Clouds ~ Picture of the Day ~ Measuring a Horse ~ Garbage Pasta Salad ~ Mr. Goose ~ National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day

Good 39º scattered clouds morning. 

Yesterday these clouds were interesting ....

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

Interesting on measuring a horse ....

From the ground to the horse’s withers (the ridge between the shoulders and the highest point above the horse’s shoulder that doesn’t move) is the standard method of measurement of a horse's height in many parts of the world.

The hand measurement is used in the U.S., Canada, Ireland and the UK. In other parts of the world, including continental Europe, and in FEI-regulated international competition, horses are measured in metric units, usually meters or centimeters (FEI - The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (French: 'Fédération Équestre Internationale') is the international governing body of equestrian sports). In South Africa, measurements may be given in both hands and centimeters, while in Australia, the equestrian regulations stipulate that both measurements are to be given.

A hand is four inches, and a horse that is sixteen hands and two inches will be described as “16.2hh” (16.2" hands high) A four-inch hand, unsurprisingly, is roughly the breadth of a man’s hands, with or without the thumb, a unit of length which can be traced to the ancient Egyptians. The palm or hand shows up in texts from Ancient Israel, Greece, and Rome, and continued to be used throughout Europe during the Middle Ages but varied from city to city. Henry VIII standardized the hand to four inches in 1541.

No one really knows why some places stuck with the antiquated measurement system (though it’s notable that the countries still using hands were colonized by Britain).

From Mr. Food

Quick! - Check the pantry and the fridge and grab whatever you've got on hand, 'cause you're going to need it to make a throw-together Garbage Pasta Salad that's potluck-worthy! This is one easy pasta salad that won't ever make it to the garbage.

 

• 1 (12-ounce) package twist rainbow pasta
• 1/2 head fresh cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1/2 head fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 cup 1/2-inch chunks Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup pepperoni slices, cut in half
• 1 (16-ounce) can black olives, drained
• 3/4 cup Italian dressing

 

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and let cool.
    
2. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients; add pasta and toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

***This pasta salad is great made in advance, but you may need to add a little extra Italian dressing to moisten it just before serving.

Historically this date.....

1918 – Manfred von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron, shoots down his 79th and 80th victims, his final victories before his death the following day.

1972 – Apollo 16, commanded by John Young, lands on the moon.

1999 – Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 13 people and injure 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado.

2007 – Johnson Space Center Shooting: A man with a handgun barricades himself in NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas before killing a male hostage and himself.

2008 – Danica Patrick wins the Indy Japan 300 becoming the first female driver in history to win an Indy car race.

2010 – The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven workers and beginning an oil spill that would last six months.

And births this date include....
1941 – Ryan O'Neal, American actor

(first hand knowledge of him being an adam henry! When I worked for Fabergé, we had Farrah Fawcett's products. She came to our yearly sales meetings we had and Ryan came with her. UGH! He was so rude and snotty.)

       Went from good to ewwwwwww..................

1949 – Jessica Lange, American actress

1955 – Don Pettit, American astronaut and engineer

1961 – Don Mattingly, American baseball player

    .....dude, you should have kept the sexy moustache! 

1970 – Shemar Moore, American actor

Yesterday I filled the water tubs out back for the critters to drink from and Mr. Goose came and sat by one of them all afternoon.....

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Monday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo 

National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day is observed annually on April 20th. Americans have been enjoying this springtime cake since the early 1900s when many cakes were made in cast iron skillets.

To make a Pineapple Upside Down Cake, line the bottom of a cake pan with pineapple rings. A cherry is then placed in the center of each ring followed by a butter and sugar mixture.  Cake batter is then poured over the pineapples and baked.  When the cake is done, it is turned upside down onto a platter before serving, revealing a delightful and delicious masterpiece.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy this delicious Quick Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe.

Clouds/Gloom/Sunshine ~ Picture of the Day ~ Taco Bell ~ Shrimp Macaroni Salad ~ National Garlic Day

Good 42º cloudy morning. 

Yesterday the early clouds and gloom....

 After awhile they spread out and we got sunshine....

We stayed in the 60ºs and had wind.

Picture of the Day.. oh my, up close!! Nosy bird!!! 

Interesting...

Did you know that Taco Bell is named after its founder? The story of Taco Bell begins with its founder Glen Bell, 

who according to the Taco Bell website, started selling tacos in 1954 at a taco stand called “Taco Tia” in San Bernardino, California. It wasn’t until 1962 when the name was changed to “Taco Bell” after Bell opened a restaurant in Downey, California. The restaurant was franchised in 1964, and it only took three years to open 100 more. Three years later, Taco Bell went public with a whopping 325 restaurants. 

The chain now has more than 7,000 locations and over 350 franchisees worldwide. Its commitment to branding and its changing product lineup have made it one of the most accessible and unique fast-food restaurant chains.

Before the first Taco Bell opened in Downey, California, in 1962, Glen Bell owned and operated several other restaurants, including Bell’s Drive-In and Bell’s Hamburgers and Hot Dogs in San Bernardino. His life of serving quick-service Mexican-inspired fare began in 1951 at Bell’s Hamburgers and Hot Dogs, where he decided to sell hard-shell tacos to distinguish himself from his rivals (notably McDonald’s, which also took root in San Bernardino). Later, Bell was a member of partnerships that owned Taco Tia (1954–56) and El Taco (1958–62), both of which had multiple southern California locations. After selling his stake in El Taco, he became the sole proprietor of Taco Bell and opened the first location at 7112 Firestone Boulevard in Downey, in a modest 20-by-20-foot stucco building.

Taco Bell expanded quickly, gaining its first franchisee, retired Los Angeles policeman Kermit Becky, in 1964 and its 100th restaurant—located at 400 South Brookhurst, Anaheim—in 1967. Three years later, Bell took the company public. In 1978 PepsiCo Inc. purchased 868 Taco Bell restaurants for about $125 million. It was this sale that began Taco Bell’s shift from a regional hit to a national sensation.

Taco Bell took on competitors in other ways as well. It began offering breakfast nationwide in 2014; among its unique offerings were a waffle taco and a breakfast burrito, along with more traditional pastries, orange juice, and coffee. The same year, Taco Bell introduced its mobile ordering and payment app—the first of its kind in the fast-food industry. Then, in 2015 Taco Bell released its vegan and vegetarian menu, introduced a limited delivery service in the U.S., and opened its first location that sold alcohol (in Chicago).

These aggressive promotional efforts, while unsuccessful in gaining the chain the majority share of the U.S. and global fast-food market, have made Taco Bell an accessible and publicly popular company, especially in the United States, where more than 40 million customers are served every week. Such volume has earned Taco Bell the lion’s share in the Mexican fast-food market in the U.S., and, with over 300 locations in more than 25 non-American countries, the company has become a successful global brand. Altogether, annual sales for the company are about $10 billion.

From Mr. Food

Seafood and pasta... two favorites in one dish! We've added an under-the-sea twist to a simple macaroni salad recipe to create this delightful and unique backyard dish. This Shrimp Macaroni Salad recipe is super versatile too, complementing both your average dinner and your neighborhood potluck with ease.

 

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni or shells
• 8 ounces cooked shrimp, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, diced
• 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

 

1. In a large pot of boiling water, prepare pasta according to package directions; drain.
    
2. In a large bowl, toss pasta with remaining ingredients. Cover and chill before serving.

Historically this date.....

1927 – Mae West is sentenced to 10 days in jail for obscenity for her play Sex.

Cary Grant told me once that she was a real piece of work and he couldn't stand her! (That is when I worked for Fabergé and he was on the board of directors)

1955 – The German automaker Volkswagen, after six years of selling cars in the United States, founds Volkswagen of America in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey to standardize its dealer and service network.

1956 – Actress Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier of Monaco.

1971 – Charles Manson is sentenced to death for conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders.

1989 – A gun turret explodes on the USS Iowa, killing 47 sailors.

1993 – The 51-day siege of the Branch Davidian building outside Waco, Texas, USA, ends when a fire breaks out. Eighty-one people die.

And births this date include....

1903 – Eliot Ness, American lawman (d. 1957)

1925 – Hugh O'Brian, American actor (d.2016)

1930 – Dick Sargent, American actor (d. 1994)

1933 – Jayne Mansfield, American actress (d. 1967)

1935 – Dudley Moore, English actor, comedian and composer (d. 2002)

 

1937 – Elinor Donahue, American actress

1979 – Kate Hudson, American actress

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Sunday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Each year on April 19th, National Garlic Day celebrates a vegetable also known as the stinking rose. The fragrant and potent root has been seasoning dishes for thousands of years. 

This stinking rose is a member of the lily family. This family also includes onions, leeks, and shallots. While garlic originated in Asia over 7,000 years ago, it is used in a variety of cuisines.

Garlic is quite versatile, too. It is also used for medicinal purposes. The mighty bulb is considered an herbal remedy for colds and may reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. Modern science has also proven garlic’s antibiotic properties.

Myth and superstition reek of garlic. The most familiar one suggests that garlic wards off vampires. This same theory seemed to work on witches, werewolves, demons and other such evils one could come across. Folklore also tells us garlic grew from satan’s left footprint when he left the Garden of Eden; Greek midwives kept evils spirits away with it, and courage filled Roman soldiers who consumed the bulb.

Consider our dreams and garlic, too. Our dreams often have meaning. Dreaming of garlic is no different. To dream about garlic in the house suggests good luck and if the dream includes eating garlic (perhaps in a pesto sauce), there might be hidden secrets. Over 300 varieties of garlic grow around the world to dream about as well! 

Gilroy, California claims to be the Garlic Capital of the World. Will Rogers was once quoted as saying it is “…the only place in America where you can marinate a steak just by hanging it out on a clothesline.”