It’s a New Moon, Kristen Stewart by Margaret Ullrich - Champagne Cocktail and Kir Royal Recipes

I’m feeling a little melancholy about this new moon.

It’s the last major moon phase I’ll see while I’m 64.

When the full moon comes on May 3, I will be 65.

Well, actually, 65 years and two days.  

A SENIOR CITIZEN.

In July, 2010, I posted about how my turning 60 had affected our finances.

We’d just had our annual chat with our financial advisor.

After she found out I had passed 60 she gave me a belated birthday gift.

Their super duper Plan 60 Account.

I was feeling a bit over the hill.

Wrinkled, saggy, less energy… you get the picture.

But, what time taketh away, banks and businesses giveth.

After she casually mentioned that, since I was 60 and could get both of us discounts for shopping and travelling, I saw a gleam in my husband's eye. 

I hadn’t seen that gleam since… well, never mind.

After May 1 I’ll qualify for ALL senior discounts.  Yeee.. ha!!!

Turning 65 is a milestone that gets special days at the stores.

Hey, even the government has extra tax deductions for the over-65 crowd.

Anyway... becoming a senior citizen beats the alternative.

A hottie like Kristen Stewart looks great on posters. 

But we older gals have - and receive - something a little extra.  

We are an instant discount for everything near and dear to our husbands' hearts.  

And that's something they can take to the bank. 

So, it calls for a celebration.

A glass or two of Champagne would do the trick.

Okay… we’ve just finished paying taxes.

So maybe a glass or two of  sparkling wine will have to do.

Which is okay.

Geography isn’t everything.

Champagne means sparkling wines from the Champagne region.

If you live in the Champagne region, it’s just the local brew.

So, it's okay to make like the French and drink something from the hood. 

Champagne (or sparkling wine) is always served cold.

It is usually served in a glass that has a long stem with a tall, narrow bowl.  

The other glass - the one they usually have on anniversary cards - ruins the wine.

A bit of trivia…

The flat glass that looks like a bowl is called a Victorian coupe.

According to legend, it was designed using a mould of Marie Antoinette's left breast as a birthday present to her husband, Louis XVI.

That girl knew how to par-tay!!

Are you turning 65, too?  Why not go fancy and make a Cocktail.

Cocktails became less popular in the late 1960s and through the 1970s.

They got popular again in the 1980s, with vodka often replacing gin. 

Traditional cocktails began to make a comeback in the 2000s.

So Cocktails have a history.

As do we seniors.  Celebrate!!!

                        Champagne Cocktail

Place in a champagne glass

1 teaspoon sugar

1 dash bitters

1 lemon peel

1 orange peel

Fill with 

ice cold champagne

Variation:

Kir Royal, served in a flute glass, is made with champagne instead of white wine.

It’s easy to make.

If it's the end of the month, it can be topped up with white wine.

I'll bet that's what the French would do after they had paid their taxes.

                        Kir Royal

Place in a champagne glass

1 part crème de cassis

Top up with

9 parts champagne

About the moon this weekend…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

On April 18 there will be a New Moon, with Venus at the point in its orbit where it is closest to the sun.

On April 19 Mercury and Mars can be seen very near the Moo in the west-northwest. Mercury is also at the point in its orbit where it is closest to the Sun.

On April 20 look for the Pleiades to the east of the Moon, and the Hyades to the west of the Moon, about an hour after sunset, looking west-northwest.

April 21 look to the west-northwest to see the waxing moon forming a trio with the red star Aldebaran and Venus about an hour after sunset. The Lyrid meteors will reach their maximum during the night when about 15 to 20 “shooting stars” per hour might be seen.  The Lyrid can be seen from April 16 to 25.

Getting an early start on your garden?

Plant flowers and vegetables that bear crops above ground during the waxing moon, from the day the Moon is new to the day it is full.

Blessed Weekend! by Margaret Ullrich - Gin Fizz Recipe

Wishing everyone a Blessed Weekend!

This is going to be quite the weekend for Jews and Christians.

Passover begins on the evening of April 3, and ends on the evening of April 11.

For Christians following the Gregorian calendar, April 3 will be Good Friday, followed by Easter Sunday on April 5.

For those following the Julian calendar, Easter will be celebrated on April 12.

But maybe they’ll be invited to a party this weekend, too.

Here in Winnipeg March 2015 has had a few extreme temperature days.

Even a couple of days of snow.

But the snow steadily disappeared and it is actually looking like Spring.

No, there aren’t any real flowers, yet.

No daffodils outside of what we can find in the shops.

But we’re grateful that the snow is gone and we can wear regular shoes.

And we’re praying that there won’t be another blizzard as we had in 1997.

A month ago I posted the recipe for Tom Collins.

It’s slightly different from a Gin Fizz, which is "fizzed" with carbonated water.

This makes it a bubbly drink.

Which might make it fun for a festive gathering.

There are Gin Fizz variations.

Some add a whole egg.

Some add either the egg white or the yolk.

Some use sparkling wine instead of carbonated water.

Some add green crème de menthe.

Although that might’ve worked better on St. Patrick’s Day. 

                        Gin Fizz

2 ounces gin (4.5 parts)              

Juice of 1/2 lemon (3 parts) 

1 teaspoon sugar (1 part) 

Place all ingredients in a shaker filled with cracked ice.

Shake well and double strain into a highball glass.

Fill with soda water  (8 parts).

About the moon this weekend…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

Before sunrise on April 4 there will be a total Eclipse of the Moon.  To see this eclipse you will need to be on one of the countries or cities located around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Across much of the US and Canada, this eclipse will coincide with moonset; the farther west you go, the more of the eclipse you will see. 

Alaska and Hawaii will have an excellent view as the eclipse will occur in the middle of the night. This eclipse is called one of the shortest — totality lasts less than 5 minutes. The partial phase is visible everywhere in North America, except parts of Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. 

On April 4 there will be a Full Moon, called the Full Pink Moon. This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. 

Other names for this month’s Moon include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon (if before Easter), and among coastal tribes, the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn. 

Celebrate St. Patrick! by Margaret Ullrich - Irish Coffee Recipe and Irish Fix Recipe

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Whatever your religious background,

Spring is returning.

And that in itself is a reason to celebrate!

I got a request for an Irish Coffee recipe.

Irish coffee actually has a bit of history. 

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Stanton Delaplane was served one during a stop at Ireland’s Shannon Airport bar in 1952.

Bartender Joe Sheridan, from the port city of Foynes, Ireland, had created the coffee drink during World War II to greet weary Yankee travellers arriving by seaplane in the wee hours of the morning. 

Irish people drank whiskey in tea, but Sheridan knew the Americans preferred coffee.

A smart businessman, Sheridan knew the customer was always right.

When Delaplane returned to San Francisco, he passed the recipe on to barman Jack Koeppler at the Buena Vista Cafe.

The rest of America soon learned of this drink.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.

Hints:

Use high-quality, freshly ground and brewed beans.

Always whip your heavy cream without sugar right before serving.

Sheridan’s recipe went as follows: 

Cream – rich as an Irish brogue

Coffee – strong as a friendly hand

Sugar – sweet as the tongue of a rogue

Irish whiskey – smooth as the wit of the land

Here’s a recipe, with some measurements, for two:

                        Irish Coffee

Place in a small saucepan

12 ounces brewed coffee

4 teaspoons sugar

Stirring occasionally, set over low heat until the mixture is hot but not boiling.

Pour 6 ounces hot coffee into each of two 8-ounce heatproof glasses or mugs.

Add to each serving

1 1⁄2 ounces Irish whiskey

Top with a collar of whipped cream by pouring gently over a spoon.

Garnish with mint leaves (optional)

Enjoy it while piping hot.

Variations:

Italian coffee: Substitute amaretto for the whiskey.

Jamaican coffee: Substitute dark rum for the whiskey.

Mexican coffee: Substitute Kahlúa for the whiskey.

Not a big fan of coffee?

No problem.

Have an Irish Fix or an Irish Cobbler.

Fixes and Cobblers were once wine-based drinks shaken with ice. 

Now they include spirits and mixers served over crushed or cracked ice. 

A Fix is 8 ounces, and a Cobbler is 12 ounces.

A cobbler is also a very nice fruit dessert.

It's not particularly Irish.

But it could make a good dessert for your St. Patrick's dinner.
And you could serve it with some Irish coffee.

                        Irish Fix

Place in a chilled highball glass

1 teaspoon simple sugar syrup

2 ounces Irish whiskey

1/2 ounce lemon juice

Fill with cracked ice and stir well. 

Garnish with

1 thin lime slice

1 thin orange slice 

Float on top

2 teaspoons Irish Mist (a honey liqueur)

About Friday’s new moon in Pisces…

According to the folks at astrology.com:

This intense week culminates with a total solar eclipse and full Moon on March 20, the same day as the Vernal Equinox. 

Something may be reaching its end, but a bold, beautiful, and brilliant new beginning is well within reach! 

Plant those seeds now, and don't be afraid to put down roots this time.

Spring in Winnipeg by Margaret Ullrich - Tom Collins Recipe

It’s March... time to think about Spring.
Some people see daffodils peaking through.
Some people see daffodils in full bloom.
Some people don’t live in Winnipeg.

In Winnipeg we still have snow on the ground.
No daffodils.

Well, there is a neighbour who has a cluster of daffodils on the snow on her front lawn.
But she also has clusters of roses, tulips, daisies and poinsettias on her lawn and in her back yard.
They’re all plastic.
Well… she likes them.

All in all I can’t complain about this past winter.
Compared to last winter we dodged a bullet.
There isn’t much snow, and there isn’t much of a threat of flooding.

That is, if we don’t get a blizzard in April as we did in 1997.
That blizzard led to the flood of the century for Winnipeg.
It really was referred to as a 100-year flood.
It also badly affect North Dakota and Minnesota.
So, apologies to the folks back east, but no, I can’t complain about the light snowfall we've had during this past winter.

The funny thing about winters on the prairies is that when it is really cold we have brilliant blue skies, and when it is milder we have cloudy skies.
Whenever it’s cloudy I crave lemon.
Especially in winter.
Along with the food recipes that feature lemon, I like drinks with lemon.
Such as Tom Collins.

The recipe was introduced to New York in the 1850s.
It’s a lemonade with a bit of a kick.
If you’re not thrilled by the ingredients in the Tom Collins, no problem.
There are about two dozen other Collins drinks: Juan, Jack, Jake, Michael, Sandy and Denzel, to name a few.
There’s even a Barnabas Collins with Sloe Gin.
It was most likely named after the 1960s show Dark Shadows' star character.
Not the 2012 Dark Shadows (film) based on the same show.

Each Collins uses a different juice and spirit.
Something for everybody.
Try them all, or stick to an old favourite.

                        Tom Collins

Place in a tall glass
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon sugar
Mix well.
Add 
2 ounces gin, vodka or rum
ice
Fill glass with
soda
Garnish with a slice of orange and a cherry

About Thursday’s full moon in Virgo…
According to the folks at astrology.com:

This hard-working full Moon arrives in the middle of all this week's fun social activities, ensuring that you take care of basics. Get plenty of exercise and sleep, and eat healthy foods to make the most of this time. 

A full Moon is an excellent time to tie up loose ends, so clean out your closets and clear out any negative energy. 

When the Moon is full you'll have an opportunity to see how far you've come.  This full moon provides an opportunity to purify yourself by releasing toxins that have built up over the last six months.  You’ll be feeling pretty special.

Tap into the power of the Pisces Sun to help you access your intuition, which will guide you in making wise decisions. 
You'll want all of your sharp attention to take advantage of the new Moon on March 20 which is also a solar eclipse, and a potentially dramatic new beginning for you!

Party on!! by Margaret Ullrich - Cosmopolitan Recipe

Yesterday was Canada Flag Day!!

Happy 50th birthday to our flag, eh!!

Today is also holiday for both sides of the border.

Happy Presidents' Day to my American visitors! 

In Canada the holiday goes by a few different names.

Family Day for most Canadians - Louis Riel Day for us in Manitoba.

Here the holiday was renamed in honour of Louis Riel, the Métis leader who is regarded as the Father of Manitoba.

There’s a ton of fun stuff happening at Festival du Voyageur this week to celebrate our province’s Métis roots.

What a jam packed week this is!

Last night we watched Saturday Night Live’s 40th Anniversary Special.

Great seeing our old favourites team up with the younger folks.

They all looked like they were having fun - even Kanye West, who showed his funnier side and went along with the Myers and Carvey’s Wayne’s World gag.

Tomorrow there’ll be pancakes for Mardi Gras.

After Ash Wednesday we’ll celebrate Chinese New Year by following a few traditions.

Can’t hurt and some are a lot of fun.

It’s nice to have a few reasons to celebrate when the weather’s so cold!

About a week ago I posted the recipe for Ma’s Lemon Cranberry Scones.

More about cranberries…

Yes, they are tart.

Cranberry juice is usually sweetened or blended with other fruit juices. 

Just so you know, cranberry juice cocktail, at a teaspoonful of sugar per ounce, is more sweetened than soda is.

Many cocktails are made with cranberry juice. 

One of the more famous is the Cosmopolitan.

Around 1987 John Caine brought the Cosmopolitan from Ohio to San Francisco.

The Cosmopolitan gained popularity in the 1990s, since it was frequently mentioned on the television program Sex and the City.  

Demeter Fragrance Library has created a cologne intended to smell like the cosmopolitan cocktail.

So, here’s the recipe for the drink, not the cologne.

                        Cosmopolitan

3 parts lemon flavoured vodka

2 parts cranberry juice

1 part triple sec, such as Cointreau

1 part lime juice

Place all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice.

Shake well and double strain into a large cocktail glass.

Garnish with a lime wedge or lemon slice.

About Wednesday’s new moon in Aquarius…

According to the folks at astrology.com:

Do you feel as if you have one foot in your past and the other in your future? This unusual new Moon straddles a pair of signs occurring just as the Moon and Sun cross the cusp between Aquarius and Pisces. 

Anything you start now is strongly infused with memories, so take the best from what you've learned and apply it to your future. 

This is a tailor-made time for dreamers - no cynics allowed! Since Neptune weighs in, not everything will be clear. Faith trumps logic now, so let it guide you in your choices. 

Give your logical mind a rest and pay attention to your feelings and intuition.

This is the second lunation in Aquarius since January. This is the moment to make your wish list and set your goals for the next six months!

Be careful about anything you start under this influence. 

The Sun also swoops into intuitive Pisces, heightening psychic abilities, so any extravagant, outrageous plans you've laid out under this new Moon may have you balking within hours.

Living on the Edge by Margaret Ullrich - Pink Lady Recipe

Yep, I’ve been living on the edge for the past couple of weeks.

Don’t get excited.  I’m almost 65.

But for me this is being adventurous.

A few months ago our local grocery store chain, Safeway, started a promotion.

For every $10 spent on groceries (and just about anything else in the store), the clerk would give a stamp towards a Zwilling J.A. Henckels Five star product.
Henckels makes very sharp knives.

It brought back memories of when my Ma collected S&H green stamps.

If you didn't live through that 60s craze that rivalled the Beatles, I'll explain.
Back then folks received little green stamps when they went shopping.

They were also given fat little books with pages that each had fifty tiny rectangles.

The books also had messages like:

S&H Green Stamps are your discount for paying cash. It’s the best way for any merchant to say ’Thank you for your patronage’.

Okay… our Moms would’ve preferred getting decent discounts, but the stamps - and what they could be exchanged for - were better than nothing.

Our Moms - or more often us kids - had to lick and place the stamps in the spaces.

After a couple of weeks word spread to lightly dab the stamps on a moist sponge.
Much better than tasting that awful glue backing.

When we weren't filling the stamp books, we - and sometimes our Dads - would flip through the S&H green stamps catalogue and argue over what was the best thing to get for all our efforts.

After bringing home stamps that filled dozens of books and enduring subtle - and not so subtle - requests, our Moms would exchange the books for an appliance.

Or maybe for something for the family to enjoy.

And bring home more stamps so we could start filling another book.

Hurrah for the twenty-first century!

The self-sticking stamps are quite an improvement.

And we don't need books filled with stamps to get a prize.

The largest knives required 150 stamps.

The smaller ones only needed 70.

I’ve actually earned enough for two very sharp knives.
My sliced oranges have never looked prettier.

Okay… I would’ve preferred decent grocery discounts.

But the knives were an upgrade from the ones I’d bought back in the 70s.

Who knew they could make a knife with a razor sharp edge?

I feel like Paulie Cicero, played by Paul Sorvino, in the movie Goodfellas.

I can just imagine how finely Paulie, while he was in prison, could’ve shaved the garlic if he’d had one of these knives.

And he wouldn’t have argued with the price.

The knives were FREE!!
Yes, Paulie would've cracked a smile for that, I'm sure.
Okay… I'm sure he would’ve preferred decent grocery discounts, but still...

Yep, I’ve been living on the edge.

Back to the twenty-first century... Valentine’s Day is coming.

I recently posted the recipe for Lava Cakes, a perfect dessert for two.

The post also has links for six romantic dishes for two.

Starches and main course dishes and a lovely dessert.

But what’s a romantic meal without an equally romantic drink?

A Pink Lady sounds about right.

It’s pretty and it leaves you sober enough to actually enjoy the evening.

If you get my drift.

A bit of history about the Pink Lady…

Some say interior architect and society figure Elsie de Wolfe invented it.
There was an Ivan Caryll's 1911 Broadway musical with the same name.

More recently it was rumoured that Hollywood star and sex symbol Jayne Mansfield drank a Pink Lady before her meals.

Maybe she also had a few for Valentine's Day.

Hints:

A creamier version, invented in the 1920s, adds sweet cream. 

In New Orleans this version was also known as Pink Shimmy. 

In some recipes the cream replaces the egg white.

Sometimes lemon juice is added as well.

Whatever you want in it... the ingredients are shaken over ice and, after straining it into a glass, the cocktail is garnished with a cherry.
Or not.

                        Pink Lady

2 ounces gin

1/2 ounce lemon juice (optional)

1/2 ounce grenadine

1 egg white

Shake ingredients very well with ice and strain into cocktail glass. 

Garnish with a cherry (optional).

About Tuesday’s full moon in Leo…

According to the folks at astrology.com:

An incredibly creative and romantic full Moon in Leo kicks the month off in style.

Aquarian ideals pull you toward friendship, while Leo's influence encourages you to stand out from the crowd.

Alrighty, then!!

Living the High Life by Margaret Ullrich - Highball Recipe

Last August I posted about our quest for a Queen-sized bed.

We had searched and tested mattresses in two countries.

You’d think, after all that trouble, that we’d have found the perfect bed.

You’d be wrong.

The queen-sized, soy-based, gel-plus memory foam mattress from Sears was just fine for about two months.

Then Paul’s shoulders and hips started to hurt again.

Since Sears has a one year return policy for their mattresses we were back to testing their mattresses.

Finally Paul decided on a tempur-pedic mattress and box spring set.  

The Concord.

Yes, we were buying a mattress set and not the airplane.

Kathryn was very helpful and, within minutes, had sorted out all our paper work.

We were given a large plastic bag to wrap the mattress.

We knew the routine.

On January 18 our bagged and sealed mattress was to be exchanged for the Concord.

I’ve got to admit that Sear’s service was prompt.

We had been told to expect the delivery between noon and six p. m.

At 11:30 a. m. we received a phone call.

They’d be here within ten minutes.

No problem - we’re home 24/7.

The young men who came were the same pair who had delivered the Zed bed.

They had also removed our old set, which we had bought from Eaton's, probably a few years before our young movers had been born.

By now we were buddies.

As they removed the Zed they said there had been problems with that model.

As bedding professionals, they approved of our replacement.

Which made me feel much better.

The set even came with a welcome kit!

They did have a bit of a chuckle while they installed the new bedding.

Some comments about our needing a step ladder, or maybe a stool.

The Zed was basically a slab of foam that was eight inches high.

Perfect for me, since I am about five feet tall.

I could easily sit on it, and getting in and out was no problem.

Since Paul was the one with the comfort issues, I had let him test out the mattresses.

What was fine for him would be okay by me.

Yes, well he’s over six feet tall.

The bed is comfortable.

But I feel like the girl in the Princess and the Pea fairy tale.

The mattress and box spring combined are twenty-one inches high.
Add the frame and it's another nine inches, for a total of thirty inches.

I have to take a flying leap to get into bed.

And it takes a few minutes for my feet to touch ground when I carefully slide over the side to get out of bed.

Well, nothing’s perfect.

I miss the days when we could camp and sleep on the ground.  

Oh, well, that was another century.

We’re zipping along in the twenty-first century.

Time for a nice simple drink, like a Highball.

A little history…

Highball may refer to the fact that these drinks are served in tall glasses.

Or it might refer to the dining cars of trains powered by steam locomotives.

When the engine got up to speed the ball showed that the boiler pressure was at its high level, known as "highballing".

Whatever, it’s a nice simple drink.

                        Highball

Pour over ice cubes in a highball glass

1 1/2 ounces whiskey, scotch, brandy, rum, gin, vodka or creme de menthe

Add favourite mix and stir.

Initially the highball was made with Scotch whisky and carbonated water, known in the UK as a "Scotch and soda".

Other highballs include the gin and tonic, Seven and Seven, and Cuba Libre. 

Here’s a list of other Highball recipes.

Happy Highballing!!!

About Tuesday’s new moon in Aquarius…

According to the folks at astrology.com:

The new Moon on January 20 is also a super Moon (Close to Earth)!  

The very next day Mercury goes retrograde amid this calm, cool, and collected constellation. With the planet of communication rolling backwards for the ensuing three weeks, expect to feel the opposite of calm! 

Social media and technology are in for some major confusion during this time, so be certain to back up your data.

Interesting… 

When I posted about getting the bed it was also a Super Moon. 

It was a full moon in Aquarius which is the best lunation of the year for sexual experimentation.

No idea what this moon is supposed to do for our sex life.

Thanks to the extra height, I’m getting more exercise.

New Year / New Life by Margaret Ullrich - Hot Toddy Recipe

Hope you all had a very Happy New Year!

If you were celebrating in the 1950s, you would have seen women dressed this way.

I have a a black and white photo of me celebrating New Year’s Eve back in 1950.

Well, to be honest, it was mostly my parents, aunts and uncles doing the celebrating.

In that photo my Pop is holding me and his brother Tony is holding his daughter, Linda.
Both men are standing in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen.

I had been born in May, 1950.

Linda had been born a month later.

My guess is we were about to be put down for the night.

There’s a second picture of a few parents sitting on the couch and side chairs.

Three cousins - age four, five and six - were playing in the living room.

Our moms were basically in house dresses.

So it goes…

The past New Year’s Eve was pretty much the same for us.

Relaxing in the living room in regular clothes.

A bit of bubbly and a few snacks.

We’ve come a long way, alright.

And now we’re in a brand spanking new year - 2015.

In most ways it’ll be more of the same.

In some ways we’re in for a few changes.

I’ll be turning 65 this May, which will qualify me for a pension and discounts.

That baby of 1950 has come a long way, alright.

Back in 1950 a warmed bottle of milk did the trick.

Now, I like something with a bit more of a kick.

                        Hot Toddy

Stud a lemon slice with 4 cloves and place it in a mug.

Fill the mug about 2/3 full of boiling water.

Add

1 1/2 ounces rum, whiskey or brandy

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cinnamon stick

Stir and serve.

Happy New Year!!!

About Sunday’s full moon in Cancer…

According to the folks at astrology.com:

Last month's new Moon in Capricorn helped you focus on your goals and ambitions. Now it's time to take stock of how far you've come, while also making sure you're not neglecting any of your personal needs. 

Create a self-care plan that can emotionally, mentally, and physically nurture you. Fix up your living space in a way that makes it feel cozy and comfortable. 

Finding a sensible balance between your career and home life will provide a necessary foundation for success.  In the days leading up to the next new Moon on January 20, make changes that will make you feel more content and secure. 

Muriel’s Christmas Dinner by Margaret Ullrich

This was a holiday piece I wrote a few years ago for the CKUW radio show ‘2000 & Counting’.  

Being politically correct - and politically sensitive - was and is a part of menu planning.

The family that eats a holiday dinner together… can still be in for a whole lot of trouble.

My friend Muriel still hasn't recovered from last Christmas. 

The poor dear had tried to please everybody. Solomon couldn't have pulled that off. Muriel was willing to go with the flow, but she was caught in a tsunami. Her husband Tom is a simple man with simple tastes. He just wanted a roasted bird with stuffing and cranberry sauce. 

He should never have had children.

Their eldest daughter, Donna, keeps up with trends. Muriel had asked Donna to bring the appetizers. Muriel expected their traditional celery sticks with cream cheese, crackers and cheese cubes. Donna waltzed in with an oriental party pack and assorted seafood and chicken wing platters. Something for everyone. Uh, huh. 

Tom backed off when he saw the eggrolls. "I don't like Chinese."

Donna said, "I got you BBQ chicken wings."

Ignoring her, Tom said, "They don't serve bread." He went to the kitchen for bread.

Then Betty arrived. Betty lives in a commune and supports the rights of everything and everybody… except those of the hostess. Betty always carried tofu because she never ate dairy products or anything with eyes or eggs. Muriel had prepared a nice salad for Betty. Not good enough.

"Were the pickers paid a decent wage?"

"The lettuce had a union label."

"I only eat organically grown food. Did they use manure."

"We had to scrub the carrots with bleach to get the E coli off."

"Oh... okay."

Tom heard E coli and reached for another slice of bread.

Finally their son Bill arrived with his wife Carol and their children, Krystal and Jason. Bill and Carol had every allergy in the book. Bill also had high cholesterol and Carol had her waistline. They avoided the platters of appetizers and drank the water that they had brought. 

Krystal, a tender-hearted child, burst into tears when she saw the chicken wings.

"Oh, those poor birdies. Do you know how they treat chickens, Grandma?"

Muriel figured the birds were better off than she was. They never had to make a holiday dinner for the family. But this was her granddaughter.

"Krystal, dear, these birdies lived in a happy place where they laughed and played and sang songs for a long, long time. Then one day they just went to sleep and woke up as chicken wings.  They were so happy they jumped onto the barbecue."

"Oh... okay."

Who says the next generation knows it all? 

Tom heard Muriel's tale of the laughing, singing chickens with the kamikaze wings, figured she'd finally lost it, and ate more bread.

Ignored by his elders, Jason gobbled a fistful of seafood appetizers and started wheezing. Muriel packed away the appetizers before her children could start a food fight and led them to the main event.

The table looked like a sailboat regatta that had been designed by Martha Stewart. Every dish had a tiny flag listing all of the ingredients. Muriel did not want to have to call the paramedics again. Krystal cried when she saw the turkey. 

When Betty reached for the potatoes, Bill said, "But they have eyes". Betty meant to kick her brother, but got her sister-in-law, Carol, who screamed and kicked back. Muriel yelled at her kids. The holiday dinner was just like always. Damn.

After everyone had eaten what they could, Muriel brought out a carafe of hot cranberry apple cider. This was her gift to herself. Seeing all the different coffees at the supermarket had made her go all woozie. Whatever happened to plain old coffee, black or with cream? Muriel’s children didn't say a word while visions of cappuccinos, espressos and lattes danced in their heads.

Betty was in charge of the dessert. She had created something that was just what the doctor ordered. No eggs, no cream, no butter, and no taste. 

Tom just saw a pumpkin pie and it looked fine. He helped himself to a slice, smiled and thought that Betty was returning to the food of her mother. 

But, something tasted... off. Maybe a new spice?

"Betty, what's in this pie," he asked.

"Tofu."

"Geez." Tom reached for the bread. 

Jason had wheezed throughout the whole meal. 

All in all, it had been just another family holiday get together. 

God help Muriel. The holidays are back.

About Sunday night’s new moon in Capricorn…

According to the folks at astrology.com:

The Sun's entrance into this earthy sign on December 21 marks the Winter Solstice. 

The new Moon makes for the perfect day to plan your New Year's resolutions!  During this magical day, reflect on where you've been and where you're headed. Do you know what you'd like to achieve in the year ahead? Set your sights high as you put together a plan. If you take the first step, you'll be amazed at what you'll be able to achieve by the time the Sun enters Aquarius on January 20!

The year's final major astrological transit on December 23 is also the biggest astrological news of the month: Saturn saunters into Sagittarius for a major emotional overhaul. As it meanders through Sagittarius for the next three years, the overall mood and atmosphere will be less impassioned and more thoughtful.

Uranus turns direct on December 21, which is sure to bring plenty of changes.

Even in the midst of an unpredictable environment, count your blessings!