As we grow up, we hear crazy expressions, often adding them to our way of speech, and probably never think about their origins. Many of those explained here are hundreds of years old. Now you’ll know the rest of the story! In George Washington’s days, there were no cameras. One’s image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many…
Author: Melanie Behrens
When in doubt, make desert! Chocolate peanut butter yum 1-1/2 C Oreo crumbs 4 TBS butter, melted 6 oz. peanut butter chips 1 C heavy whipping cream, divided 6 oz. chocolate chips 12-15 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, quartered Add melted butter to cookie crumbs and mix until combined. Press cookie mixture evenly into bottom and up sides of a greased 9-inch tart pan, with removable bottom, then set aside. Put peanut butter chips into a microwave safe bowl. Add 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream to bowl. Heavy cream should mostly cover peanut butter chips. Microwave mixture until cream…
It’s a family business celebrating 69 years this month. They work while we play and make special occasions delicious, too. Heflin catering actually began in 1947 when Jennings Heflin learned that a restaurant on his delivery route was for sale. He lived in Norwood near Cincinnati and was a truck driver for Chevrolet. He often passed by the Plain City airport and when he learned the restaurant there was for sale, he bought it for his sons, Faunty and Jay, to operate. The young men had both been in the military. While in the Marine Corps, Jay helped serve 3,600…
These recipes are just perfect for the fall season. Fall soup 1 medium-size butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cubed) 3 medium apples (cored and chopped coarsely) 2-1/2 C chicken or vegetable broth 1 medium onion (chopped) 1/2 tsp. rosemary 1/2 tsp. marjoram salt and pepper (to taste) 1-1/4 C yogurt In a large pot, combine squash, apples, broth, onion, rosemary, marjoram, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes. Let cool, then put in blender and pulse until smooth. Add 1 cup of yogurt and pulse…
Many times I have talked about my experiences playing golf, a game I have a love-hate relationship with, and the treatment of women on the course. On Mondays, I play with a group of women and we travel around to central Ohio courses. Recently we were just out for a nice day of golf. This day there were six of us. Over the years that we have played together, there have been lots of funny incidents of varied origins, which gave us much to talk about at lunch following golf. This time it was apparently my turn in the barrel,…
There is still time to fire up the grill. Try this next time. Grilled salmon in foil 2 C uncooked instant rice 1-3/4 C chicken broth 1 C cut carrots 4 salmon fillets 1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning 1/2 tsp. salt 1/3 C chopped fresh chives 1 medium lemon, cut lengthwise in half, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices Preheat grill. Spray four 18×12-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil with cooking spray. Mix rice and broth in medium bowl. Let stand about 5 minutes or until most of broth is absorbed. Stir in carrots. Place salmon fillet on center of…
I’ve been sharing some weird facts with you these last two weeks. You never know when you need this information to score big on a trivia contest. Here are the last three semi-useful facts and maybe the best ones! Weird fact No. 1 – In 1921, a group of white people burned the wealthy black community of Tulsa, Oklahoma, known as “Black Wall Street.” Firebombs were dropped from airplanes and more than 800 were killed. Others were admitted to white hospitals because the black hospitals were burned down (really!). An estimated 10,000 were left homeless. Apparently, just hate for another…
Pumpkin season is almost here. The first recipe is a cute one for our children. Pumpkin treats red & yellow food coloring or orange gel coloring 5-1/2 C mini marshmallows 6 C crispy rice cereal 24 mini tootsie rolls 3 TBS butter In a large saucepan, melt and slightly brown butter on medium heat, add marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows are completely melted. Add food coloring until desired orange color is reached. Remove from heat. Add cereal and stir until completely combined. Let sit for a few minutes, until cool enough to handle. When mixture has cooled enough, spray your hands…
This is the second installment of weird facts. Last week we had Kent cigarettes adding the cancer causing micronite filter in the 1950s to its already cancer causing cigarette, the story of famous Vietnam War sniper Carlos Hathcock and President Andrew Jackson being the last president to balance the U.S. budget in 1835. The stories about these facts might come in handy at a trivia party. Now for our next group to enhance your knowledge! Weird fact No. 1 – Adelir Antonio de Carli (1966–2008), also known in Brazil as Padre Baloeiro, was a Brazilian Catholic priest who died during…
The first recipe is my new favorite very low carb version of pizza. When I first tried it, I thought it might be too eggy tasting but that is not the case. The cheese and egg form a nice crust. Feel free to add any topping you want. It was even OK cold the next day. For just two or three people you can cut the recipe in half. It worked fine. Sure hope you like it! Almost no carb pizza 7 C shredded mozzarella 7 eggs 2 tsp. Italian seasoning (I used McCormick Montreal seasoning) toppings of your choice…
When I came upon these weird facts recently I just knew they were things I had to pass along. I did some research and all appear to be valid. You never know when you’ll be playing a trivia game or will really want to stump someone or show your vast knowledge with this information. Now you’ll have the ammunition. Weird fact No. 1. In 1952, claims that smoking causes cancer moved Kent cigarettes to come out with an asbestos filter to protect smokers. Seriously now, that seems insane! Of course, later we learned that asbestos was very bad for the…
Football season is here, so we need to make these brownies right away! Go Bucks! Buckeye brownies 1 box of brownies of your choosing For peanut butter cream: 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened 1 C creamy peanut butter 2-1/2 C powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1-2 TBS milk or heavy whipping cream pinch of salt GLAZE: 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chopped or chips 1/4 C creamy peanut butter Make brownies following directions on box. After brownies have cooled, prepare peanut butter cream. Beat butter and peanut butter on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at…
Recently I saw an ad for a man’s necktie and thought how attractive it was. Then I realized that men hardly wear neckties anymore, except for special occasions (or like being on TV). Business casual has become the norm for many in the workplace and actually the rest of the world is also quite casual now. That led me to think about other things that have nearly or literally disappeared from our world. Do you remember the eight-track tape and player? It was our first way (along with cassettes) to play music without a record, but you can’t find them…
For those of us with a sweet tooth, here you are! Cinnamon roll dessert 3 C flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1 C sugar 4 tsp. baking powder 1-1/2 C milk 2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 C butter, melted TOPPING: 1 C butter, softened 1 C brown sugar 2 TBS flour 1 TBS cinnamon GLAZE: 2 C powdered sugar 5 TBS milk 1 tsp. vanilla Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. In an electric or stand mixer add flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well,…
Since Wednesday was National Dog Day, I thought I’d write about our furry pets. If you’ve ever had a dog, you’ve known unconditional love, and you’ve had a best friend. They don’t care if you’ve been out too late or if you had garlic for dinner or if you’ve gained 20 pounds. They just love you. As a child, I grew up with a cat in our house. We loved all of them very much and in their own way, they loved us. Then I married a man who was allergic to cats, so I guess that was out for me.…