Weather/Rain/Sun ~ Picture of the Day ~ The Lone Ranger ~ Mushroom Rice Bake ~ Herm and Karen Baertschiger ~ National Hot Chocolate Day

 

Good 41º raining morning. 

 

Yesterday we started dark and gloomy...

 

Then after a little rain we got some sunshine.... and topped at 54º.

After that the sun left and the dark clouds moved in and the temperature started dropping. 

 

Picture of the Day.... LOL! Hooker, Oklahoma.....

 

 

 

Interesting about The Lone Ranger....

 

With the stirring notes of the William Tell Overture and a shout of “Hi-yo, Silver! Away!”, The Lone Ranger debuted on Detroit radio on this day in 1933.  To honor this anniversary, here are  things you might not know about one of the world's most beloved masked men.

When creating the Lone Ranger character, writer Fran Striker and producer George W. Trendle came up with several guidelines to describe his personality and his behavior. For example, the Lone Ranger always wore a mask and was never supposed to be seen without it.  Also, he could never curse, smoke or drink alcohol. He used perfect grammar, avoided slang and colloquialisms, and refrained from referring to himself as the Lone Ranger. When asked about his identity, he would present a silver bullet as his answer.

 

Perhaps you’re most familiar with the Lone Ranger from the TV series, which aired from 1949 to 1957. The show starred Clayton Moore as the title character and Jay Silverheels as Tonto. The Lone Ranger was the highest-rated television program on ABC in the early 1950s and its first true "hit". All of the show’s 221 episodes were filmed in black and white except for the fifth and final season.

 

Clayton Moore was the most famous of the actors who played the Lone Ranger, starring in 169 of the 221 filmed episodes.  After the show ended, Moore continued to appear publicly as the Lone Ranger, doing commercials and TV appearances wearing the signature mask. In 1979, Jack Wrather, then owner of the rights to the character, obtained a restraining order against Moore, enjoining Moore from appearing in public in his mask. Moore later won a countersuit, allowing him to resume his costume.

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

Mushroom lovers take heart! Our Test Kitchen went all out to create a hearty and comforting casserole made with a combo of rice, mushrooms and a few basics. Our Mushroom Rice Bake will fit any of your favorite main dishes perfectly! That makes it a side dish worth remembering for dinners to come.

 

• 1 1/2 cups long- or whole-grain rice, uncooked
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (about 8 ounces)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (10-1/2-ounce) can condensed beef broth
• 1 (10-3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 stick (.25 cup) butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

 

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish.
3. Cover and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

 

***We like to garnish this mouthwatering mushroom casserole with some chopped scallions to add a touch of color! 

 

 

 

Special Anniversary today, my friends Herman & Karen (aka Sugar Bear) Baertschiger. Happy Anniversary kids!!! xo

 

 

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 

 

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Sunday. 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

Gloom ~ Picture of the Day ~ Super Bowl ~ Buffalo Cauliflower ~ National Croissant Day

 

Good 37º cloudy morning. 

 

Happy Saturday

 

 

Yesterday stayed gloomy/cloudy/foggy most of the day until we got a little sunshine through the clouds.... and we topped at 50º.

 

 

 

Picture of the Day .... 

 

 

 

 

Interesting about the Super Bowl....

 

 

In 1960, the newest rival to the NFL began playing: the American Football League. After half a decade of running up player contracts, the two leagues secretly met to agree to merge into one league. Part of the agreement was a common draft beginning in 1967, plus a championship game played immediately after each league's own championship games had concluded.

In 1967, the first championship game between the two leagues was played in Los Angeles between the NFL Champion Packers and the AFL Champion Chiefs. The first two games were called the "AFL-NFL Championship Game."

Before the third "AFL-NFL Championship Game" between the AFL Champion Jets and the NFL Champion Colts, Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt began loosely calling the game the "Super Bowl" while attending various league and merger meetings. He called it a "bowl" game because in college football, bowl games were the most important and prominent games of each team's season. The "super" portion was coined from his children playing with a Wham-O toy called the Super Ball.

Soon, the term "Super Bowl" was being used by various media, and even coaches and players, although an unofficial name for the game.

The commissioner of the NFL, Pete Rozelle, didn’t like the term “super” thinking it had no sophistication and was simply an ordinary term. He recommended that the game be called "The Big One," but by the time the third game was set to play, the moniker "Super Bowl" was already wide-spread. For the third championship game, it was made official and the first Super Bowl was born.

Today, the Super Bowl is an unofficial national holiday affectionately entitled "Super Sunday." It is also the biggest food production day in the food retail business. One in every six televisions is bought just prior to the game. Snack companies increase production of potato and tortilla chips in anticipation of higher sales. Pizza delivery companies hire more drivers and sell more pies than at any other time of the year. The big game sends sales of beer, soda, chips and salsa through the roof.

Super Sunday is the third largest alcohol consumption celebration behind New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day. One in four workers will participate in a game pool while the weekend is the slowest for weddings.

Basically, the Super Bowl is the most influential amphitheater in the universe of TV advertising. In the world of advertising it is viewed as judgment day. New ad campaigns often begin their kickoff airing during the game.

The only television event that generates more viewers for a singular event is the UEFA Champions League final. What is unusual about the Super Bowl broadcast is that it was created on the premise that the primary audience would be watching the game on television.

Of the NFL's existing 32 teams, few have not played in a Super Bowl. Teams such as the Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings have won their respective league titles, but failed to win a Super Bowl.

The NFL has named a league champion since 1920. The NFL titles won from 1920 to 1969 and the AFL titles won from 1960-1969 are still valid despite not being coined a Super Bowl champion. The Super Bowl is simply a modern term for the NFL Championship. After Super Bowl 50, if the NFL decided to change the name of its championship game to something new, the 50 Super Bowl championships would still be valid.

Super Bowl 55 will be played February 7th. Kick off time is 6:30pm ET. It will be played in Tampa Florida by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. It will be broadcast on CBS.

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Did you know you could "buffalo" just about anything? Our recipe for Buffalo Cauliflower uses the original sauce from Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Folks will be surprised when you show up with this kickin' take on a veggie favorite!

 

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce (see Note)
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

 

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine oil, salt, and pepper; mix well. Add cauliflower to mixture, tossing until evenly coated. Place on prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until cauliflower starts to brown.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over low heat, add cayenne pepper sauce, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Add the cauliflower; gently stir until evenly coated. Place on serving platter, sprinkle with blue cheese, and serve.

 

***Our version of Buffalo Cauliflower was tested with Frank's Red Hot Sauce, but you can use your favorite bottled hot sauce to make this flavorful side dish recipe!

 

 

Historically this date.....

1835 – In the first assassination attempt against a President of the United States, Richard Lawrence attempts to shoot president Andrew Jackson, but fails and is subdued by a crowd, including several congressmen.

 

1847 – Yerba Buena, California is renamed San Francisco.

 

And births this year include....

1882 – Franklin D. Roosevelt, American politician, 44th Governor of New York, and 32nd President of the United States (d. 1945)

 

1914 – John Ireland, Canadian actor (d. 1992)

 

1914 – David Wayne, American actor (d. 1995)

 

 

1922 – Dick Martin, American comedian (d. 2008)

 

1925 – Dorothy Malone, American actress (d.2018)

1930 – Gene Hackman, American actor

1937 – Vanessa Redgrave, English actress

 

 

 

1941 – Dick Cheney, American politician, 7th White House Chief of Staff, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming, 17th United States Secretary of Defense and 46th Vice President of the United States

 

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Saturday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

In the United States, National Croissant Day recognizes a flaky pastry enjoyed at every meal.  Croissants are a buttery, crescent-shaped rolls that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. 

The key to a perfect croissant is laminating the dough. Laminating the dough is a process by which butter is folded into the mixture creating multiple thin layers of butter and dough. The result is a mouth-watering flaky crust and airy body.

Legend surrounds this pastry, as is often the case with a popular, worldly treat. What is known, is that crescent-shaped breads have been found around the world for ages. One of these was the Kipferl which originated in Austria as far back as the 13th century. This nonlaminated bread is more like a roll.

Credit for the croissant we know today is given to an Austrian military officer, August Zang. In 1939 he opened a Viennese bakery in Paris introducing France to Viennese baking techniques.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Stop by the bakery for a fresh, warm croissant. Be sure to give your baker a shout out, too! Of course, you can always try baking your own. We’ve even provided a recipe to try.

Croissants recipe.

 

NATIONAL CROISSANT DAY HISTORY

The earliest we’ve found the observance being celebrated is in 2006. National Day Calendar continues researching the origins of this buttery food holiday.