Good 76º Wednesday.
My computer has been with the computer tech for 5 days, I just got it back this morning.
Picture of the day....... when it's hot, stay in the shade! 😁
Interesting about M&M candy....
Today I found out what the M’s stand for in “M&Ms”.
In 1941, Forrest Mars Sr., of the Mars candy company, struck a deal with Bruce Murrie, son of famed Hershey president William Murrie, to develop a hard shelled candy with chocolate at the center. Mars needed Hershey’s chocolate because he anticipated there would be a chocolate shortage in the pending war, which turned out to be correct.
As such, the deal gave Murrie a 20% stake in the newly developed M&M; this stake was later bought out by Mars when chocolate rationing ended at the end of the war, in 1948.
The name thus stood for “Mars & Murrie” the co-creators of the candy.
Bonus Facts:
- The “M&M” was modeled after a candy Forrest Mars, Sr. encountered while in Spain during the 1930s. During the Spanish civil war there, he observed soldiers eating chocolate pellets with a hard shell of tempered chocolate. This prevented the candies from melting, which was essential when included in soldiers rations as they were.
- During WWII, production of M&Ms skyrocketed due to the fact that they were sold to the military and included as part of United States’ soldiers rations.
- The original M&M colors were: red, yellow, brown, green, and violet.
- M&Ms were served in cardboard tubes when they debuted.
- The “M” printed on the M&Ms was originally printed black. This was changed to white in 1954.
- William Murrie, father of Bruce Murrie, was originally hired by Milton Hershey in 1896 as a salesman. In his first week on the job, he managed to over sell the plant’s production capacity. This so impressed owner Milton Hershey, that he tabbed Murrie to be the future President of Hershey; this later happened in 1908, a position he held until retiring in 1947.
- When William Murrie first took over running Hershey, the annual sales of the company was $600,000. Upon his retirement in 1947, he had grown the company to now have a gross annual sale amount of 120 million dollars; which means, over the span of those 39 years he increased the annual sales rate an average of around 15% per year.
- In the 1920’s, Murrie tried to convince Hershey that they should produce a chocolate bar with peanuts. Hershey didn’t like the idea, but let him go ahead as long as the bar wasn’t under the Hershey brand name. And so, in 1925, the “Chocolate Sales Corporation”, a fictitious company Murrie came up with, debuted the “Mr. Goodbar”, which was wildly successful.
- Forrest Mars Sr. not only helped invent the M&M, but also famously invented the Mars bar, which was a “malted milkshake in a candy bar”; he also launched the Uncle Ben’s line of food product.
- At the time of his death at age 95 in 1999, Forrest Mars, Sr. had grown his father’s company to the point where he now had amassed a fortune for himself of over 4 billion dollars. At that time, he ranked 30th on the list of richest Americans, with his sons Forrest Jr and John ranking 29th and 31st. He left the company to his children who still exclusively own it today (it is not a publicly traded company).
From Mr. Food
This Creamy Ham Casserole is an easy and simple ham casserole recipe that uses up your leftover ham and goes together in a flash. This is comfort food at its best, and it couldn't be easier to throw together, even on a busy weeknight! So the next time you're looking for a simple casserole recipe, just grab this one and get ready for a delicious ham casserole that'll please the whole gang.
- 8 ounces medium egg noodles, uncooked
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup sliced celery
- 2 cups chopped cooked ham
- 1 (10-3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped pimiento, drained on paper towel
- Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a 1-1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until hot. Add onion and celery and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in ham and heat 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soup, sour cream, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, the pimiento, and noodles. Spoon into baking dish.
- Cover and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
****Here's a great way to use leftover ham. Or, if you don't have any leftovers, take advantage of cubed cooked ham that's available in the meat counter of your supermarket. When you need just a few cups of ham, such as in this deliciously creamy recipe, it gives you an inexpensive head start for preparing a variety of meals.
Historically this date...........
1785 – The dollar is unanimously chosen as the monetary unit for the United States.
1854 – In Jackson, Michigan, the first convention of the United States Republican Party is held.
1994 – Storm King Mountain, Glenwood Springs, Colorado: South Canyon Fire: 14 firefighters died in the fire.
2006 – The Nathula Pass between India and China, sealed during the Sino-Indian War, re-opens for trade after 44 years.
And births this date include....
1921 – Nancy Reagan, First Lady of the United States (d.2016)
1925 – Merv Griffin, American television show host (d. 2007)
1927 – Janet Leigh, American actress (d. 2004)
1946 – Sylvester Stallone, American actor
When I was in the kitchen washing dishes there appeared a momma deer and her two babies. I grabbed my camera and managed to get a picture of each of the babies.......
All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Wednesday. I am soooooooooo happy to have my computer back! Ciao.
xo Sue Mom Bobo
In the United States, National Fried Chicken Day is observed each year on July 6th. On this day, fried chicken lovers across the country celebrate this American favorite at a nearby restaurant, home or an outdoor picnic.
Scottish immigrants brought their tradition of deep-frying chicken in fat to the southern United States. After its introduction to the American South, fried chicken soon became a staple. Over time, seasonings and spices were added to enrich the flavor of the chicken.
Fried chicken is a dish that consists of chicken pieces which have been floured or battered then pan-fried, deep-fried or pressure-fried. The breading adds a crisp coating to the exterior of the chicken.
Traditionally the chicken is fried in lard. However, corn oil, peanut oil, canola oil or vegetable oil are also frequently used.
