Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Swings ~ Garden Chicken 'n' Veggies ~ Phil and Suzanne Santisteven ~ National Dollar Day

 

 

Good 66º dark cloudy morning. 

 

Yesterday we stayed clear and topped at 106º.

 

 

Picture of the Day....giraffe behind a tree

 

 

Interesting about swings........

 

A swing is a seat, often found at playgrounds for children,

at a circus for acrobats, or on a porch for relaxing,

 

although they may also be items of indoor furniture, such as the Latin American hammock or the Indian oonjal. The seat of a swing may be suspended from chains or ropes. Once a swing is in motion, it continues to oscillate like a pendulum until external interference or drag brings it to a halt. Swing sets are very popular with children.

 

On playgrounds, several swings are often suspended from a shared metal or wooden frame, known as a swing set, allowing more than one child to play at a time. Such swings come in a variety of sizes and shapes. For infants and toddlers, swings with leg holes support the child in an upright position while a parent or sibling pushes the child to get a swinging motion. Some swing sets include play items other than swings, such as a rope ladder or sliding pole.

 

For older children, swings are sometimes made of a flexible canvas seat, of a rubberized ventilated tire tread, of plastic, or of wood. A common backyard sight is a wooden plank suspended on both sides by ropes from a tree branch.

 

Swinging first spread throughout China during the Spring and Autumn Period (771-476 BC). In the Han dynasty swinging continued to rise in popularity and was often performed at the Qingming Festival and the Duanwu Festival. By the time of the Song dynasty, swinging became involved in professional acrobatics, where performers would swing between boats over water.

 

In the early 1900s, the playground movement saw swings installed in public spaces for neighborhood children. By the middle of the century, the suburban playground became popular. Many Americans put personal swing sets on their property. Public concern for children's safety influenced a change in design after the 1970s. Tubular metal sets were replaced with smaller swings made of woods and resins better suited for children.

 

The United States Patent and Trademark Office was disparaged in 2002 for issuing a patent to a five-year-old boy who claimed to have invented swinging sideways as a new form of entertainment. His father, a patent lawyer who wanted to show his son how the patent system worked, had told the boy that he could file a patent application on anything that he invented. The patent was rescinded upon re-examination.

 

                     ^ a swing for a wheelchair

 

From Mr. Food

 

Unwrap a bundle of goodness with our recipe for Garden Chicken 'n' Veggies. Apart from being so darn tasty, this foil packet recipe also puts to rest two mealtime dilemmas: portioning and cleanup. You'll be amazed at how easy dinner is when you've got a recipe like this one!

 

• 1 (0.7-ounce) envelope dry Italian dressing mix, with 1 tablespoon reserved
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 to 1-1/2 pounds total)
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1/2 onion, cut in half moon slices
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

 

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Tear 4 pieces of aluminum foil, each about 12  x 18 inches.
2. Sprinkle chicken evenly with dressing mix, then lay each piece of chicken on a piece of aluminum foil.
3. In a large bowl, combine bell pepper, zucchini, onion, the reserved 1 tablespoon Italian dressing mix, and oil; toss until vegetables are completely coated. Distribute vegetable mixture evenly over chicken breasts and drizzle any remaining dressing over vegetables.Sprinkle cheese over vegetables and seal packets tightly. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until no pink remains in chicken and juices run clear.

****If you prefer to make these on the grill, just heat the grill to medium-high heat and cook for 15 to 18 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center!

 

 

Special anniversary today.......... Phil and Suzanne Santisteven (both LASD ret) are celebrating #21.

                  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KIDS!

 

Historically this date.....

1908 – Wilbur Wright makes his first flight at a racecourse at Le Mans, France. It is the Wright Brothers' first public flight.

2008 – The 2008 Summer Olympics officially opened with the opening ceremony at National Stadium, Beijing, China.

 

 

And births this date include....

1921 – Esther Williams, American actress and swimmer (d.2013)

1922 – Rory Calhoun, American actor (d. 1999)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1937 – Dustin Hoffman, American actor

 

1938 – Connie Stevens, American singer and actress

 

1949 – Keith Carradine, American actor

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Dollar Day on August 8th commemorates the day Congress established the U.S. monetary system in 1786.

In 1862, the United States printed its first dollar bill. Do you know whose face was printed there? It wasn’t George Washington. The first dollar bill featured Salmon P. Chase, President Lincoln’s Secretary of Treasury.

 

More Dollar Facts

Interestingly, the dollar bill in our pockets today hasn’t been changed for more than 50 years. While the $5, $10, $20, and $50 earned redesigns in recent years, the single remains unchanged. Due to counterfeiting, redesigns keep the larger currencies ahead of counterfeiters. However, the single doesn’t face attention the more significant notes see.

Above the right number 1 on the face side of the dollar, a tiny bird peeks out. Whether it’s an owl, an eagle or another such bird is uncertain. Like other embedded items in the bill’s design, it fuels many conspiracy theories.

Speaking of conspiracy theories, the pyramid on the back fuels a few. It’s part of the Great Seal of the United States. However, the truth of the pyramid represents several things. You’ll find 13 steps on the pyramid equaling the 13 original colonies. The unfinished top represents a young country growing and expanding. Finally, the Eye of Providence includes the Latin motto Annuit Coeptis, which means, “It is favorable to our undertakings.”

The number 13 is represented on the dollar bill in several places. Do you know where else?

Opposite the pyramid is an eagle. The image represents both war and peace. In the eagle’s left talon it holds arrows and in its right an olive branch. How many arrows do you think the eagle holds? If you guessed 13, you’d be right.

Above the eagle’s head, there is a cloud with a constellation. How many stars are in the constellation? Again the number 13 is represented. The eagle includes a shield 13 stripes, too.

Weather ~ Dash ~ Picture of the Day ~ Celery ~ Sizzling Home Fries ~ Purple Heart Day

  

Good clear sky sunny 54º morning.

 

 

Yesterday we topped at 102º.

 

 

I'm babysitting my granddog, Dash. Here we are going for a ride.... he's a sweetie!

 

 

Picture of the Day....police trap!

 

 

 

Interesting about celery...........

 

Celery (Apium graveolens) is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, leaves or hypocotyl are eaten and used in cooking. Celery seed powder is used as a spice.

 

Celery leaves are pinnate to bipinnate with rhombic leaflets 1–2+1⁄2 inches long and 1–1+1⁄2 inches broad. The flowers are creamy-white, 3⁄32–1⁄8 inches in diameter, and are produced in dense compound umbels. The seeds are broad ovoid to globose, 1⁄16–5⁄64 inches long and wide. Modern cultivars have been selected for either solid petioles, leaf stalks, or a large hypocotyl. A celery stalk readily separates into "strings" which are bundles of angular collenchyma cells exterior to the vascular bundles.

 

Wild celery, Apium graveolens var. graveolens, grows to 3 ft 3 inches tall. Celery is a biennial plant that occurs around the globe. It produces flowers and seeds only during its second year. The first cultivation is thought to have happened in the Mediterranean region, where the natural habitats were salty and wet, or marshy soils near the coast where celery grew in agropyro-rumicion-plant communities.

 

North of the Alps, wild celery is found only in the foothill zone on soils with some salt content. It prefers moist or wet, nutrient rich, muddy soils. It cannot be found in Austria and is increasingly rare in Germany.

 

^{First attested and printed in English as "sellery" by John Evelyn in 1664, the modern English word "celery" derives from the French céleri, in turn from Italian seleri, the plural of selero, which comes from Late Latin selinon, the latinisation of the Ancient Greek: σέλινον, romanized: selinon, "celery". The earliest attested form of the word is the Mycenaean Greek se-ri-no, written in Linear B syllabic script.}

 

The plants are raised from seed, sown either in a hot bed or in the open garden according to the season of the year, and, after one or two thinnings and transplantings, they are, on attaining a height of 6–8 inches, planted out in deep trenches for convenience of blanching, which is effected by earthing up to exclude light from the stems. Development of self-blanching varieties of celery, which do not need to be earthed up, dominate both the commercial and amateur market.

 

Celery was first grown as a winter and early spring vegetable. It was considered a cleansing tonic to counter the deficiencies of a winter diet based on salted meats without fresh vegetables. By the 19th century, the season for celery in England had been extended, to last from the beginning of September to late in April.

 

In North America, commercial production of celery is dominated by the cultivar called 'Pascal' celery. Gardeners can grow a range of cultivars, many of which differ from the wild species, mainly in having stouter leaf stems. They are ranged under two classes, white and red. The stalks grow in tight, straight, parallel bunches, and are typically marketed fresh that way. They are sold without roots and only a small amount of green leaf remaining.

 

The stalks can be eaten raw, or as an ingredient in salads, or as a flavoring in soups, stews, and pot roasts.

 

Harvesting occurs when the average size of celery in a field is marketable; due to extremely uniform crop growth, fields are harvested only once. The petioles and leaves are removed and harvested; celery is packed by size and quality (determined by color, shape, straightness and thickness of petiole, stalk and midrib length and absence of disease, cracks, splits, insect damage and rot). During commercial harvesting, celery is packaged into cartons which contain between 36 and 48 stalks and weigh up to 60 lb. Under optimal conditions, celery can be stored for up to seven weeks from 32–36 °F. Inner stalks may continue growing if kept at temperatures above 32 °F. Shelf life can be extended by packaging celery in anti-fogging, micro-perforated shrink wrap. Freshly cut petioles of celery are prone to decay, which can be prevented or reduced through the use of sharp blades during processing, gentle handling, and proper sanitation.

 

Celery stalk may be preserved through pickling by first removing the leaves, then boiling the stalks in water before finally adding vinegar, salt, and vegetable oil.

 

^{Celery is eaten around the world as a vegetable. In North America the crisp petiole (leaf stalk) is used. In Europe the hypocotyl is used as a root vegetable. The leaves are strongly flavored and are used less often, either as a flavoring in soups and stews or as a dried herb. Celery, onions, and bell peppers are the "holy trinity" of Louisiana Creole and Cajun cuisine. Celery, onions, and carrots make up the French mirepoix, often used as a base for sauces and soups. Celery is a staple in many soups.}

 

Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf note that celery leaves and inflorescences were part of the garlands found in the tomb of pharaoh Tutankhamun (died 1323 BC), and celery mericarps dated to the seventh century BC were recovered in the Heraion of Samos. However, they note A. graveolens grows wild in these areas, it is hard to decide whether these remains represent wild or cultivated forms." Only by classical antiquity is it certain that celery was cultivated.

 

M. Fragiska mentions an archeological find of celery dating to the 9th century BC, at Kastanas; however, the literary evidence for ancient Greece is far more abundant. In Homer's Iliad, the horses of the Myrmidons graze on wild celery that grows in the marshes of Troy, and in Odyssey, there is mention of the meadows of violet and wild celery surrounding Calypso's Cave.

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

The best home fries are still the ones made in diners. There's just something special about the taste of potatoes slung around a sizzling hot grill and mixed with the flavors of eggs and bacon that can't be beat. Wait until you try our Sizzling Home Fries; they're a breakfast (or anytime) winner.

 

• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 red potatoes (about 2 pounds), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

 

1. In a large bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; mix well. Add potatoes and onions; toss to coat evenly.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add potato mixture to skillet; cover and cook 10 minutes.
3. Increase heat to high, uncover, and cook 8 to 10 additional minutes, or until potatoes are tender and golden, stirring occasionally.

 

 

 

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

1782 – George Washington orders the creation of the Badge of Military Merit to honor soldiers wounded in battle. It is later renamed to the more poetic Purple Heart.

1959 – The Lincoln Memorial design on the U.S. penny goes into circulation. It replaces the "sheaves of wheat" design, and was minted until 2008

1965 – The infamous first Reyes party between Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters and motorcycle gang the Hells Angels takes place at Kesey's estate in La Honda, California introducing psychedelics to the gang world and forever linking the hippie movement to the Hell's Angels.

1970 – California judge Harold Haley is taken hostage in his courtroom and killed during in an effort to free George Jackson from police custody.

.............Jackson a Black Panther and horrible person! .....

2007 – Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants breaks baseball great Hank Aaron's record by hitting his 756th home run.

 

 

And births this date include...

1944 – David Rasche, American actor

 

 

 

1944 – Robert Mueller, American soldier and lawyer, 6th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

 

1960 – David Duchovny, American actor

 

 

1975 – Charlize Theron, South African model and actress

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Purple Heart Day, on August 7th, commemorates the creation of the oldest American military decoration for military merit. The Purple Heart honors the men and women who are of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. During the American Revolutionary War, the Badge for Military Merit decorated six known soldiers.

General George Washington created the Badge of Merit in 1782. Washington intended the honor to be presented to soldiers for “any singularly meritorious action.” Its design included a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk bound with a thin edge of silver. Across the face, the word Merit was embroidered in silver. While the badge symbolized the courage and devotion of an American Patriot, no one knows who designed the award.

Until Washington’s 200th birthday, the Purple Heart persisted as a Revolutionary War footnote. Through the efforts of General Douglas MacArthur, the U.S. War Department created the Order of the Purple Heart. Today the medal bears a bust of George Washington and his coat of arms.

While an accurate and complete list of names no longer exists, National Geographic recently estimated that nearly 1.9 million service members have earned Purple Hearts since its creation. It is the oldest U.S. military honor still bestowed upon service members today. Until 1944, the Purple Heart recognized service members’ commendable actions as well. Then in 1944, the requirements limited the award to only those wounded or killed in combat.

Purple Heart Firsts

• William Brown and Elijah Churchill received the Badge of Military Merit during the Revolutionary War when the award first replaced the Fidelity Medallion.
• Army General Douglas MacArthur received the first modern-day Purple Heart.
• Army Lt. Annie G. Fox received the Purple Heart during World War II for her actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Honor everyone who has received a Purple Heart. Learn more about the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

While celebrating the heroes who earned the Purple Heart, learn more about them.

• Read For Military Merit: Recipients of the Purple Heart by Fred L. Borch or Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick.
• Watch a documentary like Purple Heart Warriors: Tears of a Warrior by Tony Seahorn.
• Visit a military museum like the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor or The National WWII Museum. 

 

PURPLE HEART DAY HISTORY

Since 1932, Americans have celebrated Purple Heart Day on both Washington’s birthday and Valentine’s Day. Some states and cities observed the day in their own way at different times throughout the year. Each declaration encouraged citizens to support wounded veterans with the purchase of a purple viola.

No matter when the observance occurred, it recognized the men and women killed and wounded in combat and their heroic actions. As the day evolved, it more commonly was observed on the day of the Purple Heart’s creation, August 7, 1782.