I knew if I looked long enough and hard enough somewhere in the annals of Norwich I would find the solution to some if not all of my modern day issues. For the past month my waistline has spread.

Today, I am looking at the April 17, 1895 Norwich Bulletin at an article titled, “Not A Norwich “Invention.”

“The latest craze invented by a chronic dyspeptic” of Norwich, says the Bridgeport Union, “is to abolish the habit of eating breakfast. The first meal of the day is to be taken at noon. The proprietor of a hotel in Norwich is a strong friend of the go-without breakfast idea. ‘Now,’ said he, ‘ If I can teach’em to give up dinner and supper my fortune is made, this being a hotel on the American plan.’”

Our esteemed contemporary is mistaken in thinking the “craze” spoken of is of Norwich origin. It is “The Gospel of Health” ably advocated by an eminent western physician, and it has proved very beneficial to several hundred people in Norwich. It is a custom promotive of a natural appetite, temperate eating and good health. It has really restored the health of many people in this vicinity, and when they patronize the hotels they do not ask for lower rates on account of the change of habit. They enjoy life so much better than they did that they are glad to have the hotel men reap a large profit. A trial of this new way of living even furnishes satisfactory physical evidences of its virtue, and those who have tried it do not mind having it called a “craze” or at being themselves called “cranks.”

I have been doing more sitting these past two months and certainly having two meals a day would be a benefit to my waistline and my budget. Even more if I could use the breakfast budget for the supper budget and keep it to a bowl of hot cereal that is warm and filling, coffee or tea and a piece or two of fresh fruit. I have plans. Plenty of thoughtful and well-intentioned plans. I just need to follow through on them. Now there is the rub.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .

Are you thinning your garden beds? Are your indoor plants multiplying? Are you looking to adopt a plant? The location for the Norwich Area Plant Swap on Sunday, May 3, 2020 has moved to the St Vincent de Paul Parking Lot, 120 Cliff Street, Norwich, CT 06360 from 11 AM to 1 PM promptly. This is an event to share indoor and outdoor seeds, bulbs, roots, baby plants, and gardening tips.

All are welcome and encouraged to participate. No reservations are needed. Plants do not need to be in pots. Plants may be wrapped in newspaper. On-site splitting tools will be in limited availability.

In the planning stages since last fall with all of the imagination, hopes and dreams of a want to be gardener. Seeds were ordered. Some to sow in personal gardens, some to share with friends, some to be given away.

Fresh dirt with much consultation with a more experienced gardener was purchased. Mini-greenhouses from milk jugs collected from friends were planted with seeds and I have been waiting. According to the seed packages the jugs should be over flowing with flourishing greens ready to be thinned and split up to new homes. The seeds did not listen when read what the packets said about how they should stretch and make themselves truly comfortable in the dark environment and they should reach about for their brothers and sisters close by before making the journey upwards into the sunshine and fresh air. With four days to go until the plant swap the ground only today has been broken. The plants will not be ready for adoption to new homes. Last year I thought this year I might be able to split my rhubarb but this afternoon it is still barely two inches tall above ground. I was so excited when it broke ground and opened its first tiny leaf but then its stopped. The hostas are still furled straight and tall Not ready for a successful transplant. The ferns that will later tower over my five feet in height are not yet taller than the vinca ground cover they live with. The chives are standing straight and tall but then they have since last fall. I have been trimming them all winter for soups, salads and spreads, The mints are all up and I will have a few of those to share. The oldest of the peonies, its got to be close to seventy years old in the same spot is stretching straight and tall toward the sky but I am not sure if its ready for a share or two.

In my head I dreamed of healthy full plants, smiling, happy plants anxiously awaiting adoption to new homes with wonderful caring and proud new plant parents. Even my violets and johnn-jump ups that live beneath my wisteria aren’t in the abundance of last year. Last year was a purple and white carpet with spots of shining gold. More than enough to share. This year there are just a few violets looking longingly for the party they remembered.

The bridal wreath has bloomed and I will try to bring some for those who want an early white blossoming bush. Perhaps also some of the Japanese Quince which grows into a beautiful red flowered bush with one to two inch sharp thorns. But the tiny birds love the bush and seek the protection of those thorns.

The potato and sweet potato plants are not doing much above or below the ground but you can always plant those in a tall laundry basket to enjoy in the fall.

Every one is welcome. Experienced and new gardeners. Those with extra plants and those looking to try gardening for the first time. No reservations are needed. Safety and social distancing, and masks are important so please be patient with us as we try to create a proper and safe environment for all.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .

Discovery! On my cookbook bookshelves sat the 1975 version of Aunt Sammy’s Radio Recipes – The Great Depression Cookbook edited by Martin Greif [142 pages]. There is a very long, and never read, introduction to Aunt Sammy, who lived, entered the homes of over five million “radio friends” five or six days a week for fifteen minutes from Monday, October 4, 1926 through 1944 .

“This morning,” the announcer said, “we are going to introduce Aunt Sammy, the best authority we know on housekeeping. Every day, excepting Saturday and Sunday, she will chat with you t this time. Ask your neighbors over to meet her. Send your problems to her. Make her your friend and adviser. It is now our pleasure to introduce Aunt Sammy, our official radio representative of the U.S. Bureau of Home Economics, at Washington D.C.”

For the next fifteen minutes, fifty women – stood before fifty different microphones across the country reading fifty identical scripts prepared by the US Department of Agriculture Radio Service. Fifty different speech patterns, dialects, and accents all telling the same hints and jokes.

Then on the shelf completely ignored was a ¼ inch thick light green, similar to smooth construction paper, 142 page book titled, Aunt Sammy’s Radio Recipes Revised , from the Bureau of Home Economics, U.S. Department of Agriculture stamped from the Office of Francis T. Maloney United States Senate. I have to insert here everything I know about Francis T. Maloney.

Francis Thomas Maloney (March 31, 1894 – January 16, 1945 Died of a heart attack) was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut from 1933 to 1935 and a U.S. Senator from Connecticut from 1935 to 1945. He was a Democrat.

According to the first page Ruth Van Deman, Associate Specialist in Charge of Information ans Fanny Walker Yeatman, Junior Specialist in Foods, Bureau of Home Economics wrote the book issued in May, 1931 and for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C. For the price of 15 cents.

This is the enlarged fourth edition and is only a supplement to the information on food preparation given in the leaflets and bulletins.

In April for example was the suggestion for Easter Dinner of Roast shoulder of Lamb with mint stuffing, carrots, asparagus on toast, spiced jelly, spring salad and lemon sherbet with sponge cake.

Dinner 1 – Cheese souffle, spring onions on toast, browned parsnips, olives and radishes, and Rhubarb Betty.

Dinner 2 – Pork chops, savory cooked lettuce, parsley potatoes, chili sauce and Jelly roll

Dinner 3 – Fish timbales, rice, turnip greens, pickled onions and cottage cheese with pineapple sauce.

Dinner 4 – Curried fowl with carrots, flaky boiled rice, buttered asparagus, orange salad with apricot whip.

Dinner 5 – fresh beef tongue, wilted dandelion greens, fried potato cakes, and banana pudding.

Some of these are self explanatory and some need assistance. Savory cooked lettuce? See age 51 6 slices bacon, 3 quarts shredded lettuce [ 2020 note – I might switch out for cabbage, kale, spinach or leaf lettuce] 2 tablespoons vinegar, salt and onion juice.

Cook the bacon in a heavy skillet until brown and crisp, and remove it from the fat. Add the shredded lettuce to the hot fat and stir until it wilts. Add vinegar and bacon broken in small pieces, salt if needed and onion juice if desired and serve at once.

Fish Timbales – 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 2 cups flaked cooked or canned fish 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon minced onion, [2020 note – I add 1 teaspoon celery minced fine] salt to taste.

Prepare a sauce of the fat, flour and milk, add the beaten eggs, fish, and seasonings, and salt if needed. Pour the mixture into greased custard cups and bake in a pan of hot water in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 30 minutes. Turn the timbales onto a hot platter and garnish with slices of lemon and serve at once.

Tuna, salmon, shrimp, crab meat, fresh cod, or any other fish that may easily be separated from the bones may be used in timbales.

Curried Fowl with carrots – [I will pretend that fowl = chicken. But it reasonably could be, ¼ cup sliced turkey, duck, goose or pigeon or even rabbit in a pinch.] 4 pounds fowl, salt, 2 tablespoons fat, ½ cup sliced onion, 1 quart water, flour, ¼ teaspoon curry powder, 2 cups shredded carrots, cooked.

Disjoint the fowl, salt and flour the pieces, brown in the fat, and transfer to a kettle. Cook the onion for a few minutes in the remaining fat, pour in the water, and add to the chicken. Simmer until the fowl is tender, and drain off and measure the liquid. For each cup of liquid, blend 1 tablespoon of flour and 2 tablespoonfuls of chicken fat, stir into the broth, cook until thickened, add the curry, chicken, and cooked carrots, heat through, and serve with flaky boiled rice. If desired, serve with grated fresh coconut to sprinkle over the curried chicken.

Wilted dandelion greens – 2 quarts dandelion greens, 4 tablespoons bacon fat, ¼ cup mild vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt.

Wash the greens thoroughly, and cut into small pieces with scissors. Heat the bacon fat, vinegar and salt in a skillet, add the greens, cover and cook at moderate heat until the greens are wilted. Serve at once.

If you want to know how to cook your fresh beef tongue, sorry but you are on your own.

Happy eating!

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .

It’s not just Covid-19, its also allergy, cold and flu time. Some of these recipes for the sick sound pretty tasty. Some, might have been a test. If you were sick enough to be in bed, you’d choke the stuff down. If you were well you’d be up and out of bed just to get away from it.

I have made some of these and found a couple of them really good, some interesting but I had no desire to try them again and a few should only be made and served at Hogwarts.

In the Rumford Complete Cookbook 1940 there is even a page of very helpful hints. For example “Have all hot beverages brought to the door of the sick room in a covered pitcher, then poured into the cup, thus avoiding the danger of spilling liquids into the saucer while carrying them to the patient.”

“When the dietary is limited, serve the foods that are permitted, in as many forms as possible to avoid sameness. For instance, beef tea may be given hot in the form of beef essence – as savory jelly, frozen, and as beef tea custard; practically the same food but more palatable because served in different forms.”

Lemonade – 1 lemon, ½ pint cold water, 2 or 3 lumps of sugar. Rub the sugar over the rind of the lemon to extract a little of the flavor. Squeeze the lemon juice over the sugar, add the water and stir till the sugar is dissolved. If the lemon is very large a little more water may be used. A thin slice of the lemon may be cut off before squeezing and placed in the glass with the lemonade.

A good substitute for the lemon juice is Horsford’s Acid Phosphate.

Barley Water – 2 level tablespoons pearl barley, 1 quart cold water, 1/3 level teaspoon salt, juice of a half a lemon, Also a little sugar if desired.

Wash the barley, pour the water over it and soak for several hours. Add salt and cook in a double boiler for at least three hours. Strain through cheese cloth or a fine strainer, flavor with lemon, and add sugar if liked.

Toast Water – 2 slices stale bread toasted, 1 cup boiling water, 1/6 level teaspoon salt.

Toast the bread till golden brown and dry all through, or dry it in a moderately hot oven till golden brown and crisp. Pour the boiling water over it and add the salt; cover and set aside until cool. Strain, and serve hot or cold. Some add milk, cream and sugar, and serve hot in place of tea or coffee.

Eggnog – 1 egg, 2/3 cup milk, 1 level tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon wine, pinch of salt.

Separate the white from the yolk of the egg, beat the latter and add sugar, salt and milk. Stir in the wine and beat, and add the white of the stiffly beaten egg at the last moment before serving.

Junket Eggnog – 1 egg, 1 cup milk, 2 level teaspoons sugar. ¼ junket tablet [2020 Note: Junket is a company that made prepackaged powdered dessert mixes and ingredients for making various curdled, milk-based foods, such as rennet custard, ice cream and rennet tablets. ] 1 teaspoon wine.

Separate the white from the yolk of the egg; add the sugar and wine to the yolk, then blend with the white. Have the milk lukewarm and add the egg mixture to it and immediately stir in the junket dissolved in a teaspoon of very cold water. Pour at once into small glasses and grate a little nutmeg or cinnamon over the top. As soon as set put on ice to chill.

Shirred Eggs. Two eggs, 1 level tablespoon butter, salt & pepper to taste.

Melt the butter in an egg shirrer or any fireproof earthen baking dish; break the eggs into the dish and season to taste. Cook in a moderate [2020 Note 350 – 400 degrees] oven until set and serve in the baking dish. Shirred eggs cook very nicely if placed on an asbestos mat on top of the range and covered with another mat kept for such a purpose. This saves heating the oven if there is no other baking to be done. A little chopped parsley, cheese or a few fried bread crumbs may be sprinkled over the eggs before cooking, if desired.

Albumenized Milk – 1 egg white, ½ cup lime water, 1 cup milk. Mix all ingredients, place in a shaker or covered jar and shake well. Strain and serve at once, plain or sweetened as preferred.

Wine Whey – 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons sherry

Boil the milk, add the sherry and remove from the fire at once. Let stand til the curd is separated from the whey, then strain through a fine cloth and serve as it is or reheat.

Beef and Tapioca broth – ½ pound steak or shin of beef, 1 pint water, 2 level teaspoons tapioca, 1 egg yolk, salt.

Cut the beef into small pieces, add water and let stand for half an hour; then cook in a double boiler two hours; strain, and press as much as possible of the meat pulp through a sieve. Add the tapioca, return to the saucepan and cook half an hour longer. Season and pour the broth over the yolk of the egg which has been slightly beaten. Serve at once.

Invalid’s Tea – 1 level teaspoon tea, 1 cup scalded milk, Sugar to taste. – Bring the milk to the scalding point and pour over the tea. Let the two infuse for four minutes, strain, and serve with or without the sugar. Tea made by this method nourishes as well as stimulates.

Clam broth – 6 clams in shells, 1 ½ cups water, ½ level teaspoon butter, if allowed.

Scrub the shells and put them in a saucepan with one cup of water. Cook till the shells open, remove the clams, chop and return them to the saucepan with water. Cook ten minutes, strain, and add the remaining water if necessary to reduce the strength of the broth. Season and serve.

Beef Juice. ½ pound top round of beef, pinch of salt.

Broil the meat for about two minutes to “start” the juice, then press all the liquid from it with a meat press or an old fashioned wooden lemon squeezer. Turn into a warm cup, or colored glass to disguise the color; add salt to taste, and serve. As this will not keep it must be prepared fresh for each serving.

Beef Tea. ½ pound top round of beef, ½ pint water, pinch of salt.

Cut the beef in small pieces, the smaller it is cut the more easily it will give off its juices, or scrape it from the fibre. Add the cold water and stand aside for half an hour. Then place in a Mason jar, cover and stand in a saucepan of cold water; let it heat slowly to about 140 degree and cook two hours; strain and season. It is better to have the jar raised from the bottom of the sauce pan, that it may not come in too close contact with the heat of the range. Beef tea may be served hot, frozen, or in the form of a jelly, the latter consistency being obtained by the addition of one scant teaspoon of granulated gelatine soaked five minutes in a tablespoon cold water and added to the beef tea as soon as the latter is strained. Stand in a cool place until set.

Oatmeal Gruel. 1 cup water, ¼ level teaspoon of salt, 2 level teaspoons oatmeal or rolled oats.

Have the water or milk actively boiling, shake the oats into it and cook fifteen minutes. Then place over hot water (a double boiler is best) and cook one hour. If the gruel is made with milk add the salt just before serving; with water, it may be put in earlier. Strain if desired to remove the particles of oats.

Corn Meal Gruel. 1 ½ cups water, 1/3 level teaspoon of salt, 2 level tablespoons of corn meal

Have the water actively boiling, shake the corn meal gently into it and cook twenty minutes, stirring constantly; then turn the whole into a double boiler and cook two hours. Strain if desired.

Arrowroot Gruel. [2020 Note: Arrowroot is a form of starch derived from the root of a plant that grows in tropical regions. Processed into a white powder, arrowroot is useful as a thickening agent for soups and sauces.] 1 level tablespoon arrowroot, 1 cup milk, ¼ level teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons wine, a little sugar if desired.

Mix the arrowroot smoothly with a little of the milk, heat the remainder and, when boiling, put in the arrowroot and cook gently for ten minutes; add salt and sugar and at the moment of serving, beat the flavoring. Arrowroot contains little nutriment, but is useful as a vehicle for the serving of stimulants.

Irish Moss. [[2020 Note: Carrageen moss is edible seaweed which is plentiful on the rocky Irish coast and is used in most parts of the island. When bleached and dried, it will keep for years.] One Small handful Irish moss, 3 cups milk, one level teaspoon sugar, 1/3 teaspoon vanilla or other flavoring.

Wash and pick over the moss carefully, add it to the milk in a saucepan, and simmer the two until the moss begins to dissolve. A double boiler is preferable as it prevents too rapid cooking. In about twenty minutes, if the moss is dissolving, strain through cheese cloth, add sugar and flavoring, and turn into wet moulds or cups to cool. Serve with cream and sugar.

Savory Custard. 1 cup beef or good chicken stock, two eggs, 1/6 level teaspoon salt, pepper.

Beat the eggs until light but not foamy; add salt and pepper if not objected to. Have the beef or stock hot and pour it over the eggs. Strain into greased cups or small moulds, and cover each with greased paper. Stand the moulds in a vessel of hot water and cook gently, either in the oven or over the fire, till the custard is set. As soon as a knife blade inserted into the custard comes out clean (not milky looking) remove from the fire. Unmould and serve hot or cold. Do not let the water surrounding the moulds boil or the custard will be honeycombed and less digestible.

Puffed Egg. One Egg, pinch of salt.

Separate the yolk from the white of the egg and beat the latter to a stiff froth, adding the salt. Turn into a cup and place in a steamer or vessel containing enough water to come halfway up the sides of the cup. Steam three minutes and if at the end of that time it is puffy looking, drop the unbroken yolk into the center of the white, replace the cover of the pan and cook until the yolk is nearly set. Serve in the cup in which it is cooked.

Custard Souffle. Two level teaspoons butter, one level teaspoon flour, 1/3 cup milk, one egg and one tablespoon sugar.

Melt the butter, add flour and blend mostly smoothly without browning. Pour in the milk and cook three minutes after boiling point is reached. Separate the white from the yolk of the egg and beat each. Pour hot mixture (let it cool a little) over the yolk, put in the sugar and fold in gently the stiffly-beaten white. Turn into two greased cups and bake in a steady oven till firm – about fifteen minutes. Serve at once with or without sauce.

Egg Cream. Two eggs, two level tablespoons sugar, grated rind and juice of half a lemon, two tablespoons water.

Separate the whites and yolks of the eggs, and beat the yolks with sugar till well blended; add the lemon juice, rind and water, and cook in a double boiler stirring constantly till the mixture begins to thicken. Add whites of eggs beaten until thick, and cook till the mixture resembles thick cream. Cool and serve in small individual cups or glasses.

Dainty Pudding. Thin slices of stale bread without crust. Fresh, hot stewed fruit sweetened to taste, custard or cream.

Cut the bread into pieces about three inches long and an inch wide. Line a cup with the pieces fitted closely together: fill with hot, deep-colored fruit, and place more bread over the top. Place a plate the pudding, put a weight on the plate, and set aside until cold. Turn out, and serve with cream or custard.

Tapioca Jelly. – one- third cup tapioca, one and one half cups water, one-third cup sugar, juice and grated rind of one half lemon, two tablespoons wine.

Have the water at the boiling point in a double boiler, shake in the tapioca gently and cook for one hour; strain if desired clear, or the tapioca can be left in. add the sugar, lemon juice and rind, and when cool the flavoring.

Chicken Chartreuse. One cup cold cooked chicken, salt, pepper and a little grated lemon rind, one egg, one cup chicken stock, or half stock and half cream, one level tablespoon granulated gelatine.

Mince the chicken finely, pass through a sieve and season to taste. Soak the gelatine for ten minutes in the cold stock or stock and cream, then heatto boiling point and, when the gelatine is dissolved, strain it over the chicken. Add the yolk of the egg lightly beaten, then the white beaten to a stiff froth. When partly cooled tyrn into a mould and put aside till very cold and set. Unmould and cut in thin slices.

Sweetbreads a la Newberg. – one pair of sweetbreads, three level tablespoons of butter, one cup thin cream, two egg yolks, one tablespoon of sherry, salt and pepper to taste. Gs and cook until they th

Parboil the sweetbreads in slightly salted water, cut them in cubes and cool. Melt the butter, put in the cubes and cook gently for five minutes. Add the cream and simmer for five minutes longer; then put in the well-beaten yolks of the eggs and cook until they thicken, being careful that the sauce does not curdle. Season to taste, and add the flavoring just before serving. This may be served on toast.

Beef Cakes – one quarter pound very lean round steak, salt & pepper and toast.

Cut the meat into strips, remove every particle of fat, and scrape the pulp from the fibre of the meat. Season slightly, remembering the palate is more sensitive to seasonings in sickness than in health. Form into very small balls or cakes, and broil about two minutes. Serve on rounds of buttered or dry toast.

Scraped Beef Sandwiches – One-quarter pound very lean steak, salt & pepper, Plain or buttered toast.

Remove all fat, cut the meat into strips, scrape the pulp from the fibre, and season. Spread on thin slices of bread or toast, buttered or plain; cover with another slice, and cut into small strips.Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .

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Water can sometimes be a little bland or sometimes the chemical tastes are just a bit too strong so when I came across these punch, syrups, ades and drinks recipes I had to share.

Most of the recipes are from The Community Cookbook of Woonsocket, 1947 and need slight adjustments for 2020 but those are up to you. It ‘s fine if these just serve as a base for an idea or combination of your own.

Pineapple-Raspberry Ade – 1 cup water, 1 cup canned crushed pineapple, 1 cup raspberry juice, juice of 1 lemon. Mix all the ingredients. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve in tall glasses with ginger ale cubes and fresh mint leaves. – Mrs. Ned Mattlin [2020 Change – Use frozen ingredients and it makes a tasty smoothie or slush]

Grape Juice Punch – 1 pint Grape Juice, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup Orange Juice, 1 cup Sugar, 4 cups water or ginger ale. Combine fruit juices with sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add water. Chill thoroughly before serving. – Mrs. Coleman P. Falk [2020 Change – Add sugar only to your taste or not at all]

Lemon Punch – Juice of 6 lemons, juice of 3 oranges, 1 quart water, ½ cup mashed strawberries, ½ cup crushed pineapple, fresh syrup. Mix fruit juices, Sweeten to taste with syrup. Add water and crushed fruits. Garnish with very thin slices of Orange. – Mrs. Ned Matlin [2020 Change – Use frozen ingredients and it makes a tasty smoothie or slush]

Syrup notes: Thin syrup – Bring to boil 1 part sugar to 3 parts water.

Medium Syrup – Bring to boil 1 part sugar to 2 parts water.

Thick syrup – Bring to boil 1 part sugar to 1 part water.

Juice from fruits may be used in place of water to make syrup.

Cocoa Syrup – 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup cocoa, ½ teaspoon salt. Stir water and sugar until dissolved. Boil five minutes. Mix cocoa with additional water to form a paste. Add to syrup. Boil slowly for ten minutes. Add salt. Keep in refrigerator. Use two tablespoons syrup for each glass hot or cold milk to make milk shake, hot chocolate [2020 Change – Serve on cake or ice cream]

Coffee Syrup – Put one cup sugar and one cup very strong coffee into a saucepan. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Boil about ten minutes. – Mrs. Charles Berlow [2020 Change – Serve on vanilla ice cream, or mix into a glass of cold milk]

Chocolate Fizz – For each serving use four tablespoons chocolate syrup, 2 tablespoons cream, and ginger ale to fill glass. Serve cold. – Mrs. Maynard L. Ginsburg [2020 Change – Use root beer in place of ginger ale]

Individual Egg Nog – Beat 1 egg yolk with two teaspoons sugar until thick and lemon colored. Add one cup hot milk, slowly, beating vigorously all the while. Add one-half teaspoon vanilla, a dash of nutmeg or ginger. Beat egg white until stiff and mix into first mixture. Serve piping hot – Mrs. Fred Israel

From Favorite Recipes by the Women’s Fellowship 1^st Congregational Church, Norwichtown, CT

Indian Punch – 2 cups sugar, 1 quart water, ½ cup lemon juice, 2 ½ cups strong tea, 1 pint cold water, 1 teaspoon almond extract. Boil sugar and water for five minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Before serving, add ginger ale. – Mrs. Florence Fries

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .

Do you want to know why your taxes are so high? YOU can watch and listen to the presentations, questions and concerns addressed to the Norwich, CT City Council, Mayor and City Manager as they set up the budget for next year. This is a wonderful opportunity to see your government at work from the comfort of your own couch.

Watch the Norwich City Council Meeting held on April 6, 2020 at Norwichct.org then watch or participate in the process. Here is the information, times, dates, phone numbers and codes

PURPOSE: To levy taxes on the ratable estate within the City of Norwich and the City and Town Consolidation Districts.

Copies of the proposed ordinances are available for inspection and distribution in the Office of the City Clerk, 100 Broadway, Room 215, Norwich.

Schedule of budget reviews for the 2020-2021 BUDGET as well as upcoming Council meetings.

All meetings will be held at the Council Chambers on the 3rd Floor of Norwich City Hall and by conference call Monday, April 6, 2020 7:30 PM Council Meeting – Presentation of City Manager’s proposed budget .

Tuesday, April 7, 2020 – Departmental Budget Hearings

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM 6:00 East Great Plain VFD

6:15 Laurel Hill VFD 6:30 Occum VFD

6:45 Taftville VFD

7:00 Yantic VFD

7:15 Norwich Fire/Emergency Management

7:45 Police Monday,

April 13, 2020 – Departmental Budget Hearings 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

6:00 Human Services/Recreation

6:45 Public Works

7:30 Planning & Neighborhood Services

8:00 Public Utilities

Tuesday, April 14, 2020 – Departmental Budget Hearings 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

6:00 Otis Library

6:30 Public Schools

Thursday, April 16, 2020 – Departmental Budget Hearings/Public Hearing 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

6:00 City Clerk/Elections

6:20 City Manager/Mayor/Human Resources

6:45 Finance/Treasurer/Assessor

******* 7:30 PM 1st Budget Public Hearing Monday, ******

April 16, 2020 Public Hearing , Thursday, 7:30 PM

Telephonically pursuant to the following instructions:

1. Call phone number first dial 860-215-8140 and then when prompted, enter the conference ID# 4038191 followed by the pound (#) key. AND/OR

2. Email to the Office of the Mayor at mayorsoffice@cityofnorwich.org to be received no later than 7:00 PM on Thursday,April 16, 20202. AND/OR

3. Written communication sent or delivered to the Office of the Mayor, 100 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360 to be received no later than 4:30 PM on Thursday,April 16, 2020.

April 20th, 2020 7:30 PM City Council Meeting

Monday, May 4, 2020 7:30 PM Council Meeting –Adoption of Council Preliminary Budget

***** Monday, May 11, 2020 7:30 PM 2nd Budget Public Hearing *****

Telephonically pursuant to the following instructions:

1. Call phone number first dial 860-215-8140 and then when prompted, enter the conference ID# 4038191 followed by the pound (#) key. AND/OR

1. Email to the Office of the Mayor at mayorsoffice@cityofnorwich.org to be received no later than 7:00 PM on Monday, May 11, 20202. AND/OR
2. Written communication sent or delivered to the Office of the Mayor, 100 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360 to be received no later than 4:30 PM on Monday, May 11, 2020.

Monday, May 18, 2020 7:30 PM City Council Meeting

Monday, June 1, 2020 7:30 PM Council Meeting –Tentative date for Budget Adoption

Norwich is divided into five voting districts represented by six council members elected at-large who serve two-year terms. The mayor is elected at-large for a four-year term, is a voting member of the City Council, and is responsible for coordinating economic development in Norwich.

The city manager is the paid administrator of the city and is hired by the City Council. The City Council is responsible for setting city budget, policy, and planning decisions. The city manager administers the policies set by the council as well as all city department personnel.

The City Council generally meets on the first Monday and the third Monday of each month at 7:30 pm in Council Chambers in City Hall. You can check the municipal meetings calendar for dates and times of these meetings and those of other boards.

Comcast customers may view these meetings live on Channel 97. Assistive Listening Devices. Additionally, recent meetings may be viewed online.

Government Structure

In addition to all powers granted to towns and cities under the constitution and general statutes of the state of Connecticut, the City Council also has specific powers to be executed through the enactment and enforcement of ordinances and bylaws which protect or promote the peace, safety, good government, and welfare of the city and its inhabitants.

The council also has the power to provide for the organization, conduct, and operation of the departments, agencies, and offices of the city; for the number, titles qualifications, powers, duties, and compensation of all officers and employees of the city; and for making of rules and regulations necessary for the control, management, and operation of all public buildings, grounds, parks, cemeteries or other property of the city.

The city manager is appointed by and directly responsible to the council and serves at the pleasure of the council. The manager is responsible to the council for the supervision and administration of city departments.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .

With the sunshine after the rain and the winds people are venturing outside. Outside to a different world. Some places look the same as other years, for example the daffodil hill across the street from the Norwichtown Shopping Center/Mall. The daffodils are in bloom and the cheery yellow makes even the most dour of us smile. It seems that the early April showers have brought us early flowers.

McDonalds now takes orders one car at a time. I think I detected a note of disappointment when I gave my order for only a senior black coffee. There was only one car getting gas at the station. The price is a wonderful $1.89 but when people don’t leave their homes they don’t use as much fuel. In three weeks I have not used a quarter of a tank. The Dunkin Donuts is closed next to the laundromat. It was a dine-in location and only those with car window service are being kept open. The laundromat has sign asking patrons to please load their cleaning into the washers or dryers but to wait outside in their cars while in process.

I’ll bet Irene’s Restaurant wishes it still had the ice cream service windows of the 1960’s. I do miss those cones!

Stop & Shop was an adventure. Shelves were full but people were being very careful about their purchases. I witnessed many more people with a list. More people on their phone describing and asking what they should get. There are arrows on the floor indicating which direction you could walk in that aisle. People whisper now in the store and frown at people who see a friend and have a moment of conversation. Distances are respected. I didn’t realize I was holding up two other shoppers while I read ingredients on a package. I am not certain people understand about cross-contamination but the stores still get points for their efforts. For example the plastic bag placed over the debit/credit keyboard doesn’t stop anything because everyone is still touching the same plastic bag.

I had visitors to my home today. A couple out for a Sunday drive because they were both suffering from “Cabin Fever.” We chatted in my front yard. Another friend dropped by with a huge box of magazines. “You always know what to do with them.” I wish I did but right now I am not certain what to do with them. If you would like some magazines please contact me.

By the way, I did manage to rake the fallen branches in the front yard and I am contemplating taking the lawn mower in for a tuneup and sharpening. Give me a break it’s only just April!

People are getting to know their neighborhoods while taking a stroll to get a bit of fresh air while they can. People are waving at each other. Spending time in the neighborhood parks and greens. I find myself looking for the cameras as I am certain I have somehow been transported back to the 1960’s.

The car wash has a sign saying “Unlimited Washes for $30.” That really is a bargain for people with seasonal allergies to mold, spores and pollen. Have you looked at your windshield lately? Mine was powdery green and I sneeze three times and have to blow my nose every time I poke my nose outside. In addition to everything else its allergy time.

As strange as this sounds, the Virus, has given us all a brief pause, to stop and smell the roses and to learn how precious life is and that we need to enjoy what we have as a gift.

Wash often and stay healthy.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .

Attention News reporters and photographers and those that want to be helpful. Please stop lining people up side by side and shoulder to shoulder in a long line. Show respect and safety for the participants and social distancing. You can be creative using angles and still give everyone their fame and publicity.

We are seeing a lot of extremely poor food service practices because they are volunteers with good hearts. Lets all practice safety for everyone.

Tie back the long hair. A hair net or cap is not a beret to be worn as a fashion statement atop the head. It is to keep hair out of and away from other peoples food.

Roll or push back the sleeves of your clothing. Sleeves fall down, they drag over things. You may be careful. You may think it did not brush against something but sleeves can and sleeves do. Ever find a stain on your sleeve?

If you are in a kitchen, put on an apron. An apron is a piece of clothing that you put on over the front of your normal clothes and tie round your waist, especially when you are cooking or assembling food in order to prevent your clothes from getting dirty. The apron protects your clothing but it will also protect the food you are making, crating, or serving from any invisible to the naked eye germs or other hitchhikers that may have caught a ride on your clothing. Clothing that you are safely wearing at home, in the street, and near other people.

Plastic gloves are to prevent cross contamination. Defined as the process by which bacteria or other microorganisms are unintentionally transferred from one substance or object to another, with harmful effect. Using one pair and touching everything defeats the purpose and protects no one and nothing.

Dirty kitchen clothes The clothes were clean when you put them on but you have been home, in a vehicle, in a different building, you picked up a tray, bag or box.

Unclean utensils. The ladle may not have been lifted out of the pot but YOU are using, stirring or serving spoon, knife or ladle that was handled by someone else a moment ago. Maybe you saw them. Maybe you did not. Who else has dried their hands on the dish towel ? Who used the pot holder last?

Pests (not necessarily rats and mice but that pesky fly or fruit fly or hungry ant.)

Raw food storage (includes fresh fruit and vegetables) can lead to cross-contamination. Here are some of the ways to avoid cross-contamination: Personal Hygiene- Thoroughly wash your hands and face when handling food. Coughing, sneezing or even touching your hair, or sleeve can lead to cross contamination.

Wash your hands well before you participate in a kitchen task, sometimes while you are in the midst of a task, and definitely after you have completed a task and before you move on to the next one.

Thank you all for having such wonderful giving hearts in this trying time but I am tired of being at home so the more safety and cleanliness rules we follow, the sooner we can all go back to our pre-virus lives.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .