DIRECTIONS In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in milk. Stir in butter, egg, sugar and salt. Combine 3/4 cup flour, raisins, currants, cinnamon and allspice; add to the yeast mixture and mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down; shape into six 2-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on top of each bun. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Beat egg yolk and water; brush over buns. Bake at 375 degrees F for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
Combine icing ingredients; pipe over buns.
Patience Required Hot Cross Buns
1 cup milk 2 tablespoons yeast 1/2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg 4 eggs 5 cups flour 1 1/3 cups currants or raisins 1 egg white
Instructions: In a small saucepan, heat milk to very warm, but not hot (110°F if using a candy thermometer). Fit an electric mixer with a dough hook. Pour warm milk in the bowl of mixer and sprinkle yeast over. Mix to dissolve and let sit for 5 minutes.
With mixer running at low speed, add sugar, salt, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs. Gradually add flour, dough will be wet and sticky, and continue kneading with dough hook until smooth, about 5 minutes. Detach bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough "rest" for 30-45 minutes.
Return bowl to mixer and knead until smooth and elastic, for about 3 more minutes. Add currants or raisins and knead until well mixed. At this point, dough will still be fairly wet and sticky. Shape dough in a ball, place in a buttered dish, cover with plastic wrap and let rise overnight in the refrigerator. Excess moisture will be absorbed by the morning.
(In the morning....) Let dough sit at room temperature for about a half-hour. Line a large baking pan (or pans) with parchment paper (you could also lightly grease a baking pan, but parchment works better). Divide dough into 24 equal pieces (in half, half again, etc., etc.). Shape each portion into a ball and place on baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
In the meantime, pre-heat oven to 400°F. When buns have risen, take a sharp or serrated knife and carefully slash buns with a cross. Brush them with egg white and place in oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F, then bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack. Whisk together glaze ingredients, and spoon over buns in a cross pattern. Serve warm, if possible.
We're forty performing bananas, in bright yellow slippery skins, our features are rather appealing, though we've neither shoulders nor chins, we cha-cha, fandango, and tango, we kick and we skip and we hop, while half of us belt out a ballad, the rest of us spin like a top.
We're forty performing bananas, we mambo, we samba, we waltz, we dangle and swing from the ceiling, then turn very slick somersaults, people drive here in bunches to see us, our splits earn us worldly renown, we're forty performing bananas, come see us when you are in town. by Jack Prelutsky
Banananananana...
I thought I'd win the spelling bee And get right to the top, But I started to spell "banana", And I didn't know when to stop.
by William Cole
both poems from Laughing Out Loud Poems to Tickle Your Funnybone
BANANA SMOOTHIE
Ingredients: 1 small frozen banana, cut into chunks 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt 1/4 cup orange juice
Put all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. The smoothies will be fairly thick. Add more liquid if you want them thinner. Makes 2 servings. Make up your own variations using other fruits and juices.
Banana Muffins
Ingredients: 1/2 cup of butter 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1 teaspoon of vanilla 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 cup sour cream 3 large bananas, mashed
Directions: 1. Cream together butter and sugar. 2. When creamy, add the eggs, sour cream, mashed bananas, and vanilla. 3. Mix all dry ingredients and add to mixture. 3. Bake at 350 degrees in cup-cake pans for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
Young Peoples Poetry Week is the third week in April which is either the 12th through the 18th or the 19th through the 25th. I've decided to make it two weeks 'cause I'm confused!
The Silver Fish
While fishing in the blue lagoon I caught a lovely silver fish,
And he spoke to me, "My boy," quoth he, "Please set me free and I'll grant your wish... A kingdom of wisdom? A palace of gold? Or all the goodies your fancies can hold?"
So I said, "OK," and I threw him free, And he swam away and he laughed at me Whispering my foolish wish Into a silent sea.
Today I caught that fish again, That lovely silver prince of fishes, And once again he offered me— If I would only set him free— Any one of a number of wonderful wishes... He was delicious!
Shel Silverstein
Fish in a Bowl
Ingredients: 1 package (3 oz) of blue gelatin (berry blue) 3/4 cup boiling water 1/2 cup cold water ice cubes 1 package gummy fish
Optional: you can use small jelly beans or fruit cocktail or other sliced fruit (strawberries) for rocks at the bottom of your fish tank/bowl
Directions: Dissolve gelatin in boiling water completely. Combine cold water and ice cubes to make 1 1/4 cups ice and water. Add to gelatin, stirring until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. If mixture is still thin, refrigerate until slightly thickened.
If using fruit or jelly beans place on the bottom of clear bowl. Pour thickened gelatin over fruit/jelly beans. Suspend gummy fish in gelatin.
Refrigerate until set, about 1 to 2 hours. Garnish with additional gummy fish, if desired.
It was summer in the land of Denmark, and though for most of the year the country looks flat and ugly, it was beautiful now. The wheat was yellow, the oats were green, the hay was dry and delicious to roll in, and from the old ruined house which nobody lived in, down to the edge of the canal, was a forest of great burdocks, so tall that a whole family of children might have dwelt in them and never have been found out.
It was under these burdocks that a duck had built herself a warm nest, and was not sitting all day on six pretty eggs. Five of them were white, but the sixth, which was larger than the others, was of an ugly grey colour. The duck was always puzzled about that egg, and how it came to be so different from the rest. Other birds might have thought that when the duck went down in the morning and evening to the water to stretch her legs in a good swim, some lazy mother might have been on the watch, and have popped her egg into the nest. But ducks are not clever at all, and are not quick at counting, so this duck did not worry herself about the matter, but just took care that the big egg should be as warm as the rest.
This was the first set of eggs that the duck had ever laid, and, to begin with, she was very pleased and proud, and laughed at the other mothers, who were always neglecting their duties to gossip with each other or to take little extra swims besides the two in the morning and evening that were necessary for health. But at length she grew tired of sitting there all day. 'Surely eggs take longer hatching than they did,' she said to herself; and she pined for a little amusement also. Still, she knew that if she left her eggs and the ducklings in them to die none of her friends would ever speak to her again; so there she stayed, only getting off the eggs several times a day to see if the shells were cracking--which may have been the very reason why they did not crack sooner.
She had looked at the eggs at least a hundred and fifty times, when, to her joy, she saw a tiny crack on two of them, and scrambling back to the nest she drew the eggs closer the one to the other, and never moved for the whole of that day. Next morning she was rewarded by noticing cracks in the whole five eggs, and by midday two little yellow heads were poking out from the shells. This encouraged her so much that, after breaking the shells with her bill, so that the little creatures could get free of them, she sat steadily for a whole night upon the nest, and before the sun arose the five white eggs were empty, and ten pairs of eyes were gazing out upon the green world.
Now the duck had been carefully brought up, and did not like dirt, and, besides, broken shells are not at all comfortable things to sit or walk upon; so she pushed the rest out over the side, and felt delighted to have some company to talk to till the big egg hatched. But day after day went on, and the big egg showed no signs of cracking, and the duck grew more and more impatient, and began to wish to consult her husband, who never came.
'I can't think what is the matter with it,' the duck grumbled to her neighbour who had called in to pay her a visit. 'Why I could have hatched two broods in the time that this one has taken!'
'Let me look at it,' said the old neighbour. 'Ah, I thought so; it is a turkey's egg. Once, when I was young, they tricked me to sitting on a brood of turkey's eggs myself, and when they were hatched the creatures were so stupid that nothing would make them learn to swim. I have no patience when I think of it.'
'Well, I will give it another chance,' sighed the duck, 'and if it does not come out of its shell in another twenty-four hours, I will just leave it alone and teach the rest of them to swim properly and to find their own food. I really can't be expected to do two things at once.' And with a fluff of her feathers she pushed the egg into the middle of the nest.
All through the next day she sat on, giving up even her morning bath for fear that a blast of cold might strike the big egg. In the evening, when she ventured to peep, she thought she saw a tiny crack in the upper part of the shell. Filled with hope, she went back to her duties, though she could hardly sleep all night for excitement. When she woke with the first steaks of light she felt something stirring under her. Yes, there it was at last; and as she moved, a big awkward bird tumbled head foremost on the ground.
There was no denying it was ugly, even the mother was forced to admit that to herself, though she only said it was 'large' and 'strong.' 'You won't need any teaching when you are once in the water,' she told him, with a glance of surprise at the dull brown which covered his back, and at his long naked neck. And indeed he did not, though he was not half so pretty to look at as the little yellow balls that followed her.
When they returned they found the old neighbour on the bank waiting for them to take them into the duckyard. 'No, it is not a young turkey, certainly,' whispered she in confidence to the mother, 'for though it is lean and skinny, and has no colour to speak of, yet there is something rather distinguished about it, and it holds its head up well.'
'It is very kind of you to say so,' answered the mother, who by this time had some secret doubts of its loveliness. 'Of course, when you see it by itself it is all right, though it is different, somehow, from the others. But one cannot expect all one's children to be beautiful!'
By this time they had reached the centre of the yard, where a very old duck was sitting, who was treated with great respect by all the fowls present.
'You must go up and bow low before her,' whispered the mother to her children, nodding her head in the direction of the old lady, 'and keep your legs well apart, as you see me do. No well-bred duckling turns in its toes. It is a sign of common parents.'
The little ducks tried hard to make their small fat bodies copy the movements of their mother, and the old lady was quite pleased with them; but the rest of the ducks looked on discontentedly, and said to each other:
'Oh, dear me, here are ever so many more! The yard is full already; and did you ever see anything quite as ugly as that great tall creature? He is a disgrace to any brood. I shall go and chase him out!' So saying she put up her feathers, and running to the big duckling bit his neck.
The duckling gave a loud quack; it was the first time he had felt any pain, and at the sound his mother turned quickly.
'Leave him alone,' she said fiercely, 'or I will send for his father. He was not troubling you.'
'No; but he is so ugly and awkward no one can put up with him,' answered the stranger. And though the duckling did not understand the meaning of the words, he felt he was being blamed, and became more uncomfortable still when the old Spanish duck who ruled the fowlyard struck in:
'It certainly is a great pity he is so different from these beautiful darlings. If he could only be hatched over again!'
The poor little fellow drooped his head, and did not know where to look, but was comforted when his mother answered:
'He may not be quite as handsome as the others, but he swims better, and is very strong; I am sure he will make his way in the world as well as anybody.'
'Well, you must feel quite at home here,' said the old duck waddling off. And so they did, all except the duckling, who was snapped at by everyone when they thought his mother was not looking. Even the turkey-cock, who was so big, never passed him without mocking words, and his brothers and sisters, who would not have noticed any difference unless it had been put into their heads, soon became as rude and unkind as the rest.
At last he could bear it no longer, and one day he fancied he saw signs of his mother turning against him too; so that night, when the ducks and hens were still asleep, he stole away through an open door, and under cover of the burdock leaves scrambled on by the bank of the canal, till he reached a wide grassy moor, full of soft marshy places where the reeds grew. Here he lay down, but he was too tired and too frightened to fall asleep, and with the earliest peep of the sun the reeds began to rustle, and he saw that he had blundered into a colony of wild ducks. But as he could not run away again he stood up and bowed politely.
'You are ugly,' said the wild ducks, when they had looked him well over; 'but, however, it is no business of ours, unless you wish to marry one of our daughters, and that we should not allow.' And the duckling answered that he had no idea of marrying anybody, and wanted nothing but to be left alone after his long journey.
So for two whole days he lay quietly among the reeds, eating such food as he could find, and drinking the water of the moorland pool, till he felt himself quite strong again. He wished he might stay were he was for ever, he was so comfortable and happy, away from everyone, with nobody to bite him and tell him how ugly he was.
He was thinking these thoughts, when two young ganders caught sight of him as they were having their evening splash among the reeds, looking for their supper.
'We are getting tired of this moor,' they said, 'and to-morrow we think of trying another, where the lakes are larger and the feeding better. Will you come with us?'
'Is it nicer than this?' asked the duckling doubtfully. And the words were hardly out of his mouth, when 'Pif! pah!' and the two new- comers were stretched dead beside him.
At the sound of the gun the wild ducks in the rushes flew into the air, and for a few minutes the firing continued.
Luckily for himself the duckling could not fly, and he floundered along through the water till he could hide himself amidst some tall ferns which grew in a hollow. But before he got there he met a huge creature on four legs, which he afterwards knew to be a dog, who stood and gazed at him with a long red tongue hanging out of his mouth. The duckling grew cold with terror, and tried to hide his head beneath his little wings; but the dog snuffed at him and passed on, and he was able to reach his place of shelter.
'I am too ugly even for a dog to eat,' said he to himself. 'Well, that is a great mercy.' And he curled himself up in the soft grass till the shots died away in the distance.
When all had been quiet for a long time, and there were only stars to see him, he crept out and looked about him.
He would never go near a pool again, never, thought he; and seeing that the moor stretched far away in the opposite direction from which he had come, he marched bravely on till he got to a small cottage, which seemed too tumbledown for the stones to hold together many hours longer. Even the door only hung upon one hinge, and as the only light in the room sprang from a tiny fire, the duckling edged himself cautiously in, and lay down under a chair close to the broken door, from which he could get out if necessary. But no one seemed to see him or smell him; so he spend the rest of the night in peace.
Now in the cottage dwelt an old woman, her cat, and a hen; and it was really they, and not she, who were masters of the house. The old woman, who passed all her days in spinning yarn, which she sold at the nearest town, loved both the cat and the hen as her own children, and never contradicted them in any way; so it was their grace, and not hers, that the duckling would have to gain.
It was only next morning, when it grew light, that they noticed their visitor, who stood trembling before them, with his eye on the door ready to escape at any moment. They did not, however, appear very fierce, and the duckling became less afraid as they approached him.
'Can you lay eggs?' asked the hen. And the duckling answered meekly:
'No; I don't know how.' Upon which the hen turned her back, and the cat came forward.
'Can you ruffle your fur when you are angry, or purr when you are pleased?' said she. And again the duckling had to admit that he could do nothing but swim, which did not seem of much use to anybody.
So the cat and the hen went straight off to the old woman, who was still in bed.
'Such a useless creature has taken refuge here,' they said. 'It calls itself a duckling; but it can neither lay eggs nor purr! What had we better do with it?'
'Keep it, to be sure!' replied the old woman briskly. 'It is all nonsense about it not laying eggs. Anyway, we will let it stay here for a bit, and see what happens.'
So the duckling remained for three weeks, and shared the food of the cat and the hen; but nothing in the way of eggs happened at all. Then the sun came out, and the air grew soft, and the duckling grew tired of being in a hut, and wanted with all his might to have a swim. And one morning he got so restless that even his friends noticed it.
'What is the matter?' asked the hen; and the duckling told her.
'I am so longing for the water again. You can't think how delicious it is to put your head under the water and dive straight to the bottom.'
'I don't think I should enjoy it,' replied the hen doubtfully. 'And I don't think the cat would like it either.' And the cat, when asked, agreed there was nothing she would hate so much.
'I can't stay here any longer, I Must get to the water,' repeated the duck. And the cat and the hen, who felt hurt and offended, answered shortly:
'Very well then, go.'
The duckling would have liked to say good- bye, and thank them for their kindness, as he was polite by nature; but they had both turned their backs on him, so he went out of the rickety door feeling rather sad. But, in spite of himself, he could not help a thrill of joy when he was out in the air and water once more, and cared little for the rude glances of the creatures he met. For a while he was quite happy and content; but soon the winter came on, and snow began to fall, and everything to grow very wet and uncomfortable. And the duckling soon found that it is one thing to enjoy being in the water, and quite another to like being damp on land.
The sun was setting one day, like a great scarlet globe, and the river, to the duckling's vast bewilderment, was getting hard and slippery, when he heard a sound of whirring wings, and high up in the air a flock of swans were flying. They were as white as snow which had fallen during the night, and their long necks with yellow bills were stretched southwards, for they were going--they did not quite know whither--but to a land where the sun shone all day. Oh, if he only could have gone with them! But that was not possible, of course; and besides, what sort of companion could an ugly thing like him be to those beautiful beings? So he walked sadly down to a sheltered pool and dived to the very bottom, and tried to think it was the greatest happiness he could dream of. But, all the same, he knew it wasn't!
And every morning it grew colder and colder, and the duckling had hard work to keep himself warm. Indeed, it would be truer to say that he never was warm at all; and at last, after one bitter night, his legs moved so slowly that the ice crept closer and closer, and when the morning light broke he was caught fast, as in a trap; and soon his senses went from him.
A few hours more and the poor duckling's life had been ended. But, by good fortune, a man was crossing the river on his way to his work, and saw in a moment what had happened. He had on thick wooden shoes, and he went and stamped so hard on the ice that it broke, and then he picked up the duckling and tucked him under his sheepskin coat, where his frozen bones began to thaw a little.
Instead of going on his work, the man turned back and took the bird to his children, who gave him a warm mess to eat and put him in a box by the fire, and when they came back from school he was much more comfortable than he had been since he had left the old woman's cottage. They were kind little children, and wanted to play with him; but, alas! the poor fellow had never played in his life, and thought they wanted to tease him, and flew straight into the milk-pan, and then into the butter-dish, and from that into the meal- barrel, and at last, terrified at the noise and confusion, right out of the door, and hid himself in the snow amongst the bushes at the back of the house.
He never could tell afterwards exactly how he had spent the rest of the winter. He only knew that he was very miserable and that he never had enough to eat. But by-and-by things grew better. The earth became softer, the sun hotter, the birds sang, and the flowers once more appeared in the grass. When he stood up, he felt different, somehow, from what he had done before he fell asleep among the reeds to which he had wandered after he had escaped from the peasant's hut. His body seemed larger, and his wings stronger. Something pink looked at him from the side of a hill. He thought he would fly towards it and see what it was.
Oh, how glorious it felt to be rushing through the air, wheeling first one way and then the other! He had never thought that flying could be like that! The duckling was almost sorry when he drew near the pink cloud and found it was made up of apple blossoms growing beside a cottage whose garden ran down to the banks of the canal. He fluttered slowly to the ground and paused for a few minutes under a thicket of syringas, and while he was gazing about him, there walked slowly past a flock of the same beautiful birds he had seen so many months ago. Fascinated, he watched them one by one step into the canal, and float quietly upon the waters as if they were part of them.
'I will follow them,' said the duckling to himself; 'ugly though I am, I would rather be killed by them than suffer all I have suffered from cold and hunger, and from the ducks and fowls who should have treated me kindly.' And flying quickly down to the water, he swam after them as fast as he could.
It did not take him long to reach them, for they had stopped to rest in a green pool shaded by a tree whose branches swept the water. And directly they saw him coming some of the younger ones swam out to meet him with cries of welcome, which again the duckling hardly understood. He approached them glad, yet trembling, and turning to one of the older birds, who by this time had left the shade of the tree, he said:
'If I am to die, I would rather you should kill me. I don't know why I was ever hatched, for I am too ugly to live.' And as he spoke, he bowed his head and looked down into the water.
Reflected in the still pool he saw many white shapes, with long necks and golden bills, and, without thinking, he looked for the dull grey body and the awkward skinny neck. But no such thing was there. Instead, he beheld beneath him a beautiful white swan!
'The new one is the best of all,' said the children when they came down to feed the swans with biscuit and cake before going to bed. 'His feathers are whiter and his beak more golden than the rest.' And when he heard that, the duckling thought that it was worth while having undergone all the persecution and loneliness that he had passed through, as otherwise he would never have known what it was to be really happy.
written by Hans Christian Andersen
I had to work hard for a recipe to go with this story but I found one!!!
Ugly Duckling Cake
1 box yellow cake mix 1 (17oz) can fruit cocktail with syrup 1 cup coconut 2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350. Blend above ingredients. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes.
Ugly Duckling Frosting 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup evaporated milk 1 stick margarine 1 cup coconut
In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, milk and margarine. Cook 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Pour over cake.
Here's a bonus! A classic Disney Silly Symphony...
THERE was once a Prince who wished to marry a Princess; but then she must be a real Princess. He travelled all over the world in hopes of finding such a lady; but there was always something wrong. Princesses he found in plenty; but whether they were real Princesses it was impossible for him to decide, for now one thing, now another, seemed to him not quite right about the ladies. At last he returned to his palace quite cast down, because he wished so much to have a real Princess for his wife.
One evening a fearful tempest arose, it thundered and lightened, and the rain poured down from the sky in torrents: besides, it was as dark as pitch. All at once there was heard a violent knocking at the door, and the old King, the Prince's father, went out himself to open it.
It was a Princess who was standing outside the door. What with the rain and the wind, she was in a sad condition; the water trickled down from her hair, and her clothes clung to her body. She said she was a real Princess.
"Ah! we shall soon see that!" thought the old Queen-mother; however, she said not a word of what she was going to do; but went quietly into the bedroom, took all the bed-clothes off the bed, and put three little peas5 on the bedstead. She then laid twenty mattresses one upon another over the three peas, and put twenty feather beds over the mattresses.
Upon this bed the Princess was to pass the night.
The next morning she was asked how she had slept. "Oh, very badly indeed!" she replied. "I have scarcely closed my eyes the whole night through. I do not know what was in my bed, but I had something hard under me, and am all over black and blue. It has hurt me so much!"
Now it was plain that the lady must be a real Princess, since she had been able to feel the three little peas through the twenty mattresses and twenty feather beds. None but a real Princess could have had such a delicate sense of feeling.
The Prince accordingly made her his wife; being now convinced that he had found a real Princess. The three peas were however put into the cabinet of curiosities, where they are still to be seen, provided they are not lost.
Spring Pea Medley with Edible Bowl (enough peas for a passel of Princess')
INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons butter 1 small sweet onion, diced 1 cup fresh shelled green peas 1/2 cup low sodium, low fat vegetable broth 1/2 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed 1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley salt and pepper to taste
1 medium head radicchio
DIRECTIONS In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the onion and saute until transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green peas and the broth, and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the snap peas, snow peas and parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, for about 3 more minutes.
Remove the inner leaves from the radicchio and spread the outer leaves out to make a bowl. Fill the hollow with the pea mixture and garnish with additional Italian parsley. recipe found at allrecipes.com
Once upon a time there were three old women who wanted a pancake to eat. The first one brought an egg, the second one milk, and the third one grease and flour. When the thick, fat pancake was done, it pulled itself up in the pan and ran away from the three old women. It ran and ran, steadfastly, steadfastly into the woods. There he came upon a little hare, who cried, "Thick, fat pancake, stop! I want to eat you!"
The pancake answered, "I have run away from three old women. Can I not run away from Hoppity Hare as well?" And it ran steadfastly, steadfastly into the woods.
Then a wolf came running toward him, and cried, "Thick, fat pancake, stop! I want to eat you!"
The pancake answered, "I have run away from three old women and Hoppity Hare. Can I not run away from Waddly Wolf as well?" And it ran steadfastly, steadfastly into the woods.
Then a goat came hopping by, and cried, "Thick, fat pancake, stop! I want to eat you!"
The pancake answered, "I have run away from three old women, Hoppity Hare, and Waddly Wolf. Can I not run away from Longbeard Goat as well?" And it ran steadfastly, steadfastly into the woods.
Then a horse came galloping by, and cried, "Thick, fat pancake, stop! I want to eat you!"
The pancake answered, "I have run away from three old women, Hoppity Hare, Waddly Wolf, and Longbeard Goat. Can I not run away from Flatfoot Horse as well?" And it ran steadfastly, steadfastly into the woods.
Then a sow came running up, and cried, "Thick, fat pancake, stop! I want to eat you!"
The pancake answered, "I have run away from three old women, Hoppity Hare, Waddly Wolf, Longbeard Goat, and Flatfoot Horse. Can I not run away from Oink-Oink Sow as well?" And it ran steadfastly, steadfastly into the woods.
Then three children came by. They had neither father nor mother, and they said, "Dear pancake, stop! We have had nothing to eat the entire day!" So the thick, fat pancake jumped into the children's basket and let them eat it up.
(Written by Carl and Theodor Colshorn, "Vom dicken fetten Pfannekuchen," Märchen und Sagen published in 1854....translated by D. L. Ashliman) story found at www.pitt.edu
DIRECTIONS In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
Applesauce Pancakes
INGREDIENTS 2 cups dry pancake mix 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 eggs 1 cup applesauce 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/2 cup milk
DIRECTIONS In a large bowl, stir together pancake mix and cinnamon. Make a well in the center of the pancake mix. Add the eggs, applesauce, lemon juice and milk; stir until smooth. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot
One hot summer's day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. "Just the thing to quench my thirst," quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: "I am sure they are sour."
Moral: It is easy to despise what you cannot get.
Picture from The Baby's Own Aesop (verse fables by W.J. Linton), 1887. Illustrations by Walter Crane
Grape Salad
Ingredients 2 lbs green seedless grapes 2 lbs red seedless grapes 8 ounces sour cream 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to taste
Topping Ingredients 1 cup brown sugar, packed, to taste 1 cup crushed pecans, to taste
Directions 1) Wash and stem grapes. 2) Set aside. 3) Mix sour cream, cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla by hand until blended. 4) Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving bowl. 5) For topping: Combine brown sugar, and crushed pecans. 6) Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely. 7) Chill overnight.
Emperor Hung-Vuong had many sons. Some pursued literary careers. Others excelled in martial arts. The youngest prince named Tiet-Lieu, however, loved neither. Instead, he and his wife and their children chose the countryside where they farmed the land.
One day, toward the end of the year, the emperor met with all his sons. He told them whoever brought him the most special and unusual food would be made the new emperor. Almost immediately, the princes left for their homes and started looking for the most delicious food to offer the emperor. Some went hunting in the forests and brought home birds and animals which they prepared into the most palatable dishes. Some others sailed out to the open sea, trying to catch fish, lobsters and other much loved sea food. Neither the rough sea nor the violent weather could stop them from looking for the best gifts to please the emperor.
In his search, Tiet-Lieu went back to the countryside. He saw that the rice in his paddy fields was ripe and ready to be harvested, Walking by a glutinous rice field, he picked some golden grains on a long stalk. He brought them close to his nose and he could smell a delicate aroma.
His entire family then set out to harvest the rice, Tiet-Lieu himself ground the glutinous rice grains into fine flour. His wife mixed it with water into a soft paste. His children helped by building a fire and wrapping the cakes with leaves. In no time, they finished, and in front of them lay two kinds of cakes: one was round and the other was square in shape.
The round cake was made with glutinous rice dough and was called "banh day" by Tiet-Lieu. He named the square shaped cake "banh chung" which he made with rice, green beans wrapped in leaves. Everybody was extremely happy with the new kind of cakes.
On the first day of Spring, the princes took the gifts of their labor and love to the emperor. One carried a delicious dish of steamed fish and mushrooms. Another brought with him a roasted peacock and some lobsters. All the food was beautifully cooked.
When it was Tiet-Lieu's turn to present his gifts, he carried the "banh chung" and his wife carried the "banh day" to the emperor. Seeing Tiet-Lieu's simple offerings, other princes sneered at them. But after tasting all the food brought to court by his sons, the emperor decided that the first prize should be awarded to Tiet-Lieu.
The emperor then said that his youngest son's gifts were not only the purest, but also the most meaningful because Tiet-Lieu had used nothing except rice which was the basic foodstuff of the people to make them. The emperor gave up the throne and make Tiet-Lieu the new emperor. All the other princes bowed to show respect and congratulated the new emperor.
Rice cake (or Banh Chung) and Banh Day are two types of delicacies which are very popular with the Vietnamese people. Banh Day is served regularly at festivals and ceremonies. It is a rounded, convex cake of glutinous or nep rice, which resembles white dough, soft and sticky. Its cupola-shaped top is said to resemble the shape of the heavenly vault. Banh Chung is served particularly at Vietnamese New Year's festival, which occurs during the first three days of the first month of the lunar calendar. It is a square cake, wrapped in banana leaves and tied with lacings of flexible bamboo slivers. It is a very rich food for the interior contains a filling of bean paste to which may be added small bits of pork meat, both fat and lean. This filling, which is amply seasoned, is pressed between layers of glutinous rice. Its square shape is considered a symbol of the thankfulness of the Vietnamese people for the great abundance of the Earth, which has supplied them with nutritious food throughout the four seasons of the year.
I've provided 2 Bahn Chung Recipes and one really wonderful Youtube vid.
Both recipes take HOURS to prepare. If using this recipe with children it would probably be best to make one recipe ahead of time to show the children the finished product.
The vid shows a woman preparing the leaves and making the rice cakes.
Very interesting vid, showing the use of leaves to make a box for the rice cake.
Banh Chung (Vietnamese New Year's cake)
Preparation time: 45 to 55 minutes (plus overnight soaking) Cooking time: 4 3/4 hours (plus 1 hour to cool)
Ingredients 2 cups sticky rice 1/4 cup dried mung beans, hulled 6 ounces boneless pork shoulder or roast, cut into 1/4-inch slices 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup water Plastic wrap Aluminum foil String
How to make vietnamese New Year's cake (banh chung) Place rice in one bowl and mung beans in another. Cover each with water and soak overnight. (*) In a large bowl, combine pork, onions, fish sauce, and pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes. While pork mixture is marinating, drain rice and beans thoroughly. Add salt to rice and stir well.
In a skillet or wok, heat oil over medium heat. Add pork mixture and stir-fry until meat is cooked through but still tender, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine mung beans and about 1 cup water. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, or until soft. Remove from heat, drain, and mash beans with a potato masher or fork.
On a countertop, spread out a piece of plastic wrap about 17 inches square. On top of this, place a sheet of aluminum foil of the same size. Place almost half of the sticky rice in the middle of the foil and shape rice into a square layer. Top rice with a layer of beans, using half of them. Place pork slices on top of beans. Add remaining beans and top off with most of the remaining rice.
Wrap cake by bringing together two edges of foil and plastic wrap. Fold edges over twice and flatten against the side of the packet . Tuck remaining rice into the two open ends of the packet, covering up beans and meat. Fold the open ends as if you were wrapping a gift.
Place packet, folded side down, on another large sheet of plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Tie securely with a long piece of heavy string or twine, lengthwise and crosswise. The packet should be square or rectangular.
Place packet in a large stockpot full of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 4 hours, adding water if necessary. Remove from heat and cool for 1 hour.
To serve, slice wrapped packet into 4 slices. Unwrap, arrange on a plate, and serve. Serves 4
(*) When traditional banh chung is prepared in Vietnam, the rice absorbs a slight green color from the banana leaves in which the cakes are wrapped. If youlike a little color in your dish, simply add a drop of green food coloring to the rice and water before leaving to soak. recipe found at ethnicrecipes.us
Banh Chung (Vietnamese Rice Cake) Recipe #110166 | 7 hours | 1 hour prep | Vietnamese Lunar New Year(Tet) will never be complete without this cake. It's very heavy, very filling. It takes a LONG time to cook. You read right that it takes 6 hours. And overnight soaking of rice and beans! SERVES 8 (change servings and units)
Ingredients 200 g glutinous rice, soaked overnight 100-150 g mung beans, soaked overnight 100 g pork, cut into chunks,seasoned with salt and pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions 1) You will also need: Strings and 6 phrynium leaves or aluminum foil can be used as substitute. 2) Steam or boil mung bean with half a tsp of salt until soft, may take up to 45 minutes depending on how large your steamer is. 3) Smash bean thoroughly. 4) Place 2 leaves in one direction, slightly overlapping, then 2 perpendicular, also overlapping, and the last layer like the first. 5) If use aluminum foil, place them crossing each other. 6) Place half of the rice on the leaves, topped with half of the mung beans. 7) Lay the pork on top of the beans, and then add the last of the beans followed by last of the rice. 8) Fold the leaves/foils over the cake very tightly into a square, use string to secure the cake. 9) Place in a large pot, cover with water and boil for about 6 hours. 10) Add water every hour if necessary. 11) After 6 hours or so, remove the cake, submerge it into cold water for a few minutes. 12) The cake lasts up to 10 days on a cool dry place. 13) The easiest way to cut up the cake is to open it and use the string to cut it up into 8 portions. 14) Best served with pickled onions.
written by Tom Glazer sung to the tune of "On Top of Old Smokey"
On top of spaghetti (on top of spaghetti) All covered with cheese (all covered with cheese) I lost my poor meatball (I lost my poor meatball) When somebody sneezed (when somebody sneezed)
It rolled off the table (it rolled off the table) And onto the floor (and onto the floor) And then my poor meatball (and then my poor meatball) Rolled out of the door (rolled out of the door)
It rolled in the garden (it rolled in the garden) And under a bush (and under a bush) And then my poor meatball (and then my poor meatball) Was nothing but mush (was nothing but mush)
Oh, the mush was as tasty (oh, the mush was as tasty) As tasty could be (as tasty could be) And early next summer (and early next summer) It grew into a tree (it grew into a tree)
The tree was all covered (the tree was all covered) With beautiful moss (with beautiful moss) It grew lovely meatballs (it grew lovely meatballs) And tomato sauce (and tomato sauce)
So if you eat spaghetti (so if you eat spaghetti) All covered with cheese (all covered with cheese) Hold on to your meatball (hold on to your meatball) And don't ever sneeze (and don't ever sneeze)
The history of On Top Of Spaghetti???? Tom Glazer who died at the age of 88 on February 21, 2003 is remembered as a true American Folk Song Singer and composer. One of the songs he popularized was the kid's song "On top of Spaghetti". He recorded this song along with other songs for kids on an album in 1963. Many Internet sites also credit him with writing this song.
Tom Glazer may have added verses to On Top Of Spaghetti, however it is very likely a group of kids attending a summer arts and craft camp in 1957 actually made up the original verses, 6 years before Tom Glazer recorded It. to read the rest of this article go to OnTopofSpaghetti.org
Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (you may also used ground turkey) 1 1/4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs 2 cloves garlic, minced coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (optional) 1 egg, beaten
1 (28 ounce) jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce 1 (16 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (14.25 ounce) can tomato puree
1 pkg of Spaghetti
DIRECTIONS In a bowl, mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, garlic, onion, and egg. Using wet hands, form mixture into meatballs.
In a slow cooker, mix the spaghetti sauce, crushed tomatoes, and tomato puree. Place the meatballs into the sauce mixture. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but firm to the bite. Drain and move onto serving platter. Spoon the sauce and meatballs over the pasta.
(this is a combination of more than one recipe...one of the original recipes can be found at allrecipes.com)
Brer Rabbit Nibbles the Butter African-American Tale
There was a time when all the animals just kept on getting more and more familiar with one another, until by and by it wasn't long before Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox and Brer Possum got to sort of bunching their provisions together in the same shanty.
After a while the roof sort of began to leak, and one day Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox and Brer Possum assembled to see if they couldn't kind of patch it up.
They had a big day's work in front of them, and they fetched their dinner with them. They lumped the vittles up in one pile, and the butter that Brer Fox brought, they went and put it in the spring-house to keep it cool, and then they went to work.
It wasn't long before Brer Rabbit's stomach began to sort of growl and pester him. Brer Fox's butter sat heavy on his mind, and his mouth watered every time he remembered it.
Presently he said to himself that he would like to have a nip at the butter. So commenced to figurin' out a plan.
First thing you know, while they were working along, Brer Rabbit raised his head quickly and flung his ears forward, and hollered out, "Here I am! What do you want with me?" and off he went, like something was after him.
After he made sure that nobody was following him, he bounced into the spring-house, and there he stayed until he got a helping of butter. Then he sauntered on back and went to work.
"Where have you been?" said Brer Fox.
"I heard my children calling me," said Brer Rabbit, "and I had to go see what they wanted. My old woman has gone and taken sick," he said.
They worked on until by and by the butter tasted so good that old Brer Rabbit wanted some more. Then he raised up his head, he did, and hollered out, "Alright! Hold on! I'm a-coming!" And off he went.
This time he stayed a good while, and when he got back, Brer Fox asked him where he'd been.
"I've been to see my old woman, and she's sinkin' ," he said.
Directly Brer Rabbit heard them calling him again, and off he went, and this time, he got the butter out so clean that he could see himself in the bottom of the bucket. He scraped it clean and licked it dry, and then he went back to work.
"How's your old woman this time?" said Brer Fox.
"I'm obliged to you, Brer Fox," said Brer Rabbit, "but I'm afraid that she's real bad off now," and that sort of made Brer Fox and Brer Possum feel bad for Brer Rabbit.
By and by, when dinnertime came, they all got out their vittles, but Brer Rabbit kept on looking lonesome, and Brer Fox and Brer Possum, they sort of rustled around to see if they couldn't make Brer Rabbit feel better.
Brer Fox and Brer Possum rustled around, they did, getting out the vittles, and by and by Brer Fox, he said, "Brer Possum, you run down to the spring and fetch the butter, and I'll set the table," he said.
Brer Possum, he loped off after the butter, and directly he came loping back with his ears a-trembling and his tongue a-hanging out.
"Brer Fox!" he hollered out.
"What's the matter now, Brer Possum?" he said.
"You all had better run, folks" said Brer Possum. "The last drop of that butter is gone."
"Where did it go?" said Brer Fox.
"It looks like it dried up," said Brer Possum.
Then Brer Rabbit, he looked sort of solemn, he did, and he up and said, "I suspect that the butter melted in somebody's mouth," he said.
Then they went down to the spring with Brer Possum, and sure enough, the butter was gone. While they were talking about the mystery, Brer rabbit said that he could see tracks all around there, and he pointed out that if they would all go to sleep, he could catch the chap that stole the butter.
They all lay down, and Brer Fox and Brer Possum, they soon dropped off to sleep, but Brer Rabbit, he stayed awake, and when the time came, he got up real quiet like, and smeared Brer Possum's mouth with the butter on his paws.
Then he ran off and nibbled up the best of the dinner that they had left lying out, and then he came back and woke up Brer Fox and showed him the butter on Brer Possum's mouth.
They woke up Brer Possum and told him about it, but of course Brer Possum denied it to the last.
Now Brer Fox, he's kind of a lawyer, and he argued this way: that Brer Possum was the first one at the butter, and the first one to miss it, and more than that, there were the signs on his mouth.
Brer Possum could see that they had him jammed up in a corner, and then he up and said that the way to catch the man that stole the butter was to build a big brush heap and set it on fire, and everyone would try to jump over it, and the one that fell in, that would be the chap that stole the butter.
Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox, they both agreed, they did, and they whirled in and built the brush heap, and they built it high, and they built it wide, and then they touched it off.
When it got to blazing up good, Brer Rabbit he took the first turn. He sort of stepped back, and looked around and giggled, and over he went, just like a bird flying.
Then came Brer Fox. He got back a little further, and spit on his hands, and lit out and made the jump, and he came so close to falling in that his tail caught fire.
(Next time you see a fox, you look right close and see if the end of his tail isn't white. To this day all foxes bear the same mark.)
Well, next came Old Brer Possum. He took a running start, he did, and he came lumbering along, and he lit -- kerblam! -- right in the middle of the fire.
Now ya know that til that day Possums used ta have nice bushy tails but that fire burned the hair right off old Brer Posssum's tail. And from that day to this, possums have hairless tails.
based on story by Joel Chandler Harris in Uncle Remus; His Songs and His Sayings...first published in 1880....retold by LLL,Storysinger
Betty Botter bought some butter, But, she said, the butter's bitter; If I put it in my batter It will make my batter bitter, But a bit of better butter Will make my batter better. So she bought a bit of butter Better than her bitter butter, And she put it in her batter And the batter was not bitter. So 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.
Come, butter, come, Come, butter, come; Peter stands at the gate Waiting for a butter cake. Come, butter, come.
Recipe to make Easy Homemade Butter
You will need whipping cream and a glass jar with a lid.
Place the cream in the jar. Cover with the lid.
Now, Shake, shake shake and shake!
Keep shaking till the cream turns into butter. You may want to have friends help you shake, cause this may take a while!
You can also use a food processer to make butter. It's basically the same process. Just put the cream in the processer and turn it on.
Yield: About half as much butter as the amount of cream you started with.
Butter Cookies Ingredients: 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted or stirred before measuring dash salt 1 teaspoon baking powder
Preparation: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture; mixing until well blended. Shape dough into small balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake butter cookies at 300° for 20 minutes, or until just lightly browned. Makes 5 to 6 dozen butter cookies.
Once upon a time when pigs spoke rhyme And monkeys chewed tobacco, And hens took snuff to make them tough, And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O!
All the birds of the air came to the Magpie and asked her to teach them how to build nests. For the magpie is the cleverest bird of all at building nests. So she put all the birds round her and began to show them how to do it.
First of all she took some mud and made a sort of round cake with it.
"Oh, that's how it's done," said the Thrush; and away it flew, and so that's how thrushes build their nests.
Then the magpie took some twigs and arranged them round in the mud.
"Now I know all about it," says the Blackbird, and off he flew; and that's how the blackbirds make their nests to this very day.
Then the magpie put another layer of mud over the twigs.
"Oh that's quite obvious," said the wise Owl, and away it flew; and owls have never made better nests since.
After this the magpie took some twigs and twined them round the outside.
"The very thing!" said the Sparrow, and off be went; so sparrows make rather slovenly nests to this day.
Well, then Madge Magpie took some feathers and stuff and lined the nest very comfortably with it.
"That suits me," cried the Starling, and off it flew; and very comfortable nests have starlings.
So it went on, every bird taking away some knowledge of how to build nests, but, none of them waiting to the end.
Meanwhile Madge Magpie went on working and working without, looking up till the only bird that remained was the Turtle-dove, and that hadn't paid any attention all along, but only kept on saying its silly cry "Take two, Taffy, take two-o-o-o."
At last the magpie heard this just as she was putting a twig across.
So she said: "One's enough."
But the turtle-dove kept on saying: "Take two, Taffy, take two-o-o-o."
Then the magpie got angry and said: "One's enough I tell you."
Still the turtle-dove cried: "Take two, Taffy, take two-o-o-o."
At last, the magpie looked up and saw nobody near her but the silly turtle-dove, and then she got rare angry and flew away and refused to tell the birds how to build nests again.
And that is why different birds build their nests differently.
[from English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs written in 1890]
A Christmas tale from Italian Folklore retold by La
La Befana was an old woman who lived in a small village in Italy. She was known throughout the village for her wonderful baking and the cleanliness of her kitchen. She was often seen sweeping the area in front of her home. And many had heard her say that she was so busy baking and cleaning that she rarely had time to do anything else.
One winter day, while La Befana was sweeping in front of her home, three travelers stopped to ask her for a drink of water. They told La Befana that they were astrologers (they were often called the three wise men) who were following a star to the birth place of the Christ child. She kindly gave them water and then invited them to dinner.
After dinner the astrologers prepared to continue their journey and asked her if she would like to come with them to see the Christ child. La Befana shook her head saying that she could not possibly take the time needed for such a journey. She was secretly itching to get back to her cleaning and cooking. She stood at her door and watched them leave.
La Befana went back to her sweeping. But hours later she began to feel that she had made a mistake. Maybe she should have gone with the 3 astrologers to see the Christ child. La Befana decided to follow them.
She quickly grabbed a basket and filled it with baked goods of all kinds. She then put on her shawl and with her basket and broom hurried off into the night practically running to catch up with the wise men.
La Befana traveled through the night but never caught up with the wise men. It is said that she ran and ran until she and her broom were lifted up into the air!
Ever since that night, La Befana is believed to fly through the night or run over the roofs in Italy on Epiphany eve. She stops at the home of every child, leaving them treats in their stockings if they are good and a lump of coal if they are bad.
She hopes that one of the children she visits will be the christ child.
The name Befana is said to be a mispronunciation of the Italian word epifania which stands for epiphany. La Befana still visits the children of Italy on the eve of January 6, Epiphany. She fills their stockings with candy or a lump of coal. It is also believed that she sweeps the floor before she leaves. Many households leave her a small glass of wine and a small plate of goodies.
Biscotti - twice-baked (biscottare means to bake twice) biscuits Biscotti are a traditional italian sweet that La Befana might have baked.
The following is a very simple biscotti recipe that "cheats" just a little.
Ingredients: 1 box dry cake mix (your choice of flavor) 1 cup all purpose flour 2 large eggs 1 stick melted butter 2 teaspoons vanilla (or your preferred flavor)
Optional: ¾ cup chopped nuts, dried fruit or chocolate pieces
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Pour your cake mix and flour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the eggs, butter and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in nuts or chocolate if desired.
This dough will be very stiff but will not stick to the bowl when properly mixed. The consistency will be like children’s play dough.
Divide dough into two halves. Roll each half into a log, and place on a lined 11” x 15” x 1” baking pan. Gently press the top of the cookie log into a rectangle, about 3 inches wide. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove cookie pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
Do not turn the oven off.
Remove cookies from baking pan and cut into 1 inch piece logs. You will be cutting this on the width.
Place cookies on their cut side on the lined baking pan. Place pan back into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove cookies to cooling rack to cool completely. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.
Biscotti are delicious dipped in hot chocolate or coffee. Bon Appetit!!
Pssssssst!! Here are a few biscotti variations:
yellow cake mix - chopped red and green dried cherries - almond extract.
butter pecan cake mix - sliced pecans - maple extract.
Mr. and Mrs. House Sparrow hopped round the garden looking for crumbs.
But alas! Nobody threw any crumbs for the sparrows that day:
At last Mr. Sparrow said:
"All the people must be away on holiday."
"Then why don't we go away on holiday?" chirped Mrs. Sparrow.
Mr. Sparrow cocked his head on one side.
"Yes, we will have a holiday. We will go into the country to visit our cousins, the Hedge Sparrows."
"Hurrah!" chirped all the little sparrows.
They flew over the houses and the chimneys, and soon they came to the fields, which were full of golden corn. There were lots of brown sparrows pecking the grain.
"These are our country cousins," said Mr. Sparrow.
"How do you do!" chirped the Hedge Sparrows. "We are very pleased to see you."
They all had such a happy time in the fields. There was plenty to eat, because the corn was ripe. Indeed, the little sparrows ate so much that they felt fast asleep among the corn.
Too soon it was time to go home. So they said "Goodbye" to their country cousins, and away they flew, over the fields and hedges, back to the houses and chimneys. But they did not forget the kindness of their country cousins. When winter came Mrs Sparrow said:
"We will invite our country cousins to spend Christmas with us. There will not be much to eat in their part of the world now."
So the Hedge Sparrows came to spend Christmas among the houses and chimneys.
And they all had a jolly time. There was plenty to eat, because in winter everyone puts out crumbs and titbits for the birds.
So in winter, when you throw out crumbs for the birds, do not forget to throw a little extra for the country cousins too.
Super Simple "Crumb" Cake
Ingredients: 1 yellow cake mix 4 large eggs 1 cup sour cream 1 cup water 5 Tbsp. butter, softened to room temperature . For the Crumb Topping: 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 cup very soft butter (soften for 2 hours at room temperature)
Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.
Combine cake mix, eggs, sour cream, water and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the crumb topping: Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture becomes crumbly.
Sprinkle crumb topping over half-baked cake. Return to oven to bake another 20-23 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman who were very poor and had nothing at all to their name. And they kept getting poorer and poorer till there was nothing left to eat in the house, not even bread, Said the old man:
"Do bake us a bun, old woman! If you scrape out the flour-box and sweep out the bin, you'll have enough flour."
So the old woman scraped out the flour-box and swept out the bin, she made some dough and she shaped a little round bun out of it. She then lit the oven, baked the bun and put it on the window sill to cool. But the bun jumped out of the window and onto the bench outside, and from the bench onto the ground, and away it rolled along the road!
On and on' it rolled, and it met a Rabbit coming toward it.
"I'm going to eat you up, Little Round Bun!" called the Rabbit.
"Don't do that, Fleet-Feet, let me sing you a song instead," said Little Round Bun.
"All right, let's hear it!" "Here it is!
"I was scraped from the flour-box And swept from the bin And baked in the oven And cooled on the sill. I ran away from Grandpa, I ran away from Grandma, And I'll run away from you, this minute I will!"
And off it rolled and away. By and by it met a Wolf coming toward it.
"I'm going to eat you up, Little Round Bun!" called the Wolf.
"Don't do that, Brother Wolf, let me sing you a song instead."
"All right, let's hear it!"
"I was scraped from the flour-box And swept from the bin And baked in the oven And cooled on the sill. I ran away from Grandpa, I ran away from Grandma, And I'll run away from you, this minute I will!"
And away it rolled.
By and by it met a Bear coming toward it.
"I'm going to eat you up, Little Round Bun!" called the Bear.
"Don't do that, Brother Bear, I'll sing you a song instead!" "All right, let's hear it!"
"I was scraped from the flour-box And swept from the bin And baked in the oven And cooled on the sill. I ran away from Grandpa, I ran away from Grandma, And I'll run away from you, this minute I will!"
And away it rolled and away!
By and by it met a Fox coming toward it.
"I'm going to eat you up, Little Round Bun!" called the Fox.
"Don't do that, Sister fox, I'll sing you a song instead."
"All right, let's hear it!"
"I was scraped from the flour-box And swept from the bin And baked in the oven And cooled on the sill. I ran away from Grandpa, I ran away from Grandma, And I'll run away from you, this minute I will!"
"Sing some more, please, don't stop!" the Fox said. "Hop onto my tongue, I can hear you better."
Little Round Bun jumped onto the Fox's tongue and began to sing:
"I was scraped from the flour-box And swept from the bin-"
But before it could go on, the Fox opened her mouth and - snap! -she gobbled it up.
Simple Tea Cakes/Buns
INGREDIENTS 4 eggs 1 cup butter flavored shortening 2 cups white sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 6 cups all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS Cream together eggs, butter, sugar and baking powder. Stir in the flour. Dough will be stiff.
Shape in walnut sized balls and flatten with the bottom of a lightly floured glass. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8 minutes. If you brown them, you've overbaked them. (This recipe can also be rolled out and cut with cookie cutters.)
DIRECTIONS In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.
