Rain ~ Snow ~ Mike/Jennifer ~ Picture of the Day ~ Utah City Names ~ Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup ~ Mark Moran ~ National Pistachio Day

 

Good 32º cloudy/foggy morning. 

 

 

Since Sunday we've gotten 3" of rain. It came down in buckets yesterday. Talk about a wet dog and cat after going out to do their "thing" !!!!!

Our I-5 on-ramp had a stream...

Roads all over our state were closed due to super heavy snow and rock slides.

My road was beginning to look like a stream!

 

And a stream of water was coming down my pasture....

 

Then early afternoon the temps were 36º and the rain turned to snow. The flakes were the size of your hand!

 

 

That didn't last too long as the rain came back.

 

 

I talked to Jennifer yesterday morning. Mike was going into surgery and he wanted to see her before the surgery. She went to the hospital and was there all day. Mike's surgery was at 1:45pm and according to his daughter-in-law "he came through with flying colors"!! He was awake and communicating and appeared in a good mood. Thank you for all your prayers!!! 

 

 

 

 

Picture of the Day .... oops!

 

 

 

Utah City Names.........

Utah

 

I’m sorry, Utah. You are just a very boring state. What? You already knew that? Well, did you know that your towns have very boring names as well? You did? Well, okay then.

 

Gusher

Whence Gusher? Well, some developer – one Robert Wood, to be exact – thought for sure he would find himself some oil riches nearby. (He did not.)
Mr. Wood must have been rather ambitious. There are no less than 10 city blocks in Gusher, only four of which are occupied. Gusher is in the northeast part of the state.

 Birdseye
No, this place wasn’t named after a sack of frozen peas. 
In fact, it was named after the birdseye granite that was quarried nearby. And that stuff got its name because it has lots of little o’s scattered about it (which, I guess – if you’re a really imaginative person, that is – might – on a good day – remind you – somewhat – of the eyes of a bird … maybe).

 

Gunlock
Would you believe this is after some guy? No, silly, there isn’t a Mr. Gunlock out there. “Gunlock” was some dude’s nickname. Here, let this local plaque explain:

William Haynes (Gunlock) Hamblin, Born Oct. 28, 1830 Salem Ohio. Married Mary A., and Betsy Leavitt. Died May 8, 1872 at Clover Valley, Nevada from efforts of poison given to him before he could testify concerning a silver mine he had discovered and was selling.

He was the father of 17 children, and was given the nickname ‘Gunlock’ by George A. Smith, Apostle for whom he drove wagon across the plains. He also worked for him as a gunsmith. Gunlock, Utah was named in his honor.

He got his fame for his great marksmanship. At 50 paces, he shot the bottom from a pipe bowl without touching the rim. He won a $50.00 bet.

 

Ticaboo

Any town name that rhymes with “peekaboo” is a winner.

It means “friendly,” in Paiute, by the way. The town is actually named after a creek of the same name. 

 

 

Shivwits

“Way to go, Shivwits!” “Bernie is such a shivwits.” “You shivwits!”

Of course it’s Native American! In fact, it’s the name of a branch of the Paiutes. The word itself means “eastern people.” Alternate forms are Shi'-vwits, Sübü'ts, and Sebit – as well as the wonderfully evocative She-bits.

This town is way back down in the southwest corner of the state. Shivwits is a couple of buildings (and some ruins) strung out on Old Hwy. 91 just west of the major metropolis of Ivins (7,000 people).

 

Mexican Hat

Could someone please tell these folks they’re called “sombreros”?

So, there’s got to be a good story behind this one, right? Well, would you believe we can put this one down to “descriptive.” And if you don’t believe me, just look below. Wow!

We’re in the southeast for this one. This town of 260 is, once again, surrounded by lots of natural beauty. In particular, there is the Valley of the Gods, Gooseneck State Park, and – of course – the Big Sombrero itself.

 

And a few more........

• Orangeville, Snowville, Honeyville, Sugarville, Wellsville, Circleville, Orderville
•  Roy, Francis, Grover, Dutch John, Faust, Elmo, Hiawatha
• Ghost towns – Kiz, Fruita, Telegraph, Boston Terrace, Duncan’s Retreat, Dragon, Dividend, West Dip, Highland Boy, Consumers, Devil’s Slide

 

 

 

Here's another soup for this wintry weather.... Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup by the Slow Roasted Italian....

 

" Baked Potato Soup is rich and creamy and has all your favorite potato fixin's cooked right inside this luscious soup. It comes fully loaded with cheese, bacon, and sour cream! This dinner is utterly life changing. This simple recipe is incredibly popular and you are going to love it! "

 

 

 

• 8 slices thick cut bacon 
• 1 onion, diced 
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 5 cups chicken stock 
• 5 russet potatoes, baked, peeled and smashed 
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 2 cups half & half 
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated 
• 1 cup sour cream 
• salt & pepper to taste 

1. In a large heavy bottom pot (or Dutch oven), cook bacon until crisp; remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Crumble bacon and set aside. 
2. Cook the onion in the bacon drippings until translucent; sprinkle in flour, stir and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. 
3. Gradually add chicken stock. Cook the soup, occasionally stirring until thickened and bubbly. Add in the smashed potatoes and bacon. Stir to combine. 
4. Add parsley and half & half; cook for 10 minutes. 
5. Add about a cup of hot soup to a small 4 cup bowl. Add sour cream stir to combine. This step will help the sour cream incorporate into the soup without getting lumpy (a great tip from one of our readers). Pour sour cream soup into the pot. Stir in cheese and taste. Add salt and pepper as desired.
6. Serve and enjoy!

DONNA'S NOTES

1. Half and half is a dairy product found in the US. It is made up of half cream and half milk. You can substitute accordingly or substitute with one of the other. All cream will make the soup richer, and all milk will make it lighter.
2. You can substitute 5-6 cups of smashed/mashed potatoes for the five baked potatoes.

 

 

 

Today is a special birthday, Mark Moran (Jackson Co FD ret. and close buddy of Mike Hannan and husband of the infamous Julie) is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!!

^With his lovely daughter Leah (who used to do my hair but now has a new profession) and his bride Julie.

 

 

 

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).

1987 – Iran-Contra affair: The Tower Commission rebukes President Ronald Reagan for not controlling his national security staff.

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)

Jerry's "uniform" daily was a pair of Levis 501 jeans and a JC Penny white t-shirt and in the winter also his camouflage jacket. After he found out the Levis were being made in Mexico, he quit buying them and bought Prison Blues, "made on the inside to be worn on the outside" at the Oregon State Prison in Pendleton Oregon!!

 

 

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

 

1852 – John Harvey Kellogg, American surgeon and advocate (d. 1943)

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

1928 – Fats Domino, American musician (d.2017)

 

1953 – Michael Bolton, American singer

 

1958 – Susan J. Helms, American astronaut

 

 Everyone is breathing so much easier now that Mike had his surgery and is doing well. Sigh............  I can't wait to visit him. Unknown how long he will be in the hospital. 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

February 26th recognizes all things pistachio.  It’s National Pistachio Day!  It is a day that has been set aside for all pistachio lovers to eat their favorite nut all day long.  For those who do not eat pistachios, buy some and give them to someone who does.  Crack them open and eat them up or enjoy them in ice cream or your favorite pistachio dessert!

Pistachios arrived in the United States sometime in the 1880s, but they have been cultivated in the Middle East since Biblical times.

The pistachio tree grows to about 20 feet tall needing little or no rain and must have high heat.  In Iran, they claim they have pistachio trees still living that are 700 years old!  A new tree takes between 7 and 10 years to mature and bear fruit.

Pistachio Facts:

•  All pistachio shells are naturally beige in color.  Some companies dye nuts red or green if nuts are inferior or for consumer demand.
• California produces about 300 million pounds of pistachios each year, accounting for 98 percent of America’s production.
• Pistachio shells typically split naturally when ripe.
• The kernels are often eaten whole, either fresh or roasted and either salted or unsalted.
• In the Middle East, people call the pistachio the smiling nut.
• In China, people call the pistachio the happy nut.

Health Benefits

“Pistachios are an excellent source of vitamin B6, copper and manganese and a good source of protein, fiber, thiamine and phosphorus.  Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces (42.5g) per day of most nuts, such as pistachios, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”  US Food and Drug Administration, July 2003

A Great Thing To Do — Recycle the Pistachio Shells!

The empty pistachio shells are useful for recycling in several ways.  If unsalted, the shells need not be washed and dried before reuse, but washing is simple if that is not the case.  Practical uses include as a fire starter; kindling to be used with crumpled paper; to line the bottom of pots containing houseplants for drainage and retention of soil for up to two years; as a mulch for shrubs and plants that require acid soils, as a medium for orchids; and as an addition to a compost pile designed for wood items that take longer to decompose than leafy materials (it can take up to a year for pistachio shells to decompose unless soil is added to the mix).  Shells from salted pistachios can also be placed around the base of plants to deter slugs and snails.  Many craft uses for the shells include holiday tree ornaments, jewelry, mosaics and rattles.  Research indicates that pistachio shells may be helpful in cleaning up pollution created by mercury emissions. 

HOW TO OBSERVE

Have a pistachio.  Have a bunch of pistachios.  

Try a pistachio recipe or two:

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Pistachio Lemon Truffles