Pomegranates

QUOTE from T. D. Jakes: IN THE MIDST OF THE SHOPPING AND THE WRAPPING AND THE ARRANGING OF PRESENTS UNDER YOUR TREE THIS CHRISTMAS, MAY YOU NOT FORGET THE GIFTS YOU CANNOT YET HOLD IN YOUR HANDS.

TODAY IN HISTORY: Every morning in the Cedar Rapids Gazette is a section called TODAY IN HISTORY. I read it every day and am going to include some of these happenings from history in my blog.
1803: The Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the U.S. (We can thank Thomas Jefferson for this deal.)
1860: South Carolina became the first state to secede from the union as all 169 delegates to a special convention voted in favor of separation.

LEARNING for today: While buying groceries the other day I asked the gal what these red looking baseball size fruit were. She told me they were pomegranates and they were supposed to be very healthy. Then she said they are only fifty cents so why not try one. So I did. When I got home I cut it open and was surprised what I saw. There were hundreds of bright red seeds imbedded in white stuff. So I broke off a couple of chunks and ate the seeds and white stuff. I wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do but I ate them anyway. They were okay - a different taste but okay.
My curiosity was aroused so I went to google and did some research on pomegranates. I discovered they are native to Iran and over to northern India up to the Himalayas. According to Wikipedia they are mentioned in the Bible 12 times. They were brought to America in 1769 by the Spanish and are grown in California and Arizona.
In recent years much research has been on the nutritional value of pomegranates. Research so far has shown them to be good for - the heart, Alzheiners protection, joint relief, fighting cancer, and lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels. They are also low in calories and high in nutrition. In other words they are supposed to be very good for you.
I also learned the white stuff is not meant to be eaten, you should eat the seeds only or make juice out of them. The info said that it is easier to separate the seeds from the white stuff if you slice them and soak the slices in water. I bought my second pomegranate this morning, soaked them as directed and separated the seeds and white stuff. They do taste better without the white stuff.
I'm going to continue eating pomegranates and will be putting the seeds on my cereal. Just think, I won't have worry about getting Alzheiners, or heart disease, or joint pain, or cancer, or whatever!!!!!!!!

HUMOR for today:
Noel Coward: "You almost look like a man."
Dorothy Parker: "So do you."