March 19: National Chocolate Caramel Day and National Poultry Day

National Chocolate Caramel Day

Due to the last few days, I'm sugared out.  So no making chocolate caramels today.  Some people have trouble making candies- I believe you can be always be a successful candy maker if you use a thermometer.  It's when you try making candies by eyeballing color that things can go wrong.

So if you'd like to try making chocolate caramels to celebrate today, try this basic recipe from All Recipes,  Want to take it up a notch?  Try this recipe that calls for sea salt, which pairs wonderfully with chocolate.


National Poultry Day

While I want to have bees instead of chickens whenever I buy a house, I admire people who have their own chickens.  Some people will tell you that chickens are easy animals to take care of, but I still maintain that the only easy pet is a pet rock.  Every animal requires care, whether it's a simple changing of water or trips to the vet.   The chickens that are a part of the Sunset One Block Diet blog are a good example. 

Mother Earth's Community Chickens blog has some good ideas for celebrating National Poulty Day, including the chance to win a huge basket of goodies.  If you want to celebrate in an edible way, try making a cake that requires a large amount of eggs, like an angel food cake or a chiffon cake.  Looking to celebrate at breakfast?   Make an omelet or add some scrambled eggs as a side dish.  Or cook your favorite chicken dish for dinner or make a turkey sandwich to take to work.  Remember, poultry is not limited to chicken!

January 18: Peking Duck Day

I can't recall eating Peking Duck.  I've had duck and I've had duck in Chinese restaurants, but what exactly is Peking Duck?  Well, according to this About.com site, peking duck takes a very long time to cook.  Over 10 hours!  Looks like most restaurants in the US don't follow this method (plus, I'm fairly certain it would be considered an unsafe prep method) and just roast a duck for a very long time with s mix of spices.  AllRecipes has a recipe that seems a lot more do-able than the About.com one.  I really can't see myself making Peking Duck at home, but I'll have to try it the next time I go out for Chinese.