FReeper Canteen ~ Favorite Christmas Treats ~ 23 DEC 2008

Serving The Best Troops And Veterans In The World | The Canteen Crew

[laurenmarlowe]

 

 

~The FReeper Canteen Presents~

Favorite Christmas Treats

Gingerbread has been baked in Europe for centuries. In some places, it was a soft, delicately spiced cake; in others, a crisp, flat cookie, and in others, warm, thick, steamy-dark squares of "bread," sometimes served with a pitcher of lemon sauce or whipped cream. It was sometimes light, sometimes dark, sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy, but it was almost always cut into shapes such as men, women, stars or animals, and colorfully decorated or stamped with a mold and dusted with white sugar to make the impression visible.

During the nineteenth century, gingerbread was both modernized and romanticized. When the Grimm brothers collected volumes of German fairy tales they found one about Hansel and Gretel, two children who, abandoned in the woods by destitute parents, discovered a house made of bread, cake and candies. By the end of the century the composer Englebert Humperdink wrote an opera about the boy and the girl and the gingerbread house.

Cookies appear to have their origins in 7th century AD Persia, shortly after the use of sugar became relatively common in the region. By the 14th century, they were common in all levels of society, throughout Europe, from royal cuisine to street vendors.

With global travel becoming widespread at that time, cookies made a natural travel companion, a modernized equivalent of the travel cakes used throughout history. One of the most popular early cookies, which travelled especially well and became known on every continent by similar names, was the jumble, a relatively hard cookie made largely from nuts, sweetener, and water.

Cookies came to America in the very first century of English settlement (the 1600s), although the name "koekje" arrived slightly later, with the Dutch. This became Anglicized to "cookie". Among the popular early American cookies were the macaroon, gingerbread cookies, and of course jumbles of various types.

The most common modern cookie, given its style by the creaming of butter and sugar, was not common until the 18th century.

The earliest Fruitcake recipe from ancient Rome lists pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins that were mixed into barley mash.

In the Middle Ages, honey, spices, and preserved fruits were added and the name "fruitcake" was first used, from a combination of the words "fruit" (Latin: fructus, Old French: frui), and "cake" (Old Norse: kaka, Middle English: kechel).

Fruitcakes soon proliferated all over Europe, however recipes varied greatly in different countries and throughout the ages, depending on the available ingredients as well as in some instances on church regulations of the use of butter, regarding the observance of fast (e.g. "Butterbrief" or butter letter by Pope Innocent VIII). Pope Innocent VIII, (1432 – 1492), the Holy Father softened his attitude and in 1490, he sent a permision known as the “Butter Letter” to Saxony, stating that milk and butter could be used in the North German Stollen fruitcakes.

Starting in the 16th century, sugar from the American Colonies, and the discovery that high concentrations of sugar could preserve fruits, created an excess of candied fruit, thus making fruitcakes more affordable and popular.

In the 18th century in some areas in Europe, fruitcakes were made using nuts from the harvest for good luck in the following year. The cake was then saved and eaten before the harvest of the next year.

What is your favorite Christmas Treat?

Merry Christmas!

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT~Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before. 

Please remember: The Canteen is a place to honor and entertain our troops. The Canteen is family friendly. Let's have fun!

We pray for your continued strength, to be strong in the face of adversity.

We pray for your safety, that you will return to your families and friends soon.

We pray that your hope, courage, and dignity remain unbroken, so that you may show others the way.

God Bless You All ~ Today, Tomorrow and Always

 

 

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, E...((HUGS))...we got a light dusting of snow. Hope you warm up soon. Coast to coast seems to be having issues with gorebull warming.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, Pusterfuss, you of the wild weather temp changes...((HUGS))...16 here with a light dusting of white stuff. I hope practice is going well. Enjoy the day.

[mware]

Egg Nog Cake.

[beachn4fun]

TO THE

(where our troops, allies and their families can refresh themselves)

Good morning, Everyone. Good morning

Thank you, Lauren , for preparing the Canteen for today’s activities. Let's see....my favorite? A cross between my fudge and my mom's homemade coconut cake.

Now for our local DC Metroland weather report

~ Today.... Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s. Northwest winds around 5 mph...increasing to south 10 to 15 mph this afternoon.

~ Tonight.... Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of rain and freezing rain after midnight. Lows in the lower 30s. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.

PRAISE THE LORD....he heard my whining! Temps will back into the 40s-50s!

Yeah, I know Ma told me not to whine about the cold but I just gotta. Like I said, if I liked these frigid temps, I'd move north! So, yeah, I'm whining....just don't tell Ma. hehe

BTW, did y'all see the tree Ma put up? Look at this....an Alaskan Christmas tradition, I guess.......

Time for me to make my rounds. But, you stay right where you are. Keep your eyes on your monitor. Cause...............I'll be bock

Now remember, the Canteen is

So, come on in and sit for a while. There's always plenty of coffee, pancakes, conversation, silliness, and plain old BS

REMEMBER THEM

DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.

[E.G.C.]

((HUGS))Good morning, Beach. How’s it going?

[beachn4fun]

#50

[beachn4fun]

#100

[beachn4fun]

#150

[beachn4fun]

#200 & 250

[beachn4fun]

#300

[beachn4fun]

#350 & 400

[navygal]

Good morning,

My favorite treat is anything that has chocolate in it.

[Arrowhead1952]

Good morning to everyone at the Canteen..

[beachn4fun]

Good morning and EG. Not much happening yet.

Whatz up with you?

[E.G.C.]

Well, not much is going on. We’re getting the house ready for my brother from Texas and his family who will be coming up for a visit on Christmas.

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, dear

[Arrowhead1952]

Good morning beachy. (((HUGS))) to you too.

We’re freezing here in central Texas.

Meanwhile, the B[end] 0[ver] is in Hawaii on vacation.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2152964/posts

[MEG33]

*Thank You To Our Military, Veterans And Families*

Good Morning To The Canteen

*HUGS*

[acad1228]

Tunes For Da Troops!!!acad1228’s Daily Dose O’ Da Blues!Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Cold Shot
Click here to purchase music by Stevie Ray Vaughan

Gary Moore - Still Got The Blues
Click here to purchase music by Gary Moore

Ian Moore - Blue Sky
Click here to purchase music by Ian Moore

Jeff Healey Band - Hoochie Coochie Man
Click here to purchase music by the Jeff Healey Band

Big Bill Broonzy - Good Boy
Click here to purchase music by Big Bill Broonzy

Support the artists you hear in the Canteen (buy their music)!

(FReepmail me if you would like to be added to the "Daily Dose O' Da Blues" Ping List.)

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, Meg ((HUGS))