Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Funny Road Names and Town Names in Idaho ~ Stuffed Mushrooms ~ National Chopsticks Day

 

 

Good 25º clear morning. 

 

Yesterday clear sky and we topped at 65º.

 

 

Picture of the Day ... quite the paint job!!!  A VW Van, right?

 

 

 

 

Interesting funny names of roads and towns in Idaho...

 

 

Every state in our country has its own blend of odd location and street names and Idaho is no exception. In fact, Idaho has quite a few official place names that will shock you— some will have a legitimate and verified back story, others will not. However, we promise that all the names listed below are actual places here in Idaho. So, if you are searching for a place to live in Idaho, you’ll have to consider moving to these streets or cities.

Roads:

Ustick

When you are traveling anywhere in Boise, Meridian, or even Nampa, you are sure to come across this famous street. Ustick (pronounced YOU-stick) is a busy street that stretches all the way from the Boise bench out into the city of Nampa. This street got its name from the small township of Ustick that used to be located between Cloverdale Road and 5 Mile Road on Ustick. The township got this unusual name from the man who founded it: Dr. Harlan P. Ustick. The Ustick name, according to Ancestry.com, originally comes from Germany.

KCID

This street in Caldwell isn’t very long, but it does a great job of connecting east Caldwell to the city of Middleton. The KCID street go its name, not from any acronym or anything like that, but rather, it is assumed, they are the call letters for an AM radio station (KCID AM) located not too far from KCID Road.

Deer Flat Road

Deer Flat Road is a major road out in southern Ada and eastern Canyon Counties. It is named after the Deer Flat National Wildlife Preserve which is part of what is now Lake Lowell. The reserve got its name from Lake Lowell’s previous name: Deer Flat Reservoir. Early settlers from the Oregon Trail noticed that deer and elk were spending their winters down in the valley and decided to call it Deer Flat (flat meaning a shallow or marsh). So, the next time you travel down Deer Flat Road, you’ll know that it doesn’t have anything to do with a deer being run over, but rather a deer getting a nice drink from the reservoir.

Frozen Dog Road

Located on the northern part of Emmett Idaho is Frozen Dog Road. While we don’t know how this road got its name, considering what we learned about Deer Flat, Frozen Dog Road probably— we say probably— doesn’t have to do with a poor pooch getting frozen.

Can Ada

At first glance, one might think that this is just a strange form of the word Canada, however, this road has nothing to do with our neighbors to the north. In fact, Can Ada Road is the division between Canyon and Ada counties. To avoid confusion we suppose, they separated the two parts of the name very distinctly. However, we think that the best way to avoid confusion here would be to just switch it to Ada Can road or something like that.

Chicken Dinner Road

Probably the most talked about of all Idaho’s strange named streets, Chicken Dinner Road’s origin has many variations with many becoming disputed urban legends. However, the only thing that is consistent is that the farmers who owned the farm on Chicken Dinner Road were either well known for the fried chicken they made, or the fried chicken they always ate. Either way, chicken was definitely involved.

Coffin Street

This is another street name that we will have to use our imaginations on. Whether it was named for a renowned coffin maker who lived there, or just after someone with the name coffin we’ll never know. It is located in Atlanta Idaho which, for some reason, also comes up as saying it is in Boise. Whatever town site or incorporated city it is located it in, it is still closer to Atlanta than Boise.

Chinden Boulevard

Chinden Boulevard runs from downtown Boise, through all of Garden City, and on out to Caldwell (however it does turn into a highway around Eagle Idaho). What most people consider to be the origin of the name Chinden (pronounced Chin—like the part of your face— and Den like in “let us retire to the den…”) has to do with what was once on Chinden Boulevard— a Chinese Garden. Garden City was settled by Chinese immigrants who ran large farms near the border of Boise. The name is a mixture of China and Garden— Chinden.

Slickpoo Road

Slickpoo Road is named for the town it is in— Slickpoo Idaho. While it sounds like a joke, there really is a place called Slickpoo.

Cities and Places:

Slickpoo

Well, we couldn’t start this part of the list without talking about Slickpoo. This town is located up north by Lewiston Idaho and is legally considered an unincorporated community. It is rumored to be named after the man who founded it—his surname being Slickpoo. Whether this is true or not, we don’t know.

China Hat

While China Hat is not a city, it is a very popular place name for strange name lists like these. If you look on a map of Idaho and find China Hat, you will notice that it is simply a mountain out in the middle of the southern Idaho desert. It is the only mountain of hill for miles around and is probably named after its shape as it sort of looks like a Chinese Hat.

Cabinet

This is an abandoned town site in northern Idaho. It hasn’t been lived in for several years and all that remains is the crumpled remains of an old school house. However sad it’s history, the name is still strange enough to make it on this list.

Nampa

The city of Nampa Idaho is the second most populated city in the state (followed closely by Meridian). It is said to be named after the combination of a few words from a Native American language. However, it is still a name that is not heard often by those outside of Idaho and the surrounding area.

Picabo

Picabo Idaho (Pronounced Peek-a-boo) is a small town near Carey Idaho. It is another unincorporated community. Picabo is said to have around 130 people and it is mainly made up of one gas station, one store, and many acres of ranch land.

Paris

While this isn’t necessarily a funny name, it is just fun to think about Paris in Idaho. Though it is nothing like the City of Love Paris Idaho is also a good place to go if you are looking for a vacation. You see Paris Idaho is near to Bear Lake and provides a great place to stay for a weekend on the water.

Atomic City

This strange named town is home to only about 30 people. Despite its small population, however, its name would suggest it was meant for bigger things. The city was originally called midway but it changed its name in the mid-1900s thanks to the “National Reactor Testing Station” the laboratory where nuclear energy was harnessed and controlled long enough to light the entire city of Arco (near Atomic city). Nowadays the lab is known as the Idaho National Laboratory.

Coolin

Coolin is quite the cool place to be. No seriously, it is very close to the Canadian border so it isn’t rare for people in Coolin Idaho to experience very cold winters. However, during the summer, when the weather is warm, it is a great place to visit if you want to enjoy some time at Priest Lake.

Porthill

This little town is aptly named for it being the portal from Idaho to Canada. Only two roads go from Idaho to Canada, and one of them is guarded by this cool unincorporated vacation spot. Though the population is less than 100 people, this beautiful community is a great place to take a load off and enjoy the Idaho countryside.

Well, there you have it, some of the strangest names in our state. Idaho is a great place— a unique place as you learned above. It is the ideal place for someone who wants to be close to nature and urban amenities or the person who is looking to get more bang for their buck when buying a home or someone who just wants to live in the best state the Northwest has to offer. Idaho has something for everyone. Its dynamic mixture of urban and rural lifestyles will all you to get the best of both worlds.

 

 

Here are some Stuffed Mushrooms... easy to make and good as French Onion Soup!

 

 

These French Onion Stuffed Mushrooms are baked to an absolutely perfect combo of crunchy inside and cheesy, velvety outside.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound large fresh mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 slices Swiss cheese, each slice cut into 4 squares

 

Preheat oven to 375º. Gently clean mushrooms by wiping them with damp paper towels. Remove stems from 12 mushrooms; set aside caps. Finely chop mushroom stems and remaining whole mushrooms.

 

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter; cook onion 3 minutes, or just until soft. Stir in chopped mushrooms, onion soup mix, and water and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat and add bread crumbs and black pepper; mix well.

 

Using a teaspoon, stuff mushroom caps with stuffing mixture. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

 

Bake 12 minutes. Remove from oven, top each with a piece of cheese, and return to oven 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and mushrooms are heated through. Serve immediately.

 

 

 

Historically this date....

1959 – At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missiles accomplished.

1976 – In testimony before a United States Senate subcommittee, Lockheed Corporation president Carl Kotchian admits that the company had paid out approximately $3 million in bribes to the office of Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka.

1978 – The Blizzard of 1978, one of the worst Nor'easters in New England history, hit the region, with sustained winds of 65 mph and snowfall of 4" an hour.

1996 – Willamette Valley Flood of 1996: Floods in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, United States, causes over US$500 million in property damage throughout the Pacific Northwest.

1998 – Washington National Airport is renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport.

And births this date include....

1845 – Isidor Straus, co-owner of Macy's department store and former Congressman from New York (d. 1912)

1849 – Ida Straus, American passenger aboard the Titanic (d. 1912)

 

1895 – Babe Ruth, American baseball player (d. 1948)

 

1911 – Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States (d. 2004)

 

1912 – Eva Braun, German mistress and wife of Adolf Hitler (d. 1945)

 

1917 – Zsa Zsa Gábor, Hungarian-born actress (d.2016)

..................nine husbands!

  

 

1931 – Mamie Van Doren, American actress

................only 5 husbands!

1940 – Tom Brokaw, American news anchorman

 

1943 – Fabian Forte, American singer

 

1945 – Bob Marley, Jamaican musician (d. 1981)

...... LOVED his music!

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

Each year on National Chopsticks Day, people worldwide celebrate the humble and ancient utensils on February 6th.

Around 1200 B.C., Chinese cooks began using chopsticks to prepare food. These tools were likely long enough to reach into hot cooking pots. Then about 400 B.C., when fuels for cooking became scarce, food was prepared in smaller pieces reducing the number of resources needed to cook it. At the same time, the need for sharp eating utensils faded, and shorter chopsticks entered the scene.

Once these handy eating tools found their way to the dinner table, they spread around the world. Portable and elegant in their design, they also vary in style from region to region.

Today chopsticks may be made from wood such as bamboo or aspen. Elaborately carved chopsticks may be cut from jade, ivory, or wood, and artisans may ornately paint some chopsticks with miniature scenes.

HOW TO OBSERVE 

Use chopsticks to eat your meals. Practice using chopsticks or teach someone how to use them. Share your favorite set of chopsticks or your favorite meal to eat with chopsticks. Visit your favorite restaurant where chopsticks are provided. Make sure you give them a shout out, too! Of course, you should invite someone to celebrate with you, also! Maybe ask them to join you in a chopstick competition to see who is the most proficient using them. 

 

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Odd Texas Town Names ~ Minestrone Casserole ~ National Weatherman's Day

  

Good 26º frozen morning. 

 

Yesterday we had clouds and blue sky and topped at 58º.

 

Picture of the Day.... funny friends

 

 

 

Interesting about Towns in Texas that have the most bizarre names you'll see...

 

Growing up in Texas, you inevitably pass through some towns with hilarious and bizarre names that will leave you talking about them for days with your friends and family. We’ve all driven through several of these towns and we’ve all definitely wanted to get out and take a picture of the sign to add to our scrapbooks of Texas adventures (if you’ve got one, anyway – we do). We couldn’t cover them all, but these are some of the funniest, weirdest names of towns we could find throughout the Lone Star State. These strange towns in Texas are definitely worth a picture in front of their signs:

Cut N Shoot

The story of how this funny little East Texas town got its name goes like this (in the shortened version): An Apostolic preacher by the name of Preacher Stamps was invited to hold a meeting at the Community House, a place for people of varying denominations to gather. However, he had a questionable reputation, and some people in the town didn't feel comfortable with his presence at the church. So, the town became divided between those in favor of the preacher, and those not. On the day of the meeting, both sides drew up in buggies, bringing knives and guns with them. This scared a little boy, who said, "I'm scared! I'm going to cut around the corner and shoot through the bushes in a minute!" Thus, the name Cut N Shoot was born.

Ding Dong

This unincorporated community in Central Texas always makes lists for unusual names. Zulis Bell and Bert Bell, two early settlers in the area, opened a store and hired an artist to paint a sign for it. He painted two bells, and wrote "Ding" under one and "Dong" under the other. Simple, but the name stuck ever since.

 

Kermit

Kermit is located way out west in Winkler County, and was named after Kermit Roosevelt after his father Theodore paid a visit to the town.

Bigfoot

Named for the famous Texas Ranger William A. A. "Bigfoot" Wallace, a former resident of the town, you'll find it in Frio County in South Central Texas.

Nameless

Turns out Nameless does indeed have a name. In 1869, residents of the community couldn't get the post office department to accept the names they suggested. After six attempts, one resident said "Let the post office be nameless and be damned!" They took that very literally, and Nameless was born.

Bacon

This should be Texans' favorite town! It's located about 7 miles north of Wichita Falls.

Paris 

See, you don't need to travel to France to see the Eiffel Tower; we've got one right here in Texas!

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

 

We raided our pantry to come up with this casserole inspired by one of your favorite Italian soups! Our Minestrone Casserole is thick, hearty, and full of great flavors! That's why it's the perfect recipe for an easy Italian dinner at home.

 

• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 cups uncooked medium-sized pasta shells
• 2 (14-1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
• 1 (12-ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn, thawed and drained
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

 

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a 2-1/2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage and celery 8 to 10 minutes or until browned; drain off any excess liquid.
3. Pour sausage mixture into a large bowl and add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into casserole dish; cover and bake 50 minutes or until heated through and pasta is cooked, stirring twice throughout the cooking.

***For a little extra flavor, top this casserole with Parmesan cheese!

 

 

 

 

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

1917 – The Congress of the United States passes the Immigration Act of 1917 over President Woodrow Wilson's veto. Also known as the Asiatic Barred Zone Act, it forbade immigration from nearly all of south and southeast Asia.

 

............click on the act title...interesting text in this ....

 

1918 – Stephen W. Thompson shoots down a German airplane. It is the first aerial victory by the U.S. military.

1958 – A hydrogen bomb known as the Tybee Bomb is lost by the US Air Force off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, never to be recovered.

 

 

 

And births this date include....

1848 – Belle Starr, American outlaw (d. 1889)

.........My gosh, what a life. Totally wild and out of control. Her son suspected in her murder, but never proven. Daughter was a trollop like her mother. Interesting read.

 

 

1906 – John Carradine, American actor (d. 1988)

 

1908 – Daisy and Violet Hilton, British conjoined twins (d. 1969) ....here's another OMG. Poor things. 60 years conjoined and a very sad death.

1919 – Red Buttons, American actor (d. 2006)

 

1934 – Hank Aaron. American baseball player (d.2021)

 

 

1942 – Roger Staubach, American football player

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

Always celebrated on February 5th, National Weatherperson’s Day, which is also known as National Weatherman’s Day, honors all individuals in the fields of meteorology, weather forecasting, and broadcast meteorology. The day also recognizes volunteer storm spotters and observers as well as any others that work in the weather field.

This annual holiday commemorates the birthday of John Jeffries, born on this day in 1744.  Dr. Jeffries, a scientist, and a surgeon, is considered to be one of America’s first weather observers.  He kept weather records from 1774 to 1816. Additionally, Jefferies pioneered the field of ballooning in the United States and took his first balloon observation in 1784.

Those being honored during this celebration work hard to accurately forecast and report the always changing, and often unpredictable, weather. Despite all of the new technological advances, meteorologists continue to face challenges in forecasting the weather. Predicting “Mother Nature” and what path she may choose, is a very daunting task even with the most state-of-the-art technology.

Knowing the weather forecast is valuable to us in so many ways. We often look at the forecast to plan our activities for the upcoming days. It affects what we do, how we dress, where we go or even if we go at all.   Being prepared for upcoming storms, hurricanes or tornadoes saves lives.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE:

“The primary mission of the Weather Service (NWS) forecast office is to provide the American public with the best possible warning service to save lives.  Recent severe weather statistics show that we continue to improve our capability to warn the public of impending hazardous weather.

Nationally lead time for flash flood warnings improved from 22 minutes in 1993 to 78 minutes in 2008.  Accuracy over the same time period increased from 71 percent to 91 percent.  Lead time for tornado warnings has increased from 6 minutes in 1993 to 13 minutes today.  Tornado warning accuracy increased from 43 percent to 72 percent.  Winter storm accuracy in 2008 was 89 percent with an average lead time of 17 hours.  Since 1990, the Tropical Prediction Center’s 24 to 72-hour tropical storm forecast track errors have been reduced by more than 50%.  These more accurate and longer lead time warnings help communities stay safe.”

HOW TO OBSERVE

Thank your local weatherperson. It may be the person you turn to on the news to keep you up to date on the latest storms. Or, it may also be the storm spotters who report to the National Weather Service. Their warnings alert us to more imminent dangers that impact our lives and livelihoods. Consider how weather impacts our daily lives and how much you appreciate an accurate forecast whenever possible.  Share your experiences and give a shout out to the weatherperson doing an outstanding job in your area!

 

NATIONAL WEATHERPERSON’S DAY HISTORY

The day commemorates the birth of Dr. John Jeffries, one of America’s first weather observers. The day has been celebrated for more than four decades.

A number of times the weathermen, Jack Church and Matt Jordan with our local TV news put my pictures on TV....