Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Houston Astros ~ Broccoli Cheddar Casserole ~ Early Market Shopping/Chicken Thighs ~ Brother's Day

 

Good 50º cloudy morning with predictions for a 40% chance of rain. 

 

Yesterday we topped at 83º.

 

 

 

Picture of the Day .... public bench with hats in France.....

 

 

 

Interesting about Houston Astros

 

 

The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after spending their first 51 seasons in the National League (NL).

 

The Astros were established as the Houston Colt .45s and entered the National League as an expansion team in 1962 along with the New York Mets. The current name, reflecting Houston's role as the host of the Johnson Space Center, was adopted three years later, when they moved into the Astrodome, the first domed sports stadium and the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World." The Astros moved to a new stadium called Minute Maid Park in 2000.

The Astros played in the NL West division from 1969 to 1993, then the NL Central division from 1994 to 2012, before being moved to the AL West as part of a minor realignment in 2013.

 

The Astros posted their first winning record in 1972 and made the playoffs for the first time in 1980. After many years of coming up short in the postseason, the Astros finally made their first World Series appearance in 2005 as an NL team, only to be swept by the Chicago White Sox. In the following decade, the team embraced sabermetrics and pioneered new analytical technologies during the early 2010s, transforming from a franchise that lost more than 100 games in three consecutive seasons into a star-studded superteam that won over 100 games in three straight seasons. The Astros won the 2017 World Series, their first championship, against the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Having been defeated by Boston the following year in the 2018 ALCS, the Astros returned to the World Series in 2019, losing to the Washington Nationals in seven games despite putting together a franchise-best regular season.

 

On January 13, 2020, Astros manager A. J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended by MLB for one year after an investigation confirmed sign stealing by the Astros during their 2017 World Series campaign; both men were fired by the team shortly thereafter. Dusty Baker was announced as the new manager, and James Click as the new general manager, on January 29 and February 3, 2020, respectively. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Astros again qualified for the playoffs (this time with a losing record), making a run for their fourth consecutive American League Championship Series appearance after having beaten the Minnesota Twins and division rival Oakland Athletics. However, despite becoming just the second team in the history of baseball to rebound from an 0–3 series deficit, the Astros ultimately fell to the Tampa Bay Rays after seven historically tight games in the ALCS.

From 1962 through the end of the 2020 season, the Astros all-time record is 4,630-4,697 (.496)

If you want to read a lot more... go here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Astros

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Sometimes the simplest things are the best, and this is one of them. Whether you serve this with burgers for a quick weeknight dinner or it’s part of your Thanksgiving Day line up, get ready for lots of ooh’s and aah’s. And since it starts with a few freezer and refrigerator shortcuts, all the better. This Broccoli Cheddar Casserole is going to be your favorite weeknight option for years to come!

 

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 (12-ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup coarsely crushed butter crackers

 

• Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
•  
• In a deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes. Add broth and half-and-half and heat until mixture begins to thicken, stirring occasionally.
•  
• Remove from heat, add 1-1/2 cups of cheese, and stir until melted. Stir in broccoli, mushrooms, rice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; mix well. Spoon mixture into baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake 25 minutes.
•  
• In a small bowl, mix crushed crackers and remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Uncover casserole, sprinkle cheese mixture on top, and continue to bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden and bubbly.

 

Mr. Food Test Kitchen Tip: This is a great way to use up leftover rice or you can buy packages of precooked rice, how easy is that?

 

 

 

Historically this date.....

1830 – Mary Had a Little Lamb by Sarah Josepha Hale is published.

 

1846 – Mexican-American War: General Zachary Taylor captures Monterrey.

 

1883 – The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction.

 

1940 – Igor Sikorsky performs the first successful single-rotor helicopter flight.

 

1962 – Project Mercury: American astronaut Scott Carpenter orbits the Earth three times in the Aurora 7 space capsule.

 

1994 – Four men convicted of bombing the World Trade Center in New York in 1993 are each sentenced to 240 years in prison.

 

 

 

And births this date include...

1686 – Gabriel Fahrenheit, German inventor and thermometer maker (d. 1736)

........and you always wondered why it was called "fahrenheit" ! BTW, there is a guy named Anders Celsius!

 

 

1879 – H. B. Reese, American inventor of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and founder of H. B. Reese Candy Co. (d. 1956)

God Bless him for inventing one of my most favorite things!!!!

 

1938 – Tommy Chong, Canadian-born actor and comedian

 

 

 

1941 – Bob Dylan, American singer and songwriter

 

 

1943 – Gary Burghoff, American actor

 

 

1945 – Priscilla Presley, American actress

Interesting read. Odd too!

 

 

 

1967 – Eric Close, American actor

 

Ok, yesterday morning was strange for me. I never leave the house for any reason early in the morning but I had to go to the grocery store and get some boneless skinless chicken thighs to cook for Dude because I had run out. That is part of his diet. I cook them with organic chicken stock in my crock pot....

 

for 8 hours.

Anyway, got to the market just after 8am. I was the only customer there and it was soooooo strange. Also there were no cars on the road. A couple of the restaurants had a few cars in their parking lots, but not many. It all just felt odd.

 

 

All I know Nuff said. Have a good Monday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Observed every year on May 24th, Brother’s Day honors the brothers in our lives. Whether we have one or many, our brothers hold a special place in our hearts. Even if for those who don’t have brothers, someone in their life is usually like a brother to them. Brothers from other mothers are found in a best friend, a brother-in-law, or a cousin. They are the men in our lives we count on even when we don’t talk very often. We share memories, challenges that frequently began with the phrase, “Watch this!” soon followed by a few stitches.

While minding their own business, they are also prepared to step in when necessary. That’s what brothers do.

Of course, they’ve been known to put toads on your head or gum in your hair.  They may have been too cool for you once, too.  Brothers come in many shapes and sizes and so do their relationships. Whatever yours is, take the time to celebrate your brother on Brother’s Day.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy time with brothers and reminisce.  Find time for new brother siblings to spend some fun, enjoyable time together.

BROTHER’S DAY HISTORY

C. Daniel Rhodes of Alabama founded Brother’s Day.

 

7 Sets of Famous Brothers – According to Biblical history, the first siblings on earth were a pair of brothers. You may have heard the story of Adam and Eve’s sons, Cain and Abel. You might have also heard that it didn’t end well for the first brothers in human history. According to the book of Genesis, Cain murdered Abel, and then lied to God about it. Thankfully, most brothers avoid taking sibling rivalry to this level. Many brothers get along quite well, like these seven sets of famous brothers.

1. The Wright Brothers

Wilbur Wright was born near Millville, Indiana, in 1867. Four years later, his brother, Orville, was born in Dayton, Ohio. Famously known as the Wright brothers, the two invented the first motor-operated airplane. Not only were they the first to find success in motorized flight, but they also built and flew the first one. The flight took place on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

2. The Brothers Grimm

Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm, born in 1863, and Wilhelm Carl Grimm, born in 1859, are better known as the Brothers Grimm. The German academics collected and published folklore during the 19th century. They didn’t actually write fairy tales, however. Instead, they are credited for preserving and putting to paper the many oral stories that were passed down from generation to generation. Some of these fairy tales include Rapunzel, Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretal, and Little Red Riding Hood.

3. The Marx Brothers

Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo were the stage names of the five brothers who made up the famous comedy act known as the Marx Brothers. The brothers were born in New York City to Jewish immigrants from Germany and France. From 1905 to 1949, the Marx Brothers found success in a theatrical genre called vaudeville. They performed on Broadway and in motion pictures.

4. Peyton and Eli Manning

The Manning brothers are among the greatest sets of siblings in sports history. Their dad was NFL quarterback, Archie Manning. Peyton Manning was born in 1976 and won two Super Bowls. He played for the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos. Eli Manning was born in 1981 and spent his entire career with the New York Giants. Like his brother, Eli also won two Super Bowls.

5. Liam and Chris Hemsworth

The Hemsworth brothers are both actors from Australia. Chris Hemsworth was born in 1983. He has appeared in many movies but is best known for his role as Thor in the Avengers movies. Chris is one of the highest-paid actors in the world. His younger brother, Liam, was born in 1990. Among other films, Liam starred in The Last Song, where he met famous singer and actress, Miley Cyrus. Their marriage ended after just one year.

6. Prince William and Prince Harry

Prince William and Prince Harry are the sons of Charlies, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. William was born on June 21, 1982, and is second in the line of succession to the British throne. Prince William is married to Catherine (Kate) Middleton. They have three children. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is a little more complicated than his elder brother. Harry was born on September 15, 1984. In 2018, he married American actress Meghan Markle. They have one child. In 2020, the couple announced they were leaving the Royal family. Harry and Meghan currently reside in Canada.

7. The Jonas Brothers

If you’re a pop music fan, you have likely heard of Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. They formally formed their group, the Jonas Brothers, in 2005. At the time, Kevin was 17, Joe was 15, and Nick was 12 years old. Since their formation, the trio of brothers have toured the world, sold millions of albums, won multiple music awards, and have appeared in film and television.