Americans say that coffee ice cream is their favorite. Even though Gelato is the precursor to ice cream they are different. Specifically in that ice cream uses more cream than milk which makes the fat content a bit higher. Coffee was discovered in the 9th century.

Plethora of mixtures (easiest to hardest)! Okay so pouring your morning brew over a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream is a basic starting point. But there is also store-bought brand named coffee ice creams for example: Trader Joe’s “Coffee Bean Blast” Ice Cream, Talenti “Cold Brew Coffee Sorbetto”, Ben and Jerry’s “Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz” Ice Cream, Häagen-Dazs “Coffee” Ice Cream, Enlightened “Coffee and Cream” Ice Cream, Straus Family Creamery “Organic Coffee” Ice Cream, and Breyers “Coffee” Ice Cream. You can also add ice cream flavored creamer to your coffee, like International Delight Cold Stone Creamery Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer, Nestle Coffee mate Drumstick Vanilla Sundae Cone Liquid Coffee Creamer, and Califia Farms Vanilla Sweet Crème Iced Café Mixer Coffee Creamer to name a few. Recipes that sound too good to be true: Kahlua & Coffee Malted Ice Cream, Brownie Batter Coffee Ice Cream, and 4-Ingredient No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream Recipe With Dark Chocolate.

Final thought. At the end of the day, stop at the liquor store and pick up some coffee liquor (if you don’t already have one of the top 8 coffee liquors at home), drive through a Wendys for a frosty (if you don’t have ice cream in your fridge), go home, mix and raise a toast to National Coffee Ice Cream Day!

This popular delicacy did not originate in Italy, and its popularity explosion is attributed to another country. Now the word “Pizza” was first documented around 997 AD in Gaeta, Italy; mind you it was the name not the pie that started here.

The first version of this popular dish was in ancient Greek made of flatbread, spices, oil and cheese. It became more well known in Naples in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but at that time Naples was not a part of Italy, it was its own coastal kingdom. The first pizzeria in the United States was Lombardi’s, which was started in New York City in 1905; and even though it is in a different location today they are still using the original oven.

Little known facts. The largest pizza was made in 2012 in Rome, Italy, coming in at 13,580.28 feet. In 2001 a 6-inch pizza was delivered to the International Space Station. In America today this concoction is a $37 Billion industry. Las Vegas hosts an annual Pizza Expo. Japanese put mayo on their pizza. In 1962 a Canadian Pizzaria added pineapple to their mushroom, bacon, and pepperoni pizza to make the first Hawaiian pizza. The World Pizza Championships consists of five competitive events Freestyle Acrobatic Dough Tossing, Fastest Dough, Largest Dough Stretch, Fastest Pizza Box Folding and the Pizza Triathlon, not to mention the baking competitions. There is a Pizza World Association primarily made up of Pizza Chefs. Of all the restaurants in the US, 17% are Pizzarias.

To celebrate. It is against the law to add any toppings other than cheese today, although you can use a number of different types of cheeses, in fact mixing your own will always be best. Okay, it’s not against the law, but this is a day to celebrate pizza’s origin. But you can still stay true to the flavor of this day and have variety. The best-known pizza cheeses are: mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, gouda, goat, and ricotta…. but you can check out this list of cheeses (most of which I can’t pronounce) that you can add. Then there are the different spices… but don’t google this unless you have lots of time to review the 66 million results with all sorts of recipes. Then you can choose to marinara or not: sauce or not… by this I mean you can use a number of different types of sauces that span the flavor palate, including pasta sauce. But the most authentic and faithful way to do cheese pizza on this holiday… whether store bought, restaurant ordered or home baked, is to DOUBLE THE CHEESE! Buon Appetito!

Originally, I was introduced to this magnificent nut while in Hawaii, form that point on it was my favorite. As you probably know they are very versatile enhancing pastries, desserts, salads, and are even used to create meat and fish delicacies. Thank God for this national holiday since it has reintroduced me to this perfect nut. You see a while back I heard this nut had the most amount of fat, so it fell out of favor. But today I found out that that characteristic is a good thing.

Well known facts. Originating in Australia, Macadamia nuts were brought to Hawaii in 1881, today 90% of the worlds production of the nut are grown there. The biggest consumer is America with 51%, Japan is the next most consumer at 15%. It is one of the hardest nuts to crack, needing 300 lbs. per square inch. They are harvested only AFTER they fall from the tree.

Bad news. Macadamia nuts are the most expensive in the world, most recently priced at $25 a pound (next in line are Pine nuts at $23 lb.). Partly because it takes 7-10 years to produce the first crop, but the upside to the Macadamia nut tree is that it can live to 100 years old. It is also one nut (like Walnuts, Hazelnuts, and Hickory nuts) that is toxic to dogs and cats!!

Good news. Even though the Macadamia nut is 80% fat, it is primarily monounsaturated fatty acid (“good” fat) which can lower heart disease risk and even cholesterol levels. Other health benefits include helping blood sugar levels and anemia (being high in iron and copper), great for brain health (due to various acids including Omega 9 fatty acids), the low amount carbohydrates make it a good weight loss aid, the high amount of fiber (both soluble and insoluble) helps with digestive health, they provide 3 minerals that support bone strength, and macadamias are supercharged with antioxidants. Another way to benefits from macadamia nut is to use it in oil form which can enhance hair growth and provide long term benefits for the skin when applied regularly.

In short it is the KING OF NUTS! Actually, in many parts of the worldnit is called the “King of Nuts” (most definitely in my house). Having originated in Australia it is also known as the Queensland nut. In any case, celebrate this National Holiday by doing something good for yourself… consume some Macadamia nuts however you choose…. mmmmmm!

To be clear, this holiday is celebrated the first Saturday in September, this year that’s on the 3rd. This topic is a bit difficult for me, but I will just keep a clean beard in mind and work on making this a fascinating topic especially for those who don’t partake. I will admit a neatly styled beard on a man (hottie or not) is definitely an enjoyable head turner for me. My secondhand knowledge of this phenomenon is that my bearded friends are not only very attached to their beards, some even in an affectionate way, but they also immensely enjoy the camaraderie with similarly adorned guys.

Beards have been around as long as mankind. Prehistoric males used beards for warmth, protection and intimidation. From there they have been worn to show masculinity, royalty, fashion, and status. In my research I found that it is a topic that, especially those of us with hairless chins, can’t really comprehend. The search for Beard Competitions yielded 55.5M results! Did you know the 2023 World Beard and Moustache Championship (with its registered trademark) was held (this last June) in Burghausen, Germany; in 2017 it was held in Austin, Texas. Their page of past beard photos, limited as it may be, is familiar and yet unsettling at the same time. Don’t fret, there is another National Beard and Moustache Championship in Wyoming this Nov. 12. And the best part is that it is AT the Booze and Bacon Festival! For real!

There is an interesting “Styles Throughout History” webpage on Ancestry.com. But the number of “odd” or “wierd” facts about beards websites are… well a testament about the jovial nature and uncontrollable beard facts appetite of men with manes. Here are some examples. You can learn about pogonophobic and pogonophile, two VERY different sides of the beard issue. How much beer can you trap in your beard in a year? Of Fortune 100 richest ‘s list only 2% are bearded, the author smized … “Maybe bewhiskered gents are so satisfied with life they don’t need to be wealthy!” A man who continually shaves his beard will waste 3,350 hours in their lifetime. The longest recorded beard was over 17 feet. Beards were once prescribed by physicians. Men are more likely to compliment your beard than women. At any one time, 55% of the male population sport a beard. For the facial follicly challenged, there are beard transplants that can set you back $5000. The best site, if you want to laugh and gag, regarding beards is “60 Cool Beard Facts“.

This is one of those holidays that is totally nuts. In fact, it is not even listed on a lot of the “What holiday is today?” websites. The gist of it is that it celebraters three things. First say the title fast a few times, what word does it sound like? Bicentennial, right? What does bicentennial stand for? 200 years, right? There are no other theories as to why this day is called that. To celebrate this part of the holiday, yell Bison-ten Yell Day and ask folks what you are saying.

Second this day celebrates the birthday of a longtime friend of mine. The problem is that this buddy is so shy I don’t even know their gender. He/she (hopefully) jokingly celebrates his/her 200th birthday EVERY year (they tout they were born in 1813). Ok, yes, my friend is totally bonkers, but they are really nice and loyal and … well… from my viewpoint, invisible. On our outings on the lake, I have asked time and again, why 200? And all I get in response is, “Bison-ten Yell Day.” I kid you not. Actually, this day celebrates the 200th birthday of an invisible being every year. You can celebrate this day by having a birthday party for this imaginary friend or … well, there are so many ways to have fun with this.

Third, this day actually celebrates the person(s) who came up with war signals. The verbal and hand signals that have directed soldiers in the battlefield who could not hear and/or see their commander. I am uncertain if this includes the military musicians call Fifers whom, as far back as medieval times, used their shrill flutes and drums to relay commands. It is something like the audible and (hand or otherwise) signals given to sports players now a days. There are so many uses for unique hand signals besides military and sports: driving (all types of road vehicles), baby, stock exchange, firefighting, gestures for an audience, crane and hoist, lifeguard, agriculture, classroom signals, scuba diving, … etc. To celebrate learn some hand signals. One fun one is what teenagers (as of June 2021) hand signals mean. Or some sign language to help you communicate with the hearing impared. Finally, here are 10 common hand signals you DON’T want to use abroad.

Who is Emma M. Nutt? A pioneer after my own heart. As a broadcast engineer I owe her my gratitude for paving the way for women in this industry; on Sept. 1, 1878, Emma was the world’s first female telephone operator. Okay, so I owe a shout out to Alexander Graham Bell, too, but not for the reason you think. Consider a cellphone without a way to dial/enter a number! That is how it all started.

The story goes that in 1877 Alexander Graham Bell’s lecture demonstrated a three-way telephone connection with Hartford and Middletown, touting the idea of a telephone exchange for business and trade. George Coy, in attendance, was inspired and invented the first switchboard to connect one phone to another. Initially the switchboard was made of teapot lid handles, bustle wire, and carriage bolts. George and some friends provided capital for the first telephone exchange; District Telephone Company of New Haven. The actual first switchboard operators were teenage boys; their hands were small enough to use the switchboard, but their rude manners were jeopardizing the business. At which point Coy took Alexander’s suggestion to hire a female friend of his, Emma. She was known for her “patience and cultured, soothing voice”. She started out working 54 hours a week for $10 pay, and she worked as an operator for 33 years. In time the women became the bulk of telephone operators for those very virtues.

Initially phones had a microphone and earpiece, as you can see right, they were NOT attached. You had to use BOTH hands to talk to someone. Once the earpiece was lifted from the lever, the operator knew you wanted to make a call. You gave her a name or, as the phone branched out from businesses to homes, a number. That is where the telephone operator came in, she would take the cable connected to your phone and connect (or “patch”) it to a jack or node on her switchboard that was connected to the phone of the person you were calling. ATT Archives have a couple of interesting videos of the evolution of telephone equipment and operators. The first video (13 minutes) is more technical, but it shows the somewhat humorous ineffectiveness of teenage operators and ends with the fashions (clothing and devices) of the time. The second video (17 minutes) gives a personal viewpoint of operators circa 1969 doing their job and then voicing their opinions about clients. And finally, there is my favorite the silent movie/video of 1926 operator training. If you are any kind of a history or tech aficionado you will want to check out the amazing and sometimes funny plethora of videos about telephone, cable, and television history and artifacts on the AT&T Tech Channel. Make some popcorn first and enjoy.

Yep, there is a holiday for that Slinky toy that we all had to have as a kid, but soon grew tired of because of its simplicity… actually there is so much more to a Slinky than most of us knew.

Brief history. I was first created in 1943 Richard James, a naval engineer in a shipyard, noticed a dropped spring walk downstairs by itself. Like the Slinky itself, its history is as undulating. With a slow start, its popularity jumped after its commercial debut at a large department store around Christmas, then later at the American Toy Fair. This lasted until near bankruptcy in 1960, when Richard joined a cult and left his wife to rebuild it back to the notoriety it has today.

Slinky’s versatility. It is not just a toy that seems to have limited function. It has been used: by NASA for experiments; as mobile radio antennas by amateur radio operators (which started during the Vietnam War); by teachers to simulate oscillation in waves; and are used by physical therapists to improve hand-eye coordination. It also comes in different styles; the standard circle, square, star, wiener dog version, the Slinky train Loco, the Slinky worm Suzie, and the Slinky Crazy Eyes. DID YOU KNOW: the Slinky song is the longest running ad jingle (since 1962). But how about a Slinky career?! Yep. Slinky Josh not only gets paid to perform Slinky tricks (yes, multiple gyrations) at various venues, he has also been on national TV shows like the Gong show, America’s got talent, MTV Amazingness, Germany Das Super Talent, and the Jimmy Fallon show. He also has at least 123 different TikTok posts with a total of 9.6M likes (one which has 1.7M likes) and a funny and entertaining YouTube channel where you can learn his tricks and find out how to untangle a Slinky. But Josh isn’t the only Slinky manipulator; here is a “World Best Slinky Manipulator Compliation” video.

I know lemons are good for all sorts of things from culinary to cleaning and a myriad of even health benefits. The downside is that lemons can cause allergic reactions and, due to the acidic nature, can be harmful to your dental health. Yet a daily regimen of lemon water has been proven to provide some amazing health benefits.

Lemon Juice in food. It is a culinary additive for many reasons. It brightens flavors of the dish by making your mouth water and it cuts any greasy or heavy elements in the dish. Chefs use it because it adds balance to seafood dishes.

Lemon household uses. Although lemon juice is not a disinfectant, does a great job of sanitizing and is antimicrobial; but even the common addition of salt does not kill all germs. Lemons and their juice are excellent for freshening your microwave and garbage disposal unit, removing stains from linens to butcher blocks, polishing metal, brightening whites and are a natural air freshener. Try adding a slice or two to a boiling pot of water to clear the air of hard to remove odors. There are a lot of household uses for lemon juice.

Health Benefits. Drinking lemon water may decrease stress, enhance immune function, sooth a sore throat, help prevent anemia, aids in digestion, helps regulate blood sugar, reduce your risk of kidney stones, helps clear skin, and protect against several diseases, even some cancers. Some studies have shown that lemon juice can help you lose weight by making you feel fuller longer and the fiber intake from this low-density source can lead to lower body weight and fat. Daily Lemon regime: in the morning add lemon juice to a cup of warm water to improve digestion and reduce heartburn, while stimulating the production of stomach bile (which helps your body detoxify, balance hormones, and optimizes absorption of some vitamins) and acid (which helps nutrient absorption). Lemon juice and water s as a good substitute to coffee as it can give you the same energy boost without the jitters or midday crash.

On August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Martin Luther King Jr. gave what would come to be known as his “I Have A Dream” speech. King’s speech was a call to America to live up to the words of its founding documents, a longing for a dream of racial harmony, and an appeal for freedom to ring out from every part of the country. To observe this day, it is customary to wear black and white clothing out of respect for peoplehood. It is also a great time to rewatch the speech, or at least reflect on the words and inspiration to be a better country from an individual point of view. What can you do or have you done to cultivate a culture of peace, equality, and harmony? I have a dream.