Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ President Martin Van Buren ~ Spinach and Artichoke Calzones ~ National Hairstylist Appreciation Day

  

Good 34º cloudy morning. 

 

 

Yesterday we topped at 63º.

 

 

Picture of the Day...perfect timing...😁

 

 

Interesting about President Martin Van Buren.....

 

Martin Van Buren (/væn ˈbjʊərən/ van BURE-ən; Dutch: Maarten van Buren [ˈmaːrtə(n) vɑm ˈbyːrə(n)] ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer, diplomat, and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party, he served as New York's attorney general and U.S. senator, then briefly as the ninth governor of New York before joining Andrew Jackson's administration as the tenth United States secretary of state, minister to Great Britain, and ultimately the eighth vice president when named Jackson's running mate for the 1832 election. Van Buren won the presidency in 1836 against divided Whig opponents. Van Buren lost re-election in 1840, and failed to win the Democratic nomination in 1844. Later in his life, Van Buren emerged as an elder statesman and an important anti-slavery leader who led the Free Soil Party ticket in the 1848 presidential election.

 

Van Buren was born in Kinderhook, New York, where most residents were of Dutch descent and spoke Dutch as their primary language; he is the only president to have spoken English as a second language. Trained as a lawyer, he entered politics as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, won a seat in the New York State Senate, and was elected to the United States Senate in 1821. As the leader of the Bucktails faction, Van Buren emerged as the most influential politician from New York in the 1820s and established a political machine known as the Albany Regency. He ran successfully for governor of New York to support Andrew Jackson's candidacy in the 1828 presidential election but resigned shortly after Jackson was inaugurated so he could accept appointment as Jackson's secretary of state. In the cabinet, Van Buren was a key Jackson advisor and built the organizational structure for the coalescing Democratic Party. He ultimately resigned to help resolve the Petticoat affair and briefly served as ambassador to Great Britain. At Jackson's behest, the 1832 Democratic National Convention nominated Van Buren for vice president, and he took office after the Democratic ticket won the 1832 presidential election.

 

With Jackson's strong support and the organizational strength of the Democratic Party, Van Buren successfully ran for president in the 1836 presidential election. However, his popularity soon eroded because of his response to the Panic of 1837, which centered on his Independent Treasury system, a plan under which the federal government of the United States would store its funds in vaults rather than in banks; more conservative Democrats and Whigs in Congress ultimately delayed his plan from being implemented until 1840. His presidency was further marred by the costly Second Seminole War and his refusal to admit Texas to the Union as a slave state. In 1840, Van Buren lost his re-election bid to William Henry Harrison. While Van Buren is praised for anti-slavery stances, in historical rankings, historians and political scientists often rank Van Buren as an average or below-average U.S. president, due to his handling of the Panic of 1837.

 

Van Buren was initially the leading candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination again in 1844, but his continued opposition to the annexation of Texas angered Southern Democrats, leading to the nomination of James K. Polk. Growing opposed to slavery, Van Buren was the newly formed Free Soil Party's presidential nominee in 1848, and his candidacy helped Whig nominee Zachary Taylor defeat Democrat Lewis Cass. Worried about sectional tensions, Van Buren returned to the Democratic Party after 1848 but was disappointed with the pro-southern presidencies of Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. During the American Civil War, Van Buren was a War Democrat who supported the policies of President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican. He died of asthma at his home in Kinderhook in 1862, aged 79.

 

Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782, in Kinderhook, New York, about 20 miles south of Albany in the Hudson River valley.

 

His father, Abraham Van Buren, was a descendant of Cornelis Maessen, a native of Buurmalsen, Netherlands who had emigrated to New Netherland in 1631 and purchased a plot of land on Manhattan Island. Van Buren was the first U.S. president without any British ancestry; he was of entirely Dutch descent. Abraham Van Buren had been a Patriot during the American Revolution, and he later joined the Democratic-Republican Party. He owned an inn and tavern in Kinderhook and served as Kinderhook's town clerk for several years. In 1776, he married Maria Hoes (or Goes) Van Alen (1746–1818) in the town of Kinderhook, also of Dutch extraction and the widow of Johannes Van Alen (1744-c. 1773). 

 

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

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

YIELDS

8

COOK TIME

15 Min

Switch up your dinnertime routine by serving up our cheesy, baked Spinach and Artichoke Calzones. They're perfect for holding right in your hand and dunking into your favorite marinara sauce. You might just find yourself making these as an on-the-go lunch, too!

 

• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (9-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1 cup chopped artichokes
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 (13.8-ounce) containers refrigerated pizza crust dough
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Cooking spray

 

1. Preheat oven to 425º.
2. In a large bowl, combine ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, spinach, artichokes, garlic powder, and pepper; mix well.
3. Unroll pizza crusts onto a flat surface and cut each into 4 squares. Spoon an equal amount of spinach mixture onto each square, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle each with mozzarella cheese. Fold each in half diagonally to form triangles. Using a fork, crimp edges to firmly seal. Place calzones on baking sheets and spray lightly with cooking spray.
4. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

***Serve these with marinara sauce.

 

 

Historically this date.......

1789 – On the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected President of the United States.

1803 – Louisiana Purchase: The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, more than doubling the size of the young nation.

1812 – The Territory of Orleans becomes the 18th U.S. state under the name Louisiana.

1900 – Casey Jones dies in a train wreck in Vaughn, Mississippi, while trying to make up time on the Cannonball Express.

1927 – Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford become the first celebrities to leave their footprints in concrete at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

 

1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide after being married for one day. Soviet soldiers raise the Victory Banner over the Reichstag building.

1947 – In Nevada, the Boulder Dam is renamed Hoover Dam a second time.

2009 – Chrysler files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

And births this date include....

1877 – Alice B. Toklas, American companion of Gertrude Stein (d. 1967)

... a very interesting read!

1908 – Eve Arden, American actress (d. 1990)

1926 – Cloris Leachman, American actress (d.2021)

1933 – Willie Nelson, American musician

Busy life, wives/children/marijuana.....

1938 – Gary Collins, American actor (d.2012)

.... the boy has racked up quite a few of mug shots over the years for DUI and dine and dash....

1943 – Bobby Vee, American singer (d.2016)

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 Each year on April 30th, National Hairstylist Appreciation Day honors hairstylists everywhere who make artful hairstyles possible. A talented hairstylist will not only make you look good but also make you feel good. This day also celebrates the uniqueness of all styles of hair.

Hairstylists receive training that gives them experience with a variety of textures, styles, and colors. No matter your style, your hairstylist knows the latest cuts and fashions to make your favorite looks come true. They also know how to keep your hair healthy and manageable, too. Whether you like it short, piled high, or sassy, stylists spend their days honing their skills so you look your best.

You know it’s time to make an appointment when this holiday comes around! Make the call and let your hairstylist know how much they are appreciated.

HOW TO OBSERVE

We know how much you love your stylist! They make you feel amazing with each transformation. Celebrate your hairstylist by thanking them for their kindness or lending ear. Their morale-boosting, confidence-building and self-esteem-building talents allow us to look our best.

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ The State of Virginia ~ Roasted Spring Vegetables ~ Pigs in a Blanket

 

 If there is no blog after this, it's  because I have computer problems. 

Good 40º morning. 

 

 

Yesterday we topped at 83º.

 

 

Picture of the Day....perfectly timed...

Interesting about the state of Virginia

 

 

 

 

Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The state's capital is Richmond and its most populous city is Virginia Beach, though its most populous subdivision is Fairfax County, part of Northern Virginia, where slightly over a third of Virginia's population of 8.72 million live as of 2023.

 

The Blue Ridge Mountains cross the western and southwestern parts of the state. The state's central region lies predominantly in the Piedmont. Eastern Virginia is part of the Atlantic Plain, and the Middle Peninsula forms the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The fertile Shenandoah Valley fosters the state's most productive agricultural counties, while the economy in Northern Virginia is driven by technology companies and U.S. federal government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense and Central Intelligence Agency. Hampton Roads is also the site of the region's main seaport and Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest naval base.

 

Virginia's history begins with several Indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607, the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent English colony in the New World. Virginia's state nickname, the Old Dominion, is a reference to this status. Slaves from Africa and land from displaced native tribes fueled the growing plantation economy, but also fueled conflicts both inside and outside the colony. Virginia was one of the original Thirteen Colonies in the American Revolution and several key battles were fought there during that war. More major battles were fought in Virginia during the American Civil War, which split the state as the government in Richmond joined the Confederacy, but many northwestern counties remained loyal to the Union, which led to the separation of West Virginia in 1863.

 

Although the state was under one-party rule for nearly a century following the Reconstruction era, both major political parties have been competitive in Virginia since the repeal of Jim Crow laws in the 1970s. Virginia's state legislature is the Virginia General Assembly, which was established in July 1619, making it the oldest current law-making body in North America. It is made up of a 40-member Senate and a 100-member House of Delegates. Unlike other states, cities and counties in Virginia function as equals, but the state government manages most local roads inside each. It is the only state where governors are prohibited from serving consecutive terms.

 

Earliest inhabitants

 

Nomadic hunters are estimated to have arrived in Virginia around 17,000 years ago. Evidence from Daugherty's Cave in Russell County shows it was regularly used as a rock shelter by 9,800 years ago. During the late Woodland period (500–1000 CE), tribes coalesced, and farming, first of corn and squash, began, with beans and tobacco arriving from the southwest and Mexico by the end of the period. Palisaded towns began to be built around 1200, and the native population in the current boundaries of Virginia reached around 50,000 in the 1500s. Large groups in the area at that time included the Algonquian in the Tidewater region, which they referred to as Tsenacommacah, the Iroquoian-speaking Nottoway and Meherrin to the north and south, and the Tutelo, who spoke Siouan, to the west.

 

In response to threats from these other groups to their trade network, thirty or so Virginia Algonquian-speaking tribes consolidated during the 1570s under Wahunsenacawh, known in English as Chief Powhatan. Powhatan controlled more than 150 settlements that had total population of around 15,000 in 1607. Three-fourths of the native population in Virginia, however, died from smallpox and other Old World diseases during that century, disrupting their oral traditions and complicating research into earlier periods.^[ Additionally, many primary sources, including those that mention Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas, were created by Europeans, who may have held biases or misunderstood native social structures and customs.

 

Statehood

In the decade following the French and Indian War, the British Parliament under prime ministers Grenville, Chatham, and North passed new taxes on various colonial activities. These were deeply unpopular in the colonies, and in the House of Burgesses, opposition to taxation without representation was led by Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee, among others. Virginians began to coordinate their actions with other colonies in 1773 and sent delegates to the Continental Congress the following year.^[37] After the House of Burgesses was dissolved in 1774 by the royal governor, Virginia's revolutionary leaders continued to govern via the Virginia Conventions. On May 15, 1776, the Convention declared Virginia's independence from the British Empire and adopted George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was then included in a new constitution that designated Virginia as a commonwealth, using a translation of the Latin term res publica. Another Virginian, Thomas Jefferson, drew upon Mason's work in drafting the national Declaration of Independence.

 

After the American Revolutionary War began in 1775, George Washington was selected by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia to head the Continental Army, and many Virginians joined the army and other revolutionary militias. Virginia was the first colony to ratify the Articles of Confederation in December 1777. In April 1780, the capital was moved to Richmond at the urging of Governor Thomas Jefferson, who feared that Williamsburg's coastal location would make it vulnerable to British attack. British forces indeed landed around Portsmouth in October 1780, and soldiers under Benedict Arnold managed to raid Richmond in January 1781. The British army had over seven thousand soldiers and twenty-five warships stationed in Virginia at the beginning of 1781, but General Charles Cornwallis and his superiors were indecisive, and maneuvers by the three thousand soldiers under the Marquis de Lafayette and twenty-nine allied French warships together managed to confine the British to a swampy area of the Virginia Peninsula in September. Around sixteen thousand soldiers under George Washington and Comte de Rochambeau quickly converged there and defeated Cornwallis in the siege of Yorktown. His surrender on October 19, 1781, led to peace negotiations in Paris and secured the independence of the colonies.

 

Virginians were instrumental in the new country's early years and in writing the United States Constitution. James Madison drafted the Virginia Plan in 1787 and the Bill of Rights in 1789. Virginia ratified the Constitution on June 25, 1788. The three-fifths compromise ensured that Virginia, with its large number of slaves, initially had the largest bloc in the House of Representatives. Together with the Virginia dynasty of presidents, this gave the Commonwealth national importance. In 1790, Virginia and Maryland ceded territory to form the new national capital, which moved from Philadelphia to the District of Columbia a decade later, in 1800. In 1846, the Virginian area of the new capital was retroceded. Virginia is called the "Mother of States" because of its role in being carved into states such as Kentucky, which became the fifteenth state in 1792, and for the numbers of American pioneers born in Virginia. It's also known as the Mother of Presidents, being the home state of eight different Presidents, the highest in the nation.

 

^ Virginia State Capitol in Richmond

^Richmond Virginia 

^Norfolk Virginia

^Rosslyn Virginia

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

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

SERVES

4

COOK TIME

25 Min

We love spring! Why? Because this is the time of year when produce is at its peak! The radishes, asparagus, and corn all taste like Heaven. That's why we made them the stars of our recipe for Roasted Spring Vegetables. After one bite you'll want to make this recipe more than just a spring-fling; no matter what time of year it is, this recipe is something you'll crave. 

 

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces asparagus, washed, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 radishes, washed, trimmed, and cut in half
• 3 ears fresh corn, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

 

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper; mix well. Add vegetables to mixture and toss until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until veggies start to brown. Sprinkle with dill and serve.

 

 

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

1967 – Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov dies in Soyuz 1 when its parachute fails to open. He is the first human to die during a space mission.

1970 – The first Chinese satellite, Dong Fang Hong I, is launched. (Oh my, that sounds funny!!)

1980 – Eight U.S. servicemen die in Operation Eagle Claw as they attempt to end the Iran hostage crisis.

2005 – Snuppy, the world's first cloned dog, is born in South Korea.

 

And births this date include....

1934 – Shirley MacLaine, American actor and author

 

1936 – Jill Ireland, British actress (d. 1990)

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Celebrated across the world, the term often refers to a variety of different dishes. In the United States, Pigs-in-a-Blanket are often hot dogs or sausages wrapped in biscuit or croissant dough and baked. Pigs-in-a-Blanket are generally served as an appetizer or as breakfast. However, it can be served any mealtime!

The following from Wikipedia.....

Pigs in a blanket (also pig in a blanket) is a variety of different sausage-based foods in the United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, Republic of Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Canada, and Japan. The sausage centre varies depending on geographic location (e.g Cumberland is a favoured variety in the UK while it is virtually unknown in the USA). Geography also dominates the form of the ‘blanket’ with bacon being the most common choice in the UK, while Americans choose pastry.

Many are large, but other recipes call for a dish that is small in size and can be eaten in one or two bites. For this reason, they are commonly served as an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre, or are accompanied by other items during the main course.

A small bite-sized form is a common hors d'oeuvre served at cocktail parties and is often accompanied by a mustard or aioli dipping sauce.

Pigs in a blanket are different from sausage rolls, consisting of sausage meat (different in flavor, texture and appearance to an actual sausage) wrapped in flaky pastry. These are mainly eaten in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand as a lunchtime snack.