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Monday, January 31, 2011

Vidalia Onions



A Vidalia onion is a sweet onion of certain varieties, grown in a production area defined by law in Georgia and by the United States Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The varieties include the hybrid yellow granex, varieties of granex parentage, or other similar varieties recommended by the Vidalia Onion Committee and approved by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

The onions were first grown near Vidalia, Georgia, in the early 1930s. It is an unusually sweet variety of onion, due to the low amount of sulfur in the soil in which the onions are grown. Mose Coleman is considered the person that discovered the sweet Vidalia Onion variety in 1931.

Georgia's state legislature passed the "Vidalia Onion Act of 1986" which authorized a trademark for "Vidalia Onions" and limits the production area to Georgia or any subset as defined by the state's Commissioner of Agriculture. The current definition includes:

The following thirteen counties: Emanuel, Candler, Treutlen, Bulloch, Wheeler, Montgomery, Evans, Tattnall, Toombs, Telfair, Jeff Davis, Appling, and Bacon.
Portions of the following seven counties: Jenkins, Screven, Laurens, Dodge, Pierce, Wayne, and Long.

The Vidalia onion was named Georgia's official state vegetable in 1990.

The Vidalia sweet onion is perhaps the greatest agricultural success story in
Georgia's history. The Vidalia® Onion story began over 70 years ago in Toombs County, Georgia. In 1931, a farmer by the name of Mose Coleman discovered the onions he had planted were not hot…they were SWEET! It was a struggle to sell the concept of a “Sweet” onion, but Coleman persevered and managed to sell those first crops for $3.50 per 50-pound bag.

In the 1940's the state of Georgia built a Farmer’s Market in Vidalia which greatly aided in spreading the word about “those Vidalia® Onions” which is how they got their famous name.

Read more about Vidalia Onions:

Vidalia Onions - History and Facts About Vidalia Onions

Why are Vidalia Onions Sweet?(Dawson Times - Dawson County's News)

BAKED VIDALIA ONION DIP

2 cups of chopped Vidalia onions
2 cups of grated Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 cups real (not low fat) mayonnaise

Mix ingredients together, pour into a shallow baking dish. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake dip for 20 minutes. Serve with crackers, chips, or raw vegetables.

~~~~~~~~
CUCUMBER CELERY AND VIDALIA ONION SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

4 cucumbers peeled and sliced
Salt to taste
4 ribs of celery hearts

2 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced

DRESSING:

1/3 c. sour cream
1/4 c. sugar or Splenda
1/3 c. white vinegar
1/2 lemon squeezed

Peel cucumbers, slice thin. Toss. Let stand in refrigerator for 1 hour. Rinse and drain. Add onion and celery hearts. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Chill at least 3 hours.
~~~~~~~
SUPERBOWL VIDALIA ONION QUICHE

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cracker crumbs
5 teaspoon butter, melted
2 1/2 cup Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup whole milk
2 medium eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
salt and pepper to taste

CRUST:

Combine cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press firmly into a 9 inch pie pan.

Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.

Filling:

Sauté onions over medium heat in olive oil until translucent.

Spread onions evenly across baked pie crust. Combine milk and eggs; pour over onions. Sprinkle with cheese; season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool 10 minutes before serving.
~~~~~~

Links:

Vidalia Onions

Vidalia Onion Farm

Source: Internet

Yosemite Phenomenon

YOSEMITE'S FRAZIL ICE

It only happens in March and April. I have never seen a creek come to a complete stop like this before and start up again someplace else.

It's like a lava flow. Turn on your sound. Click Here

The Beauty of Mathematics...,

Click your mouse here: Mathematics

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Five Dollars and Thirty Seven Cents

$ 5.37

That's what the kid behind the counter at Taco Bell said to me. I dug into my pocket and pulled out some lint and two dimes and something that used to be a Jolly Rancher. Having already handed the kid a five-spot, I started to head back out to the truck to grab some change when the kid with the Elmo hairdo said the hardest thing anyone has ever said to me. He said, "It's OK. I'll just give you the senior citizen discount."

I turned to see who he was talking to and then heard the sound of change hitting the counter in front of me. "Only $4.68" he said cheerfully. I stood there stupefied. I am 56, not even 60 yet? A mere child! Senior citizen? I took my burrito and walked out to the truck wondering what was wrong with Elmo. Was he blind? As I sat in the truck, my blood began to boil. Old? Me? I'll show him, I thought. I opened the door and headed back inside.

I strode to the counter, and there he was waiting with a smile. Before I could say a word, he held up something and jingled it in front of me, like I could be that easily distracted! What am I now? A toddler?

"Dude! Can't get too far without your car keys, eh?" I stared with utter disdain at the keys. I began to rationalize in my mind. "Leaving keys behind hardly makes a man elderly! It could happen to anyone!" I turned and headed back to the truck. I slipped the key into the ignition, but it wouldn't turn. What now? I checked my keys and tried another. Still nothing.

That's when I noticed the purple beads hanging from my rear view mirror. I had no purple beads hanging from my rear view mirror. Then, a few other objects came into focus. The car seat in the back seat. Happy Meal toys spread all over the floorboard. A partially eaten doughnut on the dashboard. Faster than you can say gingko biloba, I flew out of the alien vehicle..

Moments later I was speeding out of the parking lot, relieved to finally be leaving this nightmarish stop in my life. That is when I felt it, deep in the bowels of my stomach: hunger! My stomach growled and churned, and I reached to grab my burrito, only it was nowhere to be found. I swung the truck around, gathered my courage, and strode back into the restaurant one final time. There Elmo stood, draped in youth and black nail polish. All I could think was, "What is the world coming to?"

All I could say was, "Did I leave my food and drink in here"? At this point I was ready to ask a Boy Scout to help me back to my vehicle, and then go straight home and apply for Social Security benefits. Elmo had no clue. I walked back out to the truck, and suddenly a young lad came up and tugged on my jeans to get my attention. He was holding up a drink and a bag. His mother explained, "I think you left this in my truck by mistake." I took the food and drink from the little boy and sheepishly apologized. She offered these kind words: "It's OK. My grandfather does stuff like this all the time."

All of this is to explain how I got a ticket doing 85 in a 40. Yes, I was racing some punk kid in a Toyota Prius. And no, I told the officer, I'm not too old to be driving this fast. As I walked in the front door, my wife met me halfway down the hall. I handed her a bag of cold food and a $300 speeding ticket. I promptly sat in my rocking chair and covered up my legs with a blankey. The good news was I had successfully found my way home. Pass this on to the other oldies on your list. Notice the larger type? That's for those of us who have trouble reading. P.S. Save the earth......It's the only planet with chocolate !!!!!

Source: Internet

Eleven Things Not Learned In School



This should be posted in every school or kid's bedroom.

Love him or hate him , he sure hits the nail on the head with this!

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about eleven (11) things they did not and will not learn in school.

He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world doesn't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: They called it opportunity.

Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were

So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room..

Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. *This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. *Do that on your own time.

Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one..

If you can read this... Thank a Teacher. If you can read this in English... Thank a Soldier! And for life and everything else you have... Thank God!!

Look At These Unusual Numbers For 2011

This year we will experience 4 unusual dates.... 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11 .... NOW go figure this out.... take the last 2 digits of the year you were born plus the age you will be this year and it WILL EQUAL TO 111.

Source: Internet

Friday, January 14, 2011

Soft And Relaxing Guitar Music



Source: Youtube

The Land That Made Me, Me



Long ago and far away, in a land that time forgot,
Before the days of Dylan, or the dawn of Camelot.
There lived a race of innocents, and they were you and me,

For Ike was in the White House in that land where we were born,
Where navels were for oranges, and Peyton Place was porn.

We learned to gut a muffler, we washed our hair at dawn,
We spread our crinolines to dry in circles on the lawn..

We longed for love and romance, and waited for our Prince,
And Eddie Fisher married Liz, and no one's seen him since.

We danced to "Little Darlin," and sang to "Stagger Lee"
And cried for Buddy Holly in the Land That Made Me, Me.

Only girls wore earrings then, and 3 was one too many,
And only boys wore flat-top cuts, except for Jean McKinney.

And only in our wildest dreams did we expect to see
A boy named George with Lipstick, in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We fell for Frankie Avalon, Annette was oh, so nice,
And when they made a movie, they never made it twice..

We didn't have a Star Trek Five, or Psycho Two and Three,
Or Rocky-Rambo Twenty in the Land That Made Me, Me.

Miss Kitty had a heart of gold, and Chester had a limp,
And Reagan was a Democrat whose co-star was a chimp.

We had a Mr. Wizard, but not a Mr. T,
And Oprah couldn't talk yet, in the Land That Made Me, Me.
We had our share of heroes, we never thought they'd go,
At least not Bobby Darin, or Marilyn Monroe.

For youth was still eternal, and life was yet to be,
And Elvis was forever in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We'd never seen the rock band that was Grateful to be Dead,
And Airplanes weren't named Jefferson, and Zeppelins were not Led.

And Beatles lived in gardens then, and Monkees lived in trees,
Madonna was Mary in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We'd never heard of microwaves, or telephones in cars,
And babies might be bottle-fed, but they were not grown in jars.

And pumping iron got wrinkles out, and "gay" meant fancy-free,
And dorms were never co-ed in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We hadn't seen enough of jets to talk about the lag,
And microchips were what was left at the bottom of the bag.

And hardware was a box of nails, and bytes came from a flea,
And rocket ships were fiction in the Land That Made Me, Me.

Buicks came with portholes, and side shows came with freaks,
And bathing suits came big enough to cover both your cheeks.

And Coke came just in bottles, and skirts below the knee,
And Castro came to power near the Land That Made Me, Me.

We had no Crest with Fluoride, we had no Hill Street Blues,
We had no patterned pantyhose or Lipton herbal tea
Or prime-time ads for those dysfunctions in the Land That Made Me, Me.

There were no golden arches, no Perrier to chill,
And fish were not called Wanda , and cats were not called Bill.

And middle-aged was 35 and old was forty-three,
And ancient were our parents in the Land That Made Me, Me.

But all things have a season, or so we've heard them say,
And now instead of Maybelline we swear by Retin-A.
They send us invitations to join AARP,
We've come a long way, baby, from the Land That Made Me, Me.

So now we face a brave new world in slightly larger jeans,
And wonder why they're using smaller print in magazines.
And we tell our children's children of the way it used to be,
Long ago and far away in the Land That Made Me, Me.

If you didn't grow up in the fifty's,
you missed the greatest time in history.

Author Unknown

Source: Internet

"Sayings" To Ponder

The best way to get even is to forget.

Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death..

God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts..

Some folks wear their halos much too tight...

Unless you can create the WHOLE universe in 5 days, Then perhaps giving "advice" to God, isn't such a good idea!

Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up...

Standing in the middle of the road is dangerous. You will get knocked down by the traffic from both ways.

Words are windows to the heart.

It isn't difficult to make a mountain out of a molehill just add a little dirt.

A successful marriage isn't finding the right person-it's being the right person.

The mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its ground.

To forgive is to set the prisoner free, and then discover the prisoner was you.

You have to wonder about humans, they think God is dead and Elvis is alive!

You'll notice that a turtle only makes progress when it sticks out its neck...

If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you can bet the water bill is higher.

Keep smiling! And...if you see someone's missing one....give them one of yours!

Source: Internet

The Bricklayer's Accident Report...,



The next time you're having a bad day, just think -- you're lucky you're not this guy!

This is a bricklayer's accident report that was printed in the newsletter of the English equivalent of the Workers' Compensation Board.

Dear Sir:

I am writing in response to your request for additional information in Block #3 of the accident reporting form. I put "Poor Planning" as the cause of my accident. You asked for a fuller explanation, and I trust the following details will be sufficient.

I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work, I found I had some bricks left over which when weighed later were found to weigh 240 lbs.

Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley which was attached to the side of the building at the sixth floor.

Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went down and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 240 lbs of bricks. You will note on the accident reporting form that my weight is 135 lbs.

Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rapid rate up the side of the building.

In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel which was now proceeding downward at an equally impressive speed. This explains the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken collarbone, as listed in Section 3, accident reporting form.

Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley which I mentioned in Paragraph 2 of this correspondence. Fortunately, by this time, I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of the excruciating pain I was now beginning to experience.

At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground, and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Now devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel weighed approximately 50 lbs. I refer you again to my weight.

As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and severe lacerations of my legs and lower body.

Here my luck began to change slightly. The encounter with the barrel seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked.

I am sorry to report, however, as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain, unable to move and watching the empty barrel six stories above me, I again lost my composure and presence of mind and let go of the rope.

Source: Internet

The Little Green Garden Snake

GARDEN SNAKES CAN BE DANGEROUS...

Snakes also known as Garter Snakes (Thamnophissirtalis) can be dangerous. Yes, grass snakes, not rattlesnakes. Here's why.

A couple in Sweetwater, Texas , had a lot of potted plants. During a recent cold spell, the wife was bringing a lot of them indoors to protect them from a possible freeze.

It turned out that a little green garden grass snake was hidden in one of the plants.
When it had warmed up, it slithered out and the wife saw it go under the sofa.

She let out a very loud scream.

The husband (who was taking a shower) ran out into the living room naked to see what the problem was. She told him there was a snake under the sofa.

He got down on the floor on his hands and knees to look for it. About that time the family dog came and cold-nosed him on the behind. He thought the snake had bitten him, so he screamed and fell over on the floor.

His wife thought he had a heart attack, so she covered him up, told him to lie still
and called an ambulance.

The attendants rushed in, would not listen to his protests, loaded him on the stretcher, and started carrying him out.

About that time, the snake came out from under the sofa and the Emergency Medical Technician saw it and dropped his end of the stretcher. That's when the man broke
his leg and why he is still in the hospital.

The wife still had the problem of the snake in the house, so she called on a neighbor who volunteered to capture the snake. He armed himself with a rolled-up newspaper and began poking under the couch.. Soon he decided it was gone and told the woman, who sat down on the sofa in relief.

But while relaxing, her hand dangled in between the cushions, where she felt the snake wriggling around. She screamed and fainted, the snake rushed back under the sofa.

The neighbor man, seeing her lying there passed out, tried to use CPR to revive her.

The neighbor's wife, who had just returned from shopping at the grocery store, saw her husband's mouth on the woman's mouth and slammed her husband in the back of the head with a bag of canned goods, knocking him out and cutting his scalp to a point where it needed stitches.

The noise woke the woman from her dead faint and she saw her neighbor lying on the floor with his wife bending over him, so she assumed that the snake had bitten him. She went to the kitchen and got a small bottle of whiskey, and began pouring it down the man's throat.

By now, the police had arrived. Breathe here...

They saw the unconscious man, smelled the whiskey, and assumed that a drunken fight had occurred. They were about to arrest them all, when the women tried to explain how it all happened over a little garden snake!

The police called an ambulance, which took away the neighbor and his sobbing wife.

Now, the little snake again crawled out from under the sofa and one of the policemen drew his gun and fired at it. He missed the snake and hit the leg of the end table. The table fell over, the lamp on it shattered and, as the bulb broke, it started a fire in the drapes.

The other policeman tried to beat out the flames, and fell through the window into the yard on top of the family dog who, startled, jumped out and raced into the street, where an oncoming car swerved to avoid it and smashed into the parked police car.

Meanwhile, neighbors saw the burning drapes and called in the fire department. The firemen had started raising the fire ladder when they were halfway down the street. The rising ladder tore out the overhead wires, put out the power, and disconnected the telephones in a ten-square city block area (but they did get the house fire out).

Time passed! Both men were discharged from the hospital, the house was repaired, the dog came home, the police acquired a new car and all was right with their world.

A while later they were watching TV and the weatherman announced a cold snap for that night. The wife asked her husband if he thought they should bring in their plants for the night.

Source: Internet

Winter Is For Hot Tea

Whether it’s full-bodied English Breakfast or soothing chamomile, nothing beats a mug of fresh-steeped tea. Discover the many types and tastes, learn about the tools every tea-sipper should have and get unique ideas for the world’s second most consumed beverage (after water).



Types of Tea

All tea leaves come from the same shrub (Camellia Sinensis), but flavors vary depending on fermentation time and added herbs and spices. Here are 7 noteworthy types:

Black: The strongest tea, it’s full-bodied and bold, ranging from smoky (Chinese) to fruity (Assam) and even spicy (Darjeeling).

Tip: Black tea is also the base of many blends, like bergamot-infused Earl Grey, spiced Chai and English Breakfast tea.

Green: Dried but not fermented, green tea is milder than black tea. Some are fresh and grassy (Japanese) and others floral and nutty (Chinese).

Oolong: More delicate than black yet stronger than green, oolong teas have complex flavors with hints of honey, tropical fruit or vanilla.

White: Distinguished by hand-picked and sun-dried leaves, white tea is subtly herbal with refined floral flavors.

While not technically tea, herbal teas—infusions made from the leaves, seeds, petals or roots of various plants—are worth trying. Find them next to the true teas:

Chamomile: The dried petals of a daisy-like plant, chamomile tea is fragrant, floral and perfect before bedtime.

Rooibos: From a shrub that only grows in South Africa, Rooibos is deep red in color, very sweet and slightly nutty.

Yerba Mate: A species of holly native to South America, it’s earthy, herbal and energy boosting.

Tip: To prepare the perfect cup, try the steeping tips in our article Tea Party Planning Tips and Recipes.

Must-Have Tea Tools

Kettle: Stovetop or electric, kettles are designed to heat water. We love electric kettles outfitted with temperature settings—we never have to worry about scalding fragile green, white and herbal teas.

Teapot: Perfect for sharing, teapots allow you to brew enough tea for two or more. And when they’re not in use, they double as décor!

Strainer: Loose tea produces more flavor than tea bags, and a mesh strainer makes it easy to steep. Or try a two-in-one teapot with a built-in strainer!

More Tea Ideas

Mix tea with flowers and citrus peel to create one-of-a-kind blends.

Add comforting sweetness to your cup of tea with homemade ginger-infused honey.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with our delicately spiced Chai Tea Cupcakes.

Try our modern take on the traditional English tea party.

Take tea outside of the kitchen—dye paper and fabric with it for an easy aged look.

Turn your tea bags into kitchen décor by clipping them to a clever clothespin wreath.

Repurpose empty tea tins as charming containers for jade plants.

Source: Internet

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Refuse NEW Coins

I heard that it would happen, but wondered if it really would.

Well, distribution has begun...Refuse new coins!

True Americans will refuse these

It has begun...Refuse new coins!

REFUSE NEW COINS

This simple action will make a strong statement.

Please help do this.. Refuse to accept these when they are handed to you.

I received one from the Post Office as change and I asked for a dollar bill instead.

The lady just smiled and said 'way to go' , so she had read this e -mail.

Please help out...our world is in enough trouble without this too!!!!!

U.S.Government to Release



New Dollar Coins

You guessed it "IN GOD WE TRUST" IS GONE!!!


If ever there was a reason to boycott something,

THIS IS IT!!!!

DO NOT ACCEPT THE NEW DOLLAR COINS AS CHANGE

Together we can force them out of circulation..

Source: Internet

A Short Neurological Test

1- Find the C below.. Please do not use any cursor help.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

2- If you already found the C, now find the 6 below.

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

3 - Now find the N below. It's a little more difficult.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

This is NOT a joke. If you were able to pass these 3 tests, you can cancel your annual visit to your neurologist. Your brain is great and you're far from having a close relationship with Alzheimer.

Congratulations!

eonvrye that can raed this rsaie your hnad.

To my 'selected' strange-minded friends:

If you can read the following paragraph, forward it on to your friends and the person that sent it to you with 'yes' in the subject line.

Only great minds can read this
This is weird, but interesting!

If you can raed this, you have a sgtrane mnid too

Can you raed this? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! If you can raed this forwrad it.

Source: Internet

Reflections From The Seat Of An Old Tractor



An Old Farmer's Advice

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered…...not yelled.

Meanness don't just happen overnight.

Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.

Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

You cannot unsay a cruel word.

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about, ain't never gonna happen anyway.

Don 't judge folks by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good and honorable life, then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

Don 't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.

If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.

Source: Internet

Onions

No wonder this isn't widely known - the pharmaceutical companies would go bankrupt!!)

Very important subject.. especially for those who love to eat onions.

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people, there was a Doctor that visited many farmers to see if he could help them combat this flu, as many of the farmers and their families had contracted it and many had died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and, to his surprise, everyone in his family was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different, the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She obliged and when he tested it, he found that the onion was riddled with flu virus. It had obviously absorbed the bacteria and therefore, kept the family healthy.

I heard this story from my hairdresser: she said that several years ago, many of her employees were coming down with the flu and also many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop and, to her surprise, none of her staff got sick (and no, she is not in the onion business).

So the sensible answer would seem to be, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home. If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office (under your desk or even a windowsill). Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and none of us contracted the flu.

If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better. If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case.

Whatever, what have you to lose? Just a few pennies on onions!!

Now there is a P.S. to this, for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

"Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmers story, but I do remember that I contracted pneumonia and, needless to say, I was very ill. I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion, put one end on a fork and then place the forked end into an empty jar, placing the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs. Sure enough, it happened just like that.. the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial and antiseptic properties."

Here is another point:

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS!

I have often used an onion which has been left in the fridge and sometimes don't use a whole one at a time and so save the other half for later.

Now with this information, I have changed my habits and buy smaller onions!

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, makers of mayonnaise. Mullins is huge and is owned by 11 brothers and sisters of the Mullins family. My friend, Jeanne, is the CEO.

Questions about food poisoning came up and I wanted to share what I'd learned from a chemist.

The guy who gave us our tour is named Ed. Ed is one of the brothers and a chemistry expert who is involved in developing most of the sauce formula. He's even developed a sauce formula for McDonald's.

Keep in mind that Ed is a food chemistry whiz.

During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise.. people are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you, as he said that all commercially made Mayo is completely safe. "It doesn't even have to be refrigerated - there's no harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary", he explained. He said that the pH in mayonnaise is set at an environmental point that bacteria could not survive in and he then talked about the quintessential picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick. Ed says that when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the victim last ate onions and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says that it's not the mayonnaise (as long as it's not homemade Mayo) that spoils in the outdoors, it's the onions and/or the potatoes (ever seen a potato go black? Thought so..).

He explained that onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion and he says it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator. It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and exposed to the air for a while and can be a real danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you have put in your hotdogs and burgers at the vendors!).

Source: Internet

Monday, January 3, 2011

The New Year And Black Eye Peas



It’s New Year’s Day. And it wouldn’t be New Year’s without black-eyed peas, at least, not here in the Southern United States.

Most family makes Traditional Black-eyed Peas every New Year’s Day for good luck.

Some cook the peas up along with greens and cornbread. According to the myth of fortune, the peas represent coins, the greens symbolize paper money, and cornbread stands for gold.

Aunt Mamie's New Year's Black-Eyed Peas

Rinse peas in large pot

One package of dried peas is about 2 cups (4 cups soaked)

Sort out any broken pieces, peas containing holes, or anything that looks like it doesn’t need to be cooked with the peas! The bad peas will usually float to the top.

Cover Peas with water and let them stand overnight (at least 6-8 hours)

Drain soak water, rinse peas in fresh cold water.

Add 6 cups-8 cups of water to a pot and when the water comes to a boil add ham hocks. Let them cook on medium heat until the hocks are tender. (about 30-40 minutes)
We use a ham hock because most of the flavor comes from the bone.

Add peas, bring back to a boil and cover.

Simmer gently until desired tenderness is reached (1 1/2 or 2 hours)

Serve with a corn muffin or a nice wedge of buttered Cornbread.

My aunt Mamie would always add a piece of hog jowl to the pot. I think that was to make you have an even more prosperous new year.

What is Hog Jowl?

It is the cheek of a hog, which is usually cut into squares before being cured and smoked.

Source: Internet