Rock A Bye Baby

Rock A Bye Baby

Davy Crockett’s older sister, Effie Crockett was invited to help some mothers in the Muskogee Tribe. Once she arrived in camp, Effie laughed at what she saw. The Muskogee Tribe had a custom of cradling their papooses among the swaying branches of birch trees. This protected their babies from ground insects, the sun, and wild animals.

After first finding it funny, she soon learned all the great reasons for this practice and marveled at the beauty of it.

Effie watched the swaying and soothing motion of the topmost branches of the trees. She loved how each baby enjoyed nature, how they listened to the songbirds, observed every ladybug, and smiled at the colors of a butterfly, every little breeze was felt and enjoyed by these young ones; each babe seemd perfectly content.

One of the Tribal mothers began to sing a song to the children in her native tongue. As the Muskogee mother sang, Miss Effie observed a small tear running down the mother’s cheek.

Lulu se pepe i le pito i luga o le laau,
A agi le matagi e luluina le moega pepe,
A gau le lala e pa?u ai le moega pepe,
Ma o le a sau i lalo pepe, moega pepe ma mea uma.

Effie translated the words and kept the tune. She shared it with everyone and it soon became a wildly popular nursery rhyme among the Colonies.

The English translation:
Rock-a-bye baby on the tree top,
When the wind blows the cradle will rock,
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.

Why did the Muskogee mother cry?

A “bough” is simply a tree branch, and its breaking was used by the Muskogee mothers as an analogy of their little baby growing up.

Their little baby would soon outgrow his cradle. With each gently rocking wind, time was passing. One day, little baby would no longer need the protection of his mother. One day, the “branch” would break because her little baby had become too heavy. The “cradle” would fall to the earth – the child, no longer a baby, would dust himself off and grow into a man.

The now famous lullaby was first printed in Mother Goose’s Melody in London in 1765.

The actual origin and meaning of the rhyme has been subjects of various theories and folklore, but none of them have been conclusively proven.

Credit Goes To The Respective Owner

Walnut and Date Cake

Walnut and Date Cake

Tom: This looks and sounds pretty good. Might give it a try!

This decadent Walnut Date Spice Cake combines the brain-boosting power of walnuts with naturally sweet dates for a dessert that’s as nourishing as it is delicious. Each slice delivers a perfect balance of warm spices and omega-3 rich walnuts, offering a guilt-free indulgence that supports cognitive function while satisfying your sweet tooth.

Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients:

For the Date Paste:
2 cups pitted Medjool dates (about 20-24 dates)
1 cup hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cake:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts, plus extra for topping
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened plant milk (almond, oat, or soy)
1/3 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tablespoons water (flax eggs)
1/4 cup avocado oil

For the Frosting (optional):
1 cup soaked cashews (soaked 4+ hours)
1/4 cup date paste (reserved from above)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons plant milk, as needed

Instructions:
Soak the dates in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the soaking water. Blend dates with the reserved water and vanilla until smooth.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
In another bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the date paste, plant milk, applesauce, flax eggs, and avocado oil.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle additional walnuts on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, blend the soaked cashews, reserved date paste, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth. Add plant milk as needed to reach desired consistency.
Once the cake is completely cool, spread the frosting on top and garnish with additional walnuts.

https://goodnesslover.com/blogs/goodness-today/issue-58/

Quote of the Day

“The spirit is the true self. The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Statesman (106 BC- 43 BC)

100% Cancer Remission Achieved in ALL Patients in Groundbreaking Study

The authors wrote:

“All 12 patients (100%; 95% confidence interval) had a clinical complete response, with no evidence of tumor on magnetic resonance imaging … and no cases of progression or recurrence had been reported during follow-up (range, 6 to 25 months after treatment). No adverse events of grade 3 or higher have been reported.”

Finish reading: https://x.com/VigilantFox/status/1909374230585635102