Happy New Year 2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR
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Share your New Year's Greetings & Resolutions !
I wish you Sally and all Andre's fans a very happy new year and the happiest in the grace of God. He has already blessed me, I just bought my ticket to see Andre and JSO in Toronton next December. This was the best gift of all this Christmas. God Bless!
Sally, your card reminds me of "Hickory,dickery dock, the mouse ran up the clock"...
My very best and sincere wishes to each and every one of you for the happiest New Year ever. May it be full of joy, good health, happiness, peace, love, and lots of Andre's music.
SALLY, thank you with all my heart for all you do. SHIRLEY, great resolutions! MARTHA S. I will see you in Toronto next year!!!!
My resolution is to be more loving, kind, compassionate, caring just like YOU my dear friends. Love and hugs
Cute Card Sally! Thanks.
Happy New Year everyone, I wish for all of you to have a great year. I hope all that you desire comes to you. May you all find happiness always, health and prosperity in all you do. I wish for the world to have peace...if everyone could and would just touch peace in their hearts there would be no reason for wars and anger, hate and fears.
My personal resolutions are, organization in everything that I do, diet, and I really, really, want to work on not being so critical of people. People are trying the best way they know how to exist...being critical of their choices doesn't help them, or me, at all. Of course, I want patience, I always want everything now, and it just doesn't work that way most of the time.
Most of all, I wish everyone LOVE, for there is no better feeling than to be loved and to love in return, whatever it is.
Of course, lots of Andre's music to warm our hearts and make us happy. If there were anything in the universe that could make me happy, it would be the sounds of Andre playing his beautiful violin music, for he truly does know how to do that!
Worthy goals Marlene. Just don't forget to be kind to yourself too.
Did you know when New Years resolutions began?
The first day of a calendar year is one of the world’s oldest holidays. The Babylonians are known to have celebrated the new year approximately 4,000 years ago, and this ancient civilization is credited by some with originating an annual tradition still going strong: The New Year’s resolution. The first day of a the Babylonian year was considered to be March 23rd, and a common Babylonian New Year’s resolution was their custom of returning something borrowed from a friend over the course of the previous year.
The Romans used a different calendar and named the first month of the year after the mythical figure of Janus, a symbol of beginnings and endings, whose two faces allow him to look both forward and backward in time. The Romans celebrated the coming of the new year on January 1st by exchanging gifts, and had their own version of the tradition of resolution-making begun by the Babylonians. A common resolution in ancient Rome was to seek forgiveness from enemies of previous years.
Isn't that interesting?The Chinese New Year, which falls at the time of the first full moon after the sun enters Aquarius (late January through mid-February), has also been celebrated for thousands of years. Among the many customs associated with the Chinese New Year is housecleaning, frequently found today on lists of the most common New Year’s resolutions worldwide.
Yes, Prudence, it's very interesting! I enjoy finding out about traditions and how they came about.
I've often wondered about New Year's food traditions, also. I have always heard about certain foods which will bring you luck if you eat them on the day of a New Year...here are some:
New Year's Food Traditions
Eating noodles at midnight is customary at Buddhist temples in Japan.
A German/Pennsylvania Dutch tradition is to eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year's day for good luck.
It is the tradition of Bosnia & Croatia (both of former Yugoslavia) to eat what is called "Sarma" or beef wrapped tightly in cabbage to bring good luck in health and wealth for the upcoming year.
It is a Cuban tradition to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. The 12 grapes signify the last twelve months of the year.
German folklore says that eating herring at the stroke of midnight will bring luck for the next year. Eating pickled herring as the first bite of the New Year brings good luck to those of Polish descent.
In the southern United States, it is believed eating black eyed peas on New Year's eve will bring luck for the coming year.
Also from the south comes the custom of eating greens such as cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, kale or spinach to bring money.
One more from the Southerners: eating cornbread will bring wealth.
The Southern custom of eating greens can be found in other cultures as well, although the cabbage can take many forms, such as sauerkraut or even kimchee.
In the Philippines, it is important to have food on the table at midnight in order to insure an abundance of food in the upcoming year.
Boiled Cod is a New Year's Eve must in Denmark.
Olie Bollen a donut-like fritter is popular in Holland for New Year.
Black-eyed peas, fish, apples, and beets are eaten for luck at the Jewish New Year's celebration (not celebrated on Jan 1).
I imagine that there are many more, but thought this was interesting. I've always had the sauerkraut for my New Year's dinner, being from a strong German/Pennsylvania Dutch descent.
GUTES NEUES JAHR ( GERMAN)
I'm working on Monday, by choice; & plan to have some sauerkraut during the day. Here is a very good tasting treat that includes sauerkraut juice.
4 oz of Hot & Spicy V8 Juice
4 oz Buttermilk
3 oz Sauerkraut juice
It will go down real smooth, just as long as you don't look & the glass & those buttermilk chunks on the side. <g>
Thanks for all the very interesting New Year traditions Marlene
Bill
Oh YUCK Mr Bill! I think I'll stick with my black-eyed peas!
I just had to comment on this one...I'd rather be talking about the nice Mozart chocolates! Bill, I'm sure there is a place for that drink but there is nothing about it that I would even consider trying
cool info prudence! thank you!....to steal a phrase from Bill, he he he ...i can't help saying this...oh this is so bad...but look where that tradition has gotten them...Babylon=modern day Iraq.
My resolutions, no resolutions...i'm definitely a rule breaker...if i make my own...i break those too...ugh...rebellion...so i will lean on Jesus my only hope in the whole World... i definitely need an inside job...His transformation ...oh its sometimes slow and i sometimes have to learn the lesson more than once til i get it...(ouch)...but i can be sure if i resolve to lose weight, i'll put on five pounds the first week!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE...YOU ARE THE NICEST PEOPLE AND SO GLAD TO CALL YOU FRIENDS (well maybe after this one you guys won't want to be my friends...)L...
Hey Lorraine, what is that last part? Who wouldn't want to be your friend? Just because of your beliefs? I'll hit 'em with a wet noodle!
Sally, oh...thank you, thank you, thank you (to the tune of the king who says the same thing in Amahl)!
Shirley, i love how you guard me with wet noodles...you are wonderful, love you too!
Bill, seconding Shirley's OH YUCK!
Marlene, i'm with you, sauerkraut and roast pork, always on New Years...one of my favorite meals anytime of the year! The gravy is the key...yummmmm...
Sally, I hope that your mom is continuing to get better, you and your mom are in my thoughts and prayers...
Kati, thinking of you and the snow and the chicken ....planning to do the Hungarian Spicy stuffed chicken during the month of January while i'm on vacation...hope it comes out really good because just remembering how it tasted when i had it in the Hungarian restaurant makes my mouth water...
Just talking about dieting as a new years resolution led me to purchasing a box of "Mozart" chocolates at the mall...oh my garsh if ever there was a chocolate, this is it....(190 caleries per piece)...got a small box of 6 and forced my son and husband to have two each...
HAPPY NEW YEAR! L
I will put up a few photos of Kati and her snow later today. My goodness! Kati, you are extremely fit to be able to push all that snow away as you do! If Shirley's wet noodles ever need help, we know who to call.
Sally, that is hysterical...about the dump! I can see how much you love your mom and it is a wonderful thing. So glad that you did all those lovely things for her...you two were blessed to have wonderful times together.
I have similar confusing ICU stories when my mom was in the ICU.
Great on the gym win! I am planning my gymnastics while i'm eating the Mozart's...hopeless...now when it snows here ....i'm really in trouble because i cannot talk my mind into realizing that the snow will not last forever, spring will come and i will be sorry.
SHIRLEY... Mozart Chocolate! You do not know...you have never had one? Oh my dear Shirley...allow me to introduce you.
Here's the skinny (no pun intended):
Mozart Chocolate in german is: Mozart Kugeln...the company was founded in 1865 and makes the best chocolate in the world...Mozart Kugeln being their most famous...visit their website take the tour and look at their offerings...one can get them at a fine chocolatier here in the u.s. or on line...but be careful...they are tooo tooo good so only stock as many as your calorie count will permit because they are irresistable...hint: especially good with hot Twinnings English Breakfast Tea...a bite of Mozart a sip of tea...a bite of Mozart...a sip of tea....you get the picture don't you?the website in Germany is: reber-spezialitaeten.de
The snow just keep coming. There is nothing but muscle here. Love You all!! Kati
Happy New Year!! I just got carried away with mychores here, the snow just topped it, for days worth of! I have a very powerful blower, but we still have snow and ice everywhere. Just keep coming. Very unusual. Thanks for thinking of me though. I think of You all always. Kati
KATI..YOU ALMOST GOT LOST IN THE SHUFFLE HERE!i CAN'T BELIEVE HOW MUCH SNOW YOU HAVE BEEN GETTING. SURELY SPRING CAN'T BE TOO FAR AWAY!!(WE HOPE).IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOUR NAME IN HERE ONCE AGAIN, BUT I REALIZE YOU'VE HAD YOUR HANDS FULL.
"MOZART CHOCOLATES"???????? Well, I see I'm done for now!!!! didn't know there was such! i-yi-yi! Tell me more!!!
Oh my...maybe I should wait to start my diet until after I've had a Mozart or two?? Yes, chocolate...mmm...a certain weakness is coming over me...
Marlene: definitely wait till you try the Mozarts...then go for it! I just checked and Amazon.com has a beautiful bag of them for $9.99...BUT MAKE SURE YOU GET THE MOZART KUGELN...and not some of their other things...the Mozart Kugeln is the definitive one!
oh....since we're going for broke with calories may I introduce you all to Glogg...if you have not yet made the acquaintance...perfect for New Years Eve/Day:
it is usually made with vodka...i leave it out and make it the simple way:
i go to williams sonoma and purchase their mulled wine spice (they are now on sale from $9.99 to $1.99...hurry)...
take a bottle of your favorite red wine...put some (i'd say at least three heaping tablespoons full) of the mulling spice in a saucepan, add the wine...simmer it to hot...DO NOT BOIL ...the alcohol will boil out...add sugar to taste...should be sweet but not sickenly so...when it is hot, serve it in nice little coffee or tea cups hot of course.... for the true Swedes/Germans of you all: Add three/four shots of vodka and do everything else the same but add alot of sugar while it is cooking because it will be VERY bitter otherwise...
make it for your friends...serve the mozarts with it and some home made pies or cake and cookies...be assured ...your friends will never leave you...and henceforth they will always choose your place as the place to meet (now you might not want this to be so, if not keep this for your family only...you can't get rid of people once they know you can do this)....Love, L
if you want the true Glugg recipe it is here:http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blbev14.htm
OH MY GOSH! Marlene, I don't know about you but I think I've been going to the wrong houses for New Years!! Lorraine, you may have a long line at your front door now!
Yes, Shirley, I tend to agree with you...wrong houses!! So, Lorraine, when's the PARTY???
Anytime i'm not on show schedule...which, unfortunately, is only in january..got plenty of room for you gals...we will do as Prudence says...a sip of tea...a chugalug of glogg (the glogg makes one very happy, especially if it is the authentic one!)....
Sally I bet you did get those as a gift from Iris...as it is a very lovely European traditional gift...when my cousin Margund came last time...she also gave me Amadaeus...DON'T EVEN TRY THEM...ONE PIECE IS 480 CALORIES...CHECK IT OUT ON THE SITE IF YOU LIKE...but don't get any....
When I give Mozart Kugeln as gifts I give the box of six...because this way I will not get blamed for the weight gain!
So, girls...just let me know i'm available in January (how boring...my only free month!...but if andre comes to town ...and you guys are in New York...i'll definitely try to swing something!....i've got lots of music, a nice lcd tv in my den/studio (not like ruth's wonderful home theatre...just a nice 32 in.....lots of music, dvds, and everything the ladies could want for a chat and chomp, sip of tea, chugagloggalug! love, L
I had no idea about them until Lorraine gave us that website, but once there and looking.... I think Iris sent me a piece for Christmas! I was VERY Yummy!! I hope she got my Thank you card. Because I tried to save the chocolate for my Christmas desert, but it looked so intriguing....gulp! I had to eat it!
Yes, you know what Sally...I could not have saved it either. Some things that are intriguing, they get to the curious natured, and I would have eaten it probably before that "save" thought came to mind.
oh....just in case you do not go to the chocolate website...i paste the following for you because i think you will all enjoy it:
In the year 2006 the 250th birthday (Jan. 27, 1756) of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will be celebrated. The anniversary year of the most famous musical genius of the world is cause for numerous cities and towns to create cultural and tourist attractions by means of many events. Besides Mozart's both centres of life attractions, Salzburg and Wien, about seventy cities, towns and areas within Europe have joined together in an association called " European Mozart Ways " being connected with the journeys of the young genius. The numerous activities of the association "European Mozart Ways" include among others the foundation of the Mozart Orchestra in Bologna by Claudio Abbado or a marionette festival about Mozart in Milano, where the cities of Salzburg and Strasburg will be participating, but also initiatives like the publication of a children's book by the Mozart city Schwetzingen. Other members are German cities such as Munich, Augsburg, Mannheim, Frankfurt, Bonn or Leipzig.
Getting back to the chocolate topic, I defy anyone to find better commercially made Brownies than those made at Fairtale Brownies
They are located just across the street from where I work here in Arizona. When they first opened for business in late October I was the first to go in & buy their Happy Holiday Dozen (12 different flavors/varieties). I took them to work! In about 12 minutes flat more than 200 people cam down to get a taste, many went over & bought some for themselves & co-workers the next day. Almost every day, someone goes by & buys several, for themselves & their co-workers.
I highly recommend them <g>
Bill, just went to the Fairtale site and bookmarked it...i think next Christmas i will get this for a brownie loving person i know...it looks as you say "undefyingly" delish! L
Gosh, here we were, talking about resolutions & such, me & Marlene mentioning losing weight, Sally with the gym thing goin' on and what do we do? Start talking about food! and chocolate at that!!! Just goes to show that you are right Lorraine! We make 'em, we break 'em! Oh well. Lorraine, as I'm going through my old 1961 Betty Crocker cookbook, guess what I find? Quote "FAMOUS VIOLINIST RECOMMENDS VEGETABLE DINNER", the violinist? none other than Yehudi Menuhin!. he suggests a Vegetable Melange, made with summer squash,onion, green pepper,eggplant & tomatoes.(organically grown veggies of course),a beet salad, and a bread pudding. He says of the vegetable dish, "In making this dish, all depends on the seasoning, care and love with which it is done". Well, isn't that the secret to many a good recipe?
Anyway, here I've had this cookbook all these years and this is the first time I've read this!
Shirley, thank you so much for sharing this....it makes me so happy. Why? well because it is no secret how i feel about yehudi, i love him! yehudi menuhin was an absolute nutrition fanatic. he loved fresh fruits and vegetable...his parents raised him like this and i guess he loved it and then went on to raise his own family like this. his second wife, diana, who was a ballerina of the first order in England also was very nutrition conscious...yehudi also was into Yoga...which is definitely NOT my thing...but i did get such a huge kick out of reading how he went to Nehru's house (spelling?) and did his headstand for the prime minister and almost lost his undies!!! he was soooo cute, adorable and sincere and the more i learn of him...all the more i love him! what is the name of that old cookbook, i want to see if i can get one on ebay or amazon. thanks shirley, you made me giggle, Lorraine
...oh...i know you told me it was 1961 and betty crocker...but does it have a special title? L
Lorraine, all it says is BETTY CROCKER,new picture cookbook, first edition, 4th printing(1961). Mc graw Hill Book Co. Inc. I bought this the year we were married, because of the pictures. Always wanted the dish to look good as well as taste good.I had this one and a Better Homes & Garden one. I think I'm more of a "cook disaster" than a "cook master"!Oh, I've improved a lot over the years, but I've sure had my share of disasters too. First company meal I ever prepared was a stuffed ham steak...2 half inch pieces of ham steak, the stuffing in between, stuffing calls for chopped peanuts in the mixture, well, i don't have a chopper so I just throw in a 1/2 c. whole peanuts. Came time to eat, friend asked, "are these beans in this dressing?". I say"no, peanuts, supposed to be chopped but i had no chopper". he said "good, I was gonna say that you overcooked the beans"! We all had a good laugh over that. he gace me a chopper the next day. Next time I had them over, baked a lemon pie, which they both love. Came out perfect looking, meringue beautiful & high. Cut the pie and it's like a thick, runny liquid!This time he calls for straws!! Don't know what happened or why, it's never happened since. But one thing for sure, since Thanksgiving & me using salt instead of sugar for the pumpkin pie, well, I'd say you take your chances if you eat with me!
Shirley...you are so funny! I think that is the Betty Crocker edition that i lost years ago...maybe not...maybe mine was of the 70's. The only i loved had the best, best receipe for spaghetti and meatballs. Even though my mother was from Naples, I loved this receipe. It was easy and simple and i still from memory use it for all my base italian sauces today...i add a little of thisnthat but it is the best base.
Well, anytime you want easy and good meals just let me know. Whatever i do is easy easy and it always turns out...maybe because it is easy easy.
Have a wonderful New Years Eve...and don't cook too much...(only kidding, he he he...(bill i will always have you to blame for my new "he he he"-ing. L
Lorraine, this one does have a spaghetti with meatballs recipe. A little side note says "spaghetti,favorite food of Italy.Travelers in Europe bring back memories of fascinating glimpses of great racks of spaghetti drying in the hot sun on the sandy shores of the Mediterranean between Naples & Amalfi. they look almost like vineyards, row after row of wooden posts, with skeins of spaghetti wound 'round and 'round". Another thing I like about this cookbook is the little side notes, plus, in the meal planning section are menues of famous people. People like Lily Pons, the opera star has a desert called the Fleur de Lily, menues by Jimmy Durante, Harry truman, Mrs FD Roosevelt, Bing Crosby, Helen Traubel, and the menu for Caroline Kennedy;s birthday party. very interesting book. Be nice if you could find one. Mine is well used for sure.Honestly, my disasters have been few, but memorable!
Few but memorable is good....my mom when she first married my dad tried to make Kartofel Kleurse (it should be spelled differently with umlaut)...she and my dad laughed for years about her attempt because the balls were hard enough to play "stick" ball with...then she became the best German cook in the entire world...
i don't think i had that particular cookbook because mine did not have those celebrities in it...i will try to get a copy of the one you describe...believe me,Shirley, almost everything IS available! You can tell what my social life is like 6:19pm new years eve and i'm on the andrerieufans blog and no where else i'd rather be but home...what?truly! Happy New Year!
It's 6:35 pm here, just got home from a movie, now we are home for the evening. Which makes me happy too Lorraine, as there is no place like home, where we can ring in the New Year with those who are close to us, our loved ones!
you are right Marlene...at least that is the way we like to do it too! i did not go back to the blog last night because i was sure no one would have posted...but in the back of my mind i was thinking ....where's Marlene...because you had said once ok i'm getting lonely here...!!!! i should have checked in again! Happy New Year. L
Thanks Lorraine! Happy New Year!
MESSAGE COPIED FROM January page:
ALERT...ALERT...ALERT...TODAY, AS EVERY NEW YEARS DAY/NIGHT...THE VIENNA PHILHARMONIC DEDICATES A CONCERT TO JOHANN STRAUSS....THIS IS THE BEST ONE I'VE EVER SEEN...THE VIENNA STATE BALLET DANCED ...OH MY GARSH...no words can describe...they danced both at SchlossHoff (bill too excited for ums) and Schonbrunn!!!! The concert was amazing and if any of you missed this afternoons broadcast it will be broadcast again at 9pm on the east coast...WEST COAST FANS...check pbs.org for the time it will be airing on the west coast...YOU CANNOT MISS THIS....but if you do (not everyone stays home on New Year's Day like me and mine) IT IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON PBS.ORG ...entitled New Years Eve 2007....conducted by Zubin Mehta....
AI YI YI YI YI YI YI
I just checked our PBS schedule, and it's airing here in Portland, at 9 p.m. tonight! I can't wait to see it, and thanks Lorraine for telling us about it!
http://www.playbillarts.com:80/news/article/5867.html
The 2007 version of the Vienna Philharmonic's traditional New Year's Day concert arrived on Billboard's classical chart last week, making its debut at no. 7. The performance of waltzes, polkas and other festive music, conducted this year by Zubin Mehta, was recorded by Deutsche Grammophon, reproduced on CD, packaged and distributed in record time, according to the label.
The late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's recording of her husband's Neruda Songs with the Boston Symphony under James Levine remains at no. 2. Joshua Bell's Voice of the Violin is in third place, followed by popular violinist André Rieu's The Homecoming!, Mychael Danna's score for the film The Nativity Story, and pianist Gabriela Montero's Bach and Beyond.
I haven't seen a week go by without Andre being on the chart. At one time he had 4 places in the top ten. It is amazing this man who was told there is no market for 'his' type of music can be so dominate. Thank goodness he followed his own heart and not those of the nay-sayers.
Also of note is the VPO which we all loved seeing this New Year's is in the top ten! Right where it belongs.