Helpful Information

Today (November 29, 2010) is Cyber Monday; Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the Monday immediately following Black Friday.  The term was invented November 28, 2005 by Shop.org announcing one of the biggest online shopping days of the year.

Dr. Oz gave a recipe to clean your fruit before eating it on his show 11-25-10. He caution about the amount of pesticides used on food to prolong the lives of crops.

Recipe

The vinegar in this spray has natural anti-bacterial properties, while the lemon juice is a natural astringent. The solution works to both breakdown and clean off pesticides.

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbsp baking soda

½ of a lemon

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large container.  Transfer to a spray bottle with a pump. Spray mixture on produce and let sit for 5 minutes. Scrub and rinse.

Black Friday

Today, Thanksgiving Eve is considered Gray Wednesday; tomorrow will be the day families across the world will give THANKS. Friday the day after Thanksgiving will be considered Black Friday.

Black Friday is the day associated with special sales and promotions that stores use to encourage shoppers to use the holiday weekend for shopping.  This officially marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

The theory of Black Friday began in early 1980s; stores traditionally operated at a financial loss for most of the year and made their profit during the holiday season. This would be recorded in the financial records with red ink to show negative amounts and black ink to show positive amounts.  Black Friday is the beginning of the period where stores usually make a profit (the black).

Happy Black Friday!!!

Thanksgiving 1621 vs 2010

Thanksgiving Day  1621,

 The Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that was acknowledged as Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. Thanksgiving was a holiday to express thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation to God; family and friends for which all have been blessed of material possessions and relationships. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. This holiday has since moved away from its religious roots.^[

Thanksgiving Day  2010

 Families and friends are still coming together to enjoy the day but this is what we’re facing:

Black President flying around the globe soliciting jobs.

Republicans fighting the Democrats, Democrats fighting the Republicans

Veterans standing on street corners homeless and committing suicide

Our children buying K2 from local store shelf and getting high

FDA is requiring graphic photographs depicting the consequences of smoking on cigarette packs

.

People feeling violated by scanners and pat down in airports

My people do not be dismayed, God is still in control!!!!!!!!!!

 Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

God Bless America!!!!!

Center Pieces (basic)

All items purchased from Walmart, Dollar Store and Pier One.

Six more Days!!!!!!

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

6 lg Sweet Potatoes

2 C. Sugar

1 stick butter

¼ tsp. nutmeg

Directions

Peel and slice potatoes. Put into baking dish. Pour sugar over potatoes, dot with margarine and sprinkle with nutmeg. Cover with foil and place pan in 350 degree oven. Cook 1 hour, then remove foil and cook 15 minute more. If potatoes make too much juice, pour off some, and then cook a few more minutes. Juice will then get syrupy.  

Holiday News

Holiday travelers – traveling this thanksgiving will be up 3% from last year.

95% will be driving.

Air travelers prepare to arrive a little earlier for the scanning/pat down at the airports.

Rain is expected on the day of the Macy’s Parade if you plan to attend.

If you have to visit an ER, especially if you have a high deductible, the Urgent or Convenient care centers are less expensive.

Harvest Time - Vegetable Recipe

By the Grace of God we’re able to have the luxury of vegetables from the gardens. You also have the advantage of Organic foods; Organic foods are grown with less chemical.  Organic food is known to contain 50% more nutrients, minerals and vitamins than produce that has been farmed.

Mustard/Collard Greens and Ham Hocks

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. mustard greens or collard greens
• 2 lbs. green cabbage
• 3 or 4 ham hocks
• 3 qts. water
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. sugar (helps cut acidity in veggies)
• 1 tsp. thyme leaves
• 4 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled cut into quarters

Directions

Wash the greens thoroughly and drain them by shaking off any excess water. Remove the very thick part of the stems from the greens and coarsely chop the leaves. Cut the cabbage into quarters and cut the core from the cabbage pieces. Coarsely chop the cabbage and set aside. Put the ham hocks and enough cold water to cover them in a Dutch oven over high heat. Heat to boiling (about 5 to 7 minutes) then reduce to simmering, and cook the hocks, covered, until almost tender, about 1-1/2 hours. Stir in the chopped greens, salt, pepper, sugar, and thyme. Cook about 30 minutes on medium heat. Add the cabbage and potatoes and cook until all vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Check the seasonings and serve hot.Serves 4 to 6.

Roasting a Turkey (Basic)

Families and friends come from miles around joining together for Thanksgiving. Some can cook and some can’t. How to prepare a turkey one might ask, well Generation X said, “Google it and buy it on line,” Generation Y/Millennium Generation said, “can we go thru the drive thru at McDonald.” Awww…. the Baby Boomer sighed and spoke with love, “go back to the basic.”

First you need your turkey; determine the size by the number of guess. You’ll need a roasting pan, roasting rack, heavy-duty foil and instant-read meat thermometer, plus something to help baste the bird like a bulb baster, cheesecloth, basting brush or large spoon. Your turkey will need to be defrosted and cleaned; remove giblets and neck to use for dressing and gravy. 

1.       You need a pan with a rack so the turkey can drain while cooking. Preheat the oven to 500°. Arrange the turkey, breast side up, on an oiled rack placed inside a roasting pan. Rub olive oil all over the turkey, then season with salt and pepper, including the cavity. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Stuff the cavity with seasoning, if using; tie the legs together.

2.      Transfer the turkey to the oven and pour about 1 cup water into the roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Lightly oil one side of a sheet of heavy-duty foil large enough to cover the turkey breast; remove the turkey from the oven and tent the breast with the foil, oiled side down. Lower the heat to 350°; return the bird to the oven and roast, basting every 30 minutes with the juices in the pan and rotating halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165° when inserted into the inner thigh, about 2 more hours.

If all is well, you and your family will eat a nice juicy turkey for thanksgiving.

Planning a Thanksgiving Menu

Think Green, Think Healthy, and Think cardio, these are the modes of our public today. We are all health conscious because of the obesity problem in our society; obesity can lead to diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. We know we’re prone to over eat during the holidays; try eating smaller portions in a two/three hour interval giving time for you to digest your foods. Dropping those extra pounds won’t be so hard when it time to shed the coats. Be Proactive.

Menu

Turkey

Ham

Dressing /gravy

Cranberry sauce

Green beans

Potato Salad

Greens

Squash

Corn

Mac/Cheese

 Rolls

Cakes

Pies

Tea/Sodas

Water

These are some options. Be Blessed!!!!!

Holiday News

Holiday News

If you are mailing Holiday Packages, use Priority mail instead of Parcel Postal; Priority mail can be tracked.

If you don’t own a flat screen TV, there is a back log and the cost for the holiday could range from $200-Up.

How To Enjoy the Holidays

 First be thankful! Be content in whatever state you’re in; (Philippians 4:12) know that there is someone worst off than you.

Be proactive. Take charge. The holidays are times for family to come together. Times are hard; plan a menu. Call other family members to include them in the planning. By planning in advance, it will give you a chance to check for local sales. Don’t forget about your local flea markets and vegetable stands.

      Plan to give to others! Remember there are many unemployed and homeless families. Maybe volunteer for an organization that needs help.

Prioritize your holidays; figure out how to celebrate without leaving yourself in debt after the holidays.