Weather/Snow ~ Picture of the Day ~ Windex ~ The World's Best Western Omelet ~ National Chocolate Souffle Day ~ National Tooth Fairy Day

  

Good 31º morning.

 

Yesterday it snowed and snowed..............Here is my yard and driveway...

 

Downtown Rogue River and the I-5 off ramp......

 

The I-5 summit....

Downtown Grants Pass.......

 

 Last night it snowed a LOT more.....

and in Grants Pass....

I-5 on the Siskiyou summit has all the vehicles stopped...............

We topped at 41º and didn't have any snow left and sunshine!

 

 

Picture of the Day ... If you can't find the book you are looking for, you are obviously in the....

 

 

Interesting

 

Windex is an American brand of glass and hard-surface cleaners—originally in glass containers, later in plastic ones.

 

Drackett sold the Windex brand to Bristol-Meyers in 1965.^[2] S. C. Johnson acquired Windex in 1993 and has been manufacturing it since.

 

The original Windex was yellow. Today, there are varieties marketed in several colors (ocean fresh blue, sunshine lemon, and citrus orange) and fragrances (spring bouquet, ocean mist, lavender, and tea tree), with a number of additives such as vinegar, lemon, lime, or orange juice.

Ingredients

On August 26, 1969, Melvin E. Stonebraker and Samuel P. Wise received U.S. patent #3,463,735 for a glass cleaning composition, listing example formulae, one of which is 4.0% isopropyl alcohol, 1% ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, 0.1% sodium lauryl sulfate (a surfactant), calcium (Ca) 0.01%, tetrasodium pyrophosphate (a water softener), 0.05% of 28% ammonia, 1% of a dye solution, and 0.01% perfume. This formula was not only inexpensive to manufacture but allowed the product to be packaged in glass bottles and dispensed with a plastic sprayer.

 

In 1989, Windex was a 5% ammonia solution. The product was reformulated in 2006. In 2009, S.C. Johnson started publishing ingredients for all of its products, including Windex. The S.C. Johnson website lists Windex's ingredients as water, 2-hexoxyethanol, isopropanolamine, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, lauramine oxide, ammonium hydroxide, fragrance, and Liquitint sky blue dye. An alternative variant also for household use cites water, hexoxyethanol, isopropanolamine, ammonium hydroxide, sodium C10-C16 alkylbenzenesulfonate, lauramine oxide, sodium xylene sulfonate, colorants, and fragrances.

Competition

Windex's main competitor in the window cleaning market is Glass Plus, a glass cleaning product produced by Reckitt Benckiser, which Windex's current owner S. C. Johnson & Son was required to divest to gain the approval of the Federal Trade Commission to acquire Dow Chemical Company's DowBrands consumer products division (the original owner of the Glass Plus brand).

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Craving a big, fluffy, cheesy omelet like the kind you can order at your favorite breakfast restaurant? Here it is! We've stuffed this one with lots of onion, green pepper, and ham to create The World's Best Western Omelet. Once you see how easy it is, you'll be making overstuffed omelets all the time!

 

 

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped cooked ham
• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons diced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons water, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

1. In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat oil until hot. Add ham, bell pepper, onion, garlic powder, and salt. Saute 4 to 5 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Remove from skillet and set aside.
2. Coat skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat.
3. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with water. Add to skillet and with a rubber spatula, gently stir, pushing the cooked portion of the eggs to the center of the pan.
4. When eggs firm up and are no longer liquidy, sprinkle half the omelet with cheese and top with ham mixture. Cook until cheese is melted. Slide omelet onto platter, fold over filling, cut in half, and serve.

 

 

Historically this date.......

1935 – DuPont scientist Wallace Carothers invents nylon

1954 – The first color television sets using the NTSC standard are offered for sale to the general public.

1991 – The first Gulf War ends.

1993 – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raid the Branch Davidian church in Waco, Texas with a warrant to arrest the group's leader David Koresh. Four BATF agents and five Davidians die in the initial raid, starting a 51-day standoff.

1997 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 in Armenia and Azerbaijan kills around 1,100 people

1997 – An earthquake in northern Iran is responsible for about 3,000 deaths.

1997 – The North Hollywood shootout takes place, resulting in the injury of 19 people and the deaths of both perpetrators.

2001 – The Nisqually Earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale hits the Nisqually Valley and the Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia area of the U.S. state of Washington.

And births this date include....

1906 – Bugsy Siegel, American gangster (d. 1947)

 

1931 – Gavin MacLeod, American actor (d.2021)

 

 

 

1940 – Mario Andretti, Italian-American race car driver

His winery in Napa makes awesome wine!!!

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Chocolate Souffle Day celebrates a delightfully delicious dessert on February 28th each year. 

The word souffle is the past participle of the French verb souffler, which means “to blow up” or more loosely “puff up” which describes a souffle perfectly.  A souffle is a lightly baked cake made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites that are combined with other ingredients to make the dish either a savory main dish or a sweet dessert.

Two essential components make up every souffle.

1.  a French creme patisserie base/flavored cream sauce or puree

2.  egg whites beaten to a  soft peak meringue

A souffle gets its flavor from the base, and the egg whites provide the lift to puff it up. A variety of cheeses, jams, fruits, or chocolates can be baked into the base of the souffle. Many souffle bakers like to puncture the top of the souffle after removing it from the oven. Then they pour mouth-watering sauces onto it, such as chocolate, vanilla, or for a savory flavor cheese and herbs.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Souffles offer an opportunity to show off and invite friends to share in the celebration. 

 

 February 28th, National Tooth Fairy Day, encourages us to take a look back on the history of one of dental care’s little helpers. It’s one way our children develop good dental hygiene. 

Like some of the fantastic creations who oversee children, the tooth fairy is a relative newcomer to the world of childhood fantasies.

1920s

In the mid-1920s, fairies were used for all sorts of health education, from bath fairies to fresh air fairies as a way to get kids to remember to eat their vegetables, wash behind their ears and get a good night’s rest. Like toothpaste today advertises fruity flavors and sparkles to get kids excited to brush their teeth, in 1925, it was probably quite a bit more difficult considering the pastes were mostly peroxide and baking soda. One advertisement was for a Fairy Wand Tooth Whitener. This product promised to brush away cigarette and coffee stains. The ad was aimed at both children and adults, we hope!

Then in 1927, Esther Watkins Arnold printed an eight-page playlet for children called The Tooth Fairy. The same year Sir Arthur Conan Doyle “proved” his claim that fairies and gnomes are real and “verified” with pictures of two little girls surrounded by fairies. The world was ripe with imagination and primed to have a tooth fairy to come collect the lost teeth of little boys and girls and leave a coin or two behind.

Arnold’s play began to be performed in schools the following year, and the tooth fairy has been slipping into homes ever since. She (or he) started leaving nickels and dimes under the pillows of sleeping children. Over the years, there have been variations on the theme.

NATIONAL TOOTH FAIRY DAY HISTORY

Children’s author, Katie Davis, created the February 28th observance of National Tooth Fairy Day. While there is also an August 22nd observance, it is interesting to note the two observances are six months apart and the American Dental Association’s recommendation to have cleanings twice annually

 

 

 

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Staplers ~ Fancy Fast Chicken ~ Dash ~ Sami ~ National Polar Bear Day

  

Good 31º it snowed morning. 

 

 

Yesterday we started with rain and then it left and we had clouds and sun and we topped at 49º.

 

 

Picture of the Day...house with shifty eyes

 

 

Interesting about staplers.......

 

A stapler is a mechanical device that joins pages of paper or similar material by driving a thin metal staple through the sheets and folding the ends. Staplers are widely used in government, business, offices, work places, homes and schools.

 

The word "stapler" can actually refer to a number of different devices of varying uses. In addition to joining paper sheets together, staplers can also be used in a surgical setting to join tissue together with surgical staples to close a surgical wound (much in the same way as sutures).

 

Most staplers are used to join multiple sheets of paper. Paper staplers come in two distinct types: manual and electric. Manual staplers are normally hand-held, although models that are used while set on a desk or other surface are not uncommon. Electric staplers exist in a variety of different designs and models. Their primary operating function is to join large numbers of paper sheets together in rapid succession. Some electric staplers can join up to 20 sheets at a time. Typical staplers are a third-class lever.

 

The modern stapler

In 1941 the type of paper stapler that is the most common in use today was developed: the four way paper stapler. With the four way, the operator could either use the stapler to staple papers to wood or cardboard, or used to staple like pliers for bags, or the normal way with the head positioned a small distance above the stapling plate. The stapling plate is known as the anvil. The anvil often has two settings: the first, and by far most common, is the reflexive setting, also known as the "permanent" setting. In this position the legs of the staple are folded toward the center of the cross bar. It is used to staple papers which are not expected to need separation. If rotated 180° or slid to its second position, the anvil will be set on the sheer setting, also known as the "temporary" or "straight" setting. In this position the legs of the staple are folded outwards, away from the cross bar, resulting in the legs and cross bar being in more or less a straight line. Stapling with this setting will result in more-weakly secured papers, but a staple that is much easier to remove. The use of the second setting is almost never seen, however, due to the prevalence of staple removers and the general lack of knowledge about its use. Some simple modern staplers feature a fixed anvil that lacks the sheer position.

 

Modern staplers continue to evolve and adapt to the changing habits of users. Less-effort, or easy-squeeze/use staplers, for example, make use of different leverage efficiencies to reduce the amount of force the user need apply. As a result, these staplers tend to be used in work environments where repetitive, large stapling jobs are routine.

 

Some modern desktop staplers make use of Flat Clinch technology. With Flat Clinch staplers, the staple legs first pierce the paper and are then bent over and pressed absolutely flat against the paper – doing away with the two-setting anvil commonly used and making use of a recessed stapling base in which the legs are folded. Accordingly, staples do not have sharper edges exposed and lead to flatter stacking of paper – saving on filing and binder space.

 

Some photocopiers feature an integrated stapler allowing copies of documents to be automatically stapled as they are printed.

 

 

Permanent fastening binds items by driving the staple through the material and into an anvil, a small metal plate that bends the ends, usually inward. On most modern staplers, the anvil rotates or slides to change between bending the staple ends inward for permanent stapling or outward for pinning (see below). Clinches can be standard, squiggled, flat, or rounded completely adjacent to the paper to facilitate neater document stacking.

 

Pinning temporarily binds documents or other items. To pin, the anvil slides or rotates so that the staple bends outwards instead of inwards. Some staplers pin by bending one leg of the staple inwards and the other outwards. The staple binds the item with relative security, but is easily removed.

 

Tacking fastens objects to surfaces, such as bulletin boards or walls. A stapler that can tack has a base that folds back out of the way so staples drive directly into an object rather than fold against the anvil. In this position the staples are driven similar to the way a staple gun works, but with less force driving the staple.

 

Saddle staplers have an inverted V-shaped saddle for stapling pre-fold sheets to make booklets.

 

Stapleless staplers, invented in 1910, are a means of stapling that punches out a small flap of paper and weaves it through a notch. A more recent alternative method avoids the resulting hole by crimping the pages together with serrated metal teeth instead.

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Want to impress your company with something fancy and fast? Here's a way to do it without a lot of extra work! Our Fancy Fast Chicken will get you rave reviews and you won't even break a sweat. When asked if it's your favorite recipe, don't be afraid to say it's at the top of your list!

 

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 6 slices Swiss cheese (1 ounce each)
• 1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups herb-seasoned classic stuffing mix
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted

 

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Place chicken in prepared baking dish. Top each piece with a slice of Swiss cheese. Arrange sliced mushrooms over cheese, if desired.
3. In a small bowl, mix together soup and wine; pour over chicken. Sprinkle stuffing mix over top, and drizzle on melted butter.
4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no pink remains.

 

 

 

Historically this date............

1951 – The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting Presidents to two terms, is ratified.

1964 – The government of Italy asks for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over.

1973 – The American Indian Movement occupies Wounded Knee, South Dakota.

 

 

And births this date include...

1930 – Joanne Woodward, American actress

 

1932 – Elizabeth Taylor, British-American actress (d.2011)

 

1934 – Van Williams, American actor (d.2016)

"Williams, the Green Hornet, said goodbye to Hollywood around 1970 and followed his interests into a job in the actual world of law enforcement, spending 25 years as a reserve officer with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and also working at the San Diego Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department."

 

1940 – Howard Hesseman, American actor (d. 2022)

 

 Over the weekend, from Friday to Sunday I babysat my grand dog Dash. Here he is playing with a toy and sleeping on my lap....

His parents, Brian and Jen, daughter Sami, and grandma Jean all went to Reno for Sami's gymnastics competition. Sami did really well...she was one of three on level 8. 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Polar Bear Day, also known as International Polar Bear Day, focuses our attention on conservation efforts and learning more about the fabulous polar bear on February 27th.

 

Polar bears can reach a height of 9 ft tall and a weight of 1400 pounds. They use their large, slightly webbed front paws to paddle as they swim.  As they are powerful swimmers, some polar bears swim hundreds of miles from land. However, some of the distance may have been covered by floating on sheets of ice.

 

Polar bears have a warming layer of fat covered by their thick coat of insulating fur, which helps them live in colder environments.

 

Some organizations use this day to raise awareness of the declining number of polar bears worldwide. Many believe global warming and the consequential loss of their natural habitat threaten these beautiful creatures.  Groups around the world gather together to find ways to make a difference and spread information to others.

 

 

NATIONAL POLAR BEAR DAY HISTORY

Each year, Polar Bears International sponsors National Polar Bear Day. They have been celebrating the day since at least 2011.

Polar Bear FAQ

Q. Are polar bears white?
A. A polar bear’s skin is actually black. Its thick, insulating fur is translucent.

Q. Where do polar bears live?
A. Polar bears cover quite a bit of territory. Their home in the Arctic spans from Russia, across Norway, Greenland, Canada, and some parts of Alaska.

Q. What is a polar bear hybrid?
A. Some polar bears and grizzly bears have bred creating a hybrid bear. They are called various names including grolar and pizzly bears