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Showing posts from 2019

Veterans' Day Time Line

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For those of you wondering why Veterans Day is always celebrated on November 11... Oh wait. It wasn't always celebrated on the 11th. Here is why! 1 918: November 11, 11:00 a.m. the armistice ending World War I (truce) goes into effect 1919: President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with these words  "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…" Fact: The original idea for Veterans’ Day was a day observed with parades with a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m. 1938: November 11 is made a legal holiday is signed into Act on May 13 – as a day dedicated to the cause of world peace known a

A Bit of Mother’s Day History : A Day of Peace

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I’ve always found Mother’s Day to be a wonderful tradition. It doesn’t have to be about celebrating a woman.  The origin of Mother's Day was not intended to be about self, but about service.   We can celebrate Mother Nature or admire a person who has provided support. We can take a moment of silence and honor those no longer here. It is a momentary break from our busy schedules to remember a mentor or a mother figure, whether by birth or by choice. This Mother's Day perhaps we look beyond us, beyond our losses and our gains. Perhaps we look beyond those days turned into commercial holidays and celebrate nature and peace.  Days dedicated to mothers have been traced back to a variety of sources. The ancient Greeks honored Rhea, the mother of the gods. Christians honor Mary, the mother of Christ. Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, apparently evolved to be a time when people working away from their homes were expected to return to their “mother” church. Th

Happy Lunar New Year or Spring Festival: Recipe for Quick Pineapple Tarts

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My daughter and I read Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asian trilogy, which is essentially a love affair with Singaporean food. Throughout the book, Kwan writes about the pineapple tarts eaten during the Lunar New Year. Three books later, I knew that this year was my year to make pineapple tarts. There are a few complicated recipes out there and I'm all about simplicity. Though fresh pineapple is recommended for the jam filling, I found reducing a can of pineapple tasted the same and was readily available. Yield: 18 small tarts Pineapple filling 1 can of unsweetened pineapple (crushed or rings)  Cinnamon or clove to taste ( I do not add any spices, but my family likes cinnamon.) Tart  ½ cup (1 stick) of butter softened (113 grams) 2 tb (1 oz) of sweetened condensed milk (28 grams)  (substitute: 2 tb milk and 2.5 oz of powdered sugar- add liquid sparingly) 1 egg yolk  ¾ cup (6 oz) all-purpose flour Egg Wash  (using a whole egg for th