Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ World's Largest Private Residence ~ Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole ~ Bruiser and Dude ~ National English Toffee Day

 

Good 39º super foggy drizzling rain morning. 

 

 

Yesterday, again, started off dark and foggy and cloudy. More rain was predicted. But.... no rain and we actually got blue sky and sunshine!!

We topped at 56º. 

 

Picture of the Day.... and they named him Dick. Wonder why... 

 

 

 

Interesting about the largest private residence in the world...

 

Called “Antilia,” the towering home in Mumbai, India, has been the largest private residence since 2010. Just how large is it? At 400,000 square feet, you could fit nearly seven football fields inside. But it’s not exactly the type of sprawling mansion you’re picturing. Instead, these square feet are built up into the sky, as the private residence is a 27-story skyscraper, owned by India’s wealthiest person, Mukesh Ambani, and his family of four. Not only does it have 27 floors with super high ceilings.

Antilia is a private residence in the billionaires row of Mumbai, India. It is the residence of the Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani & his family, who moved into it in 2012; at 27 stories, 568 ft tall, over 400,000 sq ft, and with amenities such as three helipads, air traffic control, a 168-car garage, a ballroom, 9 high speed elevators, a 50-seat theater, terrace gardens, swimming pool, spa, health center, a temple, and a snow room that spits out snowflakes from the walls, the skyscraper-mansion is one of world's largest and most elaborate private homes. The architectural design of Antilia has been fashioned along the lines of the lotus and the sun. The top six floors of the building have been set aside as the private full-floor residential area. It is also designed to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake.

 

As of May 2020, it is valued at $2.2 billion, deemed to be the world's second most valuable residential property, after British crown property Buckingham Palace, and the world's most valuable private residence. Its controversial design and ostentatious use by a single family has made it infamous in India and beyond, including severe criticism in the architectural press and mockery in popular media.

It is located on Altamount Road, Cumballa Hill in Mumbai.

 

If you want to read more about this building... go here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antilia_(building)

 

 

 

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.

**

Check out our step-by-step pictorial on how to make this yummy breakfast casserole!

 

 

 

Historically this date....

1780 – An earthquake of estimated magnitude 7.7 hits the city of Tabriz, Iran, killing about 80,000 people and causing major damage..............wow, 80,000!!!

1835 – The United States national debt is 0 for the only time.

1877 – Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last battle against the United States Cavalry at Wolf Mountain, Montana Territory.

2011 – An attempted assassination of Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and subsequent shooting in Casas Adobes, Arizona at a Safeway grocery store kills six people and wounds 13, including Giffords.

 

 

And births this date include....

1911 – Gypsy Rose Lee, American actress and entertainer (d. 1970)

 

1912 – José Ferrer, Puerto Rican actor (d. 1992) 

 

1923 – Larry Storch, American actor

... a Hollywood phenom... married to same woman 43 years (til her death) 

1935 – Elvis Presley, American singer (d. 1977)

... here in a picture with my late friend Seal Beach Judy in 1971, and Judy's baby girl Kim...... 

1942 – Yvette Mimieux, American actress 

 

 

1947 – David Bowie, English musician (d.2016) 

 

 

In the evening, Bruiser and Dude .......

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

On January 8th, National English Toffee Day celebrates a favored confection that’s been enjoyed across the country for generations.

In the United States, English toffee is a popular variant of the original toffee. A butter confection topped with almonds, it’s made by caramelizing white sugar with butter and can be both hardened or chewy.  The Heath bar is a type of candy bar made with an English toffee core.

However, the British make toffee with only brown sugar, not white. And while they typically do not add nuts, they will add a layer off chocolate. Don’t hesitate to try dark, milk or white chocolate with English toffee. All varieties add a different texture and flavor.

Both the American and British versions are enjoyed all year long, though. 

HOW TO OBSERVE

Gather up your ingredients. Making toffee can be both challenging and rewarding. It’s also a beautiful candy with delicious textures. Share it with the office or family members. We’ve even provided several recipes for you to try.

Visit your favorite bakery or candy shop to pick up an order of English toffee freshly made. Yes, some places still make it fresh.

Saltine Toffee Cookies

Classic English Toffee

Frozen English Toffee Cake

Toffee Bars

Rain ~ Picture of the Day ~ Nestle Company ~ Farmer's Breakfast Bake ~ National Tempura Day

 

Good 39º cloudy foggy morning. 

 

Yesterday it rained and rained all day.

 

 

Picture of the Day... perfect timing

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting about Nestle Company.....

 

Nestlé S.A. is a Swiss transnational food and drink company headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest food company in the world, measured by revenues and other metrics, since 2014. It ranked No. 64 on the Fortune Global 500 in 2017 and No. 33 on the 2016 edition of the Forbes Global 2000 list of largest public companies.

Nestlé's products include baby food, medical food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, coffee and tea, confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, frozen food, pet foods, and snacks. Twenty-nine of Nestlé's brands have annual sales of over 1 billion Swiss franc's (about US$1.1 billion), including Nespresso, Nescafé, Kit Kat, Smarties, Nesquik, Stouffer's, Vittel, and Maggi. Nestlé has 447 factories, operates in 189 countries, and employs around 339,000 people. It is one of the main shareholders of L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetics company.

Nestlé was formed in 1905 by the merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1866 by brothers George and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlé. The company grew significantly during the First World War and again following the Second World War, expanding its offerings beyond its early condensed milk and infant formula products. The company has made a number of corporate acquisitions, including Crosse & Blackwell in 1950, Findus in 1963, Libby's in 1971, Rowntree Mackintosh in 1988, Klim in 1998, and Gerber in 2007.

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Our Farmer's Breakfast Bake is a spin on an old favorite. Sort of a cross between a quiche and a tart, this breakfast dish features an amazing hash brown crust and creamy cheese layer your whole family will love! Plus, this has a refrigerated shortcut that makes it super easy! It's a new twist on an old classic that will inspire the whole family to be a little adventurous the next time they go to the supermarket!

 

• 1 (20-ounce) package refrigerated shredded hash browns
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup diced ham

 

1. Preheat oven to 450º. Coat a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine potatoes and butter until evenly coated. Press potatoes into bottom and up sides of prepared pie plate to form a crust. Bake 30 minutes or until crust begins to brown.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine eggs, half-and-half, and pepper; mix well.
4. Sprinkle cheeses and ham over crust. Pour egg mixture slowly over cheeses and return to oven.
5. Reduce temperature to 350 º and bake 30 minutes or until set in center. Let cool 5 minutes; slice and serve.

 

 

Historically this date...

1952 – President Harry S. Truman announces that the United States has developed the hydrogen bomb.

1980 – President Jimmy Carter authorizes legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the Chrysler Corporation.

1999 – The Senate trial in the impeachment of U.S. President Bill Clinton begins.

And births this date include....

1800 – Millard Fillmore, 13th President of the United States (d. 1874)

1911 – Butterfly McQueen, American actress (d. 1995)

"I ain't birthin' no babies!"

 

 

1922 – Vincent Gardenia, Italian-born actor (d. 1992)

 

1929 – Terry Moore, American actress (only 5 husbands!)

 

 

 

 

1941 – Frederick D. Gregory, NASA astronaut

1956 – David Caruso, American actor

It's his 'head down' pose when he talks to people that irks me to the bone!

 

1964 – Nicolas Cage, American actor

The son of comparative literature professor August Coppola (a brother of director Francis Ford Coppola) and dancer/choreographer Joy Vogelsang, Cage changed his name early in his career to make his own reputation, succeeding brilliantly with a host of classic, quirky roles by the late 1980s. Initially studying theatre at Beverly Hills High (though he dropped out at 17)...

 

1966 – Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, American publicist (d. 1999)

 

1978 – Emilio Palma, first person born on the Antarctic continent

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

On January 7th, National Tempura Day encourages us to celebrate with a dish made with a tempura batter. This Japanese fare is made up of either seafood or vegetables dipped in batter and deep-fried.

Portuguese Jesuit missionaries introduced the recipe for tempura to Japan during the sixteenth century (around 1549).  It is believed that Portuguese Jesuit Tokugawa Isyasu, founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, loved tempura. Since the Genroku era (September 1688 – March 1704), tempura was traditionally a very popular food eaten at street vendors called ‘yatai.’

Today, chefs all over the world include tempura dishes on their menus. They use a wide variety of different batters and ingredients, including the nontraditional broccoli, zucchini, and asparagus as well as dry fruits. Some meats, usually chicken and cheeses, particularly mozzarella, are known to be served tempura-style in some American restaurants.

For sushi lovers, a more recent variation of tempura sushi provides a new way of enjoying the delicacy. Entire pieces of sushi are dipped in batter and tempura-fried.

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ World's Tallest Building ~ Sheet Pan Toad-in-the-Hole ~ Alexandria Follen ~ Trish Bowler Cooked Posted Meal ~ National Bean Day

     

Good 36º cloudy foggy morning. 

 

Yesterday the fog just hung around until afternoon and then it lifted. We topped at 50º.

 

 

 

Picture of the Day

 

 

 

Interesting about the world's tallest building...

 

On January 4, 2010,  Dubai opened the world's tallest skyscraper, the 2,717 foot tall Burj Khalifa. This sparkling glass-and-metal building is home to a hotel, residences, and many other amenities. Here are five things you didn't know about Burj Khalifa...

It Is Twice As Tall As The Empire State BuildingAt a height of 2,716.5 feet, the Dubai skyscraper is the world’s tallest building, surpassing Taipei’s Taipei 101, which held the record from 2004 to 2010 with a height of 1,667 feet.  The Burj Khalifa is almostthree times as tall as the Eiffel Tower and nearly twice as tall as the Empire State Building. Laid end to end, its pieces stretch over a quarter of the way around the world.

 

It Took 5 Years To Build The Burj KhalifaIt was reported that 12,000 workers were needed each day to construct the Burj Khalifa. The high number of workers explains why it was able to be built in only five years. Excavation for the job site began in January 2004, and the project was completed in October 2009. It officially opened to the public on January 4, 2010. Adrian Smith, the architect behind the Burj Khalifa, designed the building to resemble the Spider Lily, a regional desert flower.

 

It Has Really Fast ElevatorsAn incredibly tall building requires really fast elevators. The building has the longest single running elevator, which is 140 floors. The elevators at the Burj Khalifa move at 22 mph, making the elevators among the fastest in the world.  In the Burj Khalifa, the ride from the ground floor to 124th-floor observation deck is only one minute.

 

The Building Holds Some World RecordsAside from holding the world record for being the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa holds six other world records. The Burj Khalifa is also the tallest freestanding structure in the world, has the highest number of stories in the world, has the highest occupied floor in the world, has the highest outdoor observation deck in the world, has the elevator with longest travel distance in the world, and has the tallest service elevator in the world.

 

It Takes 3 Months To Clean All The WindowsThere are 26,000 glass panels glass covering the exterior of the skyscraper, and because of its great height, cleaning the windows of Burj Khalifa is definitely not a job for those who have a fear of heights. It takes an average of three months to clean all those windows, and then the workers need to start over again from scratch.

 

 

From Mr. Food

If you've never heard of toad-in-the-hole, well, let us enlighten you! It's a recipe that is perfect for breakfast, dinner, or even brinner -- that's breakfast for dinner! Our Sheet Pan Toad-in-the-Hole comes together with all the flavors you love, without any of the mess of a traditional big breakfast. Once you try it, you're gonna wonder how you lived without it!

 

• 6 slices bacon
• 6 (1/2-inch-thick) slices country-style bread
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 6 eggs
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt for sprinkling
• Black pepper for sprinkling
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced (optional)

 

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Place bacon in single layer on baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, let cool slightly, then coarsely crumble.
2. Meanwhile, coat another baking sheet with cooking spray. 
3. Using a 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter or the rim of a drinking glass, make a hole in the center of each bread slice. Butter one side of each slice and place on baking sheet, buttered side down. Lightly butter top side.
4. Gently crack an egg into each bread hole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
5. Cook 12 to 15 minutes or until eggs are cooked to your desired doneness. Sprinkle with bacon and scallion, if desired, and serve immediately.

 

 

 

Special birthday today.... my granddaughter Alex is 25 years old. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JELLY BEAN!!! Love you!!! xoxoxo I know this will be a hard birthday without your mom.

 

 

Me and Alex just under a year old....

 

 She is the one who nicknamed me Bobo. She couldn't say "grandma", it came out Bobo! I nicknamed her Jelly Bean because I always kept a jar of Jelly Bellies and she loved them!

 

 

Historically this date....

1912 – New Mexico is admitted as the 47th U.S. state.

1994 – Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the knee at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, Michigan.

 

 

And births this date include....

1912 – Danny Thomas, American actor (d. 1991)

1913 – Loretta Young, American actress (d. 2000)

 

1926 – Mickey Hargitay, Hungarian-born American actor and bodybuilder (d. 2006)

1931 – Capucine, French actress (d. 1990)

On 17 March 1990, Capucine jumped from her eighth-floor apartment in Lausanne Switzerland, where she had lived for 28 years, having reportedly suffered from illness and depression for some time. Sad.... she was such a beauty and a good actress!

 

1960 – Howie Long, American football player and analyst

 

 

My friend Trisha Bowler made the One Pot Taco Spaghetti that I posted on 1-4. She said it was super good. Here's a picture of her meal...

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

Green, red, kidney, lima, or soy are just a few of the different kinds of beans recognized on National Bean Day on January 6th.

This day celebrates the bean in all sizes, shapes, and colors. We’ve been cultivating beans (legumes) since the early seventh millennium BC. And today, just as throughout the Old and New World history, beans provide a significant source of protein.  Not only are beans an exceptionally healthy meal and snack choice, but they supply an excellent source of fiber. They are low in fat and are high in complex carbohydrates, folate, and iron, too.

In one cup of cooked beans, supplies between 9 and 13 grams of fiber.  Soluble fiber can help in lowering blood cholesterol.

• There are approximately 40,000 bean varieties in the world.
• Only a fraction of these varieties is mass-produced for regular consumption.

HOW TO OBSERVE 

This holiday offers so many recipes to try thanks to all the varieties of beans available. Try beans you’ve never tasted before. Introduce a new variety of bean to your cooking regimen. When you do, be sure to share the recipe. Since beans are so beneficial, you’ll want to keep friends and family informed of your bean discoveries. We even provide a few recipes for you to try. 

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake (Gluten-Free)
Bean Cabbage Soup
Hearty Bean Stew