It's good to be back on the blog. As many of you know, we were away in California, visiting my mother-in-law who we thought was dying. When we got there, she did look terrible, not eating, sleeping, and having jerking movements from time to time, speaking irrationally on occasion. For two days we were all very sullen, expecting the worse. Then miraculously the third day she wakes up and says, "I'm hungry, where are we going for breakfast." After we picked ourselves up off the floor happily, we all ate a hearty breakfast, she of course ate more than us. She continues to get better as I write.
-
While in California, we didn't do much except cook, read, and spend time with the family. Joyce, Russell's sister wanted to watch a movie one night and we decided upon "Chocolat" I love that movie. So to put ourselves in the mood, I thought it would be great to make hot chocolate the way it was made in the movie, and sip it ever so romantically, as we eagerly watch the movie.
-
So-be-it, I anxiously looked on line for the receipe. I found it. It's called "Mayan Hot Chocloate. " The drink is as close as can be with the modern ingredients to the Mayan drink from the movie. It will cure anything from PMS to heart disease to a broken heart, so they say. Why don't you rent the movie and try it yourself. It's wonderful. Here's the recipe.
-
Mayan Hot Chocolate
1 chile pepper, cut in half, seeds removed
5 cups light cream, or whole milk or nonfat milk
1 vanilla bean, split lenghtwise
1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, or 3 tablets
Mexican chocolate, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey or to taste
1 tablespoon almonds or hazelnuts, ground extra fine
Add chile pepper to 2 cups boiling water. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Remove chile pepper; strain for stray seeds, and set aside.
In a medium-size saucepan, combine cream or milk, vanilla bean(vanilla bean should be split in half length wise and the tiny seeds scraped out) and cinnamon stick. Heat over medium flame until bubbles appear around the edge. Reduce heat to low; add chocolate and sugar or honey; whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolves.
Turn off heat; remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick, stir in ground almonds or hazelnuts. Add chile pepper infusion a little at a time making sure the flavor isn't too strong. If chocolate is too thick, thin with a little more milk. Enjoy!
-
I had to go on a search in the supermaket for all the ingredients. It was at that time I discovered the tremendously expensive cost of vanilla beans. Did you know they were so expensive? Why are vanilla beans so expensive? For just two bean pods it can range from $12-15 dollars. And so my dear friends as the crow flies, I found out why. That will be the subject of my next blog.
-
This blog has been especially written for "The Crow", or affectionately known as "Old Crow" Now you must keep up with the blog Crow, cause The Raven is back!!!
This is Raven-as the crow flies
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
April - A New Month Begins
April 1st to blog I must
Whether it's little, or
Whether it's much
Could be silly
Could be wise
Always truthful
Never lies
North or South
East or West
As the crow flies
I'll do my best!
April. The derivation of the name (Latin Aprilis) is uncertain. The traditional etymology is from the Latin aperire, "to open," in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin to "open," which is supported by comparison with the modern Greek use of opening for spring.
-
Since most of the Roman months were named in honor of divinities, and as April was sacred to Venus, the Festum Beneris et Fortunae Virlis being held on the first day, it has been suggested that Aprilis was originally her month Aphrilis, from her Greek name Aphrodite, or from the Etuscan name Apru. Jacob Grimm suggest the name of a hypothetical god or hero, Aper or Aprus.
-
Again we see the influence of the ruler of this world in giving honor to pagan deities. May we continue to show honor to Jehovah the God of truth, by sanctifying his name.
-
Something interesting about April is that it starts on the same day of the week as July in all years, and January in leap years.
-
Have you ever wondered how April Fools Day originated, here is some interesting thoughts.
-
No one really knows when this custom began but it has been kept for hundreds of years.
-
The First of April some do say
Is set apart for All Fools Day;
But why the people call it so,
Not I, nor they themselves do know.
-
Unlike most of the other non-foolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear. There really wasn't a "first April Fool's Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.
-
Change of Calendars
-
One Theory is that the modern holiday was first celebrated soon after the adoption of the Gregorian calendar; the term referred to someone still adhering to the Julian calendar, which it replaced.
-
The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved to January 1.
-
However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1. These backward folk were labeled as "fools" by the general populace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical jokes.
-
Britain didn't accept the new calendar until 1752.
-
In the eighteenth century the festival was often posited as going back to the time of Noah. According to an English newspaper article published April 13, 1789, the day had its origin when Noah sent his dove off too early, before the waters had receded; he did this on the first day of the Hebrew month that corresponds with April, this seems to be a popular Jewish custom for making "fools" on the First of April.
-
In the Babylonian and Assyrian Empires, the King would often be spanked by the High priest to remind him of how much of a fool he was in comparison to the gods.
-
This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French. April Fool's Day thus developed into an international fun fest, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.
-
In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body. It is called Taily Day. The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced to this observance.
-
Mexico's counterpart of April Fool's Day is actually observed on December 28. Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of the slaughter of the innocent children by King Herod. It eventually evolved into a lighter commemoration involving pranks and trickery.
-
Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, (such as saying, "Your shoe's untied!), to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!"
-
April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!
-
As you can see from this blog there are many different ideas and customs as to the origin of this day. I wanted to see what information there was in the Watchtower on this day, but they only had one reference dated March 22, 1947 Awake: page 27-28. I don't have it. Does anyone have it? I'd love to see it. Let me know.
-
I will end this blog with Sara Coleridge "The Months" poem for April.
-
"April brings the primrose sweet.
Scatters daisies at our feet! "
This is Raven - As the crow flies
Whether it's little, or
Whether it's much
Could be silly
Could be wise
Always truthful
Never lies
North or South
East or West
As the crow flies
I'll do my best!
April. The derivation of the name (Latin Aprilis) is uncertain. The traditional etymology is from the Latin aperire, "to open," in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin to "open," which is supported by comparison with the modern Greek use of opening for spring.
-
Since most of the Roman months were named in honor of divinities, and as April was sacred to Venus, the Festum Beneris et Fortunae Virlis being held on the first day, it has been suggested that Aprilis was originally her month Aphrilis, from her Greek name Aphrodite, or from the Etuscan name Apru. Jacob Grimm suggest the name of a hypothetical god or hero, Aper or Aprus.
-
Again we see the influence of the ruler of this world in giving honor to pagan deities. May we continue to show honor to Jehovah the God of truth, by sanctifying his name.
-
Something interesting about April is that it starts on the same day of the week as July in all years, and January in leap years.
-
Have you ever wondered how April Fools Day originated, here is some interesting thoughts.
-
No one really knows when this custom began but it has been kept for hundreds of years.
-
The First of April some do say
Is set apart for All Fools Day;
But why the people call it so,
Not I, nor they themselves do know.
-
Unlike most of the other non-foolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear. There really wasn't a "first April Fool's Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.
-
Change of Calendars
-
One Theory is that the modern holiday was first celebrated soon after the adoption of the Gregorian calendar; the term referred to someone still adhering to the Julian calendar, which it replaced.
-
The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved to January 1.
-
However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1. These backward folk were labeled as "fools" by the general populace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical jokes.
-
Britain didn't accept the new calendar until 1752.
-
In the eighteenth century the festival was often posited as going back to the time of Noah. According to an English newspaper article published April 13, 1789, the day had its origin when Noah sent his dove off too early, before the waters had receded; he did this on the first day of the Hebrew month that corresponds with April, this seems to be a popular Jewish custom for making "fools" on the First of April.
-
In the Babylonian and Assyrian Empires, the King would often be spanked by the High priest to remind him of how much of a fool he was in comparison to the gods.
-
This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French. April Fool's Day thus developed into an international fun fest, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.
-
In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body. It is called Taily Day. The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced to this observance.
-
Mexico's counterpart of April Fool's Day is actually observed on December 28. Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of the slaughter of the innocent children by King Herod. It eventually evolved into a lighter commemoration involving pranks and trickery.
-
Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, (such as saying, "Your shoe's untied!), to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!"
-
April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!
-
As you can see from this blog there are many different ideas and customs as to the origin of this day. I wanted to see what information there was in the Watchtower on this day, but they only had one reference dated March 22, 1947 Awake: page 27-28. I don't have it. Does anyone have it? I'd love to see it. Let me know.
-
I will end this blog with Sara Coleridge "The Months" poem for April.
-
"April brings the primrose sweet.
Scatters daisies at our feet! "
This is Raven - As the crow flies
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
