Weather ~ Dude ~ Picture of the Day ~ Highest IQ ~ Sugar 'n' Spice Nuts ~ John & Tanya Berokoff ~ National Maple Syrup Day

Good 29º everything is frozen morning.

Yesterday, as usual the gloom hung around all morning and then we got some sunshine and a peek at some blue sky!!!

Then the clouds left and wow!!!

And Dude was one happy camper!!! 

Picture of the Day... hmmmm.......

Interesting about Guinness Record of highest IQ....

Marilyn vos Savant (born 1946) is an American magazine columnist, author, lecturer, and playwright. Her unbelievably high IQ level of 228 had Marilyn vos Savant listed in the Guinness Book of World Records Hall of Fame for “Highest intelligence quotient (IQ) from 1986-1989, a competitive category the publication has since retired.

Savant lived a largely unremarkable childhood. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She came from a humble family of coal miners, and her parents were immigrants from Germany and Italy. As a student she excelled at science and math. But when Savant turned 10, her life changed. Her intelligence was tested using two types of IQ tests (Stanford-Binet/Hoeflin’s Mega Test). The prodigy scored extremely high on both. She was also recognized as having the highest IQ score as a child.

Her parents decided to withhold the information from the public in order to avoid commercial exploitation and assure her a normal childhood. Savant's attempt at anonymity ended when 'The Guinness Book of World Records' obtained her IQ test scores from the 'Mega Society', a group whose membership is restricted to those with only the highest of the high IQ scores (top 99.999 %).

Most people's intelligence scores fall within a narrow range on either side of the "normal" score of 100; by contrast, Savant's IQ score of 228 is more than double that of a person with normal intellect and 88 points higher than the genius level.

Following her listing in the 1986 Guinness Book of World Records, Parade ran a profile of her along with a selection of questions from Parade readers and her answers. Parade continued to get questions, so "Ask Marilyn" was made.

She uses her column to answer questions on many chiefly academic subjects; solve logical, mathematical or vocabulary puzzles posed by readers; answer requests for advice with logic; and give self-devised quizzes and puzzles. Aside from the weekly printed column, "Ask Marilyn" is a daily online column that adds to the printed version by resolving controversial answers, correcting mistakes, expanding answers, reposting previous answers, and solving additional questions.

Three of her books (Ask Marilyn, More Marilyn, and Of Course, I'm for Monogamy) are compilations of questions and answers from "Ask Marilyn". The Power of Logical Thinking includes many questions and answers from the column.

If you want to read more about Marilyn... go here..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_vos_Savant

From Mr. Food....

Our festive Sugar 'n' Spice Nuts are the perfect combo of salty and sweet for the holidays. Made with a variety of your favorite nuts, the sweetness of dried cranberries, and just enough cayenne to give it a good kick, this recipe is sure to disappear by the handful! And, not only is it a great snack when family visits during Christmas, but it's also the perfect goodie to send in the mail, for those who can't be with you this season.

 

• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 1 egg white, beaten slightly
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

 

1. Preheat oven to 325º. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine cashews, pecans, and peanuts. Add egg white and toss until evenly coated.
3. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper; mix well then add to nut mixture. Stir until nuts are well coated then spread on baking sheet in a single layer.
4. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring halfway through cooking time. Let cool.
5. Mix dried cranberries into nuts; serve immediately or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

 

Grammar School and High School friend, John and his wife Tanya Berokoff are celebrating their 52nd wedding anniversary. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KIDS!

^1955 at Sierra Park Grammar School.... back row L-R Gary Dimkitch (died), Janice Farrar (unk where she is) and John Berokoff. Front row me, Myra Osborne (unk her loc either), and Linda (Watterlond) Terror

Historically this date....

1957 – The United States successfully launches the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

1969 – Project Blue Book: The United States Air Force closes its study of UFOs, stating that sightings are generated as a result of "A mild form of mass hysteria, Individuals who fabricate such reports to perpetrate a hoax or seek publicity, psychopathological persons, and misidentification of various conventional objects."

And births this date include....

1894 – Arthur Fiedler, American conductor (d. 1979)

LOVED loved loved watching him conduct the Boston Pops! When Brian was a little guy, 2 or so, he'd sit on my lap and conduct with Mr. Fiedler! Cute!

1927 – Richard Long, American actor (d. 1974)

                                    Big Valley... big fav!

1947 – Wes Studi, American actor

1953 – Barry Livingston, American actor

1962 – Richard Jewell, American security guard and accused bomber (d. 2007)

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Get the flapjacks ready for National Maple Syrup Day. December 17th calls for orders of pancakes, french toast or biscuits topped off with butter and delicious maple syrup.

It is usually from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple or black maple trees that maple syrup is made from although it not limited to those maple species.

These trees, in cold climates, store starch in their trunks and in their roots.  In the spring, the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap.  The maple trees are then tapped by boring holes into their trunks and the released sap is collected.  After the sap is collected, it is processed by heating to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup.

Maple syrup was first collected, processed and used by the indigenous peoples of North America.  The practice was then adopted by the European settlers who gradually refined production methods.  In the 1970s further refinements in the syrup processing were made with technological improvements.

• A maple syrup production farm is called a sugarbush or a sugarwood.
• Sap is boiled in a sugar house which is also known as a sugar shack, sugar shanty or a cabane à sucre.

Up until the 1930s, the United States led in maple syrup production, now Canada is the world’s largest maple syrup producer.

Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the United States.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Serve up a breakfast worthy of real maple syrup. Whether you crave pancakes, biscuits or some light crepes.

Gloom ~ Picture of the Day ~ 1955 Le Mans Crash Disaster ~ Holly Jolly Fudge ~ National Chocolate Covered Anything Day

Good 37º dark cloudy morning. 

Yesterday just continued with the gloom and clouds/fog.... and it was cold. Hand warmers in my pockets helped!! 

Picture of the Day .... timing

Interesting about the 1955 Le Mans crash disaster...

The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France on 11 June 1955. A major crash caused large fragments of debris to fly into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Bouillin (who raced under the name Pierre Levegh) and injuring nearly 180 more. It was the most catastrophic crash in motor sport history, and it prompted Mercedes-Benz to retire from motor racing until 1989.

During the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans, a series of cars maneuvering around an Austin-Healey driven by Lance Macklin who was slowing to make a pit stop resulted in the Mercedes-Benz driven by Pierre Bouillin hit Macklin from behind and sending Bouillin through the air with part of his car moving past an earthen mound and into the spectator area. Bouillin was killed instantly.

The disaster led to an immediate temporary ban on motor sports in countries such as France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, and others, until the racetracks could be brought to a higher safety standard. This incident prompted Mercedes-Benz to withdraw from all forms of motor sport until 1989.

From Mr. Food..

It's the best time of the year! If you're looking for something special and sweet to give as a gift to the important people in your life, then you've found the perfect recipe! Our Holly Jolly Fudge looks festive, tastes amazing, and is the best kind of gift--one that comes straight from the heart. Plus, Holly Jolly Fudge is so easy to make, you'll have a jolly good time making it for everyone this holiday season!

 

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup red and green candied cherries, chopped

1. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In large saucepan over medium heat, bring granulated sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt to a boil, stirring frequently. Allow to boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. 
3. Remove from heat and slowly add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, stirring until smooth and well combined. Stir in cherries until evenly distributed. 
4. Spoon into baking dish and chill 1 hour or until firm. Cut into squares and serve, or store in an airtight container.

 

***

♫It's the most wonderful time of the year! And we love how versatile our fudge is! If you prefer, leave out the candied cherries and you'll have a great vanilla fudge to share with the whole family.

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

1707 – Last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan

1773 – American Revolution: Boston Tea Party – Members of the Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawksdump crates of tea into Boston harbor as a protest against the Tea Act.

1811 – The first two in a series of four severe earthquakes occur in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri. These four so-called mega-quakes are believed to be an ongoing cataclysmic danger that could reprise the 1811-12 series of 2,000 quakes that affected the lands of what would be eight of today's heartland states of the United States.

1985 – Mafia: In New York City, Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti are shot dead on the orders of John Gotti, who assumes leadership of the Gambino family.

2003 – President George W. Bush signs the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 into law. The law establishes the United States' first national standards for the sending of commercial e-mail and requires the Federal Trade Commission to enforce its provisions.

And births this date include...

1938 – Liv Ullmann, Norwegian actress

1961 – Sam Robards, American actor

Son of Jason Robards and Lauren Bacall....

L-R Bogart's daughter Leslie, Sam, Lauren, Bogart's son Steven

1963 – Benjamin Bratt, American actor

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Chocolate lovers rejoice on National Chocolate Covered Anything Day! December 16th offers the chocolate day you’ve been waiting for. On this day, dip and drizzle your favorite foods in every kind of chocolate imaginable.

If you could cover anything in chocolate, what would it be? So many foods improve when we dip them in chocolate. Businesses have been built on a foundation of dipping food into chocolate. Whether you pick up a chocolate fountain or order a bouquet of a beautiful arrangement of chocolate-dipped fruit, celebrate! 

But fruit isn’t the only food meant for dipping in chocolate. Oh no. Other foods cry out for chocolate, too. Have you tried chocolate-covered peanuts, cashews, or walnuts? Pretzels undergo a divine transformation when dipped in chocolate, and they even have a national day of their own. Pound cake and gummy candies taste delicious with chocolate, too. If you love coffee, how can you pass up chocolate covered coffee beans?

The list goes on. What’s you’re favorite covered chocolate covered anything?

HOW TO OBSERVE 

Pick up some chocolate covered anything or try your hand at dipping your favorite food in chocolate. 

Try these suggestions:

• Bananas and peanut butter
• Cookies
• Potato chips
• Orange wedges
• Ritz crackers
• Biscotti
• Peanut brittle
• Marshmallows
• Fudge
• Shortbread
• Ice cream