Computer Problems ~ Dude ~ Picture of the Day ~ Skunks ~ Roasted Vegetable Penne Pasta ~ Dawna Keith ~ Rick & Wendy Harp ~ National Pralines Day

Good 47º a few cirrus clouds and sunny morning.

Boy, yesterday was a big frustrating pain. Turned on my computer and AOL wasn't there! It disappeared. I got ahold of AOL and they were in my computer working on the problem. There were problems with malware/viruses etc. Apparently my programs that should have diagnosed those didn't work. It went from 6:30am until 9:am. At least it is all fixed. The two people I talked to, Amy and Jordan, were super nice.

Dude is doing OK. With all the meds he's on, all he wants to do is sleep. He will eat breakfast, but hasn't eaten dinner since coming home. 

Picture of the Day....

Interesting about skunks....

A skunk is able to spray a distance of 10 feet with accuracy. Remarkably, the animal also has the ability to control how much of the mist is sprayed.

The liquid comes from the anal glands underneath the animal's tail and is deployed when it feels threatened or attacked. Prior to its release, skunks often stomp their front feet on the ground as a warning. While it takes time for the animal to produce the mist, they typically carry enough of it for about eight sprays. Though not harmful, the pungent scent lasts for many days, making most predators reluctant to attack skunks unless food is scarce.

Skunks are crepuscular and solitary animals when not breeding, though in the colder parts of their range, they may gather in communal dens for warmth. During the day they shelter in burrows, which they can dig with their powerful front claws. Males and females occupy overlapping home ranges through the greater part of the year, typically 0.77 to 1.54 sq mi for females and up to 7.7 sq mi for males.

Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. Over winter, multiple females (as many as 12) huddle together; males often den alone. Often, the same winter den is repeatedly used.

Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing, they have poor vision, being unable to see objects more than about 10 ft away, making them vulnerable to death by road traffic. They are short-lived; their lifespan in the wild can reach seven years, with most living only up to a year. In captivity, they may live for up to 10 years.

 *** I had a skunk under my front deck/porch. I sprayed WD-40 around the whole porch on the lattice and the skunk left and never returned. Like most critters , they don't like WD-40 either!! 

 

From the Slow Roasted Italian....

Roasted Vegetable Penne Pasta

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 pints grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (grated and divided)
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 pound dry penne pasta
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400°.  Prepare 2 cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
2. Wash vegetables well.  Dry and cut into bite size pieces, about 1/2".
3. Separate veggies between two pans and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 40-45 minutes, rotating top and bottom pan and stirring vegetables every 15 minutes.   Once your vegetables start to brown around the edges they are done.
4. Approximately 15 minutes before vegetables are done, prepare penne by bringing an 8 quart pot of water to a boil.  Add pasta and a handful of salt.  Cook according to package directions (approximately 7-10 minutes).  Remove from heat when pasta is al dente.  Drain.  Pour pasta into a large serving bowl, add hot roasted vegetables on top.
5. Drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil over the top and add garlic and 1 cup cheese.  Toss well to combine.  Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Special day today for some friends..... Dawna Keith is celebrating her birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAWNA!!!

And today is the 57th Wedding Anniversary of Rick and Wendy Harp. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KIDS!

 

Rick is retired LA Co. Fire Capt on Catalina Island. Wendy is a horse aficionado!

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

 

1846 – The saxophone is patented by Adolphe Sax in Paris, France.

1949 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, is aired on NBC starring William Boyd.

2010 – John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France at Wimbledon, in the longest match in professional tennis history.

And births this date include..

1893 – Roy O. Disney, American businessman, co-founded The Walt Disney Company with his brother Walt.(d. 1971)

 1895 – Jack Dempsey, American boxer and soldier (d. 1983)

1931 – Billy Casper, American golfer and architect (d. 2015)

1942 – Michele Lee, American actress

 

Just sayin'............

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Pralines Day is observed annually on June 24th.  This day honors the praline, a confection made from nuts (whether in whole pieces or ground) and sugar syrup. Pralines may also refer to any chocolate cookie containing the ground powder of nuts.

There are a variety of pralines to be enjoyed:

• Belgian Pralines – contain a hard chocolate shell with a softer, sometimes liquid, filling.
• French Pralines – a combination of almonds and caramelized sugar.
• American Pralines – contain milk or cream and are softer and creamier, resembling fudge.

At the Chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte during the 17th century, French sugar industrialist, Marshal du Plessis-Praslin (1598-1675), originally inspired the early pralines.   These first pralines were whole almonds, individually coated in caramelized sugar.

The powder made by grinding up sugar-coated nuts is called pralin.  This is an ingredient in many types of cake, pastries and ice creams.  When this powder is mixed with chocolate, it becomes praliné in French, which gave birth to what is known in French as chocolat praliné.

The French settlers brought their recipe into Louisiana,  an area of the United States where both sugar cane and pecan trees were plentiful.  During the 19th century, New Orleans chefs substituted pecans for almonds, added cream to thicken the confection and thus created what is known throughout the Southern United States as the praline.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Create your own batch with this recipe for pralines.  We enjoy this Louisiana tradition so much we found another recipe for pralines for you to celebrate.  Of course, you can stop by your favorite confectionery and enjoy a few with friends and family.