PUHI — Having events like National Peanut Butter Cookie Day helps keep things interesting, said Kathy Peters, general manager of the Regency at Puakea on Tuesday morning. “The corporate office decides on what events we will celebrate, and we go
PUHI — Having events like National Peanut Butter Cookie Day helps keep things interesting, said Kathy Peters, general manager of the Regency at Puakea on Tuesday morning.
“The corporate office decides on what events we will celebrate, and we go along with the decision,” Peters said. “We also distributed malasadas to our residents this morning, too. It just happened to coincide with National Peanut Butter Cookie Day.”
Peters and her Regency staff extended the observance gesture to the community: visitors received a free homemade peanut butter cookie and a glass of iced tea — in celebration of June being National Iced Tea Month — from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Chef Ryan Theis bakes up a mean batch of peanut butter cookies and this way, we get to share his talents with members of the community,” Peters said. “He actually got to be on the radio this morning, inviting people to come have a cookie.”
According to the Punchbowl, a party planning website, the Aztecs invented peanut butter in the 14th century, but the peanut butter cookie did not become an American favorite until the early 1900s.
George Washington Carver published three peanut butter cookie recipes in a 1916 research bulletin during his promotion of peanuts and its many uses.
The criss-cross fork marks started to be used in 1932 when the Schenectady Gazette published the first peanut butter cookie recipe calling for the iconic marks which have stayed with the cookie until today.
Peters said the next holiday observance will be National Picnic Day on Monday, during which the residents will have the facility done up picnic-style with a special menu of picnic favorites including hot dogs and hamburgers for lunch.
“We get to celebrate something almost daily to keep things interesting,” Peters said.
According to the State Symbols USA website, June is also National Candy Month, National Dairy Month, National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, and National Papaya Month in addition to National Iced Tea Month.
The Regency at Puakea is a retirement and assisted living facility located in Lihu‘e.
Visit www.statesymbolsusa.org for more information on food observances and www.regencypuakea.com for information on the Regency.
