An Affair Worth Talkin’ About

I can’t remember when I first met her, but I do know it was love at first “bite". There she was, seductively placed in front of me, eager to be devoured.

Experiencing her was the most heavenly experience any young person could expect. With one long, luscious bite, she swept me into a love affair that has lasted more than forty years.

Some of her charm, no doubt, is the enchantment enjoyed by everyone: young and old.

But, to this day, I so get excited simply hearing her name…

…Sara Lee. S-a-r-a—L-e-e.

That’s right, Sara Lee, the world’s best bakery found in every supermarket’s freezer section.

Just imagine…

…devouring Sara Lee’s French Style Croissants for breakfast. Her croissants are made using real butter to give them a light, melt in the mouth texture; …or nibbling on her delicious cheesecakes that have her famous smooth creamy texture and flavor;

…then, in my opinion, the best: Sara Lee’s Deep Dish fruit pies. Her savory pies are all packed with generous fruit pieces surrounded by flaky, sweet pastry. Everything a pie should be!

Apparently, Sara has also enamored the famous song writing team, John Kander and Fred Ebb… so much so that they wrote a show tune just for her in 1976:

Sara Lee
There is a lady living somewhere,
where it is I do not know,
but I long to write and tell her,
that I love her so.

I believe I might do mayhem,
and I might destroy myself,
if I ever found her missing
from my grocer`s shelf.

Sara Lee, Sara Lee.
Your Brioche just fractures me.
Give me a taste of your cherry danish,
my mother bakes well,
but you can't compare her,
not with Sara Lee, Sara Lee.

There`s no `H’, just Sara Lee,
but that`s okay by me.
`Cause I`m living in paradise,
when I`m nibbling the apple spice,
from the kitchens of that lovely Sara Lee.

And it thrills me right to my soul,
when I'm chewin` her finger roll.
And I'm sayin`,
`For Goodness Sake, There Can Never Be A Better Banana Cake!
`Cousin Milton works at the Hilton;
he caters banquets and at each affair,
he'll swear by Sara Lee, Sara Lee.

There`s no `H`, just Sara Lee,
but that`s okay by me.
I love your cheesecake,
white as pearl,
not to mention, the Choclate Swirl,
from the kitchens of the one I love: Wonderful Sara Lee!

— John Kander and Fred Ebb, 1976

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You know what they say, “Everybody doesn’t like something; but nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee." Here's to you, Sara!

©Judi Lake. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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The following video, Liza Minnelli singing "Sara Lee", courtesy of You Tube.


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Don’t Forget Your Critters

Throughout your cooking adventures, do not forget your critters. Some spices, herbs and specialty recipes can be beneficially healthy for your pet as well as fun for you both. Homemade healthy treats and foods aid as rewards during training and good behavior.

The myths contrived by pet food producers has magically transformed our society into thinking that the foods we eat are nutritionally unacceptable to feed your pets. Imagine that! The foods you feed your children are not fit for your dog! Feeding your dog nothing but the nutritionally balanced formulas they produce is hogwash, plain and simple.

We do not feed our family daily with processed fast foods, but think nothing of maintaining it for our pets’ diet. The ingredients used in processed pet foods certainly do not undergo the rigorous scrutiny of inspections or quality controls placed on foods ingested by humans. Dog and cat diet is similar in nature to our own, and caring owners need to awaken to the fact that pet food is possibly more harmful than meals we cook for ourselves. Let’s face it…would you eat it?

The nutritional intake that a dog needs is basically the same as humans: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Dogs are meat eaters but a variety of vegetables and starches add to a well-rounded diet. Similar to human beings, a dogs’ eating habits and nutritional needs change as they get older. A dog's age, health, physical activity, and surroundings all play a part in its nutritional needs.

Domesticated dogs are classed as carnivorous, and need to get a well balanced diet introduced into their meals. Dogs that eat only meat can develop an imbalance of calcium and phosphorous in their diets. The results of this can be fragile bones, weight loss, joint diseases, intestinal problems, a lack-luster coat, and loss of energy. Packaged and processed food is not always what you expect it to be and homemade foods can be much more beneficial for your pet. Remember that your home cooked pet food does not contain any preservatives, so limit the amounts you cook, or consider freezing till needed.

A Nice Reward For Rover

Homemade basic biscuits
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons wheat germ

Directions:
• Preheat oven to 350º.
• Blend eggs in mixing bowl. Add wheat germ and milk. Stir until smooth. Add whole wheat flour and mix into egg mixture using your hands. Pat dough into a long rectangle, about 3" wide (or as wide as your bone-shaped cookie cutter is long), and ½" thick. Cut it into bone shapes. Place dough 1 inch apart on an increased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 25 minutes on one side, then turn over and bake another 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let biscuits cool on racks.
• You can add additional flavors of any kind!
• Recipe will make about 15 average sized biscuits

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The following video, Lassie and Timmy, courtesy of You Tube.