I love it when Litehouse gives me writing prompts on cultural events because it gives me the opportunity to learn something new.  So up until today, I have known of President's Day to be a day off of work. It's also usually a day where there are really good sales at the mall.  I did know that it had something to do with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but not much beyond that. So today we're going to take it back to High School history class and learn a little lesson in our nation's heritage. I'll try to make this as exciting as possible, so brace yourself!

Washington's Birthday was originally founded to celebrate the birthday of George Washington (obviously) and American citizens. There was a push later on to rename the holiday to also celebrate Abraham Lincoln's birthday, which is also in February.  The bill was passed to include his birthday in the holiday as well, but kept the name Washington's Birthday.  It was not until the 1980's that the term President's Day actually caught on when there was a push from advertisers to combine the two birthdays into one. Leave it to advertising!

Enjoy a Bite of Chicken Soup with Dumplings

Which brings us to today, a day off for President’s Day.  The celebration of our nation's heritage got me thinking about the foods that also founded this country. Roasted meats, pastries and pies, and bread pudding all come to mind when I think about historical foods. Fast forward a little bit to the 1900's makes and I start to think of some of the staples that my grandparent's grew up on.  Living during the Great Depression caused people to get very creative with their meals. People were forced to create wholesome meals with the cheapest ingredients. And so, this is the era where chicken and dumplings come from. This is one of my favorite comfort foods and the best part is that it's so quick and easy to prepare.  Today you can take a lot of short cuts when making this dish by purchasing rotisserie chicken and canned broth.  When eating this dish you can't help but feel nostalgic thinking about your childhood and a bond to our great heritage.  Despite the shortcuts that you can take with this recipe, you can still feel a sense of bond to your heritage when crafting this dish.

Chicken and Dumplings Ready to Eat

What are some foods that make you reflect on your heritage?