Today is National Chocolate Chip Day. Here is a delicious recipe from former First Lady Laura Bush’s own personal recipe collection.

Beginning in 1992, Family Circle magazine has organized a political bake-off during every presidential election year. It was already a popular thing for the presidential candidates wives to release their family recipes during the campaign to help them become more relatable to the voters. Family Circle magazine then decided to “up the ante” by publishing cookie recipes from the wives of each presidential candidate and asked their readers to try baking both and then vote on their favorite cookie.

It’s interesting that the results of the bake-off have almost always predicted the winner of the presidential election – except for a minor few.

Laura Bush’s Cowboy Cookie was in competition with Tipper Gore’s Ginger Snap cookie during the 2000 presidential election and won!

and well…the rest is history 🍪

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Today in American history…George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 at Popes Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia to Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington. He once reflected on his mother by saying, “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”

George Washington served two terms as the first President of the United States from April 30, 1789 until March 4, 1797 and has been famously referred to as the “Father of our Nation” for his distinguished leadership in the formative days of our new country.

“Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.” — George Washington

(Paintings by Gilbert Stuart)

Louisa Adams was born February 12, 1775. Did you know that she was the very first First Lady to be born in a foreign country? She was born and raised in London. She met her husband, John Quincy Adams, while he was serving as the U.S. Minister in London and they were married in London on July 26, 1797.

Today in American history…Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809. He is truly my personal favorite in that I’ve always admired his strength and tenacity to succeed. Coming from humble beginnings and born in a log cabin in Kentucky, he taught himself at a young age to read and write. He would eventually become a famous lawyer, served a term as a US Representative from Illinois (1847-1849) and then as our 16th US President (1861-1865).

Mary Todd Lincoln quite often made a “white cake” for Abraham Lincoln while they were courting and it was one of his favorites after they were married. She made it for special holidays and especially his birthday. It was also served on their table at their home in Springfield, Illinois for a reception on the evening he was first elected to the Presidency. So, I like to imagine they would have had it today as well – to celebrate his birthday.

Here is a recipe from the book, Lincoln’s Table, by Donna D. McCreary and was adapted by Janice Cooke Newman. We’ve enjoyed making it several times and it’s something you can even make in your own kitchen. How wonderful for us to be able to enjoy something the same way Abraham Lincoln once did.

Happy Birthday, Mr President!

Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Cake

Ingredients
1 Cup blanched almonds, chopped in a food processor until they resemble a coarse flour
1 Cup butter
2 Cups sugar
3 Cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 Cup milk
6 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
confectionary sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.
Cream butter and sugar. Sift flour and baking powder 3 times. Add to creamed butter and sugar, alternating with milk. Stir in almonds and beat well.

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Stir in vanilla extract.

Pour into prepared pan and and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Turn out on a wire rack and cool. When cool, sift confectionary sugar over top.

A basic white frosting sprinkled with almonds was also popular.

Today in American history…William Henry Harrison was born in on February 9, 1773 in Charles City County, Virginia.

Some of his lifetime achievements were:

First Governor of the Indiana Territory January 10, 1801 – December 28, 1812

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio‘s First District October 8, 1816 – March 3, 1819

Member of the Ohio Senate (Hamilton County) 1819–1821

U.S. Senator from Ohio March 4, 1825 – May 20, 1828

U.S. Minister to Gran Colombia May 24, 1828 – September 26, 1829

He was our 9th US President and unfortunately has the distinction of serving the shortest Presidency (March 4 – April 4, 1841) due to becoming ill and passing away shortly after his inauguration.

He was the very first President to die in office.

William Henry Harrison also holds the record of having the longest inauguration speech of 8,445 words which took nearly 2 hours to read!

Today in American history…Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 to Jack and Nelle Reagan in the small town of Tampico, Illinois.

In his early years, he moved to Iowa and was a radio announcer for the Chicago Cubs basebal games. It was while he was traveling with the Chicago Cubs in 1937 to California that he did a screen test for Warner Brothers movie studio and was signed to a seven year contract. One of his most popular roles was the role of George Gipp in the film Knute Rockne: All American. From then on, he would be forever coined with the nickname “The Gipper.”

Some of the few highlights of Ronald Reagan’s life were:

President of the Screen Actors Guild from 1947 – 1952 and also served as President 1959-60.

Governor of California from 1967-1975

Elected as our Nation’s 40th U.S. President on November 4, 1980. He was re-elected to serve a second term on November 4, 1984.

Today in American history…one of our beloved and historic film stars was born on February 1, 1901 in Cadiz, Ohio.

His most famous role would be as Rhett Butler in the classic movie Gone with the Wind which premiered on December 15, 1939.

Not only was he a world famous movie star…he also signed up for the US Army under the Army Air Forces on August 12, 1942. During World War II, he flew several combat missions and was promoted to Major in 1944. He rseigned his commission with the US Army in 1947 and was awarded several military honors for his service:

The Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

After his military service, Clark Gable resumed his acting career until his death on November 16, 1960.

Today in American history…Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882 in Hyde Park, New York.

A few of his lifetime achievements were:

Member of the New York State Senate from the 26th District

January 1, 1911 – March 17, 1913

Assistant Secretary of Navy

March 17, 1913 – August 26, 1920

44th Governor of New York

January 1, 1929 – January 1, 1933

32nd President of the United States

March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945

Fun fact. President Roosevelt was related (either by blood or marriage) to 11 former U.S. Presidents:

John Adams, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison, William Howard Taft and of course…Theodore Roosevelt who was his 5th cousin.

Theodore Roosevelt was also Eleanor Roosevelt’s paternal uncle.

Today in American history…Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.

He was essential in organizing the very first major protest of the Civil Rights Movement with the Montgomery Bus Boycott which was a political and social protest campaign speaking out against the policy of racial segregation by the public transit system in Montgomery Alabama. The boycott began on December 5, 1955, a few days after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person. The campaign ended on December 20, 1956, with the federal ruling of Browder v. Gayle which led to the United States Supreme Court decision in which Alabama and Montgomery laws that allowed segregated public transportation were deemed unconstitutional.

On August 28, 1963, Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of The Lincoln Memorial as part of the March on Washington. The March on Washington was to advocate for the civil rights of African Americans.

Due to his bravery and persistence, he was a part of the achievement of two of the Civil Rights Movement’s greatest achievements. In 1964, the ratification of the 24th Amendment abolished the poll tax and also the Civil Rights Act which prohibited racial discrimination in the workplace and schools. It also prohibited racial discrimination in all public facilities.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1964.

He believed in peaceful protest even when met with violence. His strength, fearlessness and determination to be a voice for securing civil rights for African Americans made him one of the most revered and beloved persons in American history.