January 11th is National Milk Day. You could toast with:

 
We chose strawberry milk. Instead of a corn syrup-based strawberry flavoring, you can:

 
Then, mix some into your milk of choice—cold or hot—relax, and enjoy it as a snack or for dessert.

Strawberry milk (photo © The Bluebird Chelsea | London).

National Strawberry Day is February 27th.
 
 

[1] America’s favorite pizza topping: pepperoni (photo © Jordan Nix | Unsplash).

[2] Sausage is America’s #2 favorite topping. Try this recipe, Spicy Sausage & Pesto Pizza with Roasted Corn & Jalapeños (photo © DeLallo).

It’s the last official pizza holiday in a year of 12 pizza holidays in the U.S.

We’ve listed them all, below, so mark your calendars.

And maybe plan for a few pizza parties (in addition to National Pizza Party Day in May).

According to CNET, “Roughly 3 billion pizza pies are sold in the US each year, equal to about 350 slices a second.” So dig in!

> 40 ways to top your slice.

> 50 pizza recipes.

> Pizza trends.

> The history of pizza.

> The top pizza toppings in the U.S., the top pizza-eating states, and most pizza-per-capita countries.

 
THE YEAR IN PIZZA HOLIDAYS

Whether you get takeout pizza or make your own, mark your calendars for:

 
…although as anchovy lovers, we protest!

Plus:

January 11th is National Hot Toddy Day, coming at a good time in what is traditionally cold and flu season.

Medical professionals agree that a hot toddy can be good for colds and mild respiratory congestion.

 
But a hot toddy is also a warm and comforting drink in chilly weather, and lets you use your favorite spirit—bourbon, brandy, gin, scotch, tequila, etc.

There are even beer toddies and wine toddies (mulled wine, recipes below).

> Hot Buttered Rum Day, January 17th, celebrates almost the same drink. The difference: A hot toddy can be made with any spirit, whereas hot buttered rum is made with rum.
 
 
THANKS TO INDIA FOR THE FIRST RECIPE 

The toddy first appeared in the early 16th century in India. It was named tārī (a Hindi word pronounced taddy), and was a popular folk remedy for congestion. (Punch also came from India: the scoop.)

The mixture, originally served cold, included alcohol, sugar, water, and spices (very similar to today’s basic recipe).

Adding hot water, and later hot tea, turned it into a remedy for colds and respiratory congestion.

As with much from India, toddy made its way to Britain, and then to the American colonies.

> More hot toddy history

> Hot Toddy relatives (Glögg, Mulled Wine, etc.)
 
 
MORE HOT TODDY RECIPES

[1] You can make an Apple Hot Toddy with your spirit of choice. This one is garnished with a cinnamon stick and star anise. Note that if your cinnamon sticks have been around for a while and no longer are strong, a toddy is a great way to use them (photo © L’Adresse | NYC).

[2] This toddy is garnished with a slice of lemon and a cinnamon stick (photo © Hella Cocktail Co.).

[3] We like adding a few cloves to our toddies. They’re aromatic and flavorful (photo © Ruths Chris Steak House).

[1] You can serve tacos like this… (photo © Roman Odintsov | Pexels).

[2] Or you can use these snazzy taco holders, part of a festive taco set (photos #2 through #6 © Prepara).

[3] Pattern side up, they hold two tacos.

[4] Upside-down, they hold three tacos.

[5] The boxed set. See the individual pieces in the photo below.

For taco lovers, Prepara’s Taco Gift Set has everything you need to pull off the best taco night ever, be it Taco Tuesday or any other day of the year.

Yes, every day can be a festive day with this charming Taco Gift Set from Prepara. It turns every taco meal into a fiesta.

The colorful set contains dishes for four people (photos #5 and #6):

 
Is this the gift you’ve been seeking, or the fun dinnerware for your own home? Head to Prepara.com.
 
 
BEYOND TACO TUESDAY: MORE TACO HOLIDAYS TO CELEBRATE 

• January 25th is National Fish Taco Day.
• March 21st is National Crunchy Taco Day.
• In Mexico, Día del Taco (Day of the Taco) is celebrated on March 31st.
• National Taco Day is October 4th.
• The history of tacos and Taco Tuesday.

 
Plus, serve tacos on these Mexican holidays:

• Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), November 1st & 2nd.
• Cinco de Mayo, May 5th.
• Mexican Independence Day, September 15th & 16th.
• More Mexican holidays.

 
24 MORE TACO RECIPES: TRADITIONAL & CREATIVE

Plus, For Dessert
• Ice Cream Tacos
• Taco Sundae

January 8th is Elvis Presley’s birthday. The King was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi. To celebrate, we’ve got some Elvis Presley recipes for you.

Elvis’ favorite sandwich was a fried peanut butter sandwich with sliced bananas and bacon. The following recipes carry on the theme.
 
 
ELVIS TRIBUTE DISHES

How about an Elvis grilled cheese sandwich: bread spread with peanut butter, cheese (we like Brie), bacon, and slices of banana (photo © Hipsubwg.Blogspot).