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National Blonde Brownie Day

January 22: National Blonde Brownie Day

You might remember that on National Chocolate Brownie Day I asked why they had to call it CHOCOLATE brownie day because, to me, all brownies are chocolate, because duh, that’s what makes them brown. I still maintain that blond brownies are just called blondies.

I whipped up a batch of blondies with chocolate chips AND butterscotch chips. I brought them to work and got rave reviews, so I guess they were pretty radtastic.

Tomorrow: National Rhubarb Pie Day (which is absolutely ridiculous because it’s impossible to get rhubarb in the middle of winter, even in California.), so it became a celebration of National Hot Tea Month.

New England Clam Chowder Day

January 21: New England Clam Chowder Day

I don’t know if it’s been made clear in my other entries (ha!), but I really can’t handle sea food. Except crab rangoon. When is crab rangoon day, damn it?!

I thought clam chowder could maybe be a gateway drug. Nope! Fishy little boogery wads in some fishy creamy broth aren’t going to make me like seafood. Weird.

Tomorrow: National Blonde Brownie Day

National Granola Bar Day

January 20: National Granola Bar Day

What brands of granola bars do grown-ups buy? I usually buy Luna bars for breakfast (chocolate dipped coconut!!), but those are more “protein bar” than they are “granola bar”, right? They are filling! And packed with lady nutrients that help you be a lady and menstruate or something. Luna-r cycle! PERIODS!

Anyway, I also buy Quaker Chewy bars. Does this make me a toddler? Am I supposed to stop buying these and buy something more adult? Chewy bar commercials always involve kids and that creepy Quaker Oats man. They don’t involve hippie looking women being one with nature; that’s reserved for Nature Valley. I like Nature Valley granola bars, but once you bite into them you’re covered in crumbs! I thought this was just be being a pig, but apparently it’s a very common problem:

Tomorrow: New England Clam Chowder Day

National Popcorn Day

January 19: National Popcorn Day

What is there to say about popcorn? It’s pretty darn great. In all, forms actually… air popped, oil popped, microwave, kettle corn, jiffy pop, caramel corn, cheddar popcorn, covered in weird yellow oil at the movie theater… popcorn is cool!

Tomorrow: National Granola Bar Day

Peking Duck

January 18: Peking Duck Day

What does everyone think of when they think of Peking duck?

They think of that scene from A Christmas Story where they go to a Chinese restaurant for Christmas dinner and the duck comes out with its head on, and then the dude decapitates it in front of them. At least that’s what I think about when I think of Peking duck.

I was happy that Peking duck fell on a Friday and I was able to round up a group of folks to head to Chinatown in San Francisco with me for some authentic Peking duck. And some authentic Mai Tais, because apparently Chinese people (or people who hang out in Chinatown) love themselves some Mai Tais.

This is half of a duck. It didn’t come with a head. As I’d heard, it’s super fatty. You use those little bun things to make sandwiches with duck, onions and sauce (duck sauce? probably?). It was okay. I liked the crispy skin, but the fattiness kind of grossed me out. I will stick to the Mai Tais.

Me, a Mai Tai, and the best take-out bag ever (a horse carousel for Year of the Horse!)

Tomorrow: National Popcorn Day

Hot Buttered Rum Day

January 17: Hot Buttered Rum Day

What is hot buttered rum? It’s exactly what you’d think it is. Hot rum with some butter in it.

Does this look appetizing? It’s butter, sugar and some spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) and rum. DRINK UP!

Just kidding. This is the finished product. It wasn’t bad! It reminded me of boozy chai. I might have been more inclined to drink it all if I was snowed in someplace, but when I made this it was 75 degrees outside. Thanks, California, for ruining my hot buttered rum experience. (No, really, thanks!)

Tomorrow: Peking Duck Day

Strawberry Ice Cream Day

January 15: Strawberry Ice Cream Day

It’s not until you buy one of these “single serving” ice cream dealies that you realize your typical portions would feed a family of four.

Tomorrow: National Fig Newton Day

National Meat Month & National Wheat Bread Month

January 14: National Meat Month & National Wheat Bread Month

Technically, January 14 is National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day, but either Subway doesn’t have pastrami, or they were out, or the person working there didn’t know anything about sandwiches and doesn’t deserve to be called a Sandwich Artist. So, Plan B: celebrate Meat Month and Wheat Bread Month simultaneously.

Tomorrow: Strawberry Ice Cream Day

National Peach Melba Day

January 13: National Peach Melba Day

I had no idea what a peach melba was. I thought it might have something to do with melba toast, which grossed me out. Peaches and crunchy little toasts?? Wah.

But NO! A peach melba is vanilla ice cream covered in peaches poached in sugary vanilla syrup and raspberry sauce! So much better than a peach on a melba toast, and infinitely better than Melba Toast Gibson.

Tomorrow: National Meat Month/National Wheat Bread Month