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THE POINSETT1A: A BRIEF HISTORY Although the poinsettia plant is not indigenous to thf United States, Americans have come to associate its brilliant red bracts with the Christmas season. The plant was actually intro­ duced here in 1828 by Dr. Joel R. Poinsett, at that time the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, for whom the plant was named. Poinsettias grow wild in Mexico, reaching the height of their splendor just around the third week of December. Their Spanish name, Flor de la Noche-buena (flower of the holy night), deriyes from a Mex­ ican legend which holds that the poinsettia originated in a mira­ cle. A poor peasant child, with nothing to take to the service honoring the birth of the Christ child, sadly picked a few weeds m LITTON Microwave Cooking sling at the altar with this to give as an offering. Kneeling a humble gift, the child's earnest prayer and tears of reverence transformed the weeds into the beautiful scarlet flower we know so well. Today, poinsettias are im­ ported from both Mexico and Hawaii, but a careful plant- lover can keep the plant from one season to the next. Once all of the brilliant leaves have fallen, the plant should be trimmed back to the wood. It will flourish outdoors in the summer in most parts of the countiy, becoming more hearty as the weeks of sunshine pass. From the first week of Oc­ tober to the second week in November, poinsettias require equal amounts of daylight and darkness to ensure the brilliant red bracts at Christmastime. Stuff stocking for audiophiles STOCKING STUFFERS from Zenith--a full line of high performance audio ac­ cessories. Complement the family au- diophile's stereo system this Yuletide season with a stocking full of audio accessories. Delivering optimum sound reproduction from your stereo system goes beyond having a good receiver, turntable, tape deck and speakers. Audio ac­ cessories, the important "little extras," maximize your musi­ cal listening pleasure. Zenith offers full lines of quality record care equipment, high performance stereo head­ phones, long life/low noise cas­ sette and 8-track audio tapes, dynamic remote microphones, audio wire and cable. All of these accessories help to assure the sound and listening preference you want from 70ur stereo components. ^ j Microwave uooKing ^ ^ Microwave Cooking Demonstrations December 20 9:30 le 1:30 Learn how easy it is to cook with Litton s Meal-In-One™ Microwave Oven. • How to cook 1,2,3 foods, even a complete meal, all at once! • How to grill a cheese sandwich in 90 seconds, cook bacon in 2 minutes, bake a potato in 4 minutes! • A trained home economist will answer all your questions about microwave ovens. • Come taste the results for yourself! Litton... changing the way AmericaCookg: $4eaoo Prices Start At jf Buy a Litton microwave built-in with a lot more built in • Solid-state microwave oven with 1.2 cu. ft. interior. • Memorymatic® microwave program cook­ ing. Programs meals at the touch of a finger. • Vari-Cook® variable power oven control for time and cooking speed. • Vari-Temp® automatic temperature con­ trol and sensor for exact food temperature. • Extra wide self-cleaning conventional oven -- full 3.9 cu. ft. capacity. • Bronze see-thru glass door. • One-piece, smooth ceramic cooktop. • LITTON CAREY APPLIANCE Microwave Cooking At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year. --Thomas Tusser 1241 N. Green St. SALES ft SERVICE 385-551 McHENRY, ILL.