December, 2021

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"This Just In..."

Happy Holidays!

The Daniels Family hopes that this is the best December of your life. That it is filled with joy, laughter, discovery and surprise. That it brings you together with family, friends and provides the opportunity to make new friends.

We hope that it finds you safe, healthy, prosperous and above all in good spirits and optimistic about the year to come. With all our best wishes.

What’s Your Holiday Tradition?

Everyone does their thing around the holidays. Here’s how people around the world celebrate…a little differently.

La Befana – Italy

Santa Claus is not the highlight in Italy come Christmas Eve. An ugly, but kind, old witch is known as Befana (giver of gifts') controls giving the gifts.

On January 5, known as the eve of Epiphany, parents will leave out a plate of broccoli with spiced sausage and glass of wine for Befana. Tradition says the good witch flies around on her broom and enters houses through a chimney to deliver clothing, toys, and candy to all the good children. On January 6, children will find the treats and toys in their stockings.

KFC Dinner - Japan:

In Japan, Christmas isn't really celebrated, but Kentucky Fried Chicken sure is! Yes, eating KFC on December 25 instead of having a homemade Christmas dinner is a tradition in Japan.

The Colonel's special recipe fried chicken is so popular, the chain asks customers to place their orders at least two months in advance. The popular feast began back in 1974 when it was introduced to Japan for visitors who wanted a dinner resembling a traditional holiday meal. The chicken dinner also attracted locals, and it's still a tradition practiced 50 years later.

Caroling with dead horses - Wales:

There isn't a particular day for this weird tradition, but from the time of Christmas to late January, the celebration of Mari Lwyd is supposed to bring good luck. One person will dress as a horse with an actual horse skull and is usually accompanied by a group of people. The group will go to homes singing carols in exchange for food and drinks. The tradition is thought to stem from ancient Celtic rites.

Roller Skating to Mass - Venezuela:

Why walk to mass when you can skate there? Residents in Caracas, Venezuela it is customary to roller-skate to this service and many neighborhoods close the streets to cars until 8 a.m. After Mass, everyone enjoys tostadas and coffee.

Night of the radishes - Mexico:

In Oaxaca, Mexico, you can't celebrate the holidays without radishes! Every year on December 23, the Mexican state of Oaxaca presents the most impressive display of carved vegetables in the world. The radishes are grown especially for this event and remain on display through Christmas day.

The miniature exhibits show the Nativity scene and other events from Mexican folklore. Originally, the tradition of radish carving was done by shopkeepers who wanted to entice people into their stores. It is now a three-day festival.

Decorate With Straw Goats

In Sweden and parts of the northern United States, families adorn their homes and Christmas trees with Julbock or The Yule Goat. Though no one knows exactly why goats figure so heavily in Scandinavian festivities, the Yule Goat was probably invented to honor the mythical goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. 

In Norse mythology, these giant grazers pulled the god Thor’s chariot and would rise whole and new each morning after being killed and devoured by their master each evening. Today, the Yule Goat is remembered in ornament form. Made of straw and decorated with red ribbon, Yule Goats are hung on Christmas trees or placed under them.

Fun fact: The city of Gävle, Sweden is famous for erecting the world’s largest Yule Goat every holiday season. Likewise, the Gävle Goat is famous because it rarely lasts long enough to see Christmas come and go. The giant effigy has only survived 16 times over its five-decade history.

Every year citizens and government officials alike gather for the goat’s unveiling and to brainstorm how to keep it safe. Presumably, other citizens meet at the same time to think up its destruction. Gväle and its towns-folk have been engaged in this somewhat-friendly fight since 1966 and some of the “attacks” on the giant goat have been totally weird.

The women of this town created crochet patches to stretch between buildings to cool the streets in the hottest part of the summer. Where does this occur? Tell us here – and you may win a trip to that town. No, sorry, wait. Just a regular $25 Amazon gift card.

We have it on very good authority that during the 8 nights (and days) of Hanukkah, (beginning Nov. 28^th) a fair amount of eating goes on. And celebrating. And eating.

And since not all of us may not be at that table we thought we’d bring some of those delicious specialties to you. Enjoy.

Are you heading off to Florida or Arizona or Europe for a few months this winter. (We’re going to try!!). 

Anyway, let us know before you go. If you’re staying and you’re not using wood to do some partial heating, let us know. OH and if there’s a new baby in the house – or if Grandma has come to stay – or if you’re planning to work from home again this winter let us know. 

All those things will contribute to increasing your fuel usage and with more information we’ll be in better place to make sure you never run out of fuel this year!

By George Digalakis. More beauty here: https://www.digalakisphotography.com

We all know the phrase, “between a rock and a hard place.” That is precisely where we all find ourselves today in the energy market. Rising demand and limits on production inevitably lead to rises in prices.

A big concern, after working with our suppliers to make sure there would be ample supplies this winter, is the possible shutting of a pipeline coming from Canada into Michigan. This could lead to making supplies even tighter. Add that to the rise in the cost of natural gas both here in the States and throughout Europe and you find industries, cities and governments switching from nat gas to heating oil and propane. That means even more demand!

And it’s not just the energy market. Surely you’ve seen the stories on shortages in every category from microchips to potato chips. The supply chain has been stretched, huge backups loom in ports across the world and now we simply don’t have enough truck drivers to deliver the goods. That’s why this fall we stocked our warehouse with parts and materials to assure that we will have what we need to keep your home warm this winter.

Finally, we are now adding BioHeat to some of our delivery mix. It is an environmentally friendly fuel that’s available – today – not some 15 years down the road. BioHeat supports American farmers, American companies that supply the farming industry and the railroads that move the Biofuel.

We know these times are challenging but we’ve been through much worse. We hope that your holidays are safe, healthy and bring you plenty of joy.

Looks like fun. Want to try? Check this out: click here.

A Chicama occurs in a single point on the Peruvian coast, and it is the only wave in the world that is protected by law. Nothing can be built within a radius of two kilometers so that nothing can affect its natural formation. More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malabrigo_(Peru)

You know him. He’s that guy. You love him. Now, tell us who it is and you may win a $25 Amazon gift card. By the way – nearly 200 of you recognized Raymond Burr last month. David was so impressed that he decided to choose six winners including: Robert M, Mike S, Debbie H, Stephen H, John R, C&M F.

He also added three more winners who correctly identified Anya Joy from the Queen’s Gambit film. Phil P, Doris W and Janet B took the day. Perhaps more interesting than any of this is that Phil P’s son did all the animation for the film!

Well done to all and thanks for playing.



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Everything in Iceland at Christmas is…different.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas in Iceland



https://www.treehugger.com/icelanders-give-books-christmas-eve-485831

We need traditions. So, we thought, since the holidays are filled with enough things to do – gift buying/wrapping/giving, travel, cooking, tree cutting, decorating and oh so much more – that we’d provide you with something new – a Christmas Pudding recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 12 oz mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, sultanas)
• 3½ oz pitted ready-to-eat prunes, chopped or left whole
• 3½ oz dark muscovado sugar
• 4 tbsp dark rum
•  3½ oz stout 
• 3½ oz chopped walnuts
• 3½ oz blanched almonds
• 3½ oz ground almonds
•  3½ oz fresh white breadcrumbs
•  1¾ oz plain flour
•  3 oz frozen butter, grated, plus a little extra for greasing
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
•  1 tsp ground cinnamon
•  2 tsp mixed spice
•  3½ oz chopped glacé cherries (or left whole if you prefer)
• 3 large free-range eggs, beaten

Method

1.  Combine the mixed fruit, prunes, muscovado sugar, rum and stout in a mixing bowl. Stir well to mix, cover and leave for 24 hours to soak.
2. After 24 hours, mix the walnuts, almonds, ground almonds, breadcrumbs, flour, butter, spices, cherries and eggs along with the soaked fruit mixture in a large mixing bowl, making sure you include all the soaking liquor from the soaked fruit. Mix well until completely combined (let all the members of the family have a stir and make a wish). 
3.   Cover with cling film and leave to stand in a cool place for 24 hours.
4.   After 24 hours, grease a 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basin with butter. Cut a circle of baking paper and place into the bottom of the pudding basin and then grease it with a little more butter. Pack the pudding mixture into the pudding basin, pressing as you add it. Fold a pleat into the middle of a large piece of baking paper and place over the pudding. Cover with a large piece of pleated foil, ensuring the pleats are on top of one another. Secure tightly with kitchen string tied under the lip of the pudding basin.
5. Place an upturned saucer into a large saucepan one-quarter full of water. Fold a long piece of foil into quarters lengthways to create a long strip and place the pudding basin in the middle of the strip. Bring the sides of the strip up the sides of the pudding basin and lower into the saucepan. Ensure the water in the saucepan comes one-third of the way up the side of the pudding basin, but nowhere near the top of the basin. Leave the ends of the foil strip hanging over the side to make it easy to remove the pudding later.
6.  Bring the water to the boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer gently for 5-6 hours, topping up the water level as necessary throughout cooking (do not allow the pan to dry out).
7. Once the pudding is cooked, remove from the pan and set aside to cool. The pudding can be stored for up to two years in a cool, dry place. To serve, reheat the pudding by steaming again (in the same way) for two hours, or until hot all the way through. Alternatively, remove the foil and reheat in the microwave.

Direct from England: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/christmas_pudding_41498

There is a simple secret to making a good Christmas pudding. Use only the best fruit and freshest nuts and spices and steam it for as long as you can bear to! It really makes a huge difference to the colour and taste of the pudding if you can steam for eight or so hours. Don’t panic this does not need to be done in one day - the puddings can be cooked over two or three days.

Naturally, it was in Seattle.

What?

The world's tallest cut Christmas tree was a 221 ft. Douglas fir erected and decorated at Northgate Shopping Center, Seattle, in December 1950. The tree at Rockefeller Center this year is, by comparison, tiny, at 79 ft!

1935. Toyko. Should have gone public.

A Vampire Overslept This Morning