Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ President's Education ~ Meatballs and Potato Hotdish ~ National Sponge Cake Day

 

Good 46º scattered clouds morning. 

 

Yesterday we topped at 92º.

 

 

Picture of the Day ... momma owl with her babies

 

 

 

Interesting about President's education...

 

Regarding men who have been President of the United States, nine of the presidents didn't go to college. They are: George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Grover Cleveland, and Harry Truman. As an aside, President James Monroe enrolled in the College of William and Mary, but he never graduated.

In the last few decades since the 1960s, every chief executive elected to the White House has held at least a bachelor's college degree. Most have earned advanced degrees or law degrees from Ivy League schools. Every president, in fact, since George H.W. Bush has held a degree from an Ivy League college/university.

President Bush was a graduate of Yale University. So was his son, George W. Bush, the 43rd president, and Bill Clinton was also a Yale graduate. 

Barack Obama got his law degree from Harvard University.

 Donald Trump, the billionaire real-estate developer and businessman, elected president in 2016, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, another Ivy League school.

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Busy nights call for busy night dinners, like this heartwarming family recipe for Meatballs and Potato Hotdish. It's an all-in-one meal that features some of their favorite flavors. In every bite, there's lots of beefy, creamy, potato-y goodness. (Oh, and a good-for-you serving of veggies too!) Serve this up and watch them chow down.

 

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 (28-ounce) package frozen cocktail-sized meatballs
• 1 (12-ounce) packaged frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 1 (10-1/2-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 (32-ounce) package frozen potato nuggets

1. Preheat the oven to 400º. Coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. 
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil until hot, but not smoking.  Sauté onion for 3 minutes or until tender. Add meatballs and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables, soup, milk, sour cream, pepper and 1-1/2 cups cheese, mix well. 
3. Spoon mixture into casserole dish. Top with potatoes and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. 
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until heated through and the top is golden.

 

 

 

Historically this date.....

1966 – Lunar Orbiter 1 takes the first photograph of Earth from orbit around the Moon.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthrise

 

1970 – Organized by Mexican American union leader César Chávez, the Salad Bowl strike, the largest farm worker strike in U.S. history, begins.

 

1990 – Saddam Hussein appears on Iraqi state television with a number of Western"guests" (actually hostages) to try to prevent the Gulf War.

 

1996 – Osama bin Laden issues message entitled 'A declaration of war against the Americans occupying the land of the two holy places.'

 

2006 – Natascha Kampusch, who is abducted at the age of 10, managed to escape from her captor Wolfgang Priklopil, after 8 years of captivity.

...... this is an interesting story of her kidnapping and escape.

 

2011 – A 5.8 earthquake occurred in Mineral, Virginia, the earthquake was felt as far north as Ontario and as far south as Atlanta, Georgia. Damaged occurred to monuments in Washington D.C. and the resulted damage was estimated at $100 Million.

 

 

 

And births this date include....

1912 – Gene Kelly, American dancer and actor (d. 1996)

 

 

1917 – Tex Williams, American singer (d. 1985)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1929 – Vera Miles, American actress

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1933 – Pete Wilson, American politician and former California Governor

 

 

 

 

 

1934 – Barbara Eden, American actress and singer

 

 

 

1949 – Shelley Long, American actress

 

 

1949 – Rick Springfield, Australian singer and actor

 

Mug shot ... Malibu DUI 5-11

 

1976 – Scott Caan, American actor

 

  Who's your daddy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

On August 23rd, enjoy National Sponge Cake Day with the quintessential classic of the cake world. This airy queen of teas is the guest of honor, but we get the pleasure of tasting!

One of the trickiest cakes for bakers to master, a perfect sponge stands tall. Another balancing trick for bakers includes maintaining a fine crumb while keeping the cake moist. If you enjoy layering berries and whipped cream, the sponge handles this task beautifully.

The sponge cake is believed to be one of the first non-yeasted cakes.

The sponge cake is thought to have originated in the Caribbean. However, the earliest English printed recipe for sponge cake comes from an English poet and author, Gervase Markham. In 1615 he published a sponge cake recipe in the book The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman.

In 2003, the sponge cake played a tiny role in the movie Calendar Girls starring Helen Mirren. In the scene, Mirren’s character, Chris, enters a baking competition. However, she forgets she entered, and instead of entering a sponge cake of her own making, she submits a store-bought Victoria sponge cake.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Get some sponge cake and enjoy it. Or, if you are up to the challenge, try this Glorious Sponge Cake recipe. Serve it with berries or a preserve.

Weather/Full Moon ~ Picture of the Day ~ Charlotte-Robert-Walt-Roy Disney ~ Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich ~ National Tooth Fairy Day

 

Good 47º clear sky morning. 

 

Be careful out there... full moon and LOTS of crazy drivers!!!

 

Yesterday we had some pretty blue sky and big puffy clouds. We topped at 87º.

 

 

Picture of the Day

 

 

Interesting about the Disneys.....

 

The Charlotte and Robert Disney House at 4406 West Kingswell Avenue, Los Angeles, in the Los Feliz area is being renovated and is designated a Los Angeles Historical Cultural Monument.

 

It was the first Los Angeles home to Walt and Roy Disney, and the place where Walt’s animation studio concept took flight.

Walt and Roy.....

 

New owners had applied for a permit to tear it down in 2016, but the house has evidently escaped that fate. Plans are to restore the house to its 1914 Craftsman bungalow standards, down to the shed where Walt allegedly finished his “Alice Comedies,” which launched his career. The Alice Comedies are a series of animated/live-action shorts created by Walt Disney in which a live action little girl named Alice (originally played by Virginia Davis) and an animated cat.

Legend has it that Walt’s aunt and uncle offered to let Walt Disney board in their home at $5 per week in 1923.  The two-bedroom, 1458 square-foot home stayed in the Disney family for 30 years. It changed owners several times, but in 2016, its new owners submitted plans for a new two-story, one or two family home they planned for the site. The outcry changed their minds.

In the early 1940s with Disney riding high on a number of successes bought his parents a new home. Giving back to those who raise us is a dream that few of us realize, but Disney found himself in position to do just that.

His parents moved in but experienced problems with their furnace. It should have been a simple enough fix so Disney ordered some of his studio hands to take a look and fix it up - it was a fatal mistake.

The next day a housekeeper started her day and found Disney's parents unconscious. She pulled them out to the front yard just in time to save his father. Sadly Disney's mother was already dead.

Walt Disney loved to entertain children and wanted to fill everyone's life with joy. Maybe that's because he kept a tragic secret that he only ever hinted at in one crucial way.

Have you ever noticed that no Disney movie has both parents?

 

From Dumbo to Beauty and The Beast, almost none of our favorite Disney characters make it through without feeling the gut-wrenching loss of a parent. Bambi's mother is shot dead, Belle only had her father, who ended up getting lost. Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White...there's no mother to be found. It's because Walt Disney's own mother was the victim of a horrible tragedy, that Walt never forgave himself for.

Walter Elias Disney was an American entrepreneur, animator, writer, voice actor, and film producer. A pioneer of the American animation.

• Born: December 5, 1901, Chicago
• Died: December 15, 1966, Burbank, California
• Cause of Death: Complications from lung cancer
• Net worth: $1 billion (celebritynetworth.com)
  • Spouse: Lillian Disney (m 1925 - 1966)
  • Children: Diane Disney Miller

If you want to read a lot more about Walt Disney... go here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walt_Disney_Company

 

 

 

 

I posted this several times before, because it's GOOD!!!

 

From Mr. Food

 

There is no denying it, this is truly the Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich. No matter how you choose to serve this melty and delicious sandwich, you can't miss. It makes a fantastic lunch for you and the kids, or a comfort filled way to compliment a bowl of soup! Either way this ooey-gooey meal is grilled cheese perfection.

 

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 10 slices sourdough bread
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, softened

 

1. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat mayonnaise and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Stir in Cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and garlic powder; mix well.
2. Spread each of five bread slices evenly with cheese mixture. Top with remaining bread slices. Spread butter on both sides of the sandwiches.
3. In a skillet over medium heat, cook in batches until golden on both sides and the cheese is melted.

 

 

 

 

Historically this date....

1851 – The first America's Cup is won by the yacht America.

1902 – Cadillac Motor Company is founded.

1902 – Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first President of the United States to ride in an automobile.

1963 – American Joe Walker in an X-15 test plane reaches an altitude of 106 km (66 mi).

1989 – Nolan Ryan strikes out Rickey Henderson to become the first Major League Baseball pitcher to record 5,000 strikeouts.

1996 – Bill Clinton signs welfare reform into law, representing major shift in US welfare policy

2007 – The Texas Rangers rout the Baltimore Orioles 30–3, the most runs scored by a team in modern MLB history.

And births this date include..

1934 – Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., American general (d. 2012)

 

1939 – Valerie Harper, American actress (d.2019)

 

 

 

1947 – Cindy Williams, American actress

 

 

1970 – Giada De Laurentiis, Italian-American chef and author

 .... a real beauty who can cook like nobody's business!

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

Wiggle a loose tooth and maybe the tooth fairy will collect it on August 22nd during National Tooth Fairy Day. Since the day is celebrated twice a year, recognize the tooth fairy again on February 28th.

This childhood favorite evolved with a group of healthcare fairies during the mid-1920s. From bath fairies to Fairy Wand Tooth Whitener, they encouraged kids through a wave of advertisements and health classes. These ads and classes spoke to children about eating their veggies, brushing their teeth, and getting fresh air.

In 1927, Esther Watkins Arnold brought the tooth fairy to life in an eight-page playlet. She named the playlet The Tooth Fairy. At the same time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published photographs of two girls surrounded by “verified” fairies. He claimed that fairies and gnomes existed and the pictures supplied the photographic evidence.

The following year, Arnold’s play began performing. Children, primed with vivid imaginations, placed their freshly lost teeth under their pillows at night. The anticipation of a visit from the tooth fairy lives on today.

Over the years, the tooth fairy theme varied. In 1942, columnist Bob Balfe wrote in the Palm Beach Post about the tooth fairy. He gave his children War Stamps to put in their books when the lost a tooth. This alternative became popular during a time when giving to the war effort was a motivating factor.

Today, the tooth fairy jingles much less than ever. The average payout for a lost tooth ranges from $3 to $4. However, if Dad is on duty or if the tooth disappears during the night with no time break a large bill, the amounts climb higher.

 

 

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Blue Hens ~ Pepperoni Pizza Chicken ~ Lynda Castro ~ National Senior Citizens Day

 

Good cloudy 51º morning....

 

Yesterday we started with some light clouds...

Later the wind blew and we had clear skies and topped at 90º.

 

 

Picture of the Day

 

 

Interesting about Blue Hens....

 

The Delaware Blue Hen, is a land race of chickens that were developed during the American Revolutionary War. The birds originated from a strain of gamecocks owned primarily by Capt. John Caldwell, from Kent County, Delaware that were recognizable by their blue plumage and renowned for their pugnacity to the extent that Colonel John Haslet's 1st Delaware Regiment were nicknamed "the Blue Hen's Chickens." The Delaware Blue Hen is a typical “blue” colored chicken, found in Blue, Black and Splash. They are single combed. The hens are Fair layers of tinted/white eggs, and occasionally go broody. The males generally need to be separated from each other once they reach maturity.

The University of Delaware mascot, known as YoUDee, is also modeled after the Delaware Blue Hen and the college teams are nicknamed "Fightin' Blue Hens".

Today, the University of Delaware's College of Agriculture & Natural Resources maintains the largest known breeding flock of the Blue Hen Chicken. Their flock originated when they received six pairs from Hallock DuPont, in the 1960's because the bird was their mascot. The University also added other game breeds and Blue Andalusian blood to the flock to recreate the original birds as closely as possible. There are still some traditional bloodlines of the Blue Hen owned by Delaware natives.

The Delaware Blue Hen was named the state bird of Delaware in 1939.

Genetically, two Blue Hens will produce 50% blue, 25% white, and 25% black offspring, like other blue breeds. Breeding a splash and a black will result in 100% blue offspring.

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

When it comes to pizza, we all want that yummy pepperoni and cheesy taste, without all the extra carbs that comes from the crust. So, we decided to take that classic pepperoni pizza taste, and team it up with chicken breast! It's an ooey-gooey, cheesy, pepperoni-perfect recipe that we know you're gonna love.

 

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded
• Salt for sprinkling
• Black pepper for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 16 slices pepperoni
• Dried oregano for sprinkling

 

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.  
2. In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs and garlic powder; mix well. Dip chicken into bread crumb mixture, coating evenly on both sides. Place on baking sheet.
3.  Bake 15 minutes. Remove chicken from oven, top evenly with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni. Sprinkle lightly with oregano. Place back in oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes more or until no longer pink in center.  Serve immediately.

 

**If you want, serve this up with a green salad and some garlic rolls, for a fully authentic Italian dinner treat! 

 

 

Special birthday today, great friend... Lynda Castro (LASD ret) is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNDA!!

 xo

  ^Lynda with hubby Rick (LASD ret)

 

Historically this date....

1911 – The Mona Lisa is stolen by a Louvre employee

 

1959 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union. Hawaii's admission is currently commemorated by Hawaii Admission Day

 

1979 – Soviet dancer Alexander Godunov defects to the United States.

 

1992 – Ruby Ridge Standoff in Idaho

 

 

And births this date include....

1936 – Wilt Chamberlain, American basketball player (d. 1999)

                       Ali with Wilt

 

1938 – Kenny Rogers, American singer and actor. (d.2020) ..

5 wives!

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

On August 21st, National Senior Citizens Day recognizes the achievements of the more mature representatives of our nation. The day provides an opportunity to show our appreciation for their dedication, accomplishments, and services they give throughout their lives.

According to the 2017 census, 47 million seniors live in the United States. By 2060, that number will nearly double. Their wealth of knowledge, skill, and experience offer so much to the next generation. As technologies advance, these are the people who’ve experienced each step of change. Not only have they contributed to it, but they understand first hand the benefits and the drawbacks. They know life without the advancements that exist today.

Our senior citizens are pioneers of science, medicine, psychology, civil rights and so much more. Their valuable contributions to our communities create better places to live. They deserve the respect and dignity their achievements earn them. The day encourages supporting senior citizens to live their lives to the fullest and as independently as possible.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Spend time with the senior citizens you know. Let them know they are appreciated and loved. It may also be a good day to volunteer at a retirement home. Share your smile with those who may not otherwise get a visitor today.

If you are a senior citizen, check for special discounts and promotions that may be offered at stores and restaurants in your area.

 

NATIONAL SENIOR CITIZENS DAY HISTORY

On August 19, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed Proclamation 5847 declaring August 21st as National Senior Citizens Day.