Closed I-5 at Grapevine ~ Tornado Warning ~ Picture of the Day ~ First Airplane Flight ~ Crescent Topped Cheeseburger Casserole ~ Trish Bowler ~ National Fruitcake Day

Good 32º high fog morning. 

Driving in Southern California has not been safe.....

Yesterday the I-5 over the Grapevine was shut down due to heavy snow starting about 10pm Christmas night. One of the busiest travel days! Apparently it's still closed today so far. 

And there was even a tornado warning for the Santa Barbara County!!

Picture of the Day ... US soldier's last name is Canada!!

Interesting about first airplane flight...

The first flight was flown by Orville Wright and lasted 12 seconds. On this day in 1903, Orville Wright piloted the first successful flight in history of a self-propelled airplane 20 feet above a beach near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The inaugural flight lasted 12 seconds and covered 120 feet. Three more flights were made that day with Orville's brother Wilbur piloting the longest one which lasted 59 seconds over a distance of 852 feet. The historic Wright brothers’ aircraft of 1903 is on permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Crescent Topped Cheeseburger Casserole

Combine your favorite burger toppings in a convenient casserole and top with flaky pastry.

1 pound lean ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup ketchup

1 T. yellow mustard

1/8 t. pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded American cheese

1 8oz can Pillsbury refrigerated Crescent Dough Sheet

1 egg, beaten

1 T. sesame seed

Heat oven to 375º. In non stick skillet cook beef and onion over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently until thoroughly cooked. Drain. Stir in pickles, water, ketchup, mustard and pepper.

Spoon mixture into 11x7 (2 qt) glass baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.

Unroll dough, press into 12x8 rectangle. Cut into 6 squares, plece on top of cheese. Brush with egg and sprinkle on sesame seeds.

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until deep golden brown.

***

• Top this casserole with shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, dill pickle slices and serve with ketchup and mustard on the side.
• Spice up the casserole filling when you add a small can of chopped chipotle chiles

Special birthday today.... great friend Trish Bowler, wife of the infamous John Bowler (LASD ret) is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRISH!! xo

Historically this date....

1968 – Apollo Program: Apollo 8 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, ending the first orbital manned mission to the Moon.

1978 – Spain becomes a democracy after 40 years of dictatorship.

1979 – The Soviet Union invades the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.

2001 – The People's Republic of China is granted permanent normal trade relations with the United States.

And births this date include..

1901 – Marlene Dietrich, German actress and singer (d. 1992)

1948 – Gérard Depardieu, French actor

1971 – Savannah Guthrie, American television journalist

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Across the United States, fruitcake lovers young and old, commemorate National Fruitcake Day each year on December 27th.

Made with chopped candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices and sometimes soaked in spirits, fruitcake has been a holiday gift-giving tradition for many years.

Dating back to ancient Rome, one of the earliest known recipes lists pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins mixed into barley mash. Records indicate that in the Middle Ages, makers added honey, spices, and preserved fruits. Recipes for fruitcakes vary from country to country, depending on available ingredients and tradition.

In the 16th century, two achievements crystallized to make fruitcakes more affordable and accessible. First, sugar from the American Colonies became abundant. Second, it was discovered that high concentrations of sugar could preserve fruits. These two actions resulted in excess candied fruit. Consequently, fruitcake making grew.

• Typically, Americans produce fruitcakes abundant in fruit and nuts
• In America, mail-order fruitcake began in 1913. 
• Charities often sell commercial fruitcakes from catalogs as a fundraising event. 
• In 1935, the expression “nutty as a fruitcake” was coined. The phrase came about as a result of excess nuts some Southern bakeries added to their fruitcakes due to their access to cheap nuts.  
• Most mass-produced fruitcakes in America are alcohol-free.
• Some traditional recipes include liqueurs or brandy. Bakers then complete the fruitcake by covering it with powdered sugar.
• Some fruitcake makers soaked their fruitcakes in brandy-soak linens believing the cakes improve with age.