Wassail Punch Hot Spiced Cider

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This is a great recipe now that the weather is turning colder… and there’s enough to share with a crowd. The recipe serves 14, and it’s super-easy to make.

Ingredients: 
2 qt. apple cider
4 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
A pinch of ground ginger
1/2 C lemon juice
A pinch of ground nutmeg
2 C orange juice

Dump all ingredients in a slow cooker or a large pot over low heat. Bring to a simmer. If using a slow cooker, allow to simmer all day. At any rate, serve hot.

Healthy livng? Not.

SparkPeople is the healthy and free website I've been recommending. And they definitely wouldn't condone these "healthy living" rules!

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it, don't waste them exercise. Everything wears out eventually speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: If I stop smoking, will I live longer?
A: Nope. Smoking is a sign of individual expression and peace of mind. If you stop, you'll probably stress yourself to death in record time.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable slop.

Q: Is beer or wine bad for me?
A: Look, it goes to the earlier point about fruits and vegetables. As we all know, scientists divide everything in the world into three categories: animal, mineral, and vegetable. We all know that beer and wine are not animal, and they are not on the periodic table of elements, so that only leaves one thing, right? My advice: Have a burger and a beer and enjoy your liquid vegetables.

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body, and you have body fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain - Good.

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: You're not listening. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated with it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: What's the secret to healthy eating?
A: Thicker gravy.

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Out and about

Out in the mountains of North Carolina, as you drive along the "main roads", you're liable to see most anything. This gent enjoys portraying the role of Jed Clampett, or so I presume. He uses a chain saw to carve out black bears of various sizes, then sells them to tourists who gather around to watch the performance.





I think he could also do a creditable job of playing the starring role in the movie "Deliverance".

Pharisees then and now

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On Wednesday mornings, a group of women from our church meet to discuss the liturgical readings for the coming Sunday. Last Wednesday's discussion on today's Gospel (Matthew 23:1-2) was interesting for several reasons. But one thing in particular stood out to me.

Did you know that, in the time of Jesus, Jews distinguished 7 types of Pharisees? Here are the qualities that characterize them:

• Wait-a-little Pharisee: These men always had a valid reason for putting off a good deed.
• Shoulder Pharisees were meticulous in observing the Law, but they wore their good deeds on their shoulder to ensure that they would be seen by others.
• Bruised or bleeding Pharisee: Women had a very low (almost nonexistent) status in the Palestine of Jesus' day. No self-respecting orthodox teacher would be seen in public talking to a woman, regardless of their relationship. The bruised or bleeding Pharisee was so scrupulous in observing this custom that they would not even look at a woman, and they would close their eyes to make sure! As a result, they would run into things or stumble. The wounds they sustained gained them recognition for being especially pious.
• Hump-back Pharisees walked in such ostentatious humility that their backs were constantly bent over, giving them a hump-back appearance. In addition, they would not lift their feet from the ground, resulting in frequent trips and falls. Thus they were advertizing their piety for all to see.
• Ever-reckoning Pharisees always kept a score card of his good deeds, in the belief that each of them put God further in their debt.
• Timid or fearful Pharisee: These Pharisees were continually dreading divine punishment. Avoidance of God's judgment or condemnation was the aim of their religious observance.
• God-fearing Pharisees found delight in observing God's law. Their motivation was love of God.

I thought of at least one other modern-day "Pharisee":

• Scorekeeper Pharisees, unlike Ever-reckoning Pharisees, keep score of the evildoing of others in order to compare themselves favorably to "those sinners".

Can you think of any other modern-day Pharisees you may have met? Can you find yourself anywhere on the list?

It's time to winterize your lawn

"Winterize your lawn," the big sign outside the garden store commanded. I've fed it, watered it, mowed it, raked it and watched a lot of it die anyway. Now I'm supposed to winterize it? I hope it's too late. Grass lawns have to be the stupidest thing we've come up with outside of thong swimsuits! We constantly battle dandelions, Queen Anne's lace, thistle, violets, chicory and clover that thrive naturally, so we can grow grass that must be nursed through an annual four-step chemical dependency.

Imagine the conversation The Creator might have with St. Francis about this:

"Frank you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there in the Midwest? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracted butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles."

"It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great extent to kill them and replace them with grass."

"Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?"

"Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn."

"The spring rains and cool weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy."

"Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it - sometimes twice a week."

"They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?"

"Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags."

"They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?"

"No, sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away."

"Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?"

"Yes, sir."

"These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work."

"You aren't going believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it."

"What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life."

"You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and have them hauled away."

"No! What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and keep the soil moist and loose?"

"After throwing away your leaves, they go out and buy something they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves."

"And where do they get this mulch?"

"They cut down trees and grind them up."

"Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?"

"Dumb and Dumber, Lord. It's a real stupid movie about..."

"Never mind I think I just heard the whole story."

Stuck. Really.

According to this MSNBC article, a 21-year-old man from Vallejo, California spent the night stuck in a child's swing. Apparently the saga began with a $100 bet. To win it, our fine fellow lubed up his posterior liberally with laundry detergent and wedged himself into a child's swing.

He got in.

He couldn't get out.

His "friends" left him and, some nine hours later, he was finally rescued when a groundskeeper and the police found him screaming for assistance... assistance which was provided by the fire department (with the aid of cast cutters).

There's a lesson in there somewhere I'm sure.

A tale of determination and talent

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I had to share just one more shot...

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Sorry if I'm boring you, but... despite the fact that I've shared a few photos of "our boys" earlier this week, I'm going to share just one more.

Our eldest, Ling, is definitely into "creature comforts". When the weather gets cooler, he loves to burrow under the covers... or, in this case, under the PJ's we've tossed on the bed when we go to shower. He does the same thing when the vacuum cleaner is running; it's his way of ensuring that the vacuum monster doesn't attack him.

If you'd like to share one of your photos, join up with the Wordless Wednesday linky below:

How nice is that!

I just discovered that LaTonya at Detroit Mom & Her Views had awarded this blog the "Versatile Blogger Award". Please send her some hugs by heading over to her place!

Now the Rules of the Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Thanks and link back to the person who gave the award to you. (Thanks again, LaTonya!)

2. Share 7 things about yourself :

• I was born and raised just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• The food I miss most from my former hometown is the kaiser rolls. The ones where I live now are more like hamburger buns, but Philly ones are crusty. (Maybe it's the Schuykill River water.)
• 2012 will be full of "big numbers" for us. Hubby will turn 65. I will turn 60. And we'll have our 40 year anniversary.
• I'm allergic to moth balls.
• I used to babysit for a boa constrictor, and enjoyed wearing him around my neck to watch peoples' reactions. (I was dumber then.)
• I'm scared of centipedes (but not mice or snakes).
• My favorite veggies are asparagus, spinach, and home-grown tomatoes.

3. Pass the award on to some of YOUR favorite blogs. I'm only going to mention 5
    Here they are, in alphabetical order:

• Ask Sister Mary Martha - I have no idea if the author of this blog is a nun or not, but you'll love her, I promise!
• Catalog Living - Talk about a creative mind! This blogger sees the crazy photos that sometimes appear in catalogs or magazines and brings them to life... the life of Gary & Elaine... You've got to stop by there to see what I mean!
• Mommy's Kitchen - Recipes galore, and all of them are yummy!
• Reflections and Ruminations - A very well-written blog by Fr. Luke Fong, a priest from Singapore. He'll definitely make you reflect and ruminate, too.
• Reflections of a Paralytic - Chelsea Zimmerman's blog is inspiring on several levels. Chelsea was paralyzed from the chest down in a motor vehicle crash when she was in junior high school. Her blog is faith-filled, pro-life, and full of gratitude.

Old Fasioned Bread Pudding

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Ingredients

Butter, 2 Tbsp    

Eggs, 2, Slightly beaten

Sugar, 1/2 C        

Salt, 1/4 tsp         

Vanilla extract, 1 tsp        

Milk, 1 qt             

Bread, 3 1/2 C, Cut in cubes

Raisins, 3/4 C, if desired

Melt butter & combine with eggs, sugar, tsp salt, vanilla extract, & milk. Mix & pour over bread. Note: if bread is real dry, heat it in milk before mixing.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Serves 6

 

Spice up your life!

Here are more great ideas from SparkPeople, the great free website for people who want to live a healthier lifestyle. Since joining them in early August, I've lost 20 pounds. I've fit into clothing I haven't worn for several years. I've also gone from someone who get winded walking around the block to someone who survives an hour of water aerobics!

One of the lifestyle changes SparkPeople encourages is reducing sodium intake. Americans - and folks from many other countries - ingest far more sodium each day than is healthy for us. According to this article from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our bodies require 180-500 mg of sodium daily... but the average daily sodium intake for those aged 2 and older is 3436 mg daily. This represents nearly 7 times the amount of sodium we need each day. Although we require no more than 500 mg per day of sodium, the "tolerable upper intake level" is three times that, or 1500 mg. Any way you slice and dice it, we're not staying within a healthy range.

Staying within the allowable range is especially important for those older than 50, African Americans, or those with high blood pressure, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. This Health Canada article states that health risks for those with high sodium intake include high blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke, heart disease and kidney disease.

SparkPeople offers some healthy alternatives to seasoning with salt. Here are some ideas:

Meat Seasoning Ideas

To Season This...	Try One of These...
Poultry	basil, cranberry sauce/relish, ginger, fresh mushrooms, marjoram, paprika, parsley, poultry seasoning, sage,   summer savory, or thyme
Lamb	curry powder, basil, garlic, mint, mint sauce/jelly, onion, oregano, parsley, pineapple rings, or rosemary
Pork	apple juice, applesauce, garlic, marjoram, onion, sage,  spiced apple, or spiced crabapple
Beef	bay leaf, butter, chive, dry mustard, garlic, green pepper, marjoram, mushrooms, nutmeg, onion, pepper, sage, thyme, or tomato
Fish	basil, bay leaf, curry, dill, dry mustard, garlic, green pepper, lemon butter, lemon juice, marjoram, mushrooms, paprika, parsley, tarragon, thyme, or tomato

Vegetable Seasoning Ideas

To Season This...	Try One of These...
Asparagus	chives, herb butter, or lemon juice
Green Beans	dill seed, chives, lemon juice, nutmeg, marjoram, onion, rosemary, or scallions
Broccoli	lemon juice
Cabbage	dill seed, or mustard dressing/paste
Cauliflower	nutmeg
Corn	chives, curry, onions, or parsley
Potatoes	green peppers, mace, onion, or parsley
Squash	allspice, basil, ginger, mace, or sautéed onion
Sweet Potatoes	glaze of cinnamon/nutmeg, or escalope with apples & sugar
Tomatoes	basil, chives, curry, marjoram, onions, parsley, or sugar
Green Peppers	chives, curry, onions, or parsley

Create Your Own Spice Shakers

Basic Spice Shaker	Herb & Onion Blend	Enhanced Seasoning
1 Tbsp. ground marjoram	¼ cup instant chopped onion	1 tsp. crumbled thyme leaves
1 Tbsp. ground savory	1 Tbsp. sweet basil	1 tsp marjoram leaves
1 Tbsp ground thyme	1 Tbsp sweet basil	1 tsp. celery seed
1-1/2 tsp. ground basil	1 Tbsp. garlic powder	1 tsp. garlic powder
1 ½ tsp. ground black pepper	1 Tbsp. cracked black pepper	½ tsp. onion powder
1-1/2 tsp. ground oregano		½ tsp. curry powder
		½ tsp. dried dill weed
		2 Tbsp. paprika

Also, you can purchase refillable salt shakers at a home goods store 

and prepare spice mix for a great stocking-stuffer.

A choice: Is this what "courage" is?

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I ran into a term yesterday that I'd never heard before, and one that - to me - is profoundly disturbing. The term is "suicide tourism". Apparently it's a new industry in Europe: an opportunity for a person to travel to their final destination.

Literally.

If you discover that you're faced with a terminal illness, for example, you can go to Switzerland, where a non-profit organization called "Dignitas" will help you to end your life. You can watch this Frontline program to learn more if you wish. But I couldn't watch it, because I found the whole idea makes me extremely uncomfortable.

The Frontline story evidently focuses on the story of a 59-year-old Chicagoan named Craig Ewert. After being diagnosed with ALS - Lou Gehrig's syndrome - he began deteriorating rapidly. And certainly ALS is a terrible, terrible disease. All of the victim's muscles grow increasingly weaker until one loses his ability to care for bodily functions, swallow, speak, and even to breathe. It is uncurable and - inevitably - fatal.

This is a fate no one would want to face. The word "cruel" seems like a weak and insipid description of this disease. There is no word powerful enough to describe how terrible this affliction is.

Ewert found out that Switzerland is the only country in the world which allows non-residents to travel to destinations within its borders for the sole purpose of committing suicide. And he elected to make this journey rather than suffer the progressive loss of his bodily functions. This would also spare his family the need to care for him, or to pay for his care.

His wife Mary traveled with him and sat by his side as he drank the cocktail that would end his life. She wished him a "safe journey" and kissed him as he died.

Was his the right decision? Was it the courageous choice?

Is this one more example that we believe we have the right to decide which life is valuable? Is it one more piece of evidence that we have lost our respect for life? Is Dignitas - which has helped hundreds of people die - providing an important service? Or are they committing murder?

What do you think?

Our boys - the things they get into!

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Fun facts

Q: Why do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes have buttons on the left?
A: When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right!  And that's where women's buttons have remained since.

Q: Why do ships and aircraft use 'mayday' as their call for help?
A: This comes from the French word m'aidez -meaning 'help me' -- and is pronounced, approximately, 'mayday.'

Q: Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love'?
A: In France , where tennis became popular, round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called 'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'egg.' When tennis was introduced in the US ,  Americans (mis)pronounced it 'love.'

Q. Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses?
A: In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous.

Q: Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called 'passing the buck'?
A: In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility of dealing,he would 'pass the buck' to the next player.

Q: Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast?
A: It used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously.  When a guest trusted his host, he would only touch or clink the host's glass with his own.

Q: Why are people in the public eye said to be 'in the limelight'?

A:Invented in 1825,limelight was used in lighthouses and theatres by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre,a performer 'in the limelight' was the centre of attention.

Q: Why is someone who is feeling great 'on cloud nine'?
A: Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares.

Q: In golf, where did the term 'Caddie' come from?
A. When Mary Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl,Louis, King of France , learned that she loved the Scots game 'golf.' So he had the first course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned  (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with her. In French, the word cadet is pronounced  'ca-day' and the Scots changed it into 'caddie.

Q: Why are many coin banks shaped like pigs?
A: Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a dense orange clay called 'pygg'. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as 'pygg banks.' When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a container that resembled a pig. And it caught on.

Q: Did you ever wonder why dimes, quarters and half dollars have notches (milling), while pennies and nickels do not?
A: The US Mint began putting notches on the edges of coins containing gold and silver to discourage holders from shaving off small quantities of the precious metals. Dimes, quarters and half dollars are notched because they used to contain silver. Pennies and nickels aren't notched because the metals they contain are not valuable enough to shave.

Dogs' letters to God

Dear God,

How come people love to smell flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another? Where are their priorities?

Dear God,

When we get to Heaven, can we sit on your couch? Or is it the same old story?

Dear God,

Excuse me, but why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not one named for a dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around? We dogs love a nice ride! I know every breed cannot have its own model, but it would be easy to rename the Chrysler Eagle the Chrysler Beagle!

Dear God,

If a dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad dog?

Dear God,

When my foster mom's friend comes over to our house, he smells like musk! What's he been rolling around in?

Dear God,

Is it true that in Heaven, dining room tables have on-ramps?

Dear God,

If we come back as humans, is that good or bad?

Dear God,

More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.

Dear God,

When we get to the Pearly Gates, do we have to shake hands to get in?

Dear God,

We dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent IDs, electromagnetic energy fields, and Frisbee flight paths. What do humans understand?

Dear God,

Are there dogs on other planets, or are we alone? I have been howling at the moon and stars for a long time, but all I ever hear back is the beagle across the street!

Dear God,

Are there mailmen in Heaven? If there are, will I have to apologize?

Dear God,

Is it true that dogs are not allowed in restaurants because we can't make up our minds what NOT to order? Or is it the carpets again?

Dear God,

When my family eats dinner they always bless their food. But they never bless mine. So, I've been wagging my tail extra fast when they pour fill my bowl. Have you noticed my own blessing?

Dear God,

I've always lived at the shelter and I have everything I need. But many of the cats here have names and I don't. Could you give me a name please? It would be good for my self-esteem.

Dear God,

The new terrier I live with just peed on the Oriental rug and I have a feeling my family might blame me 'cuz they think I'm jealous of this stupid dog. Since they have no sense of smell, how can I convince them I'm innocent? Does Petsmart sell lie detectors?