Greetings from the Mountains

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Presidents’ Day or Washington’s Birthday?

Presidents’ Day is observed annually on the third Monday in February. In 2023, Presidents’ Day will be celebrated on Monday, February 20.

Although the holiday is most often referred to as “Presidents’ Day,” the observed federal holiday is officially called “Washington’s Birthday.”

Washington’s birthday was celebrated on February 22 until well into the 20th century.

In 1968, Congress passed the Monday Holiday Law to “provide uniform annual observances of certain legal public holidays on Mondays.” By creating more 3-day weekends, Congress hoped to “bring substantial benefits to both the spiritual and economic life of the Nation.”

Additionally, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is in February (on the 12th), so by calling the holiday “Presidents’ Day,” we can include another remarkable president in our celebrations as well.

In a sense, calling the holiday Presidents’ Day helps us to reflect on not just the first president, but also the founding of our nation, its values, and what Washington calls in his Farewell Address the “beloved Constitution and union, as received from the Founders.”

Today, George Washington’s Birthday is one of only eleven permanent federal holidays established by Congress. One of the great traditions followed for decades has been the reading by a U.S. senator of George Washington’s Farewell Address in legislative session, which remains an annual event to this day.

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Around Town

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Real Estate

realestate-blueridge.com

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In The Kitchen

Red Velvet Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup (193.5 g) creamy peanut butter
• 1⅓  cups (267 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 ½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• ⅓ cup (67 g) red sanding sugar
• 1 bag Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. LIne a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add butter, peanut butter, and sugar. Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Reduce to low speed and add in egg, milk, vanilla, and red food coloring. Mix for about 30 seconds to incorporate. Then, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and blend until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl sift cocoa, flour, baking soda, and salt. With the stand mixer on slow speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined.

Remove the mixer bowl from the stand. Using a 1-tablespoon scoop, drop dough onto the lined baking sheet. Roll each scoop of dough into a ball.
Pour red sanding sugar onto small plate or bowl.

Roll each dough ball in red sanding sugar and place it back onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each ball of dough. (If you prefer the cookies extra chewy, chill for 10 minutes in the freezer before baking.) Bake for 7-8 minutes.

When the cookies are done baking, remove them from the oven and immediately press a chocolate Kiss into the center of each cookie. The cookie should crack around the edges.

Allow cookies to cool to room temperature before serving.

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Don’t forget our Furry Friends!!! – humanesocietyofblueridge.org

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