National Strawberry Ice Cream Day - January 15th

Nothing like brain freeze* in the middle of winter... celebrate Strawberry Ice Cream Day on January 15th! Strawberry ice cream is #3 in popularity after vanilla and chocolate.

We've had tons of snow here this season, and I really feel like I should try making snow ice cream with it. Seems simple enough: FRESH snow, sugar, vanilla, milk... stir and serve. I even have frozen strawberries from what we picked last summer! (I'll let you know if I do make some.)

* In case you're curious, "brain freeze," or more commonly known as an ice cream headache, is caused by something cold on the upper palate, making nerves respond by rapidly constricting blood vessels. The dilation of those vessels as they warm up again stimulates pain receptors. Fortunately, this kind of headache is pretty fleeting.

Available at Amazon.

National Hot Toddy Day - January 11th

The polar vortex here in the US has certainly made things like Hot Toddies necessary! (Holy cow, has it been cold!) It's a favorite of folks trying to warm up, and with the hot water and lemon, actually pretty soothing for those with the sniffles. Need to make a larger batch for a party? Alton Brown has a recipe for slow cooker Hot Toddies!

I had one at the Irish Harp Pub in Niagara-on-the-Lake (simply called a Hot Whiskey), Ontario. They will kick you in the heinie if you're unaccustomed to them! And if you can, live Irish music improves the flavor.

Available at Amazon.