It’s National Pie Day! Celebrate today by enjoying a delicious piece of this decadent dessert – from apple to chocolate cream to Illinois’ official pie: pumpkin!

Pumpkin pie was designated as the state’s official pie in 2015. The General Assembly passed the legislation as a tribute to how much pumpkin is produced in Illinois. About 85% of consumed pumpkin in the U.S. comes from Illinois.

Pumpkin pie also has a rich history in America. The roots of pumpkin pie go back to a time when European settlers were experimenting with locally grown foods. They learned how to boil or steam pumpkins that were first domesticated by Native Americans. Early recipes for pumpkin pie can be found in both early Colonial and French cookbooks.

An 1827 novel is responsible for pumpkin pie’s connection to Thanksgiving. In “Northwood: A Tale of New England,” author Sara Josepha Hale dedicated a whole chapter to the description of the now-classic Thanksgiving dinner. In 1863, Hale convinced President Abraham Lincoln to declare a national day of Thanksgiving.

In Alton, what is known as a portion of the town titled “Upper Alton” is also known as Historic Pie Town. In 1846, soldiers gathering near Alton, on route to the Mexican war, camped in an area which is now Rock Spring Park. Ladies in surrounding homes delivered pies to the travelers, thus the town’s name became Pie Town.

Here are some of the best spots for pie in Illinois:

• Pies by Ingie, Monticello – made from scratch small-batch pies
• Lucky Moon Pies & More, Mahomet – pie shop with pie of the month club
• Common Grounds Café & Pie Shop, Gridley – specialty coffee drinks and seasonal pies
• The Confectionary Inc., Morton – from scratch pies, open since 1976
• The Apple Barn, Chatham – plants, bakery with homemade pies

Celebrate National Pie Day today by indulging in some delicious pie.

Thanksgiving is approaching rapidly this year – meaning the delicious menu is on the horizon. Turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, and traditional Thanksgiving foods will likely be on the table this year.

Illinois’ favorite? Mashed potatoes and salad.

Every year, Campbell releases its “State of the Sides,” which shows each state’s favorite side dishes.

The top dish in the United States is mashed potatoes. Second place went to stuffing/dressing. Third place was macaroni and cheese, and sweet potatoes and green bean casserole took the fourth and fifth place spots.

More than 65% of Americans prefer side dishes compared to the main entrée.

Indiana and Wisconsin both chose stuffing as their favorite side dish.

The average American household serves five side dishes with their holiday meals.

To read more about Campbell’s “State of the Sides”, click here.

What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food?

This year, the third annual National Butter Day will be celebrated Friday, Nov. 17! For those wondering, National Butter Day came along in 2021 thanks to Associated Milk Producers Inc., which is a dairy farm cooperative that helps thousands of farm families across the nation produce quality dairy products including our beloved butter. The co-op has been around for over five decades, and the family farms associated with the co-op span the upper Midwest including parts of northwest Illinois.

Butter is a household staple for many families in Illinois and plays a large role in our state’s culture. Each year, one of the main attractions of the Illinois State Fair is the iconic Butter Cow. Back in August, the Butter Cow sculpture for 2023 was unveiled. The 800-pound sculpture was created by Sarah Pratt and honored Lorilee Schultz, an Illinois dairy farmer whose family farm goes back generations. The sculpture was proudly displayed in the Dairy Building at the state fair for everyone to enjoy.

Additionally, butter can be used to make already delicious foods even better. Illinoisans know this well. The official state snack of Illinois is popcorn. Popcorn and butter have always gone hand-in-hand and thanks to Illinois farmers, the bite-size delicacy can be found across the nation as the state is a top producer of the snack with 28,000 acres of farmland dedicated to its production.

Butter is also a top contributor to making popular foods in Illinois the best around. From beef sandwiches, to apple fritters, butter rolls and on our favorite roasted meats, we can always count on butter to elevate any food.

This holiday season, remember to keep butter stocked and ready!

Nov. 16 is National Fast Food Day. Did you know that Illinois has a rich history in the founding and incorporation of several fast food restaurants?

Ray Kroc, one of the founders of McDonald’s, opened his first restaurant in Des Plaines in April 1955. Although this is actually the ninth McDonald’s restaurant, the company refers to this as The Original McDonald’s. This location marked the beginning of Kroc’s involvement with the company, as he went on to become the CEO of McDonald’s. The headquarters of McDonald’s is located in Chicago.

Sandy’s was an American fast food chain that began in Kewanee in 1956 by founders Gus “Brick” Lundberg, Robert C. Wenger, Paul White and W.K. Davidson. The company was taken over by Hardee’s in the 1970s.

Sherb Noble opened the very first Dairy Queen in Joliet in 1940. The formula for soft-serve ice cream was first developed in 1938 by J.F. McCullough and his son Alex. They convinced their friend Sherb Noble to offer the product in his ice cream store in Kankakee, and on the first day of sales Noble sold more than 1,600 servings of ice cream. Noble and the McCulloughs then opened up the Joliet Dairy Queen.

Consider stopping for some fast food as you celebrate National Fast Food Day this week!