Predicted Storm ~ Auntie ~ Murphy Bed ~ Creamy Parmesan Tomato & Spinach Soup ~ Fig Newton

Good 39º foggy drizzling morning.

Yesterday stayed cloudy and cool, about 46º. The radar about noon, showed rain moving in... still to the south and west... and it was VERY dark! Had to have the lights on inside...

Rain started just about 12:15... and some wind... Then it stopped... Started again about 5:45. Sounded like we were getting a lot but apparently not as predicted. We only ended up with 1/4" by this morning. 

Today was a family birthday. My great aunt Sarah Dunbar, aka Auntie, was born in 1877 in Glasgow Scotland. Not sure, but I think she passed away sometime around 1967. She was a neat lady. Never married and was a "practical nurse". She traveled many places in US, Europe, and Mexico,  taking care of patients who were very wealthy and mostly just having a baby. She traveled with a trunk, not suitcases! I have her trunk now...

Christmas 1960...

L-R... sister Betty, Auntie, MaryAnn, Agnes (Mom's sister), Joe Jr. (now Dr. Joe), Nanno (Mom's mom), Mom, Nancy, Daddy, Joe Sr., me

She lived in an apartment on Vermont in Los Angeles, close to Beverly. I would not recognize any of that area any more. She had a Murphy Bed.... it always amazed me (little youngster that I was!) They come out of a closet...

Wish I had taken pictures way back then of the things we lived with and were around us!

Historically this date......

1847 – John C. Fremont is appointed Governor of the new California Territory.

1883 – The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, establishing the United States Civil Service, is passed.

1942 – Crash of TWA Flight 3, killing all 22 aboard, including film star Carole Lombard.

1945 – Adolf Hitler moves into his underground bunker, the so-called Führerbunker.

1979 – The Shah of Iran flees Iran with his family and relocates to Egypt.

    along with him, his Police Commander, who is the grandfather of Brian's pal Kio. Kio has a wonderful family, most of whom I have met, including his grandfather. Interesting man.

1991 – The United States goes to war with Iraq, beginning the Gulf War (U.S. Time).

2003 – The Space Shuttle Columbia takes off for mission STS-107 which would be its final one. Columbia disintegrated 16 days later on re-entry.

and births this date include.....

1634 – Dorthe Engelbrechtsdatter, Norwegian poet (d. 1716)

    Now, this not only sounds like a name but a description
    as well!!! LOL

    Glad I didn't have to learn how to spell that as a kid!

1878 – Harry Carey, American silent film actor (d. 1947)

 (The father of Harry Carey Jr..)

1901 – Frank Zamboni, American inventor (d. 1988)

  You only get one guess as to his invention!

1908 – Ethel Merman, American actress and singer (d. 1984)

 

1917 – Carl Karcher, founded the Carl's Jr. hamburger chain (d. 2008)

 

 

1935 – A.J. Foyt, American race car driver and team owner

Creamy Parmesan Tomato & Spinach Tortellini Soup

Pure comfort food for a chilly day....

2 T butter

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

1/4 cup flour (rice flour for gluten free)

3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 28oz can diced tomatoes

2 T. tomato paste

8 oz cheese tortellini (gluten free also available)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

10 oz spinach, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or Greek yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped basil, optional

1. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat, add in onion and cook til tender, about 5-7 minutes

2. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute

3. Add flour and cook 1 more minute

4. Add broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, and tortellini. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer until the tortellini is tender (about 10 minutes)

5. Add the Parmesan, let it melt. Add the spinach, let it wilt. Add the cream, season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat before adding the basil.

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

January 16, 2018 is

National Fig Newton Day

Today is National Fig Newton Day! Popular myth has it that Nabisco's chewy cookies were named after Sir Isaac Newton. In reality, they were named after their birthplace of Newton, Massachusetts. Did you know that these cookies are made in over 5 varieties aside from original fig, including strawberry, apple & cinnamon, sweet peach & apricot, and triple berry? 

This popular snack food was created by the Kennedy biscuit Works located in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts. They were known for naming many of their cookie after neighboring towns - the "Newton" in Fig Newton is a nod to the nearby town. They rank as the 3rd most popular cookie in the United States, with over 1 billion eaten each year!

To celebrate this holiday, open up a fresh pack of them to enjoy as a snack, or as a sweet ending to your meal!

• January 16, 2018 is also Appreciate a Dragon Day | International Hot & Spicy Food Day