Did You Know? November

Did You Know?

There’s more to

than politics, turkey and football

By BethAnne Brink-Cox House and Home Feature Writer

If you think November is just about elections and Thanksgiving, think again! November is National Banana Pudding Month. Who knew? And Nov. 20 is National Absurdity Day. We’re not sure why, but it is.

One such example was launched in 1913, when you could mail your babies parcel post to Grandma’s house, for as little as 15 cents, plus insurance, as long as the babies fell within the shipping weights.

Parker Brothers introduced the world to the Monopoly game on Nov. 4, 1935. There have been more than 300 different versions created in the years since then, including Star Wars, I Love Lucy, Pokemon and Game of Thrones. A typical game is usually between 60 and 90 minutes but the longest game on record lasted 70 straight days!

Or maybe you prefer National Doughnut Day, Nov. 5? (There is, of course, the school of thought that every day should be Doughnut Day.) It was originally created by the Salvation Army in Chicago, 1938, to honor those of their members who had served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I. Those volunteers were affectionately referred to as DoughnutDollies.

What about National Love Your Red Hair Day, also Nov. 5? Anyone with red hair, any shade of it, male or female of any and every age, is to be celebrated on this day.

Research has indicated redheads have higher thresholds for pain and need less Vitamin D than the rest of us, due to a gene mutation which creates the red hair itself. (But let’s not put that pain thing to the test!)

What is special about November babies? Well, there’s a lot to be thankful for. They have a lower risk of some health conditions. November babies have the lowest incidence of multiple sclerosis, according to Oxford University. And it seems they are less likely to suffer from heart problems, lung cancer or depression.

Then there’s the interesting facts about left handers. They make up only 10% of the world’s population; if you’re a boy born in November, chances are you’ll be among the very few. The biggest number of average left-handers among boys fell between Halloween and New Year’s Eve.

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If you just enjoy the trivia of various ‘days’ here and there:

November 1:

National Cook for Your Pets Day November 3:

Zero-Tasking Day

November 6:

National Nachos Day

November 6:

National Saxophone Day November 9:

National Scrapple Day November 16:

National Button Day

November 21:

World Hello Day November 23:

Fibonacci Day

Election Day is the first Tuesday in November. In colonial times, Election Day Cakes were a popular tradition, and the celebrations were week-long as people traveled great distances to vote, adding to an ongoing party atmosphere. Quite popular, then, were Election Cakes, much like a fruitcake, loaded

with fruit and spices and soaked with alcohol. Eventually, the cake morphed into a spice cake in Lydia Child’s book, The American Frugal Housewife, copyright 1829. ELECTION DAY CAKES

Ingredients 2 packages active dry yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons each) 1-1/2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees F) 1 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar 4 cups sifted flour, divided 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) margarine or butter 1 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground mace 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 eggs 2/3 cup raisins 2/3 cup currants 1/4 cup chopped candied citron 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Directions In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast on the warm water; stir to dissolve. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1-1⁄2 cups of flour and beat well by hand or for 2 minutes with an electric mixer at medium speed. Cover and let rise in a warm place until bubbly, about 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, cream the margarine and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Set aside. Sift the remaining flour with the salt, cinnamon, cloves, mace and nutmeg. When the yeast mixture is bubbly, add the eggs to the creamed margarine and sugar and beat well.

Combine with the yeast mixture. Add the flour mixture, a little at a time, beating with a spoon after each addition. Beat until smooth.

Stir in the raisins, currants, citron, and nuts. Pour into a well-greased andfloured 10-inch tube pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1⁄2 hours.

... and now you know! Bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 1 hour. Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto a rack to finish cooling. Glaze, if desired. And...let us eat cake!