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8 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | NOVEMBER 2015 Did You Know? By Micki Rosen Did you know that Nov. 15 is Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day? Although it has been rumored that this day was started by the Whirlpool Corporation, the origin of this event is lost in the mists of time. The day is a great reminder though, that to function effectively, our kitchen appliances should be cleaned out once in a while. So don your rubber gloves, fill that bucket with warm water and get cleaning! It won't take long. In fact, a couple of hours will probably do it. The fridge doesn't even have to be turned off. You'll thank yourself later. Did you know that Nov. 5 is National Men Make Dinner Day? The day was started in 1998 by a woman named Sandy Sharkey who worked at a radio station in Canada and wanted one meal a year prepared by her non-cooking husband. The day has its own website which features reasons for participation, rules for the day and even some simple recipes to get men started. Rules include a no interference policy for the women of the household, no feeding the resulting meal to the dog, and no barbecuing. Did you know that Nov. 10 is Area Code Day? The area code system was developed by AT&T and Bell Laboratories in the 1940's, and went into effect in 1947. It was called the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) and included the United States and Canada. While area codes certainly aren't as important today as they used to be – primarily due to the proliferation of mobile phones – area codes used to be a point of prestige. Area Code Day remembers a bygone era when the evolution of telephone networks meant changing numbers, changing boundary definitions, and how much your area code could affect the perception and culture of your neighborhood ("90210" anyone?). Did you know that Nov. 28 is French Toast Day? French toast was not invented in France. In fact, French toast was around long before France even existed as a country. The exact origins of French toast are unknown, but it isn't surprising that humans seem to have come up with the recipe quickly, given that French toast is traditionally made out of stale bread. Soaking it in milk and egg and then cooking it seems logical enough, making a good tasty meal while not wasting any bread. The earliest reference to doing just this dates all the way back to fourth century Rome in a cookbook attributed to Apicius, and it is thought to predate this work by a good margin. The practice became common throughout Europe in the middle ages. The name for French toast in France is "pain perdu" which literally means "lost bread." Did you know that Nov. 30 is Stay Home Because You're Well Day? Thomas and Ruth Roy created Stay Home Because You're Well Day under the name of Wellcat Holidays and Herbs. They have stated that it exists so that "we can all call in 'well' instead of faking illness, and stay home from work." The point of this holiday is to take a moment to just slow down and enjoy life, seeing as how it has become so very hectic in recent years, with the endless barrage of phone calls, text messages, emails, voicemails, etc. that we are faced with on a daily basis. And who can argue with that?

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