Weather ~ February! ~ Chicago Freeze ~ Picture of the Day ~ Frogs ~ Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese Balls ~ February Birthdays ~ Dr. Brian ~ Joan Driscoll Lopes ~ National Baked Alaska Day

 

Good NO FOG just 38º cloudy morning. 

Rain predicted for today and tonight and through the weekend. 

 

Wow, February already!!!

 

Yesterday that danged fog hung in until just after noon...

then it was clear and sunny. YIPPEEE!

 

Can't complain though... this picture posted of a windowsill on the inside of the apartment in Chicago covered with ice....

 

This is Phil Santisteven's (LASD ret) daughter's place. OMG!

 

 

 

Picture of the Day..... hmmmm

 

 

Interesting about frogs........

 

 

A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (literally without tail in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog"appeared in the early Triassic of Madagascar, but molecular clock dating suggests their origins may extend further back to the Permian, 265 million years ago. Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to subarctic regions, but the greatest concentration of species diversity is in tropical rainforests. There are approximately 4,800 recorded species, accounting for over 85% of extant amphibian species. They are also one of the five most diverse vertebrate orders. Warty frog species tend to be called toads, but the distinction between frogs and toads is informal, not from taxonomy or evolutionary history.

An adult frog has a stout body, protruding eyes, cleft tongue, limbs folded underneath, and no tail. Frogs have glandular skin, with secretions ranging from distasteful to toxic. Their skins varies in color from well-camouflaged dappled brown, grey and green to vivid patterns of bright red or yellow and black to show toxicity and ward off predators. Adult frogs live in fresh water and on dry land; some species are adapted for living underground or in trees.

Frogs typically lay their eggs in water. The eggs hatch into aquatic larvae called tadpoles that have tails and internal gills.

Frogs are valued as food by humans and also have many cultural roles in literature, symbolism and religion. Frog populations have declined significantly since the 1950s. More than one third of species are considered to be threatened with extinction and over 120 are believed to have become extinct since the 1980s

The name frog derives from Old English frogga, abbreviated to frox, forsc, and frosc, probably deriving from Proto-Indo-European preu = "to jump".

The structure of the feet and legs varies greatly among frog species, depending in part on whether they live primarily on the ground, in water, in trees or in burrows. Frogs must be able to move quickly through their environment to catch prey and escape predators, and numerous adaptations help them to do so. Most frogs are either proficient at jumping or are descended from ancestors that were, with much of the musculoskeletal morphology modified for this purpose. The tibia, fibula, and tarsals have been fused into a single, strong bone, as have the radius and ulna in the fore limbs (which must absorb the impact on landing). The metatarsals have become elongated to add to the leg length and allow frogs to push against the ground for a longer period on take-off. The illium has elongated and formed a mobile joint with the sacrum which, in specialist jumpers such as ranids and hylids, functions as an additional limb joint to further power the leaps. The tail vertebrae have fused into a urostyle which is retracted inside the pelvis. This enables the force to be transferred from the legs to the body during a leap.

A bullfrog skeleton, showing elongated limb bones and extra joints. Red marks indicate bones which have been substantially elongated in frogs and joints which have become mobile. Blue indicates joints and bones which have not been modified or only somewhat elongated.

The eyes of most frogs are located on either side of the head near the top and project outwards as hemispherical bulges. They provide binocular vision over a field of 100° to the front and a total visual field of almost 360°. They may be the only part of an otherwise submerged frog to protrude from the water. Each eye has closable upper and lower lids and a nictitating membrane which provides further protection, especially when the frog is swimming

Many species of frog have deep calls. The croak of the American bullfrog (Rana catesbiana) is sometimes written as "jug o' rum". The Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla) produces the onomatopoeic "ribbit" often heard in films.

Frog legs are eaten by humans in many parts of the world. French cuisses de grenouille or frog legs dish is a traditional dish particularly served in the region of the Dombes (département of Ain). The dish is also common in French-speaking parts of Louisiana, particularly the Cajun areas of Southern Louisiana as well as New Orleans, United States. In Asia, frog legs are consumed in China, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. Chinese edible frog and pig frogs are farmed and consumed on a large scale in some areas of China. Frog legs are part of Chinese Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine. In Indonesia, frog-leg soup is known as swikee or swike. Indonesia is the world's largest exporter of frog meat, exporting more than 5,000 tonnes of frog meat each year, mostly to France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

 

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese Balls from Mr. Food

Looking for a good buffalo chicken recipe for game day? What about a mac and cheese recipe? Well, you're in luck! For the big game, we came up with an appetizer that features both of your favorites in one gotta-have-it recipe! Our Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese is a fried ball of appetizer heaven! Serve it up with some blue cheese and celery sticks, and your big game party will win first place!

 

• 1 (12-ounce) package frozen macaroni and cheese, thawed
• 1/2 cup diced cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons Buffalo wing sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing

 

1. Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper. In a medium bowl, combine macaroni and cheese, chicken, and wing sauce; mix well. Place in refrigerator 15 minutes to chill. Using a small ice cream scoop, melon baller, or teaspoon, shape mixture into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheets. Freeze 2 hours or until frozen solid.
2. In a shallow dish, beat egg and water. In another shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, and pepper.
3. In a deep saucepan over medium heat, heat oil until hot, but not smoking. Dip frozen balls into egg wash then roll in bread crumb mixture. In small batches, fry balls 3 to 5 minutes or until golden and center is hot. (Keep remaining balls frozen until ready to fry.) Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and serve immediately with dressing.

 

 

Now if your birthday is in February.... here's some interesting February special days... I like the 18th !! Joe Kirk (LASD ret) your day is good too!

 

Special birthdays today...

My cardiologist Dr. Brian Morrison....

 

and Joan Driscoll Lopes, formerly worked at my vet's office..... HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOAN!

 

 

 

Historically this date........

 

1920 – The Royal Canadian Mounted Police begins operations.

 

 

1978 – Director Roman Polanski skips bail and flees the United States to France after pleading guilty to charges of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old girl.

 

 

1979 – Convicted bank robber Patty Hearst is released from prison after her sentence is commuted by President Jimmy Carter.

 

 

1991 – A runway collision between USAir Flight 1493 and SkyWest Flight 5569 at Los Angeles International Airport results in the death of 34 persons, and the injury of 30 others.

 

 

2004 – Janet Jackson's breast is exposed during the half-time show of Super Bowl XXXVIII, resulting in US broadcasters adopting a stronger adherence to Federal Communications Commission censorship guidelines.

 

 

And births this date include....

 

1687 – Johann Adam Birkenstock, German composer and violinist (d. 1733)

 

 

 

...........awwww, you mean he didn't invent my favorite shoe??

 

 

1901 – Clark Gable, American actor (d. 1960)

 

 

 

 

1928 – Stuart Whitman, American actor

 

 

 

 

1937 – Don Everly, American musician (Everly Brothers)

 

 

Don on the right....                       Whodda thought!

 

 

1968 – Lisa Marie Presley, American singer and actress

Four husbands, none lasted!

Changes like the seasons!

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

An elaborate dessert that is also known as “Omelette Norvegienne,” Baked Alaska is made with hard ice cream on a base of sponge cake and covered in a shell of toasted meringue.

In the United States 1867 there was earnest debate over the potential purchase of Alaska from Russia. Secretary of State William Seward agreed to a purchase price of $7 million, and Alaska became a United States territory in 1868. Those who were of the opinion the purchase was a giant mistake referred to the purchase as “Seward’s Folly.”

Enter Charles Ranhofer, the chef at Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City, notorious for naming new and renaming old dishes after famous people and events. Capitalizing on the heated controversy surrounding the purchase in the frozen north, Baked Alaska fit the bill. It was cold, nearly frozen and quickly toasted in a hot oven before serving.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Order up some Baked Alaska or try your hand at this recipe: Baked Alaska recipe.