December

What is December named for?

December has marked the end of the year and the coming of winter since the ancient Romans established their first calendar. 

 December comes from the Latin root decem- which means “ten” … even though December is the twelfth month. 

The strange numbering discrepancy is also present for the months of September, October, and November, which mean “seven,” “eight,” and “nine,” even though they’re our ninth, tenth, and eleventh months. 

Why? Well, the ancient Roman calendar only had ten months in the year, beginning with the month of March. January and February were eventually added after December to the end of the year. 

But, by the time the Julian calendar was established in 45 bc, January and February appeared at the beginning of the year, which bumped all of the original months (and their originally assigned names) back by two.

Old names for December

Before December the Old English terms for December were Ǣrra Gēolaor Gēolmōnað, meaning “yule month.” 

The early Germanic people celebrated the mid-wintery season during a time that was called yuletide, a two-month period that spanned December and January. 

With the rise of Christianity, the yule was condensed and adopted into the formal worship under the Christian name Christmastide, which begins on Christmas Day and lasts a total of 12 days—the 12 days of Christmas.

Rosemary & Thyme Tea

This is a deliciously refreshing, mildly stimulating tea. 

To make the tea: 

Prepare an infusion of rosemary and thyme by lightly crushing together.

Use as much or as little of the herbs as you want.

Add a teaspoon of lemon juice and a touch of honey.

Add to a cup of simmering water, let stand for a few minutes, strain and enjoy.

Fighting Colds And The Flu

Whenever you feel a cold or flu coming on try this. 

We aren’t doctors, but this natural formula works for us.

INGREDIENTS

1 part echinacea root powder

1/2 part cayenne powder

1 part goldenseal root powder

1/2 part marsh mallow root powder

 Gelatin or vegetable capsules

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the capsules: Mix the powders together in a small bowl.

2.Scoop the powder into each end of a capsule, packing tight, and recap.

3.It takes only a few minutes to cap 50 to 75 capsules, a winter’s worth for most families.

4.Store in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

5.To use: At the first sign of a cold or flu coming on, take 2 capsules every 2 to 3 hours until the symptoms subside or 9 capsules a day.

6.This is a high dose and should not be continued for longer than 2 to 3 days, at which time you should decrease the dose to 2 capsules three times a day.

You can fill the capsules individually by hand or you can use something like the capsule makers that are available.

We use the Capsule Machine as seen in the photo, but there are many good products out there.

As for flu shots here's something you may be interested in…

Crescent Moon Sugar Cookies

We purchased the Crescent Moon cookie cutter some time ago, so we are ready to bake.

Here's an quick and easy recipe.

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter, softened

 1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. 

Beat in egg and vanilla. 

Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. 

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. 

Cut with floured 3-inch crescent moon-shaped or round cookie cutter. 

Place on ungreased cookie sheet, place cutouts 1 inch apart. 

Re-roll dough and cut additional cookies.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. 

Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool.

Some bakers have concerns with the cookies not keeping shape...

Here are a few suggestions...

1. Baking powder can cause your cookies to spread. Try using half the baking powder your recipe calls for or omit it altogether. 
2. Measure your ingredients properly. 
3. Chill the Dough before Baking your Cookies. 
4. Re-rolling the Dough. 
5. Thickness Matters. 
6. Use parchment Paper or a Silpat baking mat.
7. Oven Temperature. Just because your oven says it is 325° doesn’t mean it is really 325º. If you have trouble with sugar cookies spreading when baked, you may want to purchase an oven thermometer to see what the temperature really is. If your cookies are baked in an oven that is too cool, the cookie dough won’t have time to set fast enough and it will make the sugar cookies spread.
8. A Warm or Hot Cookie Sheet.