FUN DAYS OF July

Did you know there’s a day to celebrate just about everything! Here’s a few for July:

International Joke Day – 1 July

International Joke Day is not just a day for you to prove to everyone how funny you are, it is the perfect day for you to share laughs and to put a smile on people’s faces, including your own.

Whether you prefer to share jokes or you like to listen to them, this is a day that is all about smiling, laughing, and having fun. As they say, laughter is the best medicine!

How to Celebrate 

• Simply tell some jokes to a coworker or friend, or a stranger on the street, whoever seems to need the most hilarity in their day.
• Invite your friends over for a joke-telling party! Take turns telling jokes or reading them out of a joke book or online source.
• Visit a comedy club and listen to a professional (or wannabe pro) tell jokes for a night of fun or watch recorded live performances online or on old-school DVD.

Teddy Bears Picnic Day – July 10

This day was created based on the popular song of the same name The Teddy Bears’ Picnic.

The song is a classic one, written to the tune of a song composed in 1907 by American John W. Bratton. The lyrics were added later, in 1930, by Jimmy Kennedy, a British songwriter.

Since the song became so popular, the day has evolved and is now celebrated by families in countries all over the world, enjoying the simple pleasure of a picnic with their favourite stuffed beings.

How to Celebrate

• Host a teddy bears picnic with family and friends either in a park, on the beach, in your backyard, or even in the living room if the weather is unfavourable.
• Listen to the teddy bears picnic song and the many versions recorded over the years.
• Research the wonderful art of teddy bear making and the many different versions of this cuddly toy.

National Lamington Day – 21 July

At over a century old, the lamington was named after the Governor of Queensland, Lord Lamington.

The story goes that he was having his favorite yellow sponge cake served for his guests when the maid-servant accidentally dropped the cake into melted chocolate. When his Lordship heard, he was the one who recommended them to roll the squares in coconut shavings to make them less messy for guests to eat with their tea.

This delicious treat was a kitchen mix-up that became Australia’s most famous culinary icon.

How to Celebrate

• Eat lamingtons, simple as that! Fingers, jam filled or topped with cream, just enjoy them with a cuppa for morning tea.
• Make lamingtons:

Paul Tully’s True-Blue Delicious Aussie Lamington recipe

What you will need:

3 eggs

½ cup butter

½ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (if you only have extract use about 1 ½ teaspoons)

1 cup of self-rising flour

½ cup of milk

4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup milk

4 tablespoons boiling water

3 cups shredded coconut

Method

Beat the eggs well, gradually adding the sugar until dissolved. Add the milk and vanilla essence and then stir in the self-rising flour. Next, whip the butter into the mixture. Pour the mixture into a cake tin or Lamington baking dish and bake in a moderate oven of 180 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for at least 10 minutes and then stand for 24 hours preferably in the refrigerator, before applying the icing.

The Chocolate Icing:

Stir the cocoa and icing sugar vigorously in a large bowl, adding the milk, butter and boiling water, warming the chocolate mixture over a very low heat until it has a smooth creamy texture. Cut the sponge cake into equal squares about ½ in x ½ in and, using a fork or thin skewer, dip each piece into the chocolate mixture ensuring that the mixture is liberally and evenly applied. Dip each piece into the desiccated coconut, allowing the Lamingtons to cool on a wire tray or even on parchment paper for several hours.