Heat ~ Picture of the Day ~ Dull Scotland and Boring Oregon ~ Award-Winning Potato Salad ~ Doug Gossage ~ Babette Faust ~ National Tequila Day

Good 51º clear sunny morning. 

Yesterday we warmed to 95º. There is a severe heat advisory for this area for Saturday and Sunday. 

Picture of the Day .... perfectly timed....

Interesting......

Dull Scotland and Boring Oregon.....

Dull is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland

In the Scottish Highlands, Dull consists of a single street of houses on the north side of the valley of the River Tay.

The name Dull may be Pictish in origin and derived from the word *dol meaning "water-meadow, haugh" (Welsh dôl).

In 1951, Dull had a population of 2,055. (This was for an extensive parish stretching a long way beyond the village.) As of 2012, the population of Dull was approximately 84.

Dull is twinned with:

• Boring, Oregon, since 2012.
• Bland, New South Wales, Australia

Elizabeth Leighton of Aberfeldy, Scotland, proposed the pairing with Boring, Oregon, while passing through the unincorporated town on the highway from Portland, Oregon, to Mount Hood on a cycling holiday. In June 2012, Boring, Oregon, accepted the proposal to "pair" their municipalities, in an effort to promote tourism in both places as a play on their names. The Boring Community Planning Organization (CPO) issued commemorative "Boring & Dull: a pair for the ages" T-shirts and mugs, raffling off a trip to Dull, Scotland. The 

Dull and Boring celebrations are held annually on August 9 in Oregon with a piper and a barbershop quartet; the Dull celebrations are in October.

^{Boring is an unincorporated community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. It is located along Oregon Route 212 in the foothills of the Cascade mountain range, approximately twelve miles (19 km) southeast of downtown Portland, and fourteen miles (23 km) northeast of Oregon City. A bedroom community, Boring is named after William Harrison Boring, a Union soldier and pioneer whose family built a farm in the area in 1856, before Oregon had received statehood.}

From Mr. Food

Here in the Test Kitchen we know that the real judges of a tasty dish are our friends and family, so when we first served up this potato salad recipe and everyone cheered, we knew we had come up with an Award-Winning Potato Salad recipe. Give this creamy potato salad a try and let us know what you think!

 

• 4 pounds white or red potatoes
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 celery stalks, chopped

 

1. Place potatoes in a large pot with just enough water to cover; bring to a boil over high heat. Cook 25 to 30 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain and cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, onion powder, salt, and pepper; mix well.
3. Cut potatoes into chunks and add to sour cream mixture. Add eggs, bell pepper, and celery; toss gently until well combined.
4. Chill 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Two special birthdays today..... Wilsonite Doug Gossage is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOUG!

And...... Sandy (Todoran) Beck's sister Babette Faust is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABETTE! (with her Jim)

 

Historically this date.....

1935 – The dust bowl heat wave reaches its peak, sending temperatures to 109°F in Chicago and 104°F  in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1966 – Michael Pelkey makes the first BASE jump from El Capitan along with Brian Schubert. Both came out with broken bones. BASE jumping has now been banned from El Cap.

2005 – Lance Armstrong wins his seventh consecutive Tour de France.

And births this date include...

1897 – Amelia Earhart, American aviator (d. 1937...maybe! It's being looked into more recently.)

1899 – Chief Dan George, Canadian actor (d. 1981)

1936 – Ruth Buzzi, American actress and comedian

1951 – Lynda Carter, American actress

1969 – Jennifer Lopez, American actress and singer

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

On July 24th, commemorate National Tequila Day with a little lime and salt. Mix up a Margarita, Paloma, or a Mamasita to celebrate the day! People have been making Tequila for centuries, and it was once known as mezcal wine.

In fact, Tequila is mezcal, but mezcal isn’t Tequila. That’s because Tequila is distilled from a specific type of agave plant. Also, the law protects its production. Take a sip, and we’ll travel into Tequila’s history.

Tequila History

It all started around the 16th century. Cortez arrived on the North American continent with his Spanish conquistadors. They didn’t care much for the fermented mezcal wine served to them. However, the Spanish introduced copper stills to the population. Enter the distilling process. 

Now, our story takes us to Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. Located in a valley west of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico, the town made a name for themselves by distilling Blue Agave. Even though a variety of succulents in Mexico produce mezcal, only one delivers the nectar to distill Tequila. Blue Agave grows in the highland region. Indeed, the unique growing conditions contribute to a larger size and sweeter tasting agave. In contrast, agave grown in the lowland regions taste and smell more herbal.

In Mexico, the law protects the production of Tequila. The rule states Tequila is only Tequila if it is made within Jalisco. Additionally, the law limits production to regions in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. However, the same ingredients distilled anywhere else cannot be labeled Tequila. 

Interestingly, many names in the tequila business today were the very first commercial producers of Tequila. For example, José Antonio Cuervo held the first license for making the favored beverage. He kept a well-known company, too. Two other names include Don Cenobio Sauza and Félix López, whose businesses continue in some form today.

Equally enjoyed in cocktails such as the margarita or tequila sunrise, connoisseurs savor a good tequila like a good whiskey. As a result, savvy drinkers experience the smooth renaissance of Tequila. Surprisingly, it’s not the firewater they remember from their youth.