Manners for ladies and men

     Here are some extremely important manners that seemed to have been forgotten in this day and age. Please take not of them and heed them to the best of your ability, hopefully your friends will take notice and follow in your lead. 

1. Say "please" without fail. Please, always say "please" when you make a request, no matter how trivial or important. Always ask and don't tell or demand. 

2. Say "Thank you" without fail. Upon being granted your request--be it a personal favor or impersonal transaction--always look the other party in the eye, give them a pleasing smile, and cheerily say, "Thank you". To show them you're really grateful, dress it up with "Thank you kindly," "Thanks a whole lot," "Preciate it". If your request is denied, say "Well, thank you anyway." Using your best turn-the-other-cheek manner. Yes, even if your selling Girl Scout cookies.

3. Say "ma'am" and "sir" without fail. If any adult your senior addresses you (or vice versa), automatically attach the appropriate title to your response ("Yes ma'am, "I reckon so, Sir", "Pardon me ma'am"). Neglecting this rule is likely to be interpreted as arrogance or insolence or just plain bad upbringing.

4. Treat all ladies as ladies, no matter what you have heard and continue to do so until she proves to you that she is not a lady. 

5. Think before speaking. As it is always said "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

6. Hold the door for anyone following you, if it is a man you can hand the door off to the man  before heading inside before him. If it is an elder step aside and hold the door for them. 

7. Never use the phone while on the toilet. Just don't. ( I've seen it happen, it's horrible)

8. Ask for clarification properly , as in "Can you repeat that, please?" 

9. If you are visiting a friend's parents' home, offer the parents help with anything needed there, such as taking out trash or preparing the table for dinner. Don't forget to thank them for their hospitality and opening up their home, as well as allowing you to eat with them. Then they will be sure to have more respect for you when you return.

10. Send handwritten thank-you notes for gifts sent your way. It is much more appreciated than a text. 

     As for men and boys, why must we suffer with the degrading actions of many of the male gender these days?

Should we have to deal with seeing shirts like this at school as I did today? No! There is a difference between having to deal with male chauvinists and dealing with men who wear the pants in the relationship. 

     Men should treat their women as the ladies as if they are actually ladies! Not as if they are just toys,servants, or just something to screw and toss aside.  Using chivalry is not a bad thing. It should be practiced on every girl, not telling her that your better than her simply because your a guy.   

     Ladies, would you rather have a man respect you and open a door for you, or open the door yourself and be shoved aside by some guy who not only doesn't have any common courtesy but doesn't have the manners to at least wait or maybe even hold the door for you like a proper gentlemen would? I personally would much rather the second. 

Chivalry includes:

1. Opening and or holding the door for a lady

2. Stand when a lady enters or exits a room

3. Help a lady into her coat, especially if they are in a relationship. 

4. Letting a lady precede him through a door that he is holding, with the exception of revolving doors. 

5. Order for a lady in a restaurant (but only after asking her what she wants before the 

waiter comes)

6.  When a lady is taking a seat at a table the man must pull out her chair for her and push it back under before she sits down so she is properly seated. 

7. Giving us his seat if there are no seat left and there is a lady who is standing. Especially if

she is expecting or in heels. 

8. When getting into a car together opening the lady's door and closing it for her then getting in the other side. Works the same way when you get out of the car. Opening and 

shutting the lady's door for her. 

9. When walking on a sidewalk the man must walk on the side closest to the street. 

10. If the man asks then the man pays. The exception is if the girl asks to go Dutch (meaning you both pay for yourselves) LADIES: this is still not extremely ladylike but possible to do if you feel uncomfortable letting him pay. If you explain your reasons to the man I'm sure he will understand. 

Ladies I know that at first it feels very strange to let men and your boyfriends do this for you and it feels like they're saying you can't take care of yourself but after a while you realize that that's not the case and it's actually out of respect for you that they do these things. You can still be a powerful woman and let a man practice chivalry. Please, insist on it. Teach your cousins, your brothers, you friends, and your future children the importance of respecting women and that it is never okay to hit a woman or treat her without respect. 

More manners will be posted in the future, until then use your best judgement and your manners! Bright Blessings!

                                                                                               Hailey

     

Fresh Orange Cake

FRESH ORANGE CAKE
(makes 12 servings)

Cake:
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
1 grated rind of orange
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup orange juice
2 eggs

Filling and Frosting:
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons sifted cake flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine,
     softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 to 1 cup sifted powdered
     sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8-inch round pans. Set aside.

2. To make the cake: sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add shortening and orange rind.

3. Add the milk and orange juice to the dry ingredients and beat with an electric mixer on low until moistened. Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add the eggs; beat for an additional 2 minutes.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for about 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. Cool 10 minutes then carefully remove from pans. Cool the layers on racks.

6. To make filling and frosting: Blend the milk and cake flour in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat to a very thick paste, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm, about 40 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, cream the shortening and butter or margarine with the 1 cup granulated sugar and salt.

8. Add the lukewarm paste to the shortening mixture and beat with electrify mixer until fluffy.

9. Stir in vanilla (remove 3/4 cup of the mixture and reserve). Spread 1 1/2 cups of the mixture between the cake layers.

10. Add the powdered sugar to the remaining mixture and beat vigorously until desired consistency. Frost top and sides of the cake.

Soon Bread

SPOON BREAD
(makes 6-8 servings)

1 cup cornmeal
3 cups milk
2 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, beaten
3 egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart square baking dish. Set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal and 1 cup of the milk.

3. In a 2-quart saucepan, over medium heat, warm the remaining 3 cups milk. Slowly stir the cornmeal mixture into the hot milk. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. In a clean, medium mixing bowl using and electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Set aside.

5. Stir the shortening, baking powder and salt into the cornmeal-milk mixture. Stir in the beaten egg yolks. Fold in the beaten egg whites.

6. Turn the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve hot.

Chilled Strawberry Soup and Brandied Peach Soup

     Found these recipes in the Better Homes & Garden's America's Best-Loved Community Recipes  they sounds quite good. Could be used for a dinner party or for a summer dinner possibly. 


CHILLED STRAWBERRY SOUP
(makes 4 servings) 1/2 cup red Port wine
1 teaspoon minced ginger root
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 pints hulled fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 to 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

1. In a 1-quart stainless steel or enamel saucepan, bring wine and Ginger to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add heavy cream; return to boiling and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat.

2. In a food processor bowl or blender container, place strawberries, mint and vinegar. Cover: process until strawberries are puréed. Add cream mixture, process again until well combined. Pour soup into a container; cover and refrigerate until throughly chilled.

3. Soup can be prepared several days prior to serving. To serve: ladle chilled strawberry soup into throughly chilled bowls. Garnish with a fresh strawberry fan or sprig of mint. 



BRANDIED PEACH SOUP
(Makes 4 servings)

1 can (29 oz) peach halves in heavy syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 cup dry or sweet white wine
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
  lemon juice
Sliced fresh or canned peaches

1. Drain peach halves, reserving 1 cup of the syrup. Place peaches in a food processor bowl or blender container. Cover and process until peaches are puréed. Transfer to a medium-sized saucepan; add cinnamon, white pepper, wine, and reserved heavy syrup.

2. In a 1-cup measure, blend cornstarch and water; set aside. Bring peach mixture to boiling, stirring constantly. Whisk in cornstarch mixture and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, brandy and lemon juice until blended; whisk into peach mixture. Reserving some sour cream mixture for garnish, if desired. Pour soup into a container; refrigerate. Serve soup well chilled. Transfer soup into bowls; garnish with sour cream swirls or peaches.

Hello World

      Hello all, my name is Hailey and I live in California. I love to bake, cook, and garden, and I think manners are important in life. My grandma raised me with manners and that is something that most parents these day's apparently don't do, at least as much as I can see in children I babysit and the children at stores.
      I miss the old style of life where everyone knew their neighbors, where people would be friendly with strangers instead of just saying "Why are you talking to me?", where people welcomed others to the neighborhood with pies or casseroles. Wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone was polite with each other, and if they did everything they could to help those in need? To go out of their way to be friendly and make someone's day? I hope to have this come back one day and I'll do anything I can to make it happen, including leading by example, and I hope you will too. On here I'll share yummy recipes I find, manners advice, and any other cute tidbits I find. I hope you all the best! Bright Blessings!
                                                                                                          Hailey