Cinnamon

About a month ago, my son-in-law started taking one regular Bayer aspirin each morning and one Bayer PM before going to sleep. Two weeks into this regimen, he started bleeding from the mouth while he was sleeping. He stopped taking the aspirin, and the bleeding stopped as well. Is this a possible side effect? Aspirin can thin the blood by interfering with the sticky part of blood called platelets. Some people are especially susceptible to this effect, so even a standard dose might trigger bleeding.

It's probably safe to say that most moms have a favorite holiday recipe … one that evokes a fond memory of baking or a sumptuous smell. Managing editor, Jennifer Broadwater and editor, Jennifer Dansicker thought they would reminisce and share their favorite recipes from their holiday menu. SARALEE'S MUNDEL BREAD Serves 8 (158g per serving) Jennifer K. Dansicker, editor “I choose a traditional Jewish dessert that can be made in many variations, but it is very similar to a biscotti.

My family did not patronize Baltimore's suburban shopping centers in the days after Thanksgiving. We were downtown people and adhered to the customs of the day. I watched the old Hochschild-Kohn Toytown Parade from the curb at Maryland Avenue and 29th Street; a night or two later, we drove downtown while the stores were closed and took in the window displays. Finally, days later, we might begin Christmas shopping, possibly with a breakfast at the Read's drugstore, one of the anchors of the busy Howard and Lexington corner.

I closed my eyes, inhaled gently and imagined hard, but the Timonium traffic din quickly short-circuited the conceit that placed me at the Inner Harbor. How silly; maybe more than most, I knew the lovely nutmeg scent wafting downwind from the McCormick plant two miles north hadn't perfumed the downtown air for over two decades. On Dec. 8, 1988, the McCormick Spice Company announced it would abandon its landmark Inner Harbor building and the Rouse Company would tear it down. The lawsuit I filed and the "Demolition Makes No Scents" campaign I spearheaded for Baltimore Heritage quickly turned legions of citizens into historic preservationists.

Nutritional breakdownMakes about eight pancakes. Each pancake has:* Calories: 115* Protein: 5 grams* Carbohydrates: 17 grams* Fat: 3 grams* Cholesterol: 1 milligram* Sodium: 140 milligramsShopping list* Buttermilk* Eggs* Oat bran* Strawberry or other flavor preservesPantry: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, non-stick vegetable spray such as PAM, salt, sugar and vegetable oilThis low-fat breakfast can be prepared very quickly....

I closed my eyes, inhaled gently and imagined hard, but the Timonium traffic din quickly short-circuited the conceit that placed me at the Inner Harbor. How silly; maybe more than most, I knew the lovely nutmeg scent wafting downwind from the McCormick plant two miles north hadn't perfumed the downtown air for over two decades. On Dec. 8, 1988, the McCormick Spice Company announced it would abandon its landmark Inner Harbor building and the Rouse Company would tear it down. The lawsuit I filed and the "Demolition Makes No Scents" campaign I spearheaded for Baltimore Heritage quickly turned legions of citizens into historic preservationists.

Q. Is it true that cinnamon can lower blood sugar? I am a diabetic (type 2) and fairly active, swimming every day. My doctor doesn't want to put me on insulin. I take glipizide, but it isn't completely effective. How much powdered cinnamon would it take to have an impact? A. Animal research has shown that cinnamon does indeed make cells more responsive to insulin. Theoretically, this could lead to better glucose control. Although clinical trials are still in the planning phase, one nutrition researcher has suggested that people like you might benefit.

Kids and cooking go together like Christmas and mistletoe.Here's a recipe that kids can help make, but be warned that it is not edible (but it's fun to make). Yes, the amount of cinnamon in the recipe is correct; some supermarkets and food co-ops sell cinnamon in bulk.Scented cinnamon ornaments1 4-ounce can (approximately 1 cup) cinnamon1 tablespoon cloves1 tablespoon nutmeg3/4 cup applesauce2 tablespoons white glueRibbonCombine the cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add applesauce and glue; stir to combine.

Question: : I have type 2 diabetes, and I have recently started taking cinnamon capsules to help control my blood sugar. I have been extremely pleased with the results so far. The metformin I was taking was never as consistent at controlling my blood sugar as the cinnamon has been. Are there any negatives to taking cinnamon? Answer: : Although cinnamon may work more consistently for you, there is much more research supporting the beneficial effect of metformin on blood sugar. You should make sure your doctor is aware of your regimen, so you can work together to control your type 2 diabetes.

Carol Husband of Hunker, Pa., wrote, "I make nut-and-poppy-seed rolls, and I use commercial poppy-seed filling, which is OK but not like homemade. My mother was an excellent baker and used to make poppy-seed filling from scratch. I never got the recipe. Would any of your readers possibly have a poppy-seed filling recipe?" A response came from Pam Sutton of Odenton, who said she got the recipe from "The Czech Book: Recipes and Traditions" (Penfield Press, 1981) by Pat Martin. "Poppy-seed fillings are very common in Europe," Sutton wrote.

While the weather forecast for Saturdays' Ravens game is in the high 40s - not exactly Green Bay territory - it can get chilly after being outside for a while. One of the best ways to keep the cold at bay is with a cup of spicy hot chocolate. Traditionally, hot chocolate is just a thicker version of chocolate milk. This version is rich and full of character, thanks to cinnamon, orange peel and chiles. Don't be afraid - it's not as spicy as you might think. There is a little bite at the end, but nothing that will make you breathe fire.

Lots of pets will be getting presents for the holidays this year. And Bo Obama is no exception. In fact, the world knows what the First Dog is going to get. On Wednesday, President Obama went Christmas shopping, stopping at Best Buy (to pick up some video games and iTunes gift cards, probably for his girls) and at PetSmart to get a little something for the pup. It looks like Bo is going to spend the holidays chomping on one seriously large bone. And I'm not sure, but it looks like that might be a bag of treats in the President's hand.

Halloween drinks are, for the most part, novelty items. Fake eyeballs, candy corn and even dry ice are all unfortunately used to dramatic effect this time of year. I have never been a fan of silly or gimmicky drink accessories. It makes me think that the bartender has something to hide. What's behind the cuteness winds up being an overly sweet or sour weak drink that I just wasted good money on. Luckily, the good people at Jack's Bistro are here to save us from such garish garnishes.

Fall - finally! I, for one, am in desperate need of a crisp, warm, comforting cocktail to ring in the cooler weather. Think spicy, rich flavors, lush, dark cognacs, seasonal apple and pumpkin accents, a touch of mystery. If you're craving a good autumn drink as much as I am, step into the strange and whimsically macabre world of Annabel Lee Tavern in Highlandtown. Proprietor Kurt Bragunier has been serving up delicious, dark drinks at his Edgar Allan Poe-themed restaurant for four years and admits his favorite drink, back on menu this season after a two-year hiatus, is a bit of an enigma to patrons.

Judith Fieldhouse from Hampstead was looking for a recipe for making cinnamon rice. She said it was served in a local restaurant as an accompaniment to duck — "the duck was very good, but the rice was fantastic" — and she has never been able to figure out how to make it. Karen Brannick of Bel Air sent in a recipe she had from a cooking club class at the Maryland Golf & Country Clubs that she thought might be close. This tasty side dish would be a simple addition to any meal.

My family did not patronize Baltimore's suburban shopping centers in the days after Thanksgiving. We were downtown people and adhered to the customs of the day. I watched the old Hochschild-Kohn Toytown Parade from the curb at Maryland Avenue and 29th Street; a night or two later, we drove downtown while the stores were closed and took in the window displays. Finally, days later, we might begin Christmas shopping, possibly with a breakfast at the Read's drugstore, one of the anchors of the busy Howard and Lexington corner.

Mother Teresa in a cinnamon bun in a coffeehouse in Nashville? No, no, no! That's not Mother Teresa. Bill and Pat Kelly, TJI readers in Northeast Baltimore, see it differently, and I think they're right. They slipped Disney's "Pocahontas" in the VCR Friday night, and suddenly it hit them: Grandmother Willow. It's not Mother Teresa in the bun, it's Pocahontas' spiritual adviser. Having a 4-year-old daughter and having seen "Pocahontas" about 20 times by now, I have to agree. There's a lot more Grandmother Willow than Mother Teresa in the bun. And this figures: Disney is Everywhere, overtly and subliminally seducing America with its marketing imagery.

The homespun goodness of freshly baked cinnamon rolls does not have to be lost when you eliminate the fat. We started out with an original recipe in which the sweet yeast dough was enriched with butter (or margarine) and eggs. We replaced a portion of the butter with pressed non-fat cottage cheese and added a small amount of vegetable oil to ensure tenderness. We also eliminated one egg yolk and used skim milk instead of whole to make a leaner dough.But it is the rich, sticky sweetness oozing from the cinnamon rolls that makes them truly memorable.

With the advent of the Web and e-readers, the lure of the holiday catalog should diminish if not disappear. But you just cannot relax with a cup of hot cocoa and thumb through this year's toy catalog — or one of its grown-up versions, from Brookstone to L.L. Bean to PBS — online. You have to have the real thing in your hands, so you can flip back and forth between the pages in a senseless, inefficient, joyful way. As a former advertising copywriter, I am one of those people who actually reads every word of the descriptive catalog copy.

Alice Cottle from Fort Bragg, Calif., was looking for a recipe for persimmon bread. Lorraine Hatter from Tremont, Pa., sent in a recipe she found in September/October issue of Good Old Days magazine for the bread. Persimmons are a fall or winter fruit that are very good eaten raw or cooked to make lovely bread when gently spiced with cinnamon and augmented with raisins and chopped walnuts as in this recipe. This bread is moist and delicious, and keeps well for several days so it makes an ideal gift.