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.
Friday, February 27, 2009
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.
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