Insulting Valentines Of Old Tender Love Notes Bv LIT A SOLIS-COHEN Knight News Wire Valentines haven't always been lacy expressions of love and devotion For a long time, the custom was to send so called valentines during the latter half of the last century. They were called that because they cost a penny and they were dreadful They featured colored woodcuts of dirty old ladies, eranky-lookmg schoolteachers, drunks, slovenly eaters and other misfits, together with a legend such as: Proud as a peaco*ck. As fine as a But your airs and your graces. sadly afraid. Will leave you on the shelf.
To be called an Old Maid The success of these cards indicates the war of the sexes continued more or less unabated under the surface appearances of Victorian gentility Not a lot of these cards have survived, in part because they were not often treasured by their recipients (People don even like them much today I sent a beautifully colored one depicting a schoolteacher to a teacher friend of mine, thinking she would be amused to have this real collector's item She was not The chilling effect it had on our relationship is only now beginning to wear off) Usually such cards just made a fast trip into the nearest wastebasket Therefore, it is rather remarkable that the valentine collection of the Library Company of Philadelphia includes some 900 of these unpleasant little missives. The collection, to be sure, also has similarly extensive examples of the more romantic type of valentine from the LIFE TODAY VIDA DEAN. EDITOR Itw KGISTH Monday. Feb. 1977 01 SLIM GOURMET demure verses that young Quaker ladies dispatched to their swains, through the charmingly hand watercolored Pennsylvania Dutch love messages, to the incredibly ornate (and expensive) valentines of English lace that epitomized the Golden Age of Valentines around 1850 The history of valentines, of course, hardly begins then According to tradi tion.
it extends back to Roman times when the Ides of February (not to be confused with the Ides of March) featured the Lupercalian festivals, which included some events dedicated to Juno goddess of love One of the customs which has fallen largely into disuse (at least insofar as Valentine's Day is concerned) calk'd for the young men to run about with lambskin whips and give any young ladies they came upon a touch of the lash Any female flogged under these conditions was guaranteed to be fecund Or so the story went. Another happy tradition of this occasion allowed each young man to reach into the of and select the name of a young woman, who would then be his good friend until the next Feb 15. The early Christians, put a stop to all this by substituting a ritual wherein each youth would choose a saint, whose life he would then emulate during the coming year. The holiday was renamed in honor of St Valentine an early martyr who. on the eve of his martyrdom, had written a Chinese Food To Cook In Takes Out Sugar And Starch Calories By BARBARA GIBBONS Today, two orders from the Chinese restaurant menu What we is unneeded calories the form of oil.
sugar and starchy thickeners. We also make these recipes with fresh ingredients from anybody's supermarket produce counter, rather than canned or dehydrated specialty items found mainly in import stores. SWEET SOUR PORK This recipe contains no sugar, starchy thickeners or red food coloring often found in this entree Don't be discouraged by the list of ingredients, this dish is easy! 1 cup crushed unsweetened canned pineapple 1 chopped dill pickle (or one half cup dill pickle relish) 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sherry 4 cloves garlic OR: one-half teaspoon instant garlic (optional) 2 teaspoons fresh or dried ginger root 1 tablespoon molasses OR: 2 tablespoons plum preserves 2-ounce can sliced mushrooms (optional) 3 unpeeled purple plums OR: 8-ounce can. juice-packed plums, pitted and diced one-quarter cup water 3 large stalks celery, sliced 2 large onions, sliced 1 or 2 of each or either sliced red or green bell peppers three-quarters pound lean roasted pork, diced In a nonstick skillet, stir together pineapple (with juice), pickle, soy sauce, sherry, garlic or instant garlic, ginger, molasses and mushrooms canning liquid.) Add the plums, plus juice, if canned plums are used. AND one-quarter cup water (add more water if fresh plums are used.) Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Uncover and stir in sliced celery, onions and bell pepper Simmer uncovered 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and mixture is quite thick. Meanwhile, trim all fat from roasted pork and dice the lean COOKED meat into half-inch cubes. Stir in the meat at the last minute, gently heating through. (Serve on rice if desired.) Four servings. 298 calories each.
MOO GOO GAI AN This version is made with only one tablespoon oil and fresh vegetables from American supermarkets instead of canned imports. Serves four 262 calories each. three-quarters pound roasted white meat of chicken or turkey 2 tablespoons sherry 1 tablespoon oil RETURN OF NIFTY FIFTIES ''Crazy After All These Years" is the theme of the Orange County Chapter of USC Town and Gown Junior Auxiliary dinner dance set for Saturday, March 5. Wendy Pitchess, left, and Tammy Eriksmoen prove the theme true as little Kathleen Pitchess watches them cruise the county in a baggage cart pushed by Mike Scofield, South Coast Plaza Hotel valet. Guests dressed as prom queens, pom-pom girls and the Fonz, will kick off the festivities with co*cktails at 7 p.m.
in the South Coast Plaza Hotel. The 50's theme will include musical accompaniment of Disco Magic, two disc jockeys and a complete repertoire of music for doing the Bunny Hop, Snowball, and other dances from the era. A penny arcade and a silent auction, which (Rogiltor Photo By YONACIO NANITTI) will include a week in Hawaii and a vacation in New Orleans, will also be featured. Mrs. Garry Short, president of the auxiliary, and Mmes.
Ralph Balfour and Robert McLachlan, co-chairmen, will welcome guests. Other benefit committee members include: Mmes. Greg Butcher, finance; Ray Finkle, reservations, Chris Everett and John VanDkyke, prizes; Chris Melchior, invitations; Charles Daly, patroness; Richard Spraker, program; John Pitchess, advertisem*nts; John Eriksmoen, art co-ordinator; and Ron Taylor, publicity. Reservations should be made before Saturday, Feb. 19.
Proceeds will provide scholarship assistance to outstanding women at USC. warm, personal note to the jailer's daughter and signed it. your Valentine The new; holiday didn't, however have quite the same wide appeal of the pagan festivities and the celebration fell into disuse during the Middle Ages It was preserved only in convents, where the nuns would exchange lacy cards with hearts on them that bore the name of a saint In the 17th century the custom was sort of resecularized and the sending of love messages which was a more or less year round activity began to take on special meaning in February in England and on the Continent The reason for this may or may not. be related to the timing of the original St Valentine Day One theory holds that the timing has more to do with the fact that mid-February in England is the time when the birds return and find mates, and spring is in the air. and young fancies lightly turn.
etc. It was probably principally the desire for commercial gain on the part of print ers that made Valentine Day an institution in England around 1800 Even then one send one valentines out on the day itself One sent them out earlier hoping that the recipients would be able to decipher the cryptic messages and clues as to the sender's identify in time to send answers on Valentine Day Americans followed close behind their former Mother Country in developing en thusiasm for the holiday It was consi dered verv clever in America in the early 18i)0s to leave a valentine in the form of a puzzle rebuses acrostics and crvptog rams wrere all used at some location where the object of one's affections would be sure to find it Often the message could only be deciphered by a beloved's careful attention during a complicated unfolding process Esther Howland became something of a giant of the American valentme-making industry She returned to her home in Worcester, Mass after graduating from Mt Holyoke in 1847 and began looking around for something to do After seeing English lace paper valentines in her stationery store she told him that she could do as well and sell them for She made up some samples for her three traveling salesman brothers to take on the road with them and they came back with orders for 10 000 She promptly kirn- ed the third floor of her home into a workshop and called in trie local girts to help paste German decafs of cupida. hearts and flowers on English paper lace The materials and sentiments used in valentines generally declined in quality as machine made valentines replaced those that had included a lot of hand work Still the tradition of the handmade valentine as a gesture of affection and esteem, has not died out as schoolchildren across America rediscovered in their art classes this past week And Valentine's Dav continues to provide the chance for even the shyest of suitors to make a bold move one half pound small fresh whole mus hrooms 1 cup fat-skimmed chicken or turkey broth (fresh or canned) 3 large onions, peeled and cut in chunks 3 stalks celery or celery cabbage 1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch one-quarter cup cold water salt and white pepper In a nonstick skillet, combine the sherry. oil and mushrooms. Cook and stir until sherry evaporates and mushrooms brown lightly.
Add the chicken broth and onions. Halve the celery lengthwise, then cut into two- or three-inch lengths Add to the skillet. Gently simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cook only until celery is tender-crisp. Break up the onions as you stir.
Meanwhile, cut the COOKED poultry into bite-size cubes and set aside Combine arrowroot with cold water and gently stir into the skillet until mixture simmers and thickens. Stir in cubed poultry at the last minute and heat gently, only until warmed through. Add salt and pepper to taste. More Oriental ideas for slimmers For recipes and diet tips, send a self-addressed envelope and 35 cents to SLIM GOURMET ORIENTAL RECIPES, in care of The Register. Sparta, 07871 mm WEARING HEARTS ON THEIR HEADS New York beauty authority Mark Traynor, has designed something different for Valentine's Day the W.r*pH©9*l heart-shaped hairdo with matching makeup.
Left is 'Flowering Hearts' and at right, 'Evening Hearts'. FILM LECTURE ADVISES Tactic For Surviving Rape: Be Cool By JO AW MINER Register Staff Writer A young coed attending a university concert steps outside the theater Alone. She is unaware of the man lurking in the bushes, hidden by the night Waiting Watching Suddenly, without warning, he leaps out and grabs her want you to go for a ride with he demands Her immediate instinct is to scream Struggle Instead she responds warmly. she replies, then asks coyly. I see you He nods curiously.
followed you out she confides in a quiet voice The man confidently eases his grip. let me go get my coat and tell my friends be gone tor she requests calmly and affectionately. He releases her and excitedly leaves to get his car. She goes back into the theater, closes the doors. And screams.
DEAR MOTHER EARTH: Key To Good Life Lies In Living Bv LYNN AND JOEL RAPP GROWING HUMAN A key to natural living lies in redefining ourselves as seeds containing the potential for divine transformation. We human beans are storehouses of untapped and even unknown know ledge. This knowledge holds the nutrients for new growth and perhaps a whole new plant That's what it means to be a bean One thing I've learned is that they work better together. Ever try to sprout one bean at a time? Happy growing! L.R. of Long Beach writes: We have a huge Australian tree fern, which is so big we enjoy it Half is in the neighbor's yard, which they like, and the plant is growing over a drawf citrus tree Is there any way to prune it back a few feet? Dear L.R We love to hear about the plants that are growing too well Your fern can be cut back as much as you like Just remove the entire frond They grow rapidly in the right conditions, so feel free to give it a gwd haircut with a sharp gardening instrument Happy growing! (Now available.
Mother Earth Plantasia album of warm earth music for plants. Send checks or money orders for $5.50, including postage and handling, to Western International Premiums, in care of The Register. P.O. Box 80817. Los Angeles, Calif.
90080 Allow four weeks for delivery. California residents add 6 per cent sales tax.) This is the essence of a storv related by Frederic Storaska during a 1975 lecture filmed at the State University of New York at Geneseo The young woman had successfully averted a sexual assault using a technique which most women would not have had the presence of mind to employ. Storaska is trying to change all that The dynamic. 32-year-old lecturer is spreading his message. To Say No To A Rapist.
And via personal lectures and his film distributed by Learning Corporation of America in New York. The controversial film was part of a mwrnmm program presented by Walter Hess, an officer attached to the community services bureau of the Anaheim Police Department. whose function is to present crime prevention programs on the of burglary and rape. Martin Luther Hospital Guild sponsored the informative program which was held in Grace Lutheran Church. Anaheim In the filmed lecture Storaska his audience with the question.
would you do if someone tried to rape (Continued On Page 31 THIS IS A DIP STICK1 Mary Ann Ellis, left, looks slightly bemused as fellow member Sandy Newton of South Coast Junior Woman's Club shows her one of the mystifying whatchamacallits that lie beneath a car's hood. The club will sponsor an Automotive Clinic for the Modern Woman at 10 a.m. Saturday in Fountain Valley Community Center, 10200 Slater Ave. Highway Patrol officer Bill Moore will begin by giving safety tips on what to do if stranded on the road with auto trouble. Following a question and answer Photo By JACK O.
MIL LIB period the clinic will adjourn to the parking lot where participants will find out a little of what makes a car run in addition to learning how to change anything from a tire or headlamp to spark plugs and fuses. 'Jed' Ellis, Chevrolet service training instructor, will be available along with members' husbands to give assistance and answer questions. Further information regarding the clinic may be obtained by contacting the Capt. Philip L. Newton residence, Fountain Valley..
