National Pretzel Day

In the 20th century, soft pretzels became popular in other regions of the United States. Cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York became renowned for their soft pretzels. The key to success was the introduction of the new mass-production methods of the industrialized age, which increased the availability and quantity, and the opening up of multiple points of distribution at schools, convenience and grocery stores, and entertainment venues such as movie theaters, arenas, concert halls, and sports stadiums. Prior to that, street vendors used to sell pretzels on street corners in wooden glass-enclosed cases.

Pretzel Dips

Nutrition Information

Pretzel Recipe: Pizza Pretzel with

Pasta Sauce

In 2003, Pennsylvania Governor, Ed Rendell declares April 26 National Pretzel Day to acknowledge the importance of the pretzel to the state's history and economy.

In particular, the S-shaped soft pretzel, often served with brown mustard, became iconic in Philadelphia and was established as a part of Philadelphia's cuisine for snacking at school, work, or home, and considered by most to be a quick meal. The average Philadelphian today consumes about twelve times as many pretzels as the national average.

Pennsylvania today is the center of American pretzel production for both the hard-crispy and the soft-bread types of pretzels. Southeastern Pennsylvania, with its large population of German background, is considered the birthplace of the American pretzel industry, and many pretzel bakers are still located in the area. Pennsylvania produces 80% of the nation's pretzels.

The annual United States pretzel industry is worth over $550 million. The average American consumes about 1.5 pounds (0.7 kg) of pretzels per year.

The privately run "Pretzel Museum" opened in Philadelphia in 1993. In 2003, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell declared April 26 "National Pretzel Day" to acknowledge the importance of the pretzel to the state's history and economy. Philly Pretzel Factory stores offer a free pretzel to each customer on this day.

Resources
1, Pretzel, From Wikipedia
2. Soft Pretzels, Food Network

From Tree to Table: Celebrating Arbor Day with Garden Fresh Delights

A Tour through Our Garden

From Tree to Table:
Celebrating Arbor Day with Garden Fresh Delights

"Arbor Day is a time to celebrate the wonders of nature
and to plan for an even greener future by
planting and caring for trees."

Our Mango Trees

Last year, our mango tree produced over 80 fruits.
This year looks like another high yield.

Our Banana Plant(s)

I asked for a Banana Plant for my birthday (July 5, 2020).
It stood about 2 feet high. In less than 10 months, the
banana plant grew to a height exceeding 10 feet.
In November 2021, the Banana Plant produced an
amazing first harvest. In addition, that
one Banana Plant is now 4 Banana Plants.
Banana plants appear to multiply as fast as rabbits.

John Denver - Plant a Tree

While growing up in East Meadow, New York, we had a huge apple tree in our yard. I would climb up the tree and sit on the branches for hours, eating the apples while watching the world below.

When Jake and I moved into our home in 1998, we planted a mango tree. We watched it grow and flourish. Then, in 2005, Hurricane Wilma hit and damaged the tree. We tried to nurse the tree back to health for years, but the infection had spread into the roots.

Finally, on April 25, 2012, we removed the old tree and replanted a new Valencia pride mango tree. Today, the tree stands tall, even after surviving Hurricane Irma.

In April 2018, we decided to plant another Mango Tree. This time, we planted it near the road so that if people walked or drove by, they could grab a mango.

Planting a fruit tree is good for the environment and economics and marks special moments.

Visit the Arbor Day Foundation. Resources, membership, free trees, and a lot more.

Our Nation's Forests are National Treasures

The Herb Garden: From Soil to Plate

The Herb Garden: From Soil to Plate

Start your herb garden today and watch the magic unfold.

There’s something truly special about growing your own herbs. It’s more than just having fresh basil for your pasta or mint for your tea—an herb garden is an invitation to slow down, savor, and connect with your food in a hands-on, meaningful way.

Whether you have a spacious backyard or just a sunny windowsill, starting an herb garden is easy, rewarding, and surprisingly transformative. 

Why Grow Your Own Herbs?

Freshness: Nothing beats the vibrant flavor of herbs picked just minutes before using them.

Cost-Effective: A small investment in seeds or starter plants saves money in the long run compared to buying bundles at the store.

Sustainability: Growing your own reduces packaging waste and the carbon footprint tied to shipping fresh herbs to supermarkets.

Connection to Nature: Tending to plants encourages mindfulness, patience, and a deeper appreciation for the food you eat.

Getting Started: The Basics

Choose Your Herbs Wisely:

Start with easy growers like basil, parsley, mint, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. They’re hardy, versatile, and perfect for beginners.

Pick the Right Spot:

Herbs love sunshine. Aim for a place that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight per day—whether it’s a garden bed, patio container, or kitchen windowsill.

Soil and Water:

Well-draining soil is key. Herbs don’t like soggy roots. Water consistently but don’t overdo it; most herbs prefer to dry out slightly between waterings.

Harvesting Tips:

Regular harvesting encourages plants to grow fuller. Pinch off the tops of herbs like basil to prevent them from flowering too soon.

 

From Soil to Plate: The Delicious Payoff

• Fresh herbs can elevate every meal:
• Toss chopped parsley and mint into grain salads for a fresh, green flavor.
• Add a sprig of rosemary to roasted vegetables or chicken.
• Blend cilantro into homemade salsas or pestos.
• Garnish desserts and cocktails with bright, aromatic mint leaves.
• Flavor simple dishes like eggs, rice, and pasta with a handful of just-picked basil or chives.

 

Plant Today, Savor Tomorrow

There’s magic in watching something you planted with your own hands flourish into something you can taste, smell, and enjoy. Start your herb garden today—small or large—and you’ll see how easily a little bit of green can turn into a whole lot of joy.

 

Happy planting! 

Zucchini Walnut Bread

Zucchini Walnut Bread

Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices per loaf)
Servings: 24
Equipment: Two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans
Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded zucchini (about 1 pound)
½ cup walnuts chopped finely

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
• Whisk eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in zucchini and walnuts. Divide the batter into the loaf pans and smooth the tops.
• Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Let the loaves cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack for about 1 hour.

Nutrition Information.
Calories (kcal) 214
Protein (g) 3
Carbohydrates (g) 25
Total Dietary Fiber (g) 1
Total Sugars (g) 13
Added Sugar (g) 13
Fat (g) 12
Saturated Fat (g) 1
Cholesterol (mg) 23
Calcium (mg) 26
Potassium (mg) 84
Sodium (mg) 125

Safe and Savory: Your Guide to the Perfect Picnic

Picnic Food Safety

Before you begin setting out your picnic feast, make sure hands and surfaces are clean.

Place cold food in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Cold food should be stored at 40°F or below to prevent bacterial growth. Meat, poultry, and seafood should be packed while still frozen so that they stay colder longer.

Pack beverages in one cooler and perishable foods in another. This will prevent the perishable foods from being exposed to warm outdoor temperatures.

Limit the number of times the cooler is opened so as to keep the contents cold longer.

Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood securely wrapped. This keeps their juices from contaminating prepared and cooked foods or foods that will be eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables.

Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water before packing them in the cooler.

For more food safety tips, visit 

http://www.fightbac.org

Forks, Fields & Future: An Earth Day Reflection

Earth Day

What Is Your Ecological Footprint?  

Small Changes Make a Big Difference

April 22, 1970, marked the first Earth Day, which awakened nearly 20 million Americans from all walks of life to launch the modern environmental movement. From that first Earth Day came the passage of the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and many other environmental laws. Today the Earth Day Network (EDN) works with over 75,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.

Earth is Our Home—Let's Protect It
National Geographic 

Earth - Small Changes Make a Big Difference

YouTube has a wide range of resources, from the young, older, news, family, scientist, schools, communities, governments, and industry describing how they are making a difference and how we can make a difference in saving our Earth.

Mobilize The Earth

Green Mom

Cost of Food

Americans have been spending less and less on what we eat. But those savings come with a high cost: obesity, diabetes, and big health care bills. Here's a look at how our diet has changed over the last 50 years, and what we can do to make it better.

Recycle Guys

Purple Basil

It’s a vibrant purple color with larger-than-normal leaves. It’s not as sweet as other basil varieties, and it has a strong clove flavor. Not recommended in cooking as it turns a black color when heated. Perfect for use in salads, pesto, or any of your other favorite ways to use fresh basil.

There are a few varieties of purple basil, but all are cultivars of the same basil plant, which is a true annual. Purple basil grows from seed and dies again all in one season, and does not return year after year. They may, however, self-seed if the flowers are left on until the seeds grow to maturity and fall from the plant. A healthy patch of self-seeding basil may return year after year almost as though it were the same plant.

Grow this basil along with tomato plants, as it encourages growth and repels pests of the tomato. Grow it in containers on the deck or near outdoor seating areas to help keep mosquitoes and stinging insects at bay. 

Store leaves, fresh or dried, for use during the time your plants no longer grow. Freeze them whole or preserve in layers of sea salt. You may also chop basil and combine with other herbs and oil to freeze in ice cube trays and save in freezer bags once frozen. This attractive purple color stands out in many dishes.

Purple Basil and Tomatoes with Mozzarella Cheese

Lima Bean: The Humble Start in the Soil

The Humble Start in the Soil

The journey of the lima bean starts in warm, well-drained soil. Farmers usually plant them after the last frost, when the ground has had time to warm up. These beans grow on bush or pole plants, producing green pods that swell as the beans mature inside.

Lima beans are surprisingly resilient. They don’t need constant attention, but they do need steady sunlight and moderate watering. Within a couple of months, the plants begin to produce pods ready for harvest. Timing matters here. Pick them too early, and they’re underdeveloped. Too late, and they become starchy.

Harvesting and Processing

Once harvested, the beans are removed from their pods, either by hand or machine. At this stage, they can go in a few different directions. Some are sold fresh at local markets. Others are dried for longer storage, while a large portion is frozen or canned for convenience.

Fresh lima beans have a softer texture and a slightly sweet, buttery flavor. Dried ones develop a firmer bite and a more earthy taste once cooked. Each version has its place in the kitchen.

The Journey to Your Kitchen

From farms, lima beans are distributed through several channels. Local farms often supply farmers’ markets and small grocers. Larger operations send their crops to processing facilities before they reach supermarkets across the country.

By the time they land in your kitchen, they might look very different depending on how they were handled. Fresh, frozen, or canned, each option offers a different level of convenience and flavor.

From Pot to Plate

Cooking lima beans is straightforward, but a few small choices make a big difference. Fresh beans need only a short simmer. Dried beans should be soaked first, then cooked slowly until tender. Many people like to add garlic, onions, or herbs to build flavor.

They show up in all kinds of dishes. Think simple buttered beans, hearty stews, or Southern-style recipes cooked low and slow. Their creamy texture makes them a natural fit for comfort food, but they can also be part of lighter, vegetable-focused meals.

Why They’re Worth It

Lima beans don’t always get the spotlight, but they should. They’re packed with protein, fiber, and essential nutrients. More importantly, they’re versatile and affordable.

From a seed in the soil to a dish on your table, their journey is simple but meaningful. It’s a reminder that even the most ordinary ingredients have a story and a place in a thoughtful, well-cooked meal.

Pulses: Bringing diversity to agrifood systems

Celebrating Pulses

Pulses - Bringing Diversity to Agrifood Systems

Every February 10th, the world comes together to celebrate World Pulses Day, a tribute to the humble yet mighty pulses that nourish people and the planet alike. Established by the United Nations in 2018, this special day has been dedicated to raising awareness about the significant role pulses play in promoting sustainable agriculture, food security, and healthy diets worldwide.

What Are Pulses?
Pulses, also known as legumes, are the edible seeds of leguminous plants cultivated for food. This diverse group includes dried beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas, staples in cuisines worldwide. Whether it's creamy hummus from the Mediterranean, savory Indian dal, or baked navy beans in a traditional English breakfast, pulses are cherished for their versatility, taste, and nutritional value.

Why Are Pulses Important?

1. Nutritional Powerhouses:
   Pulses are packed with essential nutrients, making them a vital source of protein, especially in regions where meat and dairy may be scarce or unaffordable. They are low in fat, rich in fiber, and loaded with vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium, and folate. Their high soluble fiber content helps manage cholesterol and blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Health organizations worldwide recommend pulses as part of a balanced diet to combat non-communicable diseases.

2. Ensuring Food Security:
   For farmers, pulses are more than just crops—they are lifelines. They provide a dual benefit: farmers can sell them for income while consuming them for household nutrition. This dual role strengthens food security, fosters economic stability, and empowers communities, particularly in vulnerable regions.

3. Environmental Champions:
   Pulses do more than nourish us; they also nourish the Earth. Thanks to their nitrogen-fixing properties, pulses naturally enrich the soil, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. This lowers greenhouse gas emissions and promotes healthier, more biodiverse farmland. Pulses thrive in diverse cropping systems, supporting intercropping and cover cropping practices that improve soil health and resilience against pests and diseases.

World Pulses Day 2025 Theme: "Pulses: Bringing Diversity to Agrifood Systems"
This year's theme highlights the multifaceted contributions of pulses to enhancing diversity—from the farm fields to our plates. Pulses promote above- and below-ground biodiversity, offering over 100 varieties for farmers to integrate into crop rotations. Thus, they boost resilience against climate change and agricultural challenges. Our diets provide a rich, affordable source of protein that can be transformed into countless delicious, nutritious dishes.

Get Involved: Discover, Share, Celebrate
Join the global celebration of World Pulses Day by learning more about these remarkable crops. Visit the FAO website for stories, reports, and communication materials. Share what you learn on social media to spread the message of sustainability, health, and food security.

In Conclusion
Pulses may be small, but their impact is enormous. They sustain our bodies, support our farmers, and protect our planet. This World Pulses Day, let's celebrate their role in creating a healthier, more sustainable, and diverse agrifood system—one pulse at a time.

National Garlic Day Garlic: A Flavorful Fusion of Taste and Health

Garlic comes from the lily family and is the edible bulb from a plant. It is used as a spice to enhance the flavor of foods and in medicine, Garlic claims have been made to cure heart disease, cancer, colds, hair loss, bug repellant, and many other medical conditions.

The medical research on the safety and effectiveness of garlic has been limited, flawed, inconclusive, or failed to prove its curative powers in most of the claims made.

The following conditions have been rated based on the scientific evidence available as to the effectiveness of Garlic as a treatment. From Medline, service to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health Department of Health and Human Services. 

Ratings
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;

B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.

High Cholesterol (Rate B). Multiple studies in humans have reported small reductions in total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins ("bad cholesterol") over short periods of time (4 to 12 weeks). It is not clear if there are benefits after this amount of time. Effects on high-density lipoproteins ("good cholesterol") are not clear. This remains an area of controversy. Well-designed and longer studies are needed in this area.

Antifungal, applied to the skin (Rate C). Several studies describe the application of garlic to the skin to treat fungal infections, including yeast infections. Garlic can cause severe burns and rash when applied to the skin of sensitive individuals.

Anti-platelet effects, blood thinning (Rate C).   Garlic has been associated with several cases of bleeding, therapy should be applied with caution (particularly in patients using other agents that may precipitate bleeding).

Atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries (Rate C).   Preliminary research in humans suggests that deposits of cholesterol in blood vessels may not grow as quickly in people who take garlic. It is not clear if this is due to the ability of garlic to lower cholesterol levels, or to other effects of garlic.

Cancer (Rate C).  Preliminary human studies suggest that regular consumption of garlic (particularly unprocessed garlic) may reduce the risk of developing several types of cancer including gastric and colorectal malignancies. Some studies use multi-ingredient products so it is difficult to determine if garlic alone may play a beneficial role. Further, well designed human clinical trials are needed to conclude whether eating garlic or taking garlic supplements may prevent or treat cancer.

High blood pressure (Rate C).  Numerous human studies report that garlic can lower blood pressure by a small amount, but larger, well-designed studies are needed to confirm this possible effect.

Tick repellant (Rate C).  In early study, self-reports of tick bites were significantly less in people receiving garlic over a placebo "sugar" pill. Further, a well-designed study is needed to confirm these results.

Upper respiratory tract infection (Rate C).  Preliminary reports suggest that garlic may reduce the severity of upper respiratory tract infections. However, this has not been demonstrated in well-designed human studies.

Diabetes (Rate D).  Animal studies suggest that garlic may lower blood sugar and increase insulin release, but human studies do not confirm this effect.

Heart Smart® Tip of the Day: Garlic with

Darlene Zimmerman, RDN

Why go to the market,
when you can grow garlic in your garden.

National Animal Crackers Day

Animal crackers are usually in the shape of circus animals such as lions, tigers, bears, and elephants. During the late 1800's, animal crackers were imported from England to the United States. The first batch of animal crackers was made by Stauffer's Biscuit Company in 1871 in York, Pennsylvania. Other local bakeries soon came together under the National Biscuit Company, or "Nabisco Brands." In 1902, the animal cracker's box officially became "Barnum's Animals" with the circus-themed box.

Animal Cracker Nutrition

Create Fun and Healthier Snacks

Shirley Temple - Animal Crackers in My Soup

Go Bananas: A Journey from Tree to Table

National Banana Day

Nutrition Profile

Selection

Choose bananas that are firm and free of bruises. Bananas are best to eat when the skin color is solid yellow and speckled with brown. Bananas with green tips or with practically no yellow color have not developed their full flavor. Bananas are overripe when they have a strong odor.

Storage

To ripen bananas leave at room temperature for a couple of days. Once ripe store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. The peel may turn brown in the refrigerator, but the fruit will not change.

Recipes

If you love bananas, Eating Well has a collection of Banana Recipes you are sure to enjoy.

Chiquita Banana The Original Commercial 

Produced by Disney Studios in the '40s, this commercial appeared only in movie theaters, and for over 50 years kept us humming its catchy tune.

DOLE Banana Growing and Planting
Dole explains the growing and planting of bananas.

Banana Farm

The banana farm at EARTH University uses socially and environmentally responsible practices at every stage of the process. The farm plants trees along river banks to promote biodiversity and reduce harmful erosion. In addition, they do not use herbicides. The farm's eco-friendly practices produce some of the most flavorful bananas in the world.