Weather ~ Weather a Year Ago ~ Picture of the Day ~ Lawn Mower History ~ Buttermilk Fried Fish ~ National Tortilla Chip Day

  

Good 33º super foggy again morning.

Be careful out there, full moon!!! 

 

 

A year ago today we had snow...

 

 

Yesterday we had horrible fog.........and again today!

The fog lifted and we had clear sky and sunshine! 

We topped at 70º.

 

Picture of the Day...lightening hitting Chicago's tallest buildings😮

 

 

Interesting about lawn mowers....

 

 

A lawn mower (also known as a mower, grass cutter or lawnmower) is a device utilizing one or more revolving blades (or a reel) to cut a grass surface to an even height. The height of the cut grass may be fixed by the design of the mower but generally is adjustable by the operator, typically by a single master lever or by a mechanism on each of the machine's wheels. The blades may be powered by manual force, with wheels mechanically connected to the cutting blades so that the blades spin when the mower is pushed forward, or the machine may have a battery-powered or plug-in electric motor. The most common self-contained power source for lawn mowers is a small (typically one-cylinder) internal combustion engine. Smaller mowers often lack any form of self-propulsion, requiring human power to move over a surface; "walk-behind" mowers are self-propelled, requiring a human only to walk behind and guide them. Larger lawn mowers are usually either self-propelled "walk-behind" types or, more often, are "ride-on" mowers that the operator can sit on and control. A robotic lawn mower ("lawn-mowing bot", "mowbot", etc.) is designed to operate either entirely on its own or less commonly by an operator on a remote control.

 

Two main styles of blades are used in lawn mowers. Lawn mowers employing a single blade that rotates about a single vertical axis are known as rotary mowers, while those employing a cutting bar and multiple blade assembly that rotates about a single horizontal axis are known as cylinder or reel mowers (although in some versions, the cutting bar is the only blade, and the rotating assembly consists of flat metal pieces which force the blades of grass against the sharp cutting bar).

 

There are several types of mowers, each suited to a particular scale and purpose. The smallest types, non-powered push mowers, are suitable for small residential lawns and gardens. Electrical or piston engine-powered push-mowers are used for larger residential lawns (although there is some overlap). Riding mowers, which sometimes resemble small tractors, are larger than push mowers and are suitable for large lawns, although commercial riding lawn mowers (such as zero-turn mowers) can be "stand-on" types and often bear little resemblance to residential lawn tractors, being designed to mow large areas at high speed in the shortest time possible. The largest multi-gang (multi-blade) mowers are mounted on tractors and are designed for large expanses of grass such as golf courses and municipal parks, although they are ill-suited for complex terrain.

 

 

History

Invention

The lawn mower was invented in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding of Stroud, Gloucestershire, England. Budding's mower was designed primarily to cut the grass on sports grounds and extensive gardens, as a superior alternative to the scythe, and was granted a British patent on August 31, 1830.

 

Budding's first machine was 19 inches wide with a frame made of wrought iron. The mower was pushed from behind. Cast-iron gear wheels transmitted power from the rear roller to the cutting cylinder, allowing the rear roller to drive the knives on the cutting cylinder; the ratio was 16:1. Another roller placed between the cutting cylinder and the main or land roller could be raised or lowered to alter the height of cut. The grass clippings were hurled forward into a tray-like box. It was soon realized, however, that an extra handle was needed in front to help pull the machine along. Overall, these machines were remarkably similar to modern mowers.

 

Two of the earliest Budding machines sold went to Regent's Park Zoological Gardens in London and the Oxford colleges. In an agreement between John Ferrabee and Edwin Budding dated May 18, 1830, Ferrabee paid the costs of enlarging the small blades, obtained letters of patent and acquired rights to manufacture, sell and license other manufacturers in the production of lawn mowers. Without patent, Budding and Ferrabee were shrewd enough to allow other companies to build copies of their mower under licence, the most successful of these being Ransomes of Ipswich, which began making mowers as early as 1832.

 

His machine was the catalyst for the preparation of modern-style sporting ovals, playing fields (pitches), grass courts, etc. This led to the codification of modern rules for many sports, including for football, lawn bowls, lawn tennis and others.

 

^{If you want to read a whole lot more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawn_mower}

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Buttermilk Fried Fish

 

 

SERVES

4 to 6

If you love fried chicken, you've gotta try Buttermilk Fried Fish! It's so delicious, it practically flakes in your mouth!

 

• 2 pounds skinless white-fleshed fish fillets
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup biscuit mix
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Vegetable oil for frying (to cover 1/4-inch of large frying pan)

 

1. Thaw fish if frozen. Cut fish into serving size portions and place in a shallow dish. Pour buttermilk over fish and let stand for 30 minutes in refrigerator, turning once.
2. In a large bowl, combine biscuit mix and salt. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Remove fish from buttermilk and coat with biscuit mixture.
3. Place fish in frying pan in a single layer and cook until browned on both sides and it flakes easily with a fork. Drain fish on paper towels and serve.

 

***Sole, perch and flounder work especially well.

 

 

Historically this date........

1863 – Arizona is organized as a United States territory.

My aunt was born in 1907 in Cananea Mexico when my grandfather was working down there as a mining engineer. Later she could have said she was born in Arizona, since it was a Territory and they didn't start keeping birth records until 1912. But, she was honest and became a 'naturalized citizen' in later years, but did grow up in Arizona in Bisbee. My grandparents were still Scottish citizens, not American. He was a mining engineer for the Lavender Pitt copper mine in Bisbee after Pancho Villa's men told them they had to leave Mexico since they weren't citizens of Mexico.

1942 – The Battle of Los Angeles, one of the largest documented UFO sightings in history; the event lasted into the early hours of February 26, 1942. Interesting.

1968 – Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive is halted; South Vietnam recaptures Hué.

1980 – The United States Olympic Hockey team completes their Miracle on Ice by defeating Finland 4-2 to win the gold medal.

1989 – United Airlines Flight 811, bound for New Zealand from Honolulu, Hawaii, rips open during flight, sucking 9 passengers out of the business-class section.

 

And births this date include...

1921 – Abe Vigoda, American actor (d.2016)

 

1938 – James Farentino, American actor (d. 2012)

 

1940 – Pete Duel, American actor (d. 1971)

 

1941 – Joanie Sommers, American singer and actress

 

1955 – Steve Jobs, American computer pioneer (d. 2011)

1970 – Kienast quintuplets, American quintuplets

.......no public appearances in years, except for the following photo taken off the Oprah show ...

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Tortilla Chip Day, a day set aside for the crunchy snack loved by millions across the nation, is observed annually on February 24th.

The tortilla chip is most commonly served with salsa, chile con queso, guacamole, cheese dips or other dips.  Tortilla chips are made from corn tortillas cut into wedges and then fried. The tortillas are made from corn, vegetable oil, salt, and water. Typically made with yellow corn, tortillas can also be made with white, blue or red corn.

Even though tortilla chips have always been considered to be a Mexican food, known as tostados, they were first mass-produced in Los Angeles in the late 1940s. It is said that the triangle-shaped tortilla chips were made popular by Rebecca Webb Carranza as a way to use the misshapen tortillas that were rejected from the automated tortilla manufacturing machine that she and her husband used at their Los Angeles deli and tortilla factory.

Carranza realized that once the discarded tortillas were cut into triangle shapes and fried, they became a popular snack.  She then sold them for a dime a bag at the El Zarape Tortilla Factory.  Carranza received the Golden Tortilla Award in 1994 for her contribution to the Mexican food industry.

The United States is one of the primary markets for tortilla chips.

Another favorite dish made with tortilla chips is nachos.  The dish was first created around 1943 by Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya. Nachos are tortilla chips served with melted or shredded cheese, and often additional toppings are added, such as meat, salsa, refried beans, tomatoes, diced onion, lettuce, olives, jalapenos, guacamole and sour cream.