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VALENTINE'S DAY- (February 14) The true history of Valentine's Day is unknown. There are, however, several stories about how it all began. We have decided to tell the most romantic. We feel romance is what Valentine's Day is all about. Legend says that a priest called St. Valentine was wrongly imprisoned. While he was in prison the jailor's daughter would come to visit him. Before he died, he wrote the very first "Valentine" to her. He signed it, "From your Valentine," a phrase that is still used today. Sigh. We may never know the true beginning to this romantic holiday...but, this story sure seems to fit the way we celebrate this love filled day. A lonely man...wrongly imprisoned... finds love with a kind and compassionate young woman. MMM...Makes you crave chocolate...doesn't it? Happy Valentine's Day! Valentine's Day Recipes: Fudge 2 cups sugar 1 cup whipping cream 2 ounces butter 3 tbsp. water 1/2 cup milk 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate Put the sugar, cream, butter, water and milk into a heavy pan and place over a low heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Break the chocolate into small pieces and put into the sugar mixture, still on the low heat and stir until it dissolves. Once dissolved, turn up the heat and bring the mixture to the boil. It should now boil, with an occasional stir, until it reaches 240°F. Remove from the heat and beat the mixture with a wooden spoon (best done by an adult) until it thickens. Pour the mixture into an 8 inch square cake pan greased with butter. Leave to set. Cut into small squares. Chocolate Souffle 3 Tblsp. butter 2 Tblsp. unsweetened cocoa 3 oz. semisweet chocolate 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 2 egg yolks 2 egg whites 2 Tblsp. sugar Pinch salt Pinch cream of tartar Heat oven to 375° F. Use 1 Tblsp. of the butter to grease a 16-ounce ramekin. Coat the ramekin with the cocoa. Tap out the excess. In a large bowl, over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and remaining butter. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Whisk in the yolks one at a time until smooth. Set aside. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the sugar, salt, and cream of tartar until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Gently fold the egg-white mixture into the chocolate. Spoon into the ramekin. Bake until puffed and set, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately. SUPER BOWL SUNDAY - It all started 40 years ago on January 15, 1967. The Green Bay Packers played against the Kansas City Chiefs. They played the first "Super Bowl" at the Memorial Coliseum in, Los Angeles, California. The first Super Bowl was watched by 61,946 fans at the Coliseum, and more than 73 million television viewers. Last year about 143 million television viewers watched the Super Bowl. This yearly competition has become a tradition in many households across The United States. Usually played in January...this year the game will be played on the first Sunday in February. Ironically, February is also known as Snack Food month. So, we have included some great snack recipes that will make any Super Bowl party a sure winner. Happy Super Bowl!! Oh- by the way...The Packers won the first Super Bowl. Super Bowl Recipes: Jalapeno Poppers 12 oz. cream cheese, softened 1- 8 oz. package shredded monterey jack cheese w/ jalapenos. 25 jalapeno peppers, seeded and halved 1 cup milk 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup dry breadcrumbs oil In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, and cheese. Blanch the pepper halves for 2 minutes, drain and dry thoroughly. Spoon cheese mixture into the jalapeno pepper halves. Put the milk and flour into two separate small bowls. Dip the stuffed jalapenos first into the milk then into the flour, making sure they are well coated with each. Allow the coated jalapenos to dry for about 10 minutes. Dip the jalapenos in milk again and roll them through the breadcrumbs. Allow them to dry, then repeat. Deep fry for 2 to 3 minutes each, until golden brown. Remove and let drain on a paper towel. Spinache Dip 1- 11oz. pkg. frozen spinach 1- 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese 1/2 cup plain yogurt 2 cloves garlic, minced 1-Tblsp. of chopped water chestnuts (if desired) dash of hot sauce 1 tsp. salt Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain thoroughly. Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Chill several hours before serving with vegetables or chips. BLACK HISTORY MONTH - began in 1926 as Negro History Week. It later became Black History Month. A man named Dr. Carter G. Woodson is the one who initiated the celebration of Black History in The United States. He earned his Ph.D. at Harvard and became deeply troubled by the fact that blacks were not very prominent in the history of The United States. In 1926 he started Negro History Week as a way to bring attention to the black influence in the United States history. Today, we celebrate Black History for an entire month. We encourage you to take the time to read up on how the African American people have influenced The United States of America. We have included a couple of recipes that are favored by the African American culture. Happy Black History Month!! Black History Month Recipes: Cornbread 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 1 large egg Place oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, tilting pan to coat bottom evenly; heat in a 375° oven 10 minutes. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together milk and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour hot oil from skillet into batter; stir until blended. Pour batter into skillet. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from skillet. Fried Catfish 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground red pepper 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 4 catfish fillets 1/4 teaspoon salt Vegetable oil Combine first 5 ingredients in a large shallow dish. Sprinkle catfish fillets with salt, and dredge in cornmeal mixture, coating evenly. Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 3 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 350°. Fry fillets 5 to 6 minutes or until golden; drain on paper towels. Copyright © Lara Velez
Article Source: http://faithandfamilyarticles.com
About the Author: Lara Velez is a writer and web publisher. You can see some of her work at www.thecompletewomanmagazine.com/health.htm and therecipefinder.com
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