Shopping Cart

Do you Know what Today is?

Posted on

Hey, Scaredy-Cats!

It’s Friday. And, while I’d typically be a little more excited about that fact, I’m not so sure today is really the typical, TGIF-type of Friday. After all, not only is this Friday the 13th, but it’s the first one of 2023. Of course, a highly educated member of society—such as myself—doesn’t really believe in the superstition that Friday the 13th bFriday?!! 13?!!! BLACK CATS??!!!! Oh no!rings bad luck.

…But even so, I’ll definitely be avoiding black cats and broken mirrors today. Better safe than sorry, right?

But why? Why is everyone so afraid of this particular date landing on this particular day? Though the reason is mysterious and debatable, people have associated Friday with a day of bad luck for centuries. And, for about as long as Friday has been thought to bring bad luck, 13 has been a decidedly UNlucky number as well.

It was in the late 1800’s when it was first documented that putting this day together with this date formed a superpower of one, unrivaled day of BAD luck. Some will put off grocery shopping till the next day, others won’t go outside at all, and SOME people refuse to even get out of bed.

Along with avoiding black cats and stepping on cracks, steer clear of walking under ladders too!My rationale is that bad luck will track you down one way or another if today is fated to be unlucky. However, if you are the type to hang out in your bedroom, hiding from the day, you certainly aren’t alone in your concerns—an estimated 19 million people (in the U.S. alone) admittedly dread the date of Friday the 13th.

And it’s not just the U.S. either. Friday the 13th (more-or-less) exists all throughout the world. In Spanish-speaking countries, it’s actually Tuesday the 13th—not Friday. In Italy, however, it’s Friday the 17th. Superstition over these unlucky days is so widespread that there’s been a scientific name designated for the fear of Friday the 13th. It’s called ‘friggatriskaidekaphobia’. Betcha can’t say that five times fast! I can't even say it once.

Make sure to steer clear of walking underneath ladders or stepping on cracks in the sidewalk. And, as always, thanks for reading.

 

- John


Basically Bitter

Posted on

Hey, Bittersweet Lovers!

Today is Bittersweet Chocolate Day! This is a day we haven’t featured on our Blog until now. I have, however, written about Milk Chocolate Day, Hot Cocoa Day, Chocolate Ice Cream Day, Chocolate Cake Day, and a number of other chocolatey posts in the past. We’ve previously covered that it was the Mayans who were the first people to try eating the pulp and spitting the bitter beans out as they watched the monkeys do.

Now let’s go more into where the bean comes from and how bittersweet chocolate is created.

The Chocolate Tree
Growing in Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America is the tropical Theobroma Cacao Tree which creates the seed from which we get chocolate. People have sampled cacao seeds for the last 3000 years. The cacao tree seed has an intensely bitter taste but, over time, people came to realize that the seeds that’d been lying in the sun had lost some of its bitterness. That’s because they’d been fermented.

A Bittersweet Process
After fermentation, the seeds are dried, cleaned, and roasted. The shells are removed then leaving just the cacao nibs from within. These nibs are ground up to make a hunk of cocoa—pure chocolate in its roughest form. This hunk of chocolate usually goes on to be liquefied and then molded to make what’s called chocolate liquor. To make Bittersweet chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla is added to a chocolate liquor. It may have sugar added to it, but it’s hardly a sweet treat.

So what’s it good for? Bittersweet chocolate is often used for baking in which more sugar gets added to it. But I thought it’d be interesting to better understand the source of chocolate and the process by which it becomes a chocolate product you can recognize in a grocery store. It’s quite a process! Enjoy Bittersweet Chocolate Day! Happy baking and, as always, thanks for reading!

 

- John


The Staple of Maple

Posted on

Hey, Syrup Connoisseurs!

Today we’re celebrating syrup (Maple Syrup to be specific) because today just so happens to be National Maple Syrup Day! If you’re wondering why the rest of the world doesn’t celebrate National Maple Syrup Day, it’s because maple syrup is a treat exclusive to the North American continent. Canada is North America’s largest maple syrup supplier. Every year, Canada produces more than five million gallons! They celebrate Maple Syrup Day too.

Sap from maple trees was first harvested and boiled into syrup by the Native Americans. When settlers first came to America in the early 1600s, they were shown the process of making maple syrup.

The process is actually rather simple and doesn’t do any permanent damage to the tree. Also, only one-tenth of sap that a Maple tree produces in a year actually ends up harvested. In fact, there are a good amount of maple trees that have been tapped repeatedly for the last 150 years. It’s a good thing that tapping trees does no long term damage to them; it takes 30 to 50 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of maple syrup.

What’s truly amazing about this particular syrup is that it contains surprising health benefits. It may be loaded with sugar (natural sugar which your body needs), but it’s also loaded with antioxidants. In a single quarter-cup of maple syrup is the same amount of antioxidants as a raw tomato or broccoli bunch. A cup of maple syrup contains just as much calcium as a cup of milk and even more potassium than what’s found in a banana!

The trick nowadays is to find real maple syrup as opposed to Mrs. Buttersworth or some other brand-name syrups that can be found in any grocery store. As, always thanks for reading, Folks!

 

- John

The Chocolate Chip Cookie

Posted on

Hey, Cookie Kids! 

Do you flip for the Chocolate Chip Cookies? Who doesn’t?! These appealing discs of dough and chips have magical powers that are sure to make your mouth water. Today is Chocolate Chip Cookie day—a day that’s sure to have you preheating the oven and mixing ingredients. Break out the flour, sugar, and—of course—the chocolate chips and let’s get bakin’! 

Easily the most popular of all the cookies, I’d be stunned to find anyone reading this Blog post who has never had one before. Can you imagine a world without the Chocolate Chip Cookie? Unfortunate as it may be, many folks have lived their whole lives without ever knowing the taste of this delectable treat! After all, the recipe was only created in the late 1930s. 

It was Ruth Wakefield, an experienced baker with a degree in household arts, who made the original Chocolate Chip Cookie. Ruth ran the reputable Toll House restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts where she first conceptualized this new cookie with melted chocolate chunks. 

She put out her ‘Tried and True’ cookbook in 1938 which introduced the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe to the world. The recipe blew up! Within a year, this cookie got so popular that it was mentioned on a radio program hosted by Betty Crocker. As if the cookie needed any help, this radio mention really did solidify this cookie’s reputation as a cultural smash! 

Many origin stories have been proposed for how Ruth came up with this cookie. Some have said it happened by chance when some chocolate fell into her cookie batter. Others suggested that chocolate was a quick replacement ingredient that just proved to be amazing. These are just stories, though. 

The truth is that Ruth was an absolute perfectionist when it came to her craft. She knew the art of baking very well. This iconic cookie was no happy accident! It’s the result of Ruth’s know-how for making a recipe and testing it carefully. Be sure to indulge for Chocolate Chip Cookie day and say a little thank you to Ruth for her incredible recipe! As always, thanks for reading! 

 

- John


Double Berry Celebration

Posted on

Hey, Health Heads! 

Did you know that today is a double holiday? Two different celebrations rolled into one day. It is both Watermelon Day as well as Avocado Day! Two very summery treats also turn out to be very healthy foods. Both the watermelon and avocado are quite unsuspected but technically accurate members of the berry club! That’s right. They’re both technically berries. 

A surprising sidenote is that strawberries don’t actually qualify as berries. You can read more about that confusing matter on this previous Blog post containing some little known strawberry facts. 

We know full well that watermelons and avocadoes are somewhat iconic of the summer season. That’s why you can find these popping and cute prints depicting these delectable pieces of produce on select products here at Everything Summer Camp! 

Watermelons

That high contrast from the deep green of the rind to the pink with black polka dot seeds throughout is a head turning print that we love to dress one of our Designer Trunks. Of course, you can find watermelons elsewhere on our site like icons on nameplates and name labels along with our iScream Rhinestone Watermelon Decal

Avocados

The main ingredient of guacamole, avocados are a wonderfully versatile food. Avocado toast is one of my favorites in the morning! With so many lovers across the board, we figured we better put this trendy theme on a laundry bag

 

Dish up some avocados and watermelon slices for yourself today to celebrate BOTH Watermelon Day and Avocado Day! Enjoy these delicious foods and pick out some of our products that feature these foods! Have fun shopping our online site with plenty more fun products like these and, as always, thanks for reading. 

 

- John