Weather/Snow ~ Brian Pendleton ~ Aaron & Marie Maxwell ~ Picture of the Day ~ Valentine's Day History ~ Sweet Onion Casserole ~ Valentine's Day

  

Good 31º snowing morning!!! 

 

 

Yesterday rain was predicted.... and we did get a few drops on and off. We topped at 50º.

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.

 

 

Today is special not only is it Valentine's Day but it's my son Brian's birthday. Happy Birthday my love..... xo

 

 

 

 

Also today is the 12th wedding anniversary of my step son Aaron Maxwell and his bride Marie. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KIDS!

 

Picture of the Day

 

 

Interesting....here is the site with all the Valentine's Day history...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

This takes plain old onions and so easily turns them into a throw-together, perfect side dish for any main course. So what if you decide on your side dish first and then worry about what you're gonna buy at the market for the "biggie"? Maybe add a little zip by adding barbecue-flavored chips, or sprinkle in some tarragon for a French taste or some oregano for tilting it toward Italy, or ... whatever you want.

 

 

• 2 (10-3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 Spanish onions, sliced into 1/4-inch rings
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (10-ounce) package potato chips, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste
• Paprika

 

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Blend the soup and milk in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.
3. Arrange half the onion rings in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cover with half the cheese, then half the potato chips. Repeat layers.
4. Pour soup mixture over layers. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Remove cover, sprinkle with paprika and cook for 15 more minutes or until hot and bubbly.

 

 

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

1859 – Oregon is admitted as the 33rd U.S. state.

1912 – Arizona is admitted as the 48th U.S. state.

1929 – Saint Valentine's Day massacre: Seven people, six of them gangster rivals of Al Capone's gang, are murdered in Chicago, Illinois.

1962 – First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy takes television viewers on a tour of the White House.

 

And births this date include...

1894 – Jack Benny, American actor and comedian (d. 1974)

 

1905 – Thelma Ritter, American actress (d. 1969)

 

1929 – Vic Morrow, American actor (d. 1982)

 

1934 – Florence Henderson, American actress (d.2016)

 

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Valentine's Day. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Valentine’s Day began as St. Valentine’s Day, a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus.  February 14th first became associated with romantic love during the High Middle Ages as the tradition of courtly love was then flourishing. During 18th century England, this day evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery and sending Valentine cards.  

Ancient History

Mixed opinions prevail regarding who or what was celebrated in mid-February. Some point to martyred saints by the name of Valentine or Valentinus. The most popular story tells of the saint who defied a decree by Emperor Claudius II who outlawed marriage for young men because he believed single men made better soldiers. St. Valentine, preferring young lovers to be wed than have them sneaking around (or believing in the power of love), would marry them in secret. However, it may have been another Valentine who performed the marriages. Either way, at least two of them were beheaded for their actions.

Another possible origin for Valentine’s Day takes us back to a pagan festival called Lupercalia. As a way to discourage participation in the fertility festival, the Christian church placed St. Valentine’s Day in the middle of February.

Modern Celebrations

Since the Renaissance, we’ve been exchanging Valentine’s cards. These handmade missives of romance grew into a more commercial venture by the Victorian era. Today, school children exchange Valentine greetings, too. They prepare for the day by making unique boxes to receive their many hearts, cupids, and pun-filled rhymes.

Chocolates and candy have also become a part of the celebration. While couples tend to be the focus of the day, singles celebrate being single, too. Friends take each other out or reject the overall notion of Valentine’s Day. Dinner and a movie, candlelight, and flowers also fit the bill for couples. It’s one of the busiest days of the year for florists.

HOW TO OBSERVE

You can surprise your special someone with flowers, chocolate or a card.

Get something special for your Valentine.

VALENTINE’S DAY HISTORY

Credit is traditionally given to Pope Gelasius for declaring February 14th as Saint Valentine’s Day around the year 496 to separate the church from the Roman celebration of Lupercalia, an ancient pagan fertility festival which occurred on February 15th.

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Traffic Signals ~ Tortellini Bacon Broccoli Salad ~ Alex Corsaro ~ National Tortellini Day

 

Good 33º dark cloudy rain predicted morning. 

Yesterday sunshine and we topped at 60º.

 

 

Picture of the Day

 

 

Interesting about traffic signals.........

 

Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa – are signaling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traffic.

 

Traffic lights consist normally of three signals, transmitting meaningful information to drivers and riders through colors and symbols including arrows and bicycles. The regular traffic light colors are red, amber (also known as yellow), and green arranged vertically or horizontally in that order. Although this is internationally standardized, variations exist on national and local scales as to traffic light sequences and laws.

 

The method was first introduced in December 1868 on Parliament Square in London to reduce the need for police officers to control traffic. Since then, electricity and computerized control has advanced traffic light technology and increased intersection capacity. The system is also used for other purposes, for example, to control pedestrian movements, variable lane control (such as tidal flow systems or smart motorways), and railway level crossings.

 

The first system of traffic signals was installed as a way to replace police officer control of vehicular traffic outside the Houses of Parliament in London on 9 December 1868. In the first two decades of the 20th century, semaphore traffic signals like the one in London were in use all over the United States with each state having its own design of the device. In many cases, it was controlled by a traffic officer who would blow a whistle before changing the commands on this signal to help alert travelers of the change.

 

In 1912, the first electric traffic light was developed by Lester Wire, a policeman in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was installed by the American Traffic Signal Company on the corner of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. The first four-way, three-color traffic light was created by police officer William Potts in Detroit, Michigan in 1920. He was concerned about how police officers at four different light signals could not change their lights all at the same time. The answer was a third light that was colored amber, which was the same color used on the railroad. In 1922 traffic towers were beginning to be controlled by automatic timers. The main advantage of the use of the timer was that it saved cities money by replacing traffic officers. The city of New York was able to reassign all but 500 of its 6,000 officers working on the traffic squad; this saved the city $12,500,000.

 

^{If you want to read a whole lot more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_light}

 

 

 

From Allrecipes

 

Tortellini Bacon Broccoli Salad

 

 

2 (9oz) packages refrigerated three-cheese tortellini

1 pound bacon

4 cups chopped broccoli

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 cup bottled coleslaw dressing

 

1. Cook the tortellini according to the package directions.

2. Drain and rinse with  cold water, and refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes.

3. Place bacon in a large deep skillet and cook over medium high- heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes.

4. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate.

5. Chop bacon into half inch pieces while still warm.

6. Place the tortellini, bacon, broccoli, grape tomatoes, and green onions into a salad bowl. Pour dressing over the ingredients and toss lightly to coat.

7. Chill in refrigerator before serving.

 

Special birthday today.... my Italian son Alex Corsaro. Alex and Brian were BFFs and he lived with us during high school years. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON! Love you!

 

 

Alex and Brian are one day apart in birthdays.... here they were washing windows .....

 

 

And Alex, like Brian, was also a Marine..

 

 

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

1970 – Black Sabbath, arguably the very first heavy metal album, is released.

1971 – Vietnam War: Backed by American air and artillery support, South Vietnamese troops invade Laos.

 

 

 

1991 – Gulf War: Two laser-guided "smart bombs" destroy the Amiriyah shelter in Baghdad. Allied forces said the bunker was being used as a military communications outpost, but over 400 Iraqi civilians inside were killed.

2011 – For the first time in more than 100 years the Umatilla, an American Indian tribe, were able to hunt and harvest a bison just outside Yellowstone National Park, restoring a centuries-old tradition guaranteed by a treaty signed in 1855.

2017 – Kim Jong-nam, brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, is assassinated at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

 

 

And births this date include....

1919 – Tennessee Ernie Ford, American musician (d. 1991)

 

1923 – Chuck Yeager, American fighter and test pilot (d.2020)

 

1933 – Kim Novak, American actress

She left Hollywood and wanted to continue with her artistic talent. She lives just northeast of here in Sams Valley.

 

1934 – George Segal, American actor (d.2021)

 

1942 – Carol Lynley, American actress (d.2019)

 

1942 – Peter Tork, American musician and actor (The Monkees)

(d.2019)

1944 – Stockard Channing, American actress

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Pasta lovers will enjoy a traditional stuffed pasta during National Tortellini Day on February 13th!

Tortellini is a signature dish from the Italian region of Bologna, where they claim to have created this stuffed pasta packed with flavor. Ravioli, tortellini, and tortellacci are all part of the same family of stuffed pasta. The most common fillings for tortellini are ham, white meat, and Parmesan cheese.

Members of an organization called The Learned Order of the Tortellini in the city of Bologna wear special hats to their meetings that are red and gold and shaped like tortellini. They also wear a ribbon, around their neck that has a gold tortellini hanging on it.  The Learned Order of the Tortellini has a large membership dedicated to the preservation of the traditional tortellini.

There are many ways to prepare a tortellini dish.  You may want to top it with a cheese sauce, cream sauce, pesto or tomato sauce, or follow one of the thousands of cooking blogs available for a great tortellini recipe.