Yesterday/Mike Hannan ~ Picture of the Day ~ White Castle ~ Chicken Enchilada Casserole ~ Dan and Judi Patz ~ National I Love Horses Day

Good 51º clear sunny morning. 

Yesterday we started off at 47º and topped at 98º.

I got my Schwans order delivered and Mike came over and mowed/weed-eated.

Picture of the Day 

Interesting about White Castle..

White Castle holds the title of being the first fast-food restaurant in the world. The restaurant was the start of what has become a multi-billion dollar fast food industry. Known for its small square burgers known as sliders, they were able to make 18 burgers for each pound of beef and sold them each for a nickel each. Although McDonald’s makes a lot of its “billions of burgers sold,” White Castle was the first fast-food chain to sell over a billion burgers. White Castle’s one billionth burger was sold in 1961—two years before McDonald’s cleared the same benchmark.

White Castle is an American regional hamburger restaurant chain with 377 locations across 13 states, with its greatest presence in the Midwest. The burgers were initially priced at five cents until 1929 and remained at 10 cents until 1949. In the 1940s, White Castle periodically ran promotional ads in local newspapers which contained coupons offering five burgers for ten cents, takeout only.

On January 14, 2014, Time labeled the White Castle slider as the most influential burger of all time.

Walter Anderson (1880-1963) had been running food stands in Wichita since 1916 when he opened his first diner in a converted streetcar. Looking to open other locations when he met Billy Ingram and together they started the White Castle chain. White Castle founded in 1921. At the time Americans were hesitant to eat ground beef after Upton Sinclair's 1906 novel The Jungle had publicized the poor sanitation practices of the meat packing industry. The founders set out to change the public's perception of the cleanliness of the industry they were creating. To invoke a feeling of cleanliness, their restaurants were small buildings with stainless steel interiors, and employees outfitted with spotless uniforms. Their first restaurants in Wichita, Kansas were a success and the company branched out into other Midwestern markets, starting in 1922.

The success of White Castle led to numerous imitators. Restaurants copied the distinctive architecture of White Castle buildings, as well as created confusion for consumers by using a similar name. The first of these imitators in Wichita was Little Kastle. Many competitors created their names with a play on the White Castle name. Some restaurant chains just replaced the word "Castle" with their own word (Cabin, Cap, Clock, Crescent, Diamond, Dome, Fortress, Grille, House, Hut, Kitchen, Knight, Log, Manna, Mill, Palace, Plaza, Shop, Spot, Tavern, Tower, Turret, Wonder) while others chose to replace "White" with another (Blue, King's, Little, Magic, Modern, Prince's, Red, Royal, Silver). Some of the other imitators included Castle Blanca, Blue Beacon, Blue Bell, Blue Tower, Red Barn, Red Lantern, and Klover Kastle. Despite all the competition, none of the competitors were able to match the success of White Castle.

Anderson is credited with the invention of the hamburger bun as well as "the kitchen as assembly line, and the cook as infinitely replaceable technician," hence giving rise to the modern fast-food phenomenon. Due to White Castle's innovation of having chain-wide standardized methods, customers could be sure that they would receive the same product and service in every White Castle restaurant.

The first White Castle in the far western United States opened at the Casino Royale Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip on January 27, 2015. This was the first expansion for White Castle into a different state in 56 years. On the first day of business, demand for food was so great that the restaurant had to temporarily close for two hours to restock. White Castle Vice President Jamie Richardson said the store sold 4,000 sliders per hour in it's first 12 hours. 

From The Slow Roasted Italian

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE (5-INGREDIENT)

Chicken Enchilada Casserole has all the delicious taste you love from your favorite chicken enchilada recipe without all of the work. These easy chicken enchiladas are stacked rather than rolled. And, best of all, you can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.

PREP TIME: 5 MCOOK TIME: 25MIN TOTAL TIME: 30MIN

 

• 2 cups (16-ounces) red enchilada sauce
• 6 (8-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 pound chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or rotisserie chicken)
• 1 (7-ounce can) fire-roasted diced green chiles
• 12 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend
• Optional toppings: fresh pico de gallo, sliced scallions, sliced olives, diced avocado, diced red onion, sour cream

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Add 1 cup of enchilada sauce to the bottom of your casserole dish. Add 4 tortilla halves to the bottom of the dish and flip over to coat both sides in the sauce. Place the tortillas with the cut edge against the side of the pan so it covers the bottom of the dish.
3. Add about 1/3 of chicken and chiles over the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over top.
4. Add 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce over the cheese. Spread sauce evenly with a spatula.
5. Layer with 4 tortilla halves placed so they cover the casserole. Add another 1/3 of chicken, chiles, and cheese.
6. Add another 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce and spread with a spatula.
7.  Layer with the remaining 4 tortilla halves placed so they cover the casserole. Add the remaining 1/3 of chicken, chiles, and cheese.
8.  Cover your baking dish with aluminum foil.  Bake for 20 minutes.
9.  Uncover your baking dish and return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes or until the cheese is completely melted. (I like to broil it for the last minute or two so it gets a beautiful bubbly and browned topping).
10.  Garnish with preferred toppings. Serve and enjoy!

Donna's notes...

You can use a 5x7 baking pan or an 8x8 baking pan. Using a 9x13 would work if you are going to double the recipe.

Special anniversary today...

Dan (LASD ret) and Judi Patz are celebrating Anniversary 48! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KIDS!!

 

Historically this date....

1870 – Reconstruction era of the United States: Georgia becomes the last of the former Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union.

1916 – In Seattle, Washington, William Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt incorporate Pacific Aero Products (later renamed Boeing).

2003 – AOL Time Warner disbands Netscape Communications Corporation. The Mozilla Foundation is established on the same day.

And births this date include...

1935 – Ken Kercheval, American actor  (d.2019)

1935 – Alex Karras, American football player and actor (d 2012)

 

1939 – Patrick Wayne, American actor

1944 – Jan-Michael Vincent, American actor (d.2019)

So many problems with drinking.

1951 – Jesse Ventura, American professional wrestler and politician

1963 – Brigitte Nielsen, Danish-born actress

Five husbands and 2 "partners". Busy!

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Hump Day. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

On July 15 we recognize the love of one magnificent creature.  Today is National I Love Horses Day!

With over 200 breeds, these spirited animals give humans much to love.  Their loyalty and devotion throughout history may only be a portion of the reasons to love them. Not just a means of transportation, horses cleared fields, fought wars, and moved cattle. Beyond their utility, their companionship was indispensable long lonely trails. Cattlemen, pioneers and more recognize horses as cornerstones of survival in a burgeoning nation.

The tallest horse breed is the Shire.  The stallions of this draft horse breed tower at 17 hands above the tiny Falabella, which grows to only eight hands and is the smallest breed of horse.

The phrase “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” is a reminder to be grateful for the gifts, opportunities or kind gestures that come our way. The phrase comes from inspecting a horse’s teeth to determine its health and value. If the horse was a gift, such an inspection would be considered an insult.

The quarter horse, named for its speed on a short track, is one the of three fastest breeds of horses.  Thoroughbreds follow quarter horses for longer distance, but Arabians outlast both breeds for endurance on the longest races.

A horse can see almost 360° at once. Because of this, it’s difficult to sneak up on a horse. Their only blind spots are directly behind them and in front. However, don’t approach a horse from behind; their powerful hind legs can do serious damage if they decide to defend themselves with a kick. Because horses have such an excellent range of vision, they can be easily distracted or startled. Trainers will place blinders or blinkers on their harness to block the horse’s view from the side. The small piece of leather helps the horse to focus their vision forward.

Just like human hair and fingernails, a horse’s hooves are made of the same protein – keratin. Farriers specialize in caring for horses’ hooves. They not only fit horses with shoes, but they trim their hooves and make recommendations for hoof care and foot health. Since horses spend an enormous amount of time on their feet, the care a farrier provides is instrumental to their overall health.

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL I LOVE HORSES DAY

Celebrate by visiting a local stable for a horseback ride. Seek a view of wild horses in a national park. Spend time riding your own horse if you have one.

Years ago I bought an Appaloosa horse from a deputy.

I wanted to be in the Sheriff's Mounted Patrol.

 

Chief was a great horse but I found out he was so frightened of sirens. I was riding him and a siren went by and it was "high ho silver and away!!!!" OMGOSH! So, I didn't think that would work and found a deputy who wanted to buy him and barrel race him. That worked great, as Chief won many barrel races!

And speaking of the Sheriff's Mounted, when I was in high school I played the glockenspiel in the Sheriff's Boys Band.

 

                                           ^not me

(And yes, politically incorrect as there were 5 of us girls...two carried the banner and three of us played the glockenspiel!) As for parades, we marched behind the Sheriff's Mounted.

Back then they didn't have anyone coming along and picking up the horse poop, so we marched right through it! YUCK! Our white boots became brown boots!