Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. Winston Churchill - 1941<<<
A fine man.
http://www.almanac.com/recipe/for/olives-hobo-bread/12530
http://www.Almanac.com/getrecipe/12530
Olive’s Hobo Bread
Yield: Makes 3 loaves.
A rich brown bread laced with raisins and baked in one-pound coffee tins. It is an eggless quick bread that gets its moisture from the oil and raisin liquid, and keeps well for days.
* 4 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 cups boiling water
* 2 cups dark raisins
* 4 cups flour
* 2 cups sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 4 tablespoons oil
Mix baking soda and water together and pour over the raisins. Let stand overnight without stirring. Next morning sift together the flour, sugar, and salt, and stir this into the raisin mixture with a spoon. Add oil and continue to mix well with a spoon. Batter will be thick. Grease and flour three 1-pound coffee cans and put one third of the batter into each can, leaving top of can open for baking. (Cans will be about half full.)
Bake at 350 degrees F for half an hour; reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake another half hour. Near the end of the baking, cover the open cans with foil if necessary to prevent excessive browning. Test breads with a long cake tester and remove from oven. Lay cans on their sides and turn occasionally to loosen the bread. (Be sure to do this.) Remove from cans when cooled.
Copyright ©2009, Yankee Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.Almanac.com/getrecipe/411
Apple Rolls
Yield: 3 loaves (36 slices)
An unusual recipe that’s easy to prepare and very good. It is best made with Granny Smith apples — or any other variety that’s crisp and tart — and with bread flour, which is high in gluten, rather than all-purpose flour. Serve in thick slices as either a bread or a cake (delicious with a hard sauce drizzled over it). The recipe makes a lot, so if your crowd fails to materialize, freeze the extras right in the baking cans, covered with the original plastic lids. (If you don’t have a good supply of leftover coffee cans to use for baking these rolls, standard 8-inch by 4-inch loaf pans, filled half full, work just fine.)
* 4 cups peeled, cored, and diced apples
* 1 cup chopped nuts
* 1 cup white sugar
* 3 cups bread flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 eggs, beaten
In a medium-size bowl, stir together the apples, nuts, and sugar. Let them stand for 1 hour, stirring often. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease three 12-ounce coffee cans.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, soda, salt, and spices. Add the apple mixture and stir well. Then add the oil, vanilla, and eggs and mix well.
Divide the batter among the prepared cans. Cover with a double thickness of foil folded so that it comes down over the sides of the cans at least 2 inches. Bake for 1 hour. Let the cans cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before turning the rolls out of the cans to finish cooling. To serve, slice 1 inch thick.
Copyright ©2009, Yankee Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved
http://www.almanac.com/advice/natural-remedies/avoid-colds-flu
Avoiding Colds and the Flu
Sniffles
If you’re trying hard to avoid colds and the flu, here are some prevention strategies to keep you healthy—short of moving to the North Pole where germs cannot survive!
* Keep current on inoculations, and ask your doctor about flu shots.
* Wash your hands often, with lots of soap and lots of water! Don’t share washcloths or towels.
* Use disposable tissues instead of cloth handkerchiefs.
* Colds are only caught from other people; during cold season, don’t shake hands or touch surfaces and then bring your fingers to your nose or face.
* Don’t bite your nails; it spreads germs.
* Don’t share food or drinks, even a taste.
* When in doubt, hug instead of kiss, even if your heart feels otherwise!
* Drink plenty of liquids, especially fresh pure water.
* Get plenty of sleep. Go to bed early!
* Cut back on sugars and alcoholic drinks.
* Eat correctly, especially lots of fruits with high vitamin C content as well as veggies and grains which cleanse your system.
* If you can, take it easy as soon as symptoms develop.
And here is some good old-fashioned advice from our 1852 Almanac!
* To avoid fall fevers, eat moderately, drink sparingly, lie not down on the damp earth, nor overheat yourself; but keep your temper, and change your clothes as the weather changes.
Have you heard about the Google Flu Trends tool that estimates flu activity? Get an early-warning system for outbreaks of flu in your state.
If you have suggestions on how to avoid colds, please share! Just submit a comment in the box below.
Related Content: remedies
Reader Comments
Comment from Dianna Michaluk on December 9, 2008
The easiest way I have found to clear stuffed up sinus and make it easier to breath. Ease the aches and pains that are associated with cough, cold and flu. Rub Arthritis’Tiger Balm’ or Vicks on the soles of the feet. Put on a pair of socks at night time. The look forward to a good nights sleep. May be repeated during the day.
Comment from L R on December 9, 2008
To help kill germs in your airways during a cold: CAREFULLY use a lidded mug of boiling hot water, to which you add 2 drops of eucalyptus oil, and 2 drops of pine oil. Place mug on counter to avoid risk of spilling. Allow vapour to accumulate under the lid for a minute, then VERY cautiously, (so as not to scald your nose and face with the hot steam), ... gently inhale the vapour all the way to the bottom of your lungs through your nostrils, and hold for a bit, replacing the lid immediately. Then exhale completely and repeat a 2 or 3 times until the scent or steam is depleted. Repeat 3 times a day. The medicated steam travels through your entire airway.
Comment from L R on December 9, 2008
Fresh fennel can be eaten like an apple or sliced into a fresh salad. Healthy, and very tasty too.
Comment from don moyer on December 9, 2008
sounds good to me . any thing’s worth a try .
Comment from Silvia Wilson on December 9, 2008
Apples are good sources of Vitamin C and soluble fiber, to clean intestines. Two or three a day will help you fight colds and reduce bad cholesterol as an added benefit.
Comment from vicky gostnell on December 18, 2008
For an ear ach take a spoon and fill with alcohol (not the kind you drink) use a lighter to worm it from the bottom. Not for to long. Place in to ear for about 30 seconds then drain. My grandmother used to do this for all the kids.
Comment from Lori Brown on December 24, 2008
I find the best way for me to clear my stuffy head when combated with a cold is to eat very strong curry beef and broccoli.
The curry helps not only to open up the air ways but is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is a good source of Vitamin B6, Foliate, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Copper, and a very good source of dietary Fiber, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Iron and Manganese and the broccoli is chalk full of vitamins C, E Beta-Carotene, Iron and Folic Acid.
Broccoli is chalk full of Vitamin C, Vitamin E Beta-Carotene, Iron and Folic Acid.
Beef is a good protein which also contains Zink, Vitamin B-12, Iron, Riboflavin and Thiamin.
Comment from michael dicredico on January 14, 2009
sounds great guys and beets the co payment at the docs
Comment from Virginia Muncy on January 22, 2009
A good way to stop a child or adult from coughing all night is to rub with Vicks on neck and chest. and place a warm towell or cloth over the area, It will stop the cough. My kids never like it but they got it anyway.
Comment from sandra walter on January 22, 2009
tHE vICKS ON THE SOLES OF THE FEET AND PUT SOCKS ON AT NIGHT IS A GREAT IDEA AND IT DOES WORK VERY WELL
Comment from MaryAnn Evans on January 22, 2009
FOR A SORE THROAT, gargle with Hydrogen Peroxide Topical Solution U.S.P. A nurse told me about this in 1973 and I have not had a bad sore throat since. The sooner you do this when you start getting a sore throat, the faster it works. I keep my own personal bottle so I can get a mouthful straight out of the bottle. Gargle as deep as you can, swish it around in your mouth, spit it out. Wait 10-15 minutes before drinking anything. IT WORKS!!!
Comment from Betty Worthington on January 22, 2009
For Sore Throat,,,,,,,,,Gargle with very warm salted water every hour throughout the day until bedtime. Repeat daily as needed. Relieves throat pain and cough.
Comment from Jean Donovan on January 22, 2009
For a sore throat....gargel with the 3 Esses Salt, Soada, & Sugar...really workes...trust me.
Comment from gilbert l larocque on January 22, 2009
for a sore throat.....take a spoonfull of vicks and eat it.it works and does not taste bad
Comment from Jared Leff on January 23, 2009
dont forget spicy foods. natural anti-biotics. so are garlic and onion. a few drops of tabasco in a few tablespoons of water will clear sinuses, if you can handle it. eat lots of tomatoe, onion and garlic in your foods during the bad cold / flu season, it will definately help, and cant hurt either!
Comment from DONNA ESTEPP on January 23, 2009
I’ve been told, it takes 7 days to get over a cold with medication, and it takes a week without any. If that doesn’t work, take 2 asprin and call me in the morning. HAPPY WINTER..........
Comment from Teresa Jenkins on January 23, 2009
I’ve tried the vicks on the bottom of my feet with socks and it works very well. But, I remember when I was a little girl my mom would put vicks on my chest and throat as well as make me eat a little and that worked too. The thing with vicks is to know that you cannot put it on and go outside as it opens your pores and you will have an even worse cold if you do!!
Comment from Alcide G. Fortier on January 23, 2009
The vicks rub really works,my Mother used it on us 55 yrs ago and it still works to-day.
Comment from mildred allen on January 24, 2009
If you have a sore throat a piece of peppermint will help.
Comment from Robert Turmel on January 24, 2009
Vicks, that’s the cure for relief of coughs & sore throats, Apiece of wool on the chest and throat will do the trick. MY MOM DID IT for all 7 of us kids. The old remedies always work the best! MOM’S have always been the best Doctor;s.
Comment from Alden D on February 20, 2009
Medical expenses are the costs that can ruin your finances and can leave your pockets empty. Colds are common disease but can surely affect your finances. People rush to the hospital not realizing they’re just colds, especially with young children ? or possibly hypochondria or Munchausen’s. Many of those people get a cash advance to cover the hospital expenses. Medical researchers have announced that they have cracked the genome code for the rhinoviruses, otherwise known as the common cold. This is good news, although they say it will be few years before a form of treatment will be available. I’d give them a cash advance for no more sniffles ? though it begs the question of whether they can get on that cancer thing.
Comment from Glenda Ward on February 23, 2009
To keep from getting colds and flu ..I put vaseline jelly on a Q=tip and coat the inside of my nose every morning. Then follow the don’t touch your hand to nose or mouth and wash them regularly rule. I haven’t had flu or cold for @ 5 years.
http://www.Almanac.com/getrecipe/5502
Beer Can Chicken
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 150 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
“This dish is fail proof,” says Steven Raichlen. “It always comes out great.... The steaming beer keeps the bird moist, and the fat drains out of the bird because it’s upright.” Recipe adapted from The Barbecue! Bible.
* 2 cups wood chips (preferably mesquite), divided if using charcoal
* 1 12-ounce can beer, divided if using wood chips
* 1 large whole chicken (about 4 to 5 pounds)
* 1/2 cup Memphis Rub, divided
* Canola oil for grill
If using wood chips, soak them in half the beer mixed with an equal amount of water 1 hour, then drain. Meanwhile, remove the fat just outside the body cavity of the chicken; discard. Rinse the chicken inside and out, then blot dry with paper towels. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon Memphis Rub inside the body, then rub another tablespoon all over the skin. Cover and refrigerate while you heat the grill to medium (about 350°).
Set up grill for indirect grilling, placing a drip pan below your cooking area. If using a charcoal grill, preheat to medium. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; then, when smoke appears, lower heat to medium.
Using a church key-style can opener, make six or seven holes in the top of the beer can. Spoon the remaining dry rub through the holes into the beer. Holding the chicken upright, with the opening of the body cavity down, insert the beer can into the cavity.
When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss half the wood chips on the coals. Oil the grill grate. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan. Spread out the legs to form a sort of tripod, to support the bird.
Cover the grill and cook the chicken until fall-off-the-bone tender, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. If using charcoal, add 10 to 12 fresh coals per side and the remaining wood chips after 1 hour.
Using tongs, lift the bird to a cutting board, holding a large metal spatula underneath the beer can for support. (Be careful not to spill hot beer on yourself.) Let stand 5 minutes before carving the meat off the upright carcass.
Copyright ©2009, Yankee Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.Almanac.com/getrecipe/6235
Wild Sweet and Sour Chicken
This recipe was submitted by one of our readers and has not been tested by our food editors. We are not responsible for errors in this recipe, but if you find one, please let us know in our feedback form.
This recipe has been in my family for more than 25 years. I love it because it is easy, delicious and it is a a one pot meal. This is my family’s favorite dish!!!
* 2 boxes of Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice
* 6, 8. or 10 pieces of meaty chicken depending on size (skin ON)
* 1 large can diced pineapple in syrup
* 1 large can Lesure peas with liquid
* 1 can mushrooms, stems and pieces with liquid
* 1 small jar of pimentos
* 1/2 stick of butter cut into pieces
* salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Pour rice from boxes into 13” x 9” casserole dish. Next, pour seasoning packets into rice and mix well. Arrange chicken evenly on top of rice (skin side up).
Pour entire can of pineapple and syrup over chicken. Pour entire can of peas with liquid over pineapple. Pour entire can of mushrooms with liquid over peas. Sprinkle pimento over the top of the food. Next, sprinkle butter pieces evenly over the top. Salt and pepper to taste.
Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Check regularly
and bake until chicken is well done. Add water as needed to keep rice from sticking to pan. When the chicken is cooked, remove dish from oven. Place chicken on serving plates and stir the rice mixture well. Serve with biscuits or rolls.
Note: I once made this dish with skinless chicken but it wasn’t nearly as good as when I made it with the skin on. The chicken drippings are important to the wonderfully delicious result of this flavor combination.
Copyright ©2009, Yankee Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.almanac.com/garden/flowers/hummingbird-plants
Plants that Attract Hummingbirds
Hummingbird
For centuries, gardeners have been fascinated with the beauty and aerobatics of hummingbirds.
* They are the tiniest of all birds, weighing less than an ounce and measuring only three inches long.
* Their brightly colored, iridescent feathers and quick movements make them appear as living sun catchers—hence their nickname, flying jewels.
* They have a unique ability to fly in any direction, even backward, with their wings beating up to a blurring 80 beats per second.
* Plus, they can hover in midair when sipping nectar from brightly colored flowers with their long, slender beaks.
* While whizzing about the garden, hummingbirds expend so much energy that they must eat at least half of their body weight each day to replace the 12,000 calories that they can burn up. This means eating almost constantly from sunrise to sunset and visiting over a thousand flowers every day.
The key to attracting hummingbirds to your yard is to plant lots of flowers and provide the habitat that will give them shade, shelter, food, and security.
* Herbs, flowering shrubs, dwarf trees, and vines all can be used to create an ideal tiered habitat from ground level to ten feet or more.
* Provide lots of space between plants to give hummingbirds enough room to hover and navigate from flower to flower.
* Hummingbirds love water, especially if it is moving. A gentle, continuous spray from a nozzle or a sprinkler hose is perfect for a bath on the fly.
Hummingbirds do not have a keen sense of smell and rely on bright colors to find their food.
* They are particularly fond of red and are often observed investigating red plant labels, thermometers, and even red clothes on a gardener.
* Brightly colored flowers that are tubular hold the most nectar and are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. These include perennials such as bee balms, columbines, daylilies, and lupines; biennials such as foxgloves and hollyhocks; and many annuals, including cleomes, impatiens, and petunias.
An often-asked question is, “Why do hummingbirds hum?” We really aren’t sure, but suspect that it might be because they don’t know the words.
Here is a list of plants that attract hummingbirds. Choose varieties in red and orange shades.
Common Name Latin Name
Allium Allium
Aster Aster
Bee balm Monarda
Butterfly bush Buddleia
Catmint Nepeta
Clove Pink Dianthus
Cornflower Centaurea
Daylily Hemerocallis
False indigo Baptisia
Fleabane Erigeron
Floss flower Ageratum
Globe thistle Echinops
Goldenrod Solidago
Helen’s flower Helenium
Hollyhock Alcea
Honeysuckle Lonicera
Lavender Lavendula
Lilac Syringa
Lupine Lupinus
Lychnis Lychnis
Mallow Malva
Milkweed Asclepias
Mint Mentha
Pansy Viola
Phlox Phlox
Privet Ligustrum
Purple coneflower Echinacea
Purple loosestrife Lythrum
Rock cress Arabis
Sage Salvia
Sea holly Eryngium
Shasta daisy Chrysanthemum
Snapdragon Antirrhinum
Stonecrop Sedum
Sweet alyssum Lobularia
Sweet rocket Hesperis
Tickseed Coreopsis
Zinnia Zinnia
Related Content: flowers, gardening, hummingbirds, plants
http://www.almanac.com/extras/2009/food/second_place.php
Second Prize in the 2008 Ethnic Recipe Contest<
Caribbean Stew
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 2 pounds lean ground meat (beef, pork, lamb, turkey, or chicken)
* salt and pepper, to taste
* 3 cloves garlic, peeled
* 1 or 2 large onions, diced
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 teaspoon oregano
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 6 cups broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
* 4 carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
* 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
* 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
* 2 plantains, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
* 1-1/4 cups dried lentils, rinsed and drained
* 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, with liquid
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the meat, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until browned, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, onions, bay leaf, paprika, oregano, ginger, and cayenne pepper. Cover and cook until the onions are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the broth, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook 5 to 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the plantains, lentils, and crushed tomatoes. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
-Heather Cave, Kansas City, Missouri
Find more great recipes on our site.
http://www.Almanac.com/getrecipe/16614
7-Up Bread
This recipe was submitted by one of our readers and has not been tested by our food editors. We are not responsible for errors in this recipe, but if you find one, please let us know in our feedback form.
Yield: 10 or more nice slices
This came from an old beer bread recipe that we did not like. So I changed it a little and made a better tasting bread.
* 3 cups self-rising flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 1 can 7-Up
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a lightly greased and floured bread pan. Batter will be lumpy. Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes. Top will be golden brown.
Copyright ©2009, Yankee Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.almanac.com/advice/natural-remedies/cough-remedies
Cough Remedies
catnip
Coughs, while rarely serious, can be really annoying! Some of these herbal remedies can provide great relief from a cough, especially when you’re having difficulty sleeping.
* Lemon juice, sweetened with loaf or crushed sugar, will relieve a cough. —The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1852
* The root of sweet flag was often powdered or sliced and used as a ginger substitute or throat lozenge.
o Drink mullein flower tea.
o Catnip tea helps reduce mucus.
o To suppress a night cough, put 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon sugar into a mug. Pour in boiling water and let steep. The pepper will settle to the bottom. Sip, as needed.
o Horehound drops, made with the extract of the leaves of the bitter mint Marrubium vulgare, can be combined with honey for a soothing cough drop, or served as a tea with lemon.
o Hot and spicey foods act as expectorants, loosening up the lung’s secretions.
Now here’s a cure for a severe winter cough that comes from The Old Farmer’s Almanac archives: The Dirt Cure! Here’s how it works:
o Find a piece of land covered with bushes and small stones. When the land has a foot of snow but is not frozen solid, shovel off the snow. Then cut down the bushes and dig out the stones, turning up fresh and pure soil. Bring fistfuls of soil to our face and inhale the scent of fresh earth. Continue until you have cleared half an acre, and you will find yourself strong and hale, and entirely rid of your cough!
If you have had success with any cough remedies, please share! Just submit your comment in the box below.
See more natural remedies on how to relieve colds and how to relieve sore throats.
Related Content: remedies
Reader Comments
Comment from bubblegum Travier on December 21, 2008
is there anything you can tell me or anything i could use togrow my hair?
Comment from dick sarazin on December 29, 2008
what works for me is taking a dab of vicks vaper rub and swollow it takes the tickel a way been doing it for 70 years hasnt hurt me yet
Comment from Francis Pechulis on December 29, 2008
To relieve a night time cough, put Vicks Vapor Rub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime, then cover with socks. Should give relief within 5 minutes and give relief for many hours.
Comment from Kathy Jacks on December 30, 2008
A teaspoon of mustard will kill a cough for about 3-4 hours
Comment from Judy Smith on January 7, 2009
Re: how to grow hair. Message olive oil into your scalp and wrap in a warm wet towel. after 1/2 hour or so wash your hair with Nizoral shampoo 2-3 times to remove the oil. Allow the shampoo to lie on the scalp for a while before rinsing and don’t use your fingernails on your scalp, only your fingertips. This may help regrowth.
Comment from Cristian Star on January 28, 2009
Let me tell you that I tried all of the remedies there and none of them works as it should. Th only thing that worked for was a drug treatment. Hope I never cough that hard in my life.
Comment from jim jones on January 30, 2009
cough-cold meds. sliced,diced onion in bowl adding sugar and stirring to juice it. leave at room temperature. tsp of juice every couple hours. finish bowl eating all of onions. another is whiskey,honey, lemon juice mix. tsp every couple hours. another is sugar cube with drop of fuel oil OR drop of iodine either is ok. another is boiling water in bowl with small amount of vicks vapor rub or ben gay added, hand towel over head and then breath deeply the vapor. good for colds, sinus and coughs. hot ginger tea is good also.
Comment from andrea burrill on February 5, 2009
eucalyptus oil in a snall pot of water , put a towel over your head and inhale. you can also put this oil in some vaseline and rub it on your chest or feet. or diffuse it in a room for kids .
Comment from Paul Press on February 18, 2009
gargle with a salt solution every hour for getting rid of the phelgm and mucus