As I am unable to make the most out of my Nintendo Wii Fit at the moment I decided to buy myself a book and you may laugh 'cause it's all about nursery rhymes! Yeah, it's full of them but the interesting thing is, it's all about the origins of the rhymes. Some of them being quite dark. I've always liked history but I love the interesting non academic side like this book.
An Apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Apple in the morning, doctors warning.
Roast apple at night, starves the doctor outright.
Eat an apple at bed, knock the doctor on the head.
Three each day, seven days a week, ruddy apple, ruddy cheek!
The surprising thing about this nursery rhyme is that it was never invented by the apple industry or such like.
It had more to do with parental propaganda to get children to eat their fruit and vegetables.
And in the sixteenth century in England people had a deep distrust in doctors and anything to do with medical science. So the nursery rhyme's advice is to avoid the doctors all all costs as they were only out to get your money!
Folk medicine was at odds with official medicine and often prescribed remedies that mirrored the results they were looking for. So if you wanted rosy (ruddy) cheeks you'd be prescribed a red apple.
So with apples in mind I decided to put together an Apple Puff Dessert with soft ice cream.
If you want to read the book it's called "Pop Goes the Weasel" by Albert Jack.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
oooh that nursery rhyme book sounds interesting! it's really funny knowing the irony behind those songs we sing as kids.. like that one poem ring around the rosie was about the black plague.. lol and yeah that apple thing still applies today i think.. kids still don't like the doctor's!
I love how you did the silverware with the powdered sugar! That so caught my eye, don't be suprised if i use it on amyspazz blog soon :)
Great use for my apples :)
Ah!The philosophy behind nursery rhymes.Would surely make up an interesting read.