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National Children’s Day

In the mid-1990s, U.S President Bill Clinton proclaimed October 8th as Children’s Day. In 2001, the U.S President declared that the first Sunday in June by called National Children’s Day. As such, this is a holiday that actually can be observed on October 8, the second Sunday in June, or on November 20th. But those aren’t the only days on which this holiday is celebrated in some countries. For example, it’s celebrated on the last Sunday in May in Hungary, and in Norway, it’s celebrated on May 17th. In Austria and Germany, it’s celebrated on September 20th.

On November 20, 1959, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Below are some of the bullet points taken from that document:

• Every child must be given what they need for normal development.
• If the child is hungry, they must be fed. If the child is sick, they must be nursed.
• If the child is a delinquent, they must be reclaimed. If the child is an orphan, they must be sheltered.
• Children must be first to receive relief in times of distress.
• The child must be protected against all forms of exploitation.

National Fluffernutter Day

National Fluffernutter Day on October 8th brings about a yummy and extraordinary combination. Some food holidays are stickier than others. And National Fluffernutter Day is a stick-to-your-ribs-chin-fingers-nose kind of day! Celebrate zealously, then take a bath.

In 1917, Archibald Query of Somerville, Massachusetts invented a sweet marshmallow-like spread called Marshmallow Creme. Before that, in 1913 during World War I, Emma and Amory Curtis of Melrose, Massachusetts invented Snowflake Marshmallow Creme. And then they published a recipe for a peanut butter and marshmallow creme sandwich, the earliest known example of a Fluffernutter.

Query sold his recipe for Marshmallow Creme to Durkee-Mower, Inc. in 1920, who renamed it Marshmallow Fluff. Over 100 years later they continue to sell it under that name today.

Where did the term “Fluffernutter” come from? Well, the advertising agency for Durkee-Mower created it in 1960 in an attempt to effectively market the peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich.

National Pierogi Day

On October 8th, National Pierogi Day recognizes an international dish that is a type of dumpling.

Pierogi is the plural form of the rarely used Polish word pierog. In English, we spell pierogi several ways, including perogi and pierogy. However you choose to spell it, these dumplings of unleavened dough bring a delicious meal to the table. The semicircular dough is often stuffed with savory fillings before being boiled. After boiling them, cooks will either bake or fry the dumplings in butter to finish cooking them.

Pierogi Combinations:

• mashed potato filling
• potato and cheese
• potato and onion
• cheese
• cabbage
• sauerkraut
• ground meat
• mushroom
• spinach or fruit.

Other pierogi servings include melted butter, sour cream, fried bacon crumbles, sauteed mushrooms, and onions and/or green onion. The dessert variety, those filled with a fruit filling, can be enjoyed topped with applesauce, maple syrup, chocolate sauce and/or whipped cream.

There are other similar types of dumpling-like dishes in other ethnic cuisines.

Pierogi Tid Bits

• The Pittsburgh Pirates hold a pierogi race at every home game. Six pierogi costume-wearing runners (Potato Pete, Jalapeño Hannah, Cheese Chester, Sauerkraut Saul, Oliver Onion, and Bacon Burt) race to the finish line between innings.
• Whiting, Indiana celebrates an annual Pierogi Fest each July.
• Glendon, Alberta, Canada, is home to a 6000-pound pierogi standing 25 feet tall and is made of sturdy fiberglass and steel. Piercing the giant pierogi, built-in 1991, is an equally giant fork.

Grandma’s Polish Perogies

Ingredients

4 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 cups sour cream

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons processed cheese sauce

1 dash onion salt to taste

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

Step 1 In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk and oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour until well blended. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 2 Place potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and mash with shredded cheese and cheese sauce while still hot. Season with onion salt, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Step 3 Separate the perogie dough into two balls. Roll out one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface until it is thin enough to work with, but not too thin so that it tears. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter, perogie cutter, or a glass. Brush a little water around the edges of the circles, and spoon some filling into the center. Fold the circles over into half-circles, and press to seal the edges. Place perogies on a cookie sheet, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer storage bags or containers.

Step 4 To cook perogies: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop perogies in one at a time. They are done when they float to the top. Do not boil too long, or they will be soggy! Remove with a slotted spoon.

Vet Nurse Day

Vet Nurse Day, also known as Veterinary Nurses Day, is observed next on Friday, October 8th, 2021. It has been observed the second Friday in October since 2008.

Veterinary Nurse Day was established to raise awareness of those men and women who work alongside the veterinarians every day to help heal, comfort, and protect our pets.

Whether they’re working in the field on large animals like horses and cattle, or carefully handling the smallest of pets like mice or lizards, they’re a vitally important part of the care our pets receive.

World Octopus Day

On October 8th, World Octopus Day celebrates one of the earth’s oldest creatures. The animal is best known for its eight legs and ink-squirting abilities. However, there is so much more to know about this fantastic creature.

Octopus fossils date back over 300 million years. This means that the octopus is older than the dinosaur! Here are some other cool facts about these cephalopods:

• 300 species of octopuses
• 500 million neurons in their brains and arms
• Octopuses come in all colors, shapes, and sizes
• A rare type of octopus has tentacles that glow in the dark
• Some octopuses live in shallow waters while others live 2.6 miles below the surface of the ocean
• The largest octopus on record weighed 156 pounds
• Their mantle changes color so that it blends into its surroundings
• An octopus can swim nearly 25 miles per hour for short distances
• They mainly eat mollusks, crustaceans, and even smaller species of octopus
• Some species of octopus lives in every ocean in the world and along every coast of the U.S.
• The female octopus lays up to 400,000 eggs
• Large octopus only live up to 5 years