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NATIONAL BAKLAVA DAY On November 17th, National Baklava Day fills the kitchen with an aroma of a sweet and flaky pastry. Baklava's sweet layers of texture and flavor are created between sheets of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and drizzled with syrup or honey. #NationalBaklavaDay Many believe Baklava to have originated with the Turkic people in Central Asian nations. However, many countries prepare the dessert in a variety of ways. The word “Baklava” first appeared in English in 1650. If you've never tried baklava, try sampling the many varieties. Walnuts, pecans, pistachios, or almonds can be used. The filling...

Greeks and Turks have been at each other’s throats for centuries over many different things, but a rivalry seldom mentioned revolves around the origins of baklava. The history of this scrumptious delicacy is quite controversial, and unfortunately not very well documented. Many ethnic groups such as the Greeks, Turks, and Middle Easterners claim baklava as their own and prepare it in their own way. The “Baklava Conflict” has been simmering for centuries, but it erupted into full-blown war in 2006, when Greek Cypriots decided to call baklava their own. A definite sacrilege according to the Turks! Turkey, as an aspiring...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NATIONAL HOMEMADE BREAD DAY On November 17th, homes will fill with warm, comforting aromas reminding us to slow down and enjoy National Homemade Bread Day. #HomemadeBreadDay Yeast bread calls for us to slow down. We need to spend time with each other as we work the dough and let it rest and rise before baking. Quick breads allow a special treat to share and enjoy with coffee or tea. Other homemade breads, such as donuts, pretzels, muffins, and biscuits, add variety to our everyday meals. And making them with friends and family brings joy and an opportunity to exchange...

Most of our snow, along with the neighbors from San Diego, has melted away. They didn't actually melt. It was more like they ran screaming back to warmth and Palm trees. Us hardier and poorer types look forward to the snow. We have to. It's all around us. We have had warm winds blowing in from Canada the last couple of days. We call these "Chinook" winds. The Canadians call it "Blowing all the tumbleweeds South". I like our name better. The Canadians have a lot of strange names for things. They call a hat a "Took". They call beating...

Sep 24, 2003 Air Force Translator Charged With Espionage at Guantanamo Bay Prison By Matt Kelley Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Military officials have charged an Air Force translator at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp for terror suspects with espionage and aiding the enemy for allegedly trying to send information about detainees to Syria. The Pentagon's disclosure of the case against Senior Airman Ahmad I. al-Halabi of Detroit comes three days after officials said a Muslim chaplain at the base had been arrested. The chaplain, Army Capt. Yusef Yee, has been held without charge since his Sept. 10 arrest....