[1] Have a cherry juice tonic to celebrate Washington’s birthday (photo © Liv Friis-Larsen | iStock Photo).
[2] Cherry pie is always welcome. Here’s the recipe for this beauty. February 20th is National Cherry Pie Day (photo © Cherry Marketing Institute).
[3] Cherry cheesecake with chocolate glaze. (Here’s the recipe from Betty Crocker. April 23rd is National Cherry Cheesecake Day (photo © Betty Crocker).
[4] Cherries Jubilee, created for Queen Victoria. Here’s the recipe (photo © Roberts Dairy).
[5] Cherry almond rugelach. Here’s the recipe (photo © QVC).
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The recipes are below. But first, a word about America’s first president, George Washington, born on February 22nd, 1732. While we now know the story about the cherry tree to be a myth, the tradition of enjoying a cherry pie or other cherry foods doesn’t have to get tossed out with it.
If you follow American history, you may know that a number of facts attributed to George Washington were made up after his death.
Washington did not throw a silver dollar across the Potomac River. Not only is the Potomac more than a mile wide—and an Olympic discus champion might falter at that distance—but there were no silver dollars when Washington was a young man.
He did not chop down the cherry tree and then say to his father, “I cannot tell a lie.” Ironically, this story is itself a lie, made up by Mason Weems, an early biographer of George Washington (and a parson, no less), to illustrate Washington’s honesty.
Here are more fun facts about Washington.
Check out George Washington’s Favorite Foods.
Celebrate with the Cherry Tonic mocktail recipe (photo #1) that follows the list of cherry holidays. There are even more cherry recipes below.
CHERRY HOLIDAYS
January 3rd is National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day.
February is National Cherry Month.
February 20th is National Cherry Pie Day.
April 23rd is National Cherry Cheesecake Day.
May 17th is National Cherry Cobbler Day.
May 26th is National Cherry Dessert Day.
July 11th is National Rainer Cherry Day.
July 16th is National Cherry Day.
August 26th is National Cherry Popsicle Day.
August 28th is National Cherry Turnover Day.
September 1st is National Cherry Popover Day.
September 24th is National Cherries Jubilee Day.
RECIPE: CHERRY TONIC (MOCKTAIL)
Celebrate the day with this Cherry Tonic (photo #1). You can adjust the proportions of the drink to please your palate. For a deeper cherry flavor, use more cherry juice and less tonic water.
You can make the drink alcoholic with gin, tequila, or vodka.
If you prefer a beer: George Washington brewed his own, including pumpkin ale. He also enjoyed hot chocolate and egg nog.
Ingredients
Tonic water
Cherry juice
Lime wedge
Optional: fresh or frozen cherries
Preparation Per Drink
1. ADD ice to a highball glass. If using cherries, place 4 or 5 of them on top of the ice.
2. POUR in a tonic water, to 2/3 of the way up the glass.
3. TOP off with tart cherry juice (our favorite is R. W. Knudsen Organic Just Tart Cherry juice). Stir.
4. GARNISH with a lime wedge and serve.
MORE CHERRY RECIPES & FACTS
Black Forest Cake
Cherries Jubilee
Cherry Almond Rugelach
Cherry Brownies
Cherry Cheesecake With Chocolate Glaze (photo #3)
Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cherry Cobbler
Cherry Cocktails
Cherry Gastrique (sauce for meat and fish)
Cherry History
Cherry Home Fries
Cherry Ice Cubes
Cherry Ice Pops (Popsicles)
Cherry Lattice Pie
Cherry Mango Salsa For Fish & Chicken
Cherry Meringue Slab Pie
Cherry Nut Dip & Spread
Cherry Pie Pops
Cherry Pomegranate Mojito
Cherry Popovers
Cherry Sorbet
Cherry Tart With Lemon Mascarpone Filling
Cherry Turnovers
Cherry Yogurt Parfait
Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
Easy Cherry Pie (photo #2)
Frozen Cherry Margarita
Goat Cheese Salad With Dried Cherries
Salad With Blue Cheese & Dried Cherries
Spiced Cherries
Turkey Cherry Chili
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