Conversation 25

NATIONAL COCONUT DAY

Summer starts in earnest on June 26 when National Coconut Day arrives! The coconut offers sweet support for our bodies in several ways.

Coconut oil alone falls into the superfood category due to its medium-chain triglyceride (MCTs) content and all that they seem to do. Whether supporting a weight loss program, moisturizing skin, and hair or metabolizing into energy, coconut oil plays a significant role in your body.

We use the whole coconut in many different forms for our bodies and everyday cooking. From shredded coconut to milk, cream, water, and oil, each provides essential nutrients and flavor. Its anti-viral and anti-microbial properties are notable as well.

Coconut is rich in fiber, Vitamin B6, iron, and minerals like magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc. The oil from coconut moisturizes our skin and also helps keep our skin clear and hair silky, too.

Of course, in the kitchen, we love coconut! Beyond baked goods, coconut infuses sweet flavor to our cooking, and because the MCTs in coconut oil doesn’t absorb in the body as fat, it is an ideal alternative to other oils and fats.

The flavor of coconut oil makes the best air-popped popcorn. Add coconut milk to your curry recipe and win rave reviews! Those who are lactose intolerant and craving ice cream know that coconut milk also makes an excellent substitute for creamy homemade ice cream. And of course, it’s not summer without a piña colada!

Beyond the fruit and water of the coconut that we consume as food, consumers also use the husk and shells as a potting medium, carbon filtration, charcoal, bio-fuel, and even organic cat litter. Another use for the husks is the production of coir, which manufacturers use in making mattresses, doormats, and more.

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE PUDDING DAY

Each year on June 26, National Chocolate Pudding Day gets us all excited for a serving of this creamy dessert. Children and adults alike love chocolate pudding and have done so for generations. Usually eaten as a snack or dessert, chocolate pudding is also used as a filling for chocolate crème pie.

Chocolate pudding is usually made with milk and sugar, flavored with chocolate and vanilla then thickened with flour or cornstarch. However, some recipes do use eggs when making the pudding. Historically, chocolate pudding is a variation of chocolate custard, using starch as a thickener instead of eggs. The 1903 edition of Mary Harris Frazer’s Kentucky Receipt Book and the 1918 edition of Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking School Cook Book, both printed recipes for the earlier version, using both eggs and flour.

In 1934, General Foods (Jello) introduced a chocolate pudding mix as “Walter Baker’s Dessert.” However, in 1936, they renamed it “Pickle’s Pudding.”

Chocolate pudding can be purchased ready-made and sold in grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations. The popular brands include Jell-O by the Kraft Foods Corporation and Snack Pack by Hunt’s.

NATIONAL BARCODE DAY

National Barcode Day on June 26 commemorates more than 40 years of efficiency and accuracy that began on June 26, 1974, when a clerk scanned a 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum at a Marsh supermarket in Troy, OH. On that day, the barcode system invented by George Lauer, an IBM engineer, began to change the world.

Since then, barcodes have been revolutionizing industries all over the world. Barcodes, also known as UPC, 1 Dimensional (1D) codes, contain data that help businesses and organizations do their jobs more easily. A more modern version of the barcode is called a QR code, or a 2 dimensional (2D) code. The QR code contains even more data than the 1D code.

Barcodes contain a wealth of information, including pricing, product, dates, manufacturer, and shipping. They are ideal for tracking inventory and sales, but they do so much more than that. Almost every industry uses barcodes, and they likely make your life easier without you even knowing it. Where can you find barcodes besides retail products?

VINs – Tracking a car’s history became easier when a barcode was added to the VIN.
Libraries – Barcodes track books, videos, periodicals, resources in and out of the library.
Logistics – Every major shipper uses barcodes to track shipments and deliver your orders.
Healthcare – Barcodes help keep patient care more streamlined and records at the provider’s fingertips.
Agriculture – Farmers use barcodes to track harvests and livestock.
Imagine how different our lives would be without these unobtrusive black and white bars and that satisfying beep every time we scan a product, delivery, or file. It is certainly a technology that will be around for a long time, simplifying our lives. That’s another reason to celebrate National Barcode Day!

Sheba, Another hot day here. I may join a local gym because I do not want to hike in the heat. Too many stories out there.
Surgery and pins and such sounds like your nephew is going through a lot. He must be shocked it happened. Hope there were cameras somewhere nearby and the fleeing felon gets caught. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Hope you feel better soon!

@71flowerchild

Welcome back. So good to see you post again. I often wondered what happened to you. Really missed hearing about the wild horses and shopping experiences. Hope all is well and thankful that your home is standing. Hopefully, your friends will return and can rebuild. So many wonderful memories that can be shared so new beginnings can be the start of something good.

@sheba2011

Good afternoon in Oz. Sorry you are still under the weather.☹ Too much going on in your family, no wonder. Did the police ever find the person who hit your nephew? Saying prayers for your entire family.🙏

I did not fall asleep watching the game last night, it was a good one.🏒 We do a fun bet with friends/family before the playoffs start and pick who we think will be in the finals. I picked Florida and Dallas. Dallas made it to the semi-finals and I won with Florida winning the cup! Didn’t say anything because Edmonton was a very worthy opponent and, in my mind, I thought they would win game 7. I’ve always liked the Panthers.😊

I hope you start to feel better and your days get a little easier. Sending love and hugs to you and Poppy.🤗💖

@sheba2011

Last night I left hubby around 10 pm. No one mentioned that we were in the midst of a thunder storm and a deluge of rain. Driving home, I thought it was strange that the street lights weren’t on, yet those eight traffic lights were working perfectly. Got an eerie feeling as I drove up the driveway to our home when it seemed nothing was on. But, thought nothing of it. When I reached the front door I thought it was odd what the overhead light didn’t turn on. When I entered the house, again, thought I had forgotten to leave the light on in the dining area. Yet, when I tried the switch, it was in the ON position. Checking the kitchen no stove light or one for the overhead microwave. Then it dawned on me that we had no power. Went to the guest bathroom where I had 4 battery operated lanterns and took one out of the box. It worked. Rushed to the panel and turned everything off. A/C was off since I do not leave it on when visiting hubby. I had made a stop at Costco and did have things for the frig. Decided to leave everything in the thermo bag with the two heavy duty ice paks. There was no notice of the event on my cell. Suffice to say, it was another two hours before we had lights. What a feeling when those lights came on and I could relax knowing it was not my fault.

Hubby has another new roommate. Like, you, I do miss the first roommate that helped hubby. I hope he is OK. He found a place to stay about a mile from the rehab. There was a sigh of relief when he left since this was his first stop after spending over 30 yrs. in prison. But, I did not feel unsafe. He had a good side and would tell me when things weren’t right.

Hubby is on board leaving rehab. He doesn’t want to be a burden to me. However, I will bring him home when I have all the i’s dotted and the t’s crossed. He cannot walk at this point or stand on the one good leg. I hope to be working with our health insurance to get things rolling. I also need to look at transportation for the disabled to take him back and forth and to other appointments when necessary. His mind is good. The only drawback is that I will not be able to have someone live-in. The HOA does not permit more than 2 people in the condo even though we have two bedrooms. There have been many meetings dealing with this issue, but nothing has been done to rectify the situation. It seems to go on deaf ears. For now, I am looking at a sling that will enable me to lift hubby from bed to wheelchair or from chair to wheelchair. I am hoping with the right PT we can get him to function on his own again.

@71flowerchild,

Good afternoon in Texas. ✨😎🌹Enjoy the new member of the family.

I love Mabel. 😘✨

How are things going for you and hubby? I hope your friend is able to see some
of the properties left.

Hey enjoy your day I will be back later. ✨

@shoelady60,

Good afternoon in the ‘burgh. Well the winner has won good game. ✨🌹😎

I am feeling just a bit under the weather sinus issue.

Sending cool waves to you and Jake. ✨✨

@taci,

Good morning in S. California. Take it easy if this is a pleasant day have a good time.
Thank you for your concern over my nephew this has all the family upset.

Thank god he is healing with lots of pins and screws inserted during surgery.

Hey enjoy the trails weather permitting. ✨😎🌹

@oodiebom

Good day on the Gulf Coast of Florida. I hope this is a nice day for you.
Hoping you feel better too. I am a wee bit under the weather my way of saying
I don’t feel to hot. I know this too shall pass.

Wishing for cooler days✨✨ Hey congrats on your State’s win of the Stanley Cup. 🌹😎

Know that I am thinking of you and your husband and the day he comes homes.

@xango,

Good afternoon in Florida and Congrats on your State’s win of the Stanley Cup. 😘🌹😎😎

Hey keep cool out there.