Monday, September 26, 2011

Johnnycakes and Appleseeds

Anybody else have parents that made Mickey Mouse pancakes when you were a kid and it pretty much made your day? Happy National Pancake Day :)
Pancakes have basically been eaten since the dawn of time, and there's something to be said about that. Anything that has been around since prehistoric times and is still pretty much a staple can only be described as purely fantastic. And just like anything else that's existed for thousands of years, it's evolved and changed a lot, and it varies a lot by culture. But the basic idea of a pancake remains universal- it's a combination of carbohydrate-rich flour and high-protein liquids (like milk or eggs). Anything else is pretty much player's choice. They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. Cover them in jelly or whipped cream.  Pair 'em with bacon and eggs, or ice cream. Mix them with chocolate chips or fruit. There's almost no way you can go wrong! I'm making pancakes tonight with my apartment and enjoying them with some good ol' fashioned syrup. If you go out today to enjoy your pancakes, don't forget to tip! It's also National Food Service Employees Day.

It's also Johnny Appleseed Day, which I remember learning every year in elementary school. I'm sure most of you did too, so we all know he wore a pot on his head and went around planting apple seeds. But here's a few things you may not have known, and a couple things they won't teach you in kindergarten:
He was a missionary for the Swedenborgian Church. What that means, I do not know. But it sounds cool.
He cared a lot about animals, and would go out of his way (including living in discomfort) to avoid inconveniencing an animal. He was also a vegetarian.
He fell in love once, and when we went to propose he learned that he was a day too late- she'd accepted another proposal the day before. Years later he took in an orphan girl and raised her, planning on marrying her when she was old enough. But then he visited her unexpectedly and she was holding hands with another man. From then on if ever asked why he didn't settle down he would reply that all women are not what they profess to be; some are deceivers, but you don't know which ones until too late. That, or he would claim that if he stayed single on earth, he would get two spirit-wives in the afterlife. Johnny, say what?!
So eat an apple, keep the doctor away, stay single and earn a double spirit wife. However you want to celebrate is up to you, with little judgment from me... Unless you're Swedenborgian, in which case I have questions.

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