I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to drinking my coffee this morning. Of course, I am always looking forward to my coffee, as I have made abundantly clear over the years, but today’s will be extra good because yesterday’s got destroyed, quite by accident. I make myself a peppermint mocha every morning. I love them. They are soothing, and comforting. They make having to be up better. I have one cup while I am getting ready for work, and sip at my 2nd cup on my way to the office. When I get there, I pour what is left in my travel mug into the cup on my desk, top it off with coffee from the pot at work, and sip at it throughout the day. Nursed along properly, I can make my peppermint mocha literally last all day long. Today, one of the women at work did something nearly blasphemous to coffee. No! Don’t laugh! I am serious! She brought back coffee from New Orleans, coffee that someone thought would be wonderful to infuse with the flavor of King’s Cake. Now, I have never had Kings cake, but good or bad, coffee that taste’s like King’s Cake does NOT blend well with peppermint mocha! I kept taking sips and giving a shudder. I could not figure out why it was so terrible, until it dawned on me that the cloyingly horrible aroma in the room was also coming out of my coffee cup. OH NO! NOOOOOO! I had to toss it out. It was disgusting, truly horrible! I hiked my fanny down to the General Store and bought a mocha, which I rarely do. It is such a waste of money, but it was a necessity yesterday. Trust me, I’ll be sniffing the pot carefully from now on, before I trust pouring any into my cup. BLECH!
Verse of the Day
February 4, 2020
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
We have no claim to bring to God! We have no right to demand salvation! We have no power within us that can hold on to life! Only God’s love can bring us life, hope, and grace. Only God’s mercy can bring us salvation. Only God’s gift of Christ can awaken us from the death-slumber of sin.
www.verseoftheday.com
Facebook’s Birthday – Today is the birthday of the time suck known as Facebook. And I’m as guilty of being pulled in as anyone. I know a few people who have managed to cancel it, and though I’m not on it as much as I used to be, I have to admit that there are groups of people I like staying in contact with, so I haven’t migrated away from it.
Liberace Day – Wladziu Valentino Liberace, best known by just his last name Liberace, was an American pianist and vocalist. He was born on May 16, 1919 and died February 4, 1987. His career spanned four decades of concerts, recordings, motion pictures, television and endorsements – and during those years Liberace became world-renowned. In the 1950s through the 1970s he was the highest paid entertainer in the world and lived a life of flamboyant excess – both on and off the stage. I remember watching him on various shows throughout my childhood and will always appreciate his incredible musical talent. I have to wonder if there is anyone younger than I am who even knows how he is?
Medjool Date Day- I love dates. I remember tasting them as a kid and being really surprised that I liked them so much! They don’t look all that great – they are brown and a little wrinkly, but they are chewy and so filled with sweet flavor. They’ve been a favorite treat since the Garden of Eden. Dates have a single pit or stone in the middle, so if you start eating some, do be careful about the pit. Dates grow on Date Palm trees and were brought to the coast of America by Spanish missionaries in the late 1700s. Medjool Dates started out in Morocco and were brought to the U.S. in 1927. Eleven shoots were put in quarantine in Nevada for 7 years. Nine plants survived and were taken to Southern California in 1935, with 24 offshoots planted in 1944. Of all the different varieties of dates, Medjools are very labor intensive to grow and I thought this was interesting! They are the only ones that can be picked and eaten fresh. Good to know, though I can’t imagine I’m ever going to be around a real date tree. It takes Date palms 3-5 years to begin to bear fruit and are fully mature when they are 12 years old. Though they are cultivated around the world, you can find them in the wild around Jordan and the border area between Iraq and Iran. Again, not likely I’m ever going to be around anything like that. So, besides eating them by themselves, (like I do) you can use dates to make vinegar, chutney, date paste for baking, flavorings and roasting whole date seeds. The tree’s buds are hearts of palm, and you may have had them in stir-fry or salad! Dates are packed full of minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients. Because they are easily digested, our bodies can make full use of all of their benefits. Get this, the dietary fiber in the dates helps waste move quickly through our systems, helping to prevent LDL (or the bad stuff) cholesterol absorb into our systems. They are high in iron, potassium, B-Vitamins, vitamins A & K, copper, magnesium, manganese, etc. The list goes on and on! They even help our bodies metabolize carbohydrates, protein and fats. I could go on and on, but seriously these are amazing little bits of goodness. They were even mentioned several times in the Bible!
National Hemp Day – The 2018 Farm Bill was a huge win for the hemp industry. Hemp – including the leaves, stalks, and stems – has since been rescheduled to a Schedule V classification, the same as OTC low-dose codeine. This makes the growing, producing, and distribution of hemp legal on a national level, though be mindful that your state’s laws may conflict with federal law. When this happens very often if taken to court the federal laws will supersede state laws, but are you prepared for the cost of that litigation process? Products made from hemp such as CBD, clothing, plastics, paint, insulation, and biofuels will now be more readily available. The passing of the newly minted Farm Bill brings massive growth potential, with some publications estimating that the hemp industry will become a multi-billion-dollar industry for the United States.
USO Day – The USO is an incredible organization that was started on February 4th, 1941. Its primary mission is to lift the spirits of American troops and their families and is best known for its entertainment of deployed troops. Every major airport has a special terminal JUST for the USO, to welcome home troops from overseas, where there is always someone to let them know how much they are appreciated and respected. When my husband and I went to New Jersey to watch my son graduate from USCG basic training we passed by the USO terminal on our way out of the Philadelphia airport. There was a crowd of appreciative USO representatives, all with their flags, food and wide-open hearts waiting for the soldiers as they arrived home, some of them for the first time in a very long time. These wonderful, loving people will be there waiting, which is especially important for the returning men and women who don’t have anyone there just for them. Sometimes coming home can be bittersweet without anyone there to wrap their arms around you to say they’re glad you are back.
Food Celebration of the Day –
National Homemade Soup Day – There is nothing quite as soul satisfying as a hot bowl of homemade soup. In addition to being comforting, some soups are known for being medicinal as well! They can detoxify the body of impurities and boost our immune systems. The old home remedy of a bowl of chicken soup for a cold, it really works!!! Some soups have been used for centuries as a way to promote good health and to cure what makes us sick. For today, celebrate this tummy warming treat by stirring up a pot of your favorite soup. It’ll make you feel good from head to your toes. What soup makes you feel the best? If I don’t have the time to make a batch of my own soup – or if I happen to be in town when I’m feeling sniffly, my very favorite restaurant soup is Vietnamese Chicken Pho . . . Oh my goodness, it always makes me feel better, no matter what it is that is ailing me. Since we are sitting here without power due to wind and snow, I’ll be heating up the White Chicken Chili I made yesterday.
National Stuffed Mushroom Day – I love stuffed mushrooms. Depending on the size of mushroom cap you choose, they make perfect little bite side carriers for whatever you stuff them with. Personally, I love to stuff them with sausage and cheese. People have been eating mushrooms for possibly thousands of years, but they didn’t become popular until the 19th century. There are more than 14,000 species of mushrooms, but be careful because many are poisonous, so leave hunting them for the experts.
Pork Rind Appreciation – I am not a huge fan of pork rinds. I tried, I really did, when I was eating very low carb. They are a crispy, porky treat that are great carriers for dip. The flavor isn’t even bad. For me, it’s a mind thing that stops me from eating them with any sort of enthusiasm. One time we had some, one got tossed into a glass of water by one of the kids, and it literally hydrated back into a chunk of skin that I could see pores on! GROSS! I see that in my mind every time I even think about eating one.
I’m off to drink my coffee! Beloved coffee! YUMMY coffee! Delicious, creamy, peppermint and chocolate infused nectar of the morning coffee! Have a great day ***takes sip**** Ahhhhhh good *** and I will too. God bless you and I’ll see you soon.
Celebration list sources:
www.verseoftheday.com www.brownielocks.com www.holidayinsights.com www.thenibble.com www.foodimentary.com