tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953287236689520242024-03-13T10:02:37.785-07:00 Reformation SeminaryPastor Gregory Jackson PhDIchabod the Glory Has Departedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119183283328283096noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1895328723668952024.post-14142790245059709312023-10-17T19:01:00.002-07:002023-10-17T23:44:56.900-07:00Animal Chefs Help<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjplRc_z09TVbszCtLkLoF_f0L0AkwScJO7_8q_NJZqHBCEh67SnyxE0ovM-YwrWFuQAtTEQ53ekvJzwa8gJ5UOV2l-RTNGrPj8-Q2PDPLBHW8SjzUTnFYdam_zaV724qcgDydWheZ3cTDm5osC96qU-qqgpB2S4yijtOdn_ajENwXTn7XolJsGOMGCYpC2" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="523" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjplRc_z09TVbszCtLkLoF_f0L0AkwScJO7_8q_NJZqHBCEh67SnyxE0ovM-YwrWFuQAtTEQ53ekvJzwa8gJ5UOV2l-RTNGrPj8-Q2PDPLBHW8SjzUTnFYdam_zaV724qcgDydWheZ3cTDm5osC96qU-qqgpB2S4yijtOdn_ajENwXTn7XolJsGOMGCYpC2=w640-h436" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <b>This beats the school cafeteria.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>I have always enjoyed writing and observing the power of words. I have seen how the slant of words can make people respond accordingly. Graphics and videos help too.</p><p>My biggest beef is emphasizing body weight and making that weight a goal. Disease is not caused by weight going up or down - for the most part - but selection or rejection of damaging foods. For example, the best way to reduce the flabby-bread-belly is to reduce the number of bread loaves eaten with butter, peanut butter, jelly - or with slices of meat cheese (lots of fat and salt.</p><p>Tour the biggest grocery store and measure the number of foods which are most like fast food joints -</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Heavily salted</li><li>Heavily sugared or fake-sugared (which is worse)</li><li>Heavily fattened up, often with plenty of salt and sweetener.</li></ol><div>A can of Garbanzo beans can have as little as 120 mg of salt. The same can with the same livery but with the name of Chick Peas can have <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">480 mg of salt:</span></b> Walmart vegetable aisle.</div><div><br /></div><div>Reducing those items, which are little more than quarter-pounders with fries (bread, and salty toppings), will reduce body fat, once the addiction pains lessen. One waiter told me he lost 40 pounds by <b>not drinking</b> the free coke they were allowed to drink any time. </div><div><br /></div><div>Removing the fast food off one's grocery store menu is slow and the withdrawal is acute. It is easy to reward <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">quitting salt</span></b> by <b><span style="color: red;">eating a bag of Fritos. </span></b></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Answer Is Not Yuk Foods But New and Healthy Addictions</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>The doctor gave me potassium magnesium pills when I was low on potassium. Let the reader understand - <b>He never mentioned <u>bananas</u>, which have </b></div><div></div><p></p><ul class="i8Z77e" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/bananas/" target="_blank">Vitamin B6.</a></li><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/bananas/" target="_blank">Fiber.</a></li><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/bananas/" target="_blank"><b>Potassium.</b></a></li><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/bananas/" target="_blank"><b>Magnesium.</b></a></li><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/bananas/" target="_blank">Vitamin C.</a></li><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/bananas/" target="_blank">Manganese. (Harvard bananas link)</a></li><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;">The pills did not taste very good at all.</li></ul><div><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124;">An apple is just as delicious as a slice of apple pie - completely satisfying with one or two large apples.</span></div><div><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124;">Charlie Sue always shares my apple and banana when I am enjoying them. Peach is favorite for both of us, but she walked away sadly when I offered her a perfect pear poised on her plate.</span></div><div><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #202124;">The Fun Part - Splurge on</span><span style="color: #b45f06;"> Deluxe Fresh Fruits</span><span style="color: #202124;"> and </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Fresh or Frozen Vegetables</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif">People shift gears when buying certain foods, so really good fruits and vegetables can be especially good and nutritious. I am willing to bet (with Monopoly money) that buying the fast foods like pizza is going to cost more than a plentiful table of vegetables and fruits (top quality) with a reasonable amount of meat.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif">Today Charlie Sue and I shared one sausage sliced into the stew, and she finished the vegetable stew bowl with:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif">chopped frozen spinach</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif">walnuts</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif">blueberries</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif">onions, green and red peppers,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif">ground flax seeds</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif">garbanzo beans</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif">tomato paste.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto, arial, sans-serif"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7wAFnZV3jxwDgBMw5jyfCrIiFopnIu3KMInBEjTOG6le7hsugYoiWNLtXm_7_uAhUmo8n_Eyehm-Vx4_K6oPKB5nohNTWKw8IkZPyvsgjClsCKWF6iUgnVK4jLh-d88t_8IjnFj5toNLKZGDVZU2FnnbF6LLEnB7swic2NUCqlQXJY8pw4wwy8Hj2M6a-" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="470" height="485" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7wAFnZV3jxwDgBMw5jyfCrIiFopnIu3KMInBEjTOG6le7hsugYoiWNLtXm_7_uAhUmo8n_Eyehm-Vx4_K6oPKB5nohNTWKw8IkZPyvsgjClsCKWF6iUgnVK4jLh-d88t_8IjnFj5toNLKZGDVZU2FnnbF6LLEnB7swic2NUCqlQXJY8pw4wwy8Hj2M6a-=w640-h485" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Baloney and cheese sandwich with butter? Get out! Get out!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div>Ichabod the Glory Has Departedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119183283328283096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1895328723668952024.post-50087001622447534472023-04-22T02:15:00.003-07:002023-04-22T02:15:21.330-07:00Creation Day Today - Exercise Needed with Nutrition <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEAX0bpk5YRX0pEjKuXGYFckP1UpVXJjPCiHOONkUkCP7cNhCsGFb9mAuyziSsjdJopUPF6ARAPuN6oQ6kxqEj_4xFRTREf-J0W82bJS6xlyoh2SkE1OMk172tvsQxUqc2Akxx1s-Bqp6CzjknNCI4-pICe_r1B3thxu6-QFj-pPsz1qzP7TNpMotkw/s900/1corinthians1_25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEAX0bpk5YRX0pEjKuXGYFckP1UpVXJjPCiHOONkUkCP7cNhCsGFb9mAuyziSsjdJopUPF6ARAPuN6oQ6kxqEj_4xFRTREf-J0W82bJS6xlyoh2SkE1OMk172tvsQxUqc2Akxx1s-Bqp6CzjknNCI4-pICe_r1B3thxu6-QFj-pPsz1qzP7TNpMotkw/w640-h640/1corinthians1_25.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The Fat-Sugar-Salt Diet has proven to be astonishingly effective in ruining the health of America - at a great financial cost in buying the chosen foods. Yesterday the pharmacy tech said, "Only one prescription?" I said, "That is why I am healthy - only one prescription, for my eyes."</p><p>Studies have shown that those who concentrate on vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds will enjoy cascades of great nutrition and loss of weight. Many disorders - like diabetes - can be cured without needles and pills, especially useful since insulin itself harms health.</p><p>But now let us turn to the other side of health - exercise. It took me some years to realize how seductive the sugar and fat components produce such powerful addictions. When we exert ourselves, the body uses fast-acting sugar to get going, often called the glycogen (sugary) stage. That is when we have no desire to move an inch, so we make coffee and cinnamon-sugar toast - or Danish! Once that glycogen wears off, we want more sugar and even less exercise. </p><p>We feel much better and want exercise when the fat-burning begins. That is why the start of a morning walk is odious at first on sugar and the end of the walk is delightful by burning fat. Fat is powerful and is an 8 cylinder engine compared to a 4 cylinder, rocket fuel instead of artificial maple syrup. </p><p>High blood sugar is indicated by the constant fake need to consume even more sugar. Ice cream, colas, and breakfast and "protein" bars are one way to start the day and run into a sugared-energy slump. </p><p>Dr. Joel Fuhrman's books reminded me that strenuous exercise is needed most days, not just once or twice a week. I tried five days at the gym, for two weeks in a row. I was much more energetic from daily exercise than using on and off attempts. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5ljXYg_01oWGPOJqi9lz9bN0-WmExkg_CFZwpMqFOi30-WuCW7dXC8UeBPq8ifkxFEQ2CkQrhCRoX2BGZrXQ9A3q_Sj-kMry4Zaj1H3iZq3irFmKy4byBIVKFN802grEN0aewfzojvvGoUD8kp3WZ2T25ibBYuwU2lFdPEHsTK-c-rIJEri1u4hHBg/s600/can-cats-eat-popcorn-05.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5ljXYg_01oWGPOJqi9lz9bN0-WmExkg_CFZwpMqFOi30-WuCW7dXC8UeBPq8ifkxFEQ2CkQrhCRoX2BGZrXQ9A3q_Sj-kMry4Zaj1H3iZq3irFmKy4byBIVKFN802grEN0aewfzojvvGoUD8kp3WZ2T25ibBYuwU2lFdPEHsTK-c-rIJEri1u4hHBg/w640-h640/can-cats-eat-popcorn-05.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Some food items to ignore - snacks of sugar, salt, and oil; processed expensive food; desserts; famously fat foods - white bread, white rice, milk, all cheeses, butter, cottage cheese, nutrition bars and plans, protein drinks, meats in large quantities.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Exercise</span></p><p>More important - exercise is most significant in strengthening bones, building muscles, and helping connective tissue in reducing injuries. Many people I know are battling bone breaks, knee and hip replacements.</p><p>Medicare offers a program called Silver Sneakers for free gym membership. That is a good way to obtain guided exercise instead of hospitalization. </p><p>I start out each weekday on the dread-mill, a machine that makes me stare at a wall of TV screens, walking with no sound. A 30 minute exercise room has a gauntlet of machines for every body part. Afterwards, I stop at the gardening store or Walmart for more walking. </p><p>Exercise gurus emphasize modest starts and a slow, steady increase in effort. Gardening is a good way to do extra work while enjoying God's Creation. The creatures enjoy the company. Rabbits casually walk by when I am digging. Birds remind me they have babies to feed. Squirrels run away from food and stop, flicking their tails and figuring out a quick return to the food. The more fresh water I provide, the dirtier the water features. "Aha! You are feeding the soil, so I can have more plants to feed more creatures to beautify the garden to make the snap, crackle, and pop relax my spine."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kf9X4u5j4Lo-9lGP6bV2v8ZFYS5dRjR2250nwPB4JyIdknXs8_E7SVaYTt2M8DKMXKew3zOU70Jwaz_hUppEoykPFG94wXslvWSQmN72pISwGUClw_5U6VnQds1NiINNgoI0dDMzlV-1F9077ktPPHqbTUdogRrBMyY0Z_rT9-99jtNujjXmlDZo_A/s800/john14_26hummingbird_teachallthings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="800" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kf9X4u5j4Lo-9lGP6bV2v8ZFYS5dRjR2250nwPB4JyIdknXs8_E7SVaYTt2M8DKMXKew3zOU70Jwaz_hUppEoykPFG94wXslvWSQmN72pISwGUClw_5U6VnQds1NiINNgoI0dDMzlV-1F9077ktPPHqbTUdogRrBMyY0Z_rT9-99jtNujjXmlDZo_A/w640-h428/john14_26hummingbird_teachallthings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Ichabod the Glory Has Departedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119183283328283096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1895328723668952024.post-48538786784531879792023-04-16T19:10:00.004-07:002023-04-16T19:12:05.792-07:00Craving What Is Good - From Ichabod the Glory Has Departed<p> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ghn4Ti1f6KI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div> <div><a href="http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2023/04/craving.html" target="_blank">Craving What Is Good - First Posted Here</a><br /><br />1. As pants the hart for cooling streams <br />When heated in the chase, <br />So longs my soul, O God, for Thee <br />And Thy refreshing grace. <br /><br /> 2. For Thee, my God, the living God, <br />My thirsty soul doth pine; <br />Oh, when shall I behold Thy face, <br />Thou Majesty Divine? <br /><br /> 3. Why restless, why cast down, my soul? \<div>Hope still; and thou shalt sing </div><div>The praise of Him who is thy God, </div><div>Thy health's eternal Spring. <br /><br />4. To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, <br />The God whom we adore, <br />Be glory as it was, is now, </div><div>And shall be evermore.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hymn #525 from <i>The Lutheran Hymnal</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div>This began with thoughts about food - craving foods we know are useless, even harmful. As one medical person said yesterday, "Check just the fresh produce and frozen vegetables at the giant grocery-snacks-beverage store - shopping all done."</div><div><br /></div><div>When certain vegetables and fruits are tried instead of the fatty, salty, sugary prepared foods, craving for the new/old foods is lacking. New incentives help appetites - fresh, delicious, removing bad ingredients, losing weight, feeling better, and startling the doctor with the blood panel results.</div><div><br /></div><div>When lots of frozen uncooked vegetables and fresh fruits are eaten, the desire for prepared meals fades, albeit with flashes of junk-food days. <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-pineapple#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2" target="_blank">I can carve a pineapple in seconds and have a blast</a> of vitamin C, manganese, and other vitamins, with delicious flavor and fiber. Fresh food is medicine, but most pharmaceutical medicines do not really work, though they may address some symptoms.</div><div><br /></div><div>Flipping the food diet from fat-sugar-salt to vegetables-fruits-nuts-greens will create a craving for valuable but low-cost foods. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">The Congregation</span></div><div>We can set aside the worth of denominations. They devour the income of widows and orphans, grow fat and sluggish with feeding themselves at expensive restaurants, and impose programs invented and recycled by apostates and blasphemers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is the desired outcome of a congregation "happy campers"? I heard a Church Growth expert say that repeatedly at a costly conference at St. Paul, German Village, Columbus, Ohio. I do not know if the non-Lutheran speaker has been arrested yet - so many Fuller graduates are - but the congregation went from large to almost gone in a few decades of hard work spreading false doctrine.</div><div><br /></div><div>I doubt whether a pack of balding, pot-bellied Boomers will provide church music that addresses the craving of individuals for peace, forgiveness, joy, and love. In fact, I am still waiting for a Baptist or Presbyterian hymn about Holy Communion. Did I overlook a masterpiece?</div><div><br /></div><div>Just as slowly starving people become listless and hollow-eyed, so the congregations have become lifeless, uninterested, noiselessly moving away. The leaders are trying to hide the horror they see in front of them, worse than losing the ice cream king to death and finding out his money solves nothing at all.</div><div><br /></div><div>Something To Crave</div><div>The basics of the Christian Faith are simple:</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>The pan-Christian Bible - <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">King James Version</span></b> - this is the only one which is faithful to the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek - Apostolic - New Testament. Lutheran leaders should not only be ashamed but deprived of food, chased by dogs, driven out of town, and pelted with manure. The KJV is truly ecumenical while being precise and faithful.</li><li>The great teachers - Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz are enough for a lifetime and written for all of Christianity - not just a Midwestern abusive sect _________________ (fill in the blank).</li><li>The best hymnal - <i>The Lutheran Hymnal</i>. The apostate leaders have replaced the best hymnal with junkfood, often with their own awful "hymns."</li></ol></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Luther Said It First - </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>And I Agree</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLyTlrtYJWv4sfRNHhS0v5-oYSZqWM42fogAuDgEwXTjOQGnQwHik5HNQEvmFDG89VxUXTSI0A1qLkmZiSKAgWjZBQM9-Yx2uZOa0hlboml2a6bBgRCgnrA-GCazQj-EaP5qe8wQM1QqExs6V1_kofbU-4fGTGid1_vjFILwEWb40f4DiWg0FWwWWXg/s960/luther_deprivefood_bait_dogs_peltmanure.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLyTlrtYJWv4sfRNHhS0v5-oYSZqWM42fogAuDgEwXTjOQGnQwHik5HNQEvmFDG89VxUXTSI0A1qLkmZiSKAgWjZBQM9-Yx2uZOa0hlboml2a6bBgRCgnrA-GCazQj-EaP5qe8wQM1QqExs6V1_kofbU-4fGTGid1_vjFILwEWb40f4DiWg0FWwWWXg/s16000/luther_deprivefood_bait_dogs_peltmanure.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Ichabod the Glory Has Departedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119183283328283096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1895328723668952024.post-66056117470903615692016-11-02T04:43:00.002-07:002016-11-02T04:43:09.444-07:00Cubs Fans - One Day More<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Growing up in Illinois, the only baseball team I knew about was the Cubs. My father was the ultimate Cubs fan, always waiting for his team to continue its winning ways through the summer. I went to games as a kid, even though we were on the opposite side of the state. When I served a parish in Sturgis, Michigan, our youth group went to Cubs games.<br />
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My favorite moment in baseball was early. I knew very little about it. I asked my father what grand slam was. He explained the bases loaded and a home run hit. I asked,"Could that happen now? The bases are loaded." He laughed, "That hardly ever happens." As soon as he said it, the player hit a home run and emptied the bases. That story was told around Moline for a long time.<br />
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Once the Cubs rain up a three-game deficit, I told Mrs. Ichabod, "One more loss and the Cubs lose the World Series." Instead, the Cubs began winning again. Last night must have been exciting for every Cubs fan in the world. A grand slam almost certified the win early, and the game ended 9-3.<br />
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One day more.<br />
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Watching baseball at the park is great, but baseball on TV has never intrigued me. I watch interesting games on the computer by calling up the scorecard and refreshing it every so often.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_H5dAPgVCl-lbZcFf428fSdWWEOSLV_q9o_a9eeC7FT1DG9uAo3k1XxBDpCqnSUArptnCf_I4ml-ccp43DBMgPB6pDyZRAL2wLmDCJCjg3dfk_zLY-y1pCY9Zl12I_lEyoBxWwizNRo/s1600/homerJackson_wquashadowmanager.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_H5dAPgVCl-lbZcFf428fSdWWEOSLV_q9o_a9eeC7FT1DG9uAo3k1XxBDpCqnSUArptnCf_I4ml-ccp43DBMgPB6pDyZRAL2wLmDCJCjg3dfk_zLY-y1pCY9Zl12I_lEyoBxWwizNRo/s640/homerJackson_wquashadowmanager.jpg" width="490" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> Dad sponsored fast-pitch softball teams,<br />and we watched the <a href="http://www.kingandhiscourt.com/">King and His Court</a> play locally.</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />
My father was born in 1910 and experienced the drought of losses that plagued all Cubs fans. He would have needed to live to 106 to have watched these games. He would have sold his car to be at one of the games - that is certain.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sbVCqovrx42T5RKkOdSu722isUAcHxqELM-kQVZUjuS9dKMQnqlrtF8r1p6juS3TuMv9LXcfql7DFMp3HbywBa8ktuhy8wZ2GwQCXtL2YqXMZg1qhTlIS10L2sCWD8tPExEJLMJNeq0/s1600/melocreamjacquin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sbVCqovrx42T5RKkOdSu722isUAcHxqELM-kQVZUjuS9dKMQnqlrtF8r1p6juS3TuMv9LXcfql7DFMp3HbywBa8ktuhy8wZ2GwQCXtL2YqXMZg1qhTlIS10L2sCWD8tPExEJLMJNeq0/s640/melocreamjacquin2.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: small;">Cousin Dean posed for this picture.<br />We had tons of these hats to wear - and had to wear them<br />for cute calendar poses, no matter how old we were.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifooRMIDxszE-1wzhmseGpO2Ou4qV4paVfNDBSMJnAA2JcfiZfwbCR3a1OBqF_rZ5lLOmQq5vcTKelJxX5nRudoFDfegwlUl0Y452RdeWr4CexVlyWTk_b1nBEKCW9Op1GmGqHzqWwdI/s1600/marty_xanderpose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifooRMIDxszE-1wzhmseGpO2Ou4qV4paVfNDBSMJnAA2JcfiZfwbCR3a1OBqF_rZ5lLOmQq5vcTKelJxX5nRudoFDfegwlUl0Y452RdeWr4CexVlyWTk_b1nBEKCW9Op1GmGqHzqWwdI/s640/marty_xanderpose.jpg" width="448" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> Many years later, those paper hats were still<br />available for poses. Here is Little Ichabod previewing<br />how his son would look at the same age.</span></b></td></tr>
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Ichabod the Glory Has Departedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119183283328283096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1895328723668952024.post-3601140193508159812016-03-07T05:08:00.002-08:002016-03-07T05:08:41.994-08:00Refreshing Roses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oRnOmVkqrmBkzrz2rmvn_G9Cuc6ltBVS7VD0wKBWFbOjMry9Tqd1D_WTnwwOMNqsjt8tkABxFhm0EgJob89JEgeheHeBrm-oqlJHvzQ1xqUqBiekbnNClsDL_Xu6AOXt1ToFrFhaASM/s1600/BarbraStreisand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oRnOmVkqrmBkzrz2rmvn_G9Cuc6ltBVS7VD0wKBWFbOjMry9Tqd1D_WTnwwOMNqsjt8tkABxFhm0EgJob89JEgeheHeBrm-oqlJHvzQ1xqUqBiekbnNClsDL_Xu6AOXt1ToFrFhaASM/s640/BarbraStreisand.jpg" width="518" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.normaboecklerart.com/">Norma Boeckler, our artist-in-residence</a>, wrote me a thank-you for showing how to refresh roses, in another post, so I am repeating the advice.<br />
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The moment roses and other flowers are cut, the stems begin drawing up <b>air</b> instead of <b>water</b>. To make cut flowers last longer, cut several inches from the bottom of the stems, just before placing them in fresh water in a clean vase.<br />
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Cut flowers can be put into a dishpan of clean water to hydrate them, or floated in a tub. I would do this before cutting the stems and placing them in the vase. I became an immersionist when soaking rather dry bare-root roses before planting. I also heavily pruned them upon planting them. They began growing at once and bloomed quickly.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Soaking Because</span></b><br />
This is why soaking works. The stems and leaves take up water. When I water rose bushes outside, it is often through a soaker hose at the base. However, I still spray them down completely, to hydrate the stems and leaves. Plants are like people, as one book argued. If you feel great after a shower, so do they. The leaves and stems take up water fast, so they have a crisp look and grow better. Rose bushes are like sponges in taking up water, and they like to have their pores clean rather than dusty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7CpNu072VKEgc_4Rx6qRbSFrifzwGPxrie4GZRU3xAQuwQNLiC4uBOZ9sNTovYmVsUWLIaTwMCRNkUp-vUAolDv_F6J5m3ksnvtUp0WwOG1_Sp5N9UlPZctElXcRLG8TyHsxVNFMpPU/s1600/Peace640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7CpNu072VKEgc_4Rx6qRbSFrifzwGPxrie4GZRU3xAQuwQNLiC4uBOZ9sNTovYmVsUWLIaTwMCRNkUp-vUAolDv_F6J5m3ksnvtUp0WwOG1_Sp5N9UlPZctElXcRLG8TyHsxVNFMpPU/s320/Peace640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Change the Water Daily and</span></b><br />
The decomposing process begins the moment the stems touch the water in the vase. If you looked at the water in a microscope, a lot of swimming little creatures would entertain you. Given a few days, that mildewing water will smell like death. God is reducing the death plant into new chemicals for the soil.<br />
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For maximum benefit and long-lasting cut flowers, change the water daily and make sure the vase is cleaned out thoroughly. I am much more a fan of clean water and vases than magical chemicals added.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsO6rAM2v8-QgxawQ8nbQxNziXbAtUrr-074NyA1TqtxRaCTQhM4r5StIgHGhAwFWphU4dtTRxtD_x7_KDAVu43rqW0ESziLTO9P8zMqNQ9-fQR8a0z89t2RqvAIEbHyepOMVrVyXJUNE/s1600/veterans_honor_bloom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsO6rAM2v8-QgxawQ8nbQxNziXbAtUrr-074NyA1TqtxRaCTQhM4r5StIgHGhAwFWphU4dtTRxtD_x7_KDAVu43rqW0ESziLTO9P8zMqNQ9-fQR8a0z89t2RqvAIEbHyepOMVrVyXJUNE/s640/veterans_honor_bloom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Refresh the Flowers Again Each Day</span></b><br />
The way to make the flowers stay fresh is to soak them again each day and pour water into the blooms. Simply spraying the flowers will help too. A very low water pressure will avoid the sink hose giving the budding a florist a free shower.<br />
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Roses have so many petals now that the bloom will cup the water and hold it in place for more hydration.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwLIHlgLRL3Ujens5394rDUIjMpGdWZu4TXp21Q2Pn8iLHYkMe4kmFrpil9f1XzH2DsxsW8-lkdXQZdGj8NqfanQtR9y3nXSJx_Z-r-ksp3L2VtB1CcwKfpXmdDmbRBX9Om-1F-uzIuc/s1600/ambulance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwLIHlgLRL3Ujens5394rDUIjMpGdWZu4TXp21Q2Pn8iLHYkMe4kmFrpil9f1XzH2DsxsW8-lkdXQZdGj8NqfanQtR9y3nXSJx_Z-r-ksp3L2VtB1CcwKfpXmdDmbRBX9Om-1F-uzIuc/s640/ambulance.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Trained, experienced, certified in Linux,<br />and confident in all matters rosarian.</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />Ichabod the Glory Has Departedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119183283328283096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1895328723668952024.post-53584849490457107562016-03-05T09:32:00.002-08:002016-03-05T09:32:23.616-08:00The Butler's Pantry<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYhLmfJwDuCwDeac_kssuw6C2BukaOEpAFye0eneGDJSa4Vveudu2kLlXLuLElDGE8L2areA5zGnaw_ljuLVRxUNRICwfZVhQbxq5cs95TsJA8snChcjK3dS86arUHDRlnXsCtUQMAiU/s1600/groceries_shelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYhLmfJwDuCwDeac_kssuw6C2BukaOEpAFye0eneGDJSa4Vveudu2kLlXLuLElDGE8L2areA5zGnaw_ljuLVRxUNRICwfZVhQbxq5cs95TsJA8snChcjK3dS86arUHDRlnXsCtUQMAiU/s640/groceries_shelf.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Zoning or facing the shelves will make them<br />far more useful.</span></b></td></tr>
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When we move I hoped to make use of the old library shelves, which lined the library of our home in Phoenix.<br />
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We made the winter a time of giving away anything useful and hauling away the rest. The last of the books were just mailed a short time ago. The Michigander said, "Throw away anything still in a box after one year." We gave away items, even a large table, all greatly appreciated.<br />
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The back wall of the <b>Great Room</b> (formerly - garage) was already lined with matching shelves. We just had to fix a few and clean them up.<br />
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These shelves are are now the <b>Butler's Pantry</b>. Tools and miscellany are banned from this area. Those items belong in the last third of the Great Room, near the Festival Door (garage door).<br />
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When we enter the Great Room, the Butler's Pantry is on the left, well lit from a new LED light donated by our gracious landlord.<br />
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The laundry area is on the right. Part of our renovation included adding framed photos where we had space.<br />
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The idea of the pantry holds food and supplies ahead so we do not run out of frequently used items.<br />
In a small kitchen, extra supplies clog the cupboards so much that the space becomes useless.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqXtFSHRv_xCX1XRl6jZZmcpPj9DOaQeOdGDey_7ZcQ5GM68ziT5QE6MeCKoTzTiOsJIAXFF-TqQwyLKU2VRbt99q8KuRBHPAZdZOk1jZxyM3ig164SRmdNJnXBM8Jh2GMKuHuz07Ikg/s1600/water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqXtFSHRv_xCX1XRl6jZZmcpPj9DOaQeOdGDey_7ZcQ5GM68ziT5QE6MeCKoTzTiOsJIAXFF-TqQwyLKU2VRbt99q8KuRBHPAZdZOk1jZxyM3ig164SRmdNJnXBM8Jh2GMKuHuz07Ikg/s320/water.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We got used to drinking Sam's Club water, so I have four cases ahead. Thanks to the relative cool of the Great Room floor, they are always cool. If we have a big storm, fresh water is handy. Besides that, anyone working here gets water, and everyone loves free access to it. When our helper's children worked in the yard (for wages) they happily took home their water bottles.<br />
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We promote the idea of pure water being the best and most refreshing drink. Colas and juices create their own habits, so we end up buying more and drinking more - and paying more. When I worked at Walmart I was always stunned by the families hauling away cases of Gatorade. The plastic casing for Gatorade is made to sling the bottles on the shopping cart. I told my co-workers the mere thought of it gave me acid reflux. The labels of all the flavors made me laugh. And we had variations on the same, such as flavored carbonated water with fakey sucralose, in another area. Or - flavored and carbonated with no sweetener in a third area, fairly good but way overpriced.<br />
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When I buy things we need--since I am the main buyer--I put extras in the <b>Butler's Pantry</b> each time. Also, we now know how much we have ahead in some areas. For a time I was getting paper towels each time, thinking maybe we needed more. We had 3 cases at one point. Now the paper area is in one place and easily audited before the next trip.<br />
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When we shop together, we use separate carts. The cashiers are often confused. "Are you together?" 46 years - Mrs. Ichabod says. "Please don't complain in public," I respond. Sometimes we double up on the same thing, so that goes in the pantry.<br />
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I have a post in mind about cleaning tips. I was the store's self-appointing cleaning expert. That was as much fun as working in baking supplies and condiments.<br />
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<br />Ichabod the Glory Has Departedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119183283328283096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1895328723668952024.post-52770521160512943672016-03-05T08:35:00.001-08:002016-03-05T08:35:32.793-08:00Roses Like To Be Trimmed and Watered - More Than Most People Allow<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2GYsAlIq_zmDObIN49NpIuSg5L1_rni3GR0f6nknRTOml-qnQTQUYh56jttUrCy60P0od8LU9My_1clXI7HL50Nol3pistRWiv3kto8XkI2LjgwEApIqTRtiCivWuMLHiMm6Cr9Xbpw/s1600/john-paul-most-fragrantjpg-78a3c410aac5b647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2GYsAlIq_zmDObIN49NpIuSg5L1_rni3GR0f6nknRTOml-qnQTQUYh56jttUrCy60P0od8LU9My_1clXI7HL50Nol3pistRWiv3kto8XkI2LjgwEApIqTRtiCivWuMLHiMm6Cr9Xbpw/s640/john-paul-most-fragrantjpg-78a3c410aac5b647.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">John Paul II -<br />he got an honorary degree at Notre Dame,<br />so we are alumni.</span></b></td></tr>
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I picked up some groceries at Walmart and saw cut roses for $5. Daisies for $5 or roses? - Not a tough decision. I looked over the various roses and pulled out some that looked fairly good. Retail roses do not last long in the vase, so I wanted the ones that looked fresh. I had a plan.<br />
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Roses are considered a thorn bush, but I think of them as sponges. Cutting roses after a long rainstorm is difficult, if the shears are not sharp and scissor-like, (The anvil cutting shears tend to crush rather than cut. They are better for small branches and tough plastic packages.)<br />
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I brought the roses home, got out the shears, and cut inches of stem away. The stems draw up air rather than water when going through the trauma of retail, from packaging to bringing them home. Cutting a few inches off is a good start.<br />
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I also cleaned the vase, which reeked of rot and mildew. I hear various tips about cut flowers. Changing the water daily makes them last longer, but even then, the forces of decomposition fire up and slimy mildew forms inside the vase. Scrub, scrub, scrub, detergent, rinse, scrub, scrub, rinse, rinse.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbaTyAyA-R553NbWUbDWGLAUyczmBDxLsy_Wr7rtuyjf9-XonIvg8eaaULKSa-a3fp9hkkgHZE7Xi8AT1MixLqsj-UwhYfjhZ2pF3_QgxF7eVOFrvH7e8jNli5H63HXYOL6G66TYrCeo/s1600/paradise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbaTyAyA-R553NbWUbDWGLAUyczmBDxLsy_Wr7rtuyjf9-XonIvg8eaaULKSa-a3fp9hkkgHZE7Xi8AT1MixLqsj-UwhYfjhZ2pF3_QgxF7eVOFrvH7e8jNli5H63HXYOL6G66TYrCeo/s400/paradise.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">I paid $5 each for two Paradise roses.<br />Roses around a maple trees are far more attractive<br />than weeds and maple tree suckers.</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Key Step</b><br />
I use the sink sprayer and sprayed the roses all over, stems, blossoms, leaves, I would toss a bunch in a tub of cold water if they looked like they needed it. They looked completely refreshed when I put them in fresh water in a clean vase. Mrs. Ichabod loved them. I will repeat the fresh water and the cold shower today and Sunday morning.<br />
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<b>Outdoor Roses</b><br />
Our helper and I transplanted 8 roses from the front and backyard. The next step after planing a group, is to water them thoroughly and prune them. Watering washes the soil down among the roots to remove air spaces. It gives the roots a start, because the new root growth will stabilize the plant and feed it. Pruning makes the roots grow even faster, even when the established plant seems unharmed by digging and replanting.<br />
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By watering I mean spraying all the upper parts of the roses so they get a real shower for their branches, not just water for their roots. I will repeat that on the second and third days too. Our helper did the first watering while I did another chore. I said, "Do not spare the horses."<br />
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A FB friend and I were discussing bare root roses versus potted ones. I like to order bare root ones because I can choose exactly which ones I want. But potted ones are just as good, in spite of what rose snobs say. The three steps to have great roses are:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Prune</li>
<li>Water</li>
<li>Mulch.</li>
</ol>
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Our 8 KnockOut roses became a neighborhood wonder last year. They were all potted, dug into holes in the lawn, then mulched, watered, and pruned. Every time they reached 6 feet tall, they were pruned to 3 feet tall. We had dry spells so I gave them cold showers with the hose on the waterboarding setting. That dislodges dirt and loose flowers that need pruning anyway.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaGrqsYkE3N80QCg0Cfeb4xN1OGAdbJIzqVedmTCoNsfTKIoe4nfo6xpxvVjMxyThZ4IDXSLFlPuqiyI4PO3mSYx3pxbJx_Fx9tzCSfJCWvr7zuR6Ahk7C49fTYJ8UJp7M44BL7bsGLU/s1600/veterans_honor_bloom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaGrqsYkE3N80QCg0Cfeb4xN1OGAdbJIzqVedmTCoNsfTKIoe4nfo6xpxvVjMxyThZ4IDXSLFlPuqiyI4PO3mSYx3pxbJx_Fx9tzCSfJCWvr7zuR6Ahk7C49fTYJ8UJp7M44BL7bsGLU/s400/veterans_honor_bloom.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Veteran's Honor simply glows red<br />in the garden. The cut roses are splendid<br />and fragrant in the vase.</b></td></tr>
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<b>Bare Root Rain Soaker</b></div>
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We have added a memorial row for the main rose garden, with three more bushes planned, perhaps two more in the maple tree rose garden.</div>
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When the bare root roses come, I will soak them first in rainwater. I used to be skeptical about the soak, but I saw the value when I planted 20 at once last year. I had the rain barrels full of water and needed to open packages while planting and digging. I felt like the sorcerer's apprentice the rest of the afternoon, with dreams of <b>every rose I wanted planted</b> turning into a nightmare of digging, soaking, pruning, sorting, watering, measuring. </div>
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The roses took off beautifully, better than I ever saw with previous efforts. </div>
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<div>
If rainwater is not available, the other solution is gray-water (recycled in some homes from the wassh water) or tapwater left in the barrel at least one day. Chlorine evaporates out of city water, and chlorine is hard on plants. For the best results, use rainwater first, gray-water second, and soaker hose when there is no other way.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhimn28MZ4PAAD521kYcs6yCRPXzn_1-R58ECB11eb6Wm1IczJG1BveNq2XKYbLX0uqBi_u1NPPe9K1y8tFS4Z5fHy2bBzqYPgelnH9nMzeGBoU6IYmxtzRedSMRQKuSNDQ_7mLVjbFh0/s1600/lincoln_summary.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhimn28MZ4PAAD521kYcs6yCRPXzn_1-R58ECB11eb6Wm1IczJG1BveNq2XKYbLX0uqBi_u1NPPe9K1y8tFS4Z5fHy2bBzqYPgelnH9nMzeGBoU6IYmxtzRedSMRQKuSNDQ_7mLVjbFh0/s640/lincoln_summary.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Mr. Lincoln has long, long legs,<br />magic beanstalk growth, fragrance,<br />and low cost.</span></b></td></tr>
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Ichabod the Glory Has Departedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119183283328283096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1895328723668952024.post-90009585710758526162016-02-10T08:29:00.003-08:002016-02-10T08:29:46.233-08:00Coffee - Better and Cheaper at Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASIjAlKfw9IIGZESovubZvtoTiMqtK-lmHlXnAou-P61C0rhwBILiOq0-yoWNcupNSKuK9z_UcRRcbdN1wjN4D6DN6tSckxpoE_GOdS_5ch52yk8xvFbUTUWBTAWL08u4LxbCA7lvcPA/s1600/boca_java_blueberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASIjAlKfw9IIGZESovubZvtoTiMqtK-lmHlXnAou-P61C0rhwBILiOq0-yoWNcupNSKuK9z_UcRRcbdN1wjN4D6DN6tSckxpoE_GOdS_5ch52yk8xvFbUTUWBTAWL08u4LxbCA7lvcPA/s640/boca_java_blueberry.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
The congregation in Sturgis had an idea about the coffee left in the urn. "You could warm it up to drink during the week,"<br />
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Instead of taking up that frugal suggestion, I made my own coffee. Reheated, percolated coffee left in an aluminum urn was not my culinary fantasy.<br />
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At Melo-Cream I was always happy to go down to the coffee barrel where the Yuban coffee was kept. My father mixed <b>Maxwell House</b> and <b>Yuban</b>, used a drip coffee maker, and insisted on keeping coffee no longer than 15 minutes.<br />
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The favor of coffee is mostly in the aroma, so drinking it fresh is the key to enjoying it. Here are some key steps in making delicious coffee.<br />
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<b>Pure Water</b><br />
The water has to have its off-flavors filtered out. We use a tap filter for that. Otherwise, the coffee competes with the flora and fauna of the lake water we get on tap. I would get spring water and use that ($1 gallon) if I had to.<br />
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<b>Fresh</b><br />
The freshness of the coffee grounds will make an enormous difference. I stopped grinding it each time because the early morning or late night sounds were like gravel being ground up, and the results were uncertain. I put in too much in one batch or two and had truly awful coffee, too weak or too strong.<br />
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But we keep the coffee sealed up tightly in sealed containers, one from Gevalia, which we no longer buy. They used to offer wonderful coffee storage devices, and we still have one for the favorite variety of the day. We got a free one each time we tried Gevalia, every six months, so we did, and kept the jar. Alas we only have one jar left.<br />
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Now the free offers are for one measuring spoon, so I have two spoons I keep, and I keep track of the amounts used for a good pot of coffee.<br />
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Let us pause and consider cost. A large Starbucks cup of coffee is $2 plain. Their fancy concoctions are $4 and up, $24 a gallon, if you take 6 x the 20 ounce cup! Starbucks' plain coffee is one step above restaurant coffee, two steps above church coffee.<br />
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High quality coffee is $2 per 10-cup pot at home. The cost is even lower with premium grocery store coffee. Gevalia is found at Walmart and is fairly good. Some other brands can be found there too, and many favored ones as well.<br />
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K-cups are more costly per pound but convenient with a large group of people wanting fresh coffee - or hot cocoa - at various times. I was converted Keurig in Seattle, of all places, but the numbers are not favorable for beginning the day with a pot of fresh coffee.<br />
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I like Boca Java for several reasons. They have every possible kind and flavor of coffee, and they roast it once the order is in. Therefore, the coffee is quite fresh and the choices nearly reach infinity. They have the best flavored coffees, which are always risky. Most flavored coffees have a bad after-taste and a tendency to be bitter when made. That does not matter when balanced with 50% sweetener and fake cream, as the Starbucks customers know.<br />
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The only Boca Java flavors I enjoy are Blueberry and Chocolate Hazelnut. Nevertheless, the other attempts at flavoring are pretty good. I can make perfect cinnamon coffee by shaking some cinnamon on the coffee grounds before making the pot. Others do the same thing. It reminds me of apple sauce with cinnamon at the store. I remembered my mother doing that on her own, not picking it out at Geifman's store.<br />
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Roasts vary the flavor and the caffeine content. The light roasts are higher in caffeine and lighter in flavor. Dark, French, and Expresso roasts are not my cup of tea.<br />
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<b>The Machine</b><br />
Our previous drip-maker was a Mr. Coffee that emptied into a thermo-carafe. That wore out after six years. Their latest model was panned in the Net so I looked around and settled on a Black and Decker thermo-carafe.<br />
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This maker is easy to fill and works very well. My only problem is the clock blinking 12:00 all day long, but I ignore that.<br />
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<b>Coffee Varieties</b><br />
The most expensive is <b><span style="color: blue;">Jamaica Blue Mountain</span></b>, half the crop used for coffee liquor, a terrible waste. Boca Java must have made tons for Father's Day, because they sold it cheap afterwards. Otherwise, it is something like $50 a pound. <b><span style="color: blue;">JBM </span></b>is mellow but has a good flavor at the same time. If I had a choice between <span style="color: blue;"><b>JBM</b> </span>and <span style="color: blue;"><b>Kona</b></span>, I would take<span style="color: blue;"><b> Kona</b></span>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Kona</span></b> is from Hawaii and combines a great flavor with smoothness. Often a coffee will get a bit much after a few cups, but <b><span style="color: blue;">Kona</span></b> is so smooth that overdosing is likely. Fortunately, the high cost of $40 a pound will prevent that problem. I bought some on sale at Boca Java - and wow.<br />
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We favor light and medium roast coffee. Some come from on location, like <b><span style="color: blue;">Costa Rican</span></b> and <b><span style="color: blue;">Kona</span></b>, and <b><span style="color: blue;">JBM</span></b>.<br />
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Another benefit of regular Boca Java ordering is their free sample. One two-ounce packet is offered free each time, so we have tried <b><span style="color: blue;">Banana Foster</span></b> (a slight chocolate flavor with bananas), <b><span style="color: blue;">Maple Bacon</span></b> (noping that one), and types with coconut in the background. Since coconut is so easy to obtain now, an artificial coconut flavor in coffee is not choice. Now I am more likely to pick various roasts, but they snagged me with <b><span style="color: blue;">Chocolate Hazelnut</span></b>.<br />
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<b>Amendments</b><br />
I used to make my own whipped cream to add to coffee, a slippery slope. Sometimes the old cup would be found in the basement, with howls of outrage coming from Little Ichabod, Mrs. Ichabod, or both.<br />
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The coffee aisle at Walmart is heavenly, because the coffee aromas are mixed with the artificial cream fragrance. Bending down into a case of half-pound coffees in bags, I thought about the old coffee barrel at Melo-Cream.<br />
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However, I would never put those artificial powders and cremes in my coffee. Whipped cream is off the menu for obvious reasons. I could easily finish a bowl off, but that is not wise.<br />
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The only amendment approved by the <b>Melo-Cream Little Chef</b> is <b><span style="color: blue;">Cream of Coconut</span></b>, which is found in the mixed drink aisle of stores. How do I know, with my aversion to drinking alcohol? One customer came looking for it at the Neighborhood Market and the assistant manager directed us to the cubby hole for beer and liquor. On display was <b><span style="color: blue;">Cream of Coconut</span></b>, used for pina coladas. The concoction, made of coconut juice, coconut oil, and sugar, is perfect on desserts (like pineapple) and also good for taking the bitterness from a cup of coffee made a little too strong. The bottle is not expensive, a few dollars, and lasts a long time without refrigeration.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Combat typos - start the day with coffee.</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />Ichabod the Glory Has Departedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119183283328283096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1895328723668952024.post-15158890604273278642016-02-09T02:17:00.000-08:002016-02-09T02:17:26.892-08:00Management by Sassy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Sassy is signaling me for her morning walk.<br />I must answer or get into trouble with her.</span></b></td></tr>
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Everyone loves Sassy, so I decided to describe how she carefully manages our behavior and displays a remarkable amount of intelligence, independence, and humor.<br />
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Sassy supervises all meal preparation, but only when it concerns her. No matter what order I prepare the breakfast, she appears for the cutting of the brats or the melting of the cheese. She sits there with the assumptive close, as they call it in sales. She assumes I will give her some. And I do.<br />
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Sometimes we work on threat gestures. I learned early that my intruder pose would get her leaping up and grabbing my hand. Simply by grazing my hand in a fast-moving gesture, she opened up a wound with her teeth. I was dodging without success, and I stopped. The blood stopped soon, and I did not try that again.<br />
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Sassy has assumed the role of protecting our yard from a wandering black lab. The neighboring dogs bark at the intruder walking down the grassy alley between our homes. They are large and muscular, but seem helpless. Sassy always asks to go out and take care of the lab. She goes to the fence and does her best German Shepherd attack. She plants her front legs down, barks and snarls furiously, displaying her teeth and moving her head back and forth close to the ground. The lab takes off and the neighbor dogs bark impotently at him in a me too response.<br />
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Sassy even barked the lab out of our neighbor's yard, but the lab got its hind leg stuck up in the wire fence. Black labs matter, so I called Animal Control and got the dog freed in a few minutes. Unharmed and clueless, it came back to the same yard an hour or two later.<br />
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We have always worked on the gentle command with Sassy, and she is great responding. When I pretend to form a claw coming down on her flank, she bares her teeth menacingly. But she cannot hold her fierce pose for long, it turns into a grin. She loves the game. She has the fast motions of a Cattle Dog and snaps at my hand with incredible speed - always to lick my hand.<br />
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Sacky was our first Cattle Dog. Sacky could kiss my bare feet alternately as I walked, but never while I was looking. I never figured out how she could do that. To illustrate her speed, she simply snapped all houseflies out of the air in Phoenix.<br />
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Sassy and I walk twice a day, and she is keen to remind me when the sun is up or going down. I tired of the leash and she was quick to learn commands - wait, leave alone, cross the street, and so forth.<br />
I can wiggle one finger and get her to run full speed at me, both of us grinning. She has to ask permission to cross the street or go meet someone. She has learned not to bark loudly in greeting adults and children. However, one friend loves her happy bark, so she lets loose when she hears, "Where is that happy bark, Sassy?" Left and right, she barks as loudly as she can.<br />
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However, Sassy's great response and intuition are tempered by her independent spirit. She loves to walk south down the side streets when we are walking west down Scott Street. Once she asked permission to cross the street and go farther down Scott. When I said yes, she darted left and ran about 20 feet south down the side street. Then she stopped and looked back, grinning. I said, "OK, let's go down that street." She pranced into each yard, catching up on all the signals left by other animals.<br />
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When one woman suggested that Sassy leave her front-yard family gathering, with Sassy meeting each child, Sassy responded by going to the woman, laying down her ears and reaching out for a final petting. The woman could not help laughing as everyone enjoyed Sassy trumping her ace. Sassy lays down her ears and reaches out in meek and friendly gesture that no one can miss.<br />
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Sassy's goal is to meet each person on our walks. She went up to one man, who said, "Oh, Sassy, you are the dog that loves everyone."<br />
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Sassy loves treats: she remembers and counts, always pushing for a greater number at any given time. One treat means two would be better. Two is the norm and three would be nice, as the dessert. The vet suggested breaking treats into small pieces so Sassy could get the count up with fewer calories.<br />
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Sassy likes to take one more trip outside once I am settled in bed to sleep. My transition from writing and grading to sleep is quick and easy to make. The bed is the best chair I have used for the painful process of grading 25 essays at a time.<br />
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To get Sassy outside before I am nodding off, I have tried various things, such as snapping my fingers. I even dragged her off the bed gently - and she crawled back. I used a snack once to get her up and out and another small one to reward her coming inside. After that happened once or twice, I invited her in. She stopped in the kitchen and glared at me. "Where is treat #2?"<br />
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<b>Talking and Singing - The Tell-Tale Tail</b><br />
Sassy has many ways to talk. She uses her Cattle Dog (kelpie) voice at times. If she yips a little, I ask, "Are you going full kelpie on us?" Then she yips in that high-pitched wild dingo voice of hers, and we laugh.<br />
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She is great at singing along, as she did when we sang Happy Birthday to grandson Alex.<br />
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The ears, face, and tail are part of her signals. She may make a little whining noise for a moment. We look and ask, "What's wrong?" Her tail rotates slowly. That means she needs a treat or a walk. If I delay or miss the signal, she rotates rapidly and with great force. That can include whipping my arm as I work. Her tails is soft, but the perpetual rotation makes work impossible.<br />
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If that fails, she uses her powerful claws to pull me down on the bed for lovey time.<br />
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The rotating tail is often paired with her stupid dog look. Sacky pulled that on me too, to show how clueless I was.<br />
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<br />Ichabod the Glory Has Departedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119183283328283096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1895328723668952024.post-2835921261102209182016-02-06T13:16:00.001-08:002016-02-06T13:16:18.974-08:00Dirty Grilled Cheese Sandwiches<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Take that, Wyatt. I started at age 4.</span></b></td></tr>
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I have been planning to post some of my recipes, with some suggestions for our granddaughters.<br />
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When I learned that one of my best education students has a son who likes to cook, I decided to do a little writing on the topic.<br />
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I will tag these "Chef's Corner" so they are easy to group together in a label search. The label list is in the left column.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Dirty Grilled Cheese Sandwiches</span></b></div>
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These are dirty because I begin with a pan that was used to warm up grilled meat - leaving some beef juice behind - or to fry bacon, leaving bacon flavoring behind. The better the meat, the better the grilled cheese.<br />
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I always start with coconut oil, which we make a point of using daily. There are many good benefits of coconut oil, and we love the flavor. Also, it is stable at high temps, which means it does not smoke.<br />
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Add coconut oil to the residue in the pan and heat at medium on a gas stove.<br />
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Place bread on the new and old mixture. I usually keep the bread in the freezer, so I want it warming up fast.<br />
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The keys to good grilled cheese are quality cheese and bread, plus the melt.<br />
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Cut good cheese on the bread warming up. I have my favorites in the quality cheese area of Walmart - not in the massive hanging cheese displays, which often cost the same or a little more. I like their<br />
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<ul>
<li>Muenster - about $6 a pound.</li>
<li>Smoked Gouda - roughly the same per pound.</li>
</ul>
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On the cheese I place a little bit of butter - for the flavor. I make butter last a long time. As I explained to the doctor, butter is a gateway drug for me. I eat more bread because of the butter, and never tire of eating more bread and butter, toast and butter, cinnamon sugar and toast and butter.<br />
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Reducing bread consumption, as suggested by Dr. Bandy, meant my weight dropped 7 pounds.<br />
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You can use good bread - Pepperidge Farm - or white bread. Do I have to write a jeremiad on cheap, white bread? Me, a born and bred baker?<br />
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I keep the temperature at medium and place the other bread on top. To hold in more heat for the melt, I place a metal pan lid on top of the bread. Soon smoke rises up, which means the bread is toasting, maybe even blackened. I love it blackened and I am in a hurry. Those who want to back off the burn will have to wait longer for the melt.<br />
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If your cheese is not liquefied at the end, your mission has failed.<br />
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Flip the sandwiches when the smoke forms the first time. Some chefs will turn down the burner a bit, but they will wait longer too. I keep mine at medium and expect black-brown on both sides.<br />
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Muenster and other cheeses will melt and drip onto the skillet. That will make a hissing sound - your sandwiches are done. If burning is a fear, turn it low or off at the end and let the heat penetrate.<br />
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You can follow the same directions for pristine grilled cheese sandwiches, but why not take advantage of a skillet that has been baconed or beefed up already?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">That is the melt desired.</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />Ichabod the Glory Has Departedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119183283328283096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1895328723668952024.post-41790603751010961502016-02-06T12:41:00.003-08:002016-02-06T12:41:26.821-08:00Delicious and Satisfying Breakfast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://churchmousec.wordpress.com/">ChurchMouse</a>, one of my favorite bloggers, has noted that the Seventh Day Adventists (example, GOP candidate Dr. Ben Carson) replaced the protein breakfast with grains. Kellogg and Post developed all kinds of breakfast cereals that really have no nutritional value, apart from the milk poured over them. My kin were Adventists, but when they moved to Iowa to start hog farming, their sect did not approve and they became Evangelicals. Two of my relatives were bishops in the Adventist sect, a bizarre group, to say the least.<br />
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At Walmart the associates laughed at the money spent on enormous boxes of puffed up grains, loaded with sugar, garnished with the most outrageous graphics and lures. That amounted to feeding sugar and grain carbohydrates to children, marketed as cinnamon toast, donuts, and frosted this or that.<br />
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Shelving cereal was easy because each brand had distinctive art that grabbed one's attention, I could find anything in a long row, but canned beans were sorted by red, black, dark red, low salt, ranch style, and other variations, dizzying for beginners.<br />
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Those who spend the day using their muscles know that sugary snacks will not offer long-term energy. One study showed, in fact, that an egg breakfast will help someone lose weight while providing an impressive amount of protein and minerals with better carbos and less dessert-style eating. For someone raised in a bakery, with total access to donuts, danish, cookies, and fresh candy (fudge and peanut brittle), a sugar-free breakfast is a challenge.<br />
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Our physician suggesting reducing bread to lose weight, and this is one way to start - no bread, rolls, donuts, or cereal for breakfast. Bread? I love bread.<br />
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Our egg breakfast began with leaving the frying pan "dirty" with bacon grease or the remains of beef or pork heated up for dinner. I loathe the smell of bacon cooked in the kitchen, when it lingers like cigar smoke, so we do not cook bacon indoors anymore. We grill it with the meat - more of that later.<br />
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Once I began making eggs each day, Mrs. Ichabod wanted some too. When I worked in groceries, the variety of spices, condiments, and vegetables gave me all kinds of ideas I wanted to try.<br />
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This is how I make breakfast each day now, in order of appearance.<br />
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<ol>
<li>Melt coconut oil in the pan. Coconut oil is the best for cooking and very healthy. Oddly enough, it is also an ideal skin cream, melting into the skin without being greasy. We use LouAnna from Walmart.</li>
<li>Thaw some mixed vegetables, from the frozen section at Walmart. We like peppers and onions, but there are many other mixes and possibilities.</li>
<li>Add one can of Great Value mushrooms. Cost $1.25. We love mushrooms and they have almost no calories or carbos.</li>
<li>Slice one or two Johnsonville brats, very thinly, so they warm up with the mix and toast a little. This is when Sassy enters the kitchen and waits for her tithe.</li>
<li>Add various enhancements early, before eggs are added - a little butter, wasabi, mustard, ginger, garlic, freshly ground pepper. Too much of one will lead to the WASABI reaction, which is not good. A subtle blend is great fun to vary from day to day.</li>
<li>I add six eggs once everything is heated up. They go on the open side of the large pan and get blended in once they start cooking. They need some salt, so I add chipolte sea salt (Walmart) ground into them. </li>
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The cost is about $3 for the entire pan, a hearty combination of vegetables, mushrooms, meat, and eggs. Sometimes we leave out meat, but mushrooms are always added. The vegetables, condiments, and spices vary each day. When Team Jackson has had a grilling day. cooked grilled bacon from the freezer is scissored into the mix instead of brat slices.</div>
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<br />Ichabod the Glory Has Departedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03119183283328283096noreply@blogger.com0