TIDBITS® SAYS --LET THEM EAT CAKE!

by Kathy WolfeThis week’s Tidbits really takes the cake! We bring you all kinds of information about several different types this sweet treat, from bundt to sponge. • Ancient Egypt was home to the world’s first large-scale

bakeries, which were the first to use yeast to make cakes rise before baking them on hot stones. To the an-cient Romans, cake meant a small bread, as there was no sugar, and honey was an expensive commodity.

• Cake-baking underwent a dramatic change in the mid-1800s. Previously, yeast was used as a leavening agent, but yeast was replaced with the introduction of bak-ing soda and baking powder, both of which are greater raising agents. Temperature-controlled ovens also con-tributed to increased success.

• Flour is classified by its protein content. The higher the protein, the harder the flour. All-purpose flour has a protein content of 10-11 percent and is a good choice for cookies. Bread flour’s content is much higher, 15 percent, and is not suitable for cakes. Cake flour’s pro-tein measures 7-8 percent, and its low gluten content makes it a perfect choice for delicate cakes.

• Sponge cake uses only eggs, sugar and flour in its preparation, with no fat or leavening. The trick to a per-fect sponge cake is to beat air into the batter at several stages during preparation.

• Order up tiramisu for dessert, and you’ll receive layers of ladyfingers soaked in espresso liqueur and layered with a custard mixture, topped with chocolate shav-ings. Ladyfingers, light sweet sponge cakes about four inches long, have been around since the late 1400s, when they were created to celebrate a visit of the King of France to Italy. They are also used in trifles, a layered dessert that incorporates cake, jam, custard, fruit and whipped cream. The trifle is served in a clear glass bowl so that all the beautiful layers can be seen.

• Bundt cakes have been around since 1950, when the fluted tubular pan was created by the founder of the kitchenware manufacturer Nordic. A group of Jewish women in Minneapolis approached David Dahlquist, asking him to design a pan based on an old European kugelhopf mold brought from the old country. The name “Bundt” was derived from the German word bund, which translates “community” or “gathering of

Week of March 26, 2012 Vol. 2, Issue 6

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1. What group released “Bus Stop”? What is the song about?2. Name the band that had a No. 1 hit with “The Voice.”3. Van McCoy was best known for

which dance tune?4. Who wrote and released “Give Ireland Back to the Irish”?5. Name the artist who wrote “You Ain’t Seen Noth-in’ Yet.”6. “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” netted a Grammy for what group?

Answers1. The Hollies, in 1966. The song describes a romance that started at a bus stop in the rain, with a shared umbrella.2. The Moody Blues, in 1981. The English band’s name developed in 1964 from a hoped-for sponsorship from the M&B Brewery, which never materialized.3. “The Hustle,” written in 1975. Before he died in 1979, McCoy had written 700 songs.4. Paul McCartney and Wings. The song, written after the deadly Bloody Sunday civil-rights protests in Ireland in 1972, was banned from airplay. It rose to No. 1 anyway.5. Randy Bachman, of Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO). The 1974 song was the Canadian rock group’s only No. 1 single.6. The Police, in 1982. The song was used in a 2009 epi-sode of the television show “Glee.”

American Cheese MeatloafMeatloaf is a favorite comfort food, and here’s a won-derful new version to try. I predict it will become a new favorite in your family.

16 ounces extra-lean ground turkey or beef1 cup plus 1 tablespoon dried fine breadcrumbs1 cup finely chopped onion1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper1 (10 3/4-ounce) can reduced-fat tomato soup1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes1/8 teaspoon black pepper3 (3/4-ounce) slices reduced-fat American cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter-flavored cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine meat, breadcrumbs, onion, green pepper and 1/3 cup tomato soup. Mix well to combine. Pat mixture into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes.2. Stir mustard, parsley flakes and black pepper into remaining tomato soup. Spread soup mixture evenly over partially baked meatloaf. Evenly arrange cheese slices over top. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until meatloaf is cooked through and cheese is melted.3. Place loaf pan on a wire rack and let set for 5 min-utes. Cut into 6 servings. Freezes well.

¥ Each serving equals: 200 calories, 8g fat, 17g protein, 15g carb., 484mg sodium, 1g fiber; Diabetic Exchang-es: 2 Meat, 1 Starch.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAU-TIFULLiam felt guilty after Steffy an-nounced that she was flying to Aspen to cope with her heart-break. Hope confided in Brooke

about her problem with being intimate with Liam. Eric and Stephanie informed their kids that they were once again legally married. Hope finally came clean to Dr. Stacy about how her mother’s scandalous love life has impacted her own. Marcus and Dayzee announced their engagement to their loved ones. Hope decided to be more discreet about her relationship with Liam after one of her admirers confronted her about being with a mar-ried man. Hope was further embarrassed when a photo of her and Liam was leaked to the tabloids. Wait to See: The Forresters celebrate a special anniversary. Karen Spencer arrives with daughter, Caroline, in tow.

DAYS OF OUR LIVESRafe volunteered to stay with Nicole for a day, and the two of them bonded over their troubled love life. EJ soon dropped by and mistook their closeness for some-thing more than it was. Later, Carrie and Rafe made a splash by arriving at the Brady Pub together. EJ’s first act as mayor was to have Jennifer and Abe arrested for tampering with the ballots. Kate confronted Sami about being the company mole. Austin hoped that he could save his marriage after finding out that he didn’t sleep with Abigail after all. Stefano asked John and Hope to steal the Faberge egg. Wait to See: Hope doesn’t re-member how to be Gina. Rafe mistakenly believes that Carrie and Austin are back together.

GENERAL HOSPITALSam tried to explain to Jason why she didn’t tell him that Robin died in the explosion. John McBain had no intention of leaving Port Charles despite Dante’s in-sistence. Noah arrived in town to help Patrick through his grieving process. Michael was drawn to Starr while Sam found herself intrigued by John. Jason and Eliza-beth had their first meaningful conversation in a while. Anna gave Noah a piece of her mind. Everyone tried to tell Maxie that Robin’s death wasn’t her fault. Spinelli unearthed a clue from Franco’s DVD. Dante warned Sonny of things to come. Wait to See: Luke makes Tra-cy jealous. Johnny gets the upper hand on Steve.

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESSJill disguised herself and snapped a photo of Victor and Genevieve in what appeared to be a compromising po-sition. Phyllis was angry at Nick for not telling her that he was working with Sharon again. Lauren secretly car-ried a gun to protect herself from Daisy. Phyllis offered Ricky a promotion if he dug up some dirt on Daisy. Michael sensed that there were still feelings between Chloe and Kevin. Ashley showed Nikki the picture of Victor and Genevieve’s romantic dinner. Kevin confid-ed in Michael about how his marriage to Angelina was a sham. Wait to See: Tucker is impressed by Angelina’s new song and agrees to record her track. Michael has no idea how close Lauren is to falling apart.

people.” • German chocolate cake, that rich chocolate layer cake

with coconut pecan filling topped with chocolate frosting and more coconut, has nothing to do with Germany or its inhabitants. Back in 1852, an employee of the Walter Baker chocolate company developed a milder, sweeter baking chocolate than the bittersweet chocolate that was commonly used. That employee, an Englishman, was named Sam German, and the Baker company named the invention after him.

• Do you know where the pound cake gets its name? Developed in England during the 1700s, the recipe called for a pound each of butter, eggs, flour and sugar. Maybe it could also mean how much you’ll gain from eating this delicious confection!

• Smith Island, Maryland, located in Chesapeake Bay, is home to that state’s official cake, aptly named Smith Island Cake. The recipe dates back to the late 1600s and consists of 10 to 12 thin layers of yellow cake sand-wiched together with chocolate fudge icing.

• A dome-shaped cake filled with mousse and/or custard is known as a bombe, from the French word meaning domed or rounded. The cake is flipped from its dome-shaped mold onto a plate, then covered with a layer of chocolate or meringue.

• What’s full of spices, frequently “re-gifted” and the subject of comedians’ jokes? That’s right, a fruitcake! Although this dense cake dates back to Roman times, its popularity increased greatly in the 1800s, when it became the preferred choice at Christmas gatherings and weddings. Loaded with glazed dried fruit, raisins and nuts, fruitcakes are often soaked in brandy, whis-key or liqueur.

• The first boxed cake mix in the United States appeared around 1930, distributed by a molasses company, O. Duff and Sons. Seven other companies followed suit over the next 15 years. Betty Crocker and Pillsbury didn’t hit the grocer’s shelves until the late 1940s.

• When Charles and Diana wed in 1981, they had 27 wed-ding cakes. Their official wedding cake was prepared by the head baker of the Naval Armed Forces, a process that took 14 weeks. Two identical cakes were made, in the event one might be damaged. The bottom layer re-quired 12 hours to bake.

• A roulade is what most of us know as a jelly roll, a sponge cake that is filled with buttercream, fruit, lem-on curd, whipped cream or ganache, then rolled up. At Christmas, you might see a Buche de Noel, or Yule Log, a roulade filled with chocolate buttercream and frosted with yet more chocolate, then decorated with chocolate branches to resemble a tree log.

• In 1832, Prince Metternich of Austria was expecting important guests for dinner and gave his head chef the task of creating something new and sumptuous for dessert. The only trouble was that the chef was sick, leaving a 16-year-old apprentice in charge. Young Franz Sacher set to work inventing a chocolate sponge cake cut into three layers, filled with apricot jam and frosted with a rich icing. The dessert became known as Sachertorte and endures today as Vienna’s most fa-mous specialty, with its recipe a safely guarded secret.

• A 1906 romance novel was the source of the name of the lady Baltimore cake. The story, set in post-Civil War Charleston, mentioned the title character serving the dessert, a creation of tall white cake layers with a filling of chopped nuts and candied fruits, frosted with boiled white icing. The actual recipe was developed by two Baltimore women who opened a tea room after the success of the novel. These days, this cake is a popular one for Southern weddings.

• Another Southern custom is the Groom’s Cake, a sepa-rate wedding cake traditionally served to unmarried women attending the wedding. This confection, much smaller than the regular wedding cake, is taken home and placed under the lady’s pillow, with the hope that she’ll dream of her future husband.

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1. LANGUAGE: What is the meaning of the Latin phrase “no-vus ordo seclorum,” located on the Great Seal on a U.S. $1 bill?2. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the name for a seashell collector or expert?3. ART: What Mexican muralist was married to Mexican painter Frida Kahlo?4. COMICS: What was the name of Casper the Friendly Ghost’s horse?5. SPORTS: Where did the sport of jai alai originate?6. GEOGRAPHY: Where is Death Valley located?7. TELEVISION: Which PBS documentary series featured the song “Ashokan Farewell” as its theme music?8. MEDICINE: What is the brand name for the sedative di-azepam?9. LITERATURE: Who was the first to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature (1901)?10. ENTERTAINERS: What was the stage name of the actor who was born “Laszlo Lowenstein”?

Answers1. A new order of the ages 2. Conchologist 3. Diego Rivera 4. Nightmare5. Spain’s Basque region 6. Southern California 7. “The Civil War” by Ken Burns 8. Valium 9. French poet Sully Prudhomme 10. Peter Lorre

Q: Could you give some information on the two actors who play Finch and Reese on “Person of Interest”? I don’t recall seeing either

of them before, but I like them both and find the show exciting. -- Karen V., Roanoke, Va.A: Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel play Harold Finch and John Reese, respectively. Many will remember Michael, 57, from “Lost,” where he played Ben. He’s also made the rounds on the cops-and-lawyers shows like “The Practice,” “The X-Files,” “Without a Trace,” “Law and Order: SVU,” etc. Prior to “Person of Interest,” Jim, 43, was best known for playing Jesus in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” You can see Jim on the big screen later this year in “Savannah” and “Bliss!” and next year in “The Tomb” with Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

***Q: I am so happy that USA Network’s “Fairly Legal”

is finally back for another season. Can you give me any scoop for season two? -- Violet F., via e-mailA: I spoke with “Fairly Legal” co-star Virginia Williams, who plays Lauren Reed on the hit legal drama, and she gave me some spoilers.“We get to see more facets of Lauren this year, which is great,” Virginia said. “We get to see her at home, for example. Everything still revolves around Reed & Reed, but we do see glimpses of Lauren at home: coming back from a jog, going on a date, having some sort of a life outside work. We get to see her with her hair down, literally and figuratively. She’s still quite guarded and protective and exacting and stylish and brilliant, but she’s a lot more comfortable with her position now.“Last season was all about Lauren proving to everyone else that she was capable and that she wasn’t just a trophy wife,” she said. “She could get the job done and could lead the firm. This season we see that she not only is extremely capable, but the firm ends up being better off than it was even before Teddy died.”

***Q: I heard that there is going to be another singing-competition show airing this summer, I think on ABC? Can

you tell me about it? -- Clark F., via e-mailA: “Duets” is the latest vocal-competition show to hit the small screen, and it is indeed airing on ABC. Currently looking for contestants (abc.com/casting), this show stars Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Nettles, Lionel Richie and Robin Thicke, who will travel the country looking for undiscovered talent to be their proteges, as well as duet partners.

***Q: I still miss seeing Leah Remini on “The Talk.” Any chance she’ll return? -- Hazel D., Akron, OhioA: Not if Sharon Osbourne has any say, and it appears she does. Leah told fans on Twitter that “Sharon thought me and Holly [Robinson Peete] were ‘ghetto’ (her words), we were not funny, awkward and didn’t know ourselves ... She had us fired.”

PHOTO: Virginia Williams

HOLLYWOOD -- Be careful what you wish for! Jean Dujardin came off the Oscar campaign trail with the gold and returned to his native France, where he is already a huge star and was greeted by mobs of French fans. But beware the

dangers of the public eye.The first attack came when his new film, “Les Infideles” (“The Unfaithful Ones”), a comedy in which he plays five cheating Frenchmen, opened in France. Completed prior to his Oscar nomination, it had a scene in New York, where he’s seducing a lover in a hotel room as the 9/11 attack on the Twin Tow-ers happens outside the window behind him. Dujardin, also the producer, was advised to cut the scene, and did. If word of the 9/11 attack being used as a backdrop for a philandering comedy scene leaked out, it could have hurt his chances with Academy voters. The French press criticized him for that and called the film “shockingly sexist.”And we non-French speaking Americans didn’t know that Du-jardin apparently dropped what amounts to an “F-bomb” in French at the end of his Oscar acceptance speech. His defense? “It was a bit spontaneous; it just came out like that!”Hopefully, his next film, a remake of the French classic “One Wild Moment,” with French actor Vincent Cassell (remade in l984 with Michael Caine as “Blame It on Rio”), will be the kind of follow-up to “The Artist” that American audiences expect.

***Meryl Streep’s “Great Hope Springs” film, with Tommy Lee Jones, Jean Smart and Steve Carell, was to have opened Dec. 14, but because of her Oscar win, it now will open Aug. 10. Next up for Streep is the film version of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play “August: Osage County,” with Julia Roberts playing her daughter.Christopher Plummer is shooting the HBO film “Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight,” with Frank Langella. It’s not about Ali’s fighting in the ring, but in the public arena when he refused to fight in Vietnam.Martin Scorsese’s follow-up to the five-time Oscar-winning “Hugo” is “Silence,” with Oscar-winner Daniel Day-Lewis as a Jesuit spreading Christianity in Japan. The sweeping epic also stars “No Country for Old Men” Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro. Scorsese will then make the long-anticipated Frank Sinatra bio-pic. Al Pacino had been mentioned to play Sina-tra, but insiders say Scorsese now is leaning toward Leonardo DiCaprio. May we suggest Michael Buble? Not only is he the heir-apparent to the Sinatra audience, but he’s as good-looking and charming as “Old Blue Eyes” ever was! Sorry Leo, we hate to burst your Buble ... uhh, that’s bubble!

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Greg Biffle (right) has constantly been a force in all three tour-ing series. The Roush Fenway driver is evolving in a brand-new NASCAR world. (John Clark/NASCAR This Week photo)

Biffle’s Destiny

If Greg Biffle keeps doing what he’s doing, he will win the Sprint Cup championship.Don’t get carried away. Biffle isn’t going to finish third in 36 consecu-tive races. It’s pretty amazing that

he’s done so in the three races held so far.Biffle, 42, failed to make the Chase last year after finishing seventh or better in each of the three previous years. His best showing to date was a runner-up finish in 2005.He’s actually a little sheepish about failing to win yet.“We’re super-excited about it (three straight thirds), but there again, we want to win like (Tony Stewart, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway), so we’re going to keep our heads down and keep working hard,” Biffle said.Biffle, from Vancouver, Wash., has been successful in each of NAS-CAR’s three national touring series. He was the top rookie in Trucks in 1998 and champion in 2000. He earned rookie honors in (now) Nation-wide in 2001 and the title in 2002.Six of Biffle’s 16 Cup victories occurred in 2005, when he finished sec-ond (by tie-breaker with teammate Carl Edwards) to Tony Stewart in the title race. Like Edwards, Biffle has spent his entire career at Roush Fenway Racing.Someone asked Biffle recently about how the sport has changed since he first competed at the Cup level in 2002.“The most significant (change) was this car, the car we have now, and no testing,” he said. “That changed our entire sport. It changed it com-pletely, and it will never be the same. Before, we weren’t spending all

the time back at the shop with the engineers and seven-post machine and all the engineering-based models. It was more go to the race track and figure out what sway bar was the best, what spring, what shock, and we had data on the cars. We’d go home and look at the data, and look at what we learned and what the driver said about it, and we would go to the next place.“That’s how this sport used to be, and it’s not like that anymore.”

The Spay/Neuter Debate Continues

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I’m writing in response to “Tom C.,” who doesn’t want to neuter his purebred German Shepherd. Good for you for sticking to your and many people’s beliefs! I have met many breeders of purebred animals. They refuse to alter their

“pet” -- or for many, their bankroll -- for any reason. For those of you who truly love your pet and your breed and try to find “perfect” homes for them (at the right price), you should know that many of them end up in shelters just like the mongrels (as Tom put it). I prefer the term “mix breed.” All Tom has to do if he truly cares is to look at any dog rescue site on the Internet and he will see many purebreds that are without a home. There are thousands of purebreds being put to sleep because there are no homes for them. The other thing about having animals altered is that they are not only calmer, they are healthier. And it has been proven that an altered pet lives longer if cared for properly.By the way, I own two mix breeds and one purebred. All are rescues! The purebred was half her weight when we got her and has the saddest story out of all our critter kids. I don’t even tell her story, it’s that terrible! So please, spay or neuter your beloved pet (dogs or cats), no matter what breed it is. -- Dee O., Palmyra, N.Y.

DEAR DEE: Thanks for your support! I do stand behind the belief that spaying or neutering your dog or cat -- whether purebred or not -- is important and beneficial.

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¥ On April 4, 1812, President James Madison fires an economic sal-vo at the British government and enacts a 90-day embargo on trade with England. The embargo did little to forestall war: The British refused to cease harassing American ships, prompting Madison to lead America into the War of 1812.

¥ On April 3, 1860, the first Pony Express mail simultaneously leaves St. Joseph, Mo., heading west, and Sacramento, Calif., heading east on a 1,800-mile journey. On April 13, the westbound packet arrived in Sacramento, beating the eastbound packet by two days.

¥ On April 7, 1891, American showman Phineas Taylor Barnum dies in Bridgeport, Conn. The 81-year-old showman’s sense of humor never deserted him. He requested that a New York newspaper run his obituary before he died so he could enjoy reading it, and the paper obliged.

¥ On April 2, 1902, the first American theater devoted solely to mov-ies opens in Los Angeles. Housed in a circus tent, the venue was dubbed “The Electric Theater.” Admission cost 10 cents for a one-hour show.

¥ On April 5, 1931, Fox Film Corp. drops John Wayne from its roster of actors. Wayne had played bit parts but failed to impress the stu-dio. In 1939, Wayne finally had his breakthrough in “Stagecoach.” He went on to play in dozens of movies, including “True Grit,” for which he won an Oscar in 1969.

¥ On April 6, 1970, Sam Sheppard, a doctor convicted of murdering his pregnant wife in a trial that caused a media frenzy in the 1950s, dies of liver failure. After a decade in prison, Sheppard was found “not guilty” in a second trial in 1966. “The Fugitive” television series and movie were rumored to have been loosely inspired by the story.

¥ On April 8, 1990, director David Lynch’s surreal series, “Twin Peaks,” premieres. The show, with its bizarre characters and baf-fling story line, became an instant cult hit. Kyle MacLachlan starred as Dale Cooper, an FBI agent assigned to visit a small town in the Pacific Northwest to try to unravel the mystery of the murder of resi-dent Laura Palmer.

Stray Gloves Morph Into Puppet Players

Any mismatched, mateless stretch gloves or mittens stuffed in your kids’ backpacks or in baskets by the back-door hooks? Don’t toss out that blue right-hand mitten or the purple-and-white striped left glove. Bring these odd combinations together for creative storytelling by the handful when you effortlessly turn them into puppets using your kids’ favorite plush toy characters. You can make stray-glove puppets with broken or

outgrown earmuffs, too. It’s as easy as 1-2-3:1. Have one child slip on a glove or mitten while you cut a 2-inch piece of self-sticking fabric fastener, such as Velcro. Press it on the top of the glove near your child’s knuckles. 2. Put a corresponding piece of fastener on the underside of a small, lightweight plush toy. Let your child choose a favorite character. Creepy-crawler spiders and worms, or sea creatures such as a crab or fish are especially fun. Press it firmly to adhere well. (For extra durability, sew the Velcro to the toy and glove by hand with a few stitches.) To use the puppet, attach the toy to the glove or mitten where the Velcro pieces meet. Put it on your hand, and put the characters into ac-tion. For example: Wiggle fingers to mimic spider legs, fins on a fish or the wings of a bird. If you have a duck perched on a blue mitten, move your hand slowly to create the illusion of it swimming over ripples on a pond. 3. You also can take the “muff” off of broken or outgrown earmuffs, and glue or put Velcro on the bottom of the muff and on top of a glove. Sew bells on the muff for eyes or simply glue on googly eyes from a craft store. Sew or glue on feet cut out from felt at the end of each glove finger-tip. When they’re all made, with the flick of a wrist, your kids will have fun acting out a scene from their imaginations or favorite stories. Tip: At bedtime, reverse the roles and instead of reading a book to your kids, let them create an instant, improvised drama with their cast of stray-glove puppet players.

¥ It was Irish p l a y w r i g h t George Bernard Shaw who

made the following sage observation: “A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.”

¥ We’re all familiar with the act of CPR -- we often see a film or television character come to the rescue and save a life using the technique. And on TV, according to a recent study, CPR is shown as being successful 75 percent of the time. The reality is not quite so rosy, though. A study conducted in 2010 found that when CPR is used in real life,

only about 8 percent of the patients were still alive after one month. Of those who did survive that long, 97 percent couldn’t live a normal life.

¥ Do you suffer from astraphobia? If so, I hope you don’t live in Florida. Those who are afraid of lightning would be terrified in the Sunshine State, especially in Tampa, known as the lightning capital of the world.

¥ Researchers in the United Kingdom have invented a robot that eats slugs and is powered by the gas from the decaying creatures. They have dubbed their creation the SlugBot.

¥ For six generations, many members of

the Fugate family of the Appalachian region of Kentucky have suffered from a rare blood disorder called methemoglobinemia. The disorder seems to have no adverse health effects, but it’s not at all difficult to diagnose it at a glance: Sufferers have blue skin. Not just a slight tinge, either; various family members have been described as “blue as Lake Louise,” “the bluest woman I ever saw” and “almost purple.”

***Thought for the Day: “A stockbroker urged me to buy a stock that would triple its value every year. I told him, ‘At my age, I don’t even buy green bananas.”’ -- Claude Pepper

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DATA ON DONUTS

Who doesn’t like donuts? Let’s learn a little more about

this delightful confection, sure to stir up your appetite!

• Author Washington Irving is credited with the first written

use of the term “dough-nut” in his 1809 publication

“History of New York.” He described them as “balls

of sweetened dough, fried in hog’s fat.” An American

named Hansen Gregory maintained that he invented the

ring-shaped treat in 1849 while aboard a trading ship,

when he punched a hole in the center of a ball of dough

in an attempt to get rid of the raw center of the pastry.

• Quincy, Massachusetts, was home to the very first

Dunkin’ Donuts shop, opened by founder Bill Rosenberg

in 1950. Five years later, he was selling franchises for his

new business. Today, the company is the world’s leading

baked goods and coffee chain, with close to 9,800 outlets

around the globe and $6 billion in annual sales. Dunkin’

Donuts serves up 52 varieties of donuts to more than

three million customers on a daily basis.

• Portland, Oregon’s Voodoo Doughnuts offers glazed

donuts topped with vanilla frosting and your choice

of Cap’n Crunch or Froot Loops cereal. For chocolate

lovers, there is a chocolate donut, iced with chocolate

frosting and topped with Coco-Puffs cereal. These

varieties have achieved a higher approval rating than

some of their earlier offerings, such as donuts glazed

in Pepto-Bismol, Jaegermeister and a drowse-inducing

cough medicine (a variety that was pulled by the FDA).

• The “Guinness Book of Records” lists the largest donut

ever made as 19.7 feet (6 m) across and weighing the

equivalent of two rhinoceroses. This baked goody was

actually 90,000 individual donuts assembled with half

a ton of pink icing and 66 pounds (30 kg) of sprinkles.

Forty people labored for more than nine hours to put it

together.

• Who says donuts aren’t good for you? A San Jose shop

features the “Feng Shui” donut that is loaded with dark

chocolate chips and frosted with a thick green icing

concocted from green tea, two items with proven health

benefits! Almost makes you forget the large amount of

sugar contained in this delicious indulgence.

• Although Americans consume a whole lot of donuts, the

United States can’t beat Canada, whose citizens eat more

donuts than any other country. Canada also has the most

donut shops per capita worldwide.

• Feeling a little guilty about that glazed donut you ate this

morning? Take heart, since you can burn up those 400

calories by riding your bike at a vigorous pace for about

30 minutes.

• Donuts vary around the world; for example, in Romania,

they are called gogosi, and have no hole. They are more

like a pancake fried in oil, stuffed with chocolate, jam

or cheese. Austrian donuts, known as Krapfen, are also

hole-less and are not the traditional ring shape. They are

filled with apricot jam or vanilla cream.

• And not all donuts are sweet treats. In India, they are a

savory item called vada, prepared from potatoes, garlic,

mustard seeds, onions and curry. The pastries are coated

with lentil paste and fried. Keerai Vada are filled with

leafy vegetables, such as spinach, along with lentils.

Gain Control Over Dandruff

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: How does one eliminate dandruff? I have had it for months and have tried many, many shampoos with-out making any progress. I can’t

wear a dark suit coat. I look like I’ve just come in from a snow bliz-zard. Please give me some sort of program that I can follow. -- H.H.

ANSWER: Dandruff’s official name is seborrheic (SEB-uh-REE-ik) dermatitis. “Dermatitis” indicates skin inflammation. Seborrhea is an overproduction of oil, sebum. Many with dandruff deny they have an oily scalp. They say their scalp is dry. That can be the case, but seborrheic dermatitis flourishes on skin with an abundance of oil glands. The scalp is one of those places, but not the only place. The flakes that land on your shoulders are sloughed-off skin cells. Dandruff usually is quite itchy. Scratching dislodges the dead skin cells.A yeast with the name Malassezia contributes to the problem. It’s probably not the actual cause, but it aids and abets the dandruff process. I’m sure you have tried many shampoos. Let me suggest ones that contain salicylic acid, zinc or selenium. Scalpicin, Head and Shoul-ders and Selsun Blue are three brand names. There are others. The way you use the shampoo is as important as your choice of sham-poo. Wash your hair daily with one of these products. Massage it into your scalp, and let the shampoo remain on your scalp for five minutes. Do this for a minimum of three weeks. If you have an

improvement, you can cut back on your shampooing to every other day.If there has been no improvement, then get a shampoo that attacks the Malassezia yeast. Nizoral A-D (1 percent ketoconazole) is a brand name you can find easily. Do the daily shampoo drill with one of these for three weeks.If after all this you still have dandruff, you need a doctor’s interven-tion. The doctor can prescribe more powerful agents, ones that have cortisone that can calm the inflamed skin.

***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My husband has just been told he has spasmodic dystonia. He has had two Botox injections. They made it worse at first but then better. Friends and family have never heard of it. Would you give us an explanation of it in layman’s terms? -- T.W.

ANSWER: Spasmodic dysphonia messes up the voice. People often believe they have laryngitis from a virus. They don’t; they have a cramping of the muscles that control their vocal cords. Their voices crack while saying a word, or become weak and breathy, or sound as though they are being choked. Sometimes it seems like the affected person has developed a stutter. The condition usually arises between the ages of 30 and 50. Its cause is unknown.An ear, nose and throat doctor can make a diagnosis by viewing the affected person’s vocal cords and seeing how they are misbehaving. Botox can put an end to the vocal muscles’ spasms. Treatment lasts for about three months, and then another injection is given.Contact the National Spasmodic Dystonia Association (www.dys-phonia.org or 800-795-6732) for detailed information and for noti-fications of any new treatments.

Yoga Research

It isn’t often that our Western-medicine physicians will suggest we take an alternative route to health. Boston University scientists have done some research, however, that points to an Eastern form of exercise that will help with a big Western problem: Yoga is theorized to help reduce stress.Specifically, their research shows that yoga can help treat and prevent high blood pressure, car-

diac disease and anxiety. Yoga, they believe, helps to restore balance to the nervous system. Imbalance can come from stress. In one study, participants were split into two groups: walking versus yoga. Only those in the yoga group had a rise in gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that produces feelings of calm. Researchers took a big step (for Western medicine) when they suggested that specific yoga practices should be created as a way to help with stress-related conditions. The theories now will be tested in clinical studies.Yoga classes are easily found, but for seniors, a class that is specially geared to us is safer. Muscles get weak, and osteoporosis can result when we sit too much. Yoga itself isn’t a strenuous exercise, but it’s best to start with slow, gentle movements and a skilled instructor.With yoga we can learn deep breathing and mild stretching ... with quiet Eastern music playing in the background. Doesn’t that sound peaceful?Look for senior-friendly yoga classes at the senior center, churches, assisted living centers (even if you don’t live there) and fitness centers. Yes, those fitness gyms are starting to figure out that there are a lot of us, and we’ll use their services if they provide what we need. Sometimes that can include special classes, like yoga for seniors.

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Buying a Home With an FHA Rehab Loan

If you’ve hoped to buy a home on a low budget, chances are that everything you’ve looked at needs work. If you’re lucky, it might be as simple as paint in every room. On the other hand, perhaps the house you want was a foreclosure

that was trashed by vandals when it sat empty, and the cost of the repair work will take more cash than you’ll have available after closing. There are a number of reasons to take on a home that needs work: location (you want to stay in the kids’ school district or be closer to work), you can’t afford a perfect house, or you see the potential in the house and know if would serve your family well for many years to come.That’s where a Federal Housing Administration 203(k) rehab loan can come in. This type of loan covers the mortgage as well as repairs that need to be made to single-family homes, with the total cost wrapped up in one neat loan package.There are two levels to the loan program: 1) if the work that needs to be done is fairly simple (doesn’t involve structural repairs) and will cost under $35,000, or 2) extensive renovation at a cost of at least $5,000 with no maximum limit.During the rehab process, FHA inspectors will visit the site multiple times to ensure that the work is up to standards and is following the plan. You’ll have six months to get the work completed by a contractor. Funds, held in escrow, will be released in stages as the work is done.If you’re interested in a multi-unit building and plan to live in one of the units, the 203(k) can be used for up to four family units. You can build a new house on an old foundation, or move a house to a new location. The work must include improving “thermal efficiency,” such as weather stripping and insulation.The process for securing a 203(k) loan is complicated, with numerous steps to fol-low, but the stress can be worth it if it gets you the house you want, with repairs made, at a price you can afford.For more information on FHA rehab loans, go to http://portal.hud.gov and put 203(k) in the search box. You’ll need to speak to an FHA-approved lender in your area.