Difference between hell and heaven

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like."

The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand.

"It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other. While the greedy think only of themselves.

"A friend is someone who reaches for your hand, and touches your heart."

"People say true friends must always hold hands, but true friends don't need to hold hands because they know the other hand will always be there...."

"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."

Recipe: Vegetable Brochettes

Vegetable Brochettes

Serves 4

These look appealing served on a platter with steaks or lamb chops. The vegetables are blanched first so they grill more evenly.

½ lb. zucchini, in 1-inch pieces

½ lb. crookneck squash, in 1-inch pieces

12 large mushroom caps

¼ C oil

2 T wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

½ t thyme

½ t salt

¼ t freshly ground pepper

Drop the pieces of zucchini and crookneck squash into a large pot of boiling salted water, and boil 2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, then drain again and pat dry. In a large bowl combine the oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add the vegetables and toss well. Let sit 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Have a barbecue fire ready. Remove the vegetables from the marinade (save the marinade), and thread them alternately on long metal skewers. Grill 4-6 inches from the coals fro about 10 minutes, turning occasionally and brushing with the reserved marinade, until lightly browned in spots.

Recipe: Corn buttered

Corn in the Husks

Serves 4

The husks blacken and burn, but the kernels remain moist and sweet, with just a hint of smokiness.

8 ears of corn

Butter, softened

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Peel back the corn husks without removing them, and pull off the silky threads. Rub each ear of corn with ½ T of butter and sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the husks back up around the corn. Have a barbecue fire ready. Cook 4-6 inches from hot coals for 10-12 minutes, turning frequently, until the husks are darkened. Remove the husks and serve the corn with more butter, salt, and pepper.

Corn in Foil

Remove the husks and pull off the silky threads. Rub with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and cook over the coals as directed.

Recipe: Garlic Cheese Bread

Garlic Cheese Bread

Serves 8 to 10

Warm & crusty---if you like garlic, you know how good this is.

1 loaf French bread

½ C butter

1 C grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ t salt

¼ t freshly ground pepper

Dash of Tabasco

Slice the bread at 1-inch intervals, cutting not quite all the way through, so the slices remain attached at the bottom. Beat together the butter, cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and Tabasco until smooth and blended. Gently open the bread slices and between each slice spread a scant tablespoon of the cheese mixture. Wrap the bread tightly in a double thickness of foil. Set on the grilling rack 4-6 inches from hot coals and heat for about 15 minutes, turning frequently.

Recipe: Herbed Baked Potatoes

Herbed Baked Potatoes

Serves 4

These baked potatoes come from the grill buttery and soft with a good herb flavor. They're great with chicken.

4 large baking potatoes

6 T butter, softened

2 T chopped parsley, thyme, and/or rosemary

½ t salt

¼ t freshly ground pepper

Slice each potato at ½-inch intervals, cutting not quite all the way through, so the slices remain attached at the bottom. Beat together the butter, herbs, salt, and pepper. Gently open the potato slices a little, and between each slice use a small knife to spread about ½ t of the butter mixture. Have a barbecue fire ready. Wrap individually in foil, and place on the grilling rack 4-6 inches above hot coals. Cover the barbecue and cook for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, turning occasionally. To check for doneness, squeeze to see if the potato feels soft.

Recipe: Basic Barbecue Sauce

Basic Barbecue Sauce

About 2-1/2 Cups

A traditional American sauce that has a nice balance of sweet, tart, and spicy. Because the sauce contains sugar, it burns easily, and is best brushed on food just during the last 5 or 10 minutes of cooking. Pass the remaining sauce at the table.

3 T vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/4 C catsup

1/3 C cider vinegar

1/3 C Worcestershire sauce

1/3 C brown sugar

2 t chili powder

¼ t cayenne pepper

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and cook the onion and garlic gently for 10 minutes. Add the catsup, vinegar, Worcestershire, brown sugar, chili powder, and cayenne, and mix well. Let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.

Recipe: Shallot Sauce

Shallot Sauce

Makes 1 Cup

Creamy yellow, with the flavor of shallots. A good sauce for heating leftover chicken or veal; also good on fish.

3 T butter

2 T minced shallots

2 T flour

1 C hot chicken broth

Salt

Melt 1 T of the butter in a small pan. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the flour, blend well, and cook, stirring for 2 minutes more. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, stir until smooth, and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the sauce through cheesecloth or a fine sieve, and add the remaining 2 T of butter and salt to taste.