By October 26th, we in a frenzy of pumpkin obsession. We cannot wait for the big November holiday for pumpkin pie. No siree, we need pumpkin ev-ery-thing! Bars, cookies, coffee, cheesecake, pasta and oatmeal. Pumpkin Chunkin’, pumpkin patches, festivals, bake-offs and television specials. Let’s not forget jack-o-lantern carving, too! This fruit grabs American’s attention. As it should be. This squash is native to North America. The oldest evidence of pumpkin-related seeds dates back to somewhere between 7000 and 5500 BC to seeds found in Mexico. The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which means “large melon” in Greek. Within recent years, white pumpkins have become more popular in the United States. The United States produces 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins, with Illinois producing more than any other state. A 2,145-pound pumping from Streator, Illinois holds the current North American record. Grown by Gene McMullen in 2015, the great pumpkin weighed in a few hundred pounds lighter than the current world record pumpkin from 2014. At 2,323-pounds, the giant pumpkin from Switzerland retains the world record prize. Canned pumpkin may be recommended by veterinarians as a dietary supplement for dogs and cats that are experiencing certain digestive ailments. Raw pumpkin can be fed to poultry as a supplement to their regular feed during the winter months to help maintain egg production.
For more information, see the American Mule Museum website: http://mulemuseum.org/History_of_the_Mule.html
Release your inner wolf and go wild – full moon or not! Why not get together with your friends and practice your best werewolf impressions? Go easy on the biting, though.
When : Always October 26th
National Mincemeat Day celebrates a sweet and tasty meat treat. For those of us that have had it before, we can revel in the great taste. For those of us who have never heard of Mincemeat, don't you think today would be a good time to get introduced to it!?
Mincemeat dates back to medieval times. It was a way to preserve food. It was also a treat, mixed with sweet fruits. Somewhere in the last half of the 1900's, it lost it's popularity. A whole generation has grown up, not knowing what it is, or having ever tasted it. Today, it is most often served as Minced Meat Pie. Over the years, the amount of meat in the recipes was reduced. In older recipes, you will find meat and/or suet among the ingredients. More modern recipes, it contains little or no meat, and is largely a fruity pie. It remains a traditional pie at Thanksgiving for many families.
So, just what is mincemeat? It is a mixture of minced (or chopped up) meats, suet, and fruits. The meat is usually beef, either ground up or sirloin. Fruits include raisins, apples pear, and others. Sometimes liquor is added, most commonly brandy or rum.
It's easy to enjoy this day...... have a slice of Mincemeat Pie. Then, you will most definitely have a happy National Mincemeat Day !!
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All details taken directly from provider content at http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/October/mincemeateday.htm