Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ World's Longest Fingernails ~ One Pot Creamy Beef Stroganoff ~ Herman & Karen Baertschiger ~ Toby and Bruiser ~ National Hot Chocolate Day

Good 46º foggy morning. 

Yesterday that old gloom hung around all day and never left. 

Picture of the Day ... this city in the Czech Republic.... LOL

Interesting and icky.....

Shridhar Chillal (born 1937) is an Indian man who held the world record for the longest fingernails ever reached on a single hand, with a combined length of 358.1 inches. Chillal's longest single nail is his thumbnail, measuring 77.87 inches). He stopped cutting his nails on his left hand in 1952.

Although proud of his record-breaking nails, Chillal has faced increasing difficulties due to the weight of his finger nails, including disfigurement of his fingers and loss of function in his left hand. Nerve damage caused from the nails' immense weight has also caused deafness in Chillal's left ear.

Chillal has appeared in films and television displaying his nails, such as Jackass 2.5.

On 11 July 2018, Chillal had his fingernails cut with a power tool at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in New York City, where the nails will be put on display. A technician wearing protective gear cut the nails during a "nail clipping ceremony".

One Pot Creamy Beef Stroganoff

"This beef stroganoff recipe is basically magic. Just seven ingredients, and completely ready to serve in 30 minutes! If the addition of evaporated milk has you doubting this recipe, never fear—it cooks with the noodles to create an unbelievably creamy sauce, all in one pot. And talk about easy—you don’t even need to drain the beef. Just keep adding ingredients, and let them simmer together into a satisfying stroganoff that’s the very definition of comfort food."

1

lb ground beef (at least 80% lean)

1

package (8 oz) sliced button mushrooms

1/2

cup chopped onion

1/2

teaspoon salt

1

carton (32 oz) Progresso™ beef flavored broth

1

can (12 oz) evaporated milk

1

package (12 oz) uncooked medium egg noodles (about 7 cups)

1

container (8 oz) sour cream

• 1

  In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook beef, mushrooms, onion and salt over medium-high heat 9 to 11 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is brown and vegetables are tender. Do not drain.
• 2

  Stir in broth, milk and noodles. Noodles will not be completely covered at first. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 7 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, just until noodles are tender and most of liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; do not drain. Stir in sour cream.

Special Anniversary today, my friends Herman & Karen (aka Sugar Bear) Baertschiger

Historically this date.....

1876 – The United States orders all Native Americans to move into reservations. 

1930 – 3M begins marketing Scotch Tape.

1957 – Eight people on the ground in Pacoima, California are killed following the mid-air collision between a Douglas DC-7 airliner and a Northrop F-89 Scorpion fighter jet.

1971 – Apollo program: Apollo 14 – Astronauts Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, and Edgar Mitchell, aboard a Saturn V, lift off for a mission to the Fra Mauro Highlands on the Moon.

2001 – In the Netherlands, a Scottish court convicts Libyan Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and acquits another Libyan citizen for their part in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.

And births this date include.... 

1872 – Zane Grey, American novelist (d. 1939) 

 

His home in Avalon on Catalina Island, turned into a hotel, was a favorite place for Jerry and I to stay. Whatta view!

1902 – Tallulah Bankhead, American actress (d. 1968) 

1919 – Jackie Robinson, American baseball player (d. 1972) 

1934 – James Franciscus, American actor (d. 1991) 

1937 – Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (d. 2008) 

1947 – Nolan Ryan, American baseball player 

1959 – Anthony LaPaglia, Australian actor 

1981 – Justin Timberlake, American singer 

My friends Dave (LASD ret) & Pam Clark sent me this picture of their cat Toby....

Ya think he and Bruiser are related??? LOL

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Each year on January 31, National Hot Chocolate Day warms up people across the country by celebrating the timeless cold-weather beverage.

Hot chocolate is a warm beverage made with ground chocolate, heated milk or water, and sugar. In America, we often use the terms hot chocolate and hot cocoa interchangeably. However, the two beverages are different.

Cocoa vs Hot Chocolate 

We make hot cocoa with cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and sugar. We’re able to do this thanks to a process developed by father and son chemists. The thicker, more flavorful beverage, we make hot chocolate from ground chocolate containing cocoa butter. It’s also called drinking chocolate. Hot chocolate has also been around longer than hot cocoa. In the early 1800s, Casparus van Houten Sr. developed a process to separate the cocoa solids from the butter. His son, Coenraad Johannes made those fats more soluble in water. Together their processes made cocoa powder possible.

But before then, everyone drank hot chocolate. This thicker, creamier beverage often offered medicinal benefits for stomach ailments during the 19th century. In fact, long before the beverage’s popularity in Victorian times, it served in ceremonial culture. 

2000 years ago, the Mayans likely created the first chocolate beverage. A cocoa beverage was also an essential part of Aztec culture by 1400 AD. Europe popularized the drink after it was introduced from Mexico in the New World.

Make it and Benefit

Hot chocolate can be enjoyed in a variety of combinations, topped with whipped cream or marshmallows. Sometimes a sprinkle of cinnamon or a dash of peppermint makes the chocolate extra special. In the United States, an instant form of hot chocolate is popular. It is made with hot water or milk and a packet containing mostly cocoa powder, sugar, and dry milk. People enjoy topping it with marshmallows or whipped cream.

There are health benefits to drinking hot chocolate. Cocoa contains significant amounts of antioxidants that may help prevent cancer. It has also been shown that the cocoa beans help with digestion. The flavonoids that are found in the cocoa also have a positive effect on arterial health.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. You can make it with dark or milk chocolate. While you’re at it, try experimenting, too. Add some cinnamon or other flavors to your chocolate. Of course, inviting a friend to join you is essential to the celebration, too. Try adding these toppings.

• Whipped cream
• Marshmallows
• Sprinkles
• Candied fruit