Category: HOLIDAYS

BE SURE AND THANK A VETERAN TODAY

Thank a VETERAN today for your freedom.
Learn more about Veterans Day here.

The Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. ‘I’m glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,’ I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. ‘Where are you headed?’ I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. ‘Chicago – to Great Lakes Base. We’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Iraq ‘

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached Chicago, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time. As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. ‘No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth five bucks. I’ll wait till we get to Chicago ‘ His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. ‘Take a lunch to all those soldiers.’ She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. ‘My son was a soldier in Iraq; it’s almost like you are doing it for him.’

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated.. She stopped at my seat and asked, ‘Which do you like best – beef or chicken?’ ‘Chicken,’ I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. ‘This is your thanks.’

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. ‘I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.’ He handed me twenty-five dollars. Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, an said, ‘I want to shake your hand.’ Quickly unfastening my seat belt I stood and took the Captain’s hand. With a booming voice he said, ‘I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.’ I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm. When we landed in Chicago I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. ‘It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.’ Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals.

It seemed so little…

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life wrote a blank check Made payable to ‘The United States of America ‘ for an amount of ‘up to and including my life.’ That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.’

BBQ BAT WINGS & CAVE MOLD SAUCE ~~ HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN


BBQ BAT WINGS & CAVE MOLD SAUCE

BBQ BAT WINGS
2 pounds chicken drumettes
3/4 cup orange teriyaki marinade

CAVE MOLD SAUCE**
1 cup sour cream
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed jalapenos (Penzey’s dry spice)
generous pour of Frank’s honey lime hot sauce 2 times
salt & pepper

  • In a large ziploc bag combine the drumettes and marinade.
  • Refrigerate overnight.
  • Combine sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth. I do a generous pour of the hot sauce and blend and then repeat,
  • Season to taste.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cover a jelly roll pan with foil (for easy clean-up),
  • Spray foil with PURE.
  • Bake for 45 minutes. 

**I like to make this a few days in advance for better flavor melding.

    HALLOWEEN TREATS

    Hello foodie friends, long time no see!

    Since I haven’t been doing much with food blogging lately, I’d like to share some of the great recipes I’ve collected over at Pinterest for Halloween. If you’d like to see the recipes just click on the source link beneath each photo. Click HERE to see my entire Halloween collection.

    Halloween Cheesecake

                                                                            Source: wilton.com via Martha on Pinterest

    Pretzel Kiss Treats 

                                                                      Source: cakeinfo.blogspot.com via Martha on Pinterest

    Candy Corn Pudding

                                                                  Source: theperfectpalette.com via Martha on Pinterest

    Don’t forget to visit my Yummy Food pinboard while you’re visiting Pinterest – if you’d like an invitation so you can start your own pinboards just leave a comment and I’ll send you an invite. It’s a lot of fun!

    I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!

    HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND! & FARMER’S BREAKFAST

    This is another one of those recipes that has floated around for so long that I have no idea what I tore it out of. The paper has yellowed, the edges look like they have been gnawed on, but the flavor is the same and perfect for a long lazy weekend!
    FARMER’S BREAKFAST
    1/4 cup butter
    2 cups small cubed uncooked potatoes
    1 large bunch green onion, sliced thin
    1 cup cubed ham
    6 eggs
    3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    1/2 teaspoon celery salt
    1/4 teaspoon white pepper
    2 tablespoons heavy cream
    1 cup shredded Monterey Jack/Mild Cheddar combo

    • Melt butter in cast iron pan.
    • Add potatoes and onions. Sprinkle with celery salt.
    • Cover and cook over a medium high heat, stirring occasionally until evenly brown and golden, about 20 minutes.
    • Add the ham and cook another 5 minutes.
    • Reduce the heat to low.*
    • Whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper and cream until well blended.
    • Pour egg mixture over ham and potatoes, cover and cook until eggs are almost set, about 10 minutes.
    • Occasionally run a knife of spatula around the edge to allow eggs to run down and not burn.
    • Sprinkle with cheese and cover again until cheese melts.
    • Cut into wedges and serve with toasted Oat Sunflower Bread.

    *Using an electric stove, I switch burners and start with a cooler burner at this point since cast iron does not cool down as quickly. I like the cast iron though for the nice crisp edge to the potatoes.

    Worth sharing – LET US PAUSE TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO DIED FOR FREEDOM

    LET US PAUSE TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO DIED FOR FREEDOM

    DEAR ABBY: Memorial Day is not about war; it’s about people. It’s about those dedicated individuals — most of them young — who died serving their country and their fellow Americans as well as future generations. In other words, all of us.

    We Americans are at our best when we come together bonded by a noble purpose. And that’s the reason for the National Moment of Remembrance on Memorial Day.
    Abby, your patriotism and compassion have helped us in our effort to unite the more than 311 million Americans who live in this land of the free and home of the brave. Please remind your millions of readers to come together by pausing for a moment at 3 p.m. local time, wherever they are, to acknowledge the sacrifice of our fallen.
    Unfortunately, too many of our citizens forget to remember. I am determined to find ways to help America continue to pay tribute to the nearly 2 million men and women who have died for us. Our freedoms should remind us of their sacrifice and our debt to them.
    It is our duty to never forget them, to keep them in our hearts and in our actions. They were the best of the best — the pride of the USA. We owe them the commitment to reflect on what they did and to put remembrance into action. This means to give back to our country and to live honoring them every day, not just on Memorial Day.
    Thank you for all you do to honor America’s heroes. — CARMELLA LASPADA, FOUNDER, NO GREATER LOVE
    DEAR CARMELLA: You’re welcome. I hope readers will heed your request to offer a silent tribute this afternoon to the men and women who have given their lives in the service of this country. Considering the magnitude of their sacrifice, it’s the least we can do.
    To all of my friends out there — please join me, as well as the iron workers, sheet metal workers, firefighters and painters unions and thousands of AFL-CIO members who have supported the Moment since its inception, in a moment of silence at 3 p.m. Today, as in the past, major league baseball games will stop, customers and staff will pause in more than 30,000 grocery stores throughout the country, and, of course, personnel serving in the military around the world will observe it, too. To learn what others are doing today, visit www.ngl.org.
    May our fallen rest in peace; may our country once again live in peace as well.

    THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

    By Mike Elder of Black Sheep Custom Cakes
    “I have no illusions about what little I can add now to the silent testimony of those who gave their lives willingly for their country. Words are even more feeble on this Memorial Day, for the sight before us is that of a strong and good nation that stands in silence and remembers those who were loved and who, in return, loved their countrymen enough to die for them.” – Ronald Reagan
    And in honor of Memorial Day all you foodies go check out all the tribute cakes at CAKE WRECKS MEMORIAL TRIBUTE POST.

    Always remember and never forget… & National Moment of Remembrance

    Yesterday someone told me that Memorial Day no longer means as much because we have so many intermixed cultures in the U.S. now.  I beg to differ.  While it has become a 3 day weekend to most, it is NOT just about picnics, BBQ’s and swimming.  Remember that without those brave men and women who died and are honored on Memorial Day, you may not have the rights that you do have.  All of our freedoms came with a price for some and an observance for all.
    Memorial Day is about honoring the countless individual acts of bravery and sacrifice. This holiday is also about honoring the brave men and women who make it home. That means keeping our promises to America’s veterans. This Memorial Day, we remember all the Americans who gave their lives in defense of America. They died so that we may be free – and we are forever in their debt. Too many people have lost sight of the meaning of this holiday. If you visit How to Observe Memorial Day you can read the whole article, but here is an excerpt that lists the highlights.

    “…gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime….let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation’s gratitude,–the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan.”

    ~~General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868

    “The “Memorial” in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do not observe the day as it should be, a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice:

    • by visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
    • by visiting memorials.
    • by flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon.
    • by flying the ‘POW/MIA Flag’ as well (Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).
    • by participating in a “National Moment of Remembrance“: at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.
    • by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.”

    Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.
    It is the 
    VETERAN    ,  not the preacher,   
    who has given us freedom of religion. 

    It is the     
    VETERAN,  not the reporter,    
    who has given us freedom of the press.

    It is the     
    VETERAN,  not the poet,
    who has given us freedom of speech.
       
    It is the     
    VETERAN,
    not the campus organizer,
    who has given us freedom to assemble.        
     
    It is the     
     VETERAN,  not the lawyer,
    who has given us the right to a fair trial.      
     
    It is the     
    VETERAN,  not the politician,
    Who has given us the right to vote.     
    It is the
    VETERAN     
    who salutes the Flag, 
    It is the
    VETERAN     
    who serves under the Flag.

    Always remember and never forget!

    “The National Moment of Remembrance, established by Congress, asks Americans wherever they are at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day to pause in an act of national unity (duration: one minute).The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday. The Moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom. It will help to reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble holiday it was meant to be. In this shared remembrance, we connect as Americans.”