August 16 is a very important day!

Today is no joke, people! Three very important things are happening. Today is …

1. National Rum Day. Suh-WEET! Now I can blame my love of the drink on the nation. America made me do it!
2. National Bratwurst Day. Could there be a day more special than one devoted to a meat weiner? I mean, really.
3. National Tell a Joke Day. Good or bad, everyone has a favorite. What’s yours?

In honor of these fabulously made-up holidays, let’s celebrate! Here’s a little something in honor of each one.

National Rum Day

A recipe for a Strawberry Ginger Mojito from the over-the-top stylish gals at Fashionably Bombed, who were another highlight of my recent BlogHer ’11 experience. Check them out (later, obviously), they are AWE – SOME!

National Bratwurst Day

~1 lb of bratwurst
2 tbsp butter or olive oil, divided
I bag frozen tater tots or cubed potatoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bratwurst in a pan – either sliced or remove casing and cook just the meat. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Using the bratwurst pan, cook onions in butter until translucent and tender. Deglaze with the veggie broth.
3. While onions are cooking, cook potatoes in olive oil in a separate pan until brown and tender.
4. Place cooked potatoes in a casserole dish.
5. When onions have finished cooking, mix them with the bratwurst meat and sour cream and layer on top of the potatoes.
6. Layer cheese on top and cook for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

National Tell a Joke Day

• What do you get when you cross a hippo, an elephant, and a rhino?  Helephino!
• What do you call an Ethiopian with a penny on its head? a Quater-Pounder!
• What’s the difference between a pregnant woman and a light bulb? You can unscrew a light bulb.

I cannot and will not be held responsible for the validity of these holidays or the quality of these jokes. So there.

Happy French Fries Day!

image via Life’s Ambrosia

Did you know that there is an entire day devoted to America’s favorite food? That’s right, today, July 13th, is National French Fries Day!

The first fries are said to date back to the 17^th century in Belgium. The inhabitants of the region, which was then known as the Spanish Netherlands, often accompanied their meals with small fried fish. When weather conditions were too dangerous to fish, they “julienned” potatoes to resemble the fish.  They then fried these potatoes, which served as excellent substitutes!

I do love me some fries and far be it for me to not observe a national day of celebration. Looks like I’m having fries for lunch today. Too bad I’m not in New York, because I’d really like to go here. A whole restaurant devoted to fries? Holy hell.

Kermit on Capitol Hill

Kermit the Frog is going on a field trip! Jim Henson’s widow has donated the original Kermit (along with 10 other muppet collection characters) to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. I grew up with Kermit and his friends so this is definitely an exhibit I would really enjoying seeing. I’ll be in the area (sort of) in October… D.C. – here I come!

Carbohydrate Friday!

I’ve been tasked with dessert for the annual 4th party this year adn rather than a traditional and geeky patriotic red, white and blue dessert, I think I’ll make this one instead. Considering it had my mouth watering the instant I saw it and it calls for “instant” ingredients making it ridiculously easy, I’m pretty much smitten.

Happy fireworks everybody!

BETTER THAN ROBERT REDFORD DESSERT
photo and recipe via Noble Pig – adapted from Family Circle

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, plus more for top of cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar (not granulated, as is mistakenly shown in the picture)
1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
4 cups milk
2 boxes (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding
2 boxes (3.4 ounces each) instant chocolate pudding
Chocolate, milk or dark to make chocolate shavings

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium-size bowl, mix flour, walnuts and butter. Pat into prepared dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool completely.
3. In a bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust.
4. Prepare vanilla pudding using 2 cups of the milk. Spread over cream cheese layer. Prepare chocolate pudding with remaining 2 cups milk. Spread over the vanilla pudding layer. Spread remaining whipped topping over pudding. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate shavings. Cut into squares.

Change.

Today is an important day and it’s been a long time coming. So what better way to celebrate the inauguration than with one of the hundreds of items commemorating the event?

Sold exclusively at Uncommon Goods, the Official Ballot Wall Art is a limited edition piece from the November 4, 2008 presidential election. This oversized voting ballot was printed specifically for the old-fashioned, pull-lever voting machines used in New York City. These hulking gray machines have been in commission since 1962 and after 46 years of service, are slated to go into retirement this year.

Handsomely framed in black ash wood and protected by plexiglass, each ballot is a piece of history and a reminder that anything is possible in America. Each framed print includes a certificate of authenticity and ten dollars from each sale will be donated to the Fund for Public Schools.

Number 44

Just in case your invitation to the Inaugural Ball got lost in the mail (I’m convinced mine did), don’t fret, you can still do some celebrating on your own. If you live in New York City, head on over to Can & Did: Graphics, Art, and Photography from the Obama Campaign. The exhibition opens January 20 and runs through February 28th at Danziger Projects, located at 521 West 26th Street. The designers and artists in the show include Michael Bierut, Shepard Fairey, Jonathan Hoefler, Robert Indiana, Annie Leibowitz, Mr. Brainwash, Paula Scher, Lance Wyman and plenty more.