Since the holidays, we have been on a church theme, so now enjoy these funny announcements and excerpts from various church bulletins! We know at the J-T how important proofreading is. Clearly, it wasn’t done here. I know you are familiar with some of these people. “The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.” “Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.” “The sermon this morning: ‘Jesus Walks on the Water.’ The sermon tonight: ‘Searching for Jesus.’” “Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of…
Author: Melanie Behrens
Now that we’ve eaten too much during the holidays… here’s a reason to eat more. Fruit tart 1 C flour 1/2 C sugar, divided 1/3 C cold butter, cut up 1/2 C plus 2 tbsp. toasted slivered almonds, divided 2 tbsp. ice water 1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 egg 1 C each fresh peach slices and blackberries Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Blend 1/2 cup nuts in blender until finely ground. Add to flour mixture along with water; stir until mixture…
Of course, we all know the New Year begins on January 1. In fact it is nearly the end of 2018. It has been a very special one from this aspect – for the first time in 1000 years, everyone will be 2018. To explain, add your birth year and your age this year and it will add up to 2018 for all persons. I don’t know how this works, but it does. Our celebration of 2019 will begin the night before on December 31, but it wasn’t always that way. In the years before the reign of Julius Caesar…
It’s almost a new year, so celebrate with these tasty party recipes. Crab dip 1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened 1/2 C mayonnaise 3/4 C shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided 1/2 C finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided 2 green onions, sliced, divided 1 6-oz. can lump crabmeat, drained 1/4 C roasted red peppers, chopped 1-1/4 C fresh corn kernels, divided Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cream cheese and mayonnaise in medium bowl until blended. Add 1/2 cup Mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan; mix well. Reserve 2 tbsp. onions for later use. Add remaining onions to dip along with crabmeat, peppers…
In most areas around us we are still allowed to say Merry Christmas. We don’t have to substitute one of those other expressions like Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings. They can seem materialistic or even anti-Christianity, which some have called a War on Christ-mas. More importantly, they omit any mention of the real reason for the season, the birth of Jesus Christ. Merry is based on an old English word, myrige, which meant merely pleasant or agreeable rather than joyous or jolly. It was seen in the first Christmas card dating back to 1843 that said Merry Christmas and the…
We are still baking cookies for Christmas, so try these. Hockey puck cookies 12-1/2 C all purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 3/4 tsp. salt 2 sticks butter 1 C packed light brown sugar 3/4 C sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1-1/2 tsp. corn syrup 2 eggs 2 C dark chocolate chips 1 C walnuts chopped Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat on medium speed, butter, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla and corn syrup together until creamy. Beat eggs into wet mixture, one…
I love kids and many times they can be so entertaining. As you will see here their minds work in interesting ways. In this Christmas season, their first thoughts are about angels. That seems apropo.One young child, age five, said, “I only know the names of two angels, Hark and Harold.”Here are some from nine-year-olds: “Everybody’s got it all wrong. Angels don’t wear halos anymore. I forget why, but scientists are working on it.” “It’s not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to Heaven, and then there’s still the flight training to go through and…
The holidays are times for sweet treets. Shortbread chocolate cookie 1 C plus 2 tbsp. (2-1/4 sticks) salted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces 1/2 C/101 grams granulated sugar 1/4 C/55 grams light brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2-1/2 C all-purpose flour 6 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped 1 large egg, beaten sugar in the raw, for rolling flaky sea salt, for sprinkling Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer and a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, both sugars, and vanilla on medium-high until…
Now he has a very successful woodworking business located just north of Marysville, but for 21 years he was the Union County Sheriff. John Overly (MHS class of ‘72) thought he would go into military service right after high school. But he was asked to take the job at the sheriff’s office as a dispatcher. He decided to try it and, oh yes, he stayed 30 years. In the early years, he went to class in criminal justice, eventually becoming a deputy, then investigator and finally chief deputy at the time of Sheriff Harry Wolfe’s on-the-job murder in 1982. Overly…
It’s cookie time! ___ Peppermint cookies 3 C chopped candy canes 1-1/2 C powdered sugar 1 C butter, softened 1 egg 1 tsp. peppermint extract 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 3 candy canes 36 unwrapped Candy Cane Hershey Kisses 1/2 C chopped Candy Cane Hershey Kisses sugar to roll cookies in Place candy canes in food processor and pulse until they are completely crushed. Combine powdered sugar, butter, extracts and egg in large bowl. Beat wet ingredients until light and fluffy at medium speed. Combine flour, crushed candy canes, baking powder and salt in…
I love little children and the sometimes wacky things they say to me. So, I was pleased to hear this from an eight-year-old boy from California, recently. His third grade homework assignment was to explain God. We’ll call him Danny. “One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn’t make grownups, just babies. I think that’s because they are smaller and easier to make.” “God’s second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of…
The holidays are beginning and when you are tired of turkey, try these soups. ___ Roasted garlic tomato soup 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil plus more for garlic head 1 small onion, diced 4 C vegetable broth/stock 28-oz. can diced tomatoes 1 tsp. kosher salt plus more for garlic head 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper For garnish – bread, croutons, shaved Parmesan, olive oil Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut top off of a head of garlic and drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle with salt and then completely cover in foil. Place in oven…
They were just trying to help a friend. It all seemed like a great thing to do. They were in Naples, Florida, and their friend, who lives in northern Florida, was coming down to join them for a few days. Lets just say, this was a group of women who should’ve known better than to do what they did. It was a warm, dark Florida evening and this friend, through a series of circumstances, had to take a Greyhound bus from the Tampa area down to Naples. It was going to be a long trip for her. It’s normally a…
Some of us will have houseguests for the holidays and may need breakfast recipes. Try these. ___ Chocolate zucchini bread 2 eggs 1/3 C honey 1/2 C vegetable oil 1/2 C brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/3 C cocoa powder 1-2/3 C flour 2 C shredded zucchini (about 2 medium zucchinis) – dry them out with a paper towel first to avoid too much moisture in bread 1 C chocolate chips (plus a few more for topping) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a large loaf pan,…
Everybody knows the story of the first Thanksgiving meal, but maybe not all of it. Basically, here it is. The Pilgrims, who originated in England, entertained the Indians (Native Americans) with a large meal in what would later be the Plymouth, Massachusetts area. As I was researching the story I came across a lot of new (to me) facts. See if they are new to you. The Pilgrims journey began a long time before the Thanksgiving feast. In England, they became disenchanted with the Church of England headed by King James, who had studied theology and loved to debate it.…