Well, I've been watching a lot of Food Network this morning and they seem to be making lots of dishes with garlic. Since it's so close to Halloween I wondered how the whole garlic and vampire thing came into being. Some people believe that the association of garlic warding off vampires has to do with bug or animal bites. One is rabies. You can get rabies from any animal bite from an animal that has rabies. Remember Cujo (Stephen King) getting rabies from the bat? Anyway, I guess if you have rabies you become fixated on certain scents. One of them being garlic. Another theory is that of mosquito bites. Since mosquitos suck blood, they fly and can be warded off be garlic, it's not a difficult jump to vampires (if you have a vivid imagination.) Anyway, here's a little more info! Here is a link that might be useful: Garlic & Vampires

Trixie, I love this recipe! I've made it for at least 6 years and my family looks forward to this being part of breakfst on Christmas morning. I hope you enjoy as much as we do. Makes 4 servings (2 empanadas per serving) Prep: 20 min., Cook: 5 min., Bake: 16 min. 6 oz. PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1 1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley or 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes 3/4 tsp. seasoned salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 2/3 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 2 Tbsp. butter 5 large eggs, beaten 1 (17.3-oz.) can refrigerated jumbo flaky biscuits 8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled Vegetable cooking spray 1 egg white, lightly beaten 1 to 2 tsp. sesame seeds (optional) Assorted fresh fruit (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 375°. 2. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl until blended; stir in cheese. 3. Melt butter in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat; add eggs, and cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom. Draw a spatula across bottom of skillet to form large curds. Continue cooking until eggs are slightly thickened but still moist. (Do not stir constantly.) Remove from heat, and let cool. 4. Flatten each biscuit into about a 5-inch circle. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over tops of dough circles, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Top evenly with scrambled eggs and bacon. 5. Fold dough circles in half over mixture, pinching edges to seal; place, 2 inches apart, in a 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan coated with cooking spray. Brush tops evenly with egg white; press sealed edges with tines of a fork. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. 6. Bake at 375° for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Remove empanadas to wire rack, using a spatula. Serve warm and, if desired, with fresh fruit. Note: Store leftover empanadas, completely cooled, in zip-top plastic bags or wrapped in plastic wrap in refrigerator. To reheat, wrap empanadas in paper towels and microwave at MEDIUM (50% power) for 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our traditional Christmas Breakfast began when the kids were smaller. I tried for a few years to make something special for breakfast--something that could be done and finished by the time we needed to head out to the Grandparent's houses for family celebrations. They didn't care--they wanted to open toys, and then they wanted to play with toys, and they'd snacked on the candy in their stockings when they were mousing around before we woke up, so heck, they weren't even hungry. So one year I made some Chex Mix and put it out for breakfast. It was a hit, and now that they're older teenagers, it's still our traditional Christmas breakfast. The recipe is on any box of Chex. I like to add Cheeze-Its. :-) Cj

Tishtosh, thanks for the report! Next time, since you're warming the coconut milk anyway, you can easily condense/evaporate it yourself (unless that's what coconut cream is? (I'm allergic so clueless on that point)). If you want the oats to absorb more/better, you can stir them in first and let them soak up some of the coconut milk before you add the rest of the ingredients. Writersblock, many thanks for the complete info. I've only been to Florida the once, but Key lime pie was also made here, brought by people who'd come from Florida one assumes. Probably made with Mexican limes, which are pretty similar if not the same. As you said, it had white flour crust (can't comment on the shortening--I assume also lard, though maybe vegetable) and meringue. The Key lime pie I had in the keys was even better. Nothing like getting it from the experts at the source. :) I was shocked once, just as you say, post-grasshopper pie era, to be served something called "Key" that was this hideous dark green (one assumes Persian limes) and had graham cracker crust and whipped cream. I said, "that's not Key lime pie" and sent it back. It might have been good, but I was too let down to try. Interesting about the cow economy in Florida. I'm beginning to think maybe someone said something about that when I was there, the more I think on it, but I really didn't know at all. I was about to ask questions, but don't want to go on a tangent of a tangent so I'll just look it all up.