Medford/Grants Pass ~ Earrings ~ Asparagus ~ Fallon&Keaton ~ April ~ Mary&Gil

Good 43º clear gonna be hot again today morning. Was 81º here yesterday. Weather folks say 91º today. HAVE to get some grass cut. All this sun is making it grow faster and faster. Sigh.....

Happy Hump Day Y'all

Yesterday was a trip into Medford. Yearly appointment with my cardiologist, Brian Morrison (cutie). From my fasting blood test on Monday he said my cholesterol is PERFECT and my blood pressure (which normally has been high) was PERFECT! Said everything (heart, aorta) sounded great. YIPPEE.... I'm sure losing that little weight (so far) has a bearing on my blood pressure.

Took this on the way into Medford. Clear skies. Sun. Still a bit of snow on Mt. Mcloughlin. (sorry crooked... one hand on camera and one on steering wheel! camera is VERY heavy!)

After the doc's a stop at Costco. They didn't have any artichokes! OMG. This is the first time ever! Got some of this...

Sounds like a great little healthy snack!

Then to Grants Pass not to drop off the artichokes Jennifer wanted... but gave her the earrings I made of her cat Bridey...

The black ones that look like Bruiser I made for me...

I've got to find some beads that look like Dude!!!!

Dinner was a rerun of the meatball tomatoes and I stir-fried some asparagus Nancy and Dave gave me. They grow their own and it is soooooooooooo good. Fresh and so crunchy! Cut off bottom end, cut into bite sized pieces, add olive oil to pan, the asparagus, and drizzle on some balsamic vinegar. Fry til hot.

The vinegar I used is this Napa Valley Pomegranate...

 OMGOOOOD!!!

Watched some TV, napped, and watched Jimmy Fallon. He had Diane Keaton on. She is a whack job! The way she dresses and acts. Weirdo!!! Her outfit was sooooo odd. Black pantsuit, huge wide belt in the middle, black and white plaid tie, shirt cuffs hanging out, and that hat. UGH. I turned it off. She thinks she is soooooooooooo funny! She's not. (she used to babysit for my nieces in Santa Ana where she went to high school)

Historically this date...

1789 – On the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected President of the United States.

1803 – Louisiana Purchase: The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory fromFrance for $15 million, more than doubling the size of the young nation.

1812 – The Territory of Orleans becomes the 18th U.S. state under the nameLouisiana.

1900 – Casey Jones dies in a train wreck in Vaughn, Mississippi, while trying to make up time on the Cannonball Express.

1927 – Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford become the first celebrities to leave their footprints in concrete at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide after being married for one day. Soviet soldiers raise the Victory Banner over the Reichstag building.

1947 – In Nevada, the Boulder Dam is renamed Hoover Dam a second time.

And births this date include....

1877 – Alice B. Toklas, American companion of Gertrude Stein (d. 1967)

... a very interesting read!

1908 – Eve Arden, American actress (d. 1990)

1926 – Cloris Leachman, American actress

1933 – Willie Nelson, American musician

1938 – Gary Collins, American actor

.... the boy has racked up quite a few of mug shots over the years for DUI and dine and dash....

1943 – Bobby Vee, American singer

1945 – Michael J. Smith, American astronaut (d. 1986)

1975 – Johnny Galecki, American actor

Today there are a couple of events... Kristen's pal April Frey, the BEST masseuse ever, (her hubby Brian did the dry wall fixing my ceiling) is celebrating her special day today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY APRIL!!!

And a couple of high school pals, Mary (Fancher) and Gil Zavala are celebrating wedding year number 48!!! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KIDS!!! You both look GREAT!

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

April 30th

National Raisin Day

When grapes spend a little too much time in the sun, they cross the border into dried fruit and become raisins. But these little beauties are chewy, sweet and a great snack to have on hand.

Because there is already so much naturally occurring fructose and glucose in grapes, the flavor amps up even more after the grapes are dried. Largely, the sugar remains - so much so that if you keep raisins for a while, the sugar begins to crystallize.

If you're not a serial raisin snacker, then perhaps today's other food holiday will tempt you into trying a few. April 30 is also National Oatmeal Cookie Day!

And, what do you get when you combine these chewy drop cookies with an even more flavorful addition? Oatmeal raisin cookies! Is it a coincidence that these two holidays happened on the same day? Who knows, but you're sure getting twice the bang for your buck.

Bad and Odd News ~ Trish's Nephew Dan ~ Meatballs In Tomatoes

Good 37º clear and gonna be in the 80ºs later morning.

Temp got all the way up to 63º yesterday. Today might be another story. Predictions for 80ºs. Drat. Grass will be hip deep to a tall Indian fast!

The news this morning is awful in the case of the tornado that hit the South, Georgia and Mississippi and 21 people died. Awful that a gunman shot 6 people in a FedEx facility in Georgia. Also weird in that Craig Ferguson is quitting the Late Late Show. George Clooney is engaged to be married! Egypt sentenced almost 700 to death. Paul Simon and wife arrested. AND... Minneapolis renames Columbus Day to "Indigenous Peoples Day". Geeeeze Louise!

A very sad note ... my friend Trish Bowler's (Trish is the wife of LASD ret Lt. John Bowler) nephew died in the tornado in Arkansas. His wife and two daughters survived. He was shielding one of his daughters when a metal beam from the attic hit him in the head. His wife and one daughter are in the hospital with broken bones. Dan was only 31. His home was completely destroyed. Here is the site where you can make a donation to this family....

https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/9tj4/helping-the-wassoms

Yesterday I was up early and off to the hospital lab for a fasting blood test. I got there just after 7am and was out before 7:30. Nobody there that early! Then to the market for fresh veggies and some 1 cup containers for my soup. Gotta keep it in perspective .... portion control! Home to clean. Going through more stuff.....

Historically this date...

1945 – World War II – Fuehrerbunker: Adolf Hitler marries his longtime partner Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker and designates Admiral Karl Dönitz as his successor. Both Hitler and Braun will commit suicide the next day.

1945 – The Dachau concentration camp is liberated by United States troops.

1945 – The Italian commune of Fornovo di Taro is liberated from German forces byBrazilian forces.

1967 – After refusing induction into the United States Army the day before (citing religious reasons), Muhammad Ali is stripped of his boxing title.

1986 – A fire at the Central library of the City of Los Angeles Public Library damages or destroys 400,000 books and other items.

1992 – Los Angeles riots: Riots in Los Angeles, California, following the acquittal ofpolice officers charged with excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. Over the next three days 53 people are killed and hundreds of buildings are destroyed.

2004 – Oldsmobile builds its final car ending 107 years of production.

2011 – Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Kate Middleton.

And births this date include....

1917 – Celeste Holm, American actress

1951 – Dale Earnhardt, American race car driver (d. 2001)

1954 – Jerry Seinfeld, American comedian

1958 – Michelle Pfeiffer, American actress

1958 – Eve Plumb, American actress

1970 – Andre Agassi, American tennis player

Yesterday I decided to make the Meatball in a Tomato recipe. I had picked up some lean ground turkey so changed the recipe a little making it less caloric... don't need pork and beef... nor the bread and milk.... The original recipe is on 4-27.. in the archives on the left.....

I used some dried garlic and onion (didn't have any fresh) and browned those along with the ground turkey. Using pepper and Mrs. Dash for seasoning. Let it cool. Added in the dried parsley and Panko, 1 egg, and Parmesan cheese.

I used a melon-baller to remove the center of the tomatoes...

Drizzled olive oil in each tomato, sprinkled in some black pepper, and Mrs. Dash. Added in the cooled meat mixture... baked 30 (not 20) minutes at 350º. Then removed tomato top and topped each with a mixture of Panko, Parmesan, and olive oil. Baked another 15 minutes, until the tops became golden brown.

I served the tomatoes on a bed of baby spinach that had been seasoned with a little olive oil, some balsamic vinegar, and Mrs. Dash. OMGOOOOOOD!!!!!! Will make these again for sure.

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

April 29th

Shrimp Scampi Day

Here is a great recipe...

Click here: 16-Minute Meal: Shrimp Scampi | The Pioneer Woman Cooks | Ree Drummond