February 8

How I Celebrated

This was my first time cooking anything with molasses and I had never had a molasses bar. It is a very strong flavor and not too sweet. After a long Super Bowl Sunday filled with  snacks and a party, it almost felt sobering to me. A palate cleanser if you will. Also, the leftover potato chips made it easy to have something ready for potato lovers day, and I'll probably have some oatmeal for breakfast tonight.

Diet Helpers 

• Sugar Free

  Molasses is made from sugar cane/ brown sugar, usually. The articles I have read say there are other ways of making it, but a quick search does not show up to be very fruitful. Here is a flavoring molasses made from stevia (I am not sure how they make molasses "flavor" but okay...)

• Gluten Free

  Here is a recipe from jam hands for gluten free molasses bars
  Be careful about oatmeal, just because of where it is produced/ manufactured. Otherwise oats are gluten free.

• Vegetarian

  You will mostly have to make sure your Chinese New Year Dishes are meat free.

Recipes

• Here are a bunch of molasses bar recipes from cooks.com
• And a bunch of simple potato recipes from country living
• And an amazing amount of recipes for oatmeal from Mr. Breakfast
• Food network has you covered for recipes for Chinese New Years

Follow Molly's board February 8 Recipes on Pinterest.

History

Punchbowl on molasses bar day
I don't know if I have had real molasses before. Hmm need to read more about it, it is interesting that it can come from more than just sugar cane.

Merchandise

That potato sack dress is hilarious. And quite appropriate for torsos.
Follow Molly's board February 8 Merch on Pinterest.

Restaurants

• There is a restaurant called Molasses at the St Regis Hotel in Puerto Rico
• Here is a bunch of stuff to do in LA during Chinese New Year
• Even restaurants like Mcdonald's sells oatmeal for breakfast now (man, they must make a killing), but there is an oatmeal bar in NY called Oat Meals
• Humble Potato looks like a modern (cough hipster) restaurant with a Japanese twist and the potatos they serve are... fries. Nice.

Other Things to Celebrate Today

• National Cherry Month
• Celebration of Chocolate Month
• National Hot Breakfast Month
• National Snack Food Month
• Potato Lover's Month
• Berry Fresh Month
• Canned Food Month
• Great American Pies Month
• Fiber Focus Month
• National Grapefruit Month
• Sweet Potato Month
• National Fondue Month
• National Heart Healthy Month
• Return Carts to the Supermarket Month
• Bake for Family Fun Month
• Boy Scout Anniversary Week
• Celebration of Love Week
• Children of Alcoholics Week
• Dump Your Significant Jerk Week
• Freelance Writers Appreciation Week
• Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week
• International Week of Black Women In the Arts
• Jell-O Week
• Just Say No to Power Point Week
• Love Makes the World Go Round, but Laughter Keeps Us From Getting Dizzy Week
• National Marriage Week USA
• National Secondhand Wardrobe Week
• Publicity for Profit Week
• Risk Awareness Week
• Boy Scout Anniversary Day
• Laugh and Get Rich Day
• Lunar New Year
• Opera Day