Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Wild Turkeys ~ Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole ~ National Earth Day ~ National Jelly Bean Day

  

Good cloudy 47º morning.

 

Yesterday we topped at 67º.

 

Picture of the Day

 

 

Interesting about Wild Turkeys.... pictures from my property

 

 

Wild turkeys can fly at speeds of 55 miles per hour. Though the birds are very fast in the air, they can only fly at these speeds for a very short amount of time.

 

Wild turkeys are relatively fast on the ground as well as in the air. These large birds can run at speeds of 25 miles per hour, making it relatively easy for them to escape from predators. Though turkeys spend large amounts of time on the ground during the day searching for food like insects and berries, they fly into trees at night where they roost with their flock. Wild turkeys can get rather large, and full-grown males can weigh as much as 30 pounds. The large size does not hinder their speed, however.

 

This bird has been a popular menu item since as early as the sixteenth century, when European explorers took them home from Mexico. Before that, the Aztecs and other Native American groups were already domesticating turkeys both for food and feathers. Wild turkeys still roam the continent—watch for them in open woodlands, along field edges, and in clearings. During the day they spend most of their time on the ground, but at night they roost in trees.

Due to over hunting and deforestation that eliminated wild turkeys’ habitat, these birds were nearly extinct in the 1930s. Today, there are more than seven million wild turkeys, and the population of these birds is increasing in many areas. Their range is spread throughout North America, from Canada to Mexico.

• The average lifespan of a wild turkey is 3-5 years, and the oldest known wild turkey lived to be at least 13 years old. Domestic birds bred for food only live a few months until they are the appropriate size for commercial slaughter, though breeding pairs may be kept several years.
• In the wild, turkeys range from 5-20 pounds. Domestic turkeys are specially bred to be heavier and could weigh twice as much as their wild cousins depending on their age when they are harvested.

• 
  The wild turkey’s bald head and fleshy facial wattles can change color in seconds with excitement or emotion. The birds’ heads can be red, pink, white, or blue. The flap of skin that hangs down over a turkey's bill is called a snood, and can also change color, size, and shape based on mood and activities.
  
  
  

 

We have a lot of wild turkeys here.....

 

 

They are not native to Oregon. They were first introduced in 1961. Since then more than 10,000 turkeys have been transplanted all over Oregon. There are two subspecies, the Merriam's wild turkey was the first in the state, and the Rio Grand turkey was introduced in 1975.

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

 

This is the easiest breakfast casserole you'll ever make. No, really. Thanks to some shortcut frozen ingredients, this Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole can be put together in no time. And since it's a make-ahead casserole, you can make it an hour in advance or even a day in advance!

 

 

• 6 frozen waffles, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 (9.6-ounce) package frozen sausage crumbles, thawed
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• maple syrup (optional)

 

1. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Layer half of waffles on bottom of prepared dish. Top with half of sausage crumbles and 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat layer.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and salt until well combined. Pour egg mixture evenly over waffle mixture.
3. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight.
4. Before serving, preheat oven to 350º.
5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until eggs are set in center. Drizzle with syrup and serve.

 

 

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

1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: After learning that Soviet forces have taken Eberswalde without a fight, Adolf Hitler admits defeat in his underground bunker and states that suicide is his only recourse.

 

 

2000 – In a pre-dawn raid, federal agents seize six-year-old Elián González from his relatives' home in Miami, Florida.

 

 

Commentators have suggested that the Elián González affair may have been a factor in voters' decisions in the 2000 United States presidential election, which could have affected the close outcome in Florida. Al Gore's handling of the matter may have been as great a factor as anger by the predominantly Republican Cuban community over the boy's return to Cuba. Gore initially supported Republican legislation to give the boy and his father permanent residence status, but later supported the Administration position. He was attacked by both for pandering and being inconsistent.

 

2008 – The United States Air Force retires the remaining F-117 Nighthawk aircraft in service.

 

And births this date include....

1906 – Eddie Albert, American actor (d. 2005)

 

 

 

 
1936 – Glen Campbell, American singer, musician, and actor (d.2017)

 

 

1937 – Jack Nicholson, American actor, film director, producer and writer

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Each year on April 22nd, National Earth Day campaigns around the globe promote ways to save the Earth. 

Since its inception, the organizers promote events educating the public about a variety of subjects including:

• climate change
• air pollution
• water pollution
• erosion
• recycling
• composting
• renewable fuels and power
• carbon footprints
• efficient cars
• rain forests
• ecosystems

NATIONAL EARTH DAY HISTORY

In 1969, the concept of Earth Day was established at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. On March 21, 1970, a sanctioned Proclamation was signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. A month later, on April 22, 1970, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day. While National Earth Day is not considered a national holiday we encourage you to learn more.

Environmentalists held rallies in large cities around the country. The observance became a global event in 1990 and hasn’t stopped since.

Today is also....

Who can resist a handful of sweet jelly beans on National Jelly Bean Day? Well on April 22nd each year, you really don’t have to resist at all. As a celebration, enjoying them is a must! 

While candies made in a similar manner existed before the jelly bean, Boston confectioner William Schrafft made them popular during the Civil War. With their firm exterior, jelly beans were the first candies sold by the pound. Schrafft encouraged his customers to send them to Union soldiers.

In the 1930s, jelly beans became closely associated with the Easter holiday thanks to their egg-like shape. However, confectioners make jelly beans available all year long now. So, there’s no excuse not to enjoy them if you have a craving at any time of the year.

The 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, enjoyed jelly beans so much that they were present at his inauguration. He started eating them when he quit smoking years before. The Herman Goelitz Candy Company supplied red, white and blue jelly beans for the 1980 event. At the time, the company didn’t produce blue jelly beans. They created a blueberry jelly bean for the first time, especially for the inauguration.

** In my kitchen I kept a jar with Jelly Bellies in it. When I babysat our little granddaughter Alex she would always ask for some. She loved them. That is why I nicknamed her, Jelly Bean,  hence the email JellyBeansBobo!  "Bobo" because she couldn't say "grandma", she called me Bobo.