TRIVIA & TREATS

Do you remember getting that one gift as a kid that either defined who you were later in life, or played with until every piece of it was hanging on by a thread or all taped up to prolong its life?(lol)  

Mine was a microscope.  Nothing was safe from being analyzed. Leaves, blood, pencils, hair, pebbles, an eyelash and, a piece of cotton, fingernails are just a few of the things I checked out every single day, and it drove my parents bonkers!(lol)


What about you?  Was there a toy or item that you were obsessed with as a child?

VEGGIE LOVE
More and more people are eating vegetarian or vegan meals, and there are lots of cool recipes to try.  Even better, going out is a lot easier for those who don't eat meat, and restaurants around the country are jumping on the bandwagon with mouth watering plant based main courses, and decadent desserts.

Plant - Hazelnut Cream Cake

Radish-Miso Butter Noodles (Laura Hayes)

Fancy Radish - Washington DC
Gracias Madre - San Francisco CA
Ground Control - Chicago IL
Leaf - Boulder Colorado
Plant - Asheville NC
Seva - Ann Arbor Michigan

SAVING MONEY
Thinking about making some changes with your Internet service?  Check out what works best for you and your family by visiting www.broadbandnow.com.  

Find out about every provider in your area as well as their rates and various plans.

ICE SKATING
Who remembers Peggy Fleming?  In 1968, she took home the only gold medal for the United States in the Winter Olympics.  Se was also 1st in the World Championships and the US Championships the same year.  It's so romantic  that she married her high school sweetheart, and have been together since 1970!

YIKES!
Speaking of relationships, in 1960 the divorce rate among men was 1.1%, and with women it was 1.7%.  Fast forward to 2017 where the rate with men was 10.9%, and among women it was 14.6%.    The state with the highest divorce rate as of 2016 was Oklahoma at 4.4%!  Apparently, the high divorce in this date are due to financial reasons.Almanac 2019

DOG FUN
Are you a puppy person?  The Westminster Dog Show will be the place to find plenty of purebreds in New York City from February 11 - 12, 2019.

CENSORSHIP
It's 2019, and there are still requests for books in a school or library to be removed based on content, and include To Kill a Mockingbird, The Hate U Give, Thirteen Reasons Why, I am Jazz, and Drama.

BLOOD NEWS
Did you know there is an age limit to give blood? James Harrison of Australia has donated blood 
1,173 times, and at 81, gave for the last time due to his age on in May 2018.

Anyone over 70 and healthy can only continue to donate blood if they have done so within a 2 year period, but for those donating blood for the first time, the age limit is 66.  Don't forget, the American Red Cross is always looking for donors to help those in need.

VIRUS
If you're trying to avoid the flu, University of Arizona researchers suggest wiping off that grocery cart handle with a sanitizing wipe to kill off any lurking bacteria.  Also, mine is always a disaster on the inside, but did you know that 80% of the bottoms of our purses are friends with the flu virus?  Be sure to clean purses regularly, and avoid laying them down on dining room tables or kitchen counters at home or in restaurants to avoid germs.

BLACK FOREST TRUFFLE - MINI (David Venable)

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg instant chocolate pudding
• 1 pkg brownie mix
• 2 oz cherry brandy
• 1 container whipped cream topping
• 1 jar dark cherries
• 1 (8 oz) dark chocolate bar
• 4 Amaretto cookies
• 8 small straight-sided glasses

Preparation:

• Prepare the pudding & brownies according to the directions on the package. Let brownies cool.



• Drain the cherries, reserving the liquid and 8 cherries for garnishing. Rough chop the remaining cherries. Crumble about half of the brownies into a bowl, sprinkle on the cherry brandy, and mix gently.



• With a knife, shave the chocolate bar into thin shavings. Set aside.



• Lightly crumble the Amaretto cookies. Set aside.



• With all of the ingredients organized, begin layering them in the glasses. Start with the brownie mixture, followed by the whipped topping and chopped cherries. Drizzle on some cherry syrup. Repeat the same 4 layers again. Finish with chocolate pudding on top. Garnish with crumbled cookies, chocolate shavings, and a cherry.

Speaking of chocolate - January 27 is National Chocolate Cake Day.

Did you know that it's considered offensive to feed alcoholic beverages to a moose in Fairbanks, Alaska?

Also, if you own a flamingo and live in Juneau Alaska, please don't take them to a barbershop.
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