Odd Breakfast ~ 10-13 ~ Thanksgiving Dinner ~ Picture of the Day ~ Why Asparagus Makes Your Pee Smell ~ Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup ~ Mike Bastian ~ Dentist ~ Dinner ~ US Navy Birthday

Good 34º clear icy morning. 

Yesterday started cold again, stayed clear, and warmed to 84º.

I know a lot of you will probably go "ewwwwwww", but this is often a breakfast I have..... instant oatmeal cooked, moved over in the bowl and nonfat plain yogurt added. Topped with cut up egg.

In a small microwave safe bowl I put a few drops of olive oil, crack in an egg, prick the yolk with a sharp pointed knife, sprinkle on a tad of garlic salt. Then I put a saucer over the top of the bowl and cook on high in the microwave for 40 seconds. Then I cut it up and put it on the yogurt.

Along with that I have my coffee with sugar free syrup (I like Torani Peanut Butter or Salted Caramel) and non fat creamer and for "dessert" some blueberry bread.

 10-13 is radio code for 'advise road and weather conditions'.

I ordered my Thanksgiving dinner! Since Brian and family and Jean will all be in NY because Tucker and the Grants Pass High School Band will be in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and I will be here puppy sitting Dash, I decided I wanted a ham. We used to have a Honey Baked Ham store in Medford, but they closed. Darn! So I went on line and ordered this....

It is a quarter boneless sliced ham (3-4 pounds) with a sweet potato soufflé (whipped with brown sugar, spices, and topped with crunchy pecans) and a green bean casserole (with mushrooms, red peppers, tossed with a cream sauce, and topped with crispy fried onions). Everything comes fully cooked and all you have to do is set the ham out and heat the side dishes.

Picture of the Day....

If I glued some eyes on Bruiser's butt... LOL

Interesting about asparagus ....

Why asparagus makes your pee smell...

The smell comes from the way certain chemical compounds in asparagus break down inside people's bodies.

This is why cooking asparagus in various ways does not result in the same smelly byproduct; the specific digestive enzymes that break down the compounds in the asparagus to produce the smell aren’t present until you eat the asparagus.

As to this specific resulting chemical compound that ends up causing the smell, it has long been thought that it is from methanethiol.  Methanethiol is a colorless gas which smells a bit like rotting cabbage. It is composed primarily of sulfur, but also includes hydrogen and carbon.

More recent research by Robert H. White from the University of California proposes an alternative theory.  White used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to try to identify the cause of the smell and he concluded that it was actually from the s-methyl thioesters- specifically s-methyl thioacrylate and s-methyl thiopropionate.  Thioesters, like methanethiol, are primarily sulfur based except are formed from sulfur bonding with an acyl group.

In either case, the ability of a particular person to produce the necessary smelly compound in their urine after digesting asparagus was thought to be a genetic trait unique to only some humans until relatively recently.  Recent research done in France, China, and Israel, all independently showed this is not the case.  Rather, all humans appear to produce the smelly compound, but only some humans can detect the smell; the ability to detect the smell or not is a genetic trait.  Further, according to the study done in Israel, only about 22% of people have that genetic ability to smell the odor from the urine of people who have recently eaten asparagus.

Bonus Facts:

• The presence of methanethiol in the urine of someone who has recently eaten asparagus was first discovered by M. Nencki in 1891.
• The chemical compounds which cause the smell in urine from eating asparagus can appear as soon as fifteen minutes after a person eats asparagus.
• Asparagus belongs to the same family as lilies.  Once the asparagus buds start to open, the shoots become unpalatable and woody, so typically only young asparagus shoots are used for eating, making all asparagus eaters baby killers. 😉
• Methanethiol can commonly be found in the blood and brain of humans and various types of plant tissue.  It can also be found in various types of nuts and cheeses.
• Methanethiol is also one of the major causes of bad breath.
• Tomatoes and Asparagus are good plants to grow near one another due to the fact that tomatoes keep the asparagus beetle away and asparagus repels certain types of root nematodes that are bad for tomatoes.
• Asparagus is an extremely healthy little plant.  It contains quite a bit of calcium, zinc, magnesium, fiber, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, chromium, and selenium.  It also contains good amounts of vitamin A, B6, C, E, and K.

Quotable Asparagus Quote:

• “A few stems of asparagus eaten shall give our urine a disagreeable odor; and a pill of turpentine no bigger than a pea shall bestow upon it the pleasing smell of violets.” -Ben Franklin

A great cold weather soup..........

• 10 slices cooked bacon, diced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk or half-and-half or heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• optional toppings: chives, extra shredded cheddar cheese and bacon

1. Add diced potatoes, diced onion, minced garlic, bacon, parsley and chicken broth to the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 6-8 hours on low or on high for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are fork tender.
2. Once the soup has cooked, add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt. Whisk in the flour until completely combined and gradually add in the evaporated milk or heavy cream, depends which one you are using. Whisk the flour mixture until smooth. With the heat on the lowest stove setting, let the mixture cook until it starts to simmer and is getting thicker, stir occasionally.
3. Immediately add the milk-flour mixture to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
4. Using a potato masher, mash about 3/4 of the potatoes.
5. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. Stir well, until fully combined and creamy. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking the soup on low for 30 minutes or on high for 15 minutes.

1. If the soup is too thick, add more chicken broth.
2. Serve warm, garnished with bacon, cheese and sour cream.
3. The soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Special birthday today, Wilson High School pal Mike Bastian. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!!

Back in 2013 we had a Wilsonite reunion in Grants Pass.... left to right me, Mike Bastian, Joe Terror, Ron Loynds, and Linda (Waterlond) Terror. 

Historically this date....

 

1875 – The United States Continental Congress orders the establishment of the Continental Navy (later renamed the United States Navy).

1792 – In Washington, D.C., the cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion (known as the White House since 1818) is laid.

1962 – The Pacific Northwest experiences a cyclone the equal of a Cat 3 hurricane. Winds measured above 150 mph at several locations; 46 people died.

 

And births this date includes....

1915 – Cornel Wilde, American actor (d. 1989)

1921 – Yves Montand, Italian singer and actor (d. 1991)

1925 – Margaret Thatcher, English politician (d.2013)

1941 – Paul Simon, American singer and musician (Simon & Garfunkel)

  

1942 – Pamela Tiffin, American film actress

  

1959 – Marie Osmond, American entertainer (OMG, read about her "personal life"... what a mess)

1962 – Kelly Preston, American actress

  

1967 – Kate Walsh, American actress

  

1969 – Nancy Kerrigan, American figure skater

Exciting day yesterday, to the dentist for my toof cleaning!

(Urban dictionary defines "toof" as "a set of white things in your mouf"!)

Anyway, Liz is my hygienist and we always have a nice chat!

I always loved the cartoon series Family Guy, where one of the brothers called his sister, Elizabeth, Lizard Breath. So, I call Liz "Lizard Breath"! 

Here are all the gals at the office... including my Liz!

My dinner you might not turn up your nose at.... last night it was Schwans Shrimp Spring Rolls w/ sweet chile sauce and baby spinach topped with tomatoes....a drizzle of olive oil and some Lawry's Garlic Salt. YUMMMMMO! 

Then it was chair with Bruiser on my lap, wine, and TV..... Chicago Med, wanted to watch the Dodgers/Brewers game but not available and sadly the Dodgers lost 6-5.  :o(   

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Saturday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

The United States Navy observes its birthday every year on October 13th.

The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is currently the largest, most powerful navy in the world, with the highest combined battle fleet tonnage. The service has over 340,000 personnel on active duty and more than 71,000 in the Navy Reserve. 

HISTORY

On October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress authorized the first American naval force.  Thus began the long and prestigious heritage of the United States Navy. Between 1922 and 1972, the Navy’s birthday was celebrated on October 27th, the date of Theodore Roosevelt’s birth. Designated by the Navy League of the United States for Roosevelt’s foresight and vision in elevating the U.S. Navy into a premier force, the celebration of the Navy’s birthday has always been one of pride.  The change to October 13 was seen as a more relevant date in line with the first official action legislating a navy.  Since 1972, October 13 has been the officially recognized date of U.S. Navy’s birth.

My Dad was only 16 years old when he volunteered for the US Navy in WWI. He obviously lied about his age!