
Tip #14: Before Popping that Cork on New Year's Eve,
How About a Little History About Champagne?
True champagne comes from the Champagne region in Northeastern France, mainly in the cities of Epernay and Reims (pronounced "Rahns"). The story goes that it was invented by Monsieur Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk, who as a cellar master in 1715 experimented with stronger bottles and corks to prevent his various champagne blends (usually consisting of pinot blanc, pinot noir, and chardonnay grapes) from exploding, but this is a myth.
His real innovation was in combining these three types of grapes before pressing,
which prevented a second fermentation (that often caused the bottles to break).
Moet & Chandon introduced their first bottle attributed to Dom Pérignon as late as 1936.
Another fun fact:
Epernay also happens to be the home of my husband David (pronounced "Dah-Veed")!

Tip #15: Spice Up Your Night!
Aphrodisiac Foods for Valentine's Day
Throughout history, certain foods have been considered to be fertility enhancers.
Although modern science has yet to prove that these claims have any truth to them, various cultures continue to use foods and natural herbs in order to stimulate libido and fertility:
Ancient Egyptians/Middle East:
Bulbs, eggs, snails. sparrows, anise, basil, carrot, orchid bulbs,
carrots, coriander, fennel, figs, honey, Mead (fermented drink made from honey),
(Avoid: Dill, lentils, lettuce, watercress, water lily), pomegranate, date palm, cardamom
Africans:
Coffee, saffron & rosemary (North Africans)
Greeks & Romans:
Aniseed, oysters, truffles, pine nuts
Aztecs/Mexicans:
Avocado, chocolate, vanilla, agave
Indians:
Honey mixed with ginger and pepper, milk mixed with crushed almonds and
pepper, garlic, rock salt, fennel juice, ghee, licorice, cloves, asparagus
Chinese:
Licorice, nutmeg, ginseng
South Asians:
Basil, ginger,
pepper
General:
Asparagus, almonds/marzipan, arugula, asafetida, wine,
bananas, basil, mustard greens, dark coffee, garlic,
ginger, mustard, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries

Tid Bit #16: Good Luck Foods
Throughout history various cultures all over the world have used and consumed food representing prosperity, health, love, fertility, birth, and happiness. These "good-luck" foods are served during special occasions such as the first of the new year, births,
and other special anniversaries. The following are a few different types of foods and dishes.
Who knows, maybe they will work for you? Good luck!
AMERICAN SOUTH
Hoppin' John (black-eyed peas with rice): prosperity
Collards/Greens: dollar bills
TEXAS
Cabbage (common slang term for "money"
in 20th Century)
PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH
Saurkraut & Pork (New Year's Day)
ITALY
Lentils (money)
Grains/Risotto (abundance)
Cotechino Sausage (abundance, richness)
AUSTRIA
Pork (pigs forge ahead)
but NO LOBSTER (which move back)
CHINA
Noodles (longevity)
Whole Chicken (family togetherness)
Clams & Spring Rolls (resembling gold bricks & bars)
Lettuce Wrap (sounds like "rising fortune" in Chinese)
Tangerines & Oranges (sounds like "luck" & "wealth" in Chinese)
Pomelos (sounds like "to have" in Chinese)
Fish (sounds like "wish" and "abundance" in Chinese)
Sticky Rice Cakes (rich, sweet life, round shape symbolizes family gathering)
DENMARK
Boiled Cod Fish
GREECE
Vasilopita (orange-lemon-brandy cake with coin baked-in for good luck in new year; receiver of coin gets good luck
HOLLAND
Doughnuts (shaped link ring symbolizes good fortune; continuous circle of life)
JAPAN
Unbroken Soba Noodles (longevity)
Omochi (rice cakes offered to gods then eaten for wealth)
FRANCE
Crepes (prepared on La Chandeleur–the celebration of light–on February 2nd.
For good luck: flip pancake in air with frying pan while holding a coin in opposite hand;
Bad luck to drop on floor)
GERMANY
Herring, Carp (fish's scales sometimes also kept in wallets
to ensure good financial luck)
HUNGARY
Roast Pig with 4-leaf Clover in Mouth
BAD LUCK: Chicken or Fish (will swim away with money)
INDIA
Boiled Rice
ISRAEL/JEWISH TRADITION
Apples with Honey (sweetness of new year)
Whole Fish (head leads into new year)
Round Challah Bread (continuous circle of life)
Legumes, Grains (prosperity, abundance)
Pomegranate Seeds (prosperity, good deeds/mitzvot)
SPAIN
Eating 1 grape for each of the 12 strokes of midnight
on New Year's Eve
SWITZERLAND
Whipped Cream (dropped on floor to show surplus of wealth)
SYRIA
Black-eyed Peas (seeing into new year)
Black-eyed Peas with Veal (for Jewish New Year)
Black-eyed Peas with Swiss Chard

Tid Bit #17: WHAT'S IN SEASON THIS MONTH OF MAY?
Spring is finally here, and with that, more and more of a variety of delicious vegetables and fruits to choose from. Below is a list of those that are now in season for the month of May:
Vegetables
• asparagus, Haas avocados • green beans, beets, carrots, corn
• arugula, dandelion greens, lettuces, mustard greens • new potatoes, squash, zucchini
Fruits
• apricots, peaches • blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries
• cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon

Tid Bit #18: WHAT'S IN SEASON THIS MONTH OF JUNE?
Now in season for the month of June:
Vegetables
• green beans • corn • cucumbers • garlic • eggplant • summer squash • tomatoes
Fruits
• Black Mission figs • grapes
• cantaloupe • honeydew • watermelon • nectaries • peaches

Tid Bit #19: WHAT'S IN SEASON THIS MONTH?
Now in season for the month of July:
Vegetables
basil • cucumbers • eggplant • okra • bell peppers • tomatoes
Fruits
currants • grapes • Asian pears • Bartlett pears • plums • Valencia oranges

Tid Bit #20: WHAT'S IN SEASON THIS MONTH?
Now in season for the month of November:
Vegetables
* Bell peppers * Brussels sprouts * Chicory * Greens (cooking) * Leeks
* Lettuce (leaf and head) * Okra * Parsnips * Pumpkins * Shallots
* Sweet potatoes * Turnips * Watercress * Winter squash
Fruits
* Apples * Cranberries * Dates * Grapes * Kumquats * Pears
* Persimmons * Pomegranates * Star fruit * Tangelos * Tangerines

Tid Bit #21: WHAT'S IN SEASON THIS MONTH?
Now in season for the month of December:
Vegetables
* Brussels sprouts
* Chicory * Greens * Leeks * Parsnips * Shallots * Sweet potatoes * Winter squash
Fruits
* Apples * Cranberries * Dates * Grapefruit
* Kumquats * Pears * Persimmons
* Pomegranates * Oranges * Tangelos * Tangerines • Star fruit

Tid Bit #22: OLD WIVES' TALE? KEEPING YOUR CHAMPAGNE BUBBLY.
Have leftover champage from New Years Eve andwant to keep the fizz for your
New Year's Brunchmimosas? Try hanguing a silver spoon in the bottle,
then store in the refrigerator.
If this doesn't work,then the best thing to do is to finish it quickly!

Tid Bit #23: Health Benefits of Chocolate
Chocolate containes flavonoids, which act as antioxidants and
protect the body from aging. Dark chocolate is the healthiest form of chocolate
because it contains a greater amount of antioxidants. Studies have linked dark chocolate
to the reduction of both blood pressure and the bad LDL cholesterol.
Other benefits are that by consuming a piece of dark chocolate each day you will
increase your levels of serotonin which acts as an anti-depressent.
In addition, even though chocolate may be high in fat, it contains Oleic Acid
which is a healthy fat also found in olive oil. If you do decide to eat a little chocolate
each day, try to eat one that is 65% pure cocoa/dark chocolate or higher,
and no more than 3 1/2 ounces/100 grams.

Tid Bit #24: "Wann'a Date?": The
Health Benefits of Dates
Dates have been a staple of the Middle Eastern diet for thousands of years, and not only because they taste good, but because their high nutritional content provides medicinal value as well. They are high in fiber, as well as calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, copper, manganese, and magnesium, to name a few. Some even consider it to be such a perfect food that it is eaten as a way to stave off hunger. Because dates digest quickly and are high in sugar, they are perfect for a quick and healthy way to obtain energy. As a way of breaking their fasts, Muslim Arabs have been known to eat a date, while Middle Eastern Jews may do something similar for Yom Kippur.
Below is a list of some medicinal uses for dates:
•Nicotinic content good for intestines *Helps in growth of friendly bacteria in intestines
*Helps those who suffer from constipation •Dates soaked in water help hangovers
•Some research has shown that regular consumption of dates
helps to prevent abdominal cancer

TID BIT #25: Behold the Egg:
Perfect Food,
Perfect Shape,
Perfect Symbol.
Will An Egg A Day Keep the Doctor Away?
Despite the bad press over the years about eggs being too high in cholesterol, nutritionally the egg is in fact very near to a perfect food, containing the most basic nutrients necessary for sustaining the life of an embryonic chick. The white part of the egg contains a very high quality protein. The yellow or yolk part of the egg contains high levels of Vitamin A, B12, D, E, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorus, Selenium, and Choline, as well as Vitamin K. So enjoy an egg as it may be one of the most natural multi-vitamins that you can eat!
Pancake Time!
Because the consumption of eggs were usually forbidden during Lent, it was common to find ways of using up the extra eggs before the fast began. As a result, extra eggs were consumed on Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") which was the last day that meat and dairy products (including eggs, fat, and butter) could be eaten. This day is also known as Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday, where dishes using these ingredients are made into pancakes and consumed before the fast begins. Eggs can then be once again eaten on Easter,
when Lent has officially ended. The Ultimate Embodiment of Fertility!
For the Jewish Passover Seder, a roasted or hard-boiled egg is dipped
in salt water to symbolize sacrifice, fertility, and new life.
In Eastern European countries, such as Russia, Romania, Ukraine, and Poland, eggs are a symbol of new life. The ancient Persians painted eggs for Nowrooz,
their New Year celebration, which falls on the first day of spring.
The Ultimate Design...
In ancient Egypt, Rome, China, and Persia the egg symbolized the universe
with its perfect spherical shape.
God-Like Powers?
The Pagans, believing that the egg had special powers, buried them under the foundations of buildings to ward off evil spirits. In Roman times, pregnant women would carry eggs to determine the sex of thir unborn child. Before entering their new homes after marriage, young brides in France would first step on an egg for good luck. In Christianity, the egg is a symbol of resurrection, promising the new life that waits to break out of its shell.