National Fast Food Day

November 16th isNational Fast Food Day!Long May They Give Us Indigestion!
Today we celebrate the Hamburger and the Hot Dog - two of my favorite fast foods! The History of the HamburgerThe History of the Hot Dog on Wikipedia
BURP!
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SCRAPPLE - A Bold & Pungent Pennsylvania Meal

photo courtesy of Stu Spivack

Today is National Cook Something Bold &  Pungent Day AND National Scrapple Day and I think it might be possible to combine the two in one meal.

First, It might help to know what Scrapple actually is, right? Well,  It's kind of a Pennsylvania Dutch pork meatloaf made up of pork scraps, corn meal, flour and spices which is sliced and then fried.  Known also as "pon haus", Scrapple is a rural food phenomenon of the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. which was employed to make use of all the leftover pork not used elsewhere.

Scary, huh? Anyone else having visions of Spam here? I have to admit it doesn't sound that appetizing to me, but then I'm not a fan of Spam either. However, I have a friend from back East who says it's quite good if prepared properly and it certainly fits into the bold and pungent category, especially if you add some serious spices to it!

If you're adventurous and want to give it a try, here's a recipe for Scrapple from the Food Network.  As for me, I think I'll stick to my standard meatloaf and a martini!

Happy National Cook Something Bold & Pungent and National Scrapple Day!

HAPPY NATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY!

"Get Me Chocolate Now" on Art, Apparel & Gifts

from The PopArtDiva Gift Gallery!

 IT'S NATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY!

Today is your excuse to eat all the chocolate you want! Indulge yourself in this Food of the Gods because what was once only meant for kings is available to the entire world AND it's good for you!

Indulge yourself in one of my many CHOCOLATE MARTINIS
and check out all the CHOCOLATE RECIPES on my Tiny Foods Recipe Page.

WHERE DID CHOCOLATE COME FROM?

Chocolate was discovered by the ancient Mesoamericans over 2,000 years ago. The ancient Maya discovered cacao pods growing in their rain forests, found that the seeds could be mixed with spices for a spicy and luscious drink, and began to cultivate them. It was highly favored but limited to the elite of that ancient society. And since the Maya didn't have sugar their "cocoa" wasn't sweet but, as stated above, spicy. Trade with other Mesoamerican cultures introduced this delicacy to the Aztecs, who then would demand tribute in cacao seeds. (But remember this was a spicy, not sweet chocolate, to this day Mexican chocolate often has spices added to it.)

When the Spanish conquistadors brought the seeds back home to Spain new recipes were created. The Spanish are credited with adding sugar to their chocolate and eventually this was the form that brought chocolate to the rest of Europe. Since cacao and sugar were expensive imports only the chosen few could afford to drink it and it remained a drink only for royals and the wealthy until the Industrial Revolution helped bring chocolate to the masses. Thank the Gods!

YES! CHOCOLATE IS GOOD FOR YOU!

• There are over 300 chemicals contained in chocolate - someday someone had to find some that were good for us AND THEY DID!
• One study has shown that the smell of chocolate might relax you by increasing theta waves in your brain!
• Chocolate contains small amounts of a chemical called phenylethylamine (PEA) which is a mood elevator - something we woman discovered eons ago!
• According to the Mayo Clinic studies, the stearic acid in chocolate is a neutral fat that does NOT increase bad cholesterol AND the cocoa butter in chocolate has oleic acid which is a mono-unsaturated fat - the same type of fat found in olive oil which might actually raise good cholesterol!
• Chocolate contains proteins, rivoflavin, calcium and iron.

CHOCOLATE QUOTES:

Probably the most famous chocolate quote in today's world:
Life is like a box of chocolates -- you never know what you're going to get - Forrest Gump in "Forrest Gump"

There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and chocolate truffles - Anonymous

Make a list of important things to do today. At the top of your list, put 'eat chocolate.' Now, you'll get at least one thing done today - Unknown

I never met a chocolate I didn't like - Deanna Troi, Star Trek: The Next Generation

The 12-step chocoholics program: NEVER BE MORE THAN 12 STEPS AWAY FROM CHOCOLATE - Terry Moore

All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt - Lucy Van Pelt in The Peanuts Comic Strip by Charles M. Schulz

I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process.... It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance? - Anonymous

It's not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate. Chocolate is, let's face it, far more reliable than a man - Miranda Ingram

Researchers have discovered that chocolate produced some of the same reactions in the brain as marijuana. The researchers also discovered other similarities between the two, but can't remember what they are - Matt Lauer

More Chocolate Fun:

"I'll take GOOD CHOCOLATE over BAD SEX Anyday!"

on Art, Apparel & Gifts from The Rantorium Emporium

HAPPY NATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY!

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HAPPY NATIONAL PUMPKIN DAY!

 October 26th isNATIONAL PUMPKIN DAY! Celebrate with somePUMPKIN MARTINISfrom TheMartiniDiva.Com:The PUMPKIN PIE MARTINIThe SMASHED PUMPKIN MARTINIThe PUMPKIN CREAM MARTINIThe PUMPKIN EGGNOG MARTINI MAKE YOUR OWNPUMPKIN LIQUEUR!
Serve Up Some YummyPUMPKIN HALF MOON PIES:

More Pumpkin Fun Tips:

• Don't like the idea of carving a pumpkin? Paint one instead! Here's some great examples.
• Use your pumpkins for serving bowls!  For the small to medium pumpkins - hallow them out, spray the interior with a good coating of spray oil and fill them with dips and spreads.  Stuff a holiday themed napkin inside and fill with nuts and pretzels. Larger pumpkins can even be used as coolers - fill them with ice and insert your cold drinks!
• Don't throw away the seeds after you hollow out your pumpkin - dry them and roast them up to eat!
• Pumpkins come in a variety of colors too so pick up some of them to have fun with.

A FEW PUMPKIN FACTS:

• Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.
• Pumpkins are used for feed for animals.
• Pumpkin flowers are edible.
• Pumpkins are members of the vine crops family called cucurbits.
• Pumpkins originated in Central America.
• The name pumpkin originated from "pepon" – the Greek word for "large melon."
• Pumpkins are 90 percent water.
• Pumpkins are fruit.
• Colonists sliced off pumpkin tops; removed seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the origin of pumpkin pie.

HAPPY NATIONAL PUMPKIN DAY!

Stop by and grab some of my Halloween Tiny Food Recipes for your Party! Tweet

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CURRIED COCONUT CHICKEN SAUTE

 

 This last summer I was constantly on the look out for new ways to make my dinner without heating up the oven.  When you live in Arizona you don't want to add any more heat into the house by cranking up an oven so the stove burners, your brain, your saute pans and crock pots get a workout for several months!
One night I had to do something with the chicken I had taken out and defrosted and I was desperate for something a little more interesting than a stir fry or some chicken and veggies.  I started digging around in my larder and found coconut milk and immediately I decided to do a curried dish.
Turned out to be a whopping success (not all my concoctions are) and I am sharing it with you.It's a nice dish to serve on nutty Basmati rice and I paired mine up with some sliced bananas and green grapes because they go well with curry.

You can download the FREE, Full Sized, 5x3 Recipe Card in Print Quality Here under Favorite Foods/Entrees.
BTW, If you're looking for some fun, fabulous & frightful Halloween appetizers, check out my latest book:The Martini Diva's HALLOWEEN MARTINIS & MUNCHIES Bon Appetit and Enjoy!Tweet

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FALLING LEAVES BLANK RECIPE CARD for Fall!

 Fall has just started and I'm sure everyone is digging out their favorite Fall recipes.  Maybe your recipe card is a little the worse for wear or maybe your recipe is written down on a napkin or it's from a newspaper article.  This means it's probably time to get that recipe on a new card. My FALLING LEAVES recipe card is perfect for your fall recipes to save and share with your friends!
DOWNLOAD THE FULL SIZED, 5X3, PRINT QUALITY RECIPE CARD HERE
You can also get this FALLING LEAVES onApparel, Art, Stationary & Paper Goods for Home, School & Business, Gifts & Even Shoesat my Taking Care of Business Store.

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SMOKY PEACH SALSA

SMOKEY PEACH SALSA on Bruschetta

I had tomatoes and peaches that had to be used before they went bad, some lovely Anaheim Chilies I had just grilled last night, a nice little French baguette, warm temperatures still and no energy so this is what I'm having for dinner tonight served up with a nice shaker full of Cilantro Martinis!

Okay, that's it because I want to eat my dinner!  You can download the FREE, full sized, 5x3 recipe card in print quality HERE at TheMartiniDiva.Com.

 

Ciao & Buon Appetito!

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