Out and About

Recently, 11 Kendalites visited the “Women Dressing Women” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Met’s fall 2023 Costume Institute’s explores the creativity and artistic legacy of women fashion designers from its permanent collection, tracing a lineage of makers from the turn of the 20th century to the present day by highlighting celebrated designers, new voices, and forgotten histories alike.

Seasonal Riddles

Q: What falls but never gets hurt?

A: Snow

Q: Why is snow different from Sunday?

A: Snow can fall any day of the week.

Q: Why is the ocean like plum pudding?

A: They both contain “currants.”

Q: Which is faster, heat or cold?

A: Heat must be, because you can catch a cold.

Q: When is a ship like a huge pile of snow?

A: When it is adrift.

Q: What does everybody do at the same time?

A: Grow older.

 

Well, maybe that last one isn’t exactly seasonal.

Contributed by Greg Lozier

My Legacy, Poem and Collage by Sheila Benedis

My Legacy

Creating art

My primary activity in life

I celebrate my identity

Life and art merge

 

Nature has a voice

I hear the sound of birds

Feel the texture of the leaves

Hear the rustle of the wind

See imperfectly shaped leaves

organic shapes

golden ginkgo leaves

Curiosity aroused

 

I slow down

My passion for creative expression is ignited

Experiment with art making

Inspired by organic shapes

texture of ferns

Color of the leaves

Sounds like birds

 

Create artist books

I utilize handmade paper

Calligraphy

Layers of collage

Interweave words into poetry

Create beauty out of imperfection

I reuse collage elements

Each piece of creativity is used

 

I give physical form

To creative ideas

Nature and art merge

Create captivating visual and tactile artist books

 

I spread ideas through art

Share work with the world

Connect with

Impact others

Create a feeling of joy

My legacy to the future

Art by Hart

Next year's Taylor Swift contender has already started building her fan base

Celeste was a genius at training badly needed new staff

Missy wished her human caregiver would stop buying Chic and Trendy cat garments

Dunxan's new after-shave was bringing him unwanted attention

Preston family dinner were rarely relaxed

Art and photos by Jane Hart

Special Observances, December 18 - 24, 2023

December 18: Flake Appreciation Day

Flake Appreciation Day is a special US holiday to show appreciation for snowflakes. Really, now, how often do snowflakes get appreciation? Think it’s easy to fall all that distance? Think it’s fun? Go to all that trouble to make the winter landscape beautiful and what does the rest of the world do? It walks all over you. A Flake Appreciation Day is long overdue!

Snowflakes are beautiful, unique, and naturally occurring. They are created when water vapor in clouds freezes around dust particles due to humidity. There are 35 different categories of snowflakes, each with in complex shapes and sizes. As with human fingerprints, no 2 snowflakes are exactly alike.

Snowflakes have different numbers of water molecules, and it is these molecules which cause them to form a crystal pattern. A six-sided crystal snowflake is most common, but flat or thin needle-shaped flakes also form. Snowflakes have different amounts of oxygen and hydrogen, which also affects their shape. Although they are made of clear ice, they appear white because of diffuse reflection. Snowflakes can be studied by putting a chemical compound on a glass plate and waiting for a flake to land on it. Once one lands, the compound covers it and hardens. After the flake melts it leaves behind its shape.

Wilson Bentley was an important person in snowflake history. Born in Vermont, in 1865, Bentley used photomicrography — a type of photography that uses microscopes — to capture the images of 5,000 snowflakes. He found none were exactly alike and published articles and books of his findings. He also donated some of his photographs to the Smithsonian Institution. By the time of his death in 1931, he was known as the world’s leading snowflake expert and as “The Snowflake Man.”

A favorite of young and old alike, National Hard Candy Day recognizes the sweet tooth in all of us. Hard candy consists almost entirely of sugar. It is made by boiling sugar-based syrups — such as fructose, sucrose, and glucose — to about 320°F. After being removed from the heat, flavorings and dyes may be added, and the syrup is often poured into a mold to cool. When it has cooled off a bit, but is still pliable, it can be formed into a desired shape. After fully cooling — voila! — hard candy.

Many hard candies are lozenge shaped, and the flavor of hard candy lasts until the candy has completely melted in your mouth. Some popular hard candies include butterscotch, made primarily with brown sugar and butter; candy buttons, a hard candy attached to strips of paper; gobstoppers or jawbreakers; Jolly Ranchers; Life Savers; stick candy; Sweethearts, heart shaped candy popular around Valentines Day; lollipops; and candy cane and ribbon candy, popular near the holidays. In 2015, Jolly Rancher surpassed Werther's Original as the best-selling hard candy. Other popular hard candies brands include Dum Dum Pops, Life Savers, Tootsie Roll Pops, and Charms Blow Pop.

Hard candy became popular in the 17th century as sugar prices fell. Previously, hard candy was something that only the well-to-do could afford. By the mid-1800s, over 400 companies were manufacturing this popular treat. Today we consider hard candies a treat. However, the first of the ilk, such as lemon drops and peppermints, were likely prescribed as a remedy for stomach ailments.

Although most hard candy is full of sugar, there are some sugar-free varieties as well, which are made from substances such as isomalt, aspartame, saccharin, and xylitol.

On July 12, 2012, See’s Candies Lollypop Factory created the largest lollipop. It measured 4 feet 8.75 inches long and 3 feet 6 inches wide and 5 feet 11 inches high without the stick. The stick alone measured 11 feet 10 inches tall. As for candy canes, A. Fabiano's Chocolates and Ice Cream set the record on December 5, 1998, in Lansing, MI. The candy cane measured 36 feet 7 inches long and 4 inches in diameter. Hang that on your tree!

December 20: Poet Laureat Day

Ever since this date in 1985, the US has had an official position called Poet Laureate. A poet laureate is a poet who is officially appointed by a government to write poems for special events. It’s been a thing since the 1300s, and governments worldwide — large and small — have responded. The Poet is a Laureat because, originally, honored poets were “crowned” with a wreath of laurels, as was done for heros in Ancient Greece.

There are at least 18 nations who designate a poet laureat, including Canada, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Korea, Serbia, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Several parts-of-nations — states, counties, cities — also name official poets laureates

Currently, American poets laureate receive a $60,000 stipend. This was originally meant to provide a nice standard of living, to remove the cares and worries about making money, so that the poet could devote all of his or her time to writing poetry. However, the stipend was never adjusted for inflation; now it’s just a bonus, and poets laureate almost always get the bulk of their salaries from teaching at universities.

In the US, poets laureates have unusual “duties,” including overseeing a series of poetry readings at the Library of Congress and generally promoting poetry. The duties are unusual because American poets laureate are not required to write poems for events and patriotic holidays, which is the traditional poet laureate role. (They sometimes are moved to do so, however.)

At least 13 US states have poets laureate. In 1985, New York established a state poet laureate position, which is currently held by Patricia Spears Jones, who was appointed to a 2-year term in 2023. Spears Jones is the author of 5 collections of poetry. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Jackson Poetry Prize, fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York Foundation for the Arts.

The US Poet Laureat is appointed by the Librarian of Congress. In July 12, 2022, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden appointed Ada Limón as the 24th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress and reappointed her for a historic 2-year second term on April 24, 2023. Limón’s 2nd term began in September 2023 and will conclude in April 2025. Ada Limón was born in Sonoma, California, in 1976, of Mexican ancestry. She is the author of 6 poetry collections. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University and is the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, and the Kentucky Foundation for Women.

December 21: Crossword Puzzle Day

Sharpen your pencils and your minds, all in one go, on National Crossword Puzzle Day, commemorating the birth of the challenging word game enjoyed by millions wordwide. These amazing word twisters allow you to both expand your vocabulary and your problem-solving skills. There’s nothing like a crossword to start the day with your morning coffee, something to get the old gears going.

The phrase “cross word puzzle” was first written in the US in 1862 by Our Young Folks magazine. Crossword-like puzzles, for example “Double Diamond Puzzles,” appeared in the magazine St. Nicholas since 1873. Another crossword puzzle appeared on September 14, 1890, in the Italian magazine Il Secolo Illustrato della Domenica. It was designed by Giuseppe Airoldi and titled “Per passare il tempo” (“To pass the time”). Airoldi’s puzzle was a 4-by-4 grid with no shaded squares; it included horizontal and vertical clues. Crosswords in England during the 19th century were of an elementary kind, apparently derived from the word square, a group of words arranged so the letters read alike vertically and horizontally, and printed in children’s puzzle books and various periodicals.

On December 21, 1913, Arthur Wynne, a journalist born in Liverpool, England, published a “word-cross” puzzle in the New York World that embodied most of the features of the modern genre. This puzzle is frequently cited as the first crossword puzzle, and Wynne as the inventor. An illustrator later reversed the “word-cross” name to “cross-word.” The term crossword first appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1933.

Crossword puzzles became a regular weekly feature in the New York World, and spread to other newspapers. The Pittsburgh Press, for example, was publishing them at least as early as 1916, and The Boston Globe by 1917. By the 1920s, the crossword phenomenon was starting to attract notice. The first book of crossword puzzles was published by Simon & Schuster in 1924, after a suggestion from co-founder Richard Simon’s aunt. Initially skeptical that the book would succeed, the publisher only printed a small run at first. The book included a pencil and was an instant hit, leading crossword puzzles to become a craze of 1924. To help promote its books, Simon & Schuster also founded the Amateur Cross Word Puzzle League of America, which began the process of developing standards for puzzle design.

In The New Yorker’s inaugural issue, in 1925, the “Jottings About Town” section observed, “Judging from the number of solvers in the subway and ‘L’ trains, the crossword puzzle bids fair to become a fad with New Yorkers.” The same year, the New York Public Library reported that “The latest craze to strike libraries is the crossword puzzle,” and complained that when “the puzzle ‘fans’ swarm to the dictionaries and encyclopedias so as to drive away readers and students who need these books in their daily work, can there be any doubt of the Library’s duty to protect its legitimate readers?” A 1924 New York Times editorial complained of the “sinful waste in the utterly futile finding of words the letters of which will fit into a prearranged pattern, more or less complex.” A clergyman called the working of crossword puzzles “the mark of a childish mentality” and added, “There is no use for persons to pretend that working one of the puzzles carries any intellectual value with it.”

However, by 1925, 9 Manhattan dailies and 14 other big newspapers were carrying crosswords, and quoted opposing views as to whether “This crossword craze will positively end by June!” or “The crossword puzzle is here to stay!” The New York Times finally finally ended its criticism of crossword puzzles and began to publish its own on 15 February 1942, spurred on by the idea that the puzzle could be a welcome distraction from the harsh news of World War II.

The British cryptic crossword was imported to the US in 1968 by composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim in New York magazine. A cryptic crossword is a crossword puzzle in which each clue is itself a word puzzle. Until 2006, The Atlantic Monthly regularly featured a cryptic crossword “puzzler.”

Many tout the benefits of crossword puzzles. Not only are they fun, but challenging crossword puzzles may help delay the effects of dementia or sharpen the brain for problem-solving. They can also increase vocabulary and even relieve the mind from the day’s stress by focusing on something other than worldly problems.

December 22: National Date Nut Bread Day

On National Date Nut Bread Day, we celebrate the healthy, wholesome, and flavorful bread enjoyed for breakfast, snack time, and as a dessert.

Date nut bread is pretty much self-explanatory: dates and nuts — such as walnuts and pecans — are thrown into the mix and baked to perfection. Dates, or date palms, have been cultivated in the Middle East and Indus Valley since as early as 4,000 BC, and probably originated around Iraq. Dates spread to South West Asia, northern Africa, and Spain through trade, and were brought to Mexico and California by the Spaniards in 1765. There are 3 variations of dates: soft, dry, and semi-dry. Dates provide essential nutrients and are an excellent source of dietary potassium. In ripe dates, the sugar content is about 80% of the fruit. The remainder of the date consists of protein, fiber, and trace elements of boron, cobalt, copper, fluorine, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc. Many nuts are also good sources of vitamins E and B2. And they are rich in protein, folate fiber, and essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium. Several studies have shown that those who consume nuts on a regular basis are less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease.

One type of date nut bread — date and walnut loaf — is traditionally eaten in Britain along with a cup of tea. The loaf is made with treacle (a sugary syrup), along with dates and walnuts. It is also popular in Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand.

In the US, date nut bread is also popular, especially around the holidays. One reason that National Date Nut Days takes place on December 22 is likely because it is close to the holiday season.

Printed recipes for date nut bread go back as far as the 1920s, but bread baked with fruit was eaten in various parts of the world long before that. It is widely believed that date nut bread was originally baked and first became popular in England. Date nut bread is packed with flavor and nutritious ingredients, without being overwhelmingly sweet. For an added punch, cheese frosting is often used as a topping or filling.

December 23: National Roots Day

Your family roots are one of the components that helped shape you into who you are today. It’s possible that relatives from centuries ago possessed values that they passed to their children, that continued down the line, that you count as your own values today. Similarly, choices that they made, such as where to move to, might have influenced where you were born. The roots closest to you, your parents and grandparents, likely have had the biggest impact on your life, and if you have children of your own, you are the roots that will have the largest impact on them. On National Roots Day, a day set aside in recognition of family heritage, we celebrate our roots, and learn about our ancestors and from them.

Appropriately, National Roots Day takes place during the time referred to as the holiday season, when relatives — siblings, parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, adult children, and grandchildren — spend much of their time together, like a living family tree. Gather photos — and get them labeled before memories fade. Names, places, and dates become fuzzy after a decade or 2. Strive to involve every generation. Share struggles and accomplishments. Document stories from one generation to another. Each generation is made up of the previous generation’s efforts, travels, failures, and successes.

You may need to do some research on your own to gain a more complete understanding of your family heritage. You may find yourself poring over documents in a local library, historical society, or courthouse, or spending time on newspaper databases or genealogical websites such as Ancestry. You may ask yourself and find answers to questions like: Who were these people? How did they get here? What did they do for work? What were their successes and failures? You may even come across striking stories and fascinating events about an individual in your family or you may find out that you are related to someone of historical importance. The fruits of your labor on National Roots Day may be something intangible — like inspiration from those who came before you — or may be tangible, like a new genealogy account of your family. At the very least, through exploration and investigation, you’ll come to a better understanding of your roots.

December 24: National Eggnog Day

Eggnog — also known as egg nog or egg-nog, and milk punch or egg milk punch when alcohol is added — is usually made with milk, cream, sugar, and whipped eggs. It can be homemade or purchased at the store, and distilled spirits such as rum, brandy, whiskey, and bourbon are often added. Homemade recipes vary, and since they often use raw eggs, there is a concern that the eggs may contain salmonella, which may lead to food poisoning. The commercial variety usually contains less cream and eggs than the homemade version, and thickeners such as gelatin are used instead. Eggnog is often topped with cinnamon and nutmeg, and is sometimes topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, or a vanilla pod. Popular in the US during the holiday season — from Thanksgiving until the new year — it is usually served cold, but can be served warm. It can also be added to other drinks such as coffee.

The history of eggnog is debated, but the drink seems to have come from a British drink called posset, which was popular from medieval times until the 19th century. It consisted of hot milk with wine or ale; eggs were sometimes added. As it used expensive ingredients, it was popular with the rich, and they often used the drink in toasts.

In and Around Kendal

A Hudson Late Fall View

Photo by Art Brady

A Red-Letter Day

November 26 was a red-letter day in so many ways. Yes, Nancy Gibbs came to speak to us about the 2024 election, but that wasn’t all. Her mother — and Kendalite — Janet Gibbs celebrated her 100th birthday that day, as well. And there was cake and singing and all kinds of celebrating to prove it! Happy Birthday, Janet!

Photos by Art Brady

Pot Glück im Bistro

German Conversation regulars celebrated the holiday season with some good old-fashioned German fare, or, as we say in German (or maybe not): Deutsche Spezialitäten

Schmeckt gut!

Winter Rockland Vistas

Radient “Arms”

Photos by Edward Kasinec

Out and About

On December 6, a dozen Kendalites boarded the van for a docent-led tour of The William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation Art Collection. Included in the collection is the sculpture of Raymond Mason. A British sculptor, Mason’s work is rooted in a lifelong and sympathetic recording of people, faces, crowds, and the places in which he lived. The sculpture pictured here is a street scene following an explosion in a coal mine. (The figures are approximately 12” high.)

Photos by Harry Bloomfeld

December 12: SSAFE Open Forum for a Sustainable Future

You Are Invited:

SSAFE OPEN FORUM

Tuesday, December 12, 2:30 pm

Gathering Room

Kendalites (from Hanover and Oberlin) Mary Burton and Ted Wolner, the Co-chairs of Senior Stewards Acting for the Environment (SSAFE), are coming to Kendal on Hudson to inform us about the organization and its vital work. SSAFE is a 501 c3 organization that connects Kendal residents from across the country to share research, case studies, and strategies to move us toward a more sustainable future.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Ted and Mary are also inviting residents to share breakfast, lunch or dinner with them in the Bistro on December 11 or 12. Come on down!

Want to know more about SSAFE? Click below for their website:

Have questions? Want more information? Contact:

Betsy Ungar, sweetjorja@gmail.com,

Anne White, awhitepho@gmail.com

Ain't That Punny

Puns for Educated Minds . . .

1. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: “You stay here; I'll go on a head.”

2. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

3. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: Keep off the Grass.

4. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

5. A backward poet writes inverse.

6. In a democracy it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism it’s your Count that votes.

7. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

8. If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you’d be in Seine.

9. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at him and says, I’m sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger.

10. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says, “Dam!”

11. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can’t have your kayak and heat it too.

12. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, “I’ve lost my electron.” The other asks, “Are you sure?” The first replies, “Yes, I’m positive.”

13. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.

14. There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

Contributed by Mimi Abramovitz

You Read It First Here: Holiday Eating Tips

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls. 

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly; it's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So, drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s the Holiday Season! 

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat. 

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission. 

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog. 

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again. 

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert, Labor Day? 

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards. 

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.  

Remember this motto to live by: 

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate and wine in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming " WOO HOO what a ride!"

Originally written by Hunter S. Thompson; contributed by Margaret Ann Roth

Unique Gifts Right Here in Town . . .

Ever heard of Makers Central? “Makers” because that’s what they do. And “Central” because it’s right on Central Avenue in Tarrytown. What is a Makers Market? It’s “a group of craftsmen, creating well-designed, long-lasting, and either organic, sustainable, or ethically produced products that have modern but heritage-inspired.” Makers Markets are all over the country—and we have one here.

And they have a Holiday Market!

Want to know more about the Holiday Makers Market? Click the button below.

Want to know more about Makers Central? Click the button below.

Justice, Poem and Collage by Sheila Benedis

justice

struggling with

primal feelings

pain

rage

despair

 

suffering

overpowering anger

overwhelming grief

 

where is restraint

where is civilized behavior

where is justice

 

Palestinians are suffering

Israelis are suffering

Innocent life is lost in the process

 

why have a future for just one people

on the land

is this humane

is this moral

 

where is hope for a just future

seeds of coexistence

everyone has rights

 

let us reach out with poetry

to soften hearts

recognize all people

Palestinians

Israelis

 

does each deserve

a land of his own

a two state solution

 

where is justice

where is coexistence

the only alternative to violence

the only way forward

Special Observances, December 11 - 17, 2023

December 11: UNICEF Birthday

Around the world on December 11, people celebrate UNICEF’s Birthday, commemorating the day it was created in 1946. UNICEF, or the United Nations Children’s Fund, was initially organized by the UN to provide emergency food and healthcare to children and mothers in countries devastated by World War II. In 1950, UNICEF’s mission was expanded to confront the long-term needs of women and children, especially in developing countries. In 1953, the organization became an established component of the UN system.  Now — with a presence in 192 countries and territories — the agency has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing healthcare and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more. Along with saving children’s lives, UNICEF defends the rights of children. The humanitarian organization believes children have the following rights:

  • grow up in a safe and inclusive environment.

  • survive and thrive

  • learn

  • fulfill their potential

UNICEF relies entirely on contributions from governments and private donors. In 2022, total contributions to UNICEF were $9.3 billion. The public sector contributed the largest share: $6.5 billion from government, inter-governmental and inter-organizational partners, as well as Global Programme Partnerships. The organization consists of government representatives appointed by the UN Economic and Social Council, generally for 3-year terms. The members on the executive board establish policies, approve programs, and oversee administrative and financial plans.

UNICEF has and continues to contribute greatly to humanitarian causes around the world. Among the top UNICEF achievements in 2022, were:

  • 356.3 million children under 5 benefited from UNICEF anti-malnutrition programs

  • 77.9 million children were vaccinated against measles

  • UNICEF continued to lead COVAX, the largest vaccine operation in history, delivering 877.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses

  • 37.9 million otherwise-out-of-school children and adolescents (49% girls) were able to access education

  • Community-based mental health and psychosocial support services more than doubled to 25.2 from 12 million in 2021

  • Disability-inclusive programs reached over 4.5 million children in 142 countries

For its contribution to humanity, UNICEF has received outstanding recognition for its work, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965, the Indira Gandhi Prize in 1989, and the Princess of Asturias Award in 2006.

December 12: Gingerbread House Day

Today we celebrate gingerbread houses, which are fun to both build and eat. Gingerbread is a broad category of baked goods baked and flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and gingers. Molasses, sugar, and honey are also used to sweeten the gingerbread. Gingerbread foods can range from something resembling a ginger snap to a very moist and soft loaf cake. Experts agree that ginger has been seasoning foodstuffs and drinks since antiquity. Gingerbread was first baked in Europe at the end of the 11th century when returning crusaders brought back spicy bread from the Middle East. Ginger was not only tasty; it had properties that helped preserve the bread.

Gingerbread was also considered a form of popular art in Europe. Creating gingerbread figurines dates back to the 15th century; baking human-shaped cookies back to the 16th century. Molds often displayed actual happenings, portraying new rulers, their children, spouses, and parties. Substantial mold collections are held at the Ethnographic Museum in Toruń, Poland, and the Bread Museum in Ulm, Germany.

In many European countries, gingerbread bakers were a distinct component of the bakers’ guild. Gingerbread baking developed into an acknowledged profession. In the 17th century, only professional gingerbread bakers were permitted to bake gingerbread, except at Christmas and Easter. In Europe, gingerbreadsshaped like hearts, stars, soldiers, trumpets, swords, pistols and animals were sold in special shops and seasonal markets. Today, in Germany, the Christmas markets still sell decorated gingerbread before Christmas.

It was in Germany that the tradition of making gingerbread houses started in the early 1800s. A good deal of the enthusiasm came from the well-known Grimm’s fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. German bakers began baking ornamented fairy-tale houses made from gingerbread. They custom was brought over to America by German immigrants and became popular during the Christmas season. Gingerbread houses are made and enjoyed by cooks with any level of culinary or artistic skill, from professional bakers to small children, who are often assisted by their parents or other adults (with any luck). Lebkuchenhaus or Pfefferkuchenhaus are the German terms for a gingerbread house.

Gingerbread house contests are often held around this time of year. The Hudson Valley Gingerbread Competition took place at the Mohonk Mountain House in National Gingerbread House Competition, for example, on December 10 in New Paltz, NY. Results will be on view this week (check here). The gingerbread town in Bergen, Norway and Gingertown (click here) in Washington, DC, are 2 more examples.

December 13: National Cocoa Day

National Cocoa Day celebrates hot cocoa. The day fittingly takes place in December, since the drink is often associated with cold weather. Although the terms “hot chocolate” and “hot cocoa” are often used interchangeably, there technically is a difference between the two — one often overlooked in stores that mislabel them, most often with hot cocoa labeled as hot chocolate. The difference lies in the ingredients: hot chocolate contains cocoa butter, hot cocoa does not. Hot cocoa uses cocoa powder that is made by removing cocoa butter from ground cocoa beans. A paste called chocolate liquor is created through the fermentation, drying, roasting, and grinding process of cocoa beans. Through another method, they separate cocoa butter, leaving cocoa powder. We use this cocoa powder to make hot cocoa. The result has very little fat and calories. Hot chocolate is made from bar chocolate, which has cocoa powder, sugar, and cocoa butter in it. These differences give both their distinct flavor and texture. Hot cocoa is thinner and more chocolatey, but less rich. The richness in hot chocolate comes from the higher fat content in the cocoa butter.

The Mayans get credit for the first chocolate beverage, around 500 BC, although some experts believe chocolate drinks predate even them. The Mayans ground cocoa seeds into a paste and mixed it with ingredients such as water, chili peppers, and cornmeal and drank it cold. By 1,400 CE, a cocoa beverage called xocōlātl was important to the Aztecs, an acquired taste since sugar wasn’t then known in the Americas. In the following century, the recently arrived Spaniards began drinking it, also served cold and was flavored and with vanilla and spices. Hernán Cortés brought cocoa beans and chocolate drink making equipment back with him to Spain in 1528. Xocōlātl became popular — and expensive — drink for the upper class since cocoa beans still only grew in the Americas. It’s believed that cocoa was first served hot the late 16th century.

In 1828, the first cocoa powder producing machine was developed. It separated cocoa butter from cocoa seeds, leaving purer chocolate powder behind, making the powder easier to stir into milk and water, giving it a consistency similar to today’s instant cocoa powder. Also at this time, solid chocolate began being made, when low amounts of cocoa powder was mixed with cocoa butter, leading to the creation of hot chocolate.

Today, hot cocoa is made with hot milk or water, and cocoa powder, which is sweetened with sugar or left unsweetened. Instant hot cocoa powder often contains powdered milk, sugar, and cocoa, which is mixed with water. When not the instant kind, hot cocoa can be made by mixing cocoa powder, sugar, and cream, at the bottom of a cup to make a paste. Hot water is then added to give a smooth consistency, and often topped with marshmallows, whipped cream, or a piece of chocolate.

Hot cocoa has numerous health benefits. Cocoa contains many antioxidants, which fight cancer and heart disease. It also has flavonoids: healthy for blood vessels, protecting them from free radical damage. Cocoa may also help with digestion. Centuries past, hot cocoa was used as medicine for things such as fever and liver disease. However, some recipes have lots of sugar, which negates health benefits.

The 3 prominent varieties of cocoa plants are Forastero, Trinitario, and Criollo. Forastero contributes to up to 90% of the world’s cocoa production. Trinitario originated from Trinidad and is a hybrid variety of cocoa. Criollo, mostly cultivated in Venezuela, is prone to diseases and less common. Trinitario ranks highest in quality and, when compared to the other 2, produces higher yields due to its disease-resistant nature.

December 14: National Bouillabaisse Day

The French are known for many great recipes. Their food inspires travel to France for a taste of authentic dishes. Bouillabaisse tops the list of must-have cuisine while visiting France.

The tasty stew originates in the port city of Marseille. Bouillabaisse comes from the word bolhir—"to boil” — and abaissar — “to reduce heat or simmer.” Why? Because, in making it, broth is first boiled, and then different types of fish are added, and the heat reduced to a simmer. Strong opinions bounce around the proper ingredients for an authentic bouillabaisse. One is the type of fish. Typically, cooks use red rascasse, sea robin, or European conger. Also up for debate is the type of wine (red or white). Feelings run high on both subjects. There’s also an argument about the soup’s origins. Did a Greek goddess create the stew? Or does the credit belong to coastal fishermen who threw the ingredients together from unsold bony rockfish? Much like the history of National Bouillabaisse Day, this stew’s history is also lost to time.

By the 19th century, the dish was being served in restaurants and hotels, and being eaten by members of the upper class. By this time, fish stock had replaced the boiling water, and saffron was added. Bouillabaisse spread to Paris, and then around the world, and was adapted to local tastes and ingredients.

A traditional bouillabaisse starts with a Provencal soup base, which includes herbs and spices available in Provence, including garlic, tomatoes, fennel, thyme, bay, saffron, olive oil, onions, and of course, the fish. It may also have dried orange peel and a hit of wine in it. The fish depends on what is locally available at the time. Could be rockfish, Grondin, Red Gurnard, Greater Weever, and sea urchins. Of course, traditional bouillabaisse isn’t the only way the soup can be made. There are a variety of other recipes. There’s New England stye, with lobster and mussel, Cajun style, and Italian style bouillabaisse.

December 15: Cat Herders Day

“It’s like herding cats!?” Often that’s the cry when someone’s working to organize or control something uncontrollable. It is unclear exactly when this idiom started being used. It may have been inspired by Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979), and seems to have begun being used in the 1980s by the information technology industry. A popular early phrase was “Managing senior programmers is like herding cats.” Herding cats even became the subject of a popular 2000 Super Bowl commercial for EDS (and you can watch it by clicking here).

At work or in life in general, you may feel like you have one thing in line and then something else goes wrong. Just as if you had a bunch of cats in front of you. Sometimes you may get one or a few of them to stand where you want ‘em, but eventually one will run off, and you’ll have to stop everything and go get it. While you’re doing that, another one scoots off in another direction. It isn’t easy herding cats. The creators of this holiday explained it by saying, “If you can say that your job, or even your life, is like trying to herd cats, then this day is for you, with our sympathy.” As far as we know, there’s no one out there who’s actually a professional cat herder. If there were, this day would actually be for those folks. Instead, this is a day for everyone who has to face the frustration of trying to manage the unmanageable, anyone whose day-to-day life involves insurmountable tasks.

So, who belongs to this lucky cat herding group who spend their lives on horseback searching the barren lands for cats to round up? Originally it referred to project managers of one kind or another, corporate staff, that sort of thing. But the concept has broadened to include anyone who feels they might be under appreciated. Care workers, house moms and dads, factory workers, taxi drivers, office staff with piles of folders, or call-center folk with targets to hit, Kendal committee members, or someone just trying to get packages in the mail for the holidays. If you’re a member of this unfortunate group it’s time to count yourself lucky, because December 15, all day, every year, belongs entirely to you. And the cats.

December 16: National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day

Since December 13 was National Cocoa Day, when we make the distinction between cocoa and chocolate, it seems only right to give chocolate a chance to shine, as well. Hence National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. From the conventional to the bizarre, anything can be covered with chocolate on Chocolate Covered Anything Day. The day provides the perfect excuse to eat chocolate, whether dark, milk, or white. Any number of food items can be dipped in chocolate, or chocolate can be poured or drizzled on the food. A chocolate fountain can also be used to spread chocolate. And there’s always fondue.

Some foods known to be covered with chocolate include fruits such as strawberries, bananas, pineapple, and mandarin oranges; snack foods like pretzels, nuts, and potato chips; breakfast foods like bacon and waffles; vegetables like jalapenos and onions; and desserts like marshmallows, cookies, Rice Krispies Treats, and Twinkies. People have even been known to cover ants and scorpions with chocolate. Before covering a food, the chocolate may first be melted on the stove or in the microwave. Way back when, it’s said the Aztecs dyed hot chocolate red and flavored it with chili peppers, but can you dip an entire chili pepper in chocolate? Up to you. National Chocolate-covered Anything Day doesn’t have constraints. There are no rules. It’s all fair game. Mostly.

December 17: National Maple Syrup Day

Maple syrup is used on breakfast foods like pancakes, waffles, and French toast, and can be added to many dishes as a sweetener. It can even be poured on top of ice cream for dessert. Today, you can use a little more of it than usual. After all, it’s National Maple Syrup Day.

Maple syrup is made from the sap of sugar maple trees (also known as rock maples or hard maples). Maple syrup is a North American product. Canada produces most of it; in the US, VT is the top producer, followed by NY.

The origins of the production of maple syrup can be traced back thousands of years to the northeastern region of the continent. There, it was first produced from the abundant maple tree population by indigenous peoples. While it is uncertain how and why exactly the extraction process first began, it is inarguable that maple sap became a key ingredient in a variety of dishes. By the 1720s, colonists learned the technique, which became known as sugaring. After the late-winter thaw allowed the sap to begin flowing through the maple trees, they would gash the trunks and guide the sap into troughs, then be boiled it over fires. Using maple as a sweetener was done in part to save money, since cane sugar from the West Indies was more expensive. This especially was the case after 1764, when the Sugar Act placed high duties on imported sugar. Following the American Revolution, the production of maple syrup boomed, and becoming a primary source of sweetening. Besides being used as a syrup, it was used to make candy and molasses and was even used in beer and wine.

Sugaring these days is a popular social ritual, particularly in New England. Professional and amateur sugarers collect sap from a group of maple trees called a sugar bush, and take it back to a sugarhouse (aka sugar shack, sugar shanty, or cabane à sucre) to be boiled down. It takes about 35 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. Sap harvests and demonstrations are often held. Some of the sap is often boiled down at the demonstrations, with free samples being given out.

Today, the maple syrup is consumed across the globe. And production chains have even sprung up in countries like Japan and South Korea. Canada now produces the vast majority of the world’s maple syrup supply with its total exports valued at more than $270 million.

If you’re going to celebrate National Maple Syrup Day, then you’re probably going to want to entertain friends and family with some maple syrup trivia. We say, go for it! And just to help you out, here are basic facts:

  • One liter of maple syrup requires about 40-liters of maple sap

  • A maple tree has to be at least 40-years old before it can be tapped

  • Only 3 of 13 Canadian maple tree species are used for maple syrup

  • 2/3 of the world’s maple syrup is produced in Quebec, Canada

  • Stored properly, maple syrup that’s been opened can last several years

A lot of syrup that is used today is no longer pure maple syrup and is often made with other sweeteners. It must be labeled as such and is often known as pancake syrup. So check before you buy!

In and Around Kendal

Perfect Cut

Photo by Edward Kasinec

Carolyn’s Christmas Cactus

The following note came through Res Web’s gmail along with the picture below: “I am a 60-year-old Christmas cactus, and this is my first holiday season. I’m so happy to be here with Allie and Carolyn Reiss that I am blooming for the first time in 7 years. Feel free to come visit if you want to see me in my full glory! I love attention.”

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Photographs of life at Kendal on Hudson are by residents.