Star in a Star

 

Apple Walnut Salad

 

1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and coarsely chopped

1 large Gala apple, cored and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup golden raisins (Dried cranberries work well, too.)

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (It’s more work, but totally worth it.)

 

In a large bowl, combine apples and raisins. In a smaller bowl, stir together yogurt, sugar and orange juice. Pour the juice mixture over the fruit and toss to combine. Chill for at least an hour. Right before serving, add walnuts and toss again.

Ten Snails' Trails

 

In 1859, an Australian settler named Thomas Austin imported twenty-four live rabbits from his native England. Thomas was fond of British-style hunting parties, but his sprawling Melbourne estate didn’t contain game in sufficient numbers for that kind of entertainment. Thomas wasn’t the first European to bring rabbits to Australia, and he wasn’t the last. But geneticists claim the rabbits that continue to cause ecological damage on the subcontinent are descendants of the two dozen he released on his land. In England, wild rabbits can be spotted nibbling on the edges of lawns near dusk. Stoats, buzzards, polecats, red foxes and humans find them quite tasty. But in Australia, they have very few predators. Within three years, Thomas’ twenty-four rabbits had become thousands. Australia has suffered through several rabbit plagues since, where the fast-breeding bunnies have obliterated local flora and pushed out the fauna. They’ve even contributed to large-scale soil erosion. 

Four Four-Patch Blocks

 

When we last visited the county courthouse, we saw several people lined up to change their names. I was surprised, but maybe I shouldn’t have been. It seems in fashion – especially where we live – to give babies unique (that’s code for made-up) names. They take a perfectly serviceable name and misspell it, turn it backwards, or insert a random apostrophe. They’re dooming innocent offspring to a lifetime of spelling their name to everyone they meet. Worse, that “unique” name could hold them back for years, keeping them from getting a scholarship, a loan or a job. Non-traditional names carry a negative cachet. They “sound” like they come from a low socio-economic background, and can lead others to draw very unflattering conclusions. If you’re naming a baby, think about what it would be like to be stuck with that name for a lifetime. Then go with a nice Olivia, Emma, Ethan or Noah. 

Nine Snails' Trails

 

In 1988, a man named Patrick Quinn appeared on the TV game show Super Password and won $58,600 – close to $150,00 in today’s money – over the course of four days. Impressive, except “Patrick Quinn” was really Kerry Ketchum, a wanted fugitive with several outstanding warrants for fraud, including staging his wife’s death to collect $100,000 in insurance. Kerry planned to use his winnings to fund a new life under another assumed name, but it was NBC’s policy to cut a check after the program had aired. Sure enough, some of the people who watched the show had been conned by Ketchum, and recognized his face. When he showed up to collect his money, the FBI was waiting for him. While serving time for fraud, Kerry sued NBC for his winnings, plus a million in damages. His case was thrown out. While he HAD actually won the game honestly, he’d voided his contract by doing so with a fake name. 

Northern Star

 

One of the residents in a nursing home where I do sing-alongs told me there aren’t enough good patriotic songs. So, he wrote his own. He gave me a copy for free, and it’s worth every penny. He might have saved himself the trouble. There are lots of great songs out there. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order:

America the Beautiful – Katherine Lee Bates, 1895

God Bless the U.S.A. – Lee Greenwood, 1983

This Land is Your Land – Woody Guthrie, 1984

Columbia, Gem of the Ocean - Thomas A'Becket, 1843

My Country ‘Tis of Thee – Samuel Francis Smith, 1831

God Bless America – Irving Berlin, 1938

You’re a Grand Old Flag – George M. Cohan, 1906

I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy – George M. Cohan, 1904

Surfin’ U.S.A. – Chuck Berry and Brian Wilson, 1963

California Dreamin’ - John and Michelle Phillips, 1965

Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver, 1970

Philadelphia Freedom – Elton John and Bernie Taupin, 1977

Happy Independence Day!

Four-Patch Block

 

“We believe in Christ. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we worship Him and follow His teachings in the scriptures. Before the Fall, our Heavenly Father spoke directly to Adam and Eve. Thereafter, the Father introduced His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Redeemer and gave us the command to hear Him. From this direction we conclude that the scriptural records of words spoken by ‘God’ or ‘the Lord’ are almost always the words of Jehovah, our risen Lord, Jesus Christ. We are given the scriptures to direct our lives. As the prophet Nephi taught us, we should ‘feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.’” – President Dallin H. Oaks

Five Snails' Trails

 

If you love the coleslaw at KFC, this one’s for you. I just have two bits of advice. One, don’t skimp on the chopping. If your vegetables don’t look like confetti before adding the dressing, you won’t be happy with the results. Two, don’t swap ingredients, especially buttermilk. You can use regular milk and lemon juice as a substitute when baking, and the results won’t be awful. But for this recipe, use real buttermilk or skip the whole thing.

 

Better than KFC Slaw

 

1 head cabbage, finely chopped

1 large carrot, shredded

2 tablespoons onion, minced

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup milk

2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

 

In a large bowl, mix together milks, mayo, sugar, lemon, vinegar, and seasoning. Add onion, carrots and cabbage. Toss to thoroughly coat. Cover and chill at least two hours.