Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Detroit Lions ~ Best Grilled Cheese Ever ~ National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day

 

Good 45º dark cloudy morning.

 

 

Yesterday, again, we started off cloudy and foggy.

 

It lasted all day.

 

We topped at 45º.

 

 

Picture of the Day... from a high school yearbook... :o)

 

 

 

Interesting how the Detroit Lions got their name...

 

This team began in 1930 as the "Portsmouth Spartans." 

When the City of Portsmouth completed their new football stadium, the NFL offered a franchise. At the time, Portsmouth was the second smallest city in the NFL behind Green Bay.

In its second season, Portsmouth would tie the Bears for the league’s best record and then lost 9-0 to Chicago in the NFL’s first playoff game.

In spite of winning teams every year, financial distress coupled with the Great Depression decimated the team’s future. In 1934, a group from Michigan led by George Richards purchased the club for $7,952 and relocated it to Detroit.

Richards named his club the "Lions" to go along with baseball’s Tigers. He would comment that the lion was the monarch of the jungle, and he intended him team to become the monarch of the NFL. 

The team was already loaded with talent in its first season as the Spartans were always a contender. The team would host the Bears on Thanksgiving Day, a tradition that continues today. The following season the Lions captured the 1935 NFL Championship.

Unfortunately for fans, the club has encountered two winless seasons: 0-11-0 (1942) and 0-16-0 (2008).

However, the Lions would dominate the 1950s as the club imprisoned the division four times and won three NFL Championships (1952, 1953 and 1957). This franchise has won a total of four NFL titles.

One of the greatest NFL running backs played for the Lions: Barry Sanders.

Origin Facts:

Established: 1930

Original Owner: The City of Portsmouth, Ohio

Original Colors: Purple & white

First Stadium: Universal Stadium, seating 8,200

Retired Jerseys: No. 7 Earl Clark, No. 20 Lem Barney, No. 20 Billy Sims, No. 20 Barry Sanders, No. 22 Bobby Layne, No. 37 Doak Walker, No. 56 Joe Schmidt, No. 85 Chuck Hughes, No. 88 Charlie Sanders

 

 

 

 

From the Slow Roasted Italian

Best Grilled Cheese Ever

 

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 slices sourdough bread
• 4 slices Wisconsin sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces total)
• 8 slices thick cut Applewood smoked bacon, cooked
• 16 tomato slices
• 4 ounces arugula
• 4 slices Wisconsin aged Swiss cheese (about 4 ounces total)
• 4 slices Wisconsin Monterey Jack cheese (about 4 ounces total

 

1. Place 1 slice of cheddar onto a piece of bread. Top with bacon, tomato and arugula. Add remaining cheese. Place a piece of bread on top. Butter the top slice of bread.
2. Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Place butter side down into skillet. Butter slice of bread facing up. Cover. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully flip sandwich, cover and cook 2-4 minutes on second side. Wipe out pan with a paper town and repeat process until all sandwiches are cooked.
3. Serve and enjoy!

DONNA'S NOTES

1. If preparing sandwiches for the whole gang, you can preheat oven to 200º. and pop sandwiches in oven as you are done cooking them. When all sandwiches are done you can serve everyone at the same time.
2. If your cheese is not melting, you can help it along by creating steam. I fill a squeeze bottle with a little water and squirt a small amount (a couple teaspoons or less) around the sandwich in the pan and cover again. The steam will help the cheese to melt faster. Make sure you remove the cover and cook the sandwich until the pan is dry or you may have a soggy sandwich.
3. Take the cheese out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before cooking, this will help the cheese melt faster.

 

 

 

 

Historically this date....

1938 – The March of Dimes is established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

1959 – Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. State.

 

1961 – The United States severs diplomatic relations with Cuba.

 

1962 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro.

 

1990 – Former leader of Panama Manuel Noriega surrenders to American forces.

 

 

 

 

And births this date include....

1894 – ZaSu Pitts, American actress (d. 1963)

 

 

 

 

1921 – John Russell, American actor (d. 1991)

Former US Marine, battlefield commission, wounded, and decorated.

 

 

 

1930 – Robert Loggia, American actor (d.12-15)

 

 

 

 

1932 – Dabney Coleman, American actor

 

 

1950 – Victoria Principal, American actress

 

So pretty then the plastic doc changed it all.

 

1956 – Mel Gibson, American-Australian actor and director

 

 

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Hope your Sunday is a good one! Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day on January 3rd spotlights a favored treat during many holidays. The National Confectioners Association has even been noted to recognize the annual event.

It is almost impossible to eat just one of these chocolate covered cherry candies. The combination of two favorite flavors into one delicious treat turns into something irresistible. The candy often is made with a sweet liquid center and in some cases has a liquor filling.

Known to many as a mid-winter pick-me-up, chocolate-covered cherries, also called chocolate cordials, can be either store-bought or homemade. There are also many recipes that mimic the flavor of the long known and well-loved candy.

In the 1700s in England, cherries were enclosed in chocolate with a little kirsch (cordial) liqueur. After finding their way to the United States, Americans received them quite well, delighting in the little bit of alcoholic cordial surrounding the fruit dipped in chocolate.

Although originally made with the liqueur, cordials/chocolate covered cherries are more commonly made with a sugar syrup flavored with cherries.  The pitted cherries have been cooked in sugar syrup and jarred.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy your day sharing some chocolate covered cherries with your friends and try one of the following recipes:

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake

Chocolate Covered Cherry Fudge

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies