As 5-year-old Austin Harrigan sat wrapping his gingerbread house in licorice, he had no idea what had transpired 45 years before he was even born.

Austin is one of many children helping to keep the St. Joseph United Methodist Church preschool in operation after 50 years.

preschool reading worksheets

The preschool started as a way to offer care to young children within the school, but has progressively adapted to become a learning outlet before children enter kindergarten.

“Preschool education has changed tremendously, mostly because of what has changed in the public schools for what is needed for kindergarten,” said Director Lynn Enstrom.

Unlike years ago, children are no longer given play time to occupy themselves until their parents arrive.

Students learn basic math and writing techniques.

But Enstrom didn't attribute the longevity of the school to the curriculum or even to the number of students coming through the doors each day.

Enstrom has a staff of 14, including teachers and assistants.

But the longest-instructing teacher is Peg Neuhauser who said this is her “25th or 26th year, but who's counting.” She added, “I'm having too much fun.”

The preschool will begin taking registrations in March for fall classes.

“It's a good program,” Enstrom said. “We have people waiting in line usually.”

Rachel and I chanced upon this candy kiosk at VivoCity, located just outside the entrance of the Golden Village cinema on level 2. We were attracted by the colourful candies and decided to order one to try.

The kiosk at VivoCity

Prices

Softie in My Lolly peddles licorice candy with fondant filling inside. They have a wide assortment of flavours. Rachel and I opted for the Sour Cola flavour:

Sour Cola

The candy comes in a long form and the sales assistant will offer to cut it up for you if you find it too messy to eat.

It’s pretty delicious, but the price is not cheap though – at around S$3.50 a piece. After visiting their website, I found out that you can order their candies online too, but collection is at the same VivoCity kiosk.

Technorati Tags: softie in my lolly, vivocity, vivocity candy kiosk, singapore candy kiosk, licorice, singapore licorice, singapore licorice candy, sour cola candy, sour cola licorice, softie candy, softie lolly

I made friends fast with awesome Melissa. Look at all of those delicious beers...

I am a diehard fan of setting out on the open road when life gets a little stuffy and stifling.  Hence…my years zigagging the east coast as a loyal Deadhead.  And then a Phish follower. And numerous camping expeditions. Those of you how know me well, are aware that I get ants in my pants, so to speak, and gotta go see the world. Which might also explain my living in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, New York, Atlanta, California, and New Orleans. Really.

The BEST fries I've ever eaten. I'm not kidding friends. EVER.

I was feeling a major case of cabin fever Friday morning, and decided to strike out with my friend and supporter, Mike.  I had learned, shockingly, that Alabama had distribution rights to several beers I wanted to get my hands on for this challenge.  Namely Great Divide and Bells.  So onward we traveled toward the ole Heart of Dixie, the land which birthed Hank Aaron, Jimmy Buffett, Charles Barkley, Bo Jackson, and Hank Williams.

I had read on Beer Advocate that Hopjacks was THE place to go in Mobile for delicious craft and import beer on draft and in bottle.  And so, that became our watering hole for the day.  With the Bama game on, and dark beers in hand, it was a great way to spend a lazy Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving….

BEER # 91

In case you are wondering, Saint Bridget is NOT the hot girl seen here...

but apparently this lass, who is known, according to the Great Divide website, "for the epic miracle of transforming her bathwater into beer for thirsty clerics." All right Bridget!

Great Divide St. Bridget’s Porter: ABV: 5.9%  First up! This beer had a nice burnt caramel color and an inviting nose of a malt shake with milk chocolate.  Add some vanilla and a delicate touch of lavender (Yes, lavender! Nice!) to that and you have a nice easy-going porter to start the drink-fest.

In the pint glass, you also get an agreeable smoky aroma that you don’t get in the Riedel.  This is the FIRST AND ONLY time I have gotten something better out of the pint glass than my trusty dork glass. Hmm.  The body and mouthfeel are pleasant and rounded with an balanced bitterness on the finish that is not strong but present.  Thank you Great Divide!

BEER #90

Rogue Imperial Porter: ABV: 8.2%  I have never seen this one on draft! Yum. Yum. Yum. This is a GOOD beer. One I wish I could drink again, but I have no access to it. If I am ever in Oregon, my beer-lovin’ behind is making my way over to Rogue to stock up.

What an irresistible nose: clove, baking spice, nutmeg, pepper, and dark, dark chocolate.  Like the dessert that I had no room for on Thursday. This is not your average porter.  And thank God, because I am over mediocre offerings, like the Butte Creek.

This was just delicious.  And with a good honest dose of bitterness on the finish (Thank you!), you’re palate wanted to keep drinking.  And so I did.  That one went down in a hurry….Time for some food.  Perfectly cut potatoes fried in duck fat with sea salt and ground pepper anyone?!

BEER # 89

Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout: ABV: 9.5%  Well done Great Divide.  Intense black-brown color with a dark brown mocha mousse colored head. If you don’t know what mocha mousse looks like, think the color of coffee with just a dabble of milk in there…This sucker is opaque, and coats the glass. Lovely.  I am reminded of that crazy, intense espresso on every corner in Italy.  That stuff will keep you up for days.

Look at that pizza! Can you say YUM?!

In the Riedel, you get dark syrupy and pepper aromas combined with a burst of hoppiness.  There is an essence of orange here, but not like in the grocery store, more like standing in an orange grove, with the green smells of leaves and grass around you.

On the palate, you get that punch of espresso I was expecting, along with tobacco and paper on the finish.  There is a definite, measurable bitterness here, which seems to be a combo of both the hops and the roasted malts.  This is a wonderfully balanced, interesting brew that for me, should be one of THE Imperial Stouts you try if you are setting out to understand the American style.

great label.

BEER #88

Left Hand Milk Stout: ABV: 5.3%  After the success of the Lazy Magnolia Jefferson Stout, I was convinced that there WERE good Milk Stouts out there, and I would give it one more try on my journey.  But admittedly still a bit squeamish, I asked for a taste before I settled in on a whole pint. Whew! It’s good.

If I had to only select one word for this beer, it would be….1 guess.  Yep, creamy.  Subtle black cherry also appears in the aroma.  Ok, brewers and beer lovers who know alot more than me:  what is UP with all the dried and dark fruit aromas in Milk Stouts? The Farsons Lacto was overbearing dried black currant, and every one I have tasted has had some element of dried fruit in it.  Help, this inquiring mind wants to know.  Is it something specifically tied to the use of lactose? Is there a particular, unique yeast used in Milk Stouts?

There is also a nice woody aroma that emerges, and after some discussion, Mike nails it as pecan shell.  I’m serious, it smells EXACTLY like the shell and pith of that glorious nut.  In the pint glass, I make a quizzical face as I suddenly get this strong cologne-type smell.  What is that? Oh, wait, that’s just the douchebag behind me that decided to take a bath with his perfume. Sheesh. So scratch that, no cologne on this beer. This is a good effort by Left Hand.  Fairly easy to drink, but with a weight that makes it difficult to imagine drinking more than one.

BEER #87

This is NOT what the stout was named after...

Bells Kalamazoo Stout: ABV: 6%  And finally, to round out our delicious and decadent beer drinking adventure, the well-known and loved Kalamazoo Stout.  When I first heard the name, I thought why would they name a stout after that little plastic thing kids blow on? Then I realized, it’s Kalamazoo not Kazoo, champ.  Ohhh, that makes more sense.  At any rate, I have been looking forward to trying this one for quite some time.  And believe me, I was not disappointed. I bought a sixer to take back to New Orleans with me. I have some beer folks to share this with.

Me and my delicious licorice stout. Who would have thought?

But I’ll admit, when I first read the label and saw “brewed with licorice”, my heart sank.  I’m sorry all you black and red whip lovers, but I have NEVER liked licorice aroma or flavor.  Not even close.  If it is in anything I’m consuming, drink or food, it stands out like Nixon’s nose, and I am pushing it as far away from me as possible.

So I nervously pour it in the Riedel, and take a timid sniff.  Yep, smells like licorice. Duh.  But here’s where I am SHOCKED.  I like it!  It is not overbearing, but is somehow gentle and perfectly balanced with the other aromas.  Those being liquid dark chocolate, blackstrap molasses and savory, almost meaty aromas.

That molasses follows through on the palate with a swift kick of vanilla.  And as I leisurely took my final sips, I got an aroma and flavor of chocolate mousse.  Like the final bite of a delicious dessert.  Great job Bells.

And as we set out into the dark night, back to the land of jazz, Mardi Gras, and damn fine Creole cooking, we reminisced about our lip-smacking, delectable day of drinking great beers and devouring the yummiest pizza and fries I’ve had in years.  All to the soundtrack of the Grateful Dead, of course…

CHEERS!

Is it possible that coconut is going the way of licorice? If so, what next? Maybe butterscotch. Sure, butterscotch is still a relatively popular pudding flavor, but when was the last time anyone under the age of 65 actively bought a butterscotch flavored hard candy, or any flavor for that matter? I am curious of how a flavor dies. Is it a universal taste change, a trend, an evolution? Do people really tire of a flavor or is the underlying truth the simple fact that they never knew any better? Maybe they accepted a flavor because it was what they had access to.

I am noticing that there are less and less mainstream things with coconut flavor. Perhaps its exotic appeal has finally been surpassed by its alien texture. I can see clearly that licorice is a dying taste. A once flavorful pinch of sweetness and anise is now relegated, at best, as a ribbed, bendy red candy that bares little resemblance to its roots. So much in fact that it is better known by its brand name than it is by its original content.  When did this happen and who decided it?

I’m not sure that there is any one person that determines when something is no longer tasteful. Somehow tastes move on. The complex or simply the manmade transplants the exotic. The simple hard long lasting sweetness is replaced by a liquid jolt of chemically induced colors and flavors that rev you up as fast as you tumble down. The ancient recipes are discarded in honor of laboratory wizardry and hybrid gums, candies and sweets.

We are always looking for the next big thing especially when we are coerced into believing that what we have is no longer of any value. Maybe folks are finally able to shed what they once had to pretend to enjoy. Maybe when your palate is limited by selection you are none the wiser to the many other possibilities. I wonder if the new adventurous consumers are going to tire of what the tastemakers offer and will someday comeback to what once was.

Antonescu s-a compromis, s-a lins pe bot pentru viitoarele alegeri sa mai pozeze in solutie unica, originala, noua la toata mocirla politica. S-a bagat ca prostu` el insusi in ea pana-n gat si si-a botit de tot imaginea.  Si nu doar atat.  A aratat ca e aceeasi Marie cu alta palarie, vulpe politica preacurvind cu orice tarfa doar sa prinda loc la ros marele ciolan. Pe Realitatea vazusem aseara un afis cu Basescu singur, intr-o parte, iar in cealalta parte gloata de mafioti, Geoana cu ungurul zambind fericit ca prinde si el loc la masa iar intre ei, Antonescu, care degeaba se mai vrea acum crin nepatat, degeaba mai privea acum drept si demn inainte, ca-i fluturau trandafirii in dreapta si-i sufla ungurul in ceafa.

Singurul gest care-l salva si l-ar fi pastrat in ochii mei ca pe-o varianta electorala veridica ar fi fost sa iasa ca imparatul roman, in fata poporului, sa se spele pe maini si sa spuna `dragilor, ati pus-o, eu eram singura voastra iesire, nu m-ati votat, acum n-am ce sa va mai fac, eu am candidat, v-am dat sansa sa scapati de comunisti. Acum ma spal pe maini, voi veni peste 5 ani , daca mai ramane ceva din tara asta, sa candidez din nou; acum votati in turul 2 cu cine va taie capul, eu nu am ce sa va sfatui, alegeti-va singuri beleaua dintre cele doua daca asa ati vrut. Punct. Isi pastra imaginea, coloana vertebrala si era consecvent mesajului cu care a inceput si care a prins de fapt la electoratul tanar. Pactul cu PSD-ul ii ca un gainat rosu pe gulerul lui initial impecabil, de care nu se va mai spala niciodata.

Sper ca poporul sa devina irascibil la aceasta comasare de puteri si partide impotriva lui Basescu si sa ofere o surpriza, sa-i penalizeze si sa arate ca nu se intorc la tatuc. Sper. Si sper ca cei care au votat in primul tur cu Antonescu sa fie acum la fel de scarbiti ca mine de curluntrismul fatis si sa faca ceva pe declaratia lui de sustinere a lui Geoana. Hai, ma, huoooo!!!

Sunt sictirita azi, voiam sa intre Antonescu-n turul 2. In schimb, a iesit Geoana, care nu e in stare sa ingaime doua cuvinte fara fituica de la partid in fata, si Base, un scandalagiu notoriu. Aseara la 9, c-un bot cat toate zilele, ascultam primele rezultate. Si injuram.

Epictetus, the Roman-era Stoic philosopher, lived a very ascetic life, believing that happiness came from living “according to the will of nature” and that free will comes from how we respond to circumstances. He was born in 55 AD in what is now Turkey and spent most of his life in Rome. He spent his youth as a slave and became crippled due to his master’s harsh treatment. He was later exiled to Greece, where he founded a school and wrote his most famed work, The Discourses. He died in 135.

For the FTC: I am not receiving anything in return for my endorsements of products or websites in this blog post.

Ma intrebam aseara, cand l-am vazut pe Vadim vorbind la Realitatea, cum ar fi fost Romania acum daca in 2000, parca atunci s-a batut 1:1 cu Iliescu, ar fi castigat alegerile. Din ce tin minte, atunci a pierdut la diferenta mica, unul sau doua procente si asta pentru ca imediat ce s-a intrat in turul 2, televiziunile au inceput o campanie pe fata impotriva lui: Nu votati cu Vadim ca ne impusca pe toti! Ah, da?
- I-am incercat pe toti hotii de la Revolutie incoace, de ce sa nu incercam si-un nebun incoruptibil, l-am intrebat pe Elf. Venise de la lucru iarasi tarziu, pe la sapte, si-n timp ce gatea, eu am instalat boxele de la tv pe laptop, sa putem auzi mai bine. Deodata am amplificat sunetul de 10x, mai ca-mi venea sa-mi dau palme ca nu mi-a venit mai devreme ideea asta si a trebuit sa-mi tot ciulesc urechile sa prind sunetul prost de la laptop. Din bucatarie auzeam acum lejer discursul lui Vadim.
- Mai rau decat am ajuns acum nu eram, dar mai bine poate, mi-a raspuns Elf la intrebare.
Desi facea spume la gura si arunca in stanga si-n dreapta cu denumiri biologic-mitologice, pentru prima data ma identificam cu revolta si furia, aia spumeganda si neputincioasa, a lui Vadim. Jale mare in tara, saracie, am vazut cu scarba cum oamenii se bat sa prinda o galeata sau cateva kile de faina facute cadou de astia care vor voturi. Scarba fata de cei care profita saracia oamenilor si scarba de astia de la televiziune care fac spectacol din mizeria umana.
- Nu se mai poate asa, am spus, de ce naiba nu-l voteaza lumea pe Vadim?!
- De prosti, a spus Elf sec.
- Uite ce spune, ca declara stare de necesitate daca ajunge presedinte. Iti dai seama ca asta rade tot, ii zburataceste pe toti mafiotii astia?
- Auzi, daca ajungea Vadim presedinte in 2000, vedeai si primul asasinat de presedinte.
- De ce?
- Ca-i incontrolabil, nu vezi ca toti se feresc de el. Vine cu dosarul si n-au cum sa-i inchida gura. N-are nimic de pierdut.
- Cum n-are, are familie, parca doua fetite.
- Nu intelegi, nu asta. Nu e bagat in nicio manareala. Daca era bagat, tot transpira ceva pana acum. Si nu poate fi controlat, asta o ia inainte si se duce, nu intra-n aranjamente, negocieri, mana care spala pe alta.
Mi-a fost mila de Vadim, Transpirat, incruntat, tipa impotriva celor de la putere, spunand ce mult isi iubeste tara si se vaita ca n-are banii de campanie pe care-i au ceilalti. Insa mergea, ca intotdeauna, prea departe aruncand cu invective care desi starneau rasul, miroseau de departe a amenintare. Doar sa aiba puterea si n-ar sta pe ganduri, s-ar apuca intr-adevar sa taie. Se simte-n el tiranul, miroase de la o posta.
- Nu cred ca o sa mai dureze mult, o sa se revolte lumea, sunt prea necajiti si-n ianuarie iar explodeaza preturile.
- Nu se revolta nimeni, mi-a spus linistit Elf.
- De ce? Cum sa nu, cand iti ajunge cutitul la os, faci ceva, orice.
- Nu se mai revolta nimeni din cauza televiziunilor. Ii tin bombardati permanent cu vesti rele, negative. Criza-criza-criza, haos-haos-haos, totul e la pamant. Nu vezi, toti iti spun ca nu se mai poate face nimic. Si ca asta e. Miorita, taci si mori. A, da, poti sa te vaieti.
- Bine, hai ca batranii nu, ca-s invatati sa indure jugul, dar studentii, tinerii?
- Ce studenti ma?
- Studentii, ca isi dau seama ca n-au nicio sansa si stiu ca trebuie s-o taie din tara sa traiasca decent.
- Si-o s-o taie si gata. Nu fac nicio revolutie.
- Eu as vota cu Vadim, am conchis. Doar pentru felul in care a vorbit seara asta. Sa bage stare de necesitate.
- Tu realizezi ce se intampla?! Ca cea mai proasta veste, adica starea de necesitate, care-n alte tari ar starni panica, tie-ti suna bine, ca s-a transformat in cea mai buna veste? Tu-ti dai seama ce aberant a devenit totul?
- Auzi, daca ajunge presedinte asta, il pune pe Funar prim-ministru. Nici nu stiam ca mai traieste. Il pune pe Funar ca-i incoruptibil. Auzi! Ai spus ca nu mai exista politicieni incoruptibili. Uite ce zice Vadim de Funar.
- Funar e dus. E prea fixat pe ideile lui, s-ar rupe-n doua.
- Si reporterul asta, ce ipocrit! I-auzi, ii ia apararea lui Basescu: toata lumea e nevinovata in fata lui pana cand nu exista o condamnare. Daaaaa, cu justitia curata ca lacrima din Romania, e normal sa mergi pe principii din astea americane. Bleacs. E-o tampenie ca televiziunile astea private au asa mare putere politica. Sunt pe fata atat de partinitori.
- Tu ai vazut ca la noi nu mai exista niciun fel de respect pentru functia in stat. Vin ditamai ministri la talkshowuri si mucosi de reporteri, care-au facut o facultate degeaba, fara nicio etica, ii iau la trei parale `Cum bai, ia zi tu, chiar asa…` Nici eu cu prietenii mei nu vorbim in halul asta. Si reporterasii se trag de sireturi cu ministri, le arunca galeata de cacat in cap si apoi astia mai vin si-altadata sa fie improscati.
- Eu n-o inghit pe vipera aia Vranceanu Firea. Emana atata rautate si zbiara ca o nebuna, intra peste cei care vorbesc si-i acopera cu melita. Am senzatia ca latra si daca ar putea ar si musca, la propriu, din interlocutaori. Auzi, se rasteste la invitati, parca ai fi copchii ei. Si zambetul ala al ei subtire, prefacut, de Cruela. Cred ca se crede fermecatoare. O detest, ca om, ca reporter, este gretoasa!
- Da mai, deci au ajuns reporterii sa fie mai cu mot ca niste ministri. Si-i trateaza pe ministri, pe astia care au totusi niste functii inalte de stat, ca si cum ar fi elevi in banca si trebuie sa dea socoteala in fata profesorului. Unde ai mai vazut tu asa ceva?
- Din ce cauza? Si cum is asa de blegi astia, se lasa terfeliti, macaiti, latrati de toti cateii de la televizor?
- Pentru ca azi e, maine nu e, ii schimba ca pe chiloti.
- Dar unul nu e, unul care sa ii puna la locul lor, acolo unde este, de reporter, nu de Dumnezeu! Sa le spuna ori imi vorbiti cu respect, ori nu port un dialog cu dvs. Punct. Vreau sa vad asta, vreau sa vad un om cu functie inalta, un om politic care sa-i puna la punct pe reporteri, sa le spuna verde-n fata ce sunt si unde le este locul. Ca nu toti reporterii au MBA-uri in economie, studii avansate de politica, ca sa nu mai spun ca habar nu au de istoria si Romaniei si de limba romana. Au schimbat accentul la `trafic`, in loc de trAficul, accent pe A, ii auzi pe tonti cu `trafIcul`, cu accent pe I. Iar la gramatica se merge pe burta. Sa nu-i tai cu lama? Dar isi dau toti cu parere intr-un mod atat de infatuat ca-mi vine sa le dau c-un ciomag in cap. Cat de prosti cred ca-s aia care se uita la tv, adica nu se prinde nimeni ce mizerabili sunt? Si mai vorbesc de politicieni mizerabili. Si-i merita, s-au creat unii pe altii, papitoi in ambele tabere.
Uite, ceva ce m-a revoltat, daca as fi avut cum, le luam licenta de difuzare. Erau adunati vreo sase reporteri-analisti-macanisti, idioti cu diploma, in studio la Antena3 sa isi dea cu parerea despre intalnirea esuata de miercuri. Si-l suna pe Geoana, care era la Sibiu, intr-un studio improvizat cred, ii dadusera un microfon si l-au luat la intrebari. Geoana nu avea imaginea din studio, vorbea fix pe orb, la microfon, in fata camerei. Serios, povestea el acolo, ca verzi si uscate sau nu, omul vorbea cu cele mai serioase intentii. In studio, mascaricii, afundati in scaune, cracanati, cu burtile de analisti rasfranti, chicoteau, zambeau larg si tamp, isi faceau semne din ochi, ridicau persiflant din sprancene, ma mir ca nu se scarpinau undeva, ca tot era atmosfera de berarie ieftina. Mai era sa scoata limba si sa se scalambaie, ca-n rest showul era complet. Bai, deci il suni pe omul ala sa-i iei un interviu telefonic, si tu-l strambi pe la spate?! Nu conteaza cine era, ca e prost sau nu, ca il votezi sau nu, tu, ca reporter, ai sunat sa ai un dialog cu el. Sau asa era normal. Aia in studio, toti cai breji, cei mai destepti, mai de succes si mai interesanti barbati de pe pamanti, analistii curului, faceau misto e un candidat la presidentie. Ca asa voia muschiul lor. Si faceau misto din ala lamentabil, de cea mai joasa speta, cand omul nici macar nu vede in ce laturi e batat si ia de buna discutia. EXECRABIL!
Si n-am terminat. De unde si pana unde imi prezinta mie confruntare in 3?! NU E NORMAL sa te iei doar dupa sondaje si INAINTE de alegeri tu sa-mi bagi pe gat, uite ba, doar astia 3 conteaza, da-i dracu` pe ailalti, ca nu se califica. Stai sa votam si apoi vedem calficatii. Nu e normal sa bagi lumea intr-un asa bias, sa te focalizezi asa pe doar 3 dintre candidati si sa mi-i prezinti ca pe cei trei crai de la rasarit. Niste figuranti, trei manechine care-nvart interese. Nu e legal! Sondajele ii arata pe x-y-z ca primii trei. Asa, si? Poate mie primii trei nu-mi spun nimic, vreau sa-i vad, sa-i cunosc si sa-i aud si pe ceilalti. Legea prevede sanse egale, prevede timp egal de difuzare, sa poate sa se faca fiecare cunoscut. Unde-i timpul ala egal?! Cica-s vreo 12 candidati, eu stiam de 5 si miercuri am mai vazut 4. L-am vazut pe Cernea, ala trebuie sa se tunda daca vrea pe viitor vreo sansa, suntem romani intr-o societate conservatoare si imbibata pana la refuz de prejudecati. Cernea avea zvac, a fost ca o revelatie, as fi vrut sa aud mai multe despre el si de la el. Apoi cheliosul ala cu voce subtiricac de la socialisti, cu miros de reptila comunista, seamana putin cu Banica Senior, mergea fix intr-o piesa de Caragiale. Unul complet idiot, nici nu-mi amintesc ce partid, insa imi amintesc ca era idiot, ca propunea printre solutiile magice sa stearga toate datoriile populatiei. Si tiganul, care pentru un tigan era intr-adevar rasarit. De ce i-am cunoscut pe astia in miercurea dinaintea alegerii, si doar pentru cateva minute?! Si erau la interogati de trei reporterite toante si cu mutre severe, patrunse de importanta momentului, aratau binisor dar gandeau si vorbeau prost, ii tratau pe astia 4 ca pe niste repetenti care nu-si stiu lectia la reexaminare. Lipsa crasa de profesionalism! Ca sa nu mai zic de lipsa de respect. Erau niste candidati la presidentie totusi, nu gainari prinsi furand din buzunare! Reporteri, hai sictir!

Am vazut Prime, un film al carui final jumatate m-a intristat, jumatate m-a enervat. Era o vreme cand filmele erau facute sa iti reintareasca increderea, de obicei pierduta, in bine, frumos, iubire. Acum nici macar cele hollywoodiene nu mai fac asta, trebuie sa aiba un final cat mai incurcat, mai peste umar, mai bizar, care sa socheze sau sa  predice despre vreo notiune sociala. Da, si ce daca ea avea 37 de ani si voia un copil iar el avea 23 de ani si voia sa-si faca o cariera de artist, sa picteze, asta inseamna ca era imposibil ca o relatie de durata intre ei sa existe? Doar scanteia, atat a fost admisibil, mai incolo nu.

Sfarsitul e iarasi moralizator, cei doi, din cauza diferentei de varsta, decid sa nu isi urmeze iubirea ci s-o aseze frumos, ca pe-o gaina jumulita, cu gatul pe butuc si sa-i reteze cu demnitate capul. Mai apoi, plini de sange, isi arunca in finalul filmului zambete intelegatoare si meaningful, care m-au scos din sarite, amintindu-mi, culmea, de Miorita noastra si omniprezentul romanesc `asta e`. Nu asta e, ci e ceea ce faci tu sa fie!

Filmul e din 2005, insa eu cred ca am o memorie afectiva care nu mai respecta nicio temporalitate. Mi-am dorit sa-l vad de cand a aparut si mi-a ramas viu intiparit in minte. Aveam, si mai pastrez inca senzatia ca mai ieri fu in cinematografe. Nu, nu ieri, ci acum 4 ani de zile a fost, insa in ce priveste filmul asta, timpul parca s-a topit complet. Dezamagita de final. De ce nu ar fi putut sa ramana impreuna? Diferenta de varsta devine secundara atunci cand doi oameni chiar se iubesc, fara alte socoteli in cap.

Today’s treats from Yellow Leaf:

Sweet Licorice: I don’t like licorice, so this one was for Mr Shuck.  I had a tiny taste and it tasted like licorice.  Mr Shuck thinks, “It was fine, but licorice shouldn’t be in cupcakes.  Licorice should be in licorice.”  Rating:  ♥♥

Pumpkin Crème Brûlèe:  Pumpkin cupcake filled with pumpkin custard topped with vanilla Italian meringue butter cream and garnished with a piece of caramelized sugar.  Great cupcake: lightly flavored cake is moist, creamy filling has delicate pumpkin flavor, caramelized sugar garnish sticks pleasantly to your teeth.  Rating: ♥♥♥

The user is stimulated both physically and mentally. XTC has the ability to suppress exhaustion which doesn’t mean that the fatigue is gone but that it is only masked. After the rush, the feeling of fatigue returns more heavily. At the same time, perception intensifies. Under the influence of XTC, people tend to get more intimate with others. Effects generally appear within 20-60 minutes. The first hour after that the effects are felt the most. After 4-6 hours the effects are gone but some people still feel the effects the following day. That can be a nice feeling, but also an empty and depressed feeling. A depressive or miserable mood can last for days. Side effects are tension in the jaws, palpitations (rapid or irregular heart beat), a dry mouth and throat, nausea and shortness of breath. Sometimes, movements are difficult to co-ordinate. These negative effects can lead to panic attacks, and are quality and dose dependent and will vary depending on sensibility, mood, expectations and the health of the individual user. Last but not least, the environment can also influence the effects.

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HORSETAIL
Equisetum arvense
Horsetail is said to be one of the oldest recorded plants on earth, discovered approximately 600 million years ago.  It is rich in the trace element silica which aids in the absorption of calcium, and is a basic element in the growth and repair of bone and tissue (strengthening bones, hair, nails and teeth).  Herbalists claim it is useful in the repair and regeneration of the damaged connective tissue disorders.  Another long standing use of horsetail has been as mild treatment in the prevention and treatment of kidney stone formation, bacterial and inflammatory disorders of the lower urinary tract, and as a diuretic.  Horsetail has been a traditional treatment for allergies, pulmonary tuberculosis, cystitis, kidney stones, water retention, fevers, eye diseases, gout and rheumatism.

 IRISH MOSS
Chondrus crispus
Harvested from the water off the European coast, Irish moss is actually a seaweed.  Rich in proteins, iodine and other substances, many herbalists also considers it is excellent “nutritive tonic”, and traditionally it has been prescribed for ulcers, dysentery (infectious diarrhea) and the other gastrointestinal disorders.  Contemporary herbalists consider it a valuable soothing agent (demulcent) for dry coughs, bronchitis, tuberculosis and other upper respiratory tract ailments.  It is also thought to help in the treatment and alleviation of peptic and duodenal ulcers.  Considered to have anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, blood-pressure lowering, and other potentially beneficial properties, Irish moss is also thought to have healing properties beneficial in treating ulcers and other problems relating to the digestive system.

LAVENDER
Lavandula angustifolia
In an age of extremes lavender is essentially able to produce a balancing and harmonizing effect, by having a pronounced regulating effect on the nervous system.  Stress has long been known to deplete the immune system, and can be the cause, or the precipitating agent, for all types of illness and disease.  With this in mind, lavender is thought to have a restorative effect in cases of a weakened nervous system and have a calming effect on those prone to be stressed or agitated.  For years herbalists have used the calming effects of lavender to treat nervousness, anxiety, worry and depression.  Lavender is used as a symptomatic treatment of stress-related conditions.  It has been used for insomnia, headaches, and immune as well as digestive problems.

LICORICE
Glycyrrhiza glabra
Long ago, in China, licorice acquired the name of “The Great Detoxifier”.  They believed that continuous consumption of licorice root would help to rid the body of poisons and could contribute to the body’s blood building efforts.  It has since been used in many Chinese prescriptions treating dry coughs and lung disorders, asthma, sore throats, laryngitis, ulcers, as well as inflammation of the urinary and intestinal tracts.  It is sad that licorice root increases vital energy, and that it is able to strengthen digestive and metabolic function.  It is believed that licorice root “harmonizes” the ingredients in an herbal formulation and eliminates any harshness, thus promoting smooth activity of the herbs.  Licorice is useful in the treatment of peptic ulcers, abdominal colic, stomach inflammation, colitis, and has been used as an expectorant in cases of bronchitis.

KOREAN GINSENG
Panax ginseng
People have long used ginseng in their health practices, claiming it has the power to balance one’s energy.  It appears to have the quality to help regulate and strengthen body functions, improving metabolism, increasing both immune system resistance and respiratory performance.  Extracts from this herb have been used to provide a mental stimulant, thought to improve memory and cognitive power, and many claim that with regular use it can often reverse mental deterioration.  It can also lessen the effects of menopause.  Among its many uses, Panax ginseng is beneficial in treating fatigue, providing increased physical energy, increasing metabolism, fastening recovery from illness and surgery, and empowering its users with an increased alertness and power of concentration, as well as instilling a general sense of well-being and vitality.

PASSIONFLOWER
Passiflora incarnate
Passionflower has found worldwide acclaim in the reduction of nervous tension, alleviating irritability and anxiety, and lowering blood pressure.  It is also used to promote restful sleep.  As an antispasmodic it has also been successfully used in the treatment of bronchial asthma.  Passionflower has an overall soothing and calming effect over the entire body, offering relief from stress and stress-related headaches and pain.  It has been employed in the treatment of muscle cramps, premenstrual tension, and disturbances often associated with menopause.

RED CLOVER
Trifolium pratense
Red clover is rich in isoflavones, including genistein and biochanin A (an antioxidant which protects against cells aging).  Used as an antibiotic, it has been used in fighting bacterial infections and dealing with kidney and liver diseases.  Over the years it has been tried with some success as a tumor and cancer remedy (for breast and prostate cancer in particular).  Red clover has also been used as a treatment for skin disorders, such as eczema and psoriasis, as it claims to cleanse the blood.  Herbalists also recommend red clover for reducing uncomfortable menopausal symptoms, and improving overall health, including its use as an expectorant to clear chest congestion caused by coughs, colds, asthma and bronchitis.

To be continued…

Until next time…Stay healthy

Katarzyna

Doua chestii mi-au retinut atentia in mod deosebit azi. Prima e exact prima strofa dintr-o poezie, as fi vrut sa gratulez autorul la locul faptei, insa omul a eliminat optiunea de a comenta. Si cum impulsul de a vorbi e cu atat mai mare cu cat iti este interzis sa vorbesti, scuip aici calusil din gura si-o deschid mare cat o sura si spun aici despre poezeaua dumnealui. Asadar, buna bre, prima strofa, restul poeziei aluneca-n dantelarie inutila, mie mi-ar fi ajuns fix si cele patru versuri de inceput. Pentru curiosi, aici gasiti poezia intreaga iar mai jos citez fragmentul care mi-a atins o ramura, una inca verde cred, a sufletului (asta ca sa ma exprim si eu pe-o coarda mai metaforica).

“La poarta sărutului nostru răzgândit,
Brâncuși își apleacă ,
cu pioșenie ghenunchii obosiți…
Ascuțindu-și dalta.”

Si-a doua chestie, am dat peste un articol care vorbeste despre efectele benefice de a tine un jurnal. Articolul e atat de simplu, inchegat si pe intelesul tuturor scris (si mie mi se potrivesc lucrurile simple, ma obosesc acrobatiile cognitive), ca-mi vine aproape sa-l preiau pe tot, intr-un citat monstru, si sa-l pun aici. N-am s-o fac ca nu se face, ci am sa dau cezarului ce-i al cezarului, adica link-ul spre sursa, recomandandu-l celor pasionati, intr-un fel sau altul, sa-si scrie gandurile. Eu sunt unul dintre ei. Se pare ca simpla inregistrare, pe orice suport, un caiet sau online, a experientelor prin care treci te face mai alert, mai lucid (asta cu luciditatea nu stiu cat ajuta), mai prezent in aici si acum si-ti creste substantial starea de bine. Categoric mie mi-o creste, am o adevarata placere sa ma lafai in litere. Iar contra-argumentul ca o pliere excesiva pe propriile experiente ar duce la egosim/egocentrism e parata de ideea ca un om multumit/fericit este mai altruist si mai atent cu semenii. Asta nu stiu, poate. Si e reamintita (cunoscuta, se pare) ideea  jurnalului in-fericirii, cand o inregistrare sistematica a lucrurilor bune, oricat de marunte, care ti se intampla, pentru care ai multumi sau ai fi recunoscator (da, da, stiu, suna cheesy si cam sectant dar viata are si partile ei cheesy), te-ar face constient de lucrurile bune din viata ta, pentru care ar trebui sa te bucuri dar pe care, prins in vartejul negativizant, le treci prea usor cu vederea. O astfel de constientizare a lucrurilor mici, simple, banale chiar, care-ti daruiesc o clipa de frumusete, de liniste sau pur si simplu te fac sa iei o gura de aer curat, iti va creste nivelul de multumire si, de ce nu, de fericire. Caci, un cantecel de adormit oamenii mare spunea candva asa: `fericirea-i un lucru marunt, un pitic, ce danseaza`. Prin urmare, deschid o noua categorie de blog, jurnalul in-fericirii,  un sub-capitol al ghindelor mele, in care voi incerca sa povestesc in fiecare zi despre macar un lucru care m-a bucurat. Sper sa gasesc. Si sper sa ma tin de noua categorie, desi am vaga senzatie ca la o post-analiza totul mi se va parea prea rasuflat, prea expirat, prea de copilita de hi5 care-si completeaza albumul cu floricele roz colorate, fluturasi sclipitori si-si decoreaza fotografiile personale cu stelute magice si coronite aoreolante.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Black & White Martini

I will be honest, this drink called for a black and white licorice candy as a garnish.  I really don’t care for licorice candy of any color or variety and I wasn’t about to go out and buy a whole bag just for the sake of a garnish.  I skipped it.  So, this cocktail thus consisted of 6 parts vanilla vodka (I used Stoli Vanilla) and 2 parts creme de cacao.  I realized after I mixed it that I’d used the white creme de cacao instead of the dark.  Another FAIL.  Although I think they do actually taste the same.  I’ll get back to you on that.  So my drink wasn’t black and white or even a deep honeyed brown as pictured, it was just clear.  

To be fair, it is a nice, sweet cocktail, very drinkable.  But it needs something.  And I don’t just mean the color it lacked because I used the wrong shade of creme de cacao, or the loss of a black and white licorice candy as a garnish in the bottom.  I’m not sure what it needed but it was still a little harsh around the edges.  Maybe a chocolate cream liqueur instead, and a candied rim would have softened it up.  Overall rating, 3 out of 5 stars.  Decent but not too exciting – kind of like my ex-spouse.  (Those of you who know me, know what I’m talking about!). 

Mixing it up again tomorrow, catch you then!
Cathy

As an adult, I’ve never been a pet owner so it’s surprising to realize that one of my best friends– ever– was a cat named “Licorice.”

My dad was stationed in Colorado when this wonderful black cat came into our lives. My Aunt Rene found her, meowing from a storm drain. She was only a kitten then, abandoned.

“Can we keep her?” sang the chorus of my sisters and I. The answer was, “No.” In the meantime, we fed her and held her and cooed over her tiny frame until the day that she was to given away to a young couple from the hospital where my father worked.

On the afternoon of their arrival, I sat outside on the front lawn, praying with all my might that I would get to keep Licorice despite the inevitable. I held her close to say our last teary goodbyes. To this day, I delight in sharing the miracle that happened.

Just before they were to arrive, my parents came outside to tell me that the couple had called to say that THEY HAD CHANGED THEIR MINDS!   They had just purchased a new couch and a kitten would be a big mistake.  Licorice was mine!

Though it’s been over thirty years since this time, I can still recall my dear Licorice’s presence. I can feel her soft fur, sense her purr against my belly and smell the milk on her rough tongue as she licks me. In our most intimate of love rituals, I remember how Licorice would put her paws at the top of my head and run them down my face.  Delicious.

With an 8 year-old’s fervency, I insisted that Licorice treat all beings with such kindness as we shared. We practiced with my neighbor’s cat. I scolded Licorice each time she howled or clawed– and praised her for her friendliness. The progress was slow, but I didn’t give up.

On the night that Licorice had her first and only litter of kittens, she must have come to get me for support. I know this because when I woke that morning, I found blood on the comforter of my top bunk. When I called out to my mother, Licorice came running into the room, insisting I follow her with urgent meows and a pacing back and forth until she was sure I was coming.

She led me to the storage room to an open box on the second shelf and to the sight of two black newborns. She jumped in beside them and licked my hands as we marveled at them together. For days, she refused access to “our” babies to anyone but me.

Licorice changed after becoming a mother. My parents had her spayed and she wasn’t a spry young kitten herself anymore. My parents let us keep “Jellybean,” the kitten who most resembled her once sleek form, but we were forced to give  up chubby Gumdrop to others across town.

Both of Licorice’s children disappeared before long however and then one day so did she. I searched for her everywhere, canvassing the neighborhoods in our suburban Aurora. I’d even go so far as to jump over fences into back lawns to chase and retrieve any black cat I could find.

“That’s not her,” my mother would chide each time I dragged another certain stranger home. In later years, my mother would tell me that I had gone a bit “mad” in loosing Licorice. I know that my heart was never quite the same. Never again did I give it so fully and never again did I ask for a pet.

Friday, October 23, 2009
Aperitivo  Martini

Saturday, October 24, 2009
Armada Martini

I am a bit behind so to catch up, there are two cocktails in this post.    The first is the Aperitivo.

Truly a week of firsts for me:   first blog, first encounter with Jagermeister.  Now,  Sambuca.  For some reason, I had it in my head that this was coffee flavored, or I hoped it was coffee flavored.   Alas, it is not.  My education continues.   It is anise flavored.   I am not a licorice fan.   At least it is Italian.

The cocktail itself was gin, Sambuca, and orange bitters.  Well, it was definitely anise flavored, and sweet.   The sweetness worked in its favor and killed some of the licorice flavor, as did the orange bitters, which in my book is a good thing.  The orange bitters didn’t have a pour spout on the bottle, and that created a bit of a mess, but we overcame that.  

If you like anise then this is would be a good drink.  It is also VERY strong, even a short one.   Hiccup.

The Saturday evening martini was the Armada with vodka and amontillado sherry.   It was supposed to be garnished with an orange twist, but I didn’t have any handy so I used a Maraschino cherry, which seemed to work out quite well. 

 It was a busy Saturday (but then what Saturday isn’t?), taking my daughter to ballet rehearsal—she has three parts in the Christmas production and an understudy.   Yikes.   Then, my husband and I had to test cocktails for the big school fundraiser in a couple of weeks.   This is our 6^th year of doing the bar for this school fundraiser and, thankfully, it is our last.   The auction chairs wanted two specialty cocktails this year, one being a whisky sour and the other a gimlet of some extraction.   The secret of a whisky sour is to make your own sour mix (basically simple syrup and fresh squeezed lemon).    I had never had a whisky sour before, but it turned out well, I guess, not quite my cup of tea—I prefer Manhattans with rye.   The gimlet is very, very basic (gin or vodka if you prefer, and lime juice), so I searched for something to dress it up a bit and make it “auction worthy”.   I finally came up with a pomegranate gimlet.  It is seasonally appropriate and colorful. 

After all that, I still had to try the next martini on the list.  In my case, the Armada.  My hubby was out with some buddies, so I used my sister has my guinea pig.   I served homemade pizza for which I am famous, so she had little to lose.    We agreed that the drink was basically diluted sherry which was fine with me as I like sherry.   It was definitely a fall/winter drink, a lovely amber color and heavy, but not as heavy as straight sherry given the addition of the vodka.   I think the cherry set it off well but probably added to the heaviness and winter feel, the orange twist would have brightened it up.   I would make this again, and next time I will try it with the orange twist.

Aside from feeling like a bit of a lush, I will be on to the next adventure tomorrow evening!

Thanks for stopping by,

Sue

Ack!  I am late!  I apologise.  I meant to write this up last night and then, after a long day of conferencing and travelling I succombed to the charms of a snuggly, sleep-sweaty little person who was really happy to see me and, after cuddling him back to sleep, passed out myself.

Bologna.  Baloney.  Bologna, Italy is a city famed for its University (the oldest one in the Western world if Wiki is to be believed) and the pasta sauce after which it is named (that would be Bolognese for those not in the know).  None of this has any relation whatsoever to the American Bologna Sausage.  Okay, maybe a little, or a lot – read on fair friends.

Although most of us are familiar with it in the form made by Oscar Meyer, there is maybe more to this sausage than meets the eye.  People who like to make it sound more high-brow, liken it to the Italian Mortadella (a variation on head cheese really – and I’ve never been fond) and, in truth, they are definitely, distantly, related.  However, the American Bologna sausage is just so much more, well, how do I say this … trashy.  In a fabulous kind of a way.

When I was a little person, I lived in a community populated by true hippies (my parents’ friends) and pseudo-hippies (my parents – though, really, I am not convinced that they weren’t actual hippies – this is another discussion about which we have had frequent passionate debates and they will deny their true hippy natures to the bitter end … ).  But I digress – none of this has anything much to do with bologna, except for the fact that I was NOT allowed to eat it as a child.  When we moved from the country (ahem … land of hippie commune), to the “Big City” (Nelson, B.C. a tiny village in the Kootenays), all the kids in my school seemed to have bologna sandwiches packed in their lunches.  Bologna sandwiches that I wasn’t allowed to have.  Bologna sandwiches with fakes cheese slices, white (wonder)bread and yellow mustard.  Oh my.  My lack of bologna sandwich in my lunch bag was just another factor in the long list of things that marked me as “different” from my classmates and made it hard for me to fit in. I craved those sandwiches.  I begged for those sandwiches.  I just knew that if I could have a bologna sandwich, my entire social world would be vastly improved.

Suffice to say, from my jaded perspective, this was grand high cuisine and I was being denied!  In fact, I did not eat a bologna sandwich until I was a teenager.  At which point, I decided it was possibly a better treat than McDonald’s.  This is Very High Praise coming from a 14 year old.

I would be lying if I said that a part of me doesn’t still consider a bologna sandwich Comfort Food along the same lines as Kraft Dinner, or Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup.  But I won’t eat it – not even for this blog.  At least not today.  Didn’t have time to go the grocery store, if I’m being honest.

I will leave you with this, which was my most favorite quote that I could find about Bologna Sausage:

“Bologna sausages labour under the calumnious imputation of being made of asses’ flesh”.  Follow this link to the Old Foodie for more brilliant prose on the topic.

On National Good and Plenty Day – those are the little licorice candies that look a bit like extra long tic tacs.  I hate them.  Won’t eat ‘em.  Can’t make me.  Some people love ‘em. Here’s a picture and words to the theme song.

B.

censer (noun) covered incense burner
censor (verb) to inspect conduct, morals, documents
censure (verb) to criticize or reproach in a harsh or vehement manner

inequity (noun) injustice, unfairness
iniquity (noun) gross injustice or wickedness

lickerish (adjective) greedy, lascivious
licorice (noun) a candy flavored with licorice root

lighted, lit
According to Bryson’s Dictionary for Writers and Editors, either is correct. Lighted, however, is more usual when the word is being used as an adjective (“a lighted torch”).

palate (anatomy) roof of mouth
palate (noun) the sense of taste: a dinner to delight the palate
palate (noun) intellectual or aesthetic taste; mental appreciation
palette (noun) thin board on which a painter mixes pigment
pallet (noun) small temporary bed; portable platform

further, farther
I was taught that “farther” should designate distance and “further” is for quantity or degree.

But my Merriam Webster’s Concise Dictionary of English Usage has muddied the waters for me. Seems further is taking over meanings that used to belong exclusively to farther.

The folks at MWCDEU track present-day usage trends of commonly confused and disputed words and phrases. They’ve had their eye on farther and further for quite some time (I saw references going back to the 1920’s).

Farther as an adjective, the MWCDEU says, is now limited to instances where literal or figurative distance is involved. And further competes even in this function: “It was the furthest thing from everyone’s mind.”

“So for the adjective we can see that further has squeezed farther out of the additional sense and is giving it pressure in the more distant sense.”

I was beginning to feel sorry for farther, but then read that, used as an adverb, farther still dominates “when spatial, temporal, or metaphorical distance is involved.” Such as, “Nothing could be farther from the truth.”

I was farther and farther, or is it further and further?,  from understanding when to furt and when to fart, as it were.

For clarification, I turned again to my expert of choice, Bill Bryson:
“Insofar as the two are distinguished, farther usually appears in contexts involving literal distance (‘New York is farther from Syney than from London’) and further in contexts involving figurative distance (‘I can take this plan no further’).”

Which explains why there’s a “furthermore” but not a “farthermore.”

And another great word arrived in my email from Dictionary.com:

fugacious \fyoo-GAY-shuhs\, adjective:

Lasting but a short time; fleeting.

When he proposed the tax in May, Altman thought it would follow the fugacious nature of some flowers: bloom quickly and die just as fast.
– Will Rodgers, “Parks proposal falls on 3-2 vote”, Tampa Tribune, June 27, 2001
[What an extremely erudite and poetic newspaper report on such a mundane topic. The headline is hardly compelling.]

Fugacious is derived from Latin fugax, fugac-, “ready to flee, flying; hence, fleeting, transitory,” from fugere, “to flee, to take flight.” Other words derived from the same root include fugitive, one who flees, especially from the law; refuge, a place to which to flee back (re-, “back”), and hence to safety; and fugue, literally a musical “flight.”

Reminds me of the wise guy’s favorite saying: “Fugged about it!”

I love red licorice, and I’m sure I ate some during both my pregnancies (though I don’t remember any licorice binges). But this new research suggests that excessive amounts during pregnancy could hurt the child’s IQ and behavior later.

The study found that 8-year-olds whose mothers ate large amount of licorice during pregnancy:

1) didn’t perform as well as their peers on cognitive tests

2) were more likely to have poor attention spans

3) were more likely to display disruptive behaviors, like those found in ADHD

The scientists believe that this is due to glycyrrhizin, an ingredient in licorice that might allow stress hormones to cross from the mother to the baby in utero.

There was also a link with high licorice consumption and shorter pregnancies.

Here’s the study: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166570.php

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Perchance you are like me a have a deep fascination for this chewy black stuff. Perhaps you are a scientist and were born skeptical of just about every blazing thing on this blue-green planet. These days I am particularly enjoying the literature on the health effects of excessive black licorice consumption. Let’s begin:

Maternal Licorice Consumption and Detrimental Cognitive and Psychiatric Outcomes in Children

Katri Räikkönen^*, Anu-Katriina Pesonen, Kati Heinonen, Jari Lahti, Niina Komsi, Johan G. Eriksson, Jonathan R. Seckl, Anna-Liisa Järvenpää and Timo E. Strandberg

Received for publication March 30, 2009. Accepted for publication July 31, 2009.

Overexposure to glucocorticoids may link prenatal adversity with detrimental outcomes in later life. Glycyrrhiza, a natural constituent of licorice, inhibits placental 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, the feto-placental “barrier” to higher maternal levels of cortisol. The authors studied whether prenatal exposure to glycyrrhiza in licorice exerts detrimental effects on cognitive performance (subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III as well as the Children’s Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment and the Beery Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration) and psychiatric symptoms (Child Behavior Checklist) in 321 Finnish children 8.1 years of age born in 1998 as healthy singletons at 35–42 weeks of gestation. In comparison to the group with zero–low glycyrrhiza exposure (0–249 mg/week), those with high exposure (500 mg/week) had significant decrements in verbal and visuospatial abilities and in narrative memory (range of mean differences in standard deviation units, –0.31 to –0.41; P < 0.05) and significant increases in externalizing symptoms and in attention, rule-breaking, and aggression problems (range of odds ratios, 2.15 to 3.43; P < 0.05). The effects on cognitive performance appeared dose related. Data are compatible with adverse fetal “programming” by overexposure to glucocorticoids and caution against excessive intake of licorice-containing foodstuffs during pregnancy.

This conclusion appears overly ambitious. Granted excessive glucocorticoid exposure is detrimental as it sets off stress related pathways. However it is impossible to directly conclude licorice (glycyrrhiza) consumption yields in aggression, attention and cognitive difficulties. That is a causation argument. If these Finnish researchers had taken a step back and simply stated that there was an association between licorice consumption and perversely difficult children then I could have taken a bite of that. Otherwise, it is just as likely that these stressed, candy fanatic mothers were crappy nurturers. N’est ce pas?

However there is hope for these wayward ladies……..

Injections Of Licorice Ingredient Show Promise As Treatment For Cocaine Addiction

ScienceDaily (Feb. 20, 2009) — An ingredient in licorice shows promise as an antidote for the toxic effects of cocaine abuse, including deadly overdoses of the highly addictive drug, researchers in Korea and Pennsylvania are reporting.

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In the new study, Meeyul Hwang, Chae Ha Yang, and colleagues note that there is currently no effective medicine for treating cocaine abuse or addiction. Recent animal studies conducted by the researchers show that a licorice ingredient called isoliquiritigenin (ISL) can block the nervous system’s production of dopamine. That neurotransmitter is involved in emotion, movement, and other brain activities.

Cocaine and other addictive drugs stimulate dopamine and help produce the pleasurable and addictive effects. Drugs that block dopamine block this response. The scientists used rats as model animals to show that rats injected with ISL just prior to cocaine-administration showed 50 percent less of the behavioral effects associated with the illicit drug.

They also showed that ISL injections protected nerve cells in the brain from cocaine-associated damage.

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Thank you to Panda Licorice for sending us a generous package of their all natural licorice samples.

Panda Black Licorice

The roots of glycyrrhiza glabra is knonw as licorice . The roots of licorice is used for extracting sweet flavour. The licorice plant is found in southern europe and many other parts of asia. To add more sweetness to licorice then glycyrrhizic acid is used which is a anti-viral compound and found to be more sweetner than sugar.

Actually licorice is grown in deep , fertile and well drained soils under fulfledged sun. One’s planting is done , it is harvested in the month of autumn.

Today licorice is extracted after boiling the roots of licorice in which water is evaporated . Infact , the name licorice is taken from Ancient Greek glukurrhiza . The meaning of glukurrhiza is sweet root. Mostly licorice extracts are marketed both in solid and syrup forms.

Now a days licorice flavor is used in cold drinks and herbal teas. In many medicines it is used to avoid the unpleasant flavor. Chinese people use licorice as culinary spice in foods. In ayurvedic medicine powerdered licorice root is used in tooth powders known as jastimadhu. Presently, licorice is quite beneficial in conventional and naturopathic medicine for mouth ulcers and peptic ulcers.

As such there is no serious side effects of licorice is found. But it affects the body’s endocrine system. It also helps in eradicating hyperkalemia. People should seek ayurvedic knowledge for the use of licorice.

herbal tea