Only “Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.” We seniors have some use — if only to pass on well known phrases to the younger crowd.
My granddaughter had never heard of the saying. Then I asked my son, the trivia man, and he said it has to be English, maybe from something to do with India or Africa. I thought it might be something Kipling wrote but I was wrong, and I turned to Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations who said it came from playwright Noel Coward. He wrote plays but also songs and this was part of a song written in 1932.
This all came about when I met a fellow  at our post box one day last week at 12 o’clock noon and I asked him what he was doing out in the hot midday sun and quoted him the line. He had has never heard the phrase and was more interested in telling me about his sleepless nights when I asked him how he liked the weather.
He told me what Dr. Oz suggested to do and I said, “forget Dr. Oz do what your mother and her mother would do, and that is take a mug half-full of milk (warm it today in the microwave), add a drizzle of honey and a dash of cinnamon, and for an extra whammy take a Tums tablet.” Adelle Davis, a famous dietitian a few years back, recommended the Tums — she would call them “lullaby pills.” 
Nothing like being bold enough to go against Dr. Oz’s advice, that me! Anyway, this old method works for me and I never hear the train whistles that bother many other people.
He claims he’ll try it but we get so much information thrown at us these days we don’t know what to believe; each person has to find out what works for them.
But back to Noel Coward here is part of the song:
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun;
The Japanese don’t care to, the Chinese wouldn’t dare do it;
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one,
But Englishmen detest a siesta.
Apparently many singers, including rock stars, have sang their own version and this has kept the song popular.
With my son from Lanark County (in the east end of Ontario) coming on the weekend I started hunting for some different recipes of a sandwich for two, and went to Tastes of Home’s Cooking for Two cookbook for a different approach to the sandwich.
I rather liked a Broccoli Ham Pockets recipe, so will try it. It’s a hearty sandwich, very attractive and delicious, and the creamy filling has a wonderful flavour. Serves two.
Broccoli Ham Pockets
1/3 cup diced cooked ham
3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh broccoli
3 tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. diced sweet red pepper
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard (optional)
1 tube (4 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white, beaten
2 tsp. sliced almonds
In bowl combine the ham, broccoli, cheddar cheese, sweet pepper, mayonnaise and mustard, if using.
Unroll the crescent dough into two rectangles, seal seams and perforations, spread filling down centre of each rectangle, fold dough over and pinch to seal, and tuck ends under. Place, seal side down, on ungreased baking sheet. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Crab Pockets
This version of a sandwich makes a delightful light lunch. This recipe is for one but easily doubled or tripled.
2 ounces of canned crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed (or use imitation crabmeat)
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
2 tbsp. chopped sweet red pepper
2 tbsp. chopped green pepper
1 tbsp. chopped green onion
1 tbsp. chopped celery
1/4 tsp. seafood seasoning
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 whole, six-inch, pita pockets, halved and warmed
In a bowl, combine crab, cucumber, peppers, onion, and seasoning. Stir in mayonnaise. Fill pita halves.
Turkey Quesadillas
There’s only five ingredients this recipe, so it goes together in a flash.
1 flour tortilla (10 inches)
1 1/2 tsp. butter, softened
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack
2 slices deli smoked turkey
Salsa (optional)
Spread one side of tortilla with butter, then place, butter side down in fry pan or on grill, and sprinkle with cheese, then top with turkey, fold in half, cook over low heat until cheese is melted.
Cut in half. Serve with salsa, if desired. Serves one.