Weather/Geese ~ Picture of the Day ~ Fire Trucks History ~ Loaded BBQ Baked Potato Casserole ~ Mark Moran ~ National Pistachio Day

  

Good 23º scattered light clouds morning.

 

Yesterday we started at 19º and we had a clear sunny day..... and we topped at 66º.

 

 

The 4 geese were on top of my barn...... honk honk honk!

 

 

 

 

Picture of the Day...how the goat reaches his snack...happy sheep!

 

 

 

Interesting about fire trucks...

Thomas Lote built the first fire engine made in America in 1743. These earliest engines are called hand tubs because they are manually (hand) powered and the water was supplied by a bucket brigade dumping it into a tub (cistern) where the pump had a permanent intake pipe.

126 is the oldest known surviving motorized fire apparatus from the Seattle Fire Department. The S.F.D. took delivery on October 24, 1913. It holds the record for the longest service time of any vehicle in the SFD – 55 years, 5 months & 29 days.

 

 

The first self-propelled steam-driven fire engine was built in New York in 1841. It was the target of sabotage by firefighters and its use was discontinued, and motorized fire engines did not become commonplace until the early 1900s. The dawn of the 20th Century brought about the age of the motorized fire apparatus.

 

 

 

Early fire engines were hand pumps equipped with reservoirs and were moved to the scene of a fire by human or animal power.

 

 

Daniel Hayes is considered the inventor of the modern aerial ladder fire truck that revolutionized how ladders were used at fires. In 1868, Hayes designed and mounted an extension ladder to the truck, and created a design that is still in use today.

A fire engine (also known in some places as a fire truck or fire lorry) is a road vehicle (usually a truck) that functions as a firefighting apparatus. … They are normally fitted with sirens and emergency vehicle lighting, as well as communication equipment such as two-way radios and mobile computer technology.

 

Fire engines, or pumpers, carry hose, tools, and pump water. The engine can also carry ladders, but they are set up by the fire fighters and can be carried around. Key components of a fire engine include: Water tank (usually 500-750 gallons)

 

 

The Falcon 8×8 Is The Largest Firetruck In The World....

Of course, the biggest (and likely most expensive) firetruck in the world was created by a company in Dubai. The vehicle in question, dubbed the Falcon 8×8, is an eight-wheeled fiberglass behemoth that boasts around 900 horsepower.

 

Why fire trucks are red

Some believe fire trucks were first painted red because of early cars. In the 1900s, Henry Ford suggested the color black for his Model T Ford’s due to the cheap cost and durability of the paint. With so many black vehicles, it is said that fire brigades wanted the rigs to stand out.

Cincinnati Fire Department: First In The Nation. On April 1, 1853, Cincinnati, Ohio, established the first professional and fully paid fire department in the United States.

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

We've combined two American favorites into one casserole that'll be your family's new favorite dish. Our Loaded BBQ Baked Potato Casserole is a family favorite one, because it's absolutely delicious, and two, because the recipe is filled with easy shortcuts that save time but don't skimp on flavor! What more could you ask for?

 

• 1 (24-ounce) package refrigerated mashed potatoes
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
• 1/2 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 6 slices precooked bacon, crumbled

 

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a 7- x 11-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large microwaveable bowl, stir together mashed potatoes, 1 cup Cheddar cheese, the Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Cover and microwave on HIGH 4 minutes. Stir in sour cream.
3. Spoon potato mixture into prepared baking dish. Arrange chicken evenly over potatoes, drizzle with barbecue sauce, sprinkle evenly with bacon, and the remaining Cheddar cheese.
4. Bake 15 minutes, or until casserole is thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.

 

 

 

 

Special birthday today.... Mark Moran (Jackson Co Fire ret.) is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!!

 

^Rogue River Fire Department "back in the day" with Mark

 

^Mark with his bride Julie (Manager at Ace Hardware in Rogue River) and his daughter Leah (who was my hairdresser for 20 years!). Great family!

 

Historically this date.....

1919 – President Woodrow Wilson signs an act of the U.S. Congress establishing most of the Grand Canyon as a United States National Park (see Grand Canyon National Park).

1987 – Iran-Contra affair: The Tower Commission rebukes President Ronald Reagan for not controlling his national security staff.

1993 – World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a truck bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center explodes, killing 6 and injuring over a thousand.

 

And births this date include...

1829 – Levi Strauss, German-born clothing designer (d. 1902)

Jerry's "uniform" daily was a pair of Levis 501 jeans and a JC Penny white t-shirt and in the winter also his camouflage jacket.

 

1846 – William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, American frontiersman (d. 1917)

1852 – John Harvey Kellogg, American surgeon and advocate (d. 1943)

1887 – William Frawley, American actor (d. 1966)

 

1916 – Jackie Gleason, American actor, writer, composer and comedian (d. 1987)

 

1920 – Tony Randall, American actor (d. 2004)

1928 – Fats Domino, American musician (d.2017)

 

1953 – Michael Bolton, American singer

1958 – Susan J. Helms, American astronaut

 

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

February 26th recognizes all things pistachio and National Pistachio Day is the day to celebrate! Pistachio lovers rejoice as they eat their favorite nut all day long. For those who do not eat pistachios, buy some and give them to someone who does. Crack them open and eat them up or enjoy them in ice cream or your favorite pistachio dessert!

 

Pistachios arrived in the United States sometime in the 1880s, but they have been cultivated in the Middle East since Biblical times.

The pistachio tree grows to about 20 feet tall needing little or no rain and must have high heat.  Amazingly, in Iran, they claim to have 700-year-old pistachio trees!  A new tree takes between 7 and 10 years to mature and bear fruit.

Pistachio Facts:

•  All pistachio shells are naturally beige in color.  Some companies dye nuts red or green if nuts are inferior or for consumer demand.
• California produces about 300 million pounds of pistachios each year, accounting for 98 percent of America’s production.
• Pistachio shells typically split naturally when ripe.
• The kernels are often eaten whole, either fresh or roasted and either salted or unsalted.
• In the Middle East, people call the pistachio the smiling nut.
• In China, people call the pistachio the happy nut.

“Pistachios are an excellent source of vitamin B6, copper and manganese and a good source of protein, fiber, thiamine and phosphorus.  Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as pistachios, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”  US Food and Drug Administration, July 2003

A Great Thing To Do — Recycle the Pistachio Shells!

The empty pistachio shells are useful for recycling in several ways.  If unsalted, the shells need not be washed and dried before reuse, but washing is simple if that is not the case.  Practical uses include as a fire starter; kindling to be used with crumpled paper; to line the bottom of pots containing houseplants for drainage and retention of soil for up to two years; as a mulch for shrubs and plants that require acid soils, as a medium for orchids; and as an addition to a compost pile designed for wood items that take longer to decompose than leafy materials (it can take up to a year for pistachio shells to decompose unless soil is added to the mix).  

Shells from salted pistachios can also be placed around the base of plants to deter slugs and snails.  Many craft uses for the shells include holiday tree ornaments, jewelry, mosaics and rattles.  Research indicates that pistachio shells may be helpful in cleaning up pollution created by mercury emissions.