Weather/High Fog ~ Picture of the Day ~ Giraffes ~ Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing ~ National Tempura Day

Good 35º SUPER foggy can't even see my barn morning! 

Yesterday the same thing... fog, but high, not on the ground....

Picture of the Day ....  LOL

Interesting about giraffes....

At an average height of around 16-18 ft., the giraffe is the tallest land animal in the world.

Characterized by its long legs, long neck, and distinctive spotted pattern, many people first believed the giraffe was a cross between a leopard and a camel, which is reflected in its scientific name, Giraffa camelopardalis.

Giraffes live primarily in savanna areas in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. Their extreme height allows them to eat leaves and shoots located much higher than other animals can reach. In particular, they seek out acacia trees. Their long tongues are helpful in eating because they help pull leaves from the trees. Spending most of the day eating, a full-grown giraffe consumes over 100 lbs. of leaves and twigs a day.

When giraffes walk, they move both legs on one side of their body and then both legs on the other side, which is unusual. However, they run in a similar style to other mammals, swinging their rear legs and front legs in unison. They can reach 35 mph at full speed but only in brief spurts.

Giraffes are highly noticeable animals, and living in the middle of open plains is highly dangerous for them: predators can attack giraffes at any moment. That's why these creatures can't sleep for long periods. Giraffes sleep in 5-minute intervals several times a day. They sleep standing up most of the time, but sometimes they curl up just like cats, by sitting down and resting their heads on their backs.

Female giraffes can become pregnant at 5 years old. They carry a baby for 15 months and give birth while standing up. Newborns are about 6 ft. tall and weigh 150 lb.

They live up to 25 years in the wild.

From Mr. Food

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing runs rings around bottled. With this dressing being so easy to whirl together, it's a natural for drizzling on salads, tossing with pasta, or even adding tasty excitement to burgers.

 

• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 4 ounces blue cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until well mixed and consistency is still chunky. Use immediately or store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 cups dressing.

Historically this date.....

1952 – President Harry S. Truman announces that the United States has developed the hydrogen bomb.

1980 – President Jimmy Carter authorizes legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the Chrysler Corporation.

1999 – The Senate trial in the impeachment of U.S. President Bill Clinton begins.

And births this date include....

1800 – Millard Fillmore, 13th President of the United States (d. 1874)

1911 – Butterfly McQueen, American actress (d. 1995)

"I ain't birthin' no babies!"

1922 – Vincent Gardenia, Italian-born actor (d. 1992)

1929 – Terry Moore, American actress (only 5 husbands!)

1941 – Frederick D. Gregory, NASA astronaut

1956 – David Caruso, American actor

It's his 'head down' pose when he talks to people that irks me to the bone!

1964 – Nicolas Cage, American actor

The son of comparative literature professor August Coppola (a brother of director Francis Ford Coppola) and dancer/choreographer Joy Vogelsang, Cage changed his name early in his career to make his own reputation, succeeding brilliantly with a host of classic, quirky roles by the late 1980s. Initially studying theatre at Beverly Hills High (though he dropped out at 17)...

1966 – Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, American publicist (d. 1999)

1978 – Emilio Palma, first person born on the Antarctic continent

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

On January 7th, National Tempura Day encourages us to celebrate with a dish made with a tempura batter. This Japanese fare is made up of either seafood or vegetables dipped in batter and deep-fried. 

Portuguese Jesuit missionaries introduced the recipe for tempura to Japan during the sixteenth century (around 1549).  It is believed that Portuguese Jesuit Tokugawa Isyasu, founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, loved tempura. Since the Genroku era (September 1688 – March 1704), tempura was traditionally a very popular food eaten at street vendors called ‘yatai.’

Today, chefs all over the world include tempura dishes on their menus. They use a wide variety of different batters and ingredients, including the nontraditional broccoli, zucchini, and asparagus as well as dry fruits. Some meats, usually chicken and cheeses, particularly mozzarella, are known to be served tempura-style in some American restaurants.

For sushi lovers, a more recent variation of tempura sushi provides a new way of enjoying the delicacy. Entire pieces of sushi are dipped in batter and tempura-fried.