Fall Tasty Tips from Tina
October 27, 2009
When I was growing up I have great memories of visiting the relatives around the holidays. You would never go empty handed. You knew that on Thanksgiving you were going to get a container of lupines from Uncle Vince. Not until I got older did it finally dawn on me that my family really didn’t like lupines but because Uncle Vince did, he brought them. Lupines come in a clear jar. They look like a large yellow kidney bean but harder and have a clear skin over them. You would take a couple of lupines, pop them out of the skin, salt the bean and eat them. The best part of eating a lupine was popping it out of its shell. The worst part of eating a lupine.. was eating a lupine, but heaven forbid the grownups would let you enjoy yourself and shoot the little buggers at your cousins. I also remember my Grandmother’s bracciole. Bracciole is, for lack of a better term, stuffed steak. Awesome! You know how most normal grandma’s make banana bread and share it, not my Italian grandma. Angeline would make bracciole and bring it to people. There was the Justice of the Peace, Mr. Jappalucci and of course, Mr. Graziano, the funeral director. She pretty much had an “in” with some of the more “influential” people in the community. No wonder. Her braccioli was something special.
Bracciole
1 1/2 lbs top round steak
2 tblsp. parsley
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 loaf Italian bread hardened and soaked [run under water then squeeze the water out] [pull into little pieces]
2 tblsp. parmesan cheese
1 lb bacon diced
1 tsp. salt
1 tblsp. course ground pepper
3 tblsp. olive oil
3 tblsp. butter
2 cans tomato sauce
Cut steak into 4 to 6 pieces. Pound the steak thinly to about 1/4 in thick and rub with pepper. Mix the parsley, garlic, cheese and diced bacon. Add the bread. Mix well. Spread bread mixture evenly on meat. Roll up meat and tie with string. In a large skillet heat oil and butter. Brown meat for about 10 minutes. Add tomato sauce, cover and cook on med/low heat for about 45 minutes to an hour until tender.
Italian Green Beans
Fresh or frozen beans
1/2 stick butter
2 cloves garlic minced
Parmesan cheese
In medium skillet melt butter and add garlic. Add the green beans and cook until tender. Remove and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
What to do with all the delicious apples?
Cheddar-Apple Bundles
Ingredients:
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups white shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ cup butter, cut up
6-8 Tbsp. cold water
2 medium Granny Smith or Jonathan apples
(Peeled, cored & chopped)
2 Tbsp. apricot preserves
Prep:
1. Combine brown sugar & pecans, set aside. In processor combine flour, ½ cup of the cheese, granulated sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt; cover & process with several on/offs turns until size of small peas. With processor running slowly add water to make dough come together in a ball. Gently knead until smooth.
2. 2. Preheat oven to 400º. Divide dough in 8 pieces. For each bundle, (on floured surface) roll dough in 8-inch circle. Place 3 tablespoons cheese & ¼ cup apple in center. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon nut mixture. Bring dough edged and press together to seal; sealed sides up. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes or until pastry is golden. Spoon preserve on each bundle. Cool 20 minutes. Serve warm (From: Betty Crocker prize fall recipe)
October Game Time
October 27, 2009
Hello again, we’re smack dab in the middle of football season, the World Series is here, it’s time to catch up on all the last months sports.
LOCAL SPORTS
In local sports, we’ll start out with the Catoctin High School Football Cougars. The varsity Cougars are having a terrific undefeated season with 2 games to go. Recently, the varsity squad had a come from behind 20-14 win in the mud and rain vs. their rivals the Walkersville Lions. Next up they have Middletown and Brunswick to finish up the season. In J.V. action the Cougars are also undefeated with a 6-0 record, while the 9th grade Cougars currently sit at 4-2. The Cougars coaching staffs have really done a great job preparing these young men, Congratulations guys and coaches!
In CYA football action, the varsity Cougars won their division with a 6-3 record, while the J.V. team finished up a 2-7 and the Pony Cougars 4-5. Congrats to all the teams, especially the Varsity on their first place finish.
NATIONAL SPORTS
The 2009 Major League postseason is here, and the participants from the American League were the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels and the New York Yankees. In the National League, the teams were the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Philadelphia Phillies. In the N.L. Division Series, the Dodgers swept the Cardinals 3-0, while the Phillies beat the Rockies 3-1 to advance. In the A.L., the Angels swept the Dodgers 3-0, while the Yankees swept the Twins to advance to the Division Series. In the National League, the Phillies were led by slugger Ryan Howard over the Dodgers 4-1 to advance to the World Series against the New York Yankees (and umpires). The Yankees were led by C.C. Sabathia, and admitted steroid user Alex ROIDriguez. Let’s hope the playing field is level and FAIR for the series, I know the umpires sometimes have problems with fair or foul.
In NASCAR action this seasons boring Chase has continued with virtually the same 5 guys competing every week. NASCAR, please do something to bring the excitement back. A crash every now and then might even help keep us awake through the entire race. Recent winners included Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Tony Stewart. With 5 races to go, Johnson is pulling away for his unprecedented 4th title in a row.
The top 12 as of now is:
- 1. Jimmie Johnson
- 2. Mark Martin
- 3. Jeff Gordon
- 4. Tony Stewart
- 5. Kurt Busch
- 6. Juan Pablo Montoya
- 7. Gregg Biffle
- 8. Ryan Newman
- 9. Kasey Kahne
- 10. Carl Edwards
- 11. Denny Hamlin
- 12. Brian Vickers
The NFL season is past its 6 week mark and division leaders in the NFC are the N.Y. Giants, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, and San Francisco 49ers. In the AFC, the leaders are the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, and the Denver Broncos. Going into week 7 the Broncos, Colts, Saints and Vikings all remain undefeated. Locally, the Ravens jumped out to a 3-0 record, but have faltered losing 3 in a row to even their record at 3-3. While the Redskins set a record by playing 6 teams the first 6 weeks all without a win! The Skins managed 2 wins out of that mess, and the Skins G.M. gave head Coach Jim Zorn the dreaded “vote of confidence”. Read next month to see who Daniel Snyder digs out of the coaching grave to take over for Zorn.
In NHL action the season has just got underway and the Washington Capitals jumped out to a good start, lets hope the can keep it rolling for what seems like the longest of seasons.
In NCAA football action, the first BCS pole has come out and here are the top 10 as we get to the meat of the season.
- 1. Florida
- 2. Alabama
- 3. Texas
- 4. Boise State
- 5. Cincinnati
- 6. Iowa
- 7. USC
- 8. TCU
- 9. LSU
- 10. Miami
It looks like Florida and Alabama are on a collision course to meet in the SEC Title game with Texas hoping to win out to have their shot at the title. Lots of big games left, so let’s see what happens! Go Boise State and TCU, crash the party and get us a playoff!
SPORTS IDIOT
This month’s idiot is Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Jeff Reed. For the second time this year he has been arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Don’t worry Steelers fans; I’m sure these charges will mysteriously go away like the last ones!
IN MY OPINION
Last year, I gave my opinion on instant replay in Major League Baseball. I was opposed to it. But now after watching this year’s baseball postseason, IN MY OPINION Major League Baseball needs instant replay now! There have been countless terrible calls made by umpires this year. I know you Yankee fans know where I’m going with this. I watched an umpire stare at ball 10 feet away that hit 2 foot fair, in a tie game in extra innings and call it foul. I then watched an Angel catcher tag out 2 runners clearly off 3rd base with the ump 5 feet away and call 1 of them safe. Then in the same game the Angels picked Nick Swisher of the Yankees off 2nd base, he never even got back to the bag, and here again he was called safe. All these calls benefitted the team with the highest payroll in the league, they shouldn’t need any help! I could go on and on, but all I will hear is that the K-Zone isn’t accurate. It sure seems like its accurate when a bad ball or strike call went against the Yankees. So, IN MY OPINION, if MLB won’t put in a salary cap to make things a little more even, at least put in replay so the richest teams don’t get any more benefits from terrible, obvious calls.
TRIVIA
Last month’s answer: On August 26, 1939 the Brooklyn Dodgers played the Cincinnati Reds at Ebbet’s Field.
This month’s question: Who holds the record for most NASCAR Championships won with 7?
- A. Jeff Gordon
- B. Richard Petty
- C. Jimmie Jonson
- D. Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Stevenson University Deans List
October 25, 2009
Thurmont Resident on Dean’s List at Stevenson University
The following Thurmont resident has been placed on the Dean’s List for the Spring 2009 semester at Stevenson University. The Dean’s List honors students who have achieved a 3.5 or higher GPA for the semester. Mandy Eyler, a visual communication design major and graduate of Catoctin High School, is the daughter of Lori Eyler and Mark Eyler.
Stevenson University, known for its distinctive career focus, is the third-largest independent undergraduate university in Maryland with more than 3,400 students
Business Time
October 25, 2009
Why pay more for insurance? by Vickie Grinder
That is a question Rodney Powers continuously asks. “Why would you want to pay more for insurance when you could be saving money? It only takes a phone call to get a quote.” Rodney Powers of Powers Insurance, Thurmont, believe individuals become comfortable with a company they have established a long relationship with, and have faith they are receiving the best possible premium. But are they? Maybe yes, maybe no. Rodney says his parents are a prime example. He remembers his them always loyal to the same insurance company, and never thought about switching to a different company. My parents were no different. But today there is an entirely new market for purchasing insurance. The competition Rodney says is fierce, and there are so many new companies (along with the old ones as well) which give you choice, options and sometimes come with a lower premium. A quote costs you nothing. A few minutes could save you hundreds annually, just by making the call. When entering Powers Insurance you will see the wall of savings. Rodney has decided to chart (with the customer’s approval) the savings for each customer he has recently signed on. You will see the customer’s name, old company and the amount of savings annually for that customer. The chart currently tallies over $50,000 in savings for their customers since charting their successes and savings. Powers Insurance offers a wide variety of insurance companies. A few samples are Erie, The Hartford, Travelers’, Progressive and Ohio Casualty just to name a few. This is how your savings generally occurs. Powers will take your information and explore a variety of company pricing, not just one. Powers Insurance offers auto, home, health, workman’s comp, business liability, commercial auto, umbrella and life. Rodney just recently celebrated his one year anniversary in his Thurmont office. Prior to this location, Powers was previously located in Emmitsburg and initially began in Middletown, Maryland in 2006. I asked Rodney what his future goals were and smiled, “To see his wall charts hit $75,000 in savings to his customers in 2010.” Rodney commented, “People are apprehensive to change. But one phone call could save you a considerable amount, and if I can’t beat your current price I revert to, if it’s not broke don’t fix it. But what if it is?”
Call Powers Insurance for your free quote, it is as simple as that! Ask for Rodney or Jackie
Powers is located at 204A East Main Street, Thurmont., 301.271.3888. Powers is open Tue, Wed, and Thurs, until 7pm, Mon and Fri until 4pm.
Safety Time-Thurmont Ambulance September Stats
October 25, 2009
We responded on 87 calls during the month of September
Colorfest is over and what a huge success. We sold 7100 apple dumplings during the two day event. Thanks to everyone who helped make this such a great fund raiser.
Again for the months of November and December we will have our take and bakes.
We have pans of six apple dumplings for $12, pies will also be available for $8. Pies include apple, cherry and peach. Each Saturday morning between 9-12 you can stop by the ambulance building and pick up your order. If you would like to place an order in advance please call 301-271-3820.
Lowman
Safety Time-Guardian Hose Co. September Stats
October 25, 2009
Ems Assists 12
Vehicle Accidents 10
Service Calls 4
Transfers 1
Vehicle Fires 2
Automatic Alarms 2
Building Fires 5
Electrical/Wires Down 1
Total Calls 37
First Due 26
Mutual Aid 11
There Was No Fire Loss For The Month.
Average 9 Personnel Per Call
Equipment Traveled 401 Miles
Safety Time-Police Stats for September 2009
October 25, 2009
|
Offense |
September 2009 |
YTD 2009 |
|
Rape |
0 |
1 |
|
Aggravated assault |
0 |
9 |
|
Burglary |
0 |
14 |
|
Theft |
2 |
32 |
|
Vehicle Theft |
0 |
4 |
|
Calls for service (Non-Traffic) |
818 |
6090 |
|
Traffic Citations |
60 |
491 |
|
Traffic Warnings |
111 |
946 |
|
Municipal Citations Issued |
0 |
35 |
|
Municipal Citations Paid |
0 |
33@$1925 |
|
Patrol Checks |
267 |
1868 |
|
Adult Arrests |
7 |
1385 |
|
Juvenile Arrests |
1 |
27 |
|
*CDS Arrests |
0 |
30 |
|
*CDS Seized |
No |
17 |
|
Weapons Seized |
1 Hand Grenade |
5 |
|
DUI Arrests |
4 |
20 |
|
Destruction of Property |
1 |
46 |
|
Parking Meter Citations |
39 |
139 |
|
Total Cases Reported |
33 |
370 |
|
Total Cases Closed |
32 |
265 |
|
|
|
|
|
*Controlled Dangerous Substance |
|
|
Busness Time
October 25, 2009
Thurmont Bar and Grill Has Long History
by Eleanor Crampton
The Thurmont Bar and Grill is owned and operated by Skipper & Penny Misner, who purchased the bar and grill in 1992. A former plumber and backhoe operator, Skipper has also tended bar since 1970. He operated a bar and grill in Emmitsburg for five years, until he purchased the property at 10 East Main Street when the former owner passed away. Penny does all the cooking at the grill.
The Citizens Bank occupied the building at 10 East Main Street in 1921. After that, several owners occupied the building, including the Fry Family who operated a pool room with sodas and sandwiches. Eventually, it was turned into a restaurant.
The Thurmont Bar and Grill is unique. It has a pool table, a juke box, a TV, a Mickey Mantle wall, and three deer heads. Skipper shot all three deer. There are many memories in pictures and memorabilia hanging on the walls of the restaurant.
Hamburgers and hotdogs are the specialty of the house, which is open every day, except Wednesdays. Thurmont Bar & Grill hosts daily specials and soups. The bar and grill’s hours are Monday through Friday 7 am-10 pm, Saturday 6:30 am-12 midnight, and Sunday 11 am-8 pm. The phone no. is 301-271-7422 if you want to call and check out the special for the day.
If you visit the Thurmont Bar and Grill on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, be sure to say Hi to the grill’s favorite customer, Billy Wilson from Gettysburg, PA. Mr. Wilson is a Viet Nam veteran. You will even see a sign on the wall that says Mr. Wilson is quite and humble.
Support your local businesses, stop by and enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the Thurmont Bar and Grill. Be sure to ask Skipper about the history of the building.
Business Time
October 25, 2009
Introducing Melaleuca, The Wellness Company
Melaleuca is a 24-year old consumer direct marketing company that offers green products for your home, body, and health. Melaleuca’s 350 products include cleaning, laundry, vitamins and nutritional supplements, bath and body, hair, oral hygiene, children’s, medicine cabinet, weight-loss and fitness, pet products and skincare and cosmetics. Melaleuca was green long before green was popular. Their products are powered by naturally derived enzymes and natural oils, such as the oil of thyme and Melaleuca (tea tree) oil instead of caustic chemicals like ammonia, chlorine bleach, and phosphates. All products are better for your health, gentler on the environment, and a better value. When Melaleuca started in 1985, they manufactured eight (8) products containing Melaleuca oil. The oil is naturally antiseptic, has fungicidal properties and is very healing for all types of skin conditions. Some people call it a first aid kit in a bottle! The nickname is “tea tree” oil because the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia bush are often dried and brewed for tea. Today, only about 30-50 percent of Melaleuca’s products still contain Melaleuca oil, so you might say that they have outgrown their name.
Melaleuca products have no added cost of retail middlemen, expensive advertising, warehousing or stocking shelves because Melaleuca is the direct source and manufacturer of their products. Customers shop factory direct using a toll-free phone number or the internet. Therefore, quality products are manufactured in the United States and marketed for less money. The savings is passed directly to the customer. Many of the products are concentrated; therefore, the consumer gets more for his/her money, and there is less environmental waste. I personally have been using Melaleuca products for about ten years. I love everything that I use. Having peace of mind knowing that I am using products that are free of toxic chemicals and are safer for everyone in my home is invaluable to me. Melaleuca products do not contain any formaldehyde, or other carcinogens, as so many popular products do.
Following are some of my favorite products.
Ecosense cleaners are inspired by the trees, mountains, rivers, and sunshine. They are highly effective, eco-friendly formulas powered by nature that are safer for your home and a better value for you. One of these products is sol-u-mel. It is a deodorizer, stain remover, antibacterial fighter, and more. Hard to get out stains, even old stains, can be removed with sol-u-mel. You can mix sol-u-mel in a bottle and use it as a room deodorizer. You can put a capful of sol-u-mel in your laundry to remove bacteria from your clothes. You can even put a capful of sol-u-mel in the bucket of water that you wipe your floors up with. Your floors are spotlessly clean and smell nice, because sol-u-mel contains naturally derived solvents like Melaleuca oil. If you are looking for a safe disinfectant that naturally kills 99.9 percent of bacteria, sol-u-guard botanical is your product. You will not endanger your family and pets just to kill bacteria! Renew is another wonderful product sold by Melaleuca. It is intensive dry skin therapy. It has been shown to help skin retain its moisture better and longer that the leading dermatologist-recommended brand. Remember the less moisture your skin loses, the healthier your skin stays and the better it protects you. Clinical studies show that Renew beats the leading “over the counter product” in healing skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. PreSpot 4x is another great Melaleuca product. The three main types of stains are protein, starch, and grease, and Pre Spot 4x gets them all out. It is a triple enzyme, non-caustic, ph-neutral formula. The 4x concentration saves money. Another Melaleuca product that I love is their French-milled Bath Bars. French milled is a process that thoroughly mixes the ingredients and presses out excess air so every bath bar is smoother and denser, making them last longer than some other brands that quickly melt down the drain. Light some candles, sink in the tub filled with Melaleuca Bath Bar bubbles and enjoy a relaxing evening.
Following are some customer testimonials about Melaleuca products.
Last week my daughter Jessica delivered her third baby, a boy, in the front seat of my CRV while enroute to the hospital. Carter Rhodes arrived on the shoulder of 695 being caught by his dad. All is well and mom and son are at home doing well. My point is a birth can leave quite a mess in ones car especially if it has fabric seats which mine does. As I had no opportunity to get the car professionally cleaned. I thought Solumel may do the trick sooooo I went to work with the solumel and my wet vac and of course it worked beautifully. All stains and odors were completely eliminated without very much effort. (Becky)
I was making dinner, turned off the stove, a few minutes later, I saw something like salt on the stove top. Not thinking and in a hurry, I put my whole flat hand on the stove top to wipe the salt into my other hand. I burned my right hand so bad, I was in so much pain, it was unreal!! I went and got the melagel and kept putting that on my hand over and over, then I would put the melaleuca oil (T36-C5-which refers to the high quality grade of the oil) on my hand different times. I could not bend my fingers because they were burned so bad, my palm of my hand was red as can be and was starting to blister. Within an hour the pain was gone and the redness was going away. I have no blisters anywhere and my hand was like new the next morning. Hans said that if he was not right next to me and had seen it for himself, it would be hard to believe. Yes, we should have taken a before and after picture, but unfortunately we did not. These stories have to be told so people realize that the melagel and oil should be close by at all times, in case of burns or cuts. (Marlene)
Melaleuca is a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Hall of Fame and recently received the BBB Torch Award. This award is given to companies with outstanding business practices. Their products are currently sold in 15 countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. To see all the wonderful Melaleuca products, check out the Melaleuca web site at http://www.melaleuca.com/
Fitness Time
October 25, 2009
Fitness Matters
Expert answers to your health and wellness questions
By George Puvel
Question: I would do almost anything to get a nice 6-pack. Can you give me some tips and hints?
Answer: Absolutely! But first, I can assure you that you can’t get it by doing twelve oz. curls… But seriously, not everyone has this particular goal, but the ones that do seem to be very passionate about it. First of all, you have to do some serious core work, focusing on the abdominals, obliques and low back area. In doing this, most people make one of two mistakes. The first mistake is working these muscles too many days of the week. Some think you need to do abs almost every day, but you wouldn’t do this for chest, back, and legs, so why would you do it for your abdominals? The other common problem is that people don’t push themselves when doing core work. I’ve seen plenty of people stop their set right when they start to feel the “burn.” Others may only use their bodyweight, never thinking that weights might actually challenge them even more. Remember, the harder you work your abdominals, the less you’ll have to do them—and you’ll get better results. Aside from strength training, the other key components to getting a firm, lean mid-section include cardiovascular exercise and, of course, proper diet. You should try to do cardio 5-6 days per week, especially if you have some extra flab to lose, and try to follow a well-balanced, calorie-controlled diet.
Question: With the weather getting colder and flu season almost upon us, can you provide a little refresher on working out when you’re sick?
Answer: There seems to be about as many opinions on this as there exists strains of virus, but here’s my take: You often hear people say that working out is fine if it’s just a head cold—stuffy nose, coughing, and other stuff that you don’t like, but can deal with. This is generally true, but if you have a fever, body aches, or other more serious symptoms, you should leave the exercising to the rest of us until you’re over it. When working out, you probably wouldn’t want people that are sneezing and coughing around you, right?—So, keep that consideration in mind for others if you are under the weather a bit. Plus, if you like to work out with intensity, and put a premium on the quality of your exercise, you’ll do better to rest up for a day or two even if you just have a head cold. Once you’ve recovered and get back to exercising, you can pick-up right where you left off.
Question: Can you tell me the main difference between whole grains and refined grains? What are we really talking about here?
Answer: The main difference between whole grains and refined grains is the way in which they’re processed. During milling, whole grains are often stripped of their bran and germ in an effort to make them easier to cook with. The bran is the protective outer layer of the seed, which contains B vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, and the germ is the “embryo” of the seed, which contains even more B vitamins, some minerals, healthy fats, and protein. When these are removed, the endosperm (say what?) is all that is left, which is primarily just starch. Despite being enriched with some vitamins and minerals, these refined grains lack much of their original nutritional value. In an effort to provide healthier options, more and more companies are pulverizing the entire grain, resulting in what we call whole grain products. These are healthier for you, but you have to be a savvy shopper. Look for whole grains on the food label—ideally, they should appear at the beginning of the ingredient list.
About the author: George Puvel is the club owner at Anytime Fitness in Thurmont, MD. To submit a question for future articles, please contact the author at ThurmontMD@anytimefitness.com.
Advertisement
