Good 47º cloudy foggy morning.
Yesterday the dark clouds moved in and it rained, then the wind came up and the clouds got white and fluffy and blue sky came through. Then the dark clouds came back and more rain. All day it did this. Brian even said they had hail over in Grants Pass. We topped at 74º.
Picture of the Day .... Hmmmmmmmm, that would be me!
Interesting about carrots..........
For centuries, almost all carrots were yellow, white or purple. But in the 17th century, most of those crunchy vegetables turned orange. Why? It may have to do with Dutch politics.In the 17th century, Dutch growers cultivated orange carrots as a tribute to William of Orange – who led the the struggle for Dutch independence – and the color stuck. A thousand years of yellow, white and purple carrot history was wiped out in a generation. Although some scholars doubt if orange carrots even existed prior to the 16th century, they now form the basis of most commercial cultivators around the world. Presumably crosses between Eastern (purple), Western (white, red) and perhaps wild carrots led to the formation of the orange rooted carrot subspecies.Whatever the origins, the Long Orange Dutch carrot, first described in writing in 1721, is the forebear of the orange Horn carrot varieties so abundant nowadays. All our modern, western carrots ultimately descend from these varieties.
From Mr. Food
So many people think it's hard to make authentic-tasting Asian dishes at home. Well, not with this easy recipe! This Asian Pepper Steak is gonna become the regular steak dinner at your house!
- 1/2 cup ready-to-use beef broth
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 to 1-1/2 pounds beef top or bottom round steak, cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 1 medium-sized red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips (see Options)
- 1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 3 scallions (green onions), sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- In a small bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and ginger; mix well and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté beef 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned.
- Add bell pepper, mushrooms, scallions, and garlic, and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Add broth mixture to skillet and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
*** Red or green, even yellow, orange, or purple bell peppers will do the trick here. You might have a different color on hand every time you make this, and it's ok to use whatever you have.
Historically this date.....
1860 – Abraham Lincoln wins the Republican Party presidential nomination over William H. Seward, who later becomes the United States Secretary of State.
1926 – Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson disappears while visiting a Venice, California beach.
1944 – Deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union government.
1980 – 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens: Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington,United States, killing 57 people and causing $3 billion in damage
1995 – Shawn Nelson, 35, goes on a tank rampage in San Diego.
And births this date include...
1912 – Perry Como, American singer (d. 2001)
1934 – Dwayne Hickman, American actor and television executive
1946 – Reggie Jackson, American baseball player
1952 – George Strait, American country musician
All I know. Nuff said. Happy Monday. Ciao.
On National Cheese Souffle Day, observed May 18th, we can all enjoy a little of this French delight. The word souffle is the past participle of the French verb, souffler, which means “to blow up” or “puff up.” Combine egg whites with custard, and it will puff up into a fine, golden souffle when baked.
Egg yolks and beaten egg whites, mixed with various other ingredients make up a souffle. It can be served as a tasty main course dish, or it can be sweetened for a dessert.
Each souffle is made up of either a French creme base, a flavored creme sauce or puree, and beaten egg whites
The base provides the flavor, and the egg whites provide the lift. The base is commonly made up of cheese, jam, fruits, berries, chocolate, and lemon. This day is dedicated to the cheese-based souffle.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Order a cheese souffle at your favorite restaurant, or you can try your culinary skills with this Cheese Souffle recipe.
And here's Taste of Home cheese souffle recipe: