Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ First Freeway ~ Diner-Style Salisbury Steak ~ Herman and Karen Baertschiger ~ National Hot Chocolate Day

  

Good 29º scattered clouds morning. 

 

Yesterday we topped at 62º.

 

 

Picture of the Day .... good friends!

 

 

Interesting about the first freeway...

 

The Arroyo Seco Parkway, also known as the Pasadena Freeway, is one of the oldest freeways built in the United States. It connects Los Angeles with Pasadena alongside the Arroyo Seco seasonal river. It is notable not only for being an early freeway, mostly opened in 1940, but for representing the transitional phase between early parkways and modern freeways. It conformed to modern standards when it was built, but is now regarded as a narrow, outdated roadway. A 1953 extension brought the south end to the Four Level Interchange in downtown Los Angeles and a connection with the rest of the freeway system.

 

The road remains largely as it was on opening day, though the plants in its median have given way to a steel guard rail, and most recently to concrete barriers, and it now carries the designation State Route 110, not historic U.S. Route 66. Between 1954 and 2010, it was officially designated the Pasadena Freeway. In 2010, as part of plans to revitalize its scenic value and improve safety, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) restored the original name to the roadway. All the bridges built during parkway construction remain, as do four older bridges that crossed the Arroyo Seco before the 1930s. The Arroyo Seco Parkway is designated a State Scenic Highway, National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, and National Scenic Byway. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

 

If you want to read a lot more, go here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arroyo_Seco_Parkway

 

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

This comforting dinner was popular in homes and diners across the country during the '50s and '60s. Our Diner-Style Salisbury Steak is beefy, hearty, and smothered in a flavor-packed mushroom gravy. To serve it the classic way, don't forget the green peas on the side!

 

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (12-ounce) jar beef gravy
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

 

1. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray.
    
2. In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, scallions, bread crumbs, egg, mustard, salt, and pepper; mix well. Shape into four 1/2 inch-thick oval patties.
    
3. Heat skillet over medium heat; cook patties 5 to 7 minutes per side or until no pink remains.
    
4. Add gravy, water, horseradish, and mushrooms and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally.
    

***Each serving makes a hearty meal, so you can certainly make smaller portions - just form the mixture into six or eight smaller patties.

 

 

 

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

 

This had also been my parents anniversary. They got married in 1926 in Tombstone Arizona....

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 Monday. 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

 

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ San Francisco Giants Baseball ~ Crabmeat Stuffed Salmon ~ National Croissant Day

  

Good 25º pink sky frozen morning....

 

Yesterday, again, clear and sunny.....

We topped at 67º.

 

 

Picture of the Day...stealing the moon!

 

 

 

Interesting about the Giants baseball team...

 

The New York Giants moved to San Francisco in 1957 and retained their nickname, which dates back to 1885. It was during that season, according to legend, that New York Gothams manager Jim Mutrie referred to his players as his "giants" after a rousing win over Philadelphia.

 

The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams, and renamed three years later the New York Giants, the team eventually moved to San Francisco in 1958.

The franchise is one of the oldest and most successful in professional baseball, with more wins than any team in the history of major American sports. The team was the first major-league organization based in New York City, most memorably playing home games at several iterations of the Polo Grounds. The Giants have played in the World Series 20 times, an NL record. In 2014, the Giants won their then-record twenty-third National League pennant; this mark has since been equaled and then eclipsed by the rival Dodgers, who as of 2020 lay claim to 24 NL crowns. The Giants' eight World Series championships are second-most in the NL and fifth-most of any franchise.

 

The franchise won 17 pennants and five World Series championships while in New York, led by managers John McGraw, Bill Terry, and Leo Durocher. New York-era star players including Christy Mathewson, Carl Hubbell, Mel Ott, and Willie Mays join 63 other Giants in the Baseball Hall of Fame, the most of any franchise. The Giants' rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the longest-standing and most famed rivalries in American sports, began in New York and continued when both teams relocated to the West Coast in 1958.

Despite the efforts of Mays and Barry Bonds, regarded as two of baseball's all-time best players, the Giants endured a 56-year championships drought following the move west, a stretch that included three World Series losses. The streak ended in 2010, which was followed by additional championships in 2012 and 2014, making the Giants the second team in NL history to win three championships in five years.

 

The Giants, along with their rival Los Angeles Dodgers, became the first Major League Baseball teams to play on the West Coast. On April 15, 1958, the Giants played their first game in San Francisco, defeating the former Brooklyn and now Los Angeles Dodgers, 8–0. The Giants played for two seasons at Seals Stadium (from 1931-1957, the stadium was the home of the PCL's San Francisco Seals) before moving to Candlestick Park in 1960. The Giants played at Candlestick Park until 1999, before opening Pacific Bell Park (now known as Oracle Park) in 2000, where the Giants currently play.

 

Candlestick Park

 was an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park (since renamed Oracle Park) in 2000. It was also the home field of the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League from 1971 through 2013. The 49ers moved to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara for the 2014 season. The last event held at Candlestick was a concert by Paul McCartney in August 2014, and the demolition of the stadium was completed in September 2015. As of 2019, the site is planned to be redeveloped into office space.

 

The Giants were unable to sustain success in their first 50 years in San Francisco. They made nine playoff appearances and won three NL pennants between 1958 and 2009. The Giants lost the 1962 World Series in seven games to the New York Yankees. The Giants were swept in the 1989 World Series by their cross-town rival Oakland Athletics, a series best known for the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which caused a 10-day delay between Games 2 and 3. The Giants also lost the 2002 World Series to the Anaheim Angels. One of the team's biggest highlights during this time was the 2001 season, in which OF Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs, breaking the record for most home runs in a season. In 2007, Bonds would surpass Hank Aaron's career record of 755 home runs. Bonds finished his career with 762 home runs (586 hit with the Giants), still the MLB record.

 

1994-1999

In 1994, the Giants made a few changes to their uniform. The road uniform reverted back to "San Francisco" in front and removed the piping. The front of both uniforms returned to stylized block letters with pointed edges, but kept the rounded numbers. The "SF" on the cap was also changed to reflect the lettering change.

 

Coinciding with the move to Oracle Park 

(then Pacific Bell Park) in 2000, the Giants unveiled new uniforms which were aesthetically close to the style they originally wore in their early years. On each uniform, numbers returned to a block letter style.

 

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

This stuffed salmon recipe is even better than it looks! Our Crabmeat Stuffed Salmon takes imitation crab and combines it with this beautiful fish to make one of our favorite dinner recipes. Seafood recipes, specifically salmon recipes, can be tricky. So why not go for a seafood dinner recipe you know is going to be a success? This healthy recipe is easy, flavorful, and is sure to leave you pleasently stuffed! Once you try it, we know you'll be hooked.

 

• 1/2 pound imitation crabmeat, flaked
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

 

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
    
2. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except salmon; mix well and set aside.
    
3. Cut a slit lengthwise 3/4 of way through each salmon fillet. Evenly divide stuffing into each slit and place on prepared baking sheet.
    
4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily.

 

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 Sunday. 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.