Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Teddy Bears ~ Kristen & My Teddy ~ Meatloaf Potato Casserole ~ National Rum Day

Good 62º scattered cloudy morning. 

With the predictions for SUPER hot weather, yesterday 
by 1pm we were at 101º, by 2pm it was 105º, 3pm 109º, and at 4pm we topped at 111º!!

Picture of the Day ... oh my, perfect timing!

Interesting about Teddy Bears.....

A teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. Developed apparently simultaneously by toymakers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff in Germany in the early years of the 20th century, and named after President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, the teddy bear became a popular children's toy, celebrated in story, song, and film. Teddy bears are among the most popular gifts for children and are often given to adults to signify love, congratulations, or sympathy.

In 1902, President Roosevelt participated in a bear-hunting trip in Mississippi. While hunting, Roosevelt declared the behavior of the other hunters “unsportsmanlike" after he refused to kill a bear they had captured.

As news of the hunting trip spread, many newspapers around the country featured political cartoons starring “Teddy" and “the bear."

Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, New York, Morris Michtom saw one of the cartoons and had an idea. Michtom and his wife created stuffed bears and placed them in the front window of their shop.

With permission from Roosevelt, Michtom named the bears “Teddy bears." They were an instant success. Ladies and children carried the bears with them in public. President Roosevelt even used the teddy bear as his mascot when he ran for re-election.

Early teddy bears were made to look like real bears, with extended snouts and beady eyes. Modern teddy bears tend to have larger eyes and foreheads and smaller noses, babylike features intended to enhance the toy's "cuteness". Some teddy bears are also designed to represent different species, such as polar bears and brown bears, as well as pandas and koalas.

While early teddy bears were covered in tawny mohair fur, modern teddy bears are manufactured in a wide variety of commercially available fabrics, most commonly synthetic fur, but also velour, denim, cotton, satin, and canvas.

A 1902 political cartoon in The Washington Post spawned the teddy bear name.

Blankets over a table on my parents patio so Kristen could have a "tent" to play in. She's holding my favorite Teddy Bear my aunt gave to me when I was born. He is still close..... Anyway, so this is about 1971 or 1972, and Teddy was in his late 20's!

From Mr. Food

Here's a great meat-and-potatoes combination that's sure to be a hit with your gang! There's no need to make a separate mashed potato side dish... you can have an all-in-one dinner with this reader-favorite casserole.

 

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/3 cup saltine cracker crumbs (about 8 crackers)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 servings warm instant mashed potatoes
• 1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

 

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray
    
2. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, chili powder, and salt; mix well. Press mixture into prepared baking dish and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until juices run clear. Drain off excess liquid.
    

1. Combine potatoes, corn, and scallions. Spread over meat loaf. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top.
    
2. Bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted and top has begun to brown.
   
    

 

****If you want to add more spicy heat, use a little more chili powder or use a blend of shredded Mexican cheeses or Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers instead of Cheddar cheese.

Historically this date.....

1927 – The Dole Air Race begins from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, during which six out of the eight participating planes crash or disappear.

1960 – Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico at 102,800 feet (31,300 m), setting three records that still stand today: High-altitude jump, free-fall, and highest speed by a human without an aircraft.

1989 – A solar flare from the Sun creates a geomagnetic storm that affects micro chips, leading to a halt of all trading on Toronto's stock market.

And births this date include....

1928 – Eydie Gormé, American singer (d.2013)

1930 – Robert Culp, American actor (d. 2010)

1930 – Frank Gifford, American football player and announcer (d. 2015)

1933 – Julie Newmar, American actress

1946 – Lesley Ann Warren, American actress

1953 – Kathie Lee Gifford, American singer and actress

........... same birthday as her husband!

1958 – Madonna, American singer and actress

1960 – Timothy Hutton, American actor

1962 – Steve Carell, American actor, comedian, voice artist, producer, writer, and director

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Join National Rum Day on August 16th as blended beverages and cocktails create a delicious celebration. Rum is a distilled clear alcoholic beverage which is a byproduct of sugar production. It can also be made directly from sugar cane juice. After the fermentation and distillation process, most rum ages in wooden oak barrels.

RUM FACT: In 1764, the British Crown placed a tax on sugar, molasses and rum on the American colonies. This tax was called The Sugar Act of 1764. It was instrumental in the unrest that finally became the American Revolution.

Rum is the third most popular spirit in the United States. Only vodka and all the whiskeys combined beat it for first and second-rankings. The spirit finds its way into citrusy mixed drinks, and cool blended summer cocktails. So much so, that rum stirs up images of sandy beaches and brightly colored umbrellas in fruity drinks.

However, rum also conjures up sailors and pirates. The reason for that is how rum came to be. In the West Indies during the 1600s, large plantations grew sugar cane. When they extracted the sugar, they created a by-product called molasses. For years, the molasses was a waste product until it was discovered it could be distilled – into rum. Then, rum became not only a commodity for trade but also a ration on the ships delivering the product. Even in the modern Royal Navy, British sailors received an allotment of rum until 1970.