Throw Back Thursday ~ Picture of the Day ~ Onions Smell ~ One-Pot Cheesy Italian Pasta and Chicken ~ Merrill Feiker ~ Annalee (Carlin) Fortini ~ National Pickle Day

Good 38º dark cloudy morning. 

Interesting clouds yesterday..........

And we topped at 68º.

Happy Throw Back Thursday.... 2001 when there were all these wild turkeys hanging around in the backyard....

Picture of the Day.... hmmmmm........

Interesting.....

When onions grow, one of the things they absorb from the soil is sulphur. When an onion is damaged through cutting or crushing, a volatile sulfur compound is released into the air. The sulfur-containing compounds are the flavor precursors that give rise to the characteristic odor and flavor of onions. Although many sulfur compounds have a strong smell, the pure element is odorless. Sulfur compounds are also why onions make you cry, why asparagus gives urine a weird odor, why garlic has a distinctive aroma, and why rotten eggs smell so horrible.

ONE-POT CHEESY ITALIAN PASTA AND CHICKEN from The Slow Roasted Italian...

One-Pot Cheese Italian Pasta and Chicken is a rich and savory dish bursting with your favorite flavors! This simple recipe features a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce that is cooked right into the pasta in this amazing one-pot dish. Toss it all in a pot and let it cook. It's so easy that it just about cooks itself. Now that's my kind of meal!!!

 

• 8 ounces baby spinach leaves, divided
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and Italian herbs, drained (about 7 ounces)
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1/2" bite size pieces)
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 pound dry linguine
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cups (32 ounces) reduced sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup (8 ounces) chardonnay wine
• 4 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded

1. Combine 1/2 of the spinach with the tomatoes, onion, chicken, garlic, linguine, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pour chicken stock and wine over top. Cover and bring to a boil.
2. 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 to the bottom of the pot. You will still have some liquid in the pan when the pasta is done cooking. This is going to make the base for our delicious cheese sauce.
3. Turn off the heat and add the cheese to the pasta. Toss pasta with tongs until the cheese melts into the pasta. Toss in remaining spinach.
4. Serve and enjoy!

DONNA'S NOTES

1. Dried Italian Seasoning is a fabulous convenience ingredient. If you do not keep it on hand, combine 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.
2. This dish is just spicy enough to make your tongue tingle. For a very mild sauce, reduce the red pepper flakes to 1/2 teaspoon.
3. I know some people are sensitive to alcohol. The wine adds a fabulous rich buttery flavor and a bright citrusiness to the pasta. If you can use the chardonnay, I highly recommend it. However, you can substitute with chicken stock, white grape juice, or lemon water (1/2 cup fresh lemon juice and 1/2 cup water).

Special birthdays today.... Merrill Feiker (former USMC and LASD ret) is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MERRILL! xo

Merrill Lane! There is one in Rogue River and a couple other places in Oregon and one in Washington too.

Also celebrating today is high school pal Annalee (Carlin) Fortini. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNE! xo

She and her hubby Led own a winery and Anne does home decorating.... Here's their website:

http://fortinihome01.goodbarry.com/wines

Historically this date......

1921 – The Tomb of the Unknowns is dedicated by US President Warren G. Harding at Arlington National Cemetery.

1926 – The United States Numbered Highway System, including U.S. Route 66, is established.

1967 – Vietnam War: In a propaganda ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, three American prisoners of war are released by the Viet Cong and turned over to "new left" antiwar activist Tom Hayden.

....what an Adam Henry Hayden is... and of course the ex spouse of Jane Traitor Fonda!

And births this date include...

1885 – George S. Patton, American general (d. 1945)

1960 – Stanley Tucci, American actor and director

1964 – Calista Flockhart, American actress

1974 – Leonardo DiCaprio, American actor and producer

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Pickle Day recognizes the tart, sometimes sweet, and even spicy pickle. Each year on November 14th, pickle lovers pop open pecks of their preferred preserved pickle.  observed annually on November 14. It may be a Dill, Gherkin, Cornichon, Brined, Kosher Dill, Polish, Hungarian, Lime, Bread and Butter, Swedish and Danish, or Kool-Aid Pickle. Whichever is your choice, eat them all day long.

The term pickle comes from the Dutch word pekel, meaning brine.  In the United States, the word pickle typically refers to a pickled cucumber. However, just about any fruit or vegetable can be pickled.

The process typically starts with a blanching process, depending on the fruit or vegetable. Then the product is packed into jars with seasonings that will give the pickles flavor. They can be spicy, tart or sweet. However, the tartness and sweetness come from the brine. A basic brine includes vinegar and water. Various amounts of sugar adjust the level of sweetness in the brine. 

Pickle Facts

Each year in the United States, 5,200,000 pounds of pickles are consumed. While pickles can be high in sodium, they are a good source of vitamin K. In moderation, they make a great snack.  

• Food vendors sometimes serve pickles on a stick fairs or carnivals. They are known as stick pickles.
• A rising trend in the United States is deep-fried pickles. The pickle is wrapped in dough or dipped in breading and deep-fried.
• The popularity of the pickle dates back thousands of years to 2030 B.C.  At that time, traders imported cucumbers from India to the Tigris Valley. Here the people first preserved and ate the cucumbers as pickles.
• Cleopatra attributed her good looks to her diet of pickles.
• Even Julius Caesar craved the benefits of pickles. He believed pickles lent physical and spiritual strength and gave them to his troops. 

Snack on a pickle to celebrate, but don’t stop there. This snack is multipurpose. They make delicious additions to salads and sandwiches. Grind them up and make a relish. Experimenting with pizza? Top it with some pickles. If your Sloppy Joe is missing a little zing, add some pickles. While not everything is better with pickles (ice cream?), a little experimentation goes a long way with pickles.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Try tasting pickled carrots, cauliflower or watermelon. Even some proteins are pickled, such as eggs. What’s your favorite kind of pickle? Sweet, spicy, dill? 

NATIONAL PICKLE DAY HISTORY

While this holiday has been celebrated for 70 years on various days, National Day Calendar has not identified the founder of the day. However, in 1949, the first observance began with encouragement from the Pickle Packers Association.