Food in a castle was served in the great hall, a large room usually on an upper floor. The lord’s table was set up along one wall on a small dias, the rest of the tables were positioned in a perpendicular fashion to the lord’s dias. Lower tables were called trestle tables, and when the meals were not used for eating, these tables were taken down and stacked in designated areas. The lord, his guests and family who all sat at the lord’s table were the only ones to have chairs. Everyone else sat on a bench.

Breakfast was a small snack usually served after morning mass. It consisted of a hunk of bread and ale or cider for the retainers and servants. The lord, his family and guests might be served white bread with a cold slice of meat, cheese and wine.

Dinner, served between 10am and noon, was the main meal of the day. A trumpeter or crier would announce the meal at a castle . When a guest entered, the ladies would curtsey and take their seats. The lord might give the guest a light, quick kiss before showing the guest to his seat at the lord’s table.

Attendants or pages would bring a washbowl forward and pour water for the guest and lord out of an aquanmanile (an elaborate pitcher). The rest of the diners would wash their hands in a lavabo-type dispenser in the great hall and dry their hands on the long towel. They would then take their seats at the lower trestle tables on benches that often served as their beds at night.

The dinners were served in order. First the visiting clergy, then the visiting nobles, the lord and his family, and then the retainers.

Table settings included a silver salt cellar, a nef and cups. The cups were made of silver, pewter, wood or horn, though the wealthy could have cups made of coconuts shells, ostrich eggs, agate or gourds. Spoons were provided, but guest were expected to being their own knives to the table. Forks did not appear until the late fourteenth century and weren’t commonly used until the Renaissance.

Either wooden bowls were set out with a think slice, or chuck, of bread lining the bottom, or round bread would be scooped out to the rest of the diners were served from wooden platters, the food was placed upon a trencher to be eaten. Platters were used solely for serving.

A large trencher made of bread was set on the table, one for every two people. One person sliced the trencher and kept half, and the other person used the second half as a plate. Plates are not found in England until the very end of the fourteenth century.

Dinner began with a blessing from the chaplain followed by a procession led from the unoccupied side of the lord’s table by the steward who oversaw the staff. Next came the Lord’s table by the steward who oversaw the staff. Next came the pantler who distributed bread and butter, the butler and his assistants who poured the wine, beer or ale, and the kitchen assistants who brought in the rest of the first course. A course was cleared completely from the tables before the next was brought in.

Food was either carried up from a lower level of the castle, or brought in from a separate building. As a result, the food was seldom, if ever, more than lukewarm.

Everyday dinners had two or three courses each, and the last course usually consist of a number of courses and stagger the average person’s imagination with the complexity and variety of dishes.

Pages, or cup bearers, made certain no one’s cup went empty. When meat was brought into the great hall on a spit, a young gentleman carver would slice it. Since most meat was boiled, a lord or guest would indicate which meats he wanted and a servant or page would place it on his platter. From there, meat was cut and distributed between dining partners so that a lower ranking lord would serve a higher ranking lord, a man would serve a woman, and a young person would serve am elder.

Food was eaten with the fingers, except for both, which was sipped, and some stews, which were eaten with spoons.

Before the meat was served, the bread would be broken, or the trencher sliced in half, with each person person receiving an equal share.

At the end of the meal, the diners would again wash their hands and return to their duties. The trenchers and bowl liners were gathered by servants and given to the almoner who saw that they were distributed to the poor and needy.

Merchants ate in a similar fashion, but their meals were not as large, or their retainers as many. A tablecloth was draped over each table with one side longer to be used by everyone as a napkin. During a festive occasion with many courses, the tablecloth was changed between each course. Each dinner had a knife, spoon and a trencher of day-old bread, which wouldn’t absorb all the juices of their food as quickly as fresh-baked bread. Blessings were said by the youngest family member or by a visiting clergyman.

A peasant’s meal was much more humble. An average meal generally consisted of porridge, turnips, dark bread (only nobility had white bread), and beer or ale. A salad might be added that would consist of parsley, borage, mint, rosemary, thyme, purslayne, garlic or fennel, and a vinegar or verjuice dressing. During hog slaughtering season, peasants would eat pork and bacon, but usually fish was the primary source of meat.

Villagers would eat bread—either rye, barley or wheat—that was occasionally mixed with peas or beans. They also enjoyed oatmeal cakes, porridge, fish, cheese curds, watery ale, mead, cider and metheglin.

Supper at the castle was a light meal served at sunset and usually consisted of one main dish, several small side dishes and cheese. After supper, castle occupants might be entertained by a traveling minstrel, acrobat, contortionist, jongleur or storyteller who preformed for food and were usually given coin as well. If no professional entertainers were present, games might by played, or the lady of the hall or a knight might provide entertainment with a song, instrument or a story.

For the lord and his family who might be absent during a meal, or for someone who came unexpectedly and might need food, bread, cold meat, meat pies, cheese and drink were kept in a livery cupboard located in or near the great hall. Some nobles even had a small cupboard in their personal chambers, but this was frowned on by the church as a form of gluttony.

The clergy ate only one meal a day. However, during the summer a light supper was permitted in addition to the midday meal. Each order had its own regulations about what and how much food should be eaten. The Carthusians in Germany ate vegetable platters. French Cistercian monks ate barley bread, and vetch or millet and boiled roots or nettle leaves. The Benedictines forbade meat except for the sick. On fasting days, oysters, fish, and poultry were eaten.

Meals in the monastery were supposed to be eaten in silence even though many clergymen would sign to one another while eating. A lector would stand and read inspirational works during the meal.

First of all when you’re going on a date depending on where you two go, if it’s the movies if the girl doesn’t talk it means she’s really into the movies and does not want to be annoyed with someone asking her questions. Unless she wants to talk with you or looks at you then you say something. Also pulling moves, is not always a girls favourite thing but you can ask her if she wants to cuddle if she’s says no well then take your time and pull the stretching move if you know what I mean.

Second, if you are going to take her out for supper somewhere it’s always good to talk to her when she’s making a decision to order or when you are waiting for your food. Ask her what she would like and don’t make any comments if you don’t like that, it’s just plain rude. When you talk with her you might want to ask her about common interest. What that means is things you both like for example you guys can talk about your pets, computers, animals, hobbies and lots of different things but one thing is not to talk to her about is that she is not one of your buddies from school that you talk about girls, you are suppose to make her feel special. Where I am going with this is that you can’t just talk about sex with her unless she brings it up or talk about different guys that will just lower you down and make her think she made a bad decision to go out with you.

Third of all, when you bring her out on a date dress nice, unless she says to be yourself and dress as if you were going out to your grandparents meaning that you don’t wear old clothes, old ripped up t-shirts and jeans. Be yourself in a dressy way, a girl always loves a man dressed up! Other then that everything has been covered about going on a date with a girl! Most of the time girls love to be pampered and taken cared of. Depending on the situation if you asked her out you should be the one paying the bill and it’s the other way around you still should pay for the bill or split it!!

One more thing! When you bring her home and she keeps saying bye, while she looks at you in the eyes. This is when you tell her you had a good time you ask her if she wants to hug. Then if she really liked the date she might just jump at you and kiss you, then she will run in the house! Let’s just hope the next time you ask her out it will be another yes!

Old Chuch in Voronej District

The Church had grown enormously rich, as well. Its income was more than that of all the important kings and princes put together. Also, it often recieved large gift of land in addition to the tithe, or tenth part of a person’s income, that each member had to donate to the Church.

The Sacraments

The Church had developed a body of beliefs that all Christians accepted. Nost important were the seven sacraments: (1)Baptism, (2)confirmation, (3)penance, (4) the Holy Eucharist, (5) extreme unction, (6) matrimony, (7) holy orders. These sacraments were ceremonies believed to be necessary for salvation; but no one recieved all seven.

In baptism, a person – usually an infant – became a Christian. In confirmation, the individual crossed over from childhood to become an adult member of the Church. In penance, one confessed his or her sins and was forgiven. In the Holy Eucharist, a priest reenacted Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples, and the people attending the service recieved consecrated bread and wine. A priest gave extreme unction to a dying person. All Church members recieved these five sacraments.

Of the two that remain, matrimony was the marriage ceremony, and holy orders were for men who became priests.

Church Rules

The CHurch had courts to help protect the weak and to punish those who had done wrong. It also tried clergymen for religious offenses. These people were judged by canon law – the law of the Church.

Heresy was considered the most horrible of all crimes against the Church. It was throught to be a crime against God, because it denied important religious teachings. The Church sought out heretics and punished them with excomminication. When a person was excommunicated, he or she was no longer considered a member of the Church and, therefore, could never go to heaven. Thus, the Church tried to persuade heretics to give up their beliefs. If a heretic refused, he usually burned at the stake.

Growing Strength

During the 10th century, the papacy depended upon the German king for pretection against feudal abuses, unruly Italian nobles, and Roman mobs. This arrangement led German kings to interfere in Church affairs, even in the election of popes.

During the 11th century, the monks at the Abbey of Cluny in France spoke out against kings and princes who interfered in church affairs. They started a reform program to remove all civil control over the Pope, stop kings and nobles from choosing bishops, and forbid the sale of Chruch jobs. In 1059, the College of Cardinals was created. It was to elect a successor to the Pope who whould be the choice of the Church, not of a king or a mob.

The power of the Church grew under the papacy of Innocent III (1198-1216), who clamied that his authority was above that of any other ruler and that the word of the Church was final. In 1213, he became the feudal lord when King John of England turned over his kingdom to the Pope and took it back as a fief. This made king John a vassal of Pope Innocent III, who made vassals of other rulers. As part of their feudal obligation, these kings sent part yearly tributes to Rome.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, two friar groups – the Franciscans and the Dominicans – were established. Unlike other religious orders, these two worked among the people. They preached in the towns and countrysides to spread the Gospel and fight heresy. Both groups became famous as university teachers. Slowly, they gained influence at a time when many people were starting to criticize the Church for being too interested in power and wealth.

There are different popular and interesting legends of Valentine’s Day. Some legends trace the origin to pagan times while others link it to Saints of early Christian Church. Another belief on its origin is the beginning of the birds mating season during the Middle Ages.

So, what are your plans for this year’s Valentine’s Day? How about spending it at home with your family or with your spouse? This day need not be expensive to make it special…or romantic. Surprise your loved ones with heart-shaped foods. Make the whole day extra special without having to reach for your wallet. Look at your pantry and refrigerator and think of the foods you can cook for for your family and shape into hearts.

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Let your family wake up to a breakfast of heart-shaped eggs and pancakes or waffles. No heart-shaped egg and pancake molds? Not a problem! Simply trim and shape into hearts. Do you have heart-shaped bowls? Now is the perfect time to put the kids’ breakfast cereals on them.

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For lunch or dinner, how about heart-shaped rice with heart-shaped meatloaf or instead of shaping into balls, shape the meatballs into small hearts. Do the same with your veggies–carve the potatoes, carrots and leaves into hearts.

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Dessert? Make a heart-shaped caramel flan or cupcakes or pie.

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Many foods in our kitchen can be formed into hearts so go ahead and experiment, have fun and…a Happy Valentines Day to all!