Flattery is like chewing gum. Enjoy it but don't swallow it. Hank Ketcham

September 30,

 Chewing Gum Day

This day would certainly make Violet Beauregarde happy! Did you know chewing gum has been around for over 5,000 years. In 1848, the first commercial gum was put on the market, The State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum. In 1860,  chicle was exported from Mexico for use as a rubber substitute. Chicle didn't go far as a rubber, but thanks to companies like Adams New York Chewing Gum (1871), Black Jack (1884) and “Chiclets” (1899), it dominated the market as a chewing gum.  Most chewing gum companies now use synthetic gum bases as they are cheaper and more readily available.

So here's to a whole day of bubble blowing, gum popping, all out obnoxious fun!

Blow Pop Martini

These yummy treats were orriginally creaated in 1966 at the Triple T Candy So in Atlanta Ga. They became Charms Blow Pops in 1973.

Ingredients:

1.25 oz. Buble Gum Vodka

.5 oz. Pucker Flavor of your choice

.5 oz. Sour mix

Splash of Sprite

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice

Shakashakashake

Strain into a martini glass

Garnish with a mini Blow Pop *take the wrapper off first, Duh"!)

Oompa Looma Song

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Listen close, listen hard / The tale of Violet Beauregarde / This gentle girl she sees no wrong / Chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing all day long / Chewing, chewing all day long / Chewing, chewing all day long / Chewing, chewing all day long / She goes on chewing till at last / Her chewing muscles grow so fast / From her face her giant chin / Sticks out just like a violin / Chewing, chewing all day long / Chewing, chewing all day long / Chewing, chewing all day long / Oompa Loompa, Oompa Loompa, Oompa Loompa, Oompa Loompa/ For years and years she chews away / Her jaws get stronger every day / And with one great tremendous chew / They bite the poor girl's tongue in two / And that is why we try so hard / To save Miss Violet Beauregarde / Chewing, chewing all day long / Chewing, chewing all day long / Chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing all day long./ Chewing, chewing all day long./ Chewing, chewing all day long./
Blueberry Violet: Mr. Wonka!

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” Nelson Mandela

September 29,

Poison Blackberry Day (This sounds fun!)

Not that Poison...

This one!

Is today the day it's okay to poison that certain person?  Hold your horses! Put the arsenic back into the cabinet, and throw away that tainted pie! This day is unfortunately not that much fun. This day is thought to date back to the 18th century when people were dying by the dozens after eating poisoned berries. The first PSA! On September 29, people would hunt the poison berries to keep others from eating them. (Perhaps saving them for other people, an early soap opera! Love it!) 

In Scotland, legend has it that these toxic berries are the devils doing. This is perfect for a full moon night! The devil himself poisoned the berries with urine and saliva, those who ate these berries would immediate fall dead, or...gulp...worse!!

So cheers to not consuming peed on berries! Good thing my dogs diddles don't do this! I'd have a garden of poisoned vegetables...eww.

Didn't know it was a Draw Something topic, did you?!

Blackberry Crush 

I don't know about you, but I prefer my blackberries with a touch of poison ;)

Ingredients:

4 blackberries

1tbsp Lemon juice

1 tbsp Simple Syrup

1 1/4 oz Vodka

Seltzer

Mint sprig

Directions:

In a glass, combine blackberries, lemon juice, and simple syrup

Lightly crush berries to release their juice.

Add ice and vodka; top with seltzer.

 Stir to combine.

Garnish with a mint sprig.

So good, you won't want to share this poison!

Here's to those who love us well,

Those who don't may go to H-----

 —Anon.  [1903, Hello Bill's Toasts]

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

September 28,

Drink As Much Beer As Possible Day

So you probably just asked, "Why is there a day for that?" Answer: Good for you, it's also Ask a Stupid Question Day! (I didn't make that up, it really is!) Who cares why we have this fabulous day, just celebrate it! Don't want to? That's cool, "Every party has a  pooper, that's why we invited you! Party Pooper, that's you!"

So for those of you who need justification for indulgence... There are a couple different rumored origins to this fab lil holiday. Some say it originated in the old time celebration of St. Wenceslas' Day. A tenth century Bohemian Duke, St. Wenceslas is known as the patron saint of Bohemians and brewers. Others say it was started in Milwaukee, home to many other not so saintly brewers. While this later seems more realistic, I want to stick with the first idea, it seems more purposeful!

In the interest of promoting responsible drinking, the day is more often referred to as "Drink Beer Day" ( Not to be confused with National Beer Day, which is in  August)

Here's to drinking beer! Cheers!

Gridiron Punch

This wonderful beer cocktail is perfect for a tailgate party!

Ingredients:

18 oz. Pineapple juice, chilled

6 oz. Yellow Chartreuse, chilled

6 (12 oz.) Bottles Amber ale, chilled

Directions:

Place the pineapple juice and Chartreuse in a 3 qt container or punch bowl. 

 Stir to combine. 

Add the beer and gently stir to combine.

"Now beer, my friends is a wonderful thing

whether you be a prince, a pauper or even a king

and to spill one precious drop is really a shame

so waste not what you pour and we'll drink to your fame"

"If You Build It, They Will Come..."

September 27,

Last Game Played at Tiger Stadium

On September 27, 1999 the last game was played at the old Tiger Stadium. "The Corner" located at Michigan Ave and Trumbell, hosted the Detroit Tigers from 1912-1999, 87 years! A lesser known fact is that the stadium actually hosted the Detroit Lions football team from 1938-1974. 

The corner was first turned into a stadium in 1895, at that time it was just a little wooden park named Bennett Park. In 1911, new owner Frank Navin had a larger concrete and iron stadium built. On April 20, 1912, Navin Field would open to the public. Through the years the stadium would be expanded to accommodate the growing fan base, the largest expansion was in 1938, when then owner Walter Briggs would talk the city into moving Cherry St. Briggs Stadium, as it was known at that time, could now accommodate 53,000 fans, as opposed to the 23,000 when it was built. In 1961 owner Jeff Fetzer would give it's final name, Tiger Stadium. That corner has seen some history! Two World Series wins, 1968 and 1984, every baseball legend imagined, several movies, and numerous historical music events. Despite efforts to save the park, the last pieces were tore down at 9:24 am, September 21, 2009.

The Tigers are still ahead one game at publishing time! So we can double cheers the Detroit Tiger today!

 Eat 'em up Tigers, Eat'em up!

Chocolate Russian

Hold up, wait a minute...Let us put some chocolate in it! Today just happens to be National Chocolate Milk Day, with all these delicious holidays, it's no wonder our country is fat! 

So we are going to do our Tiger's toast with a delicious chocolate cocktail, that looks like chocolate milk. Hmm, maybe that should be the new name, Mama's Milk...nah.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Vanilla Vodka

.5oz Dark Creme de Cacoa

1 oz. Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua)

Cream or Milk

Directions:

Pour liquor over ice into a highball or Collins glass.

Top with the cream or milk

Are you willing to throw caution to the wind?! Wanna take a walk on the wild side?!

Use chocolate milk in place of the cream, WHAT...you heard me!

A Maz Ing!!!

(Said sing-songie)

"People who live in the past generally are afraid to compete in the present. I've got my faults, but living in the past is not one of them. There's no future in it."

George "Sparky" Anderson

September 26,

Baklava Day

Today is a day dedicated to the sweet flaky dessert called baklava. The origins of baklava are a little hard to trace as it has been claimed by many ethnic groups. There is strong evidence that its current form was developed in the imperial kitchens of the Topkapi Palace based on a Central Asian Turkic tradition of layered breads. There is evidence of baklava type dessert in the ancient Greek culture as well. One of the oldest known recipes for a sort of proto-baklava is found in a Chinese cookbook written in 1330.  The dessert is very popular in the Balkans, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Syria, India, Greece  and my stomach! 

Cheers! or

ΥΓΕΙΑ  (Yamas) Greek

Կէնաձդ (Genstzt) Armenian

Baklava Martini

As always I perfer to drink my dessert, and this one is delicious!

Ingredients:

.5 oz Amaretto

1.5 oz. Gin

.5 oz. Creme de Cacao

.75 oz. Simple Syrup

Pinch of Cinnamon

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker

Shake till..It's all Shook up, uh huh!

Strain into a martini glass

"Gather 'round my friends and lets spin us a tale
of bourbon and whiskey, of lager and ale
of new friends and old, of acts both daring and bold
of women of class and balls made of brass
and if we should die before the night ends
at least we went out drinking with friends"

Holy Smokes Batman! It's National Comic Book Day!

September 25,

National Comic Book Day!

Gee Whiz! A whole day devoted to comic books! Typically I would take this moment to make some sort of nerd comment, but while I am not a comic book fan per say, I do dig super heroes! (Who doesn't?) The actual comic book format debuted in 1933, though historians will argue that the actual prototype was the 1842 hardcover, The Adventures of Obediah Oldbuck. This time period is called the platinum age and it included the first usage of the term "comic book" (The Yellow Kid in McFadden's Flats (1897)),  the first known full-color comic (The Blackberries (1901)), and the first monthly comic book (Comics Monthly (1922)), The birth of the super hero, came in 1938, fittingly with Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster's Superman. This is considered the golden age of the comic book era, and is credited for making the industry what it is today.
Comic books have continued to shape the youth of America, from the early comic books, to Adam West, to the current Dark Knight trilogy, comic have continueg to rock it out! Cheers to all the greats! 

Superman

The grown up version of every one's favorite childhood ice cream!

Ingredients:

.5 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream

.5 oz. Blue Curacao

.5 oz. Amaretto

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

You spin it right round, baby right round till it's nice and mixed

Strain into your favorite shot glass

For every wound, a balm.

For every sorrow, cheer.

For every storm, a calm.

For every thirst, a beer

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. ~Marion C. Garretty

September 24,

Happy Birthday!

On September 24, 1982, gas was $ 0.91 per gallon and houses were actually worth about the same. The first CD player was sold in Japan, and with out a doubt they were playing Physical by Olivia Newton-John or Mickey by Toni Basil. It was a great year for movies, the original Tron, Conan the Barbarian, Tootsie, ET, Poltergeist, Porky's, Best Little Whore House in Texas, An Officer and a Gentleman, and so many more great titles!  I remember that summer well, I spent every rainy day at the movies. We watched Annie at least seven times. As a matter of fact I wanted to name our families big addition Sandy, just like Annie's dog! For some reason my parents were against naming my sister after a dog. For some reason the thought Kasaundra was a better fit for a little girl. Despite all the great music and movies of 1982, oh my the TV was great too(Family Ties, Cheers, Knight Rider), anyways despite all this, it was the birth of my own real life baby doll that made the year (Annie was a close second).

Despite the years of torture she has released on me, she is still my best friend. I even forgave her for the bottle to the side of my head. Happy Birthday Little Sis! I am so proud of the woman you grew into, and happy as I was pretty sure for a while that you were going to grow horns and take over the world. You are taking on the world all right, just with your charm and wit (not minions or hell hounds!) I love you, and enjoy your year! This same little sis is getting married in April! Yeah!!

Here's to you!

Nerds Martini

Candy in the eighties was the best, and this martini is no exception!

Ingredients:

1oz. Midori

1oz. Blue Curacao

1 oz. Lemonade

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice

Don't try to fake it! Get out there and let me see you Shake IT!

Strain into a martini glass rimmed in your favorite flavored Nerds!

Beautiful...Oh Yeah!

"If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child."

- Linda Sunshine

30

You aren’t yet over the hill
But you are getting there.
You’re just now starting to see
More than one grey hair.
You’ll never again 
have to be carded.
And soon you’ll see
Your hair has departed.