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Showing posts with label Peanuts. Show all posts

Saturday, September 12, 2026

National Peanut Day- A Holiday Review

Peanut Day is one of those fun food holidays we love to celebrate, despite the fact that there is no known origin for most of them. Nevertheless, we peanut lovers will enjoy celebrating this one on September 13, as we do every year!

Nutty as it might seem, PeaNUTs are not NUTS! They actually grow underground, like potatoes and are considered part of the legume family, same as peas and beans.

Origin of Peanuts

The peanut was discovered over 3,500 years ago, most likely in South America. Peanuts were not widely planted or harvested until after the advancement of farm technology. Since peanuts are annuals and have to be grown from seeds each year, peanut crops were too labor-intensive until then. The modern methods of planting and harvesting peanuts not only transformed the peanut farm, but farming the world over.

As peanut production became more popular, possible uses for it were investigated.

How to Grow the Peanut: and 105 Ways of Preparing It for Human ConsumptionCheck Price

Dr. George Washington Carver was probably the most instrumental in discovering how beneficial peanut crops could be. After researching this amazing groundnut, he published "How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption" in 1916. In this book, Carver discovered over 300 uses for peanuts, including cooking oils, cosmetics, and dyes (even coffee).

In addition to being tasty, peanuts are very good for you. Each ounce provides 8 grams of protein and is high in antioxidants, vitamins E and B6, and beneficial minerals.

🎵 Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack 🎶

Peanuts are also a fun snack food. They appear to be particularly popular at the Circus and at ball games.

~ lyric from Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1908) by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer.

Personal PeaNUT Notes

I am really nutty about nuts of all kinds, with peanuts being one of my very favorites. Peanuts on a Hot Fudge Sundae is absolutely necessary for me! And, banana bread and muffins HAVE to have walnuts, making them banana NUT bread!

Plus, I mainly only like desserts with nuts in them (brownies, cookies, ice cream Sundaes, candy…. All have to have nuts for me to enjoy them the most)!

Summary

So, if you are like me and sometimes you feel like a nut*, choose the tasty peanut on September 13th to celebrate National Peanut Day!

*Line from the Almond Joy Commercial song.

Sunday, September 24, 2017

3 Charlie Brown Home Decor Ideas Because It's that Time of the Year

Check out Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree Here
Photo via Pixabay

As we approach Halloween, these multi-generational classics return to us yearly: Charlie Brown Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

If You're an avid Charlie Brown fan, Check out these Reviewed Creative Suggestions for Peanuts Home Decor.

Charlie Brown Crib Bedding Featured Here:

It's not easy to find Charlie Brown Crib Bedding; however, if you're willing to go the custom-made route, there's a lovely set available through an Etsy Seller.

This set includes five pieces: the quilt, a dust ruffle, bumper pads, a pillow, and a sheet. Of course, the items included can change, so it's best to contact the seller directly to confirm what's included and to request any additional pieces you may want.

Best of all, if you're into supporting products made in the USA, this seller is located in the US and ships within the US, to Canada, and to Australia. Be sure to check it out via the above link. The set is super cute!

Charlie Brown Christmas Village Here:

If you want to start a Christmas tradition, setting up a Christmas Village each year is a lovely trend that the whole family can enjoy.

For 25 years, we've included setting up a village as part of our holiday routine. It's a ton of fun for the kids when they're little and even when they're not so little. We go through the whole nine yards with fake Christmas snow, houses, accessories, people, and even trees for the snow.

Photo Via Pixabay

We place ours on the top of a mid-height cabinet so that it's out of the reach of little fingers.

To make each piece visible, place various height boxes (we use the boxes of some Christmas decorations) on the surface. Then, hide the boxes with the fake snow. Creating levels makes the village look outstanding from a distance and gives it more of a realistic feeling with hills and valleys.

Check out the Charlie Brown Christmas Village pieces at the above link. Collect them; it's a blast!

Peanuts Outdoor Halloween Décor Here:

Before the Peanuts Christmas Village goes up, collect various Peanuts Halloween pieces for the front yard. Make it a full-time fall and winter Peanut celebration. Put out the Halloween yard decorations, watch Charlie Brown's Halloween video, Thanksgiving, and finally, Charlie Brown's Christmas!

There's something about fall that brings the Peanuts Crew to life.

Check out the original choices for the yard featured at the above link. You'll find a creative wooden Peanuts gang billboard for the yard, custom-made by an Etsy seller. It's colorful and, most of all, unique!

Additional Creative Charlie Brown Home Décor Items on this Featured Pinterest Board:

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Thursday, October 1, 2015

Top 7 Halloween Ornaments for Your Halloween Tree

This 4-foot black Halloween tree would make a great home for your Halloween ornaments.

I just had to share this awesome Halloween tree. Isn't it cool? Problem is, it's empty. Maybe you could use it. I mean, you have to put your Halloween ornaments somewhere, right? Wait a minute. You do collect Halloween ornaments, don't you? Whether you have a collection already or if you've been waiting to get started, then you're in the right place. Read on to learn more.

Collecting Halloween ornaments is becoming so popular, it's almost scary! More and more people are decorating their home or their office with Halloween trees - and the more ornaments, the better. To decorate your Halloween tree, choose ornaments with a theme or mix and match using all the ornaments that you love.

If you haven't already, why not start a Halloween ornament collection for your family? For younger children, Disney or Peanuts ornaments are fun. Once they're older, add black cats, ghosts, or other favorite Halloween figures. Chances are you'll be able to find their (or your own) favorite character in the form of a Halloween ornament that they can reuse every year on their very own Halloween tree. Or add them all to a big Halloween tree that the whole family can enjoy.

Cute or Creepy?

The choice of cute Halloween ornaments only, creepy ghoulish ones, or a mixture of both is entirely up to you. In fact, some people prefer to avoid the scariest themes of Halloween and focus more on a family-friendly theme with a harvest tree that can carry them right into Thanksgiving. You'll find plenty of ornaments designed to celebrate fall and the harvest season. And no worries about nightmares!

Here are some of the most popular collectible Halloween ornaments and themes.

1. Radko Halloween Ornaments. You may be familiar with Christopher Radko blown glass ornaments with a Christmas theme. You might not have known it, but Radko makes Halloween ornaments, too. They're top quality, always with beautiful designs. For 2015, here's the blue skull ornament, La Calavara. Though actually designed for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations, nothing says creepy Halloween like a skull. Actually, with its glittery design and hand-painted cool colors of blue, purple, and silver, this one is really pretty and hardly scary at all. Well, maybe a little bit. In any case it's a great addition to a Radko ornament collection.

2. Peanuts Halloween Ornaments. Everyone loves Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, and the rest of the gang and there are plenty of Halloween ornaments that celebrate the Peanuts comics series. I love this Charlie Brown O'Lantern ornament. You'll probably find the most choices from the Peanuts Halloween collection on eBay, especially if you're looking for something specific, perhaps a keepsake ornament from a particular year that you're missing from your collection. Just click the link then customize the search if you don't see exactly what you have in mind.

3. Hallmark Halloween Ornaments. Don't you just love this cookie cutter mouse ornament? It's actually from 2015, from Hallmark. If you didn't make it to the store to get yours, or if there's another that you've missed through the years, once again I recommend eBay for Hallmark Halloween ornaments. You'll find Peanuts ornaments here, too, so there's an overlap in the results, but Hallmark also features the Hauntington Collection, a zombie series, and much, much more. There's something for everyone with an emphasis on "cute."

4. Witch Ornaments. Ah, the ever popular witch. I was drawn to this Kurt Adler Pixiepies witch ornament from 2012. You'll find plenty more witches to choose from at this link. Note that this is a big ornament at 13 inches, so she might not fit on your Halloween tree, but she'd look great hanging from a doorway or perhaps a chandelier. (Always check the description so you'll know what size ornament you're getting, especially if you have a tiny tree.)

5. Black Cat Ornaments. I'm a cat lover, so black cat ornaments really appeal to me. I like glass ornaments, too, so that's why I chose this Halloween kitty to feature. Prefer something that's not breakable? Or maybe a cat that's part of a set? Then check these black cat ornaments at Amazon.

6. Ghost Ornaments. When I think of ghosts, I think of friendly ghosts like this one, with smiles on their faces. We have some overlap from above again here, as this is a ghost ornament from Hallmark's 2014 collection. I think it's adorable. And again, I found the best selection of Halloween ghost ornaments on eBay. Check out the link and see which one you like best.

7. Disney Halloween Ornaments. You might recognize these Disney Haunted Mansion Singing Ghosts from your last visit to a Disney theme park. These are from 2013 and would make a wonderful addition to your Halloween tree if you're a Disney family (I know there are plenty of you out there!). You'll find lots more familiar characters when you check out more Disney Halloween ornaments right here.

Those are the top seven Halloween Ornament themes for your consideration. Did you choose a favorite? If you're still looking or haven't found just the right theme yet, then give this link a try. Then let me know what you chose in a comment below. I'm dying to find out!

--Susan Deppner

Meet the Reviewer

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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Friday, September 25, 2015

It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Movie Review

A Halloween Tradition

One of the best traditions on Halloween is to watch, "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." Everybody loves the Peanuts gang, and when you couple them with Halloween, it is bound to be a smash hit!

We usually gather around the tv as a family to support Linus as he waits for the visit from the Great Pumpkin and to cheer Snoopy as he battles the Red Baron. Yes, by now, we can recite sections of the show ourselves, but that is part of the fun of our Halloween tradition.

It makes for a fun and very entertaining evening, especially when we break out the popcorn, hot dogs and cokes!

The Great Fall

Fathead Wall Decal, Real Big,One very memorable moment in "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," is the "agreement" between Lucy and Charlie Brown.

Lucy agrees to hold the football for Charlie Brown to kick. She even gives him a signed document that states that she will not pull the football away. Trusting and believing Lucy will honor her signed agreement, Charlie Brown falls for her trick which subsequently ends in him falling on his back when she pulls the football away.

While I know some people would view this as being rather mean, I always laugh. It actually reminds me of growing up with 5 siblings. Granted, Lucy is not related to Charlie Brown, but they still act like brother and sister. To be completely honest here, I could easily see myself holding the football while one of my own brothers advanced for the kick. Of course, you all know I would only pull away for fear of being accidentally kicked myself, right?

A Great Charlie Brown T-Shirt

Isn't it funny how Charlie Brown has a simple t-shirt that that we ALL recognize as belonging to Charlie Brown?

Peanuts Charlie Brown Costume T-Shirt-X-LargeCheck Price

I think that is one of the things that makes us all love the Peanuts Gang. The are just regular kids, living regular lives, with everyday activities. In some base way, we identify with them and it is awesome to realize that things will be okay and most of the time, they will turn out alright. We just pick ourselves up from our "great falls" to try again another day. Children need that reassurance. Actually, we all need that reassurance.

Of course, it is pretty cool to be able to read a dog's mind like we are allowed to do with Snoopy.

The Great Wait for the Great Pumpkin

Every year as I watch Linus' anticipation of seeing the Great Pumpkin, I wish the show would change and the Great Pumpkin would appear for Linus. He is so believing and devoted. Year after year when he is disappointed, I am disappointed.

Not only is Linus ridiculed by his "friends" for believing in the Great Pumpkin, but he is maligned by Sally when she realizes that she missed trick or treating to wait with him for the Great Pumpkin who never materializes. Again, my heart goes out to Linus as he patiently endures her tirade.

But you know what is pretty cool! Linus goes right on caring about Sally and being her friend.

The Great Sister

Peanuts by Jim Shore Lucy in Witch Costume Collectible Figurine
The biggest surprise on that Halloween evening, is Lucy's uncharacteristic kindness toward Linus. Even though she grumbles and complains about it, she does ask for extra candy for her little brother while she is trick or treating.

Another kindhearted scene that is actually part of the video clip above, is when Lucy wakes in the middle of the night and discovers that Linus is not in his bed, she ventures out to the pumpkin patch to find him.

Lucy walks him home, takes his shoes off, covers him with his blanket and allows Linus to promptly falls back to sleep.

No unkind words or criticism. Simply an act of love and care. Something we could all learn from for sure.

The Great Battle

After over 40 years of seeing Snoopy dressed as a World War I Flying Ace and fighting the Red Baron while "flying" his Sopwith Camel dog house, most of us don't even remember that this is the episode where that little "sorte" took place.

Yes, it was Halloween that inspired Snoopy to don his now legendary red scarf and take to the air in search of the infamous Red Baron.

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown DVD

Every family should have a copy, or two, of this brilliant classic. Not only is it entertaining, but it reinforces the importance of love, caring for one another, sticking together, getting mad and getting over it and not forgetting what is most important in this life. The value of a friend and family.

Buy it today because you will want to have it on hand for Halloween viewing!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Remastered Deluxe Edition)