Steve Serby of the New York Post writes how Chad Pennington is ready for his showdown in Gotham... "How ironic that with two seasons and perhaps one head coach's job on the line, Pennington comes to Giants Stadium on Sunday sturdier and healthier than the NFL's indestructible Cal Ripken. How ironic that Favre will suddenly need more help from his new teammates than Pennington does from his new teammates." ...
Gary Myers of The Daily News writes that Brett Favre should not retire after the season... "Favre owes the Jets. He owes them one more season after all they went through to get him." ...
Israel Gutierrez of the Miami Herald writes how the Dolphins must finish off their storybook season with a win on Sunday... "If the Dolphins don't complete this tale with a playoff invitation, then all the buildup was just that. It would be like one of those infuriating independent films with a sudden and incomplete ending." ...
Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald writes that lost in the Pennington-Favre brouhaha, former Miami kicker Jay Feely now kicks for the Jets... "Veteran kicker Jay Feely, who was cut by the Dolphins during training camp in favor of undrafted rookie Dan Carpenter, would be the player lining up for the Jets in that situation. Carpenter would be the one kicking for the Dolphins." ...
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes about the parallels between the 1970 Dolphins and today's team... "And more importantly, the 1970 team, which laid the foundation for three Super Bowl appearances, suggests greater things might be in the offing for today's Dolphins." ...
Brian Costello of the New York Post encourages fans to cheer for Pennington if they want to see Mangenius fired... "That's right. Go to your closet Sunday morning, dig through the sweaters and dress shirts and find that old green jersey with the No. 10 peeling off, throw it on over your sweatshirt and when you get to the Meadowlands root like hell for Chad Pennington." ...
When Dwyane Wade heard the plight of a South Florida woman whose nephew accidentally burned down her home - and ruined all the family's possessions - the Miami Heat star knew he had to do something.
So he helped the family move into a new home, just in time for Christmas.
Wade presented Dawn Smith with the ultimate Christmas gift on Wednesday - the keys to a her new house, along with some furnishings, clothing and gifts to make sure her family has a joyous holiday, something that didn't seem likely just a few weeks ago.
His Wade's World foundation will make some payments on the home, while Smith and her family get back on their feet.
"That's what I try to teach my kids," said Wade, whose foundation has hosted several charity events this holiday season, mostly for needy children. "It's not about what you're going to receive - it's what you can give to others from what you've received."
Smith couldn't hold back happy sobs when she saw the home for the first time.
"A big-time relief," Smith said, clearly overcome by emotion. "Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Oh, God, thank you so much."
The NBA's leading scorer this season had a simple message: "Hopefully, you'll like it."
Wade's other holiday events this year included a party for 350 children on Monday, and hosting 100 kids at Tuesday night's Heat game against the Golden State Warriors. He also donated $10,000 to each of three children's organizations, but said he was particularly touched by being able to assist the Smith family.
"We can help this family have a new beginning," Wade said.
While the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is a long-standing and Christmas tradition, the mistletoe plant itself is anything but romantic.
A parasitic plant that grows on trees along the eastern coast of North America, mistletoe was believed to have been spread through bird droppings. In fact, the word "mistel" is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "dung" and "toe" means "twin". So mistletoe quite literally means "dung on a twig."
If that image doesn't make you want to pucker up, consider this: Mistletoe has also long been believed to carry magical powers. The Druids believed that mistletoe, which also grows on oak trees throughout Europe, represented the tree's soul and sexual prowess. The mistletoe would be gathered mid-summer and mid-winter and used to decorate one's home. During the Middle Ages, mistletoe branches were hung to protect homes from evil spirits. Northern Europeans believed that mistletoe could help ward off witches.
The very first people to believe in the magic of mistletoe were the ancient Greeks. The ancient Greeks thought that mistletoe was imbued with the powered fertility, an antidote to poison, and also a powerful aphrodisiac.
In fact, during the festival of Saturnalia, the ancient Greeks would kiss under the mistletoe, which later became customary during marriage rites as well.
The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe on Christmas emerged in Europe during the Middle Ages. The original custom held that each time a man kissed a woman under a twig of mistletoe, he should remove one of the berries. Once all the berries were gone, no more kissing could take place under that twig.
Every kid always leaves cookies for Santa...I was checking through the web about this tradition and came across this interesting information...
1. Make fresh cookies. Whether you plan on leaving chocolate chip or Santa's favorite, frosted sugar cookies, Santa prefers homemade to store-bought cookies.
2. Put the cookies on a decorative Christmas plate. Imagine the twinkle in Santa's eyes as he picks up the last cookie only to reveal his jolly face or a beautiful Christmas tree.
3. Leave at least ten cookies. Make sure that there will still be cookies for Santa after Mom and Dad have eaten a few themselves.
4. Leave a glass of milk or eggnog with the cookies. Keep the milk or eggnog in the refrigerator and have Mom and Dad put it out before they go to bed. Santa loves icy cold milk.
5. Leave the cookies in a place where Santa will see them. Place them on the fireplace hearth or near the Christmas tree. Leave a note to tell Santa where the cookies are if you have to hide them from the dog.
6. Leave a napkin for Santa to dab his mustache. Santa loves festive napkins, but a plain napkin will do as well.
7. Leave a note by the cookies. Let Santa know how thankful you are for his visit to your house. Sometimes Santa has been know to write notes back to good children.
Tips and Warning - Leave chocolate sandwich cookies if you have to resort to store bought. They are his favorite. - Leave carrots for the reindeer. Cookies give reindeer tummy aches. - Use plenty of sprinkles to decorate the cookies.
Who can forget the memorable musical tidbit put on by Mr. Heatmiser and Mr. Snowmiser from the Christmas show "The Year Without a Santa Claus"... enjoy!!!!
(I always wondered what was figgy pudding...in fact, over the holidays I planned on buying some figs and throwning them in the blender..but before I did that, I wanted to find out more about figgy pudding...this was taken from the website www.webgeek.com)
It's amazing what a brief mention in one Victorian-era Christmas carol can do for an obscure little dessert called figgy pudding. Every year, thousands of people around the world become curious about the figgy pudding mentioned in the secular English carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Apparently, the party-goers mentioned in the lyrics refuse to leave until they get some figgy pudding from their host. This must be some seriously good pudding.
In actuality, figgy pudding is more of a cake than a pudding. There have been recipes for figgy pudding since the 15th century, although its popularity as a Christmas dessert probably reached its peak during the late 19th century. Several factors have significantly hampered the wholesale expansion of the figgy pudding industry, including an interminably long cooking time, an exotic ingredients list and a cringe-inducing dependency on saturated fats for texture.
There are numerous recipes for figgy pudding, from a traditional steamed version similar to modern bread pudding to a pastry-covered blend of figs, dates, fruits and spices. Nearly all figgy pudding recipes call for three or four hours of steaming. This is accomplished by placing a metal bowl with the figgy pudding mixture into a larger bowl partially filled with boiling water. The indirect heat generated by the boiling water cooks the figgy pudding evenly and slowly. This is equivalent to using a bain marie water bath for individual ramekins filled with batter.
The most traditional figgy pudding recipe is very similar to a carrot cake base blended with a custard. Chopped figs are added for flavoring and texture, along with chopped dates or apples when available. The spices in a figgy pudding are similar to carrot or spice cake - cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg are commonly used. Heavy cream, eggs, sugar and milk help to create the custard. For additional flavoring, many traditional figgy pudding recipes also call for liqueurs such as cognac or rum. Non-alcoholic extracts can also be used.
Some figgy pudding recipes call for a loaf of fig-infused bread to be crumbled into the mixture, while others suggest standard breadcrumbs. As if this weren't enough, the most faithful recipes also call for the addition of an animal fat called suet. Suet is a form of fat found near an animal's kidneys. Pure butter and shortening can be substituted if suet is not available locally. All of these ingredients are mixed together in a metal bowl or pudding mold and placed in a larger pot for steaming over a fire.
Only three or four short hours later, those house-squatting carolers demanding their figgy pudding can finally be appeased. Steaming was a very popular cooking method before the days of regulated heating. Even if the source of the heat were inconsistent, the food itself would still cook fairly evenly. Even so, the unveiling of a figgy pudding was often a defining moment for the cook. The dessert would be either a solid success or a soggy mess. Charles Dickens hints at this figgy pudding moment-of-truth during the Cratchit's dinner in his novel, A Christmas Carol.
of The Daily News writes that Brett Favre should not retire after the season... "Favre owes the Jets. He owes them one more season after all they went through to get him." ...
