LEGAL DRINKING AGE

By Terry Orr

The legal age for drinking alcoholic beverage in the United States is 21 (there are some exception). I understand and agree with this with one significant item.  Any activity duty member of the United States Armed Force should be allowed to drink alcoholic beverages. They are willing to risk their lives for our country – they have earned the right to drink.

THEORY OF CHOCOLATE

By Diane Forrest

I have seen tee shirts that say Beer was created because God loves us and wants us to be happy.  I don’t believe that, I believe that is why chocolate was created!  According to medical studies, consuming chocolate can have several benefits.  Some of the benefits listed in womanshealthmag.com include:

Wish that was a serving each day? Another big, long-term study in Germany this year found that about a square of dark chocolate a day lowered blood pressure and reduced risk of heart attack and stroke by 39 percent. Most of the credit goes to flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that increase the flexibility of veins and arteries.

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen found that dark chocolate is far more filling, offering more of a feeling of satiety than its lighter-colored sibling. That is, dark chocolate lessens cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods.

Women who ate chocolate daily during their pregnancy reported that they were better able to handle stress than mothers-to-be who abstained. Also, a Finnish study found their babies were happier and smiled more.

In a small Italian study, participants who ate a candy bar's worth of dark chocolate once a day for 15 days saw their potential for insulin resistance drop by nearly half. "Flavonoids increase nitric oxide production," says lead researcher Claudio Ferri, M.D., a professor at the University of L'Aquila in Italy. "And that helps control insulin sensitivity."

Swiss scientists  found that when very anxious people ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate every day for two weeks, their stress hormone levels were significantly reduced and the metabolic effects of stress were partially mitigated

After 3 months eating chocolate with high levels of flavanols, their study subjects' skin took twice as long to develop that reddening effect that indicates the beginning of a burn.

A University of Nottingham researcher found that drinking cocoa rich in flavanols boosts blood flow to key parts of the brain for 2 to 3 hours, which could improve performance and alertness in the short term.

One study found that chocolate quieted coughs almost as well as codeine, thanks to the Theo bromine it contains. This chemical, responsible for chocolate's feel-good effect, may suppress activity in a part of the brain called the vagus nerve.

Both South American and European cultures have a history that dates back to the 16th century of treating diarrhea with cocoa. Modern-day science has shown they were onto something.

So eating chocolate has many benefits, but slowing down the aging process may not be one of them.  But no matter how old you are, every day with a bit of chocolate is a good day.

US Prohibition Day

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By Diane Forrest

My son recently took a new job and had to move to a different town 45 miles away, although he is still located in the state.  After moving into his new home, he wanted to pick up a bottle of champagne to celebrate with his wife.  As he drove around the town, he couldn't locate a liquor store.  He quickly learned that the town he had just moved to was located in a dry county.  This did not prove too much of a problem, as the nearby county where alcohol could be sold, was only a couple of miles down the road.

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The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, prohibiting the manufacture, sale and importation of intoxicating liquors, was ratified on 16 January 1919.  The proponents of prohibition had believed that banning alcoholic beverages would reduce or even eliminate many social problems, particularly drunkenness, crime, mental illness, and poverty  Some supporters also believed that prohibition would eventually lead to reductions in taxes, since drinking "produced half the business" for institutions supported by tax dollars such as courts, jails, hospitals, almshouses, and insane asylums.  In fact, alcohol consumption and the incidence of alcohol-related domestic violence were decreasing before the 18th Amendment was adopted. Following the imposition of prohibition, reformers "were dismayed to find that child neglect and violence against children actually increased during the Prohibition era."

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During Prohibition, people continued to produce and drink alcohol, and bootlegging helped foster a massive industry completely under the control of organized crime. Drinking in speakeasies became increasingly fashionable, and many mothers worried about the allure that alcohol and other illegal activities associated with bootlegging would have over their children.  An estimated $861,000,000 was lost in federal tax revenue from untaxed liquor; $40 million dollars was spent annually on Prohibition enforcement.

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In 1933, Prohibition was repealed, and by 1966, all states had repealed their state-wide Prohibition laws, with Mississippi the last state to do so, and there are still 200 counties that still remain "dry".

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In November, Washington State approved the use of Marijuana in their state.  With the history of Alcohol, prohibition, speakeasies and mobsters, this makes me wonder what the future holds for the Drug Lords, war on Drugs and the use of Marijuana.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

P.S. from the boss – can and will America learn from the past or will they head down this road once again? New Gun controls come to mind.

National Lager Day

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By Chef Diane

When I went to my parents for Thanksgiving, my son had already arrived.  He was sitting outside with my father and aunt and uncle, and was drinking a beer.  I was a bit surprised.  Not that he was drinking, he is over the age of 21, but the fact that he was grown up.  I have never been a beer drinker, but my father has one occasionally, and keeps them outside in his shop and has them available for any guests who care for one.

I have a cousin who's friend makes their own brew.  He tries different ingredients to change the flavor, and is always taking pictures to send to my cousin.  I remember when I was in high school, we learned about making beer, and the process of fermentation, and hops and yeast.

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According to punchbowl.com, lager is a type of German beer that is bottom fermented and lightly hopped. It is usually stored for at least three weeks after brewing before it is served.  Lager is the dominant style of beer throughout the world, except in England where ale is the favorite style. The only real difference between ale and lager is that ales ferment and age quickly at warm temperatures, while lagers ferment and age slowly at cool temperatures. These different types of fermentation allow for a vast difference in flavor and aroma.

Today is National Lager Day.  So to celebrate why not blow the froth off a couple of cool ones at your local pub, or in the comfort of your own home.  If you don't want to down a few, you can use it to make some bread.  Below is a recipe from food.com for beer bread that is the latest rage these days.

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Beer Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour (sifted)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 (12 ounce) can beer
• 1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do just fine)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients and beer.
3. Pour into a greased loaf pan.
4. Pour melted butter over mixture.
5. Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

Homemade Bread Day

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By Chef Diane

One of my father's favorite sayings is, "It's the best thing since sliced bread!"  Before bread was sold sliced, it was purchased in solid loaves.  So...I decided during my younger homemaker period, that I would make fresh bread in loaves.  In the 90's a big fad was the "friendship" bread, or sourdough bread, or potato bread.  It starts with a liquid "starter" it has to ferment, and then you add to it, and put it in a jar and share it with others.  Hence the name - Friendship bread.  Well, this recipe takes 3 days to bake and it makes 3 loaves, but it is absolutely delicious.  Since you had to "feed" the starter every week, I would bake the bread every week.  The first loaf that came out of the oven was consumed immediately.  If you have ever had the opportunity to smell bread baking, then you will understand why the first loaf disappeared immediately.  The other two loaves were either shared or frozen for meals during the rest of the week. I continued baking the bread every week for a few months, until our clothes stopped fitting, then I stopped baking.  Apparently this bread made such an impression on my son, that when he was away at college, he asked for the recipe, and made it at school for his dorm friends.

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These days they have a bread machine, I have never tried one, but seems like that is cheating in a way.  But there are all kinds of different breads to bake, that don't require all the kneading and rising.  One bread that I bake alot is banana nut bread.  To me that is more like a cake, but many slice it, toast it, and eat it for breakfast as well as a dessert.  Another bread is cornbread, and it is readily found in many restaurants here in the south.  My father is a member of an organization called the Rotary Club.  They hold meetings each week where they have lunch before it starts.  The chef of the restaurant where the meeting is held is from the north, and is not familiar with the southern rules of cornbread with greens, so, frequently my father comes home and complains that there was no cornbread on the buffet.

A friend of mine recently went to a home party where they sold food spices, mixes and dips.  One of the popular items was a beer bread mix.    I had never heard about this, but it made sense to me, since beer is made with yeast, that it would be good for using in a bread recipe too.  i figured if there was a mix for this bread, that maybe I could find a recipe as well, so I Googled it, and found this simple recipe on recipe.com:

BEER BREAD

Ingredients:

3 cups flour (sifted)

3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)

1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)

1/4 cup sugar

1 (12 ounce) can beer

1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do just fine)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients and beer.

Pour into a greased loaf pan.

Pour melted butter over mixture.

Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

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Today is Homemade Bread Day.  It's your chance to get into the kitchen and bake something delicious and nutritious for you and your family or friends.  Below is a simple recipe for you to try since it is Fall, and there are plenty of sweet potatoes available.  This recipe comes from a friend of mine who bakes many loaves during this time of year to share with friends and neighbors.  So give this recipe a try, or bake up one of your favorite breads, and celebrate homemade bread day.

SWEET POTATO BREAD

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups sugar
• 3 cups self rising flour
• 2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 1 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients and bake in loaf pans at 350 for one hour.

Bratwurst Day

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By Diane Forrest

I have always loved to sing, and so I love movies that include singing.  One of my favorite moves are the Sister Act Movies where Whoopi Goldberg plays a nun who encourages singing.  In Sister Act 2, there is a really great line about the convent menu.

"Sister Mary Robert: The only thing the chef knows how to cook is German sausage.

Sister Mary Lazarus: Day after day, liverwurst, bratwurst, beerwurst...

Sister Mary Patrick: It's the worst.

For some reason this quote has always stuck in my head.  I have never tried bratwurst, until this past march.  I have had plenty of sausage, but never any brats.   In March, we celebrated my father's birthday, and my son went shopping for his birthday dinner.  He grilled some hamburgers, brats, and corn as seen in the above picture.  I have to admit they were very good.  In fact, I almost didn't even want a hamburger!

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Today is Bratwurst Day. The name of this sausage is the compound form of two German words—“brat” which means “fry” and “wurst” which means “sausage.”  Bratwursts originated in Germany and have been around since the 14th century. These sausages are generally made from pork, veal, or beef and are usually grilled or fried. Often times, they are served in rolls or buns. Many preparations of bratwurst exist worldwide. For example, in the United States, they are commonly eaten with brown mustard, ketchup, and onions.

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In Sheboygan, Wisconsin, they have hosted a Bratwurst Day since 1953.  Bratwurst Day is a huge festival with music, a parade, flea market, a circus, and, naturally, brats, served by the thousands. The local Jaycees Club sponsors the event to celebrate the area's German heritage and to promote their town as the Bratwurst Capital of the World. "A true brat lover knows there's only one way to enjoy a Sheboygan brat," says Mary Lou Haen, past president of the Jaycees in Sheboygan. "It's called 'a double with the works.'" Two grilled brats are served on a Sheboygan hard roll (that's a special bun rolled in cornmeal and baked to crusty, tender perfection) with pickles, ketchup, onions, and stone-ground mustard.

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So today, on Bratwurst day, why not grill some for your friends and family…and don't forget the beer.