Canyonville Fire ~ Summer Temperature ~ Picture of the Day ~ WD-40 ~ Garden Squares ~ Laura Kath ~ National Coffee Milkshake Day

Good 55º super smokey morning. 

About 50 miles to the north of us is the Canyonville Fire. It has consumed about 800 acres. The smoke here is awful. Staying inside!!! Can't even see my mountain..... this was yesterday, but it looks the same this morning...

Yesterday stayed warm and we topped at 103º ! 

Picture of the Day ... good timing!

Interesting about WD-40.....

I have always loved WD-40 for so many things. Especially keeping critters out from under the hood of your car once you spray the engine with it. And, it kept that bear out of my big can of cracked corn! I had a skunk under my front porch deck so I sprayed all the area around the porch and some underneath and the skunk left and never returned! Now here are a few more uses...

1. Removes dried gum from fabrics... like if it was stuck to the bottom of your shoe and then you walked on the carpet. So easy to remove from the carpet and your shoe, by just spraying it on the gum. Within a few seconds it pulls off easily! It also works if a kid gets gum in their hair.

2. Prevents squirrels from eating all the bird seed. They climb the bird feeders like ninjas and eat the birdseed before the birds get a chance! Spray the tops of the bird feeder with WD-40 before you fill it so it doesn't contaminate the seed. The squirrels will slip right off!

3. If you run out of toilet bowl cleaner, don't worry. The solvents in the WD-40 dissolve hard water deposits, lime, and other gunk. Just spray the toilet bowl with the WD-40 and let it sit a few seconds and scrub it away with the toilet brush!

4. It takes sticky paper price stickers off easily from a gift vase,  coffee mug, , or anything that you would have a hard time scraping the sticker off. Also taking the label off candle jars or any glass you want to reuse is maddening. Spray the sticker with WD-40 and let it sit for a bit. The sticker after a few minutes will have absorbed the spray and you can remove it in one piece!

5. If your child or grandchild is creative and doodled on a wall with a crayon or marker, don't get angry. Just spray the WD-40 on the art work and within a few minutes it will wipe right off. If that doesn't work, spray a square of paper towel and stick it to the doodle. Wait a few minutes and then rub it with a lint free rag.

6. Clean tile and grout. Tile floors can be a pain to keep clean.  Should the tiles and grout get mucked up by paint, nail polis, mascara, or scuff marks you can get rid of it all with WD-40! Just spray the area with the WD-40 and wipe it away with a clean cloth. Then simply clean the area with warm soapy water. 

7. One of the hardest things to clean off your hands is grease. Spray your hands with WD-40 before soaping up, and it will come off much easier. Spray your hands over a garbage bin or sink so the WD-40 doesn't go everywhere. Wash your hands really well to remove the excess WD-40.

8. Removes fresh blood stains from fabrics. If you catch the blood stain within the first hour you can prevent the blood from leaving a stain. Simply spray the stain with WD-40, let it sit a few minutes, then toss the clothing in the wash and wash like normal. This works on clothing, towels, and bed sheets. 

9. WD-40 will take rust off tools that got left outside. Spray the area with the WD-40, let ti sit a few minutes, then rub the rust away. this works for saw blades, tools, and pretty much any metal object that is likely to become rusted.

10. Revitalize plastic furniture. You know when you have plastic lawn furniture outside it starts to look faded, dull, and ugly. Spray the WD-40 on the plastic and buff it with a dry rag. The plastic will shier like new and any rain will slide right off thanks to the water repellent properties.

11. Removes coffee or tea stains from white counter tops. Just spray some WD-40 on the stain and wipe it away with a damp sponge or rag.

Oh, and I recently had an ant invasion in my bathroom, they were coming up between the tiles and the wall so I sprayed down the crack and the flat surface with WD-40 and they all died!!!! 

Garden Squares from Mr. Food

When you're in a hurry to make something garden-fresh, these are perfect! Just mix 'em and bake 'em to feed to your hungry crowd!

 

• 1 cup biscuit baking mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (See Tip)

1. Preheat the oven to 350º.
    
2. Place the biscuit baking mix in a large bowl, then mix in the remaining ingredients except the zucchini.
    
3. Fold in the zucchini, then distribute the mixture evenly in a 9" x 13" baking pan that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until set in center.
    
4. Let sit 5 minutes, then cut into squares and serve, or chill and rewarm just before serving.

Tip:

• Be sure to dry your shredded zucchini with a paper towel to get rid of extra moisture! That way your Zucchini Squares won't turn out soggy. 
   
• This is great as is, but why not try adding some dried basil, dillweed or your favorite seasonings? And how 'bout serving these with spaghetti sauce or your own favorite dipping sauces?

Special birthday today.... Laura Kath, a traveling pal from our trip to Greece and Turkey. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURA!

Historically this date......

1990 – The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is signed into law by President George Bush.

2005 – Space Shuttle program: STS-114 Mission – Launch of Discovery, NASA's first scheduled flight mission after the Columbia Disaster in 2003.

2005 – Mumbai, India receives 99.5cm of rain (39.17 inches) within 24 hours, bringing the city to a halt for over 2 days.

And births this date include...

1895 – Gracie Allen, American actress and comedian (d. 1964)

1909 – Vivian Vance, American actress (d. 1979)

1940 – Mary Jo Kopechne, American politician (d. 1969)

There certainly was no justice for her death!

1943 – Mick Jagger, English singer (The Rolling Stones)

1956 – Dorothy Hamill, American figure skater

1964 – Sandra Bullock, American actress

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Add National Coffee Milkshake Day on July 26th and coffee lovers to those who participate in National Ice Cream Month. The day whips up a caffeinated way to celebrate one of the hottest times of the year. 

While a milkshake sounds refreshing at the end of July, a coffee milkshake sounds even better. The combination of creamy ice cream blended with coffee perks up even the most extended workday. Add chocolate, and this treat becomes a mocha, too! 

For those of you dreaming of autumn, you’re allowed to mix up a pumpkin spice latte version, too. However, you’re not allowed to tell anyone we gave you permission. And those dreaming of Christmas in July, go ahead mix up a peppermint mocha milkshake. Again, you didn’t hear it from us. It is July after all.

If you’re going to go for a flavored coffee milkshake, may we make a suggestion? Since it’s summer, the s’more is an iconic summer coffee flavor.

While we’re flexible, let’s also be generous and invite others to your milkshake-making party. We Celebrate Every Day® this way, sharing all the best coffee-blends from espresso and caramel to dark chocolate and toffee.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Invite some friends to mix up coffee milkshakes in every flavor. Gather around the pool or take a walk while you enjoy your frozen pick-me-ups. Rather than staying up all night, make up decaf versions. These treats also make excellent substitutes for hot coffee at book clubs and other gatherings where beverages are served. Try a cafe latte milkshake or a caramel coffee milkshake.