Cold Weather ~ Sami Gym Meet ~ Picture of the Day ~ Polar Bears ~ One Pot Mexican Pasta With Sausage ~ Sami Pendleton ~ Patterson's Chaka ~ Bob Vincent ~ Geese & Turkeys ~ National Banana Cream Pie Day

 

Good 30º frozen foggy ice on the barn roof (along with 2 geese) morning...

 

 

Having been born and raised and lived in Southern California for 50 years, until moving north, I am still weather wise a So. Cal girl. This weather here is COLD!! Yes, I know. Wuss. I wear 2 sweatshirts in the winter and keep hand warmers in my pockets! Now, my friends Pat and Alice live in upper Idaho and yesterday it was 7º!!! YIKES. Icicles on their window sills.... Ok, I'm not complaining about our temps here!

 

 

 

Yesterday Sami had a gymnastic meet up in Eugene, Oregon. She took 2nd over all.................. YEAH~!~

 

 

Picture of the Day......

 

Interesting about Polar Bears.........

 

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is a large bear, approximately the same size as the omnivorous Kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi). A boar (adult male) weighs around 772–1,543 lbs, while a sow (adult female) is about half that size. Although it is the sister species of the brown bear, it has evolved to occupy a narrower ecological niche, with many body characteristics adapted for cold temperatures, for moving across snow, ice and open water, and for hunting seals, which make up most of its diet. Although most polar bears are born on land, they spend most of their time on the sea ice. Their scientific name means "maritime bear" and derives from this fact. Polar bears hunt their preferred food of seals from the edge of sea ice, often living off fat reserves when no sea ice is present. Because of their dependence on the sea ice, polar bears are classified as marine mammals.

 

Polar bears' fur consists of a dense, insulating underfur topped by guard hairs of various lengths. It is not actually white—it just looks that way.

Each hair shaft is pigment-free and transparent with a hollow core that scatters and reflects visible light, much like what happens with ice and snow.

Polar bears look whitest when they are clean and in high angle sunlight, especially just after the molt period, which usually begins in spring and is complete by late summer. Before molting, accumulated oils in their fur from the seals they eat can make them look yellow.

Polar bears have black skin under which there is a layer of fat that can measure up to 4.5 inches thick.

On land (or on top of the sea ice) the polar bear's thick fur coat—not its fat—prevents nearly any heat loss. In fact, adult males can quickly overheat when they run.

In the water, polar bears rely more on their fat layer to keep warm: wet fur is a poor insulator. This is why mother bears are so reluctant to swim with young cubs in the spring: the cubs just don't have enough fat.

 

 

 

From the Slow Roasted Italian..

One Pot Mexican Pasta with Sausage

 

 

• 3 cups halved grape tomatoes, divided
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 pound smoked hot sausage links, precooked (sliced into coins)
• 1-2 jalapenos, sliced (to taste)
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 pound dry spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 5 cups water

1. Reserve (set aside) 1 cup halved tomatoes and 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a large (12") braising pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Once water is boiling, remove the lid and cook 7-9 minutes until pasta is al dente (with a bite to it).  Toss pasta with tongs occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking.  The liquid will be mostly absorbed when the pasta is finished cooking.
3. Add remaining tomatoes and cilantro and toss to combine.
4. Serve and enjoy!

DONNA'S NOTES

1. Choose your favorite sausage. I prefer hot Italian sausage, but chorizo would be good too. You can substitute 1 pound any dry pasta for the spaghetti, just cook until al dente.
2. You can substitute green chilies for the jalapenos or leave out the jalapenos completely.
3. You can finish the sauce with 4 ounces of cream cheese stirred into the pasta. It will help cool down the spiciness and also add a nice creaminess to the pasta.

 

 

Super special birthday today... my granddaughter Sami is 11 years old. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRETTY GIRL!!!

 

 

 

Also celebrating today is my pals Jeannie & Bill Patterson's (LASD ret) dog Chaka. She has the same date and birth year as Sami! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHAKA!!! xo

 

 

 

And...... former Temple City neighbor Bob Vincent (hubby of the fabulous Marie) is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB!!! xo

 

 

 

 

Historically this date............

1877 – U.S. presidential election, 1876: Just two days before inauguration, the U.S. Congress declares Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the election even though Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote on November 7, 1876.

1953 – The Academy Awards are first broadcast on television by NBC.

2002 – U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda begins, (ending on March 19 after killing 500 Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, with 11 Western troop fatalities).

 

And births this date include....

1793 – Sam Houston, American politician, 8th Governor of Tennessee and 7th Governor of Texas (d. 1863)

.... it didn't work out, but I wanted another boy and to name him Sam after Sam Houston because Jerry was born in Texas. As it is, we got our 'Sami'! Ironic on Sam H's birthday!

 

1904 – Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel), American author (d. 1991)

 

1917 – Desi Arnaz, Cuban-born actor and bandleader (d. 1986)

 

1919 – Jennifer Jones, American actress (d. 2009)

 

1950 – Karen Carpenter, American singer and drummer (The Carpenters) (d. 1983)

 

1962 – Jon Bon Jovi, American musician (Bon Jovi)

 

1968 – Daniel Craig, English actor

 

1982 – Ben Roethlisberger, American football player

 

 

Yesterday morning two of the geese were sitting atop my barn roof and honking honking honking honking!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pbCr577RI0

 

 

At the same time "my" 3 Tom Turkeys were down here gobbling gobbling gobbling!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeizF1_jKYk

 

 

 Noisy!!!

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo 

National Banana Cream Pie Day is recognized annually on March 2nd.  Celebrated throughout the United States, pie lovers enjoy this day as they get to indulge in one of America’s most popular cream pies.

Remember, bananas are loaded with potassium!

The process from the traditional custard pie was modified into a recipe for the appetizing and flavorful banana cream pie.  Now there are many variations in thousands of recipes for this yummy pie and recipes for banana cream pie can be found in recipe books dating back to the 19th century.

The banana cream pie was ranked the number one favorite dessert among the soldiers of the United States Armed Services in the 1950s.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Spend a little time in your kitchen whipping up a delicious banana cream pie to share with your family and friends.

A banana cream pie can be made as simple as:

• 1 box instant banana pudding  –  1 pkg cream cheese (softened)  –  2 large bananas – 1 container whipped topping – graham cracker crust
• Mix pudding with 1 1/2 cups milk, cool in fridge until thickened.  With mixer, combine pudding and cream cheese until blended.  Slice bananas into graham cracker crust.  Spoon pudding mixture over bananas and top with whipped topping.  Chill for at least 2 hours.  Enjoy!!