Good 41º raining morning.
The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching 39 in in length and weighing from 49 to 99 lb. Feathers of the head and back are black and sharply delineated from the white belly, pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ear patches.
Like all penguins it is flightless, with a streamlined body, and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat. Its diet consists primarily of fish, but also includes crustaceans, such as krill, and cephalopods, such as squid.
Emperor penguins are unique among birds, in that they nest in the middle of winter. The females must go to sea to feed, leaving the males to keep their offspring warm.
Female emperor penguins that have lost their own brood frequently "adopt" unattended chicks. If there are none available, things get violent. Fights break out as mobs of broody mothers struggle with each other to steal a chick from another penguin family.
Kidnappings last from a few minutes to a few days. Most end with the chick being abandoned to die in the cold. One confused penguin even kidnapped its own natural enemy, the chick of a penguin-eating bird called a skua.
These kidnappings are bizarre and brutal in equal measures, and why the females do it has been puzzling scientists for decades.
MEXICAN BREAKFAST EGG CASSEROLE
- 12 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons New Mexico chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 medium roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 medium white onion, diced
- 2 jalapeños, deveined and minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 (16 oz) package bacon, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces medium cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9x13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
- In large bowl combine eggs and milk. Sprinkle chili powder, cumin and salt over the bowl while whisking to prevent large clumps from forming. Whisk until completely combined.
- In medium bowl combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeno and garlic. Toss to combine.
- Line bottom of prepared baking pan with 4 corn tortillas, overlapping if necessary. Top tortillas with 1/4 of tomato mixture, 1/4 of bacon and 1/4 of each cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times beginning with 4 tortillas and ending with cheeses.
- Pour egg mixture over casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Top with remaining cheese and broil until melted, about 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle remaining tomato salsa and bacon over top and garnish with cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
- Refrigerate overnight. Allow casserole to sit on counter for about 30 minutes before baking.
In 1844, a recipe for a straight peppermint candy stick, which was white with colored stripes, was published. However, some stories tell of all-white candy sticks in much earlier times. Folklore tells of the origin of the candy cane, yet no documented proof of its real beginning. Literature begins mentioning the candy cane in 1866, and it was first known to be mentioned in connection with Christmas in 1874. As early as 1882, candy canes have been hung on Christmas trees.
Fun Candy Cane Facts:
- The average candy cane is 5 inches tall.
- While most candy canes are not sugar or calorie-free, they do not have any fat or cholesterol.
- Striped red and white candy canes were first introduced in 1900.
- The first machine to make candy canes were invented in 1921 by Brasher O. Westerfield. Until then, they were made by hand.
- Bob McCormack and his brother-in-law & priest Gregory Keller brought the candy cane to the masses. What started out as candy making for McCormack’s friends and family turned into mass production when Keller invented the machine that enabled Bob’s Candies to go big time.
- Traditionally the flavor for candy canes is peppermint, but there are a variety of flavors.
- Alain Roby, Geneva pastry chef, holds the Guinness World Record for the longest candy cane, measuring 51 feet long.
