Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ State of Michigan ~ Cheese Straws ~ Richard and Annette Escalante ~ National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

  

Good 42º morning. 

 

 

Yesterday, again, we had a clear blue sky and lots of sunshine and we topped at 76º. 

 

 

Picture of the Day...timing! 

 

 

Interesting about Michigan

 

 

 

Michigan (/ˈmɪʃɪɡən/ ^ⓘ MISH-ig-ən) is a state in the Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwestern United States. It borders Wisconsin to the northwest in the Upper Peninsula, and Indiana and Ohio to the south in the Lower Peninsula; it is also connected by Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie to Minnesota and Illinois, and the Canadian province of Ontario. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of 96,716 sq miles, Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the largest by area east of the Mississippi River. Its capital is Lansing, and its largest city is Detroit. 

Metro Detroit is among the nation's most populous and largest metropolitan economies. The name derives from a gallicized variant of the original Ojibwe word ᒥᓯᑲᒥ (mishigami), meaning "large water" or "large lake".

 

Michigan consists of two peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula resembles the shape of a mitten, and comprises a majority of the state's land area. The Upper Peninsula (often called "the U.P.") is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, a five-mile channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. The Mackinac Bridge connects the peninsulas. Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline of any political subdivision in the United States, being bordered by four of the five Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair. It also has 64,980 inland lakes and ponds. Michigan has the second-most water area of any state, behind only Alaska.

 

The area was first occupied by a succession of Native American tribes over thousands of years. In the 17th century, French explorers claimed it as part of the New France colony, when it was largely inhabited by indigenous peoples. French and Canadian traders and settlers, Métis, and others migrated to the area, settling largely along the waterways. After France's defeat in the French and Indian War in 1762, the region came under British rule. Britain ceded the territory to the newly independent United States after its defeat in the American Revolutionary War.

 

The area was part of the larger Northwest Territory until 1800, when western Michigan became part of the Indiana Territory. Michigan Territory was formed in 1805, but some of the northern border with Canada was not agreed upon until after the War of 1812. Michigan was admitted into the Union in 1837 as the 26th state, a free one. It soon became an important center of industry and trade in the Great Lakes region, attracting immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from many European countries. Immigrants from Finland, Macedonia, and the Netherlands were especially numerous. Migration from Appalachia and of Black Southerners as part of the Great Migration increased in the 1930s, with many settling in Metro Detroit.

 

Although Michigan has developed a diverse economy, in the early 20th century it became widely known as the center of the U.S. automotive industry, which developed as a major national economic force. It is home to the country's three major automobile companies (whose headquarters are all in Metro Detroit). Once exploited for logging and mining, today the sparsely populated Upper Peninsula is important for tourism because of its abundance of natural resources. The Lower Peninsula is a center of manufacturing, forestry, agriculture, services, and high-tech industry.

 GM headquarters:

French voyageurs and coureurs des bois explored and settled in Michigan in the 17th century. The first Europeans to reach what became Michigan were those of Étienne Brûlé's expedition in 1622. The first permanent European settlement was founded in 1668 on the site where Père Jacques Marquette established Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, as a base for Catholic missions. Missionaries in 1671–75 founded outlying stations at Saint Ignace and Marquette. Jesuit missionaries were well received by the area's Indian populations, with few difficulties or hostilities. In 1679, Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle built Fort Miami at present-day St. Joseph. In 1691, the French established a trading post and Fort St. Joseph along the St. Joseph River at the present-day city of Niles.

18th century

In 1701, French explorer and army officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or "Fort Pontchartrain on-the-Strait" on the strait, known as the Detroit River, between lakes Saint Clair and Erie. Cadillac had convinced King Louis XIV's chief minister, Louis Phélypeaux, Comte de Pontchartrain, that a permanent community there would strengthen French control over the upper Great Lakes and discourage British aspirations.

 Kelloggs  world headquarters:

During the War of 1812, the United States forces at Fort Detroit surrendered Michigan Territory (effectively consisting of Detroit and the surrounding area) after a nearly bloodless siege in 1812. A U.S. attempt to retake Detroit resulted in a severe American defeat in the River Raisin Massacre. This battle, still ranked as the bloodiest ever fought in the state, had the highest number of American casualties of any battle of the war.

 

Michigan was recaptured by the Americans in 1813 after the Battle of Lake Erie. They used Michigan as a base to launch an invasion of Canada, which culminated in the Battle of the Thames. But the more northern areas of Michigan were held by the British until the peace treaty restored the old boundaries. A number of forts, including Fort Wayne, were built by the United States in Michigan during the 19th century out of fears of renewed fighting with Britain.

 

A constitutional convention of assent was held to lead the territory to statehood. In October 1835 the people approved the constitution of 1835, thereby forming a state government. Congressional recognition was delayed pending resolution of a boundary dispute with Ohio known as the Toledo War. Congress awarded the "Toledo Strip" to Ohio. Michigan received the western part of the Upper Peninsula as a concession and formally entered the Union as a free state on January 26, 1837. The Upper Peninsula proved to be a rich source of lumber, iron, and copper. Michigan led the nation in lumber production from the 1850s to the 1880s. Railroads became a major engine of growth from the 1850s onward, with Detroit the chief hub.

 

Michigan's economy underwent a transformation at the turn of the 20th century. Many individuals, including Ransom E. Olds, John and Horace Dodge, Henry Leland, David Dunbar Buick, Henry Joy, Charles King, and Henry Ford, provided the concentration of engineering know-how and technological enthusiasm to develop the automotive industry.^[28] Ford's development of the moving assembly line in Highland Park marked a new era in transportation. Like the steamship and railroad, mass production of automobiles was a far-reaching development. More than the forms of public transportation, the affordable automobile transformed private life. Automobile production became the major industry of Detroit and Michigan, and permanently altered the socioeconomic life of the United States and much of the world.

 

With the growth, the auto industry created jobs in Detroit that attracted immigrants from Europe and migrants from across the United States, including both blacks and whites from the rural South. By 1920, Detroit was the fourth-largest city in the U.S.. Residential housing was in short supply, and it took years for the market to catch up with the population boom. By the 1930s, so many immigrants had arrived that more than 30 languages were spoken in the public schools, and ethnic communities celebrated in annual heritage festivals. Over the years immigrants and migrants contributed greatly to Detroit's diverse urban culture, including popular music trends. The influential Motown Sound of the 1960s was led by a variety of individual singers and groups.

 

 

^{Detroit in the mid-twentieth century. At the time, the city was the fourth-largest U.S. metropolis by population, and held about one-third of the state's population.}

 

 

^{Michigan is the center of the American automotive industry. The Renaissance Center in Downtown Detroit is the world headquarters of General Motors.}

 

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

 

From Mr. Food

 

 

MAKES

60

COOK TIME

10 Min

These Cheese Straws are a favorite 'cause they're easy to make and tasty as can be. They're just as great for snack time as they are for dipping into a bowl of soup or chili.

 

• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Coat rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray.
    
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Using your hands, knead well until a soft dough forms.
    
3. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 1/2- x 3- inch strips; place on baking sheets.
    
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm or allow to cool completely, then place in an airtight container until ready to serve.

 

 

Special anniversary today.... Richard (aka Rico Suavé) and his Annette Escalante are celebrating their 27th Anniversary. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KIDS!

Rico retired from the Sheriff's Dept. Rico was an LET (Law Enforcement Tech) at the Sheriff's Department Range at BC and he also went to the same high school I did, Woodrow Wilson, but he graduated 20 years after I did!

 

 

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

1945 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies while in office; vice-president Harry Truman is sworn in as the 33rd President.

1955 – The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.

1961 – The Russian (Soviet) cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first manned orbital flight, in Vostok 3KA-2 (Vostok 1).

1981 – The first launch of a Space Shuttle (Columbia) takes place - the STS-1 mission.

1999 – US President Bill Clinton is cited for contempt of court for giving "intentionally false statements" in a sexual harassment civil lawsuit.

 

And births this date include....

1932 – Tiny Tim, American singer, ukulele player, and archivist (d. 1996)

 

1947 – Tom Clancy, American author (d.2013)

 

1947 – David Letterman, American comedian and talk show host

 

 

 

 

1950 – David Cassidy, American actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist (The Partridge Family) (d.2017)

           

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Each year, National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day on April 12th recognizes one of the top comfort foods in the United States. Why wouldn’t it be when we’re talking about bread grilled to perfection, and warm, gooey, melted cheese. 

 

According to food historians, many cultures around the world have enjoyed cooked bread and cheese since ancient times. The United States modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich originated in the 1920s. As sliced bread and American cheese became easily available, Americans began making open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches.

United States government cookbooks describe Navy cooks broiling “American cheese filling sandwiches” during World War II. 

Grilled cheese sandwiches are versatile thanks to the ability to mix and match cheeses, bread, and seasonings. Adding sauteed vegetables or herb-infused oils can elevate this simple comfort food to a whole other level.  

HOW TO OBSERVE

Make your favorite version of a grilled cheese sandwich. Do you use American cheese or do you prefer Swiss? What’s your favorite cheese? Serve it with your favorite soup and sides, too. Layer it and make a double-decker grilled cheese sandwich. Add ham or bacon for extra flavor and variety.