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August 2023

Happenings

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August is synonymous with “those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer”. Credit for that phrase goes to Nat King Cole and his hit song of the same name in 1963. This got me thinking about how other people & cultures spend their time this month. For example, in Italy, most of the businesses shut down for ‘Ferragosto’. It is a public holiday celebrated on the 15th of August which the Catholic Church believes is the day that the Virgin Mary ascended into Heaven (according to Wikipedia). A large percentage of the Italian population head to the beaches for two weeks if not longer pre or post Assumption day.As I did further research, I learned that this celebration of summer with (at least) two weeks of vacation seems to be a common custom among Europeans. This originated when manufacturing plants would shut down in August, thus giving all the workers time off at the same time. Not sure this approach to manufactoring would 'fly' here in the United States but it seems to work for the Europeans.


There are no ‘official’ holidays in August here in the U.S., but all my research about how other cultures spend this month sparked the next idea I have for gathering friends together: An International Kabob Potluck Challenge!! As invitations I’m sending friends mailer tubes filled with the following: 4 kabob spears, a recipe for them to follow that highlights flavors from the country I assign to them. I’m also including an interesting bit of trivia about the country I paired them with (to share with the rest of the group during dinner) as well as the ‘official’ rules of the challenge. The kabobs will be sweet as well as savory, with different proteins, vegetables, fruits, and cheeses.I’ll post pictures on the website in September of the gathering and the winning kabob, so don’t miss this!



My August “To Do” List


Test recipes using my featured ingredient of the month.


Plan an 'interactive' outdoor gathering with friends.


Celebrate with my younger sister, Jennifer, for her birthday!


Start assembling wedding welcome bags for September!

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