Common Cooking and Baking Food Equivalents

Apples
1 medium apple = about 3/4 to 1 cup chopped
2 medium apples = about 1-1/2 cups
1 large apple = about 1 cup chopped
2 large apples = about 2-1/4 cups chopped
Bananas
1 pound = 3 medium= 1-1/3 cups mashed
Berries
1 pint = 1-3/4 cups
Lemon Juice
1 medium lemon = 2-3 Tablespoons juice
5-8 medium lemons = 1 cup
Lemon Rind
1 medium lemon = 1 Tablespoon grated rind
Orange Juice
1 medium orange = 2-3 Tablespoons juice
3-4 medium oranges = 1 cup juice
Orange Rind
1 orange = 2 Tablespoons grated rind
Raisins
1 pound = 3 cups,loosely packed 
Garlic
1 small clove garlic = 1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced
1 medium-size clove garlic = 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons minced
1 large clove garlic = 2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons minced
Onions
8 green onions sliced= 1 cup
4 green onions sliced = 1/2 cup
1 medium onion = 1/2 cup chopped
1 large onion = 3/4 to 1 cup chopped
Tomatoes
1 pound = 3 medium
4 cups = about 100 grape tomatoes, or about 15 grape tomatoes per 1/2 cup 
Eggs
1 egg = 4 Tablespoons liquid
4-5 whole eggs = 1 cup
7-9 whites = 1 cup
12-14 yolks = 1 cup
6 eggs to a quart of milk = Perfect baked custard
Egg Whites
8-10 large egg whites = 1 cup
12-14 large egg yolks = 1 cup
Cheese
1/4 pound (4 ounces) = 1 cup shredded
1 pound shredded cheese = 4 cups
4 ounces crumbled Bleu cheese = 1 cup
1 pound American Cheese = 2-2/3 cup cubed
Cream Cheese
3 ounces = 6 Tablespoons
Cream, Heavy or whipping
1 cup = 2 cups whipped cream
Milk, Evaporated
6 ounce can = 2/3 cup
14 ounce can = 1 2/3 cup
Sour milk or Buttermilk
Don't have any buttermilk in the house? Try powdered buttermilk.
4 Tablespoons Powdered Buttermilk plus 1 cup of water = 1 cup buttermilk.
Or another alternative is to mix 1 cup sweet milk with one of the following:
1 Tablespoon vinegar or
1 Tablespoon lemon juice or
1-3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
Baking Powder
1 cup = 5 1/2 ounces
Corn Starch
1 pound = 3 cups 
Flour
Did you realize that flour can have different weights due to many factors? Humidity, climate, temperature and many other things affect the moisture level of flour. After all, it absorbs everything in its surroundings. To accurately measure flour, you really need a kitchen scale to have an good measurement by weight. A one cup measure may weigh anywhere from 4 ounces to 4-3/4 ounces. That can make quite a difference in your baking.  Below are the average food equivalents for flour: 1 pound all-purpose = 3-1/2 to 4 cups
1 pound cake flour = 4 to 4 1/2 cups
1 pound graham flour = 3 1/2 cups
1 pound corn meal = 3 cups
Sugar
1 pound brown sugar = 2-1/2 cups
1 pound cube sugar = 96-160 cubes
1 pound granulated sugar = 2 cups
1 pound powdered sugar = 3-1/2 cups
Vegetable shortening, Margarine, or Butter
1 stick = 1/2 cup
1 pound = 2 cups
Chocolate
1 ounce = 1 square
1 pound cocoa = 4 cups ground
Chocolate Chips
6 ounce package = 1 cup

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Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 30 in 2011). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

Quotes:

Courage is contagious.  When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.  ~ Billy Graham 

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

 

They fell, but o'er their glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.
~Francis Marion Crawford

It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle.  It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.  ~  Norman Schwarzkopf

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.  ~Joseph Campbell

We all have of freedom, all we use or know -

This our fathers brought for us long and long ago.

~ Rudyard Kipling, The Old Issue, 1899

True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic.  It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever the cost.  ~ Arthur Ashe

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Make Each Day Of Your Life Happier

---

Every Day ...

1. Share a kind word with a friend.
2. Give away a smile.
3. Tell one secret.
4. Listen to what someone has to say.
5. Listen with your heart, to what someone cannot say.
6. Try one new thing.
7. Forgive one person who has hurt you.
8. Forgive yourself for past mistakes.
9. Realize your imperfections.
10. Discover your possibilities.
11. Make a new friend.
12. Accept responsibility for everything you do.
13. Refuse responsibility for anyone else's actions.
14. Dream one dream.
15. Watch the sunset.
16. Cherish what you have.
17. Cherish who you are.
18. Love your life.

~~ Author Unknown ~~

---

FIVE SIMPLE RULES TO BE HAPPY

---

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

~~ Author Unknown ~~

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Moving Tips

Moving in an Orderly Fashion

Tips for Organizing Your Move

• Reserve a moving company.
• Decide what NOT to take. Then, host a garage sale or donate what you don’t need to charity.
• Label your moving boxes. Write the destination room on the top and sides to ensure that each moving box gets to the right place in your new home.
• Make a “survival closet.” Include what you’ll need for final clean up, a snack for the last day, and make sure you have enough cash to tide you over until you’re settled in your new home.

5 People to Notify of Your Move

• Your local post office. You’ll want to make sure all of your mail reaches your new location. Filling out a change of address form online with the post office will insure a seamless transition.
• Important accounts and organizations. Credit card companies, banks, subscription services (like magazines and newspapers), insurance companies and other organizations you belong to will want to know that you’ve moved. And, if you have children, make sure to transfer their school records.
• Local utility services. Schedule disconnects for gas, electric, water and the telephone. While you’re at it, arrange for refunds and schedule connections for your new phone. 
• Service providers. Be sure to cancel your cable, security, lawn maintenance and any other service you receive. 
• Friends and family. Of course, you’ll want to make sure all your loved ones have your new contact information so all those cards and house warming gifts can make it to the correct home.

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Famous Last Words

” It’s Very Beautiful Over There.” - Thomas Edison, an American scientist and inventor.

” Be Sure To Play ”Blessed Lord” Tonight. Play It Real Pretty.”
- Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights activist.
 
"No, you certainly can’t."
Said by: John F. Kennedy in reply to Nellie Connally, wife of Governor John Connelly, commenting “You certainly can’t say that the people of Dallas haven’t given you a nice welcome, Mr. President.

” Last Words Are For Fools Who Haven’t Said Enough.” - Karl Marx, a German historian and philosifer.

” Drink To Me!” - Pablo Picasso, a Spanish painter and sculptor.

” A Dying Man Can Do Nothing Easily!”
- Benjamin Franklin, an American inventor, printer, diplomat and statesman.

”Is Everyone Else Alright?” - Robert Kennedy, and American politician and a Democratic Senator.

”I’m Losing.” - Frank Sinatra, an American singer and actor.

”I Die Hard, But I Am Not Afraid To Go.” - George Washington, first president of the United States.

“One last drink, please.” 
- Jack Daniel (1846-1911) 

“Love one another.” 
George Harrison (1943-2001)

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How To Prepare Your House For Sale

Here is how to prep a house and turn it into an irresistible and marketable home.


1.Disassociate Yourself With Your Home
•Say to yourself, "This is not my home; it is a house -- a product to be sold much like a box of cereal on the grocery store shelf.
•Make the mental decision to "let go" of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours.
•Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance warranties to the new owners!
•Say goodbye to every room.

2.De-Personalize
Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artifacts, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, not see yours. You want buyers to say, "I can see myself living here."

3.De-Clutter
People collect an amazing quantity of junk. Consider this: if you haven't used it in over a year, you probably don't need it.
•If you don't need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
•Remove all books from bookcases.
•Pack up those knickknacks.
•Clean off everything on kitchen counters.
•Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored .
•Think of this process as a head-start on the packing.

4.Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets
Buyers love to snoop.  Think of the message it sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything organized. It says you probably take good care of the house. This means:
•Alphabetize spice jars.
•Neatly stack dishes.
•Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way.
•Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction.
•Line up shoes.

5.Rent a Storage Unit
Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around.

6.Remove/Replace Favorite Items
If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now.  If a buyer never sees it, she won't want it. Once you tell a buyer she can't have an item, she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those items and replace them, if necessary.

7.Make Minor Repairs
•Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
•Patch holes in walls.
•Fix leaky faucets.
•Fix doors that don't close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
•Consider painting your walls neutral colors. (Don't give buyers any reason to remember your home as "the house with the orange bathroom.")
•Replace burned-out light bulbs.
•If you've considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!

8.Make the House Sparkle
•Wash windows inside and out.
•Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
•Clean out cobwebs.
•Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.
•Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
•Clean out the refrigerator.
•Vacuum daily.
•Wax floors.
•Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
•Bleach dingy grout.
•Replace worn rugs.
•Hang up fresh towels.
•Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors are a no-no.

9.Scrutinize
•Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Does the house welcome you?
•Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer.
•Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense.
•Make sure window coverings hang level.
•Tune in to the room's statement and its emotional pull. Does it have impact and pizzazz?
•Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You're almost finished.

10.Check Curb Appeal
If a buyer won't get out of her agent's car because she doesn't like the exterior of your home, you'll never get her inside.
•Keep the sidewalks cleared.
•Mow the lawn.
•Paint faded window trim.
•Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive.
•Trim your bushes.
•Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.

By Elizabeth Weintraub

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Space Shuttle Discovery

The history of Shuttle Discovery goes back to its maiden voyage that was launched on August 30, 1984. After the tragic losses of Challenger and Columbia, Discovery was the shuttle NASA went to, to get the program back on track. Have you heard of the Hubble Space Telescope? Discovery was the one to put it into orbit. This is its 39th time in space, more than any other shuttle. As of right now it has traveled 143 million miles, enough to go to the Sun and back and back to the Sun again.


Discovery also has a host of other firsts:

• to retrieve a satellite and bring it back home
• first and only shuttle to fly four times in ONE year 
• had the first Russian Cosmonaut on a U.S. Spacecraft 
• rendezvous with the Russian Mir Space Station 
• first female to pilot a U.S. spacecraft (Eileen Collins) 
• flew the oldest astronaut ever (John Glenn) 
• to perform a ‘back flip’ to check for damage 
• and have two female commanders (Pam Melroy and Peggy Whitson) 

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Natural Pain Fighters

Sage

Good for: Sore throat

When your throat is scratchy and irritated, try sipping on a tea made from brewed sage leaves. It’s a remedy recommended by herbalists that has some support from clinical trials. A 2006 study found that spraying sore throats with a sage solution gave effective pain relief compared to a placebo.

Ginger

Good for: Sore muscles and aching joints

Ginger isn’t just for relieving unsettled stomachs and the common cold. In fact, ginger is rich in inflammation-fighting compounds, such as gingerols, which may reduce the aches of osteoarthritis and soothe sore muscles. In a recent study, people who took ginger capsules daily for 11 days reported 25 percent less muscle pain when they performed exercises designed to strain their muscles (compared with a similar group taking placebo capsules). Another study found that ginger-extract injections helped relieve osteoarthritis pain of the knee.

Salmon

Good for: Inflamed joints and troubled tummies

Preliminary studies suggest that omega-3s may help quell the aches and pains of rheumatoid arthritis. And that’s no surprise, since omega-3s are touted for their ability to reduce inflammation. In addition to soothing aching joints, omega-3s can also tame your troubled tummy (especially when caused by stress) according to a 2005 Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition study.

Coffee

Good for: Headache

Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine—about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee—provides relief from headaches, including migraines. But keep in mind that relying on caffeine long-term can backfire, since habitual coffee drinkers usually suffer withdrawal headaches when they cut back on the caffeine. 

Information provided by Eating Well 

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How to Cook and Eat An Artichoke

Boil the artichoke in salted water or steam them for 20-45 minutes, until tender. Don't cover the pot if boiling, or else acids in the artichoke will not be able to escape and they will turn the artichokes brown. You can also microwave them, individually wrapped in plastic, for 8-15 minutes, or put them in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes. You know it is done when you pull at a leaf and it comes away with little resistance.  Drain upside down.

Now for the best part - eating!

~ Start with the leaves closest to the base of the steamed artichoke. Pull one from the base. Holding the leaf at the pointed end, dip the broad end into mayonnaise or butter, then pull the fleshy part of the leaf between your teeth.

~ Discard the leaf. Serve the artichoke in a broad, shallow bowl and place the leaves alongside the artichoke.

~ Continue round and round the artichoke, removing one leaf at a time: dip, eat and discard.

~ Discard the papery-thin leaves closest to the heart, or gather several of them together and eat as you would a single leaf. Using your knife, scrape the choke (the fuzzy stuff) from the heart.

~ Eat your heart out. Proceed with a knife and fork. Cut the heart into bite-sized pieces, dip and eat.

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Summer Fun Facts

~ Watermelon is actually a VEGETABLE! It is from the botanical family Cucurbitaceae and is most closely related to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash. The watermelon is composed of 92% water and early explorers often used hollowed out watermelons as canteens.

~ The first Olympic Games were held in Greece more than two thousand years ago. When the Modern Games were revived in 1896, founder Pierre de Coubertin again chose Athens as the host city. In 2004, the games returned to their birthplace for a third time.

~ Sharks are one of the oldest living creatures in the sea. There is evidence that the shark species has been around for more than 400 million years. Current sharks are much smaller than those from dinosaur times. The sharks that lived in the dino-age were up to 80 feet long, where today’s largest shark, the Great White, grows to lengths of only 25 feet.

~ Mosquitoes are insects that have been around for 30 million years. They have chemical sensors that can detect mammals from 100 feet away; they have heat sensors to detect warm-blooded creatures; and they have visual sensors that detect movement and contrast in colors. The first activity of an adult mosquito is to mate. The females lay their eggs and then live from days to months afterward. The male mosquito dies within days after mating.

~ The average American eats around 5 1/2 gallons of ice cream a year, more than any other nationality. The late President Reagan declared July National Ice Cream month. It is also the month the most ice cream is sold.

~ The first "bathing suits" for women were introduced in the early 1800’s. At that time it was still considered improper for skin to be any color but creamy white. The first "suits" were composed of long sleeved bathing dresses with woolen bloomers underneath to weight the dress down. The only "swimming" a woman did at that time was to jump waves at the edge of the water and dip her feet, and occasionally legs, into the water.

~ The Frisbee was originally designed as a tin pie plate in the 1870’s. It was a marketing scheme to encourage homemakers to see the name "Frisbee" on the pie tin and think how much easier it would be to buy a pie instead of making one. Eventually, Mr. Frisbee’s pies were sold all over Connecticut. In the 1940’s, Yale students began tossing the pie tins to one another in a game of catch. The game caught on throughout the campus. About 10 years later, the president of Wham-O saw the pie-tin tossing fun at Yale. He saw this as a toy he could easily market. There were issues with the tin, so the plastic disc was born. Because of the craze of UFOs during this time, the plastic disc quickly became known as a "flying saucer".

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Uses for Your Microwave

More than a popcorn popper, this versatile appliance was underutilized―until now.


Disinfecting and Deodorizing Sponges
Don't throw out the kitchen sponge that smells like last night's salmon. Soak it in water spiked with white vinegar or lemon juice, then heat it on high for 1 minute. (Use an oven mitt to remove it.) This will also disinfect any sponges you used to wipe up the juices from a raw chicken.
 
 
Roasting Garlic
It takes 45 minutes to roast garlic in the oven but less than 8 in the microwave. Slice off the top of the head to reveal all the cloves. Place the head in a small, deep dish, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of good olive oil. Spoon 2 tablespoons of water into the bottom of the dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and cook at medium power for 7 to 7½ minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before unwrapping.

Partially Cooking Foods for the Grill
To cut the grilling time of vegetables, cook them partway in the microwave before putting them on the barbecue. Heat new potatoes for 2 minutes (prick them first), and bell peppers for 1 minute. And why wait until your next campfire to make s'mores? Put the marshmallows in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Warming Beauty Products
Warming up a hot-oil conditioning pack for your hair takes about 10 to 20 seconds and feels marvelous, as does briefly heating up a moisturizing facial mask. (Stir the mask and test the temperature with your finger before applying to your face.) And if hot wax hardens when you're only halfway up your calf, reheat it in the microwave. It's much less messy than using a double boiler.

Disinfecting Plastic Cutting Boards
Wash the board well, rub it with the cut side of a lemon, then heat for 1 minute.
 
Making Potatoes
While the microwave won't give you a baked potato with a crisp skin, it will cook the average russet in about 4 minutes. You can simultaneously cook as many as will fit. (The general rule for heating more food is to check for doneness every 30 seconds beyond the regular cooking time.) Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and cook for 2 minutes. Turn them over and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer. For mashed potatoes, be sure to heat the milk in the microwave before adding it. (Cold milk makes for cold mashed potatoes.)

Softening Brown Sugar
Keep the sugar in its plastic packaging, add a few drops of water, and heat on medium for 10 to 20 seconds.
 
Proofing Yeast Doughs
Yeast doughs that normally take an hour or more to rise at room temperature can be proofed in the microwave in about 15 minutes. Place the dough in a very large bowl and cover with plastic. Place an 8-ounce cup of water in the back of the microwave with the bowl of dough in the center, and set the power as low as possible (10 percent power). Heat for 3 minutes, then let the dough rest in the microwave for 3 minutes. Heat for 3 minutes longer, then let rest for 6 minutes. The dough will double in bulk.
 
Heating up Health Aids
You use a microwave to reheat your coffee, so why not use it to heat and reheat gel packs for headaches? (Don't do this with a metal-wrapped pack.)

Decrystallizing Honey
Honey that has solidified can be brought back to liquid life by uncovering the jar and heating on medium power for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

By Melissa Clark

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Baking Tid Bits

Over-ripe bananas can be peeled and frozen in a plastic container until it's time to bake bread or cake.

When baking bread, a small dish of water in the oven will help keep the crust from getting too hard or brown.

Use shortening, not margarine or oil, to grease pans, as margarine and oil absorb more readily into the dough or batter (especially bread).

Use a metal ice tray divider to cut biscuits in a hurry.  Press into the dough, and biscuits will separate at dividing lines when baked.

To make self-rising flour, mix 4 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 2 tablespoons baking powder, and store in a tightly covered container.

Hot water kills yeast.  One way to tell the correct temperature is to pour the water over your forearm.  If you cannot feel either cold or hot, the temperature is just right.

When in doubt, always sift flour before measuring.

When baking in a glass pan, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

If your biscuits are dry, it could be from too much handling, or the oven temperature may not have been hot enough.

When baking bread, you get a finer texture if you use milk.  Water makes a coarser bread.

Nut breads are better if stored 24 hours before serving.

Cracked eggs should not be used because they may contain bacteria.

The freshness of eggs can be tested by placing them in a large bowl of cold water; if they float, do not use them.

For a quick, low-fat crunchy topping for muffins, sprinkle the tops with Grape-Nuts cereal.

Dust a bread pan or work surface with flour by filling an empty glass salt shaker with flour.

To make bread crumbs, toast the heels of bread and chop in a blender or food processor.

To make cookie crumbs for your recipes, put cookies into a plastic bag and run a rolling pin back and forth on it until they are the right size.

Push animal shaped cookie cutters lightly into icing on cakes or cupcakes.  Fill depressed outlines with chocolate icing or decorating confections.

Fill flat bottomed ice cream cones half full with cake batter and bake.  Top with icing and decorating confections.

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Mother's Day History

 

Contrary to popular belief, Mother's Day was not conceived and fine-tuned in the boardroom of Hallmark. The earliest tributes to mothers date back to the annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to Rhea, the mother of many deities, and to the offerings ancient Romans made to their Great Mother of Gods, Cybele. Christians celebrated this festival on the fourth Sunday in Lent in honor of Mary, mother of Christ. In England this holiday was expanded to include all mothers and was called Mothering Sunday.

In the United States, Mother's Day started nearly 150 years ago, when Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her community, a cause she believed would be best advocated by mothers. She called it "Mother's Work Day."

Fifteen years later, Julia Ward Howe, a Boston poet, pacifist, suffragist, and author of the lyrics to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," organized a day encouraging mothers to rally for peace, since she believed they bore the loss of human life more harshly than anyone else.

In 1905 when Anna Jarvis died, her daughter, also named Anna, began a campaign to memorialize the life work of her mother. Legend has it that young Anna remembered a Sunday school lesson that her mother gave in which she said, "I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mother's day. There are many days for men, but none for mothers."

Anna began to lobby prominent businessmen like John Wannamaker, and politicians including Presidents Taft and Roosevelt to support her campaign to create a special day to honor mothers. At one of the first services organized to celebrate Anna's mother in 1908, at her church in West Virginia, Anna handed out her mother's favorite flower, the white carnation. Five years later, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution calling for officials of the federal government to wear white carnations on Mother's Day. In 1914 Anna's hard work paid off when Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother's Day as a national holiday.

At first, people observed Mother's Day by attending church, writing letters to their mothers, and eventually, by sending cards, presents, and flowers. With the increasing gift-giving activity associated with Mother's Day, Anna Jarvis became enraged. She believed that the day's sentiment was being sacrificed at the expense of greed and profit. In 1923 she filed a lawsuit to stop a Mother's Day festival, and was even arrested for disturbing the peace at a convention selling carnations for a war mother's group. Before her death in 1948, Jarvis is said to have confessed that she regretted ever starting the mother's day tradition.

Despite Jarvis's misgivings, Mother's Day has flourished in the United States. In fact, the second Sunday of May has become the most popular day of the year to dine out, and telephone lines record their highest traffic, as sons and daughters everywhere take advantage of this day to honor and to express appreciation of their mothers.

Mother's Day Quotes

"Who ran to help be when I fell,
And would some pretty story tell,
Or kiss the place to make it well?
My Mother."   -Ann Taylor

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"Youth fades; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; A mother's secret hope outlives them all."  - Oliver Wendell Holmes

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"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life."  - Abraham Lincoln

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"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."  - Author Unknown 

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"Making the decision to have a child-it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."   - Elizabeth Stone

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"Is my mother my friend? I would have to say, first of all she is my Mother, with a capital 'M'; she's something sacred to me. I love her dearly...yes, she is also a good friend, someone I can talk openly with if I want to."   - Sophia Loren

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"My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her."   -George Washington 

Become a Fan of Newby Realty on Facebook	Newby Realty - Manufactured Home Sales
Newby Realty provides sales of new and used manufactured (mobile) homes throughout Florida in Bradenton, Clearwater, Debary, Edgewater, Ellenton, Englewood, Fort Pierce, Hudson, Lakeland, N. Fort Myers, New Smyrna Beach, Ocala, Orange City, Palmetto, Port Charlotte, Port Richey, Sarasota, Winter Springs, Zephyrhills.

Welcome to Fabulous Florida!

Florida's beaches are beautiful and diverse.

The west side of Florida offers beaches with soft, white sand. The water is calm, clear and warm.

Along the Florida's east coast, the northern beaches are quite different from the east coast's southern beaches. In the north, the sand is harder; one can ride a bicycle on the beach. There aren't many condos and hotels on these more natural beaches. The water is rougher and the shoreline is windswept. The southern part of the east coast is where you will find softer sand, and warm, clear water in many shades of blue and green, because of the Gulf Stream influences. ~ Places Around Florida website

Florida Fun Facts:
~ Key West has the highest average temperature in the United States.
~ Gatorade was named for the University of Florida Gators where the drink was first developed.
~ Florida has over 1,300 miles of coastline with 800 miles of beaches.
~ The Saint John's River is one of the few rivers that flows north instead of south.
~ The largest lake in Florida is Lake Okeechobee.
~ Miami installed the first bank automated teller machine especially for rollerbladers.
~ Ybor City was once known as the Cigar Capital of the World with nearly 12,000 tabaqueros (cigar-makers) employed in 200 factories. Ybor City produced an estimated 700 million cigars a year at the industry's peak.
~ Plant City, the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World, holds the Guinness record for the world's largest strawberry shortcake. The 827 square-foot, 6,000 pound cake was made on Feb. 19, 1999 in McCall Park.
~ Islamorada is billed as the Sports fishing Capital of the World
~ The Pinellas Trail, a 47 mile hiking/biking trail connecting St. Petersburg with Central and north Pinellas County, is the longest urban linear trail in the eastern United States.
~ Key Largo is known as the Dive Capital of the World.
~ Florida is not the southernmost state in the United States. Hawaii is farther south.
~ Cape Canaveral is America's launch pad for space flights.
~ Saint Augustine is the oldest European settlement in North America.

Information from: Florida Facts and Trivia 

Become a Fan of Newby Realty on Facebook	Newby Realty - Manufactured Home Sales
Newby Realty provides sales of new and used manufactured (mobile) homes throughout Florida in Bradenton, Clearwater, Debary, Edgewater, Ellenton, Englewood, Fort Pierce, Hudson, Lakeland, N. Fort Myers, New Smyrna Beach, Ocala, Orange City, Palmetto, Port Charlotte, Port Richey, Sarasota, Winter Springs, Zephyrhills.

Beverage Helpful Hints

For tea flavoring, dissolve old-fashioned lemon drops or hard mint candies in your tea.  They melt quickly and keep the tea brisk!

Make your own spiced tea or cider.  Place orange peels, whole cloves, and cinnamon sticks in a 6 inch square piece of cheesecloth.  Gather the corners and tie with a string.  Steep in hot cider or tea for 10 minutes - or longer if you want a stronger flavor.

Always chill juices or sodas before adding to beverage recipes.

Place fresh or dried mint in the bottom of a cup of hot chocolate for a cool and refreshing taste.

Never boil coffee; it brings out the acid and causes a bitter taste.  Store ground coffee in the refrigerator or freezer to keep it fresh.

Always use COLD water for electric drip coffee makers.  Use 1 to 2 tablespoons ground coffee for each cup of water.

One lemon yields about 1/4 cup juice; one orange yields about 1/3 cup juice.  This is helpful in making fresh orange juice or lemonade.

Calorie-free club soda adds sparkle to iced fruit juices, makes them go further and reduces calories per portion.

You won't need sugar with your tea if you drink jasmine tea or any of the lighter-bodies varieties, like Formosa Oolong, which have their own natural sweetness.  They are fine for sugarless iced tea, too.

To cool your punch, float an ice ring made from the punch rather than using ice cubes.  Not only is this more decorative, but it also inhibits melting and diluting.

Become a Fan of Newby Realty on Facebook	Newby Realty - Manufactured Home Sales
Newby Realty provides sales of new and used manufactured (mobile) homes throughout Florida in Bradenton, Clearwater, Debary, Edgewater, Ellenton, Englewood, Fort Pierce, Hudson, Lakeland, N. Fort Myers, New Smyrna Beach, Ocala, Orange City, Palmetto, Port Charlotte, Port Richey, Sarasota, Winter Springs, Zephyrhills.

May Celebrations

Memorial Day or Decoration Day is observed, in most states of the United States, the last Monday in May. It is a legal holiday and is observed in memory of those who died while serving the United States in war. The graves of the war heroes are decorated with flowers. It was first observed in 1866.

Armed Forces Day is celebrated the third Saturday of May. The United States honors the men and women of the military services. The Armed Forces Day Celebration combined the Army, Navy, and the Air Force in 1950. Prior to that year, they had been held at separate times.

Mother's Day was first observed in 1908. It was designated by Presidential proclamation, and was recognized officially by Congress and the President in 1914. It is celebrated in honor of Mothers on the second Sunday of May.

The Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky. It is the most famous horse race in the United States.

Many Mexican Americans celebrate what they call Cinco De Mayo, on May 5th. It is the anniversary of the Mexican victory over the French at Puebla in 1862. It is a national holiday in Mexico.

Lily of the Valley (pictured) and Hawthorn are the flowers for the month of May.

Emerald is the birthstone for May.

Become a Fan of Newby Realty on Facebook	Newby Realty - Manufactured Home Sales
Newby Realty provides sales of new and used manufactured (mobile) homes throughout Florida in Bradenton, Clearwater, Debary, Edgewater, Ellenton, Englewood, Fort Pierce, Hudson, Lakeland, N. Fort Myers, New Smyrna Beach, Ocala, Orange City, Palmetto, Port Charlotte, Port Richey, Sarasota, Winter Springs, Zephyrhills.