Did you know?

[Aggie]

Did You Know. People used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & Sold to the tannery.......if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor"
But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot......they "didn't have a pot to piss in" & were the lowest of the low
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.
Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June.. However, since they were starting to smell . ...... . Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting Married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof... Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold.
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old. Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat.
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would Sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial.. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive... So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a dead ringer.
And that's the truth....Now, whoever said History was boring?

[flippr 2.0]

ha

[Aggie]

DID YOU KNOW THIS?
Coffee filters .... Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing even the large ones.
1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11.. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
23. Use them to sprout seeds.. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.
24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..
25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.
Not just for coffee--

[Aggie]

PONDER ISMS

1- I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.

2- There are two kinds of pedestrians . . . The quick and the dead.

3- Life is sexually transmitted.

4- Healthy is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

5- The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

6- Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

7- Have you noticed since everyone has a cell phone these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?

8- Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

9- All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

10- In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

11- How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

12- Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll squeeze these dangly things and drink whatever comes out'? Hmmmmm, How about eggs ? . . .

13- If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?

14- Why does your OB-GYN leave the room when you get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway?

16- If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?

17- Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

18- Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?

19- Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

[flippr 2.0]

it's a bird,it's a plane...

[flippr 2.0]

[Aggie]

20 Startling Ways Vicks VapoRub Can Solve Your Health And Beauty Problems
By Andrea Marchiano

In the 1880s Lunsford Richardson must have known that he’d come up with something noteworthy. It was a cold-fighting salve, and the pharmacist named it after his brother-in-law Dr. Joshua Vick. Nowadays, of course, we slather that same formula onto our chest to help us beat colds. But Vicks VapoRub has more than one use. In fact, you might be shocked by the 20 other ways you can use the menthol-rich formula.

20. Relieves headaches and migraines

Most people look to Vicks for cold and congestion relief. After all, the product markets itself as a remedy for these ailments. But the brand has long touted another benefit to its menthol-laden product. It provides proven relief for headaches and even migraines, the latter of which can be a debilitating condition.

In fact, a quarter of U.S. households contain an adult who deals with migraines. To alleviate their pounding heads, they can take a dollop of Vicks and massage it into their temples. Then, the menthol scent and coolness can start to assuage the head pressure and dull the migraine or headache.

19. Tackles nail fungus

Older adults’ nails tend to get drier and more brittle than their younger counterparts. These cracks in the nails allow fungus to intrude, which can cause a slew of different symptoms. Nails may become thicker, turn yellowish-brown, change shape or even give off an off-putting scent. If this has happened to you – regardless of your age – reach for a jar of Vicks VapoRub.

Take a dab of Vicks and rub it onto the affected nail bed and over the nail itself. You might notice that your nail goes dark afterward – and that’s a good thing. That means the Vicks – or more specifically, its antimicrobial and antibacterial ingredient thymol – has killed off the fungus. Your nail should start to grow out healthily without it.

18. Relaxes achy muscles

Perhaps you’re a marathon runner who logs multiple miles on your feet each day. Maybe you sit in a less-than-ergonomic desk chair for eight hours a day. Either way, you come home and your muscles ache. So, to dull some of the pain, reach for your trusted jar of Vicks VapoRub.

Applying Vicks to the affected area will quickly soothe your pain. It promotes circulation in the area, which gets the muscles back to normal. The rub – complete with the active ingredients camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol – has been proven to relieve moderate cases of myalgia, or muscular aches. So, after a long run or long day at the office, have some at the ready.

17. Hastens the healing of bruises

Apparently, it typically takes about two weeks for a bruise to fade away. During that time, your skin will put on a serious show as the bruise morphs from a red color to blue to a greenish hue to brown. This muted rainbow appears in time as the blood that formed the initial bruise gets reabsorbed into your body.

If you don’t want to wait two weeks for your bruise to disappear, you can hasten the process with a bit of Vicks VapoRub. The product’s inclusion of menthol will cool down the area, thus dulling the pain that came with your initial injury. Then, camphor will tamp down the inflammation. Altogether, those effects speed up the healing process.

16. Plumps chapped lips

Oil glands keep many areas of your skin moisturized and plump. Your lips, however, do not have that luxury. That explains why wintery weather, sun exposure or a lack of quality self-care can cause your lips to get chapped or dry. Once again, though, Vicks VapoRub can come to your rescue.

A very thin layer of Vicks VapoRub can give your lips the hydration they need to plump back up. You can also use the menthol-rich salve to soothe sore or cracked lips, too. Regardless of why you’re applying, be sure to use only a tiny amount and avoid ingesting any of it.

15. Disinfects minor cuts

It’s not often that you suffer from a sizable cut that needs bandages or stitches. But small scrapes, paper cuts, splinters and other scratches? Those happen all of the time. And while you may leave them to heal on their own, you can use Vicks VapoRub to help the process go even more smoothly.

For one thing, Vicks has antiseptic qualities, meaning it can clean out your cut or splinter. A tiny bit will keep infections at bay, but it will also speed up the healing process. Anyone who’s had a painful paper cut or splinter will know that hastening its disappearance is ideal.

14. Cools sunburn

A whopping one in three Americans report that they get sunburn each year. If you’ve had it before, you know just how painful it can be. Your skin aches and pulsates, and it may even feel hot to the touch. Most people would reach for aloe to quell their epidermal pain, but you also have a friend in Vicks.

Firstly, applying a layer of Vicks will have the same effect as aloe. Apparently, you’ll be able to feel how it cools the surface of your skin instantly. If that’s not relief enough, VapoRub can also neutralize the redness. So, slather it on this time and be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen in the future.

13. Removes stubborn lipsticks

Surprisingly, 80 percent of ladies in America say that they wear lipstick often. Furthermore, over a quarter of them won’t walk out of the house without a painted pout. Of course, lipstick can look pretty, but anyone who wears it will know just how tough it can be to take off.

Let’s say you’ve wiped off your lipstick, but a hint of the color still lingers. If that’s the case, slather a thin layer of Vicks over the unwanted stain and leave it to sit on your lips for five minutes. Then, you should be able to wipe off your make-up with ease. And as an added bonus, you’ll have moisturized your pout after a day of wearing lipstick.

12. Fights acne

Up to 50 million Americans deal with acne each year. If you’re one of them, it might seem like you’ve tried so many remedies. But we bet you haven’t tried Vicks VapoRub, though, which has worked for some who want to get rid of their acne once and for all.

Vicks VapoRub’s ingredient list includes camphor and eucalyptus, which both have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Together, they can soothe your skin, calm inflammation and neutralize an unclear complexion. However, you should be cautious if you try this tip. For some, Vicks causes more breakouts because it contains petroleum jelly, meant to keep skin moisturized.

11. Moisturizes dry feet

Your feet can dry out for a multitude of reasons. Perhaps you’ve taken too many hot baths or spent too much time with your feet exposed to a humidity-free environment. Or you might have athlete’s foot, a fungal infection that can cause skin to get sore, flaky and dry on all of its different parts.

You can rely on Vicks to help you with your dry feet in all of the above scenarios. Its formula includes petroleum jelly, which quenches your skin and locks in the provided moisture. Meanwhile, VapoRub includes a handful of antimicrobial ingredients, which kill off the bacteria responsible for your athlete’s foot.

10. Diminishes warts

Perhaps it was months ago when your skin came in contact with the virus responsible for causing warts. It doesn’t matter – a bump can still form on your skin after that much time has passed. And once it appears, it can sometimes take months or years for the wart to go away on its own.

Vicks VapoRub aficionados swear by the stuff as DIY wart relief. They dab a bit onto the bump in question, then cover it with a bandage. Experts have yet to weigh in on this remedy, so proceed with caution. And if you want the quickest possible removal of these things, ask your doctor for help.

9. Repels insects

Summer is the season that beckons us all outdoors. But it’s not a pleasant experience when we have to deal with bugs – especially mosquitoes. If you feel like you’ve tried every insect repellent on the shelves without any relief from bites and stings, then dab a bit of Vicks onto yourself before stepping outside.

Vicks VapoRub works wonders as an insect repellent because it contains cedar leaf oil, an effective way to keep mosquitoes and other bugs away from you. Be sure to put a bit on your legs, arms, neck, ankles and other exposed skin. Then, return to enjoying the outdoors in summer and beyond.

8. Dulls hemorrhoid pain

Hemorrhoids hurt, and sometimes sufferers might not have the right remedy on hand to soothe such a sensitive spot. Just know that you can always reach for Vicks VapoRub for temporary, effective relief. Take a generous dab of the menthol-laden stuff and layer it over the area to dull the pain and itchiness you feel.

It’s not just hemorrhoid sufferers who rely on Vicks for relief. Experts even recommend it sometimes for patients who need instant relief from pain and swelling. However, they will likely follow up with a visit to the doctor’s office for a long-lasting cure of hemorrhoid pain, which comes with professional treatment.

7. Tightens skin to fight wrinkles

It’s no secret that skincare products can often cost a lot of money. And not all will fulfill the promises made on the bottle. And then there’s Vicks VapoRub, which costs a fraction of what you’d pay for a fancy face cream and makes zero promises about its wrinkle-fighting abilities.

However, Vicks VapoRub can make skin brighter and tighter after just a night’s wear, especially on the fine lines that appear on your neck and chest. Pharmacist Shabir Daya explained why it worked so well to the Daily Mail. According to the expert, “It is the combination of menthol and camphor that have a tightening effect on the skin.”

6. Softens stretch marks

Stretch marks are part of life and often mark an incredible milestone in a person’s life – carrying a baby, anyone? Still, you may want to soften the appearance of these jagged lines on your skin, and you can do so with a helping of Vicks VapoRub. Some who’ve tried it have reported that their marks had diminished by 60 to 100 percent after just a week of usage.

VapoRub has a slew of ingredients that work together to mute stretch marks’ appearance. The combination of camphor, eucalyptus oil, cedar leaf oil, petrolatum and turpentine oil soften the skin that’s been stretched. Meanwhile, these five ingredients quench skin so it looks less dry, thus preventing the stretch marks from protruding too far from the surface.

5. Moisturizes dry scalp

It could be cold air. Perhaps you’re having a bad reaction to a new shower gel or shampoo. Or maybe, you’re just getting older. Regardless of the reason, you have a dry scalp, which isn’t only uncomfortable, but aesthetically displeasing. No one wants flakes of dead skin floating from their head.

You can quench a dry scalp with the help of Vicks VapoRub and the petroleum and eucalyptus folded into it. These two ingredients transform the cough-relieving remedy into a scalp salve. Just work a thin layer over the driest areas of your head just before bed. Then, sleep with it in place.

4. Makes a sinus-clearing shower bomb

As you know, Vicks VapoRub is a great tool in the fight against coughs and congestion. You also may be aware that breathing in hot shower steam can help relieve these ailments, too. Now, imagine how good it’d feel to combine the two. Then, get to work on these DIY shower bombs to make it happen.

You only need three ingredients to make a Vicks shower bomb. These are three tablespoons of VapoRub, a half-cup of cornstarch and two tablespoons of water. You’ll put the Vicks into a bowl, add the cornstarch and then the water. Form the resulting paste into balls and leave them out overnight to harden. Then, pop one onto the shower floor and let the whole chamber fill with soothing Vicks fumes.

3. Softens coughs… if you put it on your feet

Any Vicks VapoRub aficionado can tell you that the stuff helps to soothe coughs and colds. You just have to rub some onto your chest and breathe in deeply, right? Well, some pioneering users have come to realize that it’s not just an upper-body-only remedy when it comes to coughing.

Instead of slathering Vicks on your chest, try rubbing it onto the bottoms of your feet before sliding them into socks. According to some people, this application sends the right message to your throat – stop tickling. And with that, your cough will supposedly subside overnight. And your chest will loosen up a bit, too.

2. Calms eczema or rosacea

We know that Vicks VapoRub can quell some of your acne breakouts and redness. But that’s not the only inflammation that your skin might face. Indeed, you may have been diagnosed with eczema or rosacea. Luckily, you can use the over-the-counter remedy to clear up these skin conditions, as well.

Vicks VapoRub’s eucalyptus and camphor are, of course, both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. The salve’s ingredients also improve the skin’s appearance and dull any discomfort you may feel from rosacea or eczema. Start with a small section to ensure your skin reacts well. Then, layer it onto your face and experience the relief.

1. Boosts hair growth

Four of Vicks VapoRub’s ingredients are said to promote the growth of a person’s hair. Lavender boosts blood flow around the follicles, while eucalyptus fights dry scalp and stimulates the hair. At the same time, menthol rids the scalp of irritants and camphor boosts circulation, which helps stronger strands to grow.

As such, some people swear by Vicks as a natural supplement for allowing hair to grow. Experts do acknowledge that boosted blood flow can, indeed, inspire improved hair growth. However, they say it’s pretty unlikely that a VapoRub application would lead to any considerable amount of length added to your locks.

[Aggie]

The designation Wiener Schnitzel first appeared in the 19th century, with the first known mention in a cookbook from 1831. In the popular southern German cookbook by Katharina Prato, it was mentioned as eingebröselte Kalbsschnitzchen (roughly, 'breaded veal cutlets').
According to a tale, field marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz brought the recipe from Italy to Vienna in 1857. In 2007, linguist Heinz Dieter Pohl could prove that this story had been invented. According to Pohl, the dish is first mentioned in connection with Radetzky in 1869 in an Italian gastronomy book (Guida gastronomica d'Italia), which was published in German in 1871 as Italien tafelt, and it is claimed that the story instead concerned the cotoletta alla milanese. Before this time, the story was unknown in Austria. The Radetzky legend is however based on this book, which claims that a Count Attems, an adjutant to the emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria gave a notice from Radetzky about the situation in Lombardy and mentioned a tasty veal steak in a margin note. After Radetzky had returned, the emperor personally requested the recipe from him.
Pohl relates this anecdote with the words: "This story is scientifically meaningless, it does not cite any sources and it is not mentioned […] in the literature about Radetzky. No such Count Attems appears in any biographical work about the Austrian monarchy, which would have corresponded to this time and position."
Pohl doubts that Wiener schnitzel came from Italy at all, with the basis that in the other "imported dishes" in Austrian cuisine, the original concept is mentioned, even if in Germanised form, such as in goulash or Palatschinke (that is, pancake), and the schnitzel does not appear even in specialised cookbooks about Italian cuisine.
Pohl hints that there had been other dishes in Austrian cuisine, before the Schnitzel, that were breaded and deep fried, such as the popular Backhendl, which was first mentioned in a cookbook from 1719. The Schnitzel was then mentioned in the 19th century as Wiener Schnitzel analogically to the Wiener Backhendl.
Documents in the Milan archive of Saint Ambrose dated 1148 use the Latin name lumbolos cum panitio,[9] which can be translated as "little chops with breadcrumbs". This can be a hint that a dish similar to the cotoletta alla milanese already existed at that time.
In 1887, E. F. Knight wrote of a Wienerschnitzel ordered in a Rotterdam cafe, "as far as I could make out, the lowest layer of a Wienerschnitzel consists of juicy veal steaks and slices of lemon peel; the next layer is composed of sardines; then come sliced gherkins, capers, and diverse mysteries; a delicate sauce flavours the whole, and the result is a gastronomic dream."
PREPARATION
Whereas the original Austrian Wienerschnitzel only includes lemon and parsley as garnishes, in the Nordic countries it is typically also garnished with a slice of anchovy and capers.
The dish is prepared from veal slices, butterfly cut, about 4 millimetres (0.16 in) thin and lightly pounded flat, slightly salted, and rolled in milk, flour, whipped eggs, and bread crumbs. The bread crumbs must not be pressed into the meat, so that they stay dry and can be "souffléd". Finally the Schnitzel is fried in a good proportion of lard or clarified butter at a temperature from 160 to 170 °C[12] until it is golden yellow. The Schnitzel must swim in the fat, otherwise it will not cook evenly: the fat cools too much and intrudes into the bread crumbs, moistening them. During the frying the Schnitzel is repeatedly slightly tossed around the pan. Also during the frying, fat can be scooped from the pan with a spoon and poured onto the meat. The Schnitzel is cooked after it turns golden yellow or brown.
The dish is traditionally served in Austria with Butterhead lettuce tossed with a sweetened vinaigrette dressing, optionally with chopped chives or onions), potato salad, cucumber salad, or parsley potatoes. Currently[when?] it is also served with rice, french fries or roasted potatoes. In earlier days, the garnish consisted of capers and anchovies,nowadays a lemon slice and parsley are more common.
SIMILAR DISHES
Pork schnitzel variation stuffed with fried mushrooms and onions (Fuhrmann Schnitzel vom Schwein), served with mashed potato and side salad
A popular variation is made with pork instead of veal, because pork is cheaper.

[Aggie]

What is Hasenpfeffer?
Hasenpfeffer is a traditional German rabbit stew. A number of cultures make variations on the dish, which is also referred to as jugged rabbit. To make hasenpfeffer, rabbit meat is cut into pieces and marinated in a wine and vinegar sauce for up to three days. After marination, the rabbit is browned and then stewed until tender. The result is a rich, flavorful stew with a hint of spiciness. Cold days are well suited to hasenpfeffer, since it is filling and warming.
The rabbit meat must be soaked in cold salt water when making hasenpfeffer.
Like other jugged foods, hasenpfeffer is stewed slowly in the same juices that were used as a marinade. The long marination time allows the meat to fully absorb the flavor, while the slow stewing makes the meat tender and soft. A woodstove is an ideal surface to cook foods like hasenpfeffer on, since it promotes slow, even cooking, although a conventional stove on low to medium heat can also be used.
Once finished, hasenpfeffer is often dressed with sour cream, and it may be served with dumplings, noodles, or a dense, crusty bread. Some cooks like to make hasenpfeffer an homage to German cuisine an starch like spätzle. Salt and pepper are also provided on the table, so that people can adjust the seasoning to taste.
In German, a Hase is a rabbit or hare, while pfeffer is pepper. To make hasenpfeffer, start by acquiring four pounds (two kilograms) of rabbit meat. Cut the meat into chunks and wash it well before soaking in in cold salt water for one hour. While the rabbit soaks, prepare a marinade. In a a large glass or ceramic dish, combine one and one half cups white wine, three quarters of a cup cider vinegar, one half cup finely chopped onions, one tablespoon of pickling spices, two teaspoons salt, one teaspoon freshly cracked pepper, and two bay leaves. Once the rabbit has soaked, lift it out, rinse it, pat it dry, and then submerge it in the marinade..
Cover the marinade dish and refrigerate for three days, periodically turning the rabbit to ensure that it is evenly covered. Next, drain the dish, reserving the marinade after running it through a fine strainer or cheesecloth. Dredge the rabbit in flour and brown it on medium in a heavy pan or dutch oven, along with one finely chopped onion. When the meat is browned, add one and one half cups of the strained marinade, along with two tablespoons of sugar. Stew the hasenpfeffer on low heat, slowly adding the rest of the marinade until the meat is tender. This typically takes around two hours.

[Aggie]

Rudi Lechner's Sauerbraten Receipe:

The original “Rheinischer Sauerbraten” means Rhenium marinated beef. Several sources believe sauerbraten was invented by Charlemagne who died in 814 A.D. The recipe was used as a means of using up leftover roasted meat. In Cologne, after the 13th century, fresh meat was substituted.

Servings: 12

Ingredients
•8 lbs. round roast beef, trimmed from most of fat
•salt & pepper

Marinade:
•3 cups of water
•3 cups of red wine
•2 cups vinegar
•2 stalks celery, chopped
•8 cloves
•16 whole black pepper corns
•4 whole bay leaves
•6 juniper berries
•6 cloves garlic, peeled
•1 whole onion, peeled and sliced
•2 whole carrots, peeled and sliced
•1 teaspoon thyme
•2 tablespoons salt

Sauerbraten Sauce:
•4 oz. butter
•1/2 cup flour
•1/3 cup sugar
•3/4 cup raisins
•6 gingersnaps
•1 tablespoon mustard
•1 tablespoon marjoram
•Trim meat from most fat, season with salt and pepper and keep in cooler until marinade is ready.

Directions

MARINATE THE BEEF:

Put all liquids in a stockpot and add herbs, vegetables and seasoning.
Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Pull from heat and let cool completely.
When marinade is cool, pour over the meat and make sure the meat is completely covered.
Keep the meat refrigerated and covered for 4 days and turn the meat once a day, so the meat marinates on all sides.

BRAISE THE BEEF:

When ready to cook the Sauerbraten, remove the meat from the liquid and pat dry with a paper towel.
Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.
Heat a large roasting pan to hold all the meat, add oil and sear the meat over high heat until the meat is browned on all sides (15 minutes).
Cover the meat with the marinade and bring to boil. Cover with a lid and simmer the meat for 3 hours, or until meat is done.
Remove the meat from the liquid and set aside.

MAKE THE SAUCE:

Pour braising liquid through fine-mesh sieve into a bowl (discard solids) and skim fat.
Put just enough of strained liquid into a small bowl to cover raisins, and soak for 15 minutes.
Melt butter in cleaned pot over moderately low heat.
Add flour and sugar, whisking constantly, until roux is dark golden brown (about 4 minutes).
Add strained braising liquid in a steady stream, whisking constantly.
Increase heat to high, and boil until liquid is reduced by 1/3.
Add gingersnaps and raisins, reduce heat, and simmer until sauce is glossy and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Check for seasoning.
Thinly slice beef in portions and warm it in the sauce before serving.
Arrange sliced beef on platter, top slices with some sauce and serve remainder sauce on side.

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[Aggie]

[Aggie]