Conversation 25

NATIONAL PEACHES ‘N’ CREAM DAY

Observed annually on June 21, National Peaches ‘n’ Cream Day recognizes a sweet way to eat ripened peaches. It’s also a perfect way to begin and end the summer solstice.

Peaches’ n’ Cream is a simple, traditional, and delicious summertime dessert. Of course, the Georgia peach is in season during the month of June, as are those grown in Florida, California, and South Carolina. Make some homemade vanilla ice cream to sweeten the deal, and your peaches’ n’ cream will be all the cooler.

Almost any seasonal fruit goes well with chilled cream, and peaches are no exception. The sweetness of the fruit combines with the silkiness of the cream for a refreshing summer treat. It’s so delicious, we keep coming back for more!

It’s interesting to note that doctors theorize Typhoid Mary may have spread the bacteria through cut up raw peaches in frozen ice cream. So, wash those hands vigorously!

With peaches just coming into season, it’s a good time to keep an eye out for them. Generally speaking, there are two types of peaches – freestone and clingstone. The flesh determines the kind of peach. How the flesh comes away from the stone or the pit in the middle of the peach gives it the name. When the meat comes away freely from the stone, the peach is a freestone peach; if the flesh clings to the peach, it’s a clingstone.

GO SKATEBOARDING DAY

Inspired skaters carve a space on their calendar on June 21 each year for Go Skateboarding Day! A combination of athleticism, dance, and art, skateboarding has grown up in an urban world.

Skateboarding crosses multicultural divides and speaks to a diverse population. Skaters test the laws of gravity with a variety of ariels and twists, thrilling their fans. Retailers, sponsors, parks, and individuals around the world host events showcasing this rebellious and creative culture. It makes perfect sense we celebrate a day that is entirely for the skater enthusiasts.

Since the 1950s, skateboarding has been changing and advancing. Beginning with modified surfboards in California, the sport grew into a worldwide phenomenon. The first skateboards were shorter surfboards upgraded with wheels. Since then, every modification has enabled skateboarders to develop more sophisticated and higher tricks.

NATIONAL TAKE YOUR DOG TO WORK DAY

Every year on the Friday after Father’s Day, employees across the country bring their dogs for National Take Your Dog to Work Day. A celebration of the companionship between canine and human, National Take Your Dog to Work Day hopes to inspire others to adopt from shelters and humane societies.

Those in the pet supply business may find this to be an everyday occurrence. With pets being central to their business platform, employees bring their dogs to work frequently. Companies such as Petco, Petsmart, Mars Petcare, Trupanion, and Nestle Purina Petcare all have pet-friendly policies. So, every day is Take Your Dog to Work Day at these companies.

However, not only pet companies are dog friendly these days. Tech and marketing businesses seem to be next in line for offering this perk to employees. Amazon, Airbnb, Procore Technologies, Vungle, and Radio Systems Corporation are just a few of the companies across the nation supporting pet-friendly policies.

Are there benefits to having a dog by your side all day? As any business knows, policies like these come with pros and cons.

Pros of Pet-Friendly Policies

Perhaps the number one benefit of dogs at work is the reduced stress for most employees. Studies have shown pets in the workplace not only reduce stress but also increase productivity.
Which brings us to the second benefit. Employees who take breaks to care for their dog tend to be more productive than those who plow through their work. They come back to their desk refreshed and energized, ready to refocus.
Employees are healthier and so are their dogs because both are getting more physical activity.
The pet also gets more social interaction, not only from the dog owner but from the entire office.
Overall, dogs bring a morale boost to the entire office. Not very many can resist the affection of a loveable pup.
Pet-friendly businesses retain their employees longer and are more attractive to future employees.

Cons of Pet-Friendly Policies
The job satisfaction of employees with allergies or phobias are greatly affected.
Risk of injury to employees or other dogs increase the legal risk.
Dogs that are not well-trained lead to distractions in the office.
What do potential clients think? If dogs on the premises continually turn away dollars, the pros may not matter.

NATIONAL SMOOTHIE DAY

Capitalizing on the bountiful fruits and vegetables available this time of year, National Smoothie Day on June 21 celebrates the refreshing beverage brought to you by the blender.

Using fresh ingredients, whole grains and punches of flavor, smoothies transform our fruits and veggies into a delightfully cool drink. Some smoothies incorporate herbs and spices, punching up the flavor level. The base ingredients include milk, yogurt, juice, and a blend of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables in a variety of combinations.

You may turn a little green when you consider adding vegetables to your smoothie, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Both fruit and vegetable smoothies can pack in the nutrients, but be careful, the calories can also add up. Making smart choices will help keep your smoothies on the healthier side:

Limit your boosters – Ingredients like nut butters, seeds, grains and protein powders increase the fat and calories. While these ingredients add flavor and even nutrients, include them in small portions. You can also limit them to 1-2 per smoothie.
Control portion size – Just like our regular meals, smoothies can become oversized. Monitor the portion size for your main ingredients so that when your smoothie is complete, the calories and fat add up to a balanced serving. For example, one cup of berries, half a cup of yogurt and a tablespoon of a nut butter shouldn’t put you over.
Avoid juices – Prepared juices add calories. If you need a little more sweetness, consider adding a calorie-free sweetener or limiting the juice to just a splash.
Add veggies – Spinach, beets, kale and zucchini are just a few of the veggies that add nutrients and fiber without adding a lot of calories. And these veggies don’t add any offputting flavors.
Add a little spice – Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and turmeric add flavor without adding calories. They also provide us with other benefits as well. Cinnamon, for example, may help lower blood sugar and blood pressure.
Smoothies make a terrific meal substitute, too. When you’re craving something sweet or need an energy boost, a smoothie can be the answer. In fact, smoothies are great for weight loss because of the use of fruits and berries. The fruit will also help you feel full longer. Adding additional protein to your smoothie will help control cravings. If you’re looking for the healthiest kind of smoothie, you’ll definitely want to try a green

5 Health Benefits of Smoothies

Assists with digestion.
Improves mood and helps fight symptoms of depression.
Promotes natural weight loss
Keeps the skin clear.
Hydrates the body.

NATIONAL SELFIE DAY

Thanks to social media and the smartphone, June 21 celebrates National Selfie Day and recognizes a form of self-portrait shared across the world wide web. Today we encourage everyone to take creative, but appropriate selfies and share them on social media.

While the act of taking a selfie may predate social media, smartphones, and the word itself (which is now in the Oxford Dictionary), the popularity of taking these self-portraits keeps increasing. And the ability to take them gets easier all the time. Selfie sticks and multi-functional camera phones make it all too convenient to take these kinds of photographs as well as group selfies (aka groupies).

Selfies have become so popular, the most common types of selfies are earning names for themselves. Most of them are about documenting a moment in time, though others merely capture a look. They are called “selfies” after all. They usually feature a single person and that’s the person taking the photo. However, not all of them are about the photographer. We’ve gathered a few of them worth checking out.

NATIONAL WAGYU DAY

June 21 is National Wagyu Day on the National Day Calendar® to celebrate the delicacy of Wagyu and spread awareness about the rigorous authentication process taken for Wagyu. For an entire day, we are celebrating alongside steak and beef enthusiasts, plus encouraging everyone to experience the delicious taste of the finest beef in the world.

National Wagyu Day invites seasoned Wagyu connoisseurs as well as first timers to celebrate the delicacy of Wagyu. In addition, to make the distinction between Japanese, American, and Australian Wagyu known. Also, the authentication process. Authenticating Wagyu, especially authentic Japanese Wagyu, is a complex process with strict regulations and controls. In fact, not all Wagyu is Japanese, which is why authentic Japanese Wagyu is such a delicacy.

The spirit of National Wagyu Day is special. It welcomes those who are trying Wagyu for the first time and seasoned Wagyu connoisseurs, on Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, to celebrate the delicacy of Wagyu and to learn about its rigorous authentication process. That also means one thing, more time to enjoy Wagyu! ~Steve Haddadin

Wagyu, meaning Japanese cattle, refers to four specific breeds of beef cattle that originated in Japan. These unique breeds of cattle produce a type of marbled beef that have an extreme tenderness and a rich, savory flavor when cooked. In fact, the tenderness of the meat creates a melt-in-your mouth experience.

American Wagyu comes crossbreeding full blood Wagyu cattle with Angus. Japanese Wagyu cattle are bred solely as authentic because Japanese Wagyu cattle has been only bred in Japan. One way to tell the difference between American and Japanese Wagyu is Japanese Wagyu is normally boneless when imported. In addition, Japanese Wagyu will always have a Certificate of Authenticity, even if served in a restaurant. Verifying authentic Wagyu requires a cattle ID number, which is on the authentication certificate that could be obtained from a butcher or the restaurant where you are enjoying it at.

Hello HSN Heidi Daus. 😎🎈

@shoelady60,

Lady that is very interesting and it’s a bidding war for both teams. Hmm…I will not say
anything until I know more and there is still a lot to be done with both MO and KS. 😎

Glad that cough is going far far away.

Enjoy your mother and sister tomorrow I am sure they will be happy to see you.

Sweet Dreams. 😘😎Lady I want to add I am worried about @71flowerchild our friend from Texas with a cabin
in New Mexico. I hope her and hubby along with their two dogs got out safe. I hope she post again when able.💕

@oodiebom,

I am so sorry about your dental procedure. I would not do anything for days and I will stay
in and stay cool. This weather is crazy all over. 😎🎈

So hot I don’t feel like eating not a lot just enough. I do stay hydrated.

Rest well and I hope they gave you some good meds.

Peace Out Peeps enjoy your evening and stay cool. 😎

Hips Don’t Lie
Song by Shakira

Ladies up in here tonight
No fighting
We got the refugees up in here (no fighting)
No fighting
Shakira, Shakira
I never really knew that she could dance like this (hey)
She make a man wants to speak Spanish
¿Cómo se llama? (Sí), bonita (sí)
Mi casa, su casa (Shakira, Shakira)
Oh, baby, when you talk like that
You make a woman go mad
So be wise (sí) and keep on (sí)
Reading the signs of my body (uno, dos, tres, cuatro)
I’m on tonight
You know my hips don’t lie (no fighting)
And I’m starting to feel it’s right
All the attraction, the tension
Don’t you see, baby, this is perfection?
Hey, girl, I can see your body moving
And it’s driving me crazy
And I didn’t have the slightest idea
Until I saw you dancing (yeah)
And when you walk up on the dance floor
Nobody cannot ignore the way you move your body, girl (just move)
And everything so unexpected, the way you right and left it
So you can keep on shaking it (let’s go)
I never really knew that she could dance like this
She make a man wants to speak Spanish
¿Cómo se llama? (Sí), bonita (sí)
Mi casa, su casa (Shakira, Shakira)
Oh, baby, when you talk like that
You make a woman go mad
So be wise (sí) and keep on (sí)
Reading the signs of my body (no fighting)
I’m on tonight
You know my hips don’t lie (no fighting)
And I am starting to feel you, boy
Come on, let’s go, real slow
Don’t you see, baby, así es perfecto?
They know I am on tonight, my hips don’t lie
And I’m starting to feel it’s right
All the attraction, the tension
Don’t you see, baby, this is perfection? (Shakira, Shakira)
Oh, boy, I can see your body moving
Half animal, half man
I don’t, don’t really know what I’m doing
But you seem to have a plan
My will and self-restraint
Have come to fail now, fail now
See, I am doing what I can, but I can’t so you know
That’s a bit too hard to explain (uno, dos, tres, cuatro)
Baila en la calle de noche (yeah)
Baila en la calle de día (let’s go)
Baila en la calle de noche
Baila en la calle de día
I never really knew that she could dance like this
She make a man wants to speak Spanish
¿Cómo se llama? (Sí), bonita (sí)
Mi casa, su casa (Shakira, Shakira)
Oh, baby, when you talk like that
You know you got me hypnotized
So be wise (sí) and keep on (sí)
Reading the signs of my body
Señorita, feel the conga
Let me see you move like you come from Colombia
Yeah (ladies sí) (yeah yeah)
(Hey, yeah)
¡Mira en Barranquilla se baila así, say it! (yeah)
En Barranquilla se baila así (yeah)
Hey, brra!
Yeah, she’s so sexy, every man’s fantasy
A refugee like me back with the Fugees from a third world country
I go back like when ‘Pac carried crates for Humpty Humpty
We leave the whole club dizzy
Why the CIA wanna watch us?
Colombians and Haitians
I ain’t guilty, it’s a musical transaction
Bo bop so bop, no more do we snatch ropes
Refugees run the seas ’cause we own our own boats (no fighting)
I’m on tonight, my hips don’t lie
And I’m starting to feel you, boy
Come on, let’s go, real slow
Baby, like this is perfecto (no fighting)
Oh, you know I’m on tonight, my hips don’t lie
And I am starting to feel it’s right
The attraction, the tension
Baby, like this is perfection
No fighting