Clouds/Turkeys/Bruiser ~ Beef Veggie Stew ~ PCC Band ~ Grandson Jack ~ Rose Parade

Good 41º cloudy foggy morning. Yesterday no different than it's been......

The turkeys were out running around.... munching and then chasing each other!

.... and Bruiser napped in a dining room chair!

If you ever wanted a super easy and good beef stew... this one is for you packed with beef, vegetables, and potatoes with a creamy cheesy sauce. It shouts "stick to your ribs goodness"!

1 pound ground beef

1/4 t. salt

1/2 of a 16oz package of frozen mixed vegetables

1 10oz can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 of a 32oz package of frozen seasoned tater tots

1. Preheat oven to 400º.

2. Brown beef and salt in skillet over medium heat, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink... drain.

3. Spoon ground beef into 2½ quart shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

4. Layer frozen vegetables, soup, and cheese over ground beef. Top with tater tots.

5. Bake 30 minutes until potatoes are golden

Historically this date....

1862 – American Civil War: Abraham Lincoln signs an act that admits West Virginia to the Union, thus dividing Virginia in two.

1879 – Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent lighting to the public for the first time, in Menlo Park, NJ.

1907 – The first New Year's Eve celebration is held in Times Square (then known as Longacre Square) in New York City, New York.

1909 – Manhattan Bridge opens.

1960 – The farthing coin ceases to be legal tender in the United Kingdom.

................OMG, I first thought this said "farting" coin!

1983 – The AT&T Bell System is broken up by the United States Government.

1999 – Boris Yeltsin, the first president of Russia, resigns as President of Russia, leaving Prime MinisterVladimir Putin as the acting President.

And births this date include...

1920 – Rex Allen, American actor, singer, and songwriter (d. 1999)

1930 – Jaime Escalante, American teacher (d. 2010)

1943 – John Denver, American singer and songwriter (d. 1997)

1943 – Sir Ben Kingsley, English actor

1947 – Tim Matheson, American actor

1958 – Bebe Neuwirth, American actress

1959 – Val Kilmer, American actor

1965 – Nicholas Sparks, American author

1974 – Tony Kanaan, Brazilian racing driver

Tomorrow, New Year's Day, my grandson Jack will be in the Rose Parade with his Pasadena City College Marching Band.

They will be marching in spot #51... just a little over half way through. Here is the band at PCC yesterday ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eozchfyC_Xw&feature=youtu.be

Jack is in the second row of drummers. Tuba on the outside of the row, and Jack is 2 in from that.

This is Jack last year in his Gabrielino High School Band...

All I know. Nuff said. Have a safe and Happy New Year's Eve. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

New Year's Eve

Date When Celebrated : The evening of December 31 to the morning of January 1

New Year's Eve is when all the fun and festivities are. We see out the old year and ring in the new. While it is often thought of as a time to drink and be merry, many people take it as an opportunity to eat and be merry. Drinking is not as much a part of the event as it was decades ago, if only because of tougher drunk driving laws.

New Years' Day on the other hand, is a time to relax and enjoy the start of a bright and promising new year....a new beginning. It is a time to be with family. After all, you haven't seen your mother in law since last year.

So, enjoy everything about New Year's....it only comes once a year.

To many Americans, the ball dropping at Times Square in New York City signals the start of the new year in this country. The ball was first dropped in 1908.

New Years Trivia: Did you know that a raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

Did you make a New Year's resolution? Millions of people do. It's easy to make resolutions, yet much harder to accomplish them.

Clouds/Sun ~ Spinach Artichoke Dip ~ Gab Ramirez ~ Dan Cermak ~ Re Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Good 44º  foggy drizzling morning. Over night we got 1/4" of rain.  

And again yesterday was cloudy and gloomy and we topped at 52º after we finally got some sun!

Dude was one happy camper after the sun broke through!

Since New Years is coming up fast, here's a super good easy dip to make to go with your champagne!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

 

• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened (see Notes)
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 1-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
    
2. In a medium bowl, combine spinach, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, ground red pepper, and garlic powder; beat until well blended. Stir in artichokes and spoon into prepared casserole dish.
    
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through and the edges are golden. Serve immediately.

• To serve this Spinach Artichoke Dip with tortilla chips, crackers, or thin slices of French bread for dipping. 

• Looking to lighten this dip up? No problem! Just use reduced-fat cream cheese and only 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Be sure to serve it with baked tortilla chips, too!

Special birthday today... Gab Ramirez (LASD ret). HAPPY BIRTHDAY GABE!!!

And "Big Dan" Cermak floor manager at Ace Hardware is celebrating too. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAN!

Historically this date....

1862 – The USS Monitor sinks off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

1903 – A fire at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, Illinois kills 600. 

..... the deadliest single building fire in US history!

1924 – Edwin Hubble announces the existence of other galaxies.

And births this date include...

1920 – Jack Lord, American actor (d. 1998)

He had Alzheimers.... so sad. He was GREAT in Hawaii Five-O. A favorite show of mine!

http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/perspirer.htm

 

1934 – Russ Tamblyn, American actor, dancer, and singer

(West Side Story)

 

1935 – Sandy Koufax, American baseball player

1942 – Michael Nesmith, American singer and musician (The Monkees)

1945 – Davy Jones, English singer (The Monkees) (d.2012)

Interesting that they were both born on the same day! 

I made the Buffalo Chicken Casserole.... I changed the recipe slightly. I had some cooked boneless skinless chicken thighs, so I shredded 4 of them. Each one is just about either more or less a cup. I didn't have any bell peppers so I substituted chopped celery. I added extra green onions, because I love them and I used sharp Cheddar.

If you don't like hot and spicy, don't make this. On the other hand, it could be made with less hot wing sauce, at least cut it in half. I know my Jerry would have loved this as he could drink Tobasco right from the bottle and eat jalapenos and habaneros!  I did like the crunch of the celery in it.

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

December 30, 2017 is

National Bicarbonate of Soda Day

It’s National Bicarbonate of Soda Day! Sodium bicarbonate (commonly known as baking soda) is used in baking, cooking, de-odorizing, cleaning, polishing, and countless other applications.

The ancient Egyptians used natural deposits of sodium bicarbonate as a cleansing agent like soap, but it wasn't until 1791 that French chemist Nicolas Leblanc produced sodium bicarbonate in its modern form. In 1846, two New York bakers named John Dwight and Austin Church established the first factory to make baking soda.

Baking soda is a white, odorless, crystalline solid that is completely soluble in water. It is very useful around the home, the kitchen, and for medical purposes. Did you know that baking soda can even be used as an antacid to treat indigestion and heartburn? Sodium bicarbonate certainly deserves a whole day of celebration!

Happy National Bicarbonate of Soda Day!