#Fox Chapel Publishing

[whitebloodywings]

RP Infos!

Heyy! You can call me Pearl, I'm 22 years old genderfluid and I consider myself an adv-lit/novella writer. 

This blog was created to publish rp ads and share information about me and my characters. My overall goal is to find roleplay partners who are as enthusiastic as I am!

Below I made a list of the fandoms that I'm interested in writing and the couples from each of them. Regarding the OCs, you can click on each one of them and read a detailed sheet about them.

Fandoms: (in bold are the characters I will be playing)

Good Omens:

Aziraphale x Crowley

• X-man:

• Charles Xavier x Erik Lehnsherr

Shameless US:

Ian Gallagher x Mickey Milkovich

Lip Gallagher x Female OC

Star Trek:

Spock x James T. Kirk

Female OC x Male/Female/NB OC

Christine Chapel x Leonard “Bones” McCoy

Harry Potter/Marauders:

Remus Lupin x Sirius Black

Female OC x Male/Female/NB OC

Star Wars:

Leia Organa x Han Solo

Female OC x Male/Female/NB OC

Marvel Cinematic Universe:

Natasha Romanoff x Steve Rogers/Matt Murdock/Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton (platonic or romantic) 

Female OC x Male/Female/NB OC

The Mortal Instruments/Shadowhunters:

Alec Lightwood x Magnus Bane

Female OC x Jace Herondale/Sebastian Verlac

Female OC x Male/Female/NB OC

Merlin BBC:

Morgana Pendragon x Any CC or OC

DC:

Female OC x Male/Female/NB OC

Red, White and Royal Blue:

Prince Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor x Alex Claremont-Diaz

Red Queen:

Female OC x Male/Female/NB OC

Percy Jackson:

Female OC x Male/Female/NB OC

Plus, I'm totally open and interested in fandomless plots! I leave my OCs for these plots below so you can learn more about them.

Fandomless Plots:

Medieval/Fantasy setting:

Female OC (Pérola)

Female OC (Jessica)

Modern setting:

Female OC (Mayra)

Female OC (Jessica)

Female OC (Mary)

Female OC (Paloma)

I only rp on discord!

I only rp with +18 people.

I look for partners who actively contribute to the plot and thread and who are excited about our characters and the plot.

Be communicative! If something doesn't look good or you just don't want to continue with our rp, just tell me! Please don't block me without any explanation and disappear!

I'm fine with NSFW or SFW. I'm open to pretty much any kink and have very few limits and triggers, so if there's something you want to try just let me know.

I love talking ooc.

If you are interested in writing with me, please get in touch or like this post and I will contact you! I am available in dms. Thank you for reading this far and I hope we can have lots of fun together!

[archivist-crow]

On this day:

FUNERAL FOXES

On October 10, 1907, the body of Jenico, the fourteenth Viscount Gormanston in County Meath, Ireland, was laid out in the castle chapel. Stealthy steps and sniffing sounds surrounded the little church, interrupting Jenico's son, Richard Preston, at his prayers. Arising to investigate, Preston saw foxes from each door and window. At the side, two huge foxes waited on the doorstep, and more lurked in the bushes. At the altar door, two more of the animals sat, close enough to touch. Preston's attempts to make them leave were futile, but at 5 a.m. they departed on their own. The family gardener and coachman had reported that two evenings earlier, as the viscount died, a dozen foxes had surrounded the castle, howling and barking.

In the winter of 1860, numerous pairs of foxes gathered as the twelfth viscount was in critical condition. Witnesses watched as the predators walked, uninterested, through the poultry to bay below the sick man's bedroom window, howling throughout the night as he passed over. At dawn they huddled in the yard, leaving after the funeral. In 1876, Edward, the thirteenth viscount, was apparently recovering from an illness when the foxes appeared. That night, he unexpectedly died. It was further reported that a pack of foxes marched over the fields in a line parallel to the funeral party bearing the body to the graveyard.

In 1940 the local villagers knew that "something has happened to the sixteenth viscount when foxes barked for an entire night." News arrived shortly after that the sixteenth viscount had died in action in France during World War II. Foxes have been linked to the Gormanston family since an early viscount rescued a vixen and her cubs from death. A fox is on the family crest, and another, standing erect, supports its coat of arms.

Text from: Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored by Juanita Rose Violins, published by Weiser Books, 2009

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Saturday, April 13, 2024

march 31_april 13

SAINT INNOCENT OF MOSCOW, ENLIGHTNER OF ALASKA ANS SIBERIA (1879)

Icon written by hieroscemamonk Ephrem.

Our father among the saints Innocent of Alaska, Equal-to-the-Apostles and Enlightener of North America (1797-1879), was a Russian Orthodox priest, bishop, archbishop, and Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia. He is known for his missionary work, scholarship, and leadership in Alaska and the Russian Far East during the 1800s. He is known for his great zeal for his work as well as his great abilities as a scholar, linguist, and administrator. He was a missionary, later a bishop and archbishop in Alaska and the Russian Far East. He learned several native languages and was the author of many of the earliest scholarly works about the natives and their languages, as well as dictionaries and religious works in these languages. He also translated parts of the Bible into several native languages.

St. Innocent, né Ivan (John) Evseyevich Popov-Veniaminov, was born on August 26, 1797, into the family of a church server in the village of Anginskoye, Verkholensk District, Irkutsk province, in Russia. His father died when John was six.

In 1807, John entered the Irkutsk Theological Seminary. In 1817 he married, and on May 18, 1817 he was ordained deacon of the Church of the Annunciation in Irkutsk. He completed his studies in 1818. He was appointed a teacher in a parish school, and on May 18, 1821 he was ordained priest to serve in the Church of the Annunciation.

At the beginning of 1823, Bishop Michael of Irkutsk received instructions to send a priest to the island of Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Father John Veniaminov volunteered to go, and on May 7, 1823, he departed from Irkutsk, accompanied by his aging mother, his wife, his infant son Innocent, and his brother Stefan. After a difficult one-year journey, they arrived at Unalaska on July 29, 1824.

After John and his family built and moved into an earthen hut, he undertook the construction of a church on the island and set about studying the local languages and dialects. He trained some of his parishioners in construction techniques and with them undertook the construction of a church, which was finished the following July.

Father John's parish included the island of Unalaska and the neighboring Fox Islands and Pribilof Islands, whose inhabitants had been converted to Christianity before his arrival, but retained many of their pagan ways and customs. Father John often traveled between the islands in a canoe, battling the stormy Gulf of Alaska.

His travels over the islands greatly enhanced Father John Veniaminov's familiarity with the local dialects. In a short time he mastered six of the dialects. He devised an alphabet of Cyrillic letters for the most widespread dialect, the Unagan dialect of Aleut and, in 1828, translated the Holy Gospel of St. Matthew and other church materials into that dialect, which were eventually published in 1840 with the blessing of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1829, he journeyed to the Bering Sea coast of the Alaskan mainland and preached to the people there. In 1836, his travels even extended to the south, to the Ross Colony north of San Francisco and to the Spanish missions of northern California. At Ross Colony he conducted services at its small, wooden chapel.

In 1834, Father John was transferred to Sitka Island, to the town of Novoarkhangelsk, later called Sitka. He devoted himself the Tlingit people and studied their language and customs. His studies there produced the scholarly works Notes on the Kolushchan and Kodiak Tongues and Other Dialects of the Russo-American Territories, with a Russian-Kolushchan Glossary.

In 1838, Father John journeyed to St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia, and Kiev, Ukraine, to report on his activities and request an expansion of the Church's activities in Russian America. While he was there, he received notice that his wife had died. He requested permission to return to Sitka. Instead, it was suggested that he take vows as a monk. Father John at first ignored these suggestions, but, on November 29, 1840, made his vows. He chose the name Innocent in honor of Bishop Innocent of Irkutsk.

On December 15, 1840, Archimandrite Innocent Veniaminov was consecrated Bishop of Kamchatka and Kuril Islands in Russia and the Aleutian Islands in Russian America. His see was located in Novoarkhangelsk, which he returned to in September 1841. He spent the next nine years in the administration of his see as well as on several long missionary journeys to its remote areas. On April 21, 1850, Bishop lnnocent was elevated to Archbishop. In 1852, the Yakut area was admitted to the Kamchatka Diocese, and in September 1853, Archbishop Innocent took up permanent residence in the town of Yakutsk. Innocent took frequent trips throughout his enlarged diocese. He devoted much energy to the translation of the scriptures and service books into the Yakut (Sakha) language.

In April 1865, Archbishop Innocent was appointed a member of the Holy Governing Synod of the Church.

On November 19, 1867, he was appointed the Metropolitan of Moscow, replacing his friend and mentor, Filaret, who had died. While there, he undertook revisions of many Church texts that contained errors, raised funds to improve the living conditions of priests and established a retirement home for priests.

Innocent died on March 31, 1879. He was buried on April 5, 1879, at Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra.

Source: St Innocent Church

VENERABLE HYPATIUS, MONK HEALER OF THE KIEV CAVE (14th.c.)

Saint Hypatius the Healer of the Caves, attained glory through his severe fasting and prayerful vigilance. By night he stood at prayer, slept very little, and ate only bread and water.

Saint Hypatius devoted himself entirely to the service of the sick, and received from God the gift of healing. Those sick with various illnesses often hastened to his prayerful intercession.

The memory of Saint Hypatius is celebrated also on August 28, on the Synaxis of the Saints of the Far Caves.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:47-57

47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."55 O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

MARK 7:31-37

31 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." 35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

[rebeccareviews]

New Mocktails Bible

New Mocktails Bible is a great recipe book with a delicious and wide range of non-alcoholic drinks. I like the emphasis on fresh ingredients. However, the book could have been better organised and the pictures are simple and boring.

This book is divided into chapters on: New Signature Mocktails; Traditional Mocktails and Mixed Drinks; Unusual Mixers and Drink Bases; After Dinner Drinks; and Dessert Drinks. There is also an Introduction which lists essential equipment (blender, vegetable peeler); important ingredients (bitters, fruit puree) as well as a helpful glossary. This chapter also features recipes for things like mint simple syrup and basic shrub to make your drinks even more homemade.

This book delivers some adventurous sober drinks that will make even the most diehard alcohol connoisseurs step out of their comfort zone! I really appreciated the book’s impressive range of drinks made with fresh ingredients. There are savoury concoctions like the Jones Beach Cocktail (starring beef consomme and clam juice!) and The Keelplate (a coastal Bloody Mary but with clam juice!). There are sweet drinks like the Maple Plum Marvel (a plum juice and yogurt confection which tastes like a breakfast pastry). There are iced teas like the Tropical Iced Tea (a tarty concoction with pineapple juice and fresh pineapple sage leaves), smoothies like the robustly pink Cranberry Craving (crisply citrus with cranberries, raspberries, and orange juice), and coffee-based drinks like the sweetly milky Caffe Napoli (boosted with toasted hazelnut oil!).

Also, the book could have been much more coherently organised as the recipe placement made little sense and many drinks could fit into other categories. But, the recipes are clear and easy-to-follow. I like that the book features both easy and more complicated drinks. But, all the recipes are approachable for all levels of mixologists. With the exception of the first chapter, many of the ingredients are fairly accessible and moderately inexpensive. I actually disliked the first chapter which is mostly filled with classic cocktails made with alcohol-free substitutes. I did not find them to be imaginative as they simply swapped out the alcohol for fake alcohol. This means a lot of expensive specialty buys. Furthermore, for the book’s more innovative drinks, you will need many specialty equipment and ingredients like a Vietnamese Coffee Press, orange-infused caramel, as well as fresh tea leaves.

Each recipe begins with a very brief and serviceable but dull introduction. These tiny writeups mostly consist of tasting notes as well as ingredient substitutions. I would have loved some history on the drink or its unusual ingredients. But, I did enjoy the cool drink names like the Grecian Lady, Pac Man, and Pearls and Lace!

The simple layout is clean but so boring. There is a large “advanced review copy” label on every page that almost completely covers the top half of the page and I struggled to read what was underneath it. I really do like that almost every drink recipe has a full-colour and simply staged picture but they are underwhelming. If you want me to be excited about mocktails, I would have loved better styling and more colours and excitement!

Thank you to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review.

🍹🍹🍹 out of 5 mocktails!

[beautyofsorrow]

2, 4, 5, 8, 19, 20

2. a character whose POV you're currently exploring

i would love to answer this question with one of my absolutely fascinating recent forays into New To My AO3 Ships/Canons but due to the anonymity laws of exchanges i will have to once again say una <- guy who is sitting on a collective 7 fics with no release date and is experiencing Serious Regrets

4. a story idea you haven't written yet

[rifles through my list of things i would safely never write for an exchange because they're so weird and/or self-indulgent] ya know i really wanna write a proper christine chapel stitch kink fic. i just think it would be Neat

5. first sentence of the fifth paragraph of an unfinished WIP

you are so in luck i actually just cracked a long-abandoned fic back open and it's NOT for an exchange. anyway have a snippet of my white whale ("b'elanna torres & the case of the haunted lake")

The summer B’Elanna discovered the secrets of the lake was the summer of her fifteenth birthday, one year and eight days before she stopped speaking to her mother.

8. if you had to write a sequel for a fic, you'd write one for...

my heart says enfleshed, my common sense says leave that alone it's literally perfect, so... i want to take another crack at the heart's slow learning where to love & whom but from una's POV

19. most interesting thing you've researched for a fic

y'all really like this question huh. ok. underwater painting. i actually didn't know it was a thing until i encountered it in a nonfiction book i was reading (the bathysphere book by brad fox, highly recommend) and then i was so enamored with the concept that i spent a bunch of time reading up on it and info-dumped to my coworkers enough that i got it out of my system without ever actually putting it in a fic beyond a throwaway line. but yeah it's really cool and, if you do it right, environmentally friendly. several underwater artists are passionate conservationists too

20. in what year did you publish your first fic?

it was.... 2010. i think. before that nothing made it onto the internet. thank fuck

fic writer asks

[sa7abnews]

UNC braces as anti-Israel group dubbed 'voice for Hamas' condones 'armed rebellion': 'By any means necessary'

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/13/unc-braces-as-anti-israel-group-dubbed-voice-for-hamas-condones-armed-rebellion-by-any-means-necessary/

UNC braces as anti-Israel group dubbed 'voice for Hamas' condones 'armed rebellion': 'By any means necessary'

Anti-Israel agitators at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are vowing resistance “by any means necessary” as the 2024-2025 school year officially begins on Aug. 18.An unofficial anti-Israel student group called UNC Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), representing Chapel Hill, posted a commitment to “resist by any means necessary” and said it condones “all forms of principled action” in a July 31 Instagram post.The group, which has received funding from Hamas-linked groups, according to research from the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, is responding to the arrest of some 40 agitators on campus in May, when they set up an encampment on the school’s quad to protest the Israel-Gaza war.”We will not be silenced. We will not be intimidated,” SJP wrote in an Instagram post on their account with more than 14,000 followers. “A group of the defendants has released these points of unity to express their commitment to collective defense, fighting as a unified bloc for ALL their charges to be dropped while not losing sight of the ultimate goal of Palestinian liberation.”UNC CHAPEL HILL BOARD VOTES TO DISMANTLE DEI PROGRAMS, USE FUNDS ON CAMPUS POLICE AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTSThe points outlined in the Instagram post include support for “the right to resistance, not only in Palestine, but here in the imperial core.”The post further says that the “goals” of the United States and Israel “are the same: to colonize, kill, and steal in service of capitalist greed.”Irina Tsukerman, fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and the Arabian Peninsula Institute and also president of Scarab Rising, Inc., a security and geopolitical risk strategic advisory firm, told Fox News Digital that SJP is a national organization with local chapters, and while some of the group’s followers may be on college campuses, they also have supporters who are not college students and some who are not even U.S. citizens.ANTI-ISRAEL DEMONSTRATORS GATHER AT UNC-CHAPEL HILL CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE, SMEAR RED PAINT ON BUILDING”They do an outstanding job of portraying themselves as voices for Palestinians, whereas they are actually voices for Hamas,” Tsukerman said. “I think many people follow without really knowing them or their agenda. … Also, the people who follow SJP get sucked into believing it’s an actual human-rights effort … it’s people who are born activists, and not all of these people are even U.S. citizens.”Steve McGuire of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), a Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom, told Fox News Digital that schools should take rhetoric posted by SJP on social media “seriously” because they have a duty to “protect their campus communities.”UNC STUDENT WHO DEFENDED AMERICAN FLAG FROM CAMPUS MOB ‘HONORED TO GIVE BACK TO THE NATION’He similarly described the group as “anti-Western, anti-civilizational revolutionaries.””Their goals are political or ideological. They obviously have to do with Gaza. … They have been one of the organizations that’s been behind helping students to organize and stage the various protests and encampments that we’ve seen on campuses around the country. Now … they say we condone all forms of principled action, including armed rebellion. Well, another word for armed rebellion in this context is terrorism,” McGuire said.UNC FRATERNITY BROTHERS DEFEND REINSTATED AMERICAN FLAG FROM CAMPUS MOB WHO REPLACED WITH PALESTINIAN FLAGHe added that administrators should be prepared for protesters to set up encampments and demonstrations in the fall as they did in the spring. ACTA is issuing a guide for colleges to respond to campus encampments on Tuesday to help colleges prepare for a response.”That’s one of the reasons, I think, that college and university leaders need to recognize that … while free expression is something that needs to be protected in America, on the other hand, they have every right and responsibility to protect the rights of others, to ensure the safety of members of their campus communities, and also to protect the integrity of their institutions,” McGuire explained.Tsukerman noted that social media misrepresents how many students are actually following the group’s support and activity among students. She said members of the group gather those who align themselves with “generic anti-Capitalist, radical leftist movements that are not about any specific agenda other than opposing Western systems,” Tsukerman said. They use “21st-century means of amplifying their voices” and shared goals, which are “anti-Israel, anti-capitalist and anti-democracy,” she added.Chapel Hill made headlines in the spring when anti-Israel protesters replaced an American flag on Chapel Hill’s quad with a Palestine flag and interim UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts stepped in with law enforcement officers to return the American flag.POLICE AT UNC CHAPEL HILL DETAIN AT LEAST 30 ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS, CROWDS TRYING TO FORCE INTO BUILDINGSWhen activists, some who were not affiliated with Chapel Hill, tried to take the flag down a second time, a group of students, including fraternity brothers, stepped in to stop Old Glory from hitting the ground. A photo of the moment went viral on social media.UNC’s University Board of Trustees last week approved Roberts as Chapel Hill’s 13th chancellor despite the criticism he drew for calling in campus police to respond to protests and the encampment in May.EMORY UNIVERSITY POLICE ARREST CONVICTED FELON WHO CROSSED STATE LINES TO JOIN ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS”There is no higher calling than supporting our mission every single day,” Roberts said after being named chancellor, according to a press release. “To me, this University stands — above all else — for the ideal of public service, for helping the people of this state and all those who are touched by this place to achieve their greatest potential. As chancellor, I promise to be guided by that principle as we work together to carry North Carolina into the future.”SJP’s Chapel Hill arm and the Southern Student Action Coalition, along with other progressive student groups, called Lee an “authoritarian” and a “general” after he was named chancellor.

[readitreviewit]

The Queen of England is undoubtedly an iconic figure, known and beloved all over the world. To celebrate her life and reign, Fox Chapel Publishing has released A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Edition. And let me tell you, it's a jam-packed resource for anyone interested in history, royalty, or just looking to pay homage to a truly remarkable woman. The book starts at the beginning, with the meeting and wedding of Queen Elizabeth's parents in 1923. It then takes us through her early life, education and upbringing, all of which make for fascinating reading. From there, we delve into the events that made her one of the most experienced heads of state in the world, including her coronation, the birth of the Commonwealth, and many more pivotal moments. But it's not just the events themselves that are covered in this book. A host of expert writers and historians have provided articles, detailing everything from the royal family tree and timeline, to the modern monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II's legacy. Through their words, we gain new insights into the woman behind the crown, the struggles she faced, and the impact she had on the world. Of course, what would a tribute to the Queen be without some spectacular visuals to accompany it? A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Edition features never-before-seen photographs, stunning illustrations, timelines, family trees, and other insightful visuals. Each one is a snapshot of history, bringing to life the journey of one of Britain's most beloved monarchs. And it's not just Queen Elizabeth herself who is celebrated in this book. We learn about her parents, George IV and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, as well as Prince Philip and other members of the royal family and the line of succession. Each individual profile is well-written and informative, offering a deeper understanding of the people who make up this historic institution. Overall, A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Edition is a must-have for anyone interested in the British Royal Family, or simply looking to learn more about one of the most important figures in modern history. The book truly captures the essence of Queen Elizabeth II, and serves as a beautiful tribute to a truly remarkable woman. So whether you're a fan of Her Majesty or just someone looking to learn more about history, this book is definitely worth checking out. "Don't wait any longer to start your journey! Buy the book now or get a FREE 30-day trial of Audible and listen to it today. Your transformation awaits!" Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details)

[fashioneditswebsite]

5 Tips for Surviving Holiday Grief

Coping with grief during the holiday season can be challenging. Here are five tips that can help you navigate this difficult time: Listen to Your Heart Embrace the holiday traditions that you find meaningful. You can also create new traditions that keep the memory and legacy of your loved ones alive. Don't do more than you want, and don't do anything that doesn't feel comfortable, including decorating, making holiday dinners and sending out cards. Take Care of Yourself Try to get enough sleep, eat healthfully, exercise, and do things that call to your soul. For some, this may be coloring, writing in a journal, taking a nature walk or reading a book. For others, it may mean connecting with friends, getting a massage, or seeing a movie. Grieving is hard work! It affects us physically, cognitively, as well as emotionally, and makes it harder for us to concentrate and remember things, so don't forget to make time for yourself. Have an Escape Plan If you are invited to a party, let the host know in advance that you may not stay the entire time. Consider driving yourself so you can leave if you feel trapped. Be willing to give up things that may be stressful, and give yourself permission to decide—or change your mind—at the last minute. Develop—and Train—a Support Network Being with people who care about us is healing, especially if they can say our loved one's name and listen to us cry without trying to fix us or the situation. But many people are so afraid of saying the wrong thing or doing something to upset us that they often disappear right when we need them the most, which is hurtful. It's up to us to be their teachers; don't be afraid to reach out and let people know what you need and how they can help. Focus on What You Have, Not What You've Lost While this is easier said than done, we can try to stay grounded in gratitude by looking for the blessings in every situation, being kind, seeking connection, reaching out in love and friendship to others, and celebrating our loved one's legacy. Joanne Fink is an award-winning designer, calligrapher, bereavement advocate, and author of WHEN YOU LOSE SOMEONE YOU LOVE. Her studio, Lakeside Design, specializes in developing products for the gift, stationery, craft, and faith-based markets. With more than a million books in print, Joanne is the author of 11 books from Fox Chapel Publishing, including Complete Guide to Bible Journaling, Zenspirations Coloring Book Inspirations, Flowers of Faith Coloring Book, and L'Chaim: Celebrate Life. Read the full article

[sfarticles]

Chili’s humble beginnings heat up with history Classic dish also features a myriad of variations

https://www.timesherald.com/2023/03/23/chilis-humble-beginnings-heat-up-with-history/

Beans or no beans . . . seems to be the question or debate when it comes to chili. The dish is popular on restaurant menus, and in competitions that occur throughout the year to determine the best chili recipes.  And there are chili organizations including the International Chili Society https://www.chilicookoff.com/  whose mission is “to uphold the same core value of our founders by bringing together to enjoy healthy competition and America’s great culinary creation—CHILI. Our mission is to continuously improve chili while raising money for charities and non-profits year-round.”

Their mission is interesting, because we think of chili as a winter dish, however, as stated in their mission, chili competitions are popular events year ‘round. Notice, too, it is America’s creation. One thing that I learned in researching the dish is chili’s history is somewhat blurred.

A newer chili cookbook to join my collection is “Seriously Good Chili Cookbook: 177 of the Best Recipes in the World,” by Brian Baumgartner of the Emmy-winning show “The Office” where he played the accountant, Kevin Malone (2022, Fox Chapel Publishing, $24.99) His passion of making chili did not go unnoticed. He was invited to be a judge at the 2021 World Championship Chili Cook-Off sponsored by the International Chili Society.

Baumgartner mentions that the history of chili is “even a bit heated.” He said, “By many accounts, it is a red-blooded American dish; it did not originate in Mexico. In fact, Mexico denies any association with chili, and only a handful of spots serve it. Parts of Mexico that do serve chili only do so to please tourists.”

Was it in the 1880’s at San Antonio’s downtown, known for its famous Hispanic outdoor vendors called “chili queens” where the dish was first introduced? It is said that chili became popular outside of Texas at the San Antonio Chili stand during the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Then, in the early 1900s chili parlors sprung up beyond Texas.

Baumgartner’s book gives myriad stories about the origins of the humble dish. He writes, some historians said, “the earliest versions of chili were made by the poorest class of people to stretch what little meat they could afford.”

“A Southwestern Native American legend claims the first chili con carne recipe was written in the 17th century by a mysterious nun, Sister Mary of Agreda of Spain.”  Another theory, “in 1731, a group of sixteen families emigrated to Texas to what is now San Antonio, from the Canary Islands. Historians say the women in those families would make a spicy Spanish stew that became known as ‘Soup of the Devil.’”

There is a cowboy story, too. A recipe from 1850 by Texan cowboys took dried beef, fat, pepper, salt and chile peppers and made “chili bricks” that were later rehydrated using very hot water. This became their go-to food during their long travels.

Baumgartner writes that “the Texas prison system made such good bowls of chili that inmates would rate each jail based on that provision alone!” Would you believe that once prisoners were released, they would request the chili recipe because it was what they missed most?

He writes about “Chili Goes Hollywood.” In 1936 Chasen’s Restaurant owner kept his recipe secretive. Famous people or their chauffeurs would come to the back door to buy the chili. The icons included Jack Benny, J. Edgar Hoover, Eleanor Roosevelt. He writes, “it is even said it was Clark Gable’s last meal and that Elizabeth Taylor had 10 quarts sent to her while she was filming Cleopatra in Rome, Italy.”

Several sources mentioned that President Lyndon B. Johnson, a chili lover said, “Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing. One of the first things I do when I get home to Texas is to have a bowl of red. There is simply nothing better.” Rumor has it that his wife, Lady Bird received many requests for her recipe, so she had her staff print cards with the Pedernales River Chili recipe. It was named after the location of President Johnson’s Texas ranch.

Baumgartner said, his goal in writing the book “is to share a collection of seriously good recipes—whether they are passed down from days of old or new and original takes.”

Whether it be Texas or Cincinnati chili, beans or no beans, meat or no meat, you’ll enjoy Baumgartner’s sense of humor, and his travels to find the best chili from people of different cultural backgrounds, and differing tastes. One thing, though, every chili recipe has one thing in common…chili pepper. He writes, “by making these recipes yourself, you’re taking part in a once-in-a-lifetime journey I went on myself to find them.”

It is clear that this humble dish is much more than its simple ingredients. The stories about its beginning are as varied as the ingredients used in making the perfect chili. It’s time to get out your biggest pot and make a batch of America’s iconic dish. Below are a few recipes from Baumgartner’s book.

For the award-winning recipe, by Sean Griffith at the 2018 International Chili Society World Champion Chili Cook-Off visit  https://bit.ly/3ndZlPU

Maybe your creation will take first prize in a chili competition! Here are some upcoming competitions held throughout the country https://www.chilicookoff.com/cookoffs/list

Brian’s Seriously Good Chili Recipe by Brian Baumgartner

The headnote says, “This is it, folks. My own personal go-to chili recipe. Has it been passed down for generations? No. But it serves as my own best chili recipe that I cook all the time. Don’t be afraid to play! Like it spicier? Add red pepper flakes or Spicy Bush’s Chili Beans. Like it thicker? Feel free to cook this over the stove all day. (Just add water as needed for best consistency.) I felt it was important to add my personal favorite recipe to this book but know that it is always changing. I love exploring new flavors and employing new techniques every time I make it – so you should feel free to make any adjustments.”

Photo: Fox Chapel Publishing

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or cooking oil)

1 large yellow onion (or 1 cup shallots), chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, diced

2 pounds lean ground turkey (or lean ground beef), undrained

One 6-ounce can tomato paste

One 24-ounce can diced tomatoes

One 16-ounce can tomato sauce

½ cup water (optional)

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ancho chile powder

3 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon sugar

1 (16-ounce can) Bush’s® Pinto Beans in a Mild Chili Sauce, undrained

1 (16-ounce can) Bush’s® Kidney Beans in a Mild Chili Sauce, undrained

Garnish: shredded cheddar cheese

1.     In a large pot, sauté the chopped onion, green bell pepper, and garlic in oil over medium-high heat. I like to use grapeseed oil because it’s a little less oily.

2.     Add in the ground turkey or beef. Before the meat has completely cooked, add the tomato paste. Finish browning the meat completely.

3.     Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the beans and the cheese. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes (or longer until the desired consistency is reached), stirring occasionally.

4.     Then, 20 minutes before serving, add the beans. You can’t add the beans in right away or they get mushy.

5.     Finish with sharp cheddar cheese. Any leftovers are easy to freeze.

Makes 6-8 servings

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Chili

by Amanda Dorich from Windber, PA

The headnote says, “This is no ordinary chicken chili! It is made in a slow cooker and is full of secret ingredients, but, most importantly, it is extremely cheesy. Everyone loves topping their chili with cheese, but putting the cheese into the actual chili is even more delicious and adds great texture and flavor.”

photo: Amanda Dorich

2 chicken breasts

2 (25-ounce cans) diced tomatoes and green chiles (I use Rotel)

2 (25-ounce) cans corn

32 ounces chicken broth

1 packet dry ranch seasoning

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Garnishes: extra cheese, Fritos® corn chips, hot sauce

1.     Beginning with the chicken at the very bottom, add all the ingredients to the slow cooker except for the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and toppings.

2.     Set the temperature to low and cook for 6–8 hours or high for 4 hours. Halfway through the cook time, add the cream cheese.

3.     When you’re ready to eat, shred the chicken and add the cheddar cheese. Give the cheese a few minutes to melt, then serve with your desired toppings.

Makes 6 servings

Vegan Pumpkin Lentil Quinoa Chili

by Kaleigh McMordie from Abiline, TX

The headnote says, “This recipe uses canned pumpkin to lean into the fall feeling, while also thickening the chili without hours of simmering. I’m very much an omnivore and often feel let down by vegetarian chili recipes, so I set out to create a vegetarian chili that still has the stick-to-your-ribs feel of traditional beef chili. Using both quinoa and lentils lends the familiar texture of chili con carne while also adding plant protein that you may not always find in vegetarian versions.”

Photo:  Kaleigh McMordie

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry (uncooked) quinoa

1 cup dry (uncooked) lentils

1 (15-ounce can) low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce can) low-sodium diced tomatoes

1 (4-ounce can) diced green chiles, mild or spicy

4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

1 (15-ounce can) pure pumpkin purée

1 tablespoon chili powder

½ tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ tablespoon smoked paprika

Garnishes: cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, sliced jalapeño

1.     In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.

2.     Add the pepper, onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the veggies are slightly softened.

3.     Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

4.     Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer for 30–45 minutes, stirring about every 15 minutes.

5.     Serve the chili hot and garnish with any toppings you like, such as cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, or sliced jalapeño.

Makes 7+ servings

Stephen Fries is a newly retired professor and coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College, in New Haven, CT. He has been a food and culinary travel columnist for the past 14 years and is co-founder of and host of “Worth Tasting,” a culinary walking tour of downtown New Haven, CT. He is a board member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Email: Stephen@stephenfries.com For more, go to stephenfries.com.

[gorringe]

FMP - Pallet wood upcycling

I started to think what my favorite type of upcylced material is. What came to mind first is pallet wood. As you can pick them up for free or little to nothing and have endless opportunities to make things from them. I’ve had some experience working with pallet wood before. So I know what it’s like to work with. When doing up my van ready for summer last year. We used a combination of pallet wood which we got from a garden centre for free. To make cupboards units etc. as we wanted to keep it as cheap as possible.

I would love to use pallet wood with my experimental stages and possibly include it in my final outcome piece whatever it may be. Campaign showing how scrap materials can be transformed into upcycled useful materials?

When researching about pallet wood upcycling I didn’t expect so many articles and guides in doing so. Showing it’s a very good material to use and upcycle with here are some which I found.

- Some pallet wood furniture ideas

I also found some books which were available on Amazon. About how to work with and upcycle pallet wood and even a paid course you could go to teaching you how to make things from pallets.

[opedguy]

Fauci Acts Clueless on Fox News

LOS ANGELES (OnlineColumnist.com), Jan. 14, 2023.--Acting clueless on Fox News “Your World” with Neil Cavuto, 82-year-old Dr. Anthony Fauci, former head of former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden’s Covid-19 response team, Fauci said he had no idea what billionaire CEO of Tesla Motors, SpaceX and Twitter called “Fauci files.”  Asked by Cavuto if he knew what Musk was talking about in his “Fauci files,” Fauci said he had no idea.  “I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Neil.  “I wish I did. I’m clueless about what he’s referring to,” Fauci told Cavuto.  Fauci, of course, knows exactly what Musk refers to with the “Fauci files,” knowing his role from Day One of the deadly novel coronavirus global pandemic in covering up the origin of the virus.  Fauci conspired with World Health Organization [WHO] Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to deny the global pandemic for at least three months.

Tedros did everything possible in the early months of the pandemic to prevent negative publicity to Communist China.  Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan got Tedros his job as WHO Director-General.  Former President Donald Trump banned Chinese flights to-and-from China Jan. 30, 2020, prompting an angry response from Tedros in a Feb. 6, 2020 Geneva press conference.  Tedros told a Feb. 6 Geneva press conference that no country, referring the U.S., had a right restrict commerce to another country.  No one knew at the time that Tedros was covering the infectious disease crisis in Wuhan, China, where bodies stacked up on the streets with the city’s 14 crematoria running 24/7.  Yet Tedros, with Fauci’s complicity, refused to call a global pandemic for the deadly novel cornavirus. Fauci was busy scheming to blame the virus on a seafood market in Wuhan.

Fauci knew all about Chinese President Xi Jinping speech to the Chinese Communist Party Central committee Feb. 14, 2020, telling delegates that he asked the Ministry of Science and Technology to tighten up biosecurity at China’s microbiology labs.  Xi wasn’t talking like the virus emerged from a natural source, he knew it came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.  Xi dispatched Peoples Liberation Army chief virologist Chen Wei to visit Shi Zhengli’s lab.  Fauci knew all about Zhengli’s lab because through his friend, EchoHealth CEO Peter Daszak, he funded Zhegli’s lab for “gain-of-function” experiments.  Zhengli hosted many foreign scientists, including University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill microbiologist Ralph Baric to inject harmless bat coronaviruses with Angiotensin II (ACE-2], turning them into the most infectious viruses known to man.

So, when Fauci says he know nothing about the “Fauci files,” he’s trying to dupe the press into believing him.  Fauci also conspired with Daszak to convince the British medical journal Lancet to think the virus occurred naturally in Wuhan.  Daszak and 27 other scientists, with Fauci’s knowledge, published a letter in Lancet saying the deadly novel coronavirus came from Wuhan. Fauci and Daszak didn’t want the world to know they paid Zhengli to engineer history’s most deadly made-made virus.  By the time Tedros declared a global pandemic March 1l, 2020, it was already too late in the U.S. and Europe with the deadly novel coronavirus spreading like wildfire.  Two days after Tedros announcement in Geneva, Chinese Foreign Minister Spokesman Zhao Lijian said the deadly virus was made in America and exported by the U.S. military to Wuhan, China.  Fauci said nothing about Lijian’s statement.

Fauci, Daszak and Tedros did everything possible to cover-up the origin of the deadly novel coronavirus.   China’s official position was the U.S. spread a bioweapon, made in Fort Detrick, Md., to China, something so preposterous U.S. officials were dumbfounded.  Yet Fauci insisted, on every radio and TV interview, that the virus occurred naturally, likely from a seafood market in Wuhan.  Fauci refused to admit he funded Daszak’s EchoHealth Alliance to pay Zhengli for “gain-of-function” research to create the world’s most deadly virus.  Fauci’s knock-down-drag-out fights with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) under oath showed his egregious denials in funding “gain-of-function” research.  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fauci shouted at Paul.  “I resent your suggestion that I funded gain-of-function” research. So, when Fauci says bluntly that he has no clue what’s in Musk’s “Fauci files,” it’s a cover-up.

Whatever Fauci did to convince Trump to shut down businesses during the height of the pandemic to save lives, it pales in comparison to his deliberate cover-up on the origin of the virus.  Trump said April 30, 2020 that the virus came of a Wuhan virology lab.  All the media took Fauci’s side during the election year, blaming Trump for mishandling the Covid-19 crisis.  Fauci spent most of time in interviews with anti-Trump TV and radio shows, blaming the president for a poor response to the crisis.  Fauci says he’s nonpartisan, simply an innocent public health official, but he said only negative things about Trump during the 2020 election.  “I just don’t understand what he’s doing.  And I don’t think I should be addressing it because it’s a bit puzzling to me,” Fauci told Cavuto on Fox News.  Cavuto asked nothing substantive to Fauci, only allowing the 82-year-old a way out.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

[edwardmichealsmith]

References

Anonymous, “Letter to the Editor,” The Rosebud 4, 1 (September 22, 1832).

Aulette, Judy, Judith Wittner, and Kristin Blakely. Gendered Worlds. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.

Ball, Charles. Slavery in the United States: A narrative of the life and adventures of Charles Ball, a black man, who lived forty years in Maryland, South Carolina and Georgia, as a slave (1837). 3rd edition. Pittsburgh: John T. Shryock, 1854.

Bourke, Joanna. Rape: Sex, Violence, and History. Great Britain: Virago Press, 2007.

Brooks Higginbotham, Evelyn. “African American Women’s History and the Metalanguage of Race” Signs 17 (1992): 251-274.

Brownmiller, Susan. On Our Backs: Men, Women and Rape. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1975.

Caron, Simone M. Who Chooses? American Reproductive History Since 1830. Florida: University Press of Florida, 2008.

Clinton, Catherine. The Plantation Mistress: Woman’s World in the Old South. New York: Random House, Inc., 1982.

Elder, Robert, “A Twice Sacred Circle: Women, Evangelicalism, and Honor in the Deep South, 1784-1860.” The Journal of Southern History 78, 3 (2012): 579-614.

Foster, Thomas A. “Sexual Abuse of Black Men Under American Slavery.” Journal of History and Sexuality 20, 3 (2011): 445-464.

Fox-Genovese, Elizabeth. Within the Plantation Household: Black and White Women of the Old South. Chapel-Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1988.

Higginbotham, Evelyn Brooks. “African American Women’s History and the Metalanguage of Race” Signs 17 (1992): 251-274.

Hodes, Martha. White Women, Black Men: Illicit Sex in the Nineteenth-Century South. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997.

Hooper, William, “Address on Female Education,” Address on female education, given to the Sedgwick Female Seminary, Raleigh, N.C. (February 27, 1847).

Jacobs, Harriet A. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl., Written by Herself. Edited by Maria Fairchild. Boston: Published for the author, 1861. Accessed online at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/eaf/.

Powell, Anastasia. Sex, Power and Consent: Youth Culture and the Unwritten Rules. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Scott, Anne Firor. The Southern Lady: From Pedestal to Politics, 1830-1930. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970.

Varon, Elizabeth R. We Mean to Be Counted: White Women and Politics in Antebellum Virginia. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1998.

Young, Iris Marion. “The Logic of Masculinist Protection: Reflections on the Current Security State” Signs 29, 1 (2003): 11-25.

Young, Vernetta D. and Zoe Spencer. “Multiple Jeopardy: The Impact of Race, Gender, and Slavery on Women in Antebellum America,” in Race, Gender, and Punishment: From Colonialism to the War on Terror, edited by Mary Bosworth and Jeanne Flavin, 65-76. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2007.

[cool-products]

Bob Lang's The Complete Kitchen Cabinetmaker, Revised Edition: Shop Drawings and Professional Methods for Designing and Constructing Every Kind of Kitchen and Built-In Cabinet (Fox Chapel Publishing)

Bob Lang’s The Complete Kitchen Cabinetmaker, Revised Edition: Shop Drawings and Professional Methods for Designing and Constructing Every Kind of Kitchen and Built-In Cabinet (Fox Chapel Publishing)

Price: (as of – Details) This practical handbook takes the mystery out of designing and making built-in cabinets! Take the confusion out of cabinetmaking by learning how to: Measure a room and design cabinetry Develop working shop drawings and cutting lists Work with solid wood, veneered plywood, MDF, and plastic laminates Build traditional face-frame cabinets and Euro-style frameless…

[mywinepal]

A Request for Mocktails for Diabetics and Others in Canadian Restaurants

A Request for #Mocktails for #Diabetics and Others in Canadian Restaurants and the New Mocktails Bible book @DiabetesCanada @RestaurantsCA @BCRFA @LesDamesBC @netgalley @foxchapel @earlsrestaurant @SheringhamBC @SexyAFSpirits #mixology

I recently noticed the book, “New Mocktails Bible” by Editors of Fox Chapel Publishing and decided to read and review it for you.  Hopefully, this book will find its way into many mixologists’ libraries of drinks.   I drink wine, beer, and alcohol-based cocktails, but sometimes I am with other people that don’t for various reasons, such as diabetics, athletes in training, designated drivers,…

[michellelovatosbookreviews]

Creative Crochet Projects best for crochet babies

Creative Crochet Projects best for crochet babies

Confession: I wish I had all the time in the world – and – I hope God doesn’t take me home anytime soon. Maybe this is every person’s desire. Perhaps it’s just my own. All I know is, there simply isn’t enough time in life for me to enjoy all the wonderful things I am blessed enough to become entranced by. First on my list of wonders is watching my daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren grow…

[nwbeerguide]

Fox Chapel Publishing is happy to announce the release of “Making Your Own Mead: 43 Recipes for Homemade Honey Wines” by Bryan Acton and Peter Duncan

Fox Chapel Publishing is happy to announce the latest release from author Bryan Acton and Peter Duncan. 

“Once the drink of choice for Viking marauders and medieval kings, mead is enjoying a renaissance in popularity. The "nectar of the gods" is easy to make at home. This practical guidebook will inspire you to take up the craft, with a basic guide to mead-making techniques plus 43 recipes for brewing the world's oldest alcoholic beverage. Discover how to make different types of mead like fruit-flavored melomels, grape-based pyments, spiced metheglins, and apple cysers. “

Currently on sale at local bookstores, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.com.