This week, there are six FREE fun days to celebrate with your family!
JANUARY 17: KID INVENTORS DAY
What do televisions, water skis, and earmuffs have in common? They were all invented by kids! More than 500,000 children and teens invent gadgets and games each year. Held each year on Benjamin Franklin's birthday (he invented the first swim flippers at age 12). Do you have a kid inventor in your family?
For some fun CONTESTS AND COMPETITIONS to enter, Click HERE
JANUARY 18: MARTIN LUTHER KING JR NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE
Celebrate the life of the great leader of the Civil Rights movement by doing something to effect positive change in your community today.
Click HERE for more information and resources.
JANUARY 19: NATIONAL POPCORN DAY
Watching so many movies during the quarantine has been the perfect opportunity to try new snack recipes and nothing says movie night more than popcorn! There's basic popcorn with butter, of course, but that can be so booorrriing.
Here are some great DIY flavor combo ideas to turn boring popcorn into a can't-miss treat. Simply mix together, then sprinkle on your popcorn:
- Garlic Cheese: Parmesan cheese and garlic powder
- Pizza Pop: garlic powder, salt, oregano, and Parmesan cheese
- Dill: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, ground mustard, and dill (fresh if you have it)
- Taco Pop: taco seasoning (purchased or your favorite homemade), cumin and cilantro (fresh if you have it)
- Snickerdoodle: cinnamon and sugar
- Ranch: ranch dressing mix (purchased or homemade)
- Chili Cheese: chili powder, cumin, paprika, and Parmesan cheese (add some cayenne powder of you want an extra kick)
- Italian: Italian seasoning mix (packaged or homemade)
- French Onion: French onion soup/dip mix
But don't stop with just spices, get creative and make some sweet and salty mixes. My favorite as a kid when we went to the drive-in was salty popcorn and sweet chocolate. You can add as many of these mix-ins as you want in order to come up with a one-of-a-kind family treat:
- Pretzels
- M&Ms
- Mini marshmallows
- Coconut shavings
- Chex cereal
- Chocolate (or butterscotch) chips
- Nuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Graham cracker pieces (Just break them apart into pieces, or add Teddy Grahams)
- Heath baking bits
- Caramel baking bits
- Mini peanut butter cups
- Animal crackers
- Sprinkles
One of our favorite toppings for popcorn is melted marshmallows. Just melt 2 cups of marshmallows with a 1/4 cup of butter and mix till smooth, then pour over about 4 cups of popped popcorn. If you want to add some color and fruit flavor to the marshmallow, add 2 tablespoons of Jell-O mix to the melted marshmallows. The marshmallows make it easy to form the popcorn into balls or bars!
Popcorn is so versatile and is an inexpensive snack that is fun for the whole family!
JANUARY 20: NATIONAL CHEESE LOVER'S DAY
And, what better way to enjoy cheese than MACARONI AND CHEESE!
Click HERE for 3 of our favorite recipes... yummm!
Or try one (or some!) of these delicious savory or sweet CHEESEBALLS to celebrate:
Before you get started, here are three pro tips:
1. If your cheese ball has gotten too soft to form into a shape, place into the refrigerator to firm up a little bit.
2. The trick to making a uniform cheeseball is to line a bowl with plastic wrap, spray with cooking spray, then scoop the cheese mixture into it, pushing it into the bowl so it forms a round shape. Then place it in the refrigerator to chill and firm.
3. Don't be constrained by the cheese ball! Get creative. Along with a football, other ideas for those of you creative cheese ballers: Use shaped baking pans or silicone molds to come up with creative cheese ball shapes. Or create individual-sized cheese balls with a cookie or ice cream scoop.
OK! Ready to make your cheese ball? Here are four recipes to get you started:
The Basic Savory Cheese Ball
Ingredients:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup chopped nuts (I like peanuts and pistachios), or crushed crackers
Optional mix-in suggestions:
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Chili powder
- Salt and pepper
- Paprika
- Crushed red pepper
- Bacon crumbles
- Chopped chives
- Diced green chilis
Directions:
- Mix first 3 ingredients together to make a basic cheese ball.
- Add any variety of mix-in flavors to give it some oomph.
- Roll your cheeseball(s) in the chopped nuts or crushed crackers.
Serve with crackers, pretzels, or a platter of vegetables.
Sweet Cheese Balls
There are several variations for a sweet cheese ball -- all of which use cream cheese. These are sure to be a kid favorite!
Nutty cheese ball
- 8 oz. softened cream cheese
- 1/4 cup peanut butter or hazelnut spread
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Fruity cheese ball
- 8 oz. softened cream cheese
- 1/4 cup jam or jelly
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Marshmallow cheese ball
- 8 oz. softened cream cheese
- 3/4 cup marshmallow fluff
- 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
Optional mix-in suggestions:
- Chocolate chips
- Mini marshmallows
- Toffee chips
- Coconut
- Oatmeal
Roll your sweet cheese ball in chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, or graham cracker crumbs. Serve with graham crackers, vanilla wafers, pretzels, or apple slices.
JANUARY 21: NATIONAL HUGGING DAY
Kevin Zaborney invented this holiday in 1986 to encourage family and friends to hug more often. There are many actual health benefits to hugging, including that it releases oxytocin, a hormone associated with feelings of happiness and it improves immune function, sleep patterns, blood pressure, and self-esteem. So go tell that prickly teenagers what today is and give them a huge hug!!
Click HERE for more information.
JANUARY 23: NATIONAL HANDWRITING DAY
Two for one! Kids can practice their handwriting skills by writing thank you notes for their Christmas presents!
Click HERE for some kid-friendly tips to encourage them to develop this important life long habit.
To see all of the fun, family days to celebrate in January, Click HERE.
And be sure to check our weekly calendar of events HERE.
