Leap Day ~ Picture of the Day ~ Statue of David ~ One-Pot Jambalaya Pasta ~ Leap Year Leap Day

Good 34º dark cloudy rain predicted morning. 

Happy Leap Day! 

Picture of the Day 

Interesting...

Caesars Palace was the first true themed resort along the Las Vegas Strip. The Roman-themed hotel has a replica of the Statue of David among other statues throughout the hotel. This statue is truly special, because it’s an exact replica of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, sculpted from the same Italian marble Michelangelo used (Carrara marble). The replica stands 18 feet tall, and weighs more than nine tons. 

The original David was unveiled on September 8, 1504 and currently resides in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, Italy.

From the Slow Roasted Italian

One-Pot Jambalaya Pasta

1/2 pound chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 to 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

6 ounces Andouille sausage

2 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta

1 cup chicken broth

1 small red bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced into thin strips

1 small green bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced into thin strips

1 large tomato, chopped

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Sliced chives, for garnish

1. Season chicken with one tablespoon Cajun seasoning; set aside.
2. In a 12” pan or skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and stir until soft, about 3 minutes. Add chicken to the pan and cook until brown on both sides. Stir in garlic and sausage and cook one additional minute. Add uncooked pasta, chicken broth, sliced peppers, tomatoes, and remaining Cajun seasoning. Stir then bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir, add shrimp to the pan, recover and simmer an additional 7 minutes. Uncover and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 additional minutes. 
4. Remove from the heat, stir in the cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
5. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.

Historically this date.....

1504 – Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse that night to convince Native Americans to provide him with supplies.

1916 – Child labor: In South Carolina, the minimum working age for factory, mill, and mine workers is raised from twelve to fourteen years old.

1940 – For her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Academy Award.

1960 – Family Circus makes its debut.

Ohh......one of my most favorite cartoons!!!

1972 – Hank Aaron becomes the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to sign a $200,000 contract.

And births this date include....

1916 – Dinah Shore, American singer and actress (d. 1994)

1944 – Dennis Farina, American actor (d.2013) 

Interestingly enough, he was a Chicago cop for 18 years before becoming an actor!

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Leap Saturday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo 

Leap Day is every fours years....almost. It's every four years except years ending with "00" that are not divisible by 400. The year in which Leap Day occurs, is called a Leap Year.

Why the fancy calculation? The earth rotates around the sun once every 365 and about 1/4 days. So, by adding an extra day every four years, we get mighty close to keeping the calendar consistent with the earth's annual trip around the sun. And to be very precise, the earth orbits the sun every 365.242190 days. So, on years ending in "00", (except those not divisible by 400) we skip Leap Year and Leap Day. With all that fancy calculating out of the way, let's just celebrate the day.

Did you know? There are occasional "Leap Seconds". We will spare you the detail on those, except to say it helps to correct minor variations. On December 31, 2015, the folks who maintain the official time for the planet, will add an extra second to the day!

If your birthday is on Leap  Day, congratulations, you finally get to celebrate your birthday on your birth date. Just how many of us are celebrating our Birthday on Leap Day? Only about one in 1461 people. If you were born on this day, consider yourself very, very special.  If my birthday had been on Leap Day I'd be all of 19 now!!!!