by Carlo Lapucci
As Mary and Joseph fled trying to reach the land of Egypt, King Herod's guards chased them, gaining more and more ground, until they were in a valley of rocks and boulders where no plant could offer a hiding place or refuge. Maria, when everything seemed lost and the horses' hooves could already be heard clattering nearby, saw a small cave opening in the stone. “Let's get in here, we'll at least delay the end,” she said. They slipped into the cave, pushing the donkey forward, holding the Child in their arms and waited.
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As Mary and Joseph fled trying to reach the land of Egypt, King Herod's guards chased them, gaining more and more ground, until they were in a valley of rocks and boulders where no plant could offer a hiding place or refuge. Maria, when everything seemed lost and the horses' hooves could already be heard clattering nearby, saw a small cave opening in the stone. “Let's get in here, we'll at least delay the end,” she said. They slipped into the cave, pushing the donkey forward, holding the Child in their arms and waited.
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A spider that was in the hole of a stone immediately began to weave a large web, with which it quickly closed the entrance to the cave. Herod's guards arrived and, cursing, began rummaging among the boulders, enraged by the disappearance of the fugitives. "Where are they?" they said. “Yet they were here right now.” «They didn't go underground?». "You can't see them on the street anymore." «Behold, they have entered this cave...» «Not here really: can't you see there are cobwebs?». «Let's not waste time... Let's run forward». So the guards continued their run and the Holy Family was saved. «Who would have thought that a spider's web would be so strong as to prevent the soldiers from entering?», said Joseph, taking the road again, and before leaving again, he blessed the spider, saying: «For your mercy, you will be welcome in the houses where you will bring good fortune and men will spare you." In fact, since then the spider in the house cannot be killed, even if the web is removed.
Advice FROM NATURE
The elderberry
Elderberry, or also Sambucus Nigra in its scientific name, is a very common plant, usually ascribed to the hedge family. In addition to its purely ornamental function - the elderberry has small white flowers and purple berries - it has always been used in folk medicine. Both the plant and the berries of elderberry are used for different purposes for the body. An infusion is usually obtained from the flowers, known for its ability to increase body sweating, thus promoting the elimination of toxins and the containment of temperature during feverish states. Combined with the leaves, the petals in infusion are used to create herbal teas against respiratory problems. For this reason, flowers and leaves can also be used to improve blood circulation, especially peripheral circulation, both with oral intake and with localized compresses to limit the breaking of capillaries or for rapid relief from sunburn. Always in a compress and always for its properties on circulation, elderberry is also useful for soothing leg and joint pain in women, as well as swelling due to intense physical activity or a day in heels. In men, however, herbal tea is widely used for back pain. Elderberries are mainly composed of water, but inside them there is no shortage of carbohydrates, fiber and mineral salts such as potassium, magnesium, zinc, sodium and calcium. Their use is almost strictly linked to the well-being of the digestive system.
St. Peter's style fish
Ingredients for 4 people:
* 4 fish fillets * 50 g of butter * 2 tablespoons of white wine * 1 lemon * 2 eggs * ''00'' white flour * seed oil for frying
For the herb sauce, crush in a mortar 1 teaspoon of tarragon and 1 of thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 sprig of parsley, 1 tablespoon of basil leaves, 1 clove of garlic, 1 pinch of ginger, 4 juniper berries pound, 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, until a smooth mixture is obtained.
Beat the eggs and dip the fish fillets in them, then pass them in the chopped herbs and flour; fry them in a large pan with hot oil. As soon as they are cooked and golden brown, transfer them to kitchen paper to dry. In a separate pan, melt the butter and, before it sizzles, pour in the remaining chopped herbs, the lemon juice, the white wine and mix. Serve the fish fillets hot with the sauce poured over. Preparation 30 minutes, cooking 40 minutes.
GOOD TO KNOW
Vinegar, universal balm.
Naturally, vinegar alone will not be able to protect rooms from germs: but daily cleaning with detergents based on this liquid is a good prevention method. All that remains is to get some white table vinegar (which is preferable for cleaning compared to red).
Detergent: in the daily cleaning of tiles, general floors and enamelled surfaces.
Degreaser: ideal for eliminating greasiness from very dirty dishes and crockery, for pre-treating and removing difficult dirt from pans, for making steel, copper and brass (but also glass and crystal) shine.
Anti-limescale: ideal for removing limescale deposits from steel cutlery, utensils and pans, glass glasses and taps, making everything shiny and streak-free. Even in the dishwasher, added to the final rinse, vinegar gives surprising results. Furthermore, it is excellent for routine maintenance of dishwashers, washing machines and irons.
Fabric softener: prevents the felting of woolen garments and is effective in the treatment of white and colored garments, because it disperses the calcium salts captured by the fabric fibers and, when inserted in the last rinse, promotes the elimination of detergent residues from the laundry .
Stain remover: excellent in case of stubborn stains, if added to the final rinse water (by hand or in the washing machine), it revives the colors of the fabrics while preserving their color.
