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Head Cheese

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 By Bruce Shawkey Jones Dairy Farm in Fort Atkinson used to sell a product called Head Cheese. (left). Apparently,, there is so little demand for it any more, they no longer sell it. Head cheese (Dutch: hoofdkaas) or brawn is a cold cut terrine or meat jelly that originated in Europe, possibly Germany or the Netherlands. It is made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig (less commonly a sheep or cow), typically set in aspic, and usually eaten cold, at room temperature, or in a sandwich. Despite its name the dish is not a cheese and contains no dairy products. The parts of the head used vary, and may include the tongue but do not commonly include the brain, eyes or ears. Trimmings from more commonly eaten cuts of pork and veal are often used, and sometimes the feet and heart, with gelatin added as a binder. Variations of head cheese exist throughout Europe and elsewhere, with differences in preparation and ingredients. A version pickled with vinegar is known as souse. Historically, m
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Ritz Cracker Mock Apple Pie

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 By Bruce Shawkey For many years, I noticed a recipe on the box of Ritz Crackers for something called "Mock Apple Pie." It never occurred to me that apples were ever in such short supply that Ritz crackers would be cheaper.But I guess apples were in short supply during World War II which was when this rather weird recipe was invented. Wartime rationing made basic staples such as apples, cheese and onions increasingly rare and elusive commodities. The recipe apparently became so popular that Ritz continued with it until 1993. The trick to this pie is all in the flavoring. When you break up buttery Ritz crackers and cover them with lemon and vanilla flavored simple syrup, then sprinkle them with cinnamon, the resulting filling is quite similar in texture to a soft and tender apple pie. Here is the recipe, modernized a bit, by using ready-made pie crusts For the Crust:  2 unbaked pie crusts, such as Pillsbury For the Filling: 2 cups sugar 1 3/4 cups water 2 teaspoons cream of ta
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Uncle Sam Cash Register Bank

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 By Bruce Shawkey One of my favorite toys growing up was my Uncle Sam cash register bank. It took nickels, dimes, and quarters. When it reaches $10, you could empty the coins from out the panel on the bottom, which I thought was a good chunk of change at the time. The first Uncle Sam banks appeared in 1907, a product of the Durable Toy & Novelty Company, which had offices in Cleveland, Ohio and Hackensack, New Jersey. True to the company's name, the banks were made of heavy gauge steel with enamel paint, making them quite rugged and kid-proof. Mine was painted fire-engine red, but they came in many colors. The first models were single-coin only. For example, the Penny Register Bank opened after a $1 worth of pennies was deposited, while the Dime Register Bank opened after $10 worth of dimes was saved. In 1923, Durable introduced the three-coin model – first in black and then in four other colors.
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Living the Seeet Life

 Here is an article on living the sweet life, generated by artificial intelligence.  Amazing stuff! Very similar to the stuff found in my own book, The Sweet Life on $15K a year Embracing the Sweet Life: Finding Joy in Everyday Moments In a world often characterized by hustle and bustle, stress and uncertainty, the pursuit of a sweet life — a life filled with joy, contentment, and fulfillment — can sometimes feel like an elusive dream. However, amidst the chaos, there exists a path to living more sweetly, one that involves a shift in perspective, a mindful appreciation of the present moment, and a commitment to finding joy in even the smallest of experiences. Living the sweet life is not about constant extravagance or unattainable perfection; rather, it is a journey of cultivating gratitude, fostering connections, and savoring the simple pleasures that surround us each day. Here are some ways to embrace the sweet life and infuse your days with a little more sweetness: Practice Gratitud
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2001: A Space Odysee

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  I was 13 years old when the movie came out in 1968. One of the more intriguing images in the movie was the sporadic appearance of the monolith,  which for many years has mystified me and was a little too much for a 13-year old to comprehend. As with many elements of the film, the monolith has been subject to numerous interpretations. The Monolith in the movie seems to represent and even trigger epic transitions in the history of human evolution, evolution of humans from ape-like beings to civilized people, hence the odyssey of humankind. In the final segment of the movie, the monolith appears to "Dave," who is an astronaut traveling on a space mission, and must de-activate "Hal 9000," a supercomputer who is running the space mission and has apparently taken over the mission in an act of self-preservation.  Arthur C. Clarke, author of "2001," probably didn't realize it, but he stumbled upon the notion of artificial intelligence (AI), which 56 years la
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Jerri Nielsen: Icebound

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 By Bruce Shawkey Just bought a copy of Icebound, by Dr. Jerri Nielsen. This true story takes place in 1998. She is the resident doctor at the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. T he station is physically cut off from the rest of the world. During her stay there,  she develops breast cancer. Nielsen teleconferenced with medical personnel in the United States and had to operate on herself in order to extract tissue samples for analysis. A military plane was later dispatched to the pole to airdrop equipment and medications. Her condition remained life-threatening, and the first plane to land at the station in the spring was sent several weeks earlier than planned, despite adverse weather conditions, to take her to the U.S. as soon as possible. Her ordeal attracted a great amount of attention from the media, and Nielsen later wrote this book recounting her story. Things at the station are all fine at first, and it's fun to read about Nielsen's every-day life. She treats her variou
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Malt-O-Meal

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 By Bruce Shawkey One of my fave hot breakfast cereals is Malt-O-Meal. It was invented in 1919 by John Campbell. a miller in Owatonna, Minnesota. He invented a combination of farina wheat and malted barley. Campbell intended to compete with Cream of Wheat. I like to make it extra thick and add brown sugar and pecans and/or raisins to make it a little more interesting. There are different flavors of  Malt-O-Meal, including chocolate and maple/brown sugar, but I like the original the best. The company has, over the years, diversified into the cold cereal market and currently manufactures 30 brands, including  Berry Bunch Crunch Berry Colossal Crunch,  Birthday Cake Dyno-Bites, Chocolate Marshmallow Mateys (features real cocoa in the cereal pieces with added marshmallow bits), and Cinnamon Toasters. These are intended for kids and loaded with sugar and are of no interest to me. But it's interesting to note that  Malt-O-Meal brands was sold in 2015 for  $1.15 billion to the Post cereal
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