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December 25, 2010

The “Christmas Star”

Filed under: Natures' Heritage Greetings — admin @ 2:21 am

 

The “Christmas Star”

A frequent Reference question at this time of year in libraries is the origin of the “Christmas Star”, sometimes called the “Star of Bethlehem.”  This year you might think you are experiencing a little bit of what the “Christmas Star” phenomena might have been like as the planet Jupiter is very bright in the evening sky, the planet being the closest its’ been to Earth since 1963.  It is brilliant in the sky and rivals Venus in the morning for its brightness. 

Librarians can get a little stumped trying to answer the “Christmas Star” questions and oftentimes go on an extended field trip to try and get an explanation. The questions usually go something like this—“Did it exist and was it really a star?” “What was happening in the sky at this time?”  Adding to the mystique is the story of the three Wise Men following the star for weeks and that as astrologers they knew the heavens intimately.  So, what were they following?

Modern day Astronomers have been conflicted about the “Christmas Star” story for decades presenting the three most likely scenarios to be that it was 1) a supernova, 2) a comet, or 3) a conjunction or alignment of planets, often forming the shape of a triangle in the sky.  

The only problem is, even with the help of sophisticated sky software, present day Astronomers cannot place any of these astronomical events in the heavens at this time of year 2000 years ago.   There were no comets, supernovas, conjunctions or extraordinary celestial events recorded, even by Chinese astronomers or Mayan records, etc.  So, is the “Christmas Star” fact or fiction?  Another possible explanation presented sometimes involves moving the date for Christmas to another season or that the date was changed to December to coincide closer with the Winter Solstice, occuring around December 21st of each year.

If the date for Christmas is moved to March, in the springtime, and around 6 years B.C., Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were close to each other in the sky, forming a conjunction in the shape of a triangle in the Constellation of Pisces, of which, according to Jewish records, the Wise Men would have known recurred from time to time.  Could this be an actual explanation of the phenomenon seen in the sky and that Christmas was really a springtime event, not a winter one?  It is unlikely we will ever really know for sure what happened or when, but the story of the “Christmas Star” remains alive and well repeated throughout the generations.  In some cultures the first star seen on Christmas Eve each year becomes” the “Christmas Star”. 

While the librarians and we are left to conjecture and debate about the actual origin and existence of the “Christmas Star”, we do have the very real knowledge I believe, that stars and planets, no matter when or where their origin, carry special meaning for us down here on planet Earth. 

As an additional present to ourselves this season, I think we should all take a moment or two among all the festivities to look up and enjoy the heavenly sights for a moment wherever we are, check out Jupiter and “make a wish upon a star” for the New Year.   

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Sherry

December 19, 2010

Cranberry Salsa (Ole!)

Filed under: The Chef's Hat — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 5:36 pm

 

 

One of my favorite food items during the holidays is Cranberry Salsa, with just a hint of  Watkins Vanilla in it.  The salsa is a delightful mix of sweet and tangy for your taste buds and will definitely liven up any food or side dishes, including stuffing, tacos, turkey, gamebirds, etc.  Great by itself on chips as well.  Here is the basic, original recipe I make every year.  Feel free to vary the ingredients according to your taste and tolerance for “heat”.  Enjoy!

 Cranberry Salsa (Ole!) 

2 cups fresh cranberries (frozen cranberries can be substituted)

½ to 1 Serrano or Jalapeno chili, chopped (adding more than ½ of a chili will add to the “heat” of the salsa, so you might want to experiment)

4 Tablespoons Sugar

1/8 Teaspoon Watkins Vanilla

2 Tablespoons of fresh cilantro, chopped

Pinch of salt

1/8 Teaspoon lemon or lime juice 

Mash up the cranberries a bit or use the blender to create a pulpy mix of cranberries.  Do not overblend.  Combine the shredded, pulpy cranberries with the chili, sugar, and Watkins vanilla in a bowl and let sit for about 20 minutes, after which add the cilantro, salt, lemon or lime juice to the cranberry mix.  Mix together well.  That’s all there is to it.

Sherry

Home Based Business Opportunity at www.watkinsonline.com/martinez1

“Where the past and present meet to fill your needs”

December 15, 2010

More on Winter–Our Cars

Filed under: Natures' Heritage Car Talk — admin @ 4:03 am

As important members of the family so to speak, our cars deserve their due in care and maintenance, especially in regards to oil changes for today’s high performance cars.  Regular, consistent oil changes can go a long way to preserving the life of your car(s)and your overall happiness.   

Even way back in Egyptian and Roman times, the significance of oil was known for reducing friction on machine parts.  Moving to today’s machines and cars, this logic still holds true, as engines should never run “dry” and run as “frictionless” as possible.  In the case of the Romans and Egyptian they used olive oil, whereas today, both petroleum and synthetic blends of oil are available to us.  There are eleven grades of oil and it is important to know which one to use in your car(s) throughout the seasons.  Also, the recommended interval to change the car’s oil, sometimes based on mileage and sometimes what circumstances the car has been subjected to (as in a long cross-country trip, extreme heat or cold, adverse road conditions, etc).

Regular replacement of the oil filter is just as important as it keeps contaminants away from the engine, which means longer engine life in most cases.  Always follow the manufacturers’ recommendations for the weight and frequency of oil changes, especially if you own a Mercedes, BMW or Volkswagen. 

When you see a label saying 5W-10W, or 10W-30W, on the bottle, that is a “winter” grade of oil, made thinner especially for the winter season, usually for the northern climes by the manufacturer.  As cold affects the ability of oil to flow, a thinner grade is usually better as it gets the oil to the engine faster.   I can attest to this in my past.  Several nights were spent sleeping intermittently getting up and starting cars every few hours to keep the oil in them warmed up so the engine would turnover and start, allowing us to go to work in the morning.  Things have improved now in this area with the arrival of some synthetic blends, courtesy of widespread use by the aviation industry primarily in the 1970s, whose performance is usually better in extreme hot or cold.

And if you’re wondering what SAE stands for on the bottle it means “Society of Automotive Engineers”, a well respected organization several decades old, which sets standards for viscosity and other properties in the oil. 

So, keep those oil change appointments—your car will thank you for it! 

Sherry

Home Based Business Opportunity at  www.watkinsonline.com/martinez1

December 13, 2010

Remembering Minnesota Winters–

Filed under: Natures' Heritage Greetings — Tags: , , — admin @ 8:48 pm

Reading about the Upper Midwest snowstorm which toppled the Metrodome over the weekend and trapped over 70 people in northwest Indiana earlier today, I decided to write a little on winter safety from an Upper Midwest perspective.   

I was always taught four things for winter travel survival scenarios in Minnesota and I think they may bear repeating as we move into the Winter season—they are 1) always carry 1-2 blankets in the cars, 2) always carry granola bars, cookies or candy bars and water in a small container-enough for 2 days or enough for a family of 4, 3) always carry a bag of 5 lb.  bag of kitty litter (vendor of your choice) to use for traction on ice  along with a small shovel, and 4)  if stranded, as in the folks in Indiana, stay with your vehicle—highway crews will find you as soon as possible.  Do not try and leave your car, especially in a whiteout situation.  Speaking from experience, I used each of these recommendations on more than one occasion when I lived there and know them to be beneficial.   

Be sure and check out that kitty litter…:)  And if you want to pass any other tips along please feel free to do so.

Sherry

Independent Watkins Associate 390282

Home Business Opportunity at www.watkinsonline.com/martinez1

December 12, 2010

Some of Natures’ Heritage Favorite Food and Cooking Sites

Filed under: Natures' Heritage Suggested Food and Cooking Sites — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 6:49 pm

 

From time to time we get asked what some of our favorite sites for cooking, baking and foodies are.  

Growing up in Minnesota with General Mills headquartered in Minneapolis, Betty Crocker, the Pillsbury Dough Boy and the Jolly Green Giant provided many ideas and recipes that became standard fare in our homes.  So I’ve started the list off with these three old favorite standby sites, with eight more newer ones to get you started–for added enjoyment use Watkins spices and extracts when the recipes call for these ingredients!

Betty Crocker–      http://www.bettycrocker.com/

Pillsbury–                http://www.pillsbury.com/

Green Giant–          http://www.greengiant.com/

The Reluctant Gourmet– http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/ 

Foodgeeks.com–  http://www.foodgeeks.com/

Good Cooking–      http://www.goodcooking.com/

Rachel Ray–            http://www.rachaelray.com/

Paula Deen–            http://www.pauladeen.com/

The Food Channel–http://foodchannel.com/

Emeril.com–             http://emeril.com/

Martha Stewart–     http://www.marthastewart.com/

Happy exploring!  And if you have a favorite site you’d like to have Natures’ Heritage check out, please send it along–

Sherry

Home Business Opportunity at www.watkinsonline.com/martinez1

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December 6, 2010

Some Easy Holiday Favorites to Share

Filed under: The Chef's Hat — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 1:07 am

 

Tasty Cranberry Relish—a great condiment for your holiday dishes–

3 Cups fresh cranberries, chopped

2 Tomatoes, chopped

3 Tablespoons green chilies

1 Teaspoon Watkins ground Cumin

1 Teaspoon ground coriander

1 Cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all of the above ingredients and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Enjoy!

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Fruity Sweet Potatoes

2 Cans packed sweet potatoes

Watkins gourmet Cinnamon

1 16 oz. can crushed pineapple with juice

Mash potoates in dish and mix in crushed pineapple.  Add Watkins cinnamon to taste.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or completely baked through.  Apples can be subsituted for the sweet potatoes if desired.

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Crab Stuffed Avocados –appetizer or fun idea for salads 

2 Cups fresh crabmeat, drained and flaked

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1/4 Cup  vegetable oil

1/2 Cup sliced green onions

2 Tablespoons wine vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Salt

3 small avocados—remove the avocados from their skins 

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Lettuce leaves

Combine crabmeat, oranges, oil, geen onions, vinegr and garlic salt mixing well.  Cut avocados in half lengthwise, removing the pit and brush the halves with lemon juice.  Fill with the crabmeat mixture and place the avocado halves on lettuce leaves.  Serves 4-6.

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Crawfish Ettouffee

1 pound crawfish tails

1 medium onion, chopped

a stalk celery, chopped

1 medium bell pepper

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 Cup parsley, chopped

1/2 stick butter or margarine

1 Can celery soup

Saute onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic in butter or margarine until cooked.  Add crawfish tails and season with salt, red pepper, garlic salt or Watkins powdered garlic salt, and Watkins ground pepper to taste.  Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup water and stir in the celery soup.  Close to the crawfish tails being complete, add in the fresh green onions and cloves.  Add 2 tablespoon of bread crumbs to thicken and serve over cooked rice of your choice.

President Ulysses S. Grant, Congress and the Christmas National Holiday

Filed under: Natures' Heritage Greetings — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 12:29 am

 

Congress and US President Ulysses S. Grant designated December 25th of each year as a National Holiday in 1870, five years after the Civil War ended.  .J.R. Watkins had been selling his first product “Original Red Liniment” for two years in the Minnesota countryside.

 Popular aspects of theNational Holiday include decorations, emphasis on family togetherness, and gift giving.  The following excerpt gives a glimpse into family life in the 1870s–

From Miss Nettie Spencer, who grew up in rural Oregon in the 1870s, recalling those times to a federal writer in 1938.

 “All of our shoes were made by a man who came around every so often and took our foot measurements with broomstraws, which he broke off and tagged for the foot length of each member of the family. The width didn’t make any difference and you could wear either shoe on either foot; for a long time, too, for the shoes wore well. Mother carded her own wool and washed it with soap she made herself. She even made her own lye from wood ashes, and when she got the cloth finished she made her own dye. Black was made from burnt logs and brown from the bulls of black walnuts. I think she got her green from copper, and peach leaves made the yellow. The red dye was made from leaves she bought. The dresses were very full and lasted entirely too long. . . . One of the things I remember most as a little girl were the bundle peddlers who came around. They had bundles made up and you bought them as they were for a set price. I remember that some sold for as high as $150. In these bundles more all sorts of wonderful things that you didn’t get in the country very often; fancy shawls and printed goods; silks and such other luxuries. It was a great day when the family bought a bundle.

Our food was pretty plain most of the time and we didn’t have any salads like they do now. The menu for a fine dinner would be: Chicken stew with dumplings, mashed potatoes, peach preserves, biscuits, and hominy. We raised carrots for the stock but we never thought of eating them. . . . We didn’t have any jars to put up preserves in, like they do now, but we used earthen crooks instead. The fruit to be preserved was boiled with brown sugar — we never saw white sugar and when we did we used it as candy — and then put in the jars which were covered with cloth that was then coated with beeswax. Another good cover was a hog bladder — they were the best. Sometimes we had molasses pulls and once in a great while we would have some real striped, candy. That was a treat!?

Most of our medicine was homemade too . . .”

We’ve moved on from these times, but J.R. Watkins “Original Red Liniment” is still available along with 349 other quality products!

Sherry

Business Opportunity at http://www.naturesheritage.com/join.html

                                                  http://www.watkinsonline.com/martinez1

 

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The statements made and opinions expressed on this page are those of Sherry Martinez, Independent Watkins Associate #390282 who is the publisher of this document, and are not to be construed as the statements or opinions of Watkins Incorporated. All rights reserved.

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