Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ US Currency ~ Cheddar-Crusted Beef Casserole ~ National Tempura Day

  

Good 48º rainy morning. 

 

Yesterday we topped at 52º.

 

 

Picture of the Day...even a snowman needs a drink now and then!

 

 

Interesting about US currency....

 

The 18th U.S. president, Ulysses S. Grant, is featured on the obverse of the United States fifty-dollar bill ($50).

 

 

President Grant is the only person depicted on the front of circulating U.S. paper currency that does not have a last name ending with the letter "N." The faces on every U.S. bill in circulation include five American presidents and two founding fathers. They are as follows: George Washington ($1)

 

, Thomas Jefferson ($2)

 

, Abraham Lincoln ($5)

 

, Alexander Hamilton ($10)

 

, Andrew Jackson ($20)

 

 

and Benjamin Franklin ($100).

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

"We're so excited to share the 1st place winning recipe from our Dinner in a Dash Recipe Contest. When we first looked at, and then tasted, the recipe submitted by Pamela S. from Parkersburg, WV, we knew it was special. As a mom of 7 children, she was used to making meals with what she had on hand and used easy shortcuts whenever possible. When faced with the pandemic, Pamela became extra creative and whipped up this budget-friendly, all-in-one casserole to make a dinner that was so good, we knew it was a winner after just one forkful."

 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (1-ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas and carrots
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 (12-ounce) jar beef gravy
• 3 cups frozen potato tots
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced, optional
• 1/2 cup sour cream, optional

 

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink, stirring occasionally to crumble; drain liquid. Add onion soup mix, peas and carrots, the corn, and gravy to skillet; mix well. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, in a microwaveable bowl, heat potato tots 2 to 3 minutes, just until you can crumble with a fork. Stir in cheese and jalapeño, if desired. Spoon beef mixture into baking dish and sprinkle potato mixture evenly over top. 
3. Bake 25 minutes or until heated in center. Top with sour cream, (if desired) and serve. 
   
   ***We love how Pamela crumbles up the potato tots and mixes them with some cheddar to make a topping that is second-to-none. In this case, thinking outside the box really paid off.
   
   

 

 

 

Historically this date......

1952 – President Harry S. Truman announces that the United States has developed the hydrogen bomb.

1980 – President Jimmy Carter authorizes legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the Chrysler Corporation.

1999 – The Senate trial in the impeachment of U.S. President Bill Clinton begins.

And births this date include....

1800 – Millard Fillmore, 13th President of the United States (d. 1874)

1911 – Butterfly McQueen, American actress (d. 1995)

"I ain't birthin' no babies!"

 

 

1922 – Vincent Gardenia, Italian-born actor (d. 1992)

 

1929 – Terry Moore, American actress (only 5 husbands!)

 

 

 

 

 

1941 – Frederick D. Gregory, NASA astronaut

1956 – David Caruso, American actor

 

1964 – Nicolas Cage, American actor

The son of comparative literature professor August Coppola (a brother of director Francis Ford Coppola) and dancer/choreographer Joy Vogelsang, Cage changed his name early in his career to make his own reputation, succeeding brilliantly with a host of classic, quirky roles by the late 1980s. Initially studying theatre at Beverly Hills High (though he dropped out at 17)... and.... he's had 5 wives!

 

1966 – Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, American publicist (d. 1999)

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

On January 7th, National Tempura Day encourages us to celebrate with a dish made with a tempura batter. This Japanese fare is made up of either seafood or vegetables dipped in batter and deep-fried.

Portuguese Jesuit missionaries introduced the recipe for tempura to Japan during the sixteenth century (around 1549).  It is believed that Portuguese Jesuit Tokugawa Isyasu, founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, loved tempura. Since the Genroku era (September 1688 – March 1704), tempura was traditionally a very popular food eaten at street vendors called ‘yatai.’

Today, chefs all over the world include tempura dishes on their menus. They use a wide variety of different batters and ingredients, including the nontraditional broccoli, zucchini, and asparagus as well as dry fruits. Some meats, usually chicken and cheeses, particularly mozzarella, are known to be served tempura-style in some American restaurants.

For sushi lovers, a more recent variation of tempura sushi provides a new way of enjoying the delicacy. Entire pieces of sushi are dipped in batter and tempura-fried.