Happy International Chocolate Cupcake Day!!!
Who wouldn't like the sounds of this day? Though not a recognised holiday where we can take a day off to celebrate, I feel this event should be given the spot light for the day regardless.
The origins of ICCD are a bit vague according to my research. I couldn't pin down a time when it started, but I did learn a little something about cupcakes in general. Silly me, I thought the name "cupcake" stemmed from the size of the container in which they're baked (wouldn't you naturally assume that?). No, but that's too far off. Apparently the "cup" in "cupcake" denotes the amount of ingredients going into the batter mixture. Ie: a cup of flour, etc.. This also explains why we call a pound cake "pound cake". Also according to my research, older recipes instructed the baker to bake the cakes in little cups, hence "cupcakes". So while my original assumptions weren't totally off I didn't know why it was. This only covers the history of the cupcake itself, which isn't long on its own having been "invented" around the mid 20th century. Alas the origins of the day set aside to pay homage to the chocolate cupcake remains a mystery to me. If you have heard/read anything shedding light on it, please do share!
Unlike a birthday, where we celebrate with a birthday cake, what can we celebrate with cupcakes? We could of course celebrate cupcakes with.... cupcakes, although this seems a little ouroboros with the snake getting all the cake! I feel I could branch out and put these little baked bite-sized chunks of happiness to better use. Coincidently, today also marks World Menopause Day! How perfect for women to celebrate something with a chocolate cupcake?
During my studies, we learned a lot about the human reproductive system. I learned that we are the only apes to enter the stage of menopause. Only gorillas in captivity get old enough to start the change. However in their natural habitat other ape's lifespans don't accommodate for menopause. Does this make we naked apes special, or mutants? A little of both actually. Now that we have worked out how best to stretch our lifespans into and beyond the realms of what our bodies can deal with we now have a whole new demographic: Age Dore. The non-reproductive, non-working section of society. In terms of evolution, not being able to reproduce puts you in a category where your role is altered. No longer are your genes being passed on to the future generation, so what contributions can you make to society now? Unlike some cultures in the world where if a woman cannot produce offspring, she is considered male (I wont get into the convoluted anthropological discussion of sex vs. gender), the majority of cultures embrace post-menopausal women as 'guardians' for the future generations, ie: the 'Grandmother Hypothesis'. So essentially, our culture has made being a grandparent extremely important. All the more reason to celebrate the awareness of menopause. I am well aware that World Menopause Day is not a day to rejoice if you are experiencing or are post-menopause(al), but more a day to shed light on the effects it has on the woman's life and body and different ways to make the transition easier. Like eating chocolate cupcakes!
So, today, neatly sort (don't dig) through your Mother's or Grandmother's old recipe books and find a good looking recipe for chocolate cupcakes. Make the cupcakes putting love in every one, and give them to someone whom you think needs their very own personal cake. Enjoy, repeat as necessary.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Happy Sweetest Day
I blogged about this 5 years ago in my first year of University, and today I received a card from my best friend saying Happy Sweetest Day! Sadly, I couldn't remember what my first posting said, so I looked it up. This is what I wrote.
I now see it in a slightly different light. It makes me think of a quote on my sister's Facebook wall: "Be kinder than necessary - everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle". In other words you never know what someone is feeling, or whether or not they're just having a bad day. That woman who pushes her way in front of you on the metro, or the car that cuts you off, or the woman with the screaming kids assaulting your ear drums in the grocery store; maybe they're just having off days. A day that started with one man giving gifts to those less fortunate than himself, in my mind, translates as that moment of patiences you wouldn't otherwise give to someone you don't know. Because no matter the situation, when you see someone for one short moment- give them the best impression of you, you can give. Show them kindness, and you never know, they may just feel better because of it. As my Mother is always saying to us: "be sweet, Sandra", a family members of hers', and we should be. Especially on a day like Sweetest Day, we should be sweet. En lieu of chocolate give the gift of kindness to someone. If anything, you may just feel better about yourself. I for one will always accept kindness in chocolate form... just so you know...
I blogged about this 5 years ago in my first year of University, and today I received a card from my best friend saying Happy Sweetest Day! Sadly, I couldn't remember what my first posting said, so I looked it up. This is what I wrote.
I now see it in a slightly different light. It makes me think of a quote on my sister's Facebook wall: "Be kinder than necessary - everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle". In other words you never know what someone is feeling, or whether or not they're just having a bad day. That woman who pushes her way in front of you on the metro, or the car that cuts you off, or the woman with the screaming kids assaulting your ear drums in the grocery store; maybe they're just having off days. A day that started with one man giving gifts to those less fortunate than himself, in my mind, translates as that moment of patiences you wouldn't otherwise give to someone you don't know. Because no matter the situation, when you see someone for one short moment- give them the best impression of you, you can give. Show them kindness, and you never know, they may just feel better because of it. As my Mother is always saying to us: "be sweet, Sandra", a family members of hers', and we should be. Especially on a day like Sweetest Day, we should be sweet. En lieu of chocolate give the gift of kindness to someone. If anything, you may just feel better about yourself. I for one will always accept kindness in chocolate form... just so you know...
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
National Moment of Frustration Scream Day (IMFSD)
Today's little celebration brings light to a problem 99% of the population has. That moment when your cool over heats, your calm vamooses and any ounce of civility left 5 minutes ago. That moment you snap, and say that bad word, or shout at your child when you didn't mean to, or turn the air blue as that thing you've been trying to do for hours fails.
Ironically IMFSD is paired with Free Thought Day and National Face Your Fears Day. Does that mean our choice to paint the air around us blue colours, is just part of the National Free Thought day, and our yelling at someone who is trying our patients part of the National Face your Fears Day? I personally would evoke my right on Free Thought Day to chose which suited me best.
If I were to try to amalgamate the three together, I would probably decide of my own free will to confront someone I was fearful of by throwing something at them in a fit of rage... or something like that. However failing that, we could use today to get a few things off our chest, and not bottle everything up. Have you got something that needs to come off your chest, or have you been shying away from something for a while and want to get up the courage to take it on? Today's that day!
Today's little celebration brings light to a problem 99% of the population has. That moment when your cool over heats, your calm vamooses and any ounce of civility left 5 minutes ago. That moment you snap, and say that bad word, or shout at your child when you didn't mean to, or turn the air blue as that thing you've been trying to do for hours fails.
Ironically IMFSD is paired with Free Thought Day and National Face Your Fears Day. Does that mean our choice to paint the air around us blue colours, is just part of the National Free Thought day, and our yelling at someone who is trying our patients part of the National Face your Fears Day? I personally would evoke my right on Free Thought Day to chose which suited me best.
If I were to try to amalgamate the three together, I would probably decide of my own free will to confront someone I was fearful of by throwing something at them in a fit of rage... or something like that. However failing that, we could use today to get a few things off our chest, and not bottle everything up. Have you got something that needs to come off your chest, or have you been shying away from something for a while and want to get up the courage to take it on? Today's that day!
Monday, October 11, 2010
National Kick Butt Day
My latest little project I'm taking on is to look into little known holidays that pass us by everyday, and give them some of the recognition I think they should have. I am one of those people who sends cards to celebrate the banal along side the big events in life; I remember people's anniversaries and birthdays, which in an age when Facebook has to remind us when our best friend's birthdays are coming up, leads people to think my remembering these events is something special. But I like looking at all the cards in the shops that say "Happy Grandparent's Day", "Happy Hallowe'en" or "Congratulations!", and realize that there is so much more that can go on a card. And I'm not just thinking of grand events like weddings and baptisms, but even those other little events in life.
So why not explore a new avenue of banality to celebrate? When things get complicated, sometimes doing something simple restores faith in the big picture. I.e.: a bubble bath. How often after a busy, stressful, tear inducing day at work do people come home and say "I need a bath"? The act itself is simple but the benefits can be spectacular.
Today's celebration isn't focused on relaxing baths though, it looks at celebrating Kicking Butt. No, we're not looking to boost the self esteem of bullies, we're looking to celebrate when you give yourself a kick in the butt to do something you've been wanting to do for a long time but haven't bothered yourself to get on and do it. Imagine all those New Year's Resolutions you made 9 months ago to paint your whole house using the laws of feng-shui, re-landscape your garden, change your job, or take up yoga. Now imagine all those not-so-valid excuses that kept getting in the way. Today is the day to really "pull your finger out" and get on with it. What have you been saying to yourself "I really should do that"? Or what keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the every growing To-Do list? Or maybe it's that pile of papers that stairs at you menacingly from the floor when you sit in your favourite chair. What ever it is use the rest of today to put an honest effort into tackling it. I decided to take a walk today and finally photograph all the Fall foliage that's around. Because that I would keep sitting around saying "I really should get out and take photos of the leaves" until the day every last leave had been deciduously discarded and I still hadn't taken any photos.
Happy National Kick Butt Day!!
My latest little project I'm taking on is to look into little known holidays that pass us by everyday, and give them some of the recognition I think they should have. I am one of those people who sends cards to celebrate the banal along side the big events in life; I remember people's anniversaries and birthdays, which in an age when Facebook has to remind us when our best friend's birthdays are coming up, leads people to think my remembering these events is something special. But I like looking at all the cards in the shops that say "Happy Grandparent's Day", "Happy Hallowe'en" or "Congratulations!", and realize that there is so much more that can go on a card. And I'm not just thinking of grand events like weddings and baptisms, but even those other little events in life.
So why not explore a new avenue of banality to celebrate? When things get complicated, sometimes doing something simple restores faith in the big picture. I.e.: a bubble bath. How often after a busy, stressful, tear inducing day at work do people come home and say "I need a bath"? The act itself is simple but the benefits can be spectacular.
Today's celebration isn't focused on relaxing baths though, it looks at celebrating Kicking Butt. No, we're not looking to boost the self esteem of bullies, we're looking to celebrate when you give yourself a kick in the butt to do something you've been wanting to do for a long time but haven't bothered yourself to get on and do it. Imagine all those New Year's Resolutions you made 9 months ago to paint your whole house using the laws of feng-shui, re-landscape your garden, change your job, or take up yoga. Now imagine all those not-so-valid excuses that kept getting in the way. Today is the day to really "pull your finger out" and get on with it. What have you been saying to yourself "I really should do that"? Or what keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the every growing To-Do list? Or maybe it's that pile of papers that stairs at you menacingly from the floor when you sit in your favourite chair. What ever it is use the rest of today to put an honest effort into tackling it. I decided to take a walk today and finally photograph all the Fall foliage that's around. Because that I would keep sitting around saying "I really should get out and take photos of the leaves" until the day every last leave had been deciduously discarded and I still hadn't taken any photos.
Happy National Kick Butt Day!!
Saturday, October 09, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
As soon as the leaves turn their golden and bright colours and the air freshens up as the temperature drops, I can tell that Thanksgiving is getting closer. Memories instantly return of huge family gatherings with 15 or so people gathered around the table with all 4 of its leaves put in to fit us all round. Mum will have had laid the table, and prepared the veg while Dad was on wine duty and took care of the bird. His two tasks combined nicely as the bird was often fed the same alcoholic beverage that we were! His ritual of carefully basting the bird together with a combination of steaming and roasting always resulted in a succulent roast with crispy skin and killer gravy; writing down every step and time as he went along. After the veg and meat, we'd stuff any remaining space in our tummies with Mum's pumpkin and sugar pie with copious amounts of whipped cream.
Although the dynamics have changed around here a bit, I still carry on with roasting rituals but now I've taken on the veg as well. Good practice I call it. But it's the family getting together again, relaxing, and spending good quality time together that always matters the most. So Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and I hope you have a wonderful time no matter whether you're spending it with given or chosen family.
This was the best pictures I could find to represent our family gatherings. All you keen observers will notice that that is an Advent wreath, and you are quite right. It was taken at Christmas in 1985, but this is what it would have looked like.
As soon as the leaves turn their golden and bright colours and the air freshens up as the temperature drops, I can tell that Thanksgiving is getting closer. Memories instantly return of huge family gatherings with 15 or so people gathered around the table with all 4 of its leaves put in to fit us all round. Mum will have had laid the table, and prepared the veg while Dad was on wine duty and took care of the bird. His two tasks combined nicely as the bird was often fed the same alcoholic beverage that we were! His ritual of carefully basting the bird together with a combination of steaming and roasting always resulted in a succulent roast with crispy skin and killer gravy; writing down every step and time as he went along. After the veg and meat, we'd stuff any remaining space in our tummies with Mum's pumpkin and sugar pie with copious amounts of whipped cream.
Although the dynamics have changed around here a bit, I still carry on with roasting rituals but now I've taken on the veg as well. Good practice I call it. But it's the family getting together again, relaxing, and spending good quality time together that always matters the most. So Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and I hope you have a wonderful time no matter whether you're spending it with given or chosen family.
This was the best pictures I could find to represent our family gatherings. All you keen observers will notice that that is an Advent wreath, and you are quite right. It was taken at Christmas in 1985, but this is what it would have looked like.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)