EVERYONE: 2009-05-03

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Lies My Mother Told Me

If you keep eating raw spaghetti
you'll get pinworms,
then I'll have to make
a necklace of garlic for you to wear
each night while you sleep,
until they go away.
If you're mean to your younger brother, I'll know
because I have a special eye
that spies on you when I'm not home.
You cannot hide from it,
so don't try.
If you touch your "down there"
any time other than when using the toilet,
your hand will turn green and fall off.
If you keep crossing your eyes
they will stay that way
until the wind
changes direction.
It is bad luck to kill a moth. Moths are
the souls of our ancestors and it just
might be Papa paying a visit.
If you kiss a boy on the mouth
your lips will stick together
and he'll use the opportunity
to suck out your brains.
If you ever lie to me
God will know
and rat you out.
And sometimes
God exaggerates.
Trust me —
you don't want that
to happen.

by Elizabeth Thomas from from the Front of the Classroom

Friday, May 8, 2009

Minty Beet and Mango Salad

BEET the heat with this lovely side dish that serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked beets (about 4-8 depending on size) *see
directions below
4 cups chopped mangoes (3/4” pieces), about 6 champagne mangoes
1/4 cup chopped mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne

DIRECTIONS:
1. For the beets, remove greens and reserve for another use, leaving a 1-inch beet top. Wash beets thoroughly. Place beets in steamer basket set in large saucepan with 1 inch of water. Bring to boil; steam over high heat until beets can easily be pierced with thin knife, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on beet size. Reserve steaming liquid in a large liquid measuring cup. Cool beets slightly, and remove skins. You may want to use dish washing gloves while removing skins to avoid staining your hands. Chop into 3/4" pieces.
2. Mix the beets and the rest of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Refrigerate for at least twenty minutes Adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

*** Mint leaves are often used by campers to repel mosquitoes. Mint oil is also used as an environmentally-friendly insecticide because of its ability to kill common pests like wasps, hornets, ants and cockroaches. Mints are supposed to make good companion plants, repelling pest insects and attracting beneficial ones.
**Mint comes from the Latin word mentha, which is rooted in the Greek word minthe. In Greek mythology, Minthe, was a nymph who was transformed into a mint plant.
*Fresh mint leaves should be used immediately or stored up to a couple of days in plastic bags within a refrigerator.

Recipe by Cristina Paul