Welcome to Christmas
I'm going to post gift ideas and recipes, as well as other fun things each day until Christmas. Check back often for decorating tips, recipes, and other fun stuff!
GIFT IDEAS
Chocolate spoons - In a microwave safe bowl, melt 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips and 3/4 c. milk chocolate chips. Stir until well blended. Dip a plastic spoon into the chocolate, or fill the bowl of the spoon with chocolate, then set spoon on wax paper and refrigerate until firm. Place two or three spoons in a mug (from the Dollar store) along with two or three packets of hot cocoa mix. Wrap in plastic and tie with a ribbon.
A plate of cookies with a tag attached reading "Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, from your "crummy" neighbors.
Time Alone -- Offer to take care of the kids, answer the phone, and deal with any emergencies that crop up in order to give the recipient time to enjoy whatever they want or to catch up with their own to-do list.
*****
DECORATING TIP
Place small groups of cinnamon sticks with decorative ribbon tied around them all over your home. Potpourri is quite expensive for a full and delightful scent. Cheat this year and enjoy a scent straight from Mother Nature.
GAME IDEA
Christmas Card Puzzles
Gather 10-20 (depending on the size of the group) cards and cut each one into 3 or 4 pieces, using straight lines. Mix the pieces, then lay them out on a flat surface. Take turns one at a time to see how many matches you can make in a given period of time, or have a giant free-for all with everyone trying to make matches at the same time. You could even play pairs and have one grab the pieces while the other puts them together. It’s all up to you. Store the cards in a shoebox for next time.
*****
RECIPES
Apple Muffins
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
4 cup vegetable oil or butter, melted
1 cup sweet-tart medium to large apple, cored, peeled and chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 12-cup muffin tin or use paper liners. With a wire whisk combine first set of ingredients. In another bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add chopped apple and wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir only until moistened. Spoon into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until tested done with tester.
CHOCOLATE ORANGE FUDGE
Fudge is a holiday favorite throughout the south–some version are creamy and others are granular. This recipe makes a deliciously dense, grainy fudge.
2 c. fine granulated sugar 1/4 t. salt
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 t. butter (unsalted)
2/3 c. heavy cream 1/3 c. finely chopped candies orange peel
Butter an 8-inch square glass baking dish. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan combine sugar, chocolate,
cream, and salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and
chocolate is melted. Cook mixture, without stirring until a candy thermometer registers 238EF.
Remove pan from heat and add butter and orange peel, swirling pan without stirring. Cool fudge 5
minutes and beat with a wooden spoon until it just begins to lose its gloss (do not overbeat or fudge
will seize). Pour fudge immediately into baking dish and cool 15 minutes, or until it begins to
harden. Cut fudge into 1-inch squares and cool completely. Makes about 1 lb.
CARAMELS
1 c. butter or margarine 1 c. light corn syrup
2 1/4 c packed brown sugar 1 15-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
dash salt 1 t. vanilla
Melt butter in heavy 3-quart saucepan. Add sugar and salt. Stir thoroughly. Stir in corn syrup. Mix well. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over MEDIUM heat to firm ball stage (245 EF), approx. 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour into buttered 9 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Cool and cut into squares. (I use parchment paper rather than buttering the pan. It makes it a little easier to remove from the pan.)
EASY PARMESAN GARLIC CHICKEN
1/2 c. low fat Kraft Grated Parmesan
1 envelope Italian Salad Dressing mix
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 t. garlic powder
Mix cheese, garlic & dressing mix. Moisten chicken w/water, coat w/cheese mixture. Place in shallow baking dish. Bake 400 for 20-25 min.
GREAT GRAPE JUICE
makes 10 servings
2 ½ c pineapple juice 2 tbsp lemon juice
2 ½ c orange juice 16 oz ginger ale
2 ½ c grape juice
Combine fruit juices. Gently add ginger ale and serve immediately.
HAWAIIAN LOAF
1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 c. mashed ripe banana
4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 c. flaked coconut
Beat butter w/ electric mixer until light & fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until light. Add eggs, beat well. Stir in banana. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Add to butter mixture, mixing just until smooth. Fold in pineapple & coconut. Spoon batter into 2 greased & floured 9 x 5 loaf pans. Bake preheated 350 oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 60-70 min.
PEACHY FREEZE
makes 2 servings
¾ c cold milk 3 drops almond extract
¾ c chilled peaches ½ c vanilla ice cream
¼ t salt
Blend milk, peaches, salt & almond extract until smooth. Add ice cream and blend until smooth.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
World Gratitude Day
Happy World Gratitude Day!
In 1965, a group of people (from both western and eastern countries) gathered together for Thanksgiving dinner in Hawaii. This group of people, including citizens from over 40 countries, pledged to hold “Gratitude Gatherings” in their home countries the following Sept 21. It became an annual event and was eventually recognized and set aside by the United Nations as World Gratitude Day. It’s a day to recognize the great things that people do. Take the time to think of things you’re most grateful for, and to thank those involved.
Here’s a list of 10 things I’m grateful for:
10. Sunshine. I’m grateful that the sun came up this morning. It would be a dismal day without it! (Thank, you God)
9. That it didn’t snow last night.
Snow, ice and I don’t get along really well, so every morning that I wake up, check to make sure the sun is shining and don’t see snow, I’m grateful. (Thank you, God, again, for keeping snow out of September)
8. Oboes
Sergei Prokofiev, in 1936, cast the oboe in the role of the “duck” in Peter and The Wolf. Apparently, he thought that the oboe sounded like a duck would sound if it were a songbird. The oboe has been much maligned over the years, but where would we be without it? Imagine Moody Blues without the oboe - they just wouldn’t sound the same. So thanks, oboe (and Ray Thomas - flautist and oboeist for MB) , for carrying on, even when people think you squawk like a duck. :)
7. Thumbs
I sprained my thumb last week. Have you ever tried using a curling iron with a sprained thumb? It doesn’t work, so I’m grateful for thumbs. Don’t know quite how to say thanks – maybe rub it with some lotion? We’ll see. Oh, I almost forgot. Thank you, Heavenly Father for giving us thumbs
6. Bony knees
My husband has the boniest knees in the world. They’re so bony that they’re cute. They work perfect, they bend and straighten just like they’re supposed to and they don’t grind or even catch. So thanks, bony knees – maybe I’ll tickle you tonight.
5. Kermit the Frog
How many of you have listened to “It’s Not Easy Being Green” lately? I have. I’m about the most ordinary person that you will ever meet, and Kermit addresses this situation, “It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things. And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water-or stars in the sky.” Kermit gives dignity to being ordinary as he says, “I am green and it'll do fine...and I think it's what I want to be.” Thanks, Jim Henson. I wish you were still here.
Link to “It’s Not easy being Green” www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbCI68eSNsA
4. Giggles
Where would the world be without giggles? I am so grateful for all of the giggles my kids have given me – all 10 of them. How many children? Ten...that’s right...5 through childbirth and 5 through marriage to my biological children. I’m grateful for all the giggles from: broken eggs, missed buses, frozen car doors, school programs, imitating the monkeys at zoos, dinners that have dissolved into gigglefests, and even church meetings when our entire bench was shaking from poorly restrained giggles. Where would the world be without them? Here’s a giggle song for you www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDo8WHpA5jc&feature=PlayList&p=6A8CA147AE0D0FF7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=35
Thanks, Shannon, Jon, Rachel, Francis, Nathan, Jennifer, Keith, Emma, Gina and Darrell, and thank you, God, for allowing me the privilege of being their Mom.
3. Grandchildren
I wanted to be a grandma from the time I was very young. My Mom had grandchildren older than me, and she enjoyed them so much. I wanted to start out being a grandma! I thought that would be the neatest thing in the whole world. I just couldn’t wait. Well, it took a little longer than I expected, but I am now the grandmother of the two cutest, smartest, most intelligent grandchildren who have ever walked the planet. If you need to verify that, just aske Dean and he will tell you.
Rackelfratz! I tried to put in pictures of them, but it’s not working! Rats! Anyhow, Thank you, Rachel and Francis, for making my childhood dreams come true. **If anyone can tell me how to add pictures, you’ll make my top ten list for sure!!!
2. Dean
Uh-oh, the waterworks are starting already..as a word of advice, you’d better grab a kleenex and wipe off your monitor! Thanks, Dean for standing beside me and allowing me to stand beside you for 35 years!
1. Life
Every night I thank God for the day He has given me and ask Him for one more. Every morning, I thank Him for the blessing of a new day and the chance to use it for good. The greatest gift we can give Him is gratitude, and the best way to express it is by reaching out and lifting those around us. Thank you, Heavenly Father.
So tonight, get together with your friends or family and take a minute to express your gratitude for life, love, giggles, whatever you like be it big or small. :)
*****
(I’m also grateful for fun, easy recipes)
1 – 8 oz. package of vegetable cream cheese spread
16 – Wonton Wrappers
Oil for Frying
1 – Jar of Sweet and Sour sauce for dipping
1. Heat oil in a deep-fat fryer or pour into a deep skillet on high temperature. Vegetable oil or peanut oil works best.
2. While oil is heating, lay out as many wrappers as you plan to use.
3. Have a small bowl of water nearby to wet your fingers in.
4. Put a small dab of cream cheese in one corner of each wrapper, about 1/2” from the edges. Use about 1 tsp.
5. Using your fingers, wet the two edges nearest the cream cheese, then fold the other half down and seal the edges, making a triangle shape.
6. Seal the edges tightly, but try to leave small gaps at the corners so the triangles will not expand so much that they burst.
7. Drop several wontons into oil at a time. Turn over when the edges start to brown and cook for another minute or two.
8. Set on paper towels to drain, then serve hot with sweet-and-sour sauce.
In 1965, a group of people (from both western and eastern countries) gathered together for Thanksgiving dinner in Hawaii. This group of people, including citizens from over 40 countries, pledged to hold “Gratitude Gatherings” in their home countries the following Sept 21. It became an annual event and was eventually recognized and set aside by the United Nations as World Gratitude Day. It’s a day to recognize the great things that people do. Take the time to think of things you’re most grateful for, and to thank those involved.
Here’s a list of 10 things I’m grateful for:
10. Sunshine. I’m grateful that the sun came up this morning. It would be a dismal day without it! (Thank, you God)
9. That it didn’t snow last night.
Snow, ice and I don’t get along really well, so every morning that I wake up, check to make sure the sun is shining and don’t see snow, I’m grateful. (Thank you, God, again, for keeping snow out of September)
8. Oboes
Sergei Prokofiev, in 1936, cast the oboe in the role of the “duck” in Peter and The Wolf. Apparently, he thought that the oboe sounded like a duck would sound if it were a songbird. The oboe has been much maligned over the years, but where would we be without it? Imagine Moody Blues without the oboe - they just wouldn’t sound the same. So thanks, oboe (and Ray Thomas - flautist and oboeist for MB) , for carrying on, even when people think you squawk like a duck. :)
7. Thumbs
I sprained my thumb last week. Have you ever tried using a curling iron with a sprained thumb? It doesn’t work, so I’m grateful for thumbs. Don’t know quite how to say thanks – maybe rub it with some lotion? We’ll see. Oh, I almost forgot. Thank you, Heavenly Father for giving us thumbs
6. Bony knees
My husband has the boniest knees in the world. They’re so bony that they’re cute. They work perfect, they bend and straighten just like they’re supposed to and they don’t grind or even catch. So thanks, bony knees – maybe I’ll tickle you tonight.
5. Kermit the Frog
How many of you have listened to “It’s Not Easy Being Green” lately? I have. I’m about the most ordinary person that you will ever meet, and Kermit addresses this situation, “It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things. And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water-or stars in the sky.” Kermit gives dignity to being ordinary as he says, “I am green and it'll do fine...and I think it's what I want to be.” Thanks, Jim Henson. I wish you were still here.
Link to “It’s Not easy being Green” www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbCI68eSNsA
4. Giggles
Where would the world be without giggles? I am so grateful for all of the giggles my kids have given me – all 10 of them. How many children? Ten...that’s right...5 through childbirth and 5 through marriage to my biological children. I’m grateful for all the giggles from: broken eggs, missed buses, frozen car doors, school programs, imitating the monkeys at zoos, dinners that have dissolved into gigglefests, and even church meetings when our entire bench was shaking from poorly restrained giggles. Where would the world be without them? Here’s a giggle song for you www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDo8WHpA5jc&feature=PlayList&p=6A8CA147AE0D0FF7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=35
Thanks, Shannon, Jon, Rachel, Francis, Nathan, Jennifer, Keith, Emma, Gina and Darrell, and thank you, God, for allowing me the privilege of being their Mom.
3. Grandchildren
I wanted to be a grandma from the time I was very young. My Mom had grandchildren older than me, and she enjoyed them so much. I wanted to start out being a grandma! I thought that would be the neatest thing in the whole world. I just couldn’t wait. Well, it took a little longer than I expected, but I am now the grandmother of the two cutest, smartest, most intelligent grandchildren who have ever walked the planet. If you need to verify that, just aske Dean and he will tell you.
Rackelfratz! I tried to put in pictures of them, but it’s not working! Rats! Anyhow, Thank you, Rachel and Francis, for making my childhood dreams come true. **If anyone can tell me how to add pictures, you’ll make my top ten list for sure!!!
2. Dean
Uh-oh, the waterworks are starting already..as a word of advice, you’d better grab a kleenex and wipe off your monitor! Thanks, Dean for standing beside me and allowing me to stand beside you for 35 years!
1. Life
Every night I thank God for the day He has given me and ask Him for one more. Every morning, I thank Him for the blessing of a new day and the chance to use it for good. The greatest gift we can give Him is gratitude, and the best way to express it is by reaching out and lifting those around us. Thank you, Heavenly Father.
So tonight, get together with your friends or family and take a minute to express your gratitude for life, love, giggles, whatever you like be it big or small. :)
*****
(I’m also grateful for fun, easy recipes)
1 – 8 oz. package of vegetable cream cheese spread
16 – Wonton Wrappers
Oil for Frying
1 – Jar of Sweet and Sour sauce for dipping
1. Heat oil in a deep-fat fryer or pour into a deep skillet on high temperature. Vegetable oil or peanut oil works best.
2. While oil is heating, lay out as many wrappers as you plan to use.
3. Have a small bowl of water nearby to wet your fingers in.
4. Put a small dab of cream cheese in one corner of each wrapper, about 1/2” from the edges. Use about 1 tsp.
5. Using your fingers, wet the two edges nearest the cream cheese, then fold the other half down and seal the edges, making a triangle shape.
6. Seal the edges tightly, but try to leave small gaps at the corners so the triangles will not expand so much that they burst.
7. Drop several wontons into oil at a time. Turn over when the edges start to brown and cook for another minute or two.
8. Set on paper towels to drain, then serve hot with sweet-and-sour sauce.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Labor Day
The logic of having Labor Day on the first Monday in September has always escaped me. I know for an absolute fact that Labor Day should be celebrated on Jan 6th, Feb 15th, March 31st, July 21st, or July 26th. It’s just got to be one of THOSE Days. I know. I’ve experienced it.
Historians have missed the whole point of Labor Day. They tell you that it all started with the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th and 19th centuries. America needed people to run its factories and machines, and millions answered the call. They came from the farms to the cities in search of the American dream. You know, a horse in every stable and ice in every box–that kind of thing. They wanted security and a stable income. What many of them got however was l2 to 14 hour shifts working in sometimes dangerous conditions with poor pay and little chance of advancement. As individuals, they could not influence companies to improve working conditions, so they began to form labor organizations who would bargain for all employees.
As the importance of those every day workers came to be recognized, the idea of a day honoring them was suggested around 1880 by Peter J. McGuire, founder of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City by the Knights of Labor with a picnic. (Yes! What a great idea)
By 1894, 23 states had Labor Day legislation on their books and the Federal Government declared the first Monday in September to be a day set aside to honor the labors and contributions of the American worker.
Today Labor Day is primarily celebrated as the last holiday of the summer. It’s the final long weekend, a chance to take the boat out, have a barbecue, go water skiing, empty your last bottle of sun screen, make some homemade ice cream, or even enjoy some backpacking. In some areas there are parades and speeches as well.
As for myself, well, none of my children or granchildren are home to celebrate Labor Day (....maybe they’ll call....maybe they’ll send an e-mail...maybe they’ll comment on my blog) after all, I worked hard to get them here. Dean is at work, so I’m going to relax and watch a movie.
Some Labor Day movie suggestions are:
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Bound For Glory (1976)
Norma Rae (1979)
The China Syndrome (1979)
Nine to Five (1980)
The Pursuit of Happiness (2006)
Raspberry Orange Ice Cream
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
juice from one large orange
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup half-and-half cream
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Place the raspberries in a blender; cover and process on medium-high speed until chopped. Combine all ingredients in the cylinder of an ice cream freezer. Stir in sugar is dissolved. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
Or
Frozen Cherry Yogurt
5 cups fresh or frozen dark, sweet cherries, pitted and thawed
10 cups plain yogurt
2 1/2 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar melted honey
2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Puree half of the cherries in blender. Set aside remaining whole cherries. Combine pureed cherries with yogurt, whipping cream, honey and vanilla. Freeze as directed. Remove DASHER and stir in reserved whole cherries before ripening.
Historians have missed the whole point of Labor Day. They tell you that it all started with the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th and 19th centuries. America needed people to run its factories and machines, and millions answered the call. They came from the farms to the cities in search of the American dream. You know, a horse in every stable and ice in every box–that kind of thing. They wanted security and a stable income. What many of them got however was l2 to 14 hour shifts working in sometimes dangerous conditions with poor pay and little chance of advancement. As individuals, they could not influence companies to improve working conditions, so they began to form labor organizations who would bargain for all employees.
As the importance of those every day workers came to be recognized, the idea of a day honoring them was suggested around 1880 by Peter J. McGuire, founder of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City by the Knights of Labor with a picnic. (Yes! What a great idea)
By 1894, 23 states had Labor Day legislation on their books and the Federal Government declared the first Monday in September to be a day set aside to honor the labors and contributions of the American worker.
Today Labor Day is primarily celebrated as the last holiday of the summer. It’s the final long weekend, a chance to take the boat out, have a barbecue, go water skiing, empty your last bottle of sun screen, make some homemade ice cream, or even enjoy some backpacking. In some areas there are parades and speeches as well.
As for myself, well, none of my children or granchildren are home to celebrate Labor Day (....maybe they’ll call....maybe they’ll send an e-mail...maybe they’ll comment on my blog) after all, I worked hard to get them here. Dean is at work, so I’m going to relax and watch a movie.
Some Labor Day movie suggestions are:
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Bound For Glory (1976)
Norma Rae (1979)
The China Syndrome (1979)
Nine to Five (1980)
The Pursuit of Happiness (2006)
Raspberry Orange Ice Cream
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
juice from one large orange
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup half-and-half cream
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Place the raspberries in a blender; cover and process on medium-high speed until chopped. Combine all ingredients in the cylinder of an ice cream freezer. Stir in sugar is dissolved. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
Or
Frozen Cherry Yogurt
5 cups fresh or frozen dark, sweet cherries, pitted and thawed
10 cups plain yogurt
2 1/2 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar melted honey
2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Puree half of the cherries in blender. Set aside remaining whole cherries. Combine pureed cherries with yogurt, whipping cream, honey and vanilla. Freeze as directed. Remove DASHER and stir in reserved whole cherries before ripening.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
July 4th
My earliest memory of the 4th of July is of sitting in the stadium in Boise, ID just prior to the fireworks, watching the retirement of a flag. The history was told of the flag and it was reverently, respectfully placed in a container and burnt. I looked at my father’s face, and saw tears running down his cheeks. I cried, too. I cry today when I hear, “The Ragged Old Flag.” Please take the time to watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6vwXbQZvJo&feature=related
Also check out www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZBTyTWOZCM&feature=related
On the night of April 18, 1775, Joseph Warren (physician, soldier and statesman) told William Dawes and Paul Revere that the King's troops were about to embark in boats from Boston bound for Cambridge and the road to Lexington and Concord. Warren suggested that the most likely objective later that night would be the capture of Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Revere and Dawes were sent out to warn them and to alert colonial militias in nearby towns.
My mother encouraged me as a child, to memorize Longfellow’s poem,
PAUL REVERE'S RIDE
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five:
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year...
For many years I (like many other Americans) thought that he was the only one who rode. In 1896, (yeah, that WAS before I was born!) Helen F Moore penned the following lines
Tis all very well for the children to hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere;
But why should my name be quite forgot,
Who rode as boldly and well, God wot?
Why should I ask? The reason is clear—
My name was Dawes and his was Revere.
Anyhow, back to that night, Dawes covered the southern land route by horseback across Boston Neck and over the Great Bridge to Lexington. Revere first gave instructions to send a signal to Charlestown and then he traveled the northern water route. He crossed the Charles River by rowboat, slipping past the British warship HMS Somerset. Crossings were banned at that hour, but Revere safely landed in Charlestown and rode to Lexington, avoiding a British patrol and later warning almost every house along the route. The warned men and the Charlestown colonists dispatched additional riders to the North Bridge. Ralph Waldo Emerson described the first shot fired by the Patriots at the North Bridge as the "shot heard 'round the world". It was fired April 19, 1775.
Even after that battle, however, many Americans still hoped for reconciliation with the British government, not independence. Over a year later, in June of 1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution in the Continental Congress (based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States…."
The Continental Congress then appointed a committee led by Thomas Jefferson to draft a so-called declaration of independence in case Lee's resolution were adopted, and on July 2, 1776, Congress voted to adopt Lee's resolution.
The Declaration’s first words are:
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them..."
The Founding Fathers, a group of rebels that were sick of English rule by proxy (especially the whole issue of taxation without representation, which was the basis of the Boston Tea Party rebellion) were willing to risk death by hanging for sedition and formally adopted and put their names on the document for all of the world to see. They signed and in so doing said “ciao” to Great Britain.
Samuel Eliot Morrison, American historian (1887-1976) said, ''If the American Revolution had produced nothing but the Declaration of Independence, it would have been worthwhile.'' -
Here is a list of historic events taking place on July 4th.:
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted and signed the Declaration of Independence.
In 1802, the United States Military Academy officially opened at West Point, N.Y.
In 1826, 50 years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died.
In 1831, the fifth president of the United States, James Monroe, died in New York City.
In 1872, the 30th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, was born in Plymouth, Vt.
In 1919, Jack Dempsey won the world heavyweight boxing title by defeating Jess Willard in Toledo, Ohio.
In 1939, baseball's ''Iron Horse,'' Lou Gehrig, said farewell to his fans at New York's Yankee Stadium.
In 1959, America's 49-star flag, honoring Alaskan statehood, was officially unfurled.
In 1960, America's 50-star flag, honoring Hawaiian statehood, was officially unfurled.
In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act, which went into effect the following year.
In 1976, Israeli commandos raided Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing almost all of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by pro-Palestinian hijackers.
Five years ago: A 20-ton slab of granite, inscribed to honor ''the enduring spirit of freedom,'' was laid at the World Trade Center site as the cornerstone of the Freedom Tower skyscraper that will replace the destroyed twin towers.
The final verse of Longfellow’s Poem reads:
So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm, --
A cry of defiance, and not of fear, --
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo forevermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beat of that steed,
And the midnight-message of Paul Revere.
Let us never forget that he/they shared a message of warning, against an enemy that was coming. Let us keep our country, our lands and our freedoms safe and secure.
*****
Recipe
Frozen Raspberry yogurt
1 quart fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 quart plain yogurt
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice or ½ c. orange concetrate
1 T light corn syrup
Combine the raspberries, sugar, and water. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. In a food processor, puree until smooth. Scrape into a large bowl and stir in the yogury, corn syrup, and orange juice. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until cold. Pour the yogurt into the canister of a ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Transfer the frozen yogurt to a covered container and freeze until it is firm enough to scoop, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Also check out www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZBTyTWOZCM&feature=related
On the night of April 18, 1775, Joseph Warren (physician, soldier and statesman) told William Dawes and Paul Revere that the King's troops were about to embark in boats from Boston bound for Cambridge and the road to Lexington and Concord. Warren suggested that the most likely objective later that night would be the capture of Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Revere and Dawes were sent out to warn them and to alert colonial militias in nearby towns.
My mother encouraged me as a child, to memorize Longfellow’s poem,
PAUL REVERE'S RIDE
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five:
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year...
For many years I (like many other Americans) thought that he was the only one who rode. In 1896, (yeah, that WAS before I was born!) Helen F Moore penned the following lines
Tis all very well for the children to hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere;
But why should my name be quite forgot,
Who rode as boldly and well, God wot?
Why should I ask? The reason is clear—
My name was Dawes and his was Revere.
Anyhow, back to that night, Dawes covered the southern land route by horseback across Boston Neck and over the Great Bridge to Lexington. Revere first gave instructions to send a signal to Charlestown and then he traveled the northern water route. He crossed the Charles River by rowboat, slipping past the British warship HMS Somerset. Crossings were banned at that hour, but Revere safely landed in Charlestown and rode to Lexington, avoiding a British patrol and later warning almost every house along the route. The warned men and the Charlestown colonists dispatched additional riders to the North Bridge. Ralph Waldo Emerson described the first shot fired by the Patriots at the North Bridge as the "shot heard 'round the world". It was fired April 19, 1775.
Even after that battle, however, many Americans still hoped for reconciliation with the British government, not independence. Over a year later, in June of 1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution in the Continental Congress (based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States…."
The Continental Congress then appointed a committee led by Thomas Jefferson to draft a so-called declaration of independence in case Lee's resolution were adopted, and on July 2, 1776, Congress voted to adopt Lee's resolution.
The Declaration’s first words are:
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them..."
The Founding Fathers, a group of rebels that were sick of English rule by proxy (especially the whole issue of taxation without representation, which was the basis of the Boston Tea Party rebellion) were willing to risk death by hanging for sedition and formally adopted and put their names on the document for all of the world to see. They signed and in so doing said “ciao” to Great Britain.
Samuel Eliot Morrison, American historian (1887-1976) said, ''If the American Revolution had produced nothing but the Declaration of Independence, it would have been worthwhile.'' -
Here is a list of historic events taking place on July 4th.:
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted and signed the Declaration of Independence.
In 1802, the United States Military Academy officially opened at West Point, N.Y.
In 1826, 50 years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died.
In 1831, the fifth president of the United States, James Monroe, died in New York City.
In 1872, the 30th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, was born in Plymouth, Vt.
In 1919, Jack Dempsey won the world heavyweight boxing title by defeating Jess Willard in Toledo, Ohio.
In 1939, baseball's ''Iron Horse,'' Lou Gehrig, said farewell to his fans at New York's Yankee Stadium.
In 1959, America's 49-star flag, honoring Alaskan statehood, was officially unfurled.
In 1960, America's 50-star flag, honoring Hawaiian statehood, was officially unfurled.
In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act, which went into effect the following year.
In 1976, Israeli commandos raided Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing almost all of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by pro-Palestinian hijackers.
Five years ago: A 20-ton slab of granite, inscribed to honor ''the enduring spirit of freedom,'' was laid at the World Trade Center site as the cornerstone of the Freedom Tower skyscraper that will replace the destroyed twin towers.
The final verse of Longfellow’s Poem reads:
So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm, --
A cry of defiance, and not of fear, --
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo forevermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beat of that steed,
And the midnight-message of Paul Revere.
Let us never forget that he/they shared a message of warning, against an enemy that was coming. Let us keep our country, our lands and our freedoms safe and secure.
*****
Recipe
Frozen Raspberry yogurt
1 quart fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 quart plain yogurt
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice or ½ c. orange concetrate
1 T light corn syrup
Combine the raspberries, sugar, and water. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. In a food processor, puree until smooth. Scrape into a large bowl and stir in the yogury, corn syrup, and orange juice. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until cold. Pour the yogurt into the canister of a ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Transfer the frozen yogurt to a covered container and freeze until it is firm enough to scoop, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Memorial Day Tribute
General Order No. 11
“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.”
Dated 5 May 1868
General John A. Logan
1n 1868, the first Decoration Day (Memorial Day) celebration was held at Arlington National Cemetery where 5,000 people decorated the graves of 20,000 Civil War Veterans (both from the Confederacy and the Union) buried therein. This celebration was inspired by services held in a few small towns across the country honoring soldiers who fell in the 3 years following the Civil war.
In recognition of the sacrifice of those fallen Civil War soldiers, communities across the country began to hold their own ceremonies. The Northern States celebrated the holiday May 30th, while the Southern states celebrated Confederate Memorial Day during January, April or June, depending on which state you lived in. Confederate Memorial Day is still celebrated in many southern states. Following WWI, Decoration Day changed from honoring only Civil War veterans to a day honoring soldiers who fell in all wars.
In 1915, Moina Michaels wrote the following short poem:
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
She came up with the idea of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day and sold them to her friends, family and associates, donating the money to servicemen in need. She wanted to make a difference in the lives of veterans and their families. In 1922, the VFW became the first organization to sell poppies to aid disabled veterans. In 1948, the Post Office honored Moina Michaels by issuing a postage stamp in her honor.
My earliest memory of Memorial Day is of donning our poppies and cutting the flowers in our yard. My family would then go to a nearby cemetery and find the graves of veteran’s that were undecorated. We would split up the flowers between them so that every grave would be decorated. It was very important to my father (WWII US Navy Veteran) to honor his friend’s and fellow soldiers.
In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May, creating a three-day weekend. It seems that the observance of Memorial Day has been lost since that time and it has become just another holiday week-end. The graves of our veterans are neglected and left undecorated. In our busy lives, it seems a shame that we cannot take a few minutes on one day a year to honor those who died for the freedoms we now enjoy. I have to admit that I have not gone to the cemetery or taken flowers this year, but I did make arrangements for my father’s grave to be decorated. I need to remember next year, and never forget the price paid for the freedoms we all enjoy.
*******
Red, White and Blueberry Pie
found at: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Red--White-and-Blueberry-Pie
* 4 squares (1 ounce each) white baking chocolate
* 8 whole fresh strawberries, halved lengthwise
* 1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust (8 inches)
* 3/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries
* 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed
* 3/4 cup Domino® or C&H® Pure Cane Powdered Sugar
* 3/4 cup cold fat-free milk
* 1 package (3.3 ounces) instant white chocolate pudding mix
* 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
* 1 cup reduced-fat whipped topping
Directions:
In a microwave, melt white chocolate; stir until smooth. Dip the halved strawberries halfway in chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place cut side down on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set. Spread the remaining melted chocolate over the bottom and sides of crust. Arrange sliced strawberries in crust.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gradually add milk. Beat in pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes or until thickened; spread evenly over sliced strawberries.
Place blueberries in center of pie. Arrange dipped strawberries around the edge. Pipe whipped topping between the strawberries and blueberries. Chill until serving. Yield: 8 servings.
“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.”
Dated 5 May 1868
General John A. Logan
1n 1868, the first Decoration Day (Memorial Day) celebration was held at Arlington National Cemetery where 5,000 people decorated the graves of 20,000 Civil War Veterans (both from the Confederacy and the Union) buried therein. This celebration was inspired by services held in a few small towns across the country honoring soldiers who fell in the 3 years following the Civil war.
In recognition of the sacrifice of those fallen Civil War soldiers, communities across the country began to hold their own ceremonies. The Northern States celebrated the holiday May 30th, while the Southern states celebrated Confederate Memorial Day during January, April or June, depending on which state you lived in. Confederate Memorial Day is still celebrated in many southern states. Following WWI, Decoration Day changed from honoring only Civil War veterans to a day honoring soldiers who fell in all wars.
In 1915, Moina Michaels wrote the following short poem:
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
She came up with the idea of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day and sold them to her friends, family and associates, donating the money to servicemen in need. She wanted to make a difference in the lives of veterans and their families. In 1922, the VFW became the first organization to sell poppies to aid disabled veterans. In 1948, the Post Office honored Moina Michaels by issuing a postage stamp in her honor.
My earliest memory of Memorial Day is of donning our poppies and cutting the flowers in our yard. My family would then go to a nearby cemetery and find the graves of veteran’s that were undecorated. We would split up the flowers between them so that every grave would be decorated. It was very important to my father (WWII US Navy Veteran) to honor his friend’s and fellow soldiers.
In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May, creating a three-day weekend. It seems that the observance of Memorial Day has been lost since that time and it has become just another holiday week-end. The graves of our veterans are neglected and left undecorated. In our busy lives, it seems a shame that we cannot take a few minutes on one day a year to honor those who died for the freedoms we now enjoy. I have to admit that I have not gone to the cemetery or taken flowers this year, but I did make arrangements for my father’s grave to be decorated. I need to remember next year, and never forget the price paid for the freedoms we all enjoy.
*******
Red, White and Blueberry Pie
found at: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Red--White-and-Blueberry-Pie
* 4 squares (1 ounce each) white baking chocolate
* 8 whole fresh strawberries, halved lengthwise
* 1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust (8 inches)
* 3/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries
* 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed
* 3/4 cup Domino® or C&H® Pure Cane Powdered Sugar
* 3/4 cup cold fat-free milk
* 1 package (3.3 ounces) instant white chocolate pudding mix
* 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
* 1 cup reduced-fat whipped topping
Directions:
In a microwave, melt white chocolate; stir until smooth. Dip the halved strawberries halfway in chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place cut side down on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set. Spread the remaining melted chocolate over the bottom and sides of crust. Arrange sliced strawberries in crust.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gradually add milk. Beat in pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes or until thickened; spread evenly over sliced strawberries.
Place blueberries in center of pie. Arrange dipped strawberries around the edge. Pipe whipped topping between the strawberries and blueberries. Chill until serving. Yield: 8 servings.
Saturday, May 23
Saturday started out like any other normal day – computer time, housework, a trip to town. Nothing prepared me for what was to come.
Dean stuck his head in the computer room and asked if I wanted to go for a 4-wheeler ride. I looked around at everything which needed doing and thought of all the goals that I intended to accomplish, and immediately said ‘Yes!”
You see, for years I have sought after the elusive jackalope. There have been numerous sitings in our area, but none which passed the scrutiny of the press. Perhaps today would be the day that I made history! So off we rode, into the desert.
As we followed the trail, I saw occasional flashes of fur and heard the thunderous noise of jackalopes on the hunt. Faster and faster we sped, until finally, "it" jumped out in front of us. "It" was huge–the size of a large dog!– Never had I seen a more perfect specimen of the jackrabbitous giganticus. While he was an amazing site, he was not our quarry, so on we drove. Staying on the trail, we passed through thickening stands of greasewood and scrub brush, stopping only to rest a few moments by the slow-moving Sevier.
While waiting, a relentless drone filled our ears, like the sound of a jet plane. I gasped in pain! I had been bit! Bit by a voracious skeetervore! Long thought to be extinct, these pre-historic insects can be found within flying distance of trilobite outcroppings. Striking out with gloved fists, we fought them off, finally escaping to the west. As a point of information, if you ever have a dead skeetervore clinging to you, take your hunting knife and cut the muscle on the left side of the neck in order to release it’s grip on you. They can be eaten for food in times of famine, (I’ve heard they taste like tibbars roasted over a spit) but I’ve never been that hungry. Leaving the area, we passed the bleached bones and skin of a calf which had not been so lucky. Shaking our heads, we decided that the time had come for a strategic retreat. The hunt was over.
Lost in thought, we did not even notice the approach of a truckisaurous tex until we found it directly in front of us. We stopped...it stopped. We stared at each other wondering who would make the first move. The truckisaur was a deep blue and towered over us like a ravenous wolf towering over a field mouse... never show fear. They sense it when you do. Determined to take control of the situation, Dean eased us onto the trail and he calmly, nonchalantly approached the behemoth. Just to prove that he was not afraid, he waved at it as we passed.
What courage, what self-control, he didn't even flinch. He's my hero! When I read this to him, he said, “it was just an uneventful ride out to the monument.” “Uneventful?” I didn’t even mention him bravely circling the snake or investigating the truckliner or stalking lizards!
Dean stuck his head in the computer room and asked if I wanted to go for a 4-wheeler ride. I looked around at everything which needed doing and thought of all the goals that I intended to accomplish, and immediately said ‘Yes!”
You see, for years I have sought after the elusive jackalope. There have been numerous sitings in our area, but none which passed the scrutiny of the press. Perhaps today would be the day that I made history! So off we rode, into the desert.
As we followed the trail, I saw occasional flashes of fur and heard the thunderous noise of jackalopes on the hunt. Faster and faster we sped, until finally, "it" jumped out in front of us. "It" was huge–the size of a large dog!– Never had I seen a more perfect specimen of the jackrabbitous giganticus. While he was an amazing site, he was not our quarry, so on we drove. Staying on the trail, we passed through thickening stands of greasewood and scrub brush, stopping only to rest a few moments by the slow-moving Sevier.
While waiting, a relentless drone filled our ears, like the sound of a jet plane. I gasped in pain! I had been bit! Bit by a voracious skeetervore! Long thought to be extinct, these pre-historic insects can be found within flying distance of trilobite outcroppings. Striking out with gloved fists, we fought them off, finally escaping to the west. As a point of information, if you ever have a dead skeetervore clinging to you, take your hunting knife and cut the muscle on the left side of the neck in order to release it’s grip on you. They can be eaten for food in times of famine, (I’ve heard they taste like tibbars roasted over a spit) but I’ve never been that hungry. Leaving the area, we passed the bleached bones and skin of a calf which had not been so lucky. Shaking our heads, we decided that the time had come for a strategic retreat. The hunt was over.
Lost in thought, we did not even notice the approach of a truckisaurous tex until we found it directly in front of us. We stopped...it stopped. We stared at each other wondering who would make the first move. The truckisaur was a deep blue and towered over us like a ravenous wolf towering over a field mouse... never show fear. They sense it when you do. Determined to take control of the situation, Dean eased us onto the trail and he calmly, nonchalantly approached the behemoth. Just to prove that he was not afraid, he waved at it as we passed.
What courage, what self-control, he didn't even flinch. He's my hero! When I read this to him, he said, “it was just an uneventful ride out to the monument.” “Uneventful?” I didn’t even mention him bravely circling the snake or investigating the truckliner or stalking lizards!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother's Day
Today is Mother’s Day. It’s an easy day to celebrate, right? All you have to do is talk about how wonderful and perfect your mother was during your growing up years. You can also tell warm, happy stories about women who are extraordinary, selfless, sacrificing and noble, with your mother at the top of the list. Perhaps you tell the story about how much you wanted that last piece of strawberry pie – the one that was supposed to be your mother’s, so you took it and she forgave you! Or the story about your mother working all day and staying up all night for weeks when you had the measles and how she never even frowned or complained about being tired. Then there was the time you invited 30 2nd grade classmates to your birthday party which your mother didn’t know you were having (because it wasn’t your birthday) and she didn’t yell at you. And then there was the time that...(insert your own story here). Everyone will be happy, right? ...well, maybe not everyone.
I used to have a lot of problems with Mother’s Day programs. I’d go to church and hear people tell stories of impossibly perfect women who lived lives of sacrifice and never said a cross word and never wanted to escape for even an hour. I went home from church feeling terrible. I couldn’t live up those perfect images. – I was a disgrace to the office of mother. I’ve come to learn that I was not alone in those feelings. Some women hate Mother’s Day. They come away from church either filled with guilt or else they don't go at all. They know they’re not perfect and feel that they can never measure up to the image of what a mother ought to be. Others are filled with anger. Their mothers weren’t perfect. They can’t forgive them for things done in the past, or for things happening in the present.
Perhaps this Mother’s Day is tinged with sadness because you’re a long ways away from your mother, or from your children, and you’ll not be able to see each other and express your love face to face. Perhaps you spend Mother’s Day all alone surfing the net while waiting for the phone to ring (or writing blogs).
Perhaps your mother has moved on to the next life and Mother’s Day is a reminder of what you have lost.
There are many women who have tried to become mothers, but without success. To them, having a baby is a dream just out of reach, and Mother’s Day is a day of tears instead of joy. Every year at church a little plant or some other gift to be taken home and thrown away is forced into their clenched fists.
There are two simple words that contain a lot of power to heal. The first one is "attitude" and the second is "action."
First of all, let’s talk about "attitude." Tremendous healing can come into our homes and our families if we would take the "attitude" of "speaking the truth in love." It starts by realizing that our parents weren’t perfect–they turned the hose on us full blast through our bedroom window when we wouldn’t get out of bed! They made mud puddles in the yard and threw our clothes in the puddles when we left them on the floor. They made mistakes. They said things which hurt. They made us cry. We expected them to be perfect, but they weren’t. We may have been disappointed in them at times(foolish children that we were). Now, let’s think about our own children. If we are realistic, we have to admit that our children aren’t perfect either. They’ve made a few mistakes along the way. Now comes the hardest one of all. We must admit that we’re not perfect either. “ I wasn’t a perfect child. And I haven’t been a perfect parent–I ate the last peach on the tree, and the last piece of fudge and I’m glad! I even lost my temper a time or two! I occasionally burnt rice (Ok, so my daughter says that she never had rice that wasn’t at lease scorched until she left home at 18! Pay no attention to her) You know what? It's all right to admit that we make mistakes, because no one else is perfect either."
So what do you do?
OPEN YOUR HEART.
"Be kind." Be kind to each other. Be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself if your child can’t recite the alphabet in Latin by the time he’s two, or name the make and model every car ever made by the time she’s 3.
SHOW COMPASSION
Wouldn’t it be enlightening if somehow we could crawl into the flesh of our aging parents and know what it is like to be trapped in a body that won’t function anymore - that doesn’t see the way it used to - that doesn’t hear the way it used to - that can’t handle things the way it used to, and to know their frustrations because of all that.
What would it be like to have arms that have never held their own child and might never have that joy? How do you comfort the grieving mother who will never seen her child again in this life? Or heal an empty heart that longs to be filled with the sound of a husband’s voice and children’s laughter? Would we value our own children more, would we help others to understand that God still loves them and that being a "mother" is more than giving birth ?
Would we share more? Would we understand more? Would we care?
FORGIVE
Paul says, "Forgive each other," so learn to forgive. Forget those things that have caused rifts in the family, that have brought division and strain. Leave those things to God and forgive so that healing can take place and wounds can disappear. Once they have, your heart will open to the good memories, to the moments of laughter and silliness, of gospel truths taught. The future will be more joyous.
This morning, if you’re a mother living in a beautiful little house in a quiet little neighborhood, and your spring flowers are in full bloom and your children are healthy, and you have a loving supporting husband - then thank God for your blessings. Today is a happy day for you. But if you’re not one of those women, then it is important for you to know that our God has not forgotten you. He wants this to be your day, too. He wants to bring the healing power of His love into your life and into your home and into your family. He wants this to be a happy Mother’s day for all.
My mother loved bread pudding. I loved her, and wish I could make her some bread pudding today. I'd even put raisins in it(I HATE cooked raisins!) I hope it’s on the Celestial Menu for the Angel Arms Apartments in Heaven today.
Bread Pudding with sauce
2 cups half & half
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups bread, torn into small pieces (dried cake cubes work well too)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
In medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat milk (or half & half) just until film forms over top. Combine butter and milk, stirring until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm. Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add milk mixture. Place bread or cake cubes in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Pour batter on top of bread. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm.
Sauce
1 cup whole milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. flour
dash of salt
Mix everything together and bring to a boil for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside for 5 minutes, then pour on warm bread pudding.
I used to have a lot of problems with Mother’s Day programs. I’d go to church and hear people tell stories of impossibly perfect women who lived lives of sacrifice and never said a cross word and never wanted to escape for even an hour. I went home from church feeling terrible. I couldn’t live up those perfect images. – I was a disgrace to the office of mother. I’ve come to learn that I was not alone in those feelings. Some women hate Mother’s Day. They come away from church either filled with guilt or else they don't go at all. They know they’re not perfect and feel that they can never measure up to the image of what a mother ought to be. Others are filled with anger. Their mothers weren’t perfect. They can’t forgive them for things done in the past, or for things happening in the present.
Perhaps this Mother’s Day is tinged with sadness because you’re a long ways away from your mother, or from your children, and you’ll not be able to see each other and express your love face to face. Perhaps you spend Mother’s Day all alone surfing the net while waiting for the phone to ring (or writing blogs).
Perhaps your mother has moved on to the next life and Mother’s Day is a reminder of what you have lost.
There are many women who have tried to become mothers, but without success. To them, having a baby is a dream just out of reach, and Mother’s Day is a day of tears instead of joy. Every year at church a little plant or some other gift to be taken home and thrown away is forced into their clenched fists.
There are two simple words that contain a lot of power to heal. The first one is "attitude" and the second is "action."
First of all, let’s talk about "attitude." Tremendous healing can come into our homes and our families if we would take the "attitude" of "speaking the truth in love." It starts by realizing that our parents weren’t perfect–they turned the hose on us full blast through our bedroom window when we wouldn’t get out of bed! They made mud puddles in the yard and threw our clothes in the puddles when we left them on the floor. They made mistakes. They said things which hurt. They made us cry. We expected them to be perfect, but they weren’t. We may have been disappointed in them at times(foolish children that we were). Now, let’s think about our own children. If we are realistic, we have to admit that our children aren’t perfect either. They’ve made a few mistakes along the way. Now comes the hardest one of all. We must admit that we’re not perfect either. “ I wasn’t a perfect child. And I haven’t been a perfect parent–I ate the last peach on the tree, and the last piece of fudge and I’m glad! I even lost my temper a time or two! I occasionally burnt rice (Ok, so my daughter says that she never had rice that wasn’t at lease scorched until she left home at 18! Pay no attention to her) You know what? It's all right to admit that we make mistakes, because no one else is perfect either."
So what do you do?
OPEN YOUR HEART.
"Be kind." Be kind to each other. Be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself if your child can’t recite the alphabet in Latin by the time he’s two, or name the make and model every car ever made by the time she’s 3.
SHOW COMPASSION
Wouldn’t it be enlightening if somehow we could crawl into the flesh of our aging parents and know what it is like to be trapped in a body that won’t function anymore - that doesn’t see the way it used to - that doesn’t hear the way it used to - that can’t handle things the way it used to, and to know their frustrations because of all that.
What would it be like to have arms that have never held their own child and might never have that joy? How do you comfort the grieving mother who will never seen her child again in this life? Or heal an empty heart that longs to be filled with the sound of a husband’s voice and children’s laughter? Would we value our own children more, would we help others to understand that God still loves them and that being a "mother" is more than giving birth ?
Would we share more? Would we understand more? Would we care?
FORGIVE
Paul says, "Forgive each other," so learn to forgive. Forget those things that have caused rifts in the family, that have brought division and strain. Leave those things to God and forgive so that healing can take place and wounds can disappear. Once they have, your heart will open to the good memories, to the moments of laughter and silliness, of gospel truths taught. The future will be more joyous.
This morning, if you’re a mother living in a beautiful little house in a quiet little neighborhood, and your spring flowers are in full bloom and your children are healthy, and you have a loving supporting husband - then thank God for your blessings. Today is a happy day for you. But if you’re not one of those women, then it is important for you to know that our God has not forgotten you. He wants this to be your day, too. He wants to bring the healing power of His love into your life and into your home and into your family. He wants this to be a happy Mother’s day for all.
*~*
My mother loved bread pudding. I loved her, and wish I could make her some bread pudding today. I'd even put raisins in it(I HATE cooked raisins!) I hope it’s on the Celestial Menu for the Angel Arms Apartments in Heaven today.
Bread Pudding with sauce
2 cups half & half
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups bread, torn into small pieces (dried cake cubes work well too)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
In medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat milk (or half & half) just until film forms over top. Combine butter and milk, stirring until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm. Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add milk mixture. Place bread or cake cubes in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Pour batter on top of bread. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm.
Sauce
1 cup whole milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. flour
dash of salt
Mix everything together and bring to a boil for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside for 5 minutes, then pour on warm bread pudding.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Cinco de Mayo
It all started yesterday when a friend asked me if I knew when the Cinco de Mayo celebration would be. She wanted to take her children to it to learn more about the Latin culture. I told her that I didn’t know what time the festivities began, but 7:00 would probably be safe. Then she told me that she wanted to know what day it was–all she knew was that it was in May! ???????
This morning in my inbox was the following article (I get it EVERY year from someone or other. All my friends know that I love puns)
Hellmann's Mayo
Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery on May 5th in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York.
This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.
The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day.
The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko De Mayo. And now you know where the name originated!
(Groans permitted)
For anyone out there who speaks NO Spanish at all, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on May 5th .
Now as for the pun -- It’s time for some SERIOUS debunking (lol)! The final destination for the Titanic was New York, not Mexico. There was no listing for mayonnaise on the cargo list. Lastly, Hellman’s Mayo was not produced in England until the 1960s. That’s the facts, folks.
Here’s a few more:
In 1861, Benito Juarez became president of Mexico. The country was in financial ruin, and Juarez defaulted on debts to European governments. France, Britain, and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand their money. Britain and Spain negotiated with Juarez and then withdrew, but France stayed. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force. President Juarez and his government fled.
The French were convinced that they would beat the Mexican army easily. Juarez learned that the French planned to attack Puebla de Los Angeles. 2,000 Mexicans fortified the town and prepared for the French attack. Early in the morning of May 5th, 6,000 French soldiers began their assault on the city. When they finally retreated that evening, they had lost 500 soldiers to fewer than 100 Mexicans killed.
Although not a major strategic victory in the overall war against the French, this victory gave the Mexican people hope that they could eventually win the war and helped encourage them through the difficult losses which followed. Six years later France withdrew.
Today, Mexicans celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla as Cinco de Mayo. It has become a celebration of their cultural heritage.
Here’s a few tidbits:
Mexico has the largest population of Spanish speakers in the world
Mexicans comprise the largest group of legal immigrants in the United States.
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, as some assume. Mexico officially gained its independence from Spain some four decades before the conflict with France . Mexico celebrates September 16 -- the anniversary of the start of its War for Independence from Spain -- as its Independence Day (called "Grito de Dolores").
**A significant reward is being offered for anyone who can find my sense of humor today. I appear to have misplaced it. The finder of my sense of humor will be sent a package of long red balloons to use as chili peppers. These balloons can be used for such activities as “Steal the Peppers,” “Whack-a-Chili” and “Chili Pepper Relay.”
Traditional Recipes:
Mexican Rice
1 1/3 cups uncooked rice
3 Tbsp. bacon drippings or cooking oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
2 cups chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) can tomato paste
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
Fry rice in oil in large skillet over medium heat until it turns yellow. (Do not let it turn brown!) Add onion and garlic. Continue frying until onion is transparent. Add chicken broth. Stir in tomato paste, parsley, and cumin. Reduce heat to simmering. Cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed (about twenty minutes).
Fresh Salsa
5-6 ripe roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions
chopped jalapenos to taste (may be omitted if serving to young children)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. cumin (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
juice from one medium fresh lime
Combine all ingredients and stir well. Chill and serve.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
5 Tbsp. chili powder
6 Tbsp. minced onion (dried)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. salt
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. To prepare one pound of ground beef, mix 1/2 cup water and 3 Tbsp. seasoning mix into beef. (Prepared mixture seasons five pounds of ground beef.)
This morning in my inbox was the following article (I get it EVERY year from someone or other. All my friends know that I love puns)
Hellmann's Mayo
Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery on May 5th in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York.
This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.
The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day.
The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko De Mayo. And now you know where the name originated!
(Groans permitted)
For anyone out there who speaks NO Spanish at all, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on May 5th .
Now as for the pun -- It’s time for some SERIOUS debunking (lol)! The final destination for the Titanic was New York, not Mexico. There was no listing for mayonnaise on the cargo list. Lastly, Hellman’s Mayo was not produced in England until the 1960s. That’s the facts, folks.
Here’s a few more:
In 1861, Benito Juarez became president of Mexico. The country was in financial ruin, and Juarez defaulted on debts to European governments. France, Britain, and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand their money. Britain and Spain negotiated with Juarez and then withdrew, but France stayed. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force. President Juarez and his government fled.
The French were convinced that they would beat the Mexican army easily. Juarez learned that the French planned to attack Puebla de Los Angeles. 2,000 Mexicans fortified the town and prepared for the French attack. Early in the morning of May 5th, 6,000 French soldiers began their assault on the city. When they finally retreated that evening, they had lost 500 soldiers to fewer than 100 Mexicans killed.
Although not a major strategic victory in the overall war against the French, this victory gave the Mexican people hope that they could eventually win the war and helped encourage them through the difficult losses which followed. Six years later France withdrew.
Today, Mexicans celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla as Cinco de Mayo. It has become a celebration of their cultural heritage.
Here’s a few tidbits:
Mexico has the largest population of Spanish speakers in the world
Mexicans comprise the largest group of legal immigrants in the United States.
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, as some assume. Mexico officially gained its independence from Spain some four decades before the conflict with France . Mexico celebrates September 16 -- the anniversary of the start of its War for Independence from Spain -- as its Independence Day (called "Grito de Dolores").
**A significant reward is being offered for anyone who can find my sense of humor today. I appear to have misplaced it. The finder of my sense of humor will be sent a package of long red balloons to use as chili peppers. These balloons can be used for such activities as “Steal the Peppers,” “Whack-a-Chili” and “Chili Pepper Relay.”
Traditional Recipes:
Mexican Rice
1 1/3 cups uncooked rice
3 Tbsp. bacon drippings or cooking oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
2 cups chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) can tomato paste
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
Fry rice in oil in large skillet over medium heat until it turns yellow. (Do not let it turn brown!) Add onion and garlic. Continue frying until onion is transparent. Add chicken broth. Stir in tomato paste, parsley, and cumin. Reduce heat to simmering. Cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed (about twenty minutes).
Fresh Salsa
5-6 ripe roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions
chopped jalapenos to taste (may be omitted if serving to young children)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. cumin (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
juice from one medium fresh lime
Combine all ingredients and stir well. Chill and serve.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
5 Tbsp. chili powder
6 Tbsp. minced onion (dried)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. salt
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. To prepare one pound of ground beef, mix 1/2 cup water and 3 Tbsp. seasoning mix into beef. (Prepared mixture seasons five pounds of ground beef.)
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter Sunday
Happy Easter everyone. If you are looking for recipes, or history, check yesterday's blog.
Today is the day we celebrate the atonement and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The only perfect man who ever lived, He broke the bands of death, and made it possible for us to live again. His mercy, grace and atoning sacrifice make life everlasting a reality.
As disciples of Christ, we can never achieve perfection in this life, but we can follow his teachings, reach out in love to our fellow beings, and faithfully serve him all of our days. His is the only name under Heaven whereby we can return to our Father.
The following poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox is a favorite of mine.
Gethsemane
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox
In golden youth when seems the earth
A Summer-land of singing mirth,
When souls are glad and hearts are light,
And not a shadow lurks in sight,
We do not know it, but there lies
Somewhere veiled under evening skies
A garden which we all must see --
The garden of Gethsemane.
With joyous steps we go our ways,
Love lends a halo to our days;
Light sorrows sail like clouds afar,
We laugh and say how strong we are.
We hurry on; and hurrying, go
Close to the border-land of woe,
That waits for you, and waits for me --
For ever waits Gethsemane.
Down shadowy lanes, across strange streams,
Bridged over by our broken dreams;
Behind the misty caps of years,
Beyond the great salt fount of tears,
The garden lies. Strive as you may,
You cannot miss it in your way.
All paths that have been, or shall be,
Pass somewhere through Gethsemane.
All those who journey, soon or late,
Must pass within the garden's gate;
Must kneel alone in darkness there,
And battle with some fierce despair.
God pity those who cannot say,
"Not mine but thine," who only pray,
"Let this cup pass," and cannot see
The purpose in Gethsemane.
Suffering and sorrow are a part of this mortal life, but through the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, they don’t have to be a part of the next life. He took our sins upon himself in the Garden of Gethsemane, and paid the price for each of us with his blood. May we all recognize him as our Savior, and thank him this day for his gift of eternal life.
Today is the day we celebrate the atonement and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The only perfect man who ever lived, He broke the bands of death, and made it possible for us to live again. His mercy, grace and atoning sacrifice make life everlasting a reality.
As disciples of Christ, we can never achieve perfection in this life, but we can follow his teachings, reach out in love to our fellow beings, and faithfully serve him all of our days. His is the only name under Heaven whereby we can return to our Father.
The following poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox is a favorite of mine.
Gethsemane
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox
In golden youth when seems the earth
A Summer-land of singing mirth,
When souls are glad and hearts are light,
And not a shadow lurks in sight,
We do not know it, but there lies
Somewhere veiled under evening skies
A garden which we all must see --
The garden of Gethsemane.
With joyous steps we go our ways,
Love lends a halo to our days;
Light sorrows sail like clouds afar,
We laugh and say how strong we are.
We hurry on; and hurrying, go
Close to the border-land of woe,
That waits for you, and waits for me --
For ever waits Gethsemane.
Down shadowy lanes, across strange streams,
Bridged over by our broken dreams;
Behind the misty caps of years,
Beyond the great salt fount of tears,
The garden lies. Strive as you may,
You cannot miss it in your way.
All paths that have been, or shall be,
Pass somewhere through Gethsemane.
All those who journey, soon or late,
Must pass within the garden's gate;
Must kneel alone in darkness there,
And battle with some fierce despair.
God pity those who cannot say,
"Not mine but thine," who only pray,
"Let this cup pass," and cannot see
The purpose in Gethsemane.
Suffering and sorrow are a part of this mortal life, but through the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, they don’t have to be a part of the next life. He took our sins upon himself in the Garden of Gethsemane, and paid the price for each of us with his blood. May we all recognize him as our Savior, and thank him this day for his gift of eternal life.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Easter Bunny Saturday
It was March 30, 1975. I woke up Easter morning, and ran to the front door (well, I actually kind of waddled to the front door). I threw it open hoping to see a beautiful basket left by the Easter bunny with eggs, and candy, and flowers, and chocolate and grass (you get the picture) but most of all, I was hoping to see a baby in it. I was three days overdue and had pinned my hopes on the Easter Bunny bringing our baby as a surprise! He let me down – no baby. She was born the next day – my beautiful Shannon. It would have been a lot more comfortable to have had the bunny deliver it, though, so I figured he owed me.
Being a good researcher, I decided to find out everything I could about his history before I confronted him. The earliest references to the Easter Bunny trace back to Germany in the 1500s and parts of France during the 1600s. He’d been around a LONG time and should have known better than to disappoint a pregnant woman! Some claim that his a symbolic representation of life dates back to pagan fertility rituals. Fertility rituals....yeah, he should know better!
My information gathering was proving fruitful – he had been alive a LONG time. He came to the US from Germany – I had good reason to suspect that he actually came from the Carpathian Mountains and went to Germany after Trannsylvania was defeated in 1004. Fearful of discovery, he laid low in Dusseldorf, changing his personna into that of playful, loving “Oschter Haws." He occasionally made PR visits to Hamm and Wuppertal, and even once to Frankfurt. He emigrated to the US in the 1700s with German immigrants who brought with them both the Easter Bunny and the egg tradition. Taking root in the Pennsylvania colony, the tradition of the Easter Bunny and eggs was almost as popular as the Christmas traditions. Children would make nests in secluded spots, believing that if they were good, that the Easter Bunny would bring them brightly colored eggs or candy. The tradition of making hidden nests for the eggs gradually evolved into traditional egg hunts in which children would carry their baskets about searching for the eggs and candy to gather up.
Armed to the teeth (no pun intended) with carrot “stakes,” I sought out “Count” Bunny. (He lives up City Creek by Pocatello, ID, in case any of you are interested. ) Our initial meeting can best be described as taking place with fangs exposed. I told him my complaint and he explained to me the legal definition of “libel.” He was a “good, God-fearing bunny”, and I better not hint otherwise. We made a deal, I kept my “findings” (completely spurious findings according to him–he’s never even HEARD of Carpathia) to myself. He agreed to come to my home every year on the Friday night before Easter so that we could find our baskets Saturday morning and leave Sunday for the observance of the Savior’s death and resurrection. It’s worked well.
He didn’t come today. I guess he knew that there were no children here to leave baskets for and that I’m on a diet and Dean has given chocolate up. Too bad, I’ll miss him.
2 Easter recipes:
Easter Nests
12 oz. package butterscotch chips (chocoholics can use a package of milk chocolate chips)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 c. peanuts
5 oz. Chinese noodles
Melt butterscotch chips, add peanut butter and blend. Add peanuts and Chinese noodles and blend well. Form into nests on waxed paper and cookie sheet. Cool in refrigerator. Add jelly beans or candy eggs of your choice.
Easter Carrot Cake
2 c sugar
1-1/2 c. canola oil
5 eggs
3 c. grated carrots (about 7)
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chopped nuts
In mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Mix in carrots. Combine in bowl flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Sift. Add flour mixture to carrots mixture. Mix. Add nuts. Pour into greased and floured two round cake pans. Bake in 325 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until cake test done.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. soft margarine
1 (1 lb.) box powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Chopped nuts or dyed coconut to sprinkle on top of frosted cake
Combine cream cheese, margarine, powdered sugar and vanilla; mix well. Use to frost cooled cake. Sprinkle chopped nuts or coconut over top for garnish.
Being a good researcher, I decided to find out everything I could about his history before I confronted him. The earliest references to the Easter Bunny trace back to Germany in the 1500s and parts of France during the 1600s. He’d been around a LONG time and should have known better than to disappoint a pregnant woman! Some claim that his a symbolic representation of life dates back to pagan fertility rituals. Fertility rituals....yeah, he should know better!
My information gathering was proving fruitful – he had been alive a LONG time. He came to the US from Germany – I had good reason to suspect that he actually came from the Carpathian Mountains and went to Germany after Trannsylvania was defeated in 1004. Fearful of discovery, he laid low in Dusseldorf, changing his personna into that of playful, loving “Oschter Haws." He occasionally made PR visits to Hamm and Wuppertal, and even once to Frankfurt. He emigrated to the US in the 1700s with German immigrants who brought with them both the Easter Bunny and the egg tradition. Taking root in the Pennsylvania colony, the tradition of the Easter Bunny and eggs was almost as popular as the Christmas traditions. Children would make nests in secluded spots, believing that if they were good, that the Easter Bunny would bring them brightly colored eggs or candy. The tradition of making hidden nests for the eggs gradually evolved into traditional egg hunts in which children would carry their baskets about searching for the eggs and candy to gather up.
Armed to the teeth (no pun intended) with carrot “stakes,” I sought out “Count” Bunny. (He lives up City Creek by Pocatello, ID, in case any of you are interested. ) Our initial meeting can best be described as taking place with fangs exposed. I told him my complaint and he explained to me the legal definition of “libel.” He was a “good, God-fearing bunny”, and I better not hint otherwise. We made a deal, I kept my “findings” (completely spurious findings according to him–he’s never even HEARD of Carpathia) to myself. He agreed to come to my home every year on the Friday night before Easter so that we could find our baskets Saturday morning and leave Sunday for the observance of the Savior’s death and resurrection. It’s worked well.
He didn’t come today. I guess he knew that there were no children here to leave baskets for and that I’m on a diet and Dean has given chocolate up. Too bad, I’ll miss him.
2 Easter recipes:
Easter Nests
12 oz. package butterscotch chips (chocoholics can use a package of milk chocolate chips)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 c. peanuts
5 oz. Chinese noodles
Melt butterscotch chips, add peanut butter and blend. Add peanuts and Chinese noodles and blend well. Form into nests on waxed paper and cookie sheet. Cool in refrigerator. Add jelly beans or candy eggs of your choice.
Easter Carrot Cake
2 c sugar
1-1/2 c. canola oil
5 eggs
3 c. grated carrots (about 7)
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chopped nuts
In mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Mix in carrots. Combine in bowl flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Sift. Add flour mixture to carrots mixture. Mix. Add nuts. Pour into greased and floured two round cake pans. Bake in 325 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until cake test done.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. soft margarine
1 (1 lb.) box powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Chopped nuts or dyed coconut to sprinkle on top of frosted cake
Combine cream cheese, margarine, powdered sugar and vanilla; mix well. Use to frost cooled cake. Sprinkle chopped nuts or coconut over top for garnish.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
April Fools Day
Welcome everyone! It is so great that you have come to my blog today in search of historical info on April Fool's Day -- how it started back in France in the 1500's. Besides the history, you've eagerly awaited reading the tales of the greatest pranks ever pulled throughout history, and getting some fun recipe besides. WELL, Happy Poisson d'Avril. Ha-ha...ha-ha.... ha, ha, ha!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
St. Patrick's Day
My father told me one day that I must be Irish. According to him, I have the gift of Blarney. Of course, it’s possible that at some time, in some prior existence, I kissed the Blarney stone. So far as I can recall, I haven’t, but it would explain my fear of heights. Just imagine – right after kissing it, the person who was holding me by my ankles, let go and I fell to my death . What a tragic thing to be given the gift of gab, only to lose it! The more I think about it, the more sure I am–that is the only possible explanation. So in tribute to my former Irish self, Happy St. Patrick’s Day – the day of leprechauns, corned beef and cabbage, parades and the color green...right?
Well, actually not quite. Blue is the color associated with St. Patrick. “St Patrick’s Blue” is used on Ireland's flag and the uniforms of the Irish Guard.
St. Patrick is the patron Saint of fishermen and the Irish have observed his holiday for over a thousand years. According to legend, on the day of Judgement, while Christ judges all other nations, St Patrick will be the judge of the Irish.
I love a good Irish story:
Two Irishmen met and one said to the other, 'Have ye seen Mulligan lately, Pat?'
Pat answered, 'Well, I have and I haven't.'
His friend asked, 'Shure, and what d'ye mean by that?'
Pat replied, 'It's like this, y'see...I saw a chap who I thought was Mulligan, and he saw a chap that he thought was me. And when we got up to one another...it was neither of us.'
The first St Patrick’s Day parade took place in 1737 in Boston, followed in 1762 by New York. George Washington allowed his soldiers a holiday on March 17, 1780 as “an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence.”
Here’s one for Keith:
An Irishman went to a pet shop and asked how many budgies were in stock. "We have 99" replied the shop owner "Give us the lot" said the Irish man, paid for them and left. He went to a tailors shop and had 99 pockets sewn into a jacket, put a budgie in each pocket, went up to the Post Office Tower and jumped off. He hit the ground with an almighty smack and lay there groaning until a passer-by came and asked him what had happened. "I don't know sur" he replied "but that's the last time I try that budgie jumping"
According to Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. They were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure. Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, until 1959, when Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into the symbol of both St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.
You have to blame Dennis for this joke:
Q: Why can't you borrow money from a leprechaun?
A: Because they're always a little short.
Chicago is famous for a somewhat peculiar annual event: dyeing the Chicago River green. The tradition started in 1962, when city pollution-control workers used dyes to trace illegal sewage discharges and realized that the green dye might provide a unique way to celebrate the holiday. That year, they released 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the river—enough to keep it green for a week! Today, in order to minimize environmental damage, only forty pounds of dye are used, making the river green for only several hours.
And Orlo for this one:
On the bus Paddy got chatting to Murphy who was carrying a bag on his back.
'What's in the bag?' asked Paddy
'I'm not going to tell', replied Murphy
'Go on, do.' pleaded Paddy.
'Ah, all right then, it's ducks.' announced Murphy
'If I guess how many ducks you have in the bag, will you give me one of them?' enquired Paddy
'Look', said Murphy, 'If you guess the correct number, I'll give you both of them.'
'Five!' said Paddy triumphantly.
And Francis for this one:
Reilly is walking through a graveyard when he comes across a headstone with the inscription "Here lies a politician and an honest man."
'Faith now,' exclaims Reilly, 'I wonder how they got the two of them in one grave.
I love the fact that so much of Irish humor relies on word plays. It’s great and the world would be a boring place without it and without that grand people.
Most people think of Corned beef and cabbage as being Irish. Alas, it’s another American invention. It should be Bacon and Cabbage, but bacon became so expensive that corned beef was subtituted
Bacon and cabbage
1 (1/3-pound) piece Irish bacon (available at specialty foods shops) or Canadian bacon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
5 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small head Savoy cabbage, cored, thinly sliced, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
In small saucepan, combine bacon and cold water to cover. Cover, bring to boil over moderate heat, and skim foam from surface. Reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes. Drain and cool, then cut into 1-inch chunks. Set aside.
In 6-quart heavy stock pot over moderate heat, melt butter. Add onion and sauté, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add potatoes and sauté 2 minutes. Add stock, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to moderately low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add cabbage and simmer 5 additional minutes. Discard bay leaves. Working in 3 batches, in blender purée soup until smooth (using caution when blending hot liquids). Return to pot, stir in bacon, and rewarm if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.
Extracted from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bacon-and-Cabbage-Soup-237876
to make it authentic, serve with
Parsley Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup bacon cooking liquid
1 1/4 cups hot milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
and
Whole-Grain Mustard Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter
1 Small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 1/4 cups bacon cooking liquid, plus more as needed
1 1/4 cups half-and-half, plus more as needed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Well, actually not quite. Blue is the color associated with St. Patrick. “St Patrick’s Blue” is used on Ireland's flag and the uniforms of the Irish Guard.
St. Patrick is the patron Saint of fishermen and the Irish have observed his holiday for over a thousand years. According to legend, on the day of Judgement, while Christ judges all other nations, St Patrick will be the judge of the Irish.
I love a good Irish story:
Two Irishmen met and one said to the other, 'Have ye seen Mulligan lately, Pat?'
Pat answered, 'Well, I have and I haven't.'
His friend asked, 'Shure, and what d'ye mean by that?'
Pat replied, 'It's like this, y'see...I saw a chap who I thought was Mulligan, and he saw a chap that he thought was me. And when we got up to one another...it was neither of us.'
The first St Patrick’s Day parade took place in 1737 in Boston, followed in 1762 by New York. George Washington allowed his soldiers a holiday on March 17, 1780 as “an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence.”
Here’s one for Keith:
An Irishman went to a pet shop and asked how many budgies were in stock. "We have 99" replied the shop owner "Give us the lot" said the Irish man, paid for them and left. He went to a tailors shop and had 99 pockets sewn into a jacket, put a budgie in each pocket, went up to the Post Office Tower and jumped off. He hit the ground with an almighty smack and lay there groaning until a passer-by came and asked him what had happened. "I don't know sur" he replied "but that's the last time I try that budgie jumping"
According to Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. They were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure. Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, until 1959, when Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into the symbol of both St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.
You have to blame Dennis for this joke:
Q: Why can't you borrow money from a leprechaun?
A: Because they're always a little short.
Chicago is famous for a somewhat peculiar annual event: dyeing the Chicago River green. The tradition started in 1962, when city pollution-control workers used dyes to trace illegal sewage discharges and realized that the green dye might provide a unique way to celebrate the holiday. That year, they released 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the river—enough to keep it green for a week! Today, in order to minimize environmental damage, only forty pounds of dye are used, making the river green for only several hours.
And Orlo for this one:
On the bus Paddy got chatting to Murphy who was carrying a bag on his back.
'What's in the bag?' asked Paddy
'I'm not going to tell', replied Murphy
'Go on, do.' pleaded Paddy.
'Ah, all right then, it's ducks.' announced Murphy
'If I guess how many ducks you have in the bag, will you give me one of them?' enquired Paddy
'Look', said Murphy, 'If you guess the correct number, I'll give you both of them.'
'Five!' said Paddy triumphantly.
And Francis for this one:
Reilly is walking through a graveyard when he comes across a headstone with the inscription "Here lies a politician and an honest man."
'Faith now,' exclaims Reilly, 'I wonder how they got the two of them in one grave.
I love the fact that so much of Irish humor relies on word plays. It’s great and the world would be a boring place without it and without that grand people.
Most people think of Corned beef and cabbage as being Irish. Alas, it’s another American invention. It should be Bacon and Cabbage, but bacon became so expensive that corned beef was subtituted
Bacon and cabbage
1 (1/3-pound) piece Irish bacon (available at specialty foods shops) or Canadian bacon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
5 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small head Savoy cabbage, cored, thinly sliced, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
In small saucepan, combine bacon and cold water to cover. Cover, bring to boil over moderate heat, and skim foam from surface. Reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes. Drain and cool, then cut into 1-inch chunks. Set aside.
In 6-quart heavy stock pot over moderate heat, melt butter. Add onion and sauté, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add potatoes and sauté 2 minutes. Add stock, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to moderately low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add cabbage and simmer 5 additional minutes. Discard bay leaves. Working in 3 batches, in blender purée soup until smooth (using caution when blending hot liquids). Return to pot, stir in bacon, and rewarm if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.
Extracted from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bacon-and-Cabbage-Soup-237876
to make it authentic, serve with
Parsley Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup bacon cooking liquid
1 1/4 cups hot milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
and
Whole-Grain Mustard Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter
1 Small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 1/4 cups bacon cooking liquid, plus more as needed
1 1/4 cups half-and-half, plus more as needed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Saturday, March 7, 2009
It Should Be
My daughter warned me this past week that if I don't stop commenting on these lesser holidays, I'm going to lose my loyal followers (all 6 of you)! So, in a desire to redeem myself, I pledge that I will hereby only blog on St. Patrick's Day this month.
Except for today of course.....and while today is not a holiday that I know of, it SHOULD be. The name of this holiday should be "National Shower Appreciation for Recovering Surgical Patients Day"! The idea for this holiday came to me today when I was looking for waterproof tape to cover my incisions with. After checking 4 drawers and 3 cupboards, with no luck it seemed rather fruitless, but I will persevere! As soon as Dean awakes, I will have him join the hunt -- maybe Gina, too, if necessary. Then I'll cover the incisions with gauze and tape and take my first shower since Tuesday morning and that will indeed be a cause for celebration!
Dean just came in the room, read this blog and is now a man on a mission! He says duct tape will work and is gone out to the shop! Yes, soon the bliss of feeling clean and having clean hair will be mine. Hurrah! (and remember, there will be no more time-wasting, mind-cluttering blogs about inconsequential holidays this month) What a great Day for a celebration!!
(Chicken Soup is ALWAYS great when you're under the weather, right?
Chicken Rice Soup
1 c. uncooked wild rice
3 c. diced, cooked chicken breast
2 T. chicken bouillon
1 onion, chopped
5 c. water
4 potatoes, cubed
1 1/2 c. milk
2 T. flour
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring rice, chicken, bouillon, onion and water to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into slow cooker. Stir in potatoes. Combine milk and flour and stir until smooth. Stir into soup mixture. Cook 6 to 8 hours, until rice and potatoes are tender and flavors are well blended.
Except for today of course.....and while today is not a holiday that I know of, it SHOULD be. The name of this holiday should be "National Shower Appreciation for Recovering Surgical Patients Day"! The idea for this holiday came to me today when I was looking for waterproof tape to cover my incisions with. After checking 4 drawers and 3 cupboards, with no luck it seemed rather fruitless, but I will persevere! As soon as Dean awakes, I will have him join the hunt -- maybe Gina, too, if necessary. Then I'll cover the incisions with gauze and tape and take my first shower since Tuesday morning and that will indeed be a cause for celebration!
Dean just came in the room, read this blog and is now a man on a mission! He says duct tape will work and is gone out to the shop! Yes, soon the bliss of feeling clean and having clean hair will be mine. Hurrah! (and remember, there will be no more time-wasting, mind-cluttering blogs about inconsequential holidays this month) What a great Day for a celebration!!
(Chicken Soup is ALWAYS great when you're under the weather, right?
Chicken Rice Soup
1 c. uncooked wild rice
3 c. diced, cooked chicken breast
2 T. chicken bouillon
1 onion, chopped
5 c. water
4 potatoes, cubed
1 1/2 c. milk
2 T. flour
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring rice, chicken, bouillon, onion and water to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into slow cooker. Stir in potatoes. Combine milk and flour and stir until smooth. Stir into soup mixture. Cook 6 to 8 hours, until rice and potatoes are tender and flavors are well blended.
Friday, February 27, 2009
National Polar Bear Day
Happy National/International Polar Bear Day!
I can’t find any history or place of origin for this holiday, but grade schools and zoos across the world celebrate it.
It’s a special day honoring this animal which has one of the best noses in the entire world. Polar Bears can smell food 20 miles away. (Never get between a polar bear and your local sushi bar or Red Lobster)
They use their big dark tongues to taste things. Just like me, polar bears like some foods better than others. Polar bears like lots of fat (My mouth waters at the thought of a baked potato loaded with butter and sour cream!) Some days they chew seaweed. What can I say, I like an occasional salad myself.
Growing up, I believed that their hairs were hollow and conducted ultraviolet light down the shafts to the bears black skin conducting energy used to keep the bear warm. This theory was tested—and disproved—by physicist Daniel Koon. So much for that idea. It sounded good at the time. I also believed that polar bears would lay in the snow and cover up their black noses so the seals wouldn’t see them in time to get away.
If you get lost up in the arctic, you can always ask a polar bear the way (just make sure you’re not wearing a sealskin coat when you do!) Polar bears have an incredible sense of direction. Even though the ice can change from day-to-day, and the night can last six months, polar bears always find their way – even swimming to shore from ice bergs 50 miles at sea. They never use a map. I personally think it’s because they can’t re-fold them. While their sense of touch is extremely keen, they have problems with their fine motor skills..
Need some ideas on how to celebrate today? Tops on my list is visiting the local zoo (I actually did this a week ago, and checked out the polar bears at the zoo in Tucson, all right, maybe that’s not exactly our local zoo, but it’s almost as close) If you’re not into springtime at the zoo, check the nature channels on cable TV. The networks often pick up on holidays like today, and run documentaries.
Did you Know?
It was once believed that all polar bears are left handed. Scientists observing the animals haven't noticed a preference. In fact, polar bears seem to use their right and left paws equally.
Polar Bear Casserole
1 package of ice cream sandwiches
1 can of your favorite frosting (polar bears prefer seal flavored)
1 small container of Cool Whip, thawed
Line a 8x8-inch pan with some of the ice cream sandwiches. Heat the frosting in the microwave for only a few seconds until pourable. (Be sure that the frosting container is microwave safe.) Pour some frosting over the ice cream sandwiches. Cover with layer of cool whip. Repeat the layers, topping with extra cool whip. Freeze until needed. Cut into squares to serve.
I can’t find any history or place of origin for this holiday, but grade schools and zoos across the world celebrate it.
It’s a special day honoring this animal which has one of the best noses in the entire world. Polar Bears can smell food 20 miles away. (Never get between a polar bear and your local sushi bar or Red Lobster)
They use their big dark tongues to taste things. Just like me, polar bears like some foods better than others. Polar bears like lots of fat (My mouth waters at the thought of a baked potato loaded with butter and sour cream!) Some days they chew seaweed. What can I say, I like an occasional salad myself.
Growing up, I believed that their hairs were hollow and conducted ultraviolet light down the shafts to the bears black skin conducting energy used to keep the bear warm. This theory was tested—and disproved—by physicist Daniel Koon. So much for that idea. It sounded good at the time. I also believed that polar bears would lay in the snow and cover up their black noses so the seals wouldn’t see them in time to get away.
If you get lost up in the arctic, you can always ask a polar bear the way (just make sure you’re not wearing a sealskin coat when you do!) Polar bears have an incredible sense of direction. Even though the ice can change from day-to-day, and the night can last six months, polar bears always find their way – even swimming to shore from ice bergs 50 miles at sea. They never use a map. I personally think it’s because they can’t re-fold them. While their sense of touch is extremely keen, they have problems with their fine motor skills..
Need some ideas on how to celebrate today? Tops on my list is visiting the local zoo (I actually did this a week ago, and checked out the polar bears at the zoo in Tucson, all right, maybe that’s not exactly our local zoo, but it’s almost as close) If you’re not into springtime at the zoo, check the nature channels on cable TV. The networks often pick up on holidays like today, and run documentaries.
Did you Know?
It was once believed that all polar bears are left handed. Scientists observing the animals haven't noticed a preference. In fact, polar bears seem to use their right and left paws equally.
Polar Bear Casserole
1 package of ice cream sandwiches
1 can of your favorite frosting (polar bears prefer seal flavored)
1 small container of Cool Whip, thawed
Line a 8x8-inch pan with some of the ice cream sandwiches. Heat the frosting in the microwave for only a few seconds until pourable. (Be sure that the frosting container is microwave safe.) Pour some frosting over the ice cream sandwiches. Cover with layer of cool whip. Repeat the layers, topping with extra cool whip. Freeze until needed. Cut into squares to serve.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Single Awareness Day
Happy Single’s Awareness Day! Yes, that’s right, today is Singles Awareness Day (unless of course, you’re one of those radicals who celebrate it Feb 13th or 15th.) Suggested activities for this day are sending yourself flowers and cards, reading poetry to yourself, going out for dinner or planning parties for other singles to mix and meet and to participate in some sort of single's event. (This is especially recommended if you don't WANT to be single. Of course, for those who kind of like being single it's a blessing and a reason to have some fun!) Whatever you do though, when celebrating SAD, you must avoid reading such poems as:
Being the recipient of a dozen roses today from my sweetest of hearts, I have to admit there is another holiday celebrated today. (I won’t get sloppy by enumerating all of his strengths, but will say he’s good at everything he does!)
In ancient Roman society, Feb 15 was the date on which the annual fertility festival was held. Young Roman men would draw the name of a young woman from out of an urn and then would exchange gifts with her on Festival day. In 463, Pope Gelasius decided to put a Christian spin on this pagan holiday and declared that it was now to honor St. Valentine, martyred on Feb. 14th.
Which one?
Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom on Feb. 14, 269 AD. According to a biography of Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda, the priest was also a doctor who would treat patients even if they could not pay him.
His legend: During a ban on marriages of Roman soldiers by the Emperor Claudius II who felt that love and marriage would create unnecessary distractions for his soldiers. It would distract them from warfare. St. Valentine secretly helped arrange marriages.
Valentine of Terni was bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about AD 197 and is said to have been killed on February 14th, during the persecution of Emperor Aurelian.
Legend: On the evening before Valentine was to be martyred for being a Christian, he passed a love note to his jailer's daughter that read, "From your Valentine."
There is a third St. Valentine from Africa who was also martyred on February 14, but I don’t know his story( I’m sure there’s some mention of love in it somewhere with a name like Valentine)
Valentinius of Alexandria (c. 100 - c. 153) was a candidate for Bishop of Rome in 143. In his teachings, the marriage bed assumed a central place in his version of Christian love, an emphasis sharply contrasting with the asceticism of mainstream Christianity.
By the middle Ages, people started referring to each other as “valentines” and exchanged “I love you’s” on Feb. 14th. Things were carried so far that a "High Court of Love" was established in Paris on Valentine's Day in 1400. The court dealt with love contracts, betrayals, and violence against women. Judges were selected by women on the basis of a poetry reading.
The earliest surviving valentine dates from 1415. It is a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife. At the time, the duke was being held in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.
Esther Howland (1828-1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts is credited with mass producing the first Valentines cards in the US. Her father operated a large book and stationery store, and she took her inspiration from an English valentine she received.
In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards expanded and people started exchanging gifts, typically roses and chocolates. In the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an occasion for giving jewelry.
Personally, I think that the best gift you can share on Valentines Day (along with roses) is the gift of laughter, so, courtesy of Reader’s Digest Here’s a few laughs.:
My high-school English teacher was well known for being a fair, but hard, grader. One day I received a B minus on a theme paper. In hopes of bettering my grade and in the spirit of the valentine season, I sent her an extravagant heart-shaped box of chocolates with the pre-printed inscription: "BE MINE." The following day, I received in return a valentine from the teacher. It read: "Thank you, but it's still BE MINE-US."
-- Contributed by Brad Wilcox
During World War II my parents had planned a romantic Valentine's Day wedding. Suddenly my father, then stationed at Camp Edwards in Massachusetts, received orders to prepare to ship out, and all leaves were canceled. Being a young man in love, he went AWOL. He and my mother were married four days earlier than originally planned and he returned to base to an angry sergeant. After hearing the explanation, the sergeant understandingly replied, "Okay, okay!" Then, as an afterthought: "But don't let it happen again!"
-- Contributed by Sandra L. Caron
The lingerie store where my aunt works was crowded with shoppers selecting Valentine's Day gifts for their wives. A young businessman came to the register with a lacy black negligee. My aunt noticed that the next customer, an elderly farmer, was holding a long flannel nightgown and kept glancing at the younger man's sexier choice. When it was his turn, the farmer placed the nightgown on the counter. "Would you have anything in black flannel?" He asked.
-- Contributed by Christine A. Pandolfo
*** to my handsomest husband in the whole world*** Love you~~Me
My love is like a artichoke
Divided into two
The leaves I give to others,
The heart I give to you
or
You may not “carrot” all for me
The way I care for you
You may “turnip” your nose
When I plead with you
But if your “heart” should “beet” with mine
Tomorrow “lettuce” hope
There is no reason in the world
Why we “cantaloupe”
Divided into two
The leaves I give to others,
The heart I give to you
or
You may not “carrot” all for me
The way I care for you
You may “turnip” your nose
When I plead with you
But if your “heart” should “beet” with mine
Tomorrow “lettuce” hope
There is no reason in the world
Why we “cantaloupe”
Being the recipient of a dozen roses today from my sweetest of hearts, I have to admit there is another holiday celebrated today. (I won’t get sloppy by enumerating all of his strengths, but will say he’s good at everything he does!)
In ancient Roman society, Feb 15 was the date on which the annual fertility festival was held. Young Roman men would draw the name of a young woman from out of an urn and then would exchange gifts with her on Festival day. In 463, Pope Gelasius decided to put a Christian spin on this pagan holiday and declared that it was now to honor St. Valentine, martyred on Feb. 14th.
Which one?
Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom on Feb. 14, 269 AD. According to a biography of Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda, the priest was also a doctor who would treat patients even if they could not pay him.
His legend: During a ban on marriages of Roman soldiers by the Emperor Claudius II who felt that love and marriage would create unnecessary distractions for his soldiers. It would distract them from warfare. St. Valentine secretly helped arrange marriages.
Valentine of Terni was bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about AD 197 and is said to have been killed on February 14th, during the persecution of Emperor Aurelian.
Legend: On the evening before Valentine was to be martyred for being a Christian, he passed a love note to his jailer's daughter that read, "From your Valentine."
There is a third St. Valentine from Africa who was also martyred on February 14, but I don’t know his story( I’m sure there’s some mention of love in it somewhere with a name like Valentine)
Valentinius of Alexandria (c. 100 - c. 153) was a candidate for Bishop of Rome in 143. In his teachings, the marriage bed assumed a central place in his version of Christian love, an emphasis sharply contrasting with the asceticism of mainstream Christianity.
By the middle Ages, people started referring to each other as “valentines” and exchanged “I love you’s” on Feb. 14th. Things were carried so far that a "High Court of Love" was established in Paris on Valentine's Day in 1400. The court dealt with love contracts, betrayals, and violence against women. Judges were selected by women on the basis of a poetry reading.
The earliest surviving valentine dates from 1415. It is a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife. At the time, the duke was being held in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.
Esther Howland (1828-1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts is credited with mass producing the first Valentines cards in the US. Her father operated a large book and stationery store, and she took her inspiration from an English valentine she received.
In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards expanded and people started exchanging gifts, typically roses and chocolates. In the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an occasion for giving jewelry.
Personally, I think that the best gift you can share on Valentines Day (along with roses) is the gift of laughter, so, courtesy of Reader’s Digest Here’s a few laughs.:
My high-school English teacher was well known for being a fair, but hard, grader. One day I received a B minus on a theme paper. In hopes of bettering my grade and in the spirit of the valentine season, I sent her an extravagant heart-shaped box of chocolates with the pre-printed inscription: "BE MINE." The following day, I received in return a valentine from the teacher. It read: "Thank you, but it's still BE MINE-US."
-- Contributed by Brad Wilcox
During World War II my parents had planned a romantic Valentine's Day wedding. Suddenly my father, then stationed at Camp Edwards in Massachusetts, received orders to prepare to ship out, and all leaves were canceled. Being a young man in love, he went AWOL. He and my mother were married four days earlier than originally planned and he returned to base to an angry sergeant. After hearing the explanation, the sergeant understandingly replied, "Okay, okay!" Then, as an afterthought: "But don't let it happen again!"
-- Contributed by Sandra L. Caron
The lingerie store where my aunt works was crowded with shoppers selecting Valentine's Day gifts for their wives. A young businessman came to the register with a lacy black negligee. My aunt noticed that the next customer, an elderly farmer, was holding a long flannel nightgown and kept glancing at the younger man's sexier choice. When it was his turn, the farmer placed the nightgown on the counter. "Would you have anything in black flannel?" He asked.
-- Contributed by Christine A. Pandolfo
*** to my handsomest husband in the whole world*** Love you~~Me
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Lincoln's Birthday
1916 was a banner year for toys. One of the greatest toys ever created was designed and successfully put on the market by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son John. My childhood would not have been the same without it. Oh, the glorious fights my brother and I had over them(that’s the reason my kids never had them!) ......What were they??? What provided us with so many smiles (and frowns)? Lincoln Logs. I still smile when I see them.
Named for Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln logs were an instant success. They were more sophisticated than regular blocks and challenged children’s coordination and creativity. They were also one of the very first toys ever advertised on TV --1953’s Pioneer Playhouse.
I spent hours recreating the Kentucky cabin he was born in (Feb. 12, 1809) and the Indiana cabin he moved to in 1819. Well, it was actually a three-sided shelter until his father cleared enough land and had time to build the cabin. Spencer County, IN was a wild, unsettled frontier and neighbors were few and far away.
In his entire life, Abe was only able to go to school for a total of one year. This lack of formal education fueled his hunger for knowledge. His mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, was completely uneducated and could not read or write, but she encouraged her children to study by themselves. She died when he was nine years old. Two years later, however, Thomas Lincoln remarried and Abe's stepmother was instrumental in encouraging him to read. He was often found reading next to a pile of logs that he should have been splitting.
As he grew older, Abe noticed that people loved to listen to stories. He began telling tall tales in the general store where he worked. Customers came and stayed when they knew he was there, just to hear him talk. The family moved once again, this time to Illinois.
In 1834 he was elected into the House of Representatives and began studying to become a lawyer.
I n 1847 he was elected into Congress, but his opinions did not ensure him a long stay there. He was vehemently against slavery and took stands on other controversial issues. He was not elected for a second term, so he returned to his law practice.
A few years later, slavery became a stronger issue, and more people were willing to abolish it. Lincoln joined the Republicans, a new political party that was opposed to slavery. The Republicans nominated him for the U.S. Senate in 1858, and in his acceptance speech, he stated:
"A house divided against itself cannot stand... This government cannot endure, permanently half-slave and half-free... I do not expect the Union to be dissolved. I do not expect the house to fall but I do expect it will cease to be divided. "
Nominated by the Republican Party in 1860 as its candidate for the Presidency of the United States, Lincoln won by a small margin.
South Carolina seceded from the Union before he was even inaugurated. Other states followed to form the Confederate States of America. The North and South were divided, and the Civil War began. The war was not only over the abolition of slavery, but also the rights of individual states to make their own choices on other issues.
The Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania was the largest, bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil. On November 19, 1863, at a ceremony to establish Gettysburg as a national monument, Lincoln delivered what was to become one of the finest orations in American history, the Gettysburg Address.
The Gettysburg Address
November 19, 1863
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation may live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people shall not perish from the earth.
Lincoln was elected to a second term in 1864.
April 9, 1865. The South surrendered, and the Civil War ended
April 14, 1865 President and Mrs. Lincoln attended a play at the Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. A few minutes past ten o'clock, an actor who disagreed with Lincoln's political opinions stepped into the Presidential box and shot the President. He died the following morning.
Here’s a few quotations from Lincoln
"...As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy"
Letter, August 1858
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts."
"If we do not make common cause to save the good old ship of the Union on this voyage, nobody will have a chance to pilot her on another voyage. "
"It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him."
"When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion."
Often portrayed as a somber man, we tend to forget that he had an incredible sense of humor, that he laughed, told tall tales and played.
So on this day, if you can't go to the Lincoln Memorial, then pull out your Lincoln logs, build a cabin and smile.
His favorites were lamb shanks, chicken and oysters But his favorite dessert was his wife Mary’s White Cake.
Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Cake
Ingredients
1 cup blanched almonds
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
6 eggs, separated (best when eggs are cold)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar
Method
Using a food processor or a spice grinder, pulverize almonds until they resemble coarse flour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan.
With an electric beater or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light yellow in color and fluffy.
Sift flour and baking powder three times. (I don’t make a rule of this practice, but with three cups of flour, it seemed like a good idea to incorporate some air and help make this cake as light as possible.) Fold flour mix into creamed butter and sugar, alternating with milk, until well blended. Stir in almonds and beat well.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they have stiff, firm peaks. (Use egg yolks for another use – French toast, possibly?) Beaters must be washed and dried thoroughly before whipping egg whites or they will not stiffen properly. Fold egg whites gently into batter with a rubber spatula. Add vanilla extract.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for one hour, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Cool for at least 20 minutes before inverting, then allow to completely cool before serving. Sift confectioners’ sugar on top.
Named for Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln logs were an instant success. They were more sophisticated than regular blocks and challenged children’s coordination and creativity. They were also one of the very first toys ever advertised on TV --1953’s Pioneer Playhouse.
I spent hours recreating the Kentucky cabin he was born in (Feb. 12, 1809) and the Indiana cabin he moved to in 1819. Well, it was actually a three-sided shelter until his father cleared enough land and had time to build the cabin. Spencer County, IN was a wild, unsettled frontier and neighbors were few and far away.
In his entire life, Abe was only able to go to school for a total of one year. This lack of formal education fueled his hunger for knowledge. His mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, was completely uneducated and could not read or write, but she encouraged her children to study by themselves. She died when he was nine years old. Two years later, however, Thomas Lincoln remarried and Abe's stepmother was instrumental in encouraging him to read. He was often found reading next to a pile of logs that he should have been splitting.
As he grew older, Abe noticed that people loved to listen to stories. He began telling tall tales in the general store where he worked. Customers came and stayed when they knew he was there, just to hear him talk. The family moved once again, this time to Illinois.
In 1834 he was elected into the House of Representatives and began studying to become a lawyer.
I n 1847 he was elected into Congress, but his opinions did not ensure him a long stay there. He was vehemently against slavery and took stands on other controversial issues. He was not elected for a second term, so he returned to his law practice.
A few years later, slavery became a stronger issue, and more people were willing to abolish it. Lincoln joined the Republicans, a new political party that was opposed to slavery. The Republicans nominated him for the U.S. Senate in 1858, and in his acceptance speech, he stated:
"A house divided against itself cannot stand... This government cannot endure, permanently half-slave and half-free... I do not expect the Union to be dissolved. I do not expect the house to fall but I do expect it will cease to be divided. "
Nominated by the Republican Party in 1860 as its candidate for the Presidency of the United States, Lincoln won by a small margin.
South Carolina seceded from the Union before he was even inaugurated. Other states followed to form the Confederate States of America. The North and South were divided, and the Civil War began. The war was not only over the abolition of slavery, but also the rights of individual states to make their own choices on other issues.
The Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania was the largest, bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil. On November 19, 1863, at a ceremony to establish Gettysburg as a national monument, Lincoln delivered what was to become one of the finest orations in American history, the Gettysburg Address.
The Gettysburg Address
November 19, 1863
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation may live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people shall not perish from the earth.
Lincoln was elected to a second term in 1864.
April 9, 1865. The South surrendered, and the Civil War ended
April 14, 1865 President and Mrs. Lincoln attended a play at the Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. A few minutes past ten o'clock, an actor who disagreed with Lincoln's political opinions stepped into the Presidential box and shot the President. He died the following morning.
Here’s a few quotations from Lincoln
"...As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy"
Letter, August 1858
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts."
"If we do not make common cause to save the good old ship of the Union on this voyage, nobody will have a chance to pilot her on another voyage. "
"It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him."
"When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion."
Often portrayed as a somber man, we tend to forget that he had an incredible sense of humor, that he laughed, told tall tales and played.
So on this day, if you can't go to the Lincoln Memorial, then pull out your Lincoln logs, build a cabin and smile.
His favorites were lamb shanks, chicken and oysters But his favorite dessert was his wife Mary’s White Cake.
Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Cake
Ingredients
1 cup blanched almonds
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
6 eggs, separated (best when eggs are cold)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar
Method
Using a food processor or a spice grinder, pulverize almonds until they resemble coarse flour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan.
With an electric beater or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light yellow in color and fluffy.
Sift flour and baking powder three times. (I don’t make a rule of this practice, but with three cups of flour, it seemed like a good idea to incorporate some air and help make this cake as light as possible.) Fold flour mix into creamed butter and sugar, alternating with milk, until well blended. Stir in almonds and beat well.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they have stiff, firm peaks. (Use egg yolks for another use – French toast, possibly?) Beaters must be washed and dried thoroughly before whipping egg whites or they will not stiffen properly. Fold egg whites gently into batter with a rubber spatula. Add vanilla extract.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for one hour, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Cool for at least 20 minutes before inverting, then allow to completely cool before serving. Sift confectioners’ sugar on top.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Groundhog's Day
Groundhog's Day
Around the fifth century ( at the beginning of the Dark Ages) European Celts believed that bears and groundhogs had "supernatural" powers. Well, at least they had those powers on special days that were half-way between the December|Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Folklore from Germany and France indicates that when the groundhogs and bears came out of their winter dens too early, they were frightened by their shadows and retreated back inside for four to six weeks. I happen to know for a fact that it had nothing to do with “supernatural” powers. The truth is, that when those groundhogs came out of their holes after hibernating all winter and walked into the bright cold sunshine, they had a massive migraine hit (triggered by the bright light). So they scurried back to their burrows for an Exedrin Migraine and got knocked out for six more weeks. On the other hand, if they came out of the burrow, and saw cloudy skies, it meant that they could stay outside and frolic migraine-free. Winter was nearly over and spring was coming! Yeah!
A group of people suffering from seasonal depression in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania decided that they needed hope that winter was over. They also needed an excuse for a party. You know, music, good food, etc. So on February 2, 1887, what Punxutawnians claim to be the first official Ground Hog’s Day reading was given by Punxsutawney Phil the "seer of seers and prognosticator of prognosticators." The legendary frist trip to Gobbler's Knob was made the following year, and each year since. Residents of Reading, Pennsylvania claim that they celebrated the first US Groundhog's Day on Feb. 4, 1841. Groundhogs across the country have attempted to make their own forecasts, but members of the “Inner Circle” (you know the group of Phil's friends in Top Hats and Tuxedos), claim that they have the only “true” prognosticator” --all others are only groundhog weathermen.
Phil was taken from his nice, comfortable home in the town library which he shares with his wife Phyllis this morning. Yes, he was taken out into the bright, cold Pennsylvania morning where he saw his shadow. Anyone watching the event saw him flinch from the light, then go pale, then saw his eyebrows tense -- all sure signs of a groundhog migraine. So it's official, its six more weeks of winter. Now that we know, let’s join the party with good music and food!
In Phil’s honor, I’d like to share the following song which is sung to the tune of Clementine
Wintertime
© 1996 by Don Halley
In a tree trunk with a chipmunk
Hibernating for a time
There's a groundhog who's the top dog
On this day in wintertime
Oh my groundhog, oh my groundhog
Oh my groundhog, so sublime
Is it frost and cold forever?
Are we stuck in wintertime?
Dawn appears on the horizon
Out of bed he starts to climb
Tis the day to find a way to
Check the length of wintertime
Oh my groundhog, oh my groundhog
Oh my groundhog, so sublime
Is it frost and cold forever?
Are we stuck in wintertime?
Of forecasters he's a master
He performs his craft so fine
Shadows mean no early spring so
Best get used to wintertime
Oh my groundhog, oh my groundhog
Oh my groundhog, so sublime
Is it frost and cold forever?
Are we stuck in wintertime?
Now that we have had the music, here’s the food recipe!
Pennsylvania Dutch Crumb Cake
Crumb base:
Cooking spray
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Topping and Cake:
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 12 x 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. To prepare crumb base, stir together flour and salt. Add butter and cut into flour with a pastry blender or two knives until the consistency of medium-fine meal. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon; stir well.
3. To prepare topping, transfer 4 cups crumb base to a medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir only until blended. Fluff mixture with fingers to make coarse, buttery crumbs.
4. Add ginger, nutmeg, cloves and baking soda to remaining crumb base; stir well. Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla; beat to make a smooth, thick batter.
5. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter.
6. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until topping is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
7. Dust top of cake with powdered sugar, if using. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 12.
A group of people suffering from seasonal depression in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania decided that they needed hope that winter was over. They also needed an excuse for a party. You know, music, good food, etc. So on February 2, 1887, what Punxutawnians claim to be the first official Ground Hog’s Day reading was given by Punxsutawney Phil the "seer of seers and prognosticator of prognosticators." The legendary frist trip to Gobbler's Knob was made the following year, and each year since. Residents of Reading, Pennsylvania claim that they celebrated the first US Groundhog's Day on Feb. 4, 1841. Groundhogs across the country have attempted to make their own forecasts, but members of the “Inner Circle” (you know the group of Phil's friends in Top Hats and Tuxedos), claim that they have the only “true” prognosticator” --all others are only groundhog weathermen.
Phil was taken from his nice, comfortable home in the town library which he shares with his wife Phyllis this morning. Yes, he was taken out into the bright, cold Pennsylvania morning where he saw his shadow. Anyone watching the event saw him flinch from the light, then go pale, then saw his eyebrows tense -- all sure signs of a groundhog migraine. So it's official, its six more weeks of winter. Now that we know, let’s join the party with good music and food!
In Phil’s honor, I’d like to share the following song which is sung to the tune of Clementine
Wintertime
© 1996 by Don Halley
In a tree trunk with a chipmunk
Hibernating for a time
There's a groundhog who's the top dog
On this day in wintertime
Oh my groundhog, oh my groundhog
Oh my groundhog, so sublime
Is it frost and cold forever?
Are we stuck in wintertime?
Dawn appears on the horizon
Out of bed he starts to climb
Tis the day to find a way to
Check the length of wintertime
Oh my groundhog, oh my groundhog
Oh my groundhog, so sublime
Is it frost and cold forever?
Are we stuck in wintertime?
Of forecasters he's a master
He performs his craft so fine
Shadows mean no early spring so
Best get used to wintertime
Oh my groundhog, oh my groundhog
Oh my groundhog, so sublime
Is it frost and cold forever?
Are we stuck in wintertime?
Now that we have had the music, here’s the food recipe!
Pennsylvania Dutch Crumb Cake
Crumb base:
Cooking spray
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Topping and Cake:
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 12 x 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. To prepare crumb base, stir together flour and salt. Add butter and cut into flour with a pastry blender or two knives until the consistency of medium-fine meal. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon; stir well.
3. To prepare topping, transfer 4 cups crumb base to a medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir only until blended. Fluff mixture with fingers to make coarse, buttery crumbs.
4. Add ginger, nutmeg, cloves and baking soda to remaining crumb base; stir well. Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla; beat to make a smooth, thick batter.
5. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter.
6. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until topping is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
7. Dust top of cake with powdered sugar, if using. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 12.
Monday, January 26, 2009
National Bubble Appreciation Day
National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day?? !! You’ve got to be kidding. I was innocently minding my own business this morning when it was brought to my attention that today is National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. What????
Let’s set the way-back machine
date: 1957
place: a garage in Hawthorne New Jersey
Two engineers, Marc Chavannes and Al Fielding decided to invent plastic wallpaper! It was a novel idea, but no one liked it enough to buy it. Picture this scenario in your mind. Marc and Al come home from the wallpaper sales convention they went to and start throwing items from the garage (including their plastic wall paper) into boxes. The next day, they went back to the garage and discovered that nothing was broken!!! They realized that their invention could be used as a cushioning packaging material. Marc and Al raised $9,000 to fund a developmental production line and the rest, as they say, is history!
Fast forward the way-back machine to:
date: 2001
place: Bloomington, IN
A disc jockey for Spirit 95" Radio, (the FM station in Bloomington, IN) got another novel idea. The station started Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day, and, held its first annual Bubblympiad with events such as a Bubble Wrap® popping relay, Pop-a-Mole (similar to a well-known carnival game), and sculpture and fashion design contests.
It’s been celebrated ever since. Who’d of guessed it?
Coming up with a recipe using Bubble Wrap is a little difficult, but I found something you just might like :)
Kellogg’s Rice Bubble ice-cream Baskets (how’s that for a title?)
Cooking time: 20 minutes setting time
Makes: 10
INGREDIENTS
200g white chocolate, chopped
2 cups Kellogg’s® Rice Bubbles®
100g milk chocolate, chopped
METHOD
1. Microwave* the chocolate on high for 2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds until almost fully melted.
2. Stir until chocolate is smooth and fully melted.
3. Add the Kellogg’s® Rice Bubbles® and combine well. Lightly spray a muffin tin with oil.
4. Gently press the Kellogg’s® Rice Bubbles® mixture into basket shapes, be careful not to make it too thick.
5. Allow the mixture to set in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
6. Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave* as per above directions.
7. Using a pastry brush, brush the insides of the Rice Bubble cups with a generous amount of chocolate. Place back into the refrigerator for a further 10 minutes.
8. Remove from refrigerator½ hour before serving. To serve, fill with your favourite ice cream or fresh fruit or both.
* 900-watt microwave used. Timings may vary.
Found at www.kelloggs.com.au/ricebubbles/recipe-iceCreamBasket.htm
Let’s set the way-back machine
date: 1957
place: a garage in Hawthorne New Jersey
Two engineers, Marc Chavannes and Al Fielding decided to invent plastic wallpaper! It was a novel idea, but no one liked it enough to buy it. Picture this scenario in your mind. Marc and Al come home from the wallpaper sales convention they went to and start throwing items from the garage (including their plastic wall paper) into boxes. The next day, they went back to the garage and discovered that nothing was broken!!! They realized that their invention could be used as a cushioning packaging material. Marc and Al raised $9,000 to fund a developmental production line and the rest, as they say, is history!
Fast forward the way-back machine to:
date: 2001
place: Bloomington, IN
A disc jockey for Spirit 95" Radio, (the FM station in Bloomington, IN) got another novel idea. The station started Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day, and, held its first annual Bubblympiad with events such as a Bubble Wrap® popping relay, Pop-a-Mole (similar to a well-known carnival game), and sculpture and fashion design contests.
It’s been celebrated ever since. Who’d of guessed it?
Coming up with a recipe using Bubble Wrap is a little difficult, but I found something you just might like :)
Kellogg’s Rice Bubble ice-cream Baskets (how’s that for a title?)
Cooking time: 20 minutes setting time
Makes: 10
INGREDIENTS
200g white chocolate, chopped
2 cups Kellogg’s® Rice Bubbles®
100g milk chocolate, chopped
METHOD
1. Microwave* the chocolate on high for 2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds until almost fully melted.
2. Stir until chocolate is smooth and fully melted.
3. Add the Kellogg’s® Rice Bubbles® and combine well. Lightly spray a muffin tin with oil.
4. Gently press the Kellogg’s® Rice Bubbles® mixture into basket shapes, be careful not to make it too thick.
5. Allow the mixture to set in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
6. Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave* as per above directions.
7. Using a pastry brush, brush the insides of the Rice Bubble cups with a generous amount of chocolate. Place back into the refrigerator for a further 10 minutes.
8. Remove from refrigerator½ hour before serving. To serve, fill with your favourite ice cream or fresh fruit or both.
* 900-watt microwave used. Timings may vary.
Found at www.kelloggs.com.au/ricebubbles/recipe-iceCreamBasket.htm
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
recipe
Peg asked me where the recipe is, so I tried to think of a recipe that would go with hugs. Hugs are fun? soft? warm and fuzzy? Yeah, warm and fuzzy will do.... my favorite warm and fuzzy recipe is: (bugle sound)
Baked Mashed potatoes
5 pounds potatoes, boiled
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. milk
1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese
1 onion, finely chopped
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
**optional Crated cheese to sprinkle on top
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, mash potatoes with the butter and milk. beat in cream cheese and onion. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a little bit of the mashed potatoes. Stir into potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until puffy and lightly browned. If desired, sprinkle grated cheese on potatoes, and return to oven until cheese is melted.
Baked Mashed potatoes
5 pounds potatoes, boiled
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. milk
1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese
1 onion, finely chopped
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
**optional Crated cheese to sprinkle on top
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, mash potatoes with the butter and milk. beat in cream cheese and onion. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a little bit of the mashed potatoes. Stir into potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until puffy and lightly browned. If desired, sprinkle grated cheese on potatoes, and return to oven until cheese is melted.
This morning I went online, and there – waiting in my inbox – was a link to a greeting card. It was a “Send a Hug” Greeting Card from one of my faithful followers! (LOL ) It said, “Hint, Hint.” Now, I mentioned in my profile that I’m brighter than a turnip, and just to show you how true that is, it didn’t take me more than three or four hours to realize I’ve been challenged!
It’s National Send a Hug Day and I can even tell you the traditions associated with it. You go online to an e-card place and pick out the cutest card you can find and send it!!!! Works, doesn’t it? As for the history, I feel that I can safely say that this holiday was started by Hallmark before yesterday.
To help you with your Hug day cards, here’s 2 possible messages.
1) Perfect for those in winter weather
Hugs are warm
Hugs are nice
Hugs are ways
To break the ice
2) Perfect for Emergency storage-minded people
Found a hug? Well, pass it on
Don’t try to keep it for yourself.
Share it with your family and friends,
For hugs won’t keep up on your shelf!
Now how is that for meeting the challenge????? ~~ Momilee
It’s National Send a Hug Day and I can even tell you the traditions associated with it. You go online to an e-card place and pick out the cutest card you can find and send it!!!! Works, doesn’t it? As for the history, I feel that I can safely say that this holiday was started by Hallmark before yesterday.
To help you with your Hug day cards, here’s 2 possible messages.
1) Perfect for those in winter weather
Hugs are warm
Hugs are nice
Hugs are ways
To break the ice
2) Perfect for Emergency storage-minded people
Found a hug? Well, pass it on
Don’t try to keep it for yourself.
Share it with your family and friends,
For hugs won’t keep up on your shelf!
Now how is that for meeting the challenge????? ~~ Momilee
Monday, January 19, 2009
Martin Luther King Day
"Free at last, free at last
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last"
I was only 8 years old when Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Even as a child, the speech touched my heart. As I grew older, I studied it in High School Speech classes and at college in Public Speaking Classes. I wanted to be as good with words as he was. I wanted to be able to mesmerize people when they heard me speak. It didn’t happen. In preparing this blog, I went to Youtube and tried to figure out how to put a portion of his speech on the blog, but that’s beyond my abilities today. Now maybe tomorrow, I will be able to do so after someone tells me how!
The speech, which King delivered on Aug. 28, 1963, will air at noon today during CNN’s “From MLK to Today” special which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CNN anchors Soledad O’Brien, Don Lemon and political analyst Roland Martin will host the special from the National Mall.
Here’s some brief info about the holiday itself.
Each year on the third Monday of January schools, federal offices, post office and banks across America close as we celebrate Martin Luther King Day.
15 years after Dr. King's death President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law making the third Monday of January a national holiday celebrating the birth and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
It was not an easy thing to do.
First a bill had to be introduced by a member of the House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House assigned the bill to a committee where the bill was discussed in detail. Meetings were held where supporters and opposers could discuss their positions. The committee then agreed that bill should be sent to a vote. The Rules Committee scheduled a debate on the issue. The House of Representatives then voted on the bill. It passed the House with a vote of 338 to 90. Then it was sent to the Senate
Again the issue of the King holiday had to pass through committees and public hearings before a final vote was taken
There were many who opposed the idea of holiday for Dr. King. America had only honored two individuals with national holidays - George Washington and Christopher Columbus. Many felt that there were other Americans that deserved a national holiday, such as Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy
One barrier to the confirmation was the Senator from Georgia who had denounced Dr. King as a communist
Others feared the King holiday was meant as a way to make up to African-Americans for slavery. Other feared the cost of the holiday, with the extra overtime paid to federal workers who had to work on the holiday as well as millions to those federal employees who were paid for the day
Senator Bob Dole pointed out to those critics '"I suggest they hurry back to their pocket calculators and estimate the cost of 300 years of slavery, followed by a century or more of economic, political and social exclusion and discrimination"
It took many years for Congress to decide to celebrate the holiday. In the years leading up to the official decree many African-Americans celebrated the birthday themselves with a few states declaring King's birthday a state holiday. The bill was finally passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and was signed into law on November 2, 1983
The first national celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday took place January 20, 1986. The theme of this years holiday is Remember! Celebrate! Act! A Day On, Not A Day Off!
Yesterday, I received an email from Peg in Ohio suggesting National Sweets Day (a holiday in the Midwest) and I replied to her that that was my kind of holiday. I could post a blog with candy recipes! That got me to wondering if Martin Luther King had a favorite food. I googled it and sure enough, there were pages of references to his love of Pecan Pie. So, here is a super easy recipe
Pecan Pie
3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell
Preheat your oven to 350 F or 175 C. In a medium bowl- gently beat eggs. Stir in sugar and flour, then the syrup, butter and vanilla. Fold in pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes; knife inserted in center of pie should come out clean.
Some of this info was extracted from www.holidays.net/mlk/holiday.htm
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last"
I was only 8 years old when Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Even as a child, the speech touched my heart. As I grew older, I studied it in High School Speech classes and at college in Public Speaking Classes. I wanted to be as good with words as he was. I wanted to be able to mesmerize people when they heard me speak. It didn’t happen. In preparing this blog, I went to Youtube and tried to figure out how to put a portion of his speech on the blog, but that’s beyond my abilities today. Now maybe tomorrow, I will be able to do so after someone tells me how!
The speech, which King delivered on Aug. 28, 1963, will air at noon today during CNN’s “From MLK to Today” special which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CNN anchors Soledad O’Brien, Don Lemon and political analyst Roland Martin will host the special from the National Mall.
Here’s some brief info about the holiday itself.
Each year on the third Monday of January schools, federal offices, post office and banks across America close as we celebrate Martin Luther King Day.
15 years after Dr. King's death President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law making the third Monday of January a national holiday celebrating the birth and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
It was not an easy thing to do.
First a bill had to be introduced by a member of the House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House assigned the bill to a committee where the bill was discussed in detail. Meetings were held where supporters and opposers could discuss their positions. The committee then agreed that bill should be sent to a vote. The Rules Committee scheduled a debate on the issue. The House of Representatives then voted on the bill. It passed the House with a vote of 338 to 90. Then it was sent to the Senate
Again the issue of the King holiday had to pass through committees and public hearings before a final vote was taken
There were many who opposed the idea of holiday for Dr. King. America had only honored two individuals with national holidays - George Washington and Christopher Columbus. Many felt that there were other Americans that deserved a national holiday, such as Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy
One barrier to the confirmation was the Senator from Georgia who had denounced Dr. King as a communist
Others feared the King holiday was meant as a way to make up to African-Americans for slavery. Other feared the cost of the holiday, with the extra overtime paid to federal workers who had to work on the holiday as well as millions to those federal employees who were paid for the day
Senator Bob Dole pointed out to those critics '"I suggest they hurry back to their pocket calculators and estimate the cost of 300 years of slavery, followed by a century or more of economic, political and social exclusion and discrimination"
It took many years for Congress to decide to celebrate the holiday. In the years leading up to the official decree many African-Americans celebrated the birthday themselves with a few states declaring King's birthday a state holiday. The bill was finally passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and was signed into law on November 2, 1983
The first national celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday took place January 20, 1986. The theme of this years holiday is Remember! Celebrate! Act! A Day On, Not A Day Off!
Yesterday, I received an email from Peg in Ohio suggesting National Sweets Day (a holiday in the Midwest) and I replied to her that that was my kind of holiday. I could post a blog with candy recipes! That got me to wondering if Martin Luther King had a favorite food. I googled it and sure enough, there were pages of references to his love of Pecan Pie. So, here is a super easy recipe
Pecan Pie
3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell
Preheat your oven to 350 F or 175 C. In a medium bowl- gently beat eggs. Stir in sugar and flour, then the syrup, butter and vanilla. Fold in pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes; knife inserted in center of pie should come out clean.
Some of this info was extracted from www.holidays.net/mlk/holiday.htm
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