Weather Predictions ~ Throw Back Thursday ~ Picture of the Day ~ Avocados ~ Shrimp & Crab Casserole ~ National Hard Candy Day

Good 40º it rained last night everything is wet morning. 

Here are the weather predictions for the rest of this week...

Yesterday we warmed to 45º. Heat wave! LOL.

Happy Throw Back Thursday...... me, 1957, the Girl Scout!

Picture of the Day .....

Interesting about avocados........

The avocado (Persea americana), a tree with probable origin in south-central Mexico, is classified as a member of the flowering plant family Lauraceae. The fruit of the plant, also called an avocado (or avocado pear or alligator pear), is botanically a large berry containing a single large seed.

The reptilian name -“alligator pear” ... This name came about not due to the seemingly scaly skin of the fruit, but due to a mislabelling and mispronunciation of its Spanish name, “avogado” by English speakers.

Avocados are commercially valuable and are cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates throughout the world. They have a green-skinned, fleshy body that may be pear-shaped, egg-shaped, or spherical. Commercially, they ripen after harvesting. Avocado trees are partially self-pollinating and are often propagated through grafting to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of the fruit.

Avocados have a unique nutrition profile. They contain lots of fiber and are rich in vitamins and minerals, such as B-vitamins, vitamin K, potassium, copper, vitamin E and vitamin C. They can be eaten raw, but are also commonly used in foods like guacamole.

In 2017, Mexico produced 34% of the world supply of avocados.

The avocado was introduced from Mexico to California in the 19th century, and has become a successful cash crop. About 59,000 acres  – some 95% of United States avocado production – is located in Southern California, with 60% in San Diego County. Fallbrook, California claims, without official recognition, the title of "Avocado Capital of the World" (also claimed by the town of Uruapan in Mexico), and both Fallbrook and Carpinteria, California, host annual avocado festivals. Avocado is the official fruit of the State of California.

This is an easy delicious comfort food casserole. Shrimp and Crab Casserole....

• 2 packages (8.8 ounces each) ready-to-serve long grain and wild rice
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream
• 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/2 pounds uncooked shrimp (31-40 per pound), peeled and deveined
• 2 cans (6 ounces each) lump crabmeat, drained
• 1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

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• Preheat oven to 350°. Spread rice into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender, 6-8 minutes. Stir in flour until blended; gradually whisk in cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
• 
  
• Stir in seafood seasoning, salt, pepper sauce and pepper. Fold in shrimp and crab. Spoon over rice. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, covered until shrimp turn pink, 40-45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. 
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  To Make Ahead:Can be made a day in advance. Prepare recipe as directed, cooling sauce slightly before adding shrimp and crab. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed.

Historically this date....

1972 – Apollo program: The last manned lunar flight, Apollo 17, crewed by Eugene Cernan, Ron Evans and Harrison Schmitt, returns to Earth.

1998 – Lewinsky scandal: The United States House of Representatives forwards articles I and III of impeachment against President Bill Clinton to the Senate.

And births this date include....

1946 – Robert Urich, American actor (d. 2002)

Too sad. Too young!

1963 – Jennifer Beals, American actress

1972 – Alyssa Milano, American actress

1980 – Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

A favorite of young and old alike, National Hard Candy Day on December 19th, recognizes the sweet tooth in all of us. 

Most hard candies are 100% sugar with flavoring and colors added. To achieve a hard candy, confectioners boil a sugar syrup to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the temperature is reached, the hot, pliable sugar is poured into molds or rolled and folded into shapes and left to cool. Once cool, the solid sugar becomes hardened and brittle.

The first hard candies, such as lemon drops and peppermints, were likely prescribed as a remedy for stomach ailments.

Hard candy became popular in the seventeenth century as sugar prices fell. Previously, hard candy was something that only the well-to-do could afford.  By the mid-1800s, over 400 companies were manufacturing this popular treat.

In 2015, Jolly Rancher surpassed Werther’s Original was the best selling hard candy.  Other popular hard candies include Dum Dum Pops, Life Savers, Tootsie Roll Pops, and Charms Blow Pop.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy your favorite hard candy. While shopping for some to taste, be sure to pick some up to fill those stockings, too.