Weather ~ Spring Flowers ~ TBT ~ Picture Of The Day ~ Ground Squirrel ~ Spaghetti w/ Brussels Sprouts & Sausage ~ Robins

Good 36º not frozen cloudy morning!

 

Yesterday it stayed cloudy and cool (61º) all day. The sun came and went on and off behind that cloud cover.  I did manage to get wood put on the porch for the stove. 

Rain a comin'....

And even though my yard is not in the best shape I do have two little rays of sunshine out there....

 

HAPPY THROW BACK THURSDAY

Kristen's pal Jenny, Kristen, me at their high school graduation in 1985

 

Historically this date...

1919 – President Woodrow Wilson signs an act of the U.S. Congress establishing most of the Grand Canyon as a United States National Park (see Grand Canyon National Park).

1993 – World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a truck bomb parked below theNorth Tower of the World Trade Center explodes, killing 6 and injuring over a thousand.

And births this date include....

1829 – Levi Strauss, German-born clothing designer (d. 1902)

 Such a shame they are now 'heche en Mexico'!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr............

The boys used to be mad because I made them wear Sear's Toughskins ... couldn't afford Levis for growing kids back then! Levis and a JC Penny's tee shirt was Jerry's "uniform" until the Levis were made in Mexico! Then he bought Prison Blues ("made on the inside to be worn on the outside") made at the Oregon Corrections Institution in Pendleton. In other words, the USA! 

http://www.prisonblues.com/

You can order direct from the prison or they are sold through www.Amazon.com 

 

1846 – William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, American frontiersman (d. 1917)

1852 – John Harvey Kellogg, American surgeon, advocate of

dietary reform (d. 1943)

 

1882 – Husband E. Kimmel, American admiral (d. 1968)

............Geeeesh, how would you introduce this guy, "I want you to meet my husband Husband" !  What was his mother thinking!!!

1887 – William Frawley, American actor (d. 1966)

 

1916 – Jackie Gleason, American actor, writer, composer, and comedian (d. 1987)

"Bang. Zoom." Straight to the moon!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6CBDZRk91E&feature=related

"POW...RIGHT IN THE KISSER!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV1zul2aCM8&feature=related

1920 – Tony Randall, American actor (d. 2004)

1932 – Johnny Cash, American musician (d. 2003)

 

PICTURE OF THE DAY (I LOVE this!)

Wayyyy up in my pasture there is a tree stump.. and low and behold the danged ground squirrels are awake from their winter hibernation!

 

Dinner was a recipe I got from Food & Wine ....

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spaghetti-with-brussels-sprouts-and-sausage-breadcrumb-topping?xid=DAILY022315ViewRecipe

Spaghetti w/ Brussels Sprouts & Sausage

 

1/2 pound spaghetti (I like Angel Hair! 1/2 the package and break the pasta into thirds)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1/2 pound brussels sprouts, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

1/2 pound loose pork sausage

1 cup Panko

2 T snipped chives

salt and pepper

lemon wedges for serving

My dried chives were just about gone so I found some in a pot growing on the porch. Yeah!

I used the lemon infused olive oil too cook the sprouts and sausage along with a pat of butter...

 

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al denté. (I cooked it in water with lots of garlic salt)

Meanwhile in a large skillet heat 1/4 cup of oil (1 pat of butter), add Brussels sprouts and sausage and cook over medium high heat, stirring until sausage is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the Panko and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the chives and season with salt and pepper.

(I didn't add salt as I wanted to add some of the Reserved garlicky salted pasta water to the pan after the spaghetti ...about 1/3 cup)

Drain the spaghetti, top with Brussels sprout mixture, drizzle over olive oil and serve with lemon wedges.(I didn't have any lemon, that's why I used the lemon olive oil and instead of topping the sprout/sausage mixture I mixed it all together.)

I have never been a Brussels sprouts lover but this was OMGOOD!!!! Will make again... and add in more sprouts.

I found that when slicing them, I cut off the bottom bump and then stood them upright to slice. Easier than slicing laying on their side.

 

While I was cooking I looked out and there were a bunch of Robins in my yard...

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Pistachio Day

 

National Pistachio Day is a nutty day. You can celebrate National Pistachio Day by eating them, and learning more about them. We're going to help with the learning part........ read on.

Nutty Pistachio Facts:

• Pistachios grow on trees. They are native to the Middle East.
• Its a long wait to get the first nut. A pistachio tree takes 7-10 years to mature.
• California is the major producer in the U.S.
• Pistachios are harvested in September by machines that shake the trees. It less than a minute.
• The red dye is added to the nuts is only due to consumer demand for the color.
• Its open hull is unique. The nut is ripe when the hull splits open.
•  People in the Middle East call it the "smiling nut" and in China its called the "happy nut".
• Pistachios are nutritious, so eat them up!

Celebrate today by eating Pistachios. They are great plain as a snack, in ice cream, and in a wide range of desserts.