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The Clarington/Courlice Independent, Bowmanville, Saturday, December 5, 1998 Page 19 11 f Gift Guide '98 Is Red- Or Pink-Coloured Turkey Meat Safe To Eat? '■> Red- or pink-coloured ! turkey meat is caused by ; the age and sex of the bird, ; dietary components, pro- s cessing techniques or the j ventilation system of the • oven used in cooking the 1 product. This colour docs J not affect the palatability ; or safety of the turkey. ■ ; During roasting, small ■ < amounts of nitric oxide 2 and carbon monoxide 5 form in the oven atmos- ij phere. These combine with Î the meat pigments to pro- • duce a pink colour which \ is heat-stable. : Although the colour j does not affect the palata- '> bility or safety of the prod- ; uct, it can be decreased by • using older birds whose ] thicker skin prevents the : cooking gases from pass- j ing through as easily. Also, ? cooking the meat at a mod- 2 crate temperature of 325°F ^ (160°C) and covering the meat with foil during part jaf the cooking time <• decreases the pink colour. If. The important thing to " remember is that turkey is * safe to eat when it reaches Z the proper end-point tern- 22 perature. Protecting : Yourself From sfSnateh-And- |Grab // Artists Ï • Robbery is a crime of ^opportunity. So don't give 2- a thief an open invitation. <•;" Leaving a door open at rjtome gives the "snatch- Z and-grab" thief a perfect ^'opportunity. These are the > thieves who take what iu they immediately spot and 3 race off. ■% Parties where liquor, Ç Wine, beer or cigarette carrions carrions are in full view of a !» :"snatch-and-grab" thief is are also tempting. No mat- 2 1er how late it is after a 3 party, take a few extra j minutes to store cigarettes, cigarettes, liquor, wine and Z beer. 'When you are having 1 a house party and the door z is constantly opening and * closing, tell your guests - not to leave their purses by ' the door. It only takes a * few seconds for a stranger - to walk off with one. *If you're upstairs for 2 awhile, around in the t backyard or talking to a neighbour down the street, shut and lock the front door. The same goes for the backdoor if you're sitting sitting out front. Someone could slip into your home, grab the first thing he sees-a ring you left by the sink, your purse or wallet, a portable CD player-and be gone before you even realize what's happened, ,.2 «Don't leave valuable ^parcels sitting on your •'driveway or walk, or on the roof of your car, while you run in. You couldn't be making it any easier for a snatch-and-grabber. •The classic type of this thief is the purse snatcher. Instead of letting a purse dangle from your shoulder, keep a hand on it and never leave it open. If you're carrying something valuable-jewellery, for example-keep it in your pocket, •When you're grocery shopping, don't leave your •purse or wallet sitting in a 2 cart while you walk down the aisle looking for some peas, The same holds true jii a department store; don't put your purse down as you sift through a rack of clothes, and don't leave it in a change room unattended. unattended. •At the office, don't leave your purse sitting on or beside your desk when you're not around. And , don't leave a wallet in a ; coat or jacket that's liang- ■ ing by the door, •If you're in n Illness club or another locker : room, be careful of what you keep in your locker. l\irkey Is Cooked When: •A meat thermometer in the inner thigh reads 180°F (82°C) for a stuffed turkey and 170°F (77°C) for an unstuffed turkey. •The juices run clear. Be sure that the thermometer thermometer is not touching the thigh bone-adjust the thermometer until it is firmly in the inner thigh meat. Place the turkey in the oven so you can sec the thermometer through the window in the oven door- this way you can watch its progress without opening the door and letting heat out. Cooking Times May Vary Depending On: •The temperature of the bird going into the oven. •The accuracy of the oven's thermostat. •How many times the oven door is opened during during roasting. •The size of the bird in relation to the size of the oven. •On the barbecue, the cooking time may vary depending on how windy the day is, the accuracy of the temperature setting and the number of times the lid is opened. Interesting Facts •The minutes per pounds (minutes per kilograms) kilograms) needed to roast turkeys vary dramatically with the size of the bird- for example, a stuffed turkey weighing six to eight pounds (3-3.5 kilograms) kilograms) takes 30 minutes per pound (60 minutes per kilogram); whereas, a stuffed turkey weighing 16-22 pounds (seven to 10 kilograms) takes only 15 minutes per pound (30 minutes per kilogram). •Turkey on the barbecue barbecue cooks in about half the time needed to roast in the oven. •Unstuffed turkeys cook more quickly than stuffed birds. Mistletoe And Holly: Symbols Of Luck And Peace Holly was the sacred plant of the Roman God Saturn. Romans used to decorate images of him with holly wreaths at the Roman Saturnalia festival. Many, many years later, while these Romans continued their pagan worship, Christians began celebrating the birth of Jesus. At first, Christians decorated their homes with Saturnalia holly to avoid persecution. But as their numbers increased, holly lost its pagan association and became a symbol of both peace and joy during the Christmas season. In Germany, a piece that has been used in the church decorations is regarded as a charm against lightning. In some parts of England the tradition of placing sprigs of holly around a young girl's bed on Christmas Eve is said to keep away goblins. Other beliefs include putting a piece of holly on the bedpost to bring sweet dreams; a tonic made from holly will cure a cough; and arguments can be settled more amicably under a holly tree. We still follow age-old traditions today and "deck the halls with boughs of holly" when decorating for the holiday season. Mistletoe is a parasite that has no roots of its own and lives off of the tree that it attaches itself to, most often an apple or an oak. Without the tree the mistletoe mistletoe would die. The Druids considered the mistletoe to be a sacred plant and believed it had miraculous properties which could cure illnesses, serve as an antidote against poisons, poisons, ensure fertility and protect against the ill effects of witchcraft. Moreover, whenever enemies met under the mistletoe in the forest, they had to lay down their arms and observe a truce until the next day. From this has seemingly come the ancient custom of hanging a ball of mistletoe from the ceiling and exchanging kisses under it as a sign of friendship and goodwill. Another version, however, says that this custom, which was widespread among the Anglo-Saxons, was connected to the legend of Freya, goddess of love, beauty and fertility. According to legend, a man had to kiss any young girl who, without realizing it, found herself accidentally under a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Celtic people felt it possessed miraculous healing powers. In the Celtic language mistletoe means "allheal." "allheal." It not only cured diseases, but could also render poisons harmless, make humans and animals prolific, keep one safe from witchcraft, protect the house from ghosts and even make them speak. All in all, mistletoe was thought to bring good luck to anyone privileged to have it. Even if the pagan significance has been long forgotten, forgotten, the custom of exchanging a kiss under the mistletoe can still be found ini many European countries countries as well as Canada. Thus if a couple in love exchanges a kiss under the mistletoe, it is interpreted as a promise to marry, as well as a prediction of happiness happiness and long life. In France, the custom linked to mistletoe was reserved for New Year's Day: "Au gui l'An neuf' (Mistletoe for the New Year). Today, kisses kisses can be exchanged under the mistletoe any time during during the holiday season. Visit our all hew Giftware Department FREE GIFTWRAPPING MONDAY - FRIDAY ~ OPEN UNTIL 10 P.M. SATURDAY - SUNDAY - OPEN UNTIL 6 P.M. BOWMANVILLE MALL (905) 623-2546 3 (Gtrwoft (Gift® Make this Christmas special with a gift from "The White Rabbit". We have a wonderful assortment of gift items, some locally hand crafted. For the folk artist we have a large selection of supplies, books, ; brushes, Delta and Americana paints, and much more! See our selection of Lung Calendars $17.99. _ That hard to buy for person on your list... NO PROBLEM! liweL can custom ma ^ e something for them, just give us a little extra time. ^ s ffgpE Free Parking next to the store! jl m Mia J^Scugo^Strcc^JjowmanvHh^-- STOW: HOURS Mon. 10-2 Tub., Toil, lliurs, Sol. 10 • 5 I Vi. 10-6 Slatting Tivl o[ Nov. 23 ni (905) 697-2380 J P o ,4- jmpMkiw -"//J PLATES, DCLLS & ART GALLERY presents wibwmv c/ from the diar or wo-fidei ~ Collection by Trisha Romance t,/; tc-; Order early to ensure Christmas ;/' availability ' r t 15" tall with Sleigh included ine Porcelain Doll 75.00 ÏÏÏÏ Porcelain Ornament 6 " *«.00 *"^^3 © 1996-1998 Trisha Romance, The Artists' Garden Inc., Licensee N.C. Cameron & Sons, Limited AG0071B 16 King Street E., Oshawa 579-4328 i| |j CL/.,, ■ =ss: f&Sr.S H