Heat ~ Picture of the Day ~ Wild Turkeys ~ Raspberry Cream Danish ~ National Vanilla Ice Cream Day

Good 55º clear sunny morning. 

Yesterday we topped at 101º.

Picture of the Day....

Interesting about Wild Turkeys....

Wild turkeys can fly at speeds of 55 miles per hour. Though the birds are very fast in the air, they can only fly at these speeds for a very short amount of time.

Wild turkeys are relatively fast on the ground as well as in the air. These large birds can run at speeds of 25 miles per hour, making it relatively easy for them to escape from predators. Though turkeys spend large amounts of time on the ground during the day searching for food like insects and berries, they fly into trees at night where they roost with their flock. Wild turkeys can get rather large, and full-grown males can weigh as much as 30 pounds. The large size does not hinder their speed, however.

This bird has been a popular menu item since as early as the sixteenth century, when European explorers took them home from Mexico. Before that, the Aztecs and other Native American groups were already domesticating turkeys both for food and feathers. Wild turkeys still roam the continent—watch for them in open woodlands, along field edges, and in clearings. During the day they spend most of their time on the ground, but at night they roost in trees.

Due to over hunting and deforestation that eliminated wild turkeys’ habitat, these birds were nearly extinct in the 1930s. Today, there are more than seven million wild turkeys, and the population of these birds is increasing in many areas. Their range is spread throughout North America, from Canada to Mexico.

• The average lifespan of a wild turkey is 3-5 years, and the oldest known wild turkey lived to be at least 13 years old. Domestic birds bred for food only live a few months until they are the appropriate size for commercial slaughter, though breeding pairs may be kept several years.
• In the wild, turkeys range from 5-20 pounds. Domestic turkeys are specially bred to be heavier and could weigh twice as much as their wild cousins depending on their age when they are harvested.

• The wild turkey’s bald head and fleshy facial wattles can change color in seconds with excitement or emotion. The birds’ heads can be red, pink, white, or blue. The flap of skin that hangs down over a turkey's bill is called a snood, and can also change color, size, and shape based on mood and activities.

We have a lot of wild turkeys here.....

They are not native to Oregon. They were first introduced in 1961. Since then more than 10,000 turkeys have been transplanted all over Oregon. There are two subspecies, the Merriam's wild turkey was the first in the state, and the Rio Grand turkey was introduced in 1975.

From Mr. Food...

Raspberry Cream Danish

Thanks to shortcuts like frozen puff pastry, we're able to make jaw-dropping pastries like our Raspberry Cream Danish. These are filled with a homemade cream cheese filling, which makes them extra-special. A raspberry in the center and a sprinkle of powdered sugar are the finishing touches to this bakery-style treat.

 

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 18 fresh raspberries

 

1. Preheat oven to 400º. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and the vanilla until smooth; set aside.
2. Unfold puff pastry on flat surface and cut into 9 equal squares. Fold one corner of pastry to opposite corner, then turn pastry so it looks like a triangle.
3. Leaving a 1/4-inch border around triangle, cut slits from bottom to 1/4-inch from top of pastry, making sure slits do not touch. Unfold the triangle and turn so point is facing up. Take the top flap and fold it toward the 2 cuts near bottom. Take bottom flap and fold it towards top edge.
4. Place a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture in center, then place a raspberry on top. Repeat with remaining pastry, and place on baking sheet.
5. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly, then sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

 

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Feel free to use any other of your favorite fruits, like blueberries or strawberries.

Historically this date....

1903 – The Ford Motor Company sells its first car.

1984 – Vanessa Williams becomes the first Miss America to resign when she surrenders her crown after nude photos of her appeared in Penthouse magazine.

1986 – In London, Prince Andrew, Duke of York marries Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey.

And births this date include...

1918 – Pee Wee Reese, American baseball player (d. 1999)

1936 – Don Drysdale, American baseball player (d. 1993)

1938 – Charles Harrelson, American convicted murderer; father of Woody Harrelson (d. 2007) Interesting read....

1961 – Woody Harrelson, American actor (same birthday as his father)

............very strange man.

1973 – Monica Lewinsky, American White House intern

Click on her name.... interesting read.

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Vanilla Ice Cream Day on July 23rd tips its hat at the second most popular flavor in America. Take a bow, vanilla. I scream, you scream, we all scream for…VANILLA ICE CREAM!! Of course, the day is part of  National Ice Cream Month and not too far behind National Ice Cream Day.

Since Americans love vanilla ice cream so much, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that vanilla is the most common flavoring in North America for ice cream. In fact, many people consider vanilla ice cream to be the default flavor. 

Many may be familiar with Thomas Jefferson’s vanilla ice cream recipe. The third president of the United States may have discovered vanilla flavor while visiting France. While he wouldn’t have been the first to savor the delicious taste of vanilla ice cream, Jefferson enjoyed jotting down recipes. The same applied to ice cream. He also produced a handwritten copy of a vanilla ice cream recipe in the 1780s. Only ten copies remain. In fact, the Library of Congress houses one copy that has a cookie recipe on the flip side. Today, the ice cream parlor at Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota serves the same recipe so that anyone can have a taste.