Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Whiskey Shot ~ Scandinavian Cabbage Soup ~ Gerard DeRuyte ~ National Tater Day

  

Good 36º dark cloudy morning. 

We have a winter storm warning for the next week.

 

 

Yesterday we had some sunshine and we topped at 62º.

 

 

 

Picture of the Day....funny town name.....

 

 

Interesting.....

 

If you’ve ever given any thought to the oddities of bar terminology (a pastime mostly enjoyed after a few rounds at said bar), you may have wondered about the curious word we use for a small pour of liquor, the mysterious “shot.” Once commonly called a “jigger” of whiskey, the more common term “shot” is likely so second nature, you don’t even stop to think about it. But the word remains somewhat of enigma, as it popped up here and there in the English language before it entered regular usage sometime around the mid-20th century. We can’t quite settle the debate on the word’s origin, but here are a few theories.

 

It’s Derived From Old English

The most likely origin for the word (and unfortunately the most boring) is found deep in Old English. In Nathan Bailey’s 1721 compendium, An Universal Etymological English Dictionary, Bailey says “shot” referred to “a Flagon which the Host gives to his Guest if they drink above a Shilling.” A similar note in Bailey’s dictionary for “ale-shot” indicates “a Reckoning or Part to be paid at an ale house,” aka a tab for drinking all that ale. About 300 years of etymological evolution can explain the shrinking of those shots down to a single gulp and the disappearance of the “reckoning” sense of the word.

So Anglo-Saxons were shooting their ale, their descendants were doing so from shots, and generations later, drinkers all over the world are doing shots of Fireball between games of beer pong. History really is a beautiful thing.

OK, enough boring etymology. On to the fun theories (that are total bull, but still pretty cool).

It’s From the Old West

A few stories erroneously associate the term “shot” with the Old West. One claims that cowboys paid for their whiskey at the local saloon by trading booze for bullets. Another story comes from Dr. Jehu Z. Powell’s 1913 book, A History of Cass Country Indiana from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, which holds the title for first written reference to a “shot” proper. Powell claimed that in New Waverly in 1857, a barrel of “red eye” whiskey was sabotaged by local temperance forces who shot at the barrel to spill its contents before it could be served. “Ever after that,” Powell wrote, “when the boys wanted a drink they would ask for a ‘shot of red eye.’”

It Refers to Buckshot

Another theory says that families who hunted their own game would place a “shot glass” on the table with dinner so diners had somewhere to dispose of the buckshot picked from their meat.

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

This cheesy version of cabbage soup is inspired by an Old World recipe. Scandinavian Cabbage Soup is chock-full of veggies and creamy richness, making it a hearty and flavorful main dish, and it only takes 30 minutes from start to finish!

 

• 1/2 stick butter
• 3 cups chopped cabbage
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 cup thin carrot slices
• 1 (14-1/2-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

 

1. In a soup pot over medium-high heat, melt butter; saute cabbage, onion, celery, and carrots 8 to 10 minutes or until tender.
    
2. Add corn, peas, milk, chicken broth, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; simmer about 15 minutes. Add cheese, stirring until melted; serve immediately.
   
   

****To lighten up this Scandinavian Cabbage Soup a bit, start with olive oil instead of butter and use a reduced-fat cheddar cheese.

 

 

 

 

Special birthday today, my neighbor Gerard DeRuyte is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GERRY!! xo   Gerry with his bride Maria:

 

 

Historically this date........

1889 – The Eiffel Tower is officially opened.

1918 – Daylight saving time goes into effect in the United States for the first time.

1930 – The Motion Pictures Production Code is instituted, imposing strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion and violence in film, in the U.S., for the next thirty eight years.

1951 – Remington Rand delivers the first UNIVAC I computer to the United States Census Bureau.

1992 – The USS Missouri, the last active United States Navy battleship, is decommissioned in Long Beach, California.

 

And births this date include....

1929 – Liz Claiborne, Belgian-American fashion designer (d. 2007)

 

1934 – Richard Chamberlain, American actor

 

1934 – Shirley Jones, American singer and actress (The Partridge Family)

 

1935 – Herb Alpert, American trumpeter and band leader

 

1943 – Christopher Walken, American actor

 

1945 – Gabe Kaplan, American actor and comedian

 

1948 – David Eisenhower, American author and professor

.....David and Julie Nixon Eisenhower...

 

1948 – Rhea Perlman, American actress

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

If you like your spuds, National Tater Day on March 31st is for you! The day recognizes all kinds of potatoes which provide us with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Potatoes are quite versatile, which might explain why so many people like them. They are the number one consumed vegetable in the United States. And when you consider how many ways we can eat the over 200 different kinds of potatoes in the United States, you shouldn’t be surprised.

First off, we can bake them. Who doesn’t like a baked potato? Yeah, we see you in back. Put your hand down. The rest of us absolutely love the baked spud. Plus those baked potatoes? You can bake them twice with all sorts of delicious toppings. Twice! Secondly, we can boil them. And from the boiled potatoes we can make soups, salads, or make one of the world’s all-time favorite potato dishes – mashed potatoes. And did you know, mashed potatoes have numerous different recipes, too? You can’t have shepherd’s pie without mashed potatoes. Dice them and slice them and we can make scalloped, fried, or even hash browns. And then, there’s potato dumplings and pancakes. 

Beyond all the ways we use potatoes, this day may have originally had a different meaning. At the beginning of April, parts of Kentucky celebrated the sweet potato (Tater Day). Sweet potatoes are one of the main cash crops in that area. Tater Day started way back in the early 1840s with the trading and selling of sweet potatoes. It is the oldest continuous trade day in the United States.

Worldwide, there are more than four thousand potato varieties. 

Since the time potatoes were shipped from Europe to the colonies in the early 17th century, their consumption has been a major part of the North American diet.

HOW TO OBSERVE

• Have your potato, tater, or spud the way you like it.
• Sprinkle them with herbs, cheese, or just a hint of salt.
• Try a new recipe.
• What’s really important is that you celebrate this humble vegetable.
• Share your favorite potato recipe.

NATIONAL TATER DAY HISTORY

The day may have originated in Kentucky where they have celebrated Tater Day for some time. However, our research was unable to find the creator of National Tater Day.