Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Steve McQueen ~ Spinach Dip Rollups ~ National Tattoo Day

  

Good 54º morning.

 

Yesterday we had a few clouds and topped at 102º....

 

 

Picture of the Day....1890 horse drawn bus

 

 

Interesting about Steve McQueen.............

 

 

Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980)^[4] was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the 1960s and 1970s. He was nicknamed the "King of Cool" and used the alias Harvey Mushman in motor races.

 

McQueen received an Academy Award nomination for his role in The Sand Pebbles (1966). His other popular films include The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Nevada Smith (1966), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Bullitt (1968), The Getaway (1972), and Papillon (1973). In addition, he starred in the all-star ensemble films The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963), and The Towering Inferno (1974).

 

In 1974, McQueen became the highest-paid movie star in the world, although he did not act in film for another four years. He was combative with directors and producers, but his popularity placed him in high demand and enabled him to command the largest salaries.

 

^{Terrence Stephen McQueen was born to a single mother on March 24, 1930, at St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. McQueen, of Scottish descent, was raised a Roman Catholic. His parents never married. McQueen's father, William McQueen, a stunt pilot for a barnstorming flying circus, left his mother, Julia Ann (or Julianne) Crawford, six months after meeting her. Several biographers have stated that Julia Ann was an alcoholic. Unable to cope with caring for a small child, she left the boy with her parents (Victor and Lillian) in Slater, Missouri, in 1933. As the Great Depression worsened, McQueen and his grandparents moved in with Lillian's brother Claude and his family at their farm in Slater. McQueen later said that he had good memories of living on the farm, noting that his great-uncle Claude "was a very good man, very strong, very fair. I learned a lot from him."}

 

Military service

In 1947, after receiving permission from his mother (since he was not yet 18 years old), McQueen enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He was sent to Parris Island for boot camp. He was promoted to private first class and assigned to an armored unit. He initially struggled with conforming to the discipline of the service, and was demoted to private seven times. He took an unauthorized absence, failing to return after a weekend pass expired. He was caught by the shore patrol while staying with a girlfriend (Barbara Ross) for two weeks. After resisting arrest, he was sentenced to 41 days in the brig.

 

After this, McQueen resolved to focus his energies on self-improvement and embraced the Marines' discipline. He saved the lives of five other Marines during an Arctic exercise, pulling them from a tank before it broke through ice into the sea. He was assigned to the honor guard responsible for guarding the presidential yacht of U.S. President Harry S. Truman. McQueen served until 1950, when he was honorably discharged. He later said he had enjoyed his time in the Marines. He remembered this period with the Marines as a formative time in his life, saying, "The Marines made a man out of me. I learned how to get along with others, and I had a platform to jump off of."

 

^{After Never So Few, the film's director John Sturges cast McQueen in his next movie, promising to "give him the camera". The Magnificent Seven (1960), in which he played Vin Tanner and starred with Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Robert Vaughn, Charles Bronson, Horst Buchholz, and James Coburn, became McQueen's first major hit and led to his withdrawal from Wanted: Dead or Alive. McQueen's focused portrayal of the taciturn second lead catapulted his career. His added touches in many of the shots (such as shaking a shotgun round before loading it, repeatedly checking his gun while in the background of a shot, and wiping his hat rim) annoyed top-billed Brynner, who protested that McQueen was stealing scenes. (In his autobiography, Eli Wallach reports struggling to conceal his amusement while watching the filming of the funeral-procession scene where Brynner's and McQueen's characters first meet: Brynner was furious at McQueen's shotgun-round-shake, which effectively diverted the viewer's attention to McQueen. Brynner refused to draw his gun in the same scene with McQueen, not wanting his character outdrawn.)}

 

On November 7, 1980, McQueen died of a heart attack at 3:45 a.m. at a Juárez hospital, 12 hours after surgery to remove or reduce numerous metastatic tumors in his neck and abdomen. He was 50 years old. According to the El Paso Times, McQueen died in his sleep.

 

Leonard DeWitt of the Ventura Missionary Church presided over McQueen's memorial service. McQueen was cremated, and his ashes were spread in the Pacific Ocean.

 

To read a lot more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_McQueen

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

You know your guests already love spinach dip, so how about serving it up to them in a whole new way with this easy, no-cook appetizer recipe? Our Spinach Dip Rollups are so creamy, and the bacon bits really pump up their flavor. Just wait till ya see how fast they'll make 'em disappear!

 

 

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
• 2 (2-ounce) jars diced roasted red bell peppers, drained well
• 1 (3-ounce) package bacon bits
• 5 (10-inch) flour tortillas

 

1. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and lemon juice; mix well. Stir in spinach, roasted bell peppers, and bacon bits.
2. Spread mixture on tortillas, distributing evenly. Roll up jellyroll fashion; wrap each in plastic wrap.
3. Chill 1 to 2 hours, or until ready to serve. Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and serve.

 

 

 

Historically this date........

1938 – Douglas Corrigan takes off from Brooklyn to fly the "wrong way" to Ireland and becomes known as "Wrong Way" Corrigan.

1955 – Disneyland is dedicated and opened by Walt Disney in Anaheim, California.

1975 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project: An American Apollo and a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft dock with each other in orbit marking the first such link-up between spacecraft from the two nations.

1981 – A structural failure leads to the collapse of a walkway at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, Missouri killing 114 people and injuring more than 200.

 

And births this date include....

1899 – James Cagney, American actor (d. 1986)

 

1912 – Art Linkletter, Canadian television host (d. 2010)

 

1917 – Phyllis Diller, American comedienne (d.2012)

.... what a nut she was!

1935 – Diahann Carroll, American actor (d.2019)

 

1935 – Donald Sutherland, Canadian actor

... Dude, cut the hair!

  

1947 – Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

 

1951 – Lucie Arnaz, American actress

1952 – David Hasselhoff, American actor and musician

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Tattoo Day on July 17th recognizes the history, culture, and artists dedicated to etching ink permanently on the skin. The day might just be the date to get that ink you’ve been contemplating.

Evidence of humans marking their bodies with permanent designs have existed for thousands of years. Egyptian and ice mummies reveal several forms of religious and status symbols.

The word “tattoo” is derived from the Polynesian language for tatau, which means “to tap or to mark.” Around the world, cultures surrounding tattooing vary, and some have changed very little over time. In the United States, sailors brought tattooing to coastal shores from their island exploits.

Getting inked continues to grow as technology and acceptance increase. While age, gender, religion, and class once divide the tattooed from the non-tattooed, those barriers are less common than they used to be. The reasons why we go under the needle differ, too. A tattoo may represent a significant event or hold intensely personal meaning. However, some people do get tattoos on a whim. Still, others confess, the need for a new tattoo is an addiction.

As the art form increases in popularity, considering a few things before getting a tattoo is essential:

Getting a Tattoo

• Research and find a reputable artist. Remember, this art is permanent. You will want a polished finished piece with no regerts – that is, no regrets.
• Once you’ve found an artist, be sure you have a design in mind. If you aren’t an artist, pulling an idea from your head and making it a reality will take time to develop.
• Check spelling. Fact check. If you use a foreign word or a quote in your design, research the meaning and check the spelling. The same applies to symbols. Just because a website translated a meaning or said symbol represented peace or love in a specific culture, doesn’t mean it’s true. And it’s not the artist’s responsibility to know either. Sometimes the design means something altogether different to the client.
• Be prepared to be placed on a waiting list. Good artists are in demand.
• You will pay more for good art. Nobody wants a lousy tattoo.

Day of Your Appointment

• Clear your day, especially if you’re getting a large tattoo.
• Arrive on time. Most artists charge by the hour, and any adjustment throws their entire day off. You can’t rush good art.
• Dress comfortably. You will be sitting or lying in a fixed position for long periods of time.
• Eat something. A protein bar won’t make you feel stuffed but will keep you alert and satisfied throughout the session.
• Bring water and stay hydrated.
• Tip your artists when the session is over.

 

NATIONAL TATTOO DAY HISTORY

National Tattoo Day has been observed since 2016. However, National Day Calendar continues researching the origins of the day.

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Elvis Presley ~ All-American-Flatbread ~ National Personal Chef Day

  

Good 58º clear morning. 

 

 

Yesterday we topped at 108º!

 

 

Picture of the Day....family love

 

 

Interesting about Elvis.............

 

 

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often referred to mononymously as Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Known as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Presley's energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him to both great success and initial controversy.

 

Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi,

 and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was aged 13. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African-American music to a wider audience. Presley, on rhythm acoustic guitar, and accompanied by lead guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, was a pioneer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage him for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the United States. Within a year, RCA would sell ten million Presley singles. With a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, Presley became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll; though his performative style and promotion of the then-marginalized sound of African Americans led to him being widely considered a threat to the moral well-being of white American youth.

 

In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender. Drafted into military service in 1958, he relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. Presley held few concerts, however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood films and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. Some of his most famous films included Jailhouse Rock (1957), Blue Hawaii (1961), and Viva Las Vegas (1964). In 1968, following a seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed television comeback special Elvis, which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley gave the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, Aloha from Hawaii. However, years of prescription drug abuse and unhealthy eating habits severely compromised his health, and Presley died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate at the age of 42.

 

Having sold roughly 500 million records worldwide, Presley is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He was commercially successful in many genres, including pop, country, rhythm & blues, adult contemporary, and gospel. He won three Grammy Awards, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame. He also holds several records, including the most RIAA-certified gold and platinum albums, the most albums charted on the Billboard 200, the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the UK Albums Chart, and the most number-one singles by any act on the UK Singles Chart. In 2018, Presley was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

 

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, to Vernon Presley and Gladys Love (née Smith) Presley in a two-room shotgun house that his father built for the occasion. Elvis' identical twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, was delivered stillborn thirty-five minutes before him. Presley became close to both parents and formed an especially close bond with his mother. The family attended an Assembly of God church, where he found his initial musical inspiration.

 

Presley's father Vernon was of German, Scottish, and English origins, and a descendant of the Harrison family of Virginia through his mother, Minnie Mae Presley (née Hood). Presley's mother Gladys was Scots-Irish with some French Norman ancestry. She and the rest of the family believed that her great-great-grandmother, Morning Dove White, was Cherokee. This belief was restated by Elvis's granddaughter Riley Keough in 2017. Elaine Dundy, in her biography, supports the belief.

 

^{If you want to read a WHOLE LOT more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley}

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Although it may look like this should be saluted, we suggest you dive in and enjoy the sweet and savory combo that makes up this flatbread. One thing we know… this is a must-try when you have a full house for the 4th of July, Labor Day, or really any day.

 

• 1 (13.8-ounce) refrigerated pizza crust
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 onion, cut into thin half-moon slices
• 1 (5-ounce) container brie cheese spread (see Tip)
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon chopped pistachio nuts

 

1. Preheat the oven to 400º. Coat a 10- x 15-inch baking sheet with cooking spray. Unroll dough onto baking sheet and lightly press dough to cover the entire bottom. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned; let cool. 
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Spread brie evenly over crust. Top with onions, strawberries, and blueberries. Sprinkle pistachio nuts on top. Cut into slices and serve.

 

This works great with other spreadable cheeses like cream cheese, goat cheese, or your favorite herb cheese spread. So, explore your dairy aisle and have some fun.

 

 

Historically this date.....

1769 – Father Junipero Serra founds California's first mission, Mission San Diego de Alcalá. Over the following decades, it evolves into the city of San Diego

 

1790 – The District of Columbia is established as the capital of the United States after signature of the Residence Act.

 

1941 – Joe DiMaggio hits safely for the 56th consecutive game, a streak that still stands as a MLB record.

 

 

1969 – Apollo program: Apollo 11, the first manned space mission to land on the Moon, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

1999 – John F. Kennedy, Jr., piloting a Piper Saratoga aircraft, dies when his plane crashes into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. His wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette are also killed.

 

And births this date include...

1888 – Shoeless Joe Jackson, American baseball player (d. 1951)

 

1907 – Orville Redenbacher, American farmer and businessman (d. 1995)

 

 

 

1907 – Barbara Stanwyck, American actress (d. 1990)

 

 

1911 – Ginger Rogers, American actress and dancer (d. 1995)

 

 

1958 – Michael Flatley, American dancer

 

 

1967 – Will Ferrell, American comedian

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Each year on July 16th, National Personal Chef Day recognizes the dedication and hard work of personal chefs across the United States.  

There’s a difference between a personal chef and a private chef. A private chef usually works exclusively for one client and typically lives in a person’s home or on the property. A personal chef may have many clients, run their own business, or work for a company.

The services a personal chef provides may include preparing meals in the clients’ homes or delivering meals already prepared. They may also create a meal plan according to dietary needs or the client’s preferences. Clients then follow instructions provided by the chef for heating the meals. Some personal chefs offer catering services as well.

Since being a personal chef is a competitive business, experience, and training is necessary. While not all personal chefs attend a culinary program, they do have years of experience and have honed their skills in the trade.

The days can be long for a personal chef. Depending on the client, their duties include shopping, preparation, and clean up. A dedicated chef with several clients will also spend long hours on their feet. Personal Chef Day acknowledges the hard work and often long lonely hours a chef puts into their craft. Many days also require additional research for clients with allergies or special diets. However, their passion for cooking and bringing nutritious, delicious meals to the table keeps them striving to create in the kitchen. The celebration dedicates the day to personal chefs with the drive to keep growing their skills and their business.

Some celebrate this holiday in February of each year.

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL PERSONAL CHEF DAY

For anyone aiming to become a personal chef or run their own business, this day is for you. Pat yourself on the back. If you know someone interested in being a personal chef, encourage them. Be their taste tester. Thank a personal chef you know for their outstanding work. Give them a shout out or a recommendation. 

NATIONAL PERSONAL CHEF DAY HISTORY

The United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA) founded National Personal Chef Day.