Good 50º clear sunny morning. Had a LOT of winds yesterday, not helping with the fires. They said the Hornbrook fire is 30% contained. They need more help!
Yesterday, it stayed clear of course. Our temps rose from noon it was 81º, 2:30 it was 87º, and we topped at 95º. Will be just as hot or hotter today!
In the morning Dash got cozy napping next to Dude...
Interesting about pickles.........
Pickled cucumbers are a favorite food in many cultures, including America. The origin of the first pickle is lost in the sands of time, but archaeological evidence dates them back to 2400 in Mesopotamia. From these origins, pickles spread quickly through Asia, Egypt and Greece.
In Asia, the cucumber was often used in kimchi, a pickled dish still eaten today that also often uses cabbage, eggplant, and radishes. Ancient Egyptians loved pickles and Cleopatra claimed that pickles helped her maintain her beauty. Aristotle talked about the positive health benefits associated with pickled cucumbers. Other famous pickle fans include Julius Cesar, Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington, and Napoleon Bonaparte.
In the case of Napoleon Bonaparte, his love for pickles and his belief that pickles offered health benefits led to advances in preservation. Because Napoleon wanted to provide pickles to his troops, Bonaparte offered a cash prize to anyone who discovered a method that would allow long term preservation that allowed soldiers to take pickles into the field. In 1809, a man named Nicholas Appert discovered that using a water bath to process the glass jars of pickles killed off bacteria and allowed for longer storage of food. The water bath method is still used today when making many types of pickles and other preserved foods.
It is fitting that pickles are so popular in America, because America actually gets its name from a pickle maker turned navigator named Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci sailed with Columbus and loaded the boat with hundreds of barrels of pickles to help prevent scurvy among the crew.
I LOVE pickles. My favorite though is pickled olives and the olives and juice make a great 'dirty martini'. Dirty Sue is the brand I buy!
Picture of the Day
This is not a glamorous dish, but it's good and comforting!
Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion diced
salt and pepper to taste
32 oz. bag tater tots
1/2 cup milk
2 10.5 oz. cream of mushroom soup
2 14.5 oz. cans green beans, drained (or 1 small bag frozen)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Slow cooker size...
6 quart or larger
In a large skillet set over medium high heat add the ground beef and onion. Cook until the beef is brown. Drain fat.
Add the cream of mushroom soup and milk to the pan with the beef. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir.
Add half of the tater tots to the slow cooker, spread them out to an even layer. Add the green beans next. Then the rest of the tater tots. Pour over the beef mixture. Spinkle over the cheese.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time. Serve and enjoy!
This was posted on a Seattle radio station's FB page... Good info. Share it. The world is full of crazy bad people, this may save someone!
Historically this date...
1850 – Millard Fillmore is inaugurated as the 13th President of the United States upon the death of President Zachary Taylor, 16 months into his term.
1913 – Death Valley, California hits 134 °F (~56.7 °C), the highest temperature recorded in the United States.
2005 – Hurricane Dennis slams into the Florida Panhandle, causing billions of dollars in damage.
And births this date include....
1839 – Adolphus Busch, German-born brewer (d. 1913)
1926 – Fred Gwynne, American actor (d. 1993)
1931 – Nick Adams, American actor (d. 1968)
1947 – Arlo Guthrie, American musician
..............good grief!
1957 – Cindy Sheehan, American anti-war/political activist
1972 – Sofia Vergara, Colombian actress
.... something about her accent makes me want to throw up!
1980 – Jessica Simpson, American singer
.... no, Jessica, Chicken of the Sea is NOT chicken! Duh.
My dinner was one of Schwans pizzas, Mexican-style.
They are only $4.99!! It has a crispy crust, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, Mexican-style sausage, spicy sauce, crunchy tortilla chips, green chilies, tomatoes, onions, black olives, and bell peppers. From the first bite I was hooked!!! Getting more on my next order. If you buy 3 you get $2.00 off. That would make 3 pizzas for $12.97! Heat the oven to $400º, take the pizza out of the freezer, put on a pan or just on the rack, 20-22 minutes later it's done!
All I know. Nuff said. Happy Tuesday. Ciao.
xo Sue Mom Bobo
National Pina Colada Day is observed annually on July 10th. The Pina Colada is a sweet, rum-based cocktail. Along with rum, a Pina Colada includes cream of coconut and pineapple juice and is usually served blended or shaken with ice.
Pina Colada means ‘strained pineapple,’ a reference to the freshly pressed and strained pineapple juice used in the drink.
There are different claims to the invention of the Pina Colada beginning in 1952 in San Juan, each sticking to their story. The truth is that pineapple and rum have been together from the beginning of the distillation of rum. The first written reference to a Pina Colada was in 1922. This recipe, however, did not include coconut.
HOW TO OBSERVE
On National Pina Colada Day, you do not have to be sitting on a beach or the deck of a cruise ship. You can enjoy a nice tall, cool Pina Colada where ever you are!
